quête:testa

Loya is a new project by French producer Sébastien Lejeune, which allows him to research his
own cultural heritage, as a native of La Réunion.
For the past five years, Loya has been exploring the musical environment of the sister islands of the
Mascarenes (Indian Ocean), breaking down the boundaries between electronic music and
traditional music in a globalized world. Growing up in the great melting pot of La Reunion, Loya was
exposed to a number of cultures and rhythms that fueled his curiosity.
Settling in metropolitan France in the mid-90s, Loya's first encounter with electronic music
happened upon discovering acts such as Autechre, Plaid and Boards of Canada. Soon, Loya was
drawing from Intelligent Dance Music and bleep techno to build complex rhythm arrangements and
ethereal melodies. Throughout this research, Loya gradually managed to tame the erratic nature of
his machines to summon states of trance that reminded him of the music he grew up listening to as
native of the Mascarene.
From this route through the meanders of contemporary electronic music, Loya developed a
trademark sound based on triple time beats, pointillist sound design and a taste for experimentation.
Such distinctive features can already be heard on his first self-produced album Eruption, released
in 2014 and the EP Indian Ocean, released in 2016 on Mawimbi Records, although Corail is his
most accomplished work and a testament of his clear talent.
Exploring the blue depths of the Indian Ocean with the fluency of a native, the ten compositions of
Corail unfold like an archipelago. Showcasing the talents of traditional musicians such as Mauritius
ravanne icon Menwar and Madagascan accordion master Régis Gizavo, Corail finds a fine balance
between the soft, velvety ripples of modular synthesizers and the rawness of frantic percussion
motifs and local field recordings.

Following a first vinyl appearance on You And Your Hippie Friends' 'A Very Nice Combinado Volume Dos' (YAYHF 03) earlier this year, Mexican producer PAULOR aka Paulo Rodriguez gets ready for his first solo outing with Hippie Dance's sister label.

Curated by Rebolledo, the imprint has established an impressive talent pool within only three releases, including both veteran and upcoming talent such as Sebastien Bouchet, El Güero, Zombies In Miami, Beyou, Roman Flügel and more. It's a testament to the label's chiselled vision that an idiosyncratic and diverse group such as this is able to sustain individual approaches to electronic music while weaving a coherent sonic tapestry from all its ingredients, the whole quite organically being more than the sum of its parts.

Now, it's up to PAULOR to flesh out his own sound cosmos on You And Your Hippie Dance's latest 12' drop, presenting a concoction of salt-caked beats, riffing guitars and flexing bass that evokes a sense for space and untouched, psychedelic landscapes not unlike Rebolledo's very own desert funk vignettes. After 'La Race' (his contribution to 'A Very Nice Combinado Volume Dos') and the 'Discótico Desértico' remix for Rebolledo's 'Mondo Re-Alterado' (HIPPIE DANCE 10 LP) started making the rounds in tastemaker DJ sets, PAULOR caught a major moment of inspiration while performing at Monterrey's TOPAZDeluxe - which lead to the husky, hypnotic cut PAULOR'S BLUES, pièce de résistance and headstone in one, as it set the scene and also birthed enough follow-up tracks to naturally grow into a cohesive, full-blown EP.

From echo-drenched, beatless opener NEBLINA to the percussion-infused intrigue of DELIRIO EN CARRETERA, the athletic pop minimalism of AMIGOS or the slow burn of brooding mystery shuffle LUCES CALLING, PAULOR creates a unique, atmospheric sound panorama that excites minds and bodies alike. Adorned with a starry night sky, the record's cover artwork couldn't be more fitting - it's a dominant musical vista in PAULOR's work, whose vantage point is not necessarily a specific place (although all tracks were recorded in Xalapa), but a feeling of exquisite duality: the feeling of being lost between the stars, lonely and connected at the same time, a speck of dust and the center of the universe.

