quête:repeat repeat

The stage is set from minute one on Clay Wilson's new 4-track EP, "Skandha," his second release for The Bunker New York.
The eponymous first track begins with a familiar techno throb, but is quickly overcome by a blooming swirl of coruscating synthesizer pulses that seem to gather inside the listener's head, a phenomenon Wilson seems particularly interested in: "I've never been into really straightforward club techno that works in neat 8- and 16-bar sequences," he says. "I'm always looking for things that have forward momentum, ways to escape that 'block-y,' downbeat-centric feeling that you find in so much contemporary techno. For me, it's the drone—what's going on in the background—that serves to hold my interest."

Nowhere is this more apparent than on the record's second track, "Cataleptic." The meat of the track is its tightly-wound techno core built from insistent, hypnotic percussion, but it's what's happening in the background that keeps you coming back for more: The sound of a babbling brook and a plaintive, meandering bird call ("the only actual recorded animal sounds on the record," notes Wilson) gently give way to the tintinnabulation of a distant bell, whose meditative timbre brings to mind a Tibetan singing bowl. It turns out that the naturalistic, organic sounds in many of Wilson's tracks are often just that: "I make field recordings all the time, actually—on my phone," he says. "I've found field recordings have been a great way to pull things along, never repeating themselves, but also never being so upfront as to draw your attention away from the synths and drums."

That's a key point, and make no mistake—for all the flora and fauna lurking in the background of Wilson's productions, they're designed for the dancefloor through and through. "Feres," the EP's third track, slows down the pace a little bit, keeping time with a static kick-hat pattern while chunky, stepped percussion laid on top makes the track feel remarkably dynamic. The final cut, "Pict," seems to slowly unfurl like flowers at dawn, while a ghostly vocal sample (or merely something approaching it) repeats itself underneath it all.

While at times the drawn-out shimmering tones in Wilson's work may recall modern minimalism, "getting into techno, and more specifically techno production, was kind of a way for me to get away from (formal, classical musical) training," he recalls. "I had been headed down an open-minded, anything-goes path with a compositionally-geared approach, and ... all those paths led to techno." And for that, we're glad.

Originally released as a strictly limited 10-inch vinyl record exclusive on Record Store Day 2012, this long sold-out must-have for fans of these two artists will finally be re-issued - this time in 12-inch format!
Erased Tapes label mates Ólafur Arnalds and Nils Frahm recorded and mixed their first collaborative record between Reyjkjavík and Berlin as a surprise release for label founder Robert Raths.
The ambient/electronic work 'Stare' is a true family effort with long-time collaborator Anne Müller joining in on cello and all graphics created by close label-friend and designer Torsten Posselt of FELD Studios.

Words by Nils Frahm: 'I heard 'Eulogy For Evolution' for the first time six years ago and I was totally captivated. Impossible to know back then that I was supposed to meet Ólafur many years later as my label mate. Later when he took me along a tour of his we also noted that we kind of like hanging out together, doing important things like cover versions of long forgotten songs or eating veggie pizza. Also he would join my live set for a jam and I would return the favour by playing along with his set.

All in all, I fell for Óli and after one memorable jam session we had in Berlin at Roter Salon in 2011, he finally proposed the idea to visit me in my studio in Berlin to work on 'some music'. I was happy and delighted about that idea, so we got together in April 2011 and after having a big pizza, I plugged in some old analogue synths and we played for four days until late in the night. Also queen Anne Müller stopped by after a show with Agnes Obel to record some cello at 5 am in the morning for 'b1'. Making music together with people is lovely!

The time I spent with Óli in Berlin made me very happy and the music wasn't like anything I have heard before. It was all very reduced and minimal and I felt like I couldn't have done this alone. So we decided to do another 4-day jam at Óli´s E7 studio in Reykjavik. So I flew there in the end of October 2011 to repeat the trick and record some out of this world ambient music. It didn't take us too long to write 'a1' and 'a2'. I can't wait for the follow up!'

