Beats Vinyl New Releases - News

It works in clubs. it works at after hours. Also, small bars vibrate meaningful on it: the music of Kuniyuki Takahashi enthralls everywhere and is made for heedful listeners, that love the thrill of little musical nuances, shifting in a deeply composed ocean of sound.

In terms of composition, melodic sensitivity, and subtle progression the music of japanese producer, Sound designer and dj stands out. Ambient, Future-Jazz, Deep House, Leftfield Elec-tronics: since more then 25 years the man from Sapporo expresses his emotions with a wide stylistic range.

As Kuniyuki or under pseudonyms like Koss or Newwave project, he released a body of work consisting of numerous albums and EP’s, that display his deep musical consciousness pro-foundly. Now his home label Mule Musiq drops “Remix Works “, an eighth tune strong compila-tion featuring for the second time since 2013 Kuniyuki Takahashi’s very own virtuosity of re-mixing.

A double vinyl that carries the full pallet of his skills – from yacht rock leaning synth-pop and balearic dreams to sweet wave signals and soulful Pop House.

It all starts with Kuniyuki’s Remix of “Plateau”, a tune by japanese Nu-Jazz / Post‐Rock band mouse on the keys, released in 2013 on the short living japanese retalk label. An epic, almost ten-minute-long house voyage, full of discreet acid shades and enlightening Jazz chords, that play spirited tricks on each other’s manic musical preaching.

Mitch Stahlmann's solo debut release Into The Wish is a kaleidoscopic adventure in sound. Resulting from the Oakland-based musician's personal practice of experimenting with ways to process and reintroduce the flute, the music on this record draws inspiration from the instrument's everlasting breath. Paying respect to its archaic history as well as leaving room for more strange, clownish impersonations, Into The Wish is a varied collection of flute-inspired pieces. The album traverses seamlessly between what sounds like ancient, sacred incantations and more playful, chaotic collage pieces where the flute is processed, reprocessed and performed using samplers.

Each piece offers a glimpse into a whole world that could be explored in depth, but Stahlmann's curiosity is ceaseless. The opening “Petrified Cloud” is a gentle piece, a velvety, digital introduction, whereas “Moon Arch” follows with more mystery and tropical drama. “Flat Earth” offers sonic depth and channels Hassell's fourth world music ideas into immersive, winding flute passages. “Paris 2107”, “Mega Mart” or “Real Life Drama”, on the other hand, move largely beyond the sound of the flute, burying it in layers of digital processing and (re)sampling. While extremely diverse, Stahlmann's Into The Wish is a fascinating, colourful exploration of his instrument.

A brand new label within the Vinyl Fanatiks family. AmenTec is a collaboration between Amen Brother and Emotec, which is an electro/techno label run by Damo B, who hosts a weekly show on Unity FM in Manchester. The idea being that one label creates two tracks and the other brings in their talent to remix them.

First off the bat is MOY, an electro breakbeat supremo who creates the most in-depth soundscapes in dance music. And the two tracks on this release are probably some of his finest work to date, sweeping pads, rolling amen and squelchy 303. To rough them up a bit, Amen Brother bring in two old school producers from way back in the early 90’s. Fugitive, who is Dave from Aquasky, bringing back to life one of his earliest aliases that use to release on Underdog Recordings in 93/94, utilising the skillset of his former jungle pseudonym and Wolverhampton’s hardcore soldier Silver Fox, former house mate of Goldie, who dons his rave mask and goes in hard and heavy with a monster of a remix.

This release brings together the best of the electro world and the finest of the hardcore world and creates a release worthy of a place within the collection of any dance music connoisseur.

Anjuna Niv enters the world of Offen like a magic influence making everything happy. Soundtrack of mistakes from a truly psychedelic realm.

Prima Materia was a vocal improvisation ensemble, founded by Roberto Laneri in 1973. Composed entirely of vocalists with no academic training, the group developed various techniques – revolving mostly around the use of overtones – that would embody their unique sound. No instruments nor electronic manipulations were ever employed within the group's physiognomy, which was realized purely through the human voice.

