Cerca:reason

A multi-platform production that explores the overlap between the digital and the organic through field recordings of Inuit throat singing may sound, on surface level, to be something that is a rather niche. However, Zoe Mc Pherson's exploration of this world on String Figures is a deeply rhythmic, immersive and forward-thinking piece of electronic- leaning music that remains just as danceable as it does experimental.
The album is fundamentally one of duality, exploring the traditional and the contemporary, organic and electronic, audio and visual, history and the future. Rooted in this duality is also a core theme around string being one of the most ancient and playful art forms and the seemingly infinite possibilities it offers in terms of shapes, structures and figures lines up with this as a trans-global art project. One that over time will involve video art, choreography, 3D motion design, macro film, instrumental and electronic sound. Although for now is being presented through an AV performance, films and a record with Mc Pherson collaborating with director Alessandra Leone.!
Over the seven tracks (which are laid out as chapters) the record explores glitchy electronics, dub-tinged grooves, polyrhythms, and a huge array of instruments that takes in quiet blasts of atonal sax alongside wonky synths. This of course cross-pollinates with the throat singing and experimental field recordings to create an utterly inimitable sonic sphere. For Mc Pherson it's about mixing worlds, histories and timeframes and she uses a 1991 quote from Laurie Spiegel to hit home how she has elaborated upon this original thought of history and future overlapping. 'Folk music is considered anonymous common property in a culture and that's what a lot of computer music and other kinds of music data may end up becoming.' However, there's also a purer reason for the exploration of these worlds and colliding them together. 'Basically I thought that electronic music that is only digital is a bit boring and as I'm connected to jazz music for many reasons, I wanted it to sound organic: real instrumentation, field recordings.'

Try love was originally recorded by Norma Jenkins and pitched to Motown who passed on the track (this version only survives on acetate). Master of the girl group Herb Bernstein picked up the track and recorded the version you hear on this 45 which for whatever reason failed to make a dent until it was picked up first by the Belgian Popcorn scene and later the Northern scene, demand far outstripped supply and this rare 45 became very expensive. A haunting, odd and beautiful record to this day the members of The Sparkles remain a mystery.

These rare recordings were recorded as part of the legendary prescription label
album series in the late 1990's that resulted in the album "Astral Disaster".
Coil were invited to record at sun dial's studios beneath the London Bridge Hop Exchange. This studio was originally know as Samurai studios that was originally built and owned by Iron Maiden. The premises in Victorian times was an old debtors prison which had three levels underground, and still had the original chains, manacles and wrought iron doors from the old prison. This caught the attention of John Balance and was very keen to record there.

At Gary Ramon's invitation, Coil spent a number of days recording at the studio during Halloween 1998 and they developed a number of tracks some of which resulted in the "Astral Disaster" album.
For various reasons, some of the unissued material and mixes released on this album were omitted from the original Astral Disaster album, and so now is the opportunity to listen to the "Astral Disaster" sessions.

The album includes previously unissued mixes, and the rare version of "I Don't Want To Be The One" that was only included on the very rare 1999 promo CD only Prescription sampler and the 14 minute track "Cosmic disaster" that was the original working title of the album.

Taken from the master tapes and remastered by Denis Blackham.

The band project Drums Off Chaos was one of the central and on-going projects of the recently deceased drummer Jaki Liebezeit (who is normally associated first and foremost with the Cologne-based band CAN). In the early 1980s he had initiated an - at first - loose collective of drummers, who created a rhythmic concept on the basis of simple, strictly binding codes that enabled expansive improvisations.

Over the years the ensemble became smaller and refined its collaboration marked by repetitive patterns and their variation. You have to play monotonous,' a membr of the audience had already told Liebezeit in the 1960s. He took this to heart and there was hardly any other formation where he could bring this concept to life as regularly and with as much inspiration as in Drums Off Chaos.
During a development spanning more than three decades, this extra-ordinary band, which never saw itself as such, made numerous recordings but rarely any releases. However, in the last few months of his life Jaki Liebezeit, with colleagues Reiner Linke, Maf Retter and Manos Tsangaris, earmarked some tracks for imminent release on vinyl and CD - on different compilations. Liebezeit's death is all the more reason to go ahead with this plan.

