quête:spac

We are proud to present our second release by Beat Pharmacy AKA Brendon Moeller AKA Echologist, a singular voice in contemporary electronic, techno, and sound system musics in his various guises. Beat Pharmacy tunes begin life as live hardware jams where reverb, echo and delay rule the day, and rugged textures rub against digital processing.

In Density,' bass, kick and heavily reverbed piano skanks anchor an instantly enveloping soundworld of deepest dubwise ambience. From around hidden corners emerge the hiss of distant pistons and valves, sentient machinery working in complex relationships. Wobbles, wubs and sweeps communicate across cavernous spaces, as strange rhythmic elements sputter and spatter, tangling and massing in double-time to the point of rupture, only to resolve into crystalline moments of suspension into gorgeous, neck-snapping drops. Simply mesmerizing, and heavy in the dance. Everything to Gain' is spun from the same heavy metals, with a sparser feel, processed voice, and a buzzing, repeating alarm figure that sounds like a submarine warning that the dive is getting too deep, too dangerous...

Music that is moving, powerful, evocative and kinetic, slotting beautifully into 140 sets while defying easy categorization or description, always following vision over fashion. This is why we love Beat Pharmacy.

Mastered by Lewis at StarDelta

repress!!

After reaching its 10th year of existence, Secretsundaze will finally launch its 12" singles label in May 2011, as well as re-launching the critically acclaimed compilation series.
Secretsundaze, created and run by school friends Giles Smith and James Priestley is of course best known for its summertime Sunday parties which have become the stuff of legend, attracting DJs from the world of House and Techno such as Carl Craig, Ricardo Villalobos, Kenny Larkin, Efdemin, Cassy and Chez Damier. The boys have taken the party across the world with regular sessions at Panorama Bar, Robert Johnson, Ibiza and as far a field as Japan and New York.

(en) While the last Kompakt offering from legendary Russian synthesists SCSI-9 dates back to 2008, when the duo released their album Easy As Down' (KOMPAKT CD 068), co-founder and techno/house virtuoso ANTON KUBIKOV kept himself busy cultivating his own label Pro-Tez Records - and establishing a career as solo artist with a clear penchant for dub-infused soundscapes and ambient music. WHATNESS is Kubikov's first solo full-length under his proper name, weaving airy and iridescent sonic tapestry that takes up where his excellent contributions to our Pop Ambient compilations left off.
ANTON KUBIKOV's special ear for ambience and tonal spaces was always an integral part of SCSI-9's musical DNA that would alternate between tight dance workouts and vast melodic range - but it's as a solo artist that he truly started to explore these spaces, following mysterious sonic trails into foggy, reverb-heavy territory. Kubikov's contributions to the several instalments of our Pop Ambient compilation series announced the arrival of a promising new project in our talent pool - a promise more than satisfied with the immersive sound bath of first solo outing WHATNESS.
Going from the richly layered electronic drones of LIQUID MIRROR or ENTRANCE to the lush ambient dub of OTHER THE SEA and KURT'S FOREST, or the minimalist, evocative piano of OKTOBER and PIA, the album covers lots of stylistic ground, but remains committed to its overall aesthetic of misty mountains and serene valleys. With the endearing APRIL, a true Pop Ambient classic from the 2016 compilation (KOMPAKT 345 CD 128) makes a welcome return, priming the canvas for the subtle bass throb of NORTH and its charming synth bell orchestra. Masterfully refining and extending his sonic pallet on WHATNESS, ANTON KUBIKOV can claim his spot among the very best of today's ambient composers.
(de) Obwohl die letzte Kompakt-Offerte aus dem Studio der legendären russichen Synthesizeristen SCSI-9 schon eine Weile zurückliegt - 2008, um genau zu sein, mit dem Album Easy As Down' (KOMPAKT CD 068) -, hat Co-Gründer und Techno/House-Virtuose ANTON KUBIKOV nicht auf der faulen Haut geaalt, sondern sein eigenes Label Pro-Tez Records gepflegt - und eine Karriere als Solo-Künstler mit klarem Drang zur verdubbten Tonlandschaft und Ambient-Musik in die Wege geleitet. WHATNESS ist seine erste Solo-Album-Veröffentlichung unter eigenem Namen und webt einen luftigen wie schillernden Klangteppich, der genau da weitermacht, wo Kubikovs exzellente Beiträge zu unserer Pop Ambient Compilation-Reihe aufgehört haben.
ANTON KUBIKOVs besonderes Ohr für Ambientes und tonale Räume war schon immer integraler Bestandteil von SCSI-9s musikalischer DNA, die gerne zwischen fokussierter Tanzathletik und ausufernden Melodieräumen changiert - doch erst als Solo-Künstler macht er sich daran, diese Räume wirklich auszuloten und geheimnisvollen Klangspuren in neblige, hallende Gegenden zu folgen. Kubikovs Gastspiele auf mehreren Ausgaben unserer Pop Ambient-Serie deuteten auf ein vielverprechendes neues Projekt im Talentpool hin - ein Versprechen, das mit dem mitreissenden Klangbad von WHATNESS mehr als erfüllt wird.
Von den reichhaltig verschichteten elektronischen Drones von LIQUID MIRROR oder ENTRANCE zum üppigen Ambient-Dub von OTHER THE SEA und KURT'S FOREST, oder dem minimalistischen, andeutungsreichen Klavierspiel auf OKTOBER und PIA erstreckt sich das Album über viel Stilgebiet, bleibt aber der eigenen Ästhetik dunstiger Gebirgszüge und einsamer Täler true. Mit dem überaus reizenden APRIL macht ausserdem ein echter Pop Ambient-Klassiker von der 2016er Ausgabe (KOMPAKT 345 CD 128) seine Aufwartung und bereitet den Boden für den subtil pochenden Bass von NORTH nebst charmantem Synthieglockenorchester. Meisterhaft veredelt und aufgebohrt, ist ANTON KUBIKOVs Klangpalette auf WHATNESS Grund genug ihm einen Platz zwischen den besten Ambientkomponisten unserer Tage zu sichern.

