Cerca:space art

Following a self-titled EP last year, Dario Rojo Guerra aka Natureboy Flako is set to release his second album 'Theme For A Dream' on Five Easy Pieces on 20th July 2018. Exploring the boundaries of music, science and spirituality through a prism of colourfully synthesised-sound, heart-pounding rhythm and cinematic soundtracks; the core essense of 'Theme For A Dream' is the exploration of the human inne space, the balance of musical energies and music's healing capabilities. 'Theme For A Dream' is a more electronic sounding record than his debut. Guerra makes extensive use of old and new analogue equipment such as the Juno 106, Korg's MS-20, ARP Odyssey or Roland's SH-2000 synthesisers, alongside recordings of vocals, guitars and other instruments. This serves to create a dynamic and eclectic sound spectrum, all unique to his musical handwriting. 'Theme For A Dream' will be accompanied by an experimental and interactive website that allows users to preview music while being an immersive, unique multi-sensual 4D xperience of its own. Snippets of the music from 'Theme For A Dream' become audio visual poetry and an immersive exploration of state of the art technology and oneself. 'I don't think technology necessarily means not being natural. Technology can be very much in balance with nature, since it is mostly just trying to imitate or trying to understand something from within nature. Around recording 'Theme For A Dream', Guerra also co-produced/co-wrote and engineered Kutmah's recent debut and Jitwam's forthcoming album, as well as produced almost half of Fatima's follow up album to 'Yellow Memories'. He is currently working on a film project with a London based production company and is already working on a new album, which is expected to bring back his vocal talent, previously released under the moniker Dirg Gerner.

"For the final part of SchleiBen 5 - 8, Emotional Response welcomes two Scottish based artists to close out the series. In Jon Keliehor you have a world and music traveler with history from psychedelic rock to fourth world exposure, alongside one of the best electronic producers of the last decade, Lord Of The Isles. As the drummer of West Coast folk rock / psychedelic band The Daily Flash, Keleihor spent much of the mid-60 based in and out of Seattle and Los Angles, playing alongside the likes of Jefferson Airplane, Cream and The Doors, before an increasing interest in meditation and philosophies outside of the 'rock' realm led him to England in the early 70s where he become involved in dance theatre. Teaching Advanced Rhythmic Music Studies at the London Contemporary Dance School, his music composition style became influenced by his studies of world music. Finally settling in Glasgow for over 20 years, while running the Luminous Music label and Gamelan Naga Mas, his earlier recordings for labels like Indipop, Touch and Bruton have seen a recent revival, with music appearing recently on contemporaries Optimo Music and Invisible Inc. The wonderful recordings included here span over 3 decades, from sessions at the Luminous Studio at The Diorama Theatre, London in the early 80s, through to recent field-work based recordings in the Cairngorms. Reconfigured and updated, a common thread appears through the pieces - a sense of longing and appreciation - as Jon's knowledge of outer-national instrumentation alongside equally extensive travels around the globe gives the recordings a seamless blend of organic craft. The tonal consonances within unlikely combinations of instruments, with tuned glasses (tarang), tabla, jaw harps, clay flutes and ocarinas, Chinese instruments that include Xiao-Bo and Xiao-Ping, large Noah bells, small and larges gongs all employed, the recordings have been reconstructed, edited and updated via sampling and digital processing. Featuring the playing of John "Jhalib" Millar - the extraordinarily gifted musician and tabla player - who has appeared with an EP on sister label, Emotional Rescue (ERC029), sadly recently deceased, the contribution acts as a tribute and more. To close, the music of Lord Of The Isles is an excellent companion to Jon's work. Neil McDonald's list of club-based releases on labels CockTail D'Amor, Ene, Firecracker, Permanent Vacation, ESP Institute and Phonica is comprehensive and exemplary, however within his productions has often been an other-worldly element, a space between the beats and occasional fully ambient pieces. Approached originally for series one of SchleiBen, the 7 pieces included were worth the wait, a journey in themselves and the perfect completion. Spanning almost 5 years, the majority were written during an extended exile in the Cairngorms. The lifting, ethereal, but melodic nature of the music fits that aesthetic. Blue skies, snow, long walks, space to think, but with a longing and appreciation of family and friends. The solitary nature found in SchleiBen 8 and the geographical incidence of both artist's recordings including sessions in the Scottish Highlands fits the series ideals and is a nice closure. Enjoy and listen. "

Aaja is a UK based cultural project encompassing a space, label and parties. Not following too many fads or trends. Aaja is an audible quest for deep and raw club rollers and late night neon tales.

