Downbeat | Electronica | Leftfield 177 Items

Masahiro Sugaya, his name is now known worldwide as one of the leading artists of Japanese ambient, which has been re-evaluated worldwide in recent years. The Long Living Things, the album was released in 1988 by Japanese musician/composer Masahiro Sugaya for performing arts company "Pappa Tarahumara", which he also belonged to, and has long been overlooked by all but a few enthusiastic music lovers. P-vine is honoured to have the honour of reissuing this great work on vinyl for the first time in the world. The second track ‘Umi No Sunatsubu’ was included into the Grammy-nominated album "Kankyo Ongaku" released by Light In The Attic. Minimalistic, interwoven soft sequences give his music a feeling of floating and warming, this sound is representing the very essence of the Japanese ambient. His compilation album "Horizon, Volume 1" was released on the label Empire Of Signs, which produces some Japanese ambient reissues, such as Hiroshi Yoshimura's Music From Nine Postcards and Inoyama Land's Commissions: 1977-2000.　

Nika Son stitches together spoken word, concrète and extracts from various installations into a hazed ode to the nocturnal world on this highly intoxicating new album, landing somewhere between the surrealist sound poetry of Nozomu Matsumoto, Arthur Lipsett’s abstracted film works and Michèle Bokanowski’s acclaimed scores for her husband Patrick.

Constructed out of the kind ephemeral building blocks conjured in liminal space, Nika Son (Golden Pudel Club, Entr'acte) collages moonlit organ vamps, stifled voices and disembodied, robotic poems on this deliriously slippery album. Heaving from smeary abstraction to penetrable drama, featherlight rhythms are cut short by uncanny voices: "stop, turning, a page," like some rogue navigation assistant, slicing into ticking clocks and xerox noise.

Like listening to a film without access to its visuals, all the foley sounds remain (windscreen wipers, trains passing, conversations) but we're left puzzling over what any of it means. The only context provided is from Son herself, who says that although the album doesn't have a consistent theme, each piece is inspired by the night's capability to shift our perception and memory. It comes off like a crepuscular sketchbook of ideas and themes that coalesce into an opaque sonic landscape.

It's music that defies simple categorisation; Son doesn't tie herself to any identifiable mode of expression, and there are no knowing nods to early electronic innovators either. Rather, she follow her own nose, drawing us into an elusive personal space. On 'It's just a cucumber', environmental recordings are edited just enough to enhance the illusion, before voices curl and decompress into rousing bass womps and unmetered rhythms prickle around punkish shouts. The use of voice is omnipresent throughout, even when not there, they appear on the periphery: on 'La nuit tombe', they're muffled behind echoing footsteps and creepy synth wails, on 'Gelbes Feld', incomprehensible chatter envelopes cricket chirps and b-movie arpeggios.

Many artists have tried to map out the dreamworld using sound, but Nika Son takes us to a place that genuinely feels in-between worlds, capturing those moments before vivid memories slip away from the mind's eye forever.

Recorded in 1994 in Berlin, 'Stone' has been remastered by Lawrence English and sounds better than ever. The perfect introduction to veteran Japanese sound artist's raft of material, it's an exploration of sound, space and time using found objects and flute.

Suzuki's work is fiendishly difficult to describe - it's far better to experience. He became interested in sound after studying architecture, and quickly developed a fascination with spaces - specifically the echoes that existed within them. 'Stone' was a further development of his "throwing and following" technique, where he would cast sounds and gestures into space and catch whatever returned.

So, stationed in Künstlerhaus Bethanien, he used the vast studio to create unique atmospheres, alternating between flute and clattering rhythms from found objects. It's beguiling stuff, that on the CD version thankfully comes with photo documentation and notes from David Toop that should make Suzuki's process a little clearer.

Hypnotic drum dervishes by HHY & The Macumbas, pursuing a killer Nyege Nyege Tapes retrospective with the debut shot on their Horror Vector label. Tweaking springy rhythmic workouts with sinewy dub processes that bring the B-movie/VHS horror influence right to the fore, it’s a delirious set tipped if yr into CZN, Konono No.1, Shackleton, Raja Kirik, Metal Preyers, Adrian Sherwood.

Helmed by Jonathan Saldana and counting crack percussionist João Pais Filipe (czn) in the quintet of drums, subs, and noise, HHY & The Macumbas are prized for their thunderous energy, and ‘Bom Sangue Mau' (good bad blood) was recorded on stage in an empty theatre with a full soundsystem, lighting rig and smoke machines, to better capture the vibe.

Fixed in place with post-production and mixing at their Skull Cave Studio, the results represent the band in swingeing effect, knotting gnawing and bittersweet noise and see-sawing trance arps to thunderous rhythms inspired by myriad Black Atlantic traditions: West and Central African, Haitian, Brazilian. At its best, the record sounds like a deranged cross between John Carpenter and Adrian Sherwood, a Stroom or Finders Keepers oddity that's been re-imagined for a snuff theatre performance like some darkside wormhole that pushes rhythmic and sonic intensity into carnivalesque new places.

