Search:whisper

The best thing about trends is often their counter-movement. In times of digital hysteria, the
contradiction lies unsurprisingly in deceleration, in turning away from algorithms. The search
for the diffusely concrete, a kind of musical memory from the infinite ocean of sounds and
acoustic figures, is at the centre of a dark glowing cloud called Mantra Mantra.
Between Techno and Toto, drop shadows and ethereal patterns, Sam Irl and Daniel Helmer
simmer their hypnotic sounds.
The music whispers with every note: we are only two interconnected home studios,
quietly eloquent through the night as an anti-hysterical mantra to all the recipients of this
universe.

UK duo Wayward continue to turn heads after a big 2018 and return with a fresh new EP that features a remix from cult minimal man, Voigtmann. 

 For their latest offering, they turn once more to Silver Bear Recordings as newly announced co managers of the label and in the process remind us of the depth and talent that remains a hallmark of their output.  Opener 'The Energy' is a driving cut with lush drum layers carrying you along as distant pads flesh out the groove. Soft female whispers add layers of soul and the whole thing will make close-knit floors go off. 'Space Marines' then gets more edgy, with techno-leaning drums and freaky samples that make for a pumping but classy groove, finished in style by some heavenly sounding, uplifting pads. Voigtmann is a long time underground figure, releasing on a range of vital labels and has a superbly reduced sound, showcased here on his druggy, infectious remix. Notable for its swirling pads and zoned out vibes, it rounds off another expert Wayward release.

Magic Carpet" is the first Compilation of the German Label "Harmonie Exotic". Jose Manuel selected 12 experimental ambient tracks from the 1982 to the 1994. They are combined by the same feature, namely the magic and mysterious character. Even though all the (remastered) tracks released in different countries, such as Japan, Italy, and France, they are all combined in being rare and obscure songs. In most of them it is possible to verify the oneiric melodies mixed with the different drum machines, typical of that year.

For this reason, they show how the magic has been developed over the chosen years, as they were all enveloped from the same carpet. Starting from this idea the Compilation's title plays an important role in anticipating the dreamlike listening experience.

Philippe Cam is the Thomas Pynchon of the electronic music world. Little is known about him and only a couple of pictures have been put online since he emerged on this planet to write his first and only album18 years ago. We know he worked as a sailor and that’s it. If you dig deeper you might find out that he worked as a DJ in the beginning of the 90ies in Brussels and began to study electronic music there and also began to write music for theaters and ballets.

The American distributor Forced Exposure once wrote that about him: „Philipe Cam is a star in his own field. He is among the few people who have succeeded to write hypnotic dance music without a conventional beat still conveying a thrilling, dramatic feel. Cam has developed an accurate, intense and complex formula of modulation-techno. Starting with music similar to Pan Sonic in 1996, his music turned towards a more elegant form of minimal music. Abstract soundtracks lead to an organic form of music, which was equally influenced by modern techno as Wolfgang Voigt's Studio 1/Gas or Basic Channel/Maurizio. Cam's music corresponds heavily to the Cologne scene, where his music is appreciated and played throughout the clubs by the likes of Michael Mayer, Tobias Thomas and various other DJs as well as experimental djs from the A-musik corner.“

So what’s new with his music? Basically the art of filtering is still his passion. Maybe he can be less associated with techno and the themes of his new tracks emerge in a more distinctive pattern? Well that’s hard to say, we would comment the energy of his early techno days in Brussels have returned here in a fierce way with some oft he tracks. The rhythmic movements are classy and stick with you. Whereas other tracks look for a distinctive relaxation of some kind.

We are releasing the album as a double clear vinyl with cover art by Yvette Klein who also designed the cover for his Philippe Cam’s album 18 years ago. Graphics for "Rotterdam" come from Cologne designer Daniela Thiel. We also would like to thank the cultural department of Cologne for supporting us to finance the album and to see the artistic value in this piece of minimalism.

The album kicks off with the mellow and soothing "Cocoa Beach". A Gentle beat that moves like bodies swaying in the hot summer sun. The clock moves a step forward and then a step backward as evolution takes a rest.

"Manga" feels like an acceleration to the moon, the contemplative moments come in spurts and hide in the intervals of the chords which are on the loose. Philippe Cam is the most energetic person in the world when it comes to core activity, this is head banging stuff for the ambient lounge.

"Short Summer" is a heavy and violent recognition. As intensive as it is it knows when to stop and disappear. In the ear and brain of the listeners it leaves an indisputable echo which lingers on for minutes. We suggest not to make a pause but jump directly into "Vermillions Sands".

What can be said about into "Vermillions Sands"? Be prepared some Terry Riley might lure around the corner to offer you some oranges on a silver plate, but don’t eat them. This is luring and beautiful at the same time. Maybe the best ambient track ever written and yet who can ever venture to say that without making a fool of himself. "Vermillions Sands" comes in waves and they could be longer we think.

"Rotterdam" the home of Philippe Cam for a long time but not anymore. He moved away. So that changes the perspective. But when was the track written? "Rotterdam" seems mechanical and rusty and spooky and divided. This arrangement is very different to all the other tracks so far and is almost dub in style but way more fractured. A steady stop and go emerges. But the longer it runs the better it gets. At minute 6 the brain resets itself and tries to grasp what has happened so far, reconstruction as a result of its own phantasmic imagination and hardly true at all, wonderful. Applause included!

Here comes "Bis", a short episode of a track and before we can comment on it, it is already over.

"The Game" is a mule of a track. It has a quiet stubborn sequence that bites and kicks you in the back without any change in near sight. We can hear a voice whispering, which sounds like a miniature vocoder featuring the voice of a child calling out - never stopping. This is treadmill to some extend but starts to breathe towards the middle of the track and slowly changes perspective. In fact there are some changes taking place here which go beyond a sound design that works heavily on the stereo image. Stick with it and the experience will be a great one.

"Ultimate Fly For Halloway" somehow orchestrates how you might feel after you climbed a 8000 meter high mountain and reached the top. A rejoicing off a special kind. Lava for the ears. No cheerleader murder plot sorry.

"Last Track" is a perfect example of a true minimalistic pice of music that manages to make contact with other genres and does this with elegance, determination and a lot of soul.

key selling points: The key selling point is the fact that Philippe Cam once was referred to as one of the main protagonists of the minimal music scene along with Wolfgang Voigt's Studio 1/Gas and Basic Channel/Maurizio. A true artist with a vision which is very rare.

Philippe Cam has picked up the sound he was famous for but has developed it further without selling out to any genre and expectation that rules our daily business.

Exactly this is the strength of the album to create a vivid world of impressions by using instruments in a whole different way than all software developers would suggest.

"Rotterdam" is a piece of art that can set off a firework when you listen to it and it owes nothing to anyone.