For AAJA001 we're pleased to gather 4 friends and artists in their own right for a diverse, inaugural 4-track Various Artists EP. Commencing proceedings on the A1, 'Abzent Mindz' by In:State & Guili lets rip. Following their recent 12" on Not An Animal, this ever-giving cross-European collaboration churns out something that is both functional and emotional. TIP!

For A2, whilst this might be the start of his production journey, Ady Toledano is a permanent fixture on Berlin's queer club scene and we're excited to share his latest production. Regularly spinning at Cocktail D'Amore, Buttons at About:Blank & Riot,
Toledano delivers 'Rare Earth'. A deep, ceremonial journey best suited for those late night, deep in the rave moments and let's be honest, mornings. Flipping the 12" over for B1.

The third track of the EP is produced by Everson. One of the co-founders of Aaja teases sample-work in an out of a grinding, tool style track bridging busy, UK influenced percussion and influence with slower, sledging techno.

Finally, Alex Richards finishes off the VA with 'Platform' on the B2. His words about the track... 'messing about making noises'. Richards lends the compilation a superlative, building and stripped back tune. Suited equally to the early doors as it is the
early morns.

As The Title Suggests, Joakim Recorded This New Album Last Year At Studio Venezia, The Installation/sculptural Ensemble/recording Studio Created By Xavier Veilhan For The Prestigious 2017 Venice Art Biennale. Built Inside The French Pavilion & Inspired By The Grotto-like Merzbau By Kurt Schwitters, Studio Venezia Had Dozens Of Artists Create And Record There Over The 6 Months Of The Biennale (from Chassol To Brian Eno, From Joakim To Sebastien Tellier), Invited By Xavier Veilhan Himself With The Help Of Co-curator Christian Marclay.

With An Impressive Collection Of Rare Instruments From Medieval Horns To Rare Modular Synths (baschet Crystals And Percussions, A Buchla, A Clavinet...), Studio Venezia Was An Amazing Creative Playground For The Adventurous Musician. Those Instruments Were Captured By A Team Of Sound Engineers In The Best Possible Way Thanks To Nigel Godrich's (beck, Radiohead...) Mobile Studio Loaded With State Of The Art Vintage Recording Gear.

Before Going There In May 2017, Joakim Examined The Instrument List And The Specific Context Of A Studio Open To The Public Within An International Contemporary Art Exhibition To Anticipate His Creative Process. Instead Of Drafting Compositions And Demos Ahead Of The Recording Session, He Decided To Have An in-situ' Approach By Creating A System Involving The Visitors Of The Studio In The Composition Phase. Joakim Asked Random Visitors Of The Pavilion To Pick A Word, A Letter (between A And G), Tap A Tempo And Sometimes Choose The Instruments That He Would Play For Each Piece. The Word Was Translated Into A Chord Using A Transcription Table Joakim Invented. Hence The Song Titles Made Of The Given Word Plus The Name And Origin Of The Contributor. The Music Was Then Mostly Improvised, Based On Those Chords, Scales And Tempi. The Recordings Were Then Taken Back To New York Where Joakim Made Some Light Editing And Mixed The Pieces.

In Terms Of Influences, Joakim Tried To Channel The Spirit Of Proto-ambient German Heroes Cluster, 60s And 70s Modal Jazz, Japanese Evocative Minimalism And Drone Composers' Hypnotic Transcendence.

One Can Hear The Studio Through These Recordings, Which Was The Point, To Use The Studio As An Instrument, Like The Kraut Rock Pioneers Did. You May Hear The Floor Cracking, People Talking Or Coughing, And The Peculiar Quality Of Music Recorded In A Large Space With Its Acoustic Properties, A Rare Occurrence When Everyone Is Now Working From Small Home Studios And Major Large Studios Are Closing Down. This Album Also Marks A Return For Joakim To His Musical Education As A Classically Trained Pianist As You Can Hear Him Improvise On The Piano ( arms', air', dream'), Fender Rhodes ( trust') Or Harpsichord ( absense').

