We might like some old Kevin Saunderson, but no, we don't have a mix from that Inner City... ThisInnercity (no space) is someone making some very weird and wonderful synth music on some excellent labels such as Aguirre, NNA Tapes, Not Not Fun and a range of other labels. While much of his output has been on cassette or CDR (much of which has been available through bandcamp), he has also released a number of records, and it was his "Future Life" LP on Aguirre that first grabbed my attention. There is something incredibly demented and warped about that record, especially the B side. It sounds like a very hazy, foggy dream after having a few too many painkillers. More recently Innercity put out a 7" on NNA, and again the B side was the winner. "The Pyramids Of Northeast Belgium", which is reminiscent of a very demented Legowelt track. His music has a certain weirdness to it that instantly attracts me, I like how he is creating his own little world. He is continuing along this path, as you can see in this a video for his upcoming "Clone Dinner" cassette on Ikuisuus.
Innercity has kindly put together a live recording for his ssg special, which shows off his otherworldly synth sounds. Compared to some of his releases, I find this recording more meditative, I have been enjoying listening to it at the end of a long day at work when my head is feeling rather sore and tired. I think where there is a strong similarity is that it is music you get lost in, you feel like you are entering into Innercity's world (or brain perhaps). Enjoy.
For more info on Innercity, check his blog. You can hear and purchase more of his music on his bandcamp. And right now he has a free album for download, "Cyber the last grind", which is a good entry point into discovering more of Innercity's world. He also has a LP coming out in a few months on Further records, and is part of a double split on Aguirre. So plenty more goodness (or weirdness) on the way. Big thanks to Innercity for this recording.
Monolake is one of the golden cows of techno, he is someone you are not really supposed to criticise. He has a legion of fanboys that jump to his defence anytime anyone breaks ranks. And the devotion of many people to Monolake is understandable. He has made some amazing music. And for plenty of us he has been one of those figures that played a pivotal role in shaping our understanding of techno. Saying that, when the history of techno is being written, it is not going to be his work as a producer or as a performer that will be most important. The most significant legacy Robert Henke is undoubtedly his role in the creation and advancement of Ableton, a software that truly revolutionised electronic music, for better and worse. And in some ways I kind of feel like the price paid for the development of Ableton has been a lack of development in Henke's musical alter-ego. While he has continued to refine the Monolake sound, the template for his new album is not that far removed what you can find on "Cinemascope". That album was released in 2001, and I don't think it is a coincidence it was also the same year that Ableton Live first came out... It was also the last album of his I really loved, even though I did like "Silence" more than most of his other work in the '00s. It was a bit of a return to form, though short lived it seems, at least based on "Ghosts".
So what about "Ghosts"? Of course there are the golden cow-style reviews, but I really do struggle to work out what such writers can find to love in this rather sterile album. I find the title all too appropriate - it feels like the ghost of Monolake - you can see the shape, you recognise who it is, but there is no life. It just exists in an awkward netherworld somewhere between good and bad. But for me the defining characteristic of the album is ultimately how deeply boring it is. Considering Henke's incredible talents and depth of knowledge I find it strange he could create something so uninteresting. I cannot quite put my finger on it, but it really feels devoid of life, feeling, passion. In some ways I kind of feel like Henke has taken the Kraftwerkian man-machine to its extreme, removing too much of the man from the music. One of the great charms of Kraftwerk has always been precisely how human their music is! But listening to Monolake's album it feels so removed, cold and distant. It does not excite me, it does not interest me, it does not annoy me, it does not even disappoint me. I guess this is what surprises me - how completely it fails to elicit an emotional response.
To these complaints about "Ghosts" I can imagine some of the replies. First is the common refrain about the amazing production quality of Monolake. And "Ghosts" is definitely very well produced. But even if the production is of a much higher grade (and certainly it is), so what if the music itself is not that interesting? I have listened to this on proper earphones and on proper speakers. It still left me cold. It kind of reminds me of those old Dutch paintings of bowls of fruit. Great, it is incredibly accurate painting of a bowl of fruit. In the end it is a still a bowl of fruit, which is something that bores the shit out of me. On a general note, the more time I spend listening to music on really high end systems, the more sceptical I am about many people passing judgement on production quality. Lots of people are listening to this music in 320kbps mp3 (or lower quality) generally on shitty earbuds or mediocre speakers. And for many of us, the standard would probably be the HD25s or something similar. These earphones are good enough, but I am increasingly doubtful about how much you can judge in terms of production on something like these. From what I have heard, it is only really listening to this stuff on high end systems that differences in production quality become clear. Listen to Mika Vainio or Alva Noto in 320 on HD25s and yes, of course it sounds good, but it is only when I heard them on a proper system that I could start to understand just how much better their sound design is compared to most other artists. So when all these people are complementing Monolake on his production quality, I have a feeling a lot of it is because of his reputation as a master sound engineer, rather than because it is so obvious that his production is of a much higher quality than most. I simply doubt most of us are in a position to be able to judge this.
The second objection that may be raised is that much of Monolake's oeuvre has had a cold, icey feel to it, so it should not be a surprise if that is the response that the new album elicits. Of course, it is a distinguishing feature of his music. But I think what distinguishes "Ghosts" from his best work is that it lacks a certain power and gravity that grabs you. Take what I would say is Monolake's last amazing track, "Alaska", or one of my other favourites, "Bicom" (from "Cinemascope"). Neither are that far removed from what he is doing on "Ghosts", except there is a certain something - a spark, some life, a groove - that captures and captivates your attention, and it is this magic 'something' that is totally lacking from "Ghosts".
In many ways "Ghosts" feels like the culmination of a process that began back with "Cinemascope" and Ableton. I really hope it is, but considering this is the second album of a trilogy, I doubt that will be the case. Robert Henke is an amazing talent, a genius who played a fundamental role in shaping electronic music today, but perhaps the price for all of his innovations has been his Monolake alter-ego. I do hope he can rediscover that human spark in his music, but based on "Ghosts" I wonder if it has been extinguished forever. ___
PC's two cents: a lifeless alcan laps ceaselessly against the edge of the monolake
Chris and I agreed to do a double blind double post on Ghosts. That is, we haven't spoken about the album at all (okay, a tiny tiny bit). Chris was worried we would say similar things. In substance, I think that's true, but in form and style... well, you'll see. I've taken the 'first thoughts, best thoughts' route here. What follows below is a stream of consciousness, written in real time, as I was listening to the album (in 320kbps, on HD25s!). It is my third listen to the album, and second careful listen. The 'rule' here was that all tracks would be played through at high volume, no fast forward, no interruption. One last thing. I notice above the cover: are these ghost gums? There is so little of the arboreal in Ghosts. I was longing for some trees. It's all liquid and metal. It's a very arid soundworld, and lifeless. Ghosts are undead, but they are absolutely the spirits of the living, among us because of anger, or pain, or unfinished business. You cannot be haunted by lifelessness, and that which is lifeless cannot be haunting. And this is such a huge contrast to the Alaska Melting EP, which, independently of Chris, I gave a recent re-rub, on the urging of Max (of London's COLONY parties) fame. Alaska is amazing, and driving, and angry, and dark.
