isolatedmix 44 - Kaito aka Hiroshi Watanabe

Hiroshi Watanabe has been releasing records since 1996, with styles ranging from deep house to his more recognized ambient/electronica works on Kompakt under the guise of Kaito. A stalwart for the label for the past twelve years, Hiroshi has clocked up no less than eight albums and recently released the rather brilliant ‘Less Time Until The End’ (full review here).

His passion for introspective electronic music is clearly visible in his latest release and his Kaito moniker is seemingly dedicated to this emotional side. Named after his son and translating as “the one that is able to explain the universe”, Kaito’s music is warm, analogue and immersive electronica, riddled with a million stories. Hiroshi’s a big believer in communicating through his music and opens up to the many ways a track can be perceived- he’s a storyteller, a painter of the night sky and the magician behind the soundtrack which accompanies them.

Hiroshi’s isolatedmix stems from this approach and takes us on a night-flight through some of his inspirations that span the spectrum of the ambient electronic genre – a perfect introduction to the newbie or an expertly curated accompaniment for the veteran. Hiroshi will be the guide, but you’ll make your own way there…

“I started with this kind of electronic music, mainly because my father created some very imaginative ambient music when I was child (around the late 70s). I was watching how he made the music and the sound seemed so impressive. It was because of this I fell in love with electronic music.

I love how the music can portray special images within each person – no-one the same, it’s impossible. There’s no need for vocals, or lyrics or words, just sound. I can close my eyes and it’s all I need – every person connecting to the universe through tension, energy and inspiration.

This is a selection of music which reflects that feeling – something special. Of course, there are tonnes to choose from and some amazing ambient music in the world, but this is just a little selection. Please enjoy the music and use your imagination to travel your own way”

Download

Tracklist:

01. Susumu Yokota – Azukiiro No Kaori
02. M83 – Sister (Part 1)
03. Deaf Center – City
04. Minilogue – Europhonia
05. Jean F. Cochois – Silence Unheard
06. John Foxx & Harold Budd – Here And Now
07. Gonno – Turn to Light
08. Walls – Vacant
09. Leo Abrahams – Sundown
10. Lawrence – Friday’s Child (Special Intro Version)
11. Michael Stearns – Star Dreams (Peace Eternal)
12. Ken Hayakawa – Place To Stay Summer Breeze Version
13. Helios – Even Today
14. Model 500 – Starlight (Echospace Dub)
15. Deepchord Presents Echospace – Warm
16. Múm – Random Summer
17. Markus Guentner – Das Vergessene
18. Vessel – Tiny
19. Inner Science – Emerge
20. Justus Kohncke – Spukhafte Fernwirkung
21. Yagya – Rigning Fjórir
22. Popnoname – Nightliner
23. Naohito Uchiyama – Solea
24. Junyamabe – nomeans…no
25. M-koda – Conflict
26. Brian Eno & Harold Budd – Their Memories
27. Kaito – Until the end of time  (Beatless version)

Kaito Web | Soundcloud | Facebook | Bandcamp

Passing by: Carbon Based Lifeforms, Ourson, Vermont, GWFAA, & Ametsub

Carbon Based Lifeforms – The Path

This is CBL before they were even CBL. This is spaced-out ambient music from Sweden before we even knew there were producers IN Sweden. This is music thats spinning off the back of The Orb, FSOL and Aphex Twin in the late 90’s; mixing psychedelic soundtracks, samples, synthesizers and god-damn didgeridoos. Two of the finest carving the very CBL sound we know of today. Available on Bandcamp.

Ourson – Light From A Closing Door

Only the long-time ASIP readers will remember the name Ourson. But after what seems like an eternity, Luke has put a neat little album of previously unreleased works up on Bandcamp. Think long-form grainy, warm ambient and you’re in the right zone. It’s just… if you get in that zone, it’s pretty hard to get back out with this kind of stuff… Available on Bandcamp.

Vermont – Vermont

Kompakt isn’t in the game of taking on too many new artists. You’ll often find their deep roster on rotation or releasing under numerous guises, but here’s a new colab between Innervisions’ Marcus Worgull and Danilo Plessow (of Motor City Drum Ensemble fame). I had no ideas what to expect with this album due to minimal knowledge of Motor City Drum Ensemble, but after several listens, this is definitely growing on me.

It’s alarmingly addictive straight-up synth-muddled ambient electronica. The tracks are simple, memorable and obviously produced by two guys exploring each others styles, yet individually, know where to take a track if they needed to; they just strapped restraints on themselves this time around. I can foresee some pretty amazing remixes coming out from this album… i’m thinking (hoping) Pantha Du Prince, The Field or even Dominik Eulberg – there’s certainly enough to play with. Available on Kompakt.

