Suche:push it

For its 50th release, Black Truffle presents the 9th album from one of the label’s core ensembles, the power trio of Keiji Haino, Jim O’Rourke and Oren Ambarchi. Drawn from a November 2015 performance at Tokyo’s now-defunct SuperDeluxe, the record’s opening piece drops us immediately into the maelstrom, abruptly cutting into an extended episode of Ambarchi’s pummelling drums, O’Rourke’s fuzzed-out 6 string bass and Haino’s roaring guitar and electronics. Eventually settling into a hypnotic bass and drum groove over which Haino unleashes some almost Ray Russell-eque skittering atonal screech, these opening 13 minutes act as a potent reminder of the trio’s power. Alongside showcasing the steady development of a unique language for the guitar-bass-drums power trio, the group’s succession of releases over the last decade has demonstrated a constant experimentation with new instruments, which continues here with O’Rourke use of Hammond organ (played at the same time as his roaming, sometimes knotty basslines). On the album’s second piece, the organ plays a key role, furnishing a harmonically rich shimmer over O’Rourke’s angular 6 string bass chords, Haino’s distant, chirping electronics and Ambarchi’s crisp cymbal work; arriving somewhere halfway between Albert Marcoeur and Terje Rypdal, this piece is undoubtedly a highlight in the trio’s catalogue so far. Sides two and three are given over to slow-burning, multi-part epics that range from spacious reflection to furious tumult. Where the trio’s previous 2LP set (This Dazzling, Genuine “Difference” Now Where Shall It Go?, 2017) was primarily instrumental in focus, here we find Haino’s voice taking the spotlight on the expansive third side, intoning, wailing and exhorting in Japanese and English over a backdrop that moves from hushed bass and organ atmospherics to rolling toms and cymbal crashes before arriving at an ecstatic finale of searing guitar, tumbling drums and reverb-saturated bass. The fourth side returns to the hypnotic grooves of the opening piece, fixing on an relentless riff and riding it into oblivion under Haino’s roaming psychedelic soloing and jagged chordal slashes.

2019 marks the 20th anniversary of ‘Low Birth Weight,’ the second album by Piano Magic, then a loose collective of musicians centred around founder songwriter, Glen Johnson. Though a year later, the collective would take shape as a bona fide internationally touring group, in 1999, Johnson had one foot in his native Nottingham and the other in his new home of London where, finding himself label manager at Rough Trade Records, also became highly prolific, releasing his own records across a myriad of micro-labels (Che, Wurtlitzer Jukebox, Darla, Rocket Girl, etc).

By his own admission, ‘Low Birth Weight,’ owes much to the East London experimental group, Disco Inferno who, embracing sampling technology, attempted to turn pop music inside out. By 1995, the Inferno had burnt out but Johnson remained inspired by their playful, subversive manifesto and thus, the album here, partly produced by “Nottingham’s own Martin Hannett,” Martin Cooper, is difficult to pigeonhole either at the end of the millennium or even now. Drum kit signals are fed through a tiny amp literally inside a cardboard box; breathing is employed for rhythms; kick drums are replaced with broken glass; there’s a ragbag of tablas, huge slap back delay and phase, theremin, shortwave radio, and more.

Aside from the DI benchmarks, ‘Low Birth Weight’ bears the marks of an infatuation with the dreampop of the time – the guitar saturated in delay and overdrive – inspired by the likes of AR Kane and Kitchens Of Distinction and not the more languid “shoegaze,” which has oft been levelled at LBW.
There’s a revolving door of guests on the album, including Pete Astor (The Loft/The Weather Prophets) on a cover of Disco Inferno’s ‘Waking Up’; Simon Rivers of The Bitter Springs supplies lyrics and voice to ‘Crown Estate’ and ‘Dark Secrets Look For Light’; Jen Adam, then an American art student on a year’s placement in London, writes and sings ‘The Fun Of The Century,’ a personal account of being pushed off a roof at a party by someone she thought a close friend.

‘Low Birth Weight’ is undoubtedly of its time, though undoubtedly more playful and literary than much of the music made during the late 90’s and a fascinating bridge between dream pop and experimental electronic music.

Long overdue, here comes AIR LQD’s first full-length player, Repeat Itself, making up for the direct follow-up of his acclaimed vinyl debut released on the label in 2016. Mixing science fiction, social criticism and punk ethics in the most cryptic fashion, the latest entry in the discography of the taciturn Belgian groove-maker sees him pushing further his electronic experimentation. Delving into the meanders of the human consciousness through hazy and abrasive rituals, brainpowered by robotics, artificial intelligence and urban metamorphism. The weird looping echo of a man-machine drifting through a vortex of feral scratches and overworked machinery. Slowly moving towards the event horizon of a supermassive black hole, leading to unexpected aural aberrations full of hidden, past and new meanings. Giving a last disillusioned glance at our human condition facing technological progress and the toxicity of the outside world.

Ukrainian born and New York-based artist Matuss is delivering anotherinstallment of Absence Seizure. This time she is teaming up with
Norwegian but could be Berlin depending on the time of year
basslines that are pulsated by some intricate synths.


The Absence Seizure imprint is run by none other than Matuss herself along with Abe Duque and they focus on limited edition vinyl with a
nose for deep and meaningful house and techno. The last release saw the two bosses’ team up on Absence Seizure 11 to deliver some
pulsating beats and orgasmic synths. Expect a deeper cut this time around with the two artists verging more to the house side of the
electronic music spectrum on this project. Karina’s ‘Acid Meow’ is the first track on AS012. Karina is one of The
Zoo Project Ibiza core residents a player of all things vinyl with releases on the likes of God Particle and Cymawax. ‘Acid Meow’ has a
fearless acid-tinged bassline that gives the track a motivating drive. Reminiscent of 90s minimalism she’s kept the beats simple
putting all emphasis on the merciless acid sequence. Tip! Real energy to the dancefloor!


Matuss takes over the EP after the initial cut starting with ‘Travel High’. It has a long build to begin with these quizzical keys that
create anticipation. It discharges with an old school funky bassline that is slowly pushed. It’s accentuated by a ghetto vocal belting out
the title of the track and ends with some punchy percussions and bongo drums. She follows up with ‘Ninja Moves’. A more secretive and sultry number.
It tingles out a smooth bassline and revolves some nice chatter claps and snaps to add a certain silkiness to it. A bit of a floater
it has some beeping 80s keys on it that just add to the sway. If you want your mind to drift
you can get lost in this. Last but as always not least is ‘People Like You and Me’. The track starts with that fun festival horn that makes nostalgia exude out of
your prefrontal cortex. It divulges into these rolling clicks and toms that is carried by this dubbed bassline. Eventually
a bright and sunny synth emits light over the track as the vocals invite you in. The juxtaposition of the synth and bassline just work in harmony and
really make this cut hit home.

Mighty DNAonDNA (Heteroerotic Asphyxiation, Oiwa) manufactures STRICTLY STRICTLY's magical 3rd release and offers nothing than power, power, power: Erratic opener THE//GRIND pushes you into the flow with restless UK-ish breaks before HAIFA slaps you hard with its violent rhythm and epic bassline. DON'T MOVE on the B-side chases you with its 145bpm acid breaks to finally eject you struggling for breath. A dangerous adventure!

Hamburg-based Mireia Records is ecstatic toannounce their thirteenth release: Julian Stetter’s “Sensual EP”.
You’ve probably crossed paths with Julian in thelast couple of years. Not only because he’s the tallest guy in Cologne, but the producer and DJ has been actively shaping modern dance music
with his flourishing, melancholic sound. He’s been releasing music with Permanent Vacation, Kompakt, Correspondent and hometown labels Ancient Future Now and PNN.

