The first release on FAKE imprint is a nice VA compilation of 10 wave, electronix and ambient tracks.
experimental
Victor Cavini – Japan [BEWITH076LP]
The first Be With foray into the archives of revered German library institution Selected Sound is the super in-demand Japan from Victor Cavini, originally released in 1983. Rare and sought-after for many years now, this is one of those cult library LPs that never turn up. With Daibutsu the giant Buddha of Kamakura’s presence gracing the hefty front cover, this is a record bursting with dope samples for adventurous producers: it’s koto-funk madness. Victor Cavini was the library music pseudonym of prolific German composer and musician Gerhard Trede. He was known for exploring instruments and styles from around the world (he played over 50 different instruments himself) and Japan is his collection of 14 musical sketches painted with traditional Japanese wind and string instruments. These are the sounds of traditional Japanese folk music re-interpreted through Western ears, with the occasional contemporary twist. Contemporary for 1983, of course.
Legowelt – Secrets After Dreams [SW001]
The ever prolific Legowelt AKA Dutch electronic musician Danny Wolfers is back with another album, “Secrets After Dreams”. The enchanting LP is released by his long time acquaintance Mystic & Quantum records, the first one of a new series called SpellWeaver. 7 ethereal compositions gleaming with poetic synthesis. Artwork by Danny Wolfers himself.
Roberto Auser – Love and Saucers [AUS004]
Soothing synthesizer music and fantastic audiographic collage for fans and lovers of obscure ambient and jazzy minimal electronics. Original soundtrack to the feature documentary Love and Saucers (2017) […] Don’t sleep on this! Just 25 units made!
Interstellar Funk @ Red Light Radio 19.02.2020
Solitary Dancer – Postlude [PP01]
‘Postlude’ is the second release on Solitary Dancer’s new imprint, Private Possessions. Private Possessions was borne out of a desire to control all aspects of output pertaining to the development, creation, and dissemination of their music, video, and other media. Following their debut LP ‘Rites Of Passage’, ‘Postlude’ is a three-track affair which juxtaposes two of the album’s floor-focussed cuts with an extended version of ‘Test Dream’. The latter has been processed into a 15-minute “Devisualization” using degradation techniques that slowly destroys the piece over time, harkening the ever-changing lucidity and memories of our own dreams.
Elena Sizova @ HÖR (Berlin) 14.02.2020
Solar – Digital Tsunami 174
Multicast Dynamics – Ancient Circuits [AI-17]
Multicast Dynamics returns with a sixth studio album that marks something of a new chapter. Ancient Circuits is an advancement from previous works on Denovali and one that stands the project aside as a powerful electronic act that tells stories while also serving up heavy hitting soundscapes that are persuasive, unexpected and disturbing. Each of the four 25-minute pieces of Ancient Circuits are clearly demarcated yet sequential sci-fi stories that introduce new characters and are drawn out of long and complex studio experiments. They are collages of sound that glimmer, disturb, shine, dive deep and explore new realms and make for ambient so arresting that it pulls you deep inside. Once again here, Multicast Dynamics draws together cinematic sound design and conceptual intergalactic fiction to come up with a work that is a multi-sensory exploration that puts you as the central character in an expressive musical world.
Move D & Benjamin Brunn – Let’s Call It A Day [SMALLVILLELP13]
Smallville Records reissues Move D (David Moufang) and Benjamin Brunn’s 2006 collaborative album, “Let’s Call It A Day” released on BineMusic. This is a complete piece built from seven sections, each one is a microcosm of unique textures, depth, ambience, emotions, programming, looping and melodic rules; Together they are a homogenous creation, a symphony that culminate in dance music experiencing elevation. The way Moufang and Brunn fuse different genres together without committing to any musical doctrine, makes them appear prophetic. However, it is in no sense a retrospect feeling; even at the time it was clear that the perceptions, experience, vision, and delicacy of this album were outstanding.
Elena Sizova – Comme des Larmes podcast #17
Men With Secrets – Psycho Romance and Other Spooky Ballads [BK041]
Donato Dozzy collaborates with Retina.it on a new dark and sleazy electro project, Men With Secrets. After Dozzy’s first project with Retina.it (aka Lino Monaco and Nicola Buono), under the moniker Le Officine Di Efesto on Spazio Disponibile, fresh ideas would fast unfold. “They quickly discovered a shared love of classic post-punk, wave, and synthpop, and not long after, Men With Secrets was born.” Drawing influence from the likes of Richard Bone, Cabaret Voltaire, The Human League, New Order, and even Dopplereffekt, the trio stamp out their own sound with ‘neither imitation nor rehash.’ Their debut thirteen track album, titled Psycho Romance and Other Spooky Ballads, will land on none other than The Bunker NY.
VA – Uniformity of Nature EP [DET002]
Uniformity of Nature, the second release on Prague based Detach Recordings, marks an exciting collaboration between Romanian producer DYL, Senking from Raster/Noton and DB1 from Hidden Hawaii. DYL pushes the bounderies of his sound beyond his 170 roots, with the powerful electronics of ‘Phrases’ and the electrifying team-up with Senking on ‘Destroyed City Lights’. Two tracks see DYL in the more familiar peripheries of D&B. The percussive ‘Words’, with its curious background atmospherics, and the driving, hypnotic collaboration with DB1 on the title track ‘Uniformity of Nature’. ‘Launch’ sees Senking slow the tempo down and delve into a more murky space, yet still highly-charged with razor-sharp sound design. DYL closes the EP with the abstract ‘Semantics’, a further excursion into experimental electronics.
