Suche:outcome

A world premiere of AI-generated symphonic music!

All three audio files are compiled from two live recordings with different microphone settings. The cover image is generated by algorithms trained with the following image searches: migration, mediterranean, boat, Libyan coast, EU. Different search engines were used. »Land der Musik« celebrated its world premiere on 7 October 2018 at steirischer herbst '18 - volksfronten in Graz, Austria. Commissioned and produced by steirischer herbst in cooperation with ORF Musikprotokoll.

A1. soundalikeStrauss (an audio reverse-engineering tool is used after the initial cross-fade) A2. AIstrauss (algorithms are trained with midi-files of Johann Strauss waltzes) B1. AImahler (algorithms trained with midi-files of Gustav Mahler symphonies) B2. (untitled)

A new standard of beauty. Artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms can now group photo pixels or audio waves into meaningful categories. This is similar to how our brain operates, yet the outcome seems distinctively non-human. At the same time it appears that the sphere of our appreciation and imagination may just have expanded. The question of whether we are still able to see and hear the difference between automated and so-called autonomous artifacts should be left to historians. On the other hand, producing this analog audio record with this image on the front cover really is an antagonism. A more appropriate medium might be a tracking chip of your online and offline activities generating customized results in real time—be it images, music, or whatever.

If AI is communist (to quote the libertarian Silicon Valley entrepreneur Peter Thiel), then this statistics-based technology might actually reinforce centralized monopoly capitalism and the coming crisis of inequality, just as it might accelerate into Deleuze's notion of the Society of Control. But it might also be seen and heard as a demo, a new standard of beauty, for the redistribution of wealth and for solidarity; in short as a utopia freed from exploitation, nationalism, and racism, liberating us from our own perception of this world. »Land der musik - The Graz AI Score« demonstrates how machine learning might help us to finally create the perfect Austrian national music identity. Yet in doing so, our ultimate aim is to get rid of the construction of national identities all together.

»God created man because he dreamed him. / But man forgot God and created the machine because he dreamed it. / At the end of the twentieth century, however, the machine has forgotten man. / Who could predict who or what she dreams of« (Friedrich Kittler)

Limited retail edition in double transparent yellow vinyl.
Explosions in Slow Motion is the new album from Brock Van Wey's transcendent bvdub project.
Van Wey's previous n5MD album Heart- less found him harnessing the turmoil around him to create something vast, emotive, and brooding, yet somehow comforting, allowing you to cradle in its weight.
Months after Heartless' release Van Wey moved from turbulent times of his native California home to the chilling winter of Warsaw Poland. A divergence. Alone against the icy cold, confined to the indoors in search of protection against the world outside, Van Wey channeled, as he always does, his surroundings as they coalesced with his self-imposed aberration. The outcome of this move, and period of near total isolation, is Explosions in Slow Motion.
Featuring four long-form songs accompanied by four 'ember' vignettes, Explosions in Slow Motion is quite possibly Van Wey's most mournfully isolated work in his massive discography to date.
Filled with swelling arcs of spectres from the past appearing then slowly drift away. Foggy memories of friends, loved ones, and even adversaries seem to achingly sweep across Explosions in Slow Motion's eighty-minute runtime.
There is a forlorn thread of shrouded nostalgia throughout the album which by album's end leads to catharsis, acceptance and the finality of progres- sion.

'For The Colleagues Of Ubu & Their Authorities' is the brainchild of Vienna based vinyl enthusiast, DJ & producer The Reboot Joy Confession. What once started as a series of mixes has been expanded into this compilation, on which he brings together diverse genres of music like electronica, modern minimalism, folk, post-rock, avant-garde or modular music, which also reflect his own versatile musical taste. 'As I stopped thinking in genres, my attempt was to merge my musical taste in the most fluent way possible onto one record. There are mesmerizing songs from some of my favourite contemporary artists - I feel a timelessness in their music, I can ´t get tired of. With the compilation I wanted to create a contemplative, fictitious, surreal world, merging those different styles together. Giving it that title, I wanted the listener to be able to imagine a tale that is building up with each song. I am really happy about the outcome of this compilation and hope that many other listeners can feel the magic.' The compilation includes the surreal work of Swiss producer Dim Grimm (also known as Dimlite), as well as a collaboration between Merz & Julian Sartorius Drum Ensemble who radically altered the original version of 'The Hunting Owl' into a monstrous percussive live version. Taken off the debut album from one of Poland ´s most interesting musicians at the moment, Waclaw Zimpel & Kuba Ziolek, 'Wrens' is a fusion of folk, jazz and modern minimal music. Experimental pop musician & filmmaker Tujiko Noriko appears with an emotional piece that challenges the paths between pop and avant-garde. Gerhard Zander, whose musical work started on the outskirts of experimental pop music in the early seventies in Germany, delivers a modular synth masterpiece with unique sounds, textures and a far-out synth choir. Rock and ambient influenced musician Helen Money (also known as Alison Chesley) is a Los Angeles based cellist and composer who appears with a massively dark post-rock song called 'MF', which was recorded at Steve Albini's Electrical Audio studio in Chicago in 2009. Often compared to Frank Zappa and known for their richness of ideas, Liverpool's a.P.A.t.T. contribute the hypnotic 'Young Free & Parasite', with references to British glam, post-punk or synth rock, but in a fresh and obscure sounding outfit. SSELLF, the moniker of New Zealand ´s Christoph El Truento, inspired by post-punk and noise. 'Visitors' is simple and simply in your face, with lo-fi drums, distorted synths and raw vocals by Christoph himself. After a few seclusive years, The Reboot Joy Confession returns with a new, crispy and soulful track. Cinematic strings written by Martin Riedler, arranged by Flip Phillip, and recorded at the established Vienna Konzerthaus, based on a properly arranged drum outfit and played by a villain named Gurlimu. Both strings and drums are guiding through the whole song and culminate in Glockenspiel and Rhodes melodies. Oceaneer aka Japanese pianist Oneechan Nanashi completes the compilation with her beautiful and profound composition 'The Sea, Forever'. She describes her music as 'improvised instrumental underwater music from the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, played with broken instruments, directed by the spirit of drowned people who are talking through the hands of the pianist. It's lonely and bleak music for the dead.'

