Making his debut on the label, Spanish producer Kuo Climax is welcomed to the Hot Creations fold. A solid two track release that has already been heating up dancefloors across the globe, the talented artist showcases his distinct style and proves why he is hotly tipped for 2018.
The EP opens up with Whyte, a pulsating track with a warped bassline and oozing synths. Two and a half minutes deep it disperses into a breakbeat-esque breakdown that dives back into the familiar 4/4 beat. Title track Nacrem is a smooth roller with an underpinning bass and intergalactic vocal stabs. The EP highlights the Spanish producer's ability to bring balance to his output, providing music perfectly attuned for the floor.
Born in Malaga and now residing in Barcelona, Kuo Climax has released on respected labels such as Knee Deep In Sound, Solid Grooves and VIVa MUSiC. 2018 will see the producer launch his own vinyl-only imprint, LFOFL, that aims to recognise the progress in technology without losing the essence of true dance music.
Only six months after his sophomore album, Hentschel returns with a two-piece EP showcasing yet another aspect of his musical spectrum. While the first two albums featured only instrumental tracks, "Facades" are the first two pieces in which Orson Hentschel works with text as a main musical element for his composition, although he approaches vocals from a rather particular perspective. For Hentschel, the spoken word is always music and thus not di erent than any other instrumental input or sound layer. Consequently, he is only interested in the sound of the spoken words on Facades, but not in any content they convey
LYBES DIMEM is a project by visual artist and musician Lukas Rehm. With a focus on digital sound-de- sign, elaborate beat structures and the use of error, the music plays with cognitive phenomena and abstraction while maintaining an emotional refuge. LYBES DIMEM is presented in formats ranging from spatial sound experiences to sy- nesthetic shows complementing the auditive layers with visualiza- tions of real-time data, computer graphics and moving image. Lukas Rehms installative art, and compo- sitions have been internationally presented and awarded with multi- ple emerging arts prices.
SYNCLEFT CHRONEM is the first album released by LYBES DIMEM in both digital and vinyl format and accompanied by a moving image artwork. The title reflects the pro- jects interest in the potential of difference, cognitive frictions and exertion: sync = variability in the processing of auditive and visual signals, syncleft = the synaptic cleft, which is a crucial empty spa- ce in biological neural networks, chronem = the chroneme as a the- oretical unit to measure the time of
an articulated sound. Mathemati- cally clean sounds juxtapose pat- terns and transitions familiar from the realm of organic acoustics. Multi-layered noise textures ex- plore the simulated space. A tem- porary continuity is provided by percussive and melodic elements, right until the next escalation, eventually awaiting a concluding resolution.
The visual language explores dif- ferent phenomena and techniques of cognition inspired by the rhe- torics of big science (computer graphics, discontinuity of materi- al, pop cultural references). Both the moving image artwork and the graphic design of the release pay tribute to the multi-layered appro- ach of the music. The design of the vinyl cover by studio BNAG.cc uses subtractive colour synthesis to interchange between abstract for- mality and representationalism.
SYNCLEFT CHRONEM is the first release by LYBES DIMEM on SVS Records following a first encounter at the SVS residency at the 4D Spa- tial Sound Institute in Budapest.
Eduardo always delivers quality music, but this is a very special record, we can say that "this is a showcase of electronic music".
Four tracks with four different styles of electronica: deep and marvelous keys in 'Wondrous Punia', a mastely detroit house lesson in 'Knockout Sakshi', the minimal techno monster in 'Great Manojar', and the psichodelic electronic cult song 'Georgeous Shiama
Next Up On Out-er Is Inland, Aka Ed Davenport, An Artist Who Has Long Been A Friend Of The Label And Whose Powerful Techno Sound Is A Perfect Fit. His Three Originals Come With A Remix By Tresor And Tiercel Artist Bnjmn.
Inland Has Collaborated With Out-er For Some Time Now, Contributing As A Remixer And Was Involved In Their Events In Italy, Germany And Holland, From Label Showcases To Workshops And Panel Discussions. He's Released On The Likes Of Ostgut Ton, Nonplus+, And Runs His Own Counterchange Label, Which Recently Celebrated Its 10th Release. Up First Is The Perfectly Driving 'r-13', With A Concrete Bass-end Down Low And Celestial Synth Patterns Up Top. The Train-track Percussion Locks In The Momentum, While The Beautiful Waves Of Sine Wave Bleeps Keep Your Heart And Head Closely Connected.
Flipping The Vibe Completely Is 'eminent Domain', A Surging Old-school Indebted Ride, With Its Hypnotic Mutating Synths, Overdriven Percussion And Icy Hats. It's A Majestic Track Followed-up By 'planitia', A More Twisted Modernist Techno Cut With Turbulent Synths Wrought With Tension And Steel Plated Drums Hitting Hard. Glassy Harnonic Layers Add Colour Resulting In An Utterly Absorbing Trip.
Long Time Friend Bnjmn Has A Unique Take On Melody And Texture In His Work, Proven By A Series Of Excellent Lps And Eps On Labels Like Rush Hour, Tresor And His Own Tiercel Imprint. Here He Flips 'r-13' Into An Eerie, Loopy Dub With Slithering Synths And Distant Bell Drones Fluttering In And Out Of The Mix. The Layered Drums Add Real Dynamism To This Floating Yet Intense Interpretation That Closes Out An Ep Of Inventive Modern Techno.
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Ark Angel Jah Mel is a recording artist, songwriter and musician from Jamaica. Beginning his career as a performer on the stage shows of the Twelve Tribes Of Israel of which he has been a member since his youth, Jah Mel made his debut sharing the stage with artists such as Dennis Brown, Bob Marley, Freddie McGregor, Sugar Minott, Brigadier Jerry & Denroy Morgan. His writing credits include songs written for Marcia Griffiths, Cecile, DaVille, Itana & Jah Mali, for whom he also produced tracks on his debut album El Shaddai. Jah Mel has worked with all of Jamaica's top producers & musician in Jamaica such as the great Sly & Robbie, Steely & Cleevie, Earl Chinna Smith, Steve 'Lenky' Marsden & Donovan Germaine to who's Penthouse label Jahmel was signed.
Jah Mel sees himself as a musical bridge between the original reggae sound & the dancehall sound of today, representing what he calls the real dancehall revolution, merging the spirituality of the old school & the energy of the new school. 'Guiding Star' and 'Stand Up To It' are the perfect examples to overstand this definition. Both song were produced by Roydale Anderson aka Andy's. 'Guding Star' will definitely give you thrills if you are into
deep synth and heavy digital rhythm while the superb piano notes will warm you in the analog style. Beware of 'Guiding Star' dub version called 'Guidance (Dance Mix)' that will break any bunker. 'Stand Up To It' rhythm is an adaptation of one of the most classic Jamaican riddim called 'Heavenless'. You will never know this riddim like before; This version takes the riddim to another level. A positive song with a bionic nuclear bomb
dubwise! Play it loud, Jah is our guiding star!
