A Mountain of One return with their second single from eagerly awaited forthcoming album "Stars Planets Dust Me".
"Dealer" sees them push further into the Cosmos with a modern take on the electronic disco pulses of Kraftwerk and Giorgio Moroder mixed with organic sensibilities, Electric sitar and reverse guitar akin to the heady moments of The Beatles track "Tomorrow never knows". Criss crossing Balearic, psychedelia, disco and electronica.
”Dealer” shows the band, made up of musical soulmates Mo Morris and Zeben Jameson, have lost nothing in the past decade. Recorded over Skype during the coronavirus pandemic, with Mo now in Bali and Zeben in west London, a shimmering, modern classic, experimental but accessible, melodic and adventurous. As ever, it is utterly unique, made in a musical universe all of their own.
When A Mountain Of One first started performing, they quickly became one of the most- acclaimed bands out there, with the likes of i-D, Sunday Times Culture, Pitchfork, NME and more raving about them and their inspired and original approach.
Sold-out shows and awesome reviews followed with “Collected Works” and “Institute of Joy”, two phenomenal globally acclaimed albums that have stood the test of time,
This heady odyssey is mastered again by Global Electronic music icon "Ricardo Villalobos", and soon to also be remixed by Ricardo on a full album of his interpretations of the forthcoming album.
Their first single "Custards last stand" from the forthcoming album had radio support from NTS radio, Worldwide FM / BBC 6.
The forthcoming album “Stars Planets Dust Me” will be released March of 2022.
Cascading through kaleidoscopic stardust and forming in the outer reaches of the music universe, transcending time and distance, cosmonaut musicians Mo Morris & Zeben Jameson reconnect to write & record songs from opposite sides of their planet (Bali and London) written over the internet during the pandemic. Landing the much anticipated and eagerly awaited new A Mountain of One album "Stars planets dust me".
Welcome to the formative British psych electronic heroes A Mountain Of Ones 3rd studio album.
Mastered and reimagined and a full forthcoming album rework by electronic wizard, master selector & global superstar Ricardo Villalobos, featuring additional collaborations from 80s/90s Balearic legends "The Woodentops`s" front man "Rolo McGinty,”, Japan’s cult heroes ``Dip in the Pool" and "Unkle" and "Toy Drum`s" Pablo Clements.
UK Dub master "Dennis Bovell MBE" also makes an incredible appearance on the "Custards Last Stands" dub versions. Now available on a ltd Japanese 10". A beautiful artwork series generously loaded in by photography legend Dick Sweeney, and co-mixed by Dea Barandana in Indonesia. With its cosmic pop sound, soulful soaring, balearic sensibilities and feel good choruses it carries all the weight of a much needed revo- lution in psychedelic, conceptual ever popular music and sounds & feels like the infamous crossover album that promised to come from the heady days of the bands ascend last time round.
So here’s some back story, garnered from the hearsay, folk law, the myths and the legends, of 10 years ago, in case, like Mo & Zeb, if they'd remembered any of it, they probably weren’t there, after 2 much acclaimed albums and sellout shows vanishing in a cosmic cloud of dust the yin and yang brothers Mo Morris (ZSOU/Electric Stew) & Zeb Jameson (Oasis/Tricky/Pretenders) uncoupled and each em- barked on a pathfinder mission to equip themselves for their inevitable return... they just didn’t know it at the time... and as the global community ground to a halt 2 years ago they sought refuge from opposite sides of the planet in each other's company again.
The solace and rejuvenation it gave had them re-emerging as invigorated, inspired and wiser music creators, this has given rise to the evolution of their 3rd all important album‘s sound.
Zeb "our capacity as human beings is more phenomenal and limitless and way beyond the conventional thinking of society constructs but also in complete harmony with the intelligence and brilliance of advancing technologies".
Experiencing this energy together, as dedicated and devoted music pioneers, these great collaborative universal truths were revealed, imbed and steeped in their writing and recording experience as the music touched and resonated with all involved to create the fresh and fully formed A Mountain Of One 2.0.
Red Brut’s third album, "On Bare Ground", is a sonic tapestry woven from the final threads of her Rotterdam existence. Entirely composed of soundscapes captured during her last two years in the city, the album evolves into a poignant farewell as its creation mirrors the passage of time, culminating in a profound departure from her life there.
A Coherent States, Dead Mind Records and Econore co-release. 200 copies on white vinyl, comes with obi-strip.
