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2024 Repress

While during the 1990s - higher, faster, further! - the straight bass drum has been shooted around the globe, there arose a number of variations of more or less contemplative slow- and sacred music from all kinds of corners at the same time. In a sense, it’s the other side of the medal: Chillout, Lounge, Easy Listening, Trance, Muzak and elevator music, electronic music and intelligent techno… and of course and in particular: Ambient. In classical and new variations.

Beside the constant pushing forward of the so called „Sound Of Cologne“- Minimal Techno in the home of Kompakt, there was also a strong faible for ambient sounds. Not only because of the labels origin and its operator’s preference for the pop music of the 70s and 80s, there was evolving a variety of ambient music, that added the aspect of pop to the confusing diversity of genres during that time. Not pop in the sense of actual classic pop music: Pop in the sense of subculture, of Pop Art and, first and foremost, in the sense of pop as an attitude. This was how Pop Ambient was launched and the way it established its own authentic music with a high recognition value. Pop Ambient is indulging the beauty and the timelessness. Pop Ambient is a sonic cosmos of attitude for itself and has no fears of contact with adjoining genres nor with kitsch, art or carnival. It’s ambient if you do it nevertheless. ^

Während sich im Laufe der 1990er Jahre die gerade Bassdrum immer höher, schneller, weiter einmal um den gesamten Planeten geballert hatte, kamen parallel dazu etliche Spielarten mehr oder weniger kontemplativer Erbauungs- und Verlangsamungsmusik aus allen möglichen Ecken auf. Gewissermaßen die andere Seite der Medaille. Chillout, Lounge, Easy Listening, Trance, Muzak und Fahrstuhlmusik, Elektronika und Intelligent Techno… und natürlich und vor allem Ambient. In altbewährten und neuen Variationen.

Auch im Hause Kompakt gab es neben dem steten Vorantreiben des sogenannten „Sound Of Cologne“ - Minimal Techno ein starkes Faible für ambiente Klänge. Nicht zuletzt aufgrund ihrer popmusikalischen Herkunft und einer besonderen Vorliebe für die Popmusik der 70er und 80er Jahre, kristallisierte sich bei den Kompakt-Machern ab dem Jahr 2000 eine Spielart ambienter Musik heraus, die den vielschichtigen, unübersichtlichen Genres dieser Zeit den Aspekt des Pop hinzu fügte. Nicht Pop im Sinne eigentlicher, klassischer Popmusik. Pop im Sinne von Subkultur, von Pop-Art und vor allem von Pop als Haltung. So wurde „Pop Ambient“ aus der Taufe gehoben und etablierte eine genuine Musik mit hohem Wiedererkennungswert. Pop Ambient frönte hemmungslos dem Schönen und der Zeitlosigkeit. Pop Ambient ist ein Klang- und Haltungskosmos für sich, und hat dabei keinerlei Berührungsängste, weder mit angrenzenden Genres, noch mit Kitsch, Kunst oder Karneval. Ambient ist wenn man’s trotzdem macht.

Celebrating a Decade of Dark Entries with a compilation titled ‘Tens Across The Board’. We revisit our roster and chose 10 songs from 10 bands from 10 different countries spanning the years 1981-1993. The songs flow in chronological order and have never appeared on vinyl, with 7 of the songs previously unreleased.