Analog synths and brass fanfares cut into 4/4 thuds and rattling skins on 'Via Negativa', sounding like the introduction to a technicolor '70s zombie flick, while 'Mão Esquerda' deploys ugly hardstyle squeals sandwiched between rubbery bass, and 'Serpente Explícita' is a humid fever dream - ominous, creeping synths and a hand drum that keeps building in intensity until it's ruptured by garbled voices and unsettling strings. ‘Fundição Termal Caçada’ is a militaristic death rattle that evolves into a synth-led burner before roaring with blood-curdling, brassy terror. And on the brilliantly titled 'Porno Perpetuum', they take on exploitation and sleaze soundtracks, cutting their frenetic drumming with animalistic screams and macabre whispers.

It's a haunted boat ride down the uncharted tributaries of an unknown continent, colourfully rendered by an artist who's at the top of his game right now.

"In the core of the album’s creation, lies my fascination with unveiling the piano overtones by harnessing the properties of complex systems, which emerge when competing oscillations of strings interact with room acoustics, microphone placements, the piano's pedals, and its soundboard. Through long forms, incremental gestures, and nuanced timbral artifacts, the album aims to distort the perception of time and invite an introspective experience of multiple and expanded temporalities." - Zoe Efstathiou.

Zoe Efstathiou, pianist and electro-acoustic composer, originally from Greece, has lived in Sweden since 2015. Her interest shifts between the intricate relationships of the overtones of acoustic instruments, electro-acoustic textures, and the sonic potential of light installations. Her music interpolates the momentary with the ever-evolving, exploring ideas related to time, expectation and memory.

Miaux Presents NEW LP ‘never Coming Back’ ON Viernulvier Records

The Belgian Composer’s upcoming LP IS Inspired BY THE NEW Film Score SHE wrote FOR 60S Cult Film ‘carnival OF Souls’

Antwerp-based composer and synth virtuoso Miaux presents her new album, 'Never Coming Back’ on Viernulvier Records. The record is rooted in the recent film score she composed for the surreal and haunted cult movie 'Carnival of Souls' (1962).

Directed by American filmmaker Herk Harvey, this enigmatic ghost film influenced contemporary directors like David Lynch, George A. Romero, and Lucrecia Martel.

Miaux meticulously crafted the score in her home studio, relying solely on her two hands and a single synthesizer during the spring and summer of 2022. The inaugural performance of this renewed score with film, unfolded at Videodroom / Film Fest Gent 2022 in Ghent, Belgium. The compositions were subsequently unraveled, rewritten into full-fledged songs, and assembled into a new record entitled 'Never Coming Back’, bearing Miaux’s unmistakable signature.

The album is scheduled for release on May 3 and will be available on vinyl LP and all digital platforms.

Miaux will perform the album live at Roadburn Festival (nl), offering a pure interpretation of the new songs. Additionally, there are shows planned a Stuk (Leuven) and Palmarium (Ghent), where she will perform the film score alongside the film.

With extensive practical and academic understanding of the ‘remix’ process, Stian Balducci takes on the role of audio architect in this refined and redesigned remix album.

His meticulous approach has not replaced, but built upon Kjetil Jerve’s piano material and boasts a thorough dedication to mood and timbre through-out. The outcome combines new strokes of colour and delicately layered textures, offering fresh perspectives to an old canvas. The aural landscape takes shape in progressive, parabolic pulsations, coupled with sparse, rhythmic heart-throbs that embody the faint silhouettes of drum reverberations. This atmospheric landscape is complimented with subtle, pensive keys from Kjetil’s piano recordings that add emotional depth to the work and pay diligent tribute to the free structures of jazz.

The final project may be understood as a window, giving view to life’s sentient and evocative themes, without ever infringing on their delicacy. The sonic progressions tap into nature’s cycles through meditative repetition and offer the listener some brief respite from innate human habits of over-thinking.

As the contents of the album unfold, we are taken reassuringly by the hand to familiar, foreign lands, filled with curious sonorous tales and subtle insights that shed light on a world of deeper perception.

In keeping with the communal ethos of Dugnad Rec, ‘Tokyo Tapes: Piano Recycle’ reflects a thoughtful exchange between Stian and Kjetil. Stian professed that the project went ahead with just one rule: “to work only with the original source material, no external samples or sound sources”. This puritan approach spotlights a shared characteristic between them; namely, a unified desire to explore vibrations and a wholistic dedication to sound experimentation.

« Tricks that never fail to amuse at parties » Vinyl Only.