For house heads of a certain persuasion, DJ Duke is a name that resonates for all the right reasons. The U.S. veteran has been responsible for some of the 90's most seminal moments, chiefly through tracks such as '12 Minutes to Do It' (under his Pleasure Dome alias), 'Party Time' and the Prosumer-endorsed deep house classic, 'Heard'. He returns here courtesy of emerging imprint Solo Werks, who host his latest EP, 'Green Pastures'. A momentous house-led workout, it compounds Duke's reputation as a producer of considerable panache while also acting as an auspicious start to life for the Dublin based label.

The title track is a grainy, old-school cut that bears all the hallmarks of a dusty analogue-jam and harks back to the days of vintage Chicago with the sort of zest you'd expect from a man of Duke's credentials. The other original, 'Skyscapes', is packed to the brim with industrial motifs and is characterised by the sort of effortlessly catchy baseline with which Duke has made his name. Mysterious and ethereal, it takes the listener on an uncompromising and throughly captivating house journey from the off.

On the flip side, we have two stunning remixes, the first of which arrives from New Jersey don, Ruben Candelario AKA Nicuri. A long-time favourite of NYC-based producers a la Joey Anderson, Nicuri turns 'Green Pastures' into a dreamy, acid-led space, adding layers of suspense and a glittering vocal intto the mix as he goes. Last but not least are Dublin-based producers Slowburn, who serve up a stunning version of "Skyscapes". A carefully construed voyage into the deep, it caps off a fine EP with some aplomb.

'Y.O.U' is an emotive album of tripped out ambient hip hop instrumentals by FROM, written and recorded in the mid 90s under Trevor Jackson's infamous production persona The Underdog. Originally planned as a vocally-led, song-based project that should've surfaced between his production for The Brotherhood's legendary British hip hop album 'Elementalz' in 1996 and his acclaimed debut PLAYGROUP release in 2001, for multiple reasons it hasn't seen the light of day, until now.
Only Available as a ultra limited edition Vinyl and CD release, the LP consists of 11 tracks. Dream-like synth lines, ambient melodies, blissful guitars, raw beats and soft, fractured vocals draw you into a hallucinatory 12bit world. Drawing on Jackson's progressive and jazz rock influences as well as psychedelia and early electronics, the album closes with 'Belladonna'- a piano-sampled homage to the east coast golden age hip hop pioneers. NB: The CD features a longer version of 'Veratrum' not available on the vinyl version. All created on an Akai S950 mono sampler (limited to only 20 seconds sampling time), an Akai MG1212 12 channel mixer (which recorded on Betamax style tapes) and primitive outboard gear, Jackson honed his skills from his bedroom, where he produced the majority of his output at the time. With a huge collection of obscure vinyl, he dug deep into uncharted territories for samples and sound clips
- using material no one knew about (or would think about touching) in the mid 90s. The Underdog's initial releases were on Jackson's own Bite It! recordings label, which was started in 1991. A unique platform for UK hip hop with a visual aesthetic and ethos more akin to ECM and Factory
than other rap labels, its mission was to push artists beyond musical and cultural limitations prevalent at the time.
Home to artists like The Brotherhood, Scientists of Sound, Little Pauly Ryan and Lewis Parker (who later signed to Massive Attack's Melancholic label), Bite It! became a great success;
finally British rap had artists and releases that looked and sounded as good as their revered American counterparts. In 1993 Richard Russell (who had just started running XL recordings) asked Trevor to remix House of Pain, resulting in a top ten record, which helped launch Jackson's musical career via further remixes Massive Attack, Run DMC, U2, The Cure and countless others. Off the back of his remix success, The Brotherhood signed a deal in 1994 with Virgin Records. Their 'ELEMENTALZ' album was produced by Jackson and is still lauded by many as one of the finest British hip hop albums of all time.
Jackson continued to remix and produce as The Underdog until managerial issues forced him out of the project he'd been instrumental in instigating.
Soon after his close friend and manager tragically passed away - which when combined with the UK hip hop scene becoming increasingly volatile and the moral demise of rap culture in general - convinced Trevor to hang up his hip hop hat for good.
After leaving The Brotherhood he started Output Recordings. Internationally and sonically diverse, it gave Jackson a free reign to do as he pleased, with genre twisting releases from the likes of Fridge, Four Tet, Sonovac, Colder, his own PLAYGROUP project, The Rapture and LCD Soundsystem. With a non-compromising attitude, strong DIY aesthetic and consistently groundbreaking releases across its ten year life between 1996 and 2006, it became one of the most important and respected independent labels in the world.

