There is no end to composer Peter Broderick's creative output, and so we present to you his new album titled All Together Again — available worldwide on November 17th 2017 via Erased Tapes.They say music takes you on a journey, and this collection of commissioned work by Peter quite literally does that. From a ferry boat ride in Istanbul, to walking down the aisle at a wedding, these songs were created for particular situations, yet Peter found a way to work without any sort of limitations and on his own erms. The result is an assortment of works from the past ten years, coming together as one: Peter's new album. Words from Peter, October 2017: Ever since I started releasing records in 2007 (10 years ago now!), people have contacted me periodically to ask if I'd be interested in making music to accompany their projects. Most of these projects have been things like films, dance pieces and theatre plays . . . but every so often I get the odd request for something a little different. Peter, would you write a song for my wedding My one year anniversary A ferry boat ride
In early 2015 I was asked to perform 12 minutes of music during a runway show as part of New York Fashion Week. I agreed and began composing a 12-minute piece which I could perform on my own with a few different instruments and some looping pedals. I made a recording of the piece and sent it over to my contacts at the fashion show . . . but a few days before I was to fly out to New York, they wrote back and told me they actually just wanted me to play a few older songs that they were already familiar with. Feeling slightly disappointed, I shelved the other piece, giving it the title If I Were A Runway Model.It is with great pleasure that I now present this piece in a collection of commissioned works spanning the last decade . . . it's All Together Again. This group of oddball works does indeed include a couple pieces written for weddings (Our Future In Wedlock and The Walk), and a song someone asked me to write as a gift for his wife on their first year wedding anniversary (Emily). And indeed, there's a 17-minute piece written to accompany a ferry boat ride in Istanbul (A Ride On The Bosphorus). A few of the pieces were written for films (Robbie's Song, Atlantic and Seeing Things), and one for a kind of interactive installation (Unsung Heroes).In my early days of recording, I took pride in playing all the different instruments myself and doing the recording myself as well. And then at some point I started branching out, working with other musicians and recording engineers. But this record is very dear to me in that it's a return to that original approach . . . playing all the different instruments myself, working with my limits on each one, and my own limits in recording and mixing. I've always held a broad curiosity for all different instruments and all different styles of music, and if nothing else I hope this record will portray that curiosity, and my pure love for this thing we call music. Can you dig it The cover art was made by Peter himself in his hometown of Portland, Oregon, by cutting and sticking different coloured paper fragments to depict the individuality of each track.
Cerca:7 record cover
Swedish artist UBX127 is back on Figure with what might just be his most accomplished release to date. Spanning an arc cross four diverse tracks, the story told is abstract yet full of imagination. Gently pulsating crystalline opener woid carefully sets a vast open scene, covered in gushes of interplanetary winds. First contact is made on A2, it's electro-esque drive and spiky synths hinting at its alien origins. A taste of their mighty technology is given on Watch Out Below, booming with a propulsive punch and constantly swelling in intensity. Relief comes in form of Singularity, a beautiful, long-winding closer, on which soothing arps effortlessly outweigh their beaty counterparts. Having already proven his mastery of the machines with three stellar EPs for the label last year, this record further showcases UBX127's special talent of crafting tunes that are as ripe with drama as they are ready for the floor.
It's already been 5 years since the last Zombie Zombie album 'Rituels d'un Nouveau Monde', after which the group explored other territories by signing 2 film scores, namely 'Loubia Hamra' by Narimane Mari and 'Irréprochable' by Sébastien Marnier, as well as creating the music accompanying a contemporary circus show called 'Slow Futur' created by Martin Palisse and Elsa Guérin. Wouldn't these beautiful parentheses make you want to return to the sources After 10 years at Versatile Records, 2017 also marks the decade anniversary of the release of their first album 'A Land for Renegades' in 2007, at the time considered to be one of the 10 best albums of the year according to Rough Trade.
'Livity' - Zombie Zombie's latest opus seems to plunge us deep into science fiction, with a cover designed by the mythic cartoonist Philippe Druillet, who is also the founder of the cult Métal Hurlant comic series. The title of the album is somewhat misleading, as one could mistakenly think of a certain dub record made at
the famous Island Records Compass Point studio in the Bahamas. For the uninitiated 'Livity' or 'Life force' is actually a Rastafarian spiritual concept based on the idea that an energy exists within, and flows through, all people and all living things. The record was recorded last winter in Paris, in a very short time frame. 7 tracks played live in 7 days, by Etienne Jaumet (synthesizers / rhythm box / metallophone / sax), Cosmic Neman (drums / vocals / sound effects), and Dr. Schonberg (percussion / electronics / trumpet), recorded at the Red Bull Studios by Thibaut Javoy and Jerome Caron, 2 very competent engineers. To keep it in the family, the album was then mixed by another member of the Versatile stable, the mysterious and legendary DJ/producer I:Cube, done in the label's Victor Studio.
