Dustin Morris – Waterscape I (ASIP Exclusive)

It’s got to a point with some labels that nearly every release they put out, I want to feature on the site. Sometimes I don’t have the time, sometimes I forget and things pass me by, so, instead of letting all that good music go unheard, i’ve decided to put together a few features on my favourites. Up first, we dive into the world of Dewtone, with label founder, Dustin Morris.

Dewtone are responsible for two of my favourite EP’s of the past two years; Brando Lupi – Aural, and Martin Nonstatic – Cosmic Shapes. And the rest on the roster aren’t far behind. Dustin has kept his output consistent, with quality and style ever since the first release, and boasts an amazing bunch of artists under the Dewtone umbrella including Brando, Martin, Alveol/Purl (Ludvig Cimbrelius), Marco Madia,Halo, Syene, Ali Khan, Meesha, Antendex, and Nadia Popoff – all of which, were previously new to my ears.

I had originally asked Dustin to compile a mix featuring music from the label (given it’s all pretty much amazing) but instead, he chose to expand on this approach and also incorporate the other major creative half of Dewtone – Dewtone Radio. This mix is indeed something special, expertly curated, and a true insight into Dewtone, it mimics the very essence of the label, with soft textures, beautiful melodies and pictures of calm waters, scattering clouds and dusky sunsets. Neatly tied together with an inspired theme; ‘Waterscapes’ is the first of potentially many similar mixes which Dustin will endeavor to complete.

The goal with this mix was to showcase some of the music that is being promoted through Dewtone Radio. I didn’t want to focus exclusively on the label because that’s just a small chunk of the audio that I’ve been working with over the last few years. When I started working on this project, I realized that there was no way I was going to be able to say everything I wanted to say with just one mix. The music ended up working together beautifully in a way that I was able to produce complete soundscapes that almost sounded like one piece.

http://www.dewtone.fm/

Download.

Tracklist:

1. Dadub – Biopoiesis / Stroboscopic Artefacts
2. Martin Nonstatic – Sub Atomic / Dewtone Recordings
3. Taho – Alpha Rain / Lumina
4. Arc Of Doves – Natalis / ROHS!
5. Mon0 – Dreaming / Silent Season
6. Alveol – Living Crystal / Dewtone Recordings
7. Anton Zap – Water / Ethereal Sound
8. Brickman – Lux / Monography
9. Alveol – Alignment (Nikosf. Brightly Aligned Remix) / Lovezone Records
10. Fingers In The Noise – Weekend… Finally! / Self released
11. Bjorn Rohde – Intentionally Gone / Multitap Records

Photo courtesy of Random Hero 58.

ASIP009 Nobuto Suda - Nobody Levee

 

It’s rare anyone has anything positive to say about a levee. From Dylan to Zeppelin, The Grateful Dead to Don Mclean, levees have been places of dread and foreboding threat, coloured by drought and the devil. 

Nobuto Suda’s take isn’t so bleak. Inspired by some of Kyoto’s waterscapes, the gentle churn of ‘Nobody Levee’ creates an effortlessly warm tranquillity that invites swimming contemplation. 

“Kyoto has a lot of rivers and levees and the river, I think, wraps around the loneliness of people,” he explains. “I was inspired a lot by the flow of the river and wind shaking the trees that grow along it. On holidays, I go for a walk and read a book by the river. This song is the scene that flows in sound, in my head.” 

Eased by a sense of movement, pushed by a ceaselessly serene force, it’s a track that instils quietude and peace. Like the water itself, it’s a track perpetually in motion, comforting in its preordained cycle and all-enveloping atmosphere. So whether you feel immersed in the wash or are happy to ponder your reflection, this lapping melody invites you to more than just dip a toe. Dive deep.

ASIP – Shattered Sky

Watching it grow. Watching it break. Watching it melt away.

A mix made whilst watching the above… featuring a host of my favourite tracks both old and new, as well as an exclusive preview of Markus Guentner’s contribution to the Places Series.

Download.