Moon Boots a.k.a Pete Dougherty returns with his second studio album ‘Bimini Road’ on September 6 via Anjunadeep. An ambitious and evocative follow-up to his acclaimed debut First Landing, Bimini Road combines delectable club-ready grooves with soulful songcraft into a seamlessly organic whole. Inspired by notions of mysterious lost civilizations, ancient magic utopias and the sci-fi landscapes of the mind, ‘Bimini Road’ is a joyously celebratory listen that builds off the ‘deep textures and funky melodies’ (Mixmag) of his album 'First Landing', a disco house masterpiece supported by KCRW, Annie Mac and others. Featuring familiar faces KONA, Black Gatsby and Nic Hanson among the featured vocal talent, ‘Bimini Road’ also includes new collaborators like rising US talent Niia, Kaleena Zanders and notable British sing-songwriter Little Boots. OutJuly 9, ‘Tied Up’ is the first single off the album, a sexy slice of deep house pop sure to ignite dancefloors and bedrooms alike. Moon Bootsembarks on his Live Bimini Road Tour this Fall, with dates across North America and Europe. Born in Brooklyn, Moon Boots’ musical obsession started not long after he could walk. His early love of piano lead to a passion for keyboards and synthesizers. Teenage nights lost in the work of Daft Punk, ATribe Called Quest and Herbie Hancock followed. Inspired by legends like Frankie Knuckles and Derrick Carter, he moved to the house music epicenter of Chicago, where he tirelessly passed out demos to local DJs and scoured the web for like-minded people with whom he could share and expand on his sound. Heplayed in a synth-pop trio whose demo caught the attention of Lupe Fiasco, and after a stint touring alongside the hip-hop icon, Dougherty went back to DJing with a renewed focus. The stars aligned when he had a chance encounter withPerseus, founder of an adventurous label, French Express. A fellow junkie and fan of French House and R&B-infused dance music, Perseus became a friend and mentor, the Splinter to Boots' Donatello. The label eventually disbanded but Boots has stayed true to his mission of making dance tracks that can’t be confined to one style. Pete blends the music he loves --jazz, house, funk and soul -- into songs that last longer than their runtime. Songs not just for DJs, but for everyone.

2 years ago the track Still Numbers on Ekin Fil's album Heavy caught the attention of a certain Richard D. James, who under his 'user18081971' username reposted the track to his now historic Soundcloud dump.

This is also how Ekin’s work initially caught the labels attention; at first listen it sounded like a unearthed Grouper demo, a parallel that can be drawn respectfully, seeing Ekin’s trade marks are also those forlorn, muffled vocal whispers, layered under sentimental tape loops, paired with ambience and feedback.

The album itself was originally produced in 5 years ago during what Ekin Fil recalls as a down right depressing and tumultuous time during which she turned to music as a measure of rehabilitation.

Heavy was later released on tape via Lee Nobles No Kings label in 2016 and re-mastered in 2018 from the tape rips by Rashad Backer, preserving the fragile and heavy hearted auditory sensibility found in the original work, while making one of Ekin’s earliest and most personally endearing releases available to a new audience of listeners.

• The former secretary and receptionist at Brunswick was hiding talents as both a singer and a songwriter
and came to attention when she wrote Jackie Wilson’s ‘Whispers (Getting Louder).
• This is her second album originally released in 1969 and features ‘Am I The Same Girl’ and ‘Just Ain’t No
Love’
• This is a Chicago soul classic reissued on 180g heavyweight classic black vinyl, with printed inner sleeve

Hamburg-based Mireia Records is ecstatic toannounce their thirteenth release: Julian Stetter’s “Sensual EP”.
You’ve probably crossed paths with Julian in thelast couple of years. Not only because he’s the tallest guy in Cologne, but the producer and DJ has been actively shaping modern dance music
with his flourishing, melancholic sound. He’s been releasing music with Permanent Vacation, Kompakt, Correspondent and hometown labels Ancient Future Now and PNN.

It’s also not his first time on Mireia Records. Remember the beautiful “Porto” on “We’ll Sea
Pt.1?” Here, Julian presents two original tracks which are reinterpreted by SONNS and Matt
Karmil.
The title track “ Sensual ” manages to erase the mundane, the world’s vanishing around you.
It’s pitched shaker and airy bells evoke introspective tones. The bassline on the other hand
keep you steady - the dancefloor is still visible through the clouds!
“ Rumors ” picks up the pace. Kick drum and syncopated hi-hats set the stage for a serious
bassline, interwoven with fleeting melodies.
Bright and euphoric brushstrokes from Julian’s synth elevate the pace and catapult the track
towards a crescendo. Booming snares signal the peak.
New Release Information
Strobe lights, sweat and ecstasy.
SONNS opens up the B side with the first remix by whispering “ Rumors ” in your ear. A
brooding bass line takes you on a trip to the dark corners of the city. Hypnotically chugging
toms highlight the sights. Let’s get lost tonight!
With his releases on Kompakt and strong DJ Sets SONNS’ been a long time favored entrant
into Mireia Record’s catalogue.
Matt Karmil’s version of 'Sensual', although on B2 of the vinyl, doesn’t hide its assets.
Kicking off with frantic high hats and a distorted glitch, he pushes the track forwards
intriguingly. Arpeggiated melodies layered supremely over the percussion drive the track
forwards, the simplicity of the track and sharp cuts and drops create an interesting dynamic
to the single creating a perfect juxtapose to the other tracks on the release.
Matt’s also been on Mireia’s radar for a long time. His atmospheric adventures for Studio
Barnhus, Smalltown Supersound or Beats in Space always convey a spirit of living, breathing
leeway.

Inspired by warm climates, shaped in a rainy city. Native Cruise's Desert Theory opener Late Nights is a relaxed jam filled with crispy drum-machine percussion and new age-ish pads with delicate nature sounds in the background. The energy rises towards the title track, a marching rhythm characterised by chugging wooden drums and floaty pan flutes. Bermuda Clouds brings you on a shore presenting a dreamy 4 to the floor session with an FM bass line, atmospheric pads and a wave of ocean sounds. The journey ends with Whispers which reminds of an imaginary 80s digital world vaguely influenced by the aesthetic of labels like Innovative Communication or Les Folies Art.

It is well known that talent never guarantees any success in the music industry. This sentence summarizes the story of The 9th Creation, one of the best soul, funk, disco and boogie band to make it out of Stockton, CA.

Founded by J.D. and A.D Burrise in 1970, the 9th Creation went on for almost two decades and released 3 albums and half a dozen singles that regularly flirted with the US Charts, getting them featured on Soul Train in 1975 and allowing them to tour North America and Japan a few times over. 9th Creation regularly shared the bill with Irma Thomas, James Brown, The Whispers, The Sylvers, The Main Ingredient, Con Funk Shun and many others.

The music that J.D, A.D Burrise and their 10-12 band members created was a perfect combination of West Coast raw soul, disco and funk that resulted in a religious fan following across the globe.
To this day, The 9th Creation has been sampled by Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth, Artifacts, Quasimoto, 3rd Bass, Basement Jaxx and many others.

9th Creation was undoubtedly one of the greatest funk band of the Seventies.

Past Due Records is proud to officially reissue the 9th Creation's essential full lengths and singles, carefully remastered and all in their original artworks. 'Mellow Music' is the most sought after 7' from 9th Creation. This single marks the band's new direction and was announcing an album that remained unreleased (more on that later). This single is a boogie funk gem and both tracks are pure monsters of heavy bass, synth, horns and massive vocals. A must have that'

Having just announced his first solo Ibiza residency, Dance or Die, Nic Fanciulli continues his impressive run of form with a long-awaited debut on Crosstown Rebels. Entitled Miracle (Body Rock), the two-track release includes a stunning remix from esteemed UK talent Paul Woolford.