With a career spanning over 20 years worth of Djing, production and label work, Shlomi Aber has gradually cemented his position as one of the scene's cornerstones. His first outing for Figure sees the now Barcelona-based artist drawing on his many influences to deliver a tastefully rounded three- tracker. ‚Under two Worlds' grooves sublty aong a funky acid riff, while anthemic synths longilgy recall bygone moments of grandeur. This unique Aber-ability, creating a composition that is as elegantly understated as it is undoubtedly epic, also comes through on the record's B-side. Paced only at half-time and drenched in dubby reverb, the weighing beats of ‚Rumbles' engage with delicately shapedhead sounds for some seriously spaced-out head nods. ‚Matrix' is an tightly woven mesh of machinery insides, which Aber nevertheless manages to channel into a fairly straight- forward kinetic energy.

With Adryiano and Kastil on production duties for their Loskober alias (which first emerged through Soul Notes in 2013) the 15th SAFT release has some serious sounds on it.

Apart from the two originals this time around the label has acquired remixes from the likes of 'Keita Sano' and Berlin based Australian 'Andy Hart'. Ranked 38th is a slab of tough disco tainted sample house with tight drums and a catchy phrase to highlight the dance floor nature of the opening track.

For the sophomore track Japan native Keita Sano rewords the title track in an original fashion using the main elements while layering this with outlandish percussion and elevating FX.

On the B side we find the modern classic sounds of 'Lake Michigan'. This is a piece of dance floor oriented music in the vain of the much appreciated sounds from the motor city heydays. Touching pads collide beautifully with the spacious bassline and the courageous drum work.

For the B2 position, Berlin based 'Andy Hart' cleverly reworks the sounds of 'Lake Michigan' to a more contemporary house track without losing the central focus of the appealing bassline

Here comes Argoman, the antihero of disco music. Inspired by the 1960s b movie super hero Argoman, the name literally means lazy man, however it's also a combination of three Italian producers' names, who started the project about one year ago. The track Chimicalissimo merges the vibrant rhythms of disco with the emotional approach of modern electronic music. It's a peak-time dancefloor banger completely produced with analog synths and drum machines. The tune is a proper voyage between syncopated rhythms and heavy basslines soaked with synth melodies that often recall IDM progressions. The dub version gives more space to a melancholic piano melody that culminates through analog arpeggios to an unstoppable build. Black Spuma remix finally turns the track into a slow burning disco monster.

