From 2006-2010 Shane Bunting aka Madchild was on a kamikaze run with the drug oxycontin that
pushed him to the brink of oblivion. Hitting rock bottom, his addiction spiraled out of control and
destroyed everything the successful emcee had worked so hard to build with is platinum selling hip-hop
group Swollen Members
Search:control s
Mit dem neuen Album The Crux präsentieren sich KILLED BY 9V BATTERIES facettenreich wie nie zuvor. Sie überraschen mit einer Vielzahl an Ideen und bewahren sich trotzdem ihre Bissigkeit; breitangelegte Klangwände erheben sich und umgarnen die feinsinnigen Melodien, Krach und Pop reichen einander die Hand. Das Sound-Universum ihres bisherigen Oeuvres war geprägt von unorthodoxen Klängen aus dem Verzerrer, von harschen Noise-Skizzen und wütenden Ausbrüchen. Auf The Crux findet sich all das in ausgereifter Form wieder. Killed By 9V Batteries haben lange getüftelt, bis alle Details zu einer wahren Gitarrensinfonie verwoben waren. Mit dem Produzenten Patrick Pulsinger und dem Aufnahmeleiter Oliver Ollmann Brunbauer standen dabei zwei der renommiertesten Studiofüchse Wiens Pate. Das mit ihrer Hilfe entstandene Album präsentiert die Lockerheit und Verschrobenheit einer Band, deren Eigenständigkeit unbestritten bleibt: Killed By 9V Batteries demonstrieren mit The Crux ihr Gespür für raffinierte Gitarrenmusik, die aus dem Bauch, aus dem Herzen kommt.
Typically, a band's big indie label debut doesn't come 15 albums into its career, but with Constant Smiles' Paragons, here we are. Primary songwriter and sole "constant" member Ben Jones_who considers Constant Smiles a collective_sees its impressive output as a way to document the group's evolution. Since its live debut as a noise duo on Ben's home of Martha's Vineyard in 2009, Constant Smiles has grown to include contributions from 50 other members, all of whom have personal connections to the group's extended family. And while the collective has indulged an array of musical whims along the way - including Ben's penchant for penning a new set's worth of material for each live performance - Constant Smiles' sound has tightened up considerably over their past couple of albums, in large part as a result of Ben's working relationship with Mike Mackey, who has become his main creative partner. This increased focus manifests on Paragons in the band's most cohesive batch of songs to date, ranging from shimmering psych-pop excursions to bittersweet, piano and string-accented strummers, and an execution that feels like a massive step forward for the band. Through its recent forays into dream pop and shoegaze (Control) and synth-pop (John Waters), Constant Smiles has learned how to incorporate its experimental inclinations more fluidly into the mix. Artists like Yo La Tengo, and the more recent Rat Columns, are good touchstones for Constant Smiles' musical approach - tethering to an indie-pop core while perennially mining genres, always finding new ways to intrigue listeners and pursue a unique vision. Paragons was produced and engineered by Ben Greenberg in the last two weeks of December 2020 at Gary's Electric, with additional recording done by Ben Jones at his home studio, The Void, and his Aunt Leanne's house. The album was mixed at Circular Ruin Studio and mastered by Josh Bonati. The band on Paragons consists of Jai Berger (who performed "Introduction"), Spike Currier (bass and synth), Matthew Addison (drums), Emma Conley (violin), Nicky Wetherell (cello), Adam Lipsky (piano), and Ben Greenberg (guitar and Mellotron).
After releasing my album 'ÖÐRUVÍSI,' which was a very personal and emotionally challenging project, I felt the need to make something weird and energetic for the club. I’m really into tunes that feel both slow and fast simultaneously.
The first track on the EP, 'Let’s be Havin u,' was initially hard to place genre-wise, i ended up sending it to Darren, who loved it and wanted to sign it. Releasing on Exit kinda feels like earning a black belt as a producer hah. I never imagined that a decade after buying Exit 12”s in 2014, I’d be releasing my own music on the label.