Beginning things in fine form is Nic Fanciulli’s original Miracle (Body Rock). Whispering percussion combines with the subtle plucking of guitar strings, as echoing vocals are layered underneath soft,
moving pads to create a well-rounded, moving number. Paul Woolford’s Endless Bassline remix comes next. Stuttering hi-hats provide rhythm as the titular rolling bassline chugs on, whilst toneful piano keys merge with reverberating, soulful vocals. Unique, yet staying true to the original, the addition of distorted
claps helps create the perfect dancefloor cut; but it is the re-singing of classic Jomanda’s ‘Make My Body Rock’ vocals that links both tracks in a moving, emotive fashion.

A name synonymous with electronic music culture, Nic Fanciulli is a DJ, producer, festival curator and
label owner whose career has spanned two decades. It was in 2005 that Nic founded Saved Records, an
imprint that is now synonymous with releases from some of the scenes greatest, including Adam Beyer
and Hot Since 82. But it was his latest release on Rekids, titled Understand, that further cemented his
reputation as a standout music producer, with a clear-cut ear for the perfect dancefloor melody. Paul
Woolford is a veteran of the UK’s electronic music scene. A prolific producer who has used many
aliases, the British talent has recorded five Essential Mixes for Radio 1 as well as holding down a nine-
year residency at Space Ibiza. His recent releases demonstrate his continued talent for producing,
including You Already Know, Hang Up Your Hang Ups and Story of My Life on Hot Creations.

Santa Fe, New Mexico based artist Maggie Thornton a.k.a. Sky Civilian joins Atomnation and releases debut EP “Open Door” on the 14th of June, 2019. The productions from Sky Civilian evoke a lust for the future and the far-away, but she grounds this lofty mood in familiar territory, with nostalgic, detuned synth instrumentation and four-on-the-floor percussion. Her weightless, almost-whispered vocals capture a hyper-natural feeling. The overall lyrical message is one of raw sincerity, as listeners confront unmistakable themes of loss and longing. Strange yet playful vocal production techniques grant the work a subtle pop tilt.

JakoJako makes her debut on Leisure System with Aequilibration, an EP of diverse, experimental tracks aimed at the dancefloor.

In F22.0, waves of paranoia break over driving, asymmetric rhythms, offset by soothing, whispered vocals. Kogn. Dissonanz maintains the tension, making clever use of polyrhythms and blasts of machine gun fire. The B-side takes a more hopeful turn with Resilienz, where warm oscillations cluster around a simple but effective groove, and the restrained cries of Katharsis close the EP with powerful intimacy.

Self-taught and primarily a live performer, JakoJako makes extensive use of modular synthesis in her productions and on stage. ”Depending on how you configure your system, you can design a completely different instrument every time. I love when it’s surprising me.” When not in the studio, her expertise is put to use advising well-established artists on their own systems at Berlin’s synth-mecca SchneidersLaden.

Anoyo ('the world over there') draws from the same sessions with members of Tokyo Gakuso which led to the 2018 work Konoyo, but rendered starker, solemn, and stripped back, with more of a naturalist tint. Hecker's processing here moves in veiled ways, soft refractions and whispered shrouds woven within improvisational sessions of traditional gagaku interplay, evoking a sense of vaulted space, temples at dawn, shredded silk fluttering in the rafters.
This is boldly barren music, skeletal and sculptural, shaped from wood, wind, strings, and mist. Modern yet ancient, delicate and desolate, Anoyo inverts its predecessor to compellingly conjure a parallel world of illusion, solitude, and eternal return.

With His Concept Ep grey Specters Of Dead Communication' Breaklab Aims To Explore The Atmospheres Of Computing Systems.
Focussing On The Processes Underneath The Surface Of Our Electrified And Digitalized Mechanical Age.

Swazi Gold have created a debut album that shimmers like the coast. There are six songs, two created by each member; through pure collaboration and participation. Swazi Gold are a true democracy.


Formed by the chief songwriters from Melbourne bands Crepes, Dreamin' Wild and Sagamore, this new band brings old friends together. Chris Jennings and Sam Cooper grew up in the Victorian coastal towns of Barwon Heads and Ocean Grove, while TimKarmouche was an inland man, hailing from Ballarat in the state's north-west

"We've been playing together for so long; in different mediums and in different bands. We've played our own key roles, but now we know what each other wants. Swazi Gold shows off our relationship from over the years, which is really cool," says guitarist and bassist Jennings.



Swazi Gold's other guitarist and bass player, Cooper, has a theory about the unifying power of their regional origins:

"It's this kind of small town thing where you strive to be different and creative. Because you're more isolated, you focus on your creativity and align yourself to similar people. I think growing up down the coast has meant I've continued to be drawn to people from other isolated places," he says.



It's this togetherness that's at the heart of Swazi Gold's debut album,Jehovah's Whispers.Recorded in a single weekend in 2017 at the Cooper's family home in Ocean Grove (affectionately termed the "Cooper Ranch")Jehovah's Whisperscaptures a musical intimacy and deep friendship between the three members.



"The bond with all the tracks on the album isn't necessarily lyrical, but it's 100% sonic. The simplicity of the instruments we use and the set-up we have is what's really rad," says Jennings.

"It's a fantasy of what we imagined Jehovah might be whispering in your ear," he adds, grinning.



Drawing from their collective love of African music, American funk, and quirky, melody-driven pop music, the album explores the space between conventional genres and styles of production.

"Using drum machines has made the song-writing process a lot quicker and opened up a whole new avenue stylistically.

Instrumental version of debut album from Andrew Hung Will appeal to fans of Fuck Buttons as the first instrumental, electronic and beat driven music by Andrew since 2015.

As co-founder of Fuck Buttons; the highly-influential electronic duo, Andrew Hung has toured extensively with headline shows at the Kentish Town Forum, Glastonbury and Greenman Festivals, been featured on the 2012 Olympics

opening ceremony and all three albums have featured as Best New Music on Pitchfork. His production work has included Zun Zun Egui’s “Shackles Gift” and co-writing/

co-producing the critically acclaimed “Kidsticks” by Beth Orton. In 2016 he soundtracked the multiple-award winning film “The Greasy Strangler”, and was

nominated for Best Soundtrack at the Empire Awards. In 2018 he soundtracked director Jim Hoskins’ follow up to “The Greasy Strangler”; “An Evening with Beverly Luff Linn” starring Aubrey Plaza and Jermaine Clement. His debut solo

album, ‘Realisationship’ was released via Lex Records in 2017.