The compilation begins in 1981 with Parade Ground from Belgium, the duo of brothers Pierre and Jean-Marc Pauly with help from Patrick Codenys and Jean-Luc of Front 242. “The Light’s Gone” was one of their earliest experiments and employs a stark minimalism with modular synthesizers, guitar reverb and tape delay. Next we venture to Granada, Spain in 1982 to meet the trio of Diseño Corbusier. Influenced by Cabaret Voltaire and Dadaism, “La Esperanza está en Antenas” was the band’s take on melancholic pop fueled by a robotic DR-55 bass-line. Sailing the Mediterranean Sea to Athens to meet Greek electronic goddess Lena Platonos who shares a demo from 1983. “Μια Γάτα Σασ Περιμένει Στη Γωνία” translates to “A Cat Is Waiting On The Corner” and is possibly the witchiest sounds we’ve shared yet, ending with a blood curdling scream. Frozen in 1983 we cross Ionian Sea to Messina, Italy and visit Victrola, the duo of Antonino “Eze” Cuscinà and Carlo Smeriglio. They’ve unearthed a melodic instrumental version of “Luca” fueled by a Korg Polysix and TB-303. Traveling across the Adriatic to Slovenia circa 1984, where Borghesia are working on their album ‘Ljubav Je Hladnija Od Smrti’. “Magla” translates to “Fog” fitting for the thick, somber electronics of Aldo Ivancic providing a dense atmosphere for the baritone vocals of Dario Seraval.

On Side B we go down under to Sydney and excavate a hidden Tom Ellard song recorded in 1984 under the alias Lord Metal, an anagram of his name for copyright reasons. “Ga Duum Blitzfonika” is a slow-motion, unadulterated dance groove originally released on the cassette compilation "Independent World”. Skipping ahead to 1986 in Tours, France we salute X-Ray Pop the minimum new wave duo of Didier "Doc" Pilot and Zouka Dzaza. They contribute the hypnotically fragile “Corto Maltese” that originally appeared on the cassette compilation ‘Plop’. Crossing the German boarder we arrive in Dortmund at the apartment of Andreas Sippel of Second Decay who recorded the instrumental demo “Lübeckerstrasse” in 1988 with partner Christian Purwien. Utilizing an TR-808, SH-101 and Arp Odyssey this cold slice of futurism was named after the street Andreas lived on. Traveling westward to England, specifically Basildon, Essex to the teenage bedroom of From Nursery To Misery, the trio of identical twin sister vocalists Gina and Tina Fear and keyboard player Lee Stevens. “Contentment” is an introspective, ethereal pop song with child-like vocals that originally appeared on the Belgian tape compilation ‘Heartbeat Vol.4’ in 1989. Finally, we return home to San Francisco and close out the compilation with Cyrnai the moniker of multi-instrumentalist Carolyn Fok. “Digital Grit Box (Demo)” was an outtake from the ‘Transfiguration’ album sessions recorded in 1993, utilizing dark dance drum beats made with MIDI sequencer programs Studio Vision and Sample Cell.

All songs have been remastered by George Horn at Fantasy Studios. The vinyl is housed in a custom designed jacket by Eloise Leigh featuring our label’s colors black-white-red with connect-the-dots pattern linking the 10 songs via maps/timeline/location, all relating to the reissue process, plus source images from San Francisco, our hometown. For this landmark release we've also printed a 2-sided fold-out wall poster that includes every artist we've released in our first 10 years 2009-2019 in black, red and silver metallic ink, plus an 8x11 insert with lyrics, notes and photos.

FUSE resident Seb Zito returns to home turf to close October as he delivers his ‘Trying To Start’ EP. A key member of FUSE since its inception ten years ago, London-based DJ and producer Seb Zito has remained at the heart of the city’s scene featuring as a core resident for the brand across their homes of Village Underground, 93 Feet East and beyond, whilst also serving as the A&R of sister imprint Infuse. Following a busy summer that welcomed outings and remixes on the likes of Four Thirty Two, Play It Say It, ORIGINS RCRDS and Moxy Muzik, plus material via his own Seven Dials Records and two collaborations as part of Enzo Siragusa’s ‘A Decade Of Rave Volume 2’, Zito now returns to FUSE to deliver his second solo EP of the year on the label as he unveils four new cuts in the form of his ‘Trying To Start’ EP. Title cut ‘Trying To Start’ opens proceedings with authority as bright vocals meet skipping percussion, bubbling sub bass and slick hats, whilst ‘Arped Edge’ harnesses a slightly more stripped back aesthetic, introducing infectious vocal snippets amongst hazy pads, sci-fi electronics and menacing low-ends. Next, ’10AM Fuse’ takes cues from its title as snaking bass patterns go to work alongside sharp drum licks to reveal a cut primed for some huge early morning moments, before rounding out the package with ‘Geo Theory’, a lively peak-time production armed with shuffling drums and a signature driving bassline at its core.

