Rival Consoles - Helvetica (Erased Tapes)

From the label that brought you majestic modern classical music from Icelandic rising star, Ólafur Arnalds, comes a new installment in emotional... wait... what's this? My expectations for melodramatic orchestral stabs are shattered by explosive drums and drilling breaks. Completely unexpected and incredibly welcome, Rival Consoles catches me off guard with his cinematic progressions, which are complemented by breakcore elements a la Venetian Snares. And this is only after I hear a single track on  Erased Tapes Collection I, which is available as a free download from the label's website. And so I reach out for some more. Helvetica is Ryan Lee West's second EP on Erased Tapes released under the Rival Consoles moniker. In only four tracks, the record is enough to grab your attention with delicate classical piano arpeggios, IDM influences deriving from the catalog of Rephlex artists, with acid bleeps, breaks, and beats palatable to fans of the above mentioned V-Snares, Aphex Twin, and Boxcutter alike. Yes, I can honestly admit that I'm excited about this artist, because all of these cutesy frequencies are skipping right down my alley, past the puddles of tears and walls punched with mud. Playful, adventurous, and confident, the tracks produced with intricate attention to detail, are only a teaser for the things to come from this Leicester (UK) based producer. The 7-inch vinyl is quickly selling out (already out of stock on some places I checked), but is still available directly from the label; and then of course there is the [mandatory] digital release. Be sure to also get your hands on Rival Consoles debut release, The Decadent EP (Erased Tapes, 2007). And don't forge to pick up the label's digital showcase compilation, commemorating its 1st anniversary, where, besides the track that tipped me off, Ryan Lee West contributes a remix and yet another track under his alter ego, Aparatec. Remember, it's free! Jump on this wagon. Quick!

myspace.com/rivalconsoles | erasedtapes.com

Two and a Half Questions With Ryan Lee West

I hear some very advanced techniques in your production, yet you only have a few EPs under your belt. When and why did you start producing?
i've been producing for a few years now, i guess i'm interested in what Stockhausen, Eno amongst others pioneered - using the studio as an instrument, i'm interested in things which are beyond a pair of hands. not that everything i do is, but as a general means of generating sounds.

I compared you a bit to Venetian Snares (I meant specifically his modern classical meets breakcore album, Rossz Csillag Alatt Született). A few have also pointed out a few AFX elements. What are your true influences?
i have many influences, most of them seeming to have no connection to my music - i  like venetian snares, afx  - a lot of music i hear at the minute in the electronic field is either disgusting dance floor wank such as Basshunter or completely glitched to the point where the process overwhelms the sounds themselves. -  any artist which maintains a good balance i like - such as aphex twin, venetian snares, clark etc.

How does Rival Consoles compare to your alter ego, Aparatec?
aparatec would seem to be more plastic, keeping to that Detroit acid sound. though i don't set a constraint on what music should be associated with what name, i am purely trying to produce music which interests me, and then if good, expose it to people.

Which artist or track would you love to do a remix of? I'd suggest Thom York, but it seems that everyone took a stab!
although i respect good remixes it's not really something that interests me, i'm much more interested in new works - though i do make music by creating tracks and then re-sampling, re-structuring them. so my way of making music in general is a remix process. i've been meaning to remix 4:33 by J. Cage for a while.

What are you working on now? Any chance for upcoming full length?
i have a split 12"/download featuring 3 new tracks ‘Milo’, ‘Func’ and ‘ARP’, which also includes 2 tracks from Kiasmos, Ólafur Arnalds new minimal techno side project. i also have a debut album set to be released in June called 'IO' which steps into a slightly different feel than previous Rival Consoles releases. centered around analogue acid synthesizers, and a lust for catchy music which still has some kind of integrity. all to be released on Erased Tapes Records.

myspace.com/rivalconsoles | erasedtapes.com

Resonant Forms (Los Angeles, April 3 - 5, 2009)

I rarely get this excited about live shows these days. Don't get me wrong, I love to see the artists perform. But with the bad sound system, rowdy crowd, and god awful hours, it's difficult for the event to compete with my studio speakers. But Resonant Forms is a whole new deal, boys and girls. I am so excited about this event that I've got myself a ticket to LA, where I plan on immersing myself within the art, the music, and the people for the whole three days.

No, it's not an outdoor festival, where you go to sleep in the morning hours, and wake up sweaty at noon with the sun blazing on your tent. This festival will be held at LACE (Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions). In collaboration with VOLUME, the festival will showcase new and established artists focusing on experimental electronic music, live cinema, and sound art.

The event will kick off with a live cinema performance by SUE-C. and Laetitia Sonami, titled Sheepwoman. The duo will premiere this piece with projection of photographs, drawings, three dimensional objects, and a huge array of other media, all of which will be manipulated in real time to create visuals inspired by Haruki Murakami's novels, "The Wild Sheep Chase" and "Dance, Dance, Dance" (watch the Sheepwoman trailer). Now I am very much familiar with Murakami, a contemporary Japanese surrealist fiction icon, and so I'm already drooling in anticipation of this presentation. And that's just the beginning!

Throughout three days my ears will be sonicly treated with performances by William Basinski, Richard Chartier, Christopher Willits, Kadet Kuhne, Lucky Dragons, Yann Novak and Celer. Where do I begin in expressing my adoration for the above mentioned names and their contributions towards the contemporary evolution of ambient, minimal, and experimental electronic sound. I briefly spoke with Richard, and he informed me that his projected set will include a solo performance and a rare collaborative performance with Basinski, of a version of Untitled 3, from Untitled 1-3 (LINE). This will be my chance to witness this only second live performance to date! Throughout the space there will be installations by David Kwan, Mark Trayle and artSpa, hosted by Adam Overton.

Oh, and if that's not enough, during the day, there will be panel discussions with Basinski, Khne, Trayle and Kwan. On another day, Christopher Willits will present a workshop, titled "Designing Process", based around the use and evolution of customized signal processing, and software tools Max/MSP/Jitter and Ableton Live.

And me? I will be observing, interviewing, soaking in, and floating through, submerged in visuals and sound. I plan on covering the entire event yielding a journalistic piece, which will emerge on its own during this experience. Again, I am very much excited about this upcoming event, and if you happen to live or be in the LA area, be sure to not miss out on this. Looking forward to meeting everyone and you!

welcometolace.org | volumeprojects.org | artleak.org

Bersarin Quartett - Bersarin Quartett (Lidar)