DFA release Crooked Man's new album, 'Crooked House'.
Speaking about the album's lead track, 'Take It All Away',
Crooked Man says: 'It's about not being suffocated under the
mountains of useless crap that Mammon shits into every
crevice of modern life... quite possibly the world's only anti
consumerist disco song.'
The elusive Crooked Man returns to DFA with 'Crooked House'
LP, a maximalist take on electronic and house music that picks
up where 2016's self-titled album left off. Teaming up again
with Michael Somerset Ward (Clock DVA) and David Lewin
(Bleep & Booster) in the studio, Richard Barratt crafts a
comprehensive journey of hi-fi house belters with more sinister
electro-pop mixed in for good measure.
The album is influenced by two historic epicentres of electronic
music: Sheffield UK, where Richard has had an illustrious
career in a mix of legendary groups like Funky Worm, Sweet
Exorcist and The All Seeing I; and the NYC Loft-era disco
sound, where extended grooves were layered with peaktime
choruses.
Richard's diverse collaborations and intensely prolific
discography have now led him to records as lush and
sophisticated as 'Crooked House'. Considering the rarity of a
live Crooked Man performance or DJ set, it's a testament to his
hyper-creativity that these tracks are able to reach new heights
in a club setting. With support from disco historian Bill Brewster
and NTS resident Ross Allen, it's clear that 'Crooked House'
brings a timeless vitality to the current landscape of dance
music and continues an exciting new chapter in Crooked Man's
career.
LP format includes digital download code.

Adam X returns to his imprint Sonic Groove with his first album in four years, a 56 minute excursion into EBM and Cyberdelic Industrial Techno titled RECON MISSION. The mission begins with beat driven hypnotic electronics that invoke paranormal illusions of Easter island mythology and Bermuda Triangle disappearances. Climbing forward the album crosses the line into harder industrial territories, conjuring visions of New York City's dystopian past and CIA shadow government experiments.

Adam's own voice adorns tracks such as "Never Ending Quest", "Modular Bodies" and the title track "Recon Mission", while manipulated dialogue samples take the stage on "Tales Of Mystery', 'Search & Retrieval' & 'Delusions Of Paranoia'. Subtle, whispered statements creep in and infect the listener's ear, guiding them deeper into mental oppression. This album is not for the faint of heart, and its meticulously detailed production stands as a testament to Adam X's enduring career in techno. Adam has survived the ups and downs of the industry while continually raising the bar for production value and sound design. RECON MISSION is a triumph, ahead of the curve of modern industrial techno. This is not a throwback, this is Future EBM.

The Rapture's Luke Jenner ventures firmly into the dance floor, this time in full force, on Glittering Jewel, the Brooklyn-based producer's debut EP under his Meditation Tunnel guise. Following his initial outing, La La La, on Life and Death's vinyl-only sub-label, Blitz Series, Glittering Jewel sees Jenner step up with three outsider cuts, dripping in personalit Cloaked subtly into the backdrop, Jenner's unmistakable croon features throughout the disk - a highlight across the board. While dilapidated drum machines, crunched beyond recognition, propel the record into techno territory, Glimmering Jewel retains the artist's bespoke youthful sense of blue-eyed naiveté. Red Axes come through with an unclassifiable, stripped-down reinterpretation of Fire Fly, the perfect pair to deconstruct and re-contextualize the original material. Carefully pressed on high-quality, transparent vinyl, LAD039 stands as a testament to the label's shifting auditory ethos. Artwork by Michela Picchi.

Focusing on low-slung IDM, Acid and atmospheric Electro with nods to Krautrock & Ambient sounds, Steve Hyland's ATTRAKTTA project gets an extended outing on the FILM label. Across eight beautifully produced tracks, Hyland - one of the founding members of AI Records and subsequently Concrete Plastic, explores vibrant synthesis and intricate drum programming, with the music arriving at a sweet spot between home listening material & club-ready workouts for more intelligent dance floors.

Eschewing straightforward synth sequences in favour of blissed out - almost disharmonious sonics, Hyland transmits a curious psychedelia on his debut LP. Sounds pitch and warp organically, buoyed up by saturated low end and punchy drum machine percussion. There remains a decidedly accomplished precision to the work, though - with the music bearing all the hallmarks of an artist of some considerable experience - testament to the British producer & label head's 19 years working in the industry.

A colourful, exquisitely composed LP that riffs on a timeless production aesthetic with considerable style, Echo Principle is a fantastic entry into the FILM Records discography.

