Downbeat | Electronica | Leftfield 302 Items

"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.

Mike Paradinas, veteran producer and Planet Mu label owner has written a new album called ‘Grush' and it's full of weird bangers that reclaim the 'dance' part of the woeful term IDM. A back-to-first-principles record, inspired in part by the group of artists IDM was coined for; melodic dance music that didn't come out of urban scenes, but interpreted them from a distance.

The tracks on ‘Grush’ are all road-tested live favorites developed with feedback from Mike's touring partner and visuals guy Mora (Jan Moravec). It's a detailed and energetic journey which replicates the flow of a live gig. A lot of the tracks have been made in hotel rooms in response to shows, ‘Imperial Crescent’ is named after a Japanese Hotel, as is ‘Belvedere’ in Prague, while some tracks such as ‘Hyper Daddy’ were created specifically to play live.

Drums are confidently at the fore here and the album feels like it traces Mike's musical history and interests neatly around his sweetly nostalgic melodies, with atmospheres and structures which twist and turn with a charming softness which contrasts with the tension in the drums. Take ‘Hyper Daddy’s’ spiralling notes and twinkling piano which remind one of early Black Dog or Omni Trio rushing alongside splashy jungle drums, or the aquatic acid footwork of the title track with its drums softly bubbling and kicking. Elsewhere there's territory which harks back to his Tusken Raiders pseudonym, like the heads down Drexciyan funk of ‘Windsor Safari Park,’ which transforms from moody electro into a sunny hardcore track midway. The album is interspersed with Reticulum A, B and C at the start middle and end of the album which suggest a theme which carries across the music in an effortless and joyful way. ‘Grush’ is a strong album that works both for listening and DJing and a great snapshot of where Mike Paradinas musical head is at in 2024.

Here comes yet another vital album of enthralling ambient from the super prolific Past Inside The Present label head zake aka Zach Frizzell. This is a numbered audiophile vinyl version (including a download code limited to 150 copies) of Veta, which is a world of smoky half-tones that mix up modern ambient classical with analogue production. The artist himself describes the work as "exercise in knowing when to draw back the mix" which speaks to its perfectly reduced sound - a blend of the organic and the synthetic that is masterfully layered and laden with heavy emotions.

Japanese composer Hiroko Matsuzaki began her classic music career as a flutist, and from 1985 to 1987 she worked as a studio musician as a flute/synthesiser player based in London, gaining an excellent reputation abroad without passing through the Japanese music scene. Simon Jeffs of the Penguin Cafe Orchestra heard this work and decided to participate in German electronic musician Rhodelius' Pink, Blue and Amber. This is the first time reissuing the lost work she produced only 100 copies before she left for the UK in 1985 , entitled Mother-Of-Pearl Box. This world-standard masterpiece was born in Japan during the rise of ambient music in the late 1980s, when house and techno were expanding globally with the rise of house and techno.

Rbia Harsha Cinta is a dark and experimental reworking of Gilles Aubry's recent film on seaweed and pollution in Morocco (Atlantic Ragagar 2022). The film's dreadful atmosphere of environmental devastation is transposed into a haunting soundscape of analog textures and naked rhythms. With its title referring to endangered seaweed species, Rbia Harsha Cinta comprises eight tracks that pulse and breathe with a post-natural intensity.

Yrlng is a new project by Gilles Aubry dedicated to ambient and deconstructed club music. Aubry's distinctive presence in the field of noise and experimental music is marked by his numerous contributions using field recordings, electronic manipulations and feedback processing. He is also known as a member of the Berlin based noise collective Monno who released five albums between 2003 and 2015. As a sound artist, his practice spans a broad range of media including film, installation, radio and performance works.

L’énigme du timbre', first release on the Soame records label is a hybridization of natural sound and synthesized sound While remaining in the spirit of Techno, Youg’s second EP features his own constantly evolving research into texture.

Following his debut EP tttwoface from the Belgian label Urban Waves in 2022 and 1st full album from P-vine in 2023, Tokyo based electronic musician Yanaco has released his 2nd full album! He has defined their sound, focusing their wide range of influences into what is no doubt one of the finest ambient albums to come out of Japan in recent years.

Samples, programmed electronics, and synth pads are layered with care and precision to create an ineffable serenity that calls to mind the works of both Hiroshi Yoshimura and Aphex Twin, while still being distinctly Yanaco. The album vividly expresses the theme of life from 'Leaving' to 'Arriving' through expressive songs, and is a complete album in itself, not to mention the quality of each song.

