Two and a Half Questions with Nils Frahm

Tell us a bit about the Unter | Über pieces...
James, a good promoter friend of mine, who also runs the Brian Records imprint in Bath, got in touch with me last winter and proposed to produce a handmade lathe 5-inch vinyl. I first thought it was kind of a ridiculous idea, because each side only fits 2 minutes of music max. But I thought about it and just went for it. I knew that you can’t express much in 2 minutes, but I found it very challenging and interesting to try to express at least as much as possible. So I condensed a few ideas and actually rehearsed my pieces (!). This is kind of unusual and new for me, since all the other recordings were more or less improvised takes. So I played the tunes to James and also to Robert at Erased Tapes and they both liked them quite a lot. So we decided to release it digitally at the same time to make it available for more than just 75 people. This release helped me to find a new direction for my next album. I am working on the record right now and I think it will be akin to Unter l Über, but I don’t want to say too much about it yet :)

Talk a little about the piano that you play these pieces on. What is its history?
I have a Kawai CS40 piano at home. It is a big upright, which I got from the parents of my ex-girlfriend. They didn’t use it anymore, so I bought it off them. It traveled from Hamburg to Berlin and lives in my living room ever since. It has a nice view into my backyard and when I open my window it talks to my neighbors. They don’t seem to dislike each other so far. No complaints. I keep it in excellent shape and it gets all the love it deserves. I’ve heard from many friends and musicians that this is one of the best sounding pianos they have ever played. I agree. I never played a more beautiful upright piano. I am a lucky chap. It has a lot of bass and it’s really fun to play with it.

[ - s n i p - ]

Read the entire interview on Headphone Commute

Read also our Review of 7fingers and Unter | Über

Sound Bytes : Machinefabriek / Ithaca Trio, Solo Andata and Nils Frahm

I put on my jacket for my headphone commute to work and feel the morning breeze brush my cheeks with the tips of Autumn's fingers. I guess that summer is over, and to celebrate its departure, I turn to a few latest releases from my favorite composers. Yet with these tunes, I do not bid farewell to hazy weather. Instead I welcome the somber days of what's to come, where, although sad at times, I feel at home with music. Here's another installment of Sound Bytes with a handful of recent releases that I highly recommend...

Machinefabriek / Ithaca Trio - Par Avion (Coma Architects)
Here, to uncover a few missed gems that have been quietly slipped into our hungry ears, is a beautifully packaged split EP between Rotterdam (The Netherlands) based zealous electronica ambient and acoustic sound artist, Rutger Zuydervelt (aka Machinefabriek), and a Leeds (UK) based ambient/drone collective, Ithaca Trio, which, on this release, is composed of Oliver Thurley and Stefan Wharton. The 30+ minute release, begins with four tracks of experimental jazzy, scratchy, shuffling-noisy explorations, with a distant voice by Mila Dores and a saxophone riff by Oliver Dover. The seemingly random rasps and coughs across this dusty palette create an atmosphere of distant smoky lounges, abandoned studios, and newly discovered instrumental kitchens, where the sound slowly boils to a simmer, and then quickly rises up in steam. The last two tracks on the split are by the man who is an appropriately self-proclaimed "machine factory". His music is more of a sound sculpture then an abstract composition - the field recordings, clicks, and low rumbling noises, keep your ear pressed against the wall, trying to decipher the images evoked by dripping water, closing doors, plucked metal objects, and drony pads. With tracks that have titles like "Archaeologists And Double Bass", "Architecture And Quantum Physics", and "The Desolate Delay", this mini-album is like a tiny little sound box, left to rust in a forgotten rehearsal space, only to be discovered by these musicians and released into the atmosphere, one vibrating surface at a time... The cover art of Par Avion includes a hand-written letter from the Trio to Machinefabriek, inviting him to collaborate on the split. This is a limited release, so be sure to grab your copy if you can find one! Recommended if you also follow experimental works by Sylvain Chauveau, Svarte Greiner, Stephan Mathieu and Lawrence English.

Be sure to read Two and a Half Questions with Ithaca Trio


Solo Andata - Ritual (Desire Path)
The new album by Solo Andata begins with a field recording of a seemingly hot, insect buzzing, mysterious place, saturated with organic sounds, slowly welling up to create a hum of micro-organisms chirping in unison the song of the living. This four track LP is the third full-length release by this Australian duo. We last heard from Paul Fiocco and Kane Ikin, when they released their self titled album on Taylor Deupree's 12k. Continuing their exploration of 'sonic topographies', Ritual implores sounds of "primitive gongs, bells and bowls, wildlife and environmental recordings, sacred chants, the vibration of human cancerous cells, cleavers, and prepared piano" in this very first release for the new Buffalo based label, Desire Path Recordings. The tracks take the listener's hand (or is it ear?), and slowly walk him down the eerie path, where the highest priest, the shaman, and the magician, transform the physical into spiritual and back, from the sound alone. In this ritual, the shaman is the majestic touch of Solo Andata. The last track on the album, the 20-minute piece, Incantare, (translating as 'to chant'), is a deeper spiral passage into the unknown, where deserted vocals swirl in a concoction of gentle pops, ringing bells, and bowed metallic strings. The lo-fi production adds a touch of the authentic recording, as if it was captured during a set of symbolic performances (and perhaps at the end it was), retaining its audible part, leaving the visual and the transcendental to the listener alone. Be sure to grab this along with their previous works, and read up on our Two and a Half Questions with Solo Andata. Highly recommended if you enjoy minimal ambient works by Pillowdiver, Lawrence English, Simon Scott and of course, Richard Skelton. Even better than the last! Sublime...

Read our earlier Two and a Half Questions with Solo Andata

Nils Frahm - Unter | Über (Erased Tapes)
Here's another tiny gift, dropped for us from our friends at Erased Tapes Records - home of Ólafur Arnalds, Peter Broderick and now, Nils Frahm. Last year, the label didn't waste any time and picked up Frahm's three-track Wintermusik EP as well as The Bells, which was immediately selected for our Best of 2009 lists in Music For The Film Behind Closed Eyelids. This summer we also saw a collaboration with Anne Müller – 7fingers, released by Hush Records. This new EP, Unter | Über, is only two tracks in length (and a remix) with a total running time of almost six minutes. These short piano vignettes bring us closer to this amazing composer, exploring the beauty of every note escaping his fingers and the keys. The pieces at times remind me of my own Sound Postcards, where on occasion I sit down, and simply let the music guide my hands - which is why I can interpret this record as a very personal composition to Nils, where I can hear his breathing, pedal work, and the mechanics of each hammer. Nils is already considered a prodigy among the circles of contemporary and modern classical followers. Born in 1982, he was taught to play piano by Nahum Brodski - a student of the last scholar of Tchaikovsky. The force is strong with that one. Unter | Über is actually a sneak preview into an upcoming new album by Frahm on Erased Tapes. The last track on this teaser is a remix by none other than Machinefabriek. The release also includes a short video shot by a German filmmaker, Ralph Etter (embedded below). A few lucky followers can snatch this digital release on a strictly limited 5" vinyl, with only 75 pressings!

See also our Two and a Half Questions with Nils Frahm

POSTSCRIPT

Wrapping up this entry of Sound Bytes, I can't help but reflect on the very first installment of this new section on Headphone Commute which I initially published back in February, when it was dry and cold... Read that entry and see how it all ties together...

Be sure to read this entry directly on Headphone Commute for audio track samples.

Two and a Half Questions with Ithaca Trio

Tell us about the Ithaca Trio
Contrary to popular belief, we are not a trio. In fact there is no "we". Ithaca Trio is a collective project, directed by myself and featuring some of the many wonderful artists I have had the privilege to meet. An Ithaca Trio 'live' set features anything from me playing solo, to about 9 'key-collaborators'. Its a mixture of improvised and edited recordings, I think our live and studio personas reach the two most extremes of this.

What prompted you to reach out to Rutger for a split?
I have got to admit (though I don't think I've ever told him), but Rutger is one of my musical heroes of the last few years. Everything he puts out has always resonated with me really strongly, I genuinelybelieve he is the top of his game. So with that in mind, my initial note to him was like a ridiculously far-fetched pipe dream! I just thought, 'hey why not give it a shot...' And then here we are!