It gives me the greatest honour to finally be able to announce the release of this amazing triple vinyl masterpiece by log(m) and Laraaji on Invisible, Inc.

It's been over a decade since Laraaji first joined forces with log(m) in their Canadian studio in early 2007. In those ten years the trio recorded many hours of music. Over time these recordings, beginning essentially as live jams, were polished, dissected, processed, re-arranged and then finely and painstakingly distilled down to the 105 minutes of music that now form this album, which finally reached completion just earlier this year. The wait has been more than worth it.

The Onrush Of Eternity is a melding of minds like no other. Ever the pioneer of experimental ambience, Laraaji's signature hammered dulcimer, zither, mbira, auto harp, sruthi drone box and of course his exceedingly positive vibes are here combined with log(m)'s unique vision of gronky hi-tech psychedelic space dub. The resultant voyage into deeply meditative ambience and trance-inducing dub is as unexpected an outcome as it is a bona fide "Eureka" moment. It sounds neither like log(m) OR Laraaji....but of course like both. It is one of those rare collaborations that is, without a doubt, even greater than the sum of its already great parts.

Log(m) started making waves in the early '90s as Legion Of Green Men with their visually striking 12"s, complete with eternal opuscules (locked grooves) and mathematically inspired titles, all lovingly issued on their own Post Contemporary imprint. These deservedly got the attention of Richie Hawtin who promptly asked the duo for an album on his own classic Plus 8 Records. 20+ years later and the music (much like their name) has morphed into something more sophisticated: even more complex, atmospheric and deeper than ever.

Laraaji's reputation of course precedes him: he first came to wider attention when Brian Eno released his "Day Of Radiance" as part 3 of his Ambient Series in 1980. Since then, Laraaji has released over 40 albums, yet his stellar path seems still to be on the ascendant - a recent landmark being the 2017 "Sun" series of albums for the wonderful All Saints' Records.

This unique triple LP in tri-fold sleeve is limited to 200 copies on coloured vinyl and 300 copies on black vinyl featuring ten of log(m)'s signature eternal opuscules and cryptic engravings on all three discs.

2017 Was Born Our Independent Label Undergroove Records Specialit Of Eclectic House Music But Also The Release Of Our First Vinyl Ug001 - Cosmic Ground (various Artists). All This Novelty Is For Us The Outcome Of Years Of Work And The Result Of A Commun Passion For Electronic Music.

In 2008, Aaron Dessner sent Justin Vernon an
instrumental sketch of a song called 'Big Red Machine' for
'Dark Was The Night'. This was before they had met in
person. Justin wrote a song to it, interpreting the 'Big Red
Machine' title as a heart. 10 years of friendship later, there
are 10 more songs. 'Big Red Machine'. Each song includes
a large number of collaborators via the PEOPLE platform
and the record was produced by Justin and Aaron with
longtime collaborator Brad Cook and engineered by
Jonathan Low primarily at Aaron's studio Long Pond in
Upper Hudson Valley, NY.
PEOPLE is a steadily growing group of international artists
who have come together to create and share our work
freely, with each other and everyone. It was born out of a
wish to establish an independent and nurturing space in
which to make work (generally around music) that is
collaborative, spontaneous and expressive in nature and
where all unnecessary distractions or obstacles that get in
the way are removed. PEOPLE is for the benefit and
development of the artists involved and just as
importantly, for those who would like to access and enjoy
the output. It is as much about the process of making
work and showing all that openly as it is about the final
outcome.

Producer, multi-instrumentalist, composer, songwriter and vocalist Devonté Hynes returns with his fourth album as Blood Orange, Negro Swan, released on Domino on August 24, 2018.

Raised in England, Hynes started out as a teenage punk in the UK band Test Icicles before releasing two orchestral acoustic pop records as Lightspeed Champion. In 2011, he released Coastal Grooves, the first of three solo albums under the moniker Blood Orange. His last album, Freetown Sound, was released to critical acclaim in 2016, and saw Hynes defined as one of the foremost musical voices of his time, receiving comparisons to the likes of Kendrick Lamar and D'Angelo for his own searing and soothing personal document of life as a black man in America. He has collaborated with Solange Knowles, Skepta, fka twigs, Carly Rae Jepsen, A$AP Rocky, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Blondie, and many other artists, and was recently one of four artists invited to the Kennedy Center to perform alongside Philip Glass. In addition to his production work, he scored the film Palo Alto, directed by Gia Coppola.

Negro Swan was written and produced by Hynes. Says Hynes:

'My newest album is an exploration into my own and many types of black depression, an honest look at the corners of black existence, and the ongoing anxieties of queer/people of color. A reach back into childhood and modern traumas, and the things we do to get through it all. The underlying thread through each piece on the album is the idea of HOPE, and the lights we can try to turn on within ourselves with a hopefully positive outcome of helping others out of their darkness.'

By now, the story of how Jlin went from working in a steel factory in Gary, Indiana to being one of the most widely appreciated electronic musicians is well known. 'Black Origami' was one of the most reviewed and lauded albums last year. Seriously prolific and seriously hard-working, she has toured constantly since its May 2017 release and despite being involved in a wide range of projects, still manages to find a balance and 'do some personal healing and growing.'

