Portals: Power Ambient

"Ambient as interesting as it is interesting"

The term Power Ambient is yes, another attempt at putting a badge or genre to a wide-encompassing range of music stylistically, but it’s one that I have often gravitated towards amongst many others when describing a particular style of music we are dealing with here.

When it comes to a spectrum of Ambient music styles, I’m more often than not on the ‘lean in’ side of things, than the ‘lean back’. It’s easy to throw up Brian Eno’s definition of Ambient music “…as ignorable as it is interesting” to help elaborate on what I mean, as essentially within a Power Ambient context, we are removing the desire to ignore it.

To put it another way, Power Ambient is best suited to those who want to immerse themselves in the music; the wall of sound; big movements; rumbling bass; wide frequencies, and layers of dense drones. These are elements that envelope a space in richness; be it soft and all-encompassing like a heavy blanket, or more on the noise spectrum, making your body rattle and the hairs on your neck stand-up on end. But the common output is that you're better off taking note of what's happening, than sticking it on in the background and making a cup of tea.

It’s not a new descriptive term. A 2014 Fact magazine article captured a few artists that seemed to be prevailing in this style, alongside a mix that Chris SSG loosely described as including Power Ambient (now Chris references his style as Big Room Ambient) and more. recently a Bandcamp list (although not sure all that stuff aligns with my own vision for it). There is no doubt in my mind, however, that a powerful style of Ambient music has exploded in recent years (as has the creativity of Ambient music in general, really). Perhaps this style has been more embraced due to a couple of things.

In dark times comes inherent anger and expression, and it’s pretty grim out there right now. For any music culture, this can often send people into darker production spaces. Secondly, I can feel an emerging undercurrent of rebellion for what ‘Ambient’ can stand for nowadays. With a world of meditative apps and ‘Piano Chill’ playlists continuing to give Ambient music a certain reputation, (at least we have moved on from Spa music, right?), I have a feeling this stereotyping is pushing producers, and even listeners to explore new styles of Ambient music, and opening doors into more expressive forms of music that stand out against an all too frequent beige playlist.

Don't get me wrong, this doesn't mean that Power Ambient is just noise and complexity for the sake of it (it can be) but like all music, there's an art to getting the balance right. For me, Power Ambient can range from relatively quiet, intense soundscapes with a mysterious underpinning, to just short of full-on Merzbow wall-shaking. Call it a version of Noise, Drone, Experimental, whatever, but wrapped in a different guise, it’s still bearable as Ambient music but stops short of becoming too much.

I wanted to highlight just a few of my favorite artists whose broad strokes defined ‘Ambient’ music, has always made me sit up and listen. As with all Portals features, I try to focus on a mix to bring the idea to life and a jump-off/entry point for the artists included. This was harder to mix than a regular DJ set, because of the inherent energy of Power Ambient music. Used consistently in a mix, at some point you're going to get burnt out and it will start to fade into the background just like listening to white noise. In my experience, Ambient tracks with force or energy are best used interspersed in sets to make people lean in and grab their attention, or as part of other styles to continue a certain level of energy (I’ve heard this type of music as an interlude in more heavy beat-driven sets for example). It can also work great as a live show where the listener knows what they are getting into already, of course (earplugs at the ready).

As a 1hr+ mix, I, therefore, had to be considerate of the energy and flow and tried to create a few distinct chapters with peaks and troughs and an easy onramp at the beginning.

I encourage you to use the links below to jump off into each artist’s universe on Bandcamp. Despite it being a relatively well-known list of musicians when it comes to the Ambient enthusiasts, I’ve tried to give a good snapshot of artists that might push into this style within some of their works, especially if any of this music is new to you.

RIP to two influential producers included in this mix, Cesar (Mount Shrine) and one of the greatest noise/experimental artists of our time, Mika Vainio.

Listen on Soundcloud, Mixcloud, Youtube (below), Spotify or the ASIP Podcast.

astrangelyisolatedplace · Portals Episode 11: Power Ambient

Download MP3

Tracklist:

01. James Murray - Second Sight (Home Normal)
02. Ameeva - Die Wellen (9128.live)
03. Faru - Mirror of Consciousness (Self released)
04. Sciama - Subsumed (Auxiliary)
05. Joachim Spieth - Akasha (Affin)
06. Abul Mogard - Against a White Cloud (Self released)
07. Leandro Fresco & Rafael Anton Irisarri - Baja dos Singlos (A Strangely Isolated Place)
08. Mount Shrine - Foggy Deck (Cryo Chamber)
09. Araceae - Gleaming Embers (Faint Music)
10. Markus Guentner - Cavus (A Strangely Isolated Place)
11. r beny - vestigial (Self released)
12. Caterina Barbieri - TCCTF (Important Records)
13. Christina Giannone - Realms II (Past Inside The Present)
14. Christina Vantzou - Glissando for Bodies and Machines in Space (Kranky)
15. Pechblende - Shackles of Time (Auxiliary)
16. Tim Hecker - Hatred of Music II (Kranky)
17. Bana Hafar - Intersecting Voids (Self released)
18. FRKTL - Scene I: Terra Nullius (Self released)
19. KMRU & Aho Ssan - Resurgence (Edit) (Subtext Recordings)
20. Mika Vainio - Kytkenta (Connection) (Touch)
21. Rafael Anton Irisarri - Arduous Clarity (Dais)
22. Mika Vainio - Unessa (Sleep) (Touch)

Also….

Portals: Energostatic (For Ukraine)

To help continue the much-needed support for the people of Ukraine, we have produced a compilation from one of our favorite Ukrainian-based netlabels, Energostatic Records. Released as part of our Portals deep dive series, the feature includes a remaster of specifically curated tracks, in both individual and mix form. These tracks are available on the ASIP Bandcamp page as Name Your Price, with all proceeds going to Save The Children and their specific activities supporting Ukraine at this time. A big thank you to label owner Marian for allowing this project to happen as he deals with life in Kyiv right now, the artists for their participation, and Rafael Anton Irisarri for kindly providing his mastering services. Also, an advanced thank you to all those who listen and support at this very important time.

~

‘Netlabels’ are essentially extinct in today’s music landscape by definition. Of course, there are still labels that just focus on digital releases, but Netlabels came about during a time when there were little to no platforms monetizing digital releases. Digital distributors were reserved for big or established labels as the streaming era ramped up. And Bandcamp didn’t exist.

Netlabels were the next logical step after the file-sharing era (Soulseek et al), where instead of P2P servers and software, artists and label began to push their own agendas online, making files available freely on the internet, often under a Creative Commons license and many through a myriad of MP3 blogs that powered this exciting period. It was also, somewhere at this point in time, coincidentally, that the very first iteration of ASIP was also born, diving deep into MP3 blogs and following various Netlabels religiously. Finding a Netlabel’s basic website or archive.org page was the Bandcamp profile of its day.

Energostatic was pretty late to the ‘Netlabel game’. Their first release didn’t arrive until 2010 when many Netlabels were either fizzing out already or converting to more modern release methods. But Energostatic’s ethos and approach to providing music against a strict aesthetic, for free, made them a torchbearer for the dying art of sharing music online through small yet beloved corners of the internet. As ASIP began in 2008, Energostatic was one of the many Netlabels I followed, and as curators of dub techno in various forms, they operated within another small yet burgeoning scene it seems, given dub-techno as a genre also seems to have dwindled in popularity in recent years.

The writing was perhaps, on the cards for Energostatic, as Marian ceased operations of the label in 2017. But with 49 releases, there was (and still is) a big chunk of music to dig into, which for anybody new to the label, could become a little overwhelming to discover, especially since that number includes several compilations with 20+ tracks each, and many of the artists don’t seem to be very active anymore.