Tracklist:

01. Module – The World Spins Without You (Imagineering / Self released)
02. Claro Intelecto – Still Here (Reform Club / Delsin)
03. Donnacha Costello – Rebuild (Composure /  Mindgames)
04. Loess – Viscer (3D Concepts / Toytronic)
05. Aeroc – Summer’s almost over (Viscous Solid / Ghostly)
06. Boards of Canada – Peacock Tail (The Campfire Headphase / Warp)
07. Orange Crush – Cosmic Shores (Self released / Free download)
08. Petar Dundov – Ideas From The Pond (From Ideas From The Pond / Music Man)
09. Chromatics – Tick Of The Clock (Night Drive / IDIB)
10. Ólafur Arnalds & Nils Frahm – a1 (Stare / Erased Tapes)
11. åpne sinn – Still Transmitting (En Seier / Relaxed Machinery)
12. Markus Guentner – Dockside (Forthcoming on The Places Series / ASIP)

ASIP008 Herbstlaub - Oostmalle Airport

 

There’s a faded glory in abandonment. Where some see a shell or a sad skeleton of a rich past, others draw on nostalgia or a resilient defiance of purpose and history. Often, it’s an admission, a reminder of ill-fated failure that’s either patiently waiting to be erased or restored by human hands or battling the decay of time and the elements. And where these structures are allowed to stand tall, inspiration soon follows. 

Sitting in the flora and fauna around abandoned, NATO-owned Oostmalle Airport close to his village, Jens Vydt found a quiet beauty and an even quieter unsettlement in these government-protected surroundings. 

“The place is an abandoned airport very near to Westmalle, the village where I was raised,” he explains. “It’s now property of NATO and in case of emergency it can be used. When I was in my youth I used to go there a lot to just sit there in the nature and fields. I recently went back a few times with my laptop and there this song arose.” 

What arose is the slow, shimmering progression of ‘Oostmalle Airport’. Diligently building beyond the twinkling melody, the abandoned airport’s menace ghosts in the background, casting a grave presence over the tranquillity. As the sun goes down, and the shadows languidly stretch, serendipity of nature, ‘Oostmalle Airport’ contrasts the memories of what once was with the threat of what might be.

ASIP007 Kevin Bryce - The Park By Franklin

 

Every child carries a creature fear growing up – whether it’s the bogeyman in the wardrobe, the monster under the bed, the stillness of a dark basement, overcoming that fear is rite of passage to growing up. Often it’s one beaten by exploration and curiosity, venturing beyond the insulated comfort zone to get confirmation, no matter how short the glimpse, that your world is safe and secure. For Kevin Bryce, his place inspired both terror and delight. 

“The track was written about a park I used to go to when I was about 5-6 years old,” he reminisces, “I remember these trips to the park were a combination of fear and joy, the likes of which can only be experienced by the very young. There was a swing set there and directly across from the swings, there was a small patch of trees – small to an adult but to a small child, it was an impenetrable forest filled with all sorts of horrible things lurking just out of sight.” 

The sense of the unknown is often stimulating and it gives ‘The Park By Franklin’ an uneasy, skirting energy. The sound of children playing gives it a happy innocence but there’s an atmosphere of detachment and a palpable sense of distraction. It should be a joyous, carefree place, buoyed by laughter, adventure and happy abandon but there’s an unsettling force at work. 

“It seemed to always be deserted when we were there, and I would have the swings all to myself, although I could hear and see other children playing in the field nearby. As I would swing, I would stare off into the dark trees just beyond the clearing the swing set was in. There was always something unsettling about this memory. It always comes back as being strangely quiet and eerily calm. 

I remember too there was a very clear separation between the forest and the clearing, the clearing always seemed quite bright and sunny, and the forest was always very, very dark, even in the middle of summer. I had forgotten the name of the park, but I asked my mom and she remembered it quite clearly. It used to be called Eton Park, but the name was changed at some point. It’s called Burnaby Heights Park now. Looking at it now, it’s kind of funny to think of how sinister it seemed to me at the time.” 

The excitement of a visit to the park, tempered by the apprehension of the looming backdrop of the forest gives ‘The Park By Franklin’ a drifting disparity. Neither truly chilling nor truly comfortable, you can imagine sitting on that swing set, happily, excitedly pushing for all the height and momentum your growing body can muster, only to be reminded, on the rapid descent from the clouds, what lies in wait on the ground. “I realized that I actually never went into that forest,” he admits. Maybe I should.”