On this album the principles that are dear to the group rest being respected, still as far away as always from the standards of 'radio play', A living kind of music, composed of long instrumental moments recorded with analog synthesizers and drum machines, accompanied by drums and percussion. But I:Cube's touch may bring the unique energy that one may find at Zombie Zombie's concerts; on certain cuts like title track 'Livity' that the group recorded in Laos, a wild combination of 808 kick drums and bewitching jungle sounds that sound quite unlike anything else out there, and especially on 'Hippocampe', which gives the impression of hearing an old school hip hop rhythm with the power of a metal band who have replaced their guitars with an army of synthesizers: we recommend you listen to this particular track in a convertible while speeding down the highway.
As with all of Zombie Zombie's music the cinematic component is still strong, on titles like 'Ils existent..' 'Acera' which was originally composed for ciné-concerts accompanying the films of Jean Painlevé et Maurice Pialat. The energy of the beginning is still very present, as is - of course - the kraut inspiration. But it's also an album that takes new directions and sonic risks, like on 'Looose', which brings to mind the Art Ensemble of Chicago, or the groove of James Chance in New York in the early 1980's, featuring the free sax solos of Etienne Jaumet and Dr. Schonberg on the trumpet. The group also offers some slower and calmer titles, like 'Heavy Meditation' as well as exploring more experimental tracks in the line of French 70's groups such as Lard Free or Richard Pinhas, for example on the bonus track 'Black Moon'.
Please - Take your time, and enjoy listening!
SPECIAL LIMITED EDITION X 300 WITH BONUS 7 :
Limited special edition with the 7" containing the track "Lune noire", in 2 parts - one per side.
It's already been 5 years since the last Zombie Zombie album 'Rituels d'un Nouveau Monde', after which the group explored other territories by signing 2 film scores, namely 'Loubia Hamra' by Narimane Mari and 'Irréprochable' by Sébastien Marnier, as well as creating the music accompanying a contemporary circus show called 'Slow Futur' created by Martin Palisse and Elsa Guérin. Wouldn't these beautiful parentheses make you want to return to the sources After 10 years at Versatile Records, 2017 also marks the decade anniversary of the release of their first album 'A Land for Renegades' in 2007, at the time considered to be one of the 10 best albums of the year according to Rough Trade.
'Livity' - Zombie Zombie's latest opus seems to plunge us deep into science fiction, with a cover designed by the mythic cartoonist Philippe Druillet, who is also the founder of the cult Métal Hurlant comic series. The title of the album is somewhat misleading, as one could mistakenly think of a certain dub record made at
the famous Island Records Compass Point studio in the Bahamas. For the uninitiated 'Livity' or 'Life force' is actually a Rastafarian spiritual concept based on the idea that an energy exists within, and flows through, all people and all living things. The record was recorded last winter in Paris, in a very short time frame. 7 tracks played live in 7 days, by Etienne Jaumet (synthesizers / rhythm box / metallophone / sax), Cosmic Neman (drums / vocals / sound effects), and Dr. Schonberg (percussion / electronics / trumpet), recorded at the Red Bull Studios by Thibaut Javoy and Jerome Caron, 2 very competent engineers. To keep it in the family, the album was then mixed by another member of the Versatile stable, the mysterious and legendary DJ/producer I:Cube, done in the label's Victor Studio.
On this album the principles that are dear to the group rest being respected, still as far away as always from the standards of 'radio play', A living kind of music, composed of long instrumental moments recorded with analog synthesizers and drum machines, accompanied by drums and percussion. But I:Cube's touch may bring the unique energy that one may find at Zombie Zombie's concerts; on certain cuts like title track 'Livity' that the group recorded in Laos, a wild combination of 808 kick drums and bewitching jungle sounds that sound quite unlike anything else out there, and especially on 'Hippocampe', which gives the impression of hearing an old school hip hop rhythm with the power of a metal band who have replaced their guitars with an army of synthesizers: we recommend you listen to this particular track in a convertible while speeding down the highway.
