Labyrinth info

Labyrinth is now getting very close... The full lineup is announced, so the one remaining surprise is to see how the timetable has been crafted this year!

This year there will be a record number of overseas guests at Labyrinth. Given the amount of people that have been staying away from Japan following the March disaster, it is fantastic to see so many people choosing to make the trip. This is exactly the kind of support Japan needs. Thank you! And all I can say is that based on past experiences at Labyrinth, you will not be disappointed!

For those who were still thinking about coming, bad luck, tickets are now sold out. So please do not email us or Mindgames about this: there are no more tickets.

For those making the trip and wondering how they'll get from Tokyo to the venue, the easiest way is by bullet train. Mindgames has information about how to get there. Finding your way there is pretty straight forward. The Japanese train system is very logical, there are English signs almost all the time, so you should be fine. And if you find yourself in a country town in Japan and see a bunch of people wearing Sandwell District t-shirts, I'd say there is a good chance you are heading in the right direction...

If you are doing a bit of travelling around Japan before or after Labyrinth, you might want to consider buying a Japan Rail Pass. These can be excellent value if you are coming for a week or two. And if you need to pick up any supplies for Labyrinth once you get here, Don Quijote is a great place to go. They've got lots of stores (including an easy to find one in Shibuya) and they have everything and anything.

For record shops, the main places to check in Shibuya are: Disk Union, Technique and Lighthouse. They are all near to each other and pretty easy to find.

Beyond that, I'd recommend the Lonely Planet Guide to Japan. That served me very well when I first came here.

We'll post some more practical advice closer to the festival. In the meantime, prepare yourselves!

About time: it's not a soufflé, it's an escape hatch to a better musical world (watch out for the snakes by the ladders)

I’ve been agonizing over this post for too long, mostly because, after the unexpected resonance of the soufflé post, I thought that I would overdetermine anything I pointed to – ie, anything I did choose to talk about would be imbued with a significance far above and beyond what it either deserved or should have to bear. So I became the pitiless censor of myself. Then I thought, fuck it: what I actually need to do is exactly the opposite. What I need to do is canonize the shit out of a few recordings. So, instead of doing an exhaustive list of everything I’ve listened to this year that’s excellent (which can wait until the end of the year), I’ve whittled it down to three Very Important Albums.

In the first place, the whittling meant giving those things I love a sound caning. Not Malaysia/Singapore style. It meant listening again very carefully to all the albums I loved, especially: Junior Boys, Alva Noto + Sakamoto, Isolée, Ezekiel Honig, and Jonsson/Alter (which also has the honour of being an excellent house/techno album - the exceptional souffle that proves the rule?). These are all amazing albums that really deserve your time/ care/patience/attention, and many of them are not 'obvious' on first or cursory listens. You need to make an effort. But basically there’s nothing ‘important’ going on here, as I see 'em. They’re just talented people doing what they do very well, very comfortably. Polished formulas, highly developed approaches, and predictably excellent results. With ‘all of the above’ I can also recognise how subjective my appraisals are; to some extent they’re all just ‘cold beer and hot chips’ for a guy who loves both those things. Then there’s Peaking Lights and Grouper (both the AIA albums), who have produced two of my favourite recordings to actually listen to, especially of an evening, especially accompanied by a good book and a bottle or three of Coopers Stout. These are high rotation favourites (the stout, too), but, for me, they’re also a kind of BGM. For me. But maybe they also lack that spark, that undeniable glint of the extraordinary.

A few general comments. The interesting newcomers… I’m just not sure yet. And maybe I’m not totally convinced in general. Apart from Autre Ne Veut - that album is genius, and the reent EP is great. But in general, not sure: not about Not Not Fun, nor Tri Angle, nor Hippos in Tanks, nor Spectrum Spools. There’s undeniably something going on there that is both very creative and very interesting, but I’m just not sure any/all of it is prepare to give what people need from it. But that might say much more about the neediness of what is, you'd have to say, a very fickle audience. Needy and fickle, that's us... ...and not very good listeners, for the most part... But very opinionated. It's not a very good combination of traits, really. But in relation to 'all of the above', I’m not ready (or inclined) to comment either way. Still learning, still thinking, not convinced... I will say that the Art School Indie Kids are kicking the absolute shit out of the Dance Music Laptops though, creatively speaking.

