Buscar:audio two

It's finally here! We are proud to present two of Pola & Bryson’s most frequently requested anthems together on vinyl for the first time.

On 'Phoneline', a track which took the dance music scene by storm, Pola & Bryson and Emily Makis serve up their most captivating work to date through a blend of mesmerising vocals, songwriting and masterful production.

The B-side sees Pola & Bryson team up with Zitah for this outstanding cover of the R&B classic 'Tweet feat. Missy Elliott – Oops (Oh My)’.

Awards: Phoneline was voted as 2nd best track of the year (behind Badadan) in the 2023 D&B Arena Awards!
Awards: Emily nominated for best track and best vocalist in 2023 D&B Arena Awards
Awards: P&B nominated for best track and best producer in 2023 D&B Arena Awards
Awards: Emily nominated for best vocalist in DJ Mag’s ‘Best Of British 2023’ awards

Ever since he made his first trip to Japan to DJ, Optimo Music founder JD Twitch has been bewitched by Japanese music, and particularly the vibrant, imaginative, and often far-sighted sounds which emerged from the island nation during the 1980s. Now he’s put years of digging in Japanese record shops to good use on Polyphonic Cosmos, the latest release on his compilation-focused Cease & Desist imprint.

Subtitled ‘A Beginners Guide to Japan In The ‘80s’, the collection offers a personal selection of Japanese gems recorded and released between 1981 and ’86 – a period when advances in recording and musical technology offered the nation’s artists and producers a whole new tool kit to employ. When combined with the unique musical culture of Japan, where local traditions are frequently fused with Western styles to create timeless, off-kilter aural fusions, this embrace of locally pioneered music technology had spectacular, often unusual results.

Eight years in the making, Polyphonic Cosmos provides an endlessly entertaining musical snapshot of Japanese music of the early-to-mid ‘80s with all of the open-minded eclecticism and sonic twists that you would expect from the Glasgow-based DJ.

Compare and contrast, for example, the gently breezy, morning-fresh folk-plus-electronics bliss of ‘ばら二曲 Baranikyoku (Fellini&Rota)’ by World Standard – the most familiar alias of long-serving musician/producer Sohichiro Suzuki – and the hallucinatory, slow-motion tribal rhythms, post-punk rhythms and tape delay-laden electronics of Imitation’s ‘Exotic Dance’. Or, for that matter, the tipsy mid-‘80s electronic reggae of Pecker’s ‘Sha La La’, the grungy but melodic post-punk strut of ‘You Go On Natural’ by Earthling (a track Twitch accurately describes as “sheer unrelenting groove”), and the unearthly, swirling sonics, new age instrumentation and flotation tank vocals of prolific (and seemingly mysterious) act Geinoh Yamashirogumi’s ‘Rimme Kohkyogaku Meiki’.

It’s a credit to JD Twitch’s curatorial skills that the quality never dips, and sonic surprises lurk around every corner. Consider for a moment the hard to describe, far-sighted audio immersion of D-Day’s ‘Ki-Ra’ – all languid post-pop guitar, enveloping chords, spoken word vocals, shuffling 808 beats and marimba melodies – and the two contributions from video games soundtrack specialist (and driving instrumental synth-pop specialist) Hiroyuki Namba.

The collection naturally includes some selections that have long been favourites in Twitch’s DJ sets – see Masumi Hara’s ‘Your Dream’ – as well as a handful of tracks from artists who may be more recognisable to those with only rudimentary knowledge of Japanese musical culture. The great Yasuaki Shimizu, whose work as Mariah has become far better known in recent years thanks to reissues of some of his most magical albums, is represented via ‘The Crow’, a picturesque chunk of horizontal, hard-to-define jazz-not-jazz smokiness, while the collection fittingly concludes with a sublimely funky, oddball electronic workout from Yellow Magic Orchestra legend Ryuichi Sakamoto (the frankly incredible ‘Wongga Dance Song’).

Matt Anniss

Pianeti Sintetici presents AI-37, entitled ‘Space Opera’. Conceived by Italian artist Davide Perrone, the Pianeti Sintetici (“Synthetic Planets”) project hypothesises the creation of future synthetic worlds as told through sound. Although split across two parts, the album is a singular organism that narrates a journey of boundless cosmic exploration. A sonic tapestry woven of intergalactic atmospheres, Space Opera’s imaginative sound design contributes to a richly spatial and haptic experience.

Taking place in the dimly lit crevices of deepest space, a swirling pool of chemical abstractions and extraterrestrial transmissions spumes out from the darkness. Elements weave through broad washes of drones and scintillating textures, contrasting a sparse backdrop with dense and multilayered passages. Composed with the use of modular synthesisers and intense audio manipulations, ‘Space Opera’ comes to life as an entity that transports the listener on an immersive journey into the mysteries of alien worlds. 

The Mental Groove Classic series returns with a treasure trove of rare and hard to find tracks plucked from the personal collection of label founder Olivier Ducret, a pivotal figure in Switzerland's acid house and rave-era party scene.

On Volumes Two and Three of the series - the first installment hit stores in 2017 - the Mental Groove and Musique Pour La Danse label founder takes us back to the turn of the '90s, a time he spent promoting parties in fields, squats, forests, warehouses and former factories in and around Geneva and behind the counter of a record shop of the same name. While others in Switzerland's emerging dance music scene gravitated towards US house and garage, Olivier and his crew opted for a bass, breaks and techno-focused sound inspired by regular trips to clubs, raves and record shops in the UK.

Drawing directly from his own record box and a memory bank full of snapshots of euphoric dancefloor moments, Mental Groove Classics volumes Two and Three sees Olivier reaching for cuts of near-mythical rarity, genuinely overlooked gems, and undeniably brilliant tracks that have left a long-lasting impression on the local raving landscape. It's an autobiographical audio document, historical archive and personal musical statement all rolled into one, inspired by a moment in time where musical boundaries were being redrawn in a wave of carefree optimism and freedom inspired new rave scenes across Europe and far beyond.



Matt Anniss

Original artwork by Soho's Brain Club co-owner and artist of early British club culture Mark Wigan.

File under house, breakbeat, techno and warehouse rave music

Tape Reworks, Vol. 2is the fourth project by Langham Research Centre released onNonclassical. Following the success of theirTape Works, Vol. 1and subsequentTapeReworks, Vol. 1(which featured remixes by Jim O'Rourke and Group A), this EP presentstwo remixes of tracks fromTape Works, Vol. 2:'Movable Fields', remixed by Kara-LisCoverdale, and 'Nachholbedürfnis', remixed by Beatriz Ferreyra. Kara-Lis Coverdale's 'Movable Fields' is an icy soundscape, gently moving at a glacial pace, evoking the feel of a field recording from a strange planet. 'Movable Fields' draws from elements of twoTape Works, Vol. 2tracks, 'Accarezzo' and 'Terminal Voltage Traces'. Ferreyra's remix of 'Nachholbedürfnis' is a dadaist cacophony of bleeps and lo-fi scratchy samples, darting chaotically throughout the track in true GRM fashion. The original album utilizedrecordings made in specific locations, particularly brutalist buildings, as an audiomanifestation of modernism.