How did you become acquainted with Machinefabriek?
I think I was first inducted to the Machinefabriek cult through Paul Elam (Fieldhead). He put Rutger on in the tiny basement of a pub in Leeds. Its an odd venue, a little grim, but Rutger played the most enthralling set with an Autoharp and a loop pedal. I was hooked straight away, and ran over and bought all I could find from him and Jumbo records in Leeds!

[ - s n i p - ]

Read the entire interview on Headphone Commute

See also Headphone Commute review of Par Avion

Podcast : Low Light Mixes – pno 2010

If you have enjoyed our last entry from Low Light Mixes - The Landscape Listens, then you're in for another amazing treat! Following on the footsteps of last week's mix, Exponents Of The Guitar it's not a mere coincidence that today we turn towards the piano. Today's podcast, pno 2010, is a selection of contemporary and modern classical compositions featuring our favorite instrument - piano...

See full track listing, plus stream or download the mix on Headphone Commute

Sound Bytes : Indielectronic

Here's a great selection from Casey Winters's writing on The Music Lobby. Onecaseman has previously contributed to Headphone Commute's Sound Bytes with a few mini-reviews from instrumental hip-hop to jazzy electronica. This time we select a few entries in TML's "indielectronic" recommendations. We hope that a few of the sounds on here will open new doors to your listening experience. Enjoy...

Napoli Is Not Nepal - Boredom Is Always Counterrevolutionary (Onitor)
Napoli Is Not Nepal is Germany's Hendryk Bayrhoffer. In 2002, he released a classic genre-hopping album on Shitkatapult called Revolv_er that mixed jazz, IDM, noise, glitch, and instrumentation in a way that was totally new for the time. After Revolv_er though, Hendryk disappeared, finally returning in 2009 with a new album with little fanfare. Well, I'm happy to say the new material is worth the wait. While not as awe-inspiring as Revolv_er (maybe because it never gets as abrasive), Boredom is fully of glitchy, indielectronic compositions that hold something just a little bit special. The album really showcases the beauty of glitch sounds with their juxtaposition to traditional instruments. And it still only sounds like Napoli Is Not Nepal. The project has an aural identity that so few artists reach these days in electronic music. An album and artist that should appeal to a large cross section of fans - this is one you shouldn't sleep on.

Mark Van Hoen - Where Is The Truth (City Centre Offices)
In the mid 2000s, City Centre Offices was the most impressive electronic music label around. The label released defining albums from Arovane, Ulrich Schnauss, Xela, Christian Kleine, I'm Not A Gun, Casino Versus Japan, and many more. By 2006, they had opened a sub-labeled for more organic instrumental works, and look poised to develop a canon and following similar to Warp and Ninja Tune, but with their own distinct style of slightly, experimental indielectronic music. Then, their distributor Hausmusik closed shop, crippling the label for years. I'm hoping this release signals a return to prominence, as Mark Van Hoen's album is a classic return to form for the label. No doubt a huge influence on the label's existence as a member of Seefeel, Scala, and Locust, Where Is The Truth is an album expressing Mark's emigration to the US and his discovery that he was adopted as a child. The album mixes in sounds from his entire career, and is a balanced arrangement of acoustics and electronic sounds. Any fan of Seefeel or related material should be able to jump right in, but also get something new out of the experience. A tremendous record.

Tanlines - Settings (True Panther)
Tanlines is a duo comprised of former members of Professor Murder and Don Caballero. Yeah, I don't see the connection either. But if you liked the former, Settings is a record you'll definitely want to check out. No, it doesn't sound like Professor Murder, but it has that sort of reverence to it. The actual sound is a mix of club sounds and indie pop sensibility. The EP is split between vocal and instrumental tracks, and thankfully both work well and coincide well next to each other. It's hard to pinpoint what it actually does sound like. I guess you could imagine dance punk five years older firmly entrenched in the Berlin club scene, but listening to Panda Bear and Depeche Mode a lot when at home. "Real Life" is an absolutely killer tune. I'm hoping this EP is the promise of something more in the future, which turned out not to be with Professor Murder's Rides the Subway EP.

Solar Bears - Inner Sunshine (Planet Mu)
Solar Bears are an Irish duo set to make a big splash, with their debut album coming soon on Planet Mu. The Inner Sunshine EP acts as precursor with four songs and two solid remixes by instrumental hip-hop maestros Lone and Letherette. But this is not a hip-hop record at all. This is some psychedelic, retrofuturistic post rock. The heavily 70s vibe works very well with the nostalgic inroads of Lone and Letherette though. Solar Bears sound like the soundtrack to experimental films in the 70s, with guitars next to synths and other electronic sounds, but very much an organic sound. They could bass for a band version of Boards of Canada. The EP shows a ton of promise, but you get the sense that Solar Bears haven't let out their complete bags of tricks yet. Definitely looking forward to the album.

Be sure to read this entry directly on Headphone Commute for audio track samples.

Sound Bytes : n5MD Special [part two]

We're back with [part two] of our n5MD Label Special coverage of Sound Bytes. Be sure to check out [part one] where we covered the latest from Bitcrush, Lights Out Asia, Dalot and more! In this installment, we explore the darker side of n5MD, in all its digital, raw, and crunchy glory! A lot of great music in here, so let's get right to it!

Near The Parenthesis - Music For The Forest Concourse
Gentle swells of piano, synth pads, and electronic percussion fill my room from the very first track of the latest album of Tim Arnd's Near The Parenthesis project. On his fourth album for n5MD, titled Music For The Forest Concourse, Arndt explores meditative passages crafted specifically "for dusk, for open air, for sitting down, and for breathing in. It is music for staring upwards and listening attentively or casually". Falling somewhere between modern classical, emotional electronica, and conscious sky gazing, the music of this San Francisco based producer evokes an up-lifting feeling in each near-five-minute-long track. Perfect for afternoon walks, open window car rides through the country, and for lazy Sunday morning coffee sips. It is especially nice to hear Arndt's very personal piano work embedded in the background of each track, appropriately ending the album with the lullaby, "Goodnight". Over the course of an hour in twelve loosely wrapped tracks, like random gifts left on the porch to be discovered by your sleepy neighbors, Near The Parenthesis delivers another collection of soothing glitchy ambient sounds, calming atmospheres and warm sunny rays. Be sure to check out Arndt's 2008 album, L'Eixample (see Review on Headphone Commute), as well as Of Soft Construction (n5MD, 2007). Recommended if you like his other label-mates, Another Electronic Musician, Arc Lab and SubtractiveLAD.

Proem - Enough Conflict
Last year, right about this time, we covered Richard Bailey's haunting dark ambient album, Till There's No Breath. Although the album has received a set of mixed reviews from the fans, we definitely loved it. Whether it's breakcore or drone - if it's good then we'll find the time for music! And now Proem is back to descend on our fragile little minds with his digitally twisted IDM, sporadic beats and abstract melodies. This is the album which the followers of the deceased Merck records have been aching for in agony! Here it is, god damn it, with enough splattering elements to keep your mind busy through many empty nights! This is the eighth release from one of the veterans of American IDM (based out of Houston, Texas), showcasing some of his most creative advanced production to date. On Enough Conflict, Bailey "expands his role as 'designer of controlled randomness' by augmenting his expansive computer-based arsenal with outboard hardware for the first time". There are enough rough cuts in this fifteen track album to give you plenty to twitch about, from Jiittirrrriii to @ The Firey Abyss. Die hard fans of melodic buildups that explode into an array of triggering percussion and then settle into brutal solid rhythm will be surely delighted. Clearly, Bailey's most experimental album since Socially Inept (Merck, 2004). Easily one of the best albums of the year, designed for multiple rotations. Recommended if you like Hecq, Funckarma, Lusine, Deru, Arovane, Autechre and Clark.