Here we are over a year later with 'Autobiography,' the score for her collaboration with renowned British choreographer Wayne McGregor arranged by Unsound. This isn't technically her third album (that's due to arrive in 2019 or 2020), but the soundtrack stands up on its own with all the emotional peaks and troughs of a well-sequenced longplayer.

For Jlin, making music for dance is the fulfillment of one of her lifelong dreams - and remarkably, Company Wayne McGregor's performance was the first show she'd ever seen. She describes the process of working with Wayne: 'We first met face to face in October 2016 in a downtown Chicago hotel, talking for about a solid two hours. Immediately, I saw Wayne was very friendly and energetic. He's brilliant, witty, and knows exactly what he wants; an absolute gem to work with. Before I even started composing for Autobiography, Wayne told me so gently that he trusts me completely with my direction of creating the score. That was the best feeling in the world. I would wake up at two in the morning and work until six in the evening until I completed all the pieces. We were both very happy with the outcome. Creating the score for an impeccable piece of work such as Autobiography changed my life as an artist.'

'Autobiography' is a highlight in an evolving and growing career. During the last year, Jlin has also become an in-demand remixer, securing her place among a roster of music heavyweights. Unsurprisingly, given her positive and outgoing nature, she also developed friendships with the artists she has remixed such as Björk, Max Richter and Ben Frost.

Jlin will be touring with Company Wayne McGregor performing 'Autobiography' this year in addition to completing a commission for the Kronos Quartet titled 'Little Black Book.' She still approaches every performance 'with the same attitude of doing my best to execute a good show, no more, no less. Doing my best is what's most important to me.' She also still lives in Gary, Indiana, which keeps her grounded. She notes with her typical humility, 'The local community is a little more knowledgeable of me now. But I don't mind my community taking its time.'

Lockjaw introduces his upcoming LP 'Human Research' with the release of the 'Human Research Sampler EP' on Locked Concept. A longtime curator of adroit, technical drum & bass through his Locked Concept imprint, Lockjaw now steps to the foreground, revealing four tracks from his forthcoming album that exemplify a continued dedication to this guiding principle, whilst displaying his expert abilities across an eclectic array of tracks that give a tantalizing taste of what is to come from the full LP.

The titular 'Human Research' opens with glistening chimes and a pensive drone, quickly joined by a wandering bassline that sweeps through the shadowy milieu of the track's opening, winding its way forwards amongst a series of increasingly sharp and distorted pulses towards the track's main section, where the combination is joined by a frantic drumbeat that rushes forwards with single minded determination.

'Without You' bears a tangible nostalgia, its opening drums carrying a classic, rave inspired piano riff and vocal reminiscent of an earlier era that reaches its climax amongst rising saw stabs, before locking into a dynamic bassline groove still rippling with the same jubilant energy introduced at the track's beginning.

'Velveteen' features the vocals of QUAILS, who provides an ethereal verse that daydreams about possible affection over soft, floating keys and a pulsating bassline, which drift aimlessly until the track grows with excitement in the second chorus amongst rising percussion & desirous guitar. 'Second Chance' considers the prospect of beginning again, as its sweeping pads grow from muted beginnings to produce an originally subdued drumbeat which exudes a humanizing growth in confidence that waxes as its complexity increases, with a rolling bass and stirring percussion introduced alongside wistful pads still wary from the outcome of the unspoken first attempt.

With the 'Human Research Sampler EP', Lockjaw, demonstrates in brief his unique ability to bestow deeply human qualities to his musical productions across a wide array of tones. In debuting these four sample tracks, he issues firm assurance that the forthcoming 'Human Research LP' will be no less mystifying as its researches the condition of humanity and the emotions most central to it.

Thomas Fehlmann steps away as co-member of The Orb following two acclaimed full lengths on Kompakt (COW - 2016, Moonbuilding 2703 AD - 2015) and embarks back on his solo career with a career defining album 'Los Lagos' - from Detroit to Schaffel techno he conducts a broad spectrum of electronic music into a seamless flow.

Thomas Fehlmann has been active since the late 1970's from Palais Schaumburg, the Tresor defnining trio 3MB (with Moritz von Oswald and Juan Atkins), Ocean Club (together with Gudrun Gut) and of course The Orb.

Artwork direction and design by DESIGNERS REPUBLIC.

'Los Lagos' is Thomas Fehlmann's seventh solo full-length, his 4th for Kompakt following his Berlin inspired 2010 full length 'Gute Luft'. in the musician's own words it's about "checking the juice".

Establishing a picture of his current artistic condition, as suggested by the title - los lagos / die lage / the situation (literally translating to 'the lakes' but taking the meaning of 'wassup' in the context of a relaxed discussion between friends), the album refers to Fehlmann's "musical motivation, dreams and wishes" through the language of music exclusively: a way to "allow myself to techno" he says, "to techno as a means to deconstruct and rebuild again. Set up an area of tension, loose it in the flow of the grooves. Magnifying some detail out of proportion, regroup around that and slowly knit a texture. Expand."

"It was time to take a bend and head where the sun rises or sets, wherever my heart drives me." This is pretty much the kind of decision Thomas Fehlmann has made. 61 and shining, longstanding member of The Orb, multi-talented composer and boundless experimentalist, had to make in the twilight of his collaboration with Alex Paterson, eager to taste the flavours of the unknown on his own again. "It was the moment when felxibility would have become compromise'. Far from being the demise of their joint dream, this was bound to split it in two distinct, parallel fantasies - rich of their own singularity.

