(ghost) – ‘Departure’ exclusive stream

I’m always excited to share new music, especially from new artists on great labels. So it gives me pleasure to bring to you all an exclusive first listen of (ghost)‘s new album, ‘Departure’ soon to be released on one of our favourite outputs, n5MD.

(ghost) is Brian Froh, from Connecticut, USA. Influenced by the likes of fellow label mate Proem, as well as the notorious Boards of Canada, ‘Departure’ is a personal journey blending together “an eclectic series of moods including hope, fear, and the pursuit of a better self”. The mixture of evolving and dynamic states are clearly evident throughout the album, wrapped amongst skittering beats, addictive melodies and evocative synth-work.

A sound similar to the likes of Loess, Ametsub, Crisopa and the aforementioned Proem are evident throughout, but (ghost) does a very good job of evoking feeling throughout – something that’s very hard to do with this kind of electronica. Complex beat structures and multiple instruments sometimes do little to compensate the narrative of music, but as the likes of Aphex Twin and Autechre have mastered, when it works, it works well and (ghost) is definitely someone who has started to nurture this process with Departure.

It’s an album that evolves, and does much to the imagination, a superb debut and an even better addition to the ever-growing roster on n5MD.

Depature will be available on the 9th April through n5MD and can be pre-ordered here

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isolatedmix 36 – Justinas Mikulskis (Secret Thirteen)

ne of the best things for me when spending hours and hours curating and exploring music for ASIP, is that there’s other people out there doing the same job and making mine just a little bit easier. Yes, the challenge is in the find, but one of the biggest reasons for starting ASIP is that there just wasn’t enough of what I liked out there. After nearly 5 years trawling the web, various sites and blogs, a select bunch of curators have risen to the top of my favourites pile, and Secret Thirteen is one of the many greats now gracing an expansive and ever evolving music community.

Just last month I was invited to participate in Secret Thirteen’s mix series – a privilege i’m not sure I deserve, which sat me alongside legends such as Biosphere, Loscil, ASC and Anders Ilar. It was of course, destiny that the curator of such an amazing mix series put his ear a little closer to the output and create a mix himself. not to mention the fact I wanted to hear what made him tick. With such a similar taste in music, evident throughout many of the mix contributors, I was pretty sure S13 head-honcho Justinas Mikulskis would put together a rather epic selection.

He could have gone many ways, as his introduction below begins to tell you, but Justinas decides to focus on a relatively unexplored genre on ASIP – but one which I and many of you im sure enjoy; IDM. I always take extra pleasure in listening to a mix associated with a good crate-digging session and this is definitely one of them, with genre pioneers Arovane, Autechre, Monolake and Speedy J all making an appearance. I’ll leave the rest of the introduction to the man himself…

Introduction by Justinas Mikulskis:

“Original and rhythmical electronic music shaped so accurately and sensitively that I immediately reach a pure listening satisfaction every time I hear these gems. I was a bit sentimental while crafting this selection as these sounds, in some ways influenced my life and cultural activities. Most of these pieces were discovered in the early 00’s when I just started exploring the diversity of music catalogs. Although this mix doesn’t clearly reflect my musical knowledge these days, it definitely shows my emotional and mental state I’m experiencing every day, especially at night.

I have a lovely girlfriend, a couple of close friends and even though everything seems to be perfect in my life, this mix uncovers another side of my personality. When I’m dreaming, hoping for a better tomorrow, staring at the night sky or just asking a lot of philosophical questions to myself, these sounds do not overwhelm these processes, but help to keep the inner-peace and strengthen the senses. Subtle glitchy beat patterns, repetitive percussions, nostalgic deformed melodies and varied cut samples are the main priority that weave and develop the main ideology.

Also, I thought there’s not so many of these types of selections nowadays, and as it was 5-10 years ago , I wanted to remind myself what beautiful and light melancholic music we had back in the day. I dedicate this mix to the mind architects, harmony seekers and diehard music lovers. Let the rhythms gently dance, the bass smoothly flow and the melodies sparklingly wave.”