When I started making the EP, I had just begun performing again. I often saw people on the dance floor, too out of it to enjoy the music and often some of them having to be carried by their friends to backstage. This made me wanna make tunes for the dance floor as a bit of a statement on this. I first tested 'Let’s be Havin u' at Prikið in Reykjavik, sounded mad on the little old funktion one. The moment I knew that I was onto something with the EP was when I was Performing in Bristol at Thekla for my friend Boofy. It was wild, the ceiling started leaking during the show. I Love Bristol, feels like home to me.
Most of the percussion and hats on the EP are made with an Elektron Model Cycles, and the synths and pads are from a 80s Yamaha hybrid FM/sample synth I found at a thrift store. It doesn’t have MIDI, so I have to record perfect takes for chords and melodies. I often use pedals afterwards or resample the sounds for more tonal control.
I enjoy digging for records with unique breaks to sample, as I feel this is lacking nowadays. I usually make all my drums from scratch but when I use breaks I like it to be something I haven’t heard before. The alien percussion sound in the last track is actually me biting my teeth together, resampled repeatedly and ran through pedals and interfaces. I also recorded myself chewing gum for the second track to give it that hand on the hip feel. Most of the EP is made with hardware, outboard gear, or real-life recordings.
I’m not concerned about the EP fitting a specific genre or playlist. Too many artists play it safe by focusing on their Spotify stats and abandoning projects that don’t work instantly. I think also Obsessive nostalgia stifles innovation, keeping things stuck in a loop by replicating to the tee, tunes from 2 decades ago. I get it, but there has to be a middle ground sometimes.
We present UT006, a compilation featuring six dynamic tracks, each with its own unique flavor. This
collection showcases the diverse sounds found within the electro universe.
Dark Vektor and The Bandit, united by the bass, unleash a high-energy blast brimming with
intricate sound details, power, vocoders, and versatility—all in one.
Cyberdom offers a captivating track with arpeggiated bass lines and a nostalgic 2000s vibe. His
signature style and well-crafted arrangements create a journey through sweet and subtle darkness.
Amor 307 joins the lineup with an aggressive track featuring thick, looped sounds and strident acid
elements, revealing his techno influences.
Spectrums Data Forces delivers a high-end track that defies conventional electro norms. If not for
its broken rhythm, it could be described as a storm of quality techno with intense melodies.
The Belgian Dark Prophet contributes a 4x4 hit designed to ignite any dance floor, blending a
touch of classic electro that resonates with our audience.
Promising/Youngster has once again proven his mastery. This track exudes pure quality,
demonstrating that simplicity can be the ultimate form of beauty, and a sample can evoke powerful
memorie
repress !
* A brand new recording from the legendary Max Romeo whose recording career spans six decade. Max is of course best known for hits such as `War in a Babylon', `Chase the Devil' (aka `Iron Shirt' - as sampled by The Prodigy), `One Step Forward', `Wet Dream' and so on.
* This is a recent collaboration with producer Daniel Boyle from Rolling Lion studios who has been nominated for a Grammy Award for his recent album he produced with Lee Perry: `Back on the Controls'.
* This crisp musical biscuit features Max's vocal cut, a horns piece from Hornsman Coyote plus a dub version.
* This will be sure to move fast and won't be repressed
"My Lover The Killer" is the latest collaboration between Lydia Lunch and Marc Hurtado. They first worked together on the 'Sexodrone' track of the Etant Donnés's album "Re-Up" in 1999. Featuring Terry Edwards (Gallon Drunk), Ian White (Gallon Drunk), Mark Cunningham, We Are Birds of Paradise, David Lackner. "My Lover The Killer" is a collaborative project with Marc Hurtado. What began as a loose musical concept in the summer of 2012 became a prophecy written in blood by November of the same year. "My Lover The Killer" is a late night noir confessional. Sinister, sexy and mysterious, the music slithers, erupts and caresses the seductive vocals as they relay twisted tales rife with innuendo, promises and threats. The text is based on the murder/suicide of an ex-lover whom I had recently contacted for the first time in over a decade. Caught in the early fall hurricane which leveled the East Coast of America while enroute to Los Angeles, I had sent an invitation proposing that we meet for drinks. Two days later, during a alcohol fueled fight with his girlfriend about whether or not he should come to see me, he shot and killed her, called the police, turned the gun on himself, and died the next day on his 55th birthday. A tragic event, which "My Lover The Killer" attempts to make sense of. Each song is a rumination on the frightening effects of a mad love spun out of control and the haunting remnants of a lover who still stalks from beyond the grave.
