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Moses Boyd is at the forefront of the New British jazz scene having worked and recorded with like of Giles Peterson, Four Tet, Sons Of Kemet, Zara McFarlane and more. With 2 MOBO Awards to his name and Multiple Releases via his Label Exodus Records. Moses has established himself as one of the leaders in bringing the worlds of Jazz and Electronic music together.

This latest release is taken from the same sessions that brought us Rye Lane Shuffle. Displaced Diaspora is a collection of music from Moses Boyd recorded in 2015 that features some of the now leaders of the New British Jazz Scene Such as Theon Cross, Nubya Garcia and Nathaniel Cross. As well as the Iconic British Soul Vocalist Terri Walker, Saxophonist and Bata Player Kevin Haynes and his group, Grupo Eleggua and Rapper Louis VI. The music is a mix of Jazz, Yoruba chants with Hip Hop and electronica influenced beats.

Aix Em Klemm is the moniker of the ambient music project consisting of Adam Wiltzie (Stars Of The Lid / A Winged Victory For The Sullen) and Robert Donne (Labradford / Anjou).
As Wiltzie told Sadness Is In The Sky fanzine, his collaboration with Donne began when “we all met during a Texas swing of a Labradford tour that Stars Of The Lid opened for back in 1996. They stayed at my house for a few days and we became close.”
A year later Wiltzie was asked to join Labradford for their Mi Media Naranja European tour of 1997 as the sound technician. This tour also included Bruce Gilbert of the legendary band Wire who was the opening act and joined them in the van for the entire tour. With Gilbert’s nightly improvisations of minidisk field recording explosions running through a Sherman Filterbank, it left a profound effect on Wiltzie and Donne, and led to inspiring internal philosophical discussions on the importance of improvisation. After concluding six weeks in the van, the idea of creating a unique collaboration separate from their other projects was realized. The duo exchanged tapes over the course of a year and then Donne ventured to Austin, TX for a week to record at Wiltzie’s home studio in 1999. The in-person collaboration moved much more quickly than the exchange of tracks by mail. One track on the Aix Em Klemm album, “Sparkwood And Twenty-One”, was written and recorded in one day. The duo took the mysterious name Aix Em Klemm and the self-titled debut was released in the autumn of 2000.
As of late, Wiltzie lives in Brussels, and Donne joined Stars Of The Lid on their last tour of Europe in 2016 playing modular synth. They still collaborate musically so new Aix Em Klemm recordings remain a possibility.
“The two extracted some morsels of sound from their respective group’s structures and constructed an altogether different and Zarathrustian ‘building of sound’—one that combines the haunting spirits of the old with the mystique of the new unknown.” —Tape Op

Unclassifiable percussionist and producer Chiminyo will be releasing his long-awaited debut album “I Am Panda” via London tastemaker label Gearbox Records on the 25th of September. The ten-track album is a foray into unexplored sonic territory, featuring a host of diverse guest musicians from London’s burgeoning music scene. Chiminyo's music may be rooted in the London jazz scene, but his music is transcendent of anything that could be defined as such. Whilst his joint use of analogue and digital technology meaningfully honours the manic city lights of London’s bustling scene, it remains ever-changing crossing over into hip-hop, future pop, experimental electronic and global spheres. Chiminyo's tech-heavy drum kit set-up, combines the raw, immediate live sound of percussion and the futuristic timbres of his electronic productions to create his own, daring soundscapes. Via laboriously self-coded software, each cymbal crash and drum hit triggers a synth or sample, allowing Chiminyo complete control and freeing him of all loops, click-tracks and backing tracks.However, it is important to note that Chiminyo's music is far more than just a technical feat. Whilst still highly innovative in it's composition, "I AM PANDA" is purely the result of a deep and tireless exploration of the music that Chiminyo truly resonates with to create a soulful, spiritual, and evocative record that feeds off the conflicting duality between technology and nature. Composed and arranged by Chiminyo and recorded at Konk Studios by Ricardo Damian (Jorja Smith, Sampha, Binker & Moses), the new album also features a host of talented guests including Kweku Sackey aka K.O.G, singer Dunja Botic, and spoken word artist Brother Portrait of Steam Down fame. The new album follows on from Chiminyo's 2019 debut EP "I Am Chiminyo", which served as a visceral introduction to his unique sound, and earned plaudits from the likes of Gilles Peterson, BBC 1Xtra, CLASH, Red Bull, Jazzwise, Jazz FM and more. As well as his own solo project, Chiminyo also performs and records with some of the leading figures of London’s music scene, including spiritual jazz-leaning outfit Maisha and psychedelic energy bomb Cykada. He has also previously collaborated and recorded with Gary Bartz, Nubya Garcia, Shabaka Hutchings, Theon Cross, and Zara McFarlane.

Der Multi-Instrumentalist und Produzent hat sich mit fein strukturierten und enthusiastischen Kompositionen bereits einen Namen gemacht. Sein 2016 erschienenes Album „Forms“ zog mit seiner spielerischen Verwebung von Rhythmen und Samples die Aufmerk-samkeit der elektronischen Musikszene auf sich. In diesem Jahr veröffentlicht The Micronaut nun Olympia (Summer Games) – ein Album, das seinen sorgfältigen Produktionsstil weiterführt und dem Geist der Olympischen Sommerspiele gewidmet ist. Denn auch wenn diese abgesagt wurden, so sind die damit verbundenen Tugenden wie Durchhaltevermögen und Zusammenhalt zeitlos und gerade in diesen Wochen um so wichtiger. Solch grundlegende Prinzipien, die den Geist der Olympischen Spiele ausmachen, sind es auch, die The Micronaut umgetrieben haben. Und so war es kein Zufall, dass Summer Games entstanden ist: „Ich habe bisher immer Konzept-Alben veröffentlicht. Dieses Mal habe ich Olympia gewählt, weil es nicht nur Wettkampf, sondern auch eine Friedensbewegung ist, bei der es um die Menschen geht, ganz egal welcher Nation sie angehören.“ Diesen vielfältigen und stets vitalen, lebhaften Geist spiegelt das Album wider: Das verspielt-zarte Uneven Bars oder das träumerisch-sphärische Table Tennis, sie alle erzählen von den besonderen Momenten, von Siegen und Niederlagen und all den Facetten, die dem Sport innewohnen. Dadurch ist eine Reise entstanden, eine schwungvolle, aber auch turbulente Achterbahnfahrt, die den künstlerischen Anspruch The Micronauts abbildet: „Lebhaft, expressiv, dramatisch, manchmal ruhig, manchmal kraftvoll – ich versuche immer die Vibes von Wanderlust, Hoffnung und individuellen Momenten in meiner Musik einzufangen“ – erzählt der in Leipzig lebende Künstler. Und dieses Mal liegt das Spannungsfeld zwischen sportlichen Disziplinen – in dem sich The Micronaut musikalisch ausdrückt. Wobei seine Musik keinesfalls zum Sich-Messen anregt, vielmehr sind viele Tracks mit ihrem übermütigen, optimistischen Vibe für die Tanzflächen der Clubs geeignet, um sich die Anspannung der zuweilen olympischen Herausforderungen des Alltags von der Seele zu tanzen. Dazu hat The Micronaut anspruchsvolle Arrangements mit fließenden Melodien und unaufgeregtem Gesang kombiniert und den Weg für ein neues, collagenartiges musikalisches Genre geebnet. Bisweilen dreht Summer Games sogar in Richtung Elektro-Pop ab, dann wieder ist es inspiriert von old-schooligem Hip Hop and in anderen Momenten mündet und explodiert es förmlich in intelligent gesetzten musikalischen Hochsprüngen. Die Messlatte liegt hoch – doch bei allem Auf und Ab scheint immer durch, dass The Micronaut ein begeisterter Musikliebhaber ist, der Ideen und Inspirationen von überall her sammelt und sie unter Einsatz seines ganz eigenen emotionalen Prismas übersetzt.

