quête:moti special

It's a pleasure to get behind your friends from around world, in fact that's the motive behind the breadth of the ESP Institute catalogue, but its truly a special feeling to represent your friends and your neighborhood at the same time. Producers Sonns (Alexandre Mouracade) and the mysterious Venice Beach native Tavish Graham are both long time friends of the ESP Institute family, we break bread, we take care of each other, and we cherish our collaborations more than anything, but we're also neighbors. That said, ESP is proud to announce a homegrown endeavor, the debut of Sonns & Tavish. The two have long been stewards of the Los Angeles underground, but after loads of early morning banter and the camaraderie that comes with this smoke'n'strobe life, they've now committed their singular vision to print—two epic cuts that make us proud. Side A's title track Trycksaker is a thumper, a mid-tempo big-drum-laden beast that chugs the whole way through carrying an array of eerie bleeps and fleeting sighs. Side B's Roguish Days pulls together influences from various corners of the pair's DJ repertoire, gelling a wicked breakbeat with a wormy acid bassline and even more exotic sighs, something that might possibly grow into a signature of sorts. This release is ready just in time for the Spring/Summer exploits, and we couldn't be more proud to finally enjoy hearing these heavy-hitters in the club. Tip!

Running Back welcomes Andreas Grosser for the start of it's non-dancefloor series 'Running Back Incantations'. Think Tornado Wallace's 'Lonely Planet' or Suzanne Kraft's 'Missum' who both would have been good and early contenders for a series like that, and you are half way there. Andres Grosser though, was 'there' and that way before. Probably best-known for his 1987 collaboration 'Babel' with Klaus Schulze, Grosser is a bit of a dark horse in the universe whose big bang was krautrock and that went on to be called cosmic, space music or simply new age.

A native East-Berliner, Grosser crossed the Wall in 1981 and next to studying piano, his day job was to advise, sell, maintain and invent electronic music instruments. Naturally, Grosser had a good connection to and support from local Berlin musicians and groups, while working at night in his own studio and in those of others. Fast forward 37 years and Andreas is now one the worlds leading microphone technicians specialising in German and Austrian vintage types.

'Venite Visum' is an anthology of recordings made between 1976 and1980. Released in 1981 on UK's York House Recordings as a cassette tape only, it features some of the most out there, hypnotic and still state-of-the art space music ever to be known to man. For the first time transferred onto vinyl, compact disc and available as a digital download, it was perhaps best described by one reviewer at the time as; "powerfully relentless, repetitive themes which are constantly embellished and subjected to variations in tone colour and instrumentations. The music surges, coming in waves that approach and recede, but with each surge the waves seem to be higher up the shore.'

Now carefully transferred from an archived tape, remastered and compiled on a double album for the first time, it features the previously unreleased and not less mesmerizing 'The Quantum Leap'. Come and visit the hidden and almost forgotten

A great strong man with a brush in his hand once said: everything you can imagine is real and art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life. So is making music just another form of keeping a diary In terms of Ana Helder, the Argentinian girl with the special twist, the answer is: maybe. More than two years after her last release on Cómeme she is back with a hand full of tracks. Five to be precise. She got more, but this is what the Müstique's received. They are mean, dirty, harmful, amorevolous, seductive and addictive. Surrender tunes from a producer and DJ that does not think in boxes. Her three Eps 'El Groove De Tu Corazón', 'Fiebre De Marte' and 'Beating PC' mark some warped grooving heights in the edgy catalogue of Matias Aguayo's label Cómeme. Also on the French label Astro Lab she already dropped the 12inch 'Soy Canalla' with a playful psyche tune, that additionally got remixed by folks like Les Disques De La Mort seducer Ivan Smagghe or the mysterious West-German ghost-(w)rid(t)er Frank West. Furthermore, she re-tuned tunes from Chilean friends like Alejandro Paz or Mamacita and sang on songs of colleagues. For Müstique she now looked into her always-growing production crate and found some post-punk waving funk odes, which want more than just to dance this mess around. They bring soulful LSD-melodies for Jazz lovers with techno legs that like to get high on Liquid Liquid. They are electronic but yet so organic. And they move deeply while spreading the feel of a meditative rest. When Diagnose heard them first, he came to the idea of writing a script for a flick that tells the story of a music-making machine, which has more to offer than answers. It forms sound with no traces of reality, but is so human that humans fear it. Why did he think that way Only because of what Ana Helder recently got to say Well, let the music play...