Also: the whole ‘dark’ thing… black isn’t a colour, but it’s still a shade we have to be careful in choosing. Black is an extremely subtle signifier; it’s not only possible to clash while wearing black on black, it’s also all too easy to just be... boring. And after all, what are Goths but conservatives alienated from conservatism (but unable to reject it wholesale - hence the mourning, and the ability to leave the mourning, and hence the comforts of the melancholia). Well anyway, there can be something timid with ‘black’, something half-arsed, lazy. I find it in Melbourne all the time (this does NOT apply to Coopers Stout) in the way people dress. A failure of imagination. Or dress sense. Anyway, I think that, along with a lot of the milquetoast kosmische-lite ‘synth’ stuff, for the most part the ‘dark’ thing is going to date very, very badly. And just 'cos you add dissonance to dark doesn't make it interesting. And if you make ‘dark dissonant synth’, well then, good luck to you in 2012, sir… Then there's the 'second coming' of microhouse, with new work from so many of my old heroes (call it Perlon and Playhouse, Kompakt and Krause... and Dial). Are the many returns happy? I think a whole post on Pampa and Re|dial (as the 'houses' of all the microhouse refugees) is warranted. I'm not sure I quite have the interest. That might say something... But really (final general comment), as long as you don’t tell me Nicholas Jaar is good, I’m willing to accept that you’re trying. That album is shit, and if you don't think so, you're not listening. And its acritical reception says a lot. About

us, mostly. Okay, time to canonize…

I think all these albums are significant. There's something important here, important because, in their own way, each of these works offers us signposts or models for different possibilities. Paradigms. We all need paradigms. And/but/fuck, they're all amazing, too. It is, even now, in spite of everything, all about the music, maaaan.

John Maus – We Must Become the Pitiless Censors of Ourselves

It’s rare that someone makes a perfect pop record. This one is pretty close; it’s not perfect, but it’s still genius – and ingenious and generous and ingenuous. And hell, the combination of that title with that cover...?! Ridiculous... And the album has this incredible, ineffable 'sound' (I'm not just talking about the lo fi thing, I actually think JM has learned something really important about sound from Ariel Pink). It’s not cool, it’s warm. And it has that real audacity that so much other music lacks right now. More than that, these are very good songs (and lyrics), and the whole album plays so ‘suitely’ that I wouldn’t change a note. Short and sweet. (Why don't more people make short albums!?) But what I love most about it is that its centrepoint is impossible to focus on. So it’s actually very subversive, it fucks with you. Every one I play it to, they say, ‘wow, it sounds just like X’ (and they start enumerating Joy Division, the Cure, the Stranglers, ‘the 80s’, 'new wave', whoever). But no sooner do they say that then I see a look on their face that quickly doubts what was so clear only a bar or note before. So it totally resists complete assimilation, no matter what. You can’t flat pack it, vacuum seal it, or turn it in to wallpaper. And so, in spite of absolutely, brazenly deploying irony, nostalgia and pastiche, it totally undermines the three corners of the po mo ‘fire triangle’ – this recording actually gives you an escape hatch to another possible world. But the moment you take it, the album is over. So you have to begin again, again. Radical.