From the very few opening notes, I know that I'm in for a treat. As the album progresses, I get wide-eyed, and instead of paying attention to details [I know I will be coming back for more later], I spend time researching, tracing the steps that led me to accidentally miss this album, and calling all my friends to tell them about Bersarin Quartett. It's like I missed an entire year, while the self-titled album was there all along, spreading its loveliness across all open ears but mine. Well, I hope it's not too late to bluntly rant and rave about it, so that those who are asleep like me, can be awakened with this bliss. Because, kids, this is another one of those albums that rapidly wedges its way into the previously posted and now begging to be revised, Best of 2008 list. Bersarin Quartett is the solo project of Thomas Bücker, who for a while was hiding in the shadows under blank names in net-label releases Electronica Unplugged 1 (Aerotone, 2006) and its followup, Electronica Unplugged 2 (Aerotone, 2007). But digging deeper through a web of contributions and aliases, Bücker's discography reveals production work through an entire decade, when under the Jean-Michel moniker he released Marshmallow Rooms (Eleganz Records, 1999). OK, so at least I'm not drooling over a newcomer who completely blew me away with his production and composition. That is not to say that it underplays the work in any shape or form. On Bersarin Quartett, Bücker picks up the conductor's baton and draws all eyes upon him. With elegant gestures, he moves the modern classical progressions through ambient orchestral drones ala Biosphere's Shenzhou (Touch, 2002), to paced minimal pieces reminescent of Marsen Jules' Les Fleurs (City Centre Offices, 2006), to cinematic soundtracks and program music of Max Richter's The Blue Notebooks (130701, 2004), all beautifully complemented with a light touch of elements of  jazzy experimental IDM to land among the fans of Murcof, Helios, and The Cinematic Orchestra. How is that for some name dropping? The man behind the music on Bersarin Quartett laughs at my attempt of making The Best of 2008 Compilation mix of my favorite tracks, and instead drops his entire album on my lap. "Here. Listen to this. How is that for summarizing your favorite music of the latter years?" The imaginary projection of his voice is right. This album has it all. Enough to fill a page with adjectives, comparisons, and clichés. Instead, I'm feverishly typing words into this box in a desperate attempt to get you to listen to the album at all costs and then judge for yourself. Seriously. Just get it. Bersarin Quartett is the second release on Dortmund based (Germany) Lidar Productions label which first put out Jasper TX's A Darkness, back in 2007. If you're having trouble locating Bersarin Quartett in the US, may I recommend our good friends at n5MD, who have a few copies in their excellent mail order shop. Recommended for the likes of the above mentioned artists plus Emanuelle Errante, Jacaszek, Julien Neto and Rafael Anton Irisarri.

myspace.com/bersarinquartett | beatsbeyond.de
myspace.com/lidarproductions | lidar-productions.net

Another Electronic Musician - Five (n5MD)

It's about time that I got my hands on Jase Rex's fifth release, appropriately titled Five. Critics universally agree, that unlike his moniker suggests, Rex is not just Another Electronic Musician. And though the past releases by Rex were closer to subdued melodic electronica, this album clearly puts the D in IDM. Familiar playful glitchy percussion is complimented by strictly defined rhythmic structures, covering groovy dub beats with layers of pads, delayed jazzy chords, and sprinkles of digital errors. Five becomes more than a head bopping album, it begs for a loungy atmosphere  and shoulder popping dance floor alike. These days Jase Rex is hanging out in Southern California, where he must surround himself by a vast influential musical library, from early pioneers of electronica to the latest craze of dubstep, as it clearly reflects in his music. This marriage of the old and the new is at once familiar and welcome, as the two favorite elements bridge together in the album that keeps on pumping catchy hooks in every track. Where sound becomes a story, and the story yields the sound. This is an interesting addition to n5MD, considering that this highly reputable and personally admired Oakland based label, tends to [lately] focus on less upbeat releases - from ambient neofolk by Last Days, to electronic dreamscapes from Near The Parenthesis, to post-rock shoegaze by the owner himself, Mike Cadoo (aka Bitcrush). It's an interesting avenue that is only applauded by at least this fan of the label. Although I tend to agree that IDM in its original incarnation may be long dead, and that the acronym is slapped and overused by many, we owe it to Another Electronic Musician for keeping it alive (even if it needs a little life support). Thank you, Jase, for a wonderful reminder of the times that are still yet to come.

myspace.com/anotherelectronicmusician | anotherelectronicmusician.com
myspace.com/n5mafia | n5md.com

Two and a Half Questions with Another Electronic Musician

I have to ask - what made you choose your moniker?
When I chose "Another Electronic Musician" as my moniker the number of bedroom composers (or under the stairs for me) within the electronic music community was growing rapidly. My intention was to communicate that, yes, I was yet another electronic musician, but that, in openly stating so, I would eliminate any potential negative connotations associated with beginning as a bedroom composer, and have my music taken at face value.  Unfortunately my moniker has been seen as a means of self deprecation, which was not its intent.

Five is an interesting departure, or perhaps just a side step, from your previous works. Can you tell us more about your decisions of producing a more dance oriented album?
Five was written during a good period in my life.  I was happy and having fun and I think it came through.  I wanted to communicate the uplifting feelings of love from my family and friends I was experiencing.  The dance aspect was a result of this, I wanted people to have fun while listening to it. I do not view Five as a departure from my previous releases. I think it is a progression and contains what I learned during the writing of Use and Patience.  Just as a person evolves over time, I feel my releases have evolved.  It may not be the smartest business move, but I approach writing music as a learning experience and what I write at any particular time is what I feel I need to explore more deeply.

Being just another electronic musician, I imagine you producing on your laptop in your bedroom. What is your current hardware/software setup like?
The days of writing under the stairs are long gone.  I currently have a studio where I do most of my writing.  I do, however, use my laptop to capture ideas whenever they happen. My current setup - Computer: Intel Core2 Quad Q6600, 4gb RAM, 3 each 500gb HD, WinXP; Audio Cards: 4 each Echo Audio Layla 24/96; Hard Synths/Effects: Roland Space Echo RE-101, Roland Space Echo RE-201, Roland JX-8P, Roland SH-32, Nord Modular, Yamaha TX7, Waldorf Blofeld, Waldorf MicroWave XT, Korg MS2000R,  Digitech S-100, Electrix Warp Factory; Soft Synths/DAW: Ableton Live, Native Instruments, Various Other Synths/Effects...

Do you think we should retire the IDM genre, at least in its definition or the acronym? Perhaps we should call it something else?
I do not pay attention to genres.  I am probably the worst person to ask about what music is commonly classified in what genre and whether it is appropriate.  Five has been classified by some as IDM, Dub, Lounge, while Patience was Glitch, Ambient, Dub and Use was Minimal, Glitch, Ambient, IDM it all makes no difference to me.