Outstanding three track EP from the archives of Caliban (A side project of London musician Milton Myrie, a session guitar player who worked with cult UK buddhist afro and reggae band Ozo as well as on the much sought after Steel and Skin 'Afro Punk Reggae' 12'). Talk about bang for ye buck.. 1 side crucial oddball digital cuts, b side sounds like a UK jazz funk classic... Gold Print Sleeve. BIG TIP!
.

Caliban produced only one self-released 7' 'Open Mind / Digital Reggae' in 1984.

Following the re-discovery of this very little known 7' by Caliban a few years back, UK producer Jackson Bailey aka Tapes managed to track Milton down, who as well as being in possession of most of the stock of the original record, was also sat on a number of amazing unreleased recordings from the Caliban sessions. With an album of unreleased Caliban material compiled by Tapes to follow later on Music From Memory, this EP introduces one of the unreleased tracks, the incredible feel good disco anthem Supernatural'. Taking us on a glittering, rhythm charged rocket tour of the Funk Cosmos, this until-now-unheard future classic will surely set the summer nights alight.

The three track 12' also includes Digital Reggae' which featured on the original Caliban 7'. This computerised dancehall/funk hybrid was partially penned to address the lack of black culture included in the payload of the United States' first space station, Digital Reggae will be included in the Payload of Skylab!'. As well as the original mix, the EP also includes a new dub put together by Milton himself and assisted by riddim specialist Tapes!

Hemlock founder Untold is back on the label with his first vinyl EP since 'Doff' on sub-label HBLK back in 2015. This release follows appearances on last year's #savefabric compilation, and more recently on 'Magic City III' compiled by Mixpak boss Jubilee.

HEK029 follows a rewarding period of A&R for Hemlock that has so far delivered EPs from Bruce and Parris, with several more scheduled to drop throughout 2017.

This EP's two winding tracks are a natural progression from the fiercely textural drum work of Untold's previous singles and album 'Black Light Spiral.' Here the material is given more space to breathe and released from the grid creating a lighter more footloose feel.

'Tear Up the Club' carries the weight of DMZ era half-step using a loose web of elasticated breaks and builds to reveal a striking melodic line.

On 'Watton Res' exotic tones are further compressed and expanded in sequence, encasing drum machine, keyboards and guitar work within a delicate shell.

''Noir Jungle Part II'' finds the Italian producers 'Cardace & Perazzini' once again demonstrating originals and exciting modes of expression, not to mention the extraordinary level of detail in their music. It rounds the project off, with yet more unpredictable diversions of their immersive sound design to paint a vivid and unique landscape at its most dynamic framework. 'Swinging Plans' places the drums at the forefront of the mix, using incredible layers of brushed, rolling an expressive live recordings to create a truly thrilling experience that speaks to the deepest human instinct for rhythmic sound. 'Internal N.5', intensify the Techno-influenced energy as it races ahead on a tightly wound rhythm, adding a rich array of sounds into the mix to create a focused and detailed trip loaded with cinematic tension. 'George Is There', takes rich chords running through delay and reverb while maintaining a pronounced house groove with perfect and subtle touches of jazz into the track, invigorating sonic experience aimed at both, the mind and the dancefloor. 'Below the Earth', This is a perfect example of Cardace & Perazzini's exercise of restraint, keeping the mood simmering while still displaying their love for ear-snagging samples in between the folds of the track. 'Really Low Mind' sets a thrilling tone straight away with a rolling drum beat taking the lead and subtle tonal sweeps filling in the space around. It's a testament of skills when sequencing drums, not least when it peaks after a tantalizing breakdown. 'Night Train' sits easy on the ears but there is a deep level of production at work that reveals itself as the heavily processed samples of instrumentation starts to unfurl halfway through the track.