New album from London-based Dutch-Zimbabwean pop
innovator Rina Mushonga.
Mushonga doesn't follow a linear path. The artist's music -
a blend of Afropop, indie and electro flourishes - is
informed by her own zigzagging life journey: Mushonga
emigrated from Zimbabwe to the Netherlands, then to the
diverse South London suburb of Peckham, where she now
lives and works.
Having read 'Metamorphoses' for the first time,
Mushonga's self-confessed 'year of transformation' ensued,
drawing upon myriad ideas and personal experiences.
Full of reflections on the cosmos and our place within it,
'In A Galaxy' is the musical embodiment of these musings,
whilst Mushonga also admits there's more than a passing
nod to the opening text on 'Star Wars' but on the whole
refers to how relative space and time are in how we
interact.
Four years in the making, 'In A Galaxy' was recorded in
Mushonga's adopted home in Peckham with producer Brett
Shaw, whilst having laid much of the foundations of the
tracks together with musical bestie and synth whisperer
Frans Verburg in his Rotterdam basement studio. The
resultant cornucopia of intelligent, diverse pop - that
Mushonga herself describes as sounding like 'Paul Simon
in a sweaty, African dancehall club' - is a welcome
introduction to 2019.
LP pressed on pink vinyl

The electronic pioneer and founding father of synthpop, Gary Numan, celebrates his 40th anniversary as recording artist. During these 40 years, Numan's impact made itself felt; his dark, paranoid vision, theatrically icy alien persona, and clinical, robotic sound were echoed strongly in the work of many goth rock, wave and industrial artists

Wave Tension Records invited 7 contemporary dark wave, gothic and dreampop artists to honour their inspirator with an exclusive tribute. The album opens with Agent Side Grinder's nostalgic analogue rendition of 'I'm an Agent', followed by Ash Code's fresh sounding fast paced post-punk/dark wave version of 'Down In The Park'. Shad Shadows turn 'Metal' into a whispering heated darkwave track. On the last track of side A, Box & The Twins create warm and dreamy soundscapes in their version of 'Complex'. SUIR opens side B with a hypnotic psychedelic slowed down art-punk version of 'Cars'. Synths Versus Me turns Numan's monster hit 'Are Friends Electric' into a fresh synthpop & EBM take with Art of Noise-esque vocals. The album's closing track is a gothic rock rendition of 'My Name Is Ruin' by Swedish rockers Then Comes Silence, which encourages you to sing along

Art is a matter of different phases and influence. The artists' core reaches out like heat waves. And very rarely do these artists' core merge like Brigitte Fontaine and Arseki Belkacem have. Their Saravah Era lasted ten years (1969 to 1979), ten years of "folle sagesse" (crazy wisdom), above all genres and song limitation.

"Le plaisir secret que donne une chanson, dessin à la craie sur le mur de tes sons" (the personal delight within song, a chalk drawing on your wall of sounds) whispers Areski, right after Brigitte's voice on the penultimate song of the double album "Vous et nous". Released in 1977, this free flowing record contains 33 songs, it's their 6th album after "Comme à la radio", "Brigitte 4", "Je ne connais pas cet homme", "L'incendie" and "Le bonheur", and it continues to spread the wide and generous spectrum of the couple fully blossoming talent. Electronic experiments, North African trance, refined acoustics and medieval drones gracefully blend with the acid and candid tongues of the singers, surprising us each step along the way. The making of this record was also full of twists and turns. It started out as a solo effort by Areski at Jean-Pierre Chambard's studio. Little by little, as Areski was filling tapes with poems and improvised skits, Brigitte would sneak into the studio at nightfall, adding her voice here and there, her whispers then became screams, giving fuel to the fire in a total blaze, a surreal blaze. The solitary work ("je") thrived to become us ("nous") and you ("vous") ...

Benjamin Barouh, June 2018

With Recent Appearances On Boiler Room And The Groove Magazine Podcast Plus Sets Across Asia And Europe, Jamaica Suk's Fearsome Techno Sounds Are Winning Fans Far And Wide. A Year On From Her Debut Release On Her Own Gradient Label Comes This Stunning Second Volume.
A1 Stinger Ray Kicks Off The Ep With Zingy Modular-style Synth Sounds Pulsing Over A Bubbling, Murky Bassline. Sheet Metal Snares Punctuate The Beat, With A Switch-up Halfway Through Into Gnarled, Distorted Synth Crunches Catching You Unaware. These Brutalised Rhythms Morph In And Out Of Hypnotic Arpeggiated Pulses To Make For A Hallucinatory Ride With Ample Dashes Of Psychedelia Throughout.
A2 Fallen Sets It Outs Stall Immediately, With Filtered Down Acidic Bass Playing Out A Jagged Groove. A Manic Counterpart Mimics Its Rhythm But Dizzyingly Delayed Off The Beat To Create A Rugged, Funk-fuelled Feel. Cymbal Rides Pitch Up And Down, Unidentified Snarls Of Fx Mutate Around The Edges, All The While The Sharp Hi-hats Keep The Metronomic Heartbeat Going.
B1 Whispers Ups The Intensity. Delicate, Arpeggiated Chime Sounds Set A Crystalline Mood Before Swathes Of Intense, Darkly-tinged Synths Swell In And Out Of Focus Atop The Throbbing Kick Drums. The Effect Is That Of A Factory Full Of Machines Growing A Mind Of Their Own, Malfunctioning In A Pleasing Harmonic Dissonance.
B2 Twilight Rain (vinyl Only) Completes The Set With Infectious Triple Kick Drum Patterns Underpinning Dramatic Drum Hits And Warped Atmospheric Shivers That Create A Spooky Feel As Droning Bass Tones Carve A Path Through Your Speakers.

Following a first compilation in 2016 and a series of parties, Rinse France & Piu Piu join forces for the first release of her own label : Grooveboxx Records.

Together, they present 'Memorias', the first EP of her new imprint.

Quite explicit through its title, Grooveboxx catalogue stands for an exploration of the grooves across its modern shapes, it embodies the quest of trance throughout music and question the body and the individuals on the dancefloor.

The first release is composed of 5 percussive tracks from producers and DJs Aleqs Notal, Myako and Geena.

All tracks are exploring samples coming from the Musee du Quai Branly's ethnos collection along with some some field recordings captured in a garden in Paris where south American tribes were exhibited during the ""Universal Exposition"" in Paris.

With Salvia Cosmica Myako takes us to a progressive voyage surrounded by all kinds of spirits whispering melodies to our soul while the tribe's marching band marks our footsteps with its strong percussions. Enter the forest.

Influenced by Chicago & Detroit, house producer Aleqs Notal graces us with a percussive jam baptized Finger Prints.
6:45 of pure rhythmics honoring the roots of the music its been sampled from. The rite begins.

La Dansa Del Risa is a conversation between birds and humans overlooking at the tension one night in the forest can impose on our western fears of nature. Stay close to the flames.

Antinote senior, Geena blesses us with Selva Spirit, a slowjam reverie filled with eerie pads and peculiar drum sequences.
We're almost there.

Last but not least, Jungla Encantada seals the EP with a deep wisdom and mastership of the jungle's best kept secrets. It's slow pace and flute melodies appease our senses while mysterious dialects becomes our native language.

The journey is complete.

Kamazi is a freshly coined moniker of Andy Hart, the founder of Voyage Recordings and now contributor to Deep Sound Channel."Inner M31" premieres three tracks rooted in the world around us. The whispering "Aerocentric" introduces the EP. Broad sonorous strokes are met by bubbling bass and skittering beats as Hart creates a work of pure immersion. Drums are bolstered in "Flight Inertia." Amidst the glazed rinses and metallic sheen runs a line of deep melody, beautifully fragile strings cutting through the trembling resonance of air and speed. The finale comes in the form of "LOx." Returning to nature, Kamazi crafts an ambient work of embracing warmth, shimmering chords and stargazing hope. From the bucolic to the urban, Hart sculpts atmopheric and intimate music with a tenderness of touch that is simply unique. First run on solid blue vinyl.

