experimental

Hektisch Sprengen DJs – Chiqui Tan [TERRAM004]

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Terra Magica Rec. first 7’’ release „Chiqui Tan“ by the label heads Hektisch Sprengen DJs. The A-side hits the listener with some 1980s early Electronic-Downtempo-Cumbia-Colombian-Venezuelan-Tablemountain-Dub-Grooves. This reminiscence is leading to an extra full blown up 21st century Bass-Queen alert. And these HSDJ dials hit you into a stripped naked sample of Nigerian-Swedish DJ-dentist-mainstream-star Dr. Alban and his Eurotrash-90s-Pophouse-anthem “No Hash Hash, No Cocaine”. This is for sure no “Ottonormal”-90s-revival thing. On the flip side Hektisch’s haptic wood razzle move covers the classic 1994-Liquid-Deep-Netherlands-Trance-House-Track “Paper Moon” by 51 Days which back then sampled the rare 1972-MPB-Funk-Cover-Version of Carol Kings “Corazón”.

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Hektisch Sprengen DJs – Chiqui Tan [TERRAM004]

Erika – Anevite Void [IT050]

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For Erika’s second album “Anevite Void”, she explores her live process as it permeates everything she does, including documenting the process of life in the elaborate sci fi mythology she created. Erika began performing live in Ectomorph in 1997 when she was gifted a TR-606 by BMG and asked to join the group. This grew to her building her own studio, performing solo as Erika, collaborating with people like Jay Ahern and Noncompliant, and performing as a member of Circle of Live. Her depth of thought and clarity of vision has led to her mentoring people on live performance through the In Bloom platform, where she has made a large impact on many up and coming musicians. “Anevite Void”, Erika’s new album, finds her organically writing songs for her live shows, allowing them to take shape through performance, and later recording them in the studio, making this the first album she has entirely written and produced on her own. Mixed by long time collaborator BMG, she finds this record as the launching point for a new process for her.

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Erika – Anevite Void [IT050]

Cucina Povera & Ben Vince – There I See Everything [ELP073]

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Cucina Povera and Ben Vince’s debut full-length collaboration deploys an engrossing suite of noirish nocturnes based around Maria Rossi aka Cucina Povera’s muzzy vocal loops and Ben Vince’s accompaniments on saxophone, synth and piano. Born out of wonder, innocence and creative discovery, it’s the sound of two exploratory collaborators swimming into each other’s ideas, from Terry Riley-esque transcendence to late-night sax swirls shrouding Rossi’s distinctive voice in dimly lit psychedelic smoke.

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Cucina Povera & Ben Vince – There I See Everything [ELP073]

Gamut Inc. – Sum To Infinity [DOSER044LP]

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The sum to infinity of a sequence is the sum of an infinite number of terms in the sequence. It is only possible to compute this sum if the terms of a sequence converge to zero. “sum to infinity” is also the second release from gamut inc, the retro-futuristic ensemble around composers and curators Marion Wörle and Maciej Sledziecki. This second album by Gamut Inc combines custom-built autonomous music machines with haunting classical synthesiser sounds to create a dense musical kaleidoscope. The core of the album is formed by Risset rhythms – cyclic accelerations and decelerations, in which rhythmic layers repeatedly fade in and out, setting in motion a seemingly endless process of rhythmic movement. The motifs are taken from geometric and arithmetic series that create urgency and restlessness. The rigour of the construction is obscured by an orchestra whose timbres are reminiscent of a retro-futuristic indigenous ensemble. Gamut Inc translate strategies of electronic music like pulse-width modulation to music machines such as automated accordion, automated percussion or glockenspiels and create an intense atmosphere that is idiosyncratic, original and modern at the same time.

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Gamut Inc. – Sum To Infinity [DOSER044LP]

Don Cherry & Jean Schwarz – Roundtrip: Live at Theatre Recamier – Paris (1977) [TRS026]

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After more than 45 years forgotten in the personal archives of Jean Schwarz, Transversales Disques is releasing this previously unpublished recording which brings together the great Don Cherry and his friend, composer Jean Schwarz, pioneer in electro-acoustic music and member of G.R.M. This concert was recorded in 1977 at the Paris MIX festival (Théatre Récamier) organised by G.R.M and hosted by director François Bayle. An elegant mix of spiritual jazz and electronic sounds around this astounding quintet made up of JF Jenny Clark, Nana Vasconcelos and Michel Portal.

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Don Cherry & Jean Schwarz – Roundtrip: Live at Theatre Recamier – Paris (1977) [TRS026]

VA – FAKE2 – 120AMERICA [FAKE2]

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Cristiano Grim is back with the second number of his experimental zine/compilation , FAKE2-120AMERICA. Obsessed by the work of the cult poet Pierpaolo Pasolini and his seedy film “Salo or 120 Days of Sodom” , the original short story behind by Marquis De Sade and Dante’ s “Divine Comedy” structure which Pasolini mirrored during his screenwriting session with Sergio Citti, Cristiano Grim coded that “ anarchy of the power” in the contemporary North American society, through a desecrating prose and poignant portraits of a country drowned in 3 masochist “circles” : BLOOD, MANIAS and SHIT. Original film photography was taken in the streets and the underground scenes of New York, Memphis, Nashville, Durham, Virginia and South Carolina. Jonathan Castro nailed his second collaboration with Cristiano Grim , disrupting his photography with a spirited overexposed technique and metallic colors. Music by : Alessandro Adriani which featured the whole A side of the release with 3 tracks with the contribution of Cosimo Damiano and Riccardo Chiaretti, legendary IDM musician CEX, Italian psychedelic duo Mushrooms Project, Californian musician Aaron Coyes (1/2 Peaking Lights), italian ambient musician Alexia Robbio, Roman techno producer Ida Mandato, New York industrial band INTRZN, Riga’s sound artist Reinis Semevics, San Francisco’s video artist and musician YNV, mystery vocalist VETA DAY.