Download

Tracklist:

01. Proem – Wall Of Knives 2 [n5MD, 2007]
02. Arovane – Norvum [DIN, 2000]
03. Autechre – Second Scepe [Warp Records, 1995]
04. Quinoline Yellow – Eu Jach [Skam Records, 2003]
05. Aphorism – Reconsider [Tympanik Audio, 2009]
06. Gridlock – Atomontage [Hymen Records, 2003]
07. Mitoma – Cpertad [Section 27, 2011]
08. Jack Marchment – Schult Abbey [Herb Recordings, 2009]
09. Lusine – Haze [Ghostly International, 2003]
10. TBA – Everything Pushes Me Further Away [Laboratory Instinct, 2009]
11. Monolake – White_II [Monolake, Imbalance Computer Music, 2003]
12. Funckarma – Spatial Convolution (Morphed By Funkstörung) [Djak-Up-Bitch (DUB), 1999]
13. Cenik – Blame [Isophlux, 2001]
14. Diagram Of Suburban Chaos – Hollow [Zealectronic, 2002]
15. Speedy J – Balk Acid [NovaMute, 2000]
16. Yvat – Grayish [U-Cover, 2010]
17. Bochum Welt – 8221SB [Rephlex, 2008]

Secret Thirteen Mix series | Web | Facebook | Twitter | Soundcloud

ASIP024 Horizontal Excursions - Symphonica Helvetica

 

The wilderness stirs something primal and unfathomable in us all. We become overwhelmed, awestruck, even emboldened, by these untamed frontiers, content to revel in the unspoiled beauty or compelled to explore what lies within. For some, it’s a cold, harsh reality; an unforgiving tundra of survival and subsistence. But, when afforded the indulgence, this isolation is the purest of them all. 

“There aren’t many places left in Western Europe where you can still immerse yourself in pure wilderness” Roger begins, “in fact, the only environment where I have truly experienced this is in certain parts of Switzerland. My latest trip to Zermatt, located in the canton of Valais, has greatly shaped the music in this symphony and I was reminded that all of nature is something that should be respected and revered.” 

A regular traveller through the country, Roger’s willingness to lose himself (in every sense of the word) in the abundance of natural beauty heralded Symphonica Helvetica – an untainted journey through the mysticism of the Alps, velveteen swoop of Swiss valleys, and the siren-song of nature. 

“Away from the large cities of Zürich and Basel, you enter into a totally different kind of environment,” he states. “For me mountainous areas epitomize something indescribable, something sacred. I lose sense of identity and, sometimes literally, become lost in the landscape around me. 

Inspired by the power of his surroundings, Symphonica Helvetica crystallizes those moments, and Roger captures, and softens, the endeavour of trekking through the terrain. A symphonic soundtrack that casts a heavy ambient blanket, there’s a sense of uphill resistance as the summit nears; the enormity of casting an infinite gaze for miles; the deep, contented inhale as you survey the forest canopy thousands of feet below and feel, for that moment, like it’s all you. 

“In these places you really see nature at work: sculpting, flowing and grinding through the mountains,” Roger explains. “The fruits of my past trips through the mountains of Switzerland have amalgamated into the symphony that I present to you here. This is the musical translation of the visions and experiences I had standing on the edge of mountain cliffs, overlooking valleys, walking through snow-clad forests, enchanted by mountain tops in full view. These are the shamanic songs of Mother Nature still at reign in her grand domain: a living myth put into sound pressure waves.”

Segue – Pacifica

My first dose of Segue was brought to me by the dependable Dewtone, on their Foundations II release last year. ‘House of Cards’ was a shimmering, atmospheric ambient piece that burns, into slowly evolving fractions of light – you could soundtrack the Aurora Borealis with this piece, it was that beautiful. I ended up using the track in my ‘White Light’ mix to depict the very moment the light hits (see here for a bit more context and for the mix!)

News of a full release on Silent Season was then of course, greatly received, but my first taster I have to admit, wasn’t what I expected. ‘Snow Dub’, accompanied by an excellent video below, is a chugging warm dub-techno piece with subtle percussions – a far stretch from ‘House Of Cards’. But change is always welcomed and actually made me anticipate ‘Pacifica’ even more than usual.

Turns out Segue’s new album is quite the evolution. ‘Pacifica’ seems to straddle neatly in-between a warm ambient sound and organic dub-techno, and each track is a unique evolution from the next, forming a comprehensive and quite simply brilliant album.

Segue’s sound is mature – each track sounds confident and full of purpose. You’ll be reminded of Pop Ambient’s signature sounds at times – take ‘La Rue’ for example. You’ll find sublime deep dubby stuff we’ve come to love from artists such as Textural Being, and ambient textures often associated with masters of the genre like Loscil. Rub all that around a slightly warmer and more melodic approach that only the likes of Dewtone and Silent Season can offer, and you’ve got ‘Pacifica’ – one of my favourite albums of the year so far.

But it direct from Silent Season- collectable hand-made CD.