Borusiade – Fortunate Isolation [DE266]
Dark Entries Records presents ‘Fortunate Isolation’ the sophomore album from Borusiade. Born and raised in Bucharest, Romania, Borusiade aka Miruna Boruzescu started dj-ing in 2002 as one of the very few female DJs in the city’s emerging alternative clubbing scene. Influenced by a classical musical education, a bachelor in film direction and fascinated by raw electronic sounds, Borusiade first combined these universes in the construction of her DJ sets and starting 2005 also in her music production. A sound of her own has slowly crystallized, often dark with poignant bass lines, obsessive themes and by all means melodic. ‘Fortunate Isolation’ is perhaps Borusiade’s most personal release to date. Eight songs that capture a bystander witnessing the world as it undergoes drastic changes. We have disconnected ourselves from ecology, humanity, preservation, care for what surrounds us, for what is still alive. Borusiade adds, “| know that this place, our home has went through so many other extinctions, but | believe things will find their own way on this planet only once we are gone. Entropy creates a time-line but also a transformation – a new beginning.” The album’s sound is gloomy and powerful mixing sonic film sequences, rhythmic excursions and soothing yet obsessive vocals that touch one’s deepest senses. Lyrically the songs tackle themes of forgotten memories, spirituality, mortality, and destruction.
La Luna Sotto Il Ponte – L’alchimia Dell Svanimento 1983-1988 [ILG003]
For its 3rd release Infoline showcases never heard compositions of Marco Repetto (former Grauzone). La Luna Sotto Il Ponte is a 2×12” compilation and a never used alias of Marco Repetto. The compilation features tracks written between 1983 – 1989. Some years after his break up with Grauzone (1981), Marco went on a darker and more industrial path, which was a common route for experimental composers at that time. Expect a solid mixture of unreleased Industrial/EBM cuts. The bonus EP replaces La Luna Sotto Il Pontes grim and dark compositions for a much more utopian mind-set and movement in its heyday. It’s 1988/1989 – Acid House is everywhere.
VA – Fragments 1 [HVNCOMP1/6]
Part one of Hivern Discs’ Fragments compilation. While compilations tend to look backwards, ‘Fragments’ is far from being a retrospective. Since its launch in 2008, Hivern Discs has favoured a documentary approach, capturing the most vital and exciting sounds within its orbit at each particular moment. In keeping with the ethos of the label, this extensive compilation, comprising 29 new tracks across six 12″s, offers a panoramic glimpse of Hivern’s present and gives indications as to its near future. This is the first part and includes five tracks by Arthur Evans, Benedikt Frey, Epsilove, John Talabot and Walden.
Koyil – Healing Cycles [DIGRECLP001]
In the age of total globalization, we travel every day with information, which we get in the moment of waking up, shopping, walking or staying in bed. We are so used to it, that we take it for granted. Although we are looking for self-identification, we don’t really have an idea who we are, everything is chaos, and we are in a constant search. Koyil is no different, taking a journey in the furthest corners of our planet, he is inspired by something miraculous and unknown. He shares this experience and feelings through his music. The Healing Cycles album is the result of these kinds of trips, it is a worldwide journey that we can take indoors.
Severed Heads – Clean [DE265]
Dark Entries’ first release of 2020 is a deluxe 2xLP reissue of Severed Heads’ debut 1981 album ‘Clean’. One of the longest surviving bands to emerge from the Australian post-punk independent music scene, they began in Sydney in 1979. Severed Heads is basically a nom- de-plum for Tom Ellard, who incorporates elements of ‘industrial’ noise-generation, tape cutting & looping and electronic sound synthesis. As the project developed song-structures and vocals were employed in a more-or-less recognizable mutant electro pop style. ‘Clean’ was amongst the first vinyl releases under the Dogfood Productions banner of Terse Tapes, previously a cassette-only label. For this records Tom used an array of synthesizers (Kawai 100F, Casiotone, Roland CR78+SH1+CSQ100), sequencers, tapes and occasional guitar and violin played by Garry Bradbury. Severed Heads have a language of their own, music that juxtaposes all sorts of noise, in all sorts of ways so that a structure evolves, (fragmented) melody and rhythm being almost a by-product. As one reviewer said in 1981, “It is an ugly album that you simply cannot ignore, it thuds and screeches and makes you stare just to wonder what kind of people would procure such an album.” For this deluxe reissue we’ve included a bonus disc featuring 13 songs, 5 of which have never been released before, culled from live performances, the ‘Side 3’ cassette and a ‘Clean’ demo tape that only surfaced last year, plus “Food City” missing from previous reissues. All songs have been remastered by Tom Ellard, with vinyl EQ and lacquer cutting by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley.
Danny Wolfers – The Land Is Entranced With Peace [NW021TAPE]
Nightwind records is Legowelt’s own recordlabel releasing cassettes, cd’s, digital, graphic novels, zines and vinyl LP’s since 2014. A spiritual – but more advanced and freaked out – successor to the defunct Strange Life records that ran from 2004 to 2010. The music on this tape was recorded on 21 October 2017 during a live soundtrack performance for Werner Herzog’s 1972 Fata Morgana film at the LAB111 cinema in Amsterdam. A few months later the tracks were cut loose, edited and put on tape. With the visual content vanished from sight only a few fragmentary voiceovers remain that remind us of the movie. Rearranged as hypnotic samples they give the listener some sparse poetical guidance in the metaphysicial porridge that is this cassettetape.
Cosmin TRG – Protection 1 [PTC-1]
Protection is a new label established by Japanese artist Haruka, which seeks to explore the spaces where techno and experimental sounds merge, and club tools blur with home listening. Here this aim is achieved with precision and care by Romanian producer and DJ Cosmin TRG. The EP is distinguished by its intricate production and focused exploration, with each track finding a distinct balance between intensity and power. This record represents an impressive addition to Cosmin TRG’s discography, and a very fitting start for Haruka’s new label.
The Hipodrome Of Music 