isolatedmix 20 - Markus Guentner: Ten Years of Pop Ambient

I’ve got to be honest, since day one of the isolatedmix series, Markus Guentner has been at the top of the wish-list. He needs little introduction to most of you, as lovers of ambient would’ve no doubt at some point melted in amongst one of his productions on Kompakt’s Pop Ambient or floated along to one of his very rare ambient sets. His consecutive contributions to our best loved ambient series and a one-off release on Sending Orbs has earn’t him respect from all walks of musical life. From lovers of ambient to die-hard techno fans, i’ve heard Markus’ name crop up numerous times within inspirational music conversations.

The likes of ‘Baghira’ and ‘Express Yourself’ have become synonymous with dream-like, looping ambient productions for the past ten or so years and have taken starring roles amongst Kompakt’s finest productions – no mean feat. Ultimately, Markus’ consistent, quality ambient music has defined the minimalist side of Kompakt we all love today and has spurred on a multitude of other producers to adopt the same approach to ambient music.

It’s unsurprising therefore to find out the inspiration and theme for Markus’ isolated mix.

10yrs of Pop Ambient …

“As you can see, I used a lot of Pop Ambient/Kompakt tracks in this set, but it should not be seen as promo-mix for Kompakt – instead, the mix honours ten years of a specific ambient-style and contains many of the great artists who produced and adopted this style. I selected long and wide tracks to create a constant atmosphere, for long mixes without big cuts and breaks.”

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Tracklist:
01 – Gustavo Lamas – MaÒana / Kompakt
02 – Chris Mcnamara – Oooohdear / Overlap
03 – www.jz-arkh.co.uk – ddrhodes / www.jz-arkh.co.uk
04 – Roger Martinez – Crowded City Empty Minds / Roger Martinez pres. Horizontal Excursions
05 – Triola – Leuchtturm (Triola im Fünftonraum)/ Kompakt
06 – Aitokaiku – Sunset Park / Unreleased
07 – Ulf lohmann – Audrey (Pop Ambient 2004) / Kompakt
08 – Markus Guentner – Wanderung (1981) / Kompakt
09 – Andrew Thomas – Fearsome Jewel 9 (Pop Ambient 2004) / Kompakt
10 – Jens-uwe Beyer – Volax (Pop Ambient 2011) / Kompakt
11 – Triola – Das Wunder Der Kulperhütte (Pop Ambient 2007) / Kompakt
12 – Gastón Arévalo – Latitud / Unreleased
13 – Klimek and Husak -The Godfather (For William Basinski & Snoop Dogg) (Pop Ambient 2009) / Kompakt
14 – Gas – Pop / Mille Plateaux
15 – Ulf lohmann – Lai King Est (Pop Ambient 2007) / Kompakt
16 – Mikkel Metal – Decline (Pop Ambient 2006) / Kompakt
17 – The Sight Below – No Place for us (Eluvium Sedated remix) / Ghostly Int.

http://www.m-guentner.de/

bvdub presents Deep Space Mix 21

After their special colab release ‘Symbol 02‘, comes anther much welcomed partnership, but this time ASC has opened up the Deep Space mix Holy Grail to it’s first ever guest… Well, if it was going to be anyone, it was always going to be Brock.

No tracklist, which kills me, but that seems to be the ongoing bvdub style… lull you into a heightened sensory experience only to leave you questioning what the hell just happened. Fine by me.

Download, or see the original post on the Auxiliary site.

You can find links to all of ASC’s previous Deep Space mixes on the ASIP mixes page.

ASIP – Glacially Patterned Oases (Mix for RTFKT)

I’m honoured to be able to contribute to the RTFKT Mutecast series with a special mix I spent the best part of two months deliberating, experimenting, swapping around and finally putting together. I’ve ended up with an electronic mix which is very much in the vain of the kind of music the guys over at RTFKT are regularly posting about, featuring some pretty recent stuff including Jesse Somfay’s release onZaubernuss as Flourish, one of the best tracks from aboutface’s EP and Jon Hopkins’ absolutely cataclysmic remix of Agoria’s Panta Rei.

I’ve also included a few artists I hope to give a bit more exposure to including; Technicolour and 110ML, who both boast brilliant releases on the recently launched net label Energostatic; a much loved ASIP favourite in the form of 36 – who deserves all the attention he can get and the Bluetech and Kilowatt collaboration as Invisible Allies to help spice things up a bit.

If you haven’t experienced any of RTFKT’s Mutecasts so far, check them out here with some great mixes from our man Mig Dfoe, Applescal, and the previously featured Feffeffef. (You might also notice some nifty looking artwork in one of the mixes!)

You can read the original post on RTFKT here with a few humbling words about the site. Thanks guys!

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Tracklist (with links to previous features):
01. Biosphere – Inner Ohm
02. Monoceros – The Big Wave
03. Technicolour – Permafrost
04. Popnoname – Nightliner
05. Pantha Du Prince – Stick To My Side (Walls Remix)
06. Invisible Allies – Mulberry Windows
07. Oneohtrix Point Never – Format & Journey North
08. Blanck Mass – Sub Serious
09. The Sight Below – At First Touch
10. 110ML – Scratch Me
11. Glander – Zavial
12. Flourish – Heaven Tar
13. Aboutface – Smile
14. Agoria – Panta Rei (Jon Hopkins remix)
15. 36 – Deluge

isolatedmix 19 - Specta Ciera

One of the ‘newest’ inspirations to be invited to participate in the isolatedmix series, Devin Underwood first captured my attention with his ‘Snowflake Collections’ – released on the brilliant Secret Station Records in 2009. Since then, I’ve been following Specta Ciera‘s contributions to some of the best net-labels in existence, including i,Absentee, Distance Recordings, Circlesandlines and Audio Gourmet. Needless to say, disappointment doesn’t seem to be something Devin offers up.