It’s also not his first time on Mireia Records. Remember the beautiful “Porto” on “We’ll Sea
Pt.1?” Here, Julian presents two original tracks which are reinterpreted by SONNS and Matt
Karmil.
The title track “ Sensual ” manages to erase the mundane, the world’s vanishing around you.
It’s pitched shaker and airy bells evoke introspective tones. The bassline on the other hand
keep you steady - the dancefloor is still visible through the clouds!
“ Rumors ” picks up the pace. Kick drum and syncopated hi-hats set the stage for a serious
bassline, interwoven with fleeting melodies.
Bright and euphoric brushstrokes from Julian’s synth elevate the pace and catapult the track
towards a crescendo. Booming snares signal the peak.
New Release Information
Strobe lights, sweat and ecstasy.
SONNS opens up the B side with the first remix by whispering “ Rumors ” in your ear. A
brooding bass line takes you on a trip to the dark corners of the city. Hypnotically chugging
toms highlight the sights. Let’s get lost tonight!
With his releases on Kompakt and strong DJ Sets SONNS’ been a long time favored entrant
into Mireia Record’s catalogue.
Matt Karmil’s version of 'Sensual', although on B2 of the vinyl, doesn’t hide its assets.
Kicking off with frantic high hats and a distorted glitch, he pushes the track forwards
intriguingly. Arpeggiated melodies layered supremely over the percussion drive the track
forwards, the simplicity of the track and sharp cuts and drops create an interesting dynamic
to the single creating a perfect juxtapose to the other tracks on the release.
Matt’s also been on Mireia’s radar for a long time. His atmospheric adventures for Studio
Barnhus, Smalltown Supersound or Beats in Space always convey a spirit of living, breathing
leeway.

Having broken a decade's silence with 2016's 'System', LA-based electronic musician Joseph Fraioli, a.k.a. Datach’i, returns this summer with his eighth album 'Bones'.
Released on Venetian Snares' Timesig imprint, 'Bones' features 12 tracks of mind expanding electronica, once again recorded on his custom-built Eurorack modular system. Much like its predecessor, 'Bones' manages to make the most of the possibilities modular systems offer, whilst avoiding their many pitfalls that can often turn such music into little more than a dry academic exercise. Indeed 'Bones' is a remarkably intimate album, written and recorded in the time following his father's death, and reflects this intense period of personal change in Joseph's life.

"Creating this music was a therapy of sorts," Joseph recalls. "It was almost like a close friend being there for me, and it's something that I hope others can perhaps utilize in the same way."

The connection to his father is something that is reflected not just in the emotional intensity of 'Bones', but in the actual production itself. "My father and I were very close," he explains. "Whilst he was sick with cancer I bought him a guitar as he wanted to learn how to play, just to have something to do while he was getting treated. After he passed away my mother gave me the guitar to have as a sort of memory of him. I had the idea to record some sounds and music on the guitar and load it onto granular sample players on the modular synth so I could make new music from those sounds as a sort of tribute to my dad. You can hear some of those sounds on a few of the tracks here like 'Arrivals', 'Motion in the Living Room' and 'Undimension'."

The resulting album grapples with the intensity of these emotions. But for all their weight, tracks like 'Saugerties Road', ‘Rockledge 3A’ and ‘Antumalal’ transform that heaviness into something warm and comforting whilst the aforementioned 'Arrivals' or ‘Wand’ ultimately achieve some kind of escape velocity and soar. Even though 'Bones' is about endings and finding closure, it also looks forward to new beginnings.

"It was something very much on my mind throughout recording this album," he relates, "ends being beginnings and beginnings being the end. Cycles of time and how time works, it's all reflected throughout the album right down to how the tracks are ordered."

Ranging from blissful ambience and guileless, starry eyed melodies, to intricate claustrophobic rhythms that forever sound close to collapsing in on themselves before expanding into bold new patterns, 'Bones' is the work of a producer who, twenty years on from his debut, continues to push the boundaries of electronic music.

Juan Ramos opens his debut album with The Problem With Ambiguity and Finding Space—speaking to a societal confusion, a fragmented sense of self, and a pull toward many (often unwelcoming) directions—this turmoil in which he’s spent considerable time, sees him invest grave efforts to express the inexpressible. Changing Hands is a time capsule of that dark period in his life, an overtly honest musical diary which puts his emotional coming-of-age on full display, hoping to reach kindred listeners. While his previous output for the ESP Institute used a certain level of complication to push limits on the dancefloor, this immersive work cuts deep in to a frayed psyche, dismantling our preconceptions of Juan and plunging listeners deep into a stew of jarring textures, incomplete phrases, and circus-like abstractions of pop culture. There is a nonchalant and unhurried experimentation that accumulates over the album’s first half—disconnected and anxiety-riddled personality traits constitute various musical roles, sporadically converging in fleeting moments of optimism although never fully climbing out from the abyss—and yet amidst this chaos there is a watershed moment in which the artist successfully gleans a golden morsel of hope from his emotional junkyard, guiding us across the threshold into the album’s second half while diligently protecting the glow of this rock bottom treasure. Juan begins to reveal his inner b-boy—a distorted view on golden-age Hip Hop roots, an affinity for muddy break-beats, sultry loops and metaphoric interludes—the crown prince of a newly-found safe space. It’s as if he had us searching on all fours for a misplaced joint, but now that it’s finally lit, he assures us that everything’s going to be alright.

History of Heat is an eroto-intellectual retelling of a love story. It is the scholarship of heat, and the sources of its production in the body: desire, exaltation, anticipation, fear, rage and mourning . It is a fable circulating through the nerves, pumped and distributed by its own mythologies. Through different chapters, we follow the heroine of our story from the initial desire to love, the sensual pull which oscillates between the grotesque and sacred longing of the flesh (‘L’Enfer en pleine lumière’ translates to ‘Hell in plain sight’)...to the sudden ghostlike appearance of the Other (Apparition) as a projection of the dream. We enter into the spiritual, the seeing visions and the blindness of love. ‘Animal’ speaks of instinct, the smell of the beloved, already the deconstruction of the divine back into the realm of the physical. The title track ‘History of heat’ sings the hesitation of love, the precipice of openness and the invitation of the contract: Dance with me... (This is where the metaphoric marriage is forged). In ‘Perfection’, the pressure which keeps the relationship on the pedestal of the absolute stunts and paralyses love. Unrealistic expectations of the self and the other person creates the push and pull of the not wanting what one wants and the fear to get what one has been asking for. ‘Tiny engine’ speaks of mechanical attachment, attachment to the lover as habit, as a second nature, and the call to the other person as a magnet. In ‘Ditectrice’, the madness and the folly of separation spawns war and confusion. It is the violent refusal to live without the other... the pleading with god. ‘Feed him’ follows with resignation and exhaustion. Love has become the beast of burden who eats away at itself insatiably. ‘War text’ brings forth the devastation, the peace treaty and finally the metaphysical Divorce. In ‘Guttermoon’, the vita contemplativa begins, the blood starts to cool, the scene is a ghost town. ‘Wrong god’ similarly winds down as an ode to remorse and mourning. Finally, ‘Cinema Verité’ closes out the album with a mistrust of ‘reality’: the heroine becomes a philosopher, she becomes an artist... did the relationship ever exist or was it a projection “In front of a movie screen” ?

History of Heat is an experimental narrative and cinematic pastiche of all original and self recorded material. A chaotic mix of sounds both analog and digitally produced recalls a warlike interpersonal breakdown. The mood established by the lyrical content of the piece is meant to be demanding, enclosing the listener within a unique and compelling cocoon of otherworldly sound. the Album is framed within a discursive love story which reflects larger relational problematics and interpersonal traumas. looped vocals act as incantations woven in and out of lyrical singing and spoken word. The instrumentals embrace chaos and intensity. Improvised violin and broken down beats compliment and balance the melancholic overtones which flutter above off the grid rhythms in this charged ficto-personal account.