La Coda Della Tigre, the group's sole album, was recorded in 1977 by Alvin Curran and released on Ananda, an artist-run label founded by Laneri, Curran and Giacinto Scelsi.

As the original liner notes state, "The music of Prima Materia may sound radically new, yet at the same time it is likely to ring some distant bell and evoke ancient emotions. This is not due to chance: indeed, the very name of the group points to a specific path, namely, the unfolding of the potential implicit in the alchemical symbol as embodying a process of transmutation of consciousness."

Prima Materia's four members (Laneri, Claudio Ricciardi, Gianni Nebbiosi and Susanne Hendricks) combine voices to create a singular, beautiful drone that is (as the group's name suggests) both impossible to define and fundamentally simple.

This first-time standalone reissue is recommended for fans of La Monte Young, Terry Riley and Disques Ocora.

The 4th full-length by Tokyo Metropolis electronica entity UNKNOWN ME, Bishintai, is a sublime synthetic suite of cosmic wellness transmissions exploring “the unknown beauty of your mind and body,” appropriately named for a kanji compound meaning “beauty, mind, body.” Crafted with software, synthesizer, steel drum, rhythm boxes, and robotic voice by the core quartet of Yakenohara, P-RUFF, H. Takahashi, and Osawa Yudai, the album unfolds like a holographic guided meditation, soothing but cybernetic, framed by subways and sky malls. Latticework electronics flicker with texture, glitch, wobble, and mirage, themed around sensory perception and body parts.

A diverse cast of collaborators assist in actualizing the collection's uniquely urban expression of new age ambient, from psychedelic footwork riddler foodman to multi-instrumentalist institution Jim O'Rourke to Japanese underground shape-shifters MC.Sirafu and Lisa Nakagawa. Although the group cites a therapeutic muse (“made for the maintenance of the minds of city dwellers”), Bishintai shimmers with an alien strangeness, too, like decentralized relaxation systems obeying sentient circuits. This is music of utopia and nowhere, channeling worlds within worlds, birthed from a sonic ethos as simple as it is sacred: “in pursuit of beautiful tones.”

Perfect Location Records in close collaboration with Cherushii’s family is proud to present Nobody’s Fool, Starlight Express, and Manic on vinyl for the first time as 3 EPs. Originally released by Cherushii on her Bandcamp in 2015 and 2016, these 3 EPs encompass the radiant love, fluent creativity, and unapologetic joviality of not only the musical world of Cherushii, but also the person behind the music.

The hand-drawn artwork, which has become iconically synonymous with the Cherushii sound, are original creations by Cherushii’s sister, Sabrina Fox. With this reissue, we offer a continuation of the same visual candy with a new front cover by Sabrina: the nudibranch pattern. Chosen by Sabrina after a dream visitation, the nudibranch is a curious, resilient creature which harnesses its profound coloration to flourish in the oceanic infinity. It can only do so, however, once it sheds its shell.

Inside of 3 EPs you will find the original covers belonging to Nobody’s Fool, Starlight Express, and Manic as gloss sleeves for the respective EP.

3 EPs also features some of Cherushii’s talented friends and mentors, from her production with Golden Donna, lyrics by her longtime friend Kara Marie, and an appearance by her childhood music teacher Marcia Miget, to remixes by 100% SILK all-stars Bobby Browser and Magic Touch.

It is our hope that this vinyl reissue, with its beautiful, large gloss prints of Sabrina’s artwork, will further disseminate the legacy of Cherushii while contributing to the posthumous archive of a musical mastermind, viciously devoted and missed friend, and beloved sister.

In loving memory of Chelsea Faith 1983-2016









i F1 Manic (Magic Touch Mix feat. Colored Craig) Vinyl Edit









i F1 Manic (Magic Touch Mix feat. Colored Craig) Vinyl Edit

In March 2020 Elton was forced to pause his record breaking Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour due to the unfolding COVID pandemic. As the world began to shut down, different projects presented themselves with artists Elton had enjoyed getting to know through his Apple Music show Rocket Hour. This was the beginning of one of Elton's boldest and most interesting records to date that he has billed ‘The Lockdown Sessions’. This album saw Elton coming full circle and returning to his roots as a session musician. While it was no easy feat recording during a pandemic, a completely new way of working for Elton, he leaned into the challenge with some magnificent results.