How do you describe your music to your parents?
I have explained my music to my parents as experimental electronic music which is made on a computer.  Anything more specific than that would be out of context for them.  They have always been very supportive of my music.  Five was the first album that they were able to 'understand' and apparently it is something that they play for their friends.  That makes me feel good.

myspace.com/anotherelectronicmusician | anotherelectronicmusician.com

Interbellum - Over All of Spain the Sky is Clear (FlingcoSoundSystem)

FlingcoSoundSystem is a relatively new Chicago based label spearheaded by Bruce Adams, who back in 1993 was one of the co-founders behind Kranky. OK, do I have your attention? Now settle down and keep listening. With this fourth label release, Over All of Spain the Sky is Clear, FSS is introducing us to Brendan Burke, aka Interbellum. On the album, we hear Burke behind the piano, while Fred Lonberg-Holm softly plays the cello. The tracks are recorded in their open ended form, following a minimal restraint digital and acoustic manipulation, with the help of applied mathematics and durational processing. I'd be lying if I said I really understood the mathematical formulations in this piece, but it is the end-result that's important here. And it speaks for itself. Fans of long form and improvisational modern classical pieces would be absolutely delighted to hear this duet. While none of the pieces overpower the mind with concrete melodical structure, the overall drifting experience is that of pure musical exploration. Throughout the album, the sound vibrates, travels, and floats in and out of our peripheral hearing, until the slightly audible voice becomes almost coherent, only to drown again in the harmony of bowed and struck strings, which flips between the major and minor scales, like a child laughing through the tears after a fall. This unobtrusive wondering through musical modes becomes especially apparent during the second track on the album, The Life and Death of Anne Zimmerman, which is over twenty minutes long. Add to that some distant crackling, echoed machine buzzing, and you've got yourself a requiem for the living. Interbellum [in its definition of the word], is a period of time between wars (World Wars I and II to be more specific). Perhaps such definition will explain the more somber mood of of this unfolding album, which, as with all other FSS releases, is meant to be listened to in one sitting, as a collection of sequenced tracks, making up a coherent album as a whole. Pick up this digital release from flingcosound.com available for download for only $5. Recommended if you like Richard Skelton, Machinefabriek and Sylvain Chauveau as well as some acoustic pieces by The World's End Girlfriend.

myspace.com/interbellumsound | flingcosound.com

Two and a Half Questions with Brendan Burke

I'm very curious about the role of "applied mathematics" and "durational processing" in your work. Can you elaborate?I've been interested in algorithmic composition for quite a while now. Probably the first time I began to think about it was many years ago in college when I bought Discreet Music by Eno and read his liner notes.  My education is in Mathematical Logic, and while in graduate school I began reading the work of David Cope, who is at UC Santa Cruz and has written extensively on algorithmic composition. That work had a big influence on my thinking on the subject.  For this record, on certain pieces I used a software program that I wrote which chooses both melodic and harmonic progressions based on a probabilistic method that takes into account many variables.  That said, a lot of the work on the record is written in more traditional ways and some is even improvised, so I'm not an algorithmic composition purist.

How much of your work is improvised at the time of the actual recording?
The piano parts were seldom improvised.  I wanted them to mostly provide a harmonic foundation for the cello.  There were fully written cello parts for each piece.  However, when we recorded, Fred played the parts as written, but also did a couple improvisational passes through each song.  I ended up using elements of both the composed and improvised cello.

What are some of the digital processing techniques that you used on the album?
The instruments are not really processed much after recording, with some exceptions. There are the usual engineering techniques: a bit of EQ, a little compression, and occasionally  heavy use of delay or reverb.  I also used some distortion as well.  The "non-instruments" (samples, noises)  are usually not processed very much.  They are generally used more or less as I found or recorded them.  There is, of course, a large degree of layering and looping of parts as well.

Do you have any interest in writing film scores?
Film scores are an interesting subject.  Part of what I wanted to do with this record was to have the sound be sort of like a soundtrack.  But unlike other "soundtracky" music, I wanted the listener to hear all the sound from the film, not just the music.  So that's part of the reason for voices and the sounds of crowds and other sounds on the record.  I wanted it to be more like going to the movies, but with your eyes closed.  So you can hear the music, but also small parts of the dialog as well.  So in that sense, each song has a theme and the samples and noises are generally all related to that theme.  I hope that makes sense.

Who is Anne Zimmerman?
Anne Zimmerman was my grandmother.  She was a nurse,a leader in the labor movement, and a pioneer in the movement for worker justice.  She was at one time the president of the American Nurses Association and was a founding member of the Interfaith Committee for Worker Justice.  Also, we spoke almost every day on the phone until her death a few years ago. Here's a little bio if you want to learn more.

myspace.com/interbellumsound | flingcosound.com

Reso - Live @ The Kinetic Playground (Chicago, 03.14.08)

I always show up early. Especially at the club. I like to watch the atmosphere evolve, the vibe morph, and the dance floor slowly cover its shameful nudity with a layer of sweaty bodies. Tonight, I'm at The Kinetic Playground - a Chicago venue, which usually showcases live music from blues and jazz to rock and jam bands. But spring is here. Change is coming. Bass is in the house. The Kinetic Playground has opened its doors to one of the UK dubstep scene's rising stars, Reso. Ten bucks at the door, free parking, and a double shot of 15 year Glenfiddich in my glass. Now I'm ready.

For the opening DJs, who spun everything from dubstep and grime to old-skool hip-hop and breaks, the bass was a bit on a weak side, getting lost in the corners of the venue, where it would gather in invisible clouds of standing waves. But by the time Reso went up, the sound engineer seemed to solve this dilemma by turning the volume way the fuck up. And after the girls in high heels, and the boys with the glowsticks went home, Reso ripped it up with the rawest, filthiest, and nasty vibrations. Here's what happened next. Ugly mud creatures oozing with rubber stank wobbled up from the darkest crevices of the venue. Absolutely disgusting, saw-toothed synths, clawed through the revolting layers of smut and grime. My entire body hurt from cringing my nose, clenching my jaw, and shaking my head in disbelief. You sick, vulgar, mother fucker. What did you just do?

I've been following Reso ever since my good friend Rob Booth introduced me to his sound through Electronic Explorations. Since then, I've snatched up every 12" and digital release (available from beatport.com) that Alex Melia has released on a roster of labels like Urban Graffiti, Civil Music, Pitch Black, and even a collaboration with Ruckspin on my favorite Ranking Records. Reso's unique sound can be summarized with one of my all time top tracks, Onslaught, available on Tags & Throw-Ups Vol. 5 (Urban Graffiti, 2008). Make sure to pick up Reso's 2009 collaboration with I.D, Shifty EP (Smokin' Sessions, 2009). Reso is currently finishing up his full length debut due for release in 2009.

Big ups to Phaded, who also runs The Dented Sessions on Dubstep.fm every Sunday 2-6pm (CST), for bringing Reso to Chicago. And now I hear that Rusko will be here next (Smartbar, April 2), while The Kinetic Playground will keep their new bass infused lineup by showcasing Colorado's Vibesquad.

myspace.com/corgrimey | thekineticplayground.com
myspace.com/sosophaded | electronicexplorations.org

Mechanical Steering - 10:10pm (self)