Julien Chaptal is an electronic assembly — part French electronics, part Detroit synth machine, and part Dutch minimal robot (as part of MFD, Le Clic and Amsterdam661). Purpose built with a modular brain, Julien’s performances are switched on, live, utterly groovy, and while pulsating with machine wiring, undeniably human.
Chaptal's newest record, The Way, was conceived after a few too many knobs were turned on his Octatrack, sending Julien tumbling through time and space to capture decades worth of dance floor musical influence before returning home. Recorded live along the journey — on stage, by boat, and in a camper van — The Way’s hypnotic tracks are an intimate look at the intricate circuitry composing the logic behind electronic music, showcasing where it has come, where it is now, and where it will travel to in the future.

Transparent-blue vinyl 12” (500 copies hand-numebred)

Comet presents the first release from its new Disco Highlife series, featuring remastered originals by Ghanaian legends Ebo Taylor & Pat Thomas and disco reedits by LeonxLeon and Leo Nanjo.

Founder of Comet Records, Eric Trosset, started working with those great heroes of West African music, back in 2010. Taking on the role of manager/publisher, Comet teamed up with Strut Records
and musician/producer Ben Abarbanel Wolff to revive Ebo Taylor‘s international career with a string of album releases: Love & Death, Appia Kwa Bridge and Life Stories. In 2014, he collaborated with
Pat Thomas & The Kwashibu Area Band on a new album, gathering together the old ‘pals’ (Ebo Taylor, Pat Thomas, Tony Allen) in producer Kwame Yeboah’s studio in Accra.

It is with great pleasure that Comet launches this new series. Let's make this beautiful and timeless music the soundtrack to an unforgettable summer!

On side A, comes “Enye Woa” by Pat Thomas, originally released in 1988 on Nakase Records and taken from the album Me Do Wiase. It’s killer disco cut, and as innovative a piece of highlife as it
was 30 years ago. Paris-based producer LeonxLeon has been cooking up songs in his Parisian home-studio since 2013. He did a remarkable remix of Cerrone's "Funk Makossa" and more recently released his new Rokanbo EP on Cracki Records. His remix of “Enye Woa” is a classy modern disco cut with funky bass and spacey synths.

On side B is “Atwer Abroba” by Ebo Taylor, a stand out up-tempo track from the album Twer Nyame, originally released in 1978 on Philips West African Records. Tokyo-based multi
instrumentalist/producer/arranger Leo Nanjo formed the first Japanese afrobeat group, Kingdom
Afrorocks. Since the band broke up in 2014, Leo has been producing and arranging music with various collaborations, such as DJ Muro, Pushim and Misia. This is a trippy afro-futurist, broken
beat reedit with highlife grooves flying to deep space

Techno stalwarts Heiko Laux & Joel Mull return to Drumcode for their first outing since 2016.

Friends and collaborators for over a decade, Heiko Laux and Joel Mull continue their fruitful partnership with a searing four-piece work. ‘Centipede’ is a thematic follow-up to ‘Rooter’, their last atmosphere-heavy production that dropped on Laux’s Kanzleramt imprint in 2017. A year earlier they teamed up for the vinyl-only ‘Munch’ EP on Drumcode Limited that explored subterranean techno grooves.

Their latest work was created during an extended stay at Mull’s home in Stockholm while Laux was visiting for a show. The evocative ‘Contour’ brings the EP into focus, as delicate strings set an atmospheric tone. The title track ‘Centipede’ follows, a track tailor-made for deep Sunday afternoon rave explorations as a menacing riff runs throughout. ‘Bullet Ant’ is driven by industrial percussion and brain-bending synth effects that dip in and out throughout the muscular work. ‘Centipede (Morph)' follows on from its namesake, teasing out some space and introducing melody to the palette for a deep late-night impact.