“Friendly Electrons” presents the electronic side of the original TON STEINE SCHERBEN
drummer, book author and longtime CONRAD SCHNITZLER friend / collaborator
WOLFGANG SEIDEL.
Born in winter 1949 in a grey and gloomy post-war Berlin, WOLFGANG SEIDEL’s first encounter
with electronic sounds was at the cinema: the music for “Forbidden Planet“ by LOUIS and BEBE
BARRON sounded like the promise of a bright, exciting future ... but in the 1960‘s, the biggest
thing for young musicians was to play in a rock band, and as the friends around him all already
played guitar, SEIDEL chose the drums and later co-founded TON STEINE SCHERBEN, the
legendary German anarchist band. Around the same time, SEIDEL regularly attended the Zodiak
Free Arts Lab, the birth place of so-called “Kosmische Musik / Berliner Schule“ (TANGERINE
DREAM, CLUSTER, MANUEL GÖTTSCHING etc), and became close friends with CONRAD
SCHNITZLER. Realizing how much more artistic freedom electronic music offers, he grew tired of
playing the same songs night after night, left the band after their debut album had been released
and started experimenting with contact microphones and tape delay (and later, when he could
afford one, with a Buchla synthesizer). SEIDEL joined SCHNITZLER’s group
ERUPTION and
worked with him till his death in 2011 (sometimes credited as WOLF SEQUENZA) on several
albums, and also toured some art institutions presenting SCHNITZLER’s “cassette concerts” (who
had dropped his suitcases with the tape machines in front of SEIDEL’s flat door and appointed him
the “future conductor”).
In the 2000s, SEIDEL started playing drums again, this time in the free jazz / improv scene (a.o.
others with ALFRED A. HARTH and HANS JOACHIM IRMLER), wrote books about his former
band (“S
cherben – Musik, Politik und Wirkung der Ton Steine Scherben“) and Krautrock („Wir
müssen hier raus! Krautrock, Free Beat, Reeducation“) ... and continued his sonic explorations
with his Buchla in his studio in Berlin-Wedding.
When we met at a birthday party, Wolfgang told me about his electronic pieces - I was interested
right away – so he browsed his archive and sent me a selection of tracks. These are often based
on older ideas and sketches that he had completed during the pandemic when there were no
concerts to play. The result is „Friendly Electrons“ – a collection of 18 tracks, inspired by
SCHNITZLER’s collage technique and SEIDEL’s own experiences with improvisation. With the
exception of 2 pieces that are actually composed there were no fixed ideas – simply start from
KR114_W.SEIDEL_infosheet.pdf
scratch and see what happens, review the result from different angles and refine the tracks where
necessary. Whereas electronic music is often considered dystopian, the album title mirrors
SEIDEL’s positive attitude towards modernism, so his electrons are of a friendly kind!

The fourth album from Michigan’s premier space duo, again delivers their shimmering trademark wall of sound, beautiful vocalization, and delicate songcraft. Six sweet and easy new tracks recorded in their home studio in Dearborn, that drift and dream with layered guitars, keyboards, bass and a love-arsenal of delicious effects and distortion.

“These two won’t be happy until they find a combination of sounds that encompasses all feeling, at which point they will then stretch that chord to the vanishing point.” —Pitchfork

“Perhaps it’s a prayer, perhaps a blessing, perhaps a poem full of questions—it hardly matters. Humble, moving, and brilliant.” —All Music

“The Windy & Carl listening experience is akin to the period of peace when one is about to succumb to slumbering; the body is hypnotized yet the mind becomes more and more lucid.” —Tape Op

“There is an airy shaft of light that extends straight through these six extended pieces, offsetting the density of sound with a breezy loveliness that’s almost impossible to articulate, towering on a floating sea of mesmerising, sub-level sounds.” —Boomkat

“Genre descriptions such as ‘ambient guitar soundscape’, ‘wall of sound’ and ‘drone’ fail miserably to capture the astonishing, magical emotional beauty of their pieces.” —Cyclic Defrost

Originally digitally released February 11, 2023 and now on vinyl for the first time, 'How To See Through Walls' by Windows 96.

The first track on the album, A Shared Sense Of Purpose, reflects this optimism, and is the lead single from the album. This will be released in 7” and 12” vinyl versions. Both versions will be accompanied by an exclusive remix from the Godfather of New Town Synthology, Vince Clarke. To say that we’re excited about this, would be an understatement!

The 12" edition is out now, with the 7" following up in the next few weeks. The truth being that we overwhelmed the pressing plant ever so slightly. The 7" is the only place that you will find the radio edit.

Wanderwelle is the Amsterdam-based ambient duo of Phil van Dulm & Alexander Bartels, who mint their Maalstrom label with Wat Gebeurde Er Met Sergeant Massuro?, a concept album based around Harry Mulisch's 1957 story of the same name (What Happened To Seagent Massuro?). The story weaves anti-colonial concepts with mythical realist elements, and is sonically brought to life here through atmospheric electronics and prepared instruments. A moody, resonant and ultimately deep groundswell of an album, one that compels the listener to venture ever further into the a spine-tingling heart of darkness.