“On Bare Ground” is a sculptural work blending its lo-fi with haunting melodies, field recordings, and ethereal soundscapes. Uncompromising in its approach, the album evokes the echoes of experimental music from a spectrum that ranges from dark bedroom pop to rhythmic noise, crafting a cloudy and dreamlike atmosphere. With meticulous attention, it unfolds as a strong hypnotic journey, where intricate sounds emerge from a hidden center, while, in a parallel narrative, they gradually expose On Bare Ground’s underlying deep melancholic core.
Red Brut is the artistic alias of Dutch artist Marijn Verbiesen, who recently moved to Groningen and has been a vital force in Rotterdam's art scene. Her work reveals a particular sensitivity to everyday sounds, the soundscapes of cassette music, musique concrète, and spontaneous sound collage, combining these elements into a unique and truly personal avant-garde expression. This expression is present in various forms, in a wave of releases that began with limited-edition underground cassette releases in the mid-2010s and culminated in her two full-length albums, "Red Brut" (2018) on the Belgian label (K-RAA-K)³ and "Cloaked Travels" (2020) on the Finnish labels Lal Lal Lal and Ikuisuus. She has appeared at many important European festivals such as Rewire, KRAAK festival, Inversia, Colour Out Of Space and in numerous smaller venues worldwide. In addition to her career as Red Brut, Marijn is a member of the free improv/weirdo electronic pop duo Goldblum and before in the experimental no wave/noise trio Sweat Tongue.
“On bare Ground works as like an homage to self discovery amid urban malaise” The Wire
Ten years after its original release, after having sold thousands of copies on CD and collected millions of plays all over the world, "Canzoni" is finally available on vinyl, in a deluxe edition – double vinyl with gatefold sleeve – the album that revealed Chiara Civello's talent as an interpreter, attesting her artistic depth on international stages.
A record which embraces the Italian musical tradition in all its facets, capable of moving through Northern Soul, Bossa Nova, Blue Eyed Soul, Jazz and Pop. Produced by Nicola Conte, recorded in analog between Bari, New York and Rio de Janeiro, and enriched by the participation of extraordinary guests, including Gilberto Gil, Chico Buarque, Ana Carolina and Esperanza Spalding, with orchestral arrangements by the legendary Eumir Deodato, "Canzoni" still proves to be a very successful work today, capable of honoring the beauty and depth of Italian music, demonstrating once again Civello's status as a timeless musical icon.
CREDITS
Produced by Nicola Conte
Executive producer: Quarter Moon Inc.
Additional production: Ettore Caretta
Bari production coordination: Bass Culture
Orchestral Arrangements: Eumir Deodato
Flutes arrangement on "Senza Fine": Magnus Lindgren
Recorded mixed and mastered by Tommy Cavalieri at Sorriso Studios, Bari, Italy
Additional recording studios: CNSO Recording Studios, Prague / #AC Studio, GG Studios, Rio de Janeiro / Pat Dillet's Studio, New York City
Additional engineers: Eduardo Andrade, Renato Godoy, Pat Dillet
Gilberto Gil appears courtesy of GEGE Producoes Artisticas
Chico Buarque appears courtesy of MAROLA
Ana Carolina appears courtesy of Armazém Produtora e Editora Ltda
Album cover: Daniela Boccadoro
Photos by Fabio Lovino
Graphic layout: Eugenio Crippa
[o] 15: I Mulini Dei Ricordi (The Windmills Of Your Mind) [feat. Esperanza Spalding]
LTD COLOURED VINYL[22,27 €]
Es ist Ehre wie gleichsam Respekt für elektronische Künstler, Musik für den Sci-Fi-Filmklassiker Metropolis zu können, und mit dem einfach benannten Soundtrack for a Film reihen sich Factory Floor in die Reihen von Giorgio Moroder und Jeff Mills ein. Soundtrack for a Film ist zwar subtiler als die Alben von Factory Floor, trägt aber immer noch den typischen Ansatz des Duos. Soundtrack for a Film führt die Fähigkeit von Factory Floor, ausgedehnte, sich entwickelnde Tracks zu kreieren, zu einem logischen Abschluss, und das Album könnte als ein zweieinhalbstündiger Schnitt gehört werden. Trotz der Länge verlieren Gurnsey und Void dank ihrer sorgfältig ausgewählten Motive nie den Fokus. Da Factory Floor die organischen und mechanischen Aspekte von Metropolis und ihrer Musik auf Soundtrack for a Film ausbalancieren, erreichen sie das Beste aus beiden Welten - ein Auftragswerk, das genauso originell ist wie ihre eigenen Alben.
Crab Cake Records bring you Space Mutant Cutz!