Tough, to the point, no-nonsense machine music is a longstanding Midwestern tradition.
Drawing a line all the way back to the old guard, The Bunker New York's latest EP is Walk The Distance, courtesy of Mark Verbos, a techno veteran and New Yorker by way of Milwaukee who put together four pieces of heavyweight dancefloor artillery, informed by an intimate, inside-out knowledge of the machinery used in the production of these tracks.

"I've been doing this for a long time. In the beginning, there was only hardware, and it feels better to make music with physical objects. Plus, I make hardware, too," says Verbos, recounting his production processes. Verbos not only produces music, he also produces the hardware he uses to make music—his company, Verbos Electronics, manufactures Eurorack synthesizer modules with a vintage sensibility. When he's making music, Verbos says, "I try to get to know the devices I use well enough that whatever I imagine can come from them. Techno is machine music. When I'm recording, it's just me and the machines."

The music, however, speaks for itself. No punches are pulled here—the record starts in top gear with "Start Up Drive," a devastating techno bomb centered around a throbbing, repeating bassline and a meaty kick drum that builds to a massive climax in the span of five minutes. "In The Back Room" kicks the tempo up a notch, featuring spaced-out atmospheric synth leads floating atop syncopated percussion. "Just A Little Late" is funkier than the other two, built around a rubbery, insistent synthesizer groove that worms its way deep into your head and doesn't let go.

The aforementioned three tracks alone would comprise a solid techno EP suitable for any number of dancefloors. But the last track on the record—its namesake—shifts gears entirely. "Walk The Distance" is a moody, pulsing slow burner, introspective and emotional. It's a haunting listen that adds remarkable depth and complexity to the record. "Walk The Distance, the track, is a reference to the fact that music is not a career. Any advice you could offer someone on how to have a successful career doesn't really apply to a career in music. By that I mean to say, process is everything, and the results don't really matter."

Sage advice indeed, but judging by Walk The Distance, Mark Verbos has figured out how to produce results that matter.

Revered Belgian DJ and producer Mugwump proudly presents his longawaited debut album on his Subfield imprint. An impeccable nine track LP, informed by two decades as a globe-trotting DJ, producing tracks that have inspired everyone from Andrew Weatherall to Mr. Scruff. A mainstay from the Belgian club scene, on the ground in Ibiza in the early 90's, behind the cult Food Club in the late 90's, now running his own Leftorium clubnight in Brussels, with releases on the highly influential Kompakt label but also on R&S, Gigolo, Cocoon, Gigolo, Eskimo, Permanent Vacation or Throne of Blood... Mugwump has the CV to deliver one of the year's most eclectic and inventive studio albums, a timeless excursion into modern-day, leftfield dance-pop and mutant disco with heavy New-Beat influences. Produced with his partner Olivier Grégoire, it also gathers a solid list of collaborators : Circlesquare's Jeremy Shaw (!K7/Output), Brussels guitar wizard Raphael Lee (aka Spookhuisje), Luke Jenner (ex-The Rapture), Norway 's cosmic disco lords Päl Nyhus of Mungolian Jet Set and Tore Gjedrem from Ost & Kjex, Belgian multi-instrumentalist Stephan Fedele, Philip Janzen (frontman of Cologne's Krautrock-Disco band Von Spar) and Sami « Morpheus » Birnbach from 80's cult punkfunk/new-wave band Minimal Compact.

KEY POINTS
-Mugwump's SF001 and SF002 releases have been supported by Pachanga Boys, Ivan Smagghe, Horse Meat Disco, A Love from Outer Space, Huxley, Jack Savidge (Friendly Fires), Sasha, Ben Pearce, Groove Armada, Andrew Weatherall, Erol Alkan and featured in Mixmag, Clash, Ransom Note, Resident Advisor, DJ Mag, Phuturelabs, Insomniac and repeatedly in France's prime-time news show Le Petit Journal (Canal +)

-This album will be supported by a 4/5 piece live band, with SF002 collaborator DC Salas plus Raphael Lee (Spookhuisje), Stephan Fedele and Mugwump, plus a live drummer when possible. Early tryout dates already scheduled in Brussels (23.01 Maison du Peuple/20.02 Central)

-Freeman PR will be handling the full album UK campaign targeting all the major blogs, webzines, specialist and mainstream print medias with also tba UK plugger targeting radios. Two original videos are being finished right now.