Repress

Berlin's Monnom Black is back again with the King of The Sewers EP; four cuts of pulsating techno from two of electronic music's most uncompromising young figures, DAX J & UVB. Already well-known for its more fundamentally rugged take on modern electronics, the label's 19th release is another intense transmission deep from the underworld.

The menacing tone of the EP hides the friendship that's developed between these adopted Berliners, two young men who met in the city and discovered a shared passion for raw analogue audio and electronic sounds that marry starkness with depth. Although they began DJing at the same warehouses since 2014, the duo have waited until the right moment to bring together their mutual love of unique mechanised noisescapes and the high-end production values they ve developed over years of experience and experimentation. The King of The Sewers is that record, a gritty soundtrack inspired by forgotten lives beneath eastern-bloc cities.

For Monnom Black this latest release continues a run of unmistakable techno records that challenge the mainstream with a non-conformist philosophy. The label's ethos is to push boundary-testing music by artists who are unafraid to explore a chaotic, divided world in the belief that distinctive music can still create moments of grace and community. This is music for the deepest, darkest parts of the night, breaking beyond the dancefloor and into the liminal spaces where analogue and digital, body and mind meet. The King of The Sewers EP represents another step forward in the development of a record label pressing at the borders of what contemporary techno can be.

Soundway Records presents the eponymous debut LP from in-demand Amsterdam five piece The Mauskovic Dance Band – fusing no-wave dance punk, Afro-Caribbean rhythms and space disco in a “controlled explosion” (The Quietus).

Entirely self-produced, the band has reiterated their favourite elements of the 70s and 80s legacy of the Afro-Latin psychedelic music of Colombia and Peru, interpreting it through the context of modern day Amsterdam. The output is a lo-fi No Wave groove all its own - rooted in a deep love of champeta, Palenque, psychedelic cumbia, chichi, classic afrobeat and picó soundsystem culture.

Since the release of their “Down In The Basement” EP on Soundway Records in early 2018, the band have found themselves on a hectic European touring schedule – not to mention being involved in other side projects. Following stints with Turkish psychedelic folk rock group Altin Gün, and touring with the re-formed 70s Zamrock outfit W.I.T.C.H., Nic Mauskovic also teamed up with Dutch neo-psychedelic artist Jacco Gardner to form the “cinematic Balearic disco” duo of Bruxas (released by Dutch institution Dekmantel) – and together, they mixed The Mauskovic Dance Band debut album in Lisbon.

Lead single Space Drum Machine encapsulates the band’s prototypical brand of busy rhythmic patterns interwoven with insistent synth stabs and vibrant disco toms, layered with an elastic guitar riff drawing inspiration from Kenyan kikuyu and benga styles. High-pitched vocals describe being on a flight together and inciting each other to press a button of unknown consequence with “push it, push it” - and push it they do, at breakneck pace. And of course, the undeniable influence of Amsterdam’s hotbed of underground dance producers shines through as it does on all tracks - with the vintage psychedelic swirl of synthesiser, lo-fi drum machines and tape recording.

Ophir Kutiel AKA Kutiman is a multi-instrumentalist from Tel Aviv, a “psychedelic space funk architect” to quote Straight No Chaser. When we were approached by his label Siyal about recruiting ZamZam/Khaliphonic artists for a remix project, we loved the idea right away - dub without borders or boundaries is our passion, and getting our hands on Kutiman’s freeform analog explorations felt like an amazing opportunity to push that passion further. All four remixes revel in the freedom of the original tunes, and each, while anchored in dubwise techniques, are totally unhindered by tempo or other genre constraints.

Alter Echo & E3 open with a remix of “Unknown,” the set’s only 140 tune, full up with a bubbling cauldron of bassline and flutes, esoteric vinyl archaeology, spring reverb shocks, and swung percussion.

J:Kenzo, known for 140 and 160 bpm sound system bangers, here takes the chance to stay deep - but in a chill mode - unfurling a beautiful journey of syncopated drum work and slapping percussion framing the lush, meandering melodies of the original “Behind The Noise."

Gulls’ rework of “Mineral” rocks with an offbeat feel, technically in four, but swaying like it’s in three. Plucked guitar figures recall the African roots of contemporary bass music, and tape hiss buffets the listener back and forth through a sonic hall of portals and passages.

Perhaps the most surprising of all four four versions is Headland’s closing “Lucid Dream” remix, which sets course for dub techno country and never looks back. Combining the best of the producer’s masterful sound design and sense of build-and-drop dynamics with the idiom’s 4/4 pulse and focus on immersive space, Headland closes a set as inspired as the album it was based on.

Following up on the release of his first album in eight years, Agoria has collaborated with enigmatic French musician Jacques on new EP ‘Visit’, out 14th June.

The two-track offering pairs electronic elements with organic, real-world sounds to masterful effect. Title track ‘Visit’ is the best example of this, with a wonky beat trudging through a plethora of immersive sounds. Meanwhile ‘Jardin’, with a grooving bassline, has a greater dancefloor focus.

“The first time I met Jacques, we were sitting at the same table but we didn’t exchange any words,” Agoria explains. The second time, a year later, we started speaking. A lot. During hours. About Vipassana, a technique of meditation that you practice in silence. The third time, I thought I should share his words and breaths, delivering the untold. So I offered him to record a Sapiens Talk. The fourth time, we both agreed it was finally time to record music together.”

Jacques is a musician who pushes back the border between music, sound and noise, using music as a medium of expression on his quest of transversality. Invited to several TEDx conferences to talk about his obsession with the idea of infinity, he has also revealed his new theory called “Vortex”, which he created with Alexandre Gain in 2015.

His first album in eight years, Agoria described Drift as “sitting on your sofa between your guilty pleasure and your tasteful opinion”. The deeply melodic 10-track LP came off the back of a much-lauded Essential Mix for Pete Tong’s BBC Radio 1 show, which was later nominated for Essential Mix Of The Year.

The new release comes amidst Agoria’s first ever Ibiza residency, which kicked off on 31st May at the Blue Marlin. Named after the new album and featuring everyone from DJ Harvey and Gerd Janson to Groove Armada and Idris Elba, the unique day-to-night parties will take place every Friday until 27th September. He will also take his all new live show on tour this summer, with dates including Barcelona’s Primavera Sound, Belgium’s Pukkelpop and Lowlands Festival in Amsterdam.

In a landscape increasingly dominated by surface-level sonics and a lack of true organic – man-made-machine-driven - sound, the newly found and London-based Gaia Tones project rises with an unforgiving grasp over the science of improvisation and mystery. Like a gust of wind from Mother Nature herself, the duo comprised of John Swing and David Soleil-Mon breathe a new, highly perceptible form of life into the UK’s long ‘dub and ‘bass’ dynasty.

Contrary to the consumer plastics found across much of the ‘digital’ musical spectrum, the two artists impose their own vision and aesthetic to a framework of sound that has somehow always existed but never fully explored before. Heady, stoned-out and surely emanating from physical matter, their two debut tracks are set to redefine the standards going into the next decade.

The A-side “Lychees”, stutters its own brand of dread paranoia over a sea of complex, morphing percussion that together create a whole new palette of exploratory sound, loosely tied up into a hazy, nomadic groove. On the flip, “Wonkadonk” feels like its natural extension, evolving that familiarly off-kilter assembly of drums to work around a devotedly dystopian swell of bass that pushes further and further out into the ether.

In the end, the universe tends to unfold as it should.

Label artwork by Egidio Sterpa

A cryptical presence hiding behind many different aliases spread across a range of underground labels: co-owner of LiveJam Records alongside EMG, John Swing begins producing with a live and spontaneous approach that pushes the boundaries and general conceptions of club music while digging deeper into the techniques of the past.

