Cell - Hanging Masses (Ultimae)

Frenchman Alex Scheffer, aka Cell, is an Ultimae regular, having contributed tracks to many of the label's compilation albums, including the excellent Fahrenheit series. Yet, Hanging Masses is his first album for the label and only his second overall, not counting a couple of notable live releases. I've always honed in on Cell's tracks; he usually manages to hit a really sweet spot, mixing a deep slowly developing ambient/downtempo vibe with catchy hooks and wet, shimmering synths on top. Yet, his prior full-length, Phonic Peace, released by Indica in 2005, was not my cup of tea. Too much of the sort of pseudo Indian mysticism that just rubs me the wrong way. Like a lot of other people, I was energized by the music coming out of Britain's Asian underground scene in the mid to late '90s - Talvin's Singh's Anokha album in '97, State of Bengal, Joi, Cornershop and the like. But for some reason I then developed a real aversion to the fusion of traditional Indian and electronic music. Don't know why. Thankfully, Hanging Masses is more in line with his live releases - Live at Glade Festival 2005 (Sofa Manifesto, 2007) and Live at Kumharas - Ibiza (Ultimae, 2007) - only even more mellow and low key. According to Ultimae's press release, the album "constitutes in the artist's heart a homage to Brian Eno, Tangerine Dream and Steve Reich." The connection with Reich is not obvious but Eno and TD are definitely in attendance. Cell is not a man in a hurry. He's content to slowly fill in the sonic landscape, sprinkling it with gently euphoric glimpses of light. Even when the 4/4 kick drum makes an appearance, typically about half way through a song, the pace never exceeds a leisurely stroll. The experience is akin to lying in a field, gazing at the cloud formations for hours and then suddenly deciding to get up to take a walk through the enchanted forest nearby. The restrained but propulsive groove, such as on the mesmerizing title track, ensures that it's a captivating experience. Recommended for all followers of Ultimae's roster, including Aes Dana, H.U.V.A. Network, Solar Fields, and Hol Baumann.

- – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Review prepared by Tigon for Headphone Commute.

See also Two and a Half Questions with Cell

myspace.com/alexscheffer | ultimae.com/cell

Lusine - A Certain Distance (Ghostly International)

Has Lusine turned almost pop? Well, not quite. If so, then pop music has never sounded so good! But peel back the vocals from the foreground, appearing on a few tracks by Vilja Larjosto and Caitlin Sherman, and we are left with the good old electronic sound of Lusine, known for his lush ambient soundscapes, organic catchy melodies, and solid punchy beats. With his 9th full length album, A Certain Distance, Jeff McIlwain continues to evolve his production skills, articulate composition, and unique staple sound, creating a downtempo album, with a lighter upbeat feel. Jeff has been releasing music on a variety of prominent labels, entering the spotlight since his 1999 debut, L'usine. When his music reaches InterContinentaL barriers, he appends an ICL suffix to his alias. Hence, all of his releases on the German Hymen label are under Lusine ICL, including my absolute favorite ambient marvel, and a top favorite of Headphone Commute's from 2007, Language Barrier (Hymen, 2007). The Lusine moniker appears mostly on all domestic labels, such as Ghostly International. Over the contemplating chord progression and occasional vocoder phrases, familiar elements introduced in the above mentioned Language Barrier, appear in a subliminal field of sound. These are the ambient pads, accented with microscopic percussion bits, creased into crumbled lo-fi beats, and smoothed out on a sonic surface. Just as the vocoder maps the frequencies of sampled voice over synthesized chords, Lusine succeeds in "mapping human emotions via technology". The Two Dots EP released by Ghostly prior to the album, has set expectations for Certain Distance, with its memorable hook completely consuming my auditory memory until I admitted my defeat on Headphone Commute's 20 EPs of 2009. The rest of the tracks on the album, deserve a 12" EP each on their own. Each is a unique exploration of the marriage between organic and laptop, downtempo and dancefloor, tech house and pop. Highly recommended.

Read also Two and a Half Questions with Lusine

myspace.com/lusinespace | lusineweb.com
myspace.com/ghostlyinternational | ghostly.com

Rena Jones - Indra's Web (Cartesian Binary)