For fuck's sake, listen carefully to this, all the way through. Don't stare at the picture of Robert H though, you're liable to enter an internet k hole...Also, technically, it is still unsurpassed, I think. What has followed from that is privative, it lacks. Monolake has become Monolack. On to the stream. NB: the 'pipe' between each series of comments denotes a silence between tracks.
~
Everything Monolake writes these days is somehow a metallic tunnel.
As a lyrical refrain, 'you do not exist' seems like a very *literal* way to think about ghosts, and it's at odds with the 'd'n'b lite' rhythmic structure. This is to d'n'b what Coke Zero is to cola drinks. In an aluminium can (once again back in a tunnel).
Actually, no: everything monolake writes is somehow in relation to an aluminium can. Monolake is the audible process of making Ableton rhyme with aluminium.
~
I've heard this ping-pong ball before. Monolake makes ping-pong balls sound… aluminium. Oh dear, 'spooky' sounds (once again, way too literal an interpretation of haunted tropes in recent music). It's as if Demdike Stare hosted a theme party, and the theme was 'haunted', and Henke… has just showed up dressed as a Halloween child's interpretation of Bela Lugosi (ie: without knowing Bela Lugosi, but having seen, I dunno, Leslie Nielson's Dracula, Dead and Loving It).
I take it this is his poltergeist track (checking song title). Toku. Crickets! Aluminium crickets!
~
A wood block tapping against the edge of an empty grain silo; very little drive, force, or evocation (where are the 'spooky' ping-pong balls?! Where's baby Bela?). Not ghost in the machine, machine without ghost. Not dead, just lifeless.
I'm realising as I listen to this that music 'must' strike out in some direction (eg toward the heart), or remain in the inertness of its own directionless inertia.
~
Whoa, aquatic! Now our aluminium can is…washing up on a beach somewhere in Italy, like would-be European North Africans (ie, in search of a better life, but soon to be crushed by the Frontex reality of contemporary Europe (=Henke is a drone or a drone pilot)… actually, I don't get that from Monolake, that's just me riffing.
….okay, now we have a long, slender metal tube, being hit with firm rubber mallets. But we're still beside the ocean, somehow… perhaps a storm water drain - yes, that's it!
A woman or mermaid is counting…. aluminium cans? Waves? Arrivals? ...whoa, key change… whoa… gosh, I really have to concentrate on concentrating on this one, there is very little to concentrate on, to give yourself to.
A large ship has sounded its horn on the horizon. Perhaps it's the Costa Concordia, warning us about its captain's navigation skills (maybe he uses Ableton… maybe he's too busy listening to Monolake?)
Summa: Spinal Tap were 'treading water in a sea of retarded sexuality and bad poetry', Monolake is an empty aluminium can lapping against the polluted northern shores of the Mediterranean. Somewhere below is the sunken hulk of ferry, filled with nuclear waste. But nobody knows. More tuna!
~
Okay, this time the metallic tunnel is much, much larger; cavernous, but still metallic. This could be a derelict Ford factory in Detroit; you can hear the ghost of Drexciya in here somewhere… but no: where's the rough concrete and grit? Where's the dirt and darkness? Everything here is parenthesised, 'dirt', 'darkness', like 'ghosts'.
Only the aluminium cans are real. 'In the night of the world, all the aluminium cans are grey.'
What is the point of this track? Does a track have to have a point? It could be a formal exercise, but por que? Movement without moving parts? Or just the aluminium simulacra of movement. If this was a bike frame, it'd be a Giant – *that* bland. This is the site of an abandoned Giant bicycle factory, now occupied by the ghosts of alloys past. Deathtopia photography series, edition Monolake.
~
Alva Noto soundalike! Bauxite: smelted, exported, processed; dead, buried, cremated. Carsten Nicolai still doesn't understand that he doesn't understand Berghain and techno, and this is an approximation of Nicolai's recent approximations (facsimile of simulacra of imitation of approximation… Xerroxed, oh indeed!)… river pebbles hitting riverstones half immersed in cold river water. …what's that floating down the river? Is it the corpse of minimal? …okay, this groove isn't too bad now… first one where I've nodded my meat-made head…. this one is long… (checking title) 'the Existence of Time' – what would ol' Heidegger say about this river? Heraclitus might say: you never see the same aluminium can float by twice…… No, Heraclitus would say: what the fuck is aluminium, get fluxed! I like the outro…
~
ping-pong balls are doing sonar pings now: ping ping balls. Synth 'voice', once again cold, in a large metal cathedral now.
Ping pa ping pi pi pipipi... zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz pa pa papapapapapappapa (whooooooooo….. aaaaaaaaahh………) another sound like bamboo being wound up, but when it's released, the sound of the emitted tension has become… metallic - ?!- Shit, everything is metallic…. whooooooooo…. aaaaaaaaaahhhh…… whoooooooo…….
(check song title: Phenomenon). Hmm… something like a phenomenon…. ah, nice synth wail: aluminium banshees! Oh, they've been forced into a long metal pipe… that'll serve dem dykes right for staring at ol' Ghos'master Henke. There is one master here, and that is the man with the control surface, alles klar? Vorsprung durch technik. Oh, bamboo windups again, releasing metallic… this track is actually pretty dire… …and is taking ages to die (can something lifeless die? Maybe this is the problem). Actually, the outro makes me laugh. Not quite a ROFL, but a CHUCKL, he he he….
~
Metal *and* glass percussion…. perhaps if you got an audi S8, deconstructed it, and used all its bits to make a track, Einstürzende Neubauten style, it might sound like this. But then, Blixa would be screaming in a way both genuinely harrowing and deeply '80s West Berlin'. Metal and glass typewriters… the sounds computers make in 'cyber'/spy movies. Now there is a ute, and there are metal pipes rolling around in the tray… a cyborg is burping into an aluminium can, and as he does, the can turns into a cavern… back to the ute… – what is the point of this conflagration of metallic/classy/cavern sounds? – now a larger pipe is rolling around in a bigger ute, and it is raining (but not that heavily).
Maus: 'and the rain came down/ down, down, down'. John, if you're reading this, this proves it: the dead zone *is* a sign of the times. Gosh, like the last one, this one takes ages to expire. Terrible composition.