CYAN & BLACK COSMOS 12 inch vinyl
Classic scratch sentences with drum loops, pads, basslines & locked grooves produced by Substrate. Perfect for practicing your cuts and juggling!
Limited edition (250 copies/colour)
Cut @ 33rpm
Side A contains 12 skip proof scratch sentences at 83bpm
Side B contains the following content* at 133bpm
Repress! It's safe to say that hip-hop has never seen an album like Ol’ Dirty Bastard's 1995 solo debut Return to the 36 Chambers. The brief glimpses of ODB's unhinged genius provided by Wu-Tang Clan's landmark Enter the Wu-Tang album two years earlier were begging to be expanded on to a larger canvas, and, with RZA guiding production, the album promised to give Dirty the creative license to make one of the most bizarre, entertaining and original LPs in hip-hop history. With his raspy, drunken flow and dark sense of humor, Dirty fearlessly attacks from all angles, throwing himself fearlessly into punchy rhyme attacks (“Damage,” with GZA), drugged-out party jams (the monster singles “Brooklyn Zoo” and “Shimmy Shimmy Ya”) and bizarre, grimly hilarious fantasies of sex and violence (“Don't U Know” and the R&B-tinged “Sweet Sugar Pie”). Backed by RZA's appropriately gritty, dissonant beats and appearances from the Clan, Return became an instant hit, selling over 1 million copies and earning a Grammy Award nomination for Best Rap Album in 1996. The album stands as a high water mark in the Wu-Tang Clan's collective creative output and was selected as one of the Best 100 Rap Albums by The Source magazine in 1998. In honoring the legacy of one of hip-hop's most innovative releases, Get On Down is proud to present this incredible and unique special edition of Ol’ Dirty Bastard's Return to the 36 Chambers as a double LP which contains the complete original album, remastered for optimal sound quality.
Having worked silently in her sonic philosophy for almost a decade, vocalist, music producer and Dj Telva has launched her music label byt’, starting with the publication of her debut album. The album, ‘Revelation’, opens with an unusual and experimental offering, which sets the tone for the label's subsequent eclectic and unexpected releases. The compilation of 10 tracks, has been documented for 5 years through an experimental vocal, instrumental sonic journey, that is composed of Telva's life experiences during this period.
Telva is a vocalist, producer and only vinyl Dj based in Berlin. Defining her path through art in every sense of it by turning passion into a way of life, she has been playing and collecting records as main craft since 2016. Followed by uninterrupted hours in the studio, her creations and sonic philosophy, aka record label byt’, have been materialized by the wide range of influences she’s been absorbing along her way as an artist, where different cultures, scenes, and places have shaped and influenced her understanding and projection of her musical vision. Her love for the underground movement and the deep work in silence have made her music shows special and respected. For listeners and dancers, her well-chosen exposure is an unexpected experience. Her purpose is to offer quality music based on eclectic diversity, that surprises the audience with the love it spreads through sound, aiming to touch their hearts. ‘Music is a channel of transmission in where to materialize one’s lifetime vision’
Byt' (быть in Slavic meaning 'to be' / pronounced 'beat') is a music philosophy, also known as a record label, focusing on the connection between music and artist as a primary form of communication and source of expression. It represents 'the music of the being'.
The meaning and purpose are to comprehend the concept of musical interpretation through the artistic vision of the person behind it, by appreciating the significance of conveying a life experience through sound, making a recognition on what is behind the music we listen to. The label will be composed of solo releases, sonic cinematic experiences, collaborations and other archives, spanning an unlimited wide range of genres, yet rooted mainly in electronic music.
Hailing from the West side of St. Louis, Missouri, Mikahl Anthony’s sonic roots spread far across the global Alt-Soul / Hip-Hop scene. A highly soughtafter multidisciplinary artist (who has collaborated with the likes of Mick Jenkins, Chance The Rapper, Joey Purp, Smino and more), as well as being a founding member of Chicago’s THEMpeople collective, he now prepares to unveil his masterful full-length debut Muse via R&S Records.
Accompanied by several beautiful, self-directed film pieces, Muse is a record with storytelling at its core. Interspersed with commentary from a range of sources telling their stories to Mikhal, whilst collaboratively analysing their personal experiences, it speaks a candid and honest narrative, which reinforce the heartfelt lyrics within. With the project’s name anchored around a dual meaning acronym (1. Ms. Using sensual energy and 2. Making use of seclusion every day). The record is an audio version of docufilm, that creatively interprets the idea of self-therapy, an internal/interpersonal reflection of life experiences that serendipitously connect to Mikahl’s personal romantic relationships. Mikahl explains: ‘I wanted to use a unique style of songwriting, arrangement and filming with the intention of soundtracking my self-development/maturation process’.