After a string of acclaimed EPs on Heist, Dirt Crew and Quartet Series, Amsterdam's Nachtbraker presents 'When You Find a Stranger in the Alps', his first longplayer on his own Quartet Series imprint. The good-humoured Dutchman - tongue always firmly in cheek - has always refused to stick to the 'sound du jour' and the industry's conventions, following his own path instead, continually willing to step out of his comfort zone. 'When You Find a Stranger in the Alps', a nod to his favourite Coen Brothers' movie, is testament to Nachtbraker's studio prowess and drive to explore new sonic pastures and styles. The album consists of thirteen tracks, made over the course of 2,5 years in his studio at Volkshotel Amsterdam. Constantly shifting through different settings and moods, the album feels like a deep dream, with vivid details, blurry edges and a warped sense of time. The word 'stranger' in the title references to this dream state in which you sometimes can be a stranger to yourself. Album opener 'The Dream Sequence' sets the mood with a lo-slung hip-house groove that relies heavily on field recordings, like the sound of one of the capital's trams. 'Flambo', a delectable slice of up-tempo French filtered house, is aimed straight at the dance floor. Nachtbraker dims the lights on 'NSFW', cleverly manipulating samples from adult oriented flicks, and turns in a hilarious skit with 'LOL'. Flip over for 'Randy', a quintessential Nac

In Sudan, the political and cultural are inseparable. In 1989, a coup brought a hardline religious government to power. Music was violently condemned. Many musicians and artists were persecuted, tortured, forced to flee into exile — and even murdered, ending one of the most beloved music eras in all of Africa and largely denying Sudan's gifted instrumentalists, singers, and poets, from strutting their creative heritage on the global stage.

What came before in a special era that protected and promoted the arts was one of the richest music scenes anywhere in the world. Although Sudanese styles are endlessly diverse, this compilation celebrates the golden sound of the capital, Khartoum. Each chapter of the cosmopolitan city's tumultuous musical story is covered through 16 tracks: from the hypnotic violin and accordion-driven orchestral music of the 1970s that captured the ears and hearts of Africa and the Arabic-speaking world, to the synthesizer and drum machine music of the 1980s, and the music produced in exile in the 1990s. The deep kicks of tum tum and Nubian rhythms keep the sound infectious.

Sudan of old had music everywhere: roving sound systems and ubiquitous bands and orchestras kept Khartoum's sharply dressed youth on their feet. Live music was integral to cultural life, producing a catalog of concert recordings. In small arenas and large outdoor venues, musical royalty of the day built Khartoum's reputation as ground zero for innovation and technique that inspired a continent.

Musicians in Ethiopia and Somalia frequently point to Sudan's biggest golden era stars as idols. Mention Mohammed Wardi — a legendary Sudanese singer and activist akin to Fela Kuti in stature and impact in his music and politics — and they often look to the heavens. A popular story is of one man from Mali who walked for three months across the Sahel to Sudan because the father of the woman he wanted to marry would only allow it if he got him a signed cassette from Wardi himself. Saied Khalifa is said to be the one of the few singers to make Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie smile.

Such is the stature of Sudanese singers and the reputation of Sudanese music, particularly in the "Sudanic Belt," a cultural zone that stretches from Djibouti all the way west to Mauritania, covering much of the Sahara and the Sahel, lands where Sudanese artists are household names and Sudanese poems are regularly used as lyrics until today to produce the latest hits. Sudanese cassettes often sold more in Cameroon and Nigeria than at home.

But years of anti-music sentiment have made recordings in Sudan difficult to source. Ostinato's team traveled to Ethiopia, Somalia, Djibouti, and Egypt in search of the timeless cultural artifacts that hold the story of one of Africa's most mesmerizing cultures. That these cassette tape and vinyl recordings were mainly found in Sudan's neighbors is a testament to Sudanese music's widespread appeal.

With our Sudanese partner and co-compiler Tamador Sheikh Eldin Gibreel, a once famous poet and actress in '70s Khartoum, Ostinato's fifth album, following our Grammy-nominated "Sweet As Broken Dates," revives the enchanting harmonies, haunting melodies, and relentless rhythms of Sudan's brightest years, fully restored, remastered and packaged luxuriously in a triple LP gatefold and double CD bookcase to match the regal repute of Sudanese music.
A 20,000-word liner note booklet gives voice to the singers silenced by an oppressive regime.