Ruxpin - Where Do We Float From Here?
Ruxpin's kaleidoscopic broken beats and synth fueled, seemingly random but perfectly arranged, complex patterns pretty much define the sound of IDM today. Whether you were the follower of the genre since the early works of Aphex Twin and Autechre or continue to satisfy your jonesing trip for experimental electronica with sounds from Hecq and Access To Arasaka, Jonas Thor Gudmundsson's entry into the family of n5MD as Ruxpin will surely get your ears pricked. And pricked you'll get... Solid micro-programmed percussion, 303 acid lines and hallucinogenic passages awake the mind during its somber sleep and send the neurons firing across the entire surface of the mushy matter under the skull. Where Do We Float From Here? is Gudmundsson's sixth full length record. This Icelandic producer released his debut, Radio on Uni:form Recordings back in 1999, followed by two more albums, Midnight Drive (2000) and Avalon (2003) on Elektrolux. Check out his full discography - you have a lot to catch up to! With this latest release, Ruxpin is gathering quiet a following from the public, demanding the album's original appearance as a download on n5MD's digital imprint Enpeg to be re-released as a physical CD. Be sure to also pick up a remix companion, I Wonder If This Is the Place available as a free download via n5MD's Bandcamp page. Fans of playful sounds from Luke Vibert, Ceephax, Plaid and Richard Devine will enjoy this hidden gem!

Dryft - Ventricle
Well, it's only appropriate that I polish off the second part of our n5MD special with a surprising return of the label boss, Mike Cadoo, as Dryft. It's been an entire decade since Cadoo released his solo debut album, Cell. Prior to exploring his drum'n'bass demons, Cadoo worked with Mike Wells under their celebrated Gridlock alias, with numerous releases on a variety of labels. The last full length album, Formless, was put out by Hymen in 2003. Right about that time, Cadoo sprung off in another direction, with live instrumentation and glitch infused shoegaze, releasing lauded work as Bitcrush on his own label, n5MD (see part one of this special for his latest). And just when I thought that Cadoo would abandon his signature dark and crunchy IDM sound altogether, he awakens from his hibernation as Dryft with Ventricle! This is more than just a "side-project" - in this hard hitting, industrial-strength comeback, Cadoo admits to explore the subconscious compositions and explorations of his mind since the disband of Gridlock. As if there were a few things unsaid, Dryft brings back the "massive enveloping drones and rusty clatter" that has left us in the dark, aching for more... But make no mistake - Ventricle is not the ghostly echo of the dormant Gridlock - this is the new sound of Dryft, pushing the envelope of experimental IDM further up a notch. A must for any fan of dark and cinematic passages, wrapped in solid beats and drenched in morphing DSP. Recommended if you also like Kattoo, Access To Arasaka, Hecq, Somatic Responses, Architect and Nebulo.

Don't forget to check out part one of our n5MD special, and download a free label compilation, MMX

myspace.com/n5mafia | n5md.com

Be sure to read this entry directly on Headphone Commute for audio track samples.

Sound Bytes : n5MD Special [part one]

It's been a while since we covered one of our all time favorite labels, n5MD. The last time we praised Mike Cadoo's label was in Headphone Commute's Best of 2009 lists, where Plastik Joy, Port-Royal and Last Days grabbed the slots among our selections of the year. In 2010, Cadoo has been busy, releasing a flurry of amazing music that we have only been too busy to cover. In this installment of Sound Bytes we honor the latest releases from this fantastic label, where electronica meets ethereal ambient, and post-rock dances with IDM. Be sure to also check out the interview with Mike Cadoo in our n5MD Label Profile.

Bitcrush - Of Embers
It only makes sense that we begin our coverage with an album from the label boss himself, Mike Cadoo, releasing his fifth album under the Bitcrush alias (see his latest as Dryft further in our next installment). Picking up where his 2008 album, Epilogue In Waves, left off, Cadoo employs soaring guitars with reverb drenched synthetic pads, cut-up glitchy IDM clicks and full on acoustic percussion. With only six tracks adding up to less than an hour, the album effortlessly floats between genres, fusing favorite elements of ambient and post-rock. "Of Embers finds Cadoo looking even further back into his experiences and inner struggles than ever before to create what may be the most hopeful album of his musical career." Fans of emotional electronica will be delighted to glide along the downtempo rhythm with the ghostly background vocals of Cadoo himself. Fourteen minute track, Fray The Middle To Meet The Ends, takes the listener onto a cinematic journey, where textured layers and sonic waves unfold into a new beginning, so very welcome after his last, misleading Epilogue. Overall, Of Embers is a very personal album, bringing the listener closer into the intimate setting of this musician's world, where the fire slowly crackles and the embers gently glow. Highly recommended for fans of Hammock, Port-Royal and Lights Out Asia.

Lights Out Asia - In The Days Of Jupiter
That nicely segues into our next entry, doesn't it? We last heard from this Wisconsin based band, Lights Out Asia, back in 2008, with their release, Eyes Like Brontide. Two years later we are gifted with their fourth full length release, In The Days Of Jupiter, and it's a doozy! The album opens up with gentle electronic pads, and cut-up robotic voices - an intergalactic journey is ahead... The second track, "Except Europa", picks up with tight IDM beats and slowly builds up into the explosion of sound, as we are launched beyond our stratosphere into the outer worlds. The guitars erupt into an expansive wall of frequency rich textures, as we break away from the Earth's gravitational hold, and float through the ambient layers of atmosphere. Mike Ystad continues to treat the sound with electronics, as Mike Rush delivers the bass riffs, with a guest appearance by Ayala Trumper on the cello, and of course, Chris Shafer on the mic. The album also employs a few field recordings and a selection of samples credited to freesound.org. "Just as Jupiter eclipses the other planets in our solar systems, Lights Out Asia have eclipsed expectations by delivering their most expansive album to date." I couldn't agree with that quote from the label's page more... Be sure to pick up this and their previous releases, Tanks And Recognizers and Garmonia.

Dalot - Loop Over Latitudes
The label welcomes a new member to its family with Maria Papadomanolaki first proper full length debut as Dalot, Loop over Latitudes. From sweeping pads to pulsating electronic beats, Dalot demonstrates her skill at "creating moments of lush ambience, emotion and texture by blending elements of phonography, electro-acoustic composition and minimal electronica with more traditional musical elements such as voice, guitar, glockenspiel and tablas." Quoting Stars of the Lid, Colleen and Boards of Canada as her inspirations, Maria blends field recordings with glitchy percussion, meditative passages, and reverb drowned voice to create music as cerebral as it is contemplative - each piece presenting a story, "much like one of the novels she once studied in her native Greece". The album collects three tracks from Dalot's first EP, Flight Sessions, released by Coo Records in 2009. With this release, Dalot joins n5MD veterans such as Another Electronic Musician, SubtractiveLAD, and Near The Parenthesis to contribute another solid release to the label's catalog of emotional experiments in music. Well done, milady, and welcome to the family!

Bitcrush - From Arcs To Embers
Approaching a fourth entry in this installment of Sound Bytes, I realized that I'll have to do this as a two-part series, as there are a few more albums from n5MD that I wish to cover. Rounding up this trip through emotional electronica and soaring shoegaze, it's only appropriate that I return back to Bitcrush. And it seems that there are more than just a handful of musicians who are also fans of Mike Cadoo's signature sound. Here's to add a flavor of their own is a remix album, From Arcs To Embers, featuring reworks of tracks taken from all five of his previous albums. If you are a fan of Cadoo's work and label alike, you'll truly enjoy this collection of remixes from Jatun, Bersarin Quartett, port-royal, SubtractiveLAD, Near The Parenthesis, Funckarma and many others! Given a wide array of contributing artists, you can expect your favorite Bitcrush tracks reworked in soothing electronica, glitchy IDM and head-bopping downtempo genres. A few good surprises on here. A remix from Tim Ingham (aka Winterlight) of Every Sunday, a leftfield-shoegaze-dream-pop-ambient exploration, leaves me curious to hear more from this Thames Vallye (UK) based artist. Watch out for his debut on n5MD!