On the project’s lasting impression on the listener, Mikahl elaborates ’The exploration of inner truth and vulnerability is key to the future of good music. I want this project to act as symbolism that highlights the mantra that honest approaches and authenticity still has the most value. I also want people to see how important the use of community is when you can connect them to your subject matter...I'd like my audience to observe and engage in their own self-reflections, approaches by way of listening or interacting with the story.’
Drifting to an elevated state of consciousness, Muse is a deeply intoxicating and engrossing listening experience from front to back. From the sliding, kaleidoscopic shadows of opening track ‘La Flare’, via the trepidation-laced atmosphere of ‘Polyamorous’ and the hazy, reverb drenched saxophone notes of LP closer ‘Eddie Kane’ - Mikahl channels moments of joy and pain, infused with spirit enriching instrumentation and gritty textures.
Visual stimuli play an integral role within Mikahl’s music. His songs represent transparency and openness dipped in funk. Layers of soft velvety vocals emerge from jazz harmonies, trap rhythms, and social commentary sourced from voiceovers/excerpts. His creations are the musical representation of documentary films. His art is imagery embodied.
US version[44,33 €]
cLOUDDEAD's debut album, compiling six 10" EPs that appeared between 2000-2001, is aurally dense and obscured. A sprawling mass of miniature beat-suites and Dadaist lyrics, this strange and beautiful 3xLP would influence a myriad of sub-genres (cloud rap, hauntology, lo-fi hip-hop, etc.) in the two decades since its initial release.
Only the three members of cLOUDDEAD – Why?, Doseone and Odd Nosdam – can speak to the group's origins, but in the context of underground hip-hop towards the end of the 20th century, their arrival makes perfect sense. Cincinnati had a vital scene; home to Scribble Jam, an annual confluence of MCs, DJs, B-boys and graffiti artists. While the trio soon relocated to the Bay Area where they co-founded the Anticon collective, their Midwestern roots – in ramshackle basements of off-campus hovels, as the "cerberus of Southern Ohio" – would remain the atomic heart of their early recordings.
As Chris Martins writes in the liner notes, "The only reason we know their names today is because of how loudly and curiously they aired their insularity. They rewrote the entire world as they knew it through their own fucked perspective, and when those mysterious 10-inches started popping up in record shops, it wasn't just a puzzle to investigate: there seemed to be a whole cosmology hidden in those grooves."
Each side of the album represents one of those elusive 10-inches, each embodying a universe unto itself. Opening salvo "Apt. A" and "And All You Can Do Is Laugh" are perhaps most emblematic of the cLOUDDEAD experience. Why? and Dose create a new language through boundless non-sequiturs, sing-song non-choruses and call-and-response hooks, while Nosdam's dexterous production shifts from crackling ambience of Flying Saucer Attack to tight Ohio Players drum breaks and oblique film samples.
Taken all together, cLOUDDEAD is an original interpretation of hip-hop in the surreal Y2K glow – a bizarre meeting point between William Basinski's Disintegration Loops and MF DOOM's Operation: Doomsday. All it took was a Dr. Sample SP-202, Tascam cassette eight-track and cheap RadioShack mic. There's truly nothing like it.
This edition has been faithfully restored by Nosdam. European exclusive version comes on clear vinyl, incl. fold-out poster and liner notes insert.
'We are thrilled to be able to bring you Yara Asmar's first two cassette releases in a deluxe remastered double vinyl gatefold package featuring all new art and design from Yara herself.
Both albums were originally released on Hive Mind Records in 2022 and 2023 and received critical acclaim around the world':
“Melancholic drifts sound through the overcast skies of synth waltzes and accordion laments, infusing ageless melodies with a sense of falling backward through time. History is stitched through gilded aural silhouettes and elegiac drones. Asmar’s music is visceral. While electronics beckon beyond the sunrise stretched through a metallic shimmer, synth waltzes and accordion laments sticks with us while we remain lost in the hazy doldrums, always crawling forward tethered to our past lives. Highest recommendation.”
Brad Rose, Foxy Digitalis
"...these tracks are a cushion against reality. Asmar creates music that unfurls in evanescent bliss, an invitation to a safe space both isolated and welcoming."