Stix Records, a sub-label of Favorite Recordings, is back with some heavy dub cuts from label regular Mato.

Starting his reggae production career in 2006, Thomas Blanchot aka Mato has released music through various projects on EDR Records, Big Singles or Makasound... In the meantime he developed a real trademark: taking over classics French, Hip-Hop, or Pop song, into roots reggae-dub new versions. Besides since 2010, Mato has built a solid reputation thanks to his hot remixes of Hip-Hop classics on Stix Records.

Today, Mato is back with another target for his special skills as a tailor of reggae music, this time focusing on classic musical themes from R. Strauss’ "Also Sprach Zarathustra" and Herbie Hancock’s "Maiden Voyage ". It’s a great sensation to hear these melodies turned into superbly crafted Dub monsters. As Mato once said, "Play it loud and burn a chalice!"

LTD. BLUE SEAFOAM WAVE VINYL

Holy Hive ist ein Folk-Soul-Trio aus Brooklyn, bestehend aus Folksänger/Gitarrist Paul Spring, dem begehrten Soul-Schlagzeuger Homer Steinweiss und dem Bassisten Joe Harrison. Die Band hat sich durch fast schon legendäre Konzerte und ihre EP "Harping" einen Namen gemacht. Als Holy Hive erforschen sie die Beziehung zwischen den lyrischen Traditionen des Folk mit dem Rhythmus und der Ästhetik des Soul. Das Debütalbum "Float Back To You", aufgenommen in Queens im Studio Diamond Mine (von dem Steinweiss Mitbesitzer ist), besteht aus 10 eigenen Songs, einem Cover von "Be Thou By My Side" (ursprünglich von der britischen Gruppe Honeybus aus den Sechzigern) und einer Adaption des irischen Folksongs "Red Is The Rose". Steinweiss hat das Album produziert, als Gäste treten die Harfenistin Mary Lattimore, Leon Michels (El Michels Affair) am Saxofon und Keyboard, Shannon Wise (The Shacks) als Backgroundsängerin, Dave Guy (The Roots) an der Trompete, Nick Movshon am Bass und Paul Springs Ehefrau Sophia Heymans am Klavier auf. Homer Steinweiss arbeitet seit zwanzig Jahren als professioneller Schlagzeuger und hat in dieser Zeit den Beat zu Hits von Amy Winehouse, Bruno Mars, den Jonas Brothers, St. Vincent und Charles Bradley beigesteuert - um nur einige zu nennen. Als Gründungsmitglied von Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings ist er mit der legendären Gruppe durch die ganze Welt getourt, bis er sich für eine Karriere im Studio entschieden hat. Paul Spring hat als Solokünstler sieben Alben mit eigenen Songs veröffentlicht, darunter, "Home of Song", eine von Kritikern sehr gelobte Platte mit Kinderliedern. Der Multiinstrumentalist Joe Harrison hat unter anderem mit Frank Dukes und Charles Bradley gespielt. Die symbiotische Beziehung zwischen Steinweiss und Spring ist wie die eines Spechts, der auf dem Rücken eines Nashorns sitzt. Springs zarter Gesang und seine flatternde Gitarre schweben in perfekter Harmonie über Homers bulligem Schlagzeug. Holy Hive sind eine vielschichtige Band: Manches an ihnen erschließt sich sofort, anderes erst später. Wie der Titelsong des Albums, der sich zuerst wie ein wunderschöner klassischer Liebessong anhört und sich dann als die Gefühle einer Frau entpuppt, die sich auf ihre Katze freut. Dafür steht Holy Hive: Die Musik geht verführerisch einfach ins Ohr und entfaltet sich dann sehr langsam - bis sie ganz aufblüht.

LIMITED TO 300 COPIES. NOT TO BE REPRESSED.

Raw and wild soul-funk-r&b-garage from 1970, recorded and released only in Algeria! Imagine JAMES BROWN fronting THE SONICS!

Born in Puerto Rico, Bob Destiny grew up in Harlem (USA) and has a fascinating story: from starting playing piano as a child (self-taught) and tap dancing with the Five Chocolate Drops when he was 6 years old, to meeting Billie Holliday and playing with her; from appearing in a film with Shirley Temple to musicals in Broadway, dancing at Mankiewicz’s movie “Cleopatra”, singing at the San Remo Festival...

In 1969, Bob went to Algeria to teach music at the Algerian National Theater. He also continued with his singing career while living there. In 1970, he released a couple of 45s featuring “Wang Dang” and “Mahna (Troubles)” on the Freedom Musique label. He was also involved with the creation of the first Pan African Festival with Mahboud Bati and Frank Pourcel.

These 45s are very rare and were first discovered by the great Habibi Funk label a few years ago, who included “Wang Dang” on one of their compilations. For our Pharaway Sounds 45, we’ve selected one track from his first 45 and another from his second one.

After playing in Morocco with Hahmed Maraki and forming bands like The Fingers, Bob arrived to Spain in the 80s. He created a jazz school in Zaragoza and was involved with the famous “Jazz en la Margen” festival. In the 90's, Bob move to France, focusing in composition, gospel, musicals and soundtracks. Sadly, he passed away on March 31, 2016.

Fantastic first album of Tunisian producer Azu Tiwaline, melting psychedelic dub, industrial and hypnotic techno deeply rooted in her berber culture, supported by Lena Willikens, Nicola Cruz, Toma Kami and Violet, to name a few!

Azu Tiwaline is a new name for a new spirit: one of a producer inspired by the need to explore her origins, rooted in the Tunisian Sahara. The Call to a different sound, organic and raw, vibrating in the great spaces of the African desert where trance music resonates... Ecstatic ritual.

Her first album, Draw Me A Silence, conceived as a diptych, reveals the multiple facets of her identity. Uniting the bonds that connect Berber music, dub culture and techno hypnosis, Azu Tiwaline invites us to refocus on our senses and our Nature. She knows how to use contrasts between light and the invisible, exploring the complexity of our emotions and the mystery that emanates from them, in a polyrhythmic chiaroscuro that runs through each one of her tracks, and of which we discover, as we go along, all the outlines.

Draw Me A Silence Part. I (to be released in February 2020), delivers the most hypnotic variant of her music, centered on dark percussive rhythms and a skillful use of repetition; each of the 5 tracks ineluctably carrying the listener into a trance. Two major tunes particularly illustrate the artist's imagination: "Itrik" and "Berbeka", perfectly synthesizing the heritage of Berber trance music and her techniques derived from minimalist and repetitive electronic music.

The continuation, Draw Me A Silence Part. II (to be released in April 2020), gives prominence to a deep heritage drawn from the dub culture and its numerous bass music filiations. This second part thus gives a new breath in the use of sound space, exploited in a much broader way, leaving all their space to complex syncopated percussive lines, supported by massive basslines dedicated to the best sound-systems. Omok, the first of the five tracks of this Part II is the perfect demonstration of this, playing here the essential role of a bridge to the darker waters of this album's end.

Each of these two parts exist as an Entity, and it is only when they are united that they will reveal their full meaning. Thus, in May, Draw Me A Silence will find its final form in a double-vinyl unifying them. Listening to this album in its entirety offers us a wide panorama of the sound landscapes visited by Azu Tiwaline, who seems to breathe primitive sounds of a faraway desert into a music with modern tones - and vice versa. A resolutely hybrid sound and a singular experience, playing with contrasts and nuances to catch the listener in vast and so far unexplored territories.