Following The Release Of The Studio Venezia Sessions, Joakim Will Create A Live Performance Based On His Experience In Venice. The Premiere Of This New Solo Performance Is Commissioned By The Villa Medicis In Rome For Their Villa Aperta Festival Early June. More Shows Will Follow.

While notorious in the Chicago streets, RP Boo's music had been unfairly confined to a few white labels and self-released mixtapes until his two archival Planet Mu LPs Legacy and Fingers, Bank Pads & Shoe Prints introduced broader audiences to his sonic history, some of it fifteen years after it was first recorded. I'll Tell You What! is the next step in his mission, and the first time he's released an album of contemporary material. The title, a favorite maxim of his, welcomes listeners to sit down and let him narrate in the unforgettable abstract fashion he's known for. He explores familiar motifs such as the cosmos, movement, and opposition, using densely interwoven vocals, unpredictable percussion, and evil humming bass as his tools of choice. RP Boo's music doesn't follow the traditional rules that most compositions do. Layering decades of samples from yesteryear to the present over his commanding vocal cut-ups, he transports the listener to their own realm of the space-time continuum. The main difference between this record and his prior work is now we hear Boo tell new stories about preaching his gospel outside of Chicago, from his experiences frantically touring the globe over the last five years. The words 'things ain't been the same / since I hopped the plane' are repeated on top of engine sounds and rumbling bass on Flight 1235, a glorious paean to his new jet-setting adventures. The spirit of competition runs through RP's veins as much as blood does, something you can't unlearn when you've been making music for Chicago's footwork circuit as long as he has. The local culture has served as a shelter from the violence that has plagued the city, pitting kids against each other with their feet rather than weapons. On At War Boo reminds us 'we are at war in the streets', a double meaning to both the mayhem in this world and the sweetness of rivalry on the dance floor. Another battle-themed track Cloudy Back Yard, one of the spacier moments on this album, is an abstract on the state of footwork's home. Chicago remains the backyard of this artform even though it's left the porch and traveled to new neighborhoods worldwide. Back at home though, competition among the DJs and dancers continues, and as the man himself says, 'with all this hate, there's smoke, and it's cloudy'. I'll Tell You What! throws more than a few curveballs into the mix. Footwork has always borrowed from hip-hop, and many vocal tracks are almost condensed raps, dating back to the street chants pioneered on Dance Mania Records in the ghetto house days. On Bounty, Boo grabs the mic and brazenly lays down a full-on verse of terror over a thick atmosphere of his signature sweltering low-end and erratic Roland R-70 patterns. While he's most famous for his confrontational battle anthems, his melancholy moments are just as powerful. You get the best of both of those worlds on U-Don't No, with soulful samples finishing his own cocky sentences, one of the most elegant tracks RP has made to date. Deep Sole closes the record out, with the words 'It's always beautiful at the end' looping over waves of hypnotic synthesis, confidently looking death straight in the eyes.

Unusual Colour And Complex Microtonality Found In The Classical Music Of Iran / Blurts Of Noise, Sour Tones, And A Vaguely Technoid Or Dubwise Impression Expose The Inner Rhythm And Counterpoint Embedded In This Strummed Music / Emotional, Mathematical And Polyrhythmic Principles Underpinning Persian Music, The Record Reveals A Dramatic Blend Of Acoustic Persian Instrumentation And Contemporary Electronics. Sote Aims To Devise An Idealised Fusion Of The Musical Heritage And Tradition Of Iran With The Forward-thinking Vision Which Has Propelled His Storied Career Producing Techno, Hardcore And Computer Music For Labels Like Warp, Ge-stell, Morphine And Repitch. Now Living In Tehran, His Music Has Frequently Grappled With The Strict Cultural Restrictions Imposed In His Country Over The Past Few Decades, Finding A Space And Setting To Nurture New Developments In Experimental Sound And Performance. Working With Arash Bolouri Who Plays The Santour (persian Hammered Dulcimer), And Behrouz Pashaei On The Long-necked, Four-string Setar, Sote Frames And Responds To Their Traditional Artistry. On Occasions He Directly Manipulates The Music Emanating From Their Ancient Instruments, Cultivating And Thickening Up A Surreal And Beautiful Tonality Plucked From Their Strings With A Series Of Processing Techniques, But Mostly Each Track Is A Peaceful Arrangement And Partnership, Sote Electro-acoustically Augmenting Their Movements Within His Own Cybernetic Framework.