It's not so uncommon to see classically trained pianists turn to electronic music production. After all, it's not a huge stretch from the piano to a midi controller keyboard. It's considerably rarer to find producers who are actually cellists and violinists by training. But Rena Jones is certainly not your garden variety producer. She's a multi-instrumentalist and sound engineer with more than 20 years of classical violin study and 12 years of the cello behind her. That background is reflected in Indra's Web, her fourth solo album and the first on her newly established label, Cartesian Binary Recordings. Indra's Web weaves together weighty downtempo electronica with swooning modern classical, with Jones backed up on more than half of the album by three string players from the New Millennium Orchestra. Jones is also credited with vocals, mixing, programming and Rhodes, and the album also features a live drummer, a clarinetist and a vocalist. In addition to the graceful strings, the album is marked by a hefty bottom end and gently skittering percussion as well as the intricate and spellbinding compositions, which do full justice to the album's name. Indra's Web is a metaphor found in Buddhism and Hinduism for "the structure of reality, representing the interconnectedness and interdependency of all things, describing a rich and diverse universe where infinitely repeated mutual relations exist between all of its elements and entities." That's as good of a way as any to describe the music. It immediately grabs hold of you and sucks you in but the songs are not so easily digested on the first listen. They're subtle and, like elaborate labyrinths, they take time to reveal themselves. You need to explore the nooks and crannies before you can find your way out. But they're beautiful, enchanted labyrinths, green and flowery, and time moves in hazy slow motion inside of them. I will resist the urge to discuss individual songs (except to say that the one-two punch of On the Drift and Point of Existence is a knockout). Suffice it to say that Indra's Web is an extremely rewarding album and unique in the way it combines beat-driven electronic music with classical moods. It's seamlessly done, completely blurring the lines between genres. It's as good of an illustration as any of the inevitable futility of categorizing art. This is simply beautiful music that will endure.

- – – - – – - – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – -
Review by Tigon

myspace.com/rena | renamusic.com

Plastik Joy - 3:03 (n5MD)

Plastik Joy is an intriguing duo, if only for the fact that one of them, Cristiano Nicolini, is from Italy and the other, Fannar Ásgrímsson, is Icelandic. You can’t get any closer to “fire and ice” than that. The two met while studying audio engineering in Barcelona and began working together on a couple of songs at the end of 2007. Little did they know what a fortuitous decision it would be when they decided to establish a Myspace page shortly thereafter, in January 2008. First, Myspace led them to Swedish singer Sarah K. Hellström, who ended up writing the lyrics and melody and recording the vocals for their first tune, Hands. She didn’t actually meet Cristiano and Fannar in person until months after the song was completed. But more amazingly, in June 2008, they received a message on Myspace from Mike Cadoo, owner of renowned electronic music label n5MD, who had heard their songs on the site and wanted to discuss a record deal! One short month later, Plastik Joy had signed with the label. And now, 3:03, the debut album from the Myspace poster boys is here for all to hear. At first, if you're not in the right frame of mind, the dreamy, downtempo vibe of 3:03 may strike you as a bit too laid back - like the heat from the fire has melted the ice. But the simple, unassuming melodies grow on you. It’s an album that rewards – in fact, demands – repeated listening and immersion. You’ll come to love the undeniably warm, feel-good glow of Sleepy Quest for Coffee and Hands, the opening tracks of the album, which also happen to be the first two songs that the pair wrote together. From there, the rest of the album opens up like a budding flower. The subtle electronics and acoustic instrumentation, with mellow guitar in a prominent role, make for an addictive concoction. Although Plastik Joy employ several singers on the album, it comes across very much as an instrumental album. Rather than leading the way, the vocals more often than not serve like any other instrument, adding one more color to the bittersweet vibe. On Hands, for example, Hellström’s breathy vocals, which hint slightly at Nina Persson of The Cardigans, blend completely into the sonic landscape. There are one or two brief moments on 3:03 where the surface calm is broken by an outburst of noise, like an involuntary release of pent up energy, but in general, subtlety is the name of the game. It takes a great deal of skill and sensitivity to sustain an atmosphere of such refined delicacy throughout a whole album but Fannar and Cristiano carry it off with aplomb. Considering that this is just their first album, it whets the appetite for what's to come. 3:03 gets its name from the time of morning at which recording sessions usually ended and n5MD touts the album's "nocturnal vibe". There's definitely something to that. 63 (she was trying to sleep, I was trying to breathe), for example, is a pure lullaby. But the first half of the album conjures up images of late afternoons lounging on the beach with a cool drink in hand. If you're looking for something to relax to poolside, it'll most certainly do the trick. Just watch out you don't fall asleep in the sun.

- – – - – – - – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – -
Original interview posted by Tigon on Tigon World.
Republished with permission of the author.

myspace.com/plastikjoymusic | plastikjoy.com
myspace.com/n5mafia | n5md.com

Phylum Sinter - From Unity to Segmentation (En:peg Digital)

When Phylum Sinter sent me a promotional copy of his digital release on En:peg Digital, little did he know that I was already a fan. And how could I not be, when his music tickles my spine with triggered percussion jittering across beautiful harmonic atmospherics and refined melodies. Like in Telefon Tel Aviv's Fahrenheit Fair Enough (Hefty, 2001), Christopher Todd uses a light IDM touch and driven bass lines around effected synth lines to slap the confidence back into those solid rhythms. In some places on From Unity to Segmentation, dirty chopped analog acid lines cut through the muddled thick oscillating pads, while the seemingly random drums glitch throughout the frequency space. This is quality electronica, perfectly fitting on n5MD's digital-only offshoot label. Detroit based Todd, has been producing for a while now, getting picked up by net labels like PostUnder and [ai]D['mju:zik] (I have an excellent release from this label by Ed7). He even contributed an outstanding remix to Hecq's 0000 (Hymen, 2007), and it looks like Mr. Ben Lukas Boysen returned the favor by remixing Sedna Demik on the album. Meanwhile, the name Phylum Sinter, may be already familiar to you, if you own a few compilations by Tympanik Audio, IVDT, and Xynthetic Netlabel. I've seen Todd perform before, and I must agree with n5MD's affirmation - he is definitely one of the overlooked and underrated artists. I guess that gives him a little edge. Especially when compared by the latter to µ-ziq, Proem, and even Funckarma. Thanks again to the folks at n5MD for finally giving this artist the proper attention he deserves. For fans of glitchy melodic IDM by artists like SubtractiveLAD, Keef Baker, and Lackluster. If you follow the Kahvi, Monotonik and Sutemos releases, then this release is for you. If not... Well, it's time to check it out! Also, be sure to stop by the above mentioned digital division of n5MD, enpeg.com for the latest FLAC releases from Ruxpin, Fell, Anklebiter, and Todeyoshi.

myspace.com/phylumsinter | phylumsinter.matterwave.net
myspace.com/enpeg | enpeg.com

Trentemøller / VA - Harbour Boat Trips : Copenhagen (HFN Music)

Danish electronic producer, Anders Trentemøller, sets aside his studio equipment used to make some of the finest raw and tight minimal house grooves, to put together a compilation of some of his favorite downtempo tracks from Copenhagen. Harbour Boat Trips is a commissioned selection of folksy, ambient and electronic tracks, sprinkled with beautiful vocals, beats, and live instrumentation. This is the music you'd expect Trentemøller to listen to on early lazy Sunday mornings as he's waking up to a cup of coffee. In the liner notes, Trentemøller confirms: "Dear Listener, within this compliation I have basically chosen some of the many songs I use in my own most intimate hours, coming down after gigs, cleaning my apartment, waiting for friends to arrive or simply daydreaming with my twenty-first century walkman through the city of Copenhagen. [...] All the artists on this compliation which include names from nearly four decades have, to me, created different aspects of beauty." Opening up with Grouper and diving into Gravenhurst, you're immediately set for a selection of songs traversing moods and genres. There are many pleasant surprises along the way from previously unknown (to me) artists. For example, I've heard before music by Emiliana Torrini with releases on FatCat, but after hearing her lovely voice on a track "Lifesaver", I add her acoustic album, Fisherman's Woman (Rough Trade, 2004) to my collection. A track by The Hypothetical Prophets (Proroky) with Russian overdubbed lyrics take me out of their experimental neo-industrial chemical dub-house into the late 70s synth-pop track by Suicide titled Cheree. Moving through new wave beats by David Garcet. Following a haunting glitchy house track by Rennie Foster, in floats a Four Tet remix of Caribou's Melody Day, full of acoustic guitars and confident muffled four-four kick. With that we move into Trentemøller's edit of The Raveonettes cover of Joy Division's She's Lost Control. Before the compilation ends, Trentemøller finally appears with his own track, Vamp, followed by Two Lone Swordsmen and a fitting closure by Soft Cell's Tainted Love. This compilation is the very first release from Hamburg based hfn ['ha:fən] music, which opens up on its site with the following statement: "Harbours are open doors to the world, and so is hfn, and to all spectrums of music." There is not much information that is available about the label on its site or elsewhere, but I expect we'd see a few more installments in this series in the future. In closing, I'd describe this release as a personal mixtape shared by Trentemøller especially for you. Enjoy!

hfn-music.com | anderstrentemoller.com

Bluetech - The Divine Invasion (Aleph Zero)

Evan Bartholomew drops another album for our hungry ears. This time, his groovy downtempo sonic treatments are released under his renowned moniker, Bluetech. For The Divine Invasion, Bartholomew puts aside his ambient and modern classical work under his real name, and returns to his tight IDM , digital funk, and tech-dub beats with a touch of masterfully produced atmospheres and spacey psychedelia. Here's Bluetech with his staple sound of micro-programmed clicks and stereo bouncing bleeps. Here's the never-ending echo of the the minor dubbed-out chords. Here's everything we have grown to love from one of the pioneers of PsyDM sound. Listening music meets dance floor meets contemplative far away places where dreams recursively collide.