-Mugwump co-runs and resides at the highly-rated Leftorium clubnight in Brussels and has a weekly radio show on FM Brussel, running for 10 years now.

Droid Recordings presents a new 2-tracker from the talented Argentian producer Flug. 'Cognitive Process' burrows through the listener's subconscious, starting on the A side with 'Experience,' a polyrhythmic vortex driven by a buzzing, 2-pitch motif.
'Senses' builds hypnotically around a single, repeating tone into a slamming, aggressive power. Both tracks keep things driving and fast-paced toward the 130 BPM range.

Federsen returns to Fifth Interval for another sublime instalment of dance floor friendly dub-techno. Dewpoint is an altogether tighter affair when compared to the label's first release, Point Reyes.

The drums are taut and razor-sharp, propelling the listener effortlessly through a dense fog of ferric clouds, swelling to fill the outer-reaches of the echo chamber. A highly polished metallic production style that can be compared to some of Andy Stott's early and classic works.

Tomas Rubek remixes Dewpoint for the B-side, remaining faithful to the original track's structure but viewing it through a tinted lens. Dewpoint's chords become iridescent, kick drums fall into a straighter pattern and are backed by further dusty percussion, shifting the original into spheres inhabited by the likes of Rod Modell and Fluxion.

12" 180g vinyl with printed sleeve.

Mastered by Lewis at Stardelta.

"Original mix is dope." - Brendon Moeller (Beat Pharmacy)

"Really digging this remix. It's been on repeat this morning." - Silent Season

"Full support, I will play it, love Federsen's work!" - Fingers in the Noise

"Played on BBC Radio" - Steve Barker (The Wire)

Great music extends father than your ears can hear. Listening to resent recordings of Peder Mannerfelts music is listening to recordings of a complete creative flow. Superb tracks created inside of Peder Mannerfelts Villa Nellcôte.
Opener "Rhythm Inflection" is similar to a heartbeat but rebuilt using a parade of machines and biting ice-cold sounds that implies a climax that never comes.
Repetitive thuds are the wrecking ball of "Technology As Apathy" while saw waves continuously crunch until your ear are obliterated on "Failed Grammar". "Titled" is the centerpiece, however. Its sonic gears grind into hollowed-out spheres. A voice from the heavens echoes "Reset, reduce, turn up, repeat" until the words lose all meaning and are battered into the metal walls by distilled rhythms.
EP2 is the last ashes of a manuscript that's been waiting for ages to be turned into dust. It is the final nail in the coffin of his past that began with EP1 and Lines Describing Circles. Peder Mannerfelts music is gradual and always on the move, the process spans over the whole production.

Big Strick and Generation Next follow up their highly successful CD album " Like Father Like Son" with a vinyl double album. It features 7 songs from the album along with a bonus track from Generation Next. With vocals tracks featuring Don Q and Tony Coates, Next and Strick bring us flavor and funk. ' The Ride' features Tony Coates, bringing lyrics for the soul. Along with the warm vocals is a warm bass and moving percussion. 'Ypree' is the bonus track produced by Generation Next. It is a mellow, hard hitting underground track. Hard drums and loud claps. Reverbed high hats and repeating congas.

Away from the hypnotic mayhem of the floating roofscapes, we see fractured images cycling faster.
Just as clouds follow the wind, airy soundscapes track the low-end groundwork with grainy artifacts bursting in amongst the thick.
Lost in this surrounding ambience, the B side carves its way with a resonant materiality where shattering hi-hats pull you out of a hypnotic semi-dormant state.
(B2) enters a sound voyage, an intimate balance between gloomy atmospheres, dark sirens and repeated upcoming unidentified melodies, that play against the ceaseless motion of the hi-hat motive.

Here we are with the first Curle of 2012, after a lengthy but refreshing hibernation. To wake up slowly but surely, we picked out these two fine dubby techno tunes. The A-side is kinda housey even. Man at work is Resoe from Copenhagen, a fixture on the Danish Echocord label. He is also a part of Pattern Repeat and runs his own Baum imprint. We will release this one on limited transparent green & white mixed vinyl.