Debut album of Manchester post-punk band."When I was first told about Duds, it came with the considered opinion that the guys were far from what you'd call 'careerists'. 'They don't take themselves too seriously' was another comment. I could have taken this as a warning that they weren't in it for the right reasons—but that couldn't be further from the truth. From my perspective Duds simply won't bend over backwards to 'get on'. They do what they do and you can take it or leave it. I took it—with both hands...with a vice-like grip. They have the invention and urgency of Edinburgh legends The Fire Engines. The Post-Punk ethic. Short songs, short sets = short album.They're one of the most thrilling bands I've seen in years—and the fact that they're releasing this brilliant piece of work on the Castle Face label adds the last piece of a perfect 'outsider' jigsaw puzzle. Duds sitting alongside Oh Sees, Ty Segall, White Fence, Useless Eaters, et al. There is a god!" —Marc Riley, June 2017

The following release on Sublunar Records is a debut EP from a young emerging talent: The Berlin based producer Nh.
"Nihil" is a selection of four heterogeneous tracks in terms of intensity and mood, each one being singular for different reasons but yet coherent by the round-around-the-edges production style, they have been executed in as well as their creator s personal imagery and unorthodox approach to the techno genre.
Warmth and empathy first appear as the driving forces behind Noro , until they vanish and let place to insanity and darkness, present and growing throughout Lothar . On the flip side the eponymous track shows a rave-like up-tempo beat being outweighed by the melancholy of its melodic elements. Finally, in Crimson , a quiet and unstoppable force push us out of the abyss until we reach the initial point again.

he Copenhagen based pop wonders Blaue Blume return with a new EP - 'Sobs'. The band formed around 6 years ago in a provincial Danish town, drawn to each other's love for rich, playful music. Blaue Blume (blue flower) is the epitome of a romantic band, their songs are brimming with love and yearning. Now 'Sobs', the follow up to their 'Syzygy' album in 2015, continues to build their reputation as a best kept secret, about to find a whole new audience of devotees. All four tracks for the EP were recorded in late 2016 in a three story villa, formerly owned by a religious cult. The band used the weird space away from the city to create a framework for the lyrics and the music. The band explains: 'Blaue Blume has been our band for about 6 years. In a bigger provincial town we started playing right out of highschool. At the moment we live in Copenhagen and every day we play, write and work on sounds. It's sort of become a life project. In our heads we make music that is playful, rich in detail and popish or somewhat smiling. For some beautifully inexplicable reason we ended up doing music together. In a way it seems sacred or at least meaningful. Macabre is a happy song about being afraid of dying. Some of us find that even the best life can be lonely sometimes. We found it interesting to address this taboo within the frame of a song that people could potentially dance or sing along to.

Repress
Leuk en Ko is the Dutch bastard child by Unit Moebius members Jan Duivenvoorden and Richard van den Bogaert. Creating a vault of hard to classify material from mid eighties until early nineties, it didn't get out there for whatever reason. After ''De Snoei 1'' appeared on ''World of Rubber 3'', the big follow-up is here â an album of 13 selected ''songs'' mastered from tape, pressed on vinyl and put in a nifty package (song texts included!) that works like a charm at home, on the floor or at a funeral.