Fall For You 03:37 Fade Away 02:17 Melancholy 02:30 Valentine 01:55 Cold 02:29 Drifting 02:42 Belong 02:06 Return 02:33 Alone 02:33

"Ayin" by San Pedro is a techno electronic music EP consisting of six tracks, recorded with analog synthesizers and samplers during a week of inspiration in the mountains in August 2023. The EP offers an engaging sonic experience, with intricate melodies and hypnotic rhythms that transport the listener through evolving soundscapes. San Pedro's combination of technological innovation and artistic sensitivity is reflected in each track, offering an exciting journey into the world of electronic music.

It’s time to embark on the next chapter of extra-terrestrial worldbuilding - the second instalment of Seismic Records is here. Stepping in is sonic explorer Pyramid of Knowledge a.k.a. K.O.P 32. Based in Seoul but born and raised in France, the Beyond The Bridge label head is blending his Tekno roots with an introspective approach to music, carving out a trademark sound led by pensive rhythms and psychedelic atmospheres. With fierce precision and spellbinding force - you’re invited to explore the unknown depths of your psyche as you enter the state of ‘Fusion’. In all its ominous grace, the journey takes off with ‘CFU’. A kaleidoscope-esque acid ritual is guided by subtle yet uptempo kicks, lifting us into the first phase of the cleansing. Followed by ‘Xer’, where an ancient chant introduces the next dimension of consciousness-expansion. The progression of energy tells us that the higher powers have bigger plans for us - a phase that is entered on the B-side. ‘TV’ surges in tempo and raises blood pressure with an annihilating paradox of the calm and the chaotic. For those who managed to withstand all phases of the occult test, reconciliation is near as ‘Yrots’ strikes down with a mind-warping drum workout for the body and soul. Enter the heart of a psychedelic odyssey and swirl into the labyrinthine pathways of your ego as you enter the Fusion by K.O.P. 32.

Piezo’s Ansia imprint returns for its 8th outing ‘Imago’, inviting Berlin’s Unity Vega for a split EP of uptempo dancefloor explorations that mine that fertile space between footwork, drum’n’bass, dancehall and experimental contemporary club sonics.

Unity Vega leads the charge with ‘No Body No Mind’ - a waterlogged darkside skanker that sits somewhere between the half-stepping jungle of the Uvb-76 crew and the kind of oddball dancehall deconstructions often peddled by Ansia's extended circles.
Appearing again on the flip, Vega ups his pace on ‘Set Em’ - a nervy footwork roller that pits gully hip-hop vocal chops against rising bell chords and washes of delayed noise. Think Rashad dubbed out by Kevin Martin and you’re in the right ballpark.

Label head Piezo’s contributions continue along similar lines, albeit in his own unmistakable style. ‘Toughts, Heavy’ also finds the midpoint between d’n’b and dembow, this time marrying a gurgling acid bassline with a euphoric-turned-paranoiac trance lead.
Up next, ‘Nel Frigo Ah’ strips things back to the raw, banging basics: a looping vocal call pinned down by a frenetic crescendoing drum workout.

To close, Japanese legend Foodman delivers a pots-and-pans rework of ‘Thoughts, Heavy’ - a true curveball tool for the adventurous DJs amongst us.

When a story sees its own ending. Atoms shows the Hamburg grown friends and instrumentalists taking a steep descent into the unmarked. Crushed arpeggios, hand layered drums and the afterthought of a nightly piano allude to an early dawn still at midnight. All six tracks are ultimately cast towards loss, since Charly Schöppner, the trio's rhythmic enigma, passed before the record was finished in 2023. But they do this unwillingly, each alone, and they materialise the persistence of beauty in different shapes and thoughts left behind. All happened through an uplift of time in a simple space, as the record was made in Schöppner's garrage, being the trio's artistic refuge at that time. A friend taking you close. – Konstantin Bessonov

BufoBufo (Klasse Wrecks, Dream Ticket, Cabaret) and Qeta (Further Electronix, Wave Function, brokntoys) join forces for an eight track split LP, diving into aquatic synths, sliding breakbeats and amphibious atmospheres. Moving from the galactic leads and drum & bass tempo of BufoBufo’s ‘Caloris Basin’ to the dreamy melodies and trip-hop beats of Qeta’s ‘Art II’ , it ends on the expansive, horizon-gazing tones of their collaboration ‘Gloaming’, all shimmering interwoven bleeps and hefty breaks.

Banabila returns with a second LP release on Knekelhuis. The renowned Dutch producer is up there among the stars when it comes to ambient music and the so-called ‘fourth world’ legacy. On this eleven-track album, we witness soul-wrenching, kraut-tinted, and early-yet-modernist electronics.

Coming from his heart, these imaginative recordings center around otherworldly voices – fictional characters chanting in a made-up language, imbued with a captivating spirit, transcending linguistic barriers. Through remarkable complexity and technique, 'Unspeakable Visions' is full of sonic textures, together evoking a layered, emotional arc.