Long-time collaborators, longer-time best friends, lifelong analog appreciators; the German duo Iron Curtis & Johannes Albert join cosmic forces once again for another LP mission 'Moon II', a heartfelt voyage through the sounds, movements, styles and machines that created this music in the first place.
Think late 80s New York, early 90s Sheffield and the perennial sounds of Italo and Detroit, 'Moon II' is a lunar safari that celebrates the deepest foundations of house, techno and electronic soul while resolutely refusing to get nostalgic. Written and recorded during an intense two-and-a-half month session in Berlin last autumn, there's a consistency and tangible narrative running throughout as the pair play inspiration ping-pong over the course of 10 tracks.
A little Drexcyian glacial nod here, a hazy Boards Of Canada wink there. The Other People Place, Kerrier District, Environ Records, the Hacienda, Sub Club, Heaven 17, classic electro… All these ingredients are constantly bubbling in the mix for both Curtis and Albert (as individuals and even more so as a duo) and the end result is an album that works as a proper album should. Peaks, troughs, dreamy departures and all beautiful things in between.
Taking off where their debut collaborative album 'Industrie & Zärtlichkeit' (soon to be retitled 'Moon I') left us three years ago, the opening modem sounds on the intro track 'Canggu Laundry Club' dial us into a special sense of time and space.
It's a space where anything feels possible; Visual-inspired acid lines on 'Tiger Trek', lino-spinning body pops and windmills to the street sounds electro style of 'The Ultimate Seduction', the club-focused, Traxx-style Cutie Schamuthie collaboration 'Hurting', the melancholy plucks and struts of 'Feingold', the provocative, slinky, smoky finale piece 'Nektar'… The list of intergenerational and cross-genre landmarks on this adventurous body of work go and on, each track complementing the last as they fuse to create a bigger collective picture. A picture that's charmed together through the consistent use of key classic studio machines.
They call it Introverted Electronic Body Music, we call it warm, free-spirited and ultimately timeless. Perfect for your sets, your afterhours or your headphones alike; it's time to let Iron Curtis and Johannes Albert take you to the Moon and back… Once again.

"Don't Let The Ink Dry", produziert von Aaron Dessner von The National, ist ein Werk von extremer Sensibilität und Fantasie. Die Britin Eve Owen, die als Gastsängerin auf dem The National Album "I Am Easy To Find" zu hören und bereits mehrfach mit The National aufgetreten ist, nahm sich für ihr Solo Debütalbum ganze drei Jahre Zeit. Während dieser Periode verbrachte die 20-jährige ihre Sommerferien mit Dessner in New York, wo sie mit ihm schrieb und Songs aufnahm. Dieser kreative Prozess war für Owen eine willkommene Zuflucht von ihrem stressigen Schulalltag. Die Sängerin entdeckte ein neues Gefühl von Freiheit und Zugehörigkeit und entwickelte einen ganz eigenen Sound: wild aber doch zart, unruhig aber differenziert genug, um auch die flüchtigsten Gefühle einzufangen. Aufgenommen wurde im Long Pond Studio, einer umgebauten Scheune und ein altes Bauernhaus tief im Hudson Valley. Passend zum Ambiente gibt Owen sich stellenweise dem Folk hin, allerdings mit elektronischen Experimenten angereichert. Mit Hilfe von Musikern wie dem Multi-Instrumentalisten Rob Moose (Bon Iver, Perfume Genius) und dem Pianisten Thomas Bartlett (alias Doveman, der u.a. mit David Byrne, St. Vincent und Father John Misty gespielt hat) gelangen es ihr und Dessner, einen detailverliebten, experimentellen und eigenwilligen Sound zu entwickeln. "Don't Let The Ink Dry" behandelt intensiv Owens Kampf mit Angst, Entfremdung, Verletzlichkeit und Selbsterhaltung.

Salt Lake Citys Indie-Pop-Lieblinge Choir Boy melden sich nach vier Jahren mit der Veröffentlichung ihres neuen Albums "Gathering Swans" zurück. Mit der emotionalen, kraftvollen und von Pop-Nostalgie durchfluteten Platte, treiben Choir Boy ihren unverwechselbaren Sound auf eine neue Ebene. "Gathering Swans" steckt voller mitreißendem Herzschmerz und zeigt die Band von einer zärtlichen, romantischen Seite. Choir Boy startete als das Projekt von Sänger Adam Klopp, mit ständig rotierenden Bandmitgliedern. Inzwischen haben Choir Boy eine feste Besetzung bestehend aus Klopps langjährigem Wegbegleiter und Bassisten Chaz Costello, dem Saxophonisten und Keyboarder Jeff Kleinman und dem Gitarristen Michael Paulsen. 2016 veröffentlichten Choir Boy ihr, von der Kritik gefeiertes, Debütalbum "Passive With Desire", auf welches 2018 die Single "Sunday Light" folgte. Nach einer Reihe von Tourneen mit Acts wie Cold Cave, Snail Mail und Ceremony begannen Choir Boy mit dem Schreiben ihres neuen Albums. "Gathering Swans" erweist sich als ein würdiger Nachfolger und baut auf Choir Boys mitreißendem Sound mit poppiger Sensibilität auf. Das Album überzeugt mit seinem berührenden "Choral-Pop"-Klang, der zu einem Markenzeichen von Choir Boy geworden ist. "Gathering Swans" ist kreativ, authentisch, leidenschaftlich und schrill. Hinter dem melancholischen, tief emotionalen Grundton von "Gathering Swans" zeigt sich eine helle und hoffnungsvolles Aussicht.

LET’S be frank, it was only a matter of time before we nabbed Dan Piu. Many years in the game with his own uber-respected labels Moto Music and deepArtSounds, in demand as an artist under his many guises (Allstarr Motomusic/George Btp) and collaborative projects (The WineLambs, Zarenzeit and Theory Of Movement, which he shares with deep house don Grant aka Anthony Collins), Piu may be old school but his recent renaissance has turned many heads including ours. His analogue alchemy is right up our strasse so we are beyond thrilled to be able to present the Zurich-based producer’s Technological Singularity EP here at Hizou.

From the celestial groove-heavy Quantum Computing to the angular electronica of Robots In Rage and from the melodic techfunk of A Machine Will Never Do X to the soul-warming F#uk The World To The Core, aficionados, followers and fanboys will not be disappointed.

Unter Evolution versteht man gemeinhin die allmähliche Veränderung der vererbbaren
Merkmale einer Population von organischen Strukturen von Generation zu Generation.
Überträgt man diesen Gedanken aus der biologischen Welt in die musikalische von Northern
Lite, so trägt jedes neue Album die signifikanten Merkmale seiner Vorgänger in sich, aber erfindet
dennoch den typischen Northern Lite Sound auf spielerische Art neu.
Evolution, das 13. Studioalbum von Northern Lite, gibt ihrem unstillbaren Drang nach Härte und
Geschwindigkeit Raum, ohne jedoch die existenzielle Notwendigkeit von Liebe zu verleugnen.
Sich ihrer eigenen Vergänglichkeit bewusst geworden, gehen Kubat, Bohn und Rödel, nun jenseits
der vierzig, schonungslos mit sich ins Gericht. Weder textlich noch musikalisch werden
Gefangene gemacht. Von zärtlich quecksilbrigen Pop Balladen, bis hin zu neuen Hymnen, die die
Kraft haben, ganze Generationen im Herzen zu verbinden, nimmt jeder Song des neuen Albums
seine Hörer mit auf eine Reise zu sich selbst.
Im Ergebnis bilden hier Inhalt und Form eine rauschhafte Koexistenz, die nur durch die
meisterhafte Präzision der musikalischen Ausführung noch Steigerung erfährt.

