Project: Mooncircle / HHV HHV Records 203 Items
The artwork design was created by surrealistic painter Dan May, known for his hairy fantasy creatures possesing humanlike features.
Some of the artists featured on this compilation have been a part of the label from its very beginning, like CYNE, Manuvers and Jahbitat, whose song will be the last one he produced and published under this moniker, while others, like Robot Koch, fLako and Long Arm, are outstanding examples of its growing popularity and success. Furthermore, the box also features an exceptional selection of close musical friends and inspirational artists like Jehst, Dday One, Kwala and Ichiro_, just to name a few.
The logo and artwork represent someone who was very close to the label, especially in the early years but unfortunately passed on and whom this box is dedicated to. Featured on the compilation are artists such as Mike Slott x Diane Badié, CYNE, Sweatson Klank aka Take, Jahbitat, Robot Koch, fLako, Jehst, Beat Butcha, Long Arm, Kelpe, Pavel Dovgal, Blossom, Daisuke Tanabe, Dday One, Inner Science, Substantial, Arts The Beatdoctor, Rain Dog, Kidkanevil + Microkorg by Dorian Concept, John Robinson, Sorrow, Rumpistol, The Red Baron, Christoph El’ Truento, 40 Winks, Sina., 1000Names, DZA, Ichiro_, EAN, Tom Dicicco, Headshotboyz, Graciela Maria, Gards From KC, Sekuoia of Kilimanjaro, Sense of The Q4, Sneaky, I.V.A., Empt, John LaMonica, Mike Gao, Bambooman, Manuvers, Krts, Kwala, Soosh, Memotone, Sun Glitters, Called Understandable Souls & Szenario.
The limited box includes 2 white & 2 black vinyl LP’s with 32 tracks, 13 additional digital bonus tracks, a T-shirt (only at HHV) and a poster (with digital download code) all in a specially designed box that features a special light-reflecting varnish, which makes this truly a collectors and music lovers item.
Berlin-based label Project: Mooncircle and it’s two sublabels Project Squared and Finest Ego is an official label from HHV. It was founded in 2002 and is specializing in the conjunction between electronic and organic music. The label, at first envisaged as a compilation project only, soon released the first instrumental and vocal solo releases by such artists as The Q4, CYNE, Mr Cooper, Robot Koch, fLako, 40 Winks, John Robinson & MF Doom, DZA, Krts, Sina., Graciela Maria, Manuvers, Lambent, Lewis Parker, Non of Shadowhuntaz, Strand, Ta-Ku, Mika Gao, Onra, Obba Supa, Asusu, Furesshu, AnD. Kowton or Glen Porter. The work of illustrators and graphic designers such as Bioniq, Dan May, Iain McArthur, Ima One, LNY, Gordon, 44 Flavours, La Mano Fria, and The Binh create images that accompany the acoustic spaces.
Project: Mooncircle with its various producers & vocalist shall be an interesting experience for anyone looking for the extraordinary.
A&R: Laurent Fintoni, Jinna Morocha, Karolina Kaczor, Gordon Gieseking and Malte Tarnow. Mastering by Sven Friederichs. Artwork and original paintings by Gordon, LNY & Bioniq. Webdesign 2006 – 2012 by Thimo Hörster & Hendrik Stein. Animation trailer by Sebastian Muñoz.
Release date: March, 23rd.
10th Anniversary Showcase with Mike Slott, Robot Koch, fLako, Long Arm, Jehst, Arts The Beatdoctor, Sekuoia of Kilimanjaro, & Graciela Maria @ Club Gretchen in Berlin, Kreuzberg – March, 17th!
When being described as “Hardly a typical album, primarily a beat tape in the spirit of Dilla's Donuts. An intriguing album that is a testament to his talent.” by Resident Advisor shortly after its original release in 2011, Flako's release left a lasting impression on many and marked the beginning of an exciting career as a music writer and producer.
10 years later and with a vastly diverse and colorful catalogue of solo releases, as well as stunning productions for other artists across the world and all genres, this album hasn’t lost much of its original flavor.
Now considered a classic, “The Mesektet” is getting a complete revamp in form of a 2LP Gatefold Edition including three exclusive newly unearthed beats and retrospective collection of photos by Robert Winter.
The songs on this record were created over the span of about 4 or 5 years (roughly 2004 - 2009), though every track was revisited, mixed, and mastered in 2009. The record displays the full spectrum of the “CYNE sound,” including the growth of the band, our collective tastes, and the process of our songwriting. It starts on a positive note about moving forward, building community, and taking on personal responsibility (these are themes that resonate throughout the record). At times, the record grows into something very ethereal and cosmic, alongside a contrast of something that hits harder, musically and lyrically. With each subsequent ‘movement’ we see a blend of introspective thought, social commentary, and a sound weighted in a more classic, uplifting tradition. This album constantly sways back and forth between the lines of classic hip hop, textural music, and a progressive selection of words and sound that are definitively CYNE.
Joining CYNE on “Water For Mars” are track collaborators Daedelus, Depth Affect, and Ape School, as well as remixers ROM (featuring Roberto Lange/Helado Negro), Mexicans With Guns, and Jay Appleseed.
Following their successful collaboration with Haiku Salut on the emotionally charged ‘Periscopes’; Jilk return with warped vocals, soaring strings and a techno core tying the spiralling dense walls of ambience together.
The lead single, ‘In Need of Tess’ is a collaborative piece; a pulsating slice of chamber pop about dead dogs and dreams which also draws on the considerable talents of video director Nic Kane, the sculptures of Hester Sorel Moriarty Thompson.
The rest of the EP comprises of a two-part piece developed from a soundtrack Jilk produced for a lovely short film by Nim Jethwa. Building, developing and fleshing out the ideas; Jilk combine the sweeping beauty of orchestral timbre with driving 4/4 pulse and rusty sounding guitars for Nim and Nim (Sit Down Outro).
Baby Hannah is an epic piece of post rock inflected electronica making full use of the bands wide range of players. Vibraphone, violins and guitars cling to foundation drum patterns as the piece moves from ambient drone through to a rain storm of melodic percussion that even Steve Reich would approve of.
Be Heart: A short but emotionally charged clattering lo-fi electro love song built from home found sounds and frazzled broken synths. The most aching club romance to take place in a child’s toy box.
Then a collaboration with the incredible Nuala Honan as Jilk rework her stand out track ‘All is Not Lost’, (taken from her 2014 album The Tortoise). Jilk mould the song into a hazy blanket of clicks, whirs, strings and heart wrenching vocals from snippets.
For his debut full length “Too”, My Panda Shall Fly decided to collaborate with a variety of singers from all over the globe to explore their subconscious anxieties and fears together. Giving away control over the songs himself, he was only amazed by the results of this process that took over more than a year until final realization.
Just like in Ursula K. Le Guin‘s classic sci-fi novel “The Lathe of Heaven”, you can shape your dreams by becoming aware of the inner forces that invisibly guide you every day.
‘Too’ comes out worldwide on limited 2LP red vinyl, CD, MC (including download code) and digital.
Dive deep into the new harmonics of 40 Winks. Field Recordings takes you on a new sonic journey. On the road with their favourite Tascam, accidental recordings get implemented perfectly to 40 Winks’ meticulously chopped signature sound. Jazz, soul and gospel influences float beautifully to the surface throughout this LP. Sit back and drift away on this trip...
The multi-instrumentalist dedicates this release to an allegory of arrival and homesickness, after his first album Inner Sea focused on the journey itself. While the latest album was mostly written in different places, Belonging has been produced solely in the same place in Berlin, where most of the songs have evolved from intuitive jams on the instrument.