It seems that bigger labels started to steer away from straight up IDM in the recent years. Perhaps the passing away of Merck, and the resurrection of Neo Ouija may be a testament to that. Even n5MD chilled out and turned towards emotional electronica. In my opinion it has to do with evolution of sound, and the perfection and polishing thereof. You pick a direction and you go with it. So it was a pleasure to stumble upon an exciting and innovative album by an unsigned artist who goes by the name of Mechanical Steering. As always, with amazing self released albums, there is a spark of excitement in the air, the standing waves of sound excited with organic electricity, the crackle of the processed bits bouncing off the porous walls into my body. You feel as if on the tip of discovery. And that discovery is this unknown album by an unsigned name.Designed from sampled urban environmental sounds and digital manipulation, 10:10pm is a poisonous cocktail of melancholic melodies and distorted beats. The sounds break through the web of suffocating percussion and shifting noise, bombarding your ears and mind with complex patterns that resolve into the beauty of their simplicity. Complimented with industrial mechanical sounds, dark passageways, and deep descends, the sound slowly rises to the surface where you find yourself catching 10:10 on the clock again. And again...Konin (Poland) based Mechanical Steering has ben producing electronic music since 1999. Initially creating a few albums under the alias Head, the music slowly matured into the sound of 10:10pm. It's a wonder that this artist has not been snatched by a prominent label yet, as I can totally see his releases on Ad Noiseam, Hymen and Tympanik alike. The album is currently self distributed on Amazon, iTunes, Rhapsody, and lala.com (note: 10:10pm is published under the Head alias). Recommended if you like Hecq, Gridlock, Subheim and Ginormous.

myspace.com/mechanicalsteering | mechanicalsteering.com

Two and a Half Questions with Mechanical Steering

You initially started off with an alias Head. Why did you change your name to Mechanical Steering?
The answer is very simple. After some time, I realized that there are many artists with the name "Head". I was discovering hundreds and thousdands of them on the net. I needed something more unique and original. It was possible for me to undergo a name change easily, since I'm still not that famous in the music business yet.

How did you end up releasing 10:10pm all on your own?
This is even easier to answer - I could not find a label which could properly promote my material. I gave up on working with a netlabel since I received no exposure at all. My own promotion on Myspace was more fruitful than theirs. I will continue to look for a sensible label. I am also interested in playing live, since this allows for a larger exposure to my music.

What do you think is the most difficult aspect of finding a label?
Today, is a very tough time for a real artist. If you do not produce something that follows the mainstream sound, something easy and nice, you have a very small chance of finding a label. Do note, that even if the label will produce and sponsor something new and fresh, it must still be a bit traditional, and must work well with the label's agenda. Only a small number of artists are lucky enough to cross this bridge, or brave enough to go on their own in special and unique way. And this is very sad...

Who are some of your inspirations?
I see inspirations everywhere: in nature, in art, in every single sound, like the sound of a passing train, for example. Everything depends on having an open mind and from your perception of the world.I never limit myself.

myspace.com/mechanicalsteering | mechanicalsteering.com

:papercutz - Lylac (Apegenine)

From digitally manipulated recordings of organic instruments, to organic interpretations of abstract digitalism, :papercutz presents his debut album, Lylac, for the fans of experimental leftfield pop music. Broken breathy vocals contributed by Melissa Veras intermix with thematic elements of chords, stabs, and plucked strings, all without taking on the lead in the arrangement; while glitched out beats and sprinkled multi instrumentation take to the forefront instead. :papercutz is Portuguese Bruno Miguel, who first appeared on the scene with his Ultravioleta EP on Montreal based Apegenine recordings [the same label that introduced us to Emanuele Errante and Julien Neto on Apegenine Volume 1 compilation (2004)].  On his site, among a more interesting explanation behind the concept of the album, Miguel defines: "To be papercutzed: to pursue your own way, to dream images in music, to like the light as well as the dark, to see all music styles as valid languages in which artists use to describe what's inside them, to find :papercutz's music and ideas a place where you can lose yourself... let's get lost!" Hmmm. I like that. I've always thought of our five senses as just receptors of various communication protocols through which we all attempt to send or receive a message. Albeit very much unsuccessfully, since all our visual and auditory sensors get corrupted with real and imaginary noise and do not have built in error correction. But I digress [feel free to ping me on this topic though]... On Lylac, Miguel does just that. He fans out the confetti of his shredded thoughts into our ears where they circle, float, and finally settle to cover the empty spaces occupied by silence. It's nice to finally get to know :papercutz on a more personal level after such a brief introduction via Ultravioleta EP, although be it with a few helpful remixes of The Sight Below, Neotropic, Spandex and Signer.

myspace.com/papercutzed | papercutzed.com
myspace.com/apeg | apegenine.com

Two and a Half Questions with Bruno Miguel

What instruments do you play on Lylac?
Piano, acoustic guitar, xylophone, melodica, synth & sampled strings. Some instruments I was taught to play, others I just learned the basics by myself. But the piano has been my main interest for some time now and I recently got back to some classical studies with a great professor I met. There are just so many layers and different ways you can approach it...it truly is an amazing instrument!

What elements, would you say, are present in a composition to label it with "pop"?
I'm guessing you're asking me that since :papercutz has been labeled by Apegenine recordings as (intelligent/experimental) Pop which some people find it strange. The fact is I think the music I make is on the borderline of what could be considered Pop music or just plain electronic or leftfield music. You could say Pop music is a music genre that features recognizable melodies and some conventional structure. But don't confuse that entirely with mainstream music. As most musicians know you could play almost every piece of mainstream music with a variation of three to four major chords, almost always the same ones just in different sequences. But Pop music is music that gets to people's hearts by a common language.

So what does that have to do with :papercutz?
Simple, even if I do like and use this sort of musical signatures and the reaction they cause on listeners one of main motivation is to try to subvert what's expected... I mean experiment with structure (verse, chorus, bridge), vocals (which can play part as a lead, or just as percussive element or as background atmosphere), using known acoustic instruments but processing them with electronics, try out different spoken languages or work out album transitions or live shows sequences so songs feel connected as a whole but always try to convey feelings and emotions not just pure music rationality. I mean, I could do more experimental stuff, I like all types of music, and there's no telling I won't do stuff like that in the future but for now this is where I feel comfortable and where I think as a musician I have something different to offer. At the end of the day things just come out naturally when I compose and I hope that definitions will be surpassed by the music itself. Funny enough I caught your interview with one of the artists that did a remix for us, The Sight Below, and he mentioned “I do not view Glider in any other way than a very personal and emotional album. It grew out of a lot of things that were happening at the time I wrote it, so I wasn’t really trying to make music to fit a certain genre. It just went that direction naturally”. Just goes to show how two supposedly very differently labeled artists try to convey exactly the same.

There is a much deeper side to Lylac, asking the questions of being, in the past, present and future. What role does time play in your conceptual work as well as every day life?
On a macro scale :papercutz concepts have been following what I've gone trough in life. So there is a definitely timeline although somewhat blurred by flashbacks and future insights. What makes us is what we were, are and what we'll become. Sometimes people remember you from one definite time period and in their mind that's what you are but we're always growing and defining ourselves. If that's one thing I'm learning is that we're always changing, inside and out, and that's a good thing as long as you don't let go of what you you've gone through. I don't really focus on everyday life, but all those micro events can be use full if they can tell a bigger story.

