With productions dating back to 1994, James Bernard has gained a cult following for his combination of atmospheric analog beats and modular synthesizers. His debut album, ‘Atmospherics’ is often heralded as a classic by the diggers who stumble across it, and James’ 'Unreleased Works' are a hidden gem of early 90’s electronica (if you’re lucky enough to own a copy on CDR of course).
James has been busy experimenting and refining his modular setup over the years, to the extent that a full album of beautiful music, created live in one take on a sunny afternoon, comes to life once more here on ASIP.
‘Atwater', was performed live during a 2018 'Modular On The Spot’ event, held in Los Angeles’ North Atwater Park. With his custom analog modular rig, a small set of speakers and a generator, James took the afternoon audience on a glistening tour of the beautiful sounds to emerge from a Moog Mother 32, custom built filters and various Eurorack modular sequencers, modules and effects.
After hearing James' set, ASIP proposed presenting the music in permanent form for everyone who missed that special day. James initially took the chance to recreate the set and edit versions ready for a release, but after careful consideration, it was decided to release the raw unedited live version of his set (mastered by Rafael Anton Irisarri) forever cementing that special moment and irreplaceable emotion found in North Atwater Park that one afternoon.
Visit the release page for more info, the latest stockists and links to buy
Additionally, we had our very first label night to celebrate James’ release on Sunday 24th Feb, with James playing the record live on his modular setup, followed by an exclusive first-time performance of his classic record ‘Atmospherics’. James was supported by a lovely set from Hark Madley on modular.
Below, some pictures from the night.
A big thank you to Stellar Remnant for hosting us.