The King of Miami's Cuban music scene, the late Ray Fernandez, is featured here fronting his enormously talented family band on an album that first brought him into the spotlight.

Heavily influenced by deep funk and Latin music, their psych-tinged creations also incorporated many other kaleidoscopic sound infusions, including soul, calypso, Afro-Cuban and salsa. Fronted by Ray Fernandez, his band included his very talented wife and two sons and proved to be a highly influential group on Miami's Latin music scene in the late 70's. What also made them stand out was their versatility; this group could easily shift from Cuban funk to Reggae in a blink. Their instrumentation was also different to the 'norm', and where a lot of similar sounds were saxophone-led, this band used a bass clarinet. Instead of bongos, Ray and His Court played with the unique Osi drums from Africa.

Sampled heavily by DJs worldwide (including DJ Shadow) On High presents a must have piece of music for any serious Latin, funk, or rare groove collector. Remastered and pressed on audiophile virgin vinyl for your listening pleasure.

Chicago? Absolutely! Detroit? Definitely! For many, however, a significant chapter in the coming-of-age story of House music was also written in The Netherlands.

This 8-track compilation is the result of a nationwide search for lost Digital Audio Tapes (DAT’s), dusty home-studio recordings, and other relics from those early days. The distinctive "House" sound eventually evolved into a rainbow of local styles and grooves. Back then, DJ’s played their heart out and didn’t limit themselves to any particular musical genre. Following that spirit, this compilation contains everything that makes the Dutch sound so special, from energetic Breaks to atmospheric Deep House.

These are not your usual suspects, not even the most revered diggers have this collection at their fingertips. It's raw, pure material from the time when house parties were fresh and dirty at the same time. Back when the only dress code was a wide smile from ear to ear. Four sides with two tracks each, ensuring maximum DJ enjoyment. Now get out there and spread the Dutch 90's House vibes!

The Viennese audio-architect with South Tyrolian roots delivers two exciting new tracks, co- produced by Osman Murat Ertel (Baba Zula) from Istanbul.

Ulrich Troyer's MOMENTS transforms classical & acoustic guitar recordings through tape machine treatment, guitar effect pedals, analog & digital effects into a shimmering soundscape. The combination of textures and effects generates excitement and invites to listen repeatedly, surprising each time with new details.

Fractured tones, beautifully rooted and held together by the tune underneath.

Credits:

Guitars, Tapemachine & Electronics: Ulrich Troyer
Recorded & Mixed by Ulrich Troyer @ 4Bit Bungalow, Vienna
Written by Ulrich Troyer
Produced by Osman Murat Ertel & Ulrich Troyer
Mastering & Lacquer Cut by Kassian Troyer at Dubplates & Mastering, Berlin Cover Art © Eva Kelety & Ulrich Troyer

Period of creation: 2021-2022

EVOLV is a visionary window into the mind of Dubfire, the journey of the ‘hybrid’ being and its evolution. Last year in October, an 11-track debut album was released on his long-standing SCI+TEC imprint. And now, just over a year later, Grammy award winning producer Dubfire returns to that sonic discourse, drafting in an impressive array of names to re-interpret the material, and accompanied by Dubfire's new audio-visual EVOLV show which picked up where the critically acclaimed electronic performance experience HYBRID had left off.

The eclectic package will include such notables as Glaskin, Arjun Vagale, Nadia Struiwigh, Mathimidori (dub alias of Mathias Kaden), Maral, Decka, Carl Craig, Truncate, Drumcell, Chris Liebing, Radio Slave and Luke Slater who have all given the original music in their own unique style.

With a career spanning over 3 decades, Dubfire has achieved global success as an artist with relentless drive, talent, and intuition. Pioneering commercial notoriety came initially as one half of the Grammy Award-winning (2001) duo Deep Dish, before embarking on a truly groundbreaking solo career in 2007. A career filled with timeless tracks include his early works, ‘RibCage’ (2007), ‘Emissions' (2007), ‘Roadkill’ (2007) and the highly acclaimed ‘Grindhouse’ (2009) remix from Radio Slave which led to a host of other notable projects over the years.
Collaborative work highlights include projects with Miss Kitten, Luke Slater, Flug, and Oliver Huntemann, as well as co-producing two songs on Underworld’s Barking album. A true artist, he has always been heavily invested in exploring performance technology, unveiled to wide praise with his HYBRID live show. A two-year world tour commenced in 2015 and was followed by his retrospective album, A Decade Of Dubfire (2017), a celebration of his immense output during the first 10 years of solo artist stardom. EVOLV is Dubfire’s debut solo artist album.

Korean artist and musician Jin Won Lee (이진원), otherwise known as Gazaebal, began his career in New York. Working as a sound engineer, alongside such illustrious artists as the Wu-Tang Clan and Janet Jackson, led him to develop a keen ear for dexterous audio design, melodic flair and catchy rhythm. But his true interest lay in uncovering the unique textures and synthetic qualities of electronic music. From the late 1990s to the early 2000s, Gazaebal focused on developing himself as a producer, synergising a uniquely potent take on club music, releasing three albums and appearing on numerous collaborations.

An established figure in the realm of contemporary art, Jin Won Lee is well-known for his hybrid, highly technological practice. In 2008, together with Jang Jaeho, he formed The Tacit Group, a collective for computer-coded art. Presenting works that manipulate audio and visuals in real-time through programming, the group has performed at the FAMS Choice selection, Lincoln Center in New York, at the Seoul branch of the Museum of Contemporary Art and the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, among many others. As a solo practitioner, he initiated in 2023, a project that examines sound as abstracted vibration. brings together Jin Won Lee’s decades long investigations into sonic experimentation and the physicality of noise.

Outside the avant-garde, Gazaebal has enjoyed mainstream success, collaborating with Big Hit Productions founder and BTS songwriter Mr. "Hitman" Bang on remixes and arrangements for K-POP albums. They also formed the two-man group Banana Girl, with Gazaebal focusing on composition while Bang handled vocals, achieving a big hit with their 2000s track ‘Butt.’

