Buscar:studio ii

We're extremely pleased here at Invisble Inc HQ to be releasing this amazing new album by veteran multi-instrumentalist and ethno-musicologist Jon Keliehor.
Originally from Seattle and musically active since the 1960s Jon started out playing drums and percussion in bands like The Daily Flash and Bodine all the while becoming known as a venerable session and touring musician in his own right. Not many people can claim to have played alongside Jim Morrison AND James Brown....but Jon certainly has.
Moving to London in the '70s where he lived until the mid '80s, Jon started composing music for theatre, drama and dance. During this time his own work veered toward the more experimental and it was during this period that two of his 'cult' library music albums saw the light of day (East Meets West on Bruton and Avantgarde on Studio G).
Returning to Seattle in the early '90s Jon joined Gamelan Pacifica where he developed his knowledge of Javanese and Balinese gamelan and for whom he became a primary composer of non-traditional pieces. In the late '90s Jon moved to Glasgow with world renowned percussionist (and his then partner) Signy Jacobsdottir and they both became staple members of Gamelan Naga Mas with whom they are still active today.

Deep'a & Biri's Black Crow Records further expands its horizons with its seventh release, welcoming another new artist to the family following appearances by 2030, Aril Brihka, Hakimonu, Luke Hess, ROD, Inland and Markus Suckut. The Analog Roland Orchestra's label debut follows the widely acclaimed 2030 EP and shares with it a widening of the label's sonic scope to once again showcase Deep'a & Biri's desire to reach beyond techno and explore ambient and cinematic musical textures. Michal Matlak's Analog Roland Orchestra finds the Poland born & Berlin based producer in the conductor role among an array of classic electronic hardware, taking on the role of shaping & directing a free flowing sound that moves across genres, whether in a studio or live setting. His previous releases for labels including Ornaments, Rotary Cocktail Recordings and Pastamusik have seen the project indulge in an array of sounds across the techno spectrum. 'Aftermath II' is no different, moving from the classic roots techno sounds of 'Plant' and 'Father Detroit', through the dub excursion of 'Urei Dub', to the cinematic, Boards of Canada & Tangerine Dream-recalling pair 'Her' and 'Aftermath. For those with a taste for electronic music's widescreen possibilities, TARO's arrival on the Tel Aviv imprint will be a long term favourite.

De Sluwe Vos (Dutch for 'The Sly Fox', a name derived from Aesop's fable of the Fox and the Crow) is the newest addition to the Dutch house and techno scene. His productions are supported by artists such as DJ Sneak, Joy Orbison, Boddika andBicep. Moreover, De Sluwe Vos has a packed tour schedule and travels many miles for all his national and international gigs.

With strong hooks and dirty kicks as his specialities, De Sluwe Vos has released multiple tracks on labels like 4Lux and Slapfunk. Lately, this cheerful producer from Dutch city of Deventer has even been gaining a foothold in the pop scene. His gig at Noorderslag did not go unnoticed: national music platform 3voor12 named him the best act of the festival.

De Sluwe Vos mixes various styles to create his own 'signature sound' with which he manages to constantly keep himself at the center of attention. His 'OG Anthem' is possibly one of the most notable tracks of the moment, this underground hit found its way to the surface and received airplay on both Dutch radio station 3FM and BBC Radio1.

With his discography, De Sluwe Vos is constructing a steady career. But he's not one to stay hidden away in the studio: he's at his best when dominating dance floors in clubs and at festivals. His ultimate goal is to bring the crowd to a higher state of mind, where worries simply disappear and the music takes over. Time and time again, De Sluwe Vosprovides proof for the big bang theory with his performances. Whether it's at Awakenings Festival in the Netherlands or at Together Festival in Cardiff: during his shows he is pure energy. His duet between his Roland TR- 909 drum computer and turntables is always a bold endeavor, just like his stage diving.

The fact that he is a fixture of the club scene is proven by his monthly international gigs, his own night The Core and his notorious live act. With the audiovisual show 'Kontra live', De Sluwe Vos is well underway to becoming 'one of the greats'. And that's no fable!