Inventing Importance - With its third vinyl release CLIKNO starts the MAT editions, which brings together contemporary art with profound texts and deep techno music equally, a conceptual and collectible series for heart, soul and mind - conceived by Dr.Nojoke.

music - Dr.Nojoke throws in three tunes in his unmistakable style hitting the dancefloors of a parallel universe. Stomping beats with gravitational bass-lines are folded with deep textured moods, dub delays and a plethora of subtle sounds and strange loops all in an intricate and organic production build from diverse noises and field recordings. This music aims as much for the dancefloor as it is enjoyable at home.

art - "You Brew Stew" is a digital painting by Denver-based artist Jonathan Canupp. The painting was created in 2018, took 25 hours and is made of 28,000 strokes, original size: 24" x 24". Jonathan is a multi-faceted artist also working as sound designer for video games and films and producing music under diverse monikers such as Ten and Tracer and Petrichoir.

text - Over the course of the MAT editions, philosopher, actress, director and performer Marianne Kjaer Klausen will contribute writings about humanity, society and freedom. Sample from MAT ed.01: "The owl of Minerva spreads its wings only with the falling of the dusk. The paradox, to know when she has landed, would be one true turning point for the wisdom of humanity."

MAT 01 is a strictly limited vinyl-only release with a 12" x 12" inlay in a thick transparent PVC sleeve.
Artwork and text are reproduced in an offset print on offset paper for a premium look and feel.

Kasper Marott is featured on the second release by Courtesy’s imprint Kulør, a label whose introduction to Copenhagen’s fast techno scene, Kulør 001, contributed a long-sought spin on contemporary techno. With his Forever Mix EP, Marott offers a 14-minute musical expedition through the slower-paced “Drømmen om Ø (Forever Mix ‘19)” and a personal take on his hometown’s accelerated blue euphoria with the floor-crushing “Sky Dreams”.

Artwork photography is by the Japanese artist Yoshinori Mizutani, and the vinyl will come with an A2 poster. Graphic design is by Spine Studio.

From playing chaotic house parties in their home city of Oxford to becoming major festival headliners across Europe, Foals' trajectory has been remarkable. They've earned critical acclaim (NME and Q Award wins, plus Mercury Prize, Ivor Novello and BRIT Award nominations) and fan devotion (1.7 million sales of their four Gold-certified albums) in equal measure. And while the majority of contemporaries have fallen by the wayside, Foals continue to hit new peaks.

After more than a decade in the game, Foals again embrace that love for the unconventional with the bravest and most ambitious project of their career: not one, but two astonishing new albums: 'Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost'. A pair of releases, separate but related, they share a title, themes and artwork. 'Part 1' will be released on March 8th, with 'Part 2' following later in the year.

'They're two halves of the same locket,' frontman Yannis Philippakis explains. 'They can be listened to and appreciated individually, but fundamentally, they are companion pieces.

Fundamentally tethered but possessing their own personalities, the two bodies capture the most compelling, ambitious and cohesive creations they've ever produced. Eager to break the traditional pop song structure which they felt they were becoming increasingly tapered to, the 20 tracks defy expectation. There are exploratory, progressive-tinged tracks alongside atmospheric segues which make the music an experience rather than a mere collection of songs. Yet the band's renowned ability to wield relentless grooves with striking power and skyscraper hooks also reaches new heights.

The album's lead single 'Exits' is a case in point, featuring Philippakis conjuring the image of a disorienting world via a contagious vocal melody. It's a fresh anthem for Foals' formidable arsenal, but also an ominous forecast.

'There's a definite idea about the world being no longer habitable in the way that it was,' says Yannis. 'A kind of perilousness lack of predictability and a feeling of being overwhelmed by the magnitudes of the problems we face. What's the response And what's the purpose of any response that one individual can have'

'Exits' signposts what to expect thematically from both instalments of 'Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost'. The title is a warning that anything - from the tiniest fleeting moment of inspiration through to the planet's own biological diversity - can be under threat of being irrevocably erased.

