Buscar:masterclass

This is NovaMute's first release since MOTOR (Bryan Black and Oly Grasset) over ten years ago. The Release will be 3 weeks available as VINYL ONLY.

Nova Mute, a subsidiary of Mute (Depeche Mode, Goldfrapp, New Order, Liars, Erasure, Moby), began in 1992 as a response to the growing demand for techno releases in the UK. Originally presenting white labels and imports, NovaMute went on to release records by Plastikman, Speedy J, Juan Atkins, Luke Slater and Joey Beltram to name a few, this is Nova Mute's first release since over ten years ago

Nicolas Bougaïeff presents his new EP on seminal British imprint NovaMute. As a producer he harbours a diverse musical background, having studied in a conservatoire setting whilst foraying into anti-authoritarian rave culture. He is also a respected lecturer, regularly teaching masterclasses in composition and speaking at global events such as Mutek and Ableton Loop - the results of which come to life in the inquisitive spirit of his productions. Cognitive Resonance explores elements of psytrance, gabber and techno through a compositional lens, drawing on the artist's love for avant-garde forms and long-standing relationship with the electronic music community. The title track lays out long, expansive phrases and warped crescendos to create a disorienting structure, whilst distant harmonies, distorted kick drums and shattering effects merge into a hypnotic form on 'Truthful Hyperbole'. Lastly, 'Fake News' mangles our sense of rhythmic familiarity, disrupting the 4/4 beat with a complex metre and sinister melody. This is NovaMute's first release since MOTOR (Bryan Black and Oly Grasset) over ten years ago. T as well as forging invaluable links with labels such as Tresor and Probe, which allowed them to license rare tracks for a wider audience. Forthcoming releases on NovaMute will include EP's from Terence Fixmer and Charlotte de Witte.

Having made her mark on Brazil's rich musical legacy with three best-selling albums to date, Rio's original nu-bossa queen returns with a tour de force of golden-era Brazilian soul music. From the spiritual swing of the early pioneers of modern Samba, to the dizzying hedonism of Brazil's eighties disco/boogie craze, Clareia is a life-affirming journey through the rich and varied sounds Sabrina Malheiros has been immersed in since she can remember. For her most up-lifting and danceable album to date, Sabrina has (as always) enlisted her father Alex Malheiros - bassist of samba jazz-funk legends Azymuth - and visionary London based producer Daniel Maunick (aka Dokta Venom), son of Incognito's Bluey.

Sabrina Malheiros' career has often been characterised by her place in the succession of those special Brazilian women who, with unmistakable talent and effortless grace, have encapsulated the magical energy of Brazil with their voices. Elis Regina, Astrud Gilberto, and Joyce all had it, and Sabrina Malheiros has it in spades.'(MOJO) With her debut album Equilibria in 2005, Sabrina arrived on a wave of instant acclaim, carving out her place as the pioneering voice of a new brand of Brazilian soul music, rooted in the traditions of samba and bossa, but with an edge of contemporary electronic sophistication. Sabrina's innovative nu-bossa sound would continue with the 2006 remix album 'Vibrasons' followed by sophomore 'New Morning' - declared the best album of summer 2008'(Evening Standard), before 2011's best-seller Dreaming.

Six years on, Sabrina returns with Clareia. Itmeans to clear, light, brighten or illuminate, which, after seeing Brazil and the rest of the world go through some very difficult times, is exactly what the writing of this album brought to my life.' All tracks are written by either Sabrina, or in collaboration with her father Alex Malheiros and producer Daniel Maunick. Written and recorded in Niteroi, Brazil, overlooking Gunabara Bay and Rio's beaches, mountains and forests, the music basks in its surroundings and sings of ecological beauty, peace and sanctuary. Echoing Sabrina's emphasis on clarity, Alex notes that the album's title represents an appeal to the minds of our civilization today, to clear our thoughts for good and for peace.'

This pursuit of clarity continued into the studio: It took a little longer than usual' notes Sabrina, which was good in way, as all my previous albums were recorded in rush and we usually had a week for pre-production and another week in the studio, which always gave me the feeling that I could do better. With this album it was different... we took our time.'