The contributions of the late Detroit producer James DeWitt Yancey -better known to the world as J Dilla- to the world of hip-hop can't be overstated, and nowhere is his legacy more apparent than his work as a member of Slum Village. A founding member of the trio, (Alongside rappers T3 and Baatin) Dilla provided the group's distinctly esoteric, free-wheeling sound, built around winding basslines, quirky drumbeats, subtle low-end frequencies, and classic jazz & soul samples. Against the backdrop of Dilla's rich production, T3 and Baatin's free-flowing style of rhyming would also earn wide critical praise, leading to comparisons as the successors to A Tribe Called Quest. (A label they themselves have rejected.) After the success of Slum's 1997 studio debut, Fan-Tas-Tic Vol. 1, the group went to work on their follow up. Though the project was completed in '98, label turmoil kept the project on ice until 2000. By the time Fantastic Volume II hit Dilla was well on his way to his status as a hip hop legend having produced cuts for Common, Busta Rhymes, Erykah Badu, A Tribe Called Quest and many more. Later works from Slum Village may have had more of an impact sales-wise (in the immediate) but Fantastic Vol. 2 had fans and many critics saying that Slum Village, and Dilla in particular, may single-handedly save rap music.' Perhaps that statement is hyperbole but many consider Fantastic Volume II to be Slum Village's finest work ever to this day. Ne'Astra Media Group now presents the album reissued on vinyl, for the first time in several years. Every wobbling bass note of J Dilla's production has been preserved to maintain the legacy of this hip hop rap classic and maintain the legend of one of hip-hop's greatest beatsmiths.

Series-A was the duo of Sam Anderson aka DJ Maestro and Dave Webb aka Kid Fresh. Sam and Dave both grew up listening to the sounds of the Electrifying Mojo on WJLB in Detroit. They met in 1983 at a DJ gig that they were both hired to play. In 1986, they collaborated on the Nu-Sound II Crew project. After developing a friendship with Juan Atkins, they became hip to the emerging new club sounds that were to become electro and techno.Their subsequent project, Series-A, was named after different car model numbers, but also hints at the evolution of humankind into a new species.

In 1987, Series-A recorded the single Evolution 5 Technology' at Spectrum Sounds Studio in St. Clair Shores, Michigan. Their set up was a vocoder, E-mu Emulator III, Roland 909 drum machine, and an Otari 24-Track recorder. They landed a record deal with Satellite Records in Burbank, California, which had been founded by Pete Moore of The Miracles. After pressing 50 promotional copies, the label ran into financial problems, and the record never reached a full release. Taking cues Kraftwerk, Grand Master DST, Grandmaster Flash & Jam Master Jay, Series-A created dark electro beats in an era when sampling appeared to be the future of music. Lyrically the song addresses our species' entry into the technological age. For this EP reissue, the 7' Mix and Dub Mix are included on the A-side. On the flip is a new remix by prolific Ann Arbor producer JTC, an alias of Tadd Mullinix (aka Dabrye, SK-1, & Charles Manier). JTC speeds up and expands the song to seven minutes. Drawing on influences from Ron Hardy to Jeff Mills, he drives around suburban techno landscapes while simultaneously launching the listener into deep space.

All songs have been remastered for vinyl by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. The jacket is specially designed by Eloise Leigh and features a cyborg fossil motif with RGB color band and gradients. Each copy includes a post card with with notes.

When Kompakt came across Amsterdam-based Harm Coolen and Merijn Schotte Albers aka WEVAL back in 2014, we were blown away when we heard their slow-burning, darkly emotive tracks.