As with all of Zombie Zombie's music the cinematic component is still strong, on titles like 'Ils existent..' 'Acera' which was originally composed for ciné-concerts accompanying the films of Jean Painlevé et Maurice Pialat. The energy of the beginning is still very present, as is - of course - the kraut inspiration. But it's also an album that takes new directions and sonic risks, like on 'Looose', which brings to mind the Art Ensemble of Chicago, or the groove of James Chance in New York in the early 1980's, featuring the free sax solos of Etienne Jaumet and Dr. Schonberg on the trumpet. The group also offers some slower and calmer titles, like 'Heavy Meditation' as well as exploring more experimental tracks in the line of French 70's groups such as Lard Free or Richard Pinhas, for example on the bonus track 'Black Moon'.
Please - Take your time, and enjoy listening!
After their highly acclaimed album - Dis Side Ah Town Roger Robinson and disrupt are returning with a reel full of new tales about survival in a Dog Heart City. These stories, delivered in Robinson's full vocal spectrum between low-end dub poetry tremors and haunting falsetto singing, are trying to make the invisible lives visible: giving people affected by gentrification, racism, unemployment and low wage work a sense of authority and aesthetic nobility.
Each song on this album became a story in that city, while the record itself is like the city holding these stories. Nightshift' tells about the workers who clean the buildings where power
is held, and the contrast between their lives and where they clean. Flowers' comments on the rate of young black men getting killed, where another victim dies even before the last mourning flowers have dried. There are stories about tower block life, the claiming of a postcode or how the city wears a Swastika like a proud badge in Post-Brexit UK.
This beautiful LP collects a pile of special riddim cuts from the Jahtari vaults, from re-edited classics by Bo Marley, unreleased gems by John Frum to completely new experiments, all lovingly dubbed live and soaked in analogue goodness by disrupt.
Stunning hand-painted cover art by Kiki Hitomi.
10 track double gatefold album
Mastered at half speed for stunning audio quality
The Desecration Of Desire is the first album in 14 years from Techno heavyweight Dave Clarke. The follow up to his acclaimed 2013 album 'Devils Advocate' the new album is a dark, ruthless journey including features by Mark Lanegan, Mt. Sims, Gazelle Twin, Anika and Louisahhh and reinforces his title as the Baron of Techno, a moniker given him by the late, great BBC Radio DJ John Peel.
Gilles Peterson says: "If a Cuban record had come out on Sleeping Bag Records in 1982, I think it would've sounded a bit like this. It's an eccentric middle ground between Latin-styled pop and disco".
Reissued from the Spanish version of this awesome Cuban records with a unique picture cover. Probably one of the best 70's Areito releases, for sure ahead of his times. The entire record minus two tracks of 10 total are all upbeat with afro-latin breaks, dope choral vocal arrangements and chunky bass and conga lines, but don t sleep, the lower bpm songs are great mellow gems. Gilles Peterson says: "If a Cuban record had come out on Sleeping Bag Records in 1982, I think it would ve sounded a bit like this. It s an eccentric middle ground between Latin-styled pop and disco".
Native Response returns with another 12-inch record with NR002: Shaman Among The Machines by Deltitnu.
Deltitnu is a homegrown Native Response project, debuting with three tracks that all share a certain feeling of mystery, accompanied by a steady grooving remix by Roger Gerressen. A1 is titled Sorry , a sweet and sincere record, that starts off with lyrical pianos drifting into space, while elegant drum machine rhythms build up more and more, developing a more club ready feel. This one is easy to lose yourself into, as the song progresses into vulnerable pads and a vocal stating Sorry, symbolising an apology from us humans to planet earth, for all we ve done. Continuing on to A2 Shaman Among The Machines we find ourselves in a whole different spectrum of the EP. It s hard to define where the kick ends and the bassline begins. A whole oozing of bass covers your body, and a miraculous atmosphere embraces you while the song effortlessly develops into a peaktime killer track. It moves on to a sexy acid line and playful drum rhythms on top, that when you think you almost understand them, they turn around again and show they were fooling around with you all along.
Flipping over the record; we start off with B1: Foundation Was Laid.