Sabrina's unmistakable voice has never sounded better. Packed out with high-octane swinging samba-soul, like the title-track and 'Salve O Mar', the album also features some bottom-heavy Brazilian boogie cuts, like rejoicing album opener 'Celebrar' which harks back to some of Marcos Valle's cult '80s disco output, and 'Sol Ceu E Mar' is a Tania Maria-esque future classic of scorching latin-funk. Mellower moments are found in 'Em Paz', on which Sabrina's beguiling harmonies find an anchor in the rhythmic acoustic guitar of Ze Carlos', who Sabrina heralds as being the best guitarist I have ever worked with'. Azymuth's keyboardist Kiko Continentino's deft Rhodes, piano, organ and synth playing, add ever more textures of distinctly Brazilian brilliance throughout, while tropical brass and flute arrangements on cool bossa-jazz movers 'Vai Maria' and 'Sandore', come from Brazilian saxophone legend Leo Gandleman, a man who has worked with everyone from Gal Costa to Gilberto Gil. The rhythm section combines Daniel Maunick's seamless drum programming and the organic polyrhythms of Brazilian percussion legend Jakare, all punctuated by Alex Malheiros' inimitable (occasionally slapped) jazz-funk bass, giving the album its irresistibly danceable pulse.

Set for release at the height of summer this year, Clareia is an intergenerational masterclass of Brazil's soulful spectrum, led by a pioneering voice of today's scene on the very top of her game. The up-lifting compositions, which take inspiration from the stunning natural beauty amongst which the album was made, and the call for the clarity of mind needed to preserve it, are enriched by this special team of some of Brazil's most established musicians. Like the sun breaking through tropical storm-clouds, Clareia is a vessel of joy, as Sabrina puts it simply, I hope Clareia brightens the soul of whoever listens to it. That's the spirit of this album.'

Superfreq kicks off the New Year with Stand Up, the first single of three from Mr.C's forthcoming album Incidents. How Mr.C has found time to present an acid masterclass while touring the world, throwing events & running a label is testament to his passion. Stand Up is a politically motivated rebellious song that takes issue with the way nightclubs the world over have been closed down due to the financial greed of property developers at the expense of our beloved dance music community. This track is a call for the dance music community to stand up & unite against the continued aggressive affront on electronic dance music culture.
From Mr.C's electro, ska & acid inspired radio mix, to his Club Dub, to Jay Haze's slow acid house, to Tripwire's modern take on acid, to Omid 16B's retro acid house, the single really does show why acid house is back with a vengeance with Superfreq leading the field.

Marc Antona has been always in the pursuit of new expressions within music as he has continually demonstrated with his work. Following the jazz-infused adventures of the Rattle Snaps EP, he finally returns to his own turf to lay down another crucial exploration of beat science. "Hanging Gardens" is a masterclass in immersive programming, fusing the natural feel of live drums with crisp electronic tones that hover in a spacious mix. It's the perfect angle at which to appreciate the subtlety of sound design that goes into every inch of Marc Antona's productions, teasing elements in and out of the mix so gracefully, it's hard to tell where the joints are. The haunting touches of chords and lingering pad are deployed with poise, the intricate percussion progressively rising and falling throughout to create a truly immersive sonic journey. Where the A side deals with angular rhythms and a shape-shifting atmosphere, "Unrestricted" takes the sound palette of organic and electronic elements and feeds them into a rolling, techno-minded focus. The tribal thrum of the beat fills out an 'in-the room-ambience' while the psychoactive synth flurries speak out the pulse of the machines. It's a combination that makes "Unrestricted" as intimate as it is exotic. In combining these disparate feelings within his tracks, Antona once again brings a human feel to the technology, pushing the music into exciting new realms in the process.