Various Artists - MMX
As I wrap up part one of this label special, hopefully leaving you thirsty for more, there's just one more thing I need to mention! You can download a FREE n5MD Label Sampler, titled MMX, comprised of tracks from the 2010 release schedule, featuring above covered artists and more! Click this Bandcamp link, and feed your player and head with music. And I'll be back next week to cover the rest of my n5MD Special... See you then!

n5md.bandcamp.com/album/mmx

myspace.com/n5mafia | n5md.com

Be sure to read this entry directly on Headphone Commute for audio track samples.

Podcast : Low Light Mixes – The Landscape Listens

Today we're presenting to you one of our favorite ambient journeys from Low Light Mixes. Although this mix was made in the dead of winter, we still feel that its calm nature can soothe away your daily worries, stress and aches. It definitely hits the spot on this side of the mixing board. Here's Dave Michuda talking about the inspiration behind the mix: It's the dead of winter, just trying to outlast the snow & cold, trying to make it to spring break. The music in this mix has a sort of lonely winter feel to it. The tracks are not too dark or depressing, they just seem to conger up images of vast, snowy landscapes. We hope you enjoy this entry, and I'm sure Dave will be back with more!

See full track listing, plus stream or download the mix on Headphone Commute

Melorman - Out In A Field (Symbolic Interaction)

Before I dive into this melodic and emotional IDM album, I want to talk about the label. Symbolic Interaction is an independent label run by Kentaro Togawa out of his hometown, outside of Tokyo, Japan. Togawa started the label in 2007, and in the last three years released about twenty five albums (Out In A Field is cataloged at SIC024). I first came across the label upon hearing Rudi Arapahoe - Echoes From One To Another (2008). The following release was by my all time favorite glitch masters, Funckarma - Psar Dymog (2008), and then Ard Bit's - Spanon (2009) shook me a bit off balance. So, it's no wonder that I'm keeping my tabs on Symbolic Interaction. Now on to Melorman. Antonis Haniotakis is an Athens (Greece) based electronic music producer with smooth undertones and clicky downtempo beats, who previously released digital EPs on netlabels, such as Summer Rain Recordings, IVDT, and Archaic Horizon. Thus, Out In A Field is Haniotakis' first physical release. His sound is a combination of silky synth lines, hazy soundscapes, and relaxed intelligent percussion. His music is reminiscent of laid back sounds of Boards of Canada, Tycho and Arovane. Hmmm. That should get you excited. Words like 'atmospheric', 'melancholic' and 'cinematic' are begging to find their way into this review, but the music of Out In A Field speaks louder than my words. Personally, I miss music like this. Emotional electronica can not exist without the music that evokes emotion. And on Out In A Field, Haniotakis does just that. Painting a relaxing atmosphere of summer car rides, hammock swings, and morning walks, perhaps somewhere out in a field, with a touch of vocal contributions from Helen Day, Melorman evokes those melodramatic melodies that mellow all the melancholy thoughts away. If you like this sort of sound, be sure to pick up a three-track free digital EP, Expressing Thougths, out on Archaic Horizon. And don't forget to check out Symbolic Interaction's latest release from Melodium, titled Palimpse.

See also Two and a Half Questions with Melorman

melorman.com | myspace.com/melorman
symbolicinteraction.net | myspace.com/symbolicinteraction

Two and a Half Questions with Melorman

You're based in Greece, and Symbolic Interaction is in Japan. How did you end up getting signed on the label?
With internet of course. Internet helped me a lot in my music. I made my first step in releasing music through various netlabels. There I met Headphone Science (Dustin Graig) with whom we collaborated in two projects. Dustin later on released an album on Symbolic Interaction. Through this way I was introduced to Kentaro Togawa who runs Symbolic Interaction. At that time I decided it was about time to make a physical release and Symbolic Interaction really fits with what I do. We discussed about a potential release with Kentaro and finally it came up some months later.

What is the theme behind this album? Is there a main protagonist?
To make this album beside some new tracks, I collected tracks and ideas from the past and I re-processed them without having in mind a theme or a project or a protagonist. But when I was processing the old ideas I found many forgotten memories in these tunes. So the theme its basically my childhood and how I was looking at things then. Sometimes is just a feeling of happiness or sadness.

[ - s n i p - ]

Read the entire interview on Headphone Commute

See also Headphone Commute review of Out In A Field

The Black Dog – Music for Real Airports (Soma)

Paying homage to Brian Eno's ambient masterpiece, Music for Airports (Polydor, 1978), which Eno created for the whole purpose of being played in actual airports, to convey calmness and reassurance to the passengers about to set off on an airborne journey, The Black Dog set out to create their own version, designed for real airports. But, unlike Eno's version, this album is "not a utilitarian accompaniment to airports, in the sense of reinforcing the false utopia and fake idealism of air travel". The album is a pristine selection of beautiful tracks, with an overlay of field recordings collected through the three years of the group's tour travels. And instead of conceptual and abstract, The Black Dog delivers a cinematic and very personal album, that will captivate you in any surrounding. To further elaborate on the contrast between the two works, here's a Brian Eno quote from a TV interview: "One day I was sitting in this beautiful airport, Cologne airport. It was a Sunday morning and the sun was streaming in. It was the most beautiful piece of architecture... And the most idiotically stupid pop music playing... You put all this attention into the architecture and the ambience in every respect except the music. What is the music? It's what some person's brought in that morning and stuck in a cassette player... So I started constructing in my mind what would be the right music for the airport." In general terms, Eno's view was that the music should communicate a feeling rather than a narrative, and that it should be soothing. It should help people feel comfortable and resign themselves to the inconvenience and ultimately disconcerting nature of air travel. The Black Dog take a different approach. Based on over 200 hours of field recordings at airports, Music for Real Airports is not a record "to be used by airport authorities to lull their customers." Rather, it embraces the underlying fear and anxiety and revels in it. "Wait Behind This Line", for example, is a gloomy death march, a bottomless pit of despair and hopelessness. In other places, the album swings the other way and captures the excitement and sense of adventure that airports can also evoke. On the whole, it's an engaging album. I'll save my breath in covering the history of the group. I trust you can point your clickers to their Wikipedia entry for all the details. But in case you didn't know, the group was originally founded by Ken Downie, Ed Handley and Andy Turner, and were one of the founding figures of IDM as a genre. Handley and Turner set off to create and focus on Plaid back in 1995, while Downie was joined by Martin and Richard Dust to continue the legacy, that, in my opinion, is only blossoming... If you missed the group's earlier releases, pick up Radio Scarecrow (Soma, 2008) and Further Vexations (Soma, 2009). In contrast to Music for Real Airports the above mentioned are more beat oriented albums, falling into the techno genre, as defined by The Black Dog's original style. Be sure to also check out the mixes that The Black Dog regularly make available on their website. The latest - Drifting Ambient Mix May 2010 - is a doozie. Recommended if you loved the ambiance of Lusine ICL's Language Barrier (Hymen, 2007), Arovane's Lilies (City Centre Offices, 2004), and Autechre's Amber (Warp, 1994). As I'm writing this review, I'm on my fifth listen of the album, becoming more and more convinced that it will go down in history as one of my absolute favorites.

- – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Review prepared by Tigon and HC

dustscience.com/live | theblackdogma.com
myspace.com/somarecords | somarecords.com

Architect - Consume Adapt Create (Hymen)

While other Architect albums have been somewhat minimalist affairs, Consume Adapt Create is crammed full of sounds... individual and myriad in number, placement and aesthetic. You might have wondered what happens when Daniel Myer is placed in a creative vacuum and allowed free reign to run as far as his imagination will take him. This is the concrete evidence of where it goes. 'The Shadow of Eve' is the only hint I am going to give for this record. It's breakneck pace should confound and contuse any PA it is played through. Myer weaves in melodic lines throughout it, a hi-hat roll here... a syncopated break sped up to maniacal pace there. Power restored indeed. The connection to previous work could best be ascribed to his track 'Sir Alfred'. Suspense drum 'n' bass is alive and well. There's been a remix contest for this tune initiated by the band, it's no accident this track was the one chosen. You have not heard him push it this far before. One gets a healthy inoculation of atmosphere on this record, sure, there are alien peel offs into sci-fi land but more often than not it's the overall composition which unleashes this tone. Consume Adapt Create is all about this somewhat elusive aural currency. Van Delta's album 'Studio Reality' is the only thing which comes remotely close to the end result of this and even it didn't contain as many changes in tempo or emotion. Myer somehow manages to squeeze a lot of feeling out of his machines, a feat few others have pulled off convincingly. It is as though a part of him has been subsumed and re-patterned in an electronic exorcism of sorts; it's a lot to ask of the listener, I know, but the pay off is that by the time you do finish listening... the world is pleasantly askew. He's spent his time very wisely creating some masterful electronic scenes if this is the right word; each song is a soundtrack to places we have never been and worlds we never suspected existed. Christmas may have come late but at least it showed. If you were to take Galactic Supermarket and heap on the maturity accumulated in the last twelve years by this musician you'd have a small measure of the majestic heights Myer has encapsulated here. Unlike that record, though, there's a lot more flesh on the bones. He knows his sound design almost too well. All the time spent in the trenches of Haujobb's love/hate existence with it's fanbase was not undertaken lightly, neither was this record.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Review prepared by Peter Marks, exclusively for Headphone Commute.

See also Two and a Half Questions with Architect

myspace.com/architectmusic | ant-zen.com/architect
myspace.com/hymenrecords | hymen-records.com

Two and a Half Questions with Architect

Five albums into the Architect project, what has changed since its original inception well over a decade ago?
Actually not a lot. I am older, which is the obvious:) But its still me creating the Music. Trying to push my musical Direction with no Limits.

Consume Adapt Create is a record which functions on many levels. What were the concepts you were going for this time, and did they evolve consciously on your behalf?
I just tried to get rid of all my Ideas. I buy a lot of Music, I am really an addict and most of Music I am buying inspires me, challenges me. So I tried to create something, that I can listen to myself. That I might can spin on my DJ Gigs. I tried to push myself to create something new for myself.

The field of "idm/electronica" has become quite bloated in the last five years. How much would you say your production and design elements contribute to your success? What makes you stand out among the many as the Architect?
Hmmm, I am not quite sure, if I stand out at all. Of course, I think I am special, ahaha. But for real. With Architect there are no limits. On Consume Adapt Create you hear a lot of different styles and influences. But the thing is, you cant really tell, oh, this is dubstep, this is drum&bass. There is always another layer to it, I think.

[ - s n i p - ]

Read the entire interview on Headphone Commute

See also review of Consume Adapt Create

Sound Bytes : Audiobulb Special

It's a lazy Sunday afternoon. It's that hour when the weekend is almost over, but the work week has not yet begun. How do I stretch the remaining hours in peace and tranquility, cherishing the hours that are left for me to enjoy? Sheffield (UK) based Audiobulb Records, run and operated by David Newman, aka Autistici, comes to the rescue. Since the early part of the last decade, Audiobulb has been releasing experimental, electro-acoustic, and emotional electronic music among the spectrum of minimal, glitch, and micro-tonal frequencies, allowing your brain to relax and be active at once. "Audiobulb has always been about the spirit of exploration. The aim is to stay with the moment and exploit the possibilities of sound." I hope you enjoy this installment of Sound Bytes, peeling away at the latest layers of Audiobulb.

Autistici Reworked : Resonating Wires
First up is a remix album from David Newman himself, comprised of reworks and interpretations by an incredible roster of artists. The contributors include Simon Scott, Sawako, Jimmy Behan, ISAN, Ian Hawgood & Danny Norbury and Richard Chartier, among the many in this 10-track release. This is a glitchy, hissy, lo-fi collection of tracks, drenched in field recordings and electro-acoustic noise. All accomplices on this recording remix Newman's single track: Resonating Wire, from Autistici's 2009 album, Complex Tone Test (KESH) [see our selection in Headphone Commute's Best of 2009 : Music For Bending Light And Stopping Time]. At the center of the album is an 11+minute concoction, ripped and torn by Francisco López, with deep rumbling drones, background synth swirls, and a rhythmic noise checkpoint. Ian Hawgood & Danny Norburry's piece incorporates soaring strings, double bass plucks, and a confetti of crackles and jitters. And then Richard Chartier rolls up his sleeves. A skillfully executed descent into a place where sound becomes air and noise becomes wind. Resonating Wires is an excellent compilation of minimal, experimental and electro-acoustic soundscapes that stands high on the shoulders of contemporary reductionist giants.

Milinal - Honey Meredian
St. Petersburg (Russia) based Valentin Yakovlev creates warm emotional electronica with triggered glitches and tweaked out bleeps. And emotional electronica can not exist without emotion. With this in mind, this 23-year old Russian sailor, releasing his debut full length under the moniker Milinal, enters the scene, drenching your neurons in thick cerebral cocktail as prescribed by the IDM doctor. Haunting vocals ping-pong around the stereo field, beneath the deconstructed guitars and soft synth pads. Micro programmed percussion pushes the rhythm forward, while plucked guitar strings and processed sounds swirl around in a smoky whirlwind. Fans of that Telefon Tel Aviv sound, looking for another treat in this post-glitch-everything world, will be especially delighted. Other quoted influences for this record include Tim Hecker and Radiohead. Be sure to also check out Yakovlev's first 6-track EP, Folgefonna released by Siberian Electronica netlabel in 2009. This album deserves much more attention, and it should be surely considered for everyone's Best of 2010 lists!

Autistici - Detached Metal Voice - Early Works (Vol I)
Early Works, as the title suggests, is a collection of previously unreleased compositions recorded by David Newman within the last decade. This is a rasterized array of sounds, bleeps, clicks, and field recordings, ala musique concrète digitalis. The first volume, subtitled Detached Metal Voice, is a selection of early works "exploring the anxiety of disconnected elements striving to find connection in a world of digital communication." These are experimental pieces with many exploratory techniques and tools, like sinewave oscillators, home-made tone generators, and works with ASY, a synthesizer based on vocal tract models developed at Bell Laboratories in the 60s. Be sure to check out Whispering Mongo Man, featuring an audio interview with John Lennon, composed entirely out of edited-out speech, leaving behind the space occupied by his breath. "The tracks encourage the listener to consider the complex question of how meaning, relationships and connections are constructed, communicated and perceived."

Autistici - Slow Temperature - Early Works (Vol II)
The second volume, subtitled Slow Temperature, contains more archival material from David Newman, featuring "abstract ambience, a focus on microsounds and digital sculpting of audio from everyday objects." In this selection, Autistici explores silence, space and sound, reflecting on individual parts of his own life. The composition is heavy with elements requiring your full listening attention, further decomposition, and reflective analysis, worthy of sound installation in a museum, or an exclusive performance at this sound technician's audio lab. The last piece, Workshop for Ambitious Dreamers, is a study into the "manipulation of sinewaves, oscillators and analogue electro-harp plucks exploring themes of subjectivity and freedom in thought and speech." Truly remarkable, thought-provoking, and deep. You'll need a few hours to absorb... Be sure to also pick up Autistici's lauded Volume Objects, released on 12k back in 2008.

:papercutz - Do Outro Lado Do Espelho (Lylac Ambient Reworks)
Last year we reviewed Bruno Miguel's debut as :papercutz - Lylac (Apegenine, 2008). Miguel followed up the album with Ultravioleta Rmx's on the same label. Two years later, Lylac still resonates... Do Outro Lado Do Espelho (translated as "from the other side of the looking glass") is a compilation of reworks from yet another amazing selection of artists. After releasing Lylac, Miguel was inspired to allow other artists to extract the foundation beneath the songs and erect upon it a structure of their own interpretations. This is an ambitious project with contributions from Helios, Emanuele Errante, Simon Scott, Taylor Deupree, Rameses III, Autistici, Christopher Bissonnette and Jasper TX. Whew! Are you impressed? Here are twelve amazing tracks by masters of ambient and modern classical composition! The Helios remix alone is worth your attention [watch the music video below]. Taylor Deupree incorporates the vocals into a delicious composition of guitar chords and harmonic song progression [didn't expect that from him], while Jasper TX scratches on the surface of peripheral hearing with his slow paced filtered piano chords and swelling cinematic atmospheres.