“We seem to be caught! Trapped, somehow…”
Published for the first time on audio, Demon Records presents a narrated full-cast TV soundtrack, starring William Hartnell as the Doctor in one of his most weird and wonderful adventures!
In this vintage 6-part adventure, first shown on BBC TV in February and March 1965, a strange magnetic force pulls the TARDIS down to the craterous surface of Vortis. The Doctor and his friends learn that the planet has been invaded, and the parasitic Animus is slowly enveloping it in a web-like domain. The giant ant-like Zarbi are under its control, whilst the butterfly-like Menoptra are battling to reclaim their planet.
Presented across 3 x heavyweight 180g pieces of pink vinyl, this narrated TV soundtrack evokes a classic Doctor Who adventure in all its aural magnificence. The alien ambience of Vortis, the insistent chirruping of the Zarbi, and the supernatural voice of the Animus are all accompanied by the eerie sonics of Ron Grainer & Delia Derbyshire’s theme tune.
Written by Bill Strutton, this was the Doctor’s most exotic and lavish adventure yet. Linking narration is provided by Maureen O’Brien (Vicki) and the cast includes William Russell as Ian, Jacqueline Hill as Barbara, Martin Jarvis as Hilio and Roslyn de Winter as Vrestin. Accompanying the pink vinyl LPs are full episode billings, cast and credits, and eight illustrated
panels form a superb artwork montage. This is a first-time audio release for this very special
adventure. Dummedy-dum, Dummedy-dum, Dummedy-dum, Dum-dum…

2x12" Repress


January 1981 found Gudrun Gut and Bettina Koster in Christopher Franke’s Berlin-Spandau Studio recording their first Malaria! EP (Zensor Records). Christine Hahn of The Static with Glenn Branca and Barbara Ess, joined in from New York, and Manon P. Duursma fresh from Nina Hagen’s O.U.T. project and Susanne Kuhnke completed the Line-Up.

Malaria! started touring intensively soon after the release of their 12”, commencing with a concert with New Order at Brussel’s Ancienne Belgique, and going on from there to concerts with Siouxsie and the Banshees, Birthday Party, The Slits, The AuPairs, Raincoats, Nina Hagen, John Cale, Einstuerzende Neubauten. They played venues as diverse as the Mudd Club, Peppermint Lounge and Studio 54 in New York, the Documenta in Kassel, the Bat Cave in London, Les Bains Douche in Paris, Milky Way and Paradiso in Amsterdam, ICA in London, the Piazza Santa Maria Novella in Florence and Markthalle in Hamburg and naturally, again and again, at the SO36 in Berlin.

While touring, Malaria! used their time off to record in Studios in New York, London, Brussels, New Orleans, and in Berlin (How Do You Like My New Dog? 7”, Weisses Wasser 12”, New York Passage 12”, Revisited MC, Emotion Album). At the BBC studios in London Maida Vale Malaria recorded an Kit Jensen and a John Peel Session.

Malaria! took a break in 1984 - Bettina and Christine re-located to New York, and Gudrun and Manon stayed in Berlin to form, with Beate Bartel, Matador, but not before they recorded their Mini-Album, Beat the Distance. 1992 Gudrun, Bettina, Christine, and Manon met up in New Orleans with Jim Thirlwell (Foetus) to record Elation 12”. Elation was followed by Cheerio, Album, which again was recorded in Berlin.

Chicks on Speed did their own version of Malaria’s song, Kaltes Klares Wasser in 2001, and the Remix went into the German Top 10.

Malaria has been an instrumental part of Berlin Music History, as recently presented at the „Zurück zum Beton“ at Düsseldorf’s Kunstakademie, Kunsthalle Wien „Punk!“, „Geniale Dilletanten“ Goethe Institut, and in B-Movie.

BIBA KOPF 2019
The theme song for that great German road movie yet to be made, Malaria!’s 1981 single “How Do You Like My New Dog?” etched the E into the motion music of their soon-come debut album Emotion with its trail-out line “Immer vorwärts, nie zurück...”. Always forward, never back: from West Berlin to London, Paris, New York and Tokyo... from here, there and everywhere to eternity, the Autobahn goes on forever, with Malaria! at the wheel, spinning new moves from timelines crossed in records and songs right on the money evoking Zarah Leander, fighting the power, staring down Death, and a whole lot more. In all, one merry hell of a ride, and on the evidence of Compiled 2.0, it’s not over yet.

MARK REEDER 2019
"Even today, their originality in everything from sound to style, has proven just how relevant Malaria! are. In my opinion, their music has stood the test of time. To me, Emotion sounds as good today as it did when it was first released and it was a pleasure to revisit it. They might not have had any zillion selling albums, and their image might have been copied, while their sound could never be. They remain exclusively unique and their influence and legacy will reach far into the future. This band is both an inspiration and a statement and they prove what five very creative girls can achieve, if given the right support to allow them to evolve, and it is exactly that, which has made Malaria! Germany’s most successful and renowned, all-girl band...“

DIEDRICH DIEDERICHSEN 1991
"...Malaria! put across so many clear, manifest, attractive, certain, muscular, and harsh symbols, just as they refused - defying the customs intrinsic to these symbols and the worlds in which they circulate - to weave all these things into a readable, reproducible and manageable, generic text..."

Leipzig’s Dj Balduin has been a staff favourite for some time as we are avid fans of his GLYK imprint, and in particular his debut EP “Vvigmara”. Dj Balduin proclaims to enjoy producing music that creates “states of hypnosis with an occasional, gentle “hands-up-face-slap” every now and then” which perfectly sums up “Lost Cat” - his first release for KOMPAKT.

“E.W.B.A” came to Dj Balduin while having a shower, so chances are high we have this summer’s rain dance anthem on our hands as it has all the right elements - a classic rave synth meets an infectious open snare to break through the beat.

The kick drum thud of “Sheee” seems to be all too menacing at first, but surprisingly learns how to open itself into a gorgeously seductive uplifting house tune.

This story ends with the perfect set closer; “Lost Cat And An Untied Shoe” brings that beat back with soaring synths and a playful natural bass line that adds just the slightest edge of funk to carry the crowd home at the end of the night.
Leipzigs DJ Balduin und besonders seine Debüt-EP „Vvigmara“ trendet, seitdem wir sein GLYK-Label kennen, unter den Mitarbeitern von Kompakt. Laut eigenen Angaben genieße es DJ Balduin, Musik zu produzieren, die seine Zuhörer in den „Zustand der Hypnose versetzt und gleichzeitig mit gelegentlichen zarten Schlägen ins Gesicht wachhält“, was auf „Lost Cat“ – sein erstes Release auf Kompakt – auch geschieht.

„E.W.B.A“ kam DJ Balduin unter der Dusche, die Chancen stehen also hoch, dass wir hier eine Hymne für diejenigen Raves haben, die unter kräftigen Sommergewittern stattfinden werden – die richtigen Zutaten sind alle da: klassische Rave-Hooks, ansteckende Snaredrums, die hervorbrechen aus dem Bass.

Der Schlag der Bassdrum von „Sheee“ scheint zunächst bedrohlich, lernt aber überraschender Weise sich selbst zu wandeln hin zu einem prachtvoll verführerischen House-Stück. Die Geschichte endet mit dem aller besten letzten Stück: „Lost Cat And An Untied Show“ bringt den Beat zurück zusammen mit aufsteigenden Synths und einer verspielten, natürlichen Bassline, die einen Funken Funk hinzufügt, um die Dancer nach Hause zu begleiten in der Nacht.

After a break of some 10 years producer and DJ Mat Carter felt the time was right to wake his imprint from hyper sleep.

It was started as and will continue to be an outlet for both Mat’s own material and that of other like-minded beings and as the name Varial suggests the label is not limited, instead it reflects Mat’s tastes and touches on many styles.

Varial launches with the remaster and re-release of the much sought after cult classic, Zark Time E.P. Written and produced by Mat himself, this E.P. pulls on influences of fractured imagery, fuzzyelectronics and dense soundscapes to form five tracks of warm, funk-fuelled jams that 17 years on still refuses to neatly conform with any one genre. As Mat himself says, “I can’t help my influences.”