The production process through ananlog equipment that John Swing so strongly supports with an uncompromising attitude is the key to his underground success and esteem.
With a back catalogue of over seventy releases including collaborations with established artists such as Mr. G and Ben Sims, the London based talent has been receiving recognition by established artists including Floating Points, Gerd Janson, Levon Vincent, Theo Parrish and many others.

Inspired by London's Plastic People and it's bonding vibes, through a well refined spectrum of musical knowledge John Swing engages with the dance floor in a physical yet emotional way: the strength and power of pure house is blended with black soul music in a constant crossover between underground aesthetics and cherry-picked funk and disco. His subtle understanding of the dance floor guarantees a deep-rooted experience for the mind, body and soul.

Running and pushing the boundaries with his versatile musical skills, Giovanni Damico aka Ron Juan tends to be a hard worker. The fact that his musical journey started well about 15 years ago, Giovanni has released top notch records on labels that bring resonance in today's industry such as Star Creature, Lumberjacks in Hell, Bordello A Parigi and swiss boutique label deepArtSounds. His latest piece of work is a five track,afro funk influenced mini Album entitled "Express Yourself". It's an eclectic journey thru Giovanni's deep mind and thru his huge collection of synths and instruments.

Aggelos Baltas is a veteran of the global electronic music scene, responsible for a handful of celebrated EBM 12”s as Dream Weapons, and a particularly heady and open-ended brand of krautrock as Fantastikoi Hxoi. His newest project, Anatolian Weapons, was conceived as a way to bring together these two seemingly mismatched concepts, with the polyrhythmic percussion and wailing tones of Greek folk music serving as their unlikely bonding agent. His output garners praise particularly around the Golden Pudel scene, such as Vladimir Ivkovic, and Phuong Dan. Lena Willikens, from the same circle, included Baltas’ track “Disillusioned” on her Dekmantel Selectors compilation in 2018.

But where much of what Baltas has released as Anatolian Weapons is instantly recognizable as dance music, To The Mother Of Gods—Baltas’ debut album for Beats In Space—is something else entirely. Created in tandem with Greek folk musician Seirios Savvaidis, it is a work of simultaneous collaboration and subtraction whose meticulous construction becomes more apparent with every listen. An album-length exploration of what happens when the principles of dance music are applied to pre-digital musical modalities. It is a record of psychedelic folk music that has more in common with Kikagaku Moyo, Minami Deutsch, and the Habibi Funk label than it does with anything else Baltas has produced under any alias. It’s difficult to imagine this music in any kind of club setting.

And yet, it’s very much the work of a DJ. Baltas initially heard Savvaidis’ music through a friend, and was absolutely amazed. “It was his very esoteric, pagan [music and] beautiful lyrics that grabbed me,” he writes. Seirios is a composer and performer of traditional Greek folk music with a growing discography of regional psych-rock gems. Baltas reached out to collaborate and the seeds of To The Mother Of Gods were sown.

Savvidis contributed stems of ten songs, which Baltas deconstructs and rearranges with appreciation of the ancestry of their lineage and of the deceptively ancient eerie, droning qualities inherent in the style. Occasionally augmenting Savvaidis’ recordings with his own, Baltas treats these elements as if raw materials for an architectural process.

To The Mother Of Gods showcases Baltas’ arrangement skills. He treats Savvaidis’ songs as landscapes, filling them with slanted, droning light and setting the singer’s vocals in dead center. His years behind the decks have given him an intuitive understanding of dynamics—drums crest and recede like tides, snippets of bassline repeat and swirl. He knows how to entrance, and when to push the music from the head to the body. Opener “Taratchi Katarratchi” (“Stormy Cataract”) is sung as a spell to ward off the fear of death, but Baltas’ orchestration demonstrates that dancing is an equally effective way of dispelling the darkness. The beat he assembles from Savvaidis’ playing recalls the late-night ecstasies of Primal Scream circa Screamadelica.

To The Mother Of Gods is a reminder that folk music and dance music are both powered by their audience as much as the musicians themselves. Savvaidis’ lyrics echo pagan Greek themes, touching on what Baltas calls “the magic of nature.” At times, as on “Kalesma” (“Invitation”), this can feel incantatory. Savvaidis chisels his vocal melodies into hard, clipped syllables, their cadence recalling Gregorian chant, and yet Baltas cloaks these details in washes of distortion. “Ston Stavraito” (“In Stavraithos”) is delivered with a lamentive tenderness that Baltas swells into a prideful stomp, immersing Savvaidis in marching drums and distant vocals that form a resilient protest-song. To The Mother Of Gods is a testament to the ongoing and innate truth that music can take us beyond ourselves. That repetition and drone can shepherd us to a liminal space beyond thought and rationality, where the wall between perception and reality does not exist. Call it spirit, if you want, and watch as it courses its way through modern-day dance music, mid-century psych, and the ancient sounds of the anatol.

Anatolian Weapons’ To The Mother Of Gods will be available from Beats In Space on June 14, 2019 in limited vinyl and unlimited digital forms.

Artist Highlights
• Aggelos Baltas is an Athenian music producer creating and Djing under the monikers of Anatolian Weapons, Fantastikoi Hxoi, and Dream Weapons.
• The Anatolian Weapons moniker is an outlet for Baltas to explore global music—from African to Anatolian and Middle Eastern, while also incorporating sounds from his home country of Greece.

Endless Revisions- Chloé's first LP in over six years - saw the musician turn a new leaf in her creative journey. Not content with pushing the boundaries of her creative output with this wider palette of an album, Chloé released Endless Revisions Live, which saw the producer graft the new material and inspiration that came out while playing live on stage back onto the album's compositions. Following The Dawn and Recall, it was time to deliver other versions of the album's tracks. Enter this four-remix EP, imprinted with the almost-opposite horizons of top-shelf producers.

Optimo Music Digital Danceforce is the digital label of Optimo Music, an internationalist musical outlet designed to get dancefloor focussed music out there without the long delays that vinyl manufacturing often entails. So far this has been a very satisfying project and the first ten or so releases (with many more in the pipeline) have been very well received.

There will be a series of best of OMDD 12”s taking a track from each release and compiling it on a various artists 4 track 12”, cut loud for maximum club impact. Here is volume 2 featuring tried and tested club hits from New Zealand's Vanessa Worm, Scotland's Brain Dancing, Portugal's Internal N.Y. Rhythms and Mexico's Theus Mago.

Purveyors of contemporary electronic music Anagram return with their second remix EP that calls upon some of the scene's most compelling and uncompromising names. Coalescence, the next chapter from the label, will unfold as a series of remix EP's reinforcing the labels core values of community, togetherness and growth. The first instalment reflects on their previous three releases reimagining four titles under the controls of Drugstore resident Tiljana T, Ostgut Ton legend Ryan Elliot, Klockworks artist Newa and the Tel Aviv based Yotam Avni. Orchestrating the rework of Elad Magdasi's 'Liquid Dreams' is Serbian talent Tiljana T who runs with the cinematic ideas behind the original but uses snapping hits, ebullient bass notes and plenty delay to fuel the cut with a new lease of life. The accompanying A-side sees Ryan Elliott do what Ryan Elliot does best by keeping things straight up four to the floor transforming 'Sound of the Siren' by Barbara Ford into pulsating peak hour material. On the flip side are two remixes taken from label co-founder Sinfol's latest solo EP 'Pull Back'. First up, Newa gets the blood rushing injecting breaking beats and furious energy into 'Life Of Measure' resulting in a high tempo no-nonsense techno affair that embodies the sound of the bustling Tbilisi scene. Tying together Coalescence Vol. I is arguably the most dynamic choice of the four remixes in Yotam Avni's 'Final Push' Remix. With a meticulous assortment of intricately crafted synth lines and sequences, he manages to deconstruct Sinfol's title cut of its acid workouts and replenish it with an equally rivalled amount of energy. Four artists, four remixes, Coalescence Vol. I!