~
Breakbeaty! Jump up and look out Aphrodite, the King of the BEATS gonna ROCK the PLACE'. rrrrreewind, my selecta…..' the percussion in the background reminds me of the scenes from the Blue Man in Arrested Development…. but front stage it is d'n'b time. But again, if Henke was one of the metalheadz, he'd be made of you know what… Yes, he aluminium can. Dong! Gong. Whoa, big solo from the Blue Man group.
This is a 'hen' (weird/strange) track: I think d'n'b types would hate this, and so would techno and minimal cats. but there is none of the rhythmic microexcitations you get from, say, T++. I don't know who/what this is for, or what to do with it. It isn't interesting (it's very cliche as a composition), the sounds aren't that involving, and it's not really appropriate for DJs… wow, the total pursuit of the most useful technologies ends up producing something… superbly useless. Just because you aluminum can, does that mean you aluminum should? Forbid this man computers and give him the children's Bach (worse than their byte).
~
Hissy bits…. these beats are bit heavier… Okay, now we are in the Audi factory… but there has just been an earthquake… no! We are aboard a container ship carrying Audis to market in China. We are back on the high seas. You can hear the ocean… we are close to the Great Gyre… flotsam bumping against the hull…. But wait a second: someone left a pipe organ out in the rain! That infernal engine of popery, it's playing on the poop deck. I sorta like the juxtaposition of the creaking boat, the shiny cars, the sea spray, the pitch and yaw, and JS Bach…. hmm, it's gone a bit Dracula now, and the cabin boy is tapping his mechanical pencil against a you-know-what. I like the deep hum of the diesel engine, its mammoth power. I just heard a bunch of squid below the hull. Popery again!
~
Back w/ the breakbeat stuff – really, Robert? Not quite as bad as the Francois K remix of Rhythm and Sound, but nearly... Okay, this groove has much more propulsion. Gregorians in the background, chanting (what else do Gregorians do?) 44 gallon drums full of stones, rolled toward the pulpit. Whispers down a marble - actually marble! - chapel. The drums are rolling; they are being rolled by a young apprentice who has a dubstep track stuck in this head, headphones secreted under his cassock. One of the monks keeps tapping his tuning fork on the edge of his dinner plate – a porcelain plate! Whispers of vespers, stomach grumbling - tap tap tap! He must be hungry, he keeps tapping; whoa, cacophonous! Heavy metal falling from the sky – wow, including the kitchen sink. This one is all metallic balls out, but manages to be somehow too minimal AND too busy. So many elements: monk, plate, 44 gallon drum, kitchen sink, marble &c, &c (repeat, repeat). Control is a surface. Now the monks have turned into an airport announce-stress. Flights are delayed. Fuck it.
~
Ah, this one has a nice sub-bass; somehow more 'organised' and purposive. Even kick, nice… hang on, conventional drum machine… ping-pongs all under control. This one is really moving forward. Instantly this is heaps better. It's simpler, but far more expressive… whoa, this sounds like proper techno! Oh, vocal, oh shit, I know this, this isn't Ghosts...… it's the Dettmann re-rub of Morphosis, next folder on my player. Oops! Egad: 'what have we learned?' indeed...
was on the radio again on Monday evening (neither the d&b nor the Tom Waits that bookend the set are mine, surprisingly). Unfortunately, for a bunch of complicated reasons, we can't offer this show as a downloadable mp3; it's streamable in 'high quality' from here.
Inverted commas aggressively intended: it turns out that PBS' turntables were *not* in good condition. It's hard for me to agree they're a 'progressive broadcaster' given the state they were in. Tracks played from vinyl are mostly mono - inc monolake*, hah! - I listened through though, and it's bearable, though not the seamless presentation of past/present/future that we expect in the contemporary world. Also managed to feature a couple of tracks of Ukkonen's gorgeous forthcoming album, so this is a bit of a sneaky treat.
Many thanks to James for 'avin me on (not that he's the kind of Englishman to swallow his Hs).
Oh, and here are the lyrics for David Byrne's 'In the Future', worth following as you listen. Hilarious, prescient, and a bit frightening (just like David Byrne). Or you can watch and listen, here.
Tracklist:
Closer Musik | 1, 2, 3 (No Gravity) Kraftwerk | Spacelab
Ukkonen | Seventy Three Days of Radiance | The Isolated Rhythms of Ukkonen
Pulse Emitter | Spaceship | Aeons Andreas Reihse | LA (feat PIB) | Romantic Comedy
Monolake | Alaska Thomas Brinkmann | Karin
Ukkonen | Tellervo | The Isolated Rhythms of Ukkonen FRAK | Choosing Format | Muzika Electronica
Equalized | 002 Hieroglyphic Being | Space is the Place (Intro)
Pulse Emitter | Immortality | Aeons David Byrne | In The Future | Music from the Knee Plays
* textedit keeps on trying to change monolake to moonlike; seems like even the computer is off its spaceface today. Can you hear me, Major Tom?
Just a quick note to say that the "Composure: Ambient Techno for Japan" compilation is now available to purchase through bandcamp, in both digital and physical formats. There were some unexpected delays and problems with organising distribution for this outside Japan, which meant until now a lot of people have not had a chance to get this release. Very glad this has now been resolved and everyone has access to this great compilation. I would strongly recommend purchasing it - not only is it for a very worthy cause (all profits go to the Tohoku Kids Project) - there is also some really excellent music for you to enjoy. The contributions by Donato Dozzy and Donnacha Costello alone make this worth buying, easily two of my favourite tracks from 2011.
Today is the one year anniversary of the 3/11 disasters, so it is a very appropriate time for Mindgames to release this compilation through bandcamp. It has been a difficult 12 months in Japan, but I have been consistently impressed by the way most of this country has responded. I say 'most' because unfortunately too many politicians, bureaucrats and big businesses have been more concerned with protecting their own interests than in properly responding to the situation in Tohoku. I really hope Japan does not lose this chance to learn from what happened and build back stronger.
Respect to Mindgames for putting this compilation together, and thanks to the techno community that has been so supportive over the last year.
We have had a very good week or so of music here in Tokyo... Last weekend, natural/electronic.system. made sure the first MNML SSGS club party in Tokyo was a massive success. The following night, INNEN + AUSSEN gave an impressively diverse selection and created a fantastic vibe at our Sound Garden party. It continued on Monday with NES delivering a quality 3 hour session at Dommune. Then on Thursday it was Svreca's turn... His set at Dommune was very impressive. He started with Prurient and never looked back, delivering a very diverse and exciting 90 minutes of experimental techno. Well proper. This left me with very high hopes for his club set last night, which he more than exceeded... Over 3 hours Svreca crafted one of the most impressive sets of techno I have seen in years. What struck me the most is that he has something which PC and I have been feeling is really lacking from much of the techno music we listen to today: daring. Svreca's selection and approach to DJing was seriously ballsy. His selections, his mixing, his willing to test and push the dancefloor was courageous in a way that we rarely see these days. He started with a dead dancefloor, got things moving with some quality deep house grooves, then when he felt it starting to move in the wrong direction, he spent about 15 minutes resetting the dancefloor. After that he delivered an incredibly diverse, exciting set of techno - he was never afraid to change the BPMs (which he did repeatedly), drop non 4/4 tracks, and break things up. It was, quite simply, one of the most inspiring sets I have heard in a long time. Massive respect to Svreca.