„This album turned out to sound as intimate and intuitive as it was for me when writing these songs. I feel like i got a little step closer to my own sound over the last year.“
“Silent Opera” album is an attempt to describe the states of the human soul. The state of rising and fall, of despair and hope, of humility and expectation of a miracle. The search for peace inside against the background of flowering life around and elusive time.
“Time Being”, originally released in 2003, was the first full-length CYNE LP, following a series of 12” singles for Beta Bodega’s imprint Botanica Del Jibaro. This Project Mooncircle reissue marks the first time that this long out-of-print album has been released on vinyl. This deluxe edition includes a remaster of the original “Time Being” album, previously released singles, instrumentals, and two previously unreleased bonus tracks (“Plain English” and “The Word”), both recorded during the “Time Being” sessions.
CYNE’s “Time Being” lineup consisted of MC’s Cise Star and Akin Yai, and producers Speck and Enoch. The four teamed up in Gainesville, Florida in 2001 and recorded “African Elephants”, which was quickly released as a 12” and set the trajectory for the group’s course. “Time Being” was created over the next year and reflects the musical and political environment of the time. Sonically the album showcases a synthesis of obscure samples filtered through the eclectic influences of Speck and Enoch, while Cise Star and Akin Yai’s lyrics cover a wide range, from conceptual, introspective, and spiritual ideas to the anxieties of post-9/11 xenophobia and being a black youth in America.
CYNE has continued to release music for more than 15 years, including projects for domestic and international labels such as Project: Mooncircle, Botanica Del Jibaro, P-Vine, Home Tapes, and City Centre Offices. Although the group’s lineup has changed for recent projects, all four members continue to work together, creating a reputation as artists that stay true to the lyrical power and gritty cut and paste aesthetic of classic Hip Hop while managing to explore new sonic territory.
Both CYNE and Akin Yai released new material in 2017; CYNE recently announced the second volume of their “Wasteland” beat tape series, while Akin Yai’s new album “Romantica”, primarily produced by Speck and Enoch, was released in April of 2017.
“Inner Sea” is a journey inwards, delving into the hidden ocean of unconscious dreams and memories. Melodies tell stories of key moments, anchoring certain points in one’s life and the experiences and sensations they reflect. Giving them sounds to breathe and mirroring the soul in unseen depths, these memories are stored eternally in a shelter floating within this inner world.
“All these memories lay in the depths of my inner sea. It‘s surface reflects pictures of all the worlds that I want to dive back into, over and over again.” – Takeleave | Nicolas De Araújo Peixoto
Fascinated by the piano and with a little reluctance in regards to working on more electronic music, ‘Darkly‘ by Long Arm was originally started in 2015. Although it took him a while to get accustomed again to playing only the piano, at some point he had some raw and unfinished work. Around the same time he also got back into more electronic musical experiments, including different textures and multilayerdness. While simultaneously working on soundtracks for NOIR films, he was able to finish two compositions that would later help determine the direction of the new album and served to bridge the early solo piano compositions and the later electronic tracks. At the start of 2018 he was finally able to get back to his solo piano compositions and adding those missing elements that he could not hear three years earlier.
„I wanted to do a piano album, but instead this album organically formed by itself and became a reflection of my experiences, worries, and life events that occurred during these years. I dedicate this work to a human, which I share this life with, who supports me and believes in me like nobody else! I dedicate it to my wife.“ – Georgy Kotunov
Pyramids. Jagged teeth pushing through immaculate skies. The ever-changing light. The expansive sense of freedom. The wide open spaces. The textured landscape seen from above. Mountains. Watchful and immobile for thousands of years, weathering seasons, transcending change.
It's December 2016. I've left the London madness to hit the reset button and compose new music in a tiny village in the Swiss Alps. I'm over 10,000 feet high, it's minus 15 degrees and the snow is scintillating under a rich blue sky. I turn around and suddenly this gigantic pyramid-shaped peak is towering over me, staring me in the face. Mind blown. Senses overwhelmed. Perspective. Lightbulb moment. I have my album concept.
I wanted to put into sound my cathartic experiences of the mountains. Every track title was chosen before composing. The title would be a catalyst for visual memories, narrative and overall vibes. I continued developing the tracks on occasional trips to Switzerland, but mainly back in the gritty habitat of London's Hackney Wick. The urban-nature contrast had an impact on the music too.
I use a lot of found sound, stuff I have collected over the years, and a lot of resampled guitar sounds and textures. I love imperfections in sound. Detuned synths. Distortions and glitches. Rhythmic flutters and percussive frenzy. 'Manual' cut-ups. I love moving to house and disco and getting lost in the more melodic side of techno. I love polyrhythms and melodic counterpoints. I love the energy and rawness of a live rock band. I channel all this to create my own sonic palette.
Artwork by Jimmy Turrell, graphic artist and video director who combines a love of handmade collage, drawing, screen printing and painting alongside digital techniques. He has worked for Universal Music, Nike, Lexus, Levis, MTV, The New Yorker, Intro, Capitol Records, The New York Times, Green Peace, Beck, The Prodigy/XL Recordings, Channel 4, The Guardian, GQ, The Times, LA Times, Newsweek, Getty Images, Adidas, Sony Music, New York Magazine, Wired, Glastonbury Festival, and Vanity Fair amongst others.
Created at the footstep of Mount Victoria, Groeni wanted to challenge themselves compositionally and sonically with Nihx. Nihx explores the characteristics of points of conflict between opposing forces. As in the past, and as with many electronic outfits, the music had been written ‘in the box’, so to speak. To counter this technique the three members of Groeni (Al, Mike, and James) each wrote numerous compositional sketches that were more or less complete as frameworks before entering them into the digital realm. With similar inspiration the band wanted to create unique and personalised sounds away from the computer to sample and use with most of the sonic treatment happening also away from the computer. The vast majority of the drum sounds are made from samples of Mike’s ever expanding synth collection, numerous sounds are manipulated feedback from guitars or vocals among other things. The entire record was written and recorded across three home studios in Wellington, NZ and has been almost 2 years in the making.
‘Nihx’ comes out worldwide on limited (only 300 copies) black, white marbled vinyl (including download code) & digital.
‘A Part Of Me‘ is the debut album by Ivan Arlaud alias 1954, a young musician from Lyon, France. It’s an immersive journey between nostalgic and synthetic sounds, melancholia and hope, fears and confidence. He contrived to describe all the bright, warm, cold and dark moments of his restless imagination in rhythms without being intrusive. As the title says, it’s his personal disclosure.
Following on from their EP ‘In Need Of Tess‘ Jilk are excited to release their album ‘Joy In The End‘ with Project Mooncircle. Their most fully realised and beautiful set of compositions yet. Through an apocalyptic narrative, the album explores themes of hope found in desolation and the eventual and inevitable cyclical return of loss and joy. An album for the current worrying times as well as the personal joys that can combat those worries.
This is Jilk’s most collaborative effort yet as a collective. The influences and styles are eclectic; strings, guitars, synths, brass, voice, percussion, noise, concrète and glitch meet to create an overwhelmingly alluring set of compositions. Delicate electronic textures frame neo-classical arrangements while heart wrenching vocals and guttural bass lines drive the album forward through 11 tracks of folktronic, drone based walls of sound.
In the words of Elie Wiesel “Just as despair can come to one only from other human beings, hope, too, can be given to one only by other human beings.”
‘Joy In The End’ comes out worldwide on limited handmade postcards (including download code) & digital.