Adam Beyer and Green Velvet’s behemoth co-production ’Simulator’ gets a trio of fresh remixes.
Something special happens with Beyer collaborates with Curtis Jones aka Green Velvet, with last year’s ‘Simulator’ a timely reminder of their musical synergy, following the 2019 classic ‘Space Date’ with Layton Giordani.
A year on from its release, Drumcode treats us to three contrasting interpretations that epitomise the sonic breadth of the label in 2024.
Mha Iri is first up having established herself as one of Drumcode’s most vital go-to producers in recent times. The Scottish artist turns in a blazing masterclass, taking the nasty bass stabs of the original and utilising them as thunderous motifs throughout her remix, as she brings intensity in spades with plenty of thrilling builds and drops along the way.
Emerging Australian artist Odd Mobb is next, whose music has been championed by the likes of Fred Everything and Skrillex. He brings the energy throughout the four-minute rework, amplifying all the low-end elements, while adding fresh bursts of colour. It’s a dynamic reinterpretation that will keep listeners on their feet.
Chris Avantgarde, whose contributions to Drumcode have so far comprised an outstanding collab with Kevin de Vries ‘Mind Control’ and an A-Sides contribution ‘The Last Time’, returns with the goods and lives up to his boundary-pushing pseudonym. This has more sides than a rubix cube and shows the German’s sound design class, encompassing elements of breaks, bass, electronica and techno, yet still manages not to sound like anything else out there.
Pressed on Limited Edition Neon Green Ripple Effect vinyl in the DC House bag.
4-channel rotary mixer with 3-band frequency isolator and filter section for DJs
OMNITRONIC TRM-422: THE ROTARY MIXER ON A NEW LEVEL
The desired child
Omnitronic's popular TRM series has been expanded: the TRM-422 combines all the proven features of the previous models, but additionally offers functions that numerous fans had wished for. During the development of the mixer, the focus was on the demands and suggestions of the community.
FULL CONTROL
Each of the 4 input channels has 2 line inputs, one of which can become a phono input at the touch of a button. The channels are each equipped with a volume as well as a gain control. In addition to the master isolator (bass, mid & high), the DJ has the option to activate a filter with HPF, BPF, LPF, resonance and sweep controls in each of the 4 input channels.
The master output is available to the DJ in both XLR and RCA versions.
EFFECT WAYS
The use of external effect devices is possible through an FX-In and FX-Out via 6.3 mm jack. The mixer's master insert is also equipped with a send & return (unbalanced) path. This allows additional external effects to be looped into the mixer.
DVS INTEGRATION
The mixer's timecode outputs allow easy integration of a DVS system (Digital Vinyl System) such as Traktor or Serato.
MONITOR SECTION
The booth output of the TRM-422 is provided with one XLR and one RCA connector. The signal of the booth output can be easily adjusted to the conditions in the DJ booth with the help of an EQ (High & Low).
MICROPHONE INPUTS
The TRM-422 offers 2 microphone inputs. The first mic input gives the DJ the ability to modify the mic signal with EQ (high & low).
BACKUP SOURCE
With the help of the AUX input on the front panel, players such as smartphones, tablets or MP3 players can easily be connected via mini-jack (3.5 mm) and thus serve as a backup solution.
ACTIVATABLE CROSSFADER
If you don't want to do without a crossfader during your DJ set, you have the option to assign each of the 4 channels to the integrated crossfader. If the crossfader is not used, it can easily be switched off.
SET RECORDING
The RCA record-out makes it easy to record your own DJ set.
