Yagya - Sleepygirls

The signing of Aðalsteinn Guðmundsson’s fifth album to Delsin Records is significant, not just for Guðmundsson, but for the genre he’s helped pioneer. Netherlands-based Delsin has been fostering well respected names like Mike Dehnert, Delta Funktionen, Redshape and Conforce for years, and has long been a beacon for techno’s elite. Despite the occasional leftfield signing (see John Beltran’s, “Amazing Things” last year), the label still very much caters to the DJ craft. This ensures plenty of deck-focused ears will be giving this record a listen and while the idea of mixing ambient-leaning techno is certainly nothing new, it’s been some time since we’ve seen it presented on this stage. With a decade’s worth of ground-breaking work under his belt, Yagya’s legacy will no longer remain quietly cherished by deep techno’s underbelly.

Sleepygirls brings forward some of the celebrated elements from Guðmundsson’s Rhythm of Snow and Rigning, revived with a fresh coat of low-end paint, live instrumentation and a couple of guest vocal performances. The album is entirely mixed and wastes no time immersing you in familiar warmth. There is such an effortless flow to Yagya’s sound and even though this challenges the album’s overall dynamic, there is a sense of reliable comfort in its consistency. Turn the album on and turn yourself off, it’s a wonderful escape.

Mid-way through we’re treated to some of Guðmundsson’s heaviest hitting material. This is still far from a club record, but there is a fresh, punchy energy to these tracks which is sure to please fans who were left longing for a bit more out of Yagya’s 2012, “The Inescapable Decay of My Heart”. There is also something about this genre and the world of jazz just seem to work so well. 8 tracks in, the pace plateaus allowing some tasteful improvisation to carry you effortlessly through. It couldn’t have been more perfectly timed and stood out as a highlight.

Fans are going to love Yagya’s fifth album. It doesn’t breakaway from tried and tested formulas of the past, but it refines enough of the edges to challenge its predecessors as the new favorite. It’s also the perfect introduction to his long line of work and fresh ears will undoubtedly be encouraged to go explore a discography many of us have been enjoying for some time.

Available on Delsin on 3xLP, CD and digital formats on 26th May.

ASIP - Accent / Sustain

I’ve been in Portland for over a year now and have met some amazing people who are pushing forward a thriving ambient/electronic scene.On May 21st, I’ve been invited to DJ at what should be one of the biggest events to hit the Portland ambient/electronica calendar, a night organised by Sanctuary Sunday and Lifelike Family, at the infamous local haunt, Holocene. It’s a night focused on the more dubby/ambient/electronic sound – somewhat of a rarity it seems, but a sound that has been bubbling up around Portland more recently. I’ll be spinning vinyl only in-between three amazing local live acts including Apartment Fox, Sunhammer and Ethernet.

Here’s a little preview, including a mix, a few words with the event organizer and a spotlight on the artists playing on the night.

Ranging from expansive ambient, to melodic dub-techno and slightly more electronic stuff, this mix was pretty fun to put together and I was lucky enough to include a track from Gidge which doesn’t come out until September (keep your eyes out for that, it’s an amazing album). Lots of stuff on here which has been covered on ASIP so it should provide a nice refresher for those familiar with the site.

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Tracklist:

01. The Green Kingdom – Untitled [Dronarivm]
02. Markus Guentner – Ashes [Moodgadget]
03. Heathered Pearls – The Worship Bell (Foxes in Fiction Tape remix) [Ghostly]
04. Textural Being – Sept [Energostatic]
05. Martin Nonstatic – Subatomic [Dewtone]
06. Doyeq – Soundsphere [Subspiele]
07. Purl – Essence [Dewtone]
08. Yagya – Snowflake 6 [Force Inc]
09. Desolate – Endurance [Fauxpas]
10. Gidge – Huldra (Atomnation]
11. Borealis – Nightfall (Ben Lukas Boysen remix) [Origami Sound]
12. Norge – 165 minutes With You (Markus Guentner remix) [ASIP]

Coco Madrid: Event Organiser / local legend / winner of busiest party schedule

And lastly, I had the chance to ask the event organiser, Coco a few questions. As one of the biggest advocates for this type of music in Portland for many years now, it seems like everything she puts her name to is a great success in bringing the community together. I bump into her at every gig in Portland and i don’t think this lady sleeps…

What’s the idea behind the night and what can people expect?