Next up on Francis Harris's newly-founded record label Kingdoms comes something very special from Brooklyn-based film composer, songwriter, producer and performer Léah Lazonick. Movimenti della Luna D'Oro ('Movements of the Moon of Gold' translated from Italian) is a four-track EP from one of the most exciting musicians and performers around - a beautiful quartet of contemporary classical music with a twist. Lazonick is something of a polymath, having composed and conducted orchestral and electronic scores for short films and commercials as well as being a classically-trained pianist. Lazonick is also a connoisseur of analog synths and vintage drum machines, and will release a second EP focussing on these passions during the course of 2018. Here we are treated to three luscious works for piano and string quartet, written for a one-off performance at Studio OFF Interarts, an art gallery in Montreal. The piece was performed in a forest-like immersive environment, and was originally called In a Forest (A Piece in Three Movements). Lazonick performed the piano parts along with a string quartet she had assembled for the performance/recording. Lazonick explains: 'As opposed to most of the other songs/compositions I have written, I have no concrete sentimental story behind writing this piece. The motivation, inspiration and overall idea behind composing it was of a more technical nature; attempting to relay the music in my head at its purest form, without any compromises, by primarily making use of melodic and harmonic dissonances whilst still keeping the content captivating, musical and continuous.

Ilija Rudman presents Andre Espeut 'Tears To Sound'
featuring Ron Trent Mix
Over the last decade and a half, Ilija Rudman has been responsible for many high quality releases, delivering distinctly warm, sun-kissed, analogue-rich material on labels including Bearfunk, Instruments Of Rapture, Compost , 20/20 Vision, Electric Minds, Is It Balearic Recordings, Rong Music , Classic Music Company and of course, his own Red Music imprint.
Even so, the Croatian has rarely made anything quite as deep and sensual as the material showcased on this first full EP for NuNorthern Soul. Top billing must go to the "Aquapella" version of "Tears To Sound", a spellbinding acapella cut that puts the enchanting vocals of storied soul man Andre Espeut front and centre.When Rudman sent the track to old friend Phil Cooper, the NuNorthern Soul boss thought it sounded like something he'd hear from US deep house legend Ron Trent. So, he approached the Prescription co-founder to see if he fancied remixing it. As you might expect, the results are astonishingly good.
Rich in rising and falling new age melodies, darting synthesizer motifs, languid piano flourishes and heavy analogue bass, Trent's wonderfully ultra-deep interpretation naturally gives pride of place to Espeut's seductive vocal. Even by the Chicagoan's infamously high standards, his epic Vocal Mix is incredibly special.
All versions of the single also feature two other original Rudman productions, both of which are wonderfully deep and dreamy. "Distant Feelings" is fluid, deep and yearning, with twinkling electric piano motifs and dreamy chords reclining over sizzling drum machine cymbals, no-nonsense beats and a gently pulsing analogue bassline. Those who enjoy the Balearic side of Rudman's work should also check out "Deep Sensation", a jazzy and breezy fusion of tumbling, vibraphone style melodies, rolling electric piano riffs and rubbery boogie bass. Both tracks are every bit as magical in their own way as the producer's thrilling Andre Espeut collaboration.

A great strong man with a brush in his hand once said: everything you can imagine is real and art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life. So is making music just another form of keeping a diary In terms of Ana Helder, the Argentinian girl with the special twist, the answer is: maybe. More than two years after her last release on Co´meme she is back with a hand full of tracks. Five to be precise. She got more, but this is what the Mu¨stique's received. They are mean, dirty, harmful, amorevolous, seductive and addictive. Surrender tunes from a producer and DJ that does not think in boxes. Her three Eps El Groove De Tu Corazo´n', Fiebre De Marte' and Beating PC' mark some warped grooving heights in the edgy catalogue of Matias Aguayo's label Co´meme. Also on the French label Astro Lab she already dropped the 12inch Soy Canalla' with a playful psyche tune, that additionally got remixed by folks like Les Disques De La Mort seducer Ivan Smagghe or the mysterious West-German ghost-(w)rid(t)er Frank West. Furthermore, she re-tuned tunes from Chilean friends like Alejandro Paz or Mama- cita and sang on songs of colleagues. For Mu¨stique she now looked into her always-growing production crate and found some post-punk waving funk odes, which want more than just to dance this mess around. They bring soulful LSD-melodies for Jazz lovers with techno legs that like to get high on Liquid Liquid. They are electronic but yet so organic. And they move deeply while spreading the feel of a meditative rest. When Diagnose heard them first, he came to the idea of writing a script for a flick that tells the story of a music-making machine, which has more to offer than answers. It forms sound with no traces of reality, but is so human that humans fear it. Why did he think that way Only because of what Ana Helder recently got to say Well, let the music play...