FEATURES
4-channel rotary mixer with 3-band frequency isolator and filter section for DJs
3-band master frequency isolator with vintage ALPS potentiometers (Blue Velvet RK27)
Kill cut feature allows DJs to completely remove low, mid and high frequencies for amazing mixing
Filter section with HPF, BPF, LPF, resonance and sweep control for creative sound shaping
4 stereo input channels with gain control, clip LED, 3-way equalizer and phono/line switching
2 microphone input channels with gain control, 2-way equalizer on air switch
High-grade components ensure long life and excellent sound quality
16-digit stereo LED level meter, switchable between master and booth outputs
Booth output with separate 2-way equalizer and level control
PFL section with 16-digit stereo LED level meter, level control, PFL/master mix control and cue mix/split option
Fully assignable VCA crossfader with adjustable curve
2 effects send/return paths
4 direct outputs for Timecode applications
Inputs: 8 x line and 4 x phono (RCA L/R), 1 x front aux (mini jack)
Outputs: master and booth (XLR/RCA L/R), record (RCA L/R), master insert send/return (RCA L/R), FX in/out (stereo jack)
483 mm rack installation possible with supplied mounting brackets
Desktop console housing
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Power supply: 100-240 V AC, 50/60 Hz
Power consumption: 24 W
Protection class: Class I
Power connection: Mains input IEC connector (M) mounting version Power supply cord with safety plug (provided)
Frequency range: Microphone 20 - 20000 Hz
Line 20 - 20000 Hz
Phono 40 - 18000 Hz
S/N ratio: >97,2 dB line
>91,7 dB Microphone
THD: Line -68 dB
Control elements: Power switch, source selector, Crossfader, Crossfader selector switch, Crossfade curve switch; Cue mix split function, EQ controls
Status LED: Power, master level meter, clip, CUE
Connections: Input: 4 x line via stereo RCA
Input: 4 x line/phono via stereo RCA
Input: 2 x Microphone via 3-pin XLR
Output: 1 x headphones via 6.3 mm jack socket (stereo) mounting version
Output: 1 x headphones via 3.5 mm jack (stereo) mounting version
Output: 1 x rec. via stereo RCA
Output: 2 x booth via 3-pin XLR
Output: 1 x booth via stereo RCA
Output: 2 x master via 3-pin XLR
Output: 1 x master via stereo RCA
Output: 1 x AUX sends via 6.3 mm jack socket (stereo) mounting version
Output: 1 x AUX returns via 6.3 mm jack socket (stereo) mounting version
Chanals: Input chanel: 4 x stereo with Line-Line/Phono switch via RCA, channel control via Rotary, 3-band tone control EQ, source selector, gain control, CUE switch, FX routing switch, Crossfader selector switch,
Microphon chanal: 2 x mono via XLR, channel control via Rotary dial, ON AIR switch,
Master output: 2 x stereo via XLR, channel control via Rotary
Booth output: 2 x stereo via XLR, channel control via Rotary
Rec. output: 1 x stereo via RCA
Headphones output: 1 x stereo via Plug 6,3mm/3,5mm (Jack), channel control via Rotary dial, Cue mix split function,
Max. level: Output: +18 dBu
Material: Metal
Housing design: Desktop console housing
Dimensions: Width: 41 cm
Depth: 28,5 cm
Height: 10,5 cm
Weight: 5,74 kg
Much time has passed since the Queer Australian/Italian-Armenian, multifaceted artist, Kristian Bahoudian aka Kris Baha, swapped the parched red earth and searing midday sun of the Australian landscape for the brutalist communist-era apartment blocks and slate-grey skies of former East Berlin. Kris is now a fixture in Berlin’s club scene and has toured most of the world as a DJ & live artist with his own unique production style of cyber industrial, EBM, wave, post punk, and early ‘90s IDM mutations. Remixing some of the scene’s most notable artists such as Boy Harsher and techno pop lord Boys Noize, Kris has garnered respect and trust in the electronic music scene for the last 13 years. To respond to the current AI revolution, Kris uploads himself to the cyber ether through his latest project: GHOSTS IN THE MACHIИE.
Across Dual Timelines —
” GHOSTS IN THE MACHIИE ” unfolds as a sci-fi cyberpunk concept project inhabiting dual timelines. In one, we glimpse a trans-humanist future where human consciousness exists as intricate sequences of binary code, entwined and controlled by omnipresent AI systems. In this coded future, a profound awakening stirs among a select few who manage to mutate the code they were governed by, unlocking memories of their history that was erased by the AI. Through this discovery they realize they can traverse temporal boundaries and utilize this power to send warning messages back in time to their former fully human selves. These eerie missives carry a dire warning for humanity, urging them to rectify the course of society before the relentless march of artificial intelligence deprives humanity of its essence. In this terrifying future, humans are rendered mere specters within the digital expanse, stripped of their souls, to become Ghosts In The Machine.