Tim Hecker – Ravedeath, 1972

Well, it’s not really about rave, death, or 1972. But all these points would signal a moment in time. Taken together, Ravedeath, 1972 totally scrambles all these points of reference. There is something wonderfully, purposefully enigmatic about this album,in its sound presence: what do these sounds ‘mean’? How can I ‘hear’ them? Why is it that it sounds like a different recording every time you play it (and depending on what time of day you play it, and the volume you play it at)? Yet at the same time, how is it that, no matter what, as soon as you put it on it suspends you in its soundworld – part sky, part cloud, part blanket? Is it evil? What does it want? I can't quite tell... but I like the confusion... So: a seemingly inexhaustible source of something that makes a subtle change in the whole room, and you in relation to it. Jazz drummers are known for their ability to bend time. I think that Tim Hecker (and Ben Frost) have found a way to suspend time with this record. Yeah, it’s that good.

Kangding Ray – OR

In the making of any album, the gathering of influence and elements is really important. But then it’s like a bouquet: once you’ve gathered it, you’ve got to hold it together, but not so tightly that you might crush all the pretty flowers. Wtihin the spectrum and archive of electronica Kangding Ray works with, (which he showed us so well on his mix for us a few months back, which you must listen to if you haven't) I feel that this is even more the case, because in spite and because of being given so many sonic potentialities, all too often producers don’t quite have the restraint, the musicality, or the horizon to really hold it all together. You can think about it in relation to the past decade (the whole stupid, wasteful she-bang) and our faithful tools, the computers. In the final analysis, they were simply much ‘better’ than most of the people who played on (or just toyed with) them. It was – is! – too unlimited. Just like contemporary finance capital (maybe that’s why we’ve crawled back to synths; computers are uncanny in 2011, they scare the shit out of us). OR seems unafraid of any of this; it’s an album that plays like a head-on tackling of something. There is nothing half-arsed or faint-hearted about it. It’s not minor, an addenda appendix or preamble, the work before the Work. It’s bold. It’s gold. OR is for awesome. It announces itself as what it is through its cover (just like Isolee did for Rest) and plays ‘just so’ from first note to last. The strength of the gestures, the poise with which they are put – this is, simply, a powerfully expressive album.

All three of the recordings I’ve selected here have a very special relation to time, or do something with time – and so tell us something about our time (which is a pretty strange time, definitely Mao's 'disorder under heaven'). We're not living in a non era. Let's not muddle through it, or succumb to anxiety, terror, paralysis, boredom, whatever... I keep thinking of George Clinton’s lyrics from ‘Good Thoughts, Bad Thoughts’:

‘Change your mind, and you change your relation to time’.

The rest is practice.

.

Some thoughts on Claude Young and techno in Tokyo

Todd Burns has done an excellent interview with Claude Young over at RA, which I suggest you all check out. For me it feels weird that a lot of people new to techno might not know who he is. It feels strange he might be considered forgotten. But that probably just has more to do with when and where I grew up listening to techno: Melbourne in the late '90s. I think more than any DJ it was Jeff Mills who defined this era in this place, but I don't think Claude's influence was too far behind. His DJ Kicks mix was the stuff of legend as were his skills on the decks. He is just one of those key guys from that period. Saying that, it was Mr Mills that imprinted himself on my psyche. But Claude Young was responsible for what remains one of my alltime favourite mix CDs, which I felt never got the recognition it deserved. Young's contribution to "Essential Underground Vol. 03: Berlin / Detroit" is a beautiful, contemplative and timeless mix. It is one I would always carry, and travelled with me a long way. I was hoping to put it on as I wrote this post, but it appears that somewhere between Australia, the UK and Japan, it has disappeared. That is not cool. I suggest finding a copy if you can, I am sure it still sounds just as gorgeous today.

When I moved back to Japan last year, I was very conscious of the fact Claude Young was living here and was hoping to see him again. But I have not. I missed a good opportunity at Dommune because I couldn't make it, but besides that there haven't been many chances. A disappointing situation given that he is so much more talented than the vast majority of DJs based in Japan... It is also very strange considering the Detroit cult that remains so strong here. Put (Detroit) or (UR) behind a DJs name and that'll get people here excited, regardless of whether they are still relevant or not. For whatever reason, this doesn't seem to apply to Claude Young, however.