This meditative and hypnotising record shows that techno doesn t always have to be dark and dystopian. First of all the disco bass supported by the 303 massages the listener into a mindstate ready to take off. Once you re ready the atmospherical pads will take over and move you deeper into the comforting ambience of the track. The drums keep you grounded all the time, making sure no energy is lost on the dancefloor. Foundation Was Laid represents the start of the record label, Native Response. We conclude with B2, the Roger Gerressen Response of Shaman Among The Machines. Roger Gerressen does what he does best; giving the record a dubby and groovy spin.
He more or less adapts the qualities of a chameleon, resulting in a track that easily blends into the groove of the night, at any timeslot.
"In The Midst Of The Storm" brings together two exceptional talents and two generations of reggae musicians. Jah9's previous release "9" was critically heralded as one of the most re-freshing reggae albums of 2016. And now, fans will get the fully de-constructed, dubwise version of the album with nine newly recorded dub sessions from the legendary dub master, Mad Professor. He's renown for hundreds of productions with the who's who of jamaican veteran artist like i.e. Lee Perry, U-Roy, The Congos, Horace Andy, and did also great dub re-mixes for Massive Attack, Sade, Depeche Mode, Grace Jones and many more. This release marks the first Mad Professor title with VP Records as well as the first commercial recording of Mad Professor and Jah9 together. The press and media coverage will include interviews with Mad Professor and Jah9. The great original cover illustration is by artist Richard Nattoo!
ick Lenoir and Larry Thompson aka Black Traxx dropped several volumes of their own brand of chopped up Disco sampling, deeper side of House. From 1991 through to 1994 the Black Traxx EP's were showing up in record stores, obviously giving respectful nods to other Chicago DJ's and producers the tracks included on the EP's contained a DIY spirit and rawness that were key ingredients. Lenoir, with the technical assistance of Gary 'Jackmaster' Wallace has revisited these classic releases for 2017 and the pair have turned in some special, exclusive extended versions of some of the highlights from the series.
This, the second sampler of Black Traxx cuts culled from the various volumes picks up nicely where part 1 left us off. If it's that raw, deep, basement Chicago House sound you're after then these guys have you covered. Kicking off with the 1993 remix of 'Dreamin' which is a sublime late night organ driven groover, this one ticks all the boxes if you dig that NY / NJ Garage sound, but with a Chi-town twist! 'Soul' is up next, lifted from 1993's 'The Soul Package' collection. A stripped back, vocal led jam steeped in atmosphere. This one is for the dancers for sure, no nonsense House music for heads and hips.
Flip it over and the B-side opens with 'Shake', a tough, gritty, percolating banger with a tribal-esque edge. This one's a weapon and almost fits into that Baltimore / Chicago 'ghetto House' mould. A proper club track, no prisoners taken. This one has been gently extended by Rick and Gary for maximum club pressure! EP finisher 'Party' is a much more subdued groove giving a respectful nod to the JB's with that infamous 'Paaaarty' chant. No frills in the best possible way this one's another solid club groove, pure food for hungry turntables and sound-systems. All of the tracks included on these samplers have been carefully selected, arranged, edited and extended for precisely these reasons!
This reissue has been realised with the full involvement of Rick Lenoir and Gary Wallace and is 100% legit! All exclusive extended edits have been made by Rick and Gary specifically for this release. Don't snooze, this one deserves a spot in any self respecting House heads record bag or DJ set, classic material made available again for 2017 - You can't stop it!
Mint Condition - A brand new record label focussed on excavating the outer fringes of classic House and Techno. Unreleased mixes, classics and overlooked gems mined from the last 20+ of contemporary dance music are the order of the day. From Chicago, Detroit and New York to London and beyond, Mint Condition have got their expert digging hats on to bring you exclusive heat and those rarer than rare jams that have been on your wants list for years! Dig in....
Jaime Read is something of an unsung UK legend. An original, unique producer who has been making noise in the underground in his own way, emanating from the South coast of England, since the mid 90's. 'Relief Sevensixty' is a collection of Read's rarer tracks that have appeared in a roundabout way, on a legendary Chicago label in a tale that has by now been widely documented. But that's a story for another time. The real focus here is the music, of course. Across 4 tracks this EP shows what a dynamic producer Read is, the music contained within has a depth and maturity and of course it's some funky as, futuristic, space Techno that sounds like it's just escaped the warp drive and landed here on earth and implanted itself in our eardrums. From the joyous, glorious, electronic funk of 'Douch Me' to the curiously monikered piano driven, subterranean stormer 'Droopy Dancing' the whole EP captures a real insight to a remarkable UK talent operating from under the radar. 'Relief Sevensixty' is the first part of a 2 EP set covering Jaime Read's amazing music. Keep your eyes open for the second installment, winging it's way to us through the cosmos as we speak.... soon come!