Semantica has built a very strong reputation in recent years for its high quality output of techno, electro, IDM and related sounds, but the label owner Svreca has not received too much attention yet. I thoroughly expect this to change. This guy is a hidden gem. Part of the reason perhaps not many people know about him is that unlike most other artists, he has almost no mixes online. His only podcast was for Clubbing Spain, and even though it is almost 2 years old, the mix still sounds very fresh and current. I strongly recommend checking it. The good news is that there should be a new mix appearing from Svreca in the coming months, I will let you guess where that will be appearing...
You may have noticed that things have been a bit quiet here at MNML SSGS. The major reason is simply that PC and I have been incredibly busy, and we have had much less time and headspace for the blog. For me, at least, a secondary reason is that certainly with techno I have been really struggling to find music that excites me. Yes, there is plenty of good techno around, but for me too much of it is too safe, too conformist, too conservative. I crave for more daring, for more courage! For me techno should be opposed to conformity and complacency, but this is too often what it becomes... The music and experiences I have had over the last week - especially Svreca's two performances - have really given me some fresh inspiration that I thoroughly needed. Thanks to Antonio, Valerio, Andy, Jenus, Enrique and everybody else who contributed to a really fantastic week of music in Tokyo. My cup is full!
Thanks to NES and everyone who came or tuned into Dommune last night. It was a really fantastic session from Antonio and Valerio. A fantastic way to finish off 3 amazing days of music. But we only have a very short rest before there is more... Svreca from Semantica records is coming to Tokyo and we've helped to organise a Dommune show with him on Thursday night. For us Semantica has been one of the most interesting, high quality techno labels over the last couple of years and we are very happy he is coming to Tokyo. Svreca is playing at the Frue - Etheric Uprise party at Unit on Saturday, which should be an excellent venue for his sound, along with Raz Mesinai aka Badawi, who is playing live. Steven Porter - a Japanese techno act that has released on Semantica - is also playing live, and ssg favourite C_Olvrin is playing in the second room. So it should be a very interesting night of music. Thoroughly looking forward to it. And beforehand, Svreca will be playing Dommune, with local DJ A Taut Line, who will be putting together a downbeat set to start the night. Thoroughly looking forward to both parties. Details are:
Dommune
Thursday 8 March, 21:00 - 24:00 (Japan time)
Svreca (Spain / Semantica), A Taut Line (Japan / Diskotopia) Register to attend here
Frue - Etheric Uprise
Saturday 10 March, Unit
DJ: Svreca, Inner Science
Live: Raz Mesinai aka Badawi, Steven Porter
And after these two parties hopefully we will have a bit of rest. But plenty more techno coming through Tokyo in the next month or two...
We wanted to make sure that ssgs elsewhere in the world could enjoy natural/electronic.system., so we are doing a Dommune session with them on Monday. They will be playing the whole 3 hours. Make sure to tune in! And if you are in Tokyo, please come and join us. NES for 3 hours on Funktion Ones... It is going to be quality.
For people in other timezones, according to my calculations, you should tune in at these times (anywhere else, I suggest using this timezone converter):
Melbourne 23:00 - 02:00
Moscow 16:00 - 19:00
Berlin 13:00 - 16:00
London 12:00 - 15:00
New York 07:00 - 10:00
Also on Thursday night we are helping to put on another night at Dommune, with special guest Svreca from Spain, who heads the very excellent Semantica label, and A Taut Line, a Tokyo based DJ and producer who runs the Diskotopia label. Register for the Thursday Dommune here. Svreca is town for the Etheric Uprise party at Unit next Saturday, which we are very excited about and thoroughly recommend going to. But first we suggest coming to Dommune on Monday and Thursday. This is going to be a big week of music in Tokyo!
Thanks to Ukawa-san for having us at Dommune. Make sure to come down or tune in!
Thanks to everyone who came down to Module last night! That really was a special night. Thank you so much. And if you want to recover with some quality downbeats, join us this evening at Orbit. Our special guests from Berlin are INNEN + AUSSEN, otherwise known as ND_Baumecker and Jenus Jackman. NES might spin some records too, if they are awake after last night's party. This is going to be a very fun session... Here is a rough timetable:
Sorry we have been a bit quiet around here, PC and I have both been incredibly busy with work... Well the good news is that it is almost time for our ssg party in Tokyo. After having to cancel the party last March, we have been waiting a very long time to do this. And we plan to do it right... It is happening this Saturday night at Module. We are opening at 11pm, with natural/electronic.system. starting at 11:30 and playing until end. Expect 7+ hours of slowburning techno. And Module will be the perfect environment to get lost in the sounds of natural/electronic.system.. We think it has one of the best sound systems in Tokyo - strong bass and clear mids and highs. This is going to be a very proper session...
If you want more of an idea of what to expect from natural/electronic.system., here are some mixes to check:
Saturday 3 March 2012
23:00 - late Module
3,000 yen (door)
B2F: Main Floor
11:30 - close: natural/electronic.system.
B1F: 'Sound Garden' chill out
11:00 - 12:30 Chris
12:30 - 02:00 David Dicembre
02:00 - 03:30 Dave the silent ssg
03:30 - 05:00 Jelomu
And for everyone the next day, we've got our Sound Garden chill out party happening at Orbit from 4pm. Our guest DJ duo INNEN + AUSSEN will be playing a long set, probably starting around 6 or 7pm. So get ready Tokyo, ssgs are taking over this weekend!
It is not long until our MNML SSGS party with natural/electronic.system. on Saturday 3 March. Less than two weeks! We are expecting this to be a very proper session... Details for the party are here. And we thought that the best way to recover from the big night would be with a chill out party at Orbit the next day. And luckily we have as our special guests DJ duo INNEN + AUSSEN. Expect something very special from these guys! If you want an idea of what to they might do, check this fantastic mix by them:
Sunday 4 March 2012
16:00 - late Bar Orbit, Sangenjaya
FREE
Guest: INNEN + AUSSEN
Residents: David Dicembre (Combine) / Jelomu (Drone) / Chris (MNML SSGS)
Module party with natural/electronic.system. on Saturday 3 March and then INNEN + AUSSEN at Orbit on Sunday 4 March. This is going to a weekend of seriously good music. Mark your diaries!