Following 2016's much-acclaimed solo album Mondo Alterado (HIPPIE 008CD/LP), original Pachanga Boy and Hippie Dance mentor Rebolledo returns to the limelight with the jam-packed Mondo Re-Alterado, tapping into his vast and varied network of friends and fellow soundsmiths. Artists such as Superpitcher, DJ Tennis, Maceo Plex, Red Axes, Fango, or Fantastic Twins deliver stunning takes on Rebolledo's unique signature sound, creating a full suite of exclusive remixes, cover versions, and reinterpretations. From the super-energetic club rumblings of Maceo Plex's "Discótico Pléxico" to DJ Tennis's dreamy "Pimiento Drive Version" of "A Numb Gas To The Future" or Fantastic Twins' party bomb "Fantastic Pow Pow", the journey through Mondo Re-Alterado is full of twists and turns -- a world where an epic, cinematic soundscape such as Superpicher's "Rainboy Super Space" sits comfortably alongside the claustrophobic, punishing banger that Fango sculpted from stand-out cut "Pow Pow". Meanwhile, Red Axes turn the casual narrative of "Life Is Strange, Life Is Hard, Life Is Great" into a bouncing workout -- a great companion piece to "WANT", Danny Daze and Shokh's propulsive, jagged dub version of "Fears Come True". Other highlights include Jörg Burger aka The Black Frame with the lush "Black Rainbow Woman", Paulor's country rock extravaganza "Discótico Desértico" and not one, but two excellent contributions from former Italians Do It Better honcho Mike Simonetti. It's a magical, surprising ride that finds beauty in contrasts -- while staying tuned to Rebolledo's spirit of adventure and powerful sense of style.

Jazz classic alert! Reissue from this soul/jazz-funk fusion album originally released in 1982 on Poet Records. 500 copy LTD edition!

'Dispersion' is an EP deep in style, talent and wonder. Embellishing the underground kudos of Berlin-based techno DJ and producer AVION, owner of the hotly tipped, and renowned imprint Crossing, Dispersion is an eclectic mix of cerebral, uncompromising and colorful techno. Title track 'Dispersion' is a gleaming display of spacious dancefloor beats; melancholic, yet industrial. 'Real' is clinical, functional techno, emulating some of The Wizard's influential magic. 'Inverse' blends together a contemporary approach to sonic aptitudes, while remaining a strictly dancefloor and body orientated, while 'Enidan' a colorful moment of ambient beauty, plays the EP out.
It is the first release on Marcel Fengler's regarded, techno imprint IMF in 2017. 'Dispersion' is an ambitious, and unique EP, from a true underground -and mysterious - talent. The EP's style embodies the bright, hypnotic and pulsing music that has characterized his releases to date on Crossing. Talking about the release, Fengler states, 'He got my attention after some pretty strong releases on his own imprint Crossing. I felt that this was something I didn't have on my label, but still reflected the idea of IMF.

UK producer Allen Saei aka Aubrey is no stranger to Burek family, having already remixed Information Ghetto's "Inspiration" track for Burek in 2013 and DJ Stingray's "Communication System" track released on Barba in 2015. As is to be expected from a guy who's been spending time in the studio for better part of the last three decades, on 13th Barba release Aubrey delivers a mature and consistent space-themed club 12" titled "Space Funk". Although pretty self-referential as a whole, each track on the 12" offers a different take on the topic. "Clock Funk" and "Space Jazz" are quite direct and peak time, "Spaceship Blues" is a chunky funk workout and "Path To Nowhere" is somewhat deeper introspective piece. Common thread moving through all four cuts is an infectious groove intertwined with synth lines that would not be misplaced amongst the best examples of space-influenced techno music firmly grounded on the floor but with eyes on the future. All that, pressed onto a heavy duty 180 gram vinyl and beautifully packaged in an original artwork by local artist EmaEmaEma.

With FBNM now celebrating their fifth year of operation, Lorenzo has marked the occasion by assembling his biggest project to date - an impeccably curated collection of obscure Italian production music circa 1974 - 1985. The project, nearly a year in the making, has been very close to Lorenzo's heart - beginning unexpectedly in the record fairs of Buenos Aires and leading him on several trips to Rome and Milan, tracking down the original musicians and licensors.