Italian club staple and producer Kaiser turns to MOC for his Debris EP, showcasing three agile Techno slices and a remix from Exploration Records chief Johannes Volk.
'Parachute' opens up the release in a spellbinding, energy-heavy manner, with its whirlwind groove and lead taking no prisoners. Next up is 'Debris', showing off an equally energetic prowess channeling zig zagging synths and a more melodic, yet still heavy strung bassline. 'Esplosione Di Colori', translated as 'color explosion' aptly translates into sound what is usually only possible for a paint canvas. A lighthearted, arpegio-ridden track in original, Johannes Volk works his magic, turning it into a versatile piece of raw, dubby Techno.
Tune after tune, Coops consistently delivers truly original and unique music, his newest single 'Jetpack' taken from
the recently announced 'No Brainer' project is no exception. Twist up a paper plane and take ight with Coops as he transports us out of the mundane into completely uncharted territory with this perfectly executed audio/visual experience. At High Focus Records, we are rm believers in artistic freedom, so when an artist as versatile as Coops delivered this 14 track project, it was a 'No Brainer' to share these highly innovative creations with the
world. 'Jetpack', alongside previous singles 'That Jazz', 'Bob Dylan' & 'What You Want' can all be found on Coops'
forthcoming 'No Brainer' project which is now available to pre order on limited edition splatter vinyl, CD, cassette tape and on all digital platforms. This forthcoming record showcases Coops' versatility and creative approach to his craft displaying a broad palette of sounds and moods. The cosmic cover art shows the two sides of the brain, representing the different approaches Coops has taken when crafting this project, ranging from experimental modern soundscapes to that classic Hip Hop sound. 'No Brainer' isn't really a album but more an experiment... I made most of these tracks alongside music I'd been making for an album... People have always tried to categorise me as a "Boom-Bap artist" but that I have never been. I am constantly making music of different styles and never work on one project at a time. Sadly some of these tracks never see the light of day, even though they are still of high quality and sick, so this time it was a 'No Brainer' that I put some of these tracks out.' - Coops
Coops - 'No Brainer' is offcially released on the 27th of April 2018 on High Focus Records.
HOGG returns to SCRAPES with a full-length recording made at Electrical Audio. Self-Extinguishing Emission captures the physicality and energy of a HOGG performance over the last several years, while the song-writing and production show a refinement and development that is uniquely HOGG. The songs are built around a spare foundation of heavy electronic pulses punctured by occasional stabs of distorted guitar, floor tom, and biological samples. Dueling vocals of diverse sonic and emotional quality render each song into a pleasurable exploration of internal conflict within a brutal psychological atmosphere
* BCee's 'Northpoint' LP gets the remix treatment from the big dogs.
* LSB puts his touch to 'Surfacing' and take things deep, turning what was an amen tear out into something beautiful.
* Lenzman strips back 'Black Sky' and turns it into a piano roller that liquid lovers are going to go mad for.
* New kid on the block Monty demonstrates his production skills and shows us exactly why Alix Perez snapped him up for 1985 music.
* As if that's not already enough, Bladerunner, Seba and Anile all join the party, all in all making this one heaven of a remix package.
* Support from all the big dogs, a few cats and a chicken.
Belgian DJ & producer Mugwump performs an about-face with a new sound and live show and unveils the first extract of his second album 'Drape' and it's first extract,'No Trepidation', a fast-paced postpunk/electronic hybrid and a punch in the face of conformity, formatting and self-censorship.
Borrowing his name from a character from William Burroughs' famed novel Naked Lunch, Mugwump is an elusive presence, a reputation preceded by infamous DJ residencies at Belgian clubs and a longstanding recording relation with Cologne's Kompakt records, ongoing DJ support from Andrew Weatherall as well as a large catalogue of electronic 'disco-techno' records, released on leading labels R&S, Gigolo, Cocoon, Endless Flight, Eskimo, Permanent Vacation or International Feel. Mugwump is also well known for running the Leftorium clubnight in Brussels where like-minded DJ guests such as Ivan Smagghe, Andrew Weatherall, Superpitcher, Matias Aguayo, Optimo, Prins Thomas, Sascha Funke, Gerd Janson, Ata or Roman Flügel share decks leftorium
'Drape' is the follow-up to 2015's debut studio album 'Unspell', which boasted many guest vocalists, garnered media plaudits across the board internationally and was supported with live appearances at Benelux, French, UK and Dutch festivals & venues.Taking it further and morphing into a full live band with new members, Mugwump released the 'Metempsycho EP' in November 2016 on which Geoffroy made his singing debut. Driven by this live band experience, Mugwump's new album 'Drape' will release May 4th 2018
eturning with renewed force after Henning Baer's unbreakable debut LP, MANHIGH's sixth release comes from a name already well-known in techno circles. Sciahri is the Italian producer whose luminous 2014 debut on the celebrated Ilian Tape's ITX experimental series immediately announced his presence, followed by another on the label and two EPs for the highly-rated Black Opal offshoot of Opal Tapes by 2016. He was simultaneously occupied with his ambient-leaning UNKNOT duo with Emanuele Porcinai, better known as WSR on Samuel Kerridge's Contort label. 2017 saw the launch of his Sublunar imprint and a tripartite release from him featuring a more streamlined sound than the craggy broken-beat style familiar from Ilian Tape. Sciahri's MANHIGH EP opens with 'Demur', showcasing his most dour, industrial sounds, scraping metallic highs against the unrelenting impacts of reverberating kicks and subbass drone. 'Forbidden' holds its forces more in reserve, the cycling, mechanical soundscape maintaining a spacious, ambient aspect, worked against a broken rhythm more implied than explicitly stated. Returning to full intensity for 'Reliance', he tightly coils the core elements around deftly-deployed percussion and a militaristic, pounding rhythm in the bass and kicks. Henning Baer's reinterpretation of 'Demur' saves little from the original apart from its overriding tension, instead adding a layer of nearly-tonal pads and an unremitting acidic bass throb pushing forwards inexorably.
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Following on from his Livity Sound 12' released last year, Via Maris swings back into action with 3 tracks of low slung shellers for Beneath's Mistry label. The EP shows a focussed yet varied range in Via Maris' production. Shelley hits hard with wigged out stomping drums, Toys shows a more sultry, introspective side and Miasma rolls with impeccable pacing. All three tracks are designed, refined and engineered for the dark, hazy basements - you can almost taste that Plastic People vibe.