During his time away from the music scene Mat’s focus was on raising a family and honing a physical craft but the pull of music never went away.

" I used to live in rue de Clignancourt, and remember as a kid going to the 14th of July West Indian ball organized by my father rue André Del Sartre in Montmartre every year. There I would meet, among others, saxophonist Robert Mavounzy. Sticking to the area, my older brother had a band and often played at the famous venue La Cigale, where even Henri Salvador joined him for a jam from time to time."Since childhood Serge Fabriano bathed in music, to-ing and fro-ing between his native Guadeloupe and Paris where he grew up. He attended the music conservatory, learnt how to play bass, met and played with many musicians and was ultimately angling for a career as a music teacher. But Serge had wanderlust; he lived to meet new people and was passionate about travel.Thus, it was in a squat located rue de Flandres in the 19th district of Paris that Serge Fabriano met by chance zarb player Djamchid Chemirami, one of Iran's greatest percussionists, who invited him to the Arts Festival of Shiraz-Persepolis. After a month-long motorcycle journey, he and his guitar teacher, Roger Bénichou, arrived in Tehran. Sadly their guitars didn't survive the journey. It was there that he met, among others, Woody Shaw, Max Roach and his wife Abbey Lincoln. Serge also formed a friendship with saxophonist Gary Bartz and stayed on a month playing with the cream of the musicians who'd attended to the Festival.During the mid-70's, he alternated between teaching classes and live gigs, and performed in Germany with a funk band comprised of ex-GIs from the US Army. He also met the members of Chick Corea's group, Return to Forever, and especially Stanley Clarke who became a great source of inspiration to him.From 1978 onwards, Serge Fabriano put aside teaching and devoted more time to music. He became a musician's musician, doing studio recordings with rock bands. He also played with members of the Caribbean diaspora, which included the great drummer Marcel Lollia (known as Velo), Patrick Jean-Marie, Guy Conquette, Winston Berkley, Mino CineluDuring the "Ayatollah Comédie" musical comedy tour organized by the Journal Liberation, Serge met actor Pierre Clémenti (Il Gattopardo, Belle De Jour, The Conformist). This was a game-changer : "I was trying to record my first record. Clémenti suggested the Studio Beaubourg in Paris. "The group Fabriano Fuzion - Fabriano Unit Zion - was born.The band brought together some of the Caribbean's most inspired musicians: Martinican-born Mario Canonge on the piano (his first appearance on an album), Alain-Jean Marie on the synthesizer, Edouard and Pierre Labor on saxophones, Claude Vamur (Kassav ') on the drums, singer/percussionists Marie-Reine Lamoureux and Marie-Céline Lafontaine, percussionists Roger Raspail, Sully Cally and Hector Ficadière (Tumblack, Vent Levé) on Ka percussions.It is precisely the Gwo Ka - this ancestral 'root' music deeply embedded in the heart of the Guadeloupe musician - which constitutes the rhythmic backbone of this first opus. The Gwo Ka, the jazz, the poetry and the spiritual vibe are gathered here to form a splendid album; one of the true masterpieces to emerge from the French West Indies.Rarely will a band have borne its name so well than Fabriano Fuzion - its music is a multiple and collective work in which each element brings its identity and its richness, conferring to this major work a truly fusional dimension.

Mana Can Be Understood As A Powerful, Often Magical, Force Contained Within Objects. As These Objects Get Passed From One To Another, In A Cycle Of Gifting, They Retain The Spirit Of The Giver And Propel Themselves Onto The Next Recipient, Weaving A Network Of Social Bonds. In This Light, Mana Describes The Coming Together Of This Mixtape. The Exchanging Of Avant-garde, Traditional And Electronic Music--old And New--between Andrea Zarza, Curator At The British Library Sound Archive, And Matthew Kent, Founder Of Blowing Up The Workshop, Is What Makes Up The Language And Landscape Of Mana The Record Label, And Its Subsequent Arrival On A Cassette Tape For Queeste, Before Being Sent Onwards, As Our Gift To Listeners. Limited Edition Cassette Tape. Jelly Yellow Colorway. Comes In Resealable Bag With A5 Postcard Designed By Fallon Does And Mana X Queeste Sticker.

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FALK Records will be releasing 'Spaces' from Icelandic experimental producer AAIIEENN this August.

AAIIEENN is the solo project of electronic musician Hallmar Gauti Halldórsson. Halldórsson first came to
music though being a mover and shaker in Iceland's punk and hardcore scene where he was the 'harsh
noise guy' with local band Distill the World. With AAIIEENN however, Halldórsson moved away from the
guitars and screaming to a fully electronic world of experimental synth music and gorging on the
mathematical possibilities and expanses of arpeggio/sequencer driven ambient music.

'Calab-Yau' and 'Continuous Property 1' drip shards of pure crystalline sound into deep crevasses as
harmonic droplets ping of gleaming surfaces coated with spongiform bass. The light and effervescent
'Euclidean' evokes classic Ambient Works Aphex Twin, while 'Manifold' is more direct with a muscular and
sturdy bassline. Spaces closes with the fluttering and lush ambient sounds of 'Zariksi' that are carried into
the skies by a pulsing and gliding techno beat.

Auf ihrem zweiten gemeinsamen Album "Imagori II" zeigen Hans-Joachim Roedelius (Harmonia, Cluster) und Christoph H. Müller (Gotan Project) neue Facetten ihrer Zusammenarbeit. Die zwölf Stücke pendeln zwischen Zartheit und scharfen Kanten, zwischen Science Fiction und Garten Eden, lassen organische Klangkörper aufkommen, die sich wieder fragmentieren, erschaffen Stimmungen zwischen Melancholie und Euphorie, stets begleitet von jenem filmischen Pathos Roedelius', der ohne große Gesten auskommt und vielmehr die Grenzen des Minimalismus auslotet. Auffällig oft kommt dabei auch Sprache zum Einsatz, so zum Beispiel in der ersten Single "Fractured Being", der Miss Kenichi alias Katrin Hahner ihre Stimme leiht.

Inner is the 5th full-length from Bordeaux composer Franck Zaragoza's Ocoeur. Inner evolves from 2016's Reversed by arching away from the piano-centric works and focusing a bit more on ambient synth motifs. The piano (Mother, Unseen), strings (Inner, Shelter), and sound design (Passage, Echo) are still ever present, but Zaragoza elongates his sounds out by allowing the synths to swoon, drift, and decay. Each note having its proper and due time to ascend. While there is a transition in the overall feel of Inner from Zaragoza's previous output, it feels like the natural progression in the Ocoeur catalog.

An absolute neck twister that majestically blends Acid House, UK Bleeps & West Coast Style Hip-Hop with refined, delicate & grimey production techniques.

It's a smile & groove attracting cross-over fit for House/Techno as well as R'n'B/Hip-Hop floors. B-side takes the tempo up, electro-fying & advancing beat programming, while portioning dark, well harmonizing & climaxing sections of melodies. Simply an ace & elegant Sex Tags Mania power move.

Glasgow's Wheelman provides the tenth iteration of DBA's Dubs series, following a series of high profile releases on Huntleys & Palmers, Studio Barnhus, and his own Stereotone label. Signal is Wheelman's most ambitious effort to date, its searing amen stabs and deep sub bass guaranteed to wreck any club, while floating pads and crystalline strings add a bittersweet moment of rave nostalgia to the breakdown.

On the flip, in line with the DBA Dubs concept of pairing a house track from an up and coming UK producer with a remix by an established techno name from across the pond, Detroit In Effect provide a cold, bleep-drenched take which raises the tempo of Wheelman's original to an almost breakneck speed. D.I.E, also known as Cybonix, were prolific throughout the late 90s and early 00s on their own M.A.P. label and more recently on Rotterdam's Clone.