To help support the people of Ukraine during this time in a small way, I reached out to label founder Marian to see if he would like to raise money through a compilation that spotlighted some of my favorite music from the label’s era. Marian had previously released as part of our early Places Series, as Marc Atmost, where he created a track based on some of his early memories in Ukraine (an unsettling and poignant listen under today’s circumstances). Today, Marian is on the ground in Kyiv, doing what he can to survive and support his community.

The majority of the Energostatic catalog is still available for free on Bandcamp, should you wish to explore it yourself. Ranging from Space Ambient to drone; dub-techno and DnB; it became a bittersweet task to sift through the hundreds of tracks and pull together this compilation for a good cause. With the owner and label based in Ukraine (if Netlabels were to even have a ‘base’ of course), the majority of the artists on the label were friends of Marian, so a good majority were Ukraine and Russia-based and a part of local music scenes in each country.

The compilation begins with one of the most gentle tracks you will find across the entire Energostatic catalog. Russian artist KaLGaN made a few appearances over the years, but was better known for his work as 110ml - responsible for the very first artist release on the label (Scratch me / Scratch you) and also included further on in the compilation with his 110ml track, Lights In Window.

Stellardrone (Lithuania), is one of the more well-known artists to be supported by Energostatic, and even made an appearance on the ASIP Full Circle compilation/LP a few years back, highlighting his importance in the evolution of my own musical journey. Edgaras’ music has always remained free on the internet and encaptures some of the finest Space ambient music in recent years. The piece included in the compilation, ‘Light Years’ is perhaps one of his darker, more sincere pieces amongst a stand-out catalog which has unfortunately not seen much activity in recent years

Textural Being (USA) (see isolatedmix29 also) is another artist who I have admired for a long time, and related to the above compilation was in my shortlist for inclusion on Full Circle. The track I had in mind at the time, however, didn’t quite fit the rest of the compilation. Serendipitously, Sept is my all-time favorite track by Sage Taylor / Textural Being, (amongst yet another expansive artist output) so it feels great to present this to a wider audience today.

Marc Atmost (Ukraine), as mentioned above, is the founder of Energostatic, and appears consistently across the label over the years through various guises and musical styles ranging from straight-up dub techno to DnB. This track, Deity is one of my favorites from his consistent output, capturing the very essence of spacious, melodic dub techno.

Olexa, (Ukraine) was a less prolific artist over the years with just one EP and several compilation appearances on Energostatic, but captured the deep dub techno sound aesthetic of the label to perfection.

Gapfield (USA), is a project from US-based Devin Underwood and Jacob Newman. Devin creates some amazing music across a variety of styles and aliases (such as Drexon Field - another fun project I love) and has made several appearances on the Energostatic label, most notably with a solid, straight-up dub-techno album as Specta Ciera (see isolatedmix19). Between Devin and Jacob, they can be found on some amazing ambient labels over the years, such as Carpe Sonum, Neotantra, dataObscura and Bludhoney Records. Their Gapfield project, is definitely one that may have flown under the radar amongst their solid output.

Technicolour’s (UK) ‘Permafrost’, has always been a stand-out track for me on Energostatic and his only appearance on the label. I included it in many of my DJ mixes years ago, and it broke the mold in the label’s beginnings with its Autonomic sound and rampant amen breaks, whilst remaining true to the deep and introspective atmosphere the label ended up pushing. But it wasn’t until seeking permission to include this track did I come to realize that Technicolour, aka Peter Rogers, was in fact, Wardown, who released one of my favorite Drum'n bass albums of 2020 on Blu Mar Ten’s label.

Permafrost could be the apex of compilation, but the journey needed a minute to breathe after that kind of energy, which is where Ayqix’s (Argentina) Raymi (Coldest Version) came into play. The Buenos Aires musician provides an airy respite towards the end of the compilation before the energetic finale, very much reminiscent of the early minimal techno days of Traum Schallplatten.

Closing out the compilation, Enformig, was a Ukrainian Techno producer based in Kharkov who unfortunately died in 2019. His appearances on the label were always met with such high praise and support on social media from Marc, especially for his hardware-driven live sets. This track is perhaps, one of his finest moments from the Energostatic catalog and provides a momentous, energetic and liberating closing chapter to the compilation.

Energostatic’s label motto was "Reach, resist, research”. Label owner Marian didn’t have the time or capacity to answer any of my questions related to its meaning on top of his urgent life on the ground in Kyiv, but I couldn’t help relate this motto to a higher meaning and reminder as I thought about his and many other people’s lives in Ukraine.

Thank you for reading, listening and reflecting.

Support the compilation on Bandcamp with all proceeds going to Save The Children and their Ukraine efforts.

~

Podcast link.

Portals: Classic Trance Loops (Hypnotised)

Our next deep dive for the Portals series sees a revisit to a genre of music that heavily influenced ASIP growing up. Yes, cheese-and-chords in their full glory; classic Trance music.

Love it or hate it, I embrace classic Trance music for its brilliance of the time, and the impact it had on me (and indeed electronic music) growing up. I’ve mentioned before how the chill-out side of Trance music was one of the many avenues to open me up to more electronic ambient music. But this isn’t the path we ended up taking for this Portals feature…

This mix doesn’t come about by chance, or due to the fact that Trance is back in style (thanks to a number of techno DJs integrating some big Trance hits into their sets, or full releases getting the remix treatment 25 years later). It’s a mix I have considered making for a long time, where I could make use of my shelves full of Trance vinyl. But over the past year or so, I have been in conversation with Arjan Rietveld who has recently published an entire book called ‘Hypnotised: A Journey Through Trance Music (1990-2005)’ - a deep dive/encyclopedia on the classic Trance sound, that covers “its proto to seminal periods, through to its ascendance and glory years”, across “500 essential records, 75 record labels and 25 albums, with in-depth interviews with 35 influential artists and label owners”. [buy]

It’s the first book of its kind, and for anyone who enjoys the sweet spot of classic Trance music in the late 90’s and early 00’s, it’s an unmissable factoid and commentary on the prime era of the scene. I wanted to support this new encyclopedic endeavor even further and had the idea to pull together some kind of mix here on ASIP to also shine a light on the launch of the book; on the many angles of classic Trance music; and also invite Arjan to provide a bit more detail surrounding his passion project (which follows further below) to round out the feature into a full-on Trance deep dive.

Originally, I wanted to pull together the ambient-leaning side of Trance music - a side that is often misunderstood as questionable chill out music (i.e the ‘Chilled Euphoria’ series) or when done well, many of Global Underground’s Electric Calm mixes by The Forth, and the second CD of this Platipus Beginners Guide. But what may have been originally conceived as an Ambient Trance mix for this Portals feature, quickly took a new direction.

For me to highlight the many Ambient Trance genres, sub-genres and styles, became a daunting task. It’s something that can go many ways depending on your upbringing (and geographic location), such as early 90’s psy/goa in style, acid+breaks, Ambitrance, Euro-trance remixes, or even the 00’s Space-Ambient style. All are often grouped around an ‘Ambient Trance’ notion, depending on your own subjective experiences, and it quickly became a massive task to whittle it down to one mix without going all genre-police on myself. So instead, I came up with a different concept and approach, taking inspiration from Arjan’s book title ‘Hypnotised’, the period, labels and artists that are a part of the book, and the idea of providing “a journey through Trance music”... 

What could be more hypnotizing than Trance music itself? 

The result is the accompanying mix, titled Classic Trance Loops, which was created by sampling specific segments of vinyl records from my collection.

