Techno Vinyl New Releases - News

- Dieser magische Moment... Genau darum geht es.'
(Anthony Rother über Verbalizer)

Kein Platz für lähmende Gedanken. Stattdessen gibt es nur noch Musik. Der Körper gehorcht allein dem durch den Raum ulsierenden Bass. Das ist es, wovon Raver sprechen, wenn sie erklären, was ihnen synthetische Club-Musik bedeutet.
Und genau darum dreht sich auch Verbalizer, das nun erscheinende Album von Anthony Rother, auf seinem neuen Label Nextdata.

Der Club als abstrakter Raum. Es geht um das Loslassen. Menschen machen sich frei, begegnen einander
und die Musik wird zum gemeinsamen Taktgeber.

Irgendwann nennt Rother diesen Prozess - die Dramaturgie der Ekstase', kann sich dabei aber das Grinsen
nicht verkneifen. - Die Leute sollen mit Verbalizer einfach ihren Spaß haben. Ich stand im Club und fühlte
plötzlich den Sound für dieses Album.

Verbalizer treibt im Raum nach vorn, ohne ins Intellektuelle abzugleiten. Es ist die Geschichte, der Augenblick und das anbrechende Abenteuer einer tanzenden Gesellschaft, irgendwo auf dieser Welt.
- Ich war auf der Suche nach einem expandierenden Klang. Dabei war wichtig, wie ich diesen Sound den Synthesizern in meinem Studio entlocke, so dass dabei eine Kraft entsteht, die alles Weltliche und den Alltag beiseite zu drücken vermag', erklärt Rother den hedonistischen Ansatz von Verbalizer.

Club-Tracks wie diese kommen ihrem Wesen nach ohne erzählerische Inhalte aus. Dennoch sorgen sie
beim Hörer für das Durchleben - oder besser für das Durchtanzen - ihrer ganz eigenen Geschichte. - Einige meiner vorherigen Alben haben ein komplex durchdachtes Konzept. Verbalizer wechselt
dagegen vollkommen die Perspektive: Der Inhalt und was sich aus dem Album ergibt liegt im Körperlichen, dem unaussprechlichen.'
Um es also kurz zu machen: Verbalizer - um zu verstehen, sollte
man das Album feiern.

DeepChord and Echospace started off as barely more than a rumor supported mostly by the continous scarcity of their records. The duo comprised of Detroit's Rod Modell and Chicago's Steven Hitchell have spent nearly two decades producing low-key electronic music both bordering on the verge of myth. They're considered by many the most noted producers operating in the dub-infused aftermath of the Basic Channel axis and all its myriad offshoots. Their landmark album, "The Coldest Season" on the celebrated Modern Love imprint was named album of the year in over 40 different magazines around the world and was listed as one of "The Best Albums Of The Decade" in Resident Advisor. The Detroit duo also record under a a variety of monikers (cv313, deepchord, intrusion, phase90, variant, etc.) and have continued to carve out an evocative, immersive sound born out of a love and passion for analog circuitry, sound design, field recordings and non-conventional methods of recording. But it's also work that's quintessentially building upon the Detroit electronic scene where it was born, and that divine marriage of roots and vision make the work at once so highly considered, so pertinent and so timeless. This marks the first Echospace (Rod Modell & Stephen Hitchell) project since 2012's, "Silent World" album release. On this new project, a collaboration with one of their closest friends and mentor, the late Michael Mantra, who's contribution to society cannot be overstated. Michael's theories on 'Brain Hemisphere Harmonic Healing' were instrumental in the development of vibrational and sonic therapy. His experiments in the neural affects of sound paved the way for for what has now become healing music. In his honor, we're moving forward with a project we started some years ago and has finally come to form. Echospace plays Michael Mantra, "Sea Shell City" is a 70 minute voyage into the furthest depths of the mind, featuring three tracks of ambient drone-based sonic worlds. Where gentle waves of organic harmonics induce an almost meditative state of being. On this album sounds were sculpted with the use of hydrophones, piezoelectric transducers, wind harps, and binaural dummy-head microphones creating snapshots of normally unheard sonic worlds. Analogue oceans in slow motion, allowing one's mind to float into those mystical quiet zones, the brain hemisphere-sync effect Michael Mantra fostered for nearly three decades is ever present. We're continuously reflecting on the teachings of Michael and in his honor, preserving the essence of sound and vibrational healing through music for immersive journeys into the vast beauty of atmosphere, the mind, nature and the inner self.