Kicking off with current single ‘Cold Heart (PNAU Remix)’with Dua Lipa, the album takes the listener on a heady journey through many different genres, all held together with expert finesse and understanding by one of the greatest champions of music of our time. Much more than a mere collaboration album, ‘The Lockdown Sessions’ is a dazzlingly diverse collection of 16 tracks with 10 brand new unreleased tracks that celebrates togetherness and sees Elton collaborating with an unparalleled range of artists only he could draw together. The enduring influence of his musical milestone with one of the most ambitious projects ever conceived. An unprecedented 20+ artists feature spanning an unbelievably vast range of genres, generations, cultures, continents and more, each contributing a unique style to the album that is sure to hold its place amongst one of pop and rock’s greatest songbooks. ‘The Lockdown Sessions’ sees Elton collaborate with GRAMMY Award winning producer Andrew Watt on five of the tracks.

In Elton’s words: “The last thing I expected to do during lockdown was make an album. But, as the pandemic went on, one‐off projects kept cropping up. Some of the recording sessions had to be done remotely, via Zoom, which I’d obviously never done before. Some of the sessions were recorded under very stringent safety regulations: working with another artist, but separated by glass screens. But all the tracks I worked on were really interesting and diverse, stuff that was completely different to anything I’m known for, stuff that took me out of my comfort zone into completely new territory. And I realised there was something weirdly familiar about working like this. At the start of my career, in the late 60s, I worked as a session musician. Working with different artists during lockdown reminded me of that. I’d come full circle: I was a session musician again. And it was still a blast.”

An unparalleled career that has forever changed the cultural landscape, Elton John’s collaborations with Bernie Taupin and others continue to shape the cultural landscape, break records, top charts and win new fans across the generations. We’ve had the book, the film, the farewell tour, the fashion collections and the greatest hits. And now with ‘The Lockdown Sessions’ available on digital formats, fans can enter Elton’s new world which is no doubt another fitting addition to his oeuvre.

Crazy speed flashcore... at the Ambient frontier. A total abstract musical concept escaping the usual ways... No-Tek records now goes more and more into weird and creative concepts. Grown up culture !

isuals Painted by NEUROBUG


C'est une magnifique surprise. Ca faisait longtemps que je n'avais pas été surpris... que je n'ai pas entendu un morceau aussi riche et aussi précis... Un truc chargé où tout est défini, où tout est clair, et tout existe. Chaque son, chaque fréquence... une 3D sonore... du mastering à la composition infernale tout est incroyable... Il faut une sacrée concentration pour écouter. Je réapprends à écouter... Et c'est aussi insupportable et aussi fascinant et aussi fort et j'aime et je réécoute avec surprise encore. Je suis accro ! Surtout la face "Je Le Sais Je Le Sang"... Terry Riley est mort. ça y est il a eu sa peau. Le hardcore est mort, ça y est il a eu sa peau. La musique est vivante, enfin encore, en kore.
Rappelez-vous que les gens avaient plus ou moins mal reçu les Hangars Liquides 01 et 02, ou le 21 et le 28... Toujours une longueur d'avance...

Ce Vinyle est plus proche de l'art-core que du hardcore et pourtant... Quel bonheur ce sera de l'entendre sur du gros son !! mwhahahahah !!!

STRICKTLY LIMITED

亂 (luan) is the latest release from LA based producer/DJ Mix Match Emperor who weaves powerful soundscapes with an amalgamation of field recordings, obscure samples and original music compositions that combine to form a cohesive work of sound art that stays true to its name, translated to “Chaos”.
The combination of jazz samples and lo-fi mixing techniques create a cocktail that in parts resembles vaporwave whilst regularly pulling away from any genre formulation with sharp cuts into noise and then back through electronic rhythms reminiscent of Autechre.

Although listeners can often be tempted to pick out their favourite tracks, this record is definitely designed to be listened to in its entirety, as it takes you on a journey through varying phases that nod to both Steve Reich & the late Sam Mehran simultaneously.