Aleph Zero is an Israeli label putting out downtempo and psychill records, as spearheaded by its co-owner, Yaniv Shulman (one half of Shulman). Bartholomew has found a home on Aleph Zero for Bluetech releases since Elementary Particles in 2004. This is Bluetech's fourth full length release, including the quietly slipped in Phoenix Rising, released on his own, mostly minimal, modern classical, and ambient focused label, Somnia, just a few months prior. Did you catch that one? On The Divine Invasion we hear Steve Hillage (Mirror System) return for a contribution of his guitar sweeps, after a very successful collaboration last year with Bartholomew, under his dub techno slotted moniker, Evan Marc, on Dreamtime Submersible (Somnia, 2008). We are also treated to a track of collaborative work between Bluetech and Eitan Reiter, who has made numerous appearances in the past on Aleph Zero, Dooflex and Iboga.

The Divine Invasion is at once more mature and playful. Following Bartholomew through his ambient and techno releases, I can hear the both sides converge on the Bluetech sound that steers clear of stylistic constraints and genre defining elements. This is not a futuristic science fiction space odyssey, where the newly technological advances can be disproved by today's early adopters. This is a mysterious world of dreams and psychedelic visions. And in such alternate realities, unfathomed by our limited senses, anything goes. This surreal music of no limits and boundaries is the perfect candy for your reality smothered mind.

With numerous appearances on a roster of respectable labels, Interchill, Yellow Sunshine Explosion, Platipus, and his own Native State Records, this is one of Bluetech's finest contributions towards the evolution of psychedelic sound. For an ambient exploration in sound, pick up Bartholomew's releases on Somnia. Make sure you also check out Bluetech's Sines and Singularities (Aleph Zero, 2005). Recommended if you get down with Plaid, Jon Hopkins, Kilowatts and Ott.

myspace.com/iambluetech  |  bluetechonline.com
myspace.com/alephzerorecords  |  aleph-zero.info

Lulu Rouge - Bless You (Music For Dreams)

When I posted the Headphone Commute's Best of 2008 list, I received a lot of emails that amounted to "You forgot Lulu Rouge!" What? Lulu who? Yes, I'm sure there was an album that I missed in 2008 (I missed hundreds of them). But with enough pokes in the same direction I was tempted to find out. And yes, I will admit: I did miss Lulu Rouge, because certainly this act belongs on HC's Best of 2008 list.  I've been playing this album for months now, and have rated each track at five stars, so it's only fair that I finally give it some proper coverage. How can I describe the dubbed out techno beats that thump their way into my brain and beg to be repeated? How about this: if you loved Trentemøller's The Last Resort (Poker Flat / Rough Trade, 2006), you will certainly fall in love with Lulu Rouge... Especially since Anders Trentemøller co-produced a few tracks on Bless You. Lulu Rouge is actually two friends: Thomas  Bertelsen (aka T.O.M and Tom Von Rosen) and Torsten Bo Jacobsen (aka Buda), who have been part of the Scandinavian electronic music scene for some time now.  Bertelsen, for example, has been Trentemøller's partner since the beginning stages of The Last Resort. So there's that important synergetic connection. If that doesn't pique your interest, here are some pretty adjectives for you. On Bless You, the Denmark-based duo blend a refreshing concoction of Basic Channel sound with playful rumbling bass sweeps, pulsating IDM elements, delayed dub chords, catchy organic instrumentations, and DSP heavy vocals with contributors like Mikael Simpson, Alice Carreri Pardeilhan, Tuco, and Scott Martingell aka MC Jabber. The stylistic classification ends up falling somewhere between deep minimal and dub downtempo, but one thing is for sure - it's a unique album that will keep you cozy throughout all your moments. Maybe it's time you explored the Scandinavian side of electronica? Highly recommended!

myspace.com/lulurougesoundsystem | lulurouge.com
myspace.com/musicfordreams | musicfordreams.dk 

Kaya Project - ... And So It Goes (Interchill)

The latest release from Kaya Project titled, ...And So It Goes, is full of spiritual and ethnic elements, multi-lingual vocals, and world infused beats. This is a third full length album from a collaborative duo of Sebastian James Taylor and Natasha Chamberlain. Incorporating digital production design with organic instruments, Taylor and Chamberlain create a beautiful downtempo album with elements of tribal rhythms and dusty dub grooves. This album is full of contributions from many artists, like Deepak Pandit on Indian violin, Susi Evans on clarinet, and excellent vocals by Irina Mikhailova. Some of the above artists have previously worked with Taylor under his other moniker, Hibernation, with the very latest release, Some Things Never Change (Aleph Zero, 2008). Taylor has always been a pretty busy guy. On the side, he manages to put out 12" breakbeat EPs on Sinister Recordings under his Digitalis alias. Meanwhile, some may recall his early psytrance work under Shakta moniker, with the last album being Feed The Flame (Dragonfly, 2004). In this latest work, Taylor and Chamberlain join forces once more, to display their wide artistic range through music that is at once relaxing, groovy, and earthbound. One can picture carefree belly-dancers performing around the fire, circled by musicians connected to their instruments with heart and soul. It is at once a feeling of happiness and unity with the one. Recommended for the likes of Asura, Tripswitch, Solar Fields and Entheogenic.