Sequential Sleep is an ambient two-part CD release made for dreaming, a sonic travelogue set in multiple locations within a winter forest. Everything in its natural environment is magnified with a 7:1 field recorder that captures the purest form of nature. Utilizing newly developed forms of fm, granular and modular synthesis allowed this project to unravel in ways we never expected; like a visitor on foreign lands. Harmonic angelic sequences continuously ebb and flow, slowly moving, like the tides meet an estuary. Slowly evolving electric currents fluctuate in their purest essence possessing the closest reach towards a pure analog sound experience. The interchange and combination of field recordings and spectrum of sounds via various 16-step sequences become alive, taking on an organic yet expansive, and three-dimensional sound design which is out of this world. In the space-time continuum, every sound travels back down to earth within the spatial expanse, where recordings take on their own natural life in paradisiac existence.

Based on the Sufi teachings of sound—appreggiation and vibration, this music's vibrational pull of oscillating frequencies are founded on chord repetition, so too like chants that heal and allow the mind to reach meditative states. These immersive zones are the platform for a pure, rejuvenating, aqueous trance-like experience of endless possibilities. Freely flowing and comforted, just as a mother's womb, the unconscious mind embraces all. These are songs that warmly envelope, soothe and heal the soul. Nearly 2.5 hours, both sonic journeys are adaptations of the other and the essence of the vision. And, its sequences are steps into a dream, the steps into enchantment.

Behind and beyond these recordings therein lies the inspiration of its mysticism:
When we pay attention to nature's music we find that every thing on the earth contributes to its harmony. The trees joyously wave their branches in rhythm with the wind; the sound of the sea, the murmuring of the breeze, the whistling of the wind through rocks, hills and mountains; the flash of the lightning, and the crash of the thunder, the harmony of the sun and moon, the movements of the stars and planets, the blooming of the flower, the fading of the leaf, the regular alternation of morning, evening, noon, and night, all reveal to the seer the music of nature.' - The Mysticism of Sound and Music
The opium of openness by which all that dream, in wakefulness, or in sleep become one in the same dream...

repressed !

..worth it's wait.

Dutch label Field is ready to complete its recent trilogy of album projects. Following double albums by L'estasi Dell'oro and D.A.R.F.D.H.S., now comes The Information Is Coming From The Server, a debut album from Kartei, aka Crysta Patterson and Voiski. Kartei have hooked up only once before, putting out a well received 12" on Wille Burns' W.T. Records back in 2011. That was Patterson's only project to date, but Voiski has been active for years, working under a number of aliases and releasing on labels like Field, L.I.E.S. and Syncrophone. The duo started their cyber technopop act in 2007, performing contextual actions on more alternative scenes. Their working ethos is based on collecting data from the internet to create new material. Data and songs are preserved into their server systematically. The album they serve up here is a condensed compilation of their archive, which can be described as clean and melodic, subtly uplifting and calls on classic techno as well as plenty of futuristic ideals. Grooves are quick and slick, synths are well crafted and emotive and everything is underpinned by a motor kick that powers the album along. Tracks like the bubbly 'Sunset' make for moments of calmer reflection between more trip out kickers like 'Kartei gets Fat'. New wave vocals and sombre chords, bleepy melodies and celestial pads also feature throughout this album, and all in all adds up to a terrifically journeying album of fresh electronic sounds.

At Barba we are old wise men, not so easily excited. But nothing gets our old fisherman joints up and moving like three tracks of pure strong machine groove. In part 2 of the Laffer EP Marco Bernardi is going head down, straight ahead and striving for energy. Attack of the Dessert Stormers is an overload of dark electro power, six minutes of squirming bassline-driven movement with surges of intensity from analogue bleeps and subtle drum pattern shifts. There's no let up on the flip side where Two Sliders brings equal force but in a more techno style. Right from the start you'll be grabbed by the bassline, but this one rewards extended listening as the track develops progressively with new melodies and metallic touches taking you deeper and deeper. There's a moment of sweetness to end our journey with ''There's always tomorrow'', a chiming melodic ramble through tinfoil meadows that will fit beautifully into a warmup set. Please don't sleep on this record - it's not often you see so much power and so much subtlety in the same package!