Introducing a new label and musical direction for Lee Renacre from 100Hz with, PUSHER. His aim is to push the boundaries of electronic music by using different time signatures and poly rhythmic patterns, and by not using 4/4 patterns and the standard hat clap beats it’s possible to create a different style of mood and dancing which is deep loose and skippy. Pusher has a bold new Techno sound and also a gentle side with tracks of deep emotive strings and melody’s.

This Series of tracks is called Drug Music, a stripped down funky style with unusual beat patterns and poly rhythmic elements best enjoyed and fully understood when in an euphoric state, always recorded from a live studio jam where Lee’s improvised sounds come to life with some unexpected results. Lee also collaborates with artist and good friends for some extra depth and to mix up this unique style of electronica.

The first of the Pusher EP’s is a thumping minimal and full on affair with infectious killer acid riffs in odd time signatures. Crisp funky modulating hats monster bass lines and dramatic interplanetary sounds with live tweaks, twists and turns. Also some seriously deep and intense music is coming from this live jam situation with a thrilling string track to round off the Pusher experience.

Unstable Signal is a new record label focused on quality Electronic music founded by Michalis Vassiliou in early 2018. The label’s vision is to support the underground music culture, through the pressing of records, as well as pushing for quality curations at the events/concerts of the label.
In less than a year of activity it has managed to associate its name with very strong events such as the debut party at About Blank in Berlin, the follow up in Athens with Ancient Methods and the one with SHXCXCHCXSH at Temple Athens.
Also the long awaited EP of Celldöd under the name Myndighetsförakt is finaly available by the label in 12-inch vinyl and digital format.
Celldöd Is the Stockholm based producer Anders Karlsson. Anders has been active in the music scene for some time working on different musical projects, always with a strong DIY ethic.
Celldöd has built a reputation as a strong live act through gigs at Berghain, About Blank and Griessmühle in Berlin, Joy in Moscow, Femur Club in Madrid as well as live performances as far away as the Epizode festival in Vietnam.
His music has been played and supported by DJs such as Ancient Methods, Beta Evers, Alienata and The Hacker.
His EP on Unstable Signal is the debut release for the label.

Two years ago, Ferdi Schuster was a young multi-instrumentalist and producer
daydreaming of releasing his music on Claremont 56, one of his favourite labels.
Now he’s set to release his stunning debut album, “All One”, on Paul Murphy’s
long-running imprint.
It’s been a long time between drinks for the German producer, who last graced
C56 with his superb double A-side single, “Little River/Befreit”, in the autumn of
2017. Fittingly, it’s “Little River” – a babbling brook of audio bliss rich in samba
influenced drums, soothing acoustic guitars and spacey synthesizer licks – that
kicks off “All One”, a seductive set in which every drumbeat, piano note, guitar
riff, synthesizer flourish and freside-warm bassline was played by the man
himself.
Throughout, it’s easy to see why Murphy decided to snap up Schuster and
push the producer to record a debut album. Check, for example, the dubbed
out shuffle of “Thinking of You”, where ghostly chords, soft-focus guitar solos
and ethereal vocals drift across the soundscape, and the slowly unfurling bliss
of “The Good Fight”, an effortlessly Balearic workout rich in sun-kissed guitars,
bubbly synth lines and chords so snugly they could probably be used as a
comfort blanket.
Schuster’s greatest strength is undoubtedly the evocative and enveloping nature
of his instrumental music, which draws on a variety of complimentary influences
but never sounds anything less than original and fresh. Some listeners may be
enchanted by the loose and languid pulse of “Fading Away” or the lo-f reggae
jazz of dusty closing cut “Night Talk”, though others may prefer the stoned funk
shuffle of “Interaction” or the spacey vibrations of “Pulsa”, where intergalactic
synthesizer lines wind their way around heady bass guitar and sparse, off-kilter
deep electro drums.
“All One” is that kind of set; an atmospheric and musically accomplished
collection of cuts capable of muting the mundane and distracting from the stress
of 21st century life. As debut albums go, it’s something of a stunner

Best known to the world at large for their disco evergreen “Lady Marmalade,” the powerhouse trio of Sarah Dash, Nona Hendryx and Patti LaBelle are revered in the deeper dance underground for a couple of epic soulful rock workouts that have been known to provoke life-changing moments on the dance floor. With New Orleans legend Allen Toussaint producing and leading an all-star band with the Meters at its core, “What Can You Do For Me” and “Messin’ With My Mind” crackle with energy and rise to thunderous crescendos that rival a gospel revival. Mr. K’s edits acknowledge these songs’ long history in NYC DJ culture, dating from the Gallery and the Loft in the mid-‘70s and running unbroken to today, with masterful extensions that push the inherent energy even further without ever becoming repetitive or obvious. Most Excellent Unlimited is proud to present these sure shots on loud and carefully mastered 7-inch pressings, an essential addition to any gig box or collection.

A new addition to the label’s extended family, Tracey arrives on Dial with his debut LP, Biostar. Following previous releases on Aus Music, Voyage Direct and Intergraded, ‘Biostar’ pushes the technical and emotional craft of this vital young producer in exciting new directions, submerging listeners in thirteen tracks of sublime electro, ambient experimentation and warm, tonal techno. Based in the Netherlands, Tracey’s music is undoubtedly indebted to a legacy of emotive electronic music, the sort whose stark futurist vision cannot be equalled. Instead he strives and succeeds to create something personal and charismatic from a perhaps familiar palette of sounds. Somewhere between experimentation and understated songwriting, ‘Biostar’ is a worthy edition to Dial’s legacy of unique, artist-led albums. In the tradition of established Dial artists such as Lawrence, Roman Flugel and Efdemin, Tracey’s immediately apparent strength is an almost supernatural ability to conjure affecting and memorable melodies with minimalist intent, often just utilising the raw textures of his machines. From album-opener ‘THRRVL’, Tracey tracks the initially gentle undulations of his studio seemingly waking to life, plotting a neat melodic shuffle on ‘TRR’ and then, by, ‘CCLRT’, something dense, trippy and yearning. From hereon in, ‘Biostar’ plots an intriguing course through hypnotic, clockwork crunch (‘THWRD’), to Drexciyan submersion (‘HDRCSTCS’) and rhythmic experimentation on ‘PHTCPHRK’. Some of the more affecting moments on ‘Biostar’ emerge from it’s more obtuse sections; ‘DTFNK’ deciphers a surprisingly catchy melody among waves of scrambled signals, while the initially skittish ‘DRMRBT’ blossoms into an electro lullaby at 126bpm. By the arrival of wistful closing track ‘CLSTLBNG’, listeners are likely to emerge content from the deepest exploration yet of Tracey’s unique analogue ecosystem.

Pushmaster Discs presents a new various artists series called “Pattern”,with old and new artists signed on the label.
On the A side you can find a new artist italian producer V111,who released for label as LNDN White/EartoGround with a raw techno track, 909 infected rhythm and nice arp. The other track on the same side is a big hard groove tune by the label boss Mattia Trani, ”Centaurus” is a groovy beast with minimalistic detroit chord.

On the B side new artists AADJA from toronto,canada and e11011 from buenos aires,argentina with 2 killer dancefloor tracks. Last but not least a crazy Track by Milan based producer Grienkho,150 bpm powerful track “T-E-X” with rave/gabber influencer and hypnotic melodies.

This release comes out with transparent vinyl and limited copies of 150. Don’t miss this strictly limited project!