"In 2016, 21 years after Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso U.F.O. were founded in Osaka, Japan, there was a major shift in the line-up and "Next Generation" was added to the bands name. We now view the first 20 years of the bands career as chapter one in our story, and we are now turning the page to start chapter two. In 2018, it's time to re-record our classics with this new line-up, we just opened the door to the next stage!' (Kawabata Makoto 2018)
 
Twenty four years into their existence, Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso U.F.O. have circled the globe at least a few dozen times, released over 100 albums in their various guises and played thousands of shows.
 
In recent years, they've experienced seismic line up changes which has given them yet another new lease of life ... or a rebirth if you will. Original members Kawabata Makoto (guitar, speed guru) and Higashi Hiroshi (synthesizer, noodle god) are now joined by Jyonson Tsu (vocal, midnight whistler), Satoshima Nani (drums, another dimension) and Wolf (bass, space & time) and as anyone that has seen the new line up live will testify, things have gone even more cosmic ...
 
'Reverse Of Rebirth In Universe' sees the band return to their old label Riot Season for the first time since 2012's 'IAO Chant From The Melting Paraiso Underground Freak Out' (CD still available). Both label and band have gone on some wonderful journeys during that time apart but both felt the stars were finally correctly realigned to renew their partnership in all things weird.
 
Long time AMT fans will immediately recognise some of the song titles listed on the album sleeve here. But the songs themselves have been reworked and transformed far away from their original versions. New boy Jyonson Tsu's quiet, almost whispered vocals bring a whole new aura to proceedings, despite the familiar riffs hidden in the depths below them. It's so laid back in places it's practically horizontal, with only occasional trademark piercing guitar squeals threatening to destroy the peace and calm. The whole of side two is taken up with the twenty minute epic 'Black Summer Song' .. and if this is an indicator to where the AMT mothership is heading going forwards we're all in for another fucked up and magical ride.
 
If you stepped off the AMT ride over the years, possibly overwhelmed by the amount of releases they were once firing out ... it could be time to step back on it and check out where they're currently at. In a world that's more messed up than ever, we could all use a little break away from the norm, and nobody takes you as far away from the norm as possible as Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso U.F.O.
 

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.

It was like a bird of rarest-spun heaven metal or like silvery wine flowing in a spaceship, gravity all nonsense now - Anthony Burgess, A Clockwork Orange

After their LPs 'Ike Yard' (also known as 'A Fact A Second' Factory America, 1982) and Nord (Phisteria and Desire, 2010) Ike Yard delivers their last album 'Rejoy' on Noiztank, 2018 as the culmination of their recent years reinvented sound. As the perpetual flag bearers of the cutting-edge post-punk spirit, the NYC- based band shows muscle in a LP fully loaded with abrasive synth pads, scrap metal percussions, and whispered vocals. Following the previous criteria of 'Sacred Machine' 2017, it is worth to remark the inclusion of external vocals in the pieces 'Sister M' and 'Beyondersay', which feature Yuki Osaki and MAYa. The nine tracks move through different atmospheres, tensions and moods that would perfectly represent a new contemporary soundtrack of the S. Kubrick film 'A Clockwork Orange', a major influence and source of inspiration for the group this time around.

Robotron is the machine formerly known as Xinner. This is its first offering for the ESP Institute. Side A's Dream Resonator is an idiosyncratic network — dexterous machine drum/percussion programming, an ebb and flow of floating arpeggios, syncopated counter-melodies and a hail of stabbing stringscontinually diffusing into ethereal vapor — all stacked into an (aptly-named) orchestral anthem. Side B's Ice takes a similar approach with arrangement, each instrument carving out its place in the track's mechanics for a glorious convergence of patterns, but, where side A proves optimistic, here we sense a more menacing undercurrent, an austerity powerfully articulated through towering kicks and claps so compressed they fill up every dark corner of negative space. Indeed, Robotron has an innate command for building and calibrating robust systems, but beneath this calculated veil we find the remnant human behavior of Xinner. These two songs will whisper loudly but scream quietly.

XGLARE (all caps), is Jessee Egan, a Brooklyn-based producer, sound designer and multimedia artist. She has released music under multiple aliases since 2011, most notably on AY Japan. Her latest incarnation, XGLARE, balances warped sound design, unearthly atmospheres and experimental rhythms that reject genre boundaries.

Representing Brooklyn in full force on the debut record, 'Morph EP,' XGLARE yields incredibly heavy atmospheres. This is a mature record showing patience, design and a thoughtfulness sorely lacking in much of the electronic music scene. Beats and dance elements take center stage alongside impossibly powerful, almost elemental transitions. Track 1, Lymph sets the tone with an updated halcyon rave sound. Imagine standing in a field in the countryside at an illegal rave at 6 in the morning as the sun is rising, wind blowing in the air. Track 2 Fossa feat ARIADNE, an Opera trained singer, immediately submits you to whisper shouting, a highlight of the album. In between more dance floor-oriented tracks, Spore and Plexus, sit two sound design gems, title track Morph with its pounding rhythmic charges and vast reverberated rooms, and Ganglia, which reminds of early Do You Know-era Squarepusher. A well-rounded EP showing off the many talents of XGLARE also comes housed in beautiful artwork designed by Egan herself.

Having previously featured on Comb and Razor's popular compilation 'Brand New Wayo', Caribou's 'The Longest Mixtape: 1000 Songs For You' (twice) and remixed by numerous DJs including Kornél Kovács. It has long been over due that Nigerian synth-funk legend Dizzy K gets the reissue he deserves, teaming up with London based record label Sticky Buttons for a very special double LP compilation.

Dizzy K Falola is one of Nigeria's most adored disco funk artists form the early 80's. His career was propelled by EMI Nigeria who brought him to notoriety with his first album 'Excuse Me Baby', released in 1982. Excuse Me Baby became an instant success in Nigeria and within 3 months he was back in the studio recording his second album and touring with international superstars such as The Whispers. The success of his work came both from the creative collaboration of musicians and their progressive style of synth-funk and disco influenced heavily by western artists. The team included Nkono Teles, Felix Liberty and Dizzy K's mentor and manager Tony Okoroji amongst others who together formed the disco funk that infected the homes, streets and clubs of Lagos. Noted in 'Hip Hop Africa: New African Music in a Globalizing World', Dizzy K's song titled Saturday Night Raps which features on Excuse Me Baby is thought to have been on of the earliest examples of commercial African Rap music. It was examples like this that showed Dizzy K was bringing something new to the Nigerian boogie scene.

With careful restoration by Colin Young at See Why Audio, (who's expertise and talents have graced some of the most iconic reissues of recent years, including "Who Is William Onyeabor" and Charanjit Singh's "Synthesizing: Ten Raga's to a Disco Beat") and vinyl mastering conducted by The Carvery, cutting the masters on a Neumann VMS70 mastering lathe originally used in Nashville's CBS studio to cut Motown classics. This is an uncompromising vinyl package covering Dizzy K's first 3 albums from '82-'84. Compiled for the dance floor and offering Sticky Buttons take on the bright boogie goodness of Dizzy. With personal liner notes from the artist and fresh artwork by the team this is a record that cuts to the point.