As goes with that essential love of his for the free-flowing nature of electronic music, a fascination born out of its "lack of borders", capable of "inventing, changing the emphasis, experimenting with an unpredictable outcome", 'Los Lagos' "freely connects disparate extremes. Art, disco, minimalism, schmalz, jazz and funk". As he likes to say, Fehlmann's head functions as a sampler, capturing elements and re-assembling them under his own embracing perspective ; not afraid to leap from a deep, dubbed-out hypnotism ('Window', 'Morrislouis', 'Freiluft') to the playfulness of '90s-style bleepy schaffel ('Tempelhof' featuring Max Loderbauer), through out-there, muscle-flexing dancefloor cuts ('Triggerism') onto the calmness of ambient ('Geworden').

In need to keep his inner balance in check, Fehlmann committed himself to "switch off the control" and follow his intuition, which isn't so much of an easy process as he also wanted to incorporate the side disturbances experienced: "it's a complex process of search and destroy to bring out a new beauty trying to expand my vocabulary". With 'Los Lagos', Fehlmann looked at finding "the structure that's surprising, disturbing and rewarding". The artwork for the record, courtesy of contemporary artist and friend Albert Oehlen whom he shares lots of artistic ambitions with, echoes the producer's "funky use of shape and space, sludge and clarity" like a second skin. A search for light and harmony that Fehlmann sums up eloquently: "Does your inner musical voice respond", that is the question. Then "doors open up in unexpected corners, rays of light appear; you follow through and you're in - in your oasis."

It's been 4 years since the last music compilation on MindTrip. Mutable Minds brings together a mixture of five exceptional and talented artists whose sound matches perfectly with the MindTrip philosophy. Head honcho, Pfirter, and Swedish Pär Grindvik contribute the first track of the release with their diversified collaboration embodied in a hypnotic and extraordinary tune whilst Diego Amura takes the lead with a track that is characterized by driving rhythm and haunting sequences. Savas Pascalidis debuts on the label with a trippy-sci-fi interpretation and the release closes with one of the latest guests on MindTrip Podcast, Fanon Flowers, who takes us into a dark, mental and conceptual techno journey. The final outcome is mesmerizing and all four tracks can be seen on different aspects of an all night long set. This is MindTrip!

Molten Moods releases another finely curated various artists record with tracks by Skee Mask, Kessel Vale, Jonas Yamer and Konrad Wehrmeister. Kessel Vales opening track Voguing Geisha' is an unconventional breakbeat masterpiece following his sense of harmony and rhythm already shown through previous releases on Tanstaafl Records and Rhythm Nation. As the track unfolds it reveals musical storytelling by integrating a technoid polyrhythmic loop structure into melodic synth figures, slowly deconstructing in the end. Skee Mask collaborated with Molten Moods labelhead and Carl Gari member Jonas Yamer on Fanta Ocean', it being the first release ever outside of his Ilian Tape homebase. The outcome is a moody IDM piece with cinematic qualities, complex but soothing. The B-Side begins with Xenomorph' by Konrad Wehrmeister, who is known by his releases on Public Possession and SVS Records. This trancy yet distorted and detailed electro banger surely takes on the role of the records dancefloor highlight. The closing track Insgeheim' is delivered by Molten Moods head honcho Jonas Yamer. Here groovy kicks, distorted chords and a psychedelic pad are woven into one compelling 10 am techno track. The common thread of Molten Moods 4 is four young Munich artists going on a joint trip into idiosyncratic electronic music. The resulting tracks intertwine as one modern and diverse techno record. Out on 12 vinyl and wav by the end of March 2018. In the tradition of Molten Moods' cost-conscious design strategies by Paul Bernhard, the record comes with a xeroxed low budget sticker set.
Mastered by Manmade.

Spread across two 180g discs, spanning 24 cuts and served in a gatefold sleeve designed by members and affiliates, the Young Echo LP is a capsule intended for cementation through time.
It's been almost five years since their last album. As a group, extended radio submissions, prolonged studio sessions and notorious club nights make up the cogs of time. Over the course of these years, the network has grown continually, both as one, and with singular, multi-directional paths from each of the 11 artists that make up the Young Echo collective, counting Jabu, Vessel, Kahn, Neek, Ishan Sound, Ossia, Manonmars, Bogues, Rider Shafique, chester giles and Jasmine towards the crew, with projects such as Bandulu, FuckPunk, O$VMV$M, Gorgon Sound and ASDA adding to the table in their individual ways.However, this record aims not to be judged on any single producer or vocalist. It is most effective as a whole, simply titled Young Echo. Of course each of the artists has an important part to play, but it is very much about the act of balance, accepting individualism to form a greater whole.A good example is the welcome addition of new energy coming from Jasmine (1/3 of Jabu) who injects endless space with her vocals, perfectly answered by the cool-killin' wordplay of Manonmars - who makes his long awaited debut here - sharing stage with the immediate poetry of ASDA's very own chester giles, along the mighty sound of Rider Shafique, and Bogues' versatile style that can flit between rap & song within seconds. Five very different vocalists that could've tried to find a compromise, but instead choose to connect in different ways, finding their niche in the equal range of rhythms and sounds that sprawl in this shared space, the juxtaposition.
Detuned soundsystem stylings, love songs swaying in hacked up ambience, skeletal dancehall, microphone technique, dread electronics, outsider pop, this record manifests the outcome of the shapeshifting anarchy which rears it's head when no one idea can rule, embracing the diversities when one path must be made up of many.