Amaranth EP is the latest Various Artists effort through the Planet Rhythm label. This compilation features sounds by Dubiosity, Alfredo Mazzilli, Space Above and Exilles. Also this package contains a mesmerizing remix by Glaswegian artist Edit Select which we are proud to add to the label roster. Soundwise, Amaranth EP is covering a lot ground within modern day Techno. Surely a package that will appear to lovers of multiple modes within the genre.

Following the success of Joey Negro's 'Produced With Love' album, four of the album cuts get the remix treatment from an all-star cast of producers each with their own particular flavor.

Kicking it off Chicago legend Ron Trent takes the original funked out, Arthur Russell flavoured, 'Distorting Space Time' and turns it into a deep house groover complete with a strong walking bass alongside adding a soul & richness to the elements that only he knows how. Crackazat step up next to take on 'Lactican Boogie' crafting it into an uptempo piano driven, emotionally charged stomper sure to do some damage this summer.

Flip it over and Lay-Far delve into 'In Search of The Dream', adding squelchy synth stabs and a deep bass to give a more hard hitting edge to the track whilst retaining that disco flavor with Angela Johnson's emotive vocals.

Closing out the e.p. Fouk come full circle, bringing their hazy, jazz tinged style to 'Distorting Space Time' - building the remix around those warm Rhodes chords, shuffling rhythm and dynamic bassline.

Gold once again from the Z Records camp!

In its second venture into reissuing hidden gems of electronic music produced in Eastern Europe in the 20th Century, LITTLE BEAT DIFFERENT ISSUES focuses on the work of a Czech composer, musician and producer, Alexander Goldscheider. Born in Prague in 1950, Goldscheider started as a music orrespondent in New York in 1968/69, went onto reading Music at Charles University whilst continuing as a music critic and radio/club DJ, before becoming a record producer at the top Czech label, Supraphon. As a composer, he pioneered the use of synthesizers in his songs for major Czech pop/rock singers as well as in his own instrumental tracks. After moving to London in 1981, he first recorded two albums at the renowned Red Bus Studios, then proceeded to work at the legendary BBC Radiophonic Workshop, before co-founding and establishing Romantic Robot, a software and hardware design and manufacturing company which later moved into music recording and publishing. Of the many original products, THE MUSIC TYPEWRITER was ground-breaking software enabling the writing and printing of real notation on the Sinclair ZX Spectrum. Similarly TEREZÍN: THE MUSIC 1941-44 was the first ever release of CDs with music written in the Theresienstadt Concentration Camp during World War II. Goldscheider's 1980s LPs THEMES FOR A ONE-MAN BAND Vol I & II reflect his work as a solo artist, always writing, recording and producing single-handedly. He had, though, a team of technical aficionados and inventors back in Prague, who adapted and developed his electronic music equipment incl. synthesizers, sequencers and even a Studer multitrack recorder, thus creating a revolutionary set-up, on par with the much later MIDI.This LP samples Alexander Goldscheider's music produced for records, films, TV and even an art exhibition in the space of 25 years starting from 1975.

Smoove & Turrell's second single outing from their album 'Mount Pleasant' is a double helping of up-tempo dancers for those that like to shake it...

Never one's to stop experimenting and pushing their musical boundaries, this single is a perfect example of exactly that, featuring two tracks with massively contrasting styles but with a quality of song writing and production that these guys have got down to a fine art in their years together.

'I Feel Alive' is a tasty electro disco cut inspired by a hedonistic night in Paris. It's the perfect blend of Smoove's trademark groovy productions with Turrell's sweet tones and honest relatable lyricism. Keys man - Mike Porter gets a chance to engage the arpeggiator function on his synth collection as he and the rest of the band create a host of spacey sounds to form the backdrop of this catchy number.

On the B side is 'Mr Hyde' - a beast of a track that opens with energetic live drums and a memorable guitar riff that form the backbone of a rocking tune that sees John Turrell manically singing through a distortion effect delivering the lines "I'm Jekyll and baby you need to hide" in a suitably menacing style...