“Time Being”, originally released in 2003, was the first full-length CYNE LP, following a series of 12” singles for Beta Bodega’s imprint Botanica Del Jibaro. This Project Mooncircle reissue marks the first time that this long out-of-print album has been released on vinyl. This deluxe edition includes a remaster of the original “Time Being” album, previously released singles, instrumentals, and two previously unreleased bonus tracks (“Plain English” and “The Word”), both recorded during the “Time Being” sessions.
CYNE’s “Time Being” lineup consisted of MC’s Cise Star and Akin Yai, and producers Speck and Enoch. The four teamed up in Gainesville, Florida in 2001 and recorded “African Elephants”, which was quickly released as a 12” and set the trajectory for the group’s course. “Time Being” was created over the next year and reflects the musical and political environment of the time. Sonically the album showcases a synthesis of obscure samples filtered through the eclectic influences of Speck and Enoch, while Cise Star and Akin Yai’s lyrics cover a wide range, from conceptual, introspective, and spiritual ideas to the anxieties of post-9/11 xenophobia and being a black youth in America.
CYNE has continued to release music for more than 15 years, including projects for domestic and international labels such as Project: Mooncircle, Botanica Del Jibaro, P-Vine, Home Tapes, and City Centre Offices. Although the group’s lineup has changed for recent projects, all four members continue to work together, creating a reputation as artists that stay true to the lyrical power and gritty cut and paste aesthetic of classic Hip Hop while managing to explore new sonic territory.
Both CYNE and Akin Yai released new material in 2017; CYNE recently announced the second volume of their “Wasteland” beat tape series, while Akin Yai’s new album “Romantica”, primarily produced by Speck and Enoch, was released in April of 2017.
“Time Being” is now available on vinyl for the first time. The exclusive remastered deluxe set comes out worldwide on limited green triple vinyl and digital.
To forget the pursuit of harmony.
To recall the past to make a future.
Forever seeing yourself reflected, feeding back in eternal repeating cycles.
A dialog with oneself within the natural world.
Choosing a final destination as the journey ceaselessly repeats.
I hope to share what I’ve experienced in this big journey.
I hope you will feel both a sense of nostalgia, and a sense of newness.
That makes our harmony.
– Kazuomi Eshima
“WILD” is the most complete musical work by Nuage up to date. Following a thought-out plan from beginning to finish – with a real introduction, development, and conclusion – the album is influenced foremost by the sun, sea and tropics. The music slowly evolves from warm and uplifting songs towards colder and more mysterious realms.
Taking a full year to finish the album, including the entire change of season from summer to winter, memories of trips to Mexico, the mountains, and the seaside fade away and are replaced by days at home and in the studio in cold St. Petersburg. At the same time the music itself goes through a very personal development from outgoing moments to parts of personal reflection.
Without adding too much weight or philosophy to the music, the album is an easy and natural listening experience that explores contrasting and at times contradicting themes between summer and winter, cold and warm, introverted and extroverted and many layers in between, while also harmonizing the musical past, present and future of Nuage.
Following his critically acclaimed “Neida” EP from 2015 (FACT, BBC Radio 1, thump, XLR8R, Clash, Ransom Note, among many others), “WILD” comes out worldwide in limited colored double vinyl and features such guests as his friend BOP, Brooklyn based BAILE, Olga Maximova (Harp), and Belle (of Left Rib).
Late night music from the back seat. ‘Are You Anywhere‘, sophomore album from Tokyo based UK native submerse blends early 90’s slow-jams and instrumental hip hop wrapped in smooth DX7 keys hybridized with his own unique sound. ‘Are You Anywhere’ is the second full length release from submerse on Project: Mooncircle with features from fellow Tokyo based beat maker fitz ambro$e.
To forget the pursuit of harmony.
To recall the past to make a future.
Forever seeing yourself reflected, feeding back in eternal repeating cycles.
A dialog with oneself within the natural world.
Choosing a final destination as the journey ceaselessly repeats.
I hope to share what I’ve experienced in this big journey.
I hope you will feel both a sense of nostalgia, and a sense of newness.
That makes our harmony.
– Kazuomi Eshima
In the span of just over 5 years, Rob Orme hast released 5 individual EP’s and a full length LP with Project: Mooncircle. Due to high demand and the fact that all of his releases are out of print, we decided to release “works”, a best-of compilation with some of his best and most prominent works, including 4 entirely new and unreleased songs.
“A collection of works created between 2011-2016. The tracks sum up where I’ve been at for these last 5 years. It’s a checkpoint. It represents many influences and the way things were for a period of time. For me personally “works” are memories.” – submerse
Pieced together from sounds and samples from all over the globe, the album’s aim is to charge listeners with harmony and a feeling of connectedness to the world. Reflecting on his own attitude towards life and the importance of inner balance, Pavel attempts to share some of the spiritual experiences he made while traveling.
The lengthy process of creation included numerous reworks of each track and intensive listening sessions in order to keep the balance between the essential details and those that are redundant to the album’s atmosphere.
The album includes collaborations with old friends like Mujuice, Graciela Maria as well as some newly added artists – L.A. rapper BLU, Starving Yet Full – ex-vocalist from Azari III and Mitia Dedoni, who created the haunting album cover.
‘The Aura‘ comes out worldwide on limited grey-marbled vinyl (including download code).
“Life is finite yet cyclical. It’s beautiful. I am inspired by nature, and of the growth within it, albeit temporary. But for me, as I said before, the finiteness of life is part of it’s beauty. So enjoy the moment.” – Barnaby Carter
The positive melancholy of ‘While It Still Blooms‘ is his testament to acceptance, creativity and simplicity.
‘While It Still Blooms‘ comes out worldwide on limited splattered vinyl (including download code).
‘There Be Monsters‘, the sophomore full length effort by Samuel Evans, or Rain Dog, is an auditory exploration into the unchartered regions of his own mind and the edges of experience. Dealing with many personal changes which continuously prolonged the creation process of the album, Evans channelled and processed a variety of experiences into a highly personal album. Essentially coming full circle, ‘There Be Monsters‘ attempts to draw a map for your mind – it is on the fringes of consciousness that the interesting things happen.
David Foster Wallace wrote ‘loneliness is not a function of solitude’, paraphrasing Marianne More: ‘the cure for loneliness is solitude’. A common thread throughout the album.
After his highly acclaimed debut album “Two Words” in 2014 (BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 3, BBC 6 Music, Boiler Room, Red Bull, Thump, XLR8R) Rain Dog comes back to deliver his sophomore full length ‘There Be Monsters’. Avoiding the plight of the second album and keeping his signature sound while also not repeating himself, the album is the result of years of work, scrapped previous projects and simplifying his writing process and gaining experience by creating soundtracks for Vice Documentaries. The track titled ‘Eyes On The Aether’ is representative of a turning point and each track has particular relevance to a point in Sam Evans life over the last few years.
‘There Be Monstes‘ comes out worldwide on limited vinyl (including download code).
Only 1 per customer!
A journey to the moon that began fifteen years ago now reaches another milestone – 15 years, one and a half decades, over 150 individual releases, many many artists, countless professional relationships but also friendships along the way. Many many stories and shared memories – not all of them good, not all of them bad either. While modern space age technology would make it possible to reach the moon’s surface a lot faster, for us it is not only about moving forward as quickly as possible, but also to turn around, look back and around ourselves and to reflect on everything that happened and is happening. This is why we have such a broad range of artists guesting on our latest compilation. Some that have been part of the voyage from its earliest stages, others that have been with us for major milestones along the way, and even more that might move ahead with us into new and unchartered musical regions.
Working with Dave McKean – a true legend, especially for anyone into comic illustrations – wraps up this whole trip in the sweetest way. Not only is it a big honour, but – in a way – it completes the circle, as Dave has been a major influence for the label’s artworks from its earliest beginnings already.