Another crucial figure in Gazaebal’s life is his wife Nine who operates as his agent and business partner. Initially released in 1999 on Nine’s independent imprint dmstrax, the titular track ‘Talk’ first appeared on techno@kr, a compilation CD of Korean electronica. Together, they co-founded G Records, which was partly absorbed into Bighit Entertainment in 2005. Appearing as the inaugural record on Bighit, the original version of 'And So On' – featuring Bang’s vocal production – was not available for re-release due to licensing difficulties. But thankfully the multitrack was well preserved. Utilising these components, Nawon Ha (AKA Korean-but-Amsterdam-based artist Naone) re-imagines the song for Betonska Records.

A combination of un- and self-released material, Talk is an album that firmly belongs to the millennium while sounding utterly outside of space and time. A cosmic trance trip that draws on rock’s steely drive, wiggy acid basslines and warbling dub, the record is presented as a mix-friendly mini-album, with the 6 tracks ideally tailored to DJ-level quality and loudness. As much suited to the psychedelic rave scene of yesteryear as they are to present-day dancefloors, Gazaebal’s productions are defined by his idiosyncrasies. Melding the sheen of tight production and pop sensibilities with a flagrant DIY spirit, his music assuages the high-commercialism of the 2000s, resulting in a style that’s as definitely punchy as it is precise

Keith Farrugia aka The Maltese Magician aka Sound Synthesis has been changing the face of the electro/techno community for many years now with his deep audioscapes. Taking you on a musical journey that’s deeper than Atlantis!


With previous releases on Ralph Lawson’s 20/20 Vision, Nocta Numerica, Gated Recordings, Planet 17 and Exalt to name but a few, Keith is a producer in high demand and we are grateful that he graced AmenTec with two incredible tunes that take the listener on a journey of musical imagination.


On the flipside, Amen Brother supplies the remixers for this release. Firstly, we have Cridge & Powder, two Bristol old school dons and royalty of the hardcore and jungle scene. Cridge is a member of the Bristol band Up, Bustle & Out and label boss of Tribe Recordings. Powder is part of the old skool hardcore group Fruit & Veg, who have been repressing their music on Vinyl Fanatiks recently. The guys turn in a rolling hardcore joint.


Next up on the remix are the Moving Shadow legends that are Tone Def, straight outta Bournemouth Town. The guys ease of the BPM a little and add an addictive vocal hook to their mix, showcasing the broad spectrum of the hardcore rave community. Rog from Tone Def is also the owner and creator of the Void soundsystems!
An EP with many layers!



c b1. Electrical Synapses Cridge & Powder 'Fruit & Veg' Mix
Tone Def Remix

Long Beach legend Scotty Coats links the West Coast eclecticism of Stones Throw to the NYC cool of DFA and Rong to the Balearic gods of DJ Harvey et al. He personally introduced Be With to Ned Doheny 10 years ago and he was immortalised on Smith & Mudd's last LP. And he's the main man behind the mysteriously titled duo Todd Russell & The Dangerous Coats, alongside Erick "Todd" Coomes (Lettuce founder/bassist).

In very real danger of being lost forever, we unearthed two of their private recordings and present them as a double A-Side 12", adorned with S-T-U-N-N-I-N-G artwork, courtesy of Arizona artist Frank Gonzales.

"Playa Larga" is a melodic, mellow masterpiece and is quintessentially Balearic. It's stretched out, low slung, guitar-soaked drum-machine soul music. It's multi-layered and contains multitudes: it builds and builds and builds and mesmerises as it does so. On the flip, "1900 Ocean Avenue" is a super slo-mo, sunbaked drug-chug which is already blowing minds thanks to early leaks of this cosmic, psychedelic detonation.

On first listen back, Erick said to Scotty: “So wait, nothing really happens, I mean nothing bad happens but nothing really happens”. Apparently these tracks were a bit foreign for Erick, musically, because of the lack of structure in the songs.

One morning, years later, Erick called Scotty and excitedly declared: “dude, I get it now!”. He was listening to random music with a lady friend while watching the sunrise in his 1900 Ocean Ave apartment and "Playa Larga" came on randomly. He'd forgotten all about it and said he had to get up and see what song it was because "it was the perfect soundtrack for a psychedelic sunrise over the ocean."

And that's exactly how we came across it, circa 2018, randomly popping up on a playlist while we were busy doing other things. It stopped us in our tracks but, when trying to find any info on iTunes, we were out of luck. It was only years later that we worked out Scotty had sent it to us. Ever since, we've been working on getting this out to you all. It's finally time.

We've only 500 pressed for the world, with many of them spoken for by those lucky enough to be already ITK, so these are gonna fly: be warned!

Scotty is a world class raconteur so we'll hand over to him to explain how these songs came about and why they mean so much to him in the context of his wider raison d'être:

"These were made 13 years ago when I was a new dad and left my job at Ubiquity Records to provide security for my newborn son, Nolan Liam Chai Coats. I became miserable working a job outside of music for the first time in my life and I was laid off 4 months into it. I was left wondering how the fuck am I going to provide for my family?

I lived in Long Beach and Erick lived a few blocks away. I would walk to his house when Jen finally got Nolan to sleep so I could escape my panic, drink some beers (is it beerlearic?) and make some music. He lived overlooking the ocean with the Queen Mary on the horizon, so I guess mellow Long Beach nights unintentionally inspired the music. These songs were the first two songs we ever made and they embody the desperation and hope I really needed at that time. 12 years later, when Rob at Be With expressed an interest in releasing it, we had Erick's brother Tyler Tycoon Coomes play drums on it at Jazzcats Studio in LBC, with Jonny Bell.

Shortly after I was laid off, I discovered The Stepkids. I was blown away by "Shadows On Behalf" and sent it on to Gilles Peterson. He played it on Worldwide the next day. The Stepkids pulled me back into music and made me realize I wasn't prepared to do anything but be involved with music. After I heard their unreleased album, I knew there was something there so I sent it to my good friend Jamie Strong who was at Stones Throw at the time. Jamie passed it along to Peanut Butter Wolf and the band asked me to be their manager. I didn't think I was the right guy for the job but wanted to see them do well so I told them I would help shop their album. Jamie suggested I take his place at Stones Throw, just as he did when he left Ubiquity Records. I always joke that Jamie can call me Scotty Coat Tails because I had been riding his for years.

Wolf told him that "Scotty is a nice guy but has horrible taste in music", which was ironic because he was literally trying to sign the band that I brought him. The Stepkids signed with Stones Throw and found a real manager. 6 or so months later Jamie sent me a note saying "Stones Throw is hiring and you should apply lol". I told him I was going to send my resume and the subject of the email was to read I HAVE GREAT FUCKING TASTE IN MUSIC. I did just that and got a call the next day from their new GM asking me to come in for an interview. When I walked in I was in Wolf's office where I had been 6 months before, signing The Stepkids
deal. Wolf and Jason McGuire were asking me some questions and wanted to introduce me to Jeff Jank. Jank walked in and said "Isn't this the guy that Jamie wanted to bring on 6 months ago?" They confirmed and he threw his hands up and walked out saying "I've seen enough". I got the job. I worked there for 2 or 3 years until I left to join forces with Jamie Strong at his label and stayed there for almost 7 years."

