Downbeat | Electronica | Leftfield 303 Items

David Cunningham was born in Ireland in 1954. His work ranges from pop music to gallery installations including several collaborations with visual artists. His first significant commercial success came with The Flying Lizards' single "Money," an international hit in 1979. Originally released in 1976, Cunningham's first solo album Grey Scale has become a landmark statement of DIY minimalist composition – continuing in the vein of the wild explosion of arthouse experimentation from the early '70s. Cunningham, then a student at the Maidstone College of Art in Kent, drafted fellow student non-musicians and (using whatever instruments available) crafted an endlessly shifting sonic palette with an improvisor's keen sensitivity to space, texture and tone. As Cunningham states in the liner notes, his approach was to "pursue something (which may appear trivial or meaningless) so rigorously or relentlessly to the point that it reveals something new." Cunningham was influenced by live performances he was attending at the time by English composers Cornelius Cardew, Gavin Bryars and Michael Nyman as well as free improvisors Evan Parker, Derek Bailey, David Toop and Paul Burwell. The inaugural release on Cunningham's own Piano label, Grey Scale was indeed "something new" in 1976. The artist quickly integrated his experimental sensibilities to produce art-rock pioneers This Heat, whose debut appeared on Piano in 1979. His popular success performing as The Flying Lizards (with two electro-punk albums on Virgin during the New Wave era) was presaged by this seminal work of fascinating sound collage and tonal freedom. First-time reissue.

Since the late aughts, Helsinki-based multi-instrumentalist, linguist, and skateboarder Olli Aarni has released a steady stream of diverse and remarkably consistent recordings via labels such as Mappa, Longform Editions, Cotton Goods, Laaps and Superpang. “Koko maailma” constitutes a major new work in his discography, finding a fertile middle ground between what might be understood as his two primary compositional modes: organic/chaotic/aleatoric music and rule-based, longform works of minimalism. The source material for these compositions was recorded exclusively using the Serge system at EMS Stockholm, but the timbres that Aarni arrives at do not recall archetypal Serge music as most know it. Meticulous editing and processing of the material with an array of digital tools has resulted in music that preserves the erratic and cybernetic character of the Serge system but sounds totally unique unto itself. The first piece, “Ylhäällä,” has the sonic character of fireflies at dusk or ants in the dirt — mercurial, hypnotic, flittering, and scattering tones presented in the spirit of the best environmental music. “Alhaalla” functions almost like a zoomed out impression of what precedes it, with just intonation tuning applied to sine wave generators to create grid-like, harmonically rich, and surprisingly emotive drone music. Micro and macro — two pieces of music, two perspectives of a world.

Finnish imprint Vieno, continues the journey through emotional and experimental ambient sounds. Third release on the label is artist Otto Taimela´s album, Bluebird. The eight track piece gathers together Otto´s heavenly melancholic ambient, breakbeat and his signature piano compositions.

"Band Of Cloud’s David Owen has previous. Hailing from Leeds, he knocked about with Soft Cell early doors, hoovered up 80s synthpop, got distracted by The Sisters Of Mercy, formed The Hollow Men, dropped out for a couple of decades and popped back up in 2011 with the utterly brilliant ‘We Know Where The Time Goes’ by The FLK – a folk version of The KLF’s ‘Chill Out’. Yes, it’s as great as that sounds.

Judging by all that, ‘This Is Tomorrow’ should be good. David reveals that the first album he bought, aged 16, was Tangerine Dream’s ‘Force Majeure’. On clear vinyl. With a sticker. It’s a record that has impact, this is his homage.

‘This Is Tomorrow’ is like a fever dream, all drifty and floaty and hypnotisey. It comes as four lengthy tracks that sound like they should build to some of release, but never quite do. It has a kind of ‘Twin Peaks’ what-the-f*ckery about it. Odd samples, noises here, strange sounds there. ‘The Hidden Memory’ is proper flickering light bulbs stuff." - Neil Mason, Moonbuilding, Summer 2022

Regardless if you immediately associate the term metamorphosis with any kind of evolutionary adjustment, with shapeshifting, the complex transformation of music or if you simply think about the distinctive mark the last two years have left on basically each and everyone of us, it’s easy to agree that “Metamorphose“ is just the perfect title for JakoJako’s debut album for Bigamo.

While others fell into a state of shock, JakoJako has made perfect use of the compulsory extra studio time regulated by the pandemic, developing and specifying a sound she instantly attracted attention with, as soon as she entered the scene in 2019 with her release on Leisure System.

Fields Of Mist has been traveling to Munich for years and during a visit last year Packed Rich brought him to the studio and introduced us to each other. Smooth jams to calm down and enjoy some proper laid back west coast vibes.