Take a sail down the Blue and White Nile as they pass through Khartoum, carrying with them an ancient history and a never-ending stream of poems and songs. It takes two Niles to sing a melody.

The first chapter of Armand Jakobsson's musical career has been
nothing short of remarkable. After establishing himself with rough
but emotive house as Rimbaudian and jungle as Birds of Sweden,
he unveiled his DJ Seinfeld alias to the world, first with underground hit single 'U', then with his Time Spent Away From U album on Lobster Fury in November 2017. It was a post break-up love letter to the dance floor with heart-on-sleeve emotions colouring the dusty and analogue house grooves. Acclaim came in from far and wide, with everyone from Rolling Stone to Pitchfork fawning over its heart swelling nostalgia and melancholic immediacy. Jakobsson approached his DJ-Kicks with the intention of representing all the things that made him fall in love with dance music more than a decade ago, as well as showing some of the progression that has occurred in that time and 'reflecting the simultaneous fear of leaving something safe behind as well as the excitement of venturing into unknown territories, musically and emotionally.' In order to make it as personal as possible, he called upon the many talented people around him making music. They returned with an enthusiasm that reminded Jakobsson of his own early passion, and in turn invigorated him and the whole process of assembling the mix. It was finally recorded at Inkonst club in Malmo because, recently back from years in Barcelona, he has not yet set up a studio in his hometown. DJ Seinfeld's DJ-Kicks is not only a testament of his characterful DJ skills, but also a complete artistic statement that showcases his unique vision of dance music

Winter thaw marks the return to Furanum of Uncto, the Silesian dyad Domink Muller and Rafal Furst, with their first full release of collaborative material since 2013's seminal FU009. Like its predecessor, Unctuous offers four cuts of viscerally engineered and rhythmically exacting dystopias, each ably situated within a striking 'synth-etic' narrative. It is this latter aspect of each arrangement that perhaps most noticeably demonstrates the pair's singular and evolving approach to composition, born out in the calculated emphasis on hardware-based expressionism.

The opening title track stands as a testament to the above: while deceptively sparse at the outset, its ponderous advance, both heavyset and indomitable as it gathers pace, is framed in the midst of an unfolding panorama of stark analog wails. Further interspersed with resonant timbres more akin to the vocalizations of some hell-beast luring its prey, the eponymous behemoth ingratiates its listener, beckoning submission to its will with the promise of exhilaratory assimilation. Such a hive-mind state attained, exhilaration does follow, yet so does a concomitant loss of agency, leaving one thoroughly subjugated and enslaved to its cadence. Perhaps as a manifestation of dramatic resistance to such a fate, 'Trust No One' daringly defies the impositions of its predecessor. Instead, it animates and emboldens the beholder through its rhythm, ineluctably driven by a sense of accelerating linear intensity. Thus arriving at a climactic percussive build whose isochronal blows shatter any remnants of doubt, angst transforms into raw conviction as one is propelled into a delirious realm of solipsistic certitude.

Situated amidst the foreboding sound of blade clashing with blade, 'Cold Knife', on the other hand, is driven by an entirely disparate off-beat progression. As its anticipatory rhythmic thrusts cut through an advancing fog of shivering drones with frigid precision, one seemingly undergoes a cyclical plunge into a state not unlike one marked by the visceral dopaminergic rush of contact with extreme cold. Finally, 'Metzgers Tochter' ('Butcher's Daughter') closes the EP with a ruthless exploration of the contrast between the gruesome and the feminine. In a similar way to the opener, the track's meter is staggered and undulating, yet also steadily punctuated with breathing room between its crushing blasts. Such scenery thus serves as a canvas for the expression of the titular character's 'beauty and the beast': a paradoxical synthesis of attraction and aural brutality, held in tension by the unceasing throbbing of the composition's beats.

Mastered & cut by CGB at Berlin's Dubplates & Mastering,

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.