While the track 'Rattles' still references the artist's first album on Knekelhuis, 'Echo Transformations', the style of most other tracks departs towards an intriguing new mix of both pop-infused songs and gloomy abstraction, balancing between a sense of anticipation and desolation.

Sumer Is Icumen In is Quentin Thirionet's (Dhavali Giri, Pairi Daeza) debut album. Still, his musical escapades are vast and varied, based almost entirely on improvisation and live recordings, of which he occasionally distributes tapes without further information. Elusive to categorization and identification, unwilling to fix his musical activity under a stable pseudonym, his projects have ranged from gypsy jazz guitar swings, French traditional songs from Auvergne, and various experimental collaborations. Increasingly closer to electronic instrumentation, he crafted what Belgian label Kraak presents here as Maibaum, his first ever solo output. As the title goes, this may be a maypole on which his multicolored sonic visions spring about.

Former rope access worker and currently a farmer of organic greens, Thirionet lives up to these lines of work as a musician. He assembles precisely what seems like a subtle balance between high manmade structures and soft fertilized soils; a high voltage pylon placed in a biotic landscape. It's all an even blend, spontaneous and steady, but this contraption comes from profound considerations. "I chose these tracks among many others," says Quentin, "because I heard the melodies all the time in my mind, and because I cried while playing them without really understanding why." Armed with nothing more than a blackbox, a sequencer, a freeze pedal, and a tape player, Thirionet orchestrates a vivid rite of polished futures. At times reminiscent of Hans-Joachim Roedelius' enveloping arrangements, Maibaum's ambiances rely on mild repetitive patterns subsequently textured by prickling sprouts, mechanic dislocations and revamps that stoke and brighten the stirring motions. Jim O'Rourke's I'm Happy and I'm Singing comes to mind in terms of its detailed and prismatic nature, but Sumer Is Incumen In has its particular narrative. It's a tale of regeneration, of spring's delicate procedures and allure, a celebration of gracious and fortunate junctions between nature and machinery.

The album unfolds like a massive engine being made flesh to drift along the ether of a sultry land. The terrain turns pleasant and fertile in the title track; the colors and melodies of May start to unravel. Chromatic columns rise and define the scenery's depth of field breeding a synesthetic stream between crystal lights and warbling organisms. Grande Albero Buono Magico Uoma's brisk kaleidoscopic arpeggios sound like scanning a tree's litmus foliage. Then Ciguri takes us back to the foggy swamp of the beginning but is suddenly lit by an insect’s labyrinthine roundabout. The Jeweled Grid is a poem Quanta Qualia's lustrous metallic voice recites as a report of the album's phenomena. "Shiny revelations jump out. Pearls of thought flicker about." Images from within that distill to swirl around among us. The thicket dissolves as the album concludes calmly in Le Concept De Chien N'aboie Pas. Swaying under sieved solar light, leaves and branches tingle until the winds grow weak. All the warm creatures gathered along the way, and all those who danced around the maypole's splendid equilibrium now withdraw, folding up small to foster rebirth once again.

José Badía Berner

The various artists alternative sound concept (ude001) is the first reference, presenting a variety of styles and sounds which represents a sound personality from a listening point. These artists residing in Malaga, Madrid and Barcelona have participated with the first project to give the presentation. -Caradusanto, multidisciplinary artist includes “Semillas” made with analog modular and ramdomized sequences. -Dark Vektor, a pioneer in the electro scene, surprises us with “En Mitg De L’Espai”, sounds that are unusual for him and keeping the same relationship with his clarity when hearing it, sung with his native linguistics and message inside. -Intervalo, shows us a B side where the broken rhythm predominates, its harmonic essence and melody continues to be its identification, we talk about “Solitude”. -Guillermo Garate, innovates with electro sounds achieving the same thing, another B side of this artist “Larga”. -Tio solo by habit in its production slides on synthesizers and analog drum machines, thus achieving “Dark Fluid” an accelerated drum & Bass rhythm differentiated from it with atmospheric and acid pads.

Unisong is like a second chapter in Bergur's troubadour/trobairitz research (after Around the Songster's Commune, 2022) and an exploration into/practicing of Bergur's own poetic and melodic ability. It's a beautiful experiment in unifying and synthesizing something of a conceptual nature with something autobiographical. Let's call it bare, easy-feeling, domestic pop. 'Bare' naked -- and as in not-too-much-production. 'Easy-feeling' because that's how it feels. 'Domestic' a la John Lennon, Watching the Wheels, and as in home and living a life. 'Pop' because it is; because it's for everyone. It's about travelling, longing, searching, finding -- love.

Diagonal welcome the return of Iranian composer and sound artist, Ata Ebtekar (sote), for his first outing for the label since 2019's "Parallel Persia" and "Artificial Neutrality". His catalogue runs to 15 albums (both under the Sote moniker and as Ata Ebtekar), plus a clutch of 12"s, remixes and a number of other projects via Mute, Opal Tapes, Warp and more. "Soundsystem Persepolis" is Ata's response to the iconic performance at Persepolis by Iannis Xenakis in 1971. It's a five track collection of a futurism, a pummelling, rhythmic and harmonically complex trench of computer music.