Much like Chris and PC, I was unsure about making a 2011 list when list making season hit in December. My reasons were a bit more simple than theirs, I just didn't think i was capable of creating an accurate snapshot of 2011 when the year hadn't even finished yet. Also, isn't it best to reflect in hindsight? At the very least, such reflection will be more accurate if done at a time when you've actually had time to reflect, right? I feel that 2011 was a really strong year for music. There weren't quite as many clear standouts as 2010 but there were so many really good quality, solid releases from a variety of different scenes. Many of these great releases got their due praise in 2011 lists but some did not. Therefore, rather than just list my favorite releases of 2011, I've decided to focus on those releases which were overlooked:
Alex Barnett - Push.
Guy from a noise background goes solo and releases post-techno synth music. This was quite a common occurrence in 2011 but this release stands out from the rest. Barnett's sound is dark, minimal and very much inspired from b-movie soundtracks. He doesn't use sequencers which gives his tracks an added tension despite the strong reliance of repetition. If i was to compare him to anyone i'd probably say he's a bit like Xander Harris' early work but with the added minimalism of Ricardo Donoso. Push, released on Draft last year, is one of my favorite releases of 2011. Then there is his split LP with Fielded which takes his sound into even eerier territory. I really think this guy is one to look out for in 2012.
Æthenor - En Form For Blå
This is a collaboration between Sunn O)))'s Stephen O'Malley, Ulver's Daniel O'Sullivan and Kristoffer Rygg, and Steve Noble. However, I don't think you can really use the collaborator's origins to anticipate Aethenor's sound. There's no doom metal or overly dark ambient music here... it's more atmospheric and haunting than anything else. I first heard En Form For Bla early last year and it took me a good 3-6 months to even start to understand it... yet until then I was still enjoying it immensely. It's a great album to get lost in and even a year after my first listen i'm finding new things about it. As PC has pointed out, we live in a time where music can be quite disposable and we quickly accumulate and discard new releases. For me, if there was one release that went against this trend in 2011, then this is it. It's hard to classify this album but i do hear some Supersilent influence in there and others hear some late Miles Davis in it as well. However, I just suggest you dive in and explore it for yourself. Invest plenty of time and soak it all in.
Golden Retriever - Light Cones
I'm aware that there's many readers who have already had more than their fill of synthy jam session releases. I'll admit that this scene suffered from over-saturation and a lack of progression throughout 2011. However, much like how it was for minimal techno in the late 00s, there were still some exceptional releases to come from the scene last year and this was one of them. I read someone comparing this release to Fripp and Eno's collaborations which isn't far off... the improvisation between modular synth and bass clarinet is much looser than other releases to come out of this scene... but what i really love about it is how epic this is. It's very powerful, emotional, life affirming and uplifting music... If you're considering giving up on this scene, please, please, plllease give this a listen before you do. Once this scene inevitably dies out, Light Cones should be one of the releases that will be considered a classic.
Grasshopper - Goodnight Sweet Prince
Grasshopper's "Classic Jazz Moods" was one of my favourite releases of 2010 and the followup is just as good. This is the work of 2 trumpet players who heavily treat their instruments to make walls of drone and noise. The sound is strongly rooted in jazz but with an added intensity. This is another one of the cruelly-underrated releases to come from the drone/synth scene last year that was overlooked due to saturation. If you were a fan of Hecker's Ravedeath and can tolerate a little extra noise and darkness then i'd highly recommend this. Also, by all reports their live sets are incredible to be sure to check them out if you get the chance
KPLR - TEK NO MUZIK
I know i already raved about KPLR in my post techno post, but it seems that this release has been overlooked in favour of their debut album on Digitalis. However, this EP is vastly superior and if i were to choose my #1 release of 2012, this would be it. The digitalis release is still pretty good but more of a culmination of ideas they have explored on their previous EPs and not the best introduction to their work. I'd recommend giving this a listen then having a look here. As I said in my previous post, this is techno in its most pure and raw form. If KPLR or some other artists are able to develop the ideas shown on this EP further, then we are in for some incredible music in 2012.
Lego Feet
During the late/mid 90s my listening was dominated by Autechre. They got me into Warp Records and from there into Mego and other labels of that ilk. I can distinctly recall reading about their Lego Feet album but having heard their Cavity Job EP and the more rave/techno tracks from their pre-Warp days I assumed Lego Feet was going to be more of the same... a sound more inspired by AFX/Rephlex's braindance hardcore rave style. However, having finally heard it I can see how wrong I was. This is vintage Autechre... much like their Basscadet remixes and early Gescom releases only more raw and less calculated... and yes, more inspired by club music. I can recall Booth/Brown saying in a late 90s interview that they'd tried many times to make techno but weren't able to pull it off but while Lego Feet isn't techno in it's pure form, it is club music. Having discovered that Autechre are capable of making music for a club and discovering a new classic album of there's was one of my highlights of 2011. Essential.
Ø - Heijastuva
I was a huge fan of Mika Vainio a few years ago but was starting to tune out over the past few years. It felt like his newer work, while still very good, sounded like minor progressions of ideas which i was losing interest in. I wasn't going to bother with Heijastuva until i was told that this was an entirely new direction for Mika: warm, fuzzy and beautiful ambient music inspired by fripp & eno's 70s work. For me this is the best ambient album of the year. It's minimal, very minimal in fact... but not in a cold or alienating way. I can totally see why so many have overlooked this as I almost did myself, but it really is essential listening for fans of Mika and/or minimal ambience.
Panabrite - Frequency Bath 1 & 2
I think a lot of people know about Panabrite now. Especially after his excellent ssg mix earlier this month. For those of you who are new to him, i'd say his frequency bath recordings from this year are the best place to start as it's a compilation of his earlier unreleased works and will give you a good idea of his range of sound... from his prog-synth work, to library music, to experiments with guitar as well. Oh and they are free too! As Chris has already mentioned, he's got an album on the way really soon so keep a look out for it.
Perfume - JPN
If you have already listened to Perfume before then you can stop reading now. You will have already decided if you love them or hate them. If you haven't then it's time you start. Perfume are an all girl J-pop group produced by Yasutaka Nakata. Nakata is Japan's Timbaland or Neptunes, ie a super-producer who can take any pop star and make them essential listening. That's not to say Perfume's 3 singers have nothing to offer themselves, but Nakata, for me at least, is what makes them so great. His production crams so many hooks and other ideas into a single track in a way that shouldn't work yet it does. He also pushes a sound I was never a fan of (post Daft Punk Discovery electro-house) and makes it sound fresh, dynamic and fun. I'd honestly place him up there with Maurice Fulton, Thomas Brinkmann, The Neptunes and Timbaland in terms of production skill. Not everyone will like this, but a lot of you will. Go and watch their video for Spice then also check out Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, Nakata's other prodigy, here. I haven't heard Prefume's other albums as yet but from all reports JPN, their most recent album, is as good a place as any to begin.