Following the 'Screaming Ghosts' collection highlighting the music of C Cat Trance, Emotional Rescue and Malka Tuti return with the first of two EPs where the band's music is given over to a selection of artists, friends and collaborators for reinterpretation, re-editing, replaying and remixing to provide a modern outlook on the bands mixture of East meets West musicology.
Very much the vision of Malka Tuti and close to their ground-breaking releases of the last two years, the genius is out of the bottle with a who's who representing both labels. First, Autarkic go supergroup in enlisting Tel Aviv's White Screen for a cover of Screaming (To Be With You). Totally replayed, this is the perfect opening, with wide-screen production, updated arrangement and decimal delivering vocals setting the standard.
Following comes an effusive, simple and on-point remix of Dalbouka by the inspiring ledge that is JD Twitch. Platitudes aside - enough has been said by others - but the fact Twitch is as enthusiastic and driven as ever is testament enough. The simplicity and genius of his rework, where 909 is added alongside fx to speaker shaking effect, shows that less can be much more.
In Sneaker (DJ) we have a name moving steadily from the (cult) periphery to become one to consistently check and respect. Following EPs for Rat Life and Bahnsteig 23, the singularity of his reversion is audacious and entrancing. Brevity, purity and ultimately intensity of percussion, horns, bell and guitar. Enter.
To end volume 1 comes Die Orangen. Kris Baha and Dreems' bromance of Aussie label (red) heads, united in post-industrial explorations. With a deep, expansive album incoming on Malka Tuti, their brooding, rattling, ghostly mix is one for late night thinkers, that steps up to encapsulate an EP that successfully marries old and new, bringing C Cat Trance's music present.

Combo Lulo is that rare possibility of true magic moments manifested. Embodying the classic sentiment of a New York supergroup with an ensemble of friends and like-minded musicians whose resume is too full of credits and accolades to grasp in one shot, the band is a testament to what can happen when locked together for a two-day session in a Brooklyn studio.

Drawing inspiration and direction from band leader, composer and multi-instrumentalist Mike Sarason, Combo Lulo moves side to side from effortless Jamaican foundation rhythms into the further reaches of Caribbean influence...incorporating a natural transition between Jamaican classics and the essence of Afro-Latin ritmo. It's a musical match made in heaven and, more importantly, it's carried out with the gentle and deft touch of veteran studio musicians with deep appreciation and nuanced understanding. Together with Names You Can Trust, it's a locked in groove that is a perfect slice of roots, collaboration & present day experimentation that is sure to have any listener feeling nice.

Ryuji Takeuchi provides Instruments Of Discipline with an EP of noisy, hypnotic tracks, ranging from giddy, stomping, left-field techno to melancholic ambience; the EP's title 'One's Sentiment' provides a thoughtful angle to this at times cacophonous collection, for while they are bristling with noise there is something contemplative about the pieces, expressed in a way that suggests more than one thought trying to take life at the same moment, Ryuji finds space for conflicting voices both spatially and in terms of mood, the first three tracks, 'Ambivalence', 'Sadness' & 'Sorrow' crawl with competing elements, synth lines drool over and meld with throbbing kick patterns, anxiety & excitement are tightly wound in focus as tracks build and develop, leaving the listener to navigate these abstract planes, intoxicated; while the final track 'Regret' is a compelling piece of noisy, ambient minimalism that allows for an austere pause after the eruption of the initial works. It becomes evident that Ryuji's journey as a producer, through periods of hard-techno, deep-minimalism and the more abrasive ventures on HueHelix, has created a powerful and nuanced voice that is fully on display in 'One's Sentiment'.

Ryuji Takeuchi - Artist Bio

Ryuji Takeuchi (Local Sound Network / LSN, HueHelix) was born in Osaka, in the late 90s, he moved to the United States where he discovered Techno, House and Electro Music, influencing his desire to produce & DJ. His first wave of releases on LK Records, Arms, Mastertraxx, FK Records, SWR, Innervate, I.CNTRL, Impact Mechanics, Silent Steps, GSR & Brood Audio to name a few, were straight-up, hard techno,

In 2011, Ryuji started his own imprint, 'Local Sound Network / LSN', a platform for a new generation of both Japanese & global electronic music & later on, in collaboration with Tomohiko Sagae, Go Hiyama & Kazuya Kawakami, the label, 'HueHelix / HHX', developing further the voice of Japanese techno & experimental electronics, with a focus on distorted, industrial sounds.