Their debut EP 'Half Age' on Atomnation featured painfully intimate and surprisingly kinetic electronic chamber pop that convinced us they were a perfect fit in Kompakt's family. Following two widely acclaimed EPs for Kompakt and playing numerous festivals including DGTL, Reeperbahn, Iceland Airwaves and Piknic Electronik, we now see the two tackle their self-titled debut full-length WEVAL. What you have before you is not a mere collection of tracks, but a complete listening experience with organic flow, emotional heft and a narrative thread.
Smitten with WEVAL's uniquely personal and catchy approach to producing dark electronic music, it didn't take much to win us over... and so came WEVAL's acclaimed 2014 label debut EASIER EP (KOMPAKT 318), followed by the bold and beautiful 2015 offering IT'LL BE JUST FINE / GROW UP (KOMPAKT 344) which saw the two soundsmiths digging deeper into the granularities of electronic funk than ever before. However, Harm and Merijn's music - while astonishingly fully-formed even in its earliest stages - always seemed destined for more, a bigger format, more space to explore the nooks and crannies of their rapidly evolving sound cosmos. Simply put, they needed to think about an album and their beloved living room studio wasn't cutting it anymore.
An old school building became WEVAL's new home, repurposed to house small creative businesses - but in the summer of 2015, it was abandoned most of the time, with everybody out in the sun while our heroes turned the building's attic into a sweet spot to make some noise, have 24-hour access and lose track of time. And apart from a sketchy tenant being evicted, the occasional soccer game with friends and live gigs across Europe, there really was no interruption to the focussed vibe. It's not like they were looking for distraction anyway: "working on the album all by ourselves in this bloody hot attic was all we had on our mind", the artists admit. And they decided that their album shouldn't sound too clean: "We try to find the beauty in imperfection. It makes things sound more human".
Weval draw their inspirations from no single genre of music but a cumulation of music that inspires them. The results present an astonishingly coherent vision - cuts like the dramatic THE BATTLE, bass growler I DON'T NEED IT or the trippy epic MADNESS share the same DNA of zestful nostalgia, a knack for immersive sound-sculpting and that certain kink in the groove. They also feed on deeply personal experiences and moods, as exemplified by the haunting electronic ballad YOU'RE MINE, the carefully layered, polaroid-tinted JUST IN CASE or the beautifully voiced closer YEARS TO BUILD. And sometimes, it's just an old, out-of-tune piano that stands in the hallway: "Whenever I'd pass by it, I couldn't resist playing it", says Merijn, "so Harm decided to start recording and it became an integral part of YOU MADE IT (PART I)". No doubt about it: this is WEVAL's most powerful and organic material yet - which means a lot, considering the amount of skill already on display in their small, but weighty portfolio.