Dalton Alexander is a multi-instrumentalist, field recordist & songwriter from Whitehorse in Yukon, Canada. "Almost Home If I'm Still Alive" is his proper debut album. Recorded in forests, fields, backyards, streets, and rooms between 2016 - 2023.

»Fluvius« is a conceptual album about water and its importance, in the form of rivers, in the birth and development of great civilizations throughout history. Civilizations that have worshiped water as a source of life to respect, care for, venerate, and fear. A work that probably surpasses everything that these two usual suspects of the label have previously produced - Hari Sima released »Fluido Tiempo« on Abstrakce and Mínim is a member of Mecánica Clásica.

Contemporary ambient, full of hypnotic sequences and organic developments, with meticulous and evocative arrangements. A myriad of textures and elegant details improve the album with each new listen. Eight exotic tracks sail through eight rivers which are crucial for the birth and development of great peoples and cultures around the globe. An excellent work that will hook fans of Bitchin Bajas, Fitoussi, Cortini, or the most ambient Dozzy...

Mastered by Rafael Anton Irisarri. Special limited edition of 250 copies, with die-cut kraft cardboard cover printed in white, and printed inner sleeve.

‘everything IS Here’ is a journey through space and time, inspired by the more rarefied aspects of prog rock and the wistful side of psychedelia.

Fusing these influences with the accessibility of French electronic and the groove of R&B and disco, this album depicts the sweet dizziness of contemplation. Nostalgic, yet determined and modern in it’s genre blending, the first album of Kartell truly reveals what’s been underlining in his previous EP.

Taking influences in the space and dream pop aesthetic, the musical approach of the album embraces the 60’s and 70’s fascination for outer space, exotic locations, technologies and science fiction which was on the edge of becoming reality.

Nebulous textures and otherworldly sounds characteristic of space rock are infused throughout the record, while keeping a focus on making catchy songs, leaning on a minor-key groove and a pop yearning. It’s also a challenge and an artistic proposition to gather a wide range of genres to tell a story. Densely produced and cinematic, the album draws a truly living landscape where live bass, drums and guitars hold the line, evolving around hazy effects and synthesizer layers.

Beatmaker and insatiable digger since his very first sample picked from Ennio Morricone’s discography, Degiheugi has never stopped exploring dusty vinyl records and the depths of the web in search of unnoticed sonic gems. True soundtracks of imaginary films, his 8 powerfully cinematic albums possess an undeniable evocative force. Perhaps a consequence of the admiration the producer holds for film music composers such as Lalo Shiffrin, Francis Lai, Cal Tjader, or François de Roubaix. These were all alchemists who unabashedly mixed jazz, funk, pop, or classical ingredients. The Degiheugi Orchestra adventure emerged as an obvious choice for the French artist. Indeed, his abstract instrumental hip-hop has always mingled with orchestral sounds: classy strings, vibrant brass, and swirling flutes blend with the vintage beats and samples of this artisan with immediately identifiable groove. More than just a blend of genres or a literal transposition of the digger-beatmaker’s music, this electro-symphonic odyssey offers a reinterpretation, live and orchestral. Entrusted to Sébastien Blanchon, musician (Le Peuple de l'herbe, L'Entourloop...) and mad composer of both hip-hop and symphonic music, the arrangements merge classical orchestra and machines into a single organic whole. The aim? Broadening the scope to enter a new dimension! On stage, 17 musicians weave a large-format setting, offering Degiheugi, the "sound director," a unique opportunity to tell his stories in an XXL format. To engrave this fabulous journey on record, 13 tracks including the essentials "Favelas" and "What Do You Expect from Me?" as well as a new title "Happiness Everywhere" were recorded in studio in their orchestral version. From June 7, 2024, the audience will be able to enjoy this sublime album mixed and mastered by Blanka (La Fine Équipe) and illustrated with a new cover by the Spanish artist Dulk, who has been accompanying Degiheugi since his album "Endless Smile.”

"Dialogues and Shadows" by Goncalo Almeida & Pierre Bastien invites you on a transcendental musical journey, rising above mere notes and timbres. With mechanical instruments and rich harmonics, their music sparks a conversation where listeners may actively participate. Surprises unfold as melodic phrases emerge from diverse sources, including Pierre Bastien's pocket trumpet and Goncalo Almeida's double bass, along with custom-made instruments.

Alicia is a DJ, producer and musician making deeply rhythmic, off-kilter dance music inspired by a love of club culture and the avant-garde. This mixtape delves into deeper worlds of spaced out hazy trips through dubwise ambient & downtempo niceness.