Each sample was ripped, digitized, and played back/edited live on CDJ’s looping feature, and further re-recorded as a continuous max~3-minute looped section. Then, it was all compiled into one mix in Ableton. (Note, I fully understand there is likely a much easier way to do this with various bits of gear, samplers, Ableton etc, but I enjoyed the process of doing it this way, as it both made me revisit my record collection and mess with my CDJs, which is a treat and a rarity nowadays - I’m a tactile DJ at heart). 

Once the core of the mix was compiled in Ableton, I realized it could do with some finessing by someone who knew a lot more about the tool than I do. (I know enough to be dangerous, and with 50+ tracks, multiple sample levels, vinyl noise, and tonnes of loops, it needed a bit of love and external ears). So, as lost brothers in Trance, and one of the best DJs I know, I handed the project off to my good friend todos, who ran the project through his extremely detail-oriented ear, to clean up the sound, artifacts, levels, adding some effects, and giving it a polish (as much as I could have set him up to polish it anyway - ‘You can’t polish a turd, but you can throw glitter on it’, the wise man once said). The end result is a true collaboration between us both which I’m also very proud of making happen. todos will modestly tell you he didn’t do much, but trust me, he did, and I publicly apologize here to todos for so many versions back and forth!!

Ultimately, the mix is a quick-moving snapshot of some of the finest classic Trance moments, without you ever needing to hit the club (unless you’re ok dancing and waiting forever for the drop). It tantalizes those memorable moments found in breakdowns or the euphoric signature synth lines, reminding you of special melodies that will undoubtedly come flooding back in a second. Plenty of classic Trance tracks and loops were recorded in preparation and were unfortunately left on the chopping board, but it was a tough enough job to get these ones sounding (relatively) coherent.

Note, it’s not the expected ambient that you see around these parts either, if that’s what you’re here for. But it is definitely sequenced for more downs than ups; suiting a more horizontal/storied listen;  and is hopefully a journey within itself. In a similar way to how I approached the Portals KLF (A New Dimension) mix, it’s meant to be a fun listen and to compliment this feature as a whole. We hope it stirs some moments of joy and reflection to whatever clubs, fields, beaches, or mega-clubs you grew up listening to this music in. Bedroom DJ’s unite.

If the music and mix itself wasn’t enough to take you back to the euphoric highs of Gatecrasher, Home, Amnesia, Cream, et al, then a take a read of a slightly deeper dive into the UK impact on this classic Trance sound, courtesy of Hypnotised author, Arjan Rietveld.

British labels: sanctuaries of trance

[Text by Arjan Rietveld, based on the book ‘Hypnotised A Journey Through Trance Music’]

The United Kingdom played an elemental role in the development of trance music across the globe. Aside from the thriving club scene making moves within the country during the roaring nineties, a string of independently operated record labels had already stepped up to chart new musical territories.

In the early nineties, British artists such as Jeremy Dickens, Paul Oakenfold and Simon Berry noted the potential of electronic music and quickly seized the opportunity to set up their own ventures. Each of them started to release material from themselves as well as their network of friends. Meanwhile, 12’’ vinyl records were in demand, as both DJs and collectors preferred the format. Henceforth, it wasn’t unusual for those early labels to sell five-digit quantities of a single record.

Looking back, the most successful ventures took a more broad-minded musical approach, and by doing so, found new paths for the electronic sound to reinvent and expand. Following their efforts, those artists who set up a label themselves also crafted excellent opportunities to put themselves on the global music map. They were able to create a wide network across the industry, whilst also having their name directly connected to each and every record that came out on their label.

Founded in 1986, FFRR was the first label to cast its nets far and wide when it came to dance music. The platform made some big moves in signing a stable of top-shelf hip-hop and R&B acts, early house producers as well as electronic artists within its first years of existence. In 1989, Paul Oakenfold set up Perfecto as a natural extension of his Spectrum club night. In consecutive years, Hooj Choons (1991), React (1991) and Platipus (1993) were added to the ever-growing list of defining electronic music imprints that reached far beyond British territories. 

In the slipstream of these platforms, specialised labels such as A Trance Communication Release, Bedrock, Deviant, Silver Planet and Xtravaganza stepped up to offer neatly curated releases. Meanwhile, platforms like Global Underground and Renaissance jumped into the opportunity of pushing the artist-led mix series format, thereby playing a decisive role in making the ‘late’ progressive trance sound available to a more diverse and global audience.

The commercial success of the independent market didn’t pass unnoticed. As a response, various major publishers set up trance-dedicated sub-branches that put their competitive edge to good use to penetrate the market and reap maximum benefits from the continuously growing market that trance then represented. Publishers such as EMI (with its Additive and Positive branches) and Mercury (with Manifesto) pushed more commercial sounding dance acts to the fore. For instance, dance acts such as Fragma, Ian Van Dahl and Lasgo were all familiar with popular British TV programs like Top Of The Pops.

With the competition between actors raging, the digital shift of paradigm that came with the new millennium created new challenges for independent labels. Many labels were simply not able to cope with the sudden upsurge of illegal downloads from websites such as Napster and Soulseek - and its negative impact on physical sales. Most platforms - including Hooj, Platipus and React - soon vanished into thin air, or magically resurfaced only years later. 

One exception is Oakenfold’s Perfecto. The imprint managed to withstand the test of time by becoming more flexible and adapting their policies to this intricate new reality. Interestingly, the label still puts out high-principled, and mostly goa-infused, material on a regular basis. After over thirty years of operation, that’s an achievement in its own right. - Arjan Rietveld

~

Trance Loops, was sampled, recorded and mixed by ASIP. Engineered, further effects, finesse and icing-on-the-cake by todos. 

Listen on Soundcloud, Mixcloud, Youtube (below) or the ASIP Podcast.

astrangelyisolatedplace · ASIP & todos - Portals Episode 10: Trance Loops (Hypnotised)

Download MP3

Tracklist:

(Tracks are all loops - bar one, I think - in rough order of play, some play numerous times, or play over/with multiple other tracks. Some, may be specific remixes that I have lost full naming of through the process of re-naming and sampling, unfortunately, but I’ve done my best to name the specific remix if applicable). 