Scotty wanted to use a painting by his good friend, Frank Gonzales, for the front cover image. Frank was incredibly generous in letting us use this one, and Scotty was completely honoured. We think you'll agree, it's pretty striking. Simon Francis carefully mastered the original audio for both tracks and Cicely Balston's precise cut for Alchemy at AIR Studios ensures this double A-side 12" sounds appropriately outstanding. The immaculate Record Industry pressing will ensure these previously unheard, recently discovered recordings finally get a chance to shine.

Debut full length vinyl from the UK/Italian duo of Ecka Mordecai and Valerio Tricoli, working together as Mordecoli. Individually these two travellers have carved out a path of ghostly musique concrete (Tricoli) and textural cello wandering (Mordecai). Alter is proud to present the album Château Mordécoly a result of two musicians (and friends) coming together to explore the middle ground of their individual investigations.

The results of a red wine induced residency at London’s Cafe Oto, Château Mordécoly is a panoramic audio field exploring both the physicality of sound, informed by the voice, cello and pictish harp of Mordecai, and the artificial manipulations of Tricoli’s revox tape machine. The delicate tension between the physical ‘real’ and the distortive ‘new’ leverages this release far beyond a tipsy residency and shifts it into a top tier electroacoustic take on the zeitgeist. Solo cello and voice appear rooted in the timbre of time. The magnetic tape is both a friend and covert manipulator.

The physical elements open themselves to disfigurement as a means of propagating the fantastical audio that unfolds from the initial enquiry. There’s no witchery or wizardry on part of either player but rather a symbiotic passing of the baton as the line between the real and the non-real flow in and out of themselves. The results are at once sedate, shocking and subversive.

Château Mordécoly is a disembodied sonic landscape; a phantasmagorical world of fantasy unfolds as the delicate beauty of Mordecai’s playing and singing is transformed into a playful and unusual landscape. Epoch’s are evoked as the visual stimuli resulting from these alchemical transformations conjure everything from a haunted house to the Middle Ages.

"We find ourselves venturing into the depths of a rugged terrain. In our hands, we hold stones and minerals, each possessing its own distinct texture, weight, and sonic potential. It is through the artistic touch and through the musical instruments that these earthly treasures, once dormant, are awaken to life." — Sara Oswald + Feldermelder

The 3rd collaboration of prolific cellist Sara Oswald and electronic musician Feldermelder evokes captivating sensations that oscillate between impending doom and hope. The albums' sonic journey is highly immersive, transporting the listener from one cerebral landscape to another. The transformative nature of metallic elements being integrated in sustained orchestral tones weaves the sonic tapestry, resulting in a captivating experience for the listeners. The organic sounding — reminiscent of minerals' timbres — brings a touch of brightness and a distinctive edge, while the orchestral harmonic structures lend a sense of grandeur and continuity. The origins of this music remain enigmatic, while the tracks of the album gradually unveil concealed aspects and the hidden truth.
One can step into a realm where melodies are reborn, as Sara Oswald's cello spins tales and emotions burst forth. Nature's eternal splendor intertwines with the essence of music, as she infuses harmonies with the soul of mountains. Vibrant hues come alive with delicate strokes, and cascading notes resonate with a select few. Feldermelder conjures profound echoes that swirl like ancient whispers of the earth's primordial past. He sculpts textures, from fragmented glitches to expansive atmospheres, that warp the fabric of reality. The two musicians merge together harmoniously, blending the acoustic and electronic worlds into a transcendent unity. This fusion of contrasting elements adds a unique and intriguing quality to the music. The cello's warmth merges with pulsating electronic beats, creating a symphony of contrasts and sonic upheaval. Each composition is woven in intricate layers, combining electroacoustic architecture with delicate precision. A subtle balance of chaos and control permeates the music as it meanders through the labyrinth of the mind. The soundscape unfolds like a grand tapestry, distant echoes murmuring like grains of sand.

Trained in baroque cello and advocating improvised music, Sara Oswald is the perfect match for sound artist and electronic musician Feldermelder. She plays solo, composes for film and theatre and collaborates with musicians like The Young Gods, Pascal Auberson, Sophie Hunger and Julian Sartorius. Feldermelder is a polymathic creative whose artistry spans composition, sound design, installation and code. He is co-founders of -OUS and part of Encor.studio, a collective of artists who specialise in creating immersive audio-visual installations. Through his work, he explores the idea of secrecy and its impact on our lives, using music and sound to create a thought-provoking and immersive experience for his audience.

The first release of 2023 on SHERELLE and NAINA’s Hooversound imprint comes from London based DJ, producer and AV artist, Drumskull.

Drumskull is the moniker of Joel Harrison, started during lockdown in 2020. His debut album, ‘Interlocked’ garnered support from the likes of Addison Groove, Ahadadream, Doc Scott as well as receiving radio support from Tom Ravenscroft on BBC Radio 6 and Avalon Emerson on her BBC Radio 1 Residency.

In joining the Hooversound family, he again showcases his style of meshing jungle, footwork with deep house and breaks across two tracks. 'Muscle Memory’ also features two huge remixes from Nottingham’s Lone and LMajor - both making debuts on the label.

The EP wraps up a busy year for Hooversound who also put out releases by RAVETRX, Prayer, Thugwidow and Bruised Skies as well as remixes from Response and Denham Audio. Since launching in 2020, Hooversound has become a go to label that pushes the bass continuum, being championed globally by Resident Advisor, Crack Magazine, FACT, Groove, Mixmag and more.

The highly anticipated new release of Guy Mantzur's label Moments contains an exceptional collaboration of the two legends Audio Junkies and Sahar Z. The Israeli dreamteam managesonce again to sail into uncharted soundscapes, displayingtheir skillsetwhile giving usa glimpse into their musical world. The works connect the dots between styles, fusing indie dance, breaks, psychedelic, and progressive elements into an integrated conceptual work of art. 'Variants' indicates what is to come in this musical endeavor, combining skillfully executed warm melodic stretches blended carefully with a driving beat. 'Come2gether' carries an uplifting melody providing a soul-stirringnostalgic moment, perfect for any dancefloor.

This vinyl version of the release brings the warmth of an audiophile-worthy audio quality and delivers an additional track. Come2gether (Delta Mix) is an exclusive version, bringing an edgier take on the exquisitely put-together material. Dig in!