The album is the leadoff release under the Strictly Frisky label with a limited cassette run available here for the first time.

solid neon green vinyl in printed sleeve repress

Arguably one of the highpoints from both these UK sonic pioneers (John Bolotten aka The Rootmsan and Bryn Jones aka Muslimgauze). This is the first vinyl issue of original material previously published in 1997 on CD by Third Eye Music (Rootsman’s own CD imprint). Another collaboration between Muslimgauze and The Rootsman following the Amahar release.

Wex Series - Telomere Plastic is on to the next release.
Time to present the Neighborhood Watch Patrol.
This four track EP blends breaks, electro and tech house supplying you with a chunky little plate for the dance floor. Keep your Neighborhood safe with this one.
Limited to 50 copies

WAREHOUSE FIND

Nick The Record & Dan Tyler return with the fifth mission...

Hardly surprising these celebrated EPs are consistent best-sellers and enduring staples in any expertly packed crate.
Always built for the floor, and assembled from the finest secret ingredients, not to mention thoroughly road-tested - Record Mission drops another essential EP !

Sprung Disco bass work, dubbed out arrangements, tough rhythm sections and more funk than George Clinton's sparkly tour socks.

Enjoy! .

4 bits of top tackle from one of ukg's finest, DJ Perception.

Jazzterfield 2 is the new Instrumental album by german's producer Shuko (Evidence, B-Real, Anderson Paak, Kanye West, Jedi Mind Tricks) and a mix from jazz, 90s hiphop and brasil bossa music from the 60s and 70s with a modern twist. Bouncy Jam's like Antidote meeting jazz laid back instrumentals like "beverly chills" and shows a whole bandwidth of Shuko's creative workflow while using beatmaschine's like the mpc 4000 and mpc live 2 to create those unique beats that give you an instant chill vibe feat. Ruck-P, Kid Tarô,The BREED, Anthony Drawn, FLKS, Keymer, BASTi and many more . Founded in 2017 and 5 years in business, For The Love Of It is happy to announce the release of the second volume after their work with legends like Lee Fields, B-Real, C.L. Smooth.

Remembrance follows a similar formula found on zake's previous effort, Geneva (released on Past Inside the Present, 2020). He produced eight short phonic motifs and then invited artists to collaborate, rework, and expand upon the source material resulting in a new, unique creation. The album consists of eight short vignettes by zake, six collaborative pieces, and eight completely reworked tracks. The track titles and overall theme of these works are based off the gorgeous poetic narrative "Remembrance" written Julia Frizzell.

A short four years after his last solo album "La nuit se lève", Al'Tarba returns in 2022 with a new offering, "La Fin des Contes" (The End of Tales). This album comes after a number of collaborative LPs: Rogue Monsters with Senbeï, two albums with the rapper Swift Guad and 'Le Cabinet des Curiosités Vol.I'. In this new album "La Fin des Contes" (The End of Tales), Al'Tarba offers us an immersive experience in a universe that is sometimes fairy tale-like, sometimes nightmarish. From the horrific bad dream to the luminous nursery rhyme, "La Fin des Contes" is already the consecration of one of his most accomplished projects.

With the release of this new opus, as well as a brand new live album in preparation, the year 2022 promises to be a theatrical one for Al'Tarba. If the previous solo opus offered us a hallucinated ballad in the underbelly of a city plagued by crime, "La Fin des Contes" plunges us into the imagination of a child who explores the magical and nightmarish limbo of tales. The artist thus draws on the ambiguities of these stories, which often leave a lifelong mark on our deepest subconscious. True to his characteristic eclecticism and in the manner of his key album "Lullabies for Insomniacs" (2011), Al'Tarba reveals himself once again through an album of flickering atmospheres - just as luminous and fantastic as dark and tortured.

During the 15 tracks of tis project, we come across soft Lo-fi lullabies, pure moments of abstract hip-hop sorcery, passing through a disarticulated Breakcore and crossing powerful trap and UK Drill sounds.