Fusing garage rock, psyche, northern soul and pop sensibilities it's a Frankenstein's monster of a track that works on multiple levels with the lyrical subject matter.

Following on from the release of FBA21 Collected Works 1996 -2017, which was released November 2017 Matthew Puffett decided to wrap up the project, with a handpicked selection of artists to remix key tracks from the compilation. Amongst these figures are some significant influences on Puffett`s early years The set includes Kirk Degiorgio, whose reworking of 'Cross Dissolve' reimagines the track in full machine mode, serving up a slab of driving techno for the main room. A fan since the early 90s, Kirk and Matt have been in contact over the years, culminating to this powerful re-creation. Steven Rutter (B12) has also reworked 'Cross Dissolve', but in contrast to Degiorgio, Rutter's mix brings out an almost abstracted, ambient mood, a characteristically expressive and textured piece from one of the leading figures in UK electronica. Hardway Bros, Sean Johnston (Andy Weatherall's partner in 'A Love From Outer Space) tackles 'Mourning', a piece of melancholic euphoria. In typical Johnston style, Sean slows it all down, bringing it to a mid-tempo Balearic vibe. A big influence on Matthew in the 1990s, Lee Grainge used to work at the infamous Fat Cat records. A renowned arbiter of sounds, Grainge turned Matt onto countless records from Detroit and beyond, which was crucial in shaping FBA's sound. Here, he remixes 'Diagram', in a manner reminiscent of classic dub techno, Basic Channel. Another influence on FBA's sound is former Eevo Lute Muzique boss from Eindhoven, Stefan Robbers. FBA recorded a mini album for EevoNext in 2009, and the pair team up again here to reinvent 'Machines Can Help'.

Bulkhead present their debut album - Aft Pressure - due June 1st on 2MR Records. In 2015, during the coldest Toronto winter on record, two old friends - Pop District and Patrik Benjamin - locked themselves away in the studio to experiment with a medley of hardware. Both solo artists in their own right, they had overseen their own projects prior, but had never considered how a collaboration might sound. Exploring the polarity of extreme cold and immersive warmth with a distinctly analogue feel, the duo carved themselves an aesthetic. And so Bulkhead was born. Using a raw, organic palette they repudiate formal structure and polish, opting instead for a freeform blend of unhindered mechanical techno and fuzzy ambience - slambient, if you will. Debuting in 2016, their 'Worker's Kampf' cassette album on LA imprint Far Away Tapes sold out quickly, warranting another release on 2MR featuring highlights of the cassette on 12' and digital. Continuing with the purveyance of abstract arrangements and machine wizardry, their forthcoming album - Aft Pressure - is a striking exploration of the intersection between frenzied techno and harmonic warmth.Fragments of techno and EBM mutate without strict guidance, rebuilding themselves into new forms with stunning physical qualities. Whilst many of the tracks might file under dance music, the DIY spirit of the album transcends a nightclub, occupying a peculiar space between the uncensored grit of the post-punk scene and some melancholic form of ambient minimalism. Angular percussion slices its way through dizzying synth leads whilst serene harmonies wander on their own accord. Darting melodies are made all the more powerful by their harsh timbre as drum-less excursions provide a cinematic backdrop. Aft Pressure is a statement of intent, blurring the parameters of dance music culture with equal doses of insanity and serenity. At the same time, it's also a hell of a lot of fun...

The ep comes in 300 copies packed in hand burnt sleeves on the front and a silkscreen print on the back

Eocity is the result of a study on technological failure and the imagination of a non-existent urban landscape.

This project features the use of a Yamaha ex5r, one of the rst synths to ever implement VL synthesis.

The "Yamaha Virtual Acoustic" Synthesis tone generation was born to try to accurately emulate the complex vibrations and other acoustic phenomena of real instruments and their sounds within space, but the dubious results of this technology gave birth to something more.

Its nal output sound happens to be cold and synthetic while being also organic and warm at the same time, welcoming the listeners into a feeling of an arti cial world that is neither digital nor analog.

In this world man is not around anymore and the binary language survived him, communicating with the rest of the natural environment, in respect of its laws and dynamics, becoming one indistinct entity.