What is the relationship between "complexity" and "simplicity" on your album?
That has to do with my second answer really. I think :papercutzs music and "Lylac" in particular comes in layers. You can get some of it at first glance but as you dwell deeper you'll find there's a lot more be it musically, lyrics, concept, visuals,...just like you'd find on great Pop artist. Poor mainstream music however has nothing else underneath.

myspace.com/papercutzed | papercutzed.com

Propellerheads - Decksandrumsandrockandroll (Wall of Sound)

So whatever happened to these guys? You remember their hit single History Repeating, which at one point was played on every radio station back in 1997 after being featured in that hysterical film, There's Something About Mary. Then, there was the Spybreak! track which appeared in The Matrix. Meanwhile, the track Crash, was used in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. Even the Take California track from this same album was the first song ever used in an iPod commercial. So, by my calculations, these guys had it going for them, and then poof! Nothing! Did they just cash out? The only full length album to date is Decksandrumsandrockandroll released on London based Wall of Sound back in 1998. The big beat sound by Will White and Alex Gifford quickly took the world by storm. The groovy and repetitive beats which were perfected at the time by The Prodigy, The Chemical Brothers, Fatboy Slim, and The Crystal Method take on a jazzy, funky and playful spin, with a few vocal samples, turning on a few new mainstream listeners to breaks and breakbeat. On the track, 360° (Oh Yeah?), De La Soul contributes frozen-style urban rhymes that quickly flip the record to intelligent slow-groove loungy hip-hop sound. History Repeating is of course at the center of the album, featuring the vocals of '60s cabaret vocalist, Shirley Bassey. This is definitely a catchy tune that quickly got snatched  up by a few advertising campaigns (including a Jaguar and a Pantene Pro-V commercial... heh). But the big beat sound proliferates the album, prominent with plenty of breaks, James Bond-like spy film themes, and the head-bopping sounds that still sound super fresh a decade later. Propellerheads are still quiet. No new tracks and no new albums since the one and only. Well, there was one new track, appropriately titled 10 Years, which appeared on the Wall of Sound's compilation double disk, Off The Wall - 10 Years Of Wall Of Sound, commemorating the labels, well... you guessed it, 10 year anniversary. Last I heard, Will White played the drums for Long Range during its live performances. Long Range, of course, is a UK group comprised of Nick Smith and Phil Hartnoll of Orbital. Meanwhile, I continue to enjoy this album time and time again... And until the duo decides to get back into the studio, I have only one thing to say: Bang On!

The Prodigy - Invaders Must Die (Take Me to the Hospital)

Should I even bother covering this? It's not like Liam needs my help. His 5th studio album, Invaders Must Die, barely hit the streets, and already all of the notable publications have lauded this long awaited album with more than favorable reviews. It's not like Liam needs my words to boost his career, although it's been five years since his last album, Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned (XL, 2004). And I do mean - his. Besides what you may hear or believe, the man... the only man... the musical genius, The Prodigy, is Liam Howlett. Yet while the words pour in, the shouts and murmurs accelerate in frequency, and a stack of promos from independent labels and unknown artists grows on my desk, here I am... writing about the album. I think the reason behind it is simple. And my woofers can attest. Invaders Must Die is a slam dunk. Period. No, it's not the anticlimactic return of the artist who blew out the speakers of my first owned car with Experience (XL, 1992). It's not the attempt of reinvention of the incredibly powerful and unprecedented underground sound of Music For The Jilted Generation (XL, 1994). It's not even the post-script of the pop-rising and slightly weathered return of The Fat of the Land (XL, 1997). While the rest adapt, remix, rinse, spit and swallow, Howlett bursts our comfort membranes with his own masterful style. Pop! Invaders Must Die opens up with a title track slamming into your face with saw toothed synths, distorted guitars, and extreme precision rhythmic programming of the genre that was invented by the man himself. Oh please, please, please let the album be as good as the first track! And so it goes! A collection of eleven songs [I'll call'em songs since some have the lyrics in that famous Prodigy style], pushes and jolts your brain as if strapped to a hot electrode until the very end. Acoustic drums are compressed and mashed up into pounding big beats, with deep riding bass lines, occasionally cut with a flashback to The Prodigy's older tracks. My favorite, of course, are the re-sampled old-skool rave stabs, which are implanted in my memory and in the history of Electronic Music. Here, Howlett skillfully wraps all the elements into a radio hit format, which no doubt will top the UK charts. Quick nod to Take Me to the Hospital, a  sub-label of London based Cooking Vinyl, specifically created to put out this, and possibly other upcoming releases by The Prodigy. Although, as I said, all of the music is all Liam, the two original members of the act, Keith Flint and Maxim Reality, return, no doubt to wreak havoc on the upcoming UK arena tour with some support from Dizzee Rascal and Fight Like Apes. If you are a collector of all EPs, offshoots, and limited goodies, you absolutely must get the Omen EP where Noisia contributes a sick drum'n'bass remix. Play it loud!

myspace.com/theprodigy | theprodigy.com
cookingvinyl.com

Spleen - Where We All Fit In (Summer Rain Recordings)

Beautiful melodic electronica will always have a slot on my shelf. Even if it's a digital only release. And here's one from a quickly gaining recognition netlabel, Summer Rain Recordings. And the label has a clear defined goal and purpose - all signed artists donate 5% of their royalties to NextAid (or any selected charity). And this is music you should be gladly paying for anyway. Spacey, euphoric, and melancholic - the sound of Where We All Fit In falls somewhere between downtempo and IDM. In fact, Spleen defines the style himself as melantronica. But it's not just sadness that saturates this four track EP. In many places it is up-beat, light-hearted and breezy, perfectly fitting on an appropriately named label. Spleen is the solo project of Antwerp (Belgium) based Lennart Vanstaen. His musical influences include Radiohead, The Album Leaf and a roster of Icelandic musicians like Sigur Ròs, Björk and Mùm. Mentioning those artists should give you a rough idea of Vanstaen's influenced style. It's easy to imagine this music accompanying a film, a lonely commute, a soundtrack to a passing life. In fact, Vanstaen has collaborated with Sophie Vanhomwegen to produce a soundtrack for a short film, Whatever Floats Your Boat, which was selected for the HDFEST film festival. This EP is Spleen's second release on Summer Rain Recordings. His previous contribution was 6 Moons Ago EP released in February 2008. [I want to make a quick note, that Lennart Vanstaen's alias Spleen, is not to be confused with Miro Merlak's Spleen, who released a self-titled electronic album on Phthalo Records in 2001].

myspace.com/visitspleen
myspace.com/summerrainrecordings | summerrainrecordings.net

2562 - Aerial (Tectonic)

Twenty-five sixty-two is not just a postcode in The Netherlands' Den Hague - it is also an alias of its resident who is a prolific producer of dubstep, techno, and broken beat atmospherics. Dave Huismans's first full length release on Tectonic under 2562 moniker is titled Aerial. Tectonic is the same label that previously brought you the 12-inchers from Pinch, Skream, and Cyrus. On Aerial, Huismans layers dubbed out minor chords on top of the blowing wind of white noise and deep sub-bass enriched syncopated beats. The rhythm bounces between a Detroit-meets-Berlin techno sound and reverb heavy dubstep, creating tunes geared more towards home listening then as the fillers on the dance floor [not that hearing these tracks booming on a loud sound system would be unappealing].With his own personal style, Aerial is more of an album then a compilation of singles. The tracks work well together, wrapped around the concept the same way Burial delivered the unmistakable sound of Untrue. One thing for sure - this isn't the sound of London. That is to say, that it seems to have more in common with minimal dub techno then the filthy bass ridden dubstep hooks. Both styles are excellent - just depends what you're in the mood for at the moment. And this very instant, I need to be chilled out and at the same time warmed up, keeping the evil grin away. At the end everything is just a matter of taste. And there's only one way for you to find out.For more music from Huismans, check out his two side projects: a few EPs on Subsolo Records as A Made Up Sound; and earlier released jazzy broken beat EPs on the Dutch Flyin' High Records under Dogdaze alias. Recommended if you want to hear dubstep with some Modern Love and Basic Channel feel.