"In this compilation, I have tried to include some of the most interesting cuts I have collected over the years. Tracks like the entirely electronic "Nitrogen" from Alberto Baldan Bembo's "Sound Orchestra" LP on Star Track Records, featuring a wild evolving bassline leading us through frantic rhythmic experimentations. "In the Space", by French born composer Albert Verrecchia and taken from Italian poliziesco drama 'Il Tempo Degli Assasini' (Season for Assasins), tells the tale of wistful longing, played out with serenity on strings and keys, but unexpected interruption from its stop-start arrangement brings an unforeseen tension into the mix... And how could I not include the wonderfully charming "Screw Driver" by Fabio Fabor, from his collaborative album "Superman" with a young Antonio Arena. Featuring an orchestra of beautifully programmed ARP and Oberheim sonorities alongside the Commodore 64 programmed graphical artwork by Antonio Arena himself."

The music itself was partly sourced from Lorenzo's own collection, archived and then restored especially for this release. Where possible, tracks (such as "Vision", "Nitrogen" and "Blue Magnolia") have been lifted directly from the original master tapes kindly lent by the repertoire owners. Every track, however, has been carefully restored, remastered and cut for vinyl by the cautious hands of Andreas (LUPO) Lubich at Calyx Mastering, Berlin.

New comers Laughing Man and Noah Skelton release their 'Element EP', on Silencio.
The first track, 'Element', is a collaboration between the two artists. This combined effort rumbles into the clearing, dragging the dance floor and its occupants along with it for a riveting ride throughout its duration. A beguiling bass line, complimented by underlying ethereal sounds, seamlessly contrasts and connects to form a compelling rhythm. Riddled with space age laser samples that periodically bubble to the surface, this track consistently pulls listeners in by pushing out good vibrations.
On Side B Laughing Man goes solo with the second track '1939'. This dynamic offering is a model of contemplative creation that basks in its own thought provoking ambience. A series of scintillating samples, echoing in waves of varying intensity, are served up with satisfying drums and a clever assortment of claps. This release has a way of finding your mind and marinating in the sub-conscious because it's just that deep.

Pantha Du Prince (Hendrik Weber) has been working with longtime engineer Kassian to create an ambient version of last year's triumphant studio return, 'The Triad'. This reworking showcases the otherworldly and moody delicacy that makes Weber's music so absorbing and affecting, with the beats and most vocals removed, his dreamy sonic details come to the fore.
LP is accompanied by a digital download that also includes bonus extra versions of some of the album tracks.

It s time for Lewis Fautzi to introduce his first album on Pole Group, a collection of ten tracks of cosmic techno, carefully crafted making a soundtrack of the future, deep, intense and scientific.

Psycho path is the intro, made of granular textures, subtle drones and ambiences, stepping into Entering, pulsating sub bass, continuous sinoidal sequences, pads and tension.

Subconscious starts with the beat, opaque bass drum, micro hi hats, atmospheres and monotonous sequences at a low bpm rate while Diffracted speeds the tempo a bit with electric synths, flanges and twists creating an hypnotic number. Rentless pain follows, with resonant bleeps starring until assymetrical sequences appear and the synth lines evolve in a hi pass filter galore.

Seasick is humid and liquid, gummy sounds, clean drum programming, spaced out sounds and a lot of room. Then we come into Furrow, aimed to the intelligent dancefloors out there, synthetic bubbles, rolling sub woofer action , bleeps and noises. Cyclic Human reminds to the best scifi techno with bell like sequences, digital clicks, jazz harmonies and abstract progression.

Number nine is Optic Chiasm a direct number based on an obscure drum workout and filled with hi pitched relentless sequences, intelligently arranged to create a mental feeling as well as inducing to dance. Album closes with The Brain Revolution, like an evolution of Entering, beatless but still preserving the tension and the movement.

A coherent and complete collection of precise, surgical and futuristic music to be enjoyed as a whole adventure..