After the success of last year’s Mixbone EP, we once again invite four dance music experimentalists to remix Eric Copeland. Where 2017’s Goofballs was the first album recorded in its entirety in Eric’s current home of Palma de Mallorca, Spain, and the result of countless hours spent working in the studio, last fall’s Trogg Modal Vol. 1 pushed his ‘Freakbeat 4/4’ agenda even further, with a sense of humor that bubbles over and out through the speakers. Rife with chunky percussive layers and tweaked loopy vocals, these frenzied, self-described “rippers” are practically designed to be remixed. Parris (Trilogy Tapes, Hemlock) and RAMZi (RVNG, 12th Isle) both take on the singsongy rhythms of “Heads.” Parris’ take pares down the track, giving it room to glisten and expand, while RAMZi’s paddles along in a characteristically murky, laid-back manner. Lokier (Days Of Being Wild, Spirits) goes in for the jugular with an acidic rework of “321 Contact,” repurposing vocal samples as spooky EBM. Closing out the record is Gerry Read (Aus, Accidental Jnr), who pits the heavy stomp of “Electric Mud” against whizzing frequencies. Newfangled interpretations of tracks that were already out there to begin with.

Part of the Atøms √ë¢tœrs Pix£ls Gh©sts™ series with The Designers Republic™.


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Info:
Valance Drakes and Kero team up for their first collaborative endeavor. The EP, Abstract Thought is an evident fusion of both artist’s unique styles, bringing together elements of glitch, Hip hop, Detroit techno, and a whole lot of space vibes.


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My hands float before my face, drifting in defiance of gravity, willfulness brought on by forces beyond my own. Things stop very abruptly with a crash the shakes my eyes in their very sockets, rattling reverberation pushing painfully through my skull.


One thousand days in space feels like nothing and everything all at once. Children grow, faces fill with wrinkles and I stay still.


Until my eyes begin to shake and everything turns to television static flashing somewhere inches behind vision. Is someone stepping on my throat?


I’ve crashed into something hard and barren. Is that electricity I see, clinging to my hands?


I spring across an earth or planet or meteorite that crumbles beneath my boots and sways in the air moving so swiftly about my body, dust flying up into the visor of the helmet that saves me, threatening cracks, ruckus.


I can hear my heartbeat in here. I wonder if this is what it sounds like in the womb. The rope connecting me to the ship is something like an umbilical cord. Is it not? Maybe it’s a vacuum. Maybe I’m not born yet after all.

Warehouse Find!

Danish producer Paxton Fettel joins Delusions for his debut EP for the label entitled Night Waves. Despite his youth, he has notched up an enviable catalogue of original, eclectic releases including two LP's for Greta Cottage Workshop as well as EP's for Plumage, Kolour LTD and Apersonal. Paxton's unique sound and audiophile approach to production has led to remixes for Uffe on Tartelet, Chocky on Secret Reels and most recently Sunrom on edgling vinyl-only label The Bricks.

For his Night Waves EP we get a snapshot of the mans diversity across three original tracks. The opener sees Paxton in his most raw, jacking, dance oor focussed mood to date and the result is a high energy house track which punches hard on a big system. Featuring his own bass playing, snipped and squeezed through the sonic mangle, Night Waves steams along with big bold pianos, swinging hats and just the right amount of oating synths. Simple elements which combine to be so much more than the sum of its parts and one of those stand-out cuts that will be stuck in your head long after you've left the danceoor.

Flipping over we have Paxton going full-on jazz mode in Pacica 399 To Freedom. A track which once again has his beloved Sandberg California live bass part pushed to the fore, pianos, strings and synths building around the driving disco groove. Feel-good sunshine vibes oozing from the speakers as little melodies dance around the sizzling hi hats and encompassing pulse of the kick drum.

Finally we have a deeper note to close on with It's Clear. A repeating vocal hook runs throughout the intro while intricate drum programming gives a nod to the sounds of broken beat and live jazz sensibilities. The end result is a warm, loose and dubby jam which completes the package in ne style and leaves us looking forward to hearing more from this talented young producer from Copenhagen.

From the minds of Direct Beat and Detroit Bass Classics, comes the first initial compilation of electro/techno heat... "Electro In The Key Of Detroit: Volume 1"...Proven dance floor dope & record crate staples that provide the hungry ears of masses the groove to move: World-Wide. 'DJ K1's "Erase The Time" (featured on Detroit's WGPR TV "New Dance Show" in the 1990s) rocked the airwaves and global clubs with its signature thumping style laced beneath alien-like melody and repetitive vocal structure. 'Posatronix' mutant-rhythm mantra, "Pure Techno Sound" pulls the weight of Detroit's street dance roots down to the origin of how to boogie in space. A sure-fire stepper that also shared popularity on TV dance show platforms from Techno City. 'Blaktony's tempo-pushing "Holla Holla" , direct from the documentary soundtrack: "AUX88: Portrait Of An Electronic Band" dvd box set (a radio Dj/mix show favorite) sees the light of day on this wax collectable, giving praise to Motor City footwork culture. Also included in this monster EP is the rare 'AUX88' voyage entitled: "Phantom Power"...a gem and collector's choice. Crafted exclusively for the laid-back option away from the party or to enjoy accompanying a night's drive. This collection of re-issued jams and new explorations 'IS' the must-have for the electro/techno & bass aficionado...See it as either a DJ's weapon of choice, or the gift from vault

* Dom & Roland Productions, the label, has gone from strength to strength since its conception in 2006.
It Features Dom's new solo work and his collaborations with other visionary artists such as Noisia, Hive and Amon
Tobin. The label has continued to push sonic boundaries whilst staying true to it's ethos of 'not selling out'.

* BEACH BUM - DOM & ROLAND

There's someone on the beach playing a catchy picked out guitar riff. The waves are lapping. A surfer walks along the beach carrying their surfboard, their hair is blowing in the wind. They are thinking about how powerful and awesome the ocean is in it's contrast to the serene and quiet sunset beach, They like the guitar a lot!

* DRED SOUND - DOM & ROLAND

Big Sound! In a large warehouse in Kingston Jamaica, a kid turns up with his laptop and a keyboard full of playable samples. The kid's twisted some funk era breakbeats into gigantic proportions and is trying out song structure ideas whilst listening back on the the huge sub bass system. There are a lot of people sitting around, everyone stops to listen, they never heard anything like this. It's raw, and powerful, and they like it!

Lifted From Hubbard's Lauded 1979 Lp 'the Love Connection', This Sublime Piece Of Melodic, Deep, Soul/Jazz Will Have Ears And Minds Open With It's Instantly Recognisable Opening String Sequence.

Used To Devastating Effect On Pepe Bradock's All-time 1999 Deep-house Classic 'deep Burnt', Those Sweeping Strings Capture Us And Lead Us Into A Epic Journey With The Wondrous Vocal Stylings Of The Legendary Singer Al Jarreau.

This Is Prime Early Morning Music, Pushing All The Right Buttons & Spreading Light Wherever It Is Played, A Beautiful Beautiful Record Indeed! What Is Essentially An Extended And Rearranged Version Of Hubbard's 1967 Original, The '79 Version Of 'little Sunflower' Boasts A Sumptuous Arrangement & Production From The Mighty Claus Ogerman (Ben E King, Mel Torme, Bill Evans, Antonio Carlos Jobim & More).

A Truly Wondrous Piece Of Music, Reissued On A Single Side In It's Full 12" Length Of 9+ Minutes From The Source Archive Audio. Fully Legit, Licensed And Reissued With Love By Above Board Distribution And Columbia Records/Sony Bmg For Record Store Day, 2019.

Laid back and chilled out, Andrew never lets anything or anyone bother him. He has an air of mystique about him which others often envy.

