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/

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)

isolatedmix 17 - Winterlight

It’s weird to think that Winterlight was one of the very first artists featured on ASIP around three years ago. I can’t remember how I managed to stumble across Tim’s Winterlight and Lightsway projects, but it was one of those finds which ultimately ended up shaping many epic train journeys, hours of headphone time, endlessly long commutes, moments of personal reflection and of course, (not forgetting) a great night out last year.

Tim’s music pays homage to classic shoegaze and is filled with beautiful atmospherics and ethereal ambience – the perfect matrimony of shimmering guitars and electronic ambient music. I’m often asked for similar music to the likes of Ulrich Schnauss and artists such as Winterlight are first to mind.  Whilst Winterlight can sound completely different and is definitely more instrumental in approach (with a heavy focus on guitars, delays and reverb), Tim manages to capture the most unimaginable beauty and escapism in his productions, which can only lead to a mutual admiration for epic shoegaze influenced music I often associate with the likes of Schnauss, Jonas Munk, The Cocteau Twins, and Hammock.

It’s this combination of guitars and electronic ambient which has shaped Tim’s isolatedmix, reflecting on his own personal journeys:

“When I was younger I used to go on long coach journeys just to escape. I made up C90 mixtapes and then bought a return ticket for somewhere far away. I would travel through the day and night watching the world pass by me in a blur and listen to my Walkman and disappear somewhere inside myself to a place I wanted to be. It was if there wasn’t any real world just a backdrop to the music. Nowadays I make my own music to do the same thing. This mix is an attempt to recreate the feel of those tapes and those journeys.”

Classic shoegaze from the originators, including Robin Guthrie, Slowdive and Airiel, amongst the more electronic ambient influences of personal favourites, port-royal. Tim also manages to sneak in some lesser known yet similarly talented artists such as Luga, kontakte and Jesper Lundager, adding depth and variety to the already mouthwatering lineup.

Modest in his ways, Tim hasn’t included any tracks of his own in the mix. But, after a recent signing to one of our favourite labels N5MD(home of port-royal, Lights Out Asia and Near The Parenthesis), the door is open for you to explore Tim’s latest and greatest album, ‘Hope Dies Last’. Including some reworked tracks from Tim’s early Lightsway guise, guest vocals and additional production duties from Mike Cadoo (Bitcrush), the album is a welcome return after what has seemed like an eternity of missing dreamy and ethereal Winterlight productions.Available now on N5MD.

The isolatedmix series will always be a way for me to enlist the musical minds of some of my biggest influences, so I think many of you will join me in saying what a pleasure it is to have a stunning mix from one of the original discoveries on ASIP – and one that’s still releasing amazing music to this day.

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Tracklist:
01. Northern Picture Library – Dreams and Stars and Sleep
02. Helios – Coast Off
03. Disco Inferno – Footprints in Snow
04. The Papertiger Sound – This is How it Ends
05. kontakte – A Snowflake in Her Hand
06. Ultra Vivid Scene – Lynne-Marie #1
07. Airiel – Firefly
08. Slowdive – In Mind
09. Jesper Lundager – Robot Friend Sleeps Well
10. Robin Guthrie – Camera Lucida
11. Dif Juz – The Last Day
12. Luga – This Hard Day
13. Aerosol – Excess
14. Crisopa – Fibra de Carbona y Cambios Automaticos
15. Angelmark – Twilight World
16. port-royal – Ernst Bloch
17. Felt – Be Still
18. Pacific UV – L.A.P.D vs N.Y.P.D (Eluvium remix)

Tracknotes from Tim:

Northern Picture Library – Dreams and Stars and Sleep
Perfect music to watch the world drift past to from a great album.

Helios – Coast Off
I could have made an entire mix of Helios, like epic 45 this sounds exactly like travelling in a bus or train, staring out of the window to me.

Disco Inferno – Footprints in Snow
I love all the messy sonic stuff that is going on in the background just doing enough to disturb the pretty piano line.

The Papertiger Sound – This is How it Ends
I love short instrumentals. Felt did an album of them, Let the Snakes Crinkle their Heads to Death, and this one is just perfect – comes along does its thing then stops.

kontakte – A Snowflake in Her Hand
I have been lucky enough to play with kontakte a few times and they are a fantastic, powerful live band. This track from their new album shows what beautiful music they make.

