For those familiar with Nikolaienko’s work, his nostalgic approach here will come as no surprise: born in Ukraine and now based in Estonia, he has chosen a historical medium (that has been enjoying a renaissance for some years now) to record historical-sounding sequences. The way he manages his own back catalogue is similarly archival, documenting the chronology of his tape loops in such a way as to leave no doubt as to their advanced age. And then there are his two wonderful labels Muscut and Shukai, the latter being an archival project releasing electroacoustic obscurities from the Soviet past.

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Thus, the journey begins on Mars, continues to the Platonic year of planet Earth, then flies away to Venus and takes to a terrestrial day, only to spin along the annual frequency of our home planet (432 Hz) for 28 minutes. Eventually, the album closes on the gravitational length of our sun.

Rainer has discovered the rich depths of throat singing a long time ago and found a fulfilling and moving force in this form of singing. Controlled breathing, to which he mostly found in meditation, is the source of the sound. The Healing Source. He finds the combination of archaic means of sound production and electronic soundscapes very fascinating. To him, harmonizing these worlds while resonating with the planets of our solar system is a mirror of the all-oneness.

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Starting with a firework of bleeps and bops, already the very first minutes of his new record reveal Aoki‘s preference for vibrating beats and likewise his playful approach to music, generating a sound that is aiming at the dance floor. Like the first ones, almost all tracks of the record are characterized by a constant modulation of chords and lines that sometimes appears somehow hyperactive, but nevertheless results in a natural flow that perfectly reflects Aoki‘s laid-back attitude combined with his will to produce danceable and funky music.

The fluent arrangement is only interrupted by the third track which forms a caesura by being more reduced and slower. In contrast to this, the following tracks present a faster tempo and an increased intensity; and whereas the first tracks reflect downbeat and r’n’b influences due to their broken beats and chunky sound, the later songs are characterized by a more sleek and technoid style, incorporating dribbling basses, clappy sounding snares and modulated voice snippets.

Although all of the musical components are constantly broken down, modulated, and rearranged, the overall sound of the record is dense and compact, featuring a groove made up of numerous elements that are complexly intertwined. The eight tracks of the record fit seamlessly together and create a composition that nearly functions like a DJ set. The album was mastered by Yoshinori Sunahara.

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After observing these waves for 61:01 minutes, everything became quiet again. What they had just witnessed made them wonder. For the first time they addressed each other. “The data is transferring through our system,” announced the first. “Let us both check how this can be interpreted.” The second validated the response. Together, they looked at what had been recorded. Ideas raced through their complicated minds until they realized simultaneously: sounds! They listened. “Is this an unknown language?” one asked. “This is the first time this has been heard throughout our history,” the other answered.

They listened again and again. “This electricity has been arranged to form a cohesive entity,” the first said. “Why would machines be used to create that?” the second mused. Something had awakened inside of them, an obsessive curiosity they had never experienced before. They did not understand and were blown away by the beauty of it. “Do you think it could have been left by humans before us?” one whispered. “If it was, these would be Major Signals,” the other concluded. As they processed these thoughts, the two artificial intelligences sat still.

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Phillip Sollmann recorded the five pieces (“room one – fve”) over two years, inspired by a new thinking of sound in space, while studying computer music at the Viennese University. Besides countless releases under his Techno moniker Efdemin on Naif, Ostgut Ton and Dial Records, Phillip Sollmann dedicates large parts of his artistic life to contemporary and experimental music. After appearances on several Eps, such as The Pyramid Drif (Dial Records), collaborations with John Gürtler (Gegen Die Zeit, Sky Walking), Konrad Sprenger and Oren Ambarchi (Panama / Suez) and his solo project Monophonie, Phillip Sollmann currently works on the Modular Organ System. Here again he improves a very specifc approach to drone composition, a practice that started with the cyclical & shimmering tones of Something Is Missing.

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By uniting these newfound friends of ours, we welcome the new solar cycle and wish everyone a healthy and prosperous venture toward summer.

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Formant Value creative techniques are based on spontaneity, mixing analog drums machines with airy soundscapes to express the feelings of the instant. Label’s head Shaded Explorer adds his touch to the release, reinterpreting Catarsi II, with a psychedelic Remix and a more organic and introspective Re-dream version.

Catarsi will be mostly enjoyed with a quiet mind, doing nothing except than listening or dancing.

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Each song on the album was then composed around the content received, and named after the people who did the speaking. Ranging from the overtly political to the tenderly inspirational and many points in between, Wax Poetic For This Our Great Resolve provides verbal expressions of hope as diverse and rich as the experiences of the people who so generously delivered them.

Musically the album sees Monteith taking his well-honed sound design abilities and widescreen arrangements to new heights, and exploring a deep interest in traditional analog recording methods to mesmerizing effect. Every sound on the record, whether generated from his tried-and-tested array of software-based tools, or from the enormous collection of guitars, organs, pianos, and percussion instruments found in the Berlin-based studio he now calls home, was recorded via microphone.

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Conceived of just before Nils broke his thumb and composed the similarly intimate solo piano album Screws, Empty is a soothing vessel of eight simple and serene pieces originally recorded as the music to a short art film he shot with his friend and film director Benoit Toulemonde. Drifting through emotions from the stark and sobering opener First Defeat, to the gently euphoric No Step On Wing and the contemplative but hopeful closer Black Notes, with its poignant minute of silence, Empty is a comforting score for these turbulent times.

“When I came back from the hospital with a broken thumb and listened to the recordings, I felt they were unfinished. I decided to put them aside and started to work on my small album, Screws.
Many many other notes of the piano have been struck since these days, and before we all forget about this, I thought it would be a good moment to share these lullabies with you. I hope they help you stay all strong and calm in these days of solitude – despite the hardship, we can discover introspection and reflection unexpectedly. Who knows what it is good for.
Much love !”
– Nils

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