The 'Relief Sevensixty' EP has been legitimately released with the full involvement of Jaime Read for 2017 and remastered by London's Curve Pusher from the original sources especially for Mint Condition. 100% legit, licensed and released. Dug, remastered, repackaged and brought to you by the caring folks at your new favourite reissue label - Mint Condition!
On Arise , Zara McFarlane returns to a buoyant UK jazz scene with a head-turning third album. Exploring the musical possibilities of British-Jamaican identity, it's a cultural exchange that's born of London's current musical climate. Released on Gilles Peterson's Brownswood Recordings, it sees her working with much-feted drummer and producer Moses Boyd. Both rose through London's Tomorrow's Warriors programme, a finishing school for many young vanguards of the live, ascendant jazz scene springing up across the UK capital. Sharing Caribbean family heritages, it's a product of their joint exploration of the meeting points between jazz and the rhythms of Jamaica, reggae, Kumina, calypso and nyabinghi, shaded with hints of the psychedelic.
Zara's breakthrough 2012 track, a jazz cover of Junior Murvin's 'Police and Thieves', provided a jumping off point to further explore the blurred, colourful territory in between jazz and roots-reggae. Covering Nora Dean's 'Peace Begins Within', she breathes a syncopated groove into a soulful, reggae classic. A beautifully poised version of the Congos' Fisherman teases out the poignant lyrical content of the 1977 classic. Meanwhile new, original compositions from Zara, like 'Fussin' and Fightin'' and 'Freedom Chain', combine a deep, reverberating bass with a steady-stepping roots rhythm. Album opener 'Ode To Kumina' touches on the kumina tradition brought to Jamaica by indentured labourers from The Congo in the later part of the 19th Century. Part of Zara's deeper research into her Caribbean heritage, it alludes to a deep-rooted culture encompassing music, dance and religion.
Similarly, 'Silhouette' arose from that same research, in this case, however, it was about how records and documents often get lost in Jamaica. It kind of came out of the idea of black history and blackness and feeling like you're trying to find yourself,' she explains. Trying to be proud of your history and who you are. And never forgetting the things that brought you to where you are.' Alongside drummer Moses Boyd on production, the album features a stellar line up of some of the key players on the London scene Binker Golding on tenor sax, Peter Edwards on piano, Shirley Tetteh on guitar, Nathaniel Cross on Trombone and an unusually restrained turn on Clarinet from Shabaka Hutchings.
Shared between all of them is a tendency to find the common points between different musical ilks: from US hard bop jazz, to dub and London-rooted hybrids and permutations, the band on Arise reflect the musical diversity of their home. Boosted by new platforms, like East London showcase Church of Sound and a newly-refreshed Jazz Café, the record surfs the momentum currently propelling jazz-influenced music in the UK.
For Zara, Jamaica's musical legacy is deeply intertwined with her sense of the place itself. Spending whole summers in the hills of Jamaica, it's the sounds and smells which she most vividly associates with her stays there. In particular the local sound systems which were an everyday feature of the local area, be it in shops or bars, each of the small local shacks would have a sound system where they'd play music through the day and evening.
From where my nan used to live, in Cauldwell there's a sound system almost opposite her house,' she says. So you feel this boom of the bass, and then all the smells of the hills and the greenery of Hanover. When you land in Jamaica and you go to walk off of the plane, the heat and the smells hit you and it feels like home away from home for me. When I hear Jamaican music, these are the senses that come.'
- 1: Wall Of Glass
- 2: Bold
- 3: Greedy Soul
- 4: Paper Crown
- 5: For What It's Worth
- 6: When I'm In Need
- 7: You Better Run
- 8: I Get By
- 9: Chinatown
- 10: Come Back To Me
- 11: Universal Gleam
- 12: I've All I Need
After the phenomenal reaction to his solo track 'Wall of Glass' and the emotional scenes that accompanied his first solo shows, Liam Gallagher can now announce that his eagerly anticipated debut album 'As You Were' will be released on October 6th on Warner Bros. Records.