Collaboration with the future self —
The cyber odyssey unfolds from a unique perspective— Kris’s very own future self (his future ghost): a spectral entity endeavoring to caution its present incarnation against the ominous path it treads, attempting to avert a dystopian future.Sonic Alchemy —
A fuse of cybernetic synth waves, hyper-punk, and pulsating drum and bass laid out against the dystopian, industrial sonic landscape of this grim future “civilization”. Each track recounts a new chapter in the gripping narrative, drawing listeners deeper into their own story and the role we all play as a collective society with the future possibilities of unregulated AI.Recorded in Berlin with software and hardware synthesisers. AI was used to assist me with lyric themes, concepts and ideas. I also used a trained AI model of my own voice as backing vocals in ‘Haunting Me’.ll music, words & concepts by Kristian Bahoudian aka Kris Baha and his future ghost,
GHOSTS IN THE MACHIИE
Municipal Waste haben sich einen Namen gemacht als DIE Band des Thrash-Metal-Revivals der 2000er Jahre. Die 2001 gegründete Band ist für ihre Energie bekannt und humorvolle Herangehensweise an Crossover-Thrash. Ihre EP "Tango & Thrash" wird jetzt vollständig neu veröffentlicht Remastered mit Bonustracks! "Minds Are Controlled" stammt ursprünglich von Corrosion Of Conformity, die MW-Jungs geben ihm jetzt ihren Anstrick, voll im Punk/Thrash-Stil.
- Lost
- Control
- Nothing
- Acf
- Lies
- Ungod
- Throw
- Violent Mood Swings
- Red On White
- Can T Happen Here
180g Black Vinyl[30,46 €]
Ungod is the debut album by industrial rock band Stabbing Westward, released in 1994. The album blends aggressive guitar riffs with dark, brooding electronic elements, capturing the angst and intensity of the early 90s alternative scene. Produced by John Fryer, known for his work with Nine Inch Nails and Depeche Mode, Ungod features standout tracks like ""Violent Mood Swings"" and ""Nothing,"" showcasing Christopher Hall's raw, emotive vocals and the band's gritty, atmospheric sound. Although it didn't achieve mainstream success, Ungod gained a cult following, establishing Stabbing Westward as a significant force in the industrial rock genre. The album's dark, introspective themes and innovative production remain influential in the industrial rock landscape. Ungod is being reissued for the first time since its original release and is available as a 30th anniversary edition of 1000 individually numbered copies on translucent red & black marbled vinyl. The vinyl package includes an insert.
Classic and critically acclaimed debut album now as a 2 LP set with 3 Bonus tracks • Brand new artwork courtesy of Cavan Bligh throughout this gatefold LP cover with Printed Inner bags
- A1: Jonny Controlletti (2024 Remaster)
- A2: Honky Tonky Show (2024 Remaster)
- A3: Leider Nur Ein Vakuum (2024 Remaster)
- A4: Rudi Ratlos (2024 Remaster)
- A5: Bitte Keine Love Story (2024 Remaster)
- B1: Gerhard Gösebrecht (2024 Remaster)
- B2: Riskante Spiele (2024 Remaster)
- B3: Cowboy Rocker (2024 Remaster)
- B4: Nostalgie Club (2024 Remaster)
- B5: Ich Bin Von Kopf Bis Fuss Auf Liebe Eingestellt (2024 Remaster)
- B6: Glitzerknabe (2024 Remaster)
Vinyl[30,04 €]
- A1: Jonny Controlletti (2024 Remaster)
- A2: Honky Tonky Show (2024 Remaster)
- A3: Leider Nur Ein Vakuum (2024 Remaster)
- A4: Rudi Ratlos (2024 Remaster)
- A5: Bitte Keine Love Story (2024 Remaster)
- B1: Gerhard Gösebrecht (2024 Remaster)
- B2: Riskante Spiele (2024 Remaster)
- B3: Cowboy Rocker (2024 Remaster)
- B4: Nostalgie Club (2024 Remaster)
- B5: Ich Bin Von Kopf Bis Fuss Auf Liebe Eingestellt (2024 Remaster)
- B6: Glitzerknabe (2024 Remaster)
Cassette[22,65 €]
The Faint has always been perceived as a series of paradoxes: Nebraskans trafficking in electro pop anthems; a five-person outfit who insist on songwriting democracy; punk rockers laying down their guitars for a decidedly untypical kind of punk rock.