Deluxe remastered gate-fold double-LP with three bonus tracks (black vinyl version).
Noted for their hypnotic melodies, visceral bass-lines and tidal rhythm, Manchester-based leftfield piano trio GoGo Penguin are pianist Chris Illingworth, bassist Nick Blacka and drummer Rob Turner. Their music has been described as acoustic-electronica but they draw equally on rock, jazz
and minimalism, game soundtracks and glitchy-electronica to create their unique music. They are now one of the most successful bands in contemporary music, topping the jazz charts globally and playingsold out shows around the world and have just announced their biggest tour yet including the Royal Albert Hall in London (Nov 12).
Originally released in March 2014, v2.0, was their breakthrough album and the first to feature the rebooted line-up with new bassist Nick Blacka, pianist Chris Illingworth and drummer Rob Turner. It was named a Mercury Prize album of the year 2014 alongside albums from Damon Albarn, Young Fathers and Jungle.
The extended version was first released on 2xLP for RSD 18 on clear vinyl. This version features the same extended tracklist on black vinyl.
Newly remastered for vinyl (by the original engineer)
2xLP deluxe gatefold edition.
v2.0 includes the hit singles, Hopopono, Garden Dog Barbecue and Kamaloka as well as the remarkable One Percent and live favourite To Drown in You. Included here for the first time is theincessant 'Break' featuring a killer groove that offers a notdto the one and only Squarepusher, 'Wash', a haunting slice of the band at their most ambient and the wonderful 'In Amber', the first track that the new line-up wrote completely together.
Listening back to Roman Poncet's first releases on Figure just a couple years ago, they already hinted at the producer's keen technical abilities and a knack for rich texturing, resulting in tracks that were
both carried by force and form. What he delivers now is an impressively mature debut album, ripe with personal creative realization.
On Gypsophila the French producer uses the extended format to slowly shape up a scenery of epic proportions where surprise and constant change lurk around every corner. A certain sense of
progression and evolution runs throughout Poncet's music; it invariably keeps one locked in, no matter for the opening drones of Do Not or the patiently growing Thick Vegetation, which fuses tribal
percussion and choral chants to showcase another of this LP's key features: its dense soundscape, which at once feels inherently electronic yet deeply organic, translating the abstract futuristic themes
of techno into something jam-packed and heady albeit steadily grounded - a listening experience that is as dreamy as it remains tangible.
This holds true for the highly atmospheric synth-lead pieces, such as the cinematic intro Hello You, the elevating arp-ride Epreuve or the suspended celestial groove of Atlas. But equally goes for the floorfocused
rhythms, like relentless steam engine-workout Piege or mid-album mind-trip In Aeternam. Adding even more variety and depth to the mix, the tidal title track is given its own side to explore the
sheer endless expanses of dub...
Bundling the complete range of his influences, Gypsophila marks the pinnacle of Roman Poncet's work to date. Covering a spectrum this broad in his very own way, the album proves as relevant for the
current club scene as it will be for repeated return visits.
Grammy-nominated Ostinato Records presents "Abu Obaida Hassan & His Tambour: The Shaigiya Sound of Sudan" in a gatefold LP packaging with vintage photos and authentic Sudanese designs.
A complex blend of Arab melodies, Nubian rhythms, and signature Sudanese call and response by a legend of Shaigiya music from nothern Sudan.
Abu Obaida Hassan and the wonders of his five-string tambour remained largely a mystery. In the early 2000's, a prominent Sudanese newspaper declared him dead. Internet forums confirmed his passing. Many in Khartoum, Sudan's capital, said he had indeed died.
But rumors that he was still alive persisted.
What was always certain is Abu Obaida Hassan's mercurial talent.
His command of a modified tambour, backed by a chorus and two drummers, unleashed swirling melodies alongside complex Nubian rhythms and hypnotic Sudanese call and response. His bands roster constantly changed, but he remained at the helm, playing for sold out shows in cities across the country and capturing the dancefloors and youth of 1970's and 80's Sudan. This is a rich, raw example of the human experience with sound from northern Sudan, an ancient part of the world, and the birthplace of civilization. Music like this isn't mastered overnight.
The Ostinato team first came across Abu Obaida's recordings in 2011, finding scratchy bits and pieces along the years. We traveled to Sudan in 2016 to find the clues to piece together the Abu Obaida Hassan puzzle. Through some extensive detective work with our man in Khartoum, Ahmed Asysouti, and a generous dose of good fortune, we tracked Abu Obaida to the rural outskirts of Omdurman, the old capital just across the White Nile from Khartoum. Age has taken its toll, but he remains full of life and music, ready to jointly curate a selection of his eight best cuts. He has written over 100 songs, only 30 were recorded.
Abu Obaida comes from the Shaigiya people, whose culture is spread around the ancient city of Merowe, home of traditional Nubian culture, where pyramids older than those in Egypt still stand. They trace their entire lineage to one man, Shaig, who migrated from the Arabian peninsula in the 15th century. An endlessly rhythmic syncretism between Arab and Nubian styles, Abu Obaida's Shaigiya music was an in demand party affair in an era when a vibrant nightlife and roving sound systems were a staple of life in Sudan.
It was music for a modern era, and Abu Obaida, at just 19, rebelliously abandoned traditional Shaigiya music traditions, pioneering a new sound by adding an extra string to his tambour and electrifying an instrument adored across East Africa. The result was complexity in simplicity and a hyper-talented artist who mirrors the story of Sudan's highs and lows, from the leading tambour maestro of the hour to such obscurity on the fringes that he was believed dead. "They killed me!", he likes to joke.
Abu Obaida Hassan, his music and the musical traditions of the Shaigiya remain alive and kicking. A culmination of a 7-year journey — from first hearing Abu Obaida's distinct sound, found only in Sudan, to finding the man — has produced the first global release of Shaigiya music and is just the beginning of Ostinato's immersion into Sudan, with a full compilation of the lavish musical history of one the most diverse countries in Africa due later this year. All brought to you by the Grammy-nominated team behind last year's "Sweet As Broken Dates."
Coletivo Vandalismo kick-start a new 12" series for the Contort Yourself label. Hailing from the city of Porto the duo also DJ under the name GAM and released their debut LP on Lake Haze's Eye For An Eye label. Their music has an immediacy that seems to stem from a background in live performance as opposed to polished studio sessions - an improvisational punk aesthetic that manages to carry this EP so strongly. Wild, crashing fx and unrecognisable vocal distortions layer atop wonky 90bpm drum machine grooves and the pair even show off what may be their turntablism skills on 'Zombie Zombie'. There's a nod to early concrete on the closing track 'Black Sun's Demise' with whirring, mechanical noise motifs suddenly jolting us into punishing gabber-at-33-minus-8 territory. The DIY spirit is alive and well here and the feeling that things could fall apart at any minute just adds to the tension.