Daryl Worthington, The Quietus
"...a set that transmutes the instrument’s droning tones into a sweep of introspective, breath-catching moments of beauty"
Eric Torres, Pitchfork Best Jazz & Experimental Albums of 2023
"The combination and contrast of highly familiar and highly alien elements give Asmar's music a quality not quite like anything else I can name. The way she channels found voices into her surreal mix of sounds is particularly striking."
Byron Coley, The Wire
Khana Bierbood’s second studio album after their following the release of their debut LP ‘Strangers From The Far East’ in 2019, in 2023, Go (Kikagaku Mayo/Guruguru Brain) joined the band at TMM studios in Bangkok and together they recorded this, their second studio album, ‘Monolam’ (meaning unique in sound and style).
While the album maintains the infectious rock’n’roll charm of their previous offering, it shows a departure toward an even more sublime and groovy psychedelic sound - a sound that pays homage to their passion for the past and their longing for a new cultural renaissance. Lyrically, the songs speak of the life experiences of the band, combined sometimes with stories from Thai movies and dramas, telling tales of love, loss and adventure.
Highly regarded as a former resident at Salon Des Amateurs at his native Düsseldorf, Tolouse Low Trax/Detlef Weinrich has carved one of the most distinctive sounds in contemporary leftfield club music thanks to his deeply unusual grooves and hypnotic arrangements over the past 15 years as a solo artist.
Fung Day is his first album with entirely new material since Leave me alone which was released through Bureau B in 2022. Fung Day was written and recorded over the course of two years, slowly mutating and progressing from one state to another. Mixed, produced and finally mastered in Paris, his new domicile by choice.
A few words by Yvan Smagghe about Fung Day:
„He pretended he was in exile from Germany but he was a French lover like all of us; his MPC Sampler was smoking hot, an Enigma machine, an ashtray full of ghosts. I had left Paris for the same reasons he came. I could strangely relate. We’d met before he left Düsseldorf, and I knew of him through his oeuvre, his art over words (they were few) and piercing blue eyes.
He was now texting me on a night train from Warsaw going East, as in a Greene novel, asking me to go over his file. He sent me a spontaneous, fun, brave and bold record which is his new album - one that curiously smelled of mechanical grease - machinery of the soul, broken transport rhythms, samples like memories, noise at peace. Referenced yet uncoded. I don’t believe in ulterior motives and complex explanations. Not here at least. On the other hand, I do believe that works can be exposure - especially with the silent type or mistaken identities - and I knew about these too.“ - London, 2024
Silver Vinyl[43,28 €]
CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX ist seit Gründung im Jahr 2004 ein Leuchtfeuer für die Gebrochenen und Unerhörten. Mit Justin Greaves an der Spitze haben sie Alben geschaffen, die zu den Stimmlosen, den Ausgegrenzten und den Enttäuschten sprechen.
Mit diesem Doppelalbum, „The Wolf Changes Its Fur But Not Its Nature“ + „Horrific Honorifics Number Two(2)“, feiern CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX zwei Jahrzehnte des Trotzes und der Selbstreflexion.
„The Wolf Changes Its Fur But Not Its Nature“ lässt die Echos ihrer Vergangenheit wieder aufleben, indem sie Klassiker, die von der Zeit und dem Wandel geformt wurden, überarbeitet und neu aufgenommen haben. Zusammen mit alten Freunden und neuen Verbündeten pulsieren diese neu interpretierten Hymnen mit neuem Elan und rohen Emotionen. Von der ausgedehnten Odyssee von „Song For The Loved“ bis hin zur Wiederauferstehung des verlorenen Klassikers „Whissendine“ zeigt jeder Track die Erforschung des menschlichen Zustands und den immerwährenden Kampf für Gerechtigkeit und Gleichheit.
In „Horrific Honorifics Number Two(2)“ legen CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX einmal mehr die Seele der Musik frei, die ihren Weg geebnet hat, und huldigen den Titanen, die ihren Geist geschürt haben. Mit eindringlichen Interpretationen wie „Vengeance“ von New Model Army, einer Hymne des Widerstands und der Rebellion, und der eindringlichen, introspektiven Interpretation von Laura Branigans „Self Control“ fordern CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX uns auf, diese Klassiker durch eine neue, unbeirrbare Linse zu sehen.
Für Fans von Solstafir, Mogwai, Pink Floyd, Junius
Black Vinyl[45,76 €]
CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX ist seit Gründung im Jahr 2004 ein Leuchtfeuer für die Gebrochenen und Unerhörten. Mit Justin Greaves an der Spitze haben sie Alben geschaffen, die zu den Stimmlosen, den Ausgegrenzten und den Enttäuschten sprechen.