myspace.com/sebastiantaylor  |  interchill.com

Von Magnet - Ni Prédateur Ni Proie (Ant-Zen / Jarring Effects)

Ni Prédateur Ni Proie is a complete theatrical performance packaged into twelve sketches on a disk. Strings tune up. A gong rings. A voice pleads with a shadow. Tension builds up. Industrial percussion kicks in. What follows is a combination of experimental neo-classical and avant-garde rhythmic technoid, curated with ethnic organic beats and acoustic orchestral instrumentation. Along the dark curtain of apocalyptic soundscapes, people confide in their woes. What is this place? With scalpel sharp precise execution, the French collective Von Magnet, tells a story of a human conflict. Regardless of the geographical location, we, the people, tend to find reasons to create interpersonal struggles that reflect externally through rage, tears, and war. The field recordings and the produced performances in different tongues speak for the voice of the human condition and the reality of today's brutal world. The cover art depicts two hands, of different skin color, smothered in oil, attempting to hold on to each other, but slipping away. The music conveys a similar theme. Von Magnet has been around since the late 80s, saturating the airwaves with post-industrial sound through more than a dozen albums. Their live shows are usually accompanied by performance art which transform the stage into a fascinating experimental musical. A quote from their bio: "Based successively in Barcelona, Rennes, Amsterdam, Lille, Berlin & Paris, for each project gathering different creative teams and mixed peculiar tribes of performers, visual artists, dancers, musicians, designers or sculptors, Von Magnet is indeed one of the cybergypsy pioneers of euroculture." It would be an absolute treat to see them live. Meanwhile, this excellent addition to an already powerful catalog of Ant-Zen will have to satisfy your cravings. The album is released in parallel on a French Jarring Effects label. Refusing to be divided, refusing to be boxed in, and refusing to accept the two extreme choices, with their music Von Magnet proclaims that it will be... neither predator, nor prey.



myspace.com/vonmagnet | vonmag.net
myspace.com/antzen | ant-zen.com

VA - Diaspora: Cottage Industries 5 (Neo Ouija)

Neo Ouija is BACK! That's right kiddies. After closing its doors in 2005, the Devon (England) based label originally started by Lee Norris (Metamatics), has re-opened its doors, and is now managed by Martin Hirsch (aka Deer and Random Noise Productions). Propelling many electronic musicians to fame, Neo Ouija is responsible for much output from Geiom, Bauri, Accelera Deck, Kettel, Funckarma, Apparat, Xela, Secede and many others! With this first double disk compilation, Hirsch is introducing us to a brand new roster of musicians. Additional contributions towards the comp include a few notables like Move D, Maps & Diagrams, and Kangding Ray. As with many other collections showcasing the upcoming works, it is difficult to pinpoint a specific genre, especially across a large radius umbrella like Neo Ouija. This fifth installment of Cottage Industries series, titled Diaspora, traverses the styles across its thirty (30!) tracks. Starting off with an excellent IDM track by MXM (an artist I'm planning on watching closely from now on), the selection of tracks on the first disk progresses into tech house, dub techno, and deep house. The second disk is a favorite of mine, and features more experimental, glitchy downtempo and IDM. At number twelve, another favorite of mine, Seven Ark, returns with familiar twisted loops, melodic pads and few remains of bouncing marbles with a track titled Version 2. The compilation signs off with a short ambient interlude from Nacht Plank And Shintaro Aoki that wets my appetite for the things to come. I'm really happy that Neo Ouija is back and I congratulate Martin Hirsch on resurecting the label that will continue contributing towards evolution of sound.



myspace.com/neoouija | neoouija.com

The Future Sound Of London - Dead Cities (Virgin)