Collaboration vinyl only release between Skudge Records and Kontra-Musik..... BIG BIG TIP!
It came to us some time ago that what Kontra-Musik and Skudge stood for had a lot in common, which is the reason for this SKUM entry. Uniting to showcase the Swedish techno underground is an act of faith in these times of extreme self focus. We want to tell the world that we believe not only in ourselves but also in this new wave of local artists, a pledge for the future. In the immemorial words of ABBA, when all is said and done, you still get epic throbbing stabby techno from Skudge, deep hectic madness from MRSK, classy lush slow mo acid from TM404 and cavernous acid house from the Frak camp, a testimony to the scene we so believe in!

A distant shadow of a woman with jet black stringy hair glistened through the nearby shrubbery. Was it her, or was I again lost in my own dementia How in the living world could this be I sipped on my medicine and fell into a deep sleep. I awoke days later to see her sooty eyeballs rolling over my entire body. Her Black Wings seemed to stretch over a mile wide. They ever so subtly fluttered from the slow wind that was creeping in from the north. I startled when I realized what was happening and sprung up from my chemically induced coma. I grabbed her by the neck as tight as I could, only to realize that I was holding a black birds tail feather in my hand.

1x each customer!

new three track ep by Los Angeles producer Silent Servant. These will fly ...TIP!

Known for his previous work with techno outfit Sandwell District, Juan Mendez, since the dissolve of the group has tapped into his formative new wave/post punk and early electronic influences effectively applying them to his recent productions to create an engaging amalgamation of modern dance music. Across this ep the sounds of Bleep, EBM, and even Minimal Synth are all present...from deep floor movers to jagged edged 150 bpm skankers, Mendez through these last years has been responsible for opening up minds on the floor and this ep proves to be a testament of such.

I:Cube delivers 5 pieces of music to suit different moods and activities quite different from his usual style with an emphasis on contemplative and haunting dense soundscapes.
Please take some time to listen, and enjoy the experience. Try this in the dark

The 'Taste the Difference EP' from the excellent Slidebar Records dishes up something unique where modern Techno is concerned. Axel Sohns the label founder expressed how he wants to mix up the old and new styles of Techno and give people back a sound that quite simply makes you not only want to dance and leaves you thinking 'how the fuck did they make that sound'

Dibu-Z - Pyroclastic Flow
The E.P. serves up the perfect starter. Dibu-Z's pulsing electro bass breaks into a chunky concoction of electronic murmurings and gets the EP off to a perfect start. There is never a dull moment every sound is well thought out and unique. This tune alone is worth the money for this EP. It will fill a dance floor in seconds and if it doesn't your playing at the wrong party.

TSR - Matlagningsmusik
Main course. Yet again TSR bring something deliciously funky to the table. The Deep groove is controlled until the lead synth decides to, quite simply, get up and leave and then all manner of madness prevails. At times this track leaves you thinking 'that's genius' but then what else did you expect from TSR.

Thomas Schneider - Schwarze Flut
This is dark and deep like a vintage port. The bass pulses menacingly throughout the track whilst the vocals twist and wind their way through the darkness. Turn the lights down or off and let the walls shake.

Oliver Rosemann - Murky Beer Can
For desert Oliver goes full fat with this sugar coated groove that mixes old and new styles beautifully. The groove struggles to break free but is kept in check whilst the beat pounds on but every now again the lead comes out to play. This is a perfect example of how Techno should sound.

Scott Robinson - Explain
Scott serves the bitter and black 'wake-me-up. The chopped up bass line propels the listener through a maze of industrial and mechanical bangs and clangs; if robots could party they would probably bang this track on.

To sum up, if you are sick of 'Template Techno' then this EP is for you as it breaks the formulaic mould of so much modern electronic music. You can certainly Taste the difference after this Techno Feast... simply perfect to keep you up on those hot summer nights.

After killer releases on the great L.I.E.S. and Crème Organization
labels, Willie Burns drops a typically varied EP for The Trilogy
Tapes.

Slidebar arrives at number 9 and brings out rocking tunes from the
famous
Switzerland-Crew. This time they have a special guest. Michael Forshaw
the UK legend from Blackpool and owner of Chan'n'Mikes.