Mit diesem Doppelalbum, „The Wolf Changes Its Fur But Not Its Nature“ + „Horrific Honorifics Number Two(2)“, feiern CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX zwei Jahrzehnte des Trotzes und der Selbstreflexion.
„The Wolf Changes Its Fur But Not Its Nature“ lässt die Echos ihrer Vergangenheit wieder aufleben, indem sie Klassiker, die von der Zeit und dem Wandel geformt wurden, überarbeitet und neu aufgenommen haben. Zusammen mit alten Freunden und neuen Verbündeten pulsieren diese neu interpretierten Hymnen mit neuem Elan und rohen Emotionen. Von der ausgedehnten Odyssee von „Song For The Loved“ bis hin zur Wiederauferstehung des verlorenen Klassikers „Whissendine“ zeigt jeder Track die Erforschung des menschlichen Zustands und den immerwährenden Kampf für Gerechtigkeit und Gleichheit.
In „Horrific Honorifics Number Two(2)“ legen CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX einmal mehr die Seele der Musik frei, die ihren Weg geebnet hat, und huldigen den Titanen, die ihren Geist geschürt haben. Mit eindringlichen Interpretationen wie „Vengeance“ von New Model Army, einer Hymne des Widerstands und der Rebellion, und der eindringlichen, introspektiven Interpretation von Laura Branigans „Self Control“ fordern CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX uns auf, diese Klassiker durch eine neue, unbeirrbare Linse zu sehen.
Für Fans von Solstafir, Mogwai, Pink Floyd, Junius
Hello Everybody,
In recent years, the introductory texts for the Pop Ambient compilation series, which is released every year on Kompakt as the last release before the Christmas break, often began with the sentence "Every year again...".
“Every year again”, a quiet, almost unnoticed maxim of self-evidentness. Because this is already the 25th issue to be published this year.
25 years in increasingly fast-moving times in the even faster-moving music business is an eternity that doesn't just feel like it. It is all the more remarkable how I, as someone who is always restless and often driven by this fast pace himself, pleasantly almost haven’t realised how - in pop-ambient contexts - time does not pass (or passes differently) in the best sense.
When compiling the 25th edition I was asked, among other things, what it was like that I was still doing this and whether I had a favorite track. In the spirit of bringing all the tracks together I don't have a favorite track, or all of them. But I have a favorite part (moment) that I played. In this case it was a broad chord in a change of key at minute 2:55 in the piece Circles by Max Würden. A moment of majesty and familiarity that, at that moment, contains the entire Pop Ambient cosmos, that just works and doesn't explain anything - and I said: “...that's the reason why I'm still doing this.. .”
Pop Ambient is a statement without demands. Is promise without expectation. Is a path without a destination. Every year again.
Wolfgang Voigt, October 2024
And so to the facts:
01. Leandro Fresco / Thore Pfeiffer – Goldwasserfluss
The intercontinental collaboration between the two long-standing Pop Ambient artists Leandro Fresco from Argentina and Thore Pfeiffer from Mainz is a regular part of the series. They open this year's anniversary edition with the usual filigree.
02. Pass Into Silence – Mirage
The Japanese artist Tetsuo Sakae aka Pass into Silence returns to Kompakt 20 years after his legendary album “Calm Like A Millpond”. A master of tones that are as fine as they are stoic and crystal clear.
03. Tamarma & Sebastian Mullaert – Follow Me
For the first time, the well-known Swedish producer and DJ Sebastian Mullaert will be performing on Pop Ambient in cooperation with the Georgian sound artist Tamara Davitashvili. Their piece “Follow Me” fits confidently into the intimate, familiar sound cosmos.
04. Sono Kollektiv feat. Nathalie Brum – Periadriatische Naht
Sono Kollektiv is now a fixture on Pop Ambient, this time with Nathalie Brum. In particular, Luis Reich's characteristic flugelhorn always gives their sound that special jazzy touch.
05. Thore Pfeiffer – Phase Locked Loop 1
Thore Pfeiffer is a master of shimmering surfaces and hypnotically meandering loops.
06. Andrew Thomas feat. Julia Parr – Sunshine Night
An old friend from New Zealand is back with spherical sounds. Andrew Thomas, in collaboration with Julia Parr, sprinkles finely placed piano tones into distant soundscapes and even more distant voices.
07. Segensklang – Artifacts of Synthesis
We are pleased that Segensklang will be there again this year after his brilliant Pop Ambient debut last year. Deep and beautiful.