JNJS brings us a new EP for their own label.

On this occasion, the duo formed by Jay Nortown and Jacobo Saavedra bring us two very special vocal cuts (see if any famous movie sounds familiar) and a dance cut as usual. To finish off, a remix by Italian talent Jamahr.

Supported by Arapu, Nu Zau, Janeret, Sepp, Miroloja, Tania Vulcano and more.

Artwork by Lebsi, masters by RV Audio.
300 limited copies.

Tutto Bene is the new imprint of the North German vinyl digger Hagel. The plan? Release infectious but versatile grooves reminiscent of the nineties with hefty doses of funk - rich in percussion, rolling sub basses, charismatic rhythms, and light-hearted yet odd synths. The first record, 'Too Easy EP', comes signed by AlleyOP, a collaboration project between Hagel and Berlin-based wonder producer Atree, and features two original tracks and two remixes by Lorenzo Chiabotti and Audio Werner.

A side's 'Die Another Day' opens the record with robotic rhythms under mildly paranoid tones proper for dancefloor hypnotization. Lorenzo Chiabotti brings an unexpected melodic touch to the original, completely re-shaping its groove and determinately swapping its freaky tonalities with hopeful scales. B side's 'Too Easy' follows the same path of minimal arrangements and straight-to-the-point drum programming and sampling but opts for warmer sonic tones - making it appropriate for dusk and dawn dancefloor moments. Audio Werner elevates the warmth in scale and ups the vibe by intensifying the breaks and synth atmosphere of the original and shooting it into a stratosphere where melody and detail are elementary.

Son of Chi returns to Astral Industries, alongside Spanish artist Clara Brea, for the collaborative release of AI-29. A product of fate, chance experiments, but most of all, sensitive artistry - ’The Wetland Remixes’ exists as a confluence of two kindred musical spirits, a wayfaring epic that draws together a rich archive of ecological field recordings, live instrumentation and higher inspirations.

Ahead of Hanyo’s concert at Calma (Madrid) at the end of 2019, the curators organised a special dinner and arranged the meeting of Clara and Hanyo. As Hanyo recalls,“It was like stereochemistry. There was an instant match and understanding, and basically we decided in a split second to exchange recordings and to collaborate on future live and studio experiments.”

The auspicious meeting of the two ignited a remote exchange of materials and ideas, as the world descended into a series of pandemic-related lockdowns. The first of said recordings included the stems of Clara’s ‘Wetland Project’ - a site-specific audiovisual project originally produced for Eufonic Festival (Spain), using field recordings from the Ebro Delta nature reserve (one of the most threatened regions of climate change on the Iberian peninsula).

From this initial impetus, Hanyo began working on the first sketches of the album back in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Just like their meeting in Madrid, the project developed naturally and spontaneously with extraordinary ease. Later, Hanyo started adding field recordings from the Magic Cave and Wetlands of the ‘Kallikatsou’ (Patmos, Greece) as well as organic and acoustic overdubs, featuring bass, drums, percussion, guitars, oud, piano, hammond organ, wurlitzer, flutes, bells, and mouth harp.

In the distance, the sound of birds peak through the effervescent wash of the wetland soundscapes. The pass of running water flows deeper into a land full of secrets never told. On the strike of dusk, the silhouettes of shapely trunks and foliage melt slowly into the impenetrable darkness. As darkness passes, light emerges, with exquisite moments of tranquility that seemingly emerge from nothingness.

Beneath the shimmering veneer of textures, wildlife and melodies, one may hear the deeper references of ’The Wetland Remixes’. With credit to Clara’s input, for Hanyo the album process became a kind of refuge, and ultimately inspired the return to the core of Abstract Sound - what the Sufis call“Saut-i Sarmad.”Such references allude to the spiritual quality embedded in the music - the autonomous process of self-expression, the great mystery. Hanyo: “An ambience like this cannot be created by routine. There is no blueprint. The music has to find you. It’s like a blessing if it happens. You should not interfere, just observe and be impressed...”

Deep, luscious mind trips as per the classic Chi sound, ‘The Wetland Remixes’ beautifully correlates the interconnecting dots of geography, ecology, and mythology’s forgotten lore.

Clear Vinyl

This 7-inch record contains two audio adaptations by Josie Perry of her performances 'Retainers' and 'Toy Shop'. Josie is based in Glasgow and works mainly between drawing, sculpture, performance and publishing. The performances connected to this vinyl were part of a series made between 2019-20 involving absurd narration, audio loops and suggestive props. 'Beautifully Formed' is a short extract from the longer piece 'Retainers', while 'Toy Shop' uses the full transcript. Both works relate to her interests in materialities of spoken language and alienated voicing, and her background in vocal performance.

White Vinyl

Greyscale's most personal release and perhaps the most important for label owner grad_u aka Aleksandr Martinkevič. Earlier this year, Alex was diagnosed with cancer. Certainly a horrible thing to hear and there has definitely been some low moments in certain stages of the journey. At just 36 years old, many of us are shocked that such a young person can develop cancer. After some research he found out that younger and younger people are randomly getting cancer studies show. An alarming trend to learn about. However, there has also been a lot of other learning and different new levels of appreciation for the simple things in life as a new higher level of inspiration in making music has manifested. And this new release encapsulates that. Alex has also felt a duty to make things better for others. Focusing on what can be improved as he wants to highlight research, treatment and the overall communication of this disease to more people in the electronic music scene. Part of the proceeds from this new album will be donated to the National Cancer Institute in his homeland of Lithuania.
Alex wants everyone to know that catching these signs early and getting regular checkups are your best chance at beating cancer. Thankfully Alex did this also and his treatments have gone well. Alex plans still stay steadfast with his label and his life. Simplifying things with the love from his family and friends, focusing on his hobbies
along with making sure he makes his health his #1 personal priority.
The name for this full length release is titled 'T2NO'. grad_u's most introspective work yet features 8 emotional tracks overall. The honesty expressed in this album is blunt and to the point. These tracks take you on an audio journey thru grad_u as he expresses his feelings thru the entire process in each stage.
Beginning with two wonderful ambient tracks named 'Genetic Mutation' & 'Carcinogen'. In the opener, Chords rain over you as a beautiful ambient melody peeks out underneath it followed by a more stark and hazy field of interference. From the gentle opener to the more tension filled follower, the personal journey of grad_u is
developing before your ears. The b-side of 'Neoplasm' is a bit more somber but also has a ray of light in it.
Introspective as it can get, this is a true journey through an uncertain future. 'MRI scan' needs no explanation....
The second half of the album begins the understanding of what grad_u was going thru. 'Malignant Transformation' gives off that feeling of the human body working thru the science. Fight or flight becomes the theme for this track. 'Adenocarcinoma' almost gives off the sound of cells rebuilding themselves. Sci-fi meets real life in this epic battle. 'Resection' continues this scientific sounding reflection on the body healing with sounds of movement and time. As if the body is working itself out. Lastly and triumphantly comes the closing
track 'Waking up to a New Life'....
The emotional journey of this album isn't for the faint of heart. It leaves nothing to the imagination. It works thru all the emotions that can come with such and life changing event like having cancer. We want to thank grad_u for sharing his story with us. This story can happen to anyone...
"I would like to take this opportunity to express my great gratitude to doctors A. Dulskas, G. Jurevičienė, V. Sidorov and all staff in Abdominal Surgery and Oncology Department at NCI. Thank you for your expert care and for saving my life.
Also, big big thank you my family and closest friends for all their love and support during this difficult period of time and always being there for me."
Special thanks to Lithuanian Council for Culture, associations AGATA and LATGA for support of this special project.
Part of proceeds from the album will be donated to National Cancer Institute, Lithuania