Luckily, we have not crashed into any lunar crater with our listeners. We want to thank you for making this long journey possible and we greatly look forward to celebrating this milestone with our partners, musical family and of course with you, our listeners.
Since our 10th anniversary the face of one of our founding members who passed away way too early graces our logo. This release is dedicated to her and commemorates the 11th anniversary of her death.
Featured on the compilation are such artists as Synkro, Rain Dog, Monsoonsiren, Tom Day, Robot Koch, Flako, 40 Winks, Long Arm, submerse, kidkanevil, 1000 Names, Tendts, Kafuka, Erik Luebs, My Panda Shall Fly, CYNE, Soosh, Nuage, Michał Lewicki, Jilk, Sieren, Olof Melander, KRTS, Deft, Barnaby Carter, Rumpistol, Fau, Button Eyes, Deceptikon, Pavel Dovgal, Memotone, Graciela Maria, Mujuice, Stompy’s Playground, Sina., Sweatson Klank, Senoy, Parra for Cuva, Fybe One, and many more. Artwork by Dave McKean (Dark Horse Comics / DC Comics / Tundra).
After finishing up their semester at University, Nicolas and Jonas – or Parra for Cuva & Senoy – decided to pack all their gear into their camper and go on a road-trip down to the eastern coast of Spain.
The car filled with all kinds of gear, from synths to speakers, guitars, and percussions amongst other tools and toys, three creative weeks ensued, creating music with a view out to the sea.
While taking everything in and doing daily trips, the two were able to create enough song ideas in three weeks to spent the rest of the year at home in the studio to finish all arrangements and mixes.
Inspired by the Spanish way of life in a small and historically rich port town, a stark contrast to life Berlin, and soaking up diverse musical influences, the individual titles are highly personal and reflect on specific emotions or intimate experiences.
During the arrangement of the title-song, the percussion track was accidentally dragged to infinity, which resulted in a trance inducing meditative sound that gave them the idea for the title. Watching turkish dervish dancers while listening should therefore enhance the listening experience.
After finishing up their semester at University, Nicolas and Jonas – or Parra for Cuva & Senoy – decided to pack all their gear into their camper and go on a road-trip down to the eastern coast of Spain.
The car filled with all kinds of gear, from synths to speakers, guitars, and percussions amongst other tools and toys, three creative weeks ensued, creating music with a view out to the sea.
While taking everything in and doing daily trips, the two were able to create enough song ideas in three weeks to spent the rest of the year at home in the studio to finish all arrangements and mixes.
Inspired by the Spanish way of life in a small and historically rich port town, a stark contrast to life Berlin, and soaking up diverse musical influences, the individual titles are highly personal and reflect on specific emotions or intimate experiences.
During the arrangement of the title-song, the percussion track was accidentally dragged to infinity, which resulted in a trance inducing meditative sound that gave them the idea for the title. Watching turkish dervish dancers while listening should therefore enhance the listening experience.
Original photography by Repeat Pattern.
"Drafts & Lost Tracks" is a compilation of previously unreleased tracks. This album includes selected works from the period between 2010 – 2014. Unfortunately, many of these were never finished because of an incident at the beginning of 2014. But for me every single one of these compositions is an important point on my musical way. That is why I want to share them with my listeners, just like I share my memories with good friends. Includes download code.
During the process of making this record there was a curiosity to explore new ways of making music, experimenting more with hardware synths, different recording techniques and including more live instrumentation as an alternative to sample based techniques. ”
‘The Path’ comes out worldwide on limited double vinyl (including download code) and limited cassette.
A record that would foreshadow 40 Winks’ ascendance on the stage of left-field instrumental productions and paved the way for what has been an outstanding discography over the course of well over 10 years, ‘Sound Puzzle’, as the name implies, is the amalgamation of a myriad of samples, drums and loops, infused with film references, skits and humor, creating a release that begs to be listened to in its entirety.
‘Sound Puzzle’ is now available on vinyl for the first time. The exclusive remastered deluxe set includes previously unreleased bonus material and comes out worldwide on limited gatefold white vinyl and cassette.
Limited edition of 500 copies on white vinyl!
A record that would foreshadow 40 Winks’ ascendance on the stage of left-field instrumental productions and paved the way for what has been an outstanding discography over the course of well over 10 years, ‘Sound Puzzle’, as the name implies, is the amalgamation of a myriad of samples, drums and loops, infused with film references, skits and humor, creating a release that begs to be listened to in its entirety.
‘Sound Puzzle’ is now available on vinyl for the first time. The exclusive remastered deluxe set includes previously unreleased bonus material and comes out worldwide on limited gatefold white vinyl and cassette.
“White Privilege” is a perfect example. Elegant melodies and a speedy jungle beat will have you bopping your head without a care in the world.
“My Head is Jumpin’” features Charles Larson and Tito Ramsey of the Brooklyn-based indie-pop act, Legs. The track is a biting meditation on our internal struggles and the many different bodies that encase them. How do we process the hurt, the pain, and the unreal? How do we manage these feelings living inside of us?
“Serve and Protect” features Sacramento MC Mad Flows. It speaks to the media’s portrayal of death in the black community as an unjustly “normal” occurrence. Mad Flows spits out fear, rage, and loss—a direct response to the policing of America.
Your head will spin. Move to the rhythm within the chaos and let it lead you through. Your head is jumping. The world is bigger than you or I. Keep moving. Turn up the volume. Close your eyes. Exit.
Introducing the vinyl re-release of “Hundred Eight Stars” from beat smith fat jon the ample soul physician, also kown as Maurice Galactica, producer of legendary Hip Hop crew Five Deez, and one half of Rebel Clique amongst others, this album contains rare “vinyl only” releases from fat jon’s expansive catalogue. These tracks were originally compiled onto one CD for the people who weren’t able to get the various vinyl releases: some of which have been discontinued. This will be the only way to get your hands on all of these tracks in one beautifully packaged vinyl collection.
“Hundred Eight Stars” comes out worldwide on remastered limited red double vinyl and with revised artwork.
‘Presidio‘ is very organic – I used a lot of real instruments throughout: rhodes, guitar, bass, melodica, and more. Not many overdubs were used: I was after a loose, human, unquantized feel in much of it. However, I still use a lot of synthesizers and drum machines – I love the contrast between perfectly timed electronic sequences and loose, human, even “sloppy” timing.
About 2 years ago I moved to a remote, forested part of San Francisco – the Presidio, and the isolation of living in the forest next to the Pacific Ocean strongly influenced my approach to recording. My home studio is near the ocean and the Golden Gate Bridge, and is surrounded by miles of trails and foggy eucalyptus groves. At night I hear foghorns, owls, and coyotes. I think living in a place like this has made me more introspective, more creative, and more willing to take my music in directions that are very personal.
Fog is a regular fixture in San Francisco, but it’s especially omnipresent the closer you get to the ocean. Fog and reverb are closely related in my mind – I like creating dense washes of sound in my music, where all of the elements bleed together into a beautiful gaussian blur of sound.
Six years, four full-length albums and 5 EP’s, plus various production and remix credits later, the true magnitude of this classic album only becomes apparent. The new ground both label and artist have discovered since their mutual starting point proved to be their contribution to the evolution of sound. Even with so many changes in the musical landscape during the last years, this album has lost none of its relevance and shows the exceptional talent of Robot Koch.
‘Death Star Droid’ is now available on vinyl again for the first time since the original pressing. The exclusive remastered double vinyl repress deluxe set with reworked gatefold cover includes remixes by Flako and Shlomo and comes out worldwide on the 28th of April, 2015.