Devin dips his toes in atmospheric ambient (take his latest EP with Jacob Newman), gentle and melodic electronica, (‘It’s Barely There‘ being one of my favourites), more beat based electronica (Autumn in a Cup) dub-techno (take his Energy Dream 2 EP) and even produces full-on electronic assaults as one half of Drexon Field (again part of Secret Station Records and Attacknine – home to the likes of Casino Versus Japan). His sound is varied, modest and typically understated.

I say Devin is one of the ‘newest’ producers to contribute to the series, because it’s rare I get the chance to invite those who have most recently inspired me in one way or another. Along with Lunar Testing Lab (isolatedmix 08 and head of Secret Station), Specta Ciera has consistently contributed to (many free) net-label releases, which in itself is not only inspirational, but can be seen as the lifeblood of today’s ambient and electronica music community and is most certainly one of the biggest reasons ASIP exists.

Devin’s isolatedmix is a dive into his dub-techno roots, a first within the series and of course another unforgettable mix to push the series along. Here’s what Devin has to say about the set:

“Dub techno has always helped me relax and think, which is why I decided to create this mix. Mixing new dub techno with some old favorites, I tried to create a smooth flowing mix to allow all the different shades of dub techno to shine. Ranging from very hazy/dreamy rhythms like Andrea Suglia & Quantec, to more experimental basic channel like tracks such as Recon. Some of the tracks have also been selected from amazing netlabels as well including CISM, Silent Season, as well as Energostatic (all highly recommended labels).”

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Tracklist
01. Andrea Suglia – “The Beach” (0.00)
02. Resoe – “Tanzfieber” (7:00)
03. Christoph Schindling – “inside” (14:00)
04. Havantepe – “Starliner” – (22:50)
05. Kyle Erich Schulz – “Hemlockfeast” (26:50)
06. Quantec – “Supra” (34:50)
07. King Midas Sound – “Too Long Dub” (40:55)
08. Recon – “Travel Analog” (45:15)
09. Mr Cloudy – “Different Lives (March Snow Dub)” (48:06)
10. R&S meet the Chosen Brothers – “History Version” (55:08)

isolatedmix 18 - Marsen Jules§

Kompakt – one of the biggest influences on me for years now, but none more so that the last ten. Since 2001, Kompakt have been releasing their now widely celebrated Pop Ambient series and have surfaced many of the producers I now widely regard as music legends.

Wolfgang Voigt (Kompakt Label owner, also known as the legendary Gas) Ulf Lohmann, Markus Guentner and Joachim Spieth were the first to grace the Pop Ambient name. Fast forward ten years and there’s a host of new ambient maestro’s who’ve joined the ranks including, bvdub, Thomas Fehlmann, Popnoname, Klimek and Marsen Jules.

It was 2007 when Martin Juhls was recruited into the Pop Ambient series following several stunning releases on City Centre Offices (Ulrich Schnauss’ first label) including Les Fleurs and Herbstlaub. Since then, Marsen’s had tracks on 2009, 2010 and 2011’s Pop Ambient releases and after a four-year album hiatus, has recently released ‘Nostalgia’, on his own label, Oktaf.

Marsen’s approach to ambient is one of clarity. Where many artists wrap layers upon layers, amongst textures, Martin’s instruments are clear, and central to each piece. ‘Nostalgia’ features some beautiful string’s combined with compelling atmospheres and of course, is a wonderful nod towards the blissed-out ambient which appears on Kompakt’s series. For Martin’s isolatedmix, Pop Ambient reigns supreme and again, takes centre stage.

“This mix was recorded live at the Toskana Therme Bad Schandau. It is a special place with a liquid sound soundsystem, which can play music under water. When mixing ambient music I try very much to create something new and and floating out of the material. Usually it´s four decks in traktor playing at the same time also using loops and some effects. For this mix I tried to assemble the material around the trademark sound of Kompakts Pop Ambient series.”

We haven’t had the pleasure of pure ambient in an isolatedmix for quite a while and there’s no better artist to help bring it back. Titled ‘Drifting in the Liquid Air’, this is music to sleep to, to hibernate to, to float to and to fall in love with, over and over again.

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01. Steve Roach – A Deeper Silence (A Deeper Silence)
02. Deepchord Presents: Echospace – Ocean of Emptiness (The Coldest Season)
03. Steve Roach – Further Inside (Dynamic Stillness)
04. Steve Roach – A Darker Light (Dynamic Stillness)
05. Ulf Lohmanm – Java (Pop-Ambient 2002)
06. Gas – 5 (Pop)
07. Popnoname – Deutz Air (Pop Ambient 2010)
08. Ulf Lohmanm – Java (Pop-Ambient 2002)
09. Helios – First Dream Called Ocean (Eingya)
10. Stars of the Lid – Dungtitled (in A major) (And Their Refinement of the Decline)
11. Wolfgang Voigt – Ruckverzauberung (Pop Ambient 2011)
12. Causeyoufair – I Am No Longer Soul (There I Lay and Time Imperfections)
13. The Dead Texan – A Chronicle of Early Failures Pt Two (The Dead Texan)
14. Julien Neto – Sketch (Le Fumeur de Ciel)
15. Ulf Lohmann – 8 (Because Before)
16. Gas – 3 (Pop)