Ambient Software Module
As if releasing beautiful music is not enough, Audiobulb has recently ventured into software, with a standalone Max/MSP Application. Feel like generating some ambient textures? Then Ambient is your tool! Developed by Christopher Hipgrave (yes, the same Hipgrave with releases on Home Normal and Low Point), with graphic interface designed by Mike Podolak, the module can process any file with multiple effects, that will twist your samples into beautiful soundscapes. Unleash your imagination! What's next? iPad?

audiobulb.com


Be sure to read this entry directly on Headphone Commute for audio track samples.

DeepChord Presents Echospace - Liumin (Modern Love)

I am always hungry for new music. I think I continue to consume the sounds, so that I can recreate that moment. That moment of when one hears that sound, and is taken away out of this world into another. That moment, reminiscent of your childhood memories, when you would put on your headphones and melt away in the hypnotic beat beyond all thought and worries. It is the music you would turn to, for answers and escape. Remember? I do. And so I search, among the hundreds of albums, for the one that would bring back those memories, and take me to that place. What can I say? I think with Liumin I have found it. Big thanks to Rod Modell and Stephen Hitchell of echospace [detroit]. First of all, I think it's a huge plus, when an album seamlessly transitions from one track to another. That solidifies my reasoning for listening from beginning to end. The tracks flow smoothly, in that velvety, dubbed out, and incredibly hypnotic beat. The duo is not apologetic for letting the tracks evolve over the ten minute marker. Although some may find this rolling rhythm a bit repetitive, I think that it's only after the first six or seven minutes that the mind latches on to the beat and new environments unfold. If there was a science behind this process, then Hitchell and Modell should base their thesis on their work, their magic, and their art. Incredibly simplistic, yet awesomely complex percussion is drenched in vaporous white noise, as it envelopes the chords that swirl around in the stereo field of infinite dimensions. Complimented with a touch of field recordings captured by Modell in Tokyo, Japan, the kick trends on, falling out of the foreground of the typical warehouse sound system, into the ether of organic pulse. For me, the absolute masterpieces on the album include "BCN Dub" and "Maglev". The latter, in particular, takes me to a mysterious place, elusive in its existence, with hidden doors and passages that only open up somewhere in the middle of the track. Liumin is the duo's second full length album, releasing under the alias DeepChord Presents Echospace for Boomkat's Modern Love. Of course, both have been pretty active in their Chicago and Detroit dub techno scenes. Rod Modell has recently released Incense & Black Light Plop, 2007) and a two-track 60-minute dedication to Michael Mantra (Silentes, 2007), while Stephen Hitchell has been busy releasing remixes on Kompakt and Echocord as well as his critically acclaimed 2009 beauty, The Seduction Of Silence on echospace [detroit]. Together, they have been making quite a splash on the scene of dubbed out minimal beats, specifically after the absolutely incredible The Coldest Season back in 2007. This double-disk release, contains a bonus 80-minute CD with the original field recordings from Tokyo. This second place is only accessible after you've made the journey through the hollow caverns of Liumin, revealing itself like a secret garden hidden deep beneath the earth. This is indeed a surreal, almost narcotic, experience, which, like that most treasured childhood memory, is a  momentous trip. Move over Basic Channel, and let the boys from echospace impress you for a change.

See also Two and a Half Questions with Echospace

myspace.com/echospacedetroit | echospacedetroit.com

Two and a Half Questions with Echospace

Interview with Stephen Hitchell and Rod Modell of Deepchord Presents Echospace

Liumin is a lot warmer than your previous release, The Coldest Season. To what do you attribute that change, and how has your sound evolved between the albums?
[SH] This is a great observation and one we attribute to our travels. The Coldest Season was recorded primarily in the winter months so the mood of the music reflected the environment in which they were recorded. This album is a reflection of the many shows we've played and the sound we brought before an audience, it's sort of a sonic travelogue. We eventually sat down and went through what we felt was our best material from our live shows and started building an album from that point but of course altering and expanding on the live material.

Can you shed a little light on your collaborative process?
[SH] The creative process for Rod and I is always different, from the time "The Coldest Season" was recorded to "Liumin" the dynamic in which we worked has been modified a bit. I also contribute a lot of this to moving quite a few times over the past 3 years, I've had to re-assemble my studio each time we've moved and I never remember how things were hooked up before, I just rip it all apart and put it together again but it always ends up different in the end. Our studio's have both changed a bit over the past 3 years and now we work a bit more efficiently with the help of some editing tools and software advancements. On this album I worked on specific elements, mainly the synths, atmosphere and bass loops and then sent the work I had to Rod and let him assemble and make sense of it all. Of course we had some key rhythmic starting points from material we culled from the live shows but in the end Rod mended all the sonic tape. We still use a good portion of analog equipment in this album but with the help of the computer we were able to take these elements in different directions. Rod also used a variety of microphones and field recording equipment (including a few custom made underwater hydrophones) to try and capture and push the threshold of natural organic sounds around us and submerged beneath us.

[ - s n i p - ]

Read the entire interview on Headphone Commute

See also Headphone Commute review of Liumin

Sound Bytes : Tones, Drones and Earphones [part two]

Here's the second installment of Tones, Drones and Earphones which started in part one, where I covered Cut Iowa Network, Locrian and The Golden Sores. Hope you have a blast with the rest!

Yellow Swans - Going Places (Type)
Released on the beloved Type Records, run and operated by John Twells (Xela), Yellow Swans spearhead the development of sound, as it's concerned with noise, drone, and power electronics. But in their latest release, Going Places, it's not all about distortions and sheer cringing fuzz. There's clear structure, texture, and even pulsating rhythm behind each track, allowing the foreground instruments to carry out the development, while the background noise soars to new heights. Based out of Portland, the duo of Pete Swanson and Gabriel Mindel Saloman describe their music as "powerful rendering of free rock, black electronics, and white light vibrations." Their latest work is a product of over a decade worth of music, released on CD-Rs, cassettes, and vinyl, coming to an end. In April of 2008 the band announced their decision to split up, concentrating on finishing up their final album. Even the title suggests that they might be going places, and the same-titled last track fades away, like a burning rocket into deep space. Farewell, my devastated friend. The album is available for purchase directly from Type. It's also available for streaming from Type's SoundCloud. If you are at all curious about the capacity of noise, start off with Yellow Swans and then work your way into darker territory...

Aun - VII (Important)
To continue the exploration of noise in this unique installment of Sound Bytes, I turn to Aun. I met Martin Dumais a few weeks ago in Montreal at Mutek. His captivating doom ambient performance, complimented by the visuals from his partner, Julie Leblanc, only inspired me to check out his latest, titled VII on Important Records. This is indeed the seventh full length album from Montreal based Dumais, where he explores his black metal roots infused with dark ambiance and post-doom-everything. But unlike his beatless guitar driven swirls, VII is an album worthy of moving your entire body to. I think it's due to percussion, since this release features an appearance by Michel Langevin (aka Away), the drummer from the Canadian metal band, Voïvod. Snarling guitars rip through the fabric of psychedelia infused with "gut wrenching ultra downtuned avant black dirge". On "Broken Hills", Langevin suddenly kicks in with his drums, and the thick de-tuned riffs are now cut with crystal clear cymbals and snares, and the album takes on a rhythm, structure and progression. Excellent. Check out Aun's 2009 release on Alien8, titled Motorsleep. Recommended for fans of KTL or Bowery Electric.