(Andrea Solitario) ANDREW SOUL Andrew from his real name, Soul as the part where his inspiration come from, is a native italian producer born in 1986.

Music has been the first and everlasting love for this guy who soon came into his city's underground scene: he was 15 years old when he walked into a club for the first time. Then everything came by itself: a fusion of house and techno, the passion for the acidized sounds filled his mind and his heart.

But listening wasn't enough: the love for the music was to much for not to create something.

So Andrew started a path made by wicked grooves, dropping acid synths and emotional vibes, huge baseline, soulfoul vocals, roland tr-707 on the drums: these featuring characterize at best Andrew's sound.
The love for the analog sound push him over the years to purchase some vintage drum machine and keyboards, to make his sound as better as he can, and to add to his sound some cool old flavour.

Having DJd for years in his native Italy, Andrew turned his hand to production a few years back and promptly set about making some of the most emotive and engaging analogue house and techno around.

Vinyl collector, record lover, for him there's nothing better than watching a wax riding a turntable and listen the music that come from it.
As an eclectic artist, in his sets, Andrew likes to mix from deep to techno, through the house, but people never know what to expect from his large underground music knowledge; old, classic, brand new tunes and own productions makes his set really sophisticated and different each time.

After working on music collaborations for several years, with some friends , early 2011 was time to start sharing solo productions with his first release on Paulatine Records, wellknowed Uner's label. 4 tracks that take attention of many wellknowed djs, like X-Press2 that played the tracks at MOS and on their radioshow, Adam Port who said "Finally something different..." and many others..
Then two vinyl release: first one on the great Barcelona based Kiara Records "Too Much Love Will Kill You", Julien Chaptal on remix, and second one on the New York based imprint Stranjjur Inc, on remix Kris Wadsworth and Baldo; "Close To You" placed 29th on RA Chart.
A great tune with the close friend Frank Naht alongside a remix for Fabio Monesi on friend's label Blackrose Records, and an EP on Espai Music to follow.
End of 2012 was good: EP come out on the Defected's sub label "Tenth Circle"
November 2012 was also time for releasing on Safari Numerique with David Labeji on remix, and the track "No Way" played by Richie Hawtin.
2013 full of work and innovation, with 2 remixes on italian Moan Rec for Meeph, and U.S. based Undulate Recordings for Frank Nath, a really deep EP on his new family Popcorn Records, and jacking mode on for the new release on Safari Numerique.
2014 starts with a vinyl only release on Popcorn Records Ltd, special collaboration with Peter JD and remixes from Amir Alexander and Franco Cinelli.

The path is long and Andrew's research is still long way to end...

Serenace, a mysterious duo based in Chicago and Berlin joins the Shaw Cuts squad with 'The Flying Guillotine' - a weapon shaped like a hat with a blade rim and chain attached.
The weapon serves to brutally quash any defiance against the ironfisted Emperor Yung and his regime. The enforcers are twelve specially trained fighters, The Flying Guillotine squadron. 'Sheltered In Absence', its pushing drums and energetic synth elements, chimes to the cruel deeds of the squadron.
The guard Ma Teng flees when he witnesses the brutality unleashed by the men and the lethal weapon. The raging emperor commands his fighters to capture him, but Ma has disappeared into thin air. - Vitrine', a diverse groove combining swinging percussions and warm melodies circles over head, helping Ma to stay undercover.
The slaughter continues as the squadron relentlessly search for Ma. Ma turns back and confronts the army. Equipped with his own deadly weapon, he joins forces with Kreggo and his - 2in1' remix version, wiping out the squadron one by one.
- Spun Coral' sweeps in, drowning out the sound of guillotines gliding through the air until the last member falls. Silence reigns over the battlefield. But the myth of the fatal weapon remains.

Find Out' is the fifth release on Supervoid Records by Berlin-based DJ and producer, Dustmite.

Sparing no time to fuss about, Dustmite comes storming straight out of the gate with 'Find Out (Remapped)'. Heaving kicks, cutting hats and slapping claps push momentum forward with serious authority. 'Charter' takes a more metronomic approach while maintaining an equal sense of impact with its pulsating basslines and encircling arps. On the flip, 'Find Out' reels the speed back a couple notches with a cinematic pad atmosphere and distant vocal samples ideal to warm up a club at the beginning of a night or to cool down a dancefloor early in the morning. Lastly, 'Combining' favors an optimistically melodic tone with a singing glissando lead synth that makes for a triumphant finish.

Recorded Between The Release Of Sand (1977) And Lost Secrets(1981), Symphonic Songs Is A Formerly Unreleased Work That Chronicles The Dynamic Shift And Development In Experimental Swedish Composer Ragnar Grippe's Canon.

Following His Seminal Release Sandin 1977, Swedish Experimental Composer Ragnar Grippe Worked On Various Art And Performance Commissions, Often Returning To Stockholm During The Summer Months To Focus His Efforts On His Compositional Practice. It Was There At The Famed Ems Studioswhere He Began Employing The Buchla Synthesizer And The Facilities Multi-tracking Capabilities As New Instruments To Map His Mining Of Sound And Movement.

During The Late 1970's, Grippe Formed A Creative Collaboration With Choreographer Susan Buirge, Specifically Writing Compositions For Her Works restes And tamis, Thus Pushing Grippe To Start Working In A More Intricate Studio Environment. These Passages Inspired Grippe Into A More Complex Layering Process That Focused More On Placement And Structure, Rather Than The Aural Floods And Flourishes Of His Previous Sand Album, Eventually Germinating In His First Full 24-track Composition Entitled orchestra.

After Debuting orchestra In 1980 At The Electronic Music Festival In Stockholm, Grippe Holed Up At Ems Studios With Those Lessons And The Fussy Buchla Synthesizer, In Which Grippe Affectionately Recalls needed To Be Tuned And Calibrated Every 20-30 Minutes. He Emerged With A New Commission For Susan Buirge Later Formally Titled Symphonic Songs And Used In Her Avant-garde Theater Piece ci-déla Which Debuted In Paris In 1981.symphonic Songsshowcased Grippe's Sound Au Courant, Pushing Dense Against Sparse, Calm Into Cacophonous, Using Each Track As Its Own Intersecting Plane. Using The Machinations Of Studio And Structure To Drive Symphonic Songs' Voice, Grippe Culled A Haunting, Often Cinematic Electronic Work That Dots And Darts Into Unexpected Corners With Curious Aplomb.

Listen To The Words, Both Terms Have Their Root In Classical Music, But Not In Its Form But Because Now I Had So Many More Stems Or Voices That Could Be Played Simultaneously Compared To My Earlier Pieces. Coming From A Classical Background, But With Big Nostrils For Pop And Jazz Music, I Can Now See A Thread In Which Classical Got A New Costume, Dressed Up In Buchla Synthesizer And Real Bass Sounds Grippe Says. Since Its Live Theater Debut Over 37 Years Ago, Dais Records Releases For The First Time Symphonic Songs, One Of Grippe's Most Ambitious Compositions, As A Deluxe Double Vinyl Lp (with Limited Edition Color Variants) And On Digital Formats. Artwork Packaging By Artist J.s. Aurelius (ascetic House) With Reflective Linear Notes By Ragnar Grippe.

With "Being Water" Lali Puna refine their distinctive take on pop and electronics, pushing the boundaries towards classical songwriting. The four songs - equally affecting and catchy as self-reflected and aloof - are complemented by the airy tripiness of a remix by Dave DK (Kompakt, Pampa Records).