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VA – FAKE2 – 120AMERICA [FAKE2]

Interstellar Funk & Loradeniz – Never Been [AD019]

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Never Been is the first collaborative release by Loradeniz and Interstellar Funk, who produced the EP at a Volkshotel artist residency in Amsterdam, in 2021. The record examines the interplay of synthetic melodies and Loradeniz’s vocals, which are underpinned by meticulously crafted rhythms. Steeped in melancholy, many of the tracks on Never Been evoke the essence of departure, complex emotions and fading memories.

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Interstellar Funk & Loradeniz – Never Been [AD019]

VA – Antipodean Anomalies 2 [LER1031]

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Antipodean Anomalies 2 is Left Ear Records most ambitious project to date, a compilation that took over 4 years to license and includes 17 artists across a double LP. AA2 picks up where the first iteration left off, with co-compilers Chris Bonato & Bridget Small continuing to dig through the music of the geographically isolating and maverick landscapes of Australia & New Zealand. As with the first iteration, Left Ear continues to excavate the music from these vast micro-scenes that evolved out of a number of small community-focused domains creating their own unique reinterpretation of musical influences from near and far, spanning the years 1980 – 1992. The compilation scopes an overlooked epoch from Adelaide, presenting acts such as the DNA Lounge, TCH & Will Kuiper. A close-knit community of like-minded mates that made distinctive electronic music together throughout the 80’s, all of which remained unreleased until now.

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VA – Antipodean Anomalies 2 [LER1031]

Ian Martin – Grey Theatre [DM07]

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Confused Machines welcomes one of the most eclectic artists around, Ian Martin. As an artist he is without genre or style, an open source of creativity. He is the host of SEER Radio on Intergalactic FM and also an amazing DJ, whether it’s experimental or dancefloor madness. Martin has released his music on acclaimed labels such as: Bunker Records , Pinkman, New York Haunted, Bio Rhythm to name a few. His 9 track “Grey Theatre” album for Confused Machines is a deep dive and playful exercise with his synthesizers. An emotional and mysterious listening experience. A portal to his soul. Melancholic at times, it flows like water and lurks from the shadows of reality.

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Ian Martin – Grey Theatre [DM07]

Midori Takada – Tree of Life [WRWTFWW057]

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WRWTFWW Records announce the worldwide reissue of Midori Takada’s solo album from 1999, Tree of Life, available on vinyl for the first time ever in a new audiophile mix by the Japanese percussionist herself, and in full half-speed-mastered glory. Originally recorded in September 1998 at legendary Ginza (Tokyo) studio Onkio Haus and released on CD only for the Japan market in 1999, Tree of Life is Midori Takada’s best kept secret, a lost gem of minimalism and percussive ambient. The album is separated in two parts, the first one finds Takada exploring her trademark environmental soundscapes with precise mastery of marimba, drums, and bells, notably on the magnificent fan-favorite ”Love Song Of Urfa”. The second half is a collaboration with Chinese virtuoso Erhu player Jiang Jian Hua, allowing Midori Takada to unveil new layers of her artistic mind with a slightly more theatrical approach and a beautiful crystallization of complex simplicity.

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Midori Takada – Tree of Life [WRWTFWW057]

Slumberland & Sainkho Namtchylak – Lightkeeper [DOSER043]

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Morphine Records is coming up with a massive loader from Slumberland’s self-made instruments sounds, from the bullroarer to sewing machines an d self made organs, combined with legendary Tuvan throat singer Sainkho Namtchylak. “Lightkeeper” was recorded and mixed by Lebanese-Canadian artist Radwan Ghazi Moumneh (Jerusalem In My Heart, Constellation Records) adding his distinct touch to the production of this rollercoaster of sounds. Belgian musician, composer and instrument-maker Jochem Baelus has been unleashing his obscure, hypnotic krautrock embellished with distorted exotica upon us as Slumberland since 2013. After creating his signature battery of sewing machines, projectors and dismantled mechanical objects, Baelus immersed himself into the world of 64 year old voice-artist Sainkho Namtchylak and assembled a new sound sculpture inspired by her colour.

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Slumberland & Sainkho Namtchylak – Lightkeeper [DOSER043]

Heap – False Hope [ISLA32]

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Over the past decade, Vienna-based Florian Stöffelbauer – also known as Heap, has built a consistent reputation as a skilled DJ, producer and Neubau’s label head. Isla presents his latest effort “False Hope” which explores the intersections between industrial, electro and dark wave – all with a leftfield twist. As diverse as it is powerful, the 7 tracks featured here almost feel like nocturnal tales, chalking out Heap’s observations wandering through the streets of a silent city, with cigarette smoke permeating the air and sirens ringing in the distance.

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Heap – False Hope [ISLA32]

Exhausted Modern – Notions of Causality EP [BT68]

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Ladislav Zensor returns for a 3rd EP on the brokntoys label with Notions of Causality. The Czech producer showcases his trademark atmospheric electronics, soundtracking a world on the verge of collapse. The EP is completed by a remix by d&b producer Overlook.

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Exhausted Modern – Notions of Causality EP [BT68]