Fourth studio album by East Coast hip hop collective. Originally released in 2001 & now reissued on double black 140gm vinyl with download code insert.

ick Lenoir and Larry Thompson aka Black Traxx dropped several volumes of their own brand of chopped up Disco sampling, deeper side of House. From 1991 through to 1994 the Black Traxx EP's were showing up in record stores, obviously giving respectful nods to other Chicago DJ's and producers the tracks included on the EP's contained a DIY spirit and rawness that were key ingredients. Lenoir, with the technical assistance of Gary 'Jackmaster' Wallace has revisited these classic releases for 2017 and the pair have turned in some special, exclusive extended versions of some of the highlights from the series.
This, the second sampler of Black Traxx cuts culled from the various volumes picks up nicely where part 1 left us off. If it's that raw, deep, basement Chicago House sound you're after then these guys have you covered. Kicking off with the 1993 remix of 'Dreamin' which is a sublime late night organ driven groover, this one ticks all the boxes if you dig that NY / NJ Garage sound, but with a Chi-town twist! 'Soul' is up next, lifted from 1993's 'The Soul Package' collection. A stripped back, vocal led jam steeped in atmosphere. This one is for the dancers for sure, no nonsense House music for heads and hips.
Flip it over and the B-side opens with 'Shake', a tough, gritty, percolating banger with a tribal-esque edge. This one's a weapon and almost fits into that Baltimore / Chicago 'ghetto House' mould. A proper club track, no prisoners taken. This one has been gently extended by Rick and Gary for maximum club pressure! EP finisher 'Party' is a much more subdued groove giving a respectful nod to the JB's with that infamous 'Paaaarty' chant. No frills in the best possible way this one's another solid club groove, pure food for hungry turntables and sound-systems. All of the tracks included on these samplers have been carefully selected, arranged, edited and extended for precisely these reasons!
This reissue has been realised with the full involvement of Rick Lenoir and Gary Wallace and is 100% legit! All exclusive extended edits have been made by Rick and Gary specifically for this release. Don't snooze, this one deserves a spot in any self respecting House heads record bag or DJ set, classic material made available again for 2017 - You can't stop it!

Lanthan.Audios 10th release extracts and converts to a piece of music where label-known souls join together to celebrate the jubilee in a reasonable way. This sets the focus on the human form and thereby Lanthan presents itself in a new vestment for this anniversary. The architecture of mother nature.
This is Lanthan.Extracts Vol I.

Music has always coursed through Roman Lindau's blood. Even if he weren't the accomplished producer and respected DJ he is today, the German audiophile would still be spending all his money on the stuff; giving over all his time to the art form. ''I'm a music junkie. I need music to live'' he states matter-of-factly. ''For me it's the elixir of life.''

Good job, then, that he gets to spend his ..


Roman Lindau is a German techno DJ, artists and producer, as well as being a core member of the infamous Fachwerk Records from Berlin.

Music has always coursed through Roman's veins ever since he was a young boy so it is no suprise that he became the accomplished producer and highly respected DJ that he is today.

In the late 2000´s Lindau became active in the Berlin electronic music scene, beginning to play music in clubs as well as producing his own music. The first track he released in 2008 on his home label Fachwerk Records appeared in one the world famous Berghain Mix Compilations, mixed by Len Faki. Following from this Berghain invited Roman to contribute an exclusive Track for Ben Klock´s Berghain Mix in 2009. After this success the gates opened for him to play regularly as a DJ at Berghain.

At the same time he continued to work on music for Fachwerk Records. He produced dance floor smashers like ´Crasse´ in 2011 and ´Rave on´ in 2014, which were charted by the likes of Ben Klock, Sven Väth & Chris Liebing, afirming his deserved place amongst the techno elite.

More recently in 2015 the well known Victor Calderone from NYC invited Roman to release on his label Matter+.

The reason why Roman is such a great DJ is because of the fact he knows what the people want! ''I love to dance and that's very important: as DJ you need to feel what the crowd want so you can help them to party and have fun.'' Combining a varied selection of raw house and techno in his sets, recent bookings have taken Roman across the world; from the hallowed techno Mecca that is Berghain to dark underground clubs as part of the recent Fachwerk label tour. He has performed at every legendary Berlin venue, past and present from Tresor to Berghain, and it is this that gives Roman the edge above the rest. If you can do it there, you can do it anywhere! From 2014 Till the closing he was a resident DJ at Stattbad, one of Berlins findest adress for Electronic Music.