Jonah - Sssst (Listen) [VC] [1999]
Robert Miles - Children [Platipus] [1995]
Sasha & Maria - Be As One [Deconstruction] [1996]
Sasha  - Xpander [Deconstruction] [1999]
Frontside - Dammerung [Venus] [2003]
Albion - Air [Platipus] [1998]
Freefall ft Jan Johnston - Skydive [Renaissance] [1998]
Nalin & Kane - Beachball [ffrr] [1998]
Schiller - Das Glockenspiel [Data] [2001]
C.M - Dream Universe [Hooj] [1998] 
Jam & Spoon - Stella [R&S] [1992]
Blank & Jones - Cream [Deviant] [1999]
Lost Tribe - Gamemaster [Hooj] [1999]
Lost Witness - Happiness Happening (Lange Remix) [Ministry] [1999]
Robert Miles - Children [Platipus] [1995]
Ayla - Ayla (DJ Taucher Mix) [Positiva] [1999]
Kamaya Painters - Wasteland (Hitchhiker remix) [Data] [1999]
Push - Universal Nation [Inferno] [1999]
Atlantis vs Avatar - Fiji (Lange mix) [Inferno] [1999]
Skip Raiders feat. Jada - Another Day (Brainbug mix) [Perfecto] [1999]
Brainbug - Another Day (Perfecto remix) [Additive][1996]
CRW - I Feel Love [Nukluez] [2000]
Jam & Spoon - My First Fantastic F.F [R&S] [1992]
Energy 52 - Cafe Del Mar (Solar Stone remix) [Hooj] [1997]
Art of Trance - Madagascar (Michael Woods Chill-Out remix) [Platipus] [2002] 
Space Manoeuvres - Stage One [Hooj] [1999]
Junk Project - Composure [Universal Prime Breaks] [1998]
Pete Lazonby - Sacred Cycles [Hooj] [1994]
BT - Flaming June (BT + PVD mix) [Perfecto] [1997]
Agnelli & Nelson - Embrace [Xtravaganza] [2000]
Nalin & Kane - Beachball [ffrr] [1998]
Salt Tank - Eugina (Reactivation mix) [Lost Language] [2000]
Binary Finary - 2000 (Jam X & DuMond's Rmx) [Orbit records] [2000]
Energy 52 - Cafe Del Mar (Nalin & Kane mix) [1998] [Hooj]
Age of Love - Age of Love [React] [1998]
Da Hool - Meet Her At The Love Parade (Nalin & Kane remix) [Kosmo] [1997]
Taucher - Waters (Waters III) [Quad] [1998]
Stef, Pako & Frederik – Seaside Atmosphere (Evolutions Donkey Derby Mix) [Coded][1999]
Paul Van Dyk - For An Angel (Way Out West remix) [Deviant] [1998]
Space Manoeuvres - Stage One [Hooj] [1999]
Faithless - Salva Mea (DTs Mix Show Edit) [Arista] [1997]
BBE - Seven Days & One Week (Kai Tracid Remix) [Urban] [1999]
Three Drives - Greece 2000 [ZYX music] [1998]
Agnelli & Nelson - Hudson St [Xtravanganza] [2000]
X-Cabs - Neuro 99 (Additive mix) [Hook] [1999]
Moonman - Galaxia [Heat] [2000]|
Y Traxx - Mystery Land (Fontaine & Vern mix) [FFRR] [1998]

Portals: Atmospheric Drum & Bass Vistas

After we announced Illuvia’s, ‘Iridescence of Clouds’ on the label earlier this year, the nostalgia and admiration for atmospheric Drum and Bass within both myself (and I’m sure many of you) it seemed, was quick to rear its head once again. There were two things I wanted to make sure would happen around the same time of the Illuvia release. First, was inviting Ludvig (Illuvia) to record an isolatedmix with some of his many inspirations behind the record (listen here), and second, to create an in-depth Portals feature on the genre. Not only to keep the conversation going but for me to also learn a thing or two, amongst a style I would never profess to be an expert in.

There are no-doubt many experts on the atmospheric Drum and Bass genre, and indeed, many artists to this day still creating music in this style who would be more than suitable to provide a feature. But there’s been one blog/website that I can draw many parallels to ASIP in approach, that also obsesses over this style of music and became the perfect candidate to help out.

Spyros Papatzitzes began God Is No Longer A DJ in 2012 and the blog has become (like many ‘blogs’ nowadays) a rare gem of a resource on the Drum and Bass genre.

Paraphrasing Nick Horby: “What came first, the music or the obsession?” 

I’ve always had this vague idea of keeping a musical diary to capture blurry memories and reflect on the arrogance and naivety of an earlier life I wasn’t quite ready to leave behind, with drum & bass being the focal point. Thoughts and scribbled notes gradually took the form of this blog, which went timidly online in 2012. Fast-forward to the present, this has been a unique opportunity to connect with some of my musical icons, as well as with many like-minded people across the world and celebrate the music we all love. 

Along the years, the content and the scope of the blog expanded to contemporary music, as well as non-d&b material, mainly ambient and modern electronica; music I enjoy when I am not listening to drum & bass, emphasizing on the ‘encyclopedic’ aspect, if I am allowed this self-indulgent term. - Spyros/God Is No Longer A DJ

It was an easy decision to invite Spyros to help create this Portals feature, and along with his encyclopedic knowledge and passion, he partnered up with an old friend, DJ Sin, whom he used to run a DnB radio show with to provide the Portals-specific mix. For this accompanying journey, all tracks were hand-picked from Spyros' record collection bar three, (‘Callisto’, ‘Icefields of Proxima’ and ‘Exhale’) which are only available in digital format.

When I started listening to drum & bass I was intrigued, inspired and seduced by the faceless mystique and the self-reliant attitude of so many artists and labels exploring this bold new cultural form. That experimental fearlessness, an entry point and an outlier both at the same time, captured a vital moment – one that could probably never be replicated – where no approach was off-limits. In the early 90s, the connections with my musical heroes were the odd dj gig, cassette tapes changing hands, magazines and the liner notes/credits on the record sleeves. Then the internet revolution came, which provided a portal to a (brave) new world and unprecedented access to all of us who had been on the outside looking in.

Tracks with long intros, string sections, artful vocal fragments and long emotional breakdowns, which sometimes had been met with cynicism, became an art form with an elevated degree of musicality, rather than formulaic dj tools to facilitate the transition from one track to another. It’s beautiful music inviting the listener to a long idyllic journey, beyond the walls of a mundane reality. 

So, essentially, this playlist consists of snapshots that capture and reflect various moments from my musical journey in the realm of atmospheric music (and drum & bass in particular) for more than 25 years. To be more precise, as I see purists’ eyebrows raising already, there’s a handful of tracks here that are not bona fide d&b, but I’d still argue that they fit in terms of tempo and overall aesthetic and demonstrate the evolution of the atmospheric sound, explicitly representing a counterpoint to the misconception that drum & bass is a musical genre with emphasis on fast beats, which are resolutely cold and mechanical.

I contemplated too long about which tracks should feature on this list, applying some self-imposed restrictions. If I were to compile this list again, it would probably be different, but I had to draw the line somewhere. On reflection though, every single entry is a track I wish I’d written. - Spyros/God Is No Longer A DJ

We hope you enjoy reflecting upon the greats of the style or discovering something new amongst one of electronic music’s most beloved genre ‘glues’ - whether it’s forming a bridge between Ambient music, Jungle or Dub - Atmospheric Drum and Bass has continued to be a genre loved by the majority of electronic music’s followers in some shape or form, whether they know it or not. Spyros has done an amazing job going into detail on the music included here, so grab your headphones, hit play, and carve out some time to admire the storied commentary behind the music behind one of the genres most passionate writers and collectors.

A big thank you to Spyros, and DJ Sin for the effort and detail.

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astrangelyisolatedplace · ASIP - Portals Episode 9: Atmospheric Drum & Bass Vistas

Full Mix Tracklist (Track Notes + introductions + links, ordered by year of official release follow below)