* Pioneers of the electronic music scene, Music Producer and Finiflex Studio Owner, John Vick and DJ, Davie Miller are working together on a new project . . . . FINIFLEX
* TA TA OO HA was the first single to be released from the much anticipated forthcoming album SUILVEN, slated for release in May 2018.
* FINIFLEX have been playing the new material live since the end of 2016 with gigs in Edinburgh (Neu Reekie), Glasgow (Let's Go Way Back) Skye (Non Stop Easter Weekender) Barcelona (Kosmopolis), Dundee (Carnival 56) and the TA TA OO HA Single Launch Party (TRANSMISSION) in Glasgow.
The show itself is an immersive experience featuring lights, live projections and video graphics, basically a super slick production rammed with back to back bangers.
* These new releases may by the first in 20 years but in reality it's not been such a long period of silence. The almost a secret FINIFLEX Studio Complex (FINIFLEX HQ) based in Leith, Edinburgh has continued to work away with some of the best in the genre including the likes of Justin Robertson, Lord Of The Isles, DJ Rolando, Andrew Weatherall, Sparks, Billy McKenzie, Jon Pleased Wimmin, Paul Oakenfold, Dave Ball (Soft Cell) to name a few.
It's a given that their past assures their pedigree within the electronic music arena but with the release of TA TA TA OO HA . . . . . FINIFLEX brought it all rushing into the future. . . . . .
originally released in 1990-with Liz Lamere - Never released on vinyl-
Born in Brooklyn, Alan Vega was reared on the rock 'n' roll sound of Elvis Presley and Roy Orbison, but originally struck out on a career as a visual artist and light sculptor, making pieces out of electronic debris. But on the occasion of seeing Iggy Pop fronting the Stooges at The Stooges at the New York State Pavilion in 1969 was an epiphany for Vega. It showed me you didn't have to do static artworks, you could create situations,' he said. That show was the first time in my life the audience and the stage merged into one." It was that eradication of barriers between the two that Vega took to heart.
Their first two albums, 1977's Suicide and their 1980 follow-up, remain two of the era's greatest touchstones, beacons for others seeking to transform their worlds with sound. And even during the group's hiatus through the 1980s, Vega continued to pursue his singular vision across an individualistic solo output. From his 1980 self-titled debut and rockabilly-infused albums like Saturn Strip, through bracing albums like Power On to Zero Hour and IT, Vega forged his own singular path.
For all the darkness and despair that encompasses this moment in our world - and despite his work being depicted as bleak and nihilistic - for Vega there was always a sense of hope and a place for dreams to become reality. People have always told me that my music is angry,' he said. To me, it was always just an energy. It was the way I perceived the world. The key Suicide song was 'Dream Baby Dream,' which was about the need to keep our dreams alive. I knew back then that something poisonous was encroaching on our lives, on all our freedoms.' He fought to his very last breath for that freedom.
originally released in 1993 - with Ric Ocasek & Liz Lamere-Never released on vinyl-
Born in Brooklyn, Alan Vega was reared on the rock 'n' roll sound of Elvis Presley and Roy Orbison, but originally struck out on a career as a visual artist and light sculptor, making pieces out of electronic debris. But on the occasion of seeing Iggy Pop fronting the Stooges at The Stooges at the New York State Pavilion in 1969 was an epiphany for Vega. It showed me you didn't have to do static artworks, you could create situations,' he said. That show was the first time in my life the audience and the stage merged into one." It was that eradication of barriers between the two that Vega took to heart.
Their first two albums, 1977's Suicide and their 1980 follow-up, remain two of the era's greatest touchstones, beacons for others seeking to transform their worlds with sound. And even during the group's hiatus through the 1980s, Vega continued to pursue his singular vision across an individualistic solo output. From his 1980 self-titled debut and rockabilly-infused albums like Saturn Strip, through bracing albums like Power On to Zero Hour and IT, Vega forged his own singular path.
For all the darkness and despair that encompasses this moment in our world - and despite his work being depicted as bleak and nihilistic - for Vega there was always a sense of hope and a place for dreams to become reality. People have always told me that my music is angry,' he said. To me, it was always just an energy. It was the way I perceived the world. The key Suicide song was 'Dream Baby Dream,' which was about the need to keep our dreams alive. I knew back then that something poisonous was encroaching on our lives, on all our freedoms.' He fought to his very last breath for that freedom.
Having showcased his more experimental on-edge techno design with his first two ASTRAY releases, Discrete Circuit's 'Control Zero EP' marks his most straightforward installment yet. The title track gets down to business without detours by growing into a powerful drum avalanche that combines bone-dry kicks with a frenetic atmosphere - point-blank: peak-time techno for the dance floor. Ed Davenport completes the A-side with a remix from his DJ and production alter ego Inland, who adds more muscle to the lower frequencies in order to retell a darker tale unfolding a cutting groove. Although both tracks on the flip pick up the pace and intensity, they venture out into less dense, more emotional directions. 'Dimensional Equivalent' embodies a no-nonsense rollout that builds an icy groove with a kick drum that, only blended by alerting, dream-like synths, never lets up. 'Conjugate' works with similar vocabulary while repeating bleep sounds, that are buried underneath the pounding grid, shift the focus towards both the varied percussion and the narrative progression.
Finally Copenema drops on vinyl. This special limited edition vinyl EP especially for those summer beach bar vibes.
The EP includes the much loved Te Faz Bem which became a Balearic classic in Ibiza last summer after DJ Harvey regularly played it at his residency 'Mercury Rising' at Pikes . This caught the attention of Pete Tong who played it on his BBC Radio 1 show multiple times.Deixa Música Tocar (Let The Music Play) on the B side is the second single (currently unreleased) and carries on the same classic Balearic vibe from Te Faz Bem.
Super strong remixes from Riccio & Kenneth Bager complete the 12' nicely. The single representing 'the other side of Ibiza' is receiving strong support from Pete Tong, DJ Harvey, Ruf Dug, Peaking Lights, Alfredo, DJ Pippi, Phli Mison, Jon Sa Trinxa and other Balearic inspired DJs and echoes a renewed interest in Latin and Brazilian inspired sounds across the beach bars of the Mediterranean in summer 2017. Copenema (Copenama = Copenhagen Vs Ipanema) is a collaborative project between artists from Denmark and Brazil with the album partly recorded in the living room of Brazilian star Rodrigo Sha in Rio Di Janeiro, and finished at the legendary Volmers studio in Copenhagen.