(de) Als sich 2014 in Amsterdam Kompakts Wege mit denen von Harm Coolen und Merijn Schotte Albers aka WEVAL kreuzten, waren wir sofort Feuer und Flamme für ihre schwelenden, emotional aufgeladenen Tracks. Ihre Debüt-EP "Half Age" auf Atomnation präsentierte intimen und überraschend kinetischen, elektronischen Kammer-Pop, der wie angegossen zu Kompakt zu passen schien. Nach zwei vielbeachteten EPs auf dem Label und einer Reihe von Festvialgigs (inklusive DGTL, Reeperbahn Festival, Iceland Airwaves und Piknic Electronik) nehmen Weval nun mit dem gleichnamigen Release ihr erstes Album in Angriff. Und legen dabei nicht einfach nur eine Ansammlung von Tracks vor, sondern kreieren eine komplette Hörerfahrung mit organischem Flow, emotionalem Gewicht und einm roten Faden.
Angetan vom einzigartig persönlichen und mitreissend düsteren Klang WEVALs brauchte es nicht viel um uns zu überzeugen... und so kam es 2014 zum gefeierten Labeldebüt EASIER EP (KOMPAKT 318), gefolgt vom kühnen und wunderschönen 2015er Release IT'LL BE JUST FINE / GROW UP (KOMPAKT 344), für das die beiden Soundtüftler tiefer denn je in die Granularitäten des elektronischen Funks abtauchten. Nichtsdestotrotz - und obwohl sie schon von Anfang an ausgereift klang - schien die Musik von Harm und Merijn auf dem 12"-Format stets bestimmt für mehr: mehr Freiraum um auch die äussersten Winkel ihres rapide expandierenden Soundkosmos zu erkunden. Sie mussten schlichtweg zum Langspielformat wechseln, und ihr heissgeliebtes Wohnzimmerstudio konnte da nicht mehr mithalten.
Ein altes Schulgebäude wurde schliesslich WEVALs neues Zuhause, umfunktioniert für kleine Kreativunternehmen - doch im heissen Sommer 2015 stand es zumeist leer, da alle draussen in der Sonne badeten, während unsere Helden im Schweisse ihres Angesichts das Kellergeschoss in ein lärmfestes Aufnahmestudio verwandelten. Mit Studiozugang rund um die Uhr liess es sich bestens die Zeit vergessen. Und abgesehen von der Räumung eines zwielichtigen Nebenmieters, dem gelegentlichen Fussballspiel mit Freunden und natürlich Live-Gigs in ganz Europa, gab es auch keine Ablenkungen vom hochkonzentrierten Kreativfluss. Ablenkungen, die das Duo ohnehin nicht suchte: "ganz allein in diesem verdammt heissen Keller am Album arbeiten war alles, was wir im Sinn hatten", geben die Künstler zu. Und sie entschieden sich, dass ihr Album nicht zu sauber klingen sollte: "Wir versuchen die Schönheit im Makel zu finden. Es lässt die Dinge einfach menschlicher wirken."
Weval beziehen ihre Inspiration nicht aus einem einzelnen musikalischen Genre, sondern eher aus einer Akkumulation von Musik, die sie inspiriert. Die Ergebnisse zeichnet eine beeindruckend kohärente Vision aus - Aufnahmen wie das dramatische THE BATTLE, der Bassknurrer I DON'T NEED IT oder die Trip-Saga MADNESS teilen diesselbe DNA aus schwungvoller Nostalgie, einer Schwäche für immersive Klangschnitzerei und einer gewissen Delle im Groove. Sie nähren sich auch aus zutiefst persönlichen Erfahrungen und Stimmungen, wie zum Beispiel bei der eindringlichen elektronischen Ballade YOU'RE MINE, dem vorsichtig geschichteten, polaroid-gefärbten JUST IN CASE oder dem wunderschön gesungenen Schlussakt YEARS TO BUILD. Und manchmal ist es nur ein altes, verstimmtes Klavier, das im Flur herumsteht: "Immer wenn ich dran vorbei lief, musste ich darauf herumklimpern", erklärt Merijn, "also wurde es ein zentraler Bestandteil von YOU MADE IT (PART I)". Kein Zweifel: dies ist WEVAL's stärkstes und organischstes Material bisher - was durchaus was bedeutet, wenn man das Talent bedenkt welches bereits in schmalen, doch gewichtigen Portfolio der Band steckt.