01. Photek – T-Raenon (Op-Art, OP1, 1996)
02. Ulrich Schnauss & ASC – 77 (Auxiliary Music, AUX007, 2012)
03. Akasha ‎– Brown Sugar (PFM’s Cosmic Journey Mix) (Wall Of Sound, WALLT028X, 1997)
04. Bungle – Astral Travel (Soul:r, SOULR060, 2013)
05. Jonny L – Underwater Communication (XL Recordings, XLT74PR2, 1996)
06. Voyager – Apollo (Good Looking Records, GLR027, 1998)
07. Blu Mar Ten – Believe Me (Blu Mar Ten Music, BMT002, 2009)
08. Bop x Synkro – Blurred Memories (Punk’s Not Dead LP, MEDIC41LP, Med School, 2014)
09. Omni Trio – Who Are You? (Aquasky Mix) (Haunted Science LP, Moving Shadow, ASHADOWLP6, 1996)
10. Forme – New Element (Headz 2A, Mo’Wax, 1996)
11. Justice – Aquisse (Pseudo Jazz EP, Basement Records, BRSS54, 1996)
12. Om Unit – Adventures in Eden (Torchlight Vol. 2, Cosmic Bridge, CBR014, 2016)
13. Future Engineers – Exhale (Exhale EP, Transference Recordings, TRF003, 2013)
14. KMC – Space Echo (Partisan Recordings, PART015, 1998)
15. Aural Imbalance – Icefields Of Proxima (Legacy LP, Cadence Recordings, CADLP001, 2012)
16. Seeka – Momento (Modern Urban Jazz 01, Creative Wax, CWLP001, 1997)
17. Intense – The Genesis Project (Earl Grey Remix) (Rugged Vinyl, RUGGED17, 1996)
18. Wax Doctor – Offshore Drift (R&S, RS96103, 1996)
19. Alaska – Jasheri (v2) (Arctic Music, AM009, 2017)
20. Klute – Angel Makers (Read Between The Lines LP, Commercial Suicide, SUICIDELP018, 2017)
21. Boymerang – Soul Beat Runna (Regal, REG14, 1997)
22. Naibu – Opium Lady (Horizons Music, HZN030, 2008)
23. Shogun – Together (Nautilus EP, Renegade Recordings, RR008, 1996)
24. Seba – Dangerous Days (Warm Communications, WARM015, 2009)
25. Eschaton – Callisto (Drum & Space Vol. 2 LP, Omni Music, OMNI016, 2013)
26. dBridge & Instra:mental – Translucent (Sepia Tones EP, Darkestral, DARKESTRAL 004/005, 2009)

~
Artwork photo by Spyros P: “I took the original photo on a cloudy November afternoon in 2017. The view is from the hill where Glasgow Necropolis is located, the 19th century Victorian cemetery overlooking the city. The still loosely reminded me of the record sleeve of the Trans-Central Connection, one of the Moving Shadow regional compilations in the 90s and I tried to capture that moment. ”
~

Photek – T’Raenon
(Op-ART, OP1, 1996)

Rupert Parkes’ and Kirk De Giorgio’s long-term friendship culminated into a record which introduced, for the first time, the crossover sensibility that earned Photek a record deal with Virgin’s sub-label Science and catapulted him to mainstream fame. Rupert and Kirk used to exchange studio tips and rare records to sample from and ‘KJZ’ from Photek’s seminal ‘Modus Operandi’ stands for Kirk’s Jazz. 

Written for De Giorgio’s imprint Applied Rhythmic Technology ‘T-Raenon’ is a tribute to techno and its Detroit origins within a drum & bass context. The EP includes an elegant extended version, where Photek replaces his signature breaks with techno kick drums and celestial snares that still carry the production prowess and majesty of his previous works.

Omni Trio – Who Are You? (Aquasky Mix)
(Haunted Science LP, Moving Shadow, ASHADOWLP6, 1996)

Robert Haigh is a seasoned musician and one of the most respected artists in drum & bass. Under his d&b alias Omni Trio he enjoyed a glistering, prolific and acclaimed recording career with Moving Shadow, especially throughout the 90s. With five personal albums, dozens of stellar singles, EPs and remixes, including an endless list of drum & bass anthems like ‘Renegade Snares’, he garnered universal recognition and praise from his peers and fans alike, despite keeping a low, often mysterious profile. 

The Aquasky remix is taken from ‘Haunted Science’, Omni Trio’s 2nd album for Moving Shadow. Robert Haigh’s extended artist profile and discography highlights from the blog’s archive here.

Justice – Aquisse
(Pseudo Jazz EP, Basement Records, BRSS54, 1996)

Named after a short-lived dilutable soft drink ‘Aquisse’ is a track with anthemic status and probably the one Justice has been most associated with and he’s proudest of. How the track came about has been well documented; one of those precious moments when it becomes apparent that something special has been created. Justice used to work with Vinyl Distribution at the time, who signed it for Basement Records and a couple of weeks later it was licensed by R&S for their ‘In Order To Dance Vol. 6’ compilation. To celebrate the track’s 15th anniversary in 2010, an Aquisse remix project brought it up to date for a new generation of d&b fans including also the original mix and the ’06 reboot by Justice & Neil Trix. 

‘Aquisse’ is set for a re-release on a vinyl pressing of Justice’s debut album ‘Viewpoints’ this year (fingers crossed!). It was due last year, but circumstances delayed it. It has a fully redesigned artwork and contains all the tracks from the LP on vinyl this time around. Also at some point, there will be a few ‘Aquisse’ re-workings dropping on a limited edition lathe cut.

Shogun – Together
(Nautilus EP, Renegade Recordings, RR008, 1996)

Under the Shogun guise, Oliver Lomax released a string of brilliant classics for Trouble On Vinyl, Renegade and R&S. After signing with Good Looking Records, Lomax adopted the Artemis moniker, which became synonymous with GLR’s deep, atmospheric drum & bass sound, also taking over engineering duties for various GLR artists. He also formed the one-off project Machine with Danny Coffey (Endemic Void) for Creative Wax. The precursor to the Machine project was Shogun’s beautiful re-interpretation of Endemic Void’s ‘Hydrosphere’, the opening track to the ‘Equations LP’. A little fan fact: On the back sleeve production credits of the ‘Modern Urban Jazz’ compilation (CWLP001, 1997) Oliver Lomax is referred to as S. Gunn (a nod to his Shogun alias).

Despite being overshadowed by the undisputed classic ‘Nautilus’ on the flipside, I’ve always had a soft spot for ‘Together’, hence its place in this list. 

Jonny L – Underwater Communication
(XL Recordings, XLT74PR2, 1996)

Inspired by the tectonic shift in sound that paved the way for the emergence of techstep, Jonny L (John Lisners) released his seminal debut LP ‘Sawtooth’ with a glowing return to his hardcore breakbeat origins (he’s been label-mates with The Prodigy at XL Recordings until 1999). Combining the immediacy of techno with the raw edge of drum & bass and delicate synths with retrofitted 303-style acid effects, Jonny L created a drum & bass staple, although apparently it was not premeditated:

“Sawtooth is a mix of sounds I was into at that time. I wasn’t completely sure what I was doing. I knew how I wanted it to sound, so it was a matter of putting that into reality as best I could. I wasn’t trying to make a statement. I was interested in topics like life and space, and using those themes in the music.” – Jonny L

‘Piper’ and ‘Tychonic Cycle’ have been the obvious hits from ‘Sawtooth’, however, it’s ‘Underwater Communication’ (taken from the 2nd part of the promotional 10” single series) which has resonated with me the most. When dolphins sing …

Wax Doctor – Offshore Drift
(R&S, RS96103, 1996)

Wax Doctor (Paul Saunders), who started djing in the late 80s juggling part-time mixing and a promising footballing career (!), eventually made his discography debut on Basement Records in 1992. One of the originators of jungle techno, with clear Detroit influences instilled into his productions, alongside recording partner Alex Reece, Wax Doctor helped into shaping the early sound of Metalheadz, Precious Material and Creative Wax, before drifting towards the mellower and jazzier side of the spectrum for Talkin’ Loud and R&S.

“I've played abroad and people try to dance to the actual breakbeat, but it's the soul inside the breakbeat you have to go for. Some jungle tunes are slower than garage, and if you can't hear it, I think you haven't got any soul”. – Wax Doctor

In a plethora of classics, I’d argue that ‘Offshore Drift’ is Saunders’ magnum opus and can be also found into his retrospective compilation ‘Selected Works 94-96’ (R&S, 1998).