“The idea came from the showcase I did with the Closer Festival, Tim Westcott, and Mike Jedlicka last year. One of the artists that will be playing at Accent//Sustain – Sunhammer, was pretty much the source for the inspiration. He caught us all off guard by doing a more beat oriented set where he normally would have done a sleepy drone vibe. He went a whole other direction that really stuck in the minds of myself and collaborator from Lifelike Family Jay No Parades. After months of gushing over the experience we decided that we needed to present a Dub Ambient/Submerged Techno night to the community.

You can expect a total Audio/Visual experience. The line up will consist of 3 Live PA artists and 3 DJs who will be playing vinyl only all night. We are also excited to present two analog visual artists that will be doing a TV installation and Video Synth setup. Come vibe, get a brain massage, and maybe do a little body movement”.

It’s a bigger venue than some of your other nights you put on – what pushed you to Holocene?

“Yes the Ambient/Experimental night that I organize (Sanctuary Sunday) has been in smaller venues. I really prefer an intimate setting for that particular event because of the listening only experience I wish to provide. However, I do many other larger monthly events that aren’t Ambient/Experimental that happen to be at Holocene. So of course Holocene was a natural choice. It’s my home club and whenever I can do something other than the two main nights there (SNAP! and Booty Bassment) I will always default to that venue”.

How would you describe the Portland ambient/electronic scene at the moment? What makes it different to other cities?

“I see the Portland Ambient/Experimental scene getting a revival of sorts. I used to do Ambient/Experimental events with PRA (Portland Radio Authority) and Mike Jedlicka 7 years ago. At that time many events were centered around the old Apotheke venue. With the closing of that venue I saw a downfall in Ambient events plus I took a hiatus to join the Dance Scene”

Coming back to the scene I have noticed the old heads are still working to keep things going (shouts to Daniel Menche), a bunch of young kids doing experimental basement shows that are blowing minds (shouts to Antecessor and Mike’s Basement), and then new promoters/artists (shouts to Lifelike Family) that wanna breath new life into the scene. So right now it’s still a bit disconnected but I think that it’s moving towards more intertwining of the these groups.

I do make an effort to invite all three of these groups to participate in Sanctuary Sunday. The intention is to get people from behind their computers and interact with each other IRL. It makes for am more dynamic experience and spawns more collaboration between people who wouldn’t normally meet.

As far as other cities, I can not speak to that. I have lived here for 20 years and while I have been to many Ambient/Experimental shows in other cities I really didn’t get a concrete impression of those cities scenes”.

What would you like to see change to help accelerate the amazing talent in Portland?

“Portland mostly needs more venues. The talent that is here is amazing but we just don’t have enough quality space to accommodate them all. Also more communication between Promoters/Crews in regards to scheduling events. I mean it’s going to happen but more active communication could help with cross promotion and less conflicting scheduling”.

And lastly, who are some local artists you’re excited about?

“Right now I am excited about the new releases from Lifelike Family. They will be releasing music from two people that I am very interested in, Temple Maps and Andrew Weathers. Each are completely different from each other: Temple Maps being 8-bit dungeon dub bass while Andrew Weathers explores songs from a specific old hymn book that will showcase minimal choral and guitar arrangements.

Another artist would be someone who is from the basement scene and previous Sanctuary Sunday guest, Misandrist. Dude presents a dreamy brain massage that’s best experienced in a semi dark smoke filled room and I need more of it!”

Inventions - Inventions

This was easily one of the best surprises to emerge at the start of 2014. Matthew Cooper of Eluvium fame; hot on the heels of his amazing Catalin LP, and Mark T Smith, guitarist for the legendary post-rockers, ‘Explosions In The Sky’ announced that they would be collaborating on a new album together for Temporary Residence.

The album has been out for a while now and i’ve been in no rush to put any words out on it, as you can tell. Instead i’ve spent much of the past few months absorbing plenty of music, letting much of it wash over me and picking up some of the stellar pieces that stand strong weeks later.