Marcy is a DJ who has blessed many music scenes from being a part of The Rye Wax family to regularly appearing on Kindred radio, her sets span intricate realms of focused left field landscapes.

MI:EL’s energy is effortlessly impactful. This mix is emotionally heavy, blending bass interludes with spoken word snippets and ambiences.

Pasta Kebab is a true genre-bender with eardrums that love all things dubbed-out with wonkykicks and eclectic melodies. Pasta Kebab spreads her ears across the world, although there is always hints of the distinct UK sounds.

Scar is an artist who also runs record shop, book shop and radio station Kindred. She brings us Aird tapes as an amalgamation of the art and sound world she exists in - this mixtape a journey of ambient terrain.

Crescendo' is the captivating result of a collaboration between the Swedish producers Emil Holmström and Peter Wikström, who form the duo Ecovillage, and a multi-talented cast of musicians all of whom share a passion for improvisation and experimentation.

Recorded between 2019 and 2022 in Los Angeles and Umeå, Sweden, the sessions were designed to explore the possibilities of creating a sonic environment that blends jazz and ambient to create something altogether fresh, vibrant and immersive.

‘We always wanted to create something new and original, something that would challenge us during the recording and also evolve our listeners. We also tried to break away from the conventions and expectations of ambient music’.

The album consists of ten tracks, each with its own mood and style. Some songs are uplifting and energetic, while others are mellow and dreamy. The vocals range from soft whispers to powerful chants, adding texture and emotion to the music.

‘Crescendo is an album that invites the listener to immerse themselves in a rich and diverse musical landscape that reflects the vision and spirit that we had during the recording process’.

Composed, mixed and produced by Emil Holmström & Peter Wikström

Featuring Jonas Knutsson, Laraaji, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, Green-House, Brothertiger, Kenji Kihara, Botany, Nightlands, nubo, Nat Birchall, Oceananda, Sharananda, Thore Pfeiffer, Annie Barker and Joseph Shabason

Recorded in Austin, Berlin, Los Angeles, Manchester, Mainz, New York, Philadelphia, Tokyo and Umeå

Unio Mystica: Absorbed from my room onto a triangle ship, by an alien wearing blue scaled bio-armour, to travel instantaneously across vast folds of time & space. The alien occupied the pinnacle of the triangle, the other two points by myself and an unknown human female, respectively. The ship, at least for this type of journey, was powered by harnessing the coalescent, universal force of Love. This truly hierogamic union acted as a sort of inter-dimensional transcendence driver, which allowed us the defeat of all material boundary and therefore, time itself. It was a keen insight into the ultimate conciliation: that love permeates and binds together an otherwise cold and hostile universe. And perhaps it was not an "alien" but an angel. Angels are traditionally understood to be preternaturally photonic (of a type), lacking physical densification, and which manifest themselves as various imaginal forms in the human psyche... What is known: the starship is ours; a portal of two souls combined. - personal log, entry #3073, 07/14/2017

Panoram makes soundtracks for daydreams gone sideways. Picture the scene: an afternoon nap with the television on, quietly, in the corner; snatches of conversation drift in through the open window. Wandering, half-formed thoughts take unexpected detours; before you know it, there’s a movie playing out against closed lids, the colors bright, the characters unfamiliar. Accidental rhythms, incidental melodies, imitations of life, messages in code.

Across 17 fragmentary, sketch-like tracks, Panoram carves a labyrinthine path in which nothing is what it seems: a fantasy world of breathy vox pads, faux guitar, detuned synths, bursts of flute and orchestral percussion, and even the occasional cheeky cartoon sample. It’s chillout music with a chilly edge, ambient with a darkly ironic undertone. (The briefest glance at your news outlet of choice should be enough to confirm that the title—Great Times—ought to be taken with a healthy dose of skepticism.) Panoram has been making music under his principal alias for more than a decade now, releasing albums on labels like Firecracker, Running Back, and his own Wandering Eye. (He has also performed and recorded with Amen Dunes, and has co-production credits on Amen Dunes’ forthcoming Sub Pop album Death Jokes.) Panoram’s output has ranged widely, taking in abstract pop, classical composition, twisted takes on library music, and cyborg funk. One record of “bio-acoustic transmissions” came with a cannabis leaf pressed in clear wax; his 2021 album Pianosequenza Vol. 1 gathers his experiments on the Yamaha Disklavier. But Great Times offers the truest picture yet of a project that has never been easy to pin down. Loath to overshare details about his personal life, Panoram instead lets the music do the talking, using his cryptic tracks to express the slipperiest sorts of ideas—the thoughts that take root where anxiety, distraction, and the most fleeting traces of grace commingle. Panoram’s approach flies in the face of contemporary ambient orthodoxy, with its emphasis on immersion and uplift. Great Times expresses something thornier, more difficult to translate, yet also more tantalizing to contend with. Its 17 tracks offer a chance to get lost—and an invitation to remain in the maze as long as you like.