The opening track 'Where It Is' from Smees starts with punchy beats and
wobbling basslines which smash you into the ground. For 'Donkey'
Michael Forshaw takes you back to the old acid days. Stomping kick
meets 303 creaking with the extra Forshaw touch.
The B Side starts with Rock-Tron from Fugo. Heavy electro breaks
combined with distortion bleebs is his philosophy for the prime time.
Next Artist is Nino Fight with his Flying Flower. Pure analog sound
with a unique groove is his secret weapon for the dance floor. Ki-Yota
rounds off the EP with Bad Equation. Linear UK Techno with heavy
synth-sounds.

Dublin's Colin Cloughley lands on Analogical Force for the 3rd drop. Anodyne needs no further introduction, the Skam fiends among you may remember his name since the 'Save A Prayer' remix on Mask 500 some years ago or listening to Rob Hall playin' his tunes systematically. Besides Skam Colin has released a slew of records on Combat Recordings, Yellow Machines or Acroplane and some of his tracks have been remixed by his personal heroes such as Autechre, Plaid, The Black Dog or Funckarma among others. We're very pleased to bring you the new stuff. "Nothing Lasts EP" deals 3 tracks of abstract electro/IDM, hearkening you back to classics from Gescom and early Ae. Solid breaks and sky-scanning esoteric synthlines sure to elicit a shiver of melancholy and emotive nostalgia. Anodyne put a lot of thought and attention-to-detail in his music and draw on influences outside of the standard Detroit/Kraftwerk axis in order to make their music distinctive from others, check it out. Closing the EP, probably one the most exciting dancefloor weapon left on the Skam books, Manchester's Mr76ix, relaxes tension turning 'Reflections of a Broken Soul' into a deep acid mutation, sprinkling sweet playful melodies in a shiny Windowlicker-styled 4/4 feel. Hand-numbered and limited to 300 copies as usual. Don't sleep.

Hamburg artist SPR made a most intriguing debut earlier this year, inaugurating the V I S label from Pudel's Nina and Tobias Duffner with the abstract and affecting EP 1. SPR now resurfaces on JSME, a fresh new concern from Berlin-based artist Saele Valese, delivering a quite intoxicating three track foray into immersive sound design with the enigmatic title Her Eyes Are An Abyss. Lead track "Untitled Ritual" sets the tone, a faint beat taking on the appearance of irregular and distant footsteps amidst some unnerving ambience, whilst "The Purest Ore Is Produced From The Hottest Furnace" is reminiscent of the recent, under-rated Sa Pa album on Forum. The title tracks hogs the B side and is quite beautiful.

Following the launch of his limited multi edition FORMAT project in February, Trevor Jackson releases a collected triple LP edition via The Vinyl Factory on the 18 May featuring 13 tracks including an exclusive bonus cut not available on any of the initial releases.

FORMAT is the first album from Trevor Jackson since his acclaimed Playgroup album back in 2001. His Output Recordings label (1996-2006) introduced the world to the likes of Four Tet & LCD Soundsystem, His recent Metal Dance compilations reinvigorated interest in early industrial and experimental electronic dance music that's clearly had a powerful influence on much of today's leftfield club music.

FORMAT's initial limited edition release in February consisted of 12 separate physical releases each featuring a different track, available on 12', 10' & 7' vinyl cd, mini CD, cassette, USB, VHS, minidisc, DAT, 8 track + Reel to Reel this was no ordinary release - it charted the legacy of the physical music format, in a characteristically beautiful and uncompromising way. An accompanying installation at The Vinyl Factory space at Brewer Street Car Park in London offered people the opportunity to listen to the album as a unique audio-visual experience.

Curated from an archive of over 150 tracks Trevor had built up over the past 2 decades, the inspiration for Jackson's music, has come from 'the times and places where genres weren't quite formed.' While his synth and beatbox workouts might touch on proto-house, on new wave, on Italo and techno, on ambient and psychedelia, they are at the same time none of these things.

Elegies-in-waiting to the monotonous dread of exploitative labour, dosed with elliptical distortion, industrial noise and ear-crushing bass. in the lineage of Pan Sonic, Sun O))), and the more gruelling Scott Walker productions. Vex'd veteran Roly Porter drops by with a sci-fi reinvention of Council Flat, trading in IF's mogadon footwork and megaton polyrhythms for a less apocalyptic, more introspective blend of modern classical, dark ambient and dirty stinking breakbeat.

First outing for newly minted Glasgow-based label Work For Love. The inaugural strike comes from none other than Timothy J Fairplay, the synthesizer warlock known for his involvement in 'The Axis', a loose unit comprising of mutual interests revolving around the studio complex Timothy shares with Andrew Weatherall and his own partner in Crimes of The Future Scott Fraser.