Cass (90) Ukrainian/Estonian archival label Shukai extend unmissable introductions to Valentina Goncharova's incredibly free synthesis of electro-acoustic, noise and new age tropes in a frankly jaw-dropping first compendium of her work -highly recommended to disciples of Pauline Oliveros, Deathprod, Daphne Oram, Michael Ranta, Keiji Haino

Spread across 4-tracks, the producer offers fanciful instrumentation and production while conveying a narrative of preservation for mother nature. The theme of Mother Land is inspired by one of Nohan’s main interests: nature. In response to ongoing climate change and global environmental degradation, he opted to craft a project that captured the planet's beauty - with a message of sustainability.

The EP is a faithful representation of Nohan the producer - packed with his love for the piano, ipnothic synths, and suspended ambient compositions. The project opens with the title track - kickstarting the subtle, yet palpable production rooted in tangible instrumentation. “The world’s on fire… It’s calling out for you and me” are the opening lines from the vocalist, reminding listeners that earth’s fate revolves around us.

“Heavenly Sing” presents a more upstart offering, with loose shakers and scintillating keys leading. This more tropical take provides optimism in sound, serving as prose for uplifting introspection in headphones as well as the Adid dancefloor. “The Sun in December” reflects its title - somber piano leads the way through a serene, melancholy soundscape. The EP also includes an ambient take on “Mother Land,” which strips its electronic backing in the intro to draw focus to the words and theme of the project.

Noahn makes a perfect fit with this emblematic imprint.

Darbuka, gongs, berimbaus, kalimbas, pandeiro, riqq, doholla, bendirs, udu,… These are just some of the instruments that make up the sound universe of Hands in Motion. This percussion trio brings together musicians Simon Leleux (Fabrizio Cassol / I Silenti, Refugees for Refugees), Robbe Kieckens (Lamekan Ensemble, Myrddin De Cauter) and Falk Schrauwen (Compro Oro, Echoes of Zoo) who create a sound universe that does not knows any limits.

From Senegal to Eastern Europe, from Brazil to India, from the classical conservatory to nomadic people, it is nourished by all their influences that Hands in Motion juggles with the codes of tradition to create a new space of expression, resolutely current and innovative.

Minimalist sound layers, captivating grooves, acoustic trance, their music is organic, contrasting, deep and subtle at the same time. They alternately create melodies and textures that might as well make you think of Philip Glass, Mammal Hands or Why the Eye?. The atmospheres they create invite movement and sharing.

Normally records that take a long time to make can sound fractious, convoluted self-absorbed. This is not the case with Sorry! WE DID Something Wrong, the debut from Moscow’s Simple Symmetry, which despite taking three years to create, is a total gas to listen to. Simple Symmetry — aka the Lipsky brothers (Sasha and Sergey) — haven’t really looked to reinvent any wheel, rather they have managed to collate a vast amount of good vibes and well-loved sonic conceits and breathe new life and colour into them. Temporarily ditching the electrifying dance music they are famous for in favour of a universal pop sound — replete with flutes, cello, “all kinds of percussion” and synths, sitar and guitars — the brothers have made an upbeat and incredibly accessible record; a tonic for these uncertain times. At first glance, some of the titles: ‘End of Days’, ‘I Must Not Fear’, ‘Oh Lord’, and ‘Out Of Body Experience’ don’t suggest the expansive and very danceable soundtracks we get to hear. But with the aforementioned tracks and rug cutters like ‘Che Che’, Simple Symmetry re explore those moments in the early-to-mid 1990s when artists like David Holmes, St Etienne, Andrew Weatherall and Death in Vegas looked to plunder the grooves and licks of the 1960s and early 1970s. The bell rings, flutes, harpsichord and vocal harmonies in ‘End of Days’, for instance, suggest the Beach Boys at their most laid back and sunkissed. Or The Monkees when they chowed down with Zappa and made Head. Even the countdown makes direct reference to the 60’s Space Race. Sometimes, the Lipsky’s reappropriations of these kinds of moments in popular music’s history are so brazen it’s best just to laugh at the sheer cheek of it all. Whilst shaking your hips, of course. Life-affirming, comforting even, Sorry! WE DID Something Wrong shows that old tricks can still be magical if used with the right spirit. This record is also the sound of coming together. Literally, as well as metaphorically. Simple Symmetry confirms that “there were many collaborations with artists we love and admire from all over the world, from Russia, Israel, Germany, UK, Brazil and the USA.” Including a guest vocal by their good friend Petr Chinavat on the beautiful, hippy-dippy technicolour paean to one of the ocean’s most mysterious creatures, ‘Octopus’. After a while it’s impossible to think too critically about the whys and hows, especially when confronted by floorfillers like ‘I Must Not Fear’ or the marvellous, gonzoid ‘Koko the Gorilla’ which stomps its way through the simplest, sugariest of melody lines and throwing out kooky vocal samples and comic roars for good measure… Koko turns up on the album cover, courtesy of Athens artist Dimitris Rocos. In a way the beast is a spirit animal for this release: in your face and brazen but (to steal a lyric from Julian Cope) kinda cute. For those needing some respite from all the high jinks, there is plenty of space to sink into a pleasant reverie, courtesy of the Gong-like comedown that goes by the name of ‘What A Relief’ and the Glide-tastic ‘Rounded with a Sleep’; both of which allow the gentlest of comedowns in your favourite seat at the Korova Milk Bar.