2016 reissue of an earlier album by Apparat, aka Berlin's Sascha Ring, who's also singing in Moderat, originally released in 2007.

"Apparat has had one hell of a year. His collaboration with Ellen Allien, the critically acclaimed album Orchesta of Bubbles, forged electrifying new connections between techno, electro and pop music. They developed the material into an electrifying live show that wowed clubs and festival audiences the world over. Apparat kept honing his solo show at the same time, delivering a powerful electro/techno laptop attack that would leave crowds twitching in its wake. And somewhere, in between all those activities, he managed to record Walls, his first solo studio album since 2003's Duplex. Despite its title, Walls isn't about dividing lines. Instead, it describes a circle that pulls many elements together into a protected, enclosed space where they jostle and roam free: strings and mallet instruments; rock guitar and gravelly sawtooth synths; stuttering digital percussion and muscular studio drumming."

You can call them a »supergroup«, but Moderat understands that it's the »group« aspect that makes them interesting.

Gernot Bronsert, Sebastian Szary (aka Modeselektor) and Sascha Ring (aka Apparat) have been working together as a trio almost as long as their two separate projects have existed. We've seen their collaboration grow from »laptop boy-band,« (as Ring playfully puts it) in 2003—with computers synched using software Ring himself had written, because at the time, »there was just no live performance software around.«

Ring confesses that Moderat wasn't »really meant to be a recording act ,« with Bronsert agreeing that, »it was really just about fun.« This maybe explains the six-year break that followed Moderat's first EP before they finally returned in 2009 with their selftitled debut album. Intent on creating something that contrasted with their own projects, the group started the cycle which blossoms on their second album, aptly titled II, culminating now in the trilogy's completion, III. Whereas I was the combination of two separate entities, II brought the members closer together, and in III, the final chapter in the trilogy, Moderat sounds like one band.

Both Szary and Ring will tell you that Moderat moved progressively from making tracks towards a more traditional writing approach of making songs - a process more fully realized on III. That's partly why the vocals have become more prominent. Mostly, you hear Ring singing (there are no guests this time), as he so often does as Apparat, but listen closely to »Ghostmother« to hear Bronsert and Szary backing him up. Stepping out of their comfort zone is the kind of thing that helped create their interplay between pop and electronics; doing it right won them the Resident Advisor Best Live Act honor as early as 2009, and they continue to gain popularity while remaining independent and underground.

Szary describes the idea behind Moderat as, »imagin(ing) yourself sitting in the cinema and watching a movie with an incredible soundtrack.« This is true with Moderat in general, but III in particular pairs an emotional pull with sensual imagery, creating dynamic sound and depth with lyrics such as »the calming scent of lavender fills the air,« or »burning bridges light my way.« You'd have
to ask them whether they're intending to manipulate the listener in the same way that John Williams or Hans Zimmer might with traditional orchestras.

One of the best parts of Moderat is their use of electronics to achieve orchestral diversity. They update the songwriting tradition with an intriguing palette, borne of careful attention and skill, informed by their »experiences with sounds of nearly 25 years of suband club culture.«
Let's not forget that these three were brought together by Berlin's now legendary rave scene. With this as their common foundation as individuals, III signifies Moderat's maturation in modern pop — an achievement shared under their collective belt.

Bronsert explains that, »the new album isn't based on jams. We went into the studio and knew exactly what we needed to do.« This is reflected in the sophisticated themes explored in the music. Take »Ghostmother,« which ponders inner peace, acceptance, fear of the unknown and how facing that fear often reveals something not so scary. Or »Running,« which is about being part of a mass that constantly needs to move to function, but doesn't have the power to decide the direction of motion. Or how about the wisdom of »Reminder,« which recognizes the world for its flaws and our role we've each played in that, but choosing to act differently and light the way to something better.

Given that, it's a bit of an understatement when Bronsert says, »I'd say our music has definitely matured.« Successful in their own endeavors, now they've mastered the »group«. It doesn't mean the end of Moderat, but it does mean they'll have to find something else to excel in.

The Infamous is the second studio album by the American Hip Hop duo Mobb Deep, released in 1995. The album features guest apperances from Nas, Wu-Tang Clan members, Reakwon and Ghostface Killah. It marked Mobb Deep's transition from a relatively unknown Rap duo to an influential and commercially successful one.

One of the cornerstones of the New York hardcore movement, The Infamous is Mobb Deep's masterpiece, a relentlessly bleak song cycle that's been hailed by hardcore Rap fans as one of the most realistic gangsta albums ever recorded.

This is hard, underground Hip Hop that demands to be met on its own terms, with few melodic hooks to draw the listener in. Similarly, there's little pleasure or relief offered in the picture of the streets Mobb Deep paint here. They inhabit a war zone where crime and paranoia hang constantly in the air.

The product of an uncommon artistic vision, The Infamous stands as an all-time gangsta/hardcore classic.