Next installment of Rex Ilusivi archive uncoverings - This time a live concert from SNP (srpsko narodno pozoriste / serbian national theatre) in Novi Sad, Serbia. Again it's a sublime masterclass in layering and mixing from the much revered King Of Illusion. TIP!
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'To this day Rex Ilusivii remains an enigma of the global music culture, caught between late cold war electronic spheres, classic and the power of found sound. A musician from the Southeast European counterculture, whose art today seems to be the worldly intelligence of the modern age. Listening to the early music of Mitar Subotic sounds like catching the future even tough you know here sounds the past. How can somebody be light years ahead of most of his contemporaries in terms of individuality and uncompromising vision, creating such musical narratives with a feeling for outernational space' It must have been the signs of his time in Yugoslavia, that lead him to compositions in which two or more antithetic forces fight each other for the cause of an unheard harmony that melts industrial, sample art, Musique concr'te and ambient. His 'Koncert SNP' from 1983 demonstrates his ingeniousness to the core ' about 38 minutes of experiment and appeal that move playful between demonstrative frankness and seductive sensuality. You hear pulsating synthesizer bliss, widescreen sample art full of Bosch-like images and elusively drama catchiness that absorbs deep. So deep that words can't express their meaning. Only notes can spell out the score. Listening to his live recording several times without a break reveals also a story arc of literary transcendence. And as transcendence is something beyond speech, the music of Rex Ilusivii can't be narrowed down in phrases. Only one thing must be recommended: surrender to it and it will surrender to you.
Michael Leuffen in June 2016

Over the past 7 years WOLF Music have steadily blossomed into a bonafide platform for both auspicious and established producers of classically-minded House and Disco catering for listeners and DJs alike.

Having amassed a catalogue of EPs and LPs including the likes of Frits Wentink, Medlar, KRL, Mr Fries and Inkswel they are now ready to release their 4th full length LP this time from long term label friends Nicholas Church and Joseph Spencer a.k.a Casino Times.

Having first appeared on WOLF for the label's 23rd release - Casino Times have since released music through their own Casino Edits imprint, Futureboogie and Permanent Vacation.
Across each release the duo have built a musical identity that's characterised by subby electronics and off-kilter sampling.

Now they get chance to stretch their legs across 10 tracks, delving into an array of new territories, which pieces together their début LP, Familiar Circles.
Ranging from the beautifully breezy Oddity to the break-laden Love In Time the album begins to take shape as a masterclass in arresting sampling.

Continuing with the subtly mournful I Hope This Find You Well featuring Desert Sound Colony, followed by the potent, burly drums of Overcome. Panning out across its entirety as an album that achieves something rare in deftly dialing a broad spectrum of moods, adding further facets to WOLF's ever-expanding catalogue.

Longtime Figure main-player Markus Suckut continues his artistic development with this killer seven track, wide-reaching EP. Based on the concept of providing rich ambient textures for the start of the night or DJ set, and then heavy, minimalist techno tracks to satisfy driving, percussive club needs, Suckut gives us another masterclass in his art. Alongside the dense textures of for start #1-3 and their varying moods - from echoing steam-filled passges to off-world strings reaching for the skies - we are also treated to four heavyweight DJ tools stamped with Markus trademark elegant sound.

Zeitgeber and L.B Dub Corp split the second in Stroboscopic Artefacts' series of fifth anniversary records. Zeitgeber is the collaborative project of SA label boss Lucy and Dutch techno royalty Speedy J. Their joint alias birthed an exceptional long-player last year and has since been presented as a b2b act at festivals and clubs around the world. 'Totemism' is their first officially released output since that album, and is every bit as compelling. 'Totemism' opens with distant, reverberating bells and a thin film of hiss and crackle. But, one minute in, heavy and incessant drums cut through the ambience, hitting you straight in the chest. The surrounding atmosphere evolves and filters in-and-out of the mix until, halfway through, the track takes an unexpected turn with an elastic bassline and acid squelches. Then, the drums hit you again. This is an 11 minute masterclass in widescreen, narrative techno from two of the scene's most experienced and inventive producers. Luke Slater, a man of many aliases, slips into L.B Dub Corp mode for the B-side of this record. This particular moniker of Slater's generally trades in raw, culturally-inspired house music, though has also appeared on Stroboscopic's Stellate series with two deep and beatless dubs. For his contribution to SA's 5 Year anniversary, Slater re-visits a classic club cut of his own, delivering 'Take It Down Again (In Dub)'. 'Take It Down Again' is a brilliantly-realised exercise in tension, dub delay and mixing board creativity, all made to shine by a dose of oddball musicality and sampling. This version of 2010's 'Take It Down' is more restrained and tonally varied, equipped to instil a brooding and tribal darkness on the floor.

The outboard loving, super talented young Russian producer returns to Bokhari.