Planet Mu are excited to announce Ital Tek's 'Bodied', the follow up to his acclaimed 2016 album 'Hollowed'. Stepping in a different direction from that album, It's as if Hollowed's detailed world has been fleshed out and filled with the spectre of human voices.

As on his last album, the sounds on 'Bodied' are highly designed, but this time barely a whisper of dance music remains. Instead it's built around acoustic elements and ghostly choral arrangements, refracted and transformed into atmospheric, alien forms which are given the time to settle and transform. Rhythm is used only as a tool to give his world a sense of dark, mechanical momentum.

Alan explains; "After completing 'Hollowed' I had over a year away from writing any of my own material. I was working, composing music for a video game and a number of different projects. I needed to find a way back in and I rediscovered the joy of music being a release as opposed to a job. I was getting up really early and sketching out lots of ideas very fast, squeezing in quick bursts of writing at the beginning or end of long studio day spent working on other musical projects."

"It was important for me to define the world that the album was going to inhabit before taking it any further, so I put a much greater focus into the sound design and palette than I had before. I wanted to make the music sound very physical, geometric, and monolithic, as if it inhabited a physical space."

"On 'Bodied' the music focuses on the interplay between the minuscule and the vast, beauty and brutalism. With this album I was much more concerned with dynamics and the discipline of holding tension; the use of space and silence to provide a counterpoint to the intensity."

"Most importantly, I was keen for there to be a human acoustic foundation, so I did a lot of live recording of cello, violin, harp and guitar - anything I could get my hands on. I was certain that I wanted there to be a greater vocal presence - nothing lyrical or at the forefront but to give it an underlying organic quality - to impart some humanity into the music."

As Ital Tek moves further from his roots, he's creating new sounds and spaces in which his music can exist. It's up to the listener to decide what kind of world 'Bodied' evokes, but it's certainly one that's beautiful and rewarding to spend time in.

Beware of the blazing sun when she's orange and transparent.
Overwhelmed with the ecstacy of flight, Icarus soared into the sky like a bird, or rather a god. Drawn by desire for the heavens, he ascended higher and higher towards the sun. When the heat melted the wax on his wings, he fell from the sky and vanished into the dark blue ocean, where feathers, still today, ride the waves of the Icarian Sea. Aimed at dancefloors in sleazy bathhouses, seedy basements and soiled warehouses, Icarus Traxx' first offering takes us back to the mythical days of anonymous, muscular power house. Delivering no less than three takes of 'Commandment' (plus two acapellas), the 12 inch, starring the enigmatic voices of Jesse B. Simple and Charlotte B. Good, supplies a choice cut for every disc jockey.
'Jack 88 Tape Mix' starts things off with a vigorous kick, prosperous strings and the spirited voice of Jesse B. Simple. The oracle proclaims celebration times. Addicted to Jesse's vocal delivery The acapella will guide you through your most ecstatic moments.

The lights go out on 'Get Your Life' just before it wakes you up with a slap to the face. Again, it's Jesse in the vocal booth, groaning his mantra to 'dance, jack and get your life to this' on a bed of erratic kicks, jittery acid and vexed rave stabs.

On the flipside, the celestial Charlotte B. Good glides into the room. Her sensual Spanish stanza gracefully inhabits 'Spanish Fly Reprise', made for horny, high as a kite early mornings. Charlotte alerts you that your time to snatch up your one true love on the dancefloor has nearly expired.. Like a siren, she lures you into her universe with sweet lamenting whispers. Better think twice before you follow.

A.g. Returns With All-start Cast, Featuring The Likes Of Diamond D, Lord Finesse, Alchemist And More. For This Album, He's On His A-game, From Beginning To End. Touching On Topics From The Hip Hop Biz, Street Tales And Political Hypocrisy. The Taste Of Ambrosia Is A Full Meal Serving For Mature Rap Devotees Who've Grown Tired Of Contemporary Rhymesayer Laziness. Joined By Guests Including Diamond D, A-bless And Thirstin Howl Iii, A.g. Backs Up His Claim That He Is Ill Enough To Paint His Own Portrait, And Illustrates And Vision Of Rap Immortality That Hardcore Heads And Fellow Legacy Mcs Alike Can Worship Eternally.

Bergsonist is the moniker of Moroccon born and NYC based Selwa Abd. 'Solyaris' follows the self-released '' and a prolific slew of releases for labels such as Styles upon Styles, Borft, and Angoisse amongst others. For Selwa her uncompromising & otherworldly, hypno technoid creations aim to capture a given moment in time, contextualising her often direct, hugely affective, & unpolished approach to production.

Selwa describes 'Solyaris' as 'an ode to the present broken education system that allowed me to sustain my dreams in NewYork', explaining, 'As an immigrant from Morrocco, I felt always fearful of the future, pressured to succeed at school. The only way I was able to channel all that anxiety was through music'.

There's a undeniable physicality to Bergsonist's work, and the idea of expunging anxiousness into her music is felt from the oft as 'Solyaris' strides into vision with it's quickening roaring pulse and scrambled explorative electronic probes. This sense of anxiety eases as layers of rhythm build - heads begin to turn down and lush minimalist swathes eventually envelope bodies in calm unity, Anxiety diverted.

'Conflict in Yeman' opens with a gambit of off-kilter percussive experiments & electronics, conveying a sense of determined urgency. Things grow more & more intricate & immediate as we progress - layers of disruption weave around a reoccurring 140BPM shuffle, anchoring Selwa's constant explorative concrete diversions.

'Former Alien who has been naturalized by a U.S Citizen' brings things down a notch - skittering drums linger below a truly haunting whispered melody, occasionally broken down by collapsed rewinds and thunderously raw in the red beat grit - to dizzying effect. Whereas previously 'Solyaris' had taken its cues from Drexciyan Detroit Electro 'Former Alien...' stands closer to a Fantastic Damage era EL-P instrumental rather than anything aimed at the floor.

The EP rolls out with 'Fidel Gastro', a structured & focused piece of Machine Funk & end of days drop cues, conjuring an effective mix of both euphoria & imminent dread.

Bergsonist cuts a unique figure for electronic music in 2018 as someone explicitly exploring the relationship between head & body music. Although undeniably more than oft aimed at the dancefloor, Selwa's work also holds an equal respect and understanding of the head & heart. From her politically loaded Track titles, to her ideologically aligned guise of 'Bergsonist', to most significantly - her music's ability to elicit a spectrum of finely tuned emotional responses within the confines of each track

Released in solidarity with Tiga's anti-tech house crusade, a silent campaign fought everyday on the streets of your hometown, 'Blaze' finds Russian crypto-whiz Dimitri Veimar still dancing with the rawer-than-the-rawest-dog electro that's brought him to the dizzying heights of the mid-tier crags of Mt. Turbo Mountain. Throwing his weight behind what some in the media are probably already calling 'Tiga's War' was absolutely necessary following the events of a recent gig in Moscow. Veimar opened the night by playing no fewer than three Tiga tracks, which anyone who's read Tiga's Taboos can tell you is definitely a Tiga Taboo. Deeply immersed in the practice of pouring his own mineral water, Tiga ignored the hootin' and hollerin' of the VIPs crowding the DJ booth (including Dennis Miller and Diego Maradona), and proceeded to play a set entirely comprised of recordings of every embarrassing thing Veimar had ever said in his life. Four hours later, an emotionally-shot Veimar collapsed into Tiga's arms, with the magnanimous label boss whispering, 'I forgive you, Dimitri' into his ear. The release also features a 'broken techno' remix from mysterious European producer Florian Kupfer, who made us sign a Non-Disclosure-Agreement dictating that we can only describe him as 'mysterious,' 'enigmatic,' and/or 'European,' so we'll have to let the music do the talking.