PAULINE MURRAY , LEGENDARY VOCALIST OF MUCH LOVED PUNK BAND PENETRATION.
GUEST MUSICIANS JOHN MAHER (BUZZCOCKS) and VINI REILLY (DURUTTI COLUMN).
PRODUCED BY THE GOD-LIKE MARTIN HANNETT.
ARTWORK BY PETER SAVILLE AND TREVOR KEY
LINER NOTES BY JON SAVAGE
The double vinyl edition also includes a bonus CD featuring instrumental versions of all the album tracks (a must for students of Hannett's unique production sound), along with alternate takes of key singles.
Les Disques du Crepuscule presents a deluxe remastered edition of Pauline Murray and the Invisible Girls, the debut album by post/punk icon Pauline Murray, produced by revered sonic architect Martin 'Zero' Hannett.
Recorded at the famous Strawberry Studios in July 1980, the album offered epic electronic pop written by Pauline and partner Robert Blamire and marked a radical departure from their shared past in pioneering punk band Penetration. 'This is sophistication,' enthused Paul Morley in NME. 'Lovely songs of anxiety, malaise and self-doubt.' According to Melody Maker the album was 'unquestionably a musical highpoint of this year or any other.'
As well producer/arrangers Martin Hannett and Steve Hopkins (aka the Invisible Girls), the album features a stellar cast of guest musicians including John Maher (Buzzcocks) and Vini Reilly (Durutti Column). Indeed Pauline Murray and the Invisible Girls presents almost a Factory record, exquisitely sleeved by Peter Saville and Trevor Key. Stand-out tracks include the popular singles Dream Sequence and Mr X, with the newly remastered Hannett tracks now augmented on CD by a wealth of bonus material including non-album singles, live recordings (from tours in 1980 and 1981) and a John Peel session (1980). The liner note is by Jon Savage.
'It's a bit of a missing link album,' says Pauline today. 'Written and recorded after punk, but before Martin Rushent and the Human League made airy pop respectable again. We chose the other Martin in 1980 because we wanted the incredible sounds he achieved for Joy Division and Magazine. Thundertunes, basically.'

Oh Holy Molar is the second album from UK trio Felix. The group produces a bewitching, minimal chamber pop that works as the perfect framework for singer/songwriter Lucinda Chua's oblique and emotionally immediate stories of superstition and searching for protection against bad omens.
*As a follow up to their debut You Are The One I Pick, the band return with a collection of songs with a sound stripped back to its very core. Something is said to have "teeth" when it has the ability to make an impact. This record certainly has "teeth", and sharp ones at that.
*" The album was recorded in a vast, spooky 1940s cinema in Nottingham, England, now converted into a studio. After recording was completed the band discovered that underneath the live room lay an abandoned Dental Laboratory. "Oh Holy Molar" indeed.
*" Since the release of the rst Felix album, pianist/vocalist Lucinda Chua, also an accomplished photographer, has been working on a number of projects, most recently with Wallpaper* in Detroit. Guitarist Chris Summerlin has been recording and touring with his new band Kogumaza. The group is completed with the recent addition of drummer Neil Turpin who, when not performing with Felix, can also be found touring the world with French composer Yann Tiersen.
press quotes for You Are the One I Pick
'It's a gateway into another headspace, one aglow with uncertain magic. As statements of romantic intent go, 'Death To Everyone But Us' must represent either the most  straightforward, honest distillation of the love song, or the creepiest.' BBC
'In Felix's world, everyday mundanities give rise to furtive explorations of human interaction and ineptitude in a manner as oppressive as it is oddly and honestly addictive.' Drowned in Sound
'The duo keep things refreshingly simple, with single strands of piano, guitar, and cello in quiet symmetry, leaving the listener ample room to savor Felix's knotty, enigmatic songcraft.' Pitchfork
'There is mystery and elegance in the marrow of this music, and I imagine this record will prove to stand the test of time, reserved to be pulled out for the perfect accompaniment to just the right brooding but whimsical mood.' Delusions of Adequacy
track list:
1.The Bells 2. Sunday Night 3. Oh Thee 73 4. Don't Look Back (It's Too Sad) 5. Hate Song 6.Oh Holy Molar 7. Blessing Part I 8. Blessing Part II 9. Rites 10. Who Will Pity the Poor Fool 11. Pretty Girls 12. Practising Magic 13. Little Biscuit