I didn't want to be reinventing anything or going off on a space jazz odyssey,' says Liam. It's the Lennon 'Cold Turkey' vibe, The Stones, the classics. But done my way, now.'
The album's cover features an iconic new portrait of Liam which was taken by the influential photographer, fashion designer and creative director Hedi Slimane.
Selwa Abd (originally from Morocco, currently residing in Brooklyn) uses the fictional character Bergsonist, from Brooklyn, Slovakia, as her musical guise. Derived from Deleuze's Bergsonism, Bergsonist uses intuition as a method to deliver her/his instinctive psychoanalytic theories.
A blend of different audio sources and samples are used as a way to capture the essence of the 'present' moment, manipulating found sounds along with self-concocted digital fragments to combine in in the span of a set, given time. Bergsonist allows inspiration to come from anywhere, yet she/he limits themselves by the gear/tools that are used. The approach consists of inhaling all the energy of the city - influenced by trips to museums, galleries, shows, talking to people. and sensing nature - and exhaling it sonically. Bergsonist reacts to this energy and inspiration without any specific rules, styles, or genres - extending the array of possibilities by always pushing preconceived uses of the tools.
Following a slew of cassette-only releases from labels across the global map and a split 12" with Isabella on Borft Records last year, Selwa shares her most twisted and considered compositions to date with Mutation. Four fire-stoking tracks of electro convulsions sparked from indecipherable depths inflame new terrains for an artist whose output is inextinguishable - prolific barely covers the rapidity with which Bergsonist shares new jams to a lucky few - proffering Mutation as an indelible moment in Selwa's blossoming career. Mutation features a ripped / thrashed remix from in-the-cut edit wizard, Murray CY. Mutation will be available in a limited vinyl edition of 200 with artwork designed and conceived by Selwa and Benoit Canaud Studio.
Yet another highly in-demand 12" from the Philadelphia International stable and an artist who's records never go out of date! This is a killer double-sided beauty with the frenetic and jazzy "Life On Mars" from his debut 1976 album on the top-side and the mellow all-time classic and soul boy anthem "The Sweetest Pain" from 1979 on the flip.
Two very different sides of a great artist, both of which show the level of diversity that he was capable of producing. The last legitimate release of this was back 1999 and a Mint copy will currently set you back circa £50, if you can ever find one. Word of warning: there are some U.S. bootlegs from 2008 that still appear to be in circulation and which are easy to spot since they use the U.S. silver P.I.R. label.
We are currently getting these taken down and hopefully they'll soon be removed from the marketplace. Accept no substitute! All our 12" re-issues are licensed from the copyright owners and legally covered. No time for fakes over here!
Pulse Drift's third installment brings you the vinyl debut of a very talented young artist from Canada. And he delivers something quite special on this 4-Track EP. Deeply rooted in Detroit Electro, his musical sprouts gravitate towards a more experimental, forward-thinking sound universe. Build on a solid stem of rhythmic structures and covered with a cortex of melody and atmosphere, Funk grows and Groove emerges.
After moving from London to Berlin Cromby is back on Tenderpark with his second EP for the vinyl label. The young man recreates our love for Deep House with two sample-based tracks which showcase his ever advancing skills with the old school Akai sampler MPC 2000 XL as well as his cool understanding of mixing haunting melodies with gripping groove patterns. The remix on the flip side comes from Hip-Hop super producer gone House lover Hodini who has collaborated with the talented bass player Chez Kerim for this funky workout. The cover image shot by Achim Valbracht is the start of a new artwork series developed by Tenderpark art director Till Sperrle which revolves around critique of investor-driven architechture that has been dominating Berlin for several decades now. The speciously precious and glittering image displays a normalised and globally standardised kind of beauty but at the same time reveals a strong sense of loneliness. As always both the mastering and as well as the lacquer cut of this record have been carefully executed by vinyl sound mastermind Helmut Erler at Dubplates & Mastering.
lvin Toffler was overwhelmed. When in the morning of October 4th, 1988-it was his 60th birthday-he was starring with a still somewhat absent look into a bowl of cornflakes, he thought that in the surface structure of the yellowish shimmering milk which was making an emulsion with the maple syrup and slowly but irreversibly corroding the crunchy crystals on the flakes, he could see through a window into a timeless dimension. Toffler, who at that time had reached the peak of his fames as a future scientist, was sustainably disturbed from his peek into this extra temporary peephole. In none of his books-'Future Shock' had just been released with yet another edition featuring a proud printed note on the book cover stating 'more than 5 million copies in print'-did he ever mention this occurrence. Even after his death in June 2016, no note on this incident could ever be found in his estate. The 'flake dimension' as Toffler called it in notes which were later shredded remains a secret of opaque, hard-to-grasp radiant power.