The X Vinyl Series continues with label head Florian Meindl at the helm with the upcoming release Metaphysics. Synonymous with deep, dark techno, Florian does not disappoint with this 4 track EP, enlisting in demand producer and Rabe label boss Denise Rabe on remixing duties. Playing live with his Modular Synth set up, Florian began working on the concept for what would become these three original tracks while playing shows over the last month. The live jam character can clearly be felt in the first two tracks Metaphysics and Holomorphic Function. Florian's original Bell's Theorem has a deep melodic structure. With Denise Rabes interpretation, the track is contorted through some serious distortion pedals and broken beat to match her dark take on the synth line. The outcome is an impressive piece for one of those never ending nights in concrete walled rooms with oversized loudspeakers.

Awaken arrives ten years since the release of their first album, and Agrimonia have evolved notably over that period of time. Their sound has always been dense, immersive, ambitious even, and on Awaken, Agrimonia have evolved their prog-infused form of expansive metal into something energetic, dynamic and powerful. 

On Awaken, Agrimonia are digging deep into their subconscious, trying to get an elevated state of mind, to connect the mind with sound and to find the combination of notes and melodies that evolves into a feeling or mood. Agrimonia channel the bittersweetness of life, and breathe air into thoughts, that cannot easily be put into words.
 
About Awaken the band comment "We are thrilled to see the release of our fourth album "Awaken". We are very proud of the outcome and feel that the album is our most dynamic and vital yet, and contains more of everything that is Agrimonia.'...they continue...'Awaken is the soundtrack to our existence, and I hope other people can feel that way too'.
 
Awaken was produced by the band then mixed and mastered by Henrik Udd, who also worked on the previous recording Rites of Separation, then under the Studio Fredman banner but now under his own name, Henrik Udd Recording Studios.

Into the mystic. Crank up the amp and drop the needle on the record. Exclusively on vinyl only, it's the cross-genre collaboration everybody's talking about - between the don of drum'n'bass and one of the godfather's of grime. Goldie and Skepta share a birthday, an elemental connection and an impeccable taste in beats. Upstart is the blistering outcome of their studio sessions together - a fierce, futuristic alchemy of tense horrorshow melodics, street-level rhymes and bangin' breaks. Minted somewhere between Blade Runner and A Clockwork Orange, it's for the kind of kids who want to ram-raid tomorrow, become a ghost in the machine, a contagion that cannot be stopped.

We started with the principle - the cosmic idea that we were taught by our father from a very young age - that the stars and planets make a sound, that deep in outer space there is audible harmony.'With its cathedral-like, richly resonant acoustics, the new HBE album is a brilliant expression of this interplanetary principle. The album is by turns urgent and contemplative, funky and reflective, varied in its textures, but entirely of one piece. Underpinned by concepts of our earth's place in the cosmos, held in place by meditation, swirling with notions of history, science, theology, ancestry, there is a rich conceptual brew here. But always, what talks loudest is the music. The album rings with what back in the 1950s the jazz critic Whitney Balliet called the sound of surprise'. At a time when the phrase Spiritual Jazz threatens in some quarters to become a tired cliche, this is a record that makes you believe again in the genre's validity.

Talking to Cid, one of the Ensemble's two trombonists, one phrase recurs: back to the beginning'. We wanted to go back to the beginning, when we were kids, real young, and our father would wake us up at 5 AM to practice for two hours before breakfast.' One outcome - initially unplanned but subsequently embraced - is that unlike their two previous albums on Honest Jon's, this is an album without a drummer. When we started, as Wolf Pack, just brothers on the street with our horns, there wasn't a kit in sight.' Book Of Sound retains plenty of rhythmic heft, but the absence of a drummer opens up space for a notably varied instrumental palette. Acoustic guitar, piccolo, synthesiser, alto sax - none of them typical HBE Instruments - all have their place on the album. Most striking perhaps are the vocal lines that thread through the album and give it a palpable warmth. In Wolf Pack, we rapped and played, this time we took it a step further.'

Sessions were recorded in Brooklyn and Chicago, and brilliantly mixed at Abel Garibaldi's studio in the Loop ( Abel was like a musician on this record'), and it's the Hypnotic's hometown that permeates. For Cid this is a deeply Chicago record: it's got the vibe of the lake, the vibe of the prairies opening up to the west'. It also has the vibe of those Sun Ra Arkestra albums recorded in Chicago in the 1950s, and - of course - the Phil Cohran albums from the 1960s.

It's Phil Cohran (the father of all seven members of the Ensemble and their first teacher, and not just in music) who is the album's guiding spirit. For Cid it's a major regret that, in the months before their father's death early in 2017, Phil was not well enough to play on the album. He loved the whole idea, and we had the perfect place for his zither'. But Book Of Sound is a magnificent testament to their Cohran legacy. You know, it's tough trying to satisfy everybody with our music. It's hard enough satisfying ourselves, let alone the jazz scene, the hip hop guys, what have you. With this album we just dropped all that as a consideration, and tuned into deeper principles.'

E.D.C wishes to explore electronic music through different universes where spaces, noises and textures are central to the creative process. His researches aim to experiment and think outside the box, allowing us to navigate through purposely-colored music and other worlds where Every Detail Counts.

In this first release, the reverberations in each track create a shaking outcome that warns about the upcoming epic adventure with the wind of indestructibility that the tracks blow in our direction.

Endless is the key to understanding the whole release. Electric from the first second, it explains the journey we are about to embark on. Dark and almost gloomy from the beginning, the break gives the impression of a light breakthrough, as if the way suddenly clears.

The City of Clones takes us to a heavy atmosphere, as if we were waiting in the middle of a fog for the untying of the plot, though the denouement remains uncertain.

When Nobody Cares is an experimental journey through unexplored landscapes, with the discoveries marching under our eyes, which contribute to create an experience of fullness.

Too Many Ifs reminds and completes the cycle. Chaotic on purpose, it unveils the encounter of an intriguing living shape.