This is obviously an amazing record to start off my Random Vinyl of the Week adventure, as I dig through my dusty archives. Released in 1996, Dead Cities was Garry Cobain and Brian Dougans' fourth full length album as The Future Sound of London. Dead Cities was that very last record and then there was a torturing silence for six years. Even when the duo returned in 2002 with The Isness, it was ... not the same... How can one describe the layered dark samples with memorable vocal lines that are implanted in my brain? "I have killed a man. A man who looked like me." The album is an absolute classic, and its complex ambient and cinematic fragments continue to offer new insight into the minds of FSOL. Dead Cities was not received with as much success as my absolute favorite, earlier 1994 release Lifeforms [the latter climbed to 6 position on the UK Album Charts, while Dead Cities got up to 22]. The music of Dead Cities features more sampled beats carefully blending in big-beat and bringing trip-hop into the mix. We Have Explosive (which also came out as a single) features several samples from Run DMC's album Tougher Than Leather. The rest of the sounds [all very dear and familiar to my mind at this point] all convey the atmosphere of urban decay. An album from the future that rusted in the past. Like a empty feeling after watching a rerun of Blade Runner [and the sample off Mary Hopkin's vocals from the movie's soundtrack], the eerie nostalgia of revisiting a dirty old friend crackles in the hindsight. Oh, and how's this for a shocker for you. On one of the tracks guess who's playing piano? I'll give you a hint. The title of the track is Max and the pianist's last name is Richter. In addition to restructured MIDI files, Max Richter has also contributed  other recordings and "environments". The album cover (and the two inserts that house the double vinyl) feature 3D graphics and digitally processed photography by Buggy G. Riphead. This is one of the albums to hold in your hands and marvel at its grandiose and epic stand in time. Since 2007, FSOL has opened up their vault and released a collection of forgotten tracks from their library, titled From The Archives (it is now up to its 5th volume). I hope I have excited you enough to revisit Dead Cities through my first adventure of Random Vinyl of the Week. I know that I have worked myself up enough to seek out the limited box set release [complete with a booklet!!!], and am now waiting for it to arrive in the mail!

myspace.com/thefuturesoundoflondon | futuresoundoflondon.com

Integral - Rise (Tympanik)

Another excellent surprise coming out of Tympanik. And that's twice in one year. First I was completely blown away by Subheim's Approach. And now another brand new group, Integral, hitting me hard out of nowhere with their debut, Rise. The duo behind Integral are Germany based David Rotter and Rafael Milatz. Their sound is dark, cinematic, and simply gorgeous IDM. It feels like these guys are going to be creating soundtracks for melancholic films of other-worldly voyages in no time. Hold on... Someone's knocking on my door. Oh... Never mind. That was in the track. Where was I? Ah, back on the spaceship. Alien insects are crawling upside down on a glass ceiling as we approach a sun rise of a distant galaxy. And when we land on the first favorable foreign planet, its beauty sings in soft sound waves after the electric storm. All the little sounds and patterns on Rise excite my neurons, as my brain races to keep track of all the psychedelic changes and the complicated unfolding layers of sound, even though the rhythm is of a slower downtempo nature. That happens to be my favorite stylistic aspect of this genre: slow spreading ambient melodic soundscapes on one layer and rapid micro precision programmed elementary auditory particles on the other. That is something my mind can never tire of, as there are numerous puzzles to be solved within this cryptic message. And when you're done, you can flip it upside down. Big thanks to Tympanik, once again, for bringing this music to our ears. Seems that the Chicago based label is tirelessly searching in all corners of this planet for the sounds emanating from another. Another great find. Beautiful artwork. Recommended for the likes of Hecq, Kattoo, Ginormous, Nebulo and Lusine Icl.



myspace.com/integral | integralmusic.de
myspace.com/tympanik | tympanikaudio.com

The Remote Viewer - I Can’t Believe It’s Not Better (Mobeer)

Getting back to melodic electronica, I turn my attention to Andrew Johnson and Craig Tattersall, who go by the name of The Remote Viewer. Their previous releases include two albums on 555 Recordings and three LPs on one of my favorite labels, City Centre Offices. This time, the duo releases their latest album, I Can't Believe It's Not Better, on their very own label, Moteer, that has previously graced our eardrums with Clickits, The Boats, and Part Timer. Well... It's actually released on a sublabel of Moteer, called Mobeer, which [with a pun on a name] they claim to be Moteer's micro brewery. This has been an anticipated release, with the last output from The Remote Viewer being over three years ago. The sound of the album quickly brings back the memories. The clicky ambiance and looping pads are complimented by soft breathy vocals by Nicola Hodgkinson and Andrew Johnson himself. The atmosphere of subliminal sounds and fragile percussion is at one point cut through with folksy banjo strumming. Fragments of piano, broken toys, field recordings and other found sounds recreate an experience of unwrapping dusty memories from within an old suitcase. And here's a collector's dream come true: the copies are limited to only 375 worldwide and happen to be out of stock already on boomkat. The lucky ones received two 3" mini CDrs in a hand made brown envelope and a printed beer mat with a peculiar message : "i went and picked up my complimentary corporate wear today. it came in a big cardboard suitcase. when i got home i unpacked six identical shirts, two suit jackets and two ties. no trousers though. the woman i rang said that trousers were out of stock (as popular now as ever). this could provide everyone with a big problem on my first day. i did however get two belts. one to wear and the other presumably, to hang myself with." That perhaps shines some light on the state of mind behind the ten untitled tracks. Usually I'd compare other artists to The Remote Viewer. But for those just waking up to their sound, I place them in a cloud among Jacaszek, Jasper TX, Peter Broderick, Porn Sword Tobacco, and Machinefabriek.