160 gram clear red vinyl, glossy sleeve, Cititrax presents rare live recordings from Birmingham techno legend Regis. The 12" EP features recently uncovered recordings of Regis playing live in New York City on January 4th, 1997 at the famed New York Film Academy. Original tapes discovered by Evan Kreeger, studio work / transfers done by James Ruskin in London and audio mastered by Veronica Vasicka in New York. The EP will be pressed on 160 gram clear red vinyl and housed in a gloss sleeve, featuring text by Evan Kreeger. An excerpt is below: Gymnastics broke techno - first time performed ! Regis has recreated this show for you - from the tapes in storage Over twenty years later - You're welcome! You are born! Now you can say you were there - rather than Skavoovee chore Damage and flame was our desire for this fight Two fans rebuffed tossed cinderblocks thru the front doors that night Locking up the Film Academy was only pageantry and a lie Nothing secure anymore - just crouch down - on your knees - crawl inside"

We’re excited to be launching a new release series: “Melodies Record Club”, a string of DJ and artist curated mini compilations in loud 12” format.

The first instalment was put together by Four Tet, selecting two big peak-time Jazz tracks he used to spin regularly at Plastic People.

On one side, we’ve got all time jazz greats Jackie McLean and Michael Carvin’s De I Comahlee Ah, taken from their seminal album Antiquity recorded in Denmark back in 1975. A year and a half ago, we visited Steeplechase, the original label in the outskirts of Copenhagen. They informed us that at the time, the track was cut short as it didn’t fit on the full LP. They were kind enough to provide us with the tape of the full original recording, allowing us to release for the first time the full extended version capturing twelve and a half minutes of studio magic. Speaking with Michael back in November, he told us that every song on that album was recorded without any overdubs. They had taken their shoes off and organised the studio in such a way that they could move from instrument to instrument during the take (!!)

On the flip, we have Chris McGregor’s Brotherhood of Breath – MRA. Back in 70s London, the Brotherhood had brought together musicians who had sought refuge from South Africa’s apartheid regime and the best of a new generation of British jazz musicians. Music journalist Richard Williams, who had originally reviewed the band in the 1970s tell us: “They made music that appealed in equal measure to the head, the heart and the feet, taking the jazz legacy of Duke Ellington and Charles Mingus and adding to it the fantastic dance rhythms and gorgeous harmonies of the townships and untethered collective improvisations of the new free music”.

Four Tet’s instalment is out early May in 12” format and digitally (stream & download), first press comes with a folded A2 insert with words from and about the artists. Graphic design by Studio ChoqueLeGoff, illustration and animation by Nevil Bernard and for the audiophiles out there, remastered and cut at half speed by Matt Colton at Metropolis Studios!

The second instalment curated by Ben UFO is scheduled shortly, which will be followed over time by a string of releases including selections from Hunee, Mafalda, Floating Points, Anya & Julia from Javybz, Daphni, Josey Rebelle, Charlie Bones, Gilles Peterson… and more, stay tuned!

Melbourne based producer, DJ and co-founder of Sumac Records, Jon Watts delivers his Butter Sessions debut, Music for 3 CDJs. With over 10 years experimenting as an artist, Jon has an established history with the Australian underground scene. Music for 3 CDJs, showcases two contrasting sides, revealing his ability to seamlessly navigate manifold sounds.

The A-side presents three distinct tracks, thread together with restless percussion and a propulsive force. The introduction to the EP, Prohaasation, is a medley of techno and electro fabrics which progressively build before abruptly halting -- generating suspense for the track to follow. The feverish William gasps and screeches in tones that peak and fall, accompanied by audio maintained throughout; reminiscent of a malfunctioning fax machine. Now It's Done is a choppy and disjointed piece yet coherent in its structure that makes for a rewarding conclusion to the release's first chapter.

Subtlety and minimalism prevail for side B, as Jon gifts us with loops that swirl and churn. AMB 4 marks the first deviation from the narrative of Side A; sounding like hypnotic swelling from the bottom of a deep well. AMB 5 follows suit, divulging more of the picture. Carved out of a sound bed of field recordings, the nine and a half minute piece enchants with its repetitive arc, a spaciousness mirrored in the EP's farewell. The last track Piano 1, is an intricate study of a singular piano chord, examining the layers of the chord's sustain that are disclosed. A testament to Jon's unadorned restraint and confirmation of the old adage that less is really more.

Andrej Lasic (Laseech) is an artist, producer and audio engineer from Štinjan, Pula, Croatia. More intrigued with underground music he started producing music and in 2016 he released his first EP "Grotlo" on Hand Job Recordings and first single "Soulgroove" on famous King Street Sounds.

In 2018 he released his first vinyl single "Remember" on famous Australian deep house label Red Ember Records and singed his first remix for Jan Kincl & Regis Kattie's song 'Florette' on PDV records.
His work support and play world known artists such as Laurent Garnier, Kai Alce, Chez Damier, Scott Grooves, Gari Romalis, Dermarkus Lewis, Mike Huckaby and many more..
By now he had the chance to play on illectricity festival, Slurp! festival, Dimensions and Outlook festival and many other venues and clubs in the region, such as Klub K4 in Ljubljana, Hartera in Rijeka, Podmornica in Zagreb and many more..

From Jazzy, Funky and Soulful to Raw, Groovy, Deep and Acid, Andrej Laseech is considerate to be one of finest Croatian artists from the new generation. 'Can't Get This Feeling' EP represents a deep and meaningful connection between soul, jazz and that classic deep house sound, but also a connection between two artists and friends Andrej Laseech and Jasmina Makota. Syncopated groove, loving jazzy chords with Jasmina's beautiful voice and heart touching lyrics makes this EP a wonderful love story.