Aidan Baker - Liminoid / Lifeforms (Alien8)
I couldn't possibly return from this voyage without mentioning one of the most prolific artists, Aidan Baker. Look, I couldn't even begin to rummage through Baker's discography, so after reviewing Fantasma Parastasie, which he released together with Tim Hecker in 2008, I settled on his latest for the Montreal based label, Alien8. This is a two-track release, with Liminoid broken up into four distinctive parts, while Lifeforms is a single 30 minute piece. It starts off quietly, with lucid textures, soft guitar strums and distant drones. "Incorporating composed and improvised segments, the piece uses elongation of sound and layered polyphony in an attempt to create a liminal and/or numinous state". In an almost apocalyptic setting reminiscent of the darkest hours of Godspeed You! Black Emperor, the ensemble of guitars, violins, cellos, and drums, engulf the beauty unleashed by the romantic classical orchestra with that of a skilled master of drone and noise. And then the vocals come in! Lifeforms is a whole other beast. Unfolding from a continuous string bowed drone-chord, the cellos are plucked around the 10 minute marker, and then, half way through the piece, the strings drop out in lieu of pulsating metallic sounds, played by Alan Bloor (aka Knurl). Commissioned by The Penderecki Quartet in 2003, this is indeed a symphonic masterpiece, that lifts me out of the abyss into the aural bliss. This may be Baker's best. Highly recommended.

Be sure to read this entry directly on Headphone Commute for audio track samples.

Sound Bytes : Tones, Drones and Earphones [part one]

This installment of Sound Bytes, as the title suggests, features six full length albums [published in two parts] that I have recently enjoyed, covering guitar driven noise, dense drone, dark ambient and even black metal. It's sunny outside, but I still feel a bit of doom approaching. What can I say? It's that kind of day... In terms of sheer intensity, and physicality of sound that these pieces convey - you either get it, or you don't. I'm not here to defend the genre or convince you otherwise. But if you want to experience it first hand, turn up the volume, and let your hair flap in the whirlpool of sound.

Cut Iowa Network - Projector Gunship Held {Ø,{Ø}} (Champion Version)
We begin our aural journey on a lighter side, with a three-piece UK band, Cut Iowa Network, with Tim Evans on the guitar, Adam Barringer on the bass, and Steve d'Enton on the drums. The trio collage expansive soundscapes, that are cut through with mid-tempo percussion, to create the second volume in their Projector Gunship Held trilogy. The first volume was released on Panic Arrest, while this follow-up comes out on a Champion Version. Both labels appear to be members of the Eat Sleep Repeat network. The group quotes Tarentel for the experimental instrumental influence, and Tangerine Dream for the "sprawling ambient dreamscapes". At the core of the record is a definitive krautrock reference, with the drums making up the structure of the album, drenched in abstract textures of bass and effected guitar. The skilled percussion alone makes up a larger slice of the record, and in turn gives it an up-beat feel. And before I descend into the doom-drone-gloom territory, it's worth mentioning another release from the folks at Eat Sleep Repeat, which is a 7" EP from Eric Chenaux with two folksy tracks, Warm Weather and Le Vieux Favori 4. Check out Chenaux's previous releases on Constellation records. I'm looking forward to the final installment in the Projector Gunship Held series...

Locrian - Drenched Lands (At War With False Noise / Small Doses)
Although the prolific Chicago based Locrian duo, André Foisy and Terence Hannum, had quiet a few releases since Drenched Lands, I'm still enjoying this dense, drone heavy, massive album. Released on a Scottish drone/noise label, At War With False Noise and Small Doses in 2009, and later repressed by BloodLust!, Utech, and DeathSmile, Drenched Lands is a dark voyage into post-apocalyptic land of abandoned concrete highways and obsolete ruined structures. The inner desperation of desolate landscapes and overgrown wastelands is conveyed with howling vocals, growling guitars and power electronics, blending dark ambient and black metal into cacophony of thick layered sonic palette. With its narrative structure, the album "starts with a slow descent into a dark abyss, moving torturedly, gradually rediscovering the light, then leaving you where everything began - completely transformed". Background distorted riffs are punctuated with foreground guitar strums in an epic buildup, appealing to cinematic soundtracks of deep caverns and cold cells. The last, 30-minute track, is a complete trip. If you dig this sound, be sure to also pick up Locrian's Rain of Ashes (Fan Death, 2009) and their latest album, Territories (2010).

The Golden Sores - A Peaceable Kingdom (BloodLust!)
Kicking off with soaring guitars and mid-range background drone, The Golden Sores, open up their sophomore album, A Peaceable Kingdom. This is another release by the Chicago-based BloodLust! label, which has already put out numerous records by the above mentioned Locrian. Unlike the latter (also from Chicago), Christopher Miller and Steve Fors tend to create resonating reverberations mostly in the major key, physically abusing your ears to euphoric heights that can only be reached at higher volumes. A Peaceable Kingdom is an album without any percussion, composed entirely of vibrating strings and oscillating synths, smudged layer upon layer through effects chains and pedals until its density is viscous with blood slowly oozing somewhere from your cranium. These sounds, meshing between the incredibly beautiful and the insanely grotesque, create an atmosphere of lust and anguish, as only music can, in a single sonic onslaught. My favorite exercise is to keep raising the volume throughout the track, as my ears adjust to the levels, then hitting the stop button, absorbing the ringing silence with apparition and fumes of ghostly melodies, then hitting play again to get slapped with the noise. Be sure to pick up the duo's debut release, Ashdod to Ekron , available from Drone Cowboy.

[ - part two coming up next - ]

Be sure to read this entry directly on Headphone Commute for audio track samples.

Akatombo - Unconfirmed Reports (Hand-Held)

From the mysterious depths of Hiroshima, Japan, arrives an inconspicuous, yet meticulously packaged 10" square packet. Inside is a hand-numbered elaborately printed envelope containing two photographic prints, two random newspaper clippings (I've got a photo of an Italian train station, and a shot of an Asian artisan), and a full length album from Akatombo, titled Unconfirmed Reports. But that's not all! There's also a bonus DVDr with three promotional films featuring music from the album. So why do I begin my review with a description of the packaging? Because the presentation and the appearance of the album plays a considerable role in its initial impact and the overall appeal. How serious are you about your music? This is Paul Thomsen Kirk's sophomore full length release. His debut, Trace Elements, appeared on the London based Swim~ label, in 2003. With this very first catalog release, Kirk propels his very own Hand-Held Recordings, onto the underground electronic music scene. Your attention is grabbed from the very first track, "Friend For Hire", which has a dark, almost industrial, hollow rhythm, a la Pan Sonic and earlier Autechre. Aha! Do I have your attention now? Well, read on... Unconfirmed Reports is a dark, almost gloomy affair, at times sounding tormenting with its brooding guitars. But beneath the layers of thick pads, punctuated with carefully selected percussion, lies an audio/visual travelogue "as seen through the warts-and-all tinted-spectacles of" Paul Thomsen Kirk. More from the press release: "From skimming the surface, to trawling the dank underbelly; the daily minutiae of life in a large Japanese city is duly presented in all its garish hues and faded glories. Accessing all areas, and dispelling numerous urban myths along the way, 'Unconfirmed Reports', allows you, the willfully willing participant, the perfect opportunity to immerse yourself completely in a thoroughly enticing, 360-degree, technicolour, sonic adventure." And a few words about the videos, if I may. These are extraordinary short pieces, which already had numerous screenings at notable Independent Film Festivals around the globe. Along with the nine-track album, Unconfirmed Reports is an excellent addition to any follower of electronic and experimental music. Especially if you're in the mood for post-apocalyptic, urban alienation, and social exclusion themes. Usually, in this portion of my review, I list a few similar artists, but for the ex-pat Scotsman, Paul Thomsen Kirk, it's tough to pick the closest ones. And that's a good thing. Check out something new, for a change.

See also Two and a Half Questions with Akatombo

myspace.com/akatombohiroshima

Two and a Half Questions with Akatombo

Tell us about your label, Hand-Held Recordings
HHR was set up about a year ago. Presently, it's main function is to release Akatombo recordings, and hopefully, in the not too distant future, recordings from other artists & projects that I think deserve a wider audience. The label's ethos is, literally, a genre-free zone - anything goes, if it's good.

Let's talk about album presentation for a bit. What are your thoughts on packaging?
I think that in these very tough times, music sales-wise, packaging is a very important part in attracting potential customers. My feelings are that each Akatombo release should be as special as possible; the packaging for each album should be as enticing and intriguing as I can conjure up & put together. With "Unconfirmed Reports" I spent almost as much time on the packaging as I did on the recording. It's THAT important. The overall aesthetic of each release from the outer sleeve right through to the label design are of paramount importance. It doesn't take too much effort to source the most suitable printers, stationery suppliers, etc., once you set your mind to it.