The return of Timothy J Fairplay sees tracks from his 2 EPs on Emotional Response remixed on one special release. Four favourite producers chosen to bring new dimensions to his brooding, shuffling electronics, featuring Scientific Dreamz Of U, Alessandro Parisi, Perseus Trax and Antenna.Part of the label since inception, the last five years have seen TJF's career explode with releases on Bird Scarer, Charlois and Hoga Nord, setting up the Crimes Of The Future label with Scott Fraser and releasing an album alongside Andrew Weatherall as The Asphodells. His EPs for Emotional Response saw some of his strongest, deep and dubbed out productions that marked their own terrain and these reworks have been a long term project. Starting with a trance inducing breaks-dub of Stories of Prison from Scientic Dreamz Of U and you understand why this mysterious producer has become a cult in his own dreamtime, as subs bump this vortexed revision to its own portal.
Next Alessandro Parisi implants his cyber-electro-harmonies to Aim For The Yellow Sector. Fairplay's late night drive-by is respectfully given a future-retro mix, gliding away from East London's dank streets to mysterious plains and beyond. Things take an analogue twist for the flip with Perseus Traxx showing his love for Chi town on his remix of Saco Bay. A bumpin' bass sets the motion, mixing the swirling original to basement vibes x 10. Win win win.
Kindred spirit and fellow Pinkman/Charlois member Antenna closes the EP with a deep retake of Night Ferry. After causing a stir with the killer Odessa EP and subsequent releases on Royal Oak and Beats In Space, a remix was a given. A mellow groove and optimistic keys is the perfect way to end this chapter of Timothy's music and await for new adventures.

With the label's 10th anniversary celebrations now done and dusted, Claremont 56 returns to action with something rather special: a magical debut single from a previously unknown talent.
There's not much we can tell you about Ferdi Schuster, other than that he is a talented young producer from Augsburg in Germany. As Claremont 56 is one of his favourite labels, he speculatively submitted some tracks for consideration. Label founder Paul Murphy was astonished by what he heard and believes the two tracks showcased on this 12' are amongst the best things the label has released for some time.
A-side 'Little River' is breathtakingly good. Opening with the sound o a babbling brook, it sees Schuster wrap plucked, sun-kissed acoustic guitar licks and jaunty vintage synthesizer motifs around a languid, samba-infuenced groove. As the track progresses, further magical musical elements come to the fore, including blissful electric piano solos and more mazy synthesizer solos, seemingly played on battere old equipment from the turn of the '80s. Schuster's love of the acoustic guitar is explored further on similarly impressive B-side 'Befreit'. Here, gently strummed chords and fuid Spanish guitar motifs catch the ear, as hushed cymbals and gentle hand percussion lap at your feet like the sea at sunrise. The German producer adds atmosphere through a combination of leisurely Hammond organ solos and a touch of Jew's Harp. When all of these immaculate elements combine, the results are little less than spellbinding.
Schuster may be taking his frst steps into releasing music, but his
compositional, playing and production skills are already fnely tuned. We can surely expect to hear more inspired music from him in the years to come.

Raw minimal techno specialist Mono Junk is back with a selection of new material on his own DUM Records. Having pioneered key techno sounds as far back as 1990, more than 20 years later the influential Finnish artist is still on top of his game.
Up first is Halo, nine minutes of edgy techno with a nervy lead synth snaking around in paranoid fashion. Rolling drums set a direct groove in motion below and the whole thing will be brilliantly hypnotic on the dance floor. Halo 2 is a hallucinogenic bit of ambient with celestial drones and icy synth prickles making for a tense interlude, then Musta Peili is all fucked up and scuzzy, study and disrupted. Sounding like a slowed-down techno track heard though a freezing snow blizzard, it is masterfully textured. Farewell closes out the EP with an intergalactic bit of glassy melodic techno that will have you up on your toes.

Series-A was the duo of Sam Anderson aka DJ Maestro and Dave Webb aka Kid Fresh. Sam and Dave both grew up listening to the sounds of the Electrifying Mojo on WJLB in Detroit. They met in 1983 at a DJ gig that they were both hired to play. In 1986, they collaborated on the Nu-Sound II Crew project. After developing a friendship with Juan Atkins, they became hip to the emerging new club sounds that were to become electro and techno.Their subsequent project, Series-A, was named after different car model numbers, but also hints at the evolution of humankind into a new species.

In 1987, Series-A recorded the single Evolution 5 Technology' at Spectrum Sounds Studio in St. Clair Shores, Michigan. Their set up was a vocoder, E-mu Emulator III, Roland 909 drum machine, and an Otari 24-Track recorder. They landed a record deal with Satellite Records in Burbank, California, which had been founded by Pete Moore of The Miracles. After pressing 50 promotional copies, the label ran into financial problems, and the record never reached a full release. Taking cues Kraftwerk, Grand Master DST, Grandmaster Flash & Jam Master Jay, Series-A created dark electro beats in an era when sampling appeared to be the future of music. Lyrically the song addresses our species' entry into the technological age. For this EP reissue, the 7' Mix and Dub Mix are included on the A-side. On the flip is a new remix by prolific Ann Arbor producer JTC, an alias of Tadd Mullinix (aka Dabrye, SK-1, & Charles Manier). JTC speeds up and expands the song to seven minutes. Drawing on influences from Ron Hardy to Jeff Mills, he drives around suburban techno landscapes while simultaneously launching the listener into deep space.