Copenema is the latest incarnation of Music For Dreams' label boss Kenneth Bager in collaboration with artists and friends Rodrigo Sha, Danish composer Troels Hammer and producer Thomas Schultz from Ambala. The lead single 'Te Faz Bem' was the last track recorded during the sessions and will be the first single released on Music For Dreams this autumn.
Greenvision is the collaborative brainchild of two ESP Institute artists, Juan Ramos and Luca Trentini AKA Trent, both longtime fixtures of Berlin's infamous playground known as Cocktail d'Amore. Separately, these two explore their own very personal avenues of expression, putting their time in the trenches and endlessly polishing their works (this makes Juan's third release with the label), but when their efforts overlap we're gifted a view into their uncanny synergy. Juan and Trent channel an exorbitant amount of smoke-fueled creativity, building layers upon layers into music so dense that the bulk of their studio time might then be spent navigating and formalizing their output into tangible tracks. Greenvison's collective debut with the ESP Institute showcases three intense cerebral workouts, Banana Paradiso, Rambutan and The Color Of Maracuja, an array of experiments pulling from all the corners of the duo's imagination—it is disorienting, cacophonous, introverted and psychedelic, but at the same time playful, melodic, euphoric and undoubtably arresting—guaranteed to induce hallucinations under proper circumstances. We welcome the induction of Greenvision to the ESP Institute, and with us as your guide, we welcome you to accompany on our descent into their abyss. Try not to get lost.
It's rare to come across a debut album that delights and surprises in equal measure, but that's exactly what you can expect from Human Call, the first full-length excursion from daydreaming dancefloor fusionists Earthboogie.The East London-based duo of Izak Gray and Nicola Robinson has previous form when it comes to creating beautiful, funk-fuelled fusions of soundsystem-ready rhythms, humid instrumentation and intergalactic audio explorations. To date, they've released a pair of fine EPs on Leng, both of which did a splendid job in showcasing their unique musical vision.Even so, this vision has never been clearer than it is on Human Call, a vibrant eight-track missive that fixes the sticky tropical cheeriness of African and South American dance music - be it Afro-disco, Afro-funk or samba - with a wide range of complimentary sounds, styles and influences, from spacey analogue electronics, sun-kissed Balearica and hazy West Coast jazz-rock, to chunky dub disco, snappy retro-futurist house and bouncy, dub-fuelled club workouts.Throughout, Gray and Robinson showcase an impressive level of musicianship, variously combining crunchy drum machine hits and dusty old synthesizers with razor-sharp electric and acoustic guitars, rich bass, cascading saxophone solos and hazy, life-affirming vocal harmonies.The result is a string of memorable highlights, from the sticky tropical-house-meets-dub disco futurism of 'Human Call' and fuzzy disco-funk righteousness of opener 'Overground', to the post-punk disco jauntiness of 'Stargazing' and samba-infused dancefloor bliss of Nina Miranda collaboration 'Silken Moon'. Cheery, absorbing, imaginative and hugely entertaining, Human Call offers a perfect snapshot of Earthboogie's distinctive musical world.
Foxy Red Recordings is proud to announce their first vinyl release consisting of four deep & funky House tunes by TiTLEZ!
If you're up for the warmth, depth, and feel of the classic House sounds of Chicago - look no further! TiTLEZ's new EP delivers the goods while going for a diverse, organic, and eclectic productionapproach. You can expect punchy drums combined with live(ly) percussion samples, jazzy piano chords, and spacey pads, among otherstudio trickery.
The tracks on TiTLEZ's new EP are carefully produced and naturally dynamic, not only mesmerizing the audience with beautiful
soundscapes but also telling powerful stories in a heartfelt, honest, and emotional way. 'Family Affairs' is all about taking the listener on an atmospheric journey and exploring the needs and desires of human beings... while bringing massive grooves to the floor!
Side A features 'Longing' and 'Love', two tracks that focus on the story of love and loss, making for a dreamy, spacey, and nostalgic tone and stretching out the line between love that imprisons and the one that sets free. On side B, 'Fame' and 'Richness' tell the story of wealth and recognition, putting a modern twist on the classical notion of these concepts.
TiTLEZ is a driven, talented, and diverse music producer and his sound is influenced by Afrobeat, Latin grooves and jazz, which all play a vital role on his tracks.
As a result of his kaleidoscopic influences, TiTLEZ developed a unique blend of deep house with a tech and afro twist with an edgy and authentic feel. His work is all about telling stories and conveying that deep, warm feeling to his audience. TiTLEZ's tracks stand out for their diverse approach and catchy vibes, showcasing world-class production aesthetics and excellent musicianship from this promising artist.
Red hot drum lead track backed by boiling point late night to early morning long haul truck driving or dancing music. Shazam!
Vital Sales Points:
(Drum track playing loudly)
The saws and sines have aligned! It's HOW007 time.
The release in front of your face is called The 417. It is three songs by Daniel Savio released on 12" vinyl strictly limited to 200 copies + an everlasting (we'll see how that works out) digital version of those same songs.
This recording was conjured up on machinery people are known to touch and sell. MK1 menu diving desktop stuff. Stuff that is ten years old, stuff that may be older. Stuff that purrs, rocks, bounces and skates. Machine prototypes on trade show floors will not be able to make songs like these. Unless you would hand them to Daniel which would lead to all sorts of inconsistencies in time.
Last year Daniel Savio's "Race To The Bottom" and his "Plejjern från Plejaderna" album took Swedish house music by storm. It is now with great delight that we hand you this 12", acclaimed by well-informed DJs. Music centred around feelings for what is in front of our faces at the moment. HOW007, get in while you can.
RSD2018 TITLE
London Artist MAL-ONE is releasing a limited edition 7'' single to celebrate everything Punk and as a lead up to his PUNK Art show 'Never Mind The Punk 45' .
The show feautures decallages of the debut singles of the leading names in PUNK,such as Adam and the Ants,The Clash,The Damned all the way to X Ray Spex.
It seemed only fitting to record a single that name checks some of the great record shops that sold these PUNK tunes in this fine city of ours for a Record Store Day release..
Artist MAL-ONE emerged at an early age from the Punk scene in West London and now has successfully exhibited alongside such artists as Banksy, Goldie and Peter Blake amongst others.
Inside the 7'' sleeve which is made up of a collage of a 100 PUNK singles you will also find an invite to he exhibition in May in The Herrick Gallery,Piccadilly.