It's a theme that permeates throughout the album's material, as Foal mirror the public neuroses that have been provoked by our current cultural climate. Paranoia of state surveillance Fear of environmental collapse Anxiety over Trump's next potentially cataclysmic move It's all there in these apocalyptic songs.

'Lyrically, there are resonances with what's going on in the world at the moment,' summarises Yannis. 'I just feel like, what's the utility of being a musician these days, if you can't engage with at least some of this stuff These songs are white flags, or they're SOSs, or they're cries for help... each in a different way.'

The new albums' journeys began as the 'What Went Down' era ended. Founding bassist Walter Gervers departed on amicable terms after playing the Festival Paredes de Coura in Portugal in August 2017. Foals felt that he couldn't be replaced - a decision that ushered in a period of recalibration, reorganisation and, ultimately, rejuvenation.

After taking a little time out, Foals - completed by Jimmy Smith (guitar), Jack Bevan (drums) and Edwin Congreave (keys) reconvened - with Yannis on production duties, who, together with Edwin, also covered the bass parts. They began by writing in a rehearsal space before exporting those sketches into the recording phase at 123 Studios, Peckham, with the assistance of engineer Brett Shaw. They'd repeat the cycle between the two spaces, effectively creating an ongoing feedback loop as they sought to push every new idea to the finish line.

1 x 12" black vinyl 180gsm
- label 4/c
- discobag on reverse board with matt varnish
- gatefold on reverse board with matt varnish
- shrinkwrap

Some time around 20 years ago, the artist known as Dub Surgeon made an absorbing album of beautiful dub infused with ambiance, found sounds and horizontal rhythms. The Lost Future was recorded at the former Amsterdam Film Academy where Dub Surgeon. The recording engineer for the project was Ricardo Villalobos. Dub surgeon and Ricardo Villalobos then mastered it together, putting it through several vintage mixers and recording it to 2 inch tape. Then, tragedy struck: a storm surged and ignited a fire that ravaged the studio. The master copy was thought to have been lost forever. Dub Surgeon stopped making music and disappeared into the shadows after just two EPs on Future Dub in 2002/3. But one day 15 years later, totally out of the blue, he received a demo of The Lost Future. "Pay attention to this," it said. Attached was a demo version of the long lost album and now, finally, it has a perfect and impossibly poetic home on Dubai's Ark to Ashes, which is named in homage to the story of Lee "Scratch" Perry burning down his Black Ark studio to rid it of demons. Sounding as fresh as ever, The Lost Future is an authentic dub experience with a story as special as the music itself

The Mutant Frequencies EP is the first transmission from Music That Moves - Shinedoe's new label focussing entirely on her own productions. If this release is anything to go by, the label is set to make its mark just as her other label Intacto has done since 2004.

Early support from Jeff Mills, Jerome Sydenham, DVS1, Ben Klock, and more. Shinedoe launches her new Music That Moves label with 'Mutant Frequencies'. The title track is a gripping, arpeggiated techno roller for the peak time slot

The title track is a gripping, arpeggiated techno roller for the peak time slot - DJ Mag

I'm definitely feeling this, all 3 tracks are doing it for me - Big time!!! DJ Rolando

Track 1 for me for sure! DVS1


Shinedoe has built a stellar reputation in the scene for her unmissable DJ sets and stand-out productions, which have made her one of the most respected names in techno. Kicking off this release, the title track Mutant Frequencies sets out the agenda - a deep driving baseline intertwined with sparking, modulated synth lines and crisp, urgent percussion. The result is a tough techno bomb, but containing Shinedoe's signature subtleties. Over on the flip, the Robert Hood referencing M-Plant is an acid- tinged, bouncy groover - the baseline writhes and wriggles throughout the track while the pulsating kick and fizzing percussion propel the track ever higher, punctuated by an exquisite break. Last but not least, Triplex is a deeply atmospheric cut, slowly building out of a hypnotic synth hook and dark, brooding pads - Shinedoe's masterly production keeps the track full of tension throughout.