Presenting 'Envelope'. Album written, produced & mixed by Milan W. and pressed on 180g vinyl, by Ekster. Coming out on the 6th of June 2018, with foil-stamped cover-drawing by Gerard Herman. Mastered & cut by Helmut Erler at Dubplates & Mastering.
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Milan W (AKA Milan Warmoeskerken) is an Antwerp-based musician. In 2015 he released the Slo Mo cassette, on local label JJ Funhouse. The Intact LP a year later. Compositions constructed from gentle, yet persistent, rhythms. Intricately textured downtempo echoes. Brain-dancing, rather than four-to-the-floor raving. 2017`s split with Ekolalis, for The Hague`s BAKK, made clear the direction Milan`s headed in. His contribution being a seventeen minute float. The kick largely removed. The textures cut-up, expanded and magnified. Envelope, for Ekster, builds on this work.

The harlequin turns the handle. The contraption sucks in air, and breathes. Blows out tone poems. Wordless ballads that soundtrack enchanted scenarios. Issues forth magic. A sorcerer`s apprentice casting its spell. Animating the inanimate. To everything a life. Sets the frozen fluttering. Pirouetting in red shoes. Illuminates what was dark. Astma sings a Gamelan lullaby. Summons comforting angels to a post-Industrial landscape. Glaasjes has Jazz ghosts inhabit an empty bar room. Spirits stealing excuse-me`s under its deserted spot. In Limbo amplifies their whispers. Lead soldiers court jewellery-box ballerinas behind shuttered shop fronts. On Heraldic Snippets, a tin infantry marches. Ten thousand men up to the top, and back down again. Keys make-believing that they are massed brass and fife.

The bellows pump, and the pipes all the while wheezing. An automaton philharmonic at the bidding of a steam-punk master. Analogue and digital. Clockwork and glitch. Malady finds sounds isolated, extrapolated, mutated. Orchestral`s organ-grinder moves with urgency, and alchemy. Spinning straw into gold. Snare rolls become bubbling mercury. Metallic, yet fluid. Racing at the speed of flight and escape. Slope is the music of water chasing through crystal caves. Slow Runner, a funeral crawl. Shoved into motion by a drama of strings remembered.
Like the charismatic Rat-Catcher of Hamelin, the harlequin turns the handle, and we bang the cup.

With this new work Maurizio Abate recovers the discourse started with Loneliness, Desire and Revenge (2016) but with a different narrative sensitivity. The symbolic air that you breathe suggests a personal and universal experience in which thoughts and perceptions remain as enveloped in an eternal cosmic wheel. It's a condition that flows sincerely into an emphatic introspection and identification between the stasis of an inner soul and the flowing vitality of stagnant aquatic landscapes. In this direction the music of Abate always condenses multiple ranges of different emotional spectra evoked by profound naturalistic references. The airy openings of the strings, the distant whispers of the harmonica, cascades of phrasings more calm or more torrential can lead into the magnificent climax of the Nostalgia. The string arrangement for violin and cello by Lucia Gasti introduces in a dimension of idyll, in elegiac passages of touching poetry almost of chamber music but at the same time wet by the pastoral and bucolic moods of autumn landscapes, they are paintings imbued with different flavors and colours that recall the light and the candor of the Venetian tonalisms or the moving paintings full of meaning of Tarkoski. In the darkest and saddest moments the open chords are like suspensions of unresolved questions and torments, but the cathartic finale with a free and minimalist piano prelude to possible future glares, almost to perceiving that even where there's stasis the sun can still shine the hope for the new on the clearing of the pond. Remains the feeling with that stylistic "freedom of expression" dear to the visionaries Fahey and Basho, but also a clear interpretation of the expressive possibility of the lead guitar, absolutely lyrical and contemporary for refinement of the crystalline sound, which places this work in parallel with the basic acoustic tests of others great like Jim O'Rourke, Jack Rose or James Blackshaw.

· Album presentation live @ Camden Assembly London, 13th June
· Genre-spanning UK jazz artist who has worked with the likes of Craig Charles Fantasy Funk Band, Nightmares On Wax, The New Mastersounds, and Rae & Christian
· Follow-up to the debut and highly credited La Sombra from 2017
· Features guest UK trumpeter Matthew Halsall on 'The Mirage'
· La Sombra made Gilles Peterson's 'Best albums of 2017' list, with a track included on Brownswood Bubblers 12
· Part of the Matthew Halsall live band and toured with Dwight Trible

Recorded in Madrid in July 2017, Shamal Wind combines Chip Wickham's globetrotting, spiritual jazz expeditions with hard-won schoolings in the funk. Following his critically acclaimed 2017 debut, La Sombra, the record draws on spiritual jazz influences like Yusef Lateef and Sahib Shihab, and rests on Chip's many-sided experience as a musician, spanning left-field beat experiments to hard-hitting funk heavyweights.

After the Latin and flamenco whispers on La Sombra, Shamal Wind adds some Arab-influence percussion to the mix, most notably on the title track. Elsewhere, 'Barrio 71' sees him nodding to Shihab: high energy, lyrical and absorbing, with sax and the vibraphone taking the lead. 'Snake Eyes' taps into the meditative exaltations of modal jazz, while 'Soho Strut' nods to the jazz fusion, funk-influenced side of Chip's playing.

Like the Persian Gulf winds referenced in the album title, which often mark the shift to a new season, this album signals a new chapter for Chip, opening up a newfound energy and inclusiveness in his music, and further expanding on what he achieved in the past year. "Shamal Wind" is a heavy record, built on strong foundations.

Over the past 3 decades Chip Wickham has worked, written, recorded, and toured with the likes of Rae & Christian, Fingathing, The Pharcyde, Jimpster, Nightmares On Wax, Graham Massey, Roy Ayers, Nat Birchall, The New Mastersounds, Lack Of Afro, Craig Charles Fantasy Funk Band, Matthew Halsall, and Dwight Trible.

On "La Sombra":
"This is coming from the outside, I was like whooooa, easy. Blowing hard - they got it right! Gilles Peterson
"I'm becoming convinced that Chip Wickham is a genius" Craig Charles
"An impressive solo debut" London Evening Standard
"Majesterial and electrifying stuff" 9/10 Blues & Soul Magazine
"Tonally and melodically elegant and with a distinct 1960s/1970s vibe" Scotsman

Japanese vocal performer Hatis Noit will release her enigmatic EP Illogical Dance via Erased Tapes worldwide on 23rd March 2018.
The arresting 4-track record creates unique song-worlds with transcendent vocal interpretations that at once deconstruct and recombine Western Classical, Japanese folk and nature's own ambience atmosphere. Illogical Dance also features Björk-collaborators Matmos, who were so impressed with Hatis Noit's recordings, they volunteered to edit the lead track Illogical Lullaby.