It was the 23rd century, mankind's darkest hour. The war had been raging for almost a hundred years. We had been fighting for so long, no one could even remember the reason why it all started in the first place. For decades millions died for the same piece of rock. Again and again and again.
The hope was to start over, free from the prejudices that had divided us for so long. That was 800 years ago. When we came here to rebuild our lives.
We've come a long way since then, we have grown, we have prospered, we have flourished, but we will never forget.

...and in the end, not a great deal is known about the Spanish duo Futuro. The saga begins with the discovery of a cache of test pressings deep within the shelves of a very dusty record shop near the Plaza Del Toros De Valencia. As is the case with these things there was no promo sheet or any other information outside of three clues etched into the run-out groove: Futuro, Jollyman, MCMLXXXVII. Through deduction and reasoning it was soon realised that Jollyman was a short lived Italian record label that closed it's doors in 1987. There were rumours for a while that Jollyman was a mafia wedding gift to a music enthused female family member, but as the journey continued it became slightly more likely that this was a tax write-off for it's owners, as the label itself was never very successful, and was more likely an afterthought rather than a full on passion project. That is not to say that there were not gems hidden within it's small catalogue, most notably from noted library musician, composer and arranger Alessandro Signoretti, without whose help this release would not be presently in front of you. Alessandro's assistance led us to the infamous Hafenklang Studio in Hamburg, Germany. The very same studio used by Boytronic to record their classic LP 'The Continental' (some of the same DX presets can easily be heard on both albums) and despite the insane amounts of musicians that have passed through those doors the owner clearly remembered the duo and finally the mysterious Futuro had names: Javier C Rayón and Raúl Láynez.Too late for the Italo boom, and too early for the Sonido De Valencia craze, the recordings of Futuro have sat on master tapes since 1987 finally awaiting their much deserved audience. Bordello A Parigi are more than proud to present this lost Late slow-mo synthesizer Italo masterpiece onto the world.

Don't shoot me, I'm only the piano player.

The Scene: The Welsh mountains, remote and harsh, a special place. A good place to produce a special album. The characters: Volker Bertelmann in his friend Adam Fuests' studio, equipped with only a piano and a laptop. The Project: To record a album of piano music. Title: Hauschka.

Piano music is highly personal music, which is the reason why piano solo albums occupy a particular place of importance in a musician's work - not that Volker Bertelmann wants to hype his first foray to that extent, hence the pseudonym. Nevertheless Hauschka is personal music, simply because it has accompanied him for so long, because it has always been there in some shape or form, because it has always been important. The title points to the fact that it is dealing with something of import, not just a few finger exercises or background ivory-tinkling.

Substantial' is a snapshot of a life spent with the black and white keys, and is simultaneously both moment and history, thought and feeling, yet without turning into a unduly meaningful concept album. Rather, Substantial' is based upon the least conceptual of all concepts: Improvisation. Each track is based upon an opening sequence, the theme of which is extended, modulated and varied with, as far as form or length is concerned, no specific objective in mind. What has come out is music of a differing, well, substance: Eleven atmospheric pieces in which a variety of different techniques overlap and rhythmical images with narrative depth unfold, in which further instruments, such as double bass or vibraphone make a fleeting appearance, at once lending a hint of pop, but at no time detracting from the piano as central instrument, in which experimental and electronic music is accessed without compromising the directness and ease of the improvisational approach.

The confluence of Bertelmann's multiple musical personality can be apprehended here: Whilst the pop-oriented musician plays the melody, the electronic producer gently experiments with sounds, leaving the pianist quite literally to manipulate the piano, - plucking the strings with a plectrum, dampening them or bowing them lengthways to achieve a variety of percussive effects. Following the recording, the tracks were adapted, supplemented and finalized. Using multi-tracking, up to four piano tracks were superimposed, electronic sounds from the laptop added, as well Stefan Schneider's bass (Mapstation, To Rococo Rot, Music A.M.) on three tracks.