Intense – The Genesis Project (Earl Grey Remix) (Rugged Vinyl, RUGGED17, 1996)

Intense (Dan Duncan, Simon Vispi & Beau Thomas) have been one of the most innovative and exciting production outfits that have graced drum & bass. From their UK hardcore origins to their live PAs accompanied by a full band under their brand name, their sound has been rich with ingenious and ground-breaking ideas, even when electronic dance music was limited to standard analogue sounds. Their unique studio approach, the polar opposite of calculated austerity, mapped jazz free form sensibility into a drum & bass context, sprinkled with the stardust of avant-garde ambience and nouveau funk, ripping the seams of technology and recasting the fragments into new alluring shapes and structures.

Transitioning from the hardcore fringes to the emerging drum & bass sound, Intense made a statement of intent applying a cinematic outlook to their productions for Rugged Vinyl. Drawing inspiration from a wide palette of sounds, from cult sci-fi and horror films (‘Predator’, ‘Army of Darkness’) to Enya’s dreamy pop, Aaliyah’s and Mary J Blige‘s diva vocal lines, they forged an idiosyncratic yet distinctive musical profile, which cemented their reputation. However, it would be their jazz and rare groove aesthetic influences that would open the door to fame and a worldwide audience.

Counter-intuitively, I have chosen the Earl Grey remix instead of the original version of ‘The Genesis Project’, partially because it featured in one of my favourite mixed CDs (LTJ Bukem - The Rebirth); every track from that mix could/should be on this playlist.

Forme – New Element
(Headz 2A, Mo’Wax, 1996)

Forme is the recording moniker Richard File (aka DJ Aura) used for one of the most venerated atmospheric d&b classics of the 90s ‘New Element’. He later resurrected the project for Adam Freeland’s Marine Parade label. Originally hidden in the Mo’Wax ‘Headz 2A’ compilation and featuring on the mixed CD version of ‘Logical Progression’, as well as on Bukem‘s legendary 1996 Essential Mix (BBC Radio 1, 24-03-1996), ‘New Element’ has recently got a new lease of life with a new track on the flip-side by the Russian label Okbron. Another previously unreleased track from that mix and well-sought after by Bukem aficionados (‘G-Force – Proximity’) is also available now from Okbron.

Seeka – Momento
(Modern Urban Jazz 01, Creative Wax, CWLP001, 1997)

Justice is credited with the discovery of the unsung, but incredible talents of Seeka (Alex Blyth); the electronic reverie ‘Momento’ being my personal highlight from the ‘Modern Urban Jazz LP’. Blyth’s discography debut, as ½ of the production outfit Protaflight, had been released by the obscure Basement offshoot Test Press Records. Although Seeka’s releases have been only a handful (for Modern Urban Jazz, Terry Wilson’s Funk 21 and Nu Directions), each and every-one is outstanding.

“Seeka I had discovered early in the year in a studio I was using at the time in London called ‘New Age’. I had arrived early for my slot one evening and found a young guy producing some of the most interesting d&b I had heard for a while. I subsequently released two of these tracks as a 12”, MJAZZ 004, ‘Divers’ and ‘Wasteland’ and still had a track left on the DAT which was ‘Momento’, so it was an easy choice to include it, as along with all his productions it was some of the most challenging and different d&b around that time. Just as a side note, when I refer to the music now as d&b, I never really considered it much then. I know that may sound strange, but I think we always operated as outsiders, I personally always felt on the outside looking in, which is why the Glider-State track was called so. It was always much more about the vibe of the track and its sound, texture and how they fitted together or sounded alongside one another. Seeka’s stuff was just that, I never heard it and thought that’s a stunning d&b track, I always just thought that’s a great sounding track that fits in with the ethos of what we were doing or are about” – Tony ‘Justice’ Bowes

“Seeka casts his mind back, a memory that is a soundscape created by melodic strings and electro funk beats” – MUJ Liner Notes

Akasha ‎– Brown Sugar (PFM’s Cosmic Journey Mix) (Wall Of Sound, WALLT028X, 1997)

“I am the first word in motion, my moments are eternities…”

PFM (stands for Progressive Future Music) is a drum and bass outfit synonymous with the atmospheric and mellower side of drum and bass. PFM were formed in Suffolk by Mike Bolton and Jamie Saker, after meeting with Bukem in the early 90s, who eventually convinced them to enter the studio a few years later. They returned the favour with a string of seminal classics for Bukem’s labels. Around 1997, Saker left PFM and Bolton effectively continued the project solo with remarkable success, establishing himself as one of the most in-demand cross-genre remixers. PFM has remixed: Art Of Noise, Lisa Moorish (Saker is credited also for the remix of ‘Love For Life’), David Holmes, Mandalay, Mulu, Eat Static, Trickbaby, Espiritu, Forces Of Nature, Lil’ Louis & The Party and Akasha.

Akasha (Charlie Casey & Damian Hand) formed in 1994 in Brixton and released their debut EP on Wall of Sound the same year. Following a performance at Glastonbury’s Jazz Stage, Akasha released the singles ‘Spanish Fly’ and ‘Brown Sugar’, foreshadowing their acclaimed debut album ‘Cinematique’, with guest appearances by Maxi Jazz from Faithless and Neneh Cherry, who deliverd a stunning cover of Guns ‘n’ Roses’ ‘Sweet Child O’ Mine’.

PFM’s ‘Cosmic Journey Mix’ retains esoteric lyrics and stylishly captures the emotional gravity of the original.

Boymerang – Soul Beat Runna
(Regal, REG14, 1997)

I can hardly recall a producer who’s had a brief spell at drum & bass and left such an indelible musical print other than Boymerang. Graham Sutton, member of the post-rock band Bark Psychosis turned Grooverider’s acolyte, has been a purveyor of an apocalyptic breakbeat noir. ‘Soul Beat Runna’ is the lead single from Boymerang’s ground breaking album ‘Balance of The Force’, released on Regal (a part of EMI Group) and features on the menu of the main FIFA Series, France ’98 video game (by EA Sports).

I have found an excerpt of Sutton’s comments on the making of the iconic drum loop in my digital archives. Sadly, I don’t remember where I copied it from (DOA perhaps), so I apologize for not properly crediting the original source:

“You'll have to throw your mind back to a time before computers were audio-manipulators, to when everything was hand-made in a hardware sampler, and the computer was merely a MIDI sequencer. The gear at the time consisted of:
Atari ST running Cubase
Emu E4 - 16 outs
Roland JV1080
Boss SE50
Mackie SR24:4
Sony Portable DAT
...and that was pretty much it!

Step 1: got the original Amen Break, played at original speed, and hand-chopped it in the E4 up into *every* constituent hit, including tiny-tiny flams etc etc.

Step 2: sequenced all the fragments, moving the pieces by the tiniest of amounts, so they played identically time-wise to the original.

Step 3: Using the timing refs from step 2, replaced all the sounds (still at old school original tempo). Only rule was no sound could come from a break that I'd heard already used. You can probably spot at least a JV ride in there.

Step 4: Kept engineering different layers of background noise etc etc, till it sounded "new but old", at least to me.

Step 5: Re-sampled the whole break to DAT, then dumped it back to the E4.

Step 6: Replay back at sped up DnB speed to check for tone and vibe etc. Usually this would then involve going back to Step 3.

Step 7: CHOP CHOP CHOP - one new break to use!