ASIP – Secret Thirteen Mix 55

I have compiled a mix for the ever brilliant Secret Thirteen Music Journal, which now sits alongside legends such as 36, Loscil and even Biosphere, to name just a few contributors. I won’t write too much of an introduction as Justinas from S13 captures a perfect intro below. But what I will say, is that it features three exclusives Places Series tracks, so make sure you keep an ear out for these – as they are pretty special. And of course, there are also some other amazing tracks and label inclusions that are close to my heart. I have included links to download or read more on each track where possible.

A big thank-you to everyone who has supported the mix so far and of course everyone at S13 for the opportunity to participate.

Download here.

Tracklist:

01. Ametsub – Sun of Madrid [Nothings66, 2012]
02. Billow Observatory – Pankalia [Felte, 2012]
03. EUS – Diluria (Irezumi Remix) [Self-released, 2012] Free download
04. Purl, Deflektion – Towards [Dewtone Recordings, 2012] Read more here
05. RQ – Hounds (Sam KDC’s Strung Out Remix) [Auxiliary, 2012] Read more here
06. EUS – Mesé (36 Remix) [Self-released, 2012] Free download
07. Ian Hawgood – A Film By Geskial [Home Normal, 2010]
08. Kiyoko – Shinagawa [Auxiliary, 2012] Read More here.
09. Herrmann & Kleine – Leaving You Behind [Morr Music, 2002]
10. Module – The Frequent Sea [ASIP, forthcoming on the Places Series 2013]
11. Echaskech – Tundra [Futuresequence, 2011] Free download
12. Roger Martinez pres. Horizontal Excursions – Symphonica Helvetica (excerpt) [ASIP, forthcoming on the Places Series 2013]
13. Kit – Girl Walking On The Beach Wearing A Skirt (Markus Guentner Remix) [ASIP, forthcoming on the Places Series 2013]
14. James Devane – Rhubarb (Acoustic edit) [unreleased] Free download
15. Aphex Twin – Rhubarb [Warp, 1994] Read more here

“Secret Thirteen Mix 055” is a smoothly polished ethereal music compilation which fuses 16 original records from such prominent musicians as Aphex Twin, Ametsub, Herrmann & Kleine, Ian Hawgood, Sam KDC and other relevant talents. Mix also contains exclusive works forthcoming on author’s record label later this year.

The author of the mix is Ryan Griffin, a British journalist, DJ and label owner, now residing in Portland, Oregon (USA). Started to spin turntables while he was only 16 years old, Griffin gradually matured his musical taste which varies among house, techno, ambient and other electronic music styles. His time spent in Ibiza was the main influence to explore more atmospheric downtempo music. Fascinated by the early Global Underground releases and works of such notable musicians as Nick Warren and Ulrich Schnauss, Griffin was involved into the music industry more and more. In 2004 he started working at Crosstown Rebels (record label), but it wasn’t lasting for so long. Soon after he has left operator’s job at the record label, Griffin created his own influential and continuous project called A Strangely Isolated Place, mainly focusing on the honorable musician’s exclusive mixes, records releasing/publishing and promoting creations by other skillful artists. By constantly developing his conceptual music community and label, Griffin has presented a fruitful catalog of works from such respectable musicians as Loscil, Anders Ilar, Kettel, 36 and many others. Also don’t forget to check his The Places Series presenting some high-quality releases by very promising artists from all around the globe.

“Secret Thirteen Mix 055” is an entirely frank and subtly manoeuvrable audio voyage which mirrors Griffin’s inner peace and his mellow musical taste. The selection contains lots of relatively new stuff from very promising artists such as EUS, Module, Kiyoko and others. This mix also clearly reflects a musical concept of ASIP. The basis of this mix stands on the stylistically diverse and refined employment of digitalized instrumentation, arrangements of amazing extensive melodies and shifting ambiance that constantly vary between upper and lower background layers. Often emerging skillfully shaped architectural rhythmics enrich the whole meditative background with mobility and flexibility. With a precise intention and coordination of sound that balances between ambient and smooth bass music, Griffin perfectly maintains and holds the specific mysticism and atmosphere of the recordings. Sonorous authentic musical effects, sublime experimental atmospheres and creative fuzzy loops strengthen the wholeness with the micro-activity and vivid emotions. Cathedral type sounding of high-quality records brings a rich listening experience and every time lets us find something new and yet unnoticed.

‘Secret Thirteen Mix 055′ is like a symbolic and expressive Edvard Munch’s modern art painting “De ensomme” where two hazy figures that are going through the the nebulous landscape create a strange mood of love, dreams, magnificent thoughts, life meaningfulness and a weird coincidences”.