This eclectic mix produces an incredibly coherent whole, unfolding throughout the project like an initiatory journey. You are propelled into the middle of a tale for adults, in which the sonic spectres of another era cross paths with the golem of modern times, armed with big Bass 808s and gargantuan synthesizers.

Like characters inhabiting this contrasting universe, Al'Tarba has invited on the album several special guests that the listener will come across throughout the story: reggae singer Lyricson, rappers Mad Squablz and Dooz Kawa, flamenco singer Paloma Pradal, as well as Bianca Casady, half of the iconic group Cocorosie.

Al'Tarba also contributes to the narrative, on the punk ballad 'Little Girl' and on the intensive 'Festin' accompanied by his crew Droogz Brigade - arguably one of the most impressive tracks in their discography to date.

Completing the concept, we find three tales imagined by Al'Tarba and put into letters by Charlotte Vinsous and Stick, then told by the actor David Ayala, parentheses in this unusual and timeless sound journey.

Finnish composer, sonic explorer and sound designer Atte Elias Kantonen joins mappa with a suite of fascinating whisperings. Following releases on SUPERPANG, Active Listeners Club or Granny Records, ‘POP 6 SUSURRUS’ finds Kantonen exploring the extreme edges of various sound sources. By kneading, bending, stretching and squeezing slivers of audio, he uncovers their uncanny underbelly; ‘POP 6 SUSURRUS’ creaks, gurgles, hisses, susurrates, bubbles, boils, disintegrates, echoes, plunges… Throughout, however, it also maintains a feeling of softness and vulnerability; velvety melodic clouds hover above the alien landscape.

In creating ‘POP 6 SUSURRUS’, Kantonen was guided by the paradox of an anxious mind, and was “attempting to cartograph an in-between of order and confusion.” Hints of memories break into fragments of abstractions, clear thoughts are embellished, and listening feels like “trying to convey the nature of distilling meaning from muddled experiences.” Most of the time it feels like the music is on the verge of collapse – like a jenga tower after everyone’s had several turns – but in reality it’s all very beautifully balanced and masterfully assembled. Your ears will be pleased.

The renowned Best Available Technology drops a masterclass on Accidental Meetings, a 10 track album that showcases his full repertoire!

Kevin Palmer aka Best Available Technology has been making waves for the last decade, releasing on labels such as 12th Isle, Opal Tapes & Further Records. This album is some of his best work to date, his unique style and process glistening throughout. 

It's built upon raw live jams, layered tones, hazy drones & foggy pads. An introspective listen from start to close, it touches on avant-garde, dub-techno, experimental & ambient. The music speaks for itself on this one, enough words - just dig in. 


As for N2MU’s 7th reference Delayscape has drafted the most mature album of his career: 8 heterogeneous landscapes made of Electro, Synth and Acid to pay homage to the futuristic aesthetic of the scifi series of the 70’s.

People try to label our music but in the end it's difficult because we look at it from many different angles, we assemble ideas from different musical styles and we open ourselves to extreme levels of each concept, taking it outside the norm, only this way we manage not to be labelled in a specific style of music. We want to take you from starting point A to infinity.

Following the release of Collision and Coalescence, Slovakian label mappa commits to the duo Grykë Pyje, releasing their third LP "Squirlich Stroll". Maintaining the fabled tone of their debut on the label, Jani Hirvonen (Uton) and Johannes Schebler (Baldruin) dig deeper into the sonic vein of myth and fabric of yonder. The music in "Squirlich Stroll" unravels as a yarn brought back from a wild voyage.

On uncharted areas of medieval maps where potential dangers were thought to exist, the inscription "Here be dragons" was used to warn as much as to tempt explorers willing to cross limits. Myth awaited them as a blank page of dormant territory, yet also to be proved unlike and reinvented. In such pliable borders, wonder had the favorable conditions to blend experience and imagination, crafting creatures with an eye instead of a bellybutton, arms instead of ears and ears instead of fingers, hypnotizing spirals where a mouth should have been. These chimeras, though fictitious, allowed explorers to express their delusions along with their fears. "Here be dreams", we hear nightmares. Here be mushrooms the size of pyramids that sing lullabies for mountains. Here be talking roads that lead to volcanoes throats and spit you back to flight. Here be art of bending trees into braided bridges like in Meghalaya, and the time gap between seed and living ruins.