No short clip could ever do Triptych justice - it has three distinct parts which are woven together with immense skill. Not for those who buy tracks for 5 second loops!
A totally absorbing and evolving piece...

Another production masterclass on the flip as 'More' gently builds around atmospheric pads, crisp percussion and a creeping acid line.
Finally Dotylus wrap things up with a bold rework of Tryptich, marrying immersive synth washes to an insistent rhythm track and more than a nod to early 90's electronica

To celebrate the 10th release a download code is included containing five unreleased free tracks of Bokhari artists remixing each other - includes remixes from Gnork, Life Recorder, Semerka, Clarke Sawkill & Gitchell Moore.

Artwork reproduced with kind permission of Sue Wicker.

After her much lauded debut 'Playin' Me' last year, Cooly G returns with an EP that switches from songwriting mode to create extended, spaced out and rhythmic house tracks built for the dancefloor. 'Hold Me' starts with minor note stabs and Cooly's vocal refrain 'Hold me' over a punchy bassline. The rhythm slowly builds as the vocal becomes more dubbed out and the atmosphere more smokey. 'Oi Dirty', made with DVA, is a piece of wonky, rhythmically lopsided house with a cavernous elasticized bassline and lots of micro detail destabilising the track then bringing it back, pitching drums and mini breakdowns. 'Molly' is a slow burning 4/4 house track built around a static grid that gradually builds up, getting stiffer and more intense, with wobbly acid-like synth lines and hissing static stabs, underpinned by a one note bass kick. It's a masterclass in creating tension with sleight of hand production moves.

The story of Bonobo is one that's become uncommon in contemporary music. There was no sudden, viral internet sensation, no one-off big hit, no abrupt, accidental alignment with the zeitgeist. Instead, over the course of four albums, myriad tours, singles, remixes and production work for other artists, he quietly but very definitely became one of the most important artists in electronic music. The hard work paid off, and culminated in 2010's 'Black Sands,' a masterful album that married Green's inimitable melodic genius and musicianship to bleeding edge electronics, bass and infectious drums.

After a year plus of touring the hypnotic, extended live versions of Black Sands, he finally found time last year to embed himself in his New York studio and write his fifth studio album. Now, in 2013, he stands ready to take things up yet another notch. 'The North Borders' is a long stride forward - both a natural evolution and a continuation of the electronic palette of Black Sands. Thematic, resonant, addictive and perfectly formed, it's a thrillingly coherent statement piece.

It's also an album that shows just how far electronic music has come. Its richness of texture, emotive force and all round depth are facets found more often within, dare we say it, classical music. If there's a renaissance taking place within this scene, Simon Green could make a strong claim to being one of its key driving forces.

As with previous albums, The North Borders features a careful balance between vocal tracks and instrumentals, ensuring that the productions themselves get room to breathe and shine. When Green discovered that he and Erykah Badu shared a mutual appreciation for each other's work, he leapt at the chance to collaborate. The resultant 'Heaven for the Sinner' is one of the album's triumphs, a transcendental, incanted vocal masterclass married to a brilliant two-step glitch and a yearning melody.

NYC folk underdog Grey Reverend appears on album opener 'First Fires,' providing a raw, emotion-laid-bare growl that sets the tone for an album that's joyously unselfconscious. Bonobo has a long history of unearthing new talent, Black Sands having launched the solo career of guest vocalist Andreya Triana. The North Borders sees him do so once again. The startling, ethereal vocals of new collaborator Szjerdene are sprinkled across the album, and Green has yet again found the perfect voice to express where he's at. 'Transits' sees her vocal weave around a garage beat that's somehow fragile and purposeful all at once, a gradually emerging hook rising from the depths of the song.

'Emkay' is a stunning example of the album's marriage of addictive, urban-inflected drums to rise-and-swell melody that never fails to move the listener. Opening single 'Cirrus' sees a clockwork-precise rhythm drive a chiming, insistent melody that builds to one of the record's great emotional climaxes. This is where Green excels, he knows how to invest electronic music with immense feeling.

The North Borders - like all great records - is an album that demands to be listened to as such, a body of work with its own internal logic, themes and narrative arc. Bonobo's abilities are at an all time high, and The North Borders everything his growing army of fans will have hoped for - a sheer delight.