Run DMT - Dreams
The best thing about holding off on making any year end lists for a while is you get to explore other lists and find things you'd missed previously. This is an album I found out about through Altered Zones in late December and it's probably been my most listened to release since then. I love how it blends fuzzy beach boys pop with ambient loops and forest swords-esque sounds. It's not often that my favourite ambient and pop track of the year is on the same 30 minute album. You can stream the whole album here and buy it over here.
Staccato Du Mal - Sin Destino
Very strong album and a highlight of the recent resurgence of cold wave music. I think it's safe to say that there will be a lot more to come out of this scene this year with the trust album already getting a lot of attention. There's not a weak track on here and it plays really well from start to finish with the bleaker, dark moments being well balanced with warm melodies. This is another one of those releases i purchased early in 2011 but i keep coming back to it.
Tommy Four Seven - Primate
Primate, along with the Morphosis and Container releases, were my favourite techno albums of last year. However, while Morphosis and Container got the props they deserved, many people seemed to overlook Tommy Four Seven which is a mystery to me. Chris has suggested that it's due to the album being released on Chris Liebing's "un-hip" CLR label. If that is the case, then I must say that is pretty disappointing. I really hope it isn't true... Primate is a fresh, ambitious and cohesive techno album. And it rocks too. With berghain stagnating and sandwell calling it a day this is exactly the kind of music we need to hear more of. If you didn't give this album a fair chance at the time then please revisit it. It deserves your attention.
Here is the tracklist for Panabrite's lovely synth excursion. If you haven't checked this mix yet, I really recommend you do. It is perfect for soothing the nerves. And as you can see from the tracklist it is also pretty educational, being made up of mainly old music. Interesting to see how directly it talks to the current synth music being made...
1) Giampiero Boneschi "Etude Rythmiques No. 165" from Caratteristici (Fonit, 197?)
2) Arturo Stalteri "Il Prisma Magico" from Andre Sulla Luna (RCA, 1979)
3) Giorgio Moroder "Aus (The End)" from Einzelganger (Oasis, 1975)
*segway: Jean C. Roche "Gran Sabana (edit)" from Oiseaux du/Birds of Venezuela
4) Venn Rain "Velvet Trees" from Humming Hills (Goldtimers Tapes, 2011)
5) Eric Peters "Haunted Planet" from Music for Synthesizers (Studio G, 1978)
6) Gianni Safred "Electronic Brain" from Futuribile:The Life to Come (Music Scene, 1978)
7) Charlatan "Like Glass" from Charlatan/Spare Death Icon split (Stunned, 2011)
8) Lino Capra Vaccina "Voce In XY" from Antico Adagio (No label,1978)
9) Gary Sloan "Turbo" from Nightraid (Proof, 1983)
10) Malcolm Cecil "Birth of Light" from Radiance (Unity, 1981)
11) David Casper "Crystal Waves 1" from Crystal Waves (Hummingbird, 1984)
12) Enno Velthuys "Untitled #7" from Ontmoeting (Kubus Kassettes, 1982)
On 31 January 2009 I recorded process part 127.2 for the Modyfier mix series. On 30 January 2012 I recorded a new mix for Modyfier, process part 293. The new mix is a consideration, reflection and partial representation on the intervening 3 years. I wasn't quite sure what I was going to do with it, but the mix ended up being pretty heavy going, so I wouldn't recommend putting it on if you are in the mood for something relaxing. The image / memory it evokes in my mind is the water crashing up against the rocks on the Welsh coastline...
We are currently right in the full swing of a synth / kosmische / new age revival, and that's great, we are all having fun with it. One unsurprising consequence of this is that there has been a flood of synth music coming out. And lots of it sounds 'nice'. Hell, synths are cool fucking instruments. But great synth music involves more than just some pretty sounds... Luckily for us Panabrite is one artist working with these tropes who has managed to transcend the danger of simply sounding 'nice'. His music is nuanced, textured and reflects a deep understanding of the genres he is working in and with. This is most likely due in part to his deep knowledge of library music, synth, kosmische and related obscurities, as evidenced on his 'Lunar Atrium' blog.
Two free Panabrite releases - "Frequency Bath" and "Frequency Bath II" - caught Dave's attention and we've been keeping an eye on him since then. And he seems to be just getting better, with the most recent Panabrite album, 'Illumination', being particularly excellent. I would thoroughly recommend you invest in it, at $5 through bandcamp there is no good reason not to. Much like his music, the mix that Panabrite has put together is rich, warm synth music with strong historical sensibilities. Enjoy:
As usual, we will post the tracklist next week. I am not sure how much it will help, though, I literally recognise only one artist in it! Panabrite has a string on new releases coming up, including the eagerly anticipated "Soft Terminal" LP on Digitalis, as well as the "Sub-Aquatic Meditation" LP on Aguirre and the "Blue Grotto" cassette on Love All Day. And more in the pipeline after that... If you can't wait for these, I would suggest spending some time at the Panabrite bandcamp. You can find basically all of his releases there and they are very reasonably priced. For more information also check the Panabrite page. Big thanks to Norm for this lovely mix.
as in the past - gosh, for years now - I went in to RRR for two hours' worth of to-ing and fro-ing with Dave Slutzkin. As always, lots of shit talking, and more than a few good records (if I do say so myself). Tried to connect the dots on a few things, remember a few records worth remembering, and showcase some of the sounds that Chris and I have been obsessed with over the past few months.
Tracklist:
Ukkonen – Thrym [Erriapo, Uncharted Audio 2011] Julia Holter – So Lillies [Tragedy, Leaving 2011] Nike Bordom – Vulmio [Music for Non-Existing Dancefloors, Dial 2003] Silent Servant – Untitled (Regis edit) [Sandwell District, Sandwell District 2011] HTRK – Synthetik [Work (Work, Work), Blast First Petite 2011] Aphex Twin – Ageispolis [Selected Ambient Works 85-92, Apollo 1992] Bee Mask – Scarlet Thread, Golden Cord [Elegy for Beach Friday, Spectrum Spools 2011] Flowers – Icehouse [Icehouse, Regular 1980] Quiet Daze – The Scenic Route [Viewing a Decade EP, Transmat 2001] Peter Van Hoesen – Rites de Passage (Naeba Variant) [The Labyrinth, Time to Express 2011] Andy Stott – Posers [We Stay Together, Modern Love 2011] Deer – Twisted Neck Companion [Full Circle, Silent Season 2010] Bee Mask – Stop the Night [Elegy for Beach Friday, Spectrum Spools 2011] John Maus – Times Is Weird [Love Is Real, Upset! The Rhythm 2007]
Download here. To and Fro's site - full archive with tracklists and DLs - is here. To-and-Fro is one of the best ways to keep up with what's happening across a broad spectrum of interesting electronic music. Along with Noise in My Head, which follows it, it makes up the best fours of Sunday radio audible anywhere… iTunes subscribe to To and Fro here, RSS here. Many thanks to Dave once again for 'avin me on.