In 2012, Ryuji launched the 'Local Sound Network Digital Solutions / LSNDS' series born from a desire to both discover and introduce a wider range of electronic music to the world.

Ryuji Takeuchi provides us with an EP of noisy, hypnotic tracks, ranging from giddy, stomping, left-field techno to melancholic ambience; the EP's title 'One's Sentiment' provides a thoughtful angle to this at times cacophonous collection, for while they are bristling with noise there is something contemplative about the pieces, expressed in a way that suggests more than one thought trying to take life at the same moment, Ryuji seems to find space for conflicting voices both spatially and in terms of mood, the first three tracks, 'Ambivalence', 'Sadness' & 'Sorrow' seem to crawl with competing elements, synth lines drool over and meld with throbbing kick patterns, anxiety & excitement are tightly wound in focus as tracks build and develop, leaving the listener to navigate these abstract planes, intoxicated; while the final track 'Regret' is a compelling piece of noisy, ambient minimalism that allows for a pause after the . It is testament to Ryuji's journey as a producer through periods of hard-techno, electronic minimalism

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.

John B. McLemore
September 10, 2012

* Still Circles announce the release of their debut album, 27:36, available March 30th via Killtone Records.

* Currently at 7 in the chart on the Josh Hannen show Amazing Radio

* Session for Alan Raw BBC Introducing on Sat March 3rd 2018

* Comprised of Natalie Kolowiecki and Jack Donnison, the Bradford based duo bridge the worlds of trip-hop and ambient music: splicing slo-mo beats, grainy atmospherics, haunting melodies and soft-wax drones. Their first single, 'Only Noise' is testament to this - with its manipulated vocals, heavy bass line and lurching percussion, the track's stark surrealism evokes the thrum of their northern English town.

* Upon the surface, 27:36 has the indelible markings of the band's influences: Brian Eno, Poliça, Adrian Sherwood (to name a few) - but the duo never settle into pure pastiche. Instead, they contort the sounds of these artists into something all their own. 27:36 is an alien vision of what pop music could be.

The Grateful Dead forged its legend on the road, traveling countless miles between 1965 and 1995 to perform a world record 2,318 shows for millions of devoted fans. The band's refusal to ever play a song the same way twice has endeared generations of fans, many of whom prefer certain live versions of songs over their studio counterparts, and garnered the popular phrase among Dead Heads: There is nothing like a Grateful Dead concert.'

The live albums the band released during its 30-year career are the primary source for the collection, including tracks like Bertha' from Grateful Dead (Skull & Roses) (1971), Fire On The Mountain' from Dead Set (1981), and The Music Never Stopped' from One From the Vault (1991). A testament to its ongoing popularity, the revered double-album Europe '72 (1972), is represented by no less than five tracks, including Sugar Magnolia,' Jack Straw' and a searing rendition of Morning Dew.'

Other performances on the set were selected from the growing number of live releases that have emerged since the death of founding member Jerry Garcia in 1995. Some of those recordings include Touch Of Grey' from Truckin' Up To Buffalo (2005), a 1990 version of Eyes Of The World' with saxophonist Branford Marsalis featured on Wake Up To Find Out (2014), and Estimated Prophet,' which debuted earlier this year as part of Cornell 5/8/77, a recording of the Grateful Dead's mythic show at Cornell University in 1977, thought by many to be the band's greatest live performance.

Made for die-hard Dead Heads and new fans alike, The Best Of The Grateful Dead Live Vol. 1 1969-1977 will be available as a on 180-gram vinyl as a 2-LP set, covering the first half of the album, on March 23rd. The music will be available through digital and streaming services as well.