Eocity is a place that exists in between the imaginary and the real one, gently oating as a digital tactile experience.

Following 2017's 'Path of Ruin', DJ Richard returns to Dial with his much-anticipated sophomore LP, 'Dies Iræ Xerox'. Undoubtedly one of the most distinctive and fully-formed electronic producers in recent memory, DJ Richard imprinted the sound of a bubbling US underground with his label, White Material, founded in 2012 alongside Young Male. His first solo LP for Dial, 2015's 'Grind', found DJ Richard delicately establishing a discipline between his East Coast noise heritage and a physical, emotive tradition of house music, mastered during an extended stay in Berlin. Now firmly settled once more in his hometown of Providence, 'Dies Iræ Xerox' is a personal and uncompromising journey that finds the Rhode Island native in reflective form, journeying without compromise into both his creative influences and personal psyche. In part adapting its title from the Latin hymn 'Dies irae', otherwise known as 'Day of Wrath', 'Dies Iræ Xerox' melds the physical and psychological aspects of DJ Richard's production ethos in sharper, more widescreen vision than before; the oceanic swells of ambience yet more powerful, and the rigid basslines sharper still. With the chaos of the Berlin club scene an increasingly distant memory, the album is enriched with a contemplative, even brittle tone, as informed by film soundtracks and literature as the pulse of city living. Still, this is new material from DJ Richard, a touring DJ as distinctive as any other to be found behind the decks at some of the world's finest clubs and festivals. On 'Dies Iræ Xerox', the artist finds the space to write 'the records I really want to play', and each suggests a template for genuine dancefloor transcendence, beginning with the electrifying 'Vanguard' . The sludgy yet sophisticated crawl of 'Tunnel Stalker' sets the tone for the menacing yet somehow melancholy EBM of 'In Broad Daylight', while the record draws to a breathless close with the affecting, drum machine lethargy of 'Gate of Roses'. Drawing little distinction between his more physically rousing material and searching soundscapes, 'Dies Iræ Xerox' instead finds a passage of catharsis throughout both. 'Dissolving World', the album's breathtaking centerpiece, is a choral feature hypnotically overwhelmed by walls of electronic feedback, forging a dramatic link between old ways and new. On the bold and near-beatless 'Ancestral Helm' and 'Final Mercy', DJ Richard seems to grant both music and raw emotion the ability to simply float in the air, brilliantly, poignantly unresolved. If 'Grind,' inspired by the weathered coastlines of Rhode Island, was a record concerning "the border between civilization and the ocean," then 'Dies Iræ Xerox' is an unapologetic follow-up concerning that between macabre obsessions and fear of death. Produced during a murky, transitional period, DJ Richard found himself particularly drawn to Medieval European art and mysticism, fascinated by depictions and philosophies of the antichrist and end-times. Greatly influencing the uncompromising, apocalyptic tone of the album, these investigations have created an engaging and personal vision of the 'Day of Wrath.'

Dynamic composer Neil Cowley is set to release 'Spacebound Tapes' a four track EP featuring remixes of his Trio's 'Spacebound Apes' album ("A miss- this-at-your-peril release" Drowned In Sound 9/10) by Rival Consoles, Throwing Snow, Christian Löffler and Vessels

'Spacebound Apes' was written by Cowley for his trio and long-time bandmates drummer Evan Jenkins and bassist Rex Horan, with contributions from Brian Eno collaborator Leo Abrahams on guitars and FX. A bold exercise in atmosphere and emotion, the album was woven together with some of the most breathtaking, impassioned music that Neil has created. Originally inspired by Arthur C Clarke's 1956 sci-fi book 'The City and the Stars' the album was recorded at Cooper Hall, a studio and cinema set deep in the Somerset countryside with Stanley Kubrick's '2001 A Space Odyssey' running on permanent rotation.

The sci-fi aesthetic is firmly grasped by the four remixers, echoing the theme in their own reinterpretations. The reimagined tracks retain the inventiveness of the originals while exploring progressive but considerate paths. In his version of 'Weightless', Erased Tapes signed Rival Consoles feeds off of the electronic songwriter's critically lauded humanised techno, while rising German musician Christian Löffler brings new dimensions of space and scale to 'Death To Amygdala'. Houndstooth's Throwing Snow delights in deconstructing 'Duty To The Last' with pulsing energy and Vessels' take on 'Echo Nebula' applies machinic facets to the delicate sounds of the original.