Keplar re-issues the fourth album 'Chessa' by Dan Abrams' project Shuttle358 on vinyl for the first time. The double LP edition includes 3 previously unreleased tracks from the same recording sessions back in 2004, as well as an extended artwork with unseen photographs by Dan Abrams. While undoubtedly associated with the microsound and 'clicks & cuts' movement around the turn of the millennium, on 'Chessa' Shuttle358 left behind the classical rhythmic patterns of the genre and shifted further towards warmer territories, meandering between modern digital minimalism and the soft tones of ambient music. Counter to his microsound synthesis approach on Frame (2000), Abrams created Chessa by writing software that manipulated samples from his unreleased songs, guitar pieces, and vintage japanese films sampled from video tape. In particular, a special granulating technique was written and performed at intentionally low sample rates that gave the uniquely fragile, yet dense sound to the album. Over fourteen tracks Abrams arranges slowly evolving sonic entities of unfading elegance. Strayed and hazy melodies pulse and cascade, elongated but brittle harmonies shimmer and disappear, echoing far-off in the rounded corners of the mind. The patient and detailed way Abrams combines the broken with the beautiful in creating organic collages of sound that retain the euphonic essence of a song, makes this piece of work so powerful and timeless, sounding just as relevant today, as it did 17 years ago. Under modern scrutiny in Abrams latest studio, he refocused the original recordings to emphasize the elements most important to the original vision. The final mastering and vinyl preparation was done in collaboration with Stephan Mathieu, vinyl was cut by Lupo. From the original press release in 2004 by Taylor Deupree: Without a doubt Shuttle358 has become one of the most admired artists to emerge from modern electronic music’s sea of musicians. From the humble beginnings of a demo CD in 12k’s mailbox to 4 critically acclaimed CDs, Dan Abrams is, to some, the one credited for bringing a warmth and human touch back into what has often been considered a very cold, sterile genre. It began with 1999’s Optimal.lp (12k1005), a groundbreaking debut release that immediately defined the Shuttle358 sound; a hybridization of the then-emerging “microsound” genre with Eno’s true ambient explorations. In 2000 Abrams outdid himself with Frame (12k1011) by honing his sound design and exploring production techniques at rates that made his “now” quite brief and creating what was to become one of the most sought-after CDs in the 12k catalog. Chessa is the third release from Abrams’ Shuttle358 moniker on 12k and he continues to do what he does best: attempt to move microsound away from the world of theory and towards absolute real life. Like his photographs, Chessa is music about, and to be listened to in, unexpected places. It is a narrative, a simple slice of life that plays out through the incidental photography of the cover artwork. To achieve this Abrams fuses irregular granular sound particles, like the movements of everyday life, with a deliberate melodic base that captures emotion and simplicity.

Yep people, you’ve got us right. While many of us are still looking for traces of lizard people wandering over a flat earth, your favourite producer’s favourite producer has already boarded his space vehicle in the direction of moon, closely observing our mediocre attempts to enrich our earthly existence. Magician Jichael Mackson opens his bag, presenting the signature sound he’s so famous and respected for. Deep and bass driven grooves, perfectly layered on top of each other like damask steel. In order to enjoy this masterpiece, we recommend to snort a big line of that “Digital Dust”. “Family Biz” is taking a more laidback and broken beat direction. Dense percussions, intricate harmonies and a lot of soul and jazz vibes are hidden in this gem. Best to be discovered with your friends and loved ones on a sunny day beneath a shady tree, enjoying a couple of glasses while waiting for the sunset. Geez, this is so damn gorgeous. “ath” ends this formidable EP. Again, no club inspired vibes (cos clubs are closed anyway, right?) pulsating out Mackson’s snyths, instead a more abstract broken beat crawling into our ears. Eerie sound modulations and creepy acid - lovers of DJ Krush’s older works might fall in love with this.