Over the course of the ten songs many different little adventures unfold and await the young boy, slowly building his character while he explores nature in all its varieties and learns to appreciate it. He lives through new emotions and gets to learn about his own feelings during the process. The title track ‘Kellion’ represents the very inner world of the kid – it is his cocoon where he can always return to and be safe after his journeys and adventures.
„I was trying to live his life with him together and feel what he felt. I tried to understand and recollect what it feels like as a little boy walking around in this big world. I attempted to see the world through his eyes, to experience his fears and happiness and in doing that, just helping him to be a kid.“ – Long Arm
‘Kellion’ is the long awaited sophomore full length album by Long Arm and will come out worldwide on double vinyl in a beautiful gatefold cover as well as on CD and cassette tape, all including download codes.
Over the course of the ten songs many different little adventures unfold and await the young boy, slowly building his character while he explores nature in all its varieties and learns to appreciate it. He lives through new emotions and gets to learn about his own feelings during the process. The title track ‘Kellion’ represents the very inner world of the kid – it is his cocoon where he can always return to and be safe after his journeys and adventures.
„I was trying to live his life with him together and feel what he felt. I tried to understand and recollect what it feels like as a little boy walking around in this big world. I attempted to see the world through his eyes, to experience his fears and happiness and in doing that, just helping him to be a kid.“ – Long Arm
‘Kellion’ is the long awaited sophomore full length album by Long Arm and will come out worldwide on double vinyl in a beautiful gatefold cover as well as on CD and cassette tape, all including download codes.
„Back living in Shibuya on the 9th floor I can see day turn to night and watch the city breathe.“ – submerse
While his first EP’s and his recently released debut album ‘Slow Waves’ dealt with nostalgia and exploring the city life of Tokyo, submerse has finally found a place to stay and call home.
‘Stay Home’ comes out worldwide on limited vinyl, including download code on the 26th of May, 2015.
Over the course of the ten songs many different little adventures unfold and await the young boy, slowly building his character while he explores nature in all its varieties and learns to appreciate it. He lives through new emotions and gets to learn about his own feelings during the process. The title track ‘Kellion’ represents the very inner world of the kid – it is his cocoon where he can always return to and be safe after his journeys and adventures.
„I was trying to live his life with him together and feel what he felt. I tried to understand and recollect what it feels like as a little boy walking around in this big world. I attempted to see the world through his eyes, to experience his fears and happiness and in doing that, just helping him to be a kid.“ – Long Arm
‘Kellion’ is the long awaited sophomore full length album by Long Arm and will come out worldwide on double vinyl in a beautiful gatefold cover as well as on CD and cassette tape, all including download codes.
For his debut full length “Too”, My Panda Shall Fly decided to collaborate with a variety of singers from all over the globe to explore their subconscious anxieties and fears together. Giving away control over the songs himself, he was only amazed by the results of this process that took over more than a year until final realization.
Just like in Ursula K. Le Guin‘s classic sci-fi novel “The Lathe of Heaven”, you can shape your dreams by becoming aware of the inner forces that invisibly guide you every day.
‘Too’ comes out worldwide on limited 2LP red vinyl, CD, MC (including download code) and digital.
For his debut full length “Too”, My Panda Shall Fly decided to collaborate with a variety of singers from all over the globe to explore their subconscious anxieties and fears together. Giving away control over the songs himself, he was only amazed by the results of this process that took over more than a year until final realization.
Just like in Ursula K. Le Guin‘s classic sci-fi novel “The Lathe of Heaven”, you can shape your dreams by becoming aware of the inner forces that invisibly guide you every day.
‘Too’ comes out worldwide on limited 2LP red vinyl, CD, MC (including download code) and digital.
“One of the basic rules of aesthetics – man’s senses enjoy objects that are properly proportioned. He referred to the direct relationship between beauty and mathematics, which is often measurable and can be found in nature.” – R. Fisher on philosopher St. Thomas Aquinas
After painstakingly accurate and detailed editing of these generators, they would create something unique and different upon every single run. The result are unique non-recurring snapshots as foundation for most tracks, a quasi-mathematical experiment in audio-randomization. Now Michal really started his work, creating arrangements and progressions based on the simple sines and natural convolution, giving the track dynamics, adding layers of synths and instrumentation.
Slow Waves is a collection of multi-layered memories, stacked like grainy polaroids in an old box in the closet or under the bed while the colours fade. A young Rob at the beach or on his first day of grammar school. Images of travels across Europe and Japan, moments slipping in trains or planes while landscapes pass by. Memories so unique to his life, yet so similar to the fading memories of youth and adolescence we all have...
After a series of well acclaimed EP’s, each of them created at very specific moments in the artists life, submerse took the time and sat down to reflect and convert all these memories into his first full length album on Project: Mooncircle.
'Slow Waves' comes out worldwide on limited double vinyl, limited handmade and handpainted cassette edition (both including download code) as well as a limited edition CD including a bonus track via flau records in Japan.
“There are links between the songs, things tie together and reappear at various points. Certain words, subjects and sounds are cut up and redistributed between the five songs.” - Alexander Green / Groeni
While retaining the melancholic / dark-pop quality of his previous EP, this record further explores UK bass music from a south west pacific perspective. Using elements of lo-fi mixed with clean production and resampling field recordings and digital synths through tape players and old microphones, Groeni creates an intimate and eery atmosphere that will draw in and mesmerize his listeners.
‘Hewn’ comes out worldwide on limited vinyl and limited handmade cassette edition (both including download code).
“There are links between the songs, things tie together and reappear at various points. Certain words, subjects and sounds are cut up and redistributed between the five songs.” - Alexander Green / Groeni
While retaining the melancholic / dark-pop quality of his previous EP, this record further explores UK bass music from a south west pacific perspective. Using elements of lo-fi mixed with clean production and resampling field recordings and digital synths through tape players and old microphones, Groeni creates an intimate and eery atmosphere that will draw in and mesmerize his listeners.
‘Hewn’ comes out worldwide on limited vinyl and limited handmade cassette edition (both including download code).
The EP deals with ennui or just the overlying feeling of listlessness that usually props up when one thinks life is futile. Again, like my last release, this EP is quite melancholic in nature except the themes are more mature. I’ve focused on the artificial gratifications such as drugs, sex and what these temporary distractions can do to you and the relationships around you. I tend to take these dark subject matters and try and transform them into something beautiful, it’s incredibly cathartic. This is why I find it amusing and overwhelming when people call my music “ethereal” or “uplifting”.
I really love Dostoyevsky’s work or just any Russian author to be honest. His novels are incredibly detailed and meticulous, everything is palpable. I want any release I put out to feel this way. When people listen to my music I want them to be able to really feel the sounds, as if they can touch them: I work really hard to try and accomplish this. Lastly, I think what inspires me the most about being a musician: is the story telling. To be able to project your stories and memories through sound knowing that there’s at least somebody out there that will listen to what you have to say.
Featuring production by such renown producers as Go Yama, Insightful, Laplace and Galimatias, ‘Falstrati’ comes out worldwide on limited clear vinyl in December 2014.
The EP deals with ennui or just the overlying feeling of listlessness that usually props up when one thinks life is futile. Again, like my last release, this EP is quite melancholic in nature except the themes are more mature. I’ve focused on the artificial gratifications such as drugs, sex and what these temporary distractions can do to you and the relationships around you. I tend to take these dark subject matters and try and transform them into something beautiful, it’s incredibly cathartic. This is why I find it amusing and overwhelming when people call my music “ethereal” or “uplifting”.