08. Ümit Han – Im Delirium
The Cologne producer Ümit Han is back for the third time. While he has so far explored the more emotional, soundscape aspects of the Pop Ambient universe, this year's piece "Im Delirium" rises to a pulsating mountain of sound with pearly, clear, effervescent sound crystals.
09. Würden & Schäfer – Analysis Of Variance II
In their track Analysis Of Variance II, Max Würden and Lukas Schäfer embed a finely placed beat impulse in a soft bed of modulating soundscapes and pleasant psychedelic spaceyness.
10. Max Würden– Circles
Max Würden once again shows his special feeling for one of the core statements of the Pop Ambient style spectrum. The abstract chord and soundscape movement between formal construction and emotional touchability, which seems like “pop music” under the microscope.
11. Blank Gloss – Jennifer’s Convertible
The Californian guitar-ambient duo takes us into their sublimely beautiful sound cosmos with their usual aplomb. Maximum condensed transparency. Lightness - heavy as gold.
12. Hendrik Meyer – Grün War Die Klamm
Another new addition is Hendrik Meyer. The versatile musician, also known for his MYR project distributed by Kompakt, leads us with a glistening, beautiful “wall of sound” determination into the eternity of a sunset that is only ended by the following track. Filmy Music.
13. Triola – Zum Renngraben
Jörg Burger aka Triola combines his typical “handmade” impulses and accents with a multi-dimensional, digital sound scenario in a pleasantly smoky, blurred stonewashed aesthetic.
As always, the indispensable final mastering by Jörg Burger ensures that everything is brought together and the sound is fine-tuned.
And like every year, the 25th edition is of course wrapped in an abstract, floral magic creation by Veronika Unland. Over the years, the grace of her imagery has increasingly merged with the musical aura to form an unmistakable magical symbiosis.
Hallo Leute,
In den vergangenen Jahren begannen die Anmoderationstexte zur Pop Ambient Kompilation-Reihe, die jedes Jahr als letzte Veröffentlichung vor der Weihnachtspause auf Kompakt erscheint, sinnigerweise immer mal wieder mit dem Satz “Alle Jahre wieder...".
„Alle Jahre wieder”, eine leise, fast unbemerkt zur Formel gewordene Maxime der Selbstverständlichkeit. Denn in diesem Jahr erscheint bereits die 25ste Ausgabe.
25 Jahre in zunehmend schnelllebigen Zeiten im noch schnelllebigeren Musikgeschäft, sind gerne mal eine nicht nur gefühlte Ewigkeit. Umso bemerkenswerter wie mir, als ewig Rastlosem und oft selbst von dieser Schnelllebigkeit Getriebenem, auf angenehme Weise fast entgangen ist wie sehr, in pop ambienten Zusammenhängen (gedacht), die Zeit im besten Sinne nicht (oder anders) vergeht.
Beim Kompilieren der 25sten Ausgabe wurde ich u.a. gefragt, wie es ist, dass ich das immer noch mache und ob ich ein Lieblingsstück hätte. Im Sinne des Zusammenbringens von allen Stücken habe ich kein Lieblingsstück, oder alle. Aber ich habe eine Lieblingsstelle, die ich dann gespielt habe. In dem Fall war es ein breit gesetzter Akkord in einen Tonartwechsel bei Minute 2:55 im Stück Circles von Max Würden. Ein Moment der Erhabenheit und Vertrautheit, der in diesem Moment den gesamten Pop Ambient Kosmos in sich trägt, der einfach nur wirkt und nichts erklärt - und ich habe gesagt: „...das ist der Grund, warum ich das immer noch mache...“
Pop Ambient ist Statement ohne Forderung. Ist Verheißung ohne Erwartung. Ist Weg ohne Ziel. Alle Jahre wieder.
Wolfgang Voigt, Oktober 2024
Und damit zu den Fakten:
01. Leandro Fresco / Thore Pfeiffer – Goldwasserfluss
Die interkontinentale Kollaboration der beiden langjährigen Pop Ambient Stamm-Künstler Leandro Fresco aus Argentinien und Thore Pfeiffer aus Mainz, ist regelmäßiger Bestandteil der Serie. Gewohnt filigran eröffnen sie die diesjährige Jubiläumsausgabe.
02. Pass Into Silence – Mirage
Der japanische Künstler Tetsuo Sakae aka Pass into Silence meldet sich 20 Jahre nach seinem sagenhaften Album „Calm Like A Millpond“ auf Kompakt zurück. Ein Meister der ebenso feinen wie stoisch-glasklaren Töne.