Given all this, I was very interested with Claude's reflections on Japan in the interview. Much of what he says echoes my views. It is worth quoting in full: 

"Do you play out much? 

Not a lot. We really want to push it, though. We'd like to do more things outside of Japan. Ironically, I don't do a lot inside of Japan. It's a really bizarre place. Maybe 15 years ago it was really brilliant, because it was so unique and now it's basically Europe East. People you can see in Europe you can pretty much see here on a regular basis.

You said in another interview that there wasn't an infrastructure in place to build up local producers. Is it still the same situation now in your opinion?

Definitely. It's a troubling trend. It's really interesting, because Japan had the run of being the top spot in Asia for a very long time and now the scene in China is really emerging. China is still on shaky ground, sometimes there are problems with events. But when they get that all sorted out, China is going to be the hotspot and there will be another dip in Japan because there is nothing really unique there. I don't want to be insulting, but from my perspective, there isn't anything unique. If I was in Europe or America or somewhere else and I wanted to go to Japan for something uniquely Japanese, it's very difficult to find. You're not going to find it at any of the major places, because they're pretty much tied up with tours. They have to fill the clubs.

I think you have a different perspective on it, living there as opposed to someone who just comes in, has an amazing time for however many days and then leaves.

Yeah, it's hospitality central so when you leave you're going to say, "Yeah, I had a great time." I had lunch with James [Ruskin] last year, and it was the same thing, he said it was really good but he just wishes he could get over more frequently. I get that all the time, "Why aren't you playing here?" And, you know, it has to be up to the promoters to talk to the right people. I'm the easiest guy to do shows with, but they don't get in touch. So when the people who actually find me [get in contact], I'm going to go out there and bust my ass for them as they've done their homework. As for the rest of them? Fuck it. I'm not interested."

--

I highlighted a few specific lines I want to comment on, which I think are particularly relevant:

"Maybe 15 years ago it was really brilliant, because it was so unique and now it's basically Europe East."

I think this is probably only half accurate. Yes, you do get a lot of artists coming through from Europe and elsewhere, but for the most part there is timelag - normally its about 1-2 years behind what is happening in Europe. 15 years ago I think this Europe influence was maybe just as strong, but it was combining in a more interesting and equal way with what was happening here, most notably with artists like Fumiya Tanaka. Also at this point Japan was right at the cutting edge - it was bringing artists early and helping them emerge, whereas now it is generally only once they are firmly established that they make their debuts over here. Today for the promoters here that do try to push things, and are ambitious with their bookings, more often than not they get punished with shitty turnouts, while artists that haven't done anything relevant for 5+ years still get regular bookings and fill clubs.

"They have to fill the clubs."

I have commented on this before - the club scene in Japan, Tokyo included, is not as strong as most people still perceive. There has been an ongoing and slow decline, and this has been greatly amplified in the aftermath of the 11 March disasters. The money isn't there like it used to be, there are not as many clubs as there used to be. As he states in the interview, things are very different from 15 years ago, when the fees were much higher and the club scene was much stronger.

Yeah, it's hospitality central so when you leave you're going to say, "Yeah, I had a great time."

This relates to my previous points - people that come here for a few days generally don't get an accurate read on the scene. They come, they get treated great, they head back to wherever they came from (often inspired), and continue to believe prevailing (mis)perceptions about the scene here. But if I am honest, most of the DJs here are incredibly mediocre, the music they play is dull as all shit, with too many artists slavishly following the bigger local names and the established sounds. People may be disavowing mnml, but that is still rocking on here (I don't think this is a problem unique to Japan, though!). The DJs that Japan is most known for - Takkyu Ishino, Fumiya Tanaka and Ken Ishii - are all shadows of their former selves. Despite sounding horribly out of date and boring, these big 3 continue to dominate the scene here, and really limit the possibility for new and interesting acts to emerge. DJ Nobu is about the only one to break this trend: he is a name worth remembering and hopefully can usher in a new wave of creativity here. But I am doubtful, as he is a rare exception.