Hehe, it sounds like an easy operation written like that, but honestly, it was fucking time consuming. Probably took a week or two till I was happy. I was so happy when I started hearing others using it, starting with Dilinja's Silver Blade, as I'd left a couple of free bars of just the break in the track, so it could grabbed …”

Voyager – Apollo
(Good Looking Records, GLR027, 1998)

Pete Parsons’ musical career started around the dawn of 90s as an in-house producer, remixer and sound engineer at the famous ‘Monroe Studios’ based on Holloway Road, London and has been involved in production and engineering for a large cross-section of musical styles for many different labels, including the likes of Dee Jay Recordings, Lucky Spin, Moving Shadow, Impact, Suburban Base, Soapbar, Proper Talent and Sound Entity. In 1994, Lucky Spin Records relocated from King’s Road (the premises were taken over by Moving Shadow setting up their own record shop and sub-label Section 5) to Holloway, next door to the Monroe Studios and Parsons soon became the main engineer for Dee Jay & Lucky Spin. After a string of collaborative releases (under various monikers alongside Slipmaster J), Parsons adopted the Voyager recording guise for his productions. With tracks garnering anthemic status at the ‘Speed’ club nights hosted by Bukem and Fabio, it was only a matter of time until he recorded for their labels. The cinematic and breathtaking orchestral strings of ‘Apollo’ render it one of GLR’s finest moments.

Spearheading a more streamlined approach to drum & bass, the artwork has been in tandem with the musical output; futuristic, unconventional and thought-provoking. The sleeve design by Propeller Studio is self-explanatory and depicts blurry parts of the inscriptions on the ‘Voyager Golden Records’, which are two phonograph records that were included aboard both ‘Voyager’ spacecrafts launched in 1977. The records contain sounds and images selected to portray the diversity of life and culture on Earth, and are intended for any intelligent extraterrestrial life form, or for future humans, who may find them. Those records are considered as a sort of a time capsule. Had it been recorded 20 years earlier, ‘Apollo’ could easily feature on the discs; drum & bass’ future legacy.

KMC – Space Echo
(Partisan Recordings, PART015, 1998)

A short-lived, but highly influential label, Partisan was formed by the former Moving Shadow managing crew under Derek Birkett’s One Little Indian Records wing. Sustaining  the quality standards established at their previous posts, the ethos of the new label was to champion distinguished production and artists who were possibly overlooked for not being within the high-profile glittering circle (history, label profile and discography highlights here).

KMC (Keith McKnight) has been the first d&b producer from Scotland to release a d&b record, as well as a owner of Drastik Plastik Records, the mastermind behind the ‘Jungle Book’ d&b events in Edinburgh and artistic supervisor of Temple Music. Regrettably, he abruptly left drum & bass at the end of the 90s due to wranglings with GLR over their record deal; however every single one of his productions is an atmospheric d&b staple and ‘Space Echo’ for Partisan is one of the highlights. In 2009 he launched the digital label Micro Deep Beats offering a bundle of older unreleased tracks for free, as well as new material.

Naibu – Opium Lady
(Horizons Music, HZN030, 2008)

French producer Naibu’s (Robin Leclair) meteoric rise to drum & bass came in 2008. His talents were readily picked up by Fabio’s Creative Source and Horizons Music, the latter becoming Naibu’s creative home in the following years. 

‘Fireflies EP’, where ‘Opium Lady’ is taken from, has been the prelude to his sophomore self-titled album, which was released a year later with a similar artwork concept and the lead track was remixed by Seba. The Japanese culture references are ubiquitous in the graphic illustration designed by Foldesign. The title of the EP is inspired from the emotionally draining 1988 Japanese animated war drama ‘Grave Of The Fireflies’ and the geisha portrait in the sleeve completes the concept.

Blu Mar Ten – Believe Me
(Blu Mar Ten Music, BMT002, 2009)

A few weeks before the official release of the album, I had a casual online conversation with Chris Marigold, which turned out to be prescient; he had been booked on late October 2009 to play Athens for the first time in light of the ‘Natural History’ promotion tour. 

‘Believe Me’ is the lead single and a highlight from Blu Mar Ten’s ‘Natural History LP’, paying homage to Steve Reich (the main riff is sampled from Reich’s ‘Music for 18 Musicians’). The emotionally draining and intimate vocal hook is sampled from The Carpenters’ ‘Tryin' To Get The Feeling Again’. The song was recorded in 1975 but was not officially released until 1994 for The Carpenters’ 25th anniversary. A cover version by Barry Manilow became a hit in 1976. Blu Mar Ten aficionados will recognize the vocal from an older Blu Mar Ten track ‘The Feeling’ (released on Deep Structure, 2003).

A 2-part remix package was commissioned the next year, featuring remixes by Klute, Seba, Stray, Bop (who contributed a microfunk re-interpretation of ‘Believe Me’), Kastle & Badmammal. The alluring hand-painted imagery sleeve illustrations of the first singles as well as of the next BMT projects are designed by ithinkitsnice. 

An inside view into all Blu Mar Ten albums from the blog’s archive here.

Seba – Dangerous Days
(Warm Communications, WARM015, 2009)

Blade Runner and Vangelis’ musical theme have been the unofficial sample pack for electronic music, but if you are looking for a captivating d&b rendition, then look no further. Seba is one of the genre’s most prolific and consistent artists, having recorded literally for every label that matters; with a signature sound that effortlessly sways from the deep and emotive corners to the darker edges of the d&b spectrum. ‘Dangerous Days’ is the second in a string of releases (7 to the time of writing) for the finest Texas-based outlet Warm Communications.

dBridge & Instra:mental – Translucent
(Sepia Tones EP, Darkestral, DARKESTRAL 004/005, 2009)

In 2007, Instra:mental signed with Darkestral Recordings, the eclectic leftfield drum & bass label run by Paul Laidlaw aka Rico Drkstr. Though short-lived, Darkestral introduced cinematic aesthetics, with outstanding releases, supplemented with bespoke vinyl art and packaging. The label’s ethos is summarized in the maxim: “170… respect the speed limit”. Instra:mental found their natural habitat and forged their own musical path with a string of ground-breaking records. 

The pinnacle of their Darkestral discography has probably been the ‘Sepia Tones’ EP (where ‘Translucent’ is taken from), co-produced with dBridge; literally a musical artifact, which foreshadowed the emergence of the ‘Autonomic’ movement. ‘Sepia Tones’ was published in three vinyl variations limited to 500 copies (one in plain black, one in gold and black and one in sepia; the latter probably the most collectible and sought after version) beautifully packaged in reversed heavy board sleeves, coloured pantone black, both inside and out, with gold foil block logos and lettering front and back.

Instra:mental’s discography highlights, profile, interview excerpts, and the background story of ‘Photograph’ from Sepia Tones narrated by Damon Kid Drama has featured on the blog’s ‘Tracks I Wish I’d Written’ here.

Aural Imbalance – Icefields Of Proxima
(Legacy LP, Cadence Recordings, CADLP001, 2012)

Another label that gracefully and unabatingly championed the atmospheric d&b movement in the new millennium is Cadence Recordings; part of the movementinsound music group and home to a wide array of veteran and new producers.

Aural Imbalance (Simon Huxtable) has been a stalwart of atmospheric d&b, who has also broadened his repertoire to accommodate for a more nostalgic electronic sound drawing from his rich production palette. ‘Icefields of Proxima’ is taken from his debut album ‘Legacy’, which is rather poetic, as Cadence is  the label Simon’s recording career started from. ‘Legacy’ is a mixed album, as it has been Simon’s intention from the start; each individual track is part of a larger story.