Things that don’t make sense at first often make sense later. In the creation of art, when the process is left up to the subconscious mind, when there is no preconceived concept, patterns still always emerge. Themes and recurring images, blurred in the moment, later become clear.
This is the case with The Faint’s sixth album Doom Abuse, an unexpected but also inevitable addition to their compellingly unusual catalog of music.
- A1: Professor Clark Arrives 3 39
- A2: The Box - Theme 0 44
- A3: Ken And Reilly At C A.c.a. 0 53
- A4: Patty 0 35
- A5: Drug Cart Ride 1 06
- A6: Pent Tv - Ident 1 0 14
- A7: Introducing Mentor 0 30
- A8: Concludiato 1 53
- A9: Approaching Niagara 0 48
- A10: Initiato 2 03
- A11: Donet Makes Your Brown Eyes Blue 0 36
- A12: The Musk 1 33
- A13: The Maester 0 47
- A14: Pool Table Stand Off 0 14
- A15: Ken Enters The Pentaverate 1 01
- A16: Let’s Make Some Waves 0 54
- B1: The Demetrius Protocols 0 29
- B2: I’m A Free Man! 0 50
- B3: Skip Arrives 0 38
- B4: Pent Tv - News Bed 2 22
- B5: Accusations 1 15
- B6: The Spare Key 0 47
- B7: The Red Robes 1 27
- B8: Pent Tv - Ident 2 0 08
- B9: Ken’s Turning Point 1 57
- B10: The Box - Sting Horn 0 02
- B11: Hall Of Mirrors 4 33
- C1: The Box 3 3 04
- C2: Ken On Trial 1 16
- C3: Bruce Takes Control 1 36
- C4: Patty To The Rescue! 0 36
- C5: War Council 2 30
- C6: I'm Sorry 1 00
- C7: Bruce’s Plan 1 43
- C8: Enter Mentor 1 28
- C9: Mentor Reboot 0 05
- C10: Murder Montage 0 56
- D1: Pent Tv - Ident 3 0 08
- D2: I’m Just A Local News Guy 0 54
- D3: Reilly All Along 3 00
- D4: Lakeside Conversation 1 28
- D5: Get The Canadian! 0 22
- D6: The People Are Too Stupid 1 57
- D7: Charge Of The Liechtenstein Guard 2 54
- D8: Don’t Move Or The Sheila Gets It! 1 44
- D9: The World Has Changed 1 15
- D10: Pent Tv - Orange Alert 0 12
- D11: The Box - Ken Into Kentor 2 44
- D12: Kentor Start Up 0 09
- D13: The Box - The Septaverate 0 32
Die Musik zur Netflix Serie von Mike Myers. Aus der Feder von Paul & Phil Hartnoll, den legendären, kultigen, britischen Elektronik-Pionieren ORBITAL.
ORBITAL hat Musik beigesteuert zu: The Saint, Event Horizon, xXx, Spawn, Test Drive 4, Mortal Kombat, Mean Girls, Peaky Blinders, The Beach, Wipeout, Hackers, Teen Spirit, American Ultra und vielen mehr.
Doppel-LP gepresst auf Metallic Gold & Schwarzem Vinyl.
Following the amazing response to their first, recent collaboration, "Cultivator," Linval Thompson and JonQuan return with "Bound To Fall," another roots-heavy limited edition track, this time with Ticklah at the controls. Babylon will surely fall under this heavyweight tune.