Strut presents the brand new album from cosmic jazz travellers The Pyramids, led by saxophonist Idris Ackamoor, 'An Angel Fell'. I wanted to use folklore, fantasy and drama as a warning bell,' explains Ackamoor. The songs explore global themes that are important to me and to us all: the rise of catastrophic climate change and our lack of concern for our planet, loss of innocence and separation... but positive themes too, the healing power of music, collective action and the simple beauty of nature.' Produced by Malcolm Catto of The Heliocentrics, the album was recorded during an intense week at Quatermass studios in London and is one of the deepest, richest works yet from a band reaching their highest creative peak since the early '70s. Some of the many highlights include the poignant title track depicting a fallen angel in purgatory, outrage and grief on the powerful, hard hitting 'Soliloquy For Michael Brown' and the lilting, beautiful album closer, 'Sunset'.
The Pyramids originally came together in 1972 at Antioch College, Yellow Springs, Ohio where teachers included renowned pianist, Cecil Taylor. After forming in Paris and embarking on a cultural odyssey' across Africa, the group recorded three independent albums, 'Lalibela' (1973), 'King Of Kings' (1974) and 'Birth / Speed / Merging' (1976) and became renowned for their striking live shows, mixing percussive, spiritual and space-age jazz with performance theatre and dance. After migrating to San Francisco, they disbanded in 1977. 35 years later, the band reunited in 2012 following growing demand for their music from vinyl collectors. German label Disko B released the freeform album 'Otherwordly' and in 2016, they released their first album for Strut, the acclaimed 'We Be All Africans'.
'An Angel Fell' is released on Strut on 11th May 2018 and features full hand-painted artwork by Lewis Heriz.
New concept album by leading cosmic jazz collective exploring global apocalypse, climate change and the healing power of music
Produced by Malcolm Catto of The Heliocentrics - Superb cover painting by Lewis Heriz
Full priority worldwide PR campaign and marketing
Release supported by major European tour dates in May and key Summer festivals
Second EP from Raar on his own label, with his recognisable sound signature he continue to show us his vision.
From the delicate and lush pads of the side A to the gloomy and noisy synths of the side B.
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Vactrol Park are Kyle Martin and Guido Zen. Besides responsible for 2 unforgettable eps on ESP Institute in 2015 & 2016 under this alias, Kyle and Guido are prolific producers, with Kyle being part of Spectral Empire (alongside Black Merlin), as well as half of Land of Light (with Johnny Nash) and more, while Guido has been producing under the alias of Brain Machine amongst others. Since Malka Tuti has been a fan of all of the above, it is no surprise the duo found its way into the ever growing family. With an LP scheduled later in 2018, this EP, self titled, is a door into the sound of Vactrol Park and its evolution - ever deeper, abstract, and mature. Always clear, coherent and flowing, never boring. Expect big things from this duo, as their live show, incorporating self-built modular synths and effects is destined for greatness....
Berlin based Jens Dohle is a man of many talents. An accomplished composer and arranger for theatre productions across Europe, classically trained multi instrumentalist, explosive live drummer for YE:SOLAR, Munk, Hot Coins, Sado Opera. Longtime collaborator with Danilo Plessow aka MCDE and Noema from African Shakedown fame. Remixer for Jazzanova and 4 Hero. There's not enough room here to list his amazing work.
2018 ushers forth a new identity to his already enviable C.V with his first EP as James Dole (a jokingly anglicised version of his birth name). The 3 tracks here all showcase his ability to create a strong mood and use great splashes of melody and rhythm but without ever losing the groove. Written during a period of 'introspection' in deepest, darkest Berlin, each one tells a different story.
Ex is a moody monster of a track. It builds and builds into a pounding nightime symphony with a kind of epic-ness which hints at many years spent mining the highs and lows of music, love and life. Big room yet with a gut wrenching soul beneath the slightly flamboyant majesty. Made in East Berlin and well road tested in the cities debauched nightclubs.
Fantasia shows off Mr Doles jazz and broken beat background with rolling, funky drums sashaying with hip hoppy live jazz keys. Then those signature euphoric yet melancholic synths appear halfway through the track to create an emotionally halcyon mood. WIBES.
The EP closes with Grande. Super melodic yet cinematic with amazing synth work and a sophisticated arrangement showcasing James's well trained musicianship and artistry. An opus of melody and longing built for Italian arthouse films about unrequited love.
DJ Support from - Midland, Honey Soundsystem, Sandrino, Jimpster, Ame, DVS1, Shadow Child, Joe Goddard, Red Rack'em, Futureboogie, Soft Rocks, Domenic Cappello, Downtown Party Network, Danny Russell
Next up on Tel-Aviv's Parallax Record is Matushka's debut ep 'Meta'.
Meta is a varied minimalist techno EP showing Matushka's range of production styles, with bits of braindance polyrhythms on top of industrial techno grooves, yet always understated and subtle in it's development.
'Harnessed To Flesh' is the new release from Berlin based industrial project OPERANT (Instruments of Discipline's founder and sub, respectively, Luna Vassarotti & August Skipper). Since 2016's 'ZK-II' & 2017's 'Zero Knowledge' Operant have been consistently touring, enforcing their reputation as a live act, melding chaotic noise with a disturbed, euphoric techno.
With this new release Operant engage a sense of intimacy which encapsulates their live performance; there is the familiar sense of hypnotic rhythms and collaged sound seen in the earlier works but the duo's production and focus have evolved, opening up new spaces and textures to their sound.
The opening track, 'Also To The Inorganic World' reflects the more noise oriented moments of their live show, improvised fragments, contact mic's and metal sheets combine with soundtrack like synths that seek to bolster a sense of unreality and pervert lo-fi expectations, 'Be A Boy' is a slow build, punctuated by car-crash impacts with the most coherent, almost narrative driven vocal of the record, concluding with a jarring, rhythmic seizure. Side-A finishes with 'Chancellory', an underlying sense of being underwater pervades, choking vocal sounds straddle the line between disturbing and playful. The B-Side sees a more direct and aggressive approach, 'The Sacrifice of Meaning for Power' is a dance floor oriented storm of percussion and punishing snares, Luna's vocals violently penetrate at moments, creating a feeling of vertigo within the locked rhythm, 'Dead Realities VIII' closes the record, beginning with a gabber influenced, rhythmic groundwork that unravels into a dronescape where an already torn reality is utterly destroyed.
Swingrowers are known for their mixture of JAZZ, SWING, POP and ELECTRO, they have extensively toured Europe and North America, opening sell-out shows for Parov Stelar, Chinese Man & Caravan Palace. On top of delivering official remixes for Caro Emerald and Swing Republic, Swingrowers also boast musical collaborations with The Lost Fingers, Gypsy Hill, DJ Pony Montana and have had their own songs remixed by Bart&Baker and Jamie Berry.
Following on from their debut album 'Pronounced Swing Grow'ers' in 2012, Swingrowers have released their second album 'REMOTE' in early 2015, followed now by 'OUTSIDEIN', the band's third full-length studio album. This new release shows their expert musicianship and most meticulous production to date, mixing genres from jazz to electronica, from gypsy-swing to full-on rock'n'roll with a melodic pop sensibility.