Clikno Is Proud To Present The Second Strike Of Dr.nojoke's Double Ep 'zero'.

'aplose' Is A Straight 10 Minute-stomper, Which Sounds Like A Wild Horde Of Percussionists Clanging And Banging Cans And Pots. The Truth Is The Doctor Just Threw Glass Marbles On A Wooden Floor. Fun-time! For The Hips He Adds A Low Rolling Bassline And For The Head Some Freaky, Randomly Pitching Chords And Off It Goes! Call It Afro-kraut-jazz-tech Or Just Clikno - Aplose Is A Counter-action To Electronic Music Production With Electronic Machines - Marbles Do It As Well!

'kumuestu' On The Flipside Is The Antagonal Piece On Zero.two - More Dark And Deep It Is Music For A Fictional Ritual. Carried By A Hypnotic Fluctuating Bass-figure And Drones The Tune Slowly Mutates Into A Shamanic Rhythm Monster Creating A Resonating Field For Transcendental Dancefloor Action - From Here To Eternity.

Zero.two Is Purely Audiophile Electricity To Twitch Your Body In All Directions. Do The Clikno!

Again Zero.two Is A Limited Vinyl-only Release Pressed On Transparent Vinyl Coming In A Transparent Sleeve - Transparent As Light, As Ideas, As Music And As The World Should Be - No Borders, But Freedom, Peace And Equality For Everyone!

Announcing the first release by Shift Imprint, "Hynek's Scale"!
What magic results if we merge the spirits of Detroit, Chicago, Amsterdam and Lisbon, all in the same record
Hynek's Scale is a smoking' Audiopath collaboration with ex Parliament/Funkadelic member Jerrald James AKA Jerry The Cat, who, besides being an amazing percussionist and great vocalist, is also a serious old school DJ and producer with collabs with names like Derrick May, Theo Parrish and Moodymann.
Together they carefully crafted the main theme "Hynek's Scale" with raging synths, thunderous kick drums, heavy baselines and last but not least, Jerry's sweet voice. This one is a house track you will remember for quite a while! Besides the original mix, there are two remixes, one from a guy that needs no introduction, Mr. K-Alexi Shelby from Chicago (Transmat/Trax/Djax-Up-Beats). K turned the whole main idea upside down and produced a real funky big beat slammer! We love it and we know that you will love it too, trust us! The second is a remix coming from Mechanique (Kaos Records/Affin), a talented Portuguese producer based in Amsterdam. He takes his mix to a very far, deep and beautiful place, a totally different atmosphere from the title track. Finishing the record, Audiopath delivers a banger that he's been anxious to release, "Good Foot", a heavy, heavy, heavy electrofunk track; watch out for this one, it can bite! In short, we sincerely advise you to immerse yourself in the beats and atmospheres explored by these guys, we're sure that theres a track here for each and everyone of you. The record is an immediate encounter with nothing but exquisite music!
Big support by Laurent Garnier!

Your dancing shoes aren´t smoking enough yet! Well then you can
now apply some extra yards with the Traumtanzen Bonus Miles
Edition to get rewarded by Raumakustik and einsauszwei (Ellie The Cat
/ Thirty5 Records). These two guys gained big attention in the past
weeks with their great & deep free downloadable edits of some
famous pop songs. And now they had their hands on Traumtanzen.
Second Bonus is a deep & melancholic piano track called "Kathleen".
Deine Tanzschuhe rauchen noch nicht genug! Dann bewirb Dich jetzt
für ein paar extra Kilometer mit der Traumtanzen Bonus Miles Edition
und du wirst von Raumakustik und einsauszwei (Ellie The Cat / Thirty5
Records) belohnt. Die zwei Jungs haben mit ihren freien Downloads
von fantastischen deepen Edits bekannter Popsongs für einiges
positives Aufsehen gesorgt und sich nun kurzerhand mal an
Traumtanzen vergriffen. Die zweite Belohnung heisst "Kathleen" - ein
sehr melancholischer Pianotrack.

Courant Zéro is the new moniker of Montréal multi-media installation artist and Kohlenstoff label co-founder Maxime Corbeil-Perron, signalling his return to purely recording-based electronic music production following several years focused on award-winning experimental film and audio-visual works. Solari channels his cinematic sensibility and decade-long exploration of sound art and electroacoustic counterpoint into deep cuts of maximalist ambient electronica. Drawing on his early background as a pianist and jazz drummer, Corbeil-Perron weaves a fabric of melodic and rhythmic vectors with his unique timbral palette, intersecting modern composition, IDM, ambient, glitch, and noise on a debut album brimming with sonic detail and emotive resonance. A fixture of Montréal's sound art community as both creator and curator since the early 2010s, Corbeil-Perron's work has ranged from "hypnotic A/V onslaught" (FACT Magazine) to the "richly nuanced acousmatic journey" of his 2018 EP Polychrome (Bandcamp Best Contemporary Classical Of The Month), with earlier electronic and techno-adjacent projects like Political Ritual, Dresden, and Le poisson d'argent garnering accolades from avant-music outlets A Closer Listen, Silence and Sound, and Musicworks, among others. Courant Zéro mobilizes this cumulative wealth of explorative sonic experience in the service of distinctive compositional architectures and electronic music pathways that fans of Floating Points, Jan Jelinek, Squarepusher, Tim Hecker, and Oneohtrix Point Never should find compelling. Title track "Solari" opens the album with a cavernous ambient glitch-drone soundscape that envelops ever-shifting timbres of modular arpeggiation, serving as introduction to the clarion call of "En deçà du réel", an homage to video artist Manon Labrecque, where layers of interweaving melodic counterpoint played on Buchla and other synths slowly build to widescreen immersive intensities; "I have this vision of Labreque vibrating eternally between two frames of magnetic VHS tape_ the slow pace of the piece also inspired by Tarkovsky's approach to scenography" says Corbeil-Perron. "Strange Aorta" is ectoplasmic ambient with wistful melody lines transmuting along a central filament, awash in shifting waves of low-end and ricocheting tonal glitch, the title a reference to "the thumping rhythm beating around the main melody_and the heavy remnants of grief related to my father's passing and a brutal confrontation with my own mortality a few years back." Tracks like "La peau des dents" and "Eroding Us" are more firmly rooted in electroacoustic and aleatory systems music, where colliding loops are shaped into unstable flows of deconstructed slippage and reconvergence. Those two pieces bookend the album's pivotal center: the gorgeous piano digitalia of "Horizon n'arrête" and the skittering electronica of 9-minute opus "Unyeldd", its loping broken beat and cascading melodic glitter like a cluster of wind-up music boxes in a dappled forest _ and for Corbeil- Perron also partly inspired by now fellow Constellation labelmates Do Make Say Think: "I spent a lot of time rediscovering their records after seeing them last September 2024 which definitely influenced this piece." Courant Zéro's debut is a vibrant sonic rebus at the junction of electronic, electroacoustic, noise and ambient music that resists easy categorisation. Solari strikes a compelling balance of unsettled disorientation and hospitable warmth, teeming with real feeling throughout. The album's cover art painting Cryptography I by Yen-Chao Lin represents this prevailing sensibility, its mazelike circuitry distinctly carved and crisply rendered, while filigreed with handmade detail and artisanal patina. Thanks for listening.