'No News From New York' is Timothy's most engaging, dynamic and emotional work to date. Building on his previous works for esteemed labels such as Emotional Response, World Unknown, Astro Lab and Weatherall's Bird Scarer, here Tim lays open his dynamic and eclectic range of influences ranging from simple but deadly effective soundtracks of John Carpenter, the warped occult Techno of Legowelt and straight down to the subversive electronic riffs of 80's synth-pop. All of course put through the inimitable Tim Fairplay filter, which makes for a unique and diverse listening experience that works just as well in the domestic environ as does on the dancefloor.

already getting plenty of slams by the UK crew...

St. Julien brings the heat.

Michael Ferragosto is back on Italy's own Dog in the Night label with four new twisted psychedelic house cuts. As usual we hear the artist taking the traditional blueprints of Chicago House and putting his own signature chops to it resulting in a bizzare mix up of jacking madness that will get the floor going wild. Amazing stuff that is not to be missed

Hotflush Recordings is delighted to announce the arrival of a second full length from Sepalcure, the American duo made up of Travis Machinedrum' Stewart and Praveen Braille' Sharma. Arriving four and a half years since their acclaimed debut, 11 track album Folding Time is a singular and tender statement that lands in May 2016.

This special coming together of distinctive musical minds produced a much-loved, self-titled debut LP in 2011, plus six EPs between 2010 and 2013, all of which suggested a penchant for broken beats and bright melodics. Both have since furthered their accomplished solo careers - Braille released his debut solo album Mute Swan, while Machinedrum's experimental exploration of Vapor City landed on Ninja Tune - that have kept them busy in the studio as well as on the road. As such, and owing to their insistence that any production work had to be done in person "since that results in a certain sound and experience you just can't recreate remotely', the new record took some time to come together.

The album, written over many bottles of whiskey, is made up of brand new music, but also tracks that have been worked on, forgotten, then revived over many years. Its title comes from the fact that, it felt like we were connecting the present with the past.

Going through each session was like digging through old memories.' Stylistically, of course, this pair have very different musical DNAs, but that means studio work cooks up many surprises along they way and results in an album that is awash with everything from field recordings to guitars and electric piano. It is a mix of playing and programming, has many multilayered tracks full of intimate and personal easter eggs and is, essentially, two homies hanging out and having fun, a meeting of our minds.'

Right from the distant vocal mutters and blissful guitar licks of opener 'Fight For Us' featuring Rochelle Jordan there is an seductive r&b sensibility to proceedings. Tumbling drums and pained vocals have you in a love locked free-fall before 'Not Gonna Make It' gets to the point with Sepulcure's trademark stuttering drums and fractured vox. 'Devil Inside,' featuring the pair's long time friend and collaborator Angelica Bess, is future pop from a perfect world, 'No Honey' strips things back to a harmonic headspace of bumpy rubber kicks and percolating jungle percussion, then 'Been So True' shows a playful side, lovable sense of sampling and broken reggae rhythm. The second half of the album explores direct dance floor grooves on 'Hearts in Danger', snaking synths and reverb rich beats on 'Loosen Up' and deeper, more introspective moments on tracks like 'Dub Of' and 'Brother Forest' before closing down with a brace of blissfully melodic and dreamy excursions to a beach during sun down.

With plenty of well-paced peaks and troughs along the way, as well as a underlying sense of humour and a very real human warmth, this is an album that works on both head and heel in equal measure.

Shit Robot wartet auf seinem dritten Longplayer mit illustren Gästen wir Alexis Taylor und Nancy Whang auf! Markus Lambkin aka Shit Robot präsentiert mit "What Follows" sein neues Album, das am 06.05.2016 via DFA erscheinen wird. Die Anfänge des neuen Werks finden sich einmal mehr in Stuttgart, wo Lambkin lebt. Zusammen mit DFA-Kollege Juan Maclean wurde das Material dann in New Hampshire gemixt. Generell wurde das Album durch viele neue technische Einflüsse und Experimente geprägt, neben Hot Chips' Alexis Taylor befinden sich auch Kollaborationen mit Nancy Whang, Museum Of Love, New Jackson und Jay Green auf "What Follows".

ltd yellow vinyl !!! the highlight of TIGA's set the last months !!

a fantastic electro eapon on the turbo label !!!

already support by zombie nation, style of eye, cari lekebusch, mateo murphy, ...