Celebrating the imprint's 10th anniversary, Mike Dehnert returns to his own Fachwerk label with a new full length LP available in 2x12" and digital, following a striking 12" on DJ Koze's Pampa Records at the end of 2016. Across 10 tracks, here Dehnert explores new territory with a restrained and subtle sound while retaining his commanding touch when it comes to creating deep club music. Intro sets the tone of the album, providing an profusion of tidal tones and textures that soak the listener in sound. Before long though, you're listening to the percussive stabs and pensive drums of Between No Words. Here we hear for the first time on the record the subtle but remarkable vocals of Albert Vogt, who returns throughout the LP. Listeners will also be reminded of Dehnert's skill for crafting complex and emotional music with very few elements, which becomes only more evident as this LP opens up. From here Dehnert traverses through dubbed out techno, deep house and downtempo, all with an experimental playfulness and a lightness of touch that only a producer with his talent and raw experience could pull off. The album peaks with the storming Providing Home 2. With swirling, unpredictable arpeggios, hard hitting drums and a sparingly used vocal hook, this is the track that'll ignite ecstasy across dancefloors for years to come. From here, Dehnert quickly cleanses the palette with the beatless Starground, a ringing and pulsing synth piece, pierced by all manner of klangs and bleeps. This perfectly sets up the album's final epic, Laxwax. Another one aimed squarely at the club, but this time it's for darker dancefloors. In stark contrast to its predecessors on the record, this track is insular, hypnotic and raw. Not content to end on such a note, Dehnert provides one last exertion. Outro is bombastic and pounding, with a rave inspired synth line and heavily swung percussion. Topped with cut up and percussive vocals, the track lives up to it's name summing up the LP and adding to it at the same time. This thoughtful record takes elements of modern pop music and extrapolates them with a patience rarely found within the genre itself. Backed by Dehnert's exceptional experience when it comes to producing club music, the result is an album that's simultaneously poppy and experimental, yet fundamentally rooted in techno. It's for that reason that this will surely be such a crossover hit; it has a palette that is broad yet refined, that will undoubtedly reach new ears while appeasing and surprising familiar ones.

Spiros Kaloumenos has been one of the key artists of Planet Rhythm at an earlier stage. This time he's back with a completely recrafted style that perfectly fits the label's current state of mind. Adventurous Techno with thumping beats and at times a little acidic touch. The Greek artist comes up with a killer four track EP that goes from the sturdy beats of 'Introvert Shadow', through the acid tainted '101 Reasons'to the rave inspired anthem called ''De Forme''. We're happy to welcome Spiros back to Planet Rhythm. A bonus track named 'Intensity Game' is included in the digital release

Roots In Heaven is a Berlin-based act that could very easily capitalize on his past accomplishments within the world of intrepid electronic music. As a label owner, resident DJ at cutting-edge clubs, and accomplished solo artist behind a number of conceptually unique full-length albums, the conceiver of this project won't likely need any introduction to the intrepid fans of electronic music. As an extension of this artist's already solid commitment to deep sound, Roots in Heaven represents a new voyage without the help of biographical cues to his listeners: hidden behind an evocative mesh mask lined with obsidian feathers, Roots in Heaven ignores the need to provide 'social proof' or self-justification. He communicates purely through the language of concentrated sensory impression, for which reason he has titled his debut, 'Petites Madeleines,' after one of the most memorable descriptive sequences in literary history (the famous meditation on the madeleine from Proust's À la recherche du temps perdu). As a prelude to the first full-length, Roots In Heaven has issued an untitled EP as a resounding 'shot across the bow'. However, this record is no half-conceived experiment to see what works and what doesn't, nor does it even feel like an 'EP' (in the traditional meaning of being a précis whose full report is available elsewhere). Attentive listening to its contents can cause a kind of time dilation, and a mysterious feeling of entering a world where familiar dualities (nature vs. technology, action vs. contemplation) are replaced by a feeling of total immanence. The A-side, 'Sang des Betes", accomplishes this with cascading, viscous layers of electronic tones that narrow and widen, rise and fall like the breath of some ancient entity. Periodically, bright flashes of tone arc across the horizon of the sound space, emphatically present but also elusive.