Although singer Valerie Trebeljahr wrote "Being Water" mostly by herself, being backed by bandmates Christian Heiß and Christoph Brandner, she rejects the idea of authorship: "Nothing comes out of myself. I'm a sampler: I write music because I listen to music. And I write lyrics because I read". Accordingly, topics and references of "Being Water" vary quite widely: "Who's That Genius" pays tribute to Virginia Woolf and Madonna - and questions why the term 'genius' is still connoted primarily with maleness. The title track refers to the famous Bruce Lee quote "Be formless, shapeless, like water" - but here it is turned upside down: It was Hito Steyerl's video work "Liquidity Inc." that got Valerie's attention, re-reading the quote as a neoliberal paradigm. In contrast, a title like "For Only Love" might sound a little naive as Valerie claims - but: "It surely won't be hate that will save us all". The lyrics were written after watching Obaidah Zytoons and Andreas Dalsgaards documentary "The War Show".

"Diversity is queen" - this goes for the music as well. While the dreamy pop of "Who's That Genius" or the catchy guitar loops of "Being Water" are in the same vein of Lali Puna's earlier albums, the free-floating piano chords and tricky rhythm patterns of "Beatx" in some ways mark new territory as Valerie explains: "I am very proud of this song because it is so fiddly. I thought that was something reserved for men".

Lakker Return To R&s With Their Stunning New Album, Época. Following 2016's Conceptual 8 Track Maxi-ep struggle And Emerge' (using Field Recordings Of Tv And Radio Broadcasts From The Dutch National Av Archive) Época Is A Bracing Return To Form, Combining Caustic Electronics With Fresh Inspiration From The Prepared Piano Of John Cage, Plaintive Folk Melodies, The Explorative Label Sublime Frequencies And The Raw Rhythms Of Kampala's Nyege Nyege Tapes. 

Following A Restorative Creative Break To Pursue Their Own Solo Projects (as Arad And Eomac Respectively) The Duo Finally Returned To The Studio, Finding Themselves Working More Closely Than Ever Before. "we Wrote This Record Together, In The Studio As A Duo." Ian Explains "previous Records Involved A Lot Of Time Working On Tracks Individually, But Época Was Written Almost Entirely Together In The Studio - It Felt Much More Fun, More Organic And Democratic." We Allowed It To Happen Rather Than Push Or Pressure It" Dara Adds.

The Natural Evolution Of The Tracks And Their Rougher, Looser Production Sound Parallels The Duo's Interest In Two Separate Ideas: Ambient And Natural Sound, Especially The Background Noise - A Sense Of Time And Place - That Is Inherent In Old Recordings Of Folk And Classical Music, And An Interest In Herd Dynamics And Flock Patterns / Murmurations, Both In The Natural World And In Human Society. The Movements Which Affect The World At Large Through Cultural And Political Shifts. "like The First Starling That Causes A Wave In A Murmuration," Ian Explains "we Are Really Interested In How This Is Also Reflected In Human Society - A New Idea Appears And Then Reaches Critical Mass And Resonates Through Society As A Whole, And Change Happens (positive Or Negative)."

The Rich And Deep Work Of Época Finds The Duo Reinvigorated From Their Hiatus, Using Their Own Voices Extensively For The First Time, Alongsides Regular Vocal Collaborator Eileen Carpio. As Dara Explains "we Had Been Experimenting With Our Own Voices In Our Solo Music, So It Felt Like This Was The Moment To Step Out From Behind The Curtain And Put Our Own Vocals Front And Centre In A More Natural Way". This Leads To An At Times More Melodic And Poppier Feeling, Balanced Out By The Off Kilter Rhythms And Blasts Of Feedback And Weathered Reverbs That Intertwine Throughout The Record. 

Once Again The Duo Look To The Outside World For Sonic Inspiration. Alongside The Use Of Physical Modelling Synths The Album Contains Recordings And Samples Of Violin, Guitar And Bodhrán, The Stringboard Of A Piano At Ems Stockholm, Phone Recordings Of Family Gatherings In Dublin And 1970's Dance Music From Jaipur. 
  
'época' Is A Rich, Challenging Album Of Diverse And Intense Soundscapes That Expands On The Scope Of Lakker's Already Multifaceted Music That Finds Them At The Peak Of Their Artistic Powers.

'we Are Living Through Volatile Times, And As Musicians It Is Impossible To Avoid That Being Reflected In Our Work. Época Is A Our Personal Response To The Atmosphere Of These Times And The External Political And Cultural Events That Are Shaping Our World. Some Positive And Hopeful, Some Despondent And Angry, And Some Reflective And Introspective.' 

Rian Treanor will release his anticipated debut album 'ATAXIA' on Planet Mu this March. The striking full-length follows singles for The Death Of Rave and Warp's Arcola imprint as well as live sets at Boilerroom x Genelec, Nyege Nyege festival, tours in India and various high profile EU shows.

The title 'ATAXIA' means 'the loss of full control of bodily movements' and relates to Rian's music which is 'intended to make people's bodies move in unpredictable ways.' He adds 'the angles in the letters, the phonetics seem to mirror the geometry and idiosyncratic patterns in the music.' Rian explains that components of the tracks were made by generating a series of irregular events and re-structuring them, or by destabilising a pattern that is constant.

When asked how the album compares with his previous releases, he says 'My earlier EPs share a similar interest in angular and asymmetrical rhythms that are designed for club sound systems,' adding 'they were more improvised, focusing on sequencing and pattern modulation, using standard drum sounds and synthesiser patches. ATAXIA is more focused and stricter, it's more co-ordinated in terms of the track selection and the rhythmic structures. I spent more time refining the synthesis and sound design, pushing it further than the previous releases.' He expresses an interest in exploring opposites in his music: 'fluidity and syncopation,' 'systematic and unpredictability,' 'reduction and extremity,' 'irregular symmetry,' 'easy listening and brutal'.
There's clear a conceptual backdrop, but the music itself is not overthought. There's an immediate joy to much of the album - check out ATAXIA_D3 with its wonderful cut-ups and modulations of the phrase 'people don't understand people.'

The roots of Rian's playful sound are directly linked to his love of the music he grew up with. Coming from Sheffield, you can hear elements of industrial, synth-pop, bleep, extreme computer music and speed garage at play. From Cabaret Voltaire to Warp and beyond; the sound of his city has been, and is, an integral part of his musical development and is still a direct influence.

Last year, he noted in an interview that "I'm not a computer programmer, I'm not an articulate person in that kind of way. I'm a visual artist." Now he elaborates 'I meant more that I'm a visual thinker.' Drawing and visual art have been a fundamental part of his life 'since I was a child. I got really into graffiti as a teenager and around the same time I got into mixing and these both developed together.' You can sense the mind of a visual artist at work in his music which is also reflected in the artwork he created for this project.

As well as his visual art, installations and multichannel sound works he is involved in numerous collaborations such as with composer Nakul Krishnamurthy exploring the common ground between Indian classical music and electronic music and his work with improv saxophonist Karl D'Silva, plus his time studying with Lupo at Dubplates and Mastering in Berlin (who taught him the 'importance of reduction') have all helped shape and push his sound into other unique and adventurous zones. Treanor is developing on different levels and in different forms all at the same time, re-imagining the intersection of club culture, experimental art and computer music, presenting an insightful and compelling musical world of fractured and interlocking components.

Developer is back on Juxta Position's Failsafe imprint once more with 4 fresh cuts of techno, displaying a deeper side to his unique take on the style. 'Get this' is most reminiscent of the sound he is most known and loved for, with it's booming drums and strange wavetable voices, but 'Ethnic Identity' breaks away from more his usual template with it's organic sounding loops and dramatic strings. Likewise, mood setter 'Over Nepal', lays down an intense vibe whilst ep closer 'Zebra' pairs up a memorable melodic pattern with his more usual driving percussion. Developer once again displays his broad influences and unique production style, whilst pushing the sound of contemporary techno forward. PLAY LOUD!