experimental

Chevel – Blurse [SALP003]

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Chevel (a.k.a. Dario Tronchin) now makes his LP debut for Stroboscopic Artefacts. Over the course of his young career, Chevel has gained a mastery over several compositional elements: Polaroid-like slow melodic fades, sharp ricocheting beats, and simply making one’s headphones feel like a viable means of physical transportation. Despite Chevel’s keeping the sonic toolkit and overall atmosphere consistent from track to track, there is a rich variety in the emotional affectivity on display here. The net effect is like a dream state that leaves strong impressions even though one can’t pinpoint exactly why they are doing so.

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Chevel – Blurse [SALP003]

Jonas Reinhardt – Palace Savant [FUR097]

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Helping listeners to escape reality—which has been known to grate, on occasion—has long been a noble aim of many musicians. One of the most effective ways to do that is to create imaginary soundtracks for impossible science-fiction films, the darker and more un-Hollywood-like, the better. Another method is to take inspiration from great works of architecture—which, as Goethe cogently noted, “is frozen music.” The latter route is used by Brooklyn producer Jonas Reinhardt (aka Jesse Reiner) on his sixth album, Palace Savant.

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Jonas Reinhardt – Palace Savant [FUR097]

Benjamin Damage – Obsidian [50WEAPONCD018]

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‘Obsidian’ marks the third album from Benjamin Damage (his second solo long-player). “Obsidian is a collection of fragmented memories from all the music I’ve ever liked, distorted and restructured into a full length techno record. A purely personal project and an end of an era with 50WEAPONS.”

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Benjamin Damage – Obsidian [50WEAPONCD018]

Gavin Russom – Body Minimalism EP [CURLE053]

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NYC synth maestro Gavin Russom continues on with his recent streak of killer techno releases, this time, surprisingly, for peak time specialists Curle. Punisher” is dark, tunnelling and hypnotic business, perfect for the 6AM comfort zone. “All Souls (NYC Mix)” uses sinister droning atmospherics and infectious syncopations, but just wait ’til that warbling melody comes in. Finally we’ve got “Thrashing Truth” which doesn’t leave much to the imagination; with its no nonsense EBM bassline and harsh industrial rhythms.

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Gavin Russom – Body Minimalism EP [CURLE053]

Vagon Brei – The Pleasure Of Finding Things Out [PF010]

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Vagon Brei, aka Victor Ramos is back with a full length CD album on Photic Fields. A project inspired by and dedicated to Richard Feynman: the scientist, the teacher, the explorer, the visionary and the raconteur. His scientific curiosity, zest for life and eccentric personality were tried to be captured in music, produced by a true admirer of the man. A varied set of tracks, among the album you’ll find mystic waves, ambient moods, synth soundtracks and electro cuts. ‘It’s much more interesting to live not knowing than to have answers which might be wrong’.

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Vagon Brei – The Pleasure Of Finding Things Out [PF010]

DJ Richard – Grind [DIAL033LP]

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Debut Album by Dj Richard, Label Owner of White Material. With the launch of his White Material label in New York 2012, Dj Richard started releasing a line of the most stunning works by Galcher Lustwerk, Young Male, Morgan Louis and himself. Alongside a collaboration with Carsten Jost for the Lawrence ”Films And Windows Remixes” the Dial Records crew deeply fell in love with the works of Dj Richard and vice versa the request to release his debut album here caused enthusiastic encounter. After his contribution for Dial’s 15 Years compilation and almost two years of production, it is here: Dj Richard – Grind ! A tribute to what contemporary club music and enthusiastic sound experiments should be about: exaltation and addiction. This is what Dj Richard’s club sets feel like- an incredible sound seduction, another dimension- Grind might be the essence of it all.

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DJ Richard – Grind [DIAL033LP]

Eduardo De La Calle – Nanoscopic Scales [HVN031]

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The bold Eduardo de La Calle of Analog Solutions infamy drops his second 12″ for Hivern, following up from his take on U’R’s “Transition” for the 2014 HVN release. Here Eduardo gives us some us his finest examples of the lush Techno soundscapes he’s become known for.