Music That Moves (MTM) Founded in 2018, Music That Moves is the latest venture by Amsterdam-based techno maven Shinedoe. Having been jointly responsible for the long running and hugely influential Intacto label with partner in crime 2000 and One, Chinedum Nwosu's new label is a vehicle for her own special musical vision. Focussing entirely on Shinedoe productions, Music That Moves is the home for precision techno with soul - literally music that will move you in every sense.

Last Year's Altered Mind Opus, Sapa Inca Delirium, Showcased The Cyclist At His Most Eclectic, Spanning Ayahuasca Break-beat And Rave Jungle Pop, But His Latest Ep Returns To The Uniquely Kinetic And Shredded Mode Of Churning Electronic Rhythm He Both Named And Perfected: 'tape Throb.' Alabaster Thrones Collects Four Of Andrew Morrison's Recent And Most Vibrantly Blasted House Constructs, Tracked At His Home Studio In Birmingham, Uk During 'the Height Of Mania - A Time When I Had No Time.' The Context Translates: This Is Urgent, Accelerating Music, Shifting Gears At High Speed In Dim Twisting Tunnels. The Title Is 'a Deflation Of Grandiosity' Cribbed From Ulysses ('...a Noble Race, Rulers Of The Waves, Who Sit On Thrones Of Alabaster, Silent As The Deathless Gods'), Though Morrison's Meaning Is More Personal: 'it's A Reminder To Level Yourself And Think Of All Those Around You.' A Captivating Capsule Of Ravaged Forward Motion For A Ravaged Forward-moving Age. Mastered By Eric Hanson. Design By Britt Brown.

Efficient Space is honoured to share the little-heard recordings of three Yolngu songmen from Northeast Arnhem Land - Bobby Bunnungurr, Jimmy Djamunba and Peter Milaynga (d. 2007) - working in collaboration with Victorian musician Peter Mumme. Yolngu are the indigenous peoples of Arnhem Land in Northern Territory, Australia; their clans are the Marangu and Malabirr, the languages Djinang and Gannalbingu. Their songs are of instruction, story and ceremony.

A connection first initiated by Yolngu actor David Gulpilil, Waak Waak Djungi's mid-90s recordings were preceded by years of respectful sharing of culture. Mumme explains that 'the aim was to produce something that is new, not in the sense of a breakthrough, but what emerges from the combining of existing ideas'. What developed was sonically unique - sprawling vocal/electronic soundscapes and field recordings that reimagine the traditional songs of black crows and white cockatoos, sharing, creation spirits and of leaving and returning home to country. Spacious and patiently durational, the songs resound in a big land with a big story to tell.

On the 1997 Waak Waak Djungi album Crow Fire Music, these interpretations were assembled with traditional recordings and additional material from Sebastian Jörgensen and Sally Grice. Falling short of generating public interest, it became well known in the Yolngu homeland. Nearly two decades later, a CD copy filed away in the 3RRR FM library would prompt a three year investigation to meet the people behind the music.

Waak Waak ga Min Min (Black Crow, White Cockatoo) combines the previously unreleased Gandi Bawong with five contemporary versions from the original album, with a new cover painting by Bobby Bunnungurr. Tracing 1997 back to many millennia ago, this is a captivating window into the richness of Aboriginal culture and collaboration.

This iconic LP was originally released by Incus in 1974. Recorded at a private house in West London, the side-long title track is a masterwork: a twenty-two-minute, starkly personal, freely expressive, itchily searching re-casting of orders of rhythm and sound into a new, quicksilver kind of affective and musical polyphony. Never mind the guitarist's championing of 'non-idiomatic improvisation', the poet Peter Riley gets the ball rolling in his identification of the various hauntings of Bailey's playing at this time: 'mandolins & balalaikas strumming in the distance, George Forby's banjo, Leadbelly's steel 12-string, koto, lute, classical guitar... and others quite outside the field of the plucked string.'The five pieces on side two were recorded back home in Hackney around the same time — with the exception of Improvisation 104(b), from the year before (and issued by Incus in its TAPS series of mini reel-to-reel tapes) — opening with ventriloquised guitar feedback, and taking in some cod banter about colleagues like Mervyn Parker, Siegfried Brotzmann and Harry Bentink. Crucial.