myspace.com/2562dub
myspace.com/tectonicrecordings

BLÆRG - Dysphoric Sonorities (Bottle Imp Productions)

Since the good ol' days of Squarepusher's jazzy idm breaks, laced with jungle flavored drill'n'bass, I've been nostalgic for that fading away sound. Even Venetian Snares modern-classical-meets-breakcore masterpiece, Rossz Csillag Alatt Született (Planet Mu, 2005), is now almost four years old. Has the genre put on an angrier mask and turned to gabber-heavy random-triggered mayhem? Where are those melodically driven themes complimented by intelligent macro programmed precision percussion? Or maybe I'm just not looking in the right places. Feel free to turn me in the right direction.Imagine my surprise when I landed on BLÆRG. This Ohio (US) based producer is everything mentioned above and more! [Yes, exclamation point is really necessary at this point]. Scott Wehman is not exactly a newcomer to the scene. Initially playing bass guitar for a few local metal bands, Wehman turned to producing electronica. With a few digital releases and a full length, Sesquipedalia (FromTheGut, 2007), Wehman joined Detroit stationed Bottle Imp Productions' roster, and opened up with a his sophomore album, Dysphoric Sonorities. Following this release he put out a very lovely limited EP [only 50 copies!], Auspices & Vagaries (Bottle Imp, 2008) and a collection of earlier tracks [presumably traded over the slsk network], Soulseek Days (Bottle Imp, 2008).On Dysphoric Sonorities, Wehman cleverly masters all of the beloved elements of intelligent breakcore - from jazzy keys, to bass slaps, to piano chords, to acoustic percussion drilled and glitched out to perfection. And there is enough evil in there to satisfy the angry rats scratching at the surface of the inside of my skull. Oh, and did I mentioned that production is top notch? Highly recommended along with the EP (if you are one of the lucky ones to get your dirty paws on it), if you like above mentioned names, plus Xanopticon, The Flashbulb, Enduser, Igorrr and Wisp.

myspace.com/blaerg  |  fromthegut.org/blaerg
myspace.com/bottleimpproductions  |  bottle-imp.com

Two and a Half Questions with Blaerg

I read that Blaerg is an anagram for 'garble'. How did you come up with this name?
Quite honestly it was a nonsense word i uttered once while yawning. My wife found it to be extremely funny so it became an oft-repeated thing around the house. So the word was drifting around in my head about the time I started toying with the idea of production, and once I started creating tracks and using it as a moniker (It was one certain way to ensure I wouldn't end up with a duplicate name - who would want to use that stupid word?), I was told that "blarg" was onomatopoeia for vomiting in the Norwegian language. It was also an excuse to use the ash grapheme (Æ) for no reason at all, other than it looks cool. After years using this name, a friend pointed out that it was an anagram for "garble" (Pria gets credit in the Dysphoric liner notes). An anagram is a rearrangement, garble means rearrangement, my music is an exercise in rearrangement - perfect!

I found your limited EP, Auspices & Vagaries, to be a lot more musical then the darker Dysphoric Sonorities. Would you agree? And which one of these styles of breakcore do you enjoy making the most?
I would say Auspices is more directly melodious, but not more musical. I always think of certain things I would like to accomplish with my tracks, but I find my attempts usually fail completely and I end up with some other strange result that is equally, if not more, pleasing. I think some people can have a mental conception of a track and then execute it, but this is not something i'm able to do. Instead I merely collect a disparate amount of elements together and see if they pastiche favorably. I trust this process and let the samples tell me where they'd like to go. So, the most enjoyable part of the process is after all the samples have been collected and loaded into the sequencer and the first melodies are constructed. There is a "eureka!" moment where I think "this will work!" and then I proceed to flesh out the tune, which is a very energizing and life-affirming activity for me.

So is that live bass guitar that I'm hearing on some tracks? What about percussion? Where do you get your drum samples from?
Nope! Recording is a whole extra process that I find tedious, so I prefer to glean samples from whatever happens to cross my ear, which is as often music I love as it is music I loathe. I am especially enamored with "clean" drum sounds from dry-sounding jazz recordings, but anything is fair game: sample packs, horrible commercial pop music, death metal, ethnic sounds.

Who are your musical influences, and who would you like to collaborate with in the future if given an opportunity?
I will state for the record that my favorite album of all time is Atheist - Unquestionable Presence. It has energy, technicality, diverse and quick-changing ideas, supremely executed musicianship, incredibly catchy melodies... it is an endlessly inspiring work for me. I also get a lot out of the "big" melodies of Frank Zappa. I wish I could write melodies like that, they just well up a huge emotional reaction every time. I have collaborated in the past with other projects, but for BLÆRG I prefer to control all aspects of the process. I'll likely stick to that method for the foreseeable future.

What are you working on right now?
A bachelor's degree in social work, hahaha. It is strange to take a break from producing, but I have some other areas of life that need attention right now and the remaining time isn't sufficient to work on music properly. If I never complete another BLÆRG track I can feel satisfied about the past work, but I fully intend to continue on with the project at some distant point in the future.

myspace.com/blaerg  |  fromthegut.org/blaerg

Ø - Oleva (Sähkö)

You would think that by being one of the prominent sound engineers and pioneers in experimental music since 1993, Mika Vainio would have run out of steam. You would think that numerous copy cats would push his sound design into obscure corner of just another knob tweaking artist. You would think. But Vainio treads on. Currently residing in Berlin, Vainio is a prominent member of the acclaimed Pan Sonic duo (with Ilpo Väisänen). And besides his more established minimalist alias, Ø (pronounced "ohm"), he has also released under Kentolevi, Tekonivel, and Philus monikers - check out the Kolmio EP on Sähkö for the latter. Speaking of the label. Helsinki based Sähkö (which stands for "electricity" in Finnish) has built up a respectable catalog of abstract, minimal, and experimental releases since its launch in 1993 [same year that Detroit's Basic Channel was launched]. These are mostly featuring the output of various projects by Vainio and Väisänen, with an occasional release by Jimi Tenor, and a 12" by Mike Ink (Wolfgang Voigt). It also manages a handful of sub-labels which include Jazzpuu, Keys Of Life, and Puu (means "wood"). But back to Oleva ("The Existing") which features the familiar signature of Vainio's style of digital wire hum, low rumbling saw-tooth distortions, dark industrial stabs, and pounding minimal beats. Although the album features a few purely ambient tracks, as well as a couple of abstract drony explorations, the proliferation of tight rhythmic components make this release a more headphone oriented experience [as opposed to an archive of an experimental audio installations]. Oleva is is an ongoing exploration into noise and silence alike. Yet another excellent addition for the avid minimalist collector. It's delightful to see that Sähkö keeps on printing just the quality stuff. Make sure you are well familiar with Ø's classic Metri (Sähkö, 1994). Recommended if you love Gas, Autechre, anything from Basic Channel, and of course Pan Sonic.