Hot on the heels of Moscoman's DARK HORSE EP, I'm A Cliché's latest release features Indonesia's best kept secret, the talented JONATHAN KUSUMA on the GONG 3000 EP where tracks ranging from the heavenly to the downright gritty showcase the full range of the producers' abilities. 
THE GRAND SEARCH
An endless vertical ascension fuelled by an exhilarating groove and sounds both precious and grandiose from piano stabs to dreamy synths. As majestic as it is ecstatic, THE GRAND SEARCH is about taking the dancefloor all the way up to the heavens.

GONG 3000
Built around the massive sound of a synthetic gong, KUSUMA dramatically changes moods on this track. With a grumbling bassline, ricochet drums and an irresistible syncopated cowbell, there is a dark, frenzied and utterly danceable quality to GONG 3000. If there is such a thing as East Asian EBM, this track is totally canonical.

STREET SIREN
A devastating peak time weapon where KUSUMA uses siren sounds, a ruthless rhythm section, intoxicating synths, samples and effects to create a colossal track. Rife with moments of tense build-up and climatic release this is a track that is guaranteed to shatter dancefloors. Urban grit has never sounded so classy.

STREET SIREN (KARAMIKA REMIX)
Karamika is a duo formed by Black Merlin aka George Thompson and Gordon Pohl from Music Cargo. They take the darkest elements from the original track and transform it into a broodin track with a definite industrial feel which will boggle minds, melt faces and last but not least set bodies in motion.

Already championed by Martyn & Untold - who put out Nautiluss' collaboration with Skywave on his Hemlock imprint - and fresh off an excellent remix for ZZT, he's probably the closest any new Canadian artist comes to fitting into the new UK bass scene

now repressed !!! the next supermassive turbo bomb !!! a mixture between breaky prodigy sound and electro techno !! a bomb !!!!

Limited Edition of 500 copies. Mastered at Metropolis

Having already released on MOS Recordings' sub label MOS Deep before now, Stephen Lopkin is now back with a second four track effort, due for release in April. The Scottish artist has been making prickly house and techno for almost a decade now, and on the four cuts here he once again showcases a serene and slick style.
Opener 'Och Aye' is Detroit styled cut with rich synths dancing about above rubber drums. It makes for a shiny, electrified atmosphere that is clean and sleek and emotive. 'Weegie in Wigan' is a much more peak time cut of cackling percussion, sombre chords dampening down raw drums and a wild FM baseline that adds an old school feel. On the flip, 'Ball & Chain' is another busy house effort that has hi hats spinning like plates, thudding kicks and whole eco systems of synths darting about while 'Meall' ends the EP on a masterfully melodic and heavenly groove that journeys through the starry night sky, wired up with electronics and stuffed with machine made soul.

Veteran Lyonnais Dj/producer Umwelt unleashes 4 new swaggering slabs of Electro.

Danish NORD Records are ready with their eighth record. This time NORD007 is made by Central. The EP contains four hard-hitting techno tracks straight outta Aarhus, Denmark.

The UK's newly inaugurated Future Primitive label holds a candle to its name by unearthing two Leo Anibaldi productions from deep within the Roman's voluminous back catalogue. The two-track 12" debut sees Anibaldi provide the label with a contemporary 'Stretched Edit' of 1994 production "Fusion 1", a cut lifted from the Aeon EP originally released on the now defunct Italian label, ACV. Future Primitive has also given ambient number "Evocation Part II" a full remaster and B-side privileges, honouring an esoteric production from Anibaldi's Void LP that was originally released on Aphex Twin's Rephlex label in 1996.

NHK appear on LIES with a deadly white....

Zipper is Zemi17's second release on The Bunker New York, and sees him expanding his musical palette considerably, in which his gamelan-derived sound design pushes further out towards the expanses of techno's realm.
Zipper is the product of years of work. "The tracks on this record began as field recordings taken from Indonesia — insect sounds, gamelan, found sounds," says Kuffner. "Each of these tracks comes from a different stage of my music-writing process over the years. I eventually developed a kind of 'sketch and improv' technique, re-arranging groupings and arrangements of a series of elements. Zipper reflects a culmination of this technique, and in my opinion, it's representative of some of my best work."