The track ‘Entity’ was our first full preview of what to expect from these guys a few months back, and still remains my favourite. Distant guitar lulls wrapped in Matthews hypnotic ambience and a distorted, alien-like vocal. It’s a softly-softly approach and gently rocks you into the world that straddles these two musical minds.

‘Flood Poems’ is like an extended Explosions In The Sky intro, with Mark taking center stage over gentle percussion with a simple guitar melody. Five minutes in and the track has signature EITS all over it, slowly climbing into daybreak as the guitar layers grow.

The euphoria expands in ‘Luminous Insects’ as a synth takes the lead, contradicting the gentle rumbling and tinkering in the background and drowning out any improv the two may have been predicting in this track. It’s like they had a base and decided to layer on this trance-like synth to really stick it to us, should we be getting too comfortable with their sound.

Matthew’s processing comes to life in ‘Peaceable Child’ as the first track with any kind of beat. Delays, and echoes muddle a piano as the beat slowly preempts the layered guitars to follow. This prelude, a gentle and conceived attempt at disguising the power in ‘Sun Locations, Sun Coda’, as the incessant drumming builds into another slightly warped yet charming outro – sun reflecting off the tide as it retreats back into the Pacific.

The head-nodding and smiles which usually follow any EITS track come alive in ‘Recipient’. On the face, a raw drum, surrounded in distortion, locks you on to the subtle vocal and background melody changes. A perfect example of a track that needs to be listened to in it’s entirety – a crafted journey.

By the time you’ve got to ‘Psychic automation’, you’re in tune with what these two are doing. Their sound lies amongst a deep understanding of both genres at play – ambient and post-rock music, which are both built on very subtle changes, distant but engrossing melodies and above all, the ability to lose the listener amongst complex arrangements, story-lines and journeys. Intentional beginnings, middles and ends.

It wasn’t until I watched the below video that this all made sense. Jamming on the Oregon Coast, Matthew and Mark have taken advantage of the natural beauty, the slow-pace and the company of each-other to create a masterpiece true to them both. With Matthew’s style always hard to pin down, and Mark’s strong style threatening to over-shadow any kind of subdued intricacy, they’ve created a one-of-a-kind album that straddles the multitude of styles at play and it’s a beauty.

Available on Temporary Residence.

Purl - Behind Clouds

The man behind Dewtone’s very first release three years ago, Ludvig Cimbrelius, aka Purl, is back with another slice of ethereal electronica that once again sets both himself and the label apart from the rest.

Titled ‘Behind Clouds’, and with a stunning photograph from Denmark’s Christopher Landin, it’s easy to get lost amongst the lengthy journeys depicted on this album. Starting with the slow lull of guitars on ‘Is’, the track quickly develops into the signature warm, dubby sound we’ve come to love.

You’ll find only subtle differences in tempo and melody amongst the first few tracks. Instead, you’re drawn to focus on the expansive washes and distant voices. Lush valleys touching the sky come to life as you peer through the detailed green landscape. Subtle bells, whispering voices and echoes of tribal-calls whisked away in times-gone-by amongst edgy dubs, tiny claps and soaring pads.

Whatever comes first, either the track-name or the music, you’re lulled into vivid stories with each one. The fifteen-minute title track ‘Behind Clouds’ is slow-burning, swaying and bubbling behind a skewed view as the light finds its way through breaks in the sky. ‘Mushrooms’ approaches with more power, perhaps to signify the rapid formation of unusual clouds, brought to life by a subtle swirling of wind throughout the 9 minutes.

Cutting through the rest, is ‘Eagles’. A simple, soaring combination of textures are all that’s needed to bring this beautiful beast to life. He’s in autopilot as the clouds above him swirl, casting shadows on the fields below – nothing else matters.  And like a rapid dive into the thriving lands beneath, ‘Forest Nightfall’ screams life, movement and agenda, as the beats pick up and more obvious elements come to the foreground.

Then, as the forest begins to sleep and the canopy opens, ‘The Stars WIll Have An End’ performs the final sing and dance of the day; an echoing kick-bass, the subtle reminder that you’re not alone down there, as you peer up into the washes of disappearing cloud.

Available on Dewtone through Bandcamp.

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”

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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