After a few years' hiatus, SHXCXCHCXSH are now opening up their label Rosten again with the EP ''DO''. Four tracks that resume their sound and approach to techno and club music.

Monochord are Vienna-based musicians Bernhard Hammer and Jakob Schneidewind, two
thirds of Elektro Guzzi, though Monochord paints a different picture. Electroacoustic
experiments and filmic elements define the music that develops instinctively yet irrevocably,
a sense of forward motion setting them apart. Compositionally minimal, their tracks
maximise their inherent potential all the way through to their logical and even illogical end.
Referencing electronica, ambient, shoegaze and at times modern classical harmonics,
Monochord builds and unbuilds in a slow heartbeat. Introspective and filmic, its quiet and
non-confrontational nature makes Monochord move in the interzone between various
spheres. Their music escapes definition and that is its truest definition. Its subtle pulse and
evocative and drony feel invite and inspire.

The music released as Amulet (or The Amulet Edition) is Peter "Sleazy" Christopherson's semi-secret testament. Originally available in exceedingly limited quantities at live shows and via direct mail-order in 2008 as a hand-assembled 4 miniCDR set housed in a circular Thai Amulet case and never properly distributed, the material finally receives the wider re-release on vinyl and CD it so richly deserves.

Only the second and sadly already the final release in his post-Coil solo guise as The Threshold Houseboys Choir "Amulet" sees Christopherson in a more playful mood than ever, don't be fooled by reviews calling this suite of songs "incomplete" or "working stage", these are rough little diamonds, often imbued with a bittersweet melancholy joy, unsurprisingly reminiscent of some of the final Coil offerings, but additionally steeped in exotica, inspired by his new East Asian home and the ghostly voices of his digitally generated choir ("a vocalist that wouldn't crash", as he would say). At times these tracks sound like a warmer, less analytically complex counterpart to the work he created simultaneously with CoH's Ivan Pavlov in the celebrated Soisong project.

Bonus tracks feature rare earlier Thbc compilation tracks and a few previously unreleased exclusive sketches. Let's be perfectly clear though, "Amulet" is not some half-finished cutting-room floor left-overs, it's a genuine but very little heard fully fledged album released by Christopherson with some of the tracks performed live on his last ever tour, the unforgettable intimate Evenings with Uncle Sleaz.

The Infinite Fog edition, presented as a 3LP in a triple heavy Gatefold sleeve including a poster of Peter Christopherson in his infamous Cruella Deville coat has been respectfully and expertly remastered by grammy-nominated Jessica Thompson. Artwork by Oleg Galay overseen and with additional guidance from "our man in Thailand" Peter Jenx.

Realistic IX, the third full-length by the duo of Michael Jones and Turk Dietrich aka Belong, is both an expansion and excavation of their signature acid-washed songcraft. Bleached guitars, metronomic drums, and buried voices rev, swirl, and seethe across shifting gradients of haze and hypnosis, alternately driving and diffuse. Melodies surge closer to the surface, flexing their form before resubmerging into quickening currents of feedback. Elsewhere the elements dissipate into a dusk of murk and microtonalities, electricity liberated back into infinite night.

Although it’s been thirteen years since Belong’s prior Kranky offering, Common Era, none of the duo’s rare synergy has decayed in the interim. Jones and Dietrich’s commitment to oblique states of motorik drone and liminal emotion continues to evolve and unfold, increasingly tactile and unreal, an alluring glow glimpsed through fogged windows at witching hours.

Ambient craftsman Tomokazu Fujimoto aka Multi-Surface describes the 11 pieces of his 2nd album for NNF as “nap-like” – fleeting vignettes of FM synths and fragmented melody, looping and smeared across lost hours of the afternoon. Recorded over a year of sessions at his home studio in the Japanese countryside, the music moves in soft-focus swells and glistening arcs, gently swaying like paper lanterns.

A few outliers expand the palette – kosmische percussion voyager “I'll float a boat on those clouds,” churning lo-fi whirlpool “Through the forest,” jittery gamelan edit “One rat” – but otherwise the mood skews opaque and oblique, chiming hazes half-heard on the breeze. Fujimoto’s muse is inward but infinite, reflecting on “the paths one has taken” and, in brief dreams, “visiting those places again.”

The album was created in two versions - a limited "color in color", of which 100 numbered pieces were produced, and a classic version with black wax, of which 200 pieces were produced.
After 10 years, Kixnare returns to U Know Me Records with his fourth original album. "Asteria" is a step towards even more experimental and abstract corners of electronic music. Each of the seven songs on the album reveals a fascination with completely different musical areas - from dark ambient ("Plaga"), through oriental ("Mystic Journeyman") / dubbing downtempo ("Impass") to stronger acid ("Mutacja") and techno ( "Omnis"). What connects everything is a constant atmosphere of anxiety - a reflection of the times we live in. Despite a completely different musical climate, "Asteria" refers in its character to Kixnare's last album "Rotations" from 2014, continuing the concept of inter-genre collage. All this comes together in the weekly radio show "Rotations", in which Kixnare presents his recommendations from the world of underground and experimental electronics on Radio Kraków.
"Asteria" is an album consisting of seven songs - almost 38 minutes of an amazing journey, the sound of which was worked on by the legendary Stefan Betke from Berlin (mastering author). The cover is the work of the flawless Animisiewasz.