As you may have read in my final post for 2011, I really lovehate the EoY malarkey. It’s as necessary as it is impossible: to try to put a year in some kind of order, to give it good sense, to make it meaningful. I mean, fuck, I’m still trying to understand the past decade’s worth of musical statements and changes. So in a Pyhrric bird flip to timeliness, here, in February, are my final thoughts on 2011.
What can we say about 2011? The soufflé didn’t rise? Some did, some didn’t... It’s about time? Sure, but it always is. Things are never timeless. Nothing except God is outside of time, or so she tells me. Apparently that’s why we need saving, and why we’re so hard to redeem (like vouchers from a now-bankrupt department store). There are still important things about last year we won’t know for some time, such as whether the FBI’s crackdown on one-click download sites like megaupload will have any affects/effects on people’s downloading habits. Dave the Silent Ssg suggested it’s a bit like Whack-a-Mole. I'm worried, given that the FBI did get Capone, but the US got prohibition into the bargain... I’m also skeptical, given that, in my view, what most people want most of the time is convenience, provided quality is deemed sufficient (the Walkman beat the hi-fi, the iPod beat CD). Ie, most of us are content to listen to depleted music, provided the content is delivered well enough, and above all conveniently. Dead Kennedys said it best. So then, what was 2011 about? Doom/Gloom, retromania, and synths aside, I can see two things that, from my perspective, really set 2011 apart as an excellent vintage: collaborations, and mixtapes.
a) collaborations
Within the spectrum of music I gave my attention to (a mere sliver, but then, I only have two ears and one iffy brain), 2011 was a massive year for collaborations. More specifically, collaborations between veterans and/or masters (sorta 'super groups', though it's hardly The Travelling Wilburys), often working in pairs, sometimes in trios and the odd quartet. The following spring to mind immediately, leaving aside HTRK and Junior Boys (who, while notionally duos, are sorta/kinda bands, and don’t really seem to fit among the following): A Winged Victory for the Sullen; Noto + Sakamoto; Fennesz + Sakamoto; Burnt Friedman + Jaki Liebezeit (okay, they are a band); Ricardo Villalobos + Max Lodebauer; Pinch + Shackleton; Jonsson/Alter; Atom + tobias.; Roll the Dice; Moritz von Oswald Trio; Vladislav Delay Quartet (to say Sasu otherwise had an 'off year' would be an understatement... time for a 'year off'?), and Haino, O'Rourke & Ambarchi (which also wins best title of the year, I think... Leyland J Kirby will have to try even harder on this front now). I add in Peaking Lights' 936, because it was just such a fucking good album, probably my 'high rotation' favourite, and an album I listened to all year without getting at all sick of...
Several of these collaborations produced exceptional, if unsurprising results. A lot of them were my favourite records to actually listen to. Again, this is unsurprising, given that we’re dealing with well-established projects and, well, middle-aged dudes and dudettes who’ve really nutted out their approaches to sound. This is why, fundamentally, I think of the best of these as culmination records, recordings that cash out a bunch of ideas that have been kicking around for the past decade or more. But/so: not that exciting, really. And also, you know, I really hope that each is kind of the ‘last one’ in its sequence or series. For the sake of transformation. Culmination, then conclusion, then... rip it up, and start again. To continue on these trajectories would be to court the trage-comedy of true repetition. Add in more time, and you’ll end up with farce, if Woody A is to be believed. But being careful, culminating collaborations between people who really, really know their shit, these records are also very satisfying, if you give them your full attention. Repeat: they are amazing to actually listen to. Which I think you should, especially the following (strict three sentence summa applies):
Winged Victory: The compositions are magnificent, and the recording is astonishing. It breathes, it cries, it swoons and subsides. This is pure Kranky sigh music.
Noto/Sakamoto – Summvs: I was obsessed by Vrioon, and never quite loved Insen – but this one has the most consistent, subtle, and involving compositions. I feel like this recording needs to be ‘set’, like a table for dinner. My advice on perfect setting: play it at high volume around sunset after a long sunny day.
Friedman/Liebezeit – Secret Rhythms 4: Friedman and Liebezeit’s first collab is, for me, one of the great recordings of the 00s, while 2 and 3.... sounded like mere sequels. But here, the edge is back, and each of these ‘pistes’ pushes further than both have managed to go together into their amazing sound world. And: what fucking time signature is that?!
Portable/Portable – Into Infinity: This album is a pair collab. It's Abrahams vs himself (confronting himself with himself, singing over the top of himself, playing himself, ‘killing himself softly with his song’ &c). Until this release I was an ever-curious Portable skeptic (well, I liked his Bodycode album), but here? The ‘high school existential’ mode of the lyrics (kinda naff, but in a soul-baring way that makes me love them), the harmonies, the arrangements... it took a decade of trying for him to get his formula just right, and here, perfectly, it is. An audacious house album in 2011. The soufflé riseth.
b) mixtapes
The medium is the message (and the massage!). But what is the medium for the mess age? And what kind of massages could it convey? The medium-quality medium that is mp3 manages to evoke a lot of thought and emotion in people, considering the necessarily depleted nature of the signals it carries. It’s not just that most of the message arrives in spite of the depletion. As Soullessness is going to point out to us for hours, it’s also that the medium enables different kinds of messages to be conveyed. In case you hadn’t noticed, mp3 actually has marvellous creative possibilities. And I see mixtapes as one set of these.
Okay, there’s nothing ‘2011 new’ about either mp3 or mixtapes, but nonetheless, several of recordings I was most obssessed by last year were mixtapes. Not albums. Not EPs. Mixtapes... that were often denser, and more challenging and interesting than the published work of the artists who assembled them. And they’re free! You don't have to get whacked with the IP phallus of the angry sovereign, Mr Mole (see megaupload link). We really need to pause and appreciate this for what it is. A feast is in front of us. What follows are a few of the recent best:
Endless House Foundation - FACT 223: this is just such an engaging and wonderful listen. The track selection and programming is flawless. Proof of this is that I have played it end-to-end pretty much once a week since it was released.
Psychological Strategy Board - Industry, What Industry?: this one is deep and intense. If you haven't read Glister, by John Burnside (great review here by Irvine Welsh), you should. This mixtape takes me into that headspace (sort of 'mixed in' to The Memory Chalet, by Tony Judt), an English headspace, where things are old and falling apart... (sorry England, but that's cool, you've been falling apart for hundreds of years). Thank you Pontone!