myspace.com/theremoteviewer | mobeer.co.uk
myspace.com/moteer | moteer.co.uk

Portishead - Third (Island / Mercury)

It's been almost 11 years since Portishead released their last self-titled album (I'm not counting Roseland NYC Live). The three member group of Adrian Utley, Geoff Barrow and more prominent Beth Gibbons have been often credited with making the trip hop genre more mainstream. Originating out of Bristol, UK, Portishead introduced their hometown sound to the commercial radio waves in 1994 with Dummy. With downtempo hip-hop beats, a touch of turntablism, and Gibbons' staple vocals, Portishead instantly created their own style and with that came a vast following. It's no wonder then, that when appropriately titled Third album hit the shelves, it was snatched with a hunger. Prior to the album's street date it was released on last.fm and attracted over 327,000 listeners within 24 hours. On Third, Portishead experiments in a darker territory, a bit brooding and at times almost industrial in nature, while rewarding the listener with a familiar voice. There are many unforgettable moments on the album when you find yourself go "what" and "nice". Perhaps there is not much revolutionary on Third for some, and they may not feel justified for the waiting period. Nevertheless you can't just let it slip by. Portishead remains a favorite and after consecutive rotations, Third climbs to the my list of "Best of 2008 so far..." I still love and play the first two albums. [Gibbons also released a solo album titled Candy Says in 2003]. Favorite tracks: Plastic and Machine Gun.

myspace.com/portisheadalbum3 | portishead.co.uk

Nautilis - Are You An Axolotl (Planet Mu)

One day in a record shop, I saw a Planet Mu logo on a record with incomprehensible green reflection. Being a fan of pretty much everything Mike Paradinas puts out on his label, I grabbed the vinyl as one of those random finds. Back at home I played the record over and over. I was struck by its ingenuity of combining instrumental hip hop beats with jazzy breaks and glitchy elements of IDM. But it was the melodies and the intelligent micro rhythms that kept on ringing long after in my ears. Skyler McGlothlin's fun and confident approach to creating his first LP, Are You An Axolotl, is still refreshing and exciting to listen six years later [and not just once in a while]. Based out of Texas, McGlothlin followed up his critically acclaimed debut with a second full length, Sketches. In 2005, however, McGlothlin moved to Florida based Merck (RIP, sigh...), and produced more downtempo and instrumental hip hop, under Malcom Kipe alias. The two quick releases were Breakspiracy Theories and Lit. I thoroughly enjoyed both, but must admit that I dig his Nautilis sound a lot more. It's a bit tighter, DSP-driven, production that continuous to unravel new elements within each listen. Since Lit, however, McGlothlin has been silent. I attempt to catch up with Skyler to see what he's been up to, and if we'll hear from him again. And in case you were wondering, yes... I am ... actually... an axolotl.

myspace.com/nautilis | myspace.com/childrenofmu

Cujo - Adventures In Foam (Ninja Tune)

Before Amon Adonai Santos de Aravjo Tobin shortened his name to simply Amon Tobin, he released his debut album under Cujo alias (indeed borrowed from a Stephen King novel), on a small south London label, Ninebar Records. Soon after, Ninja Tune noticed the Brazilian born artist, and signed him in 1997 for his critically acclaimed Bricolage. The rest, as we say, is history. Covering Tobin's bio and discography is a lengthy task, so I'll leave the research up to you [and shame on you if don't know the artist already]. In 2002, Adventures In Foam was re-released on Ninja Tune, this time as a double CD, containing previously unreleased material. Here's a statement from the label: "[The] fact remains that "Adventures In Foam" was a really good record, one that deserved to be heard, so when Ninja were offered an opportunity to re-release it, they jumped at the chance. Not least, because a rather unscrupulous company in the States have been circulating a version of the record with a changed tracklist, different (and unapproved) cover art and mis-titled tracks". So this should settle it once and for all. If you first fell in love with Amon Tobin after hearing his Bricolage, full of jazz infused, Latin influenced downtempo and drum'n'bass breaks and broken beats, then you'll definitely enjoy another round of Tobin's signature sampling techniques. You'll even smile after recognizing familiar sounds and beats, later reused in his subsequent albums. Definitely still enjoyable after all these years, as a first or repeated listen. A must for collectors. Artist cloud includes DJ Food, Funki Porcini, Bonobo, Wagon Christ and The Herbaliser. Favorite unreleased track: The Brazilianaire.

