quête:in vain

Her Majesty's Ship is proud to present 'This Never Happened', the latest album from hugely talented French-American singer and producer Yan Wagner.

This always inventive and off kilter artist has had many top releases on labels like Kitsune and has worked with the likes of the legendary Arnaud Rebotini and Etienne Daho. He also has a side project, The Populists, is producing the first album of Calypso Valois and wrote the soundtrack for the short film 'Victoria' by Mathilde Marc. Someone who plays events like SXSW and Montreux Jazz Festival, Wagner's playful disco-pop tunes always find their way into the emotions of those who hear them.

For his second album, the artist wondered what to do: surprise everyone with a selection of ballads or serve up the electronic sounds that defined his last effort Forty Eight Hours. The answer lies somewhere in between, with covers of Frank Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood mixed in with fresh and catchy disco production. Unlike the last record produced by Arnaud Rebotini, this record is producer by Yan himself with a triple objective: to favour the first takes, the heat of the sound and to reduce the post- production to a minimum. It makes for something authentic and real, and is an album of artistic self-questioning, tenacious dreaming and overcoming doubt.

Says the artist, "The songs on this record are a series of lies; views of the mind. 'This Never Happened' is a collection of stories that never happened. Ten tracks talking of vain loves, of nocturnal experiences and of life and truth, which are all so short.'

Starting with the retro synths and shiny arpeggios of the title track, ensuing cuts like 'Blacker' are real chuggers with almost de-humanised vocals over the robot beats. 'SlamDunk Cha-Cha' is descended from Bowie with its camp synth wiggles and sung- spoken vocals. Switching up the tempo, slower tracks like 'Grenades' are perfectly glowing and frazzled with their pixelated melodies and cold chords. More upbeat affairs like 'No Love' are like lighter and cheerier versions of Depeche Mode, and the Sinatra cover 'It Was A Very Good Year' is a stirring, synth heavy version that is every bit as tender as the original.

This is a fantastic album of timeless electronic songs and is sure to be one of the standout releases of the year.

Konstellaatio is another Mika Vainio masterpiece as his original alias Ø on the native label Sähkö Recordings that Mika co-founded in 1993.

'Exit Entrance' is the DFA debut for Kohei Matsunaga aka NHK yx Koyxen.

Kohei has been making / releasing music since 1997 and has recorded for such iconic labels as Mille Plateaux, Important, Pan & Diagonal.

His latest recordings explore intricate drum programming, lush melodies & sparkling arrangements. Touchstones include the legendary 'Clicks & Cuts' compilations from the 1990's as well as Aphex Twin & Autechre. RA called his music bombastic techno funk....unpredictable but rarely disappointing'.

'Exit Entrance' is a collection of new songs that snap and flicker unlike anything Kohei has done in the past. There is a clarity and beauty to these tracks that bursts out of the speakers in a three dimensional way, matching the 3D glasses that the artist wears during all his live performances. The elegant arrangements and crisp drum breaks match the concise song titles - Kohei foregoes the typical impenetrable track names made up of numbers and shorthand, and opts for a more direct emotional sincerity through the sonic themes of the record. Not all the music here falls into the same exact formula.

As the album heads towards a close, after several tracks of harmonious beauty, we get 'Outset (for Mika Vainio)', a sombre hushed techno tune, dedicated to his late friend and musical collaborator, who unexpectedly passed away earlier this year as the record was being completed. What follows after this track is perhaps the real catharsis, as 'Dented' ominously kicks off with acidic stabs and rolls into a tumultuous dirge of gritty techno.

In this regard, 'Exit Entrance' can play out like a life cycle, a mini opera of birth and beauty, of sorrow and mourning.

It is one of the most direct and honest records Kohei has ever made, and DFA is beyond proud to present this work from such an esteemed creative force in the electronic avant-garde world of music.

For fans of Aphex Twin, Actress, Zomby, Kraftwerk, Four Tet.

With Adryiano and Kastil on production duties for their Loskober alias (which first emerged through Soul Notes in 2013) the 15th SAFT release has some serious sounds on it.

Apart from the two originals this time around the label has acquired remixes from the likes of 'Keita Sano' and Berlin based Australian 'Andy Hart'. Ranked 38th is a slab of tough disco tainted sample house with tight drums and a catchy phrase to highlight the dance floor nature of the opening track.

For the sophomore track Japan native Keita Sano rewords the title track in an original fashion using the main elements while layering this with outlandish percussion and elevating FX.

On the B side we find the modern classic sounds of 'Lake Michigan'. This is a piece of dance floor oriented music in the vain of the much appreciated sounds from the motor city heydays. Touching pads collide beautifully with the spacious bassline and the courageous drum work.

For the B2 position, Berlin based 'Andy Hart' cleverly reworks the sounds of 'Lake Michigan' to a more contemporary house track without losing the central focus of the appealing bassline

We can attest 'Despertar' is one of the most intriguing and beautiful albums to emerge from the Spanish's electronic music scene in 2017. A celebrated debut by the artist Piek, emerged from the most versatile musical scene, not in vain he creates inspired by the magic of great names such as Sigur Ros, Moderat or Bonobo.'Despertar' is the title chosen for the debut LP of this producer and dedicated music lover from Pamplona

The perfect Christmas gift for discerning fans of cutting edge analogue electronica. And Kraftwerk!

Radioland was initially devised as a breathtaking audio-visual live experience by the Anglo-French trio of Matthew Bourne (synthesisers, voice), Franck Vigroux (electronics) and visual artist Antoine Schmitt.

The original music has been transformed with hurricanes of modulated electronics, earth-shattering bass frequencies, vocoders ebbing and throbbing and the occasional drop into periods of eerie near-silence.

Using a variety of vintage analogue synthesisers and electronics, they have recreated the futuristic, industrial world of ominous darkness and dazzling light imagined by Kraftwerk in 1975 and reconstructed in this bold new manifestation for 2015.

The album is mastered by Denis Blackham, who mastered Kraftwerk's classic 1974 album Autobahn

The LP edition is limited to just 1,000 copies for the world in a deluxe gatefold sleeve with a CD included

Both versions include liner notes by David Stubbs, author of Future Days: Krautrock and the Building of Modern Germany, and photographs and images from the project

The album cover artwork is taken from the video work of Antoine Schmitt, creator of the captivating visuals that are a vital component of the Radioland performance

Matthew Bourne and Franck Vigroux's impressive collective CV boasts collaborations with artists such as John Zorn, Nostalgia 77, Marc Ribot, Annette Peacock, Elliot Sharp, Mika Vainio, Ben Miller and Zeena Parkins

More Radioland shows are expected to follow the release in 2016