I really love Dostoyevsky’s work or just any Russian author to be honest. His novels are incredibly detailed and meticulous, everything is palpable. I want any release I put out to feel this way. When people listen to my music I want them to be able to really feel the sounds, as if they can touch them: I work really hard to try and accomplish this. Lastly, I think what inspires me the most about being a musician: is the story telling. To be able to project your stories and memories through sound knowing that there’s at least somebody out there that will listen to what you have to say.
Featuring production by such renown producers as Go Yama, Insightful, Laplace and Galimatias, ‘Falstrati’ comes out worldwide on limited clear vinyl in December 2014.
are gradually suffused in dense drums and interchanging rhythms, a gravitational force dominates with a surging growth. Energetically pulling
the listener out of hypnosis – or rather into?
„Further explorations with footwork/dnb with ambient pieces, a direction I want to take further in the future.“ – Deft
Only 1 per customer!
‘Memoosh’ is the collaborative project between William Yates (memotone) and Soroosh Khavari (Soosh).
Without any pre-planning, the project started to grow and develop a life of its own as soon as the first session started. Over the course of more than eight weekends spread over a year, the two visited each other for recording sessions, not relying on modern modes of communication. Making all the music in person to keep to the collaborative nature of the project, leaving more room for improvisation and opportunity to jam out all their ideas.
The album is a mixture of live instrumentation (guitars, piano, cello, zither, drums, clarinet, synths and numerous others) coupled with effect boxes, samplers, vocals and field recordings, influenced by everything from random static and buzz, to a beautiful early morning rain or the bass thud of a closing door. The whole album being more an exploration of their approach rather than anything conceptually thematic, representing both characters and personalities in the music.
“To be honest, had we not been asked by Project Mooncircle to make the album we probably would never have met to make music. Thankfully they did ask! And it has been a very fruitful conquest. Not only has the album created music we are proud of, but in it’s construction it created a new and lasting friendship.“
‘Memoosh’ comes out worldwide on limited grey-marbled double vinyl, limited handmade and handpainted cassette edition (both including download code) as well as a limited edition CD including a bonus track via flau records in Japan.
All tracks written, performed and produced by William Yates and Soroosh Khavari. Vocals on ‘This Hush’ by William Yates. Recorded in the Soosh Studio, Brighton. With Thanks to all our close friends, family and the team in Berlin.
Each track breathing a new life; a conventional genre is hard to pin down. Fusing elements of neo-jazz, broken house and down-tempo ambient, resulting as an eclectic product of unforeseen joint creativity.
Opening track ‘Sea Beast’ heralds entrance into a murky journey through time and space. With jilted, broken keys drizzled upon a throbbing bassline a distant moan finds its way through dense textures. ‘Red’, eases up tightened bolts, it lifts a hazy smog with its loose, almost ‘Buddha Lounge’ melodies. A poly-rhythmic venture of crossing synths, snares and percussion each teasing the other in & out. Taking you into a videogame-like realm, ‘Gingerbread House’ summons intrigue with a conflict of virtuous and sinister emotives. Its minimal pulsing bass line transports an ethereal synth with playful bleeps and shuffling stirs. Calling in Irish outfit Lakker, they instinctively gravitate towards the more organically moulded ‘15Keys’. Dismembering a canon of cascading marimbas and chromatic percussions they splice and reconstruct it into a euphoric slow burner. Marking the last leg of an enchanted journey, ‘I’ finds its dance-floor energy in swelling melodies and a confident staccatoed bass gifted with sharp hi-hats & breaks. Twinkling keys descend as if embossing a newly-cleared night sky with falling stars.
Devoid of preconceived concepts, MPSF & Mau’lin have managed to bind together their own musical idiosyncrasies creating an EP of seductive suspense and intelligent textures.
Without any pre-planning, the project started to grow and develop a life of its own as soon as the first session started. Over the course of more than eight weekends spread over a year, the two visited each other for recording sessions, not relying on modern modes of communication. Making all the music in person to keep to the collaborative nature of the project, leaving more room for improvisation and opportunity to jam out all their ideas.
The album is a mixture of live instrumentation (guitars, piano, cello, zither, drums, clarinet, synths and numerous others) coupled with effect boxes, samplers, vocals and field recordings, influenced by everything from random static and buzz, to a beautiful early morning rain or the bass thud of a closing door. The whole album being more an exploration of their approach rather than anything conceptually thematic, representing both characters and personalities in the music.
“To be honest, had we not been asked by Project Mooncircle to make the album we probably would never have met to make music. Thankfully they did ask! And it has been a very fruitful conquest. Not only has the album created music we are proud of, but in it’s construction it created a new and lasting friendship.“
‘Memoosh’ comes out worldwide on limited grey-marbled double vinyl, limited handmade and handpainted cassette edition (both including download code) as well as a limited edition CD including a bonus track via flau records in Japan.
All tracks written, performed and produced by William Yates and Soroosh Khavari. Vocals on ‘This Hush’ by William Yates. Recorded in the Soosh Studio, Brighton. With Thanks to all our close friends, family and the team in Berlin.
Without any pre-planning, the project started to grow and develop a life of its own as soon as the first session started. Over the course of more than eight weekends spread over a year, the two visited each other for recording sessions, not relying on modern modes of communication. Making all the music in person to keep to the collaborative nature of the project, leaving more room for improvisation and opportunity to jam out all their ideas.
The album is a mixture of live instrumentation (guitars, piano, cello, zither, drums, clarinet, synths and numerous others) coupled with effect boxes, samplers, vocals and field recordings, influenced by everything from random static and buzz, to a beautiful early morning rain or the bass thud of a closing door. The whole album being more an exploration of their approach rather than anything conceptually thematic, representing both characters and personalities in the music.
“To be honest, had we not been asked by Project Mooncircle to make the album we probably would never have met to make music. Thankfully they did ask! And it has been a very fruitful conquest. Not only has the album created music we are proud of, but in it’s construction it created a new and lasting friendship.“
‘Memoosh’ comes out worldwide on limited grey-marbled double vinyl, limited handmade and handpainted cassette edition (both including download code) as well as a limited edition CD including a bonus track via flau records in Japan.
All tracks written, performed and produced by William Yates and Soroosh Khavari. Vocals on ‘This Hush’ by William Yates. Recorded in the Soosh Studio, Brighton. With Thanks to all our close friends, family and the team in Berlin.
“Our emotional life maps our incompleteness: A creature without any needs would never have reasons for fear, or grief, or hope, or anger.” – Martha Nussbaum
“The journey for me is about connections, whether it’s about meeting people or connecting with nature or space. Music for me takes me places I wouldn’t go otherwise, travelling into yet unexplored worlds and mind states. I try to take people on a journey with my music through abstract rhythms and diverse soundscapes. The journey takes you via free jazz, electronica, hip hop, ritual drumming and noises.
Dedicated to my family and friends for their patience and confidence.
Love and light” – Olof
After a series of well acclaimed EP’s, each of them created at very specific moments in the artists life, submerse took the time and sat down to reflect and convert all these memories into his first full length album on Project: Mooncircle.
'Slow Waves' comes out worldwide on limited double vinyl, limited handmade and handpainted cassette edition (both including download code) as well as a limited edition CD including a bonus track via flau records in Japan.
After a series of well acclaimed EP’s, each of them created at very specific moments in the artists life, submerse took the time and sat down to reflect and convert all these memories into his first full length album on Project: Mooncircle.
'Slow Waves' comes out worldwide on limited double vinyl, limited handmade and handpainted cassette edition (both including download code) as well as a limited edition CD including a bonus track via flau records in Japan.
After a series of well acclaimed EP’s, each of them created at very specific moments in the artists life, submerse took the time and sat down to reflect and convert all these memories into his first full length album on Project: Mooncircle.