Agents Of Time return to Afterlife with two heartrending audio expeditions.

Italian act Agents Of Time have established a sterling reputation over the years. Their mesmerising approach to club music blends emotive melodies and transcendent rhythms, with dance floor-centred beats.

The Mirage EP begins with its title cut; enveloping the listener is a swathe of atmospheric synth and pad work from the off. Oscillating frequencies complement the sultry rhythms while a life-affirming riff forms the stirring centrepiece. On the flip ‘Northern Lights’ is a sensitive, emotive composition which gradually increases its emotional impact as it builds and evolves.

In response to popular demand, Traumers « District » is finally getting a vinyl release –the Parisian mastermind's hit is accompanied by a new mega club tool, “At Lanta”,as well two beautiful deep techno pieces from one of today’s most prolific artists and BERG AUDIO’s roster essential elements, Kolter.

HANDSTAMPED LIMITED COPIES !

Set sail for the next leg of the journey! Diggers Factory is thrilled to present the One Piece: Into the Grand Line (Soundtrack from the Netflix Series) Deluxe Vinyl Boxset.

Following the Straw Hat Crew as they finally move Into the Grand Line, the soundtrack captures the epic, high-seas energy of the hit series. Composed by the powerhouse duo Sonya Belousova & Giona Ostinelli, the score blends orchestral scale with pirate folk-rock grit, now pressed on stunning colored wax.
Whether you're dodging Baroque Works or looking for a giant whale, this box set is the ultimate treasure for any Straw Hat at heart.
2LP Black Audiophile Vinyl: Two black vinyl representing the fiery spirit of adventure and the deep mysteries of the Grand Line.
Custom Die-Cut Jackets: Two single jackets featuring a central die-cut hole that reveals the beautiful map-work of the inner labels.
16-Page Booklet: A deep dive into the production with exclusive set stills and behind-the-scenes imagery from Season 2.
Double-Sided Poster (20" x 27"): Choose your vibe with the cinematic group shot of the crew or the iconic "Grand Adventure Awaits" sunset art.
6 Exclusive Postcards: Vintage-style travel postcards from legendary stops like Loguetown, Little Garden, and Drum Island.
Sticker Board: A collection of high-quality stickers including Laboon, the Going Merry, and Luffy's legendary $30,000,000 Wanted Poster.
Collector's Box: All contents are housed in a premium, wooden-textured outer box.
Netflix's epic high-seas pirate adventure, ONE PIECE, returns for Season 2-unleashing fiercer adversaries and the most perilous quests yet. Luffy and the Straw Hats set sail for the extraordinary Grand Line-a legendary stretch of sea where danger and wonder await at every turn. As they journey through this unpredictable realm in search of the world's greatest treasure, they'll encounter bizarre islands and a host of formidable new enemies.

After enjoying two major hits with the singles “Maybellene” and “Roll Over Beethoven” in 1955 and 1956, it was not until May of 1957 that Chuck Berry released his debut studio album and masterpiece, After School Session. The second album ever released on the legendary Chess Records, After School Session offered a new sound to audiences, nodding to teenagers with its title and including a mix of “rockers” that set the blueprint for the rise of rock ‘n’ roll. Includes “School Day (Ring Ring Goes The Bell),” “Brown Eyed Handsome Man,” and “Too Much Monkey Business.” Bring home the sound of America’s greatest blues label in high fidelity with the Chess Records Acoustic Sounds Series. These audiophile reissues of classic albums and compilations from the Chess discography are remastered from the original analog tapes and pressed on 180-gram vinyl at Quality Record Pressings (QRP). Each disc is packaged in tip-on gatefold sleeves printed on high-grade board.

The compositions recorded here are a product of work with computers in synthetic speech, song and vocal sounds and were created between 1972 and 1975. The music was realized on two different computer music systems and takes advantage of, and attempts to extend and explore their features. The system employed to realize speech songs was created at the Bell Telephone Laboratories for research in synthetic speech and speech communication. Since the system was not designed for musical purposes, its limitations were severe and its musical use a great (and often rewarding) challenge. The system used for In Celebration and The Story of Our Lives was designed with the expressed purpose of creating synthetic musical voices, and was therefore much better suited to the task at hand. As with any high technology project, there was extensive collaboration in the production of the works.

The works on this disk are called computer music because the sounds were created numerically in a computer before reaching magnetic tape and loudspeakers. The computer did not compose the music. However, it was only used as a sound synthesis and analysis medium. In order to hear the sounds which are represented in the computer as successions of numbers it was necessary to attach a digital-to-analogue converter to the computer. The converter transformed the succession of numbers into a fluctuating voltage which was recorded directly on to audio tape.

The technique used to create the synthetic voices is called speech synthesis-by-analysis. For this method of speech synthesis, only those words, phrases and sentences which have been spoken into the computer previously (via an analogue-to-digital converter) may be synthesized. First the digitally-recorded speech is analyzed by programs which extract the attributes (parameters) of the speech for short time segments (.01 sec.). From these parameters the speech may be recreated in a form which resembles the original recording very closely. But for musical purposes the parameters are most often altered before synthesis. It is possible, for example, to change the natural pitch contour of the speech into a melodic line or to change the speech speed without altering the natural pitch level.

The variety of musical patterns which may be created from the analytic parameters is limited only by the composer's imagination. Most of the speech sounds on the recording were created by changing the pitch and duration attributes of the original on resynthesis, but for a few, the resonances (the formants) of the speech were altered as well. The voice of the book in The Story of Our Lives was created by replacing the program which simulates the sound of the human vocal cords with one consisting of 64 sine tones glissandoing at different rates. All the textures in which more than one voice is heard were obtained by mixing the synthetic voices together digitally.

Two artists close to our hearts come together for this milestone, delivering two complementary tracks. On the A-side, Dorisburg serves up a sun-drenched tech house groove, while Human Space Machine takes things into classic progressive territory on the flip.