myspace.com/tobinamon | amontobin.com
ninjatune.net

Welder - Vines And Streams (Cyberset)

Brendan Angelides is the man behind his solo project under the name of Welder. With his debut on a San Francisco based collective, Cyberset, Angelides demonstrates that he's just as proficient at downtempo as he is at breaks under his other alias, Eskmo. Following this full length release, Welder got picked up by a West Coast downtempo label, Native State Records, for a digital only Bamboo Snow EP. The Purple and Orange track gets upgraded to another EP with additional remixes by Bluetech, Fanu, Dov, and Audiovoid. Ranging from world music to orchestral glitchy instrumentation, Vines And Stream is simply a fun album to listen to. From the very first track, you're enveloped in easy bopping beats, that take you on a ride in a country with the convertible top down and your spirits up. The production is tight, the percussion is crisp, and the broken melodic patterns get stuck in your memory. The uplifting and organic mood of this IDM-meets-trip-hop album, reminds you that mother nature doesn't have that something that we call "bad weather", and as it rains outside you'll feel delighted to embrace the falling drops. And you'll smile. I place Welder somewhere between Portishead, Tricky, Banco de Gaia and The Orb. Favorite track: Rain.

myspace.com/weldersounds | weldersounds.com

Valgeir Sigurðsson - Ekvílíbrium (Bedroom Community)

The founder of the Icelanding collective, Bedroom Community, finally releases his solo debut on his own label. Although this is a first full length album for Valgeir Sigurðsson, he is no stranger to the studio. His musical career spans over a decade, and includes a lot of production work for Björk (Selmasongs, Vespertne, Medúlla and Drawing Restraint 9). He has also worked with múm on Finally We Are No One and CocoRosie on The Adventures Of Ghosthorse And Stillborn. On Bedroom Community releases, Valgeir contributed towards Ben Frost's Theory of Machines and Nico Muhly's Speaks Volumes. Nico in turn reciprocated, and played piano for six (out of ten) tracks on Ekvílíbrium. Which finally brings us to the album. Ekvílíbrium captures some of the most essential elements of today's electronica [if such genre dares to exist]. From tightly produced, programmed, cut up, and re-arranged sounds to organic drums, guitars, full blown strings and brass section, Valgeir toys with sounds and melodies that speak out in their own unique music tongue. The vocals from Will Oldham (aka Bonnie "Prince" Billy) and Faun Fables' Dawn McCarthy, are neatly folded and cradled by the top-notch mastered instrumentation. Some pieces contain that toytronic sound with music-box-like-quality, that is so reminiscent by the aforementioned múm. What I'm trying to say is this: if "Icelandic" was a sub-genre of electronic music all on its own, then Sigurðsson should be mentioned in the headline for its definition. For now, I can only attempt to throw around labels like leftfield, downtempo, and modern classical, to capture this unique sound. Whip out your best headphones [and not necessarily the most expensive] - Ekvílíbrium is a sure treat for audiophiles. Recommended for the above mentioned names, plus Sylvain Chauveau, Deaf Center, Helios, Marsen Jules and Jóhann Jóhannsson. Favorite track: Winter Sleep.

myspace.com/valgeirs | bedroomcommunity.net

Hol Baumann - Human (Ultimae)

Hats off to my good friend Underfoot for bringing my attention to this new release from an excellent French psybient label, Ultimae Records. The owners of the label, Mahiane (Sunbeam) and Vincent Villuis (Aes Dana), have been focusing on some of the most advanced, chilled out, psychedelic ambient sound, with that uplifting morning trance feel. Lyon based Olivier Orand’s (Hol Baumann) sophomore record, Human, is no exception. Orand tastefully blends a pinch of ethnic asian sound with a base of downtempo glitchy atmospherics (reminding me a little of Tipper’s earlier work). Orand’s tracks have previously appeared on almost every installment of the excellent Ultimae Fahrenheit Project series. For the latest compilation volume, Fahrenheit Project Part Six, Orand contributed his Radio Bombay track, which, in my opinion is not the strongest in his entire album. What I’m saying is that Human has a lot more to offer than what you may have accidentally glimpsed through past appearances. I recommend you check out this release in its entirety, especially if you’re interested in exploring another form of chillout: psychill. Other artists to check out: Cell, Aural Planet, Bluetech, and Aes Dana. Favorite track: Benares.

myspace.com/holbaumann | holbaumann.com
myspace.com/panoramicmusic | ultimae.com