isolatedmix 62 - Benoît Pioulard

A Kranky Records regular since 2006, Thomas Meluch has slowly but surely earned a swell of respect and admiration from the wider ambient community through his textured instrumental manipulations.

As well as his Benoît Pioulard pseudonym, Thomas has also produced alongside Rafael Anton Irisarri as Orcas, with two albums on Morr Music, and more recently, released my favorite album of his to date; Sonnet, which I was lucky to witness live on a hot Portland summer evening last year.  2016 however, sees a bitter-sweet production in his latest release, Radial; treating us listeners to some special unreleased productions, including his own take on an Aphex Twin classic, Stone In Focus.

Just like Aphex's ambient classics, such as Rhubarb, Thomas' interpretations and indeed his productions in general, reproduce this simplicity and swell of emotion.  Radial captures the very essence of Thomas's work, as a spectrum of degrading colors, gently shift in waves of warmth, static and blanketing drones.

Radial, comes under disappointing circumstances however, with Thomas recently breaking his wrist while hiking, hindering him from working and producing. Funds from the EP (currently name your price on Bandcamp) will go towards medical bills and lost hours of production. 

A track from the EP has the final word in Benoît's isolatedmix, appending a considered mixture of music that has helped keep him company since his injury:  "these are some of the records that I've found to be most healing over the past couple of weeks while mostly kind of cooped up at home with books, movies and cats." Healing indeed, as the mix drifts between soothing deepness in Warmth's recent ambient output; Markus Guentner's, Baryon; and Zane Trow's futuristic experimentations, alongside moments of uplifting light from Bibio, Chilly Gonzalez and Elvis Depressedly. 

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1. Ant'lrd : Aplomb : Split
2. Andrew Chalk : Untitled : The River That Flows Into the Sands
3. Colin Stetson : This Bed of Shattered Bone : New History Warfare Vol. 3
4. Elvis Depressedly : Weird Honey : Holo Pleasures
5. Future 3 : Trmbns : With and Without
6. Warmth : Odessa : Essay
7. Memory Drawings : Sunstruck : Music for Another Loss
8. Markus Guentner : Baryon : Theia 
9. Saint Hildegard : Ave Generosa : A feather on the breath of God
10. E and I : A Perhaps Song : An Inch of Air
11. Chilly Gonzalez : Rideaux Lunaires : Solo Piano II
12. Zane Trow : Arcade : For Those Who Hear Actual Voices
13. Bibio : Wren Tails : A Mineral Love
14. Kyle Bobby Dunn : Duck-Faced Fantasy : Kyle Bobby Dunn and The Infinite Sadness
15. Benoît Pioulard : Madrigal : Radial

Benoît Pioulard | Web | Bandcamp | Soundcloud | Facebook

todos - Kilchurn Session XIV

It's been just over a month since todos treated us to a dub-techno themed mix in Komunizm, but now he returns with his staple Kilchurn Session series, and its 14th edition. 

Back comes the euphoric, constructed build-ups, flawless mixing and programming; the well-placed samples, and considered track choices. Rare edits, and double-mixes featured alongside a variety of artists; from the mighty Sasha, to our very own Arovane and his colab with Porya Hatami and Darren McClure.

Always perfected, and always brilliant, keep 'em coming, todos.

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Tracklist
1. KRTS - ‘Sealed’ (Intro)
2. Danny Scrilla - ‘Cryosphere’
3. Darshan Atmosphere - ‘Vishuddha’
4. Frostbite - ‘The Spirit Stirs’
5. Dessin Bizarre - ‘Eidfjord’ / Memotone - She’s a Killer’ Edit / Dessin Bizarre - ‘Pressure’
6. Sasha - ‘Modcon’
7. DSR Lines - ‘Uitval’ / Dessin Bizarre - ‘Daylightmast’
8. Sasha - ‘Scarpa Falls’ / Boards Of Canada - ‘Trails’ (Recordssectionclip Slight Edit)
9. Cliff Martinez - ‘The Moon’s Light’
10. Dalhous -‘Response To Stimuli’
11. Rezo Glonti - ‘Line In’
12. Dessin Bizarre - ‘Air Frais’
13. Matt Dunkley - ‘Cycle 5 (Clint Mansell Remix)
14. Anders Brørby - ‘The Knives in Her Eyes’
15. Sophia Loizou - ‘Order of Elements’ / Carbon Based Lifeforms - ‘Endospore’ (Remastered)
16. Zahn | Hatami | McClure - ‘Vhaundt’
17. Leafar Legov - ‘Years’
18. Solar Bears - ‘Longer Life’ / Nils Quak - Future Mistakes’ / Dessin Bizarre - ‘Flow’
19. Melokind - ‘The Forester’ Extended Edit

This mix also features various field recordings collected by @soundexmachinaSpecial thanks to @KLoukovikas. Please visit http://soundexmachina.com

todos - Komunizm

You know the drill. todos is back with another superbly mixed feature. Are superlatives necessary this time around? He's one of our favorite DJ's around and for good reason.

This time however, todos tweaks his usually eclectic, sampled approach with a more dubby, beat driven set. It's likely why this mix doesn't fall within his notorious Kilchurn Session series, but this set is every bit as considered and curated. 

The transition from Tin Man & Dozzy into Kalos is worth it alone..