All songs have been remastered for vinyl by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. The jacket is specially designed by Eloise Leigh and features a cyborg fossil motif with RGB color band and gradients. Each copy includes a post card with with notes.

A collection of nine reworks crafted by fans and selected by Nils himself form the 'Screws Reworked' re-issue, also featuring his original 'Screws'. The 2012 album 'Screws' by Nils Frahm, was the result of inspiration from his fans and friends while he recovered from an unfortunate accident, which saw him fall from his bunk bed located directly above his studio, which resulted in a broken thumb.

These nine intimate recordings were offered to fans to download for free and in return fans thanked Nils by sending him their audio and visual reinterpretations. Fascinated by the results, Nils then publicly asked his fans to submit their reworks or any form of art that was inspired by the release and all these submissions have been collected since on a dedicated website: It gave birth to the 'Screws Reworked' project from which Nils selected nine reworks to feature on a special edition re-issue which also includes his original 'Screws'.

'Whenever you have to decide between two things, you end up favouring one over the other. In the case of this record, I had to choose nine out of hundreds of songs - but I didn't want to follow this logic, I didn't want the songs to compete against each other. I never liked music competitions, neither when I was a kid playing classical music contests nor today when the best album of 2015 is awarded.

Having been in the situation to pick my own tracks for my own records, I knew that the only way to manage this tough job is to concentrate on the cohesiveness of listening to the songs all together. Screws Reworked should sound like a record, not like a random collection of tracks.

The motivation to make such a record came with the release of Screws in 2012 as a gift to my listeners. I thought about it as a starting point for people to make their own interpretations of the songs. The feedback was overwhelming. A couple of months later, we counted over 300 contributions. Without going through a selection process, they were all available only online until now.

It seemed essential to make it a real record as I imagined how happy it must make those who would find their names - in most cases for the first time - on a real record.

Now is the time to thank you all for your numerous and beautiful contributions. In case you don't find your track here, please don't think it stands behind the others. This record means, in fact, that some of the most beautiful songs couldn't be included as they simply weren't 'good neighbours' and because there is only one rework for each of my original compositions.

However all of you opened your hearts and minds and shared your uniqueness with us and I feel incredibly blessed by each and every single rework of Screws. Thank you!' - Nils Frahm.

Now here's something special. A straight up, bona fide summer smash. A massive dancefloor-smashing beast of a tune. Daniel Dexter continues his long and fruitful relationship with Poker Flat by channelling the sound of classic Clivillés & Cole in 'Deeper Love', an early 90s house bomb that will send shivers down your spine. Underpinned by a resounding synth riff and dancing counter-motif, Kaori Kaneko's vocals provide the perfect foil, packing a powerful and soulful punch. Prolific Parisian Alexkid provides a radical reinterpretation: stripped down, muted and glitchy, with the vocal cut up into fragmented shards that flutter and fibrillate in an ear-tingling fashion. While on the flip, Berlin's Bay Area import Kevin Knapp intones the names of classic Hollywood starlets over the smooth groove of 'Heroine'. The fulcrum of the track - a fat and rubbery analogue bass - comes to the fore on an instrumental mix, perfect for long blends and deeper palettes.

There used to be a time when ring tones were important. You were easily recognizable as one of the few people actually owning one of these new gadgets called ›mobile phone‹ (or ›handy‹ as the Germans say). Later you could make an important distinction by choosing a ›cool‹ ring tone...

In May 2014 the Festival »Doofe Musik« (»Stupid Music - Songs for Dreaming, Sedation and Forgetting«) took place at Haus der Kulturen der Welt (HKW) in Berlin. As part of the »Anthropocene Project« the festival focussed on escapism and the special function of music when retreating from reality. Detlef Diederichsen, curator at HKW, and Holger Schulze, Head of Sound-Studies-Lab Berlin, decided to not only focus on music which music lovers usually hate, e.g. ›Schlager‹, German folk music, Light Jazz, but also on ring tones.

The audio logo of Deutsche Telekom has been part of Germany's mobile phone culture from the very beginning so it acted as a starting point to question the usual concepts for ring tones. Using Christian Kellersmann's idea of the »Pocket Symphony« ten artists were invited to come up with adaptations of Telekom's audio logo. The results were performed for the first time during »Stupid Music« and once again in October of the same year when most of the recordings you can find on the album were made.

As you will hear: The short motif, as simple and unforgettable as it is, is ideal musical material.Everyone knows it, everyone has some sort of connection to it and these ten different versions, these ten different positions, open up the most varied possibilities for associations.

It is time that we take the ring tone seriously again. As the most reduced musical form that is the most-widely available in the whole world it contains enormous and unrealised potential!