Sylvie & Babs As A Picture Disc Lp, With New Babs Santini Artwork. Was It Always Supposed To Be This Way? Who Knows? But It Won't Be Around For Long. One Pressing And That's It, Buy Or Die - You Know The Drill. "Sylvie And Babs Is One Of The Most Memorable, Playful, And Fascinating Albums In The Nww Oeuvre (Though A Decidedly Unrepresentative One)...Few (If Any) Other Artists Could've Woven Capricious Contrarianism, Low Humor, Bad Puns, Endless Non-Sequiturs, And Chaos Into Such A Satisfying Whole" - Anthony D'amico

Quirky Rethought Cyber Assault

Kenny Dope and Louie Vega's Nu-Yorican Soul project was responsible for some of the biggest underground club hits to come out of NYC throughout the 1990's, their collective vast musical knowledge, impeccable taste and legendary status as DJ's in the city only helped elevate them to the highest level. "The Nervous Track" is a fine example of the duo's deep musical heritage, originally released on Nervous Records in 1993 it's deep pads, bassline and solid as a rock breakbeats captured the ears and minds of any self respecting DJ or dancer who came within a hundred miles of it, the very definition of a classic! Fusing the worlds of Jazz, Latin, HipHop and House MAW set the blueprint for generations of DJ's and producers to come with records like this. Here, re-mastered and re-issued from the original DAT's in conjunction with Nervous Records NYC is a piece of dance music history, "The Nervous Track" is available again and still sounding as vital and groundbreaking as it did on it's original release.

"Hearts Utd." (suction052) is an addendum to Rx-101’s recent 2LP “Serenity”, featuring 5 additional caustic braindance assaults from the archive, alongside a brand new remix of Serenity standout cut “Hearts Utd.” by the mysterious IDM producer Brainwaltzera. On “Hearts Utd.”, Rx-101 delivers more scorched, crunchy jackhammer beats, combined with emotional, plaintive pads, delivering a classic set of vintage-Rephlex-style bliss, à la AFX, Caustic Window, and Cylob. Comes housed in a reverse-board jacket with full-colour-picture inner-sleeve.

New York no-wavers Ike Yard are perhaps best known for being the first American band signed to Factory Records, and it isn't difficult to hear why: the group's music has much in common with the existential frigidness of Joy Division and early New Order as well as the mutant noise-funk of Section 25 and A Certain Ratio. That said, the sound of Night After Night, the band's debut EP, is one that could only have emerged from the lawless dystopia of '70s New York City.

Vocalist/percussionist Stuart Argabright, guitarist Michael Diekmann, vocalist/bassist Kenny Compton and synth player Fred Szymanski traffic in a particularly foreboding rhythmic tension, creating in the process an unlikely amalgam of minimal wave, industrial and post-punk.

Recorded shortly after forming in 1980 and originally released on seminal Brussels imprint Les Disques Du Crépuscule, Night After Night suggests an alternate history in which Tobe Hooper and Jah Wobble provided the soundtrack to The Warriors. The atmosphere throughout is thick. Every cymbal is dubbed-out and spacey; every vocal utterance treated, alien and detached.

Fans of Chrome's damaged ice machine-guitar or Suicide's menacing, anything-can-happen m.o. will rejoice in the siren-sounds, metal clanging and metronomic death-pulse of "Sense of Male," while “Infra-ton" evokes the cacophonous rattle of gates being pulled down over bodega storefronts and the screech of subway brakes. Side two kicks off with "Motiv's" mechanical dread, and the squelchy din of "Cherish" recasts The Residents as streetwise, urban punks.

Night After Night remains primal evidence of the dank, uncompromising narcotica of Ike Yard's embryonic period.

German-Syrian band Shkoon will release their long-awaited debut album “Rima”, sending out a message of cultural diversity to the world. Shkoon’s concerts have attracted a diverse audience for many years, bringing together people of all religions, colors and backgrounds. For their album-tour through Germany and Switzerland, stops in Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne, Munich and Zurich are planned. Musically, the album is situated between influences of electronic downbeat, deep house, dub and hip-hop. The band members come from a variety of different musical backgrounds and have created their very own sound with a mix of influences between the Arabic and Western world. Piano, violin, synthesizers, percussion and vocals merge oriental melodies with western electronic beats, taking the listener on a journey that blurs the boundaries of cultures. Shkoon is more than a German-Syrian live act with Arabic lyrics. In addition to their own lyrics, the band uses traditional musical folklore elements of the Arab community, which today appear more relevant than ever.

This series of musical and visual self-portraits explores death and transformation. Not only physical death but also psychological death, which is usually accompanied by fear and resistance. In times of crisis and despair, we celebrate youth and look to overcome the many challenges posed by life itself. It is natural that we sometimes break down, due to the pressures of society, but fortunately we do stand up again, and create even greater art.

This is the third album of Book Of Air, a series created by the granvat platform and curated by the composers and brothers Stijn and Bert Cools. This time the 3 interwoven bass lines give the deep drive and foundation of the sound, completed with a layer of acoustic instruments and sparkling chords on top. "Se (In) De Bos" is inspired by the fluctuation objectivity of our daily observations. The album is one continuous 60 minute piece. Presented as one track on the cd, and in two parts on the vinyl version.