Japanese vocal performer Hatis Noit will release her enigmatic EP Illogical Dance via Erased Tapes worldwide on 23rd March 2018.
The arresting 4-track record creates unique song-worlds with transcendent vocal interpretations that at once deconstruct and recombine Western Classical, Japanese folk and nature's own ambience atmosphere. Illogical Dance also features Björk-collaborators Matmos, who were so impressed with Hatis Noit's recordings, they volunteered to edit the lead track Illogical Lullaby.
Hailing from the distant Shiretoko, a small town in Hokkaido, which is the largest island in north Japan, Hatis Noit's accomplished range is astonishingly self-taught, inspired by everything she could find from Gagaku — Japanese classical music — and operatic styles, Bulgarian and Gregorian chanting, to avant-garde and pop vocalists. The sounds she created on Illogical Dance, co-produced by Haruhisa Tanaka and Matmos, bring to mind the experimental vocal patterns of Meredith Monk with the attentive production of Holly Herndon.
It was at the age of 16, during a trek in Nepal to the Buddha's birthplace, when she realised singing was her calling. While staying at a women's temple in Lumbini, one morning on a walk Hatis Noit heard someone singing. On further investigation it was a female monk singing Buddhist chants, alone. The sound moved her so intensely she was instantly aware of the visceral power of the human voice, a primal and instinctive instrument that connects us to the very essence of humanity, nature and our universe.
The name Hatis Noit itself is taken from Japanese folklore, meaning the stem of the lotus flower. The lotus represents the living world, while its root the spirit world, therefore Hatis Noit is what connects the two. For Hatis Noit, music represents the same netherworld with its ability to move and transport us to the other side, the past, a memory, our subconscious. It is the same for Illogical Dance, a set of transformative songs that taps into our most primal instincts.
The human voice is our oldest, most primal yet most powerful instrument. I use it to describe nature's many sounds, a language that isn't logical. Yet it forms a beautiful conversation that isn't restricted to words like the human language is. I want my music to remind us of that.' — Hatis Noit
Wanting to interpret and mimic the sounds Hatis Noit hears in nature, Illogical Dance is as unpredictable, beautiful and mysterious as the world around us. Each track is made up from multi layers of vocals, all improvised and without words, before being carefully pieced together. Astonishingly no samples are used throughout, even the sound of crushing leaves came from Hatis Noit's own vocal chords.
The result is a stunning array of sound sculptures that see her switching between multiple styles with great ease. From the sweet operatics on Illogical Lullaby, the manipulated vocal loops duplicating electronic production on Anagram c.i.y. to the primordial chanting call to arms of Angelus Novus, a 10-minute odyssey that features whispering and leaves crunching, it showcases Hatis Noit's full range and introduces a truly original artist.
Previously only available in Japan, Illogical Dance will receive a worldwide release on 23rd March 2018 including a first edition on 12' vinyl. After participating in a ceremony for memorial and appreciation tailored to the withdrawal of the evacuation area in Fukushima on 31st March 2017, Hatis Noit collaborated with renowned visual artist Nobumichi Asai on a project titled INORI (prayer) which they premiered live as part of an Erased Tapes showcase at Mutek Japan in Tokyo.
Having recently moved to London and performed a first string of UK shows, followed by a special live performance at the Milan Fashion Week and Mutek Japan appearance, Peter Broderick has invited Hatis Noit to support him at the Jazz Cafe on April 15th. She's also been announced as part of this year's Sea Change Festival line-up, and asked to participate in a workshop with the London Contemporary Orchestra.
Detroit producers Omar S & Brian Kage team up to bring you Thru the Madness EP.' Thru the Madness' has all the elements of a classic dance music collaboration.
The tune showcases Omar S raw and funky analog bass playing and drum programming combined with Brian Kage signature warm melodic synth lines and chord structures. The clever use of a catchy 90's vocal sample helps solidify and unify the composition.
Thru the Madness (Honk & Nik Mix)' takes a deeper approach by adding a deep Detroit-style DX pad, Nile Rodger-esque funk guitars parts, and vintage drum breaks that will keep the party moving into the late night hours. Like Dutch & Dillon from Predator, some times you gotta Get Thru the Madness!'
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It's been a couple years, but I've put together a new record, this time with my neighbor Stu and a few other friends. Stu's been tuning the piano Linda and I were using for our Lejsovka & Freund and Trouble Books recordings, and I've always enjoyed the test scales and vignettes he would run through checking his work.
I floated the idea to collaborate on a sort of 70s/80s ECM kinda vibe, and soon started bringing my laptop and a couple microphones over to his house to collect his improvisations and have him add to pieces I had started. Other friends from the neighborhood dropped by to add parts here and there as well.
The recordings were made primarily in the summers of 2016 & 2017 (with a break in-between to mourn the triumph of neo-fascism as well as the passing of beloved pets). Ultimately I tried to follow the feel of those summer nights and the tranquility they offered. Open air or at least open windows, drifting along, you know"
-KF, Spring 2018.
Aqueduct Ensemble is a collaboration between Ohio based artist Keith Freund - who has previously released music as part of both Lejsovka & Freund and Trouble Books - and his neighbour Stu, who is a piano tuner and professional pianist. Their debut album together, "Improvisations On An Apricot" is the second release from label Last Resort, and follows G.S Schray's "Gabriel" (2017) - the sleeves for which were both designed by Keith, who does does all the art direction for the label. Beginning life in 2013 as an NTS radio show of the same name, Last Resort is run by Tom Cathcart from his home in London.
Having pinned to perfection the sonics of the Adriatic, Croatia's Love International Festival bottles up their blissed out rhythms and sunrise sessions for the inauguration of Love International Recordings, fittingly, with a first release from UK producer Begin.
Bringing the Love International feel to wax and digital, the label will encapsulate the range of music the festival's secluded party paradise has become renowned for. All the way from the balearic tinges of this first release, to the meatier house, techno and electro selections on show at Barbarellas.
Begin aka James Holroyd has a long history with Love International. Dating back to the early 2000s, Holroyd was one of the first guest DJs at the old Garden festival on the former festival site in Petrcane. Long serving Chemical Brothers tour DJ, Back to Basics resident since the 90's and Bugged Out co founder, Begin has long paid his paid his dues to the scene. In the words of Dave Harvey: 'he's been an absolute workhorse in dance music for time'.