Rebolledo's YOU AND YOUR HIPPIE FRIENDS imprint grows its groove footprint on international dance floors with the full-length debut of GÜERO, the latest vinyl outing from the Hippie Dance sister label and also its first fully fledged album project. To attentive hippie friends, the artist name should ring a big, funky bell - one that sounds exactly like the cut 'Convertible Ride' from the notorious 'A Very Nice Combinado Volume Uno' 12' release (YAYHF 01).
Back then, our hero was travelling under the somewhat more convoluted 'El Güero Fresa' monicker, but has since dropped some of those conceptual pounds in an effort to reach maximum sleekness. In the same vein, his debut album is a testament to ultimate funk-a-ficiency, digging deep into fizzy arpeggios and chunky basslines - and the occasional guitar cameo, giving tracks such as bubbling synth opener ELEKTRONIQUE, the neon-lit NIGHT CRUISING, bouncing electro disco roller ALTO FINAL or the programmatic SPACE DRIFTER just that little extra riff.
GUITAR MAYHEM, however, is anything but - you'll discover a pretty dank bouncer and certainly not the squealing meltdown one would expect. TECHNO MINIMAL doesn't do what it says on the tin, either, opting for an energetic bass 'n' organ workout instead. By now, you'll begin to understand why the album's called MY WAY MY RULES: GÜERO takes whatever sonic path he desires, no matter what - which is precisely why he chimes so well with YOU AND YOUR HIPPIE FRIENDS's steadily expanding motley crew of rave misfits and studio drop-outs. The way of the hippie is indeed a mysterious one.

Experimental Spanish composer and multi-instrumentalist Pepo Gala´n makes his vinyl debut with an exquisite record of carefully orchestrated ambient pieces.
Conceived as a fierce response to the gradual decay of our society, "Human Values Disappear" takes us on a trip to the darkest corners of a dysfunctional world, painting a broken landscape with deeply arresting and meditative drones.
Composed initially on a vintage Casiotone, the album was further enriched with lush and spacious arrangements, giving the songs a newfound intensity. In this effort, Pepo Gala´n surrounded himself with talented artists Lee Yi and David Cordero, each of whom bring their unique approach to composition into play. The result is an eclectic, yet deeply cohesive palette of sounds that flow seamlessly into each other, creating a moody ambiance that permeates everything.
Despite the bleak tones and subject matter, Pepo Gala´n is able to strike a balance between darkness and hope, allowing glimpses of light ("Half Moon", "Old Testament") to filter through the sheer sonic intensity of the fiercest tracks ("We Are All Welcome Here", "Almost Alone in this Life"). This transition is better exemplified on the album's centerpiece "Sacred Autumn", a collaboration with David Cordero that starts off with an elegant string section, gradually building into a guitar feedback climax that slowly fades off, paving the way for an epic closing number.
By the time we hear the last sounds of "Few Dollar More", the emotional impact of the record is undeniable. "Human Values Disappear" is indeed one of the most sincere, enigmatic and life- affirming records that Pepo Gala´n has ever produced.

'Afro Rock Vol. 1' is one of the most important compilations of heavy original '70s Afro funk and soul to be released in recent years. Originally surfacing on Duncan Brooker's indie Kona label in early 2001, the album single-handedly kick-started the thirst among jazz, funk and soul fans and 'diggers' to rediscover lost music from Africa made during the '60s and '70s from a time when many countries were gaining independence and celebrating a Pan-African identity within their music. The album was one of the first to reach a far different audience to the traditional 'world music' market and spawned many further projects and labels in its wake. A year later, the 'Nigeria 70' compilation surfaced on Strut and labels like Soundway and Analog Africa would continue to unearth amazing lost gems from the Motherland.The album is testament to the determined work of Brooker following several research trips, especially to East Africa - Kenya and Zaire. It brought to light East Africa's finest funk band, Air Fiesta Matata, led by the recently deceased Steele Beautttah, 'The Nigerian James Brown' Geraldo Pino from Port Harcourt in Nigeria, and the storming Afro jam 'Yuda' by Dackin Dackino, a previously unreleased gem from Zaire discovered on a discarded reel. The album has remained influential since its release with tracks appearing on other Afro compilations and on TV and the big screen - Jingo's 'Fever' featured in Kevin McDonald's 2006 hit film, 'Last King Of Scotland'.Out of print since 2015, the album is being reissued on Strut in its original form with the extra dynamite unreleased psychedelic cut by Kenya's Ishmael Jingo, 'Keep On Holding On' taken from the original master tape. The package features the original sleeve notes by Duncan Brooker along with new additional notes providing further background to the album and tracks.