Let that be the compass, the astrolabe. Yet, the music in Squirlich Stroll comes with these journeys already embraced, unraveling as a story told by wanderers visiting town, nourishing fantasy. The sonic language and diction employed here are crystal clear. Sounds are sharp and pure. Growls, howls, shrieks, tingles, rattles, moans, excretions and even hymns sung by landscape and creatures alike do not run over each other. There is no chaos, but ambience, cohabitation. The duo masters dramaturgy, providing every voice with focused turns and character, guarding their parley with caution and care, convoking them mainly through soothing synth melodies that enable an analgesic, sedative mood. Clusters of sounds gathered are articulated through the album with the inherent luminosity and required stability to accomplish what peaks in, as the title of the final track reads, a new dawn.

Thanks to this mini-LP format, Interface Palm gets to showcase more of his talent. He explores a wide range of influences and offers an overview of his wide musical palette, from broken beat, to cosmic jazz, hip-hop and house music. A true milestone for Interface Palm, this “Curated Space” mini-LP is the perfect example of artists willing to set new standards by blurring the lines of musical styles.

Welcome to the Broken District !

The mix features an introduction by Wesley Joseph and exclusive tracks from friends and collaborators Skee Mask, Or:la, Gaunt, Avon Blume and Ehua as well as the playful and energetic new track from Vynehall himself 'Sugar Slip (The Lick)'.

Vynehall effortlessly traverses across genres from spoken word and ambient, to breakbeat, gqom and afro-house.

"The output of fabric's label holds a special place for me. During my teens into early twenties the musical landscape I was exposed to broadened, and my taste diversified greatly; going to shows, making music, and swapping new finds with friends. fabric had a huge part to play in shaping what I heard and was exposed to via their mix & compilation series. The first two I heard were Swayzak's 'fabric 11', and James Murphy & Pat Mahoney's 'FABRICLIVE 36'. Both these CDs helped open the door to a wider palette of sounds. Not only did I delve deeper into the compilations post & prior, but I learned about what I enjoyed when it comes to DJing - dynamics. That was the aim of my entry into the fabric discography. A dynamic mix with a cohesive sonic narrative running through it with the club in mind. I feel incredibly lucky to be putting forward my take on something that helped to shape how I approach what I do when I DJ."

Leon Vynehall will be taking over fabric for a personally curated night of live music and DJs on Friday 8th April 2022.

Amongst his many great achievements, Mani Festo once held the highly acclaimed position of being the only other artist on WNCL to actually reside in West Norwood. Before leaving, he at least gifted us with a most excellent EP to add to his already rock steady discography of battle weapons. Forget what you think you know about Mani Festo and prepare to disengage ...

Proudly presenting RIP Swirl’s first full length “Blurry”!
A selection of 15 tracks: heady, outsider music with a soft spot for pop culture.
Influenced by bands like My bloody Valentine, Dinosaur Jr. and Boards Of Canada as well as 90s Skateboard Video Soundtracks, RIP Swirl unfolds his very own notion of a soundtrack to a modern suburbia, at times harsh, melancholic, dreamy and never defined by genre…
Guest appearances feature Andreya Casablanca, Catnapp, Clayjay and YdeGirl.

Hive Mind Records are delighted to present Congo, the debut album from Brazilian guitarist and composer Rodrigo Tavares.

Maintaining a meditative mood across it's nine instrumental pieces, Congo blends composition and improvisation with subtly experimental yet sophisticated arrangements that evoke the mood and rhythms of classic Brazilian artists such as João Gilberto, Dorival Caymmi, Tom Jobim, Milton Nascimento and Caetano Veloso.

Rodrigo's work draws on elements of jazz, post rock, minimalist composition and disparate global sounds to create a deep listening experience that falls between genres and wilfully defies categorisation. Congo is a lush soundworld that rewards exploration and will appeal to fans of music as diverse as Joshua Abrams and Natural Information Society, Collocutor, BadBadNotGood, Slint or late Talk Talk, as much as it does to lovers of classic Brazilian music.