In the 80's, you used to be in the punk rock scene, is that right? What was your transition into electronic music?
Yes, I played in a few punk bands & released a few records back in the early 80's .... fun times! However, ever since my mid-teens I also listened to a lot of early electronic music from the likes of Cabaret Voltaire, Suicide, Brian Eno and the like. So, it wasn't as difficult as it might have been to switch genres. Even when I was listening to a lot of guitar-based groups, I was also listening to experimental bands like Zoviet France & early Chrome too.


[ - s n i p - ]

Read the entire interview on Headphone Commute

See also Headphone Commute review of Unconfirmed Reports

Podcast : Shukry Adams – kw1v3r

After sharing with the commuters his previous mix, Ethereal Cinematicism, Shukry Adams returns with an edgier side of his likings. Listeners should expect to get enveloped in drone, noise, and even "douchestep", in this slowly evolving, hour long journey.

See full track listing, plus stream or download the mix on Headphone Commute

Roel Funcken - Vade (Ad Noiseam)

Here's my remedy for a sleepy brain. A shot of caffeine with a touch of Funcken in my headphones. First the mixture goes down easy, drifting in and out of my peripheral hearing - then the beat latches into the neuron receptor, and unlocks its secrets with a click. Roel Funcken is one of the Funcken brothers, together releasing as Funckarma, Quench, Shadow Huntaz [as well as half a dozen other monikers]; and Vade is Roel's very first album as a solo artist. Vade is released on Ad Noiseam, where the brothers have already released Dubstoned Vol 2 back in 2008. This album marks a full on crossover between glitchy IDM and gritty dubstep. Delicious. Packed with 16 intense tracks (averaging about four and a half minutes each), Vade is a deconstruction of smooth flowing dubbed out beats, with that familiar Funckarma style. Bringing to the operating table an arsenal of razor sharp DSP tools, Roel cuts deep into the harmonics, pulling out coiled frequencies while keeping his eye on the rhythm monitor. The beat staggers, then skips into the oscillating pattern, spewing out old skool 909 percussion, and leaving stains all over the floor. And just as the melody seems to choke, smothered beneath the metallic wires and valves, Roel shocks it with his sonic defibrillator, giving it another reason to soar, out through the window and into my brain. [I write this as I listen to the title track, Vade, and if these words seem abstract, you must hear the music.] Let me be honest - in my selection of boundary pushing electronic music, the Funcken sound is at the top. Without actually rating the music, it stands alongside output from Autechre, Hecq, Gridlock as well as Deru, Lusine, Proem and Loess. This is that crunchy, glitchy IDM sound that I've fallen in love with from the early days of n5MD, Neo Ouija, and Merck (RIP). Among the latter, only n5MD seems to be still kickin' [still waiting on the return of Neo Ouija], while the Funcken brothers find their albums released by Symbolic Interaction, Skam and thankfully, Ad Noiseam. Music like this deserves to carry on the legacy, as well as the flagship of experimental and ground breaking sound. Let me put it another way - when people ask me for the top notch electronic sound, I always say - Funckarma. And with Vade, I am able to single out Roel as the force behind group. I wonder if Don is working on an independent release - doesn't seem that Vade had any of his input. It does appear, however, that Cor Bolten (who previously worked with the brothers as member of Dif:use and Legiac), has heavily contributed to this release. In the album credits, he appears as a co-writer and a synth player (Jupiter4, Jupiter 8, Arp 2600, System 100, Monopoly, and others) on half of the tracks. I also see an appearance by TJ Dimoon and one of my favorites, Reimer Eising, aka Kettel. And while Roel split off into a single entity in Vade, it doesn't mean that the Funckarma project is over. The brothers will continue releasing EPs in their Dubstoned series on Eat Concrete, with vinyl coming out this summer. Be sure to pick up some of my most treasured Funckarma output: Bion Glent (Sublight, 2006), Hip Hop Instrumentals (FUNCK Music, 2007), Vell Vagranz (n5MD, 2008) and Psar Dymog (Symbolic Interaction, 2008). Really like the last one, although I keep buying a corrupted digital copy with annoying 4-5 sec silence before each track in this continuous play album. Oh well - it's still worth it!!!

See also Two and a Half Questions with Roel Funcken

myspace.com/funckarma | funckarma.com
myspace.com/adnoiseam | adnoiseam.net

Two and a Half Questions with Roel Funcken

First, I've got to ask, what prompted you to go solo?
Don and I are both trying out other avenues right now while we maintain doing our brother funck. It's natural that every person also has something to say on their own, so while Don got busy being a father for his new guy I took the opportunity to create/finalize Vade.

What does "Vade" mean? It's not short for View, Add, Delete, Edit, is it? Or is it something in Norwegian?
It doesn’t mean anything. I like using words that sound cool. Mostly I come to these words by playing with 2 or more and switching the letters around between them. Most of the time it doesn’t come to anything but then all of a sudden you say something cool (8-) Btw my norwegian is not that great at all.

How has dubstep influenced your sound?
Well, the Funckarma Dubstoned series made the statement that we had gotten into the step universe (shameless plug: Dubstoned 4 just released in our shop). But the DS series also showed that we had a different slant on the formula. There are aspects of Vade that expand on that exploration through my own flow, what i love most about the step. Part of that is bridging some more dancefloor oriented aspects to the music while I maintain my vision.

[ - s n i p - ]

Read the entire interview on Headphone Commute

See also Headphone Commute review of Vade

Podcast : Arkady – But I-

I’m pretty psyched up to get this mix out into your ears! This one has been in the making for quiet some time, and it is finally here! Get ready for some massive dark IDM, grinding dubstep and raging drum’n'bass, perfectly mixed up by Arkady! If you haven’t heard this type of music before, then I’d be proud to introduce you to this style!!! I am a huge fan of the artists featured in this mix, which is why, when I found Arkady spinning these tracks, I’ve asked him to prepare a special mix just for Headphone Commute listeners!

See full track listing, plus stream or download the mix on Headphone Commute

Scuba - Triangulation (Hotflush)

It begins with Descent. A slow, quiet, and eerie slide of minor chords into a track that kicks off the album, followed by Latch, a light syncopated beat with rolling bass, organic strings, and ghostly vocals. Scuba's latest release, Triangulation, is more than a collection of tracks - a few have previously appeared as 12" EPs - it's an intelligent headphone experience of lush atmospheres and dub influenced environments. The tracks evolve and carry forward their themes, blending from one to another, locking your mind into the hypnotic rhythms of Scuba's staple sound. Let's rewind a bit to 2003. This is the year when Paul Rose founded the now famous Hotflush Recordings. On it he released about a dozen of 12" under his Scuba alias (see Catalog numbers with SCUBA prefix), as well as his first full length, A Mutual Antipathy (Hotflush, 2008). And I'm not even counting a few 12-inchers on Abucs (Scuba spelled backwards), a sublabel of Hotflush. Triangulation is Rose's second full-length release that breaches a classification of genres, which I would almost classify as ambient two-step meeting minimal techno in the abandoned tunnel of dub. On the title of the album, Rose hints at the blend of genres: “It’s basically the three central musical ideas of house/techno, dubstep and this weird drum ‘n bass stuff. These were the three inputs, if you like." And that's not a surprise. Having lived and performed in Germany as of late (Rose runs a monthly event at Berlin's Berghain), the sound of minimalism has clearly crept up into his production. That includes a few four-to-the-floor stomping tracks in the spirit of Berlin's sound, as well as crystal clear and tight production wrapped around the low frequencies of rumbling bass. If you're only waking up to dubstep, it's time for you to whip out your wallet and add a few albums from the label's catalog. The highlights of the label's roster include Pangaea, Untold, TRG, Boxcutter, and Sigha. Oh, and don't forget to check out out Joy Orbison and Mount Kimbie! Be sure to also check out the label's Podcast, for which you can subscribe to on iTunes

myspace.com/paulhotflush | hotflushrecordings.com