Love International 001's tracks seemingly fit the festivals own daily lifecycle. From the docile guitar picking of meditative EP opener 'Wood Trees' to the slow daybreak funk of 'Daypulse' where synths pierce through the track like sun rays through the Adriatic dusk, the EP is a holistic reflection of what one might hear at one of the festival's fabled sunrise sessions. 'Garden Interlude' ushers in a fresh burst of energy, with the revitalizing sounds of piano house, paired with warming neo soul vocals. 'Into The Fun' is a self fulfilling prophecy, closing the EP on a quintessentially balearic note.
The Works of John B. McLemore, the star of one of last years biggest podcasts, S-Town, which is coming out on Dais. The story behind this release is truly fascinating.. the music itself is ambient remixes of Tor Lundvall's best works, but with John's idiosyncratic slant on them, with some having been woven together using the horde of clocks he use to keep in his basement. This story is really worth a read if you get a chance."In September 2012, I received an e-mail from someone named John B. who said he had assembled a lengthy remix of my music, which also incorporated some of his own material. John asked if I'd mind if he posted this recording on YouTube, to which I agreed. He also mentioned that there was a second part to his mix that was "roughed out", but never completed. I was curious to hear both parts, so shortly afterwards, John mailed me two CDrs which I enjoyed very much. The recordings were hypnotic and haunting, evoking images of vast fields at twilight. I was especially fond of the second disc which had a darker atmosphere and featured more of John's original material, beginning with ghostly clock chimes and ending with a mysterious piece using dried seed pods and other cryptic sounds that slowly built-up into an intense, almost claustrophobic environment.
My correspondence with John lasted about two months. In one of his final e-mails, John said "I have to observe that your paintings seem to have a great deal of loneliness involved in them... even multiple characters seem to be together alone, so to speak... I really appreciate looking at your paintings as well as your music, I think I have connected with the spirit of them both as much as anyone can." He went on to discuss his struggles with depression, caring for his aging mom and his concerns about the future. I tried to encourage his music as a possible outlet, perhaps as a means to help transform his feelings of loneliness into a more content solitude. Always easy to say, but as I well know, not always easy to do.
In his last e-mail in late October 2012, John sent me a beautiful slideshow of his Fall flower beds and his dogs. I was touched and I told him how much watching his video had brightened my day. That was the last time I heard from him.
Last year, I visited John's YouTube channel to see if Part One of his mix was still posted, which it was, and still remains. I was shocked and saddened to read in the comments section that he had passed away. The comments also suggested that John had received some sort of national attention recently. This quickly led me to the S-Town podcast. Although I had mixed reactions after listening, I was thankful that S-Town shed more light on John and his remarkable life... but somehow, I just couldn't place the person in the podcast with the person I had corresponded with. Had I not listened to S-Town, I would have remembered John as a very private, somewhat dark and lonely person. He may have been these things, but there was obviously far more to him than that.
After finishing the final episode, I decided to play the second, unreleased CDr of John's recordings for the first time in years. Listening to his clock chimes ringing in the dark was an eerie and chilling moment. I was reminded of a line from my song "29" which says "I live with dreams and a lonely mind, my clock is set to a different time". I wondered what those lyrics might have meant to him.
John had mentioned that he wasn't satisfied with his final mix, but I felt his work was too special not to be heard. I hope that these recordings offer another glimpse into the creative mind of a unique, complex and gifted individual who tragically left this world all too early."
Tor Lundvall
January 17th, 2018
JOHN B.'s NOTES:
This is what was intended to be the second part of my Tor Lundvall Remix series. Unfortunately I am dissatisfied with it due to a few defects, and it is highly unlikely that I will ever be able to complete it. Still it serves as a testament to my interest in the work of Tor Lundvall that I made it this far. Defects are as follows: The first movement is too 'fussy', and the first section of the fifth movement seems a bit long and may bore the listener, but since it consisted of so many slow moving textures, I don't know how I could redo it and still achieve what I was wanting to accomplish. Additionally, this recording was done just days before my Father died, and there are many feelings of guilt associated with the time spent on it. If you are receiving this recording, either you are one of my better friends, or you are a great admirer of Tor Lundvall, and requested that I send it to you.
1st Part: Basically a track of me fiddling around with old clock bells, and air turbulence mixed with Tor Lundvall and Field Recordings of rain, birds, cicadas, frogs and such.
2nd Part: My interpretation of Lundvall's Dark Spring. This track was inspired by the music of Carl Michael von Hausswolff.
3rd Part: Very ambient Field Recordings inspired by the work of Francisco Lopez.
4th Part: A Very Quiet passage consisting of delicate Field Recordings.
5th Part: Music performed entirely by me inspired by the Darker paintings of Tor Lundvall. Most of the instruments on this piece consisted of dried seed pods from the plant; Showy Rattlebox (Crotolaria Spectabilis), that I had collected and dried the previous Fall. There are other sounds from my own environment as well.
This mix was assembled in the Late Fall of 2003. There are some very Quiet passages in this piece, so it requires a nearly Isolated listening environment... It should be heard After Midnight, in the Late Fall of the year, and, not surprisingly, a Very Long Attention span is a Prerequisite.
Wave Stu might just be the Platonic ideal of icy, emotionally fraught synth-pop. On his debut release for Origin Peoples, Stockholm-based musician Michel Isorinne puts paragons of this style like Orchestral Manoeuvres In e Dark in his slipstream. Laced with spoken-word passages from films and television shows, Wave Stu weaves a loose tale about the nature of time, physics, and mortality that can be summarized by the key phrase, uttered by a woman scientist somewhere throughout the album, 'magic is in the molecules...'
Isorinne essentially creates introverted minimalist symphonies in which sprightly synth leads peacefully coexist with melancholy, drone-y undercurrents. Throughout the record, Isorinne's melodies bear a fruitful contrast between the morose and the jubilant. He repeatedly places exceptionally delicate and beautiful tunes amid subliminal waves of pensiveness. It truly is a masterly balancing act. e zenith of this approach is Side A's closing track, in which gorgeous countermelodies intertwine like lovers on a tropical beach while a pistoning rhythm pumps up the libido. It's instant paradisiacal bliss.
Side B contains Wave Stu 's most cheerful, uptempo track yet it never bursts into full-on euphoria. Elsewhere, Isorinne reverts back to more somber moods: an eerie, methodical chiller full of quiet wonderment and subdued sparkle reminiscent of Casino Versus Japan, Plone, and others of their gnomic ilk; a low-key anthem in which '70s Vangelis grandiosi meets the workmanlike bass-synth chug of Ulrich Schnauss; an elegiac piece that conjures an intimate majes ; a bass-heavy dirge festooned with forlorn wisps of melodiousness.
The complex, paradoxical happy/sad pendulum at the heart of Isorinne's music lends Wave Stu a tingly resonance that will reward repeat listens. Please welcome an extravagantly rich synth-pop classic.
