Saturday, April 5, 2008

Markant - Infam (Markant)

Digging through obscure archives of older IDM, I come across Infam. Released in 2001, by Carsten Endraß, who goes by the name of Markant, the album appears to be a compilation of two previous vinyl releases by the same named label (all of which were Untitled), plus five exclusive tracks. Based out of Riedering (Germany), Endraß set out to press his own music on his own label, and has been at it since 1997, releasing 30 strictly limited twelve inchers. Those familiar with Markant probably became collectors of his specially packaged records which sold out with incredible speed. And those snapping up the vinyl know what they were after. The vast warm soundscapes of ambient analog pads are distorted with micro programmed beats and glitches. The sound instantly reminds me of my all time favorites - Autechre and Funckarma. And I think that’s all I have to say to give you a good idea of the music (and I mean that in a positive light). This seven year album may sound at times dated, but it is perfect to refresh one’s memory and the nostalgic moments of hearing Autechre for the first time. You will also like this if you follow Yunx, Proem, Phonem, Pole, and the above mentioned artist’s side projects, Gescom and Quench. The last Markant album was released in 2005, titled Feedback. Since then the void seemed to swallow him up. And all is quiet...

markant-records.com (site gives 404 error, but that’s all I could find)

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