'Slow Waves' comes out worldwide on limited double vinyl, limited handmade and handpainted cassette edition (both including download code) as well as a limited edition CD including a bonus track via flau records in Japan.
Stranded on a lonely island in the midst of a chaotic metropolis, disconnected - a feeling of drowning in an ocean of overstimulus and importunities of disproportionately inflated personalities, without ever even being registered or taken notice of.
What's left is nothing more than the ghost of a young soul, wandering about and curiously studying the surrounding, forever looking for answers that would otherwise seem trivial.
After “Kidsuke” the critically acclaimed collaboration project with Daisuke Tanabe, “Tokyorkshire” based producer kidkanevil continues his fascination with Japan and readies his latest solo album My Little Ghost. Inspired by a summer spent in Tokyo collaborating, exploring and generally refusing to grow up, the double vinyl is due May 2nd on Project: Mooncircle and features a wide range of guests including PMC's own submerse and Tokyo vocalist Cuushe.
'My Little Ghost' comes out worldwide on limited gatefold, double, pink vinyl (including download code) as well as a limited edition CD including a bonus track via flau records - http://www.flau.jp/ in Japan.
Stranded on a lonely island in the midst of a chaotic metropolis, disconnected - a feeling of drowning in an ocean of overstimulus and importunities of disproportionately inflated personalities, without ever even being registered or taken notice of.
What's left is nothing more than the ghost of a young soul, wandering about and curiously studying the surrounding, forever looking for answers that would otherwise seem trivial.
After “Kidsuke” the critically acclaimed collaboration project with Daisuke Tanabe, “Tokyorkshire” based producer kidkanevil continues his fascination with Japan and readies his latest solo album My Little Ghost. Inspired by a summer spent in Tokyo collaborating, exploring and generally refusing to grow up, the double vinyl is due May 2nd on Project: Mooncircle and features a wide range of guests including PMC's own submerse and Tokyo vocalist Cuushe.
Limited handmade and handpainted pink cassette edition (including download code).
Stranded on a lonely island in the midst of a chaotic metropolis, disconnected - a feeling of drowning in an ocean of overstimulus and importunities of disproportionately inflated personalities, without ever even being registered or taken notice of.
What's left is nothing more than the ghost of a young soul, wandering about and curiously studying the surrounding, forever looking for answers that would otherwise seem trivial.
After “Kidsuke” the critically acclaimed collaboration project with Daisuke Tanabe, “Tokyorkshire” based producer kidkanevil continues his fascination with Japan and readies his latest solo album My Little Ghost. Inspired by a summer spent in Tokyo collaborating, exploring and generally refusing to grow up, the double vinyl is due May 2nd on Project: Mooncircle and features a wide range of guests including PMC's own submerse and Tokyo vocalist Cuushe.
'My Little Ghost' comes out worldwide on limited gatefold, double, pink vinyl (including download code (on the insde of the cenetr fold)) as well as a limited edition CD including a bonus track via flau records - http://www.flau.jp/ in Japan.
Barrio Lindo feels a strong bond to the native tribes of his Argentinian home. Ancestral cultures are of great importance, providing a wealth of inspiration. An instrument maker by trade, using his bare hands he constructs many ethnical instruments like Andean flutes, African harps, string instruments from India and so on. This fascination with indigenous sounds is reflected within his music and themes with the use of samples and tribal instrumentation. While understanding his work is far from that of the native cultures, he finds ways to incorporate these influences through fusions of sounds. Drawing a parallel, worlds both old and new align.
‘Menoko’ comes on limited purple double vinyl (including download code) as well as a limited handmade and handpainted purple cassette edition (including download code).
Barrio Lindo feels a strong bond to the native tribes of his Argentinian home. Ancestral cultures are of great importance, providing a wealth of inspiration. An instrument maker by trade, using his bare hands he constructs many ethnical instruments like Andean flutes, African harps, string instruments from India and so on. This fascination with indigenous sounds is reflected within his music and themes with the use of samples and tribal instrumentation. While understanding his work is far from that of the native cultures, he finds ways to incorporate these influences through fusions of sounds. Drawing a parallel, worlds both old and new align.
‘Menoko’ comes on limited purple double vinyl (including download code).
Besides crafting his own beats, Joe enlisted a small army of talented musicians to contribute to this album. From the nu-soul sounds and vocals of Sacha Vee, via the dusty warmth of Vinyl Frontiers to the boombap vibes of Polish veterans O.S.T.R. and DJ Haem, just to name a few of the influences and collaborators on ‘The Average Joe’. In addition, with trustworthy partners in crime Killing Skills as the executives, every track is produced into perfection. With this second LP, released on gold colored vinyl, Joe is taking Project: Mooncircle back to it’s legendary hip hop roots. The Average Joe kicks ass, indeed.
Being compelled by melody and variation, Rain Dog, by his own admission, never had much talent for songwriting in terms of lyrics. To circumvent this, however, he focuses on creating a narrative within the music through the combination of synth work and samples. He starts with anything that sparks an interest or emotion in him – Tom Waits, Joni Mitchel, Ella Fitzgerald, Portico Quartet and moments from movies, samples like these usually work as a foundation for the tracks. He then adds layers of unique and organic synth sounds (a notion he finds quite interesting when working entirely from a digital platform) before eventually completing the production with the beat. He likes his music like a nice pie – warm, hearty, and crusty.
Artwork by Felicia Simion. Guests: Robot Koch, BigsonTomika & Sam Rogers.
“The Longest Journey“ (2013) represents the musical journey of Łukasz Czajewski, depicting a one year cycle in his life, rich in thoughts, important life-events and experiences. He processed influences like nature, mind-created images and innervisions to create an album about one’s journey into the understanding of the world, soul, consciousness and creation. While seasons came and went, he reflected on these events and gained valuable experiences. Every single track has its unique meaning and is a part of this inner expedition. Ultimately, it all comes down to one question: Where are YOU heading in Your journey?
Several months of hard work between January 2010 and October 2011 resulted in “Blue Balloons“, an album filled with delicately arranged downtempo guitar motifs, distinctive complex rhythms and complementing rich basslines, all encased in the unique aura that sorrounds Blossom’s debut album and gives it a deeply atmospheric feel.
All tracks Written & produced by Łukasz Czajewski in Leszczyny, Poland. Saxophone on “Don’t Grow Up”, “Signs of a New Day”, “We Go” by Aleksander Papierz. Vocals on “Dusk” by JEHST.
The Foreigner is looking through an alien’s eyes from the first step of landing on new soil. The outsider position – Not knowing the language, direction, new set of rules, personalities, and learning how to become a part of a new society.
KRTS’s often approach to music creation normally follows zero rules and boundaries of genres. This time, KRTS welds together influences of genres but, places them in a bubble of hard hitting Boom-Bap HipHop percussions, thumping bass-lines, and combines a melodramatic set of layered vocals sung by KRTS with rows of melodies that weave in and out creating various atmospheres within one song. As if creating different cities inside one country.
Imagine the old mystic character “Pan”, which represents nature, animalism and freedom, in a contemporary and realistic setting; becoming a modern vagabond, a drifter, living in the woods and roaming the lands, always accompanied by his friend, the dog. As his path leads him into the city of modern society, he is quickly confronted with its harsh reality – The conflict between living in an urban space and wanting to be at piece in a remote place in nature. Can we consider ourselves animals or have we already evolved into something too distanced from its natural enviroment and essence?
“When I write music it’s always very visual. I have images in my mind that put me in certain moods while I produce – oftentimes I make music to a film that hasn’t been shot yet. This has been something I wanted to do for a long time: compose music for a film.“ – Koch
„As a film director, the great aim of this project was to create a symbiotic piece of work that allows the musician and the director to work on an equal level. By bouncing back and forth ideas, images, sounds and moods, we were finally able to combine these elements and establish a harmonious piece that reflects both his and my creative expression.“ – Feigelfeld
“Unpaved“ will be released on 12“ vinyl including a download code for the film.