myspace.com/electronicsquelches | phinnweb.org/vainio
sahkorecordings.com | phinnweb.org/sahko

Original post on headphonecommute.com

Label Profile: Tympanik Audio

In 2009, Headphone Commute introduces two new features. First of all there is our new and exciting revamped site with a better layout, navigation, and blah blah blah. And then there is a whole new Label Profile feature! First up is an excellent interview with Paul Nielsen, the head of Chicago based Tympanik Audio, which within only a year and a half has already established itself among the rhythmic noise, experimental downtempo, and dark idm scene. This interview is republished courtesy of Quark of Arrhythmia Sound, who I'm sure will appear as a contributor on Headphone Commute again in the future. Did I mention that we launched a new site? :)

Read Label Profile: Tympanik Audio on reviews.headphonecommute.com

Christopher Bissonnette - In Between Words (Kranky)

Here's another winner for Kranky, a Chicago based label that has been releasing outstanding material from Pan•American, Deerhunter, Stars Of The Lid, Loscil, Atlas Sound, Benoît Pioulard, and Valet, just to name a few. In Between Words is a sophomore release for Canadian based Christopher Bissonnette. And what a sonic treat it is! The warm layers of sound blanket the microscopic hair cells within my cochlea and gently sway them with precision controlled sound pressure. Half way through the first track an itch develops deep within my auditory canal, but I simply can not scratch that deep. Tiny white-noise artifacts crackle through the thick orchestral pads, like distant lightning in the muggy summer. But the thunder never breaks. Instead it stands still, simply just there, quietly revealing its presence, forcing you to accept. Accept this, and everything else that is currently around you. In Between Words is a collection of Bissonnette's works exploring special acoustics and integration of field recordings. Through six purely ambient and minimalist tracks, Bissonnette experiments with found sound and the empty space found in between. "Inspired by the continuous din, the constant low-level hum of urban background noise, interspersed with all manner of mechanically created sounds, Bissonnette finds in this a near-melodic soundtrack to his daily life." The organic swells are based mostly on symphonic instruments as well as macro synthesized frequency rich sound waves. As such, I find this beautiful composition much plausible to the soul, then the external background sounds of our urban environment. I almost wish that some public transportation authority would publicly broadcast this music during my morning commute. Until then, there are always headphones. If you enjoyed this album, be sure to seek out Bissonnette's debut album, Periphery (Kranky, 2005). Recommended if you follow works by Philip Jeck, Tim Hecker, Machinefabriek and Stephan Mathieu.

myspace.com/christopherbissonnette | christopherbissonnette.ca
myspace.com/krankyltd | kranky.net

Two and a Half Questions with Christopher Bissonnette

What are some of the field recordings or sampled material used on In Between Words?
The field recordings come from a few different places. Some were in closed environments where I picked up unexpected noise. I like a few chance elements included into the work. One stretch was taken in a convention center with rather noisy escalators. And a few others were captured in my own yard, where the low level din of city and industry rarely leave any silence.

You have some top notch production sound. What is your studio setup?
Truth be told my set up is rather simple. I use a digital field recorder with a few stereo and binaural mics. In the studio I use a set of Hafler monitors and amp and a fairly modest sixteen channel mixer. I have a decent turntable and a handful of useful software programs for sound design. I wish it was more exciting but I feel I can work with less equipment rather than more. Some credit certainlty needs to go to Taylor Dupree for a great mastering job.

How cold are the winters in Canada? And do you think weather and minimalist ambiance have an inner relationship?
Canada and cold winters go hand in hand. Ironically I live at the southern most region of Canada. So I wouldn’t say that I can embrace the cold like most Canadians in the North. I do believe that there is a kinship between minimalist ambient sounds and frigid temperatures. I think Geir Jenssen’s Biosphere project is testament to that.

What are you working on right now?
I’m currently working on a few smaller projects and preparing some material for live performance. In addition to that I have begun some development of new work for a new full length release. I won’t speculate on a time of completion or a release date.

myspace.com/christopherbissonnette | christopherbissonnette.ca

The Sight Below - Glider (Ghostly)

Following up the free digital teaser, No Place For Us EP (Ghostly, 2008), The Sight Below graces our ears with a full length, Glider. The album picks up right where the EP left off - majestic flowing ambient pads spreading over endless soundscapes complimented with an ongoing four/four beat. This is ambient techno at its finest. The lush acoustic guitars are drenched in layers of reverb and luscious background chords. All the instrumentation on the album [sans the 808 percussion] was done with a guitar, ebow, viola box, loop pedals, reverb units and a delay box. The lack of transition in the rhythm first may seem to sound almost amateurish (as if a simple kick was stretched out throughout the entire track), until you realize how important this explicitly desired minimalism is for creating a hypnotic atmosphere, resembling a pumping heart beat somewhere deep within your throat. The title of the album triggers a distant memory: I jump off a mountain in Rio de Janeiro, silently hand glide through thick humid air, and land on the beach. The music evokes all the experienced feelings. The calmness of the ocean. The simplicity of falling. The excitement of danger. The Glider is the perfect soundtrack for this flashback. It's a pleasure to see this album on Ghostly International which is currently celebrating its 10-year anniversary with a tour of The Sight Below, Lusine, Grouper, and others along the way (see the label's myspace for tour dates). This Seattle based artist prefers to keep out of the spotlight and stay anonymous (hopefully for the time being). And as long as The Sight Below keeps on making that great music, we don't care. You will absolutely fall in love with this album if you follow Yagya, Echospace, Gas, and Christopher Willits. And don't forget to pickup the free EP!

myspace.com/thesightbelow | ghostly.com/artists/the-sight-below
myspace.com/ghostlyinternational | ghostlyinternational.com

Two and a Half Questions with The Sight Below

There is no true definition for ambient techno. Yet, I would claim that your style perfectly defines the genre. How do you feel about this classification and the necessary evil of categorization in general?
Categorizing things is part of human nature - I'm not bothered by it, nor do I really mind any categories. Comes with the turf. I do not view 'Glider" in any other way than a very personal and emotional album. It grew out of a lot of things that were happening at the time I wrote it, so I wasn't really trying to make music to fit a certain genre. It just went that direction naturally - I think living in Seattle had a lot to do with it, as you know, we have quite gloomy weather here, specially in the winter - when I wrote the album.

Are there any specific reasons you prefer to keep a low profile?
Well, I've released music under my birth name, and originally I didn't want people to have a preconception of what TSB is all about. At the same time, I'm not really into the whole cult of personality thing that seems to be so ingrained to the electronic music community (or music in general). I'm a really introverted person in so many ways and I don't like to go around telling people I make music or what I am up to.