The remarkable thing about BELP's new album is its two-dimensional function. It works both on a loud and a quiet volume. Some tracks would go down well as a club track, like opener 'Travelling Thru Galaxies'. This track brings back memories of the best work released on the Hyperdub label, with it's fine combination of synths and irresistible, dubby beats. Elsewhere, 'Off Ending' might start off as 'dancehall-but-not-quite dancehall' track but when half way the synths kick in they change the feeling of the track to a more cerebral level.

BELP is the artist name of Sebastian Schnitzenbaumer. Born in Munich, he partially grew up on the Seychelles islands off the coast of East Africa. Educated in classical piano, those two gravitational poles, European and African influences, form the basis for his musical development. Currently he has close ties to the (dub) Sausage Studio in Hackney, London. In his hometown Munich, the Bavarian capital, BELP took a central role in a series of discussions and events aiming to improve the image and possibilities of Munich, which to his regret is a predominantly posh and hedonistic city where optimistic and uplifting music take central role.

In different guises Schnitzenbaumer works as a much needed antidote. Since 2013 he runs the Schamoni label, focusing on supporting local artists like Leroy and Protein. Its sublabel Jahmoni is responsible for recent works by international artists like Aaron Spectre and DJ Marcelle/Another Nice Mess.

BELP's music is dark, serious and layered. His love for dub and dancehall shines through in his broken beats. At the same time the synth layered tracks give the album an atmospheric feeling.

This also is what makes this album essential: it's refusal to be pigeonholed. The last track on side A, 'By Beauteous Softness', is an a cappella rendition of a 17th century Henry Purcell piece, beautifully sung by Alexander Schneider. This track is preceded by 'Transmission', which is a brilliant abstract work, sounding like wind closing on you from all sides. And you can sip a cocktail whilst listening to the jazzy 'Time And Again' (BELP once worked as a jazz pianist).

It's clear to hear BELP took a long time recording this album. Every note, synth, drum beat, is carefully placed. But what the album might lack on spontaneity it more than compensates this with its sheer musical beauty. This also reflects on the abstract sleeve, like 'Elephants' designed by BELP himself.

Enjoy this album on big speakers, as background music or simply on headphones. There will always be new sounds and layers to be discovered!

Dark Matters label head Amirali returns with the expertly crafted Odyssey EP, employing his vital understanding of
space and texture to construct a highly emotive release featuring a remix from Fort Romeau. The three track
package is out digitally on May 14th followed by the vinyl release a few weeks later.
Leading on from his critically acclaimed discography and curatorial work with the inimitable Dark Matters imprint,
Amirali enters 2018 with grand plans for the future. He is currently conceptualising a live stage show whilst
continuing to provide a platform for all manner of weird and wonderful music.
'Odyssey' is a striking example of Amirali's penchant for songwriting, as well as a testament to his sonic identity,
merging memorable harmonies with heartfelt vocals and complex soundscapes. 'Hidden Past' veers more towards
the dancefloor, brandishing vast sonic explorations and levitating pads amongst detailed drum patterns. For the
'Hidden Past' remix, Fort Romeau mutates the delicacy of the original into a spaced out dose of peak time house,
gradually building rich harmonies around a fierce rhythmic motif.
On the creation of this forthcoming EP, Amirali states:
"Nothing is more important than my craft which is the main reason I'm here. There's no better satisfaction than to
create an amazing piece of music, that's my happiest point in life. I don't want my work to just be good or ok and that
takes a lot of effort and sacrifice in life. I got to a point where I said to myself I have to go and disappear for a while,
go be normal and do normal things. Instead of being on the road all the time, stay home, create an environment I
like to write music. There have been many experimentations involved in my upcoming material. I wanted to try and
push myself to the limit and I believe I've succeeded. For me, it's all about evolving and exploring areas I haven't
touched. That's why sometimes it takes a bit longer than expected, I don't just want to meet people's expectations,
sometimes I want to blow them away. There is so much music coming out week in and week out, the music is
evidently becoming more disposable and I would like to stay out of that chaos. When you stay true to your heart and
try to do something different you put yourself in an uncomfortable situation, that's when you grow as an artist and
also as a person, but the satisfaction you get when you finish a work cannot be put into words.