Following two EP’s on the label over the last 18 months, ‘Nonfiction‘ is an 11 track full length that further defines his uniquely crafted musical outlook; a sound that takes in ethereal classical instruments, tough intricate percussion, thick bass and packs them with melody and emotion. With nods to Jungle, Footwork, Grime and RnB, The Range manages to skilfully balance all his compositions into something that truly has no peers, proper song writing from a real talent.
The Range released ‘The Big Dip’ on Astro Nautico in 2011, followed by the two Donky Pitch EPs ‘disk’ and ‘Seneca’. He has received regular support on BBC Radio 1 from Benji B, frequently playing shows across the US, and completed remixes for artists like Howse (Tri Angle), Kuhn (Civil Music) & Alphabets Heaven (King Deluxe). In September he plays The Boiler Room US, followed by a string of UK and European dates in October (his first overseas shows) to co-incide with the album release.
‘Nonfiction’ will be released digitally and on limited vinyl in collaboration with Berlin label Project: Mooncircle.
A wild stallion fights it’s way up from the dirt and tries to receive recognition by separating itself from the herd. Breaking through the anonymity of the group to the freedom of running through endless land- and soundscapes into horizons of new sonic worlds.
The compilation includes IIIII (Five Eyes), KRTS, Sieren, my.head, FiJi, Long Arm, Kidkanevil, Daisuke Tanabe, Hanami, Julien Mier, Deft, submerse, opti, Den5hion, Tom Day, Monsoonsiren, Tendts, Thriftworks, DH the Mythicalifornian, PYUR, Rain Dog, Daixie, FauDeam, Jean du Voyage, Djéla, Pierre Harmegnies, Robot Koch, Robert Valsinger, Blossom, Neema, Tomika, How Green, Drogtech, Bruises, Night Logic, Deep Shoq, Stèv, Cass., Anna Marjamäki, Vitrion, and MockSun.
But what does reality mean in this blurry timeless vision?
The fifth edition of our “Faces“ series comes with double the amount of producers as usually. One side we find Greek brothers and production duo Tendts while the other side is shared by the two young artists Daixie and Hanami, from Australia and the UK respectively.
- gnothi seauton | nosce the ipsum –
The oldest masks are more than 9000 years old and have been a part of earliest ritual ceremonies.
A mask disguises our true emotion and can also give the impression of fake feelings or make us appear emotionless. Strangely contrasted like the painted face of a clown, we appear sad and happy simultaneously. Moods and temper change rapidly, while there is nothing visible on the outside. We reflect ourselves in the image of others, project our ambitions and wishes but also fears into them, caring more about our perception by others until we don’t recognize our own image in the mirror anymore, instead of focusing on self-awareness and knowledge of self.
Where is the thin line between the truth and a lie? Do we all wear invisible masks during our everyday life? A story fractured into million pieces of a puzzle, waiting to be put back together.
If you were an idea, would you be a static one? An idea that never changes ?
An idea that tends to become something else ? An idea that becomes an obsession?
An idea can be an object, can be a sentence or just one word.
“Tendts“. What kind of word is that ? Could it be two words merged into one ? Or was it one from the beginning ? Let’s just say that the idea behind the word came up when two people were writing music in a room. In this particular room the only window that had a view of the outside world was always blocked by a rusty, dusty tent. Was this annoying tent worth becoming their artistic totem ? Maybe. But the one thing sure needed was a change. They had to transform the word into something else. They had to add something else. One letter.
Tent. Tend. TENDTS.
Hertfordshire based producer ‘Hanami‘ is set to stir things up in the coming months for the UK electronic music scene.
Now moving away from his days of working in a live electro band, Ryan Newton has decided to embark on an ambitious solo project. A direction that he has been meaning to pursue for some time. Whilst still keeping the use of sampled instruments and drum sequencers he is looking to bring a new lease of life to the increasingly generic sounds the scene continues to produce as the music becomes more popular.
Only 19 years of age and only producing for seven months now, Alex Xie, alias Daixie, is a young producer from Australia with a Chinese and Cambodian background. While drawing influences from many artists, his main inspiration comes from nature and his everyday personal interactions. His music, based heavily on field recordings, is a way of expressing his emotions – something that he has trouble doing in his day to day life. It is his release which allows him to feel more deeply about things he can not express by other means.
Bioniq is an artwork designer, DJ and producer from St. Petersburg in cold Russia and Project: Mooncircle’s special KGB agent. With his drawings he aims to create new horizons on paper and draws inspiration from historic tales, events of the present age but also possibilities the future might hold.
Limited 12” vinyl for serious collectors, DJ’s and record addicts only!
As the soundtrack for tonight’s lunar eclipse, we selected some exclusive and unreleased songs from Robot Koch, Submerse, Rain Dog, Sieren, Daisuke Tanabe, Lomovolokno, KRTS, and Daixie on this mini-compilation.
Artwork by MN (from Bratislava, Slovak).
‘The Mesektet’, in ancient egyptian mythology, is one of the two solar boats used by the sun god ‘Ra’ to travel through the cycle of night and day and carry the moon across the sky. It is told that he died every dusk, had to fight the dark forces of the underworld and bring light to the dead souls as he passed through – just to be reborn in the morning. Just like the sun god, uprising producer fLako uses ‘The Mesektet’ to end the cycle of darkness and prepare for his own rebirth, marking the end of an era in his style of production and move forward into new musical directions, which he already started to explore on his ‘Mini Toolbooth EP’. This release includes a collection of previously unreleased or only digitally available works from the time up until 2008.
Project: Mooncircle / HHV HHV Records
Berlin-based label Project: Mooncircle is an official label from HHV. It was founded in 2002 by Gordon Gieseking and is specializing in the conjunction between electronic and organic music. Being interested in music from his earliest childhood on, it eventually became more than just a passion to him. The label, at first envisaged as a compilation project only, found the perfect partner with Thomas Ulrich and his mail-order HHV in 2004, later being joined by Jinna Morocha from Moscow. This led the way for the first instrumental and vocal solo releases by such artists as Mr Cooper, 40 Winks, CYNE, Jahbitat, John Robinson, MF Doom, Lambent, Lewis Parker, Non of Shadowhuntaz, Graciela Maria, Strand, Robot Koch, Pavel Dovgal, Ta-Ku, Mika Gao, Onra, Obba Supa, fLako, Sina., 1000 Names, DZA, Krts, Long Arm or Glen Porter.
In 2009 the sub-label Project: Squared, run by Paul Cooper and Peter Schachmann, two long-standing companions and co-workers, was founded. Project: Squared releases mainly Dubstep and Techno 12” records from such artists as Asusu, Furesshu, AnD, L-OW, Tom Diccico, Shifted and others.
Another sub-label, Finest Ego, was added in 2010. Run by Malte Tarnow, its aim is to consolidate the versatility of instrumental beats, glitch or wonky and anything in between or beyond. The outcome are compilations with such producers as Daisuke Tanabe, Isaac Aesili, Om Unit, Lapalux, RLP, ichiro_, Himuro Yoshiteru, Pixelord, Monky, Christoph El Truento, and various others.
The work of illustrators and graphic designers such as Bioniq, Dan May, Iain McArthur, Ima One, LNY, Gordon, 44 Flavours, La Mano Fria, and The Binh create images that accompany the acoustic spaces.
Project: Mooncircle with its various producers & vocalist shall be an interesting experience for anyone looking for the extraordinary.