Unveiling an unheard scene: Glossy Mistakes presents "Atlantic Mavericks: a Decade of Experimental Music in Portugal 1982-1993"
Glossy Mistakes is proud to announce the upcoming release of "Atlantic Mavericks: a Decade of Experimental Music in Portugal 1982-1993," a groundbreaking double LP compilation that offers a unique glimpse into the vibrant landscape of Portuguese experimental music. Set to launch on June 10th, this monumental release showcases the evolution and innovation of the Portuguese music scene during a transformative decade marked by political upheaval and artistic experimentation.
Compiled by Glossy Mario and featuring liner notes by Rui Miguel Abreu, "Atlantic Mavericks" captures the essence of a generation of artists who dared to challenge conventions and push the boundaries of what was possible in music.
The compilation stands as a testament to the eclecticism of the Portuguese music scene during this period, featuring a diverse range of genres and styles. From ambient and new age to electro, rock, and synth-pop, "Atlantic Mavericks" offers something for every listener, inviting them to explore the rich tapestry of sounds that defined the era.
The 1980s in Portugal were a time of profound transformation, marked by the aftermath of a peaceful revolution and a burgeoning desire for artistic expression. As the country emerged from political turbulence, a new generation of musicians began to explore uncharted territories, paving the way for a wave of experimentation and innovation.
From the emergence of artists like Rui Veloso and bands like UHF, who ushered in a new era of Portuguese rock, to the founding of independent record labels like Fundação Atlântica and Ama Romanta, the 1980s saw a surge in creativity and a desire for independence within the music industry.
"Atlantic Mavericks: a Decade of Experimental Music in Portugal 1982-1993" offers a comprehensive overview of this dynamic period, featuring tracks that span the spectrum of experimental music. Each song tells a story of artistic evolution and creative risk-taking, reflecting the diverse influences and eclectic tastes of the Portuguese music scene during this transformative decade.
Spanning from 1982 to 1993, the compilation includes contributions from a wide range of artists, including SPQR, Croix Sainte, Linha Geral, Balladium, Ban, Santa Maria, Gasolina Em Teu Ventre!, Fé de Sábio, and Telectu, among others. With each track carefully curated to showcase the breadth and depth of Portuguese experimental music, "Atlantic Mavericks" promises to be a must-have for music enthusiasts and adventurous listeners alike.
"Atlantic Mavericks: a Decade of Experimental Music in Portugal 1982-1993" will be available on June 10th as a double LP release, offering listeners a chance to immerse themselves in the sonic landscapes of 1980s Portugal. Whether experienced on vinyl or through digital channels, this monumental compilation is sure to leave a lasting impression on all who encounter it.

The NID Tapes’ presents a collection of early Indian electronic music uncovered at the archives of the National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad. Recorded between 1969-1972 the compilation chronicles electronic works from the previously unknown Indian composers Gita Sarabhai, I.S. Mathur, Atul Desai, S.C. Shama and Jinraj Joshipura who worked at the nation’s first electronic music studio founded at the NID during the utopian years following India’s independence - a radical period of visionary experimentation and artistic freethought.

The studio was founded with support from the New York composer David Tudor who personally set up a Moog modular system and tape machine in the autumn of 1969, and The NID Tapes also includes an excerpt from Tudor’s work discovered amongst the collection of tapes. The release developed from a long-term research project by the British artist and electronic musician Paul Purgas who travelled to Ahmedabad over many years to explore the origins of electronic music in India. This resulted in the discovery of the electronic music archive at the NID and its eventual restoration and digitising, which featured in the acclaimed BBC radio documentary Electronic India.

The compilation presents excerpts from the 27 reels of archive tape spanning the three years of the studio's operational history, showcasing work from the pioneering electronic composers which included the musician and poet Atul Desai, NID teachers and technicians I.S. Mathur and S.C. Shama, Gita Sarabhai who had previously studied with John Cage in New York in the 1940's and the young architecture student Jinraj Joshipura who was just 19 years old at the time of first composing with the Moog synthesiser. The audio showcases their various visions for electronic music production, exploring analogue synthesis, tape collages, voice experiments and field recordings revealing a meeting point of Western and Indian avant-garde traditions, and offering a unique insight into South Asia’s post-colonial sonic imaginary. The vinyl and digital is a collaborative release by Strange Attractor Press and The state51 Conspiracy and has been mastered by Hari Shankar Kishore (hvad) with design for the release and a vinyl etching created by Shreya Aurora a recent graduate from the National Institute of Design.

Launching at the same time through Strange Attractor Press will be a book titled ‘Suncontentinental Synthesis: Electronic Music at the National Institute of Design, India 1969–1972’. Edited by Paul Purgas this collection of critical essays will reflect on the larger cultural and political dialogues surrounding the studio as well as written contributions by Geeta Dayal, You Nakai, Rahila Haque and Jinraj Joshipura the last surviving composer from the NID.

The Soup collective are back, four more nourishing sonic artefacts from ancient recipes...delicious !