Hailing from the distant Shiretoko, a small town in Hokkaido, which is the largest island in north Japan, Hatis Noit's accomplished range is astonishingly self-taught, inspired by everything she could find from Gagaku — Japanese classical music — and operatic styles, Bulgarian and Gregorian chanting, to avant-garde and pop vocalists. The sounds she created on Illogical Dance, co-produced by Haruhisa Tanaka and Matmos, bring to mind the experimental vocal patterns of Meredith Monk with the attentive production of Holly Herndon.

It was at the age of 16, during a trek in Nepal to the Buddha's birthplace, when she realised singing was her calling. While staying at a women's temple in Lumbini, one morning on a walk Hatis Noit heard someone singing. On further investigation it was a female monk singing Buddhist chants, alone. The sound moved her so intensely she was instantly aware of the visceral power of the human voice, a primal and instinctive instrument that connects us to the very essence of humanity, nature and our universe.

The name Hatis Noit itself is taken from Japanese folklore, meaning the stem of the lotus flower. The lotus represents the living world, while its root the spirit world, therefore Hatis Noit is what connects the two. For Hatis Noit, music represents the same netherworld with its ability to move and transport us to the other side, the past, a memory, our subconscious. It is the same for Illogical Dance, a set of transformative songs that taps into our most primal instincts.

The human voice is our oldest, most primal yet most powerful instrument. I use it to describe nature's many sounds, a language that isn't logical. Yet it forms a beautiful conversation that isn't restricted to words like the human language is. I want my music to remind us of that.' — Hatis Noit

Wanting to interpret and mimic the sounds Hatis Noit hears in nature, Illogical Dance is as unpredictable, beautiful and mysterious as the world around us. Each track is made up from multi layers of vocals, all improvised and without words, before being carefully pieced together. Astonishingly no samples are used throughout, even the sound of crushing leaves came from Hatis Noit's own vocal chords.

The result is a stunning array of sound sculptures that see her switching between multiple styles with great ease. From the sweet operatics on Illogical Lullaby, the manipulated vocal loops duplicating electronic production on Anagram c.i.y. to the primordial chanting call to arms of Angelus Novus, a 10-minute odyssey that features whispering and leaves crunching, it showcases Hatis Noit's full range and introduces a truly original artist.

Previously only available in Japan, Illogical Dance will receive a worldwide release on 23rd March 2018 including a first edition on 12' vinyl. After participating in a ceremony for memorial and appreciation tailored to the withdrawal of the evacuation area in Fukushima on 31st March 2017, Hatis Noit collaborated with renowned visual artist Nobumichi Asai on a project titled INORI (prayer) which they premiered live as part of an Erased Tapes showcase at Mutek Japan in Tokyo.

Having recently moved to London and performed a first string of UK shows, followed by a special live performance at the Milan Fashion Week and Mutek Japan appearance, Peter Broderick has invited Hatis Noit to support him at the Jazz Cafe on April 15th. She's also been announced as part of this year's Sea Change Festival line-up, and asked to participate in a workshop with the London Contemporary Orchestra.

LP+DL

To those familiar with the output of Cologne-based imprint Firm from back in the early '00s, the name of Geiger, alias Nass, shall undoubtedly ring a bell. Herald of an hedonistic melange of funk- soaked electro pop and guitar-riddled synth music, sitting somewhere close to acts like Ween and Junior Boys, Alexander Geiger is about to break a eight-year hiatus with the drop of his debut album under the newly-founded moniker of Fahrland. A release that both encompasses a healthy dose of the discoid tropes from the Firm era but also aspires to split with a segment of it, geared towards exploring further undisclosed fringes of his shape-shifting sound universe, 'Mixtape Vol.1' is the fruit of a decisive move from the sleepless Berlin to the peaceful countryside landscapes of Fahrland - a lushly forested area near Potsdam which you'll have understood played an essential role in Geiger's longed-for return. Versatile and inclusive, the album sweeps a polyamorous gamut of styles and tempos like an answer to the virtual prisons that inhibit us on a daily basis, straying away from normative standards and classic full-length calibration as a result. Instead weaving a singular narrative course, clear from all type of shackles and chains, Geiger navigates on sight, reflecting on notions as wide and universal as freedom, friendship and love across a multiversal patchwork of sounds and feels. From the languid sexy vibe of 'Beggin', 'Plastic People' and 'Yesterday' - all three featuring the sensual whispers of multi-talented vocalist and artist MZ Sunday Luv, through the heavily vocodized, chip- implemented groove of I AM ROBOT - reminiscent of Telex and Space Art, balearic jazz & rap shine of 'Sky So High', smokey lounge ambience of 'L AND H' onto broader ambient-friendly spans such as 'Suspension', 'Windshield Gently Wipers' and the smooth, sun-basking closer 'Get Down', each track holds a fragile cocooned world at its heart.

Bei denjenigen, die mit dem Output vom Kölner Label Firm aus den frühen Nullerjahren vertraut sind, sollte der Name Geiger alias Nass zweifellos die Glocken klingeln lassen. Als der Herold einer hedonistischen Melange aus Funk durchdrungenem Elektro-Pop und Gitarren durchzogener Synthie-Musik irgendwo zwischen Ween und den Junior Boys, bricht Alexander Geiger seine achtjährige Schaffenspause mit der Veröffentlichung seines Debüt-Albums unter neuen Pseudonym: Fahrland.

Ein Release, das sowohl die diskoiden Tropen der Firm-Ära affirmiert, als auch danach strebt ein bestimmtes Segment davon zu spalten. Aufgenommen um ungeahnte Interferenzen seines gestaltverändernden Sounduniversums zu entdecken, ist 'Mixtape Vol.1' das Resultat eines bewussten Umzugs aus dem schlaflosen Berlin in die friedliche Landschaft von Fahrland - einem üppigen Waldgebiet in der Nähe von Potsdam, das eine entscheidende Rolle in Geigers ersehnter Rückkehr zur Musik gespielt hat.

Vielfältig und offen erforscht das Album polyamorös eine Skala von Stilen und Tempi als Antwort auf die virtuellen Ketten, die uns tagtäglich hemmen. Bewusst vergessen werden dabei normative Standards und klassische Langspieler-Kategorien. Geiger webt stattdessen ein einzigartiges Narrativ, frei von jeglichen Fesseln und Ketten und führt uns auf seinem multiversalen Flickenteppich aus Sounds und Gefühle mit Sichtkontakt an so allgemeingültige und universelle Begriffe wie Freiheit, Freundschaft und Liebe.

Vom nochalanten Vibe von 'Beggin', 'Plastic People' und'Yesterday' (alle drei mit der sinnlich wispernden und vielseitigen Sängerin MZ Sunday Luv), bis zu dem durch den Vocoder gejagten und computergenerierten Groove von I AM ROBOT; Reminiszenzen an Telex und Space Art, balearischen Jazz und Rap erklingen in 'Sky So High', rauchiges Loungeambiente auf 'L AND H' bis zu völliger Ambient-Anschlussfähigkeit in 'Suspension', 'Windshield Gently Wipers' und dem sanften, Sonne anbetenden Schlusslied 'Get Down' - jeder Track hält eine Welt für sich in seinem Herzen.