Moon Wiring Club - FACT 310: I'm still digesting this one. The density, the care, the audacity! To me this is the clearest demonstration of the artistic superiorities of mp3 as a medium. Mark Van Hoen - Pontone Synth Mix: Hands down, the best introduction to 'synth' I could give anyone. I especially like the carefully curated focus on earlier stuff. This is obviously by someone who knows their shit, and has been at it for a while. Wisdom, I think that's called. Yes, this mixtape is nothing but wise choices. And, well, you'd be wise to get your ears around it.
AnD - No UFOs mix: Still digesting this one, too, but it's awesome. Goes well with the recent Sandwell Where to Next? farewell mix. One look at the tracklist and you'll understand why...
c) some albums stand alone
Finally, one album - my undisputed favourite of the year on all counts, aforementioned others notwithstanding. Julia Holter’s Tragedy. There are some dodgy vinyl rips kicking around. Don't stick with them. Get FLAC at least, it’s worth it. 'Cos this is the most original, involving, challenging and rewarding album from 2011, without a doubt, one that could never have been a pair collaboration. This is one woman's musical vision, and, wow, she nailed it.
I've been meaning to do this for a while, here is a round up of some of what I have been listening to and enjoying over the last month or two:
A.P reworks Muslimgauze: The sheer size of Muslimgauze's discography makes even the thought of trying to tackle his ouvre too challenging. This EP, however, is an excellent point of entry, with A.P putting his signature on 4 tracks from the Muslimgauze library. The combination works perfectly, A.P adds a lovely ambience and tempo to it all.
Andy Stott - "Passed Me By / We Stay Together": The name of the first of these perfectly describes what happened with me, these albums really did pass me by last year. I am not sure what it is was, but all the praise for these actually turned me off checking them. It was only after a very trusted friend implored me to listen, combined with the appearance on this on a wide range of different EoY lists, that I ordered the double CD version. I am glad I got over my prejudices because these are really special. The praise is deserved. Stott is carving out his own universe, and it is one that is thoroughly captivating.
Pulse Emitter - "Cosmic Images" and "Spiritual Vistas": Pulse Emitter has a sound that really appeals to my tastes. The deep, meditative droning atmospheres are perfect for the sore, tired brain. This stuff is fantastic late at night, or the day after going to a club. This is music to soak up. Gorgeous stuff. Very excited about his forthcoming LP on Aguirre.
1958-2009 and Earn - "A Following Shadow": Beautiful shimmering ambiance from Matthew Sullivan. The A1 on the 1958-2009 LP is particularly sublime. My wife also picked up a big batch of tapes from his label, Ekhein, and I have been enjoying making our way through them. Some excellent stuff. So far the stand out has probably been Greg Davis' "Schumann Resonances".
Prurient - "Bermuda Drain": Perhaps my most listened to release over the last 2 months. As I said before, the screaming in it definitely is a bit of a barrier, but if you can work through it, you will be rewarded. This album really reminds me from a scene in "Punch Drunk Love" where Adam Sandler says, "your face is so beautiful I just wanna smash it, just smash it with a sledgehammer and squeeze it...you're so pretty." Also"Time's Arrow" is a very good companion piece to the album, so I would suggest checking that too.
HTRK - "Work (Work, Work)": This has been getting a lot of love recently, seems like a lot of people (myself included) discovered it from some EoY lists. What I really like about this album is how complete it is. It fits together so well, there are no weak tracks, it is just the right length. It feels like something where the artists achieved their vision.
Craig Leon - "Nommos": Discovered this through Raime's EoY list. Looks like it is a sneaky repress and there are not many copies floating about. If you can, grab one, it is totally awesome. It is from 1981 and it very much feels of that time, but in the best possible way. There is a beautiful simplicity to the machines, the tracks have quite an open, expansive feel to them.
Sapphire Slows - "Melt" and "True Breath": Sapphire was a guest at our last chill out party, and I talked about her then, so not much to add here. I really love both of these EPs. Very impressive stuff considering she has only been making music for about a year. Her tracks are well balanced, they definitely have a pop element, but it is not overdone. Sweet, warm music.
Donnacha Costello – "12 Days": This is the special digital release project that Donnacha did over the Christmas / New Year period. 1 ambient track per day for 12 days. Of these I'd say there are 3 gems, which show Donnacha at his absolute best. These 3 tracks - "From Nowhere", "Losing Battle" and "Just Because" - I have been playing on a very regular basis. A great little project and excellent value (it was only 10 euro or something ridiculous).
Tim Hecker - "Dropped Pianos": I held off buying this for a while simply because I am not a big fan of piano based music. I am glad I got over that, though, as this is excellent. It has that powerful, arresting feel common to Hecker's work but is not as intense as "Ravedeath".
Pete Swanson - "Man With Potential": Bit abrasive at times, but still very listenable. It gets better as it develops too, the first track is the weakest, and the last one is my favourite. This strikes me as an excellent example of the kind of music Dave was talking about in his "post-techno' piece.
Pete Swanson & Rene Hell – "Waiting For The Ladies": The Swanson track is in a similar vein to the "Man With Potential" release, while the synths of Rene Hell are much warmer and more inviting. I had a really beautiful moment the other night walking through the snow listening to the tracks from Hell. Strong release.
"Orgelvärk: en stadig samling svensk synthmusik": The subtitle for this recent compilation on Minimal Wave translate as "a solid collection of Swedish synth music" but this is a big understatement. A really fantastic release. I want to buy a lot more from Minimal Wave than I end up doing because it feels like most of the releases have some killer tracks, but then quite a few that have not aged so well. There certainly isn't that problem here, lots of great '80s synth music from the Swedes to enjoy.
Joachim Nordwall – "Ignition": Dark, droning, pulsating ambient music. The digital version is just one track that goes for about 50 minutes, which works well, allowing Nordwall builds a captivating and immersive atmosphere. You can get the whole release in wav format for just £1.66 from Junodownload. This is ridiculously good value. Trust me, buy it.
Last of all are two collaborative debut albums from friends of ours: Voices from the Lake (Donato Dozzy and Neel) and Sendai (Peter Van Hoesen and Yves De Mey). Neither album are that surprising, each do roughly what you'd expect them to do: VFTL is diving ambient techno, while Sendai fuses their shared interest in sound design with some latent techno sensibilities. I am completely biased but I really like both of these releases and I think each have managed to successfully execute their respective visions. Looking forward to getting physical copies of both of these. From memory I think both albums are out in the next month or so.
Ok, that's it. All of these releases are recommended. Let us know if you have any tips on things to check.