Download over at bmbx

Tracklist:

01. Aes Dana & Miktek – ‘The Unexpected Hours’
02. Shaded Explorer – ‘Inner Treasures’
03. Rezo Glonti – ‘Pulse Added Two’
04. EskoStatic – ‘Sjonevad lake’
05. Tin Man & Donato Dozzy – ‘Test 3’
06. Kalos – ‘Appearance Of Freedom’
07. Max Acid – ‘A Purple Flower On The Moon (Iori’s On The Moon Dub)’
08. Lars Leonhard – ‘Hang In The Balance’
09. Kalos – ‘Daily March’
10. Stereociti – ‘Revision III’
11. Sophia Loizou – ‘The Voices Of Time’
12. ASC – ‘Ceres’

ASIP - Journey Upwards

With our next release by Merrin Karras just weeks away, I've decided to celebrate the unique style of the album with a themed mix.

Merrin Karras' upcoming album, Apex combines Brendan's gilded production techniques with an armory of hardware (including the Moog Minitaur, Vermona Mono Lancet, Juno 106, Nord Rack 2, and the Korg Monotron) serving as both a modern ode to the synthesizer and a reverential nod to the early pioneers, a sound and style any ambient and electronic fan will appreciate. 

Along with influences that Brendan lists as having an impact on his upcoming album (Steve Moore, Oneohtrix Point Never, Abul Mogard) the mix features some of my favorite contemporary synthesizer pioneers such as Alessandro Cortini and Donnacha Costello. As the title may suggest, there's a subtle story at play here; beginning at ground-zero and ending in a galaxy far, far away.

This mix should give you a taster of what to expect when Merrin Karras' album, Apex, hits the shelves June 10th, featuring the title track, Apex along with a first listen of Isolation. Pre-order for vinyl and digital is now available.

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Tracklist:
01. ASIP - Ground
02. Abul Mogard - Bound Universe (Circular Forms)
03. Steve Moore - Aldebran Exchange (Light Echoes)
04. Merrin Karras - Apex (Forthcoming on ASIP)
05. Alessandro Cortini - Retta (Forse 3)
06. Oneohtrix Point Never - Months (Rifts)
07. Donnacha Costello - Ten Ton (Love From Dust)
08. Merrin Karras - Isolation (Forthcoming on ASIP)
09. Majeure - Solar Maximum 2 (Solar Maximum)
10. Stellardrone - The Belt of Orion (Invent The Universe)
11. Steve Moore - Light Echoes II (Light Echoes)

OKADA - Floating Away From The World

Released earlier this month, Gregory Pappas dropped his second album for the n5MD label titled, Love Telepathic and follows it up with this exclusive mix for ASIP. 

Following in the footsteps of his previous release, Impermanence, Love Telepathic is a dream-like trip through punching beats, ethereal vocals and layers of warmth, sitting somewhere between ASC, Kiyoko and bvdub. Taking the extended track approach (10+ minutes each), OKADA builds each piece with meticulous patience - the kind that makes time disappear and the world melt around you.

Angelic vocals set against conspicuous organic beats, tick over like the lull of a metronome, 
inviting you closer to its misty depths. A soundtrack for sinking to the bottom of a glistening ocean, or floating to the blue skies above. 

Gregory's influences are clear amongst his mix, presenting us with a range of styles from the beautiful vocals of Julianna Barwick, to the awe-struck complexities of Ametsub, and the euphoric ambience of Bersarin Quartett.

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"Music of artists that intoxicate and evoke a pure emotional response from me and influence my OKADA compositions. Most of these artists I've been listening to a long time. In fact, one of the artists on this mix, World's End Girlfriend, is the reason why my music is in long-form, which I first started to do on the album Anathema under the name ZXYZXY" - OKADA.

1. Julianna Barwick - One Half
An artist with strong vocal composition skills. Someone I'd like to borrow for my own compositions, to be honest.

2. 2 8 1 4 - 真実の恋
Two-artist effort that have pierced the veil of vaporwave; hurling it far into the daydream atmosphere.

3. Ametsub - Faint Dazzlings
Japanese electronic music at its finest. Yes, there is a sound unique all to Japan and its electronic music scene. I'd say this is a great example.

4. Bersarin Quartett - Bedingungslos
No one does it like BM. The guy is eons away from everyone when it comes to pure beauty in music. Any of his songs could fit here.

5. Ex Confusion - Speak Softly in My Dreams
One of my favorite n5MD artists. Any of his songs could fit here as well.

6. Ólafur Arnalds, Nils Frahm - a1
Need no introduction here. Just a fantastic collaboration.

7. OKADA - Reconciliation
While I probably should have picked something off my new record, it just wasn't the type of mix I wanted to make. One of my personal favorites, and I plan to bring this style of composition back in the future.

8. MONO & World's End Girlfriend - Part 5
Two of my top 5 artists in collaboration right here, and they create a piece that is equal parts from both groups. The whole album is fantastic.

9. A Winged Victory for the Sullen - Requiem for the Static King Part 1
A short, yet elegant piece from these two fantastic composers.

10. Alva Noto + Ryuichi Sakamoto - Moon
I adore all of RS's work, but his work with AN is always incredible. Perfect music to make me want to curl up in my bed on a rainy day.

11. envy - Fading Vision
A band I so badly wanted to sneak in this mix. Not easy since they are a screamo/post-hardcore band, but they're definitely in my top 5 as well and I had to have them here. This song is a great example of their breadth as musicians. Top tier group that exemplifies how to evoke an emotional response. I highly recommend them out.

Additional recommendation:

Eric Whitacre - Lux Nova
I couldn't fit this track on this mix, because of time and how it stuck out of place, but he definitely needs to be mentioned. His choral works prove that choral music is not dead. He is amazing.

~

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