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Eduardo De La Calle – Nanoscopic Scales [HVN031]

Christoph De Babalon / Triames – Invocation Of The Demon Twin Vol.1 [GD013]

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You wake from sleep, the door closes by itself and the walls run with slime and rain. A shadow moves, almost familiar, welcoming and simultaniously intimidating. The candle flickers and snuffs out. A noise. Your torch is dying. Something takes your hand. Long fingernails and old skin. You mark the floor, chant the incantation. Together. In the first of our split series we present two modern artists who’s imaginations know no limit. Abstract drones, anchient machinery, neon cities within the shadow of the overfiend.

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Christoph De Babalon / Triames – Invocation Of The Demon Twin Vol.1 [GD013]

INIT – Two Pole Resonance [HVNLP001]

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Having first joined forces last year to lend a hand of Massimo Pagliara’s collaborative With One Another full-length, Benedikt Frey and Nadia D’Alo present their debut full-length under the Init alias. It’s a thoroughly atmospheric, clandestine affair, with the duo delivering a dark-wave opus that tips a hat to early Depeche Mode, minimal wave, Detroit techno and the ambient soundscapes of Brian Eno. D’Alo provides the vocals, though for much of the time they’re utilized as textures, rather than the central focus of the duo’s shuffling, slowly evolving synth-scapes. As an album, Two Pole Resonance is initially attractive – albeit in a stylized, late night kind of way – but really comes into its’ own after repeat listens. It is, though, definitely worth the effort.

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INIT – Two Pole Resonance [HVNLP001]

5X0D – 5X0D [DOM008M]

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5X0D has always been Mark Phillips and Rob Lawrence since it began in 1981 in Bristol UK. Early influences were many going back to pop, prog and krautrock bands of the early 70s, through punk and new wave to industrial, then later Japanese technopop like YMO.

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5X0D – 5X0D [DOM008M]

VA – Ixtab Compilation Series Vol.1 [MF095]

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First in a series of compilations from Monofonus Press is this lovely 4 song 12″ EP. Opening track “Molecular Psychology” by Interbrain, duo of Willie Burns and Alessandro Adriani is a 14- minute Electro-Kraut caliche stomper to keep the mosquitoes riled up around the sweat-drenched masses. The Stockholm duo Empfänger swarm in with throbbing kick drums, buzzing bass sequences and some meth-crazed psychopath vocals on their Acid Techno track “Charles.” Side B opens up with the Cosmic Disco track “Tsch” by Welsh producer Samoln. Closing the record is the epic “The Terrible Comet Salt” by Idea Fire Company & BRRR, which has a peculiar narrative over a haunting low key composition.

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VA – Ixtab Compilation Series Vol.1 [MF095]

FOQL – Hypatia [ET041/GOOILAND020]

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FOQL belongs to the same Polish electronic music collective as Marburg, but the sound of this project is truly different. Hypatia EP is delicate and even fragile maybe… It has the ritual feeling like some of the music by Coil has, and fuses ambient, electronix and techno in the same way Kobosil can do. In short, this is a record for well informed and well educated music lovers.

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FOQL – Hypatia [ET041/GOOILAND020]

Sa Pa – Fuubutsushi [FORUMIV]

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There’s something decidedly mysterious and otherworldly about this fourth release on Giegling’s Forum sub-label. As usual, they’re not giving much away, and to make matters worse the artist at the controls – the previously unheard of Sa Pa – is a debutant. Happily, the music – a mix of crackly, fizzing, minimal-influenced experimental techno, ambient and weirder, dub-flecked explorations – speaks for itself. Fuubutsushi is an impressively atmospheric and off-kilter affair, with Sa Pa paying much attention to the tiniest of details (see the intricate sound collage that forms the rhythm track on the bleak “Tagularius”). If this is indeed Sa Pa’s first outing (and there’s a suspicon it’s an alter-ego, given the quality of the production), it’s rather impressive. A poet’s reminder of a specific season.

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Sa Pa – Fuubutsushi [FORUMIV]