Anyway, I'll stop there. Perhaps I am misreading how Japan is judged from afar, but this is based on my own experiences here and abroad, and reading Claude's interview just got some of those thoughts bubbling again. Anyway, lets hope the scene can recover more after March, and in the process, see Claude Young spinning here more often...

*edit* After reading a comment to what I wrote, it made me want to clarify something: this post was not to complain about the scene here in Tokyo. I know we get more good acts coming through here than most places in the world, and I feel very lucky to be here. But, as I've said previously, I strongly feel Tokyo is one of the key cities in the world for electronic music, and has a role that is more important than many other places. So in this sense, if the scene here is misunderstood or poorly perceived from outside, as I think is often the case, then it can have some more wide reaching consequences.

Labyrinth tickets

EDIT - LABYRINTH TICKETS ARE SOLD OUT.

Just a quick post about Labyrinth tickets. From what I understand, it is going to sell out sooner rather than later, so if you are thinking about coming, I'd suggest you hurry up and make a decision. Also once tickets in Japan sell out, it will no longer be possible for people from overseas to reserve a ticket. So now is the time for any last minute decisions to come! If you do want to reserve a ticket, you can email us, or get in touch with mindgames directly. Either route works. Keep in mind the organisers are super busy right now, so if you have contacted them recently, or you are about to, then don't expect an immediate reply.

We'll have more information - some practical advice etc. - closer to the party. In the meantime, for those who haven't yet decided, I am not sure exactly what you are waiting for. The lineup looks ridiculous. And for those of you coming, buy yourself a Lonely Planet Guide to Japan and start reading.

Not long now!

Sunday sounds

I found today's gem care of the excellent "Ambient mixes" thread over at RA, started and maintained by Micko. Many of the mixes there I bypass either because the bit rate is shit, or it falls into a category PC and I refer to as "sad sack ambient". Anyway, this mix is much more on the soft, soothing ambient tip. Reminds me a bit of Dozzy's gentle approach, but less of the '90s ambient vibe and (unsurprisingly) more of the Kompakt pop ambient. The picture accompanying the mix is actually a pretty good visual representation of how it sounds and feels. There is a tracklist for it, which you can find here, but I'd strongly suggest listening to it blind. All the tracks melt and flow into one another, it is best to just enjoy it as a whole.

Markus Guentner – Passage 12

Thanks to Markus, the FUSELab podcast, and Micko for this beauty. Have a good Sunday ssgs.

Ssg special - Keith Worthy

This week we are very happy to present a mix from Keith Worthy, who heads the Aesthetic Audio label out of Detroit. Without much fuss or hype, Keith has been quietly making and releasing some excellent music over the past couple of years. Since starting in 2007, Aesthetic Audio has prioritized quality over quantity: they may have only had 12 releases to date, but they are all very good records. Such an approach feels all the more necessary at a time when it is hard not to be overwhelmed by the never-ending stream of mediocre music flowing into record stores (physical and electronic) every week. So we like what Keith is doing... We got in touch at some point last year after the release of his "Moments In Rhythm Vol 2", one of the strongest deep house records of 2010. And as this new all vinyl mix from Keith clearly shows, the man is not only a good producer, he most definitely knows what to do behind the decks. Providing an upfront selection of new records, Keith has put together a tight, energetic mix of deep house.

Ssg special - Keith Worthy presents "The Collage" mix



As usual, we'll post the tracklist for this later. For any of our friends in/near Geneva, you can catch Keith at The Overground Festival, which is from 18th - 21st August. Aesthetic Audio 013 (The Hikari EP) is due in September, and Aesthetic Audio 014 (Moments in Rhythm vol. 3) is set for November. Keith is also working on an album for early 2012. So plenty to look forward to. For more information about Keith and Aesthetic Audio, check the new label homepage. Thanks again to Keith for the mix. Enjoy!