To coincide with the release of the tenth edition in the DBA Dubs series the label are also making all ten original tracks available as a digital package, while all ten of the remixes from the series get their own bundle, with Wheelman and Basic Soul Unit providing a megamix of each edition respectively.

From 'Breaking Bad' to Danish films and albums
Asger Baden is a productive composer and has created music for countless films, television productions and series. He has worked with directors such as Christoffer Boe, Nicolaj Arcel and Martin De Thurah, and his music is featured well known productions like 'Breaking Bad', 'The Wolfpack' and 'VICE' on HBO.
'Zarniqa' is recorded with a 40 piece major symphony orchestra in Prague. On the album, Asger Baden chases music's untouched essence.
Asger Baden is a composer and producer based in Copenhagen Denmark. 'Zarniqa' the 1st album in his own name - 16 cinematic, timeless compositions with a dramatic and dense expression ranging from melancholy to an etheric ease.
The main part of the album is recorded with a 40-piece symphony orchestra in the majestic Rudolfinum Dvoák Concert Hall in Prague. In stark contrast to the orchestra are the piano pieces - recorded solo by Asger Baden in Copenhagen. The contrast between the grand symphonic sound and the intimate piano pieces defines the album

Lloyd Miller, Jahrgang 1938, ist ein US-amerikanischer Musikethnologe, Arrangeur, Komponist und Multiinstrumentalist. Millers Karriere begann in den 1950ern mit Dixieland. Aufenthalte im Nahen und Mittleren Osten weckten sein Interesse an orientalischer und speziell persischer Musik. Das machte aus Miller einen Pionier des Oriental-Jazz. Während der Siebziger hatte er als Kurosh Ali Khan sogar eine eigene Fernsehshow im Iran. Die Sendung lief sieben Jahre und brachte dem Musiker eine große Popularität ein Neben diversen erkussionsinstrumenten spielt Miller Bass, Flöten, Kamantsche, Klarinette, Oud, Piano, Santur, Sehtar, Tabla und Zarb. 2010 veröffentlichte Miller mit der britischen, vom Afrofuturismus angehauchten Spiritual-Jazz-Band The Heliocentrics ein gemeinsames Album, das Strut nun in einer limitierten Auflage von 1000 Exemplaren als Doppel-LP neu auflegt. Hier beweist das Londoner Musikerkollektiv, das im Jahr zuvor (2009) mit Mulatu Astatke, dem großen Ethio-Jazz-Veteran aus Äthiopien, ein viel beachtetes Werk in Umlauf gebracht hatte, einmal mehr seine musikalische und instrumentale Vielseitigkeit

Sumerian Fleet is a trio formed by Dutch producers Alden Tyrell and Mr Pauli, joined by Zarkoff after their 2010 debut EP. Their second EP came out in 2012 followed by their debut album 'Just Pressure' on Dark Entries in 2014. Sumerian Fleet have returned to release their sophomore LP 'Pendulum' of all new material as well as a remixed version of 'This Game Has No Name' from Zarkoff's other band, FFFC.

'Pendulum' contains 80's Dark Wave/EBM inspired tracks with an industrial tinge. The band cites inspiration from musical acts Fad Gadget, Front 242, Bauhaus and Sisters of Mercy. Literary references come from Poe's 'The Pit and the Pendulum', Pelevin's 'Generation P' and 'Life of Bugs', as well as classic Cyberpunk like Gibson's 'Sprawl' trilogy. Sumerian Fleet deliver 8 songs of vintage dark electro with a Gothic tinge and a touch of bass guitar. The album's been put together in a way that the listener can connect the dots, create a narrative, and become immersed in this attitude that the band's trying to convey, such as Vigny's idea of accepting despair: "A calm despair, without angry convulsions or reproaches directed at heaven, is the essence of wisdom."

All songs were initially recorded at Mr Pauli's studio in Den Haag, with overdubs and additional recordings at Zarkoff's Sensorium Studio in Croatia, and then final mix downs at Alden Tyrell's studio in Rotterdam. The album has been mixed by Alden Tyrell and mastered by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. Each LP is packaged in a copper foil stamped jacket designed by Eloise Leigh, with abstract squares in varied rhythmic repetitions to indicate motion, and included a double sided 10'x10' insert with lyrics and notes.

Bei allen, die den Tiefgang bei Eminems Können oder seine Fähigkeit, drastische, aber faszinierend offene Ehrlichkeit zu liefern, angezweifelt haben, bei denen werden diese Zweifel schon bei dem ersten Track von The Eminem Show in alle Winde zerstreut. "White America" lebt von seinem flotten Flow und einem krachenden Rhythmus-Track (für die Produktion der Platte war schließlich der langjährige Mentor und Partner Dr. Dre verantwortlich), und wir erleben, wie Eminem wild auf all die Hände einschlägt, die ihn doch eigentlich ernähren, wie er auf seine Kritiker einprügelt, ebenso auf die Industrie und auf den Rassismus, der in mancherlei Hinsicht Marshall Mathers mehr auf die Beine geholfen hat als sonst irgendeinem Rapper. Nach dem spektakulären Auftritt bei The Marshall Mathers LP und Eminems gezieltem Einsatz von sexuellen Ausdrücken klingt diese Art von Material noch mehr nach Kontroversen, denn es erscheint tatsächlich als die Wahrheit. Angefangen von einer brutalen Antwort an seine ihm längst fremd gewordene und verwirrte Mutter ("Cleaning Out My Closets") bis hin zu einer überraschend zarten Ode an sein Kind ("Hailie's Song") nimmt Eminem alles kritisch unter die Lupe: sein Leben, seine Liebschaften, seine Festnahmen, seine Sucht, sein Versagen und seine Erfolge, und das mit einer verblüffenden, selbstkritischen Einsicht.

On Arise , Zara McFarlane returns to a buoyant UK jazz scene with a head-turning third album. Exploring the musical possibilities of British-Jamaican identity, it's a cultural exchange that's born of London's current musical climate. Released on Gilles Peterson's Brownswood Recordings, it sees her working with much-feted drummer and producer Moses Boyd. Both rose through London's Tomorrow's Warriors programme, a finishing school for many young vanguards of the live, ascendant jazz scene springing up across the UK capital. Sharing Caribbean family heritages, it's a product of their joint exploration of the meeting points between jazz and the rhythms of Jamaica, reggae, Kumina, calypso and nyabinghi, shaded with hints of the psychedelic.

Zara's breakthrough 2012 track, a jazz cover of Junior Murvin's 'Police and Thieves', provided a jumping off point to further explore the blurred, colourful territory in between jazz and roots-reggae. Covering Nora Dean's 'Peace Begins Within', she breathes a syncopated groove into a soulful, reggae classic. A beautifully poised version of the Congos' Fisherman teases out the poignant lyrical content of the 1977 classic. Meanwhile new, original compositions from Zara, like 'Fussin' and Fightin'' and 'Freedom Chain', combine a deep, reverberating bass with a steady-stepping roots rhythm. Album opener 'Ode To Kumina' touches on the kumina tradition brought to Jamaica by indentured labourers from The Congo in the later part of the 19th Century. Part of Zara's deeper research into her Caribbean heritage, it alludes to a deep-rooted culture encompassing music, dance and religion.