"a_000 is a project born from the spontaneous encounter between two Italian djs and producers: Alan Backdrop and Enrico Rlt. Their productions are the outcome of studio jam sessions, recorded live so as to capture the alchemy of the moment. The sound reflects their fascination with 90s electronic music, nature, and travelling: "Road to Nauta" was inspired by a journey in Perù"

We are very excited to welcome ROCCO & ESQUIVEL to COSMICA's roster this year.The duo formed by Rodrigo Desentis (México) and Eduardo Esquivel (Uruguay) provide an uptempo gem strictly designed for the dance floor. Esquivel is a well know name in the Latin American electronic music scene, since he started his residency at the mythical club EXTASIS in Montevideo. After 25 years of career and extensively touring through Uruguay, Brasil and Argentina, Eduardo has settled in México city with residencies in the acclaimed BLANCO COLIMA and CASA DISCO.DUBMASTERS was our first choice for a Remix candidate, and we could not be more stoked with the outcome. The spacey pads and reverberating drums of the intro, already announce the departure to a cosmic destination well know by all familiar with their previous releases on our label. The tight bassline provides the classic 'Electro' background for the wanky guitar chops to flourish into a flock of migrating melodies that fly in all directions in the sky above.EDDIE C, the Canadian / Berlin resident 'SLO-MO DISCO MAESTRO', closes the EP and puts the cherry on top, adding a latin feel good climate to the package. The summer vibes can be felt all over this track, with a driving percussive beat and a climaxing vocal breakdown that will have you begging for more PALTA CON CREMA!COSMICA MUSIC is a vinyl only record label from Patagonia, Argentina, and our releases are being supported by seasoned selectors such as DJ Rocca, Daniele Baldelli, LTJ Experience, Ali OOFT!, Salvatore Stallone, John Paynter, DJ Garth, Jeno, Hugh Herrera, Mark E Quark, Eddie C, Tim Sweeney, and Prins Thomas to name a few.

(2x 180 gr LP in a gatefold sleeve with download card) The debut album of Talamanca System, aka Gerd Janson + Mark Barrott + Philipp Lauer. Their past is your future!

On the white island, between Ibiza Town and the infamous fish shack high up on a rock next to a bird sanctuary, you will find the beach of Talamanca. Plagued by too much seaweed, anchored middle-class yachts and joggers, it is also surprisingly the spiritual home of a correspondent post-Balearic group. As luck would have it, a remix request by Mark Barrott bedded the International Feel boss in a trio with Philipp Lauer and Gerd Janson, alias Tuff City Kids. A highly sought-after 12-inch later ("Balanzat"), as well as fantasies of getting together to work on more material, led to a fruitful and effortless studio session on the non-Balearic outskirts of Frankfurt am Main.

The outcome of that meeting forms the homonymous debut album of Talamanca System. A documented vision, or a sunburned imagination of a day and night spent on said island, during a moment in time that probably never was or will be. Still summed up best by dungarees, long hair, yellow sunglasses, espadrilles or that famous picture of people grouped around roofless Amnesia's pyramid well, it is the food of the Balearic gods. But, dear nostalgia, stop right here! Even though Talamanca's debut flies the Balearic flag, it is not about turning back the clock, but rather about a past that could be the future. Dusted, danceable, driving, dreamy and dapper at the same time, this is an album for the club, the car, the beach, the (coke)float and the fountain.

Coined by the colourful and respective talents of the three individuals behind Talamanca, you will hear nine tracks ranging from up to downtempo, piano house smashers that would have deserved the prefix Italo-, percussion rituals captured by a group of Zoo animals on the loose, soundtracks for dusk and dawn, hushed vocals, rites of ambient passages, powerful synth ballads and vamp choirs. If this album were a car, it would be a Citroen 2CV remade by Tesla.

We've said it before and we'll say it again: their past is your future!

The mysterious TREVOR DEEP JR. returns with some special warehouse aesthetics teaming up with his mentor & true Helsinki nightlife pioneer LIL' TONY! The outcome is a raw, edgy and banging four-tracker with a sprinkle of dub for the underground dance-floors.

7"

Dürerstuben are back at them ivory keys to prove once again their broadly spread outcome of funk and groove.
Being responsible for mothership Luise's first release and hence smoothing the way for a whole lot of pleasent memories we can look back to by now, it's that kind of re-(re!)-animation which puts our hearts to pleaseant warmths. Saddle your moped, pull up your Levi's and straighten your backs: Trays'n'Hits is the right compagnion for long lasting late-night drives, self proclaimed city slackers and mother earth's first outcome of country music you are bound to be proud of listening to. Spin it, Johnny!

finally repressed

Back in February 2013, shortly after their impressive first release as a label, Music Is Love launched a double VA entitled Lovebox: an 8 track double-vinyl release that included tracks from 8 talented up-and-coming producers on their roster. By innovatively previewing the producers in this way, the label laid the foundations for what listeners could expect for each artists' subsequent EPs. The artists who released on it were not hyped up flavours of the month, but rather emerging talents who sat perfectly with the label's musical ethos - quality and original underground house with a contemporary, dynamic feel. Since the VA, the label have gone from strength to strength and have firmly established themselves as one of the most brightest house labels around in the UK.