Good Weather For An Airstrike – A Home For You

I know how many fans of Hammock there are out there. And trust me, if you’re one of these then you’ll love what Tom has to offer with Good Weather For An Airstrike. He’s by no means an imitation – rather a younger prodigy of the ambient post-rock genre. ‘A Home For You’ is a beautiful new album peppered with emotion, heart-wrenching crescendos and best of all, the ultimate space to breathe and take it all in. That is until, you experience the epicness of the track ‘Tides’. Available on Bandcamp.

Ametsub – Seek Sick Sound Podcast

What starts as a jazz-oriented ambient interlude, soon progresses into the notorious glitchy world of Japan’s finest IDM master-mind, Ametsub. Never one to remain stagnant in a mix, Ametsub then goes on to present moments of dub-techno, breaks and even more complex beats. If your world of melodic bleeps isn’t quenched with this one, then try his slightly more subtle isolatedmix which he did for us back in 2012. Download and more information on Seek Sick Sound.

Photo taken on approach to Dallas by A Strangely Isolated Place.

Segue - The Here And Now

Segue’s big announcement to us all came through Silent Season last year with ‘Pacifica‘ [review here]- one of my favourite albums of 2013 and probably my #1 when it came to the more dub-techno-orientated bunch.

It seems like Jordan is probably one of the only people I know who can add a slice of positivity into dub-techno nowadays. And by that I mean, it’s pretty easy to become very sad and reflective whilst listening to this kind of music. However, Jordan manages to combine a certain combination of pace, instrumentalism and uniqueness with his approach. Instead of peering out onto the world, I find myself peering in, thinking of good memories, summertime and friends.

As soon as that synth kicks-in off the first track ‘Turning Patterns’, i’m smiling. It’s like the smile you get from a euphoric drop in a big techno track, but this one is the paced-down, perfectly executed, mellowed-out younger brother.  And that unexpectedness seems to be the theme of this beautifully original album.

One thing that’s a little different to ‘Pacifica‘, or even his earlier work on ‘Blue‘, is Jordan’s confidence in letting the instruments play bigger parts within the tracks on this album. Instead of hiding behind washes of ambience, the looping layers and melodies form a much more defined electronica-style approach, with tracks like ‘Sometimes’ or ‘Flood’, echo-ing the colourful palettes of Milieu, ISAN or Freescha.

Their’s a multitude of approaches here and you can tell Jordan has done his best to keep each track a development from the last. New instruments are introduced at every opportunity and a slightly new vibe from each keeps you hooked throughout. From the grainy churning of ‘Flood’ to the searing washes and unsettling undercurrent in ‘Settle Down’, to the rolling dub-beats from ‘All At Once’, you never quite know where this album is about to take you.

‘The Here And Now’ is an evolution in Jordan’s sound and his confidence. Dub-techno often gets labelled as boring or formulaic and it’s people like Jordan who are pushing the boundaries and merging the lines between genres. And like I said before, he’s one of the only few producers that manages to capture the positivity of it all. I hate labelling music into genres and this is a perfect example of why – just absorb the brilliance that Jordan has to offer.

Available as digital and CD through SEM.

The perfect storm: A night with Voices from the Lake, The Sight Below and Eddie Lee

A rave that would make anything in the 1990’s proud. A masterclass in techno. And a meeting of likeminded friends. It was the perfect storm.

My experience of Voices From The Lake before this party was as much as a large pair of headphones. I’ve heard their live sets were always pretty special and given this party was set to be held in a working glass-blowing factory, I could’t have imagined a better venue to be introduced to Donato Dozzy and Neel.

After grabbing some food and drinks in Capitol Hill, we headed downtown to meet up with fellow friends and music-heads Dustin Morris (Dewtone) and Jamie McCue (Silent Season). Sharing our excitement over what was to come, Dustin and Jamie had already checked-out the venue a few hours before; in the middle of nowhere under the freeway.

Turning up to a small entrance and a small queue at 10.30pm, we were greeted by smiling faces and friendly doormen – a rarity for today. Turns out I had bought one too many tickets so they kindly refunded me the extra. A short walk down a corridor with VFTL posters haphazardly slapped across emergency signs, the rumble from Eddie Lee was already at full techno BPM, pinging off the walls and around the corner.

The room was busy and people were already in mid-flow – pretty hard not to considering how big Eddie Lee was playing. The space was silhouetted with machinery, chains hanging from the ceiling and indistinct equipment ushered into each corner. A small table had been setup away from the main stage adorned with the LED’s from some very intricate gear – Rafael Anton Irisarri anxiously keeping guard against a crowd already rocking. A quick chat with Rafael, he was due to be on shortly, already changing up his set in his head to keep pace with the room. He later told me it’s pretty easy to do this when you have all the samples and equipment locked down – but people like him make everything seem easy… not many get to execute it so well.