TodaysArt update - new mixes

Just a quick post to share two recent sets from artists playing in the MNML SSGS room at the TodaysArt festival, which is being held in The Hague, 23-24 September.

First up is something from Oni Ayhun. As we've said repeatedly, for us Oni is one of the most interesting and exciting voices in contemporary electronic music. Completely demented and completely brilliant. We are thrilled he is playing at TodaysArt. This will give you a bit of an idea of what to expect:

Oni Ayhun @ klub 1500m2, Warszawa 25-3-2011

Second is a new mix from Peter van Hoesen. We've talked enough about PvH here, but suffice to say, this mix is very, very good.

Smoke Machine Podcast 022: Peter Van Hoesen

For more information about the festival, check the TodaysArt homepage. A weekend ticket is only 35 euro, and can be purchased here. We think this is incredibly good value considering everything that is happening at the festival. Between Labyrinth and TodaysArt, September is going to be a month full of excellent music...

Ssg Special - John Osborn @ Panorama Bar, 2011

Regular readers would have noticed our House Front to be conspicuously quiet of late. It’s not that there’s a dearth per se, nor that we’re anti – just that, well, a mix has to move you ( I mean, if house ain't a feeling/if I aint a feeling house...). It can't be forced, it has to foist itself upon you.

Here, my friends, is just such a mix. Not too heavy, not to light, not too loose, not too tight. John Osborn is, if you like, somehow ‘perched’ in the p-bar here, between the tracks, in the groove, but unlike a bird (lacking both thumbs and chops), John manages to be able to perch and play at the same time. You might say he’s a natural.

This mix is supple, I like it. I finish it and I wanna hear it again. It moves (you) like a mix should. And it makes me wish I was there at the P-Bar, dancing along like a gibbon, and probably (disappointingly for Chris) shittalking with someone. In fact, for me this mix conveys the feeling of being there nearly as well as being there does (especially if you’re on your 20th beer). So, listen 'as if': grab another Berliner Pils, find the sound system’s sweet spot, and avoid staring at the big abyssal anus canvas to the point where it starts winking back at you. That would be your signal to go home. Or hit repeat.

Ssg Special - John Osborn @ Panorama Bar, 2011

John himself has been a busy man - it's not all perching and playing for him - he's about to release the first EP on TANSTAAFL  Records, headed up with another Ssg Special donor, October. The EP features some lovely keys by Appleblim; sound samples available here. You can also keep up with all things John Osborn via his soundcloud, here.

August charts

Time for another chart. Plenty of good stuff about...

1. Various Artists - "The Labyrinth" [Time to Express]: I'll write a post explaining more about this EP closer to the release date of 22 August. I am biased, as I have been heavily involved in its creation, but I do believe this is a very strong techno EP - PvH, Dozzy, Parker and Convextion all delivered excellent tracks. Anyway, I'll let you guys judge whether or not you agree with me!

2. Nuel - "Trance Mutation" [Further Records]: Nuel's debut album is due in September on Further and it's special. Right now I have this in my top 3 LPs for 2011, along with Tim Hecker and Kangding Ray. This sounds nothing like Nuel has released before, and if you are hoping for the Aquaplano brand of ambient techno, time to readjust your expectations. Check the Further bandcamp for samples. It a personal, intimate album, one straight from his heart. Beautiful.

3. The Haxan Cloak - "Observatory" [Aurora Borealis]: This is a name you'll likely be hearing more of in the near future (check here for a recent FACT interview). Haxan Cloak's debut album is a strong one, and well worth a listen. But for me it is this EP that really stands out, which is more beat-orientated. For people who have been liking the Blackest Ever Black tip, I strongly suggest hunting this one down.

4. Roll The Dice - "In Dust" [The Leaf Label]: The new Roll The Dice album may not depart greatly from their established sound, but they considerably refine and develop it further here in a way that demands attention. I have been listening to RTD on a daily basis of late, one of the more interesting acts around at the moment. Recommended.