Similarly, 'Silhouette' arose from that same research, in this case, however, it was about how records and documents often get lost in Jamaica. It kind of came out of the idea of black history and blackness and feeling like you're trying to find yourself,' she explains. Trying to be proud of your history and who you are. And never forgetting the things that brought you to where you are.' Alongside drummer Moses Boyd on production, the album features a stellar line up of some of the key players on the London scene Binker Golding on tenor sax, Peter Edwards on piano, Shirley Tetteh on guitar, Nathaniel Cross on Trombone and an unusually restrained turn on Clarinet from Shabaka Hutchings.
Shared between all of them is a tendency to find the common points between different musical ilks: from US hard bop jazz, to dub and London-rooted hybrids and permutations, the band on Arise reflect the musical diversity of their home. Boosted by new platforms, like East London showcase Church of Sound and a newly-refreshed Jazz Café, the record surfs the momentum currently propelling jazz-influenced music in the UK.

For Zara, Jamaica's musical legacy is deeply intertwined with her sense of the place itself. Spending whole summers in the hills of Jamaica, it's the sounds and smells which she most vividly associates with her stays there. In particular the local sound systems which were an everyday feature of the local area, be it in shops or bars, each of the small local shacks would have a sound system where they'd play music through the day and evening.

From where my nan used to live, in Cauldwell there's a sound system almost opposite her house,' she says. So you feel this boom of the bass, and then all the smells of the hills and the greenery of Hanover. When you land in Jamaica and you go to walk off of the plane, the heat and the smells hit you and it feels like home away from home for me. When I hear Jamaican music, these are the senses that come.'

3xLP+CD Artbook
(en) - Nearly two decades after the last official GAS album release, Wolfgang Voigt returns to his iconic Ambient project with a brandnew full-length.
- NARKOPOP continues the classic GAS aesthetic of symphonic scope and subtle variation, taking the listener on an otherworldly journey to the depths of rapture and reverie.
- Available as luxurious hardcover CD incl. 24 pages booklet.

In the body of work of Cologne artist Wolfgang Voigt - who, like few others, has informed, shaped and influenced the world of electronic music with countless different projects since the early 1990s -, GAS stands out in particular as a saturnine sound cosmos based on heavily condensed classic sequences. Even after nearly 20 years, the sound of GAS doesn't seem to have lost any of its luster, as shown by the commanding success of Kompakt's fall 2016 re-release of the essential back catalogue as a 10xLP/4xCD box set.

The overwhelming feedback from a loyal international fan community and worldwide media outlets attests once again to the sheer timelessness of GAS. Which is why it will feel like hardly a day has passed since the release of the last official album 'Pop' nearly two decades ago, when Wolfgang Voigt resumes this specific creative path with the upcoming new full-length NARKOPOP.

Even in the here and now, the unmistakable vibe of GAS immediately hits home, taking the listener on an otherworldly journey with the very first sounds, drawing him or her into an impervious sonic thicket, down to the depths of rapture and reverie. From wafts of dense symphonic mist emerges a floating and whirling feeling of weightlessness, before the listener steps into an eerily beautiful forest of fantasy, pulled in by the allure of a narcotic bass drum.

While earlier GAS tracks were often based on the hypnotic effects of looping techniques, the 10 new pieces on NARKOPOP unfold their magic in a more entwined manner, sometimes with the sonic might of an entire philharmonic orchestra, sometimes as subtle and fragile as the most delicate branch of a tree with many. A main characteristic of Voigt's oeuvre, the coalescence of seemingly contradictory stylistic aspects such as harmonious and atonal, concrete and abstract, light and heavy, near and far is also a decisive feature of NARKOPOP.

In accordance with the transgressive spirit of his collective work, Voigt carries the aesthetic conceptions of his music over to the realm of the visual. Based on his abstract forest pictures, the GAS artwork addresses Voigt's artistic affinity to romanticism and the forest as a place of yearning. For the first time, a closer look at the cover of NARKOPOP reveals signs of architectural fragments which hint at another, maybe parallel world behind Voigt's forest. Truth is the prettiest illusion.
(de) - Fast zwei Jahrzehnte nach dem letzten offiziellen GAS-Albumrelease kehrt Wolfgang Voigt mit einem brandneuen Langspieler zu seinem legendären Ambientprojekt zurück.
- NARKOPOP setzt die klassische GAS-Ästhetik zwischen symphonischer Grösse und subtiler Variation fort, eine Reise zu den Untiefen von Rausch und Entrücktheit.
- Erhältlich als luxuriöse Hardcover CD- Erhältlich als luxuriöse Hardcover CD inkl. 24-seitigem Booklet.


Aus dem Gesamtwerk des Kölner Künstlers Wolfgang Voigt, der mit seinen unzähligen unterschiedlichen musikalischen Projekten seit den frühen 1990er Jahren wie kaum ein Zweiter die elektronische Musikwelt geprägt, gestaltet und beinflusst hat, ragt sein Projekt GAS, ein auf stark verdichteten Klassiksequenzen basierendes, düsteres Klangkunstwerk, in ganz besonderem Maße heraus. Dass der Sound von GAS auch nach fast 20 Jahren scheinbar nichts von seinem Zauber und seiner Kraft verloren hat, zeigte eindrucksvoll der große Erfolg des im Herbst 2016 als 10xVinyl/4xCD Box auf Kompakt wieder veröffentlichten Backkatalogs.
Die überwältigende Resonanz, sowohl seitens der treuen internationalen Fangemeinde als auch der weltweiten Presse, bezeugte einmal mehr die schiere Zeitlosigkeit von GAS. Daher fühlt es sich auch an, als sei kaum ein Tag vergangen, wenn Wolfgang Voigt nun mit NARKOPOP genau da den künstlerischen Faden wieder aufnimmt, wo das letzte offizielle Album »Pop« ihn vor fast zwei Jahrzehnten hat fallen lassen.


Auch hier und heute verfängt der unverwechselbare Geist von GAS unmittelbar und nimmt den Hörer bereits mit den ersten Tönen mit in eine andere Welt, zieht ihn hinein in ein undurchdringliches Dickicht aus Klang, hinunter in die Untiefen von Rausch und Entrücktheit.
Aus dichten sinfonischen Nebelschwaden entsteht ein Schweben und Taumeln, ein Gefühl der Schwerelosigkeit, bevor der Zuhörer von der Anziehungskraft einer narkotischen Bassdrum wieder hinunter in den schaurig-schönen Fantasie-Wald gelockt wird.

Während frühere GAS Tracks oft auf der hypnotischen Wirkung des Loops basierten, entfalten die 10 neuen Stücke auf NARKOPOP ihre Magie auf verschlungeneren Pfaden, mal mit der klanglichen Wucht eines ganzen Philharmonieorchesters, dann wieder so zart und zerbrechlich wie der feinste Ast eines weit verzweigten Baumes. Das für Voigts Arbeiten so typische Ineinanderfließen scheinbar widersprüchlicher stilistischer Aspekte wie harmonisch und atonal, konkret und abstrakt, leicht und schwer, nah und fern ist auch auf NARKOPOP essenziell.

Im Sinne seines grenzüberschreitenden Schaffens, überträgt Voigt die ästhetischen Konzeptionen seiner Musik auch auf die Ebene des Visuellen. Das auf seinen abstrakten Waldbildern basierende GAS Artwork thematisiert Voigts künstlerischen Nähe zur Romantik und dem Wald als Sehnsuchtsort. Wer einen genaueren Blick auf das Cover von NARKOPOP wirft, der wird erstmalig Andeutungen architektonischer Fragmente entdecken, die eine andere, vielleicht parallele Welt hinter dem voigt'schen Wald erahnen lassen. Wahrheit ist der schönste Schein.

After having debuted on the KX label compilation (KX 10) last year with the excellent "Subwolfer", upcoming producer KRISZTIAN DOBROCSI continues to craft weighty and soulful dance tunes for his debut album PLAYBACK PHILOSOPHY. The second full-length release coming from KX presents nine sweeping cuts brimming with glistening melodies, succulent synths and earthy, propulsive beats. From the emotive loops of opener AMNETIC CINEMA to the dreamy epic PLANET NINE, the snappy KALEIDOSCOPE or the immersive soundscapes of LIGHT OF ZARTHA, this is a surprisingly mature debut, confidently balancing between deep textures and catchy hooks - making this a aunting and infectious listening experience for all fans of electronic dance music with heart.