Eddie Lee had done the job. The room was already buzzing and our immediate group was pretty excited to see how Rafael would react. Dimly lit but his equipment and arching over a low table, Rafael reset the crowd with his signature deep techno. To be perfectly honest, my review of the music from here-on-in is going to stop short, and be fuzzy at best. Rafael ditched any ambient stuff he may have had lined up and went for straight-up deep rumbling darkness. The odd clap crescendo and dirty bass made-up on the fly; Rafael’s set took the room up a few notches and before I had any time to reflect on what just happened, Raf hit the kill switch in the middle of a track – a pause like a shot of adrenalin. Before having a chance to realise Raf had finished, Voices From The Lake dropped their first beat and the room swivelled to the far corner to see the Italian Duo getting started.

As I said, i’m not going to be able to tell you exactly what happened from here on. Even my friend Dan who was nominated photographer for the night, failed to take one single photo of the Italians. We were gone. We were in.

I’m not too savvy on their setup (maybe one of you can help), but Dozzy seemed to be playing records, cutting in basslines as Neel headed up programming. At points, their beats where mismatched. At points, they looked at each-other with acknowledging glances- speed it up, slow it down, louder, bigger. This added to the magic of a performing duo. They stuck two middle-fingers up to anyone who doesn’t respect a laptop-oriented performance with a raw, mesmerising show and the whole room 100% locked-in. It was layered, it went to silly heights, it was dirty, it was massive.

Being surrounded by friends who you know are in-tune with what was happening made it even better. Everyone was loving it, and through the dimly lit room, warm with flickering furnaces and live glass-blowing from one corner, there were smiles for days. No pushing, nobody walking around getting in your way, and everyone with utmost respect for others, the music and the DJs; it was a special night that I don’t think will ever be replicated. the comments on the Facebook event page are proof it was just me and my friends enjoying the night – it was felt throughout the room.

Voices From The Lake played for four hours and had three encores. How they had enough material, or kept that room on a high for that long, is a testament to their ability as musicians. But, as a formula for all great nights, it wouldn’t have been the same without some great warm-up artists (Rafael and Eddie), like-minded friends (Dan, Dustin, Jamie, Raf, Rita, Tim), an amazing venue, a ridiculous sound system and a couple of hundred ravers. I didn’t realise parties like this could still happen. Thank you Seattle.

Incase you missed it, VFTL put together a lovely ambient mix last week for Beats in Space – far removed from what we experienced in Seattle, but a lovely hangover cure.

Header image courtesy of VFTL Facebook page (I told you we didn’t get any pics of them!) Above images of RAI taken by Dan Jones before he completely lost the plot on the night.

isolatedmix 43 - Need A Name (Chasing Dreams)

It’s pretty hard to stand out from the crowd nowadays. I’m seeing less and less focus on ‘big albums’ or month-long hyped releases, and more attention being paid to a constant stream of quality – artists engaging their fans, rewarding them for their ongoing compassion and dedication. Artists that are embracing this new type of free distribution see regular Soundcloud uploads, free EP’s on Bandcamp, public discussions on equipment and techniques, and productions in partner with similar artists from the other side of the world.

One artist that has embraced this approach is Dario Lupo. He makes no secret of the fact he is on a parallel journey with his listeners; encouraging feedback, and consistently getting involved with likeminded artists through remixes and compilation submissions. And it’s because of this approach that Need a Name’s “nostalgic ambient music, featuring larger-than-space reverbs” has hit a note with many of us over the past few years. He’s the epitome of what many of the artists featured on ASIP strive for – a community of listeners engaged on his every note, his every upload.

Dario’s 2013 track ‘Road to Berlin‘ was one of my favourites to emerge last year – and one of only a few which were a free download on my ‘Reflection on 2013‘ mix. More recently, he’s remixing the similarly talented ‘Umber’, taking an instrumental-ambient style into other realms. And earlier this week, another free download that would give the likes of Kiyoko a ride for their money, titled ‘Everything is moving, but not the sky‘.

Dario’s productions are reflective and packed full of lush, sunny memories. This style, combined with his open approach to music production are what make him so appealing to many of us sharing the space – and it’s clearly echoed through his isolatedmix. “A collection of new discoveries mixed together with artists who changed my life in past and are changing it right now”; Dario’s mix pays homage to his blissful production style and his many influences over the past few years. With Umber, Keith Kenniff, Brambles and Hammock on board, this is a journey which will undoubtedly make you sit back and reflect on the better things in life.

Download

Tracklist:

01. Hammock – In The Middle Of This Nowhere
02. Brambles – Half-Gramme Holiday
03. Drops – Autumn Walks
04. Random Forest – The Best Of Us
05. Cass. – Illinois 1880 (Part 1)
06. Naal – W
07. Talquin – Embers
08. Umber – Clémence
09. Mosaik – Aerial
10. Hammock – Shored Against the Ruins… Drowning In Ten Directions
11. Lowercase Noises – Beauty Into Wreck
12. Aural Method – Breathe Deep Your Chorus
13. Keith Kenniff – Portraits Pt. 1
14. Chris Tenz – Chapter Two

Need a Name Web | Facebook | Soundcloud | Twitter | Bandcamp