5. Imaginary Softwoods – "The Path Of Spectrolite" [Amethyst Sunset]: My wife has been going on a John Elliott-related binge, and this has definitely been rubbing off on me... While the new Mist record has some very high points, overall this probably has been my favourite recent release from the John Elliott / Spectrum Spools camp.

6. Cloaks - "R.F.I.D. (Ancient Methods Remix)" [3BY3]: This remix represents somewhat of a progression in Ancient Methods sound - while it still has that distinctly apocalyptic vibe to it, there is more variation going on. And notable is the end of the remix, which has a kind of flourish reminiscent of the way Regis often ends his tracks. These guys never cease to impress me.

7. Svreca - "Seda Muerta (Female Remix)" [Semantica]: Female is definitely the forgotten member of the Sandwell collective, but this remix shows that it is certainly not because of lack of talent. Proper techno.

8. Marcel Fengler - "Berghain 05" [Ostgut]: Probably best mix CD Ostgut has released since "Berghain 02". A diverse and interesting mix, with a track selection that it makes it clear you should not confuse Fengler with Dettmann or Klock. As with the other Ostgut mixes, plenty of original material included, with the PvH and Fengler tracks being my standouts. Excellent work by Marcel Fengler.

9. Percy X - "X-Trak 1 (Regis Remodel)" [Soma Quality Recordings]: One of the highlights of Soma's 20th birthday celebrations in 2011. I used to really love the Percy X stuff on Soma, so it is nice to seeing it being revisited. Regis has managed to keep the original vibe while updating it and giving it the distinctive Regis and SD feel. And in my books, that qualifies as a successful remix.

10. Jürgen Müller - "Science of the Sea" [Digitalis Recordings]: There have been plenty of recent re-releases of long-forgotten "gems" and hidden "masterpieces". Well, most of the time they have disappeared because they just aren't that good... I have been burnt by quite a few of these, but "Science of the Sea" does actually live up to the hyped press blurb. Lovely aquatic synth explorations. This one is good to put on after a tiring day. I read on twitter there is a re-press coming, so if you want the vinyl, just hang on. I've only got the digital version, because after previous mistakes, I have been leaning towards getting only digital copies of re-releases...

That's it. Feel free to add your picks in the comments.

Bits to pieces

We've been a bit quiet here recently, mainly because PC and I have been busy, and well, I don't think we've had that much to say. Anyway, just a bunch of various bits of info to keep you updated on things ssg-related and ssg-friendly:

• Thanks to everyone who came to our chill out party last Sunday, and to our guest, Dave the silent ssg, who put together a very interesting set. So it was another successful night. Really glad with how these are building up. The next party is scheduled for Sunday 23 October. Please put it in your diaries!
• DJ Sprinkles, otherwise known as Terre Thaemlitz, is playing at an afternoon beach party this Sunday 7 August at Enoshima (near to Tokyo). I'll be heading down for some fun in the sun. Details here.
• There have been some extra additions to the TodaysArt festival in The Hague in September. Robert Henke is presenting his Monolake Live Surround project, which from all reports is excellent, and Murcof is also playing. The TodaysArt website has been updated, with full programme info, so check it for more details.
• The lineup for The Labyrinth has almost been fully announced. We'll post more practical information soon for people going to the party, and if you are from overseas and want to get tickets, please get in touch with us. Also for people who don't want to take the train, there are bus tours going from Tokyo and Osaka/Kyoto. First come, first served. Details here.
• We'll have more information about it soon, but full samples for "The Labyrinth" EP are now up on soundcloud. Four very strong tracks from Peter van Hoesen, Donato Dozzy, Mike Parker, and Convextion. The double EP is due out 22 August. Listen here.
• We've purposefully been pulling things back with the mixes, but we've got a new ssg special lined up for next week, taken straight from the dancefloor of Panorama bar...

Ok, I think that is everything. More soon!