MUSIC RECOMMENDATION

bvdub on his transition from DJing to producing (2011):

AMBIENT

“True DJ”, “true artist”, “true music” sound terrible in our ears, for what these expressions symbolise on the surface: “elitism in music”. Thinking deeper, we however realise that platitudes such as “real DJs only play vinyls”, for instance, in fact hide a profound yet tragic conflict of generations. On one side, veterans from the pre-internet era, such as bvdub, Joachim Spieth, Markus Guentner, in the game since the nineties, witnesses of Kompakt’s golden age. On the other side, “the MP3 youth”, living in virtual networks, with easy access to the world’s resources. The tension between the two worlds, delayed in time, is particularly palpable in bvdub’s acts and music: he for instance gave up on DJing in 2001 when, for him, the concept of star DJ subverted the focus on music, and his discography, prolific, hyperactive, expresses intense moods, from ambient to drum’n’bass. 

“Decades On Divided Stars” is an eloquent title, but under the apparent conflict that it implies, we feel, through the saturated yet coloured musical layers, that there is neither war nor envy, just a little bit of nostalgia…

TRIBAL TECHNO

We announced it on our Facebook page, that’s it, the brand new label Tepuy Records, launched one month ago by Colombian artist Zemög, officially released its very first work. It’s a subtle forestal, hypnotic and ritualistic four-tracker, featuring an insanely groovy nocturnal remix by master Feral, whose presence in the project is a good omen. 

A “tepuy” is a table-top type of mountain, formed in the Precambrian, which can be found in South America in countries such as… “Guayana”… “Tepuy” also means “house of the gods” in the native tongue of the Pemon, indigenous people of the Guianan savanna. No doubt that we are in Zemög’s musical and spiritual worlds…

VARIOUS ARTISTS

After Semantica and Affin, it’s the turn of Scottish label Edit Select to celebrate its 15-year anniversary. It has been a long road since its creation in 2007, for what was supposed to be originally a simple hobby for its owner, who didn’t bother creating a new name back then, using his own moniker “Edit Select”. The expression has been inspired by a keyboard, and was perfectly representing the artist’s workflow, consisting of “selecting” a sound design and “editing” the track until satisfied. Edit Select – the artist – is first and foremost a DJ, having lived Tresor’s golden age: it explains the sound of the label, mainly dancefloor-oriented, which Deepbass calls “an enriched minimal techno”, and hypnotic, to create the connection with the audience.

The present VA, made of 15 tracks divided into three releases, efficient and well-designed, has been composed by more or less known artists, because for Edit Select – the label and the character – it’s all about the music, more than anything else.

VARIOUS ARTISTS

The Australian scene is developing a high level of hypnotic techno aesthetic thanks to projects such as Southern Lights, Aythekos, and artists such as Diffused Signal, fütwerk, Ver: it’s a pleasure to see how their frequencies cross the oceanic borders to connect with our international tribe. Aythekos in particular, owned by Commodus of Rome, another talented “Aussie” artist, creates particularly deep content, both musically and visually. The present EP, atmospheric, trippy, beautiful, has been composed by producers that we follow closely, for being well-established artists or very promising newcomers.

VARIOUS ARTISTS

This summer is a high season of compilations with another one signed on the Spanish label, itself releasing only compilations since its birth as a record imprint in 2020. It is worth reminding that the label is originally a series of events, which started in 2017. This duality partly explains the dancefloor-oriented music and the gathering of artists in each release. NODE’s sound mainly evolves around electrifying basslines with deep atmospheres. The present five-tracker is pretty mental, maybe more than usual, with superb trippy musical layers and subtle percussions; a pleasant journey for both the body and the mind.

DRUM’N’BASS

Kurnugû, Zodiac Music, Onset Audio, Sigrún Music, Inception:Audio are all labels that we cherish in what we call “the hypnotic drum’n’bass” genre. They have in common their low presence on social medias, which is perplexing: it’s either a positive sign that they focus on the music only, rejecting any marketing strategy, and by that representing underground electronic music in its purest form, or it’s rather the mark of a geeky behaviour, closed to the networking and to the concept of sharing. The very dark vibe felt in Aikanã’s new release does not inspire positive considerations, but at the same time, the duo brings out the big guns through very charismatic pieces, making our considerations futile and useless. 

If you are looking for lighter jungle beats, we also recommend “Undesignated Remixes” by dgoHn, released one day before.

Brian Eno on the distinction between “genius” and “scenius”:

ATMOSPHERIC TECHNO

Do you know the project “Coppice Halifax“? Behind it is prolific artist Brian Grainger from the USA, who calls his music “analogue botany” and whose natural sense of humour and humility almost hide that he released hundreds of albums (hundreds!), launched various labels and, yes, worked for Disney among many other impressive activities… “Pharmlands II (Complete Sessions)” groups past works but is for us an occasion to highlight his beautiful project, deep, dense and psychedelic. He has many monikers, the most known being Milieu and CH, and he builds entire musical worlds, with outrageous ease. He is what we call “a genius”, or as another “Brian” says, “a scenius” (watch the attached video). 

By hitting play on the first track, and letting it flow without interruption, you may experience “the trip of the century”… Then the path throughout the entire bundle will for sure dissolve your mind. 

Like a caring anaesthetist would gently say: “Just count until 10 and close your eyes…”

AMBIENT

IO Records’ owner “colours outside the lines” to celebrate his 3000 followers on Soundcloud, by giving away an EP 100% ambient. Dycide, he is basically our favourite artist, for producing wonderful subtle music always and for conveying values that we love: authenticity, humility and elegance. He could produce multi-vitamin manga music that we would still follow him, but happily, through “Eternal Midnight”, he delivered a very nice and intimate ambient work…