Now that your first full length has been out for a while, what kind of feedback has it received? I see that even Thom Yorke picked one of the tracks as his favorite of the week.
Yeah, that was really strange - no idea how Thom Yorke got ahold of the music nor do I know him or have a way to get in touch with him (for some strange reason the MySpace inbox on TSB's page was full of people asking me how to get in touch with Thom, like I would know!). So far so good - I really get a kick out of all the Gas comparisons. I love Gas' music, so it is great! At the same time, I think "Glider" is much more than just a Gas-influenced record. There are only like 3 tracks on Glider that are reminiscent of Gas (mostly because they have a 4/4 kick drum in the background). I think the rest has a lot more in common with late 80's/early 90's "shoegaze" music, than techno. I'm surprised nobody has brought up Seefeel yet!

What can we expect in the future from The Sight Below?
There's a remix EP coming up on Ghostly soon - lots of great artists reconceptualized the tracks! I'm very pleased with the results and can't wait for it to be pressed - the artwork looks incredible too!

myspace.com/thesightbelow | ghostly.com/artists/the-sight-below

Cardopusher - Mutant Dubstep Vol. 2 (Spectraliquid)

With half a dozen of twelve-inchers under his belt, and a full-length breakcore album Hippie Killers Don't Mind Jah Conversations (Peace Off, 2006), Luis Garbàn, aka Cardopusher, lands a tasteful EP on Spectraliquid, continuing the Athens based label's Mutant Dubstep series with Volume 2. Garbàn's previous output ranged from above mentioned breakcore, to gabber and ragga. Now he's trying his hand at dubstep, and very successfully, may I add. On this three track EP with an additional two remixes by Innasekt (Sneer and Sully) and Pacheko (Francisco Mejia Szilard), you can expect to hear clear influences of Garbàn's edgier side, grinding with those nasty sawtooth riffs through concrete onslaught of deeply resonating dark and dirty bass wobbles. The memory breaching melodies and hooks are screaming to be released onto the dance floor. With a saturation of dubstep tracks on the market, it's very difficult to pick out the standout tracks in the crowd. But you can be sure that Cardopusher's addition to the collection will be permanent. It's no wonder that Thom Yorke (yes, the one of Radiohead) included a remix of Cardopusher's track on his weekly music chart. While grabbing this colorful digipack from Spectraliquid, make sure to pick up the first volume in the series, kicked off by none other than Ebola (Ben Hudson). This is turning out to be a rather nice selection of releases from the predominantly breakcore influenced artists, and I'm looking forward to the volumes to follow. Meanwhile, be sure to pick up Cardopusher's second LP, Unity Means Power, released on brand spanking new Murder Channel Records.

myspace.com/cardopusher | cardopusher.com
myspace.com/spectraliquid | spectraliquid.com

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

Aidan Baker And Tim Hecker - Fantasma Parastasie (Alien8)

Toronto based Aidan Baker and Montreal based Tim Hecker pair up to deliver an abstract and experimental ambient piece on a Canadian Alien8 Recordings. Hecker is not a stranger to a noise-prominent label, having previously released Mirages (Alien8, 2004), and a re-issue of Radio Amor (Mille Plateaux, 2003). In addition, his ambient recordings have already graced quality labels like Force Inc, Staalplaat, Fat Cat and Kranky. This is, however, his very first collaboration. Baker, on the other hand, is known for his work with Leah Buckareff, together cooking up ambient drone metal under the Nadja moniker. Baker's discography is immense, and mostly consists of live improvised long pieces. His ability to churn out guitar heavy drone soundscapes can be overwhelming, but together, with Hecker's luscious synth work, they pull out a whole different beast. The overdriven guitars combined with hiss, crackle and static, vibrate feverishly across the frequency spectrum, occasionally revealing a hidden pattern, a loose structure, and a graceful melody. The paced slow-core riffs, rolling at a speed of a sleeping giant, are fed back into themselves and split through a harmonic meat grinder. All this is again mashed up, tweaked out, and faded in through a torrent of bit-crushed digitally violated audio waves that give your speakers (and ears) a massive workout. Fantasma Parastasie is a relaxing fatigue - it cradles you gently by screaming its head off. Thus, together, Backer and Hecker, define an oxymoron of ambient noise or shoegazer metal. This should be a special treat for those with a taste for Belong, Ben Frost, Fennesz, Jasper TX, and Lawrence English. Where as Baker has a bucket of upcoming albums, too many to fit in a paragraph (see my Two and a Half Questions with Aidan Baker for a full list), Hecker is scheduled to release his seventh studio album, An Imaginary Country, in March 2009 on Kranky.



myspace.com/aidanbakermusic  |  aidanbaker.org
myspace.com/rainbowbloodx  |  alien8recordings.com

Two and a Half Questions with Aidan Baker

What is your secret behind the massive volume of work that you are able to produce?
OCD

How much of your work is improvised at the time of the actual album recording?
It depends on the nature of the project -- some are entirely improvised (or spontaneously composed, as I sometimes refer to it), some partially (as with most of the Nadja recordings), and a few only minimally.

What was unique about collaborating together with Tim Hecker?
The majority of the collaborations I have done have been via trading files through the mail or online, so it was relatively unique to work with Tim in person. Also, Tim has very strong ideas about what does and does not sound good and isn't hesitant about letting you know that -- which I found refreshing!

Any musicians that you'd like to work with together in the future?
Perhaps unlikely, but: Caspar Brotzmann...Stina Nordenstam...PJ Harvey...Michael Gira...

Tell us about your upcoming releases.
I've got a number of projects in the works, but the following all have release dates over the course of the year:

Solo:
Liminoid - Alien8 Recordings
Passing Thru (a book/cd release) - Beta-Lactam Ring Records
Noise of Silence (re-issue) - Essence Records
A Picture of a Picture (collab w/ Thisquietarmy) - Killer Pimp Records

Nadja:
When I See The Sun Always Shines On Tv - The End Records (an all covers album)
Primitive North (split w/ A Storm of Light) - Robotic Empire
Under the Jaguar Sun - Beta-Lactam
Autopergamene - Essence Records
White Nights/Drone Fields (dvd) - Beta-Lactam

Whisper Room:
Birch White - Elevation Records

This is a new trio I'm in, the debut album can be previewed here:
virb.com/whisperroom

myspace.com/aidanbakermusic  |  aidanbaker.org

...out on vacation...

I am currently out on vacation. Relaxing, recharging, reflecting. But mostly catching up to music that I missed, and relistening to my favorites. I'll be back in February to pick up where we left of in December. Bringing you more reviews of the old and the new, the known and the unsigned, the beautiful and the nasty, but always good music. In 2009 I plan on continuing in the same spirit, with album writeups, two and a half questions, flashbacks to the pioneers, and an occasional label profile. Meanwhile, I invite you to submit your thoughts on this undertaking. What would you like to see of more? What do you think I can do differently? How has Headphone Commute been a treasure trove, or how has it been a complete waste of time. Until then, I don't promise any bigger or better. I don't even promise more of the same. I promise to just be here. Serving the totality of everlasting energy that I find in music.