Ellis Island war in der ersten Hälfte des 20. Jahrhunderts das Tor zu Amerika. Mehr als zwölf Millionen Menschen kamen hier vor den Toren New Yorks an und hofften, die USA bald Heimat nennen zu dürfen. Der französische Künstler, Regisseur und Fotograf JR, dessen Identität bis heute unbekannt ist, greift mit seinem 15-minütigen Kurzfilm "Ellis" und der Geschichte eines Migranten diesen Faden auf.

Mit Robert de Niro in der Hauptrolle, führt "Ellis" durch die bröckelnden Hallen des verlassenen Krankenhaus-Komplexes von Ellis Island, der heute JRs Kunstinstallation "Unframed" beherbergt.

Es ist ein Ort, der die Hoffnungen und Ängste jener, die ihn durchschritten, zurückstrahlt - und deren Echos heute lauter denn je zurückhallen. Verschlungen mit dieser Erzählung ist eine Filmmusik, die von dem französischen Songwriter Yoann Lemoine aka Woodkid komponiert und von Nils Frahm aufgeführt und mitverfasst wurde.

Die zarten Klavier-Motive von "Winter Morning I" vollenden sich in einem Crescendo von Streichern, während das schwellende Harmonium von "Winter Morning II" das Fundament für de Niros Geschichte bildet: eine Lobrede auf jene, die das moderne Amerika schufen.

The fifth installment of the munich based label Musica Autonomica, the Adversario EP, is a compilation showcasing various tracks by young and talented producers from Italy, France and Germany.

(en) French duo THE SILENT ONES aka Aalik and Fred Traverso have specialized in their own brand of indie-infused electronic pop, putting a modern spin on vintage cold wave and minimal synth influences. MAGICAL PARTY is a prime example for their distinct melange of swirling melodies and catchy songwriting, an iridescent piece of dreamy musical drama with lots of charm. Known as incurable romanticist, fellow countryman JONAS BERING was the obvious choice for a remix, finally returning to Kompakt after his 2008 release CAN'T STOP LOVING YOU (KOMPAKT 172) - his immersive rework successfully trims the vocals and transplants the original's delicacy into a deep, but buoyant mover geared up for the distinguished floor. Pushing for a trance-inducing throb, the BEN WATTS mix is a fitting companion cut, promoting a slightly bouncier approach and seasoning its propulsive beats with tension-building synths for that special whiff of epic broadness.
(de) Das französische Duo THE SILENT ONES alias Aalik und Fred Traverso hat sich auf eine eigene Variante von Indie-geprägtem, elektronischem Pop spezialisiert, eine zeitgemäße Übersetzung von klassischen Cold-Wave- und Minimal-Synth-Einflüssen. MAGICAL PARTY ist ein herausragendes Beispiel für ihre individuelle Melange aus wirbelnden Melodien und mitreissendem Songwriting, ein irisierendes Stück verträumtes musikalisches Drama mit viel Charme. Bekannt als unverbesserlicher Romantiker, ist ihr Landsmann JONAS BERING eine offensichtliche Wahl für einen Remix - eine langerwartete Rückkehr zu Kompakt nach seinem 2008er Release CAN'T STOP LOVING YOU (KOMPAKT 172). Seine einnehmende Neubearbeitung stutzt die Vocals zurecht und verpflanzt die Zartheit des Originals erfolgreich in einen deepen, aber lebhaften Schieber, bestens gerüstet für anspruchsvolle Tanzflure. Dank eines grossen Interesses an Trance-induzierendem Pulsschlag entpuppt sich der BEN WATTS Mix als ein äusserst passender Begleiter der eine eher federnde Gangart einschlägt und seine treibenden Beats mit spannungsgeladenen Synthies abschmeckt - für das gewisse Extra an epischer Breite.

My Panda Shall Fly AKA musician and visual artist Suren Seneviratne, is set to release 'Tropical' It's a brand new 6 track vinyl release.

A kaleidoscope of rainbow textures and rhythms disperse into the exotic soundscape of 'Tropical'. Electronics, real folk instruments and noise-making objects feature here generously on this six-track concept album, blending together a sonic palette influenced by a rich variety of music, people and places.

The material was initially written over the course of a few months during what Seneviratne called "a beautiful burst of inspiration". Working with veteran producer Asier Leatxe Ibanez d'Opakoa (Electric Lady Studios, NYC), Seneviratne then set about disassembling all the songs and re-working them meticulously, enriching the sounds by adding a huge range of live instrumentation, before processing the audio through vintage analogue studio gear.

Suren Seneviratne, born in Sri Lanka before settling in London in 1996, first caught the attention of the music world with a remix that featured on Pitchfork back in 2010. Since then he has released a plethora of diverse records, gaining support from the likes of Clash Magazine, The Fader, Mixmag and Dazed Digital, as well as regularly touring internationally. He has also remixed the likes of The Weeknd, Stay Positive & Little Boots as well as appearing at festivals like BBC Hackney Weekender, Outlook Croatia & Glade as well as performing at prestigious venues such as The Design Museum, Tate Modern & Barbican.

With the release of 'Tropical', My Panda Shall Fly has yet again set himself apart as one of the most unique contemporary electronic musicians around today.

Berlins bekanntester Geheimtipp DAVE DK kann keiner Melodie widerstehen und kennt sich sowieso ziemlich gut aus mit den Wallungen der Klubmeute: als langjähriger Verbündeter von Sasses Label Moodmusic zeichnet er verantwortlich für eine beeindruckende Reihe von gefeierten Tanzmusik-Releases, die von zart bis robust reichen. Nun präsentiert der erfahrene Producer die PALMAILLE EP auf KOMPAKT, ein gar köstliches Amalgam aus einander umarmenden Synths und herzerwärmenden Beats. Mit Titeltrack PALMAILLE beginnend, verliert DAVE DK keine Zeit und springt direkt hinein ins Geschehen; in diesem Falle ein einladend groovendes Exponat voll epischer Streicher und Tupfer von süßer Melancholie. Ein perfekter Cut für Momente aller Intensitätsgrade, dreht sich hier alles um ein herrlich simples Motiv, das den taumelnden Samples früher KOMPAKT-Technoballaden ebenso viel verdankt wie etwa den jüngsten Formulierungen von Deep House. PALMAILLE findet einen mehr als würdigen Begleiter in NAKAI POP AMBIENT VERSION, einer fein abgestimmten Portion beatbefreiter Seligkeit, die unzählige Tore offen hält für fröhliches Eintauchen. Langsam an einer ganzheitlichen Bassline entlang gleitend, malen Strahlen von funkelndem Sound ein zerbrechliches und doch beeindruckendes Gemälde, den Sternschnuppen am Nachthimmel nicht unähnlich. Dies dient ganz nebenbei auch als wunderschöne Überleitung zu HOME AGAIN, dem dritten und abschließenden Track der PALMAILLE EP.

Für HOME AGAIN versicherte DAVE DK sich der gesanglichen Hilfe von HEIKO VOSS, Mitbegründer von Kölns legendärem Label Firm Records und eine Hälfte der KOMPAKT-Veteranen Schaeben & Voss. Das Ergebnis ist ein zeitloses House-Juwel, das sich durch warme Flächen und elegante Percussion auszeichnet. Einmal mehr wird hier der Beweis erbracht, daß elektronische Musik eine Frage sowohl der Präzision als auch der Emotion ist - für jedes Klub-Release ein anspruchsvoller Balanceakt. Was auch der Grund für unsere Begeisterung über eine äußerst gelungene Platte ist.