The album was created in two versions - a limited "color in color", of which 100 numbered pieces were produced, and a classic version with black wax, of which 200 pieces were produced.
After 10 years, Kixnare returns to U Know Me Records with his fourth original album. "Asteria" is a step towards even more experimental and abstract corners of electronic music. Each of the seven songs on the album reveals a fascination with completely different musical areas - from dark ambient ("Plaga"), through oriental ("Mystic Journeyman") / dubbing downtempo ("Impass") to stronger acid ("Mutacja") and techno ( "Omnis"). What connects everything is a constant atmosphere of anxiety - a reflection of the times we live in. Despite a completely different musical climate, "Asteria" refers in its character to Kixnare's last album "Rotations" from 2014, continuing the concept of inter-genre collage. All this comes together in the weekly radio show "Rotations", in which Kixnare presents his recommendations from the world of underground and experimental electronics on Radio Kraków.
"Asteria" is an album consisting of seven songs - almost 38 minutes of an amazing journey, the sound of which was worked on by the legendary Stefan Betke from Berlin (mastering author). The cover is the work of the flawless Animisiewasz.

Don't surfaces as an organic collaboration, born from the accidental union of Lamusa II and countless artists active in the arts scene, seamlessly merging into a singular entity.
Conceived, crafted, and captured entirely in the streets of Milan, Don't finds its essence rooted in the ethereal realms of trip-hop and the pulsating energy of 90s electronic rock. The culmination is a mesmerizing exploration, a kaleidoscopic embrace of his fluid artistic evolution, solidifying his position as a seminal figure in Italy's contemporary music scene.
The album features collaborations with several artists, including Canadian electronic musician and producer Marie Davidson, the Italian artist Zara Colombo and the mysterious music duo Assembly Group.

Don't will be released via Jay Glass Dubs' label Extended Techniques on May 17th, 2024 and distributed by Kudos and Boomkat.

Los Angeles-based video artist and producer Laskfar Vortok makes his first appearance in the Evar catalogue with "Erbsat Esrhosc." An unusual title that reflects the artist's interest in the bizarre, whether he's making music or producing videos and visuals, "Erbsat Esrhosc" bristles with erratic patterns, anarchic atmospheres and glitchy soundscapes. The Mexican-born talent explores ideas based on the hypothetical concept of a planetwide city, otherwise known as an ecumenopolis, weaving such ideas against a cinematic backdrop, nodding to his long-running love for cinema. Across the five-track EP, he also draws inspiration from the heated and hectic energy of L.A, where he's resided most of his life.

Produced in memoriam of Michael Gregory Harrison, aka Bad Timing, and following a period of introspection and creative and personal challenges, Laskfar Vortok began work on "Erbsat Esrhosc" in 2018. The EP honours Michael's brilliance as an artist and a friend;the title being an anagram of a phrase that they shared between them.

"Eclipse" opens the EP on a haunting note. A spidery melody and chilling pads punctuate the witchy soundscape before syncopated sequences collide with snafued textures, signifying a sharp left turn into breakcore. With its nebulous atmosphere, this track offers the first glimpse into the concept of an ecumenopolis. On "Hyperdrive", frenetic percussion dominates while zappy noises and a doomsday melody slink in and out of earshot. Bursts of broken wub exacerbate the uneasy mood while cinematic, almost ethereal chords twinkle in the background.

"Base" offers a moment to recover one's brain cells after the nosedive into the near future. A lugging kickdrum and broken, woody percussions swirl around the troposphere while creepy pads convey a sinister aura. "Mutation" catapults us back into chaos with claustrophobic polyrhythmic structures, smatterings of kickdrums, and a sporadic mad-scientist-type synthline, adding a jittery layer. An unexpectedly orchestral outro completes the bizarre nature of the track.

Closing out on "Send Off", Laskfar Vortok blends freezing-cold chords with snaggy synth notes and a tangle of drum constellations tied up with a gossamer melody and splattered across an eerie terrain.

Using Bitwig Studio, orcλ, TidalCycles and Renoise as his modus operandi, Laskfar Vortok produces a trip that intrigues but disturbs, serving a shimmering yet terrifying squint into a technoid-led utopia. And we're only just getting started.

Limited Clear w/Black & Clear w/Red Vinyl.Recorded in 2023Merzbow continues his newer ventures of extreme sonic dynamics.Deluxe spot gloss varnish on textured sleeve with booklet.