Katharsis was originally a regular party organized at the infamous Contact, Tokyo, the home of the electronic music scene in Japan.
In 2017 Katharsis Recordings was launched, with the first release being touted by many in the Japanese techno scene and played by the
likes of DJ Nobu at Dekmantel.The second release will be scripted with another compilation of 4 Japanese artists.

The first on the A side, Mikuni Kaido by head honcho Masafumi Take, is a fresh track that combines nostalgic arps and analogue bass.

The other main member Kannabi's track 'Shoka' on the B side is an abstract rhythmical piece that evolves slowly.

The second track on the A side 'Kirisame' is by a new member O-Ma. A modular synth enthusiast, his unique analogue sounds are a trademark
of his tracks.


The last track on the EP is 'Yoake' by veteran Ryogo Yamamori. The rolling beat and spacey synth sound gradually build up to a climax and
makes this track perfect for the dance floor.

All 4 tracks are distinctly different showcasing the identity of each artist. This new movement represents a fresh approach to the Japanese
techno scene.

Max Loderbauer, who has so far made consistently engaging contributions to the Arjunamusic family, is back to lend his unique interpretive skills to the master recordings for the Brightbird album by João Paulo Esteves da Silva, Mário Franco and Samuel Rohrer. Loderbauer has set himself up for a chal- lenge, since the original album's completely improvised flow of small-ensemble, conversational jazz feels complete enough without outside intervention. However, Loderbauer's role as electronics operator in the similarly attuned Ambiq trio has already shown that, through his mastery of tone color, he has a talent for teasing out the additional hidden details within an apparently 'complete' sonic environment. It's a task he mana- ges to accomplish without ever overriding or contradicting the cohesive message provided by his collaborators.

Adding to the challenge here, Loderbauer chooses to re- mix using only sounds from the original recordings. By doing so, it might seem he is willfully denying himself the chance to use his own signature tools and turn Brightbird's source materi- al into stunningly new electro-acoustic hybrid blooms. Yet Loderbauer succeeds here by becoming something more like a translator than an augmenter - he finds a way to make mea- ningful syntactical changes to the trio's rich and versatile vo- cabulary, and once again unveils a verdant world of hidden details in the process.

The A-side 'Trusting Heart/Cosmos' has an anxious tone introduced by a set of Doppler-effected piano notes that seem to melt in the sun, and is soon complemented by a va- riegated, chattering rhythm line. Here Loderbauer builds up a tactile tension between rhythmic certainty and sharp-angled, de-tuned, and occasionally scrambled instrumentation, framing a disorienting (yet engaging) virtual space where ob- jects' bright hues rapidly change as they contract and expand along multiple dimensions. For the b-side 'Noontide', Lo- derbauer switches to a more focused and streamlined idiom with an uncanny ease, riding along steady waves of sequencer patterning and silvery, resonant shiverings. Reverberating, ho- lographic piano again provides the tonal center here, and the notes ring with a forward-thinking optimism not far removed from classics of the 'Krautrock' era.

Current supporters of all the artists involved will find this to be an invigorating synopsis of their work to date, while newcomers will be treated to a soundworld where skillful fu- sion (the act itself, rather than the music genre with the same name) is constantly on display.

Having debuted with a fine EP by Job Sifre, Artificial Dance has returned to the source for release number two. The 12' pays tribute to one of the most influential figures of original DIY electronic music scene of Holland, Hanjo Erkamp.
During the first half of the 1980s, Erkamp had a hand in some of the most experimental and forward-thinking releases on the now legendary cassette label, Trumpett. Famously, he was a member of two of the label's key bands - industrial outfit Doxa Sinistra and new wave combo Ende Shneafliet - but during the period he also recorded a swathe of solo tracks as C. Stein, most of which only saw the light of day decades later.

La Bombe Plastique', a thrillingly spacey and futurist cut rich in proto-techno rhythms, intergalactic electronic motifs and drowsy choral vocals. For this timely reissue, the superb original version comes accompanied by a fresh re-edit created primarily for DJ use.