Maybe it's too simple to describe 'Pneumatics' as a creation coming from this cornflake world Without doubt. Are there any more precise terms or instruments to determine the multifacetedness and beyond-timeliness of the 'Pneumatics' soundscape There are still unknown. 'Pneumatics' is, after releases at Innervisions, Die Orakel und his own label Sound Mirror, the debut album of Orson Wells (as long as you don't count in 'Jupiter' - Wells's first LP which was released in 2014 with 48 copies on cassette-have fun digging for rarities and bargains!).
Perhaps Wells, known in Frankfurt under his real name Lennard Poschmann and as an employee at the record store Tactile, is only a messenger. Or a psychic. The sound manifesto that he apparently transmits from Toffler's secret dimension tells of a city of upside down pyramids ('Tianon'), of passes into the land of the five elements ('Multipass') and dead straight four-to-the-floor lines which appear bended within the spherical dimension (''Geodesic'). These beats are right on the heels of the ones of Intersteller Fugitives; the strings sound like that at any moment a vocal sample edited by Moodyman could warp over through the Cornflake wormhole. Pneumatics is the science of all technological applications powered by condensed and often by quite heated air. It is a matter of mechanics, compression, jackhammer, ramblings, high pressure levels, valves for blowing of steam. On 'Pneumatics' it's all about this. And more. Orson Wells's album gets to the point of the post-retro futuristic state of the dancefloors of the house and techno clubs of this planet. It is like a peek into another dimension, right on the golden cut of spacetime geometry.
This record is meant to be enjoyed like a seascape. It offers a Mediterranean journey, one that Ulysses, Aeneas, and Jason with his Argonauts charted first and Valencian artist, Pep Llopis, retraced and retread — from the islands of Menorca to Santorini. All of his experiences are aboard this vessel of sound: no format in mind, no course but the chasm within self. While Poiemusia La Nau Dels Argonautes materializes at this moment as an album, another object suits Pep's project: Lewis Carroll's Map of the Ocean' from his The Hunting of the Snark. It's a simple illustration: the thin outline of a blank rectangle that represents the sea with no trace of land. Carroll offers this empty space as an object that all can understand, a container for possibility. Likewise, Poiemusia offers a musical language that any listener can understand. Untethered to the meaning of words, one is set adrift and free in minimalist sound and traditional music. Llopis, who often composed for dance, originally wrote Poiemusia for a performance at the Poiemusia festival (the Greek contraction of poetry and music). Peer composers, Carles Santos and Wim Mertens, also participated in the festival, which took place over several days at the Teatro Princesa in Valencia. Llopis paired his newly formed avant-garde compositions with the poems of fellow Valencian, Salvador Jàfer.
In the studio presentation of Poiemusia, voices softly converse, only to evaporate. The poetry is incanted by the poet himself. Jàfer enunciates at the verge of song, drawing dimension from his Mediterranean travels. He is accompanied by Montse Anfruns' vaporous voice. She extends the roll of her r's and the hiss of each s as if casting a spell of Salacia. Pep bathes their conversational performance in slight delays and reverb, allowing their voices to dissolve into an ocean of sound.
Llopis was influenced by minimal American composers like Steve Reich and La Monte Young. He embraces the melodic sides of these masters in the winds of El Vell Rei De La Serp' and the tender piano on Nits de cristall.' You will find yourself submerged in tonality on tracks like Jardins Aquàtics' and La Nau Dels Argonautes' which have a kinship to Philip Glass or Daniel Lentz. Each piece extends from 5 to almost 14 minutes. The music gently laps against listening skin— sometimes placid, sometimes shimmering. Ripples of sound swell and quicken. Flutes like schools of fish. The spray of chimes. Taught strings break like the shore. Tingling, undulating synths. The record cover acts as a map, tracing the forms of the original art and providing the poems in Catalana and Spanish. Once bathed in these sounds one will emerge like Carroll's map: a perfect and absolute blank.' Poiemusia La Nau Dels Argonaute emerges in vinyl and digital formats on May 19, 2017 through Freedom To Spend.




