03. Tamarma & Sebastian Mullaert – Follow Me
Zum ersten Mal gibt sich der bekannte, schwedische Produzent und DJ Sebastian Mullaert in Kooperation mit der georgischen Klangkünstlerin Tamara Davitashvili auf Pop Ambient die Ehre. Ihr Stück „Follow Me“ fügt sich souverän in den intim-vertrauten Klangkosmos ein.
04. Sono Kollektiv feat. Nathalie Brum – Periadriatische Naht
Mittlerweile eine feste Größe auf Pop Ambient ist das Sono Kollektiv, diesmal mit Nathalie Brum. Insbesondere das charakteristische Flügelhorn von Luis Reich gibt ihrem Sound immer wieder diesen besonderen jazzigen Touch.
05. Thore Pfeiffer – Phase Locked Loop 1 Thore Pfeiffer ist ein Meister der flirrenden Flächen und hypnotisch mäandernden Loops.
06. Andrew Thomas feat. Julia Parr – Sunshine Night
Ein alter Bekannter aus Neuseeland meldet sich mit sphärischen Klängen zurück. Andrew Thomas, in Kooperation mit Julia Parr, sprenkelt fein gesetzte Klaviertöne in weit entfernte Flächen und noch entferntere Stimmen.
07. Segensklang – Artifacts of Synthese
Wir freuen uns, dass auch Segensklang nach seinem fulminanten Pop Ambient Debut im letzten Jahr auch dieses Jahr wieder mit dabei ist. Deep and beautiful.
08. Ümit Han – Im Delirium
Zum dritten Mal dabei ist der Kölner Produzent Ümit Han. Hat er bisher eher die emotional-flächigen Aspekte des Pop Ambienten Universums ausgelotet, schwingt sich sein diesjähriges Stück „Im Delirium“ mit perlend-klaren, sprudelnden Soundkristallen zu einem pulsierenden Klanggebirge auf.
09. Würden & Schäfer – Analysis Of Variance II
Max Würden und Lukas Schäfer betten in ihrem Stück Analysis Of Variance II einen fein gesetzten Beat-Impuls in ein weiches Bett aus modulierenden Flächen und angenehmer psychedelischer Spaceyness.
10. Max Würden – Circles
Max Würden zeigt einmal mehr sein besonderes Gefühl für eine der Kernaussagen des Pop Ambient Stilspektrums. Die wie „Popmusik“ unter dem Mikroskop anmutende, abstrakte Akkord- und Flächenbewegung zwischen formaler Konstruktion und emotionaler Berührbarkeit.
11. Blank Gloss – Jennifer’s Convertible
Das kalifornische Gitarren-Ambient Duo entführt uns mit gewohnter Souveränität in ihren erhaben-schönen Soundkosmos. Maximal verdichtete Transparenz. Leichtigkeit - schwer wie Gold.
12. Hendrik Meyer – Grün War Die Klamm
Ein weiterer Neuzugang ist Hendrik Meyer. Der vielseitige Musiker, u.a. auch bekannt durch sein über Kompakt vertriebenes MYR Projekt, führt uns mit gleißend-schöner „wall of sound“ Entschlossenheit in die Ewigkeit eines nur vom nachfolgenden Stück beendeten Sonnenuntergang. Film(Musik)reif.
13. Triola – Zum Renngraben
Jörg Burger aka Triola kombiniert die für ihn typischen „handmade“ Impulse und Akzente mit mehrdimensionalem, digitalen Soundszenario in angenehm rauchig-verwischter Stonewashed Ästhetik.
Für den alles zusammenführenden, klanglichen Feinschliff sorgt, wie immer, das unverzichtbare, finale Mastering von Jörg Burger.
Und wie in jedem Jahr ist auch die 25ste Ausgabe natürlich in ein abstrakt-florales Zaubergebilde von Veronika Unland gehüllt. Die Anmut ihrer Bildsprache ist über die Jahre immer mehr mit der musikalischen Aura zu einer unverkennbaren magischen Symbiose verschmolzen.
Burial are a no-nonsense black metal trio from the bleak industrial landscapes of Manchester, UK, dedicating our sound to the trvest Satanic, ice-cold, blasphemous and goat worshiping origins of the genre. Our songs are punchy and immediate, with a healthy dose of icy atmospheric riffs, recalling the legends Darkthrone and Immortal. We also show an underlying British charm, dark and absurd sense of humour, channeling a slight crust punk attitude akin to Discharge. Vocalist Derek Carley comments: "We're proud to release our foreboding new album Rejoice In Sin. Expect sinister black 'n' roll riffs; with all the carnage, bleakness and epic sorrow that Burial manifests."