Just over a year later and following in the success of its predecessor, MIL return with their second VA and with that, a chance for listeners to hear the new additions they've acquired, in addition to some already known faces. Liam Geddes opens proceedings with Untitled. A deep sense of soul permeates the whole track as a rumbling baseline imbues the beat with an ever-present sense of groove that never lets the head stop nodding. Geddes has really fine tuned and matured his sound over the past year, and this track is further evidence of his quality as a producer. The subtle percussive rhythms, electronic bleeps and synth nuances give this track a natural flow, as Geddes conjures something altogether more hypnotic, dark and purposeful.
Mr.KS, one of the newcomers to the label, outlines his coolly crafted style with track (Music) Makes Me Stronger. Brittle drums and deep warped synths suck you in and out and shape the structure of the beat, while afflicted chord patterns combine with the hypnotic repetition of a vocal sample to give the track a gesture towards techno but with a flow that pulls in house elements. Cassio Kohl introducers himself with a warm, melodic house number; rumbling synths circulate in the background of the track while ticking hi-hats and snares play off against the sumptuous vocal sample, which builds and falls back nicely into its original path until electronic glitches sporadically ease in and move the beat forward.

Jamie Trench has been making some serious headway of late and his track I Want You with Rebel serves a timely reminder of a producer on top form. A heavy, rolling baseline resonates intently, building against murky vocal samples, shuffling snares and off-beat key stabs that grow in presence and intensity - a track that will no doubt prove a high point in any DJ set. Label boss Oli Furness has a raw knack for creating crisp, heavy sounds and Take Monday Off remains on a similar path, albeit the beauty lies in the subtlety of arrangements rather than bigger hitting sounds. Chopped shimmying keys tease, filter and build fluently with urgent hi-hats and swinging drums that flourish harmoniously together, while an understated baseline adds weight and rhythmic groove typically inherent in Furness' work.

Italian heavyweight Tuccillo has released on some of the most reputable labels on the circuit - releases for 20:20 Vision and Freerange is evidence enough of his provenance - and this time he brings his baleric house sound with the impeccable sounds of DubFlanged Gru. Shimmering percussion shakes meander against the bumping bassline while the endearing, muffled vocals that threaten to break out are superseded by breeze-block keys that filter and descend into a chattering groove. Dutch producer U Know The Drill brings things back into heavier house territory with a no-nonsense, stripped-back stomper, the type of track we've been used to hearing on Dutch affiliates New Jack City's material. Heavy snares kick with a punch, and the deep drone-like vocal swings against the wobbling baseline and tapestry of electronic bleeps. Other sampled vocals and glitches weave in with the juxtaposing elements playing off one another to huge effect, ensuring that sheer energy pervades the track.

Jackson Ryland rounds off the heavy 8 track VA - scattering hi-hats and swirling pads build, while the shuffling drums roll on until fleeting chord flourishes and a musky vocal hook bring the track into wistful nostalgia. The elements of track balance superbly and are propelled forward by the intricate drum arrangements and well-crafted hi-hat/vocal combo.
The difference in approach and outcome from each artist results in yet another highly impressive outcome, with 8 high grade tracks that show another side to Music Is Love. The sounds are tougher and the mood is darker, but the premise of the whole MIL concept remains more apparent than ever with this release: sourcing fresh underground talent, curating original electronic music and evolving artists already on the roster.

MRT release number four is a relentlessly loud outcry. Bruno Belluomini delivered three overwhelming techno pieces that dive into rough, violent, dirty waters.
The EP is fast and unforgiving, and if one lets it, it will take one down and never let go. The outcome is clear, as it is well known, we all did terrible things to survive.

The second outcome on Retrograde signifies the first release of head-honcho Marlon Hoffstadt on his and Natureboy Gold's new imprint. After a short timeout the young Berlin producer presents his new work on this four-tracker in collaboration with Chicago House Music icon and pioneer Paris Brightledge, accountably for releases since 1987 on substantial labels such as DJ International Records. He recently delivered the vocals on Paranoid London's killers 'Paris Dub 1 & 2'. 'Smile' the title track of the EP, highlights Paris' ability to hypnotize the dance floor with his unique voice combined with Marlon's production smoothness. With 'Smile' Paris displays: 'torn from the angst of my soul concerning the tragedy of love and life lost'. 'Smile' got a special treatment by Detroit's very own Kris Wadsworth. His Venus Rx Remix lived up to its name and has some 'pretty nasty analog stuff going on' to catapult yourself right into the atmosphere. The B-side 'Lies' discusses how coming from the streets doesn't always allow feelings to be displayed in life or in love. It's a percussion driven, 303 based club workout. No rest for dancers on this one. Remix comes from label artist Matteo Luis, providing a more synth accented version, introducing an engrossing sound that will be continued on his upcoming RTGD 003. The EP is Paris' and Marlon's first collaboration and we can already promise it won't be the last one on Retrograde. Every copy comes with a full cover artwork by Hermann Reimer.

As the first output of our new label we present you RTGD001: the Won't Cry' EP by Matteo Luis & Lo, both part of the fam & currently finishing the last touches of their upcoming debut album. The young cologne natives offer a warming and moony/dreamy/atmospheric work from their archives to start the labels catalogue as smooth as possible. Alongside Matteo's deeply driven signature sound, Lo's lyrics will lead you into a dreamy state with blue pills in backstreets and babies and pigs in the sky. The original was reworked trice by amongst others, friends of the emerging label as well as long time role models of the label heads Marlon Hofffstadt and Goldberg. The former delivers a drifty and impulsive close to the floor interpretation of Won't Cry, whilst buddy Johnjons remix gleams through percussive sequence sounds and a further deep touch. Besides these two auspicious interpretations, no other than Running Back boss Gerd Janson and fellow Philipp Lauer are highlighting their perspective on the title track in appearance of their renowned and outstanding supergroup Tuff City Kids. The duos' outcome is an ingeniously constructed rework of Matteo Luis and Lo's original that never fails to raise euphoria throughout the whole track. Each copy is fully printed with an artwork of Berlin based surrealist Hermann Reimer.