Ultra Vivid Scene – Lynne-Marie #1
I loved the first UVS album when it came out and remember being amazed he did it all himself, not so common then but it is probably the first time I thought it might be interesting to make music without a band. Only short but sometimes, like here, that works.

Airiel – Firefly
It sounds like Cocteau Twins and Slowdive, what more could you want?

Slowdive – In Mind
It always comes back to this band for me, the blueprint shoegaze female vocal in a hypnotic setting and not a guitar in sight.

Jesper Lundager – Robot Friend Sleeps Well
The Schnauss of Denmark.

Robin Guthrie – Camera Lucida
Cocteau twins are an obvious influence and Robin’s solo work showcases his incredibly beautiful guitar sound. He makes the guitar sound so beautiful; I wish I had his effects set up.

Dif Juz – The Last Day
I saw Dif Juz quite a few times and they were one of the most inventive bands and the fact they were instrumental impressed me enormously. So far ahead of their time, they invented post-rock years before it happened.

Luga – This Hard Day
I love the distorted keyboard layers on this, Mirror started from an attempt to copy that sound.

Aerosol – Excess
All That is Solid Melts Into Air is one of my favourite albums and this track is sublime.

Crisopa – Fibra de Carbono y Cambios Automaticos
Santi is newly signed to n5md; I have constantly listened to this song since I first heard it a few years ago. Just a perfectly put together, relaxed feel; I could probably listen to it on repeat for the whole journey!

Angelmark – Twilight World
Beautifully resonant guitar, sounds like sadness to my ears (a good thing!)

port-royal – Ernst Bloch
No mix would be complete without port-royal! This track is an epic journey in itself, they are the masters of ebb and flow. I can’t think of anyone who influences my music as much as Attilio.

Felt – Be Still
I will never stop loving Felt. This is a wonderful cover of a Beach Boys song.

Pacific UV – L.A.P.D vs N.Y.P.D (Eluvium remix)
This is my standard “set finisher”. It is a great remix, I love the way it overwhelms you with waves of distortion and feedback building into crescendos over and over again. Superb.

isolatedmix 16 - Kettel

A producer of fine experimental, IDM and electronica, Kettel‘s sound has been instrumental in my years discovering music. Organic, with a massive appreciation of melody and ability to strike the most poignant and interesting electronic soundscapes, Kettel’s productions sit neatly alongside the likes of Aphex Twin’s finest productions, yet on a different day have the ability to stand a million miles apart in a world of their own. Gentle piano’s in Memory Steps polarise against Aphex Twin sounding tracks such as Dolend and Coddle. Reimer Eising is a producer with years of experience and there’s something for everyone amongst his immense electronic back catalogue.

Needless to say, Reimer’s influences are varied and have arisen from all walks of life. isolatedmix 16 is a very special ‘mixtape’ style journey, all lovingly glued together with added loops, samples and utmost care. Whilst the first half dabbles in genres and tempo, the second half is a deep dive into Reimer’s more IDM influenced side.

The mix contains tracks that are all special to him in one way or another. Close friends Coppe and Phoenicia feature, with his own favourite hip-hop moments from, A Tribe Called Quest, “masters” in the form of FSOL and “the master”, Morricone. Special memories invoked from, Mouse on Mars sit alongside “meditative arrangements” from Miles Davis, and of course a Kettel mix wouldn’t be complete without an appearance from Boards of Canada’s very own seagull, in Happy Cycling.

Purveyors of quality mixes get ready for something very special…

(Previous Soundcloud link was removed - new Mixcloud below)

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Tracklist:
01. Miles Davis & Bill Laswell – In a silent way
02. Coppe – Zojoji
03. Boards of Canada – Happy Cycling
04. A Tribe Called Quest – Start it up
05. Talib Kweli & Madlib – Funny Money
06. Gescom – Push Button Objects (remix)
07. Future Sound of London – Yage
08. Dead Can Dance – The Carnival is Over
09. Mouse on Mars – Chagrin
10. Ennio Morricone – Il Ritorno di Ringo
11. Future Sound of London – Coastline
12. E.O.G – Shoot Out
13. Phoenecia – Somory
14. AFX – Unreleased
15. Fennesz – Badminton Girl
16. Meat Beat Manifesto – Radio Babylon (The Orb mix)
17. Autechre – Goz Quarter
18. Bibio – Saint Christopher
19. Kettel – Tomorrow Jail (Unreleased)

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