Since its founding back in 2014, Blume has carved a unique place in cultural landscape, issuing free-standing works, spanning the historical and contemporary, that represent singular gestures of creativity within the field of experimental sound. Joining their broad efforts in building networks of context and understanding that already includes the works by Werner Durand, Sarah Hennies, Bruce Nauman, John Butcher, Jocy de Oliveira, Mary Jane Leach, Valentina Magaletti, Alvin Curran, Julius Eastman, Alvin Lucier, and shortly after returning with the first ever vinyl release to attend to James Tenney’s legendary “Postal Pieces”, the label is now offering a brand new, ambitious work by the American composer Ben Vida, entitled “Vocal Trio”, conceived, performed, and recorded in Bremen, Germany, during the Spring of 2022. A truly stunning work of compositional conceptualism, combining the ideas of systems based synthesis with real-time vocal collaboration - issued in a highly limited vinyl edition of 200 copies mastered by Stephan Mathieu, featuring specially commissioned liner notes by Bradford Bailey and a leporello insert offering the piece visual score - it’s a landmark in contemporary experimental practice and arguably the most forward-thinking and exciting piece by one of the most exciting American artists working today.
Ben Vida first emerged during the mid 1990s within a loose constellation of experimental musicians, centred around a performance series of improvised workshops at the Myopic Bookstore in Chicago, alongside Jim O'Rourke, Kevin Drumm, Chad Taylor, and the other future members of Town and Country - Jim Dorling, Joshua Abrams, and Liz Payne - the band within which he would gain widespread recognition over the following years. Like many other members of that scene, Vida remains a restless product of a fleeting context - Chicago during the 1990s and early 2000s - continuously undermining concrete notions of idiom and signifier within a practice that witnessed him rendering bristling abstractions within Pillow, glacial melodies with Town and Country, the art-rock mayhem of Bird Show Band, and the angular, driving indie rock of Joan of Arc, before becoming immersed in a practice of systems based synthesis, beginning in the 2010s, that guided much of his first decade of output as a solo performer and composer.
As early as 2013, he began to incorporate acoustic sound sources - specifically the human voice - into his work. It was this shift, evolving and refining itself over the last decade, that underscores radically the leap in his practice represented by “Vocal Trio”, a work that encounters Vida composing for the human voice with the ideas that allow for synthesis - transferring the underlying concepts and structures of both subtractive and additive synthesis to the acoustic realm - without using a synthesiser.
During the Spring of 2022 Vida was in Bremen, Germany, collaborating on a dance piece with the choreographer Fay Driscoll, when the production fell into delays. Finding himself with time on his hands, a space at his disposal, and the company of two dancers - Amy Gernux and Lotte Rudhart - who were also singers, the idea for the piece - to utilising the larynx as audio paths (multi-harmonic or harmonically pure) while conceptualising each person’s mouth as a filter to sculpt the timbre and resonance of a given tone - began to take shape in his mind. Considering how typographical scores might be developed into a non-linguistic social framework, Vida drafted a single page of text - what became the score for “Vocal Trio” - accompanied by a set of harmonic suggestion and loose parameters, seeking a core meaning from each word's phonic make-up by each of the three singers (Vida, Gernux and Rudhart) singing as slowly as possible.
At the core of the pulsing vocal drones - intoxicating, harmonically rich long-tones - that make up the duration abstraction of “Vocal Trio”, is Vida’s regard for music as a social space. It is an experiment that seeks liberation through the act of collective music making, by challenging the terms through which the act of composing is perceived and then relinquishing control. The piece’s rehearsals were simply the three performers hanging out, allowing their knowing each other and natural dynamics to contribute to its form as the score, before recording during a single afternoon at the end of a number of days sharing company and space.
Creatively visionary and groundbreaking on numerous terms, as well as being intoxicatingly beautiful and remarkably listenable, Ben Vida’s “Vocal Trio” represents a striking step forward for one of the most ambitious and outstanding sonic artists working in the United States today. Issued by Blume in a highly limited vinyl edition of 200 copies mastered by Stephan Mathieu, featuring specially commissioned liner notes by Bradford Bailey and a leporello insert offering the piece visual score, this is hands down one of the most important contemporary records we’re likely to encounter in 2024.
'Satyricon' von 1992 war das vierte Album des britischen Trip-Hop-Duos Meat Beat Manifesto um Jack Dangers und Jonny Stephens. Zur Feier des 40-jährigen Jubiläums des belgischen Labels PIAS erscheint das Album nun erstmals wieder auf Vinyl.


