Hive Mind Records are proud to be releasing Congo on vinyl in gatefold sleeve designed by Brazilian graphic artist, Andrea Gomes, and featuring the original painting of celebrated Brazilian artist, Cristiano Lenhardt.

Tape

Quiet Rituals draws inspiration from the seemingly mundane tasks and habits in our daily lives which serve to keep us grounded in uncertain times.

Synthesizers, samplers, tape loops, and field recordings by Scott Campbell.
Recorded and mixed 2021 in New Orleans, LA.
Polaroid SX-70 photo by Scott Campbell.

Inflitrate's electro mission continues unabated with this new drop from Maltese producer Sound Synthesis. He's previously been spotted on Fundamental, Gated and Nebulae amongst others, and he's coming correct with four brand new cuts right here. This is classically executed electro with a warm middle that will appeal to fans of Radioactive Man's early material. "Hidden Realms" is a brooding yet cosy workout, while "I Guess You Know" heads into more sparkling, emotive territory, and "Sonically Entwined" lets in a little Kraftwerkian noir. "Electronic Feelings" is a more downcast track to close out the 12", but there's still plenty of punch in the broken beat powering the track.

Desiderii Marginis, Troum, Martin Bladh & Karolina Urbaniak and Anemone Tube, who have gathered to pay homage to the first four novels of British writer J.G. Ballard: »The Wind from Nowhere«, »The Drowned World«, »The Drought and The Crystal World«, which are often seen as disaster novels. Each of the four projects presents a very unique take on the chosen work, using the respective text as a starting point to offer sonic representations of and (further) perspectives on these books, using drones, field recordings, words and much more to create evocative and richly layered soundscapes.

Adorned by a painting of German artist Alex Tennigkeit depicting a sphinx-like hybrid creature, a phoenix rising from the ashes of our civilization, the double album also includes an in-depth essay by Michael Göttert (African Paper) on Ballard's works in which he argues that the novels can best be understood as texts of transformation, as well as texts by the sound artists.

The double album starts with Desiderii Marginis' track “The Wind From Nowhere”, on which field recordings and intense drones suck the listener into a stormy vortex. Troum interpret The Drowned World, and their two dynamic tracks illustrate both the changes happening to the (outer) landscape and the (inner) world of the protagonists. Martin Bladh & Karolina Urbaniak make use of sound and words on “The Poisoned Well”, their interpretation of The Drought, referring to Shakespeare, the Bible and scorched earth policy amongst other points of reference. The album closes with Anemone Tube's take on The Crystal World, using field recordings made in Japan’s Mount Fuji forest. “Sea Of Trees” aims to show a devolutionary process, in which man gains access to his actual spiritual home – a primordial wisdom, which lets him discover an internal non-dual space, allowing to ultimately becoming one with the earth as body-being consciousness – the ‘perfect dream’ landscape.

Repress

Ben Bondy blesses Special Guest DJ’s Experiences Ltd with a near-fathomless solo debut of sensual, low key electronics and intimate nocturnes following a pair of peaches from from Ulla and Folder. This one’s all fizzing warm and loved up, highly recommended listening if you’re into anything from Newworldaquarium/154 to Harold Budd.
Like his split with Exael for Huerco S.’ West Mineral, ’Sibling’ sees Bondy return to a seductively gauzy midground sound that over the course of 15 tracks lulls and lists with a minimalist patience, allowing forms to emerge and evaporate in constantly shifty transitions and weathered plays of light according to an immersive eco-logic. Those liminal traces of sound and influence are almost imperceptible, pulling you into a protective amniotic sound-world thats evocative and comforting.
The album actually started out as a single LP but the mood spilled over into something twice as long and deep with it, creating what he describes as “kinda two parts to one being. kinda like the way the bonds of friendship/siblinghood work”. This fraternal pathos percolates throughout the album, knitting together gently windswept permutations of thizzing pads and frayed rhythms under a smudged and slowly turning kaleidoscopic lens. It’s pretty much the definition of hypnagogic, likely to draw your eyelids to half-mast andyour mind to blissed-out dream states.

Collecting orders for Repress