After dropping several tracks and performing at select festivals throughout the years, Ólafur Arnalds and Janus Rasmussen dedicated the year 2014 to explore the area in-between Ólafur's more acoustic, piano-based solo work and Janus's synth-heavy electro pop, with their collaborative electronic project Kiasmos.

By focusing solely on their self-titled debut album, Ólafur and Janus have been able to combine and further develop their unique sound aesthetics to complete an album driven by their mutual love for electronic music. Made in Ólafur's newly build studio in Reykjavík, Iceland, a majority of the album was recorded using acoustic instruments next to a variety of synthesisers, drum machines and tape delays. It features a live drummer, string quartet and Ólafur performing on the grand piano, producing an ambient, textured sound, which makes it a perfect home listen and equally danceable record. If you listen closely, you can spot them record the thumb piano, finger snapping and even the sound of the metal grinder of a lighter slowly to replace the usual electronic hi-hat sounds, giving the album a far more intimate and unique atmosphere.

We decided to start almost completely over with this record, so most of the material is written this year with the idea of making a record that can stand as one piece rather than a collection of songs. I am very excited to get a proper record out exploring a different territory than I am used to. I touch a lot on electronic genres in my own music but never have the opportunity to go full out electronic like we do here.' - Ólafur Arnalds

The Kiasmos project has been around since 2007, but because of all our other projects we never really got the time to sit down and write all the tracks we always wanted to. So when we early this year finally found the time to sit down and make a full length album there was so much we wanted to try out. The result surprised us a bit, it's deeper and more emotional than we imagined it to be, but that's the beauty of being able to make an album.' - Janus Rasmussen

Long-term Erased Tapes graphics collaborator Torsten Posselt at Feld Studios in Berlin created the cover artwork. Feld Studios was a natural choice for Kiasmos, seeing he also designed the cover for their Thrown EP, released previously.

Kiasmos is made up of Icelandic BAFTA-winning composer Ólafur Arnalds, known for his unique blend of minimal piano and string compositions with electronic sounds, and Janus Rasmussen from the Faroe Islands, known as the mastermind of the electro-pop outfit Bloodgroup. Based in Reykjavík, Arnalds used to work as a sound engineer, often for Rasmussen's other projects, where the two musicians discovered their common love for minimal, experimental music. They eventually became best friends, often hanging out in their studio, exploring electronic sounds.

Oddball Japanese electro-fueled vocoder funk with occasional raps from the 80s, including unreleased material...
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Japanese Electro original, Minoru Hoodoo Fushimi, self-released four albums. Two vinyl LPs and two CDs between 1985 and 1992. Melbourne`s Left Ear Records have selected twelve tracks, for a double vinyl retrospective. 10 tracks from Minoru`s four albums and a further two unreleased tracks from the archives.

Minoru set out to combine his love of all things Funk with traditional instruments and song from his homeland. He uses shamisen on Thanatopsis. Where Parliament`s Flashlight, George Clinton`s Atomic Dog, ride with Osamu Kitajima`s Masterless Samurai. Shakuhachi on Mizuko No Tamashii Hyakumademo. Nohdashi puts koto with a Jimmy Castor riff. All set to popping and locking beats.

Minoru`s vocals switch between raps about cellular metabolism and haemoglobin, Soul croon and vocoder. On Shinz-San he adds Metal guitar to vintage Sugarhill. And he goes crazy with his sampler. Scratching in cats, frogs, babies, laughter, giggles, traffic jams, failing ignitions, opera singers, and amorous sighs. Furarete mixes elephant roars and Go-Go. Creating unique avant grooves that share something with Tackhead`s ON-U Sound System, Savant`s tape experiments, and fellow countrymen EP-4.

co-compiled by Left Ear Records and Jerome Qpchan