Home Records is the musical output for Marcus Henriksson aka Nobody Home, Minilogue, Son Kite on which he writes:This vinyl is a monument for the discoveries in the search for the Self. Contemplating and exploring the questions; Who and what am I Where do I come from And what is this 'I' that we all are refering to These two musical pieces and the artwork is the outcome of these matters in mind. Mastered by Marcus 'Nobody Home". No limiting! No digital plugins!!! Little compression and some analogue EQ'ing to keep the original space and dynamics in the music.

This EP was made during a period where my whole outlook on everything was transforming. The Voidloss project started as an investigation, I was conducting a lot of research and study on the mind, the occult, on different thought modes, and the Voidloss project represented this. The idea was about a leap in to the void. A leap of abandonment into the dark, with total acceptance, total commitment. The idea was to lose myself to the void. This was mainly a spiritual journey for me, and could be best explained by 3 things, the void of Miyamoto Musashi from Go Rin No Sho, The concept of the Tao from the writings of Lao Tzu, and the concept of the abyss from the works of Aleister Crowley. Part of this journey deep inside the self was frightening and horrific, the total loss of self, of all identity and ego, and part of it was beautiful and enlightening. I wanted the music to reflect this, and I wanted the music to change as I changed, as I went to and through all these interesting places. In essence this was about freedom. So fast forward some years and I felt I had sharpened my mind quite effectively, the music had twisted and changed and flowed with me. At the point I began making the music for this EP, I had grown quite angry with the amount of conformity I was perceiving in life. Politically, socially, musically, there was this drive of conformity in the world. I think part of it, and only a part, comes from the prevalence of social media, the need to belong and to be liked, the idea of judging yourself and your works through the perception of others. Musically I felt that within techno there was a tendency for the music to fit within a set of confines dictated by fashion and hype, and this was reducing the diversity of the music, it seemed also that the practices of commercial music were seeping in to techno as the music became more popular. Hype and business driven decisions, brand building and so on. I always felt techno was more about art, and I began to get frustrated. Equally I felt that politically there was less and less choice, as all decisions seemed to lead to the same outcomes. I became more interested in the concept of anarchism, of the idea that government was no longer needed. I have always in my life had a drive to question everything. I've always been 'naughty' and rebellious and done things my way, to my advantage or my disadvantage, I could never accept being anything other than myself all the way. If everyone walks in one direction, I will walk the other way, even if it takes me over the edge of a precipice, just to see what is there. All this stuff influences my music, and during the period of making this EP I was angry, kicking against the things I no longer liked or wanted, screaming dissent. There is a lot of anger and rage, and of course rebellion. I wanted the music to capture that unbridled fury you have when you are in your late teens, when you just start learning about yourself and you start rebelling and questioning things around the time the world is really pushing you to conform. I was soundtracking my own philosophical riot. Previous to this my Voidloss stuff had been more introverted, more pensive and melancholy, more self destructive, more cerebral. For this new music I wanted something more immediate but without being too obvious. In terms of the choices I made I still leaned more towards broken rhythms for beat structure. I find it very difficult to do anything interesting with 4x4 kicks any more, it's too rigid for me, it limits my freedom. I like the looseness you get from more 'drummer' like beats, I guess probably because I have been playing drums all my life. The challenge is to get the same rolling power from broken rhythms as you get from 4 to the floor. It's not easy, there is a ridiculous amount of trial and error and the rejection percentage is high. I also was trying to use less 'synthy' sounds. I wanted to try to take a more acousmatic approach to sound design. With the current modular synth revival in techno I was hearing a lot of 'old' synth sounds re-emerging, and this didn't seem like a progression to me. I wanted to make sounds that were hard to source for the listener, where they weren't sure if it was synth or real world sample, digital or analogue. This involved a lot of experimentation. My process involved a lot of field recording, especially with contact microphones, which open up a whole new world of interesting sounds. You are effectively recording sounds through objects in the environment, 'hearing' the world as these objects hear them, I was using guitars, feedback loops, handmade instruments as well. So I was combining this with different synthesis, granular synthesis, sample synthesis, physical modelling, FM synthesis and of course analogue. Everything was reprocessed and re-synthesised, I tried hard to obscure the source and make something new as much as possible. The stuff on this EP was part of my live PA for some time, so as I learned how the music worked live I could go back and make changes, sometimes the environment I was playing in transformed the sound as well, and so I would try to go back an incorporate this in to the music. For remixes I wanted to choose artists that I respected for their vision as well as for their output, so my list of people I wanted was extremely short. Inigo Kennedy has always been an artist I have respected greatly. His music has always been unique to himself, he remains outside of fashions and trends even though his name has become very big recently. He takes risks with his work, experimenting and exploring, yet remaining relevant to the club, and just tirelessly forging ahead, seemingly for the sake of art above all else. And he's just a really nice guy to deal with. His remix is everything I expected it to be in that it is the unexpected. Regis is another artist who forges his own path in music, you cant really even begin to discuss the avantgarde in techno without including his name, he is one of the foundation stones for artistry and the outsider mentality in techno. His music is always unique to his own vision, and along with it comes an interesting artistic philosophy taking in situationism, post punk and industrial ideology and a good dose of tricksterism ala PT Barnum, all of which comes out in his music and the way it is presented. The man is a truly singular force and it is an honour to have him on this record. Overall the concept here is that of rebellion and dissent. Of asking questions, following your own path, of maintaining some place in yourself that burns like a forest fire.

Whether or not I have succeeded I guess is down to the listener, I'm never happy with my music, I keep wanting to move forwards, or somewhere else, and am constantly trying and failing to capture some essence of perfection. But like Bukowski said
'It's the only good fight there is'