“I have put my heart and soul into every track with a nod to the past and an eye to the future, in terms of both production and sound. I find it poignant that ‘Legacy’ has found its natural home, as it were on Cadence Recordings, which is where my astral d&b adventure started many moons ago. It's with this in mind that the artist wishes you the listener, a deep and atmospheric voyage with both Cadence and myself! Enjoy” – Legacy liner notes

ASC & Ulrich Schnauss – 77
(Auxiliary, AUX007, 2012)

James Clements (ASC) and Ulrich Schnauss are two of my all-time favourite producers, purveyors of the finest electronic music. Their musical paths had crossed in the past (they had both signed tracks with Good Looking Records in the early 00s) and apparently they were both into each other’s music, so the collaboration seemed inevitable. The title ‘77’ refers to another thing James and Ulrich have in common: their year of birth. 

“It's always been my lucky number too due to that, and I know Ulrich has used it before with his Ethereal 77 project, so it seemed like a natural choice for our first collaborations” - ASC

Beyond the confines of drum & bass, despite being written within the 85/170 framework, ‘77’ is an elegant and adept study of modern electronica. James’ and Ulrich’s long-term dalliance with vintage synths is omnipresent, evoking IDM memories of times past. 

A feature dedicated to ‘77’ as part of the blog’s ‘Tracks I Wish I’d Written’ series is available here.

Bungle – Astral Travel
(Soul:R, SOULR060, 2013)

Soul:R was created by Marcus Intalex and S.T Files in 2001 and soon became the focal point for drum & bass in Manchester and beyond. With an impressive back catalogue and home to some of the genre’s most influential artists, the label is now dormant due to the untimely death of Marcus in 2017. In his loving memory, the ‘Marcus Intalex Music Foundation’ has been established; a cultural hub for Manchester’s electronic music scene and a platform to support and nurture talent in many aspects of music development (Read more about MIMF here).

‘Astral Travel’ (b/w ‘Aura’) is one of the label’s finest moments; in fact I still haven’t decided which side I like the most. Written and produced by one of Brazil’s first-class d&b ambassadors Bungle (André Oliveira Sobota), it was released as part of the 10th soul:R anniversary celebrations.

Future Engineers – Exhale
(Exhale EP, Transference Recordings, TRF003, 2013)

Future Engineers are among my all time favourite producers and have made their name synonymous with the ‘atmo-tech’ pole of the d&b spectrum (alongside Blame, ASC etc.). An exclusive interview with Lee Batchelor, when he was our guest in Athens, Future Engineers’ artist profile and discography highlights are available from the blog’s archive here, so I’ll pick up narrative after Keir and Lee went their separate ways (ca 2007) and Future Engineers became Lee’s solo project. 

Lee launched Transference Recordings in 2010 to release new Future Engineers material. ‘Exhale’ is the lead track of the eponymous EP on Transference, which marks a shift towards more experimental and dystopian avenues. Lee explains:

“I consciously set out to have a variety of styles on the compilation. The bulk of the tracks are primarily aimed at the dance floor but tracks like ‘Exhale’ and Dystopia’ have given me the opportunity to experiment a bit more with the music and the beats. It is quite nice to work on music and not have the restraints of ‘dance floor compatibility’ in the back of your mind. So, I would like to work on some more experimental releases going forward. The flexibility of digital I think also gives you more freedom to experiment” 

Eschaton – Callisto
(Drum & Space Vol. 2 LP, Omni Music, OMNI016, 2013)

One of those labels that have consistently carried the torch of atmospheric drum & bass is Omni Music. The ‘yin & yang’ logo encompasses the vision and ethos of the label: the symbol of dualism, the vicious pendulum between light and dark, reality and fiction, hope and despair, where seemingly contradicting forces actually interconnect and counterbalance. 

Eschaton (Chris Wright) is Omni Music’s founder; a prolific producer and an avid fan of the album format (he has released 21 LPs at the time of writing). Concepts and themes usually revolve around science fiction, cosmology objects and dynamics, real and imaginary travels, as well as the mysteries of the universe that have regaled human imagination for centuries. His affinity for sci-fi literature and cult horror films is demonstrated in his latest venture; book writing. The third and final part of his ‘Survival’ series is out now and the accompanying OST is available here.

‘Callisto’ is taken from ‘Drum & Space Vol. 2’ and the track title refers to the second-largest moon of Jupiter. It is the third-largest moon in the solar system after Ganymede and Saturn's largest moon Titan. Through a telescope, Callisto is brighter than our Moon, due to its surface made up of a very thick layer of ice.

Bop x Synkro – Blurred Memories
(Punk’s Not Dead LP, MEDIC41LP, Med School, 2014)

After 13 years and over 90 releases, Med School completed their natural cycle last year. Med School has been the sister label of Hospital Records and started as a platform to promote new talent, groom them for the main label and accommodate for music that wasn’t exactly suitable for the Hospital sound. Bop is one of the most prominent ‘graduates’ of a special project that in some cases I’d dare say it outclassed the parent label.

Entering a grey area, where the lines between genres become vague, ‘Blurred Memories’ is taken from Bop’s 3rd personal album playfully titled ‘Punk’s Not Dead’ featuring the Autonomic star (and owner of Synkro Music and SK1 record shop) Synkro, who brings new influences to the  ‘microfunk’ sub-genre and beyond.

Om Unit – Adventures in Eden
(Torchlight Vol. 2, Cosmic Bridge, CBR014, 2016)

A keen music scholar and a significant presence in various bass music circles from hip-hop to drum & bass, Jim Coles adopted the Om Unit moniker to re-imagine and cross-breed new sonic tropes, mapping the stylistic links of jungle and footwork with a series of edits, which drew the attention of the drum & bass scene.  In 2011 he set up his own label Cosmic Bridge as a platform for his own material and like minded-artists. Operating on the fringes of various musical styles, Om Unit has methodically enfolded the endless possibilities of bass music under the Cosmic Bridge umbrella. 

After two decades in London, Coles relocated to Bristol in 2015. From his new studio on the English west coast he continues his search through production work and aesthetic exercises. ‘Adventures in Eden’ is taken from the second volume of the ‘Torchlight’ trilogy.

Alaska – Jasheri (v2)
(Arctic Music, AM009, 2017)

Paradox (Dev Pandya) in an older interview cited Future Bound’s ‘Blue Mist’ (Timeless Recordings, 1996) as an inspiration for his early Alaska ambient jungle material. In 2006, Pandya released his second album titled ‘Arctic Foundations’ on 13 Music (a Vibez Recordings’ subsidiary), which foreshadowed the creation of Arctic Music the same year as an exclusive platform for future Alaska recordings. The original version of ‘Jasheri’ was released in 2014 and has been reissued 3 years later with a heartbreaking alternate version (which features in the mix). I can’t help imagining Kiyomi’s fragile and whispery vocals somewhere in the breakdown.

Klute – Angel Makers
(Read Between The Lines LP, Commercial Suicide, SUICIDELP018, 2017)

A certified album artist with a rare consistency that spans more than two decades, Klute (Tom Withers) has opted for full-lengths as a means of artistic expression, although he could get away with releasing music for pretty much any label he deemed fit.  ‘Read Between The Lines’ is Klute’s 8th studio album; a distraction, refuge and personal remedy from the white noise and political hysteria of his surroundings and encapsulates the artistic maturity and versatility of an artist that has defied trends, formulas and genre confines. Renowned for his unique talent to instill a multitude of influences in his productions, from his punk/hardcore origins to techno, house and dub, Klute’s broad repertoire abounds with incredibly inspirational music.

‘Angel Makers’ is taken from ‘Read Between The Lines’ and is a tribute to Brian Bennet’s ‘Rock Dreams’ closing vignette.  I also attach Withers’s poignantly prophetic comment that captured the vision and essence of the album and still sounds as relevant as ever:

“We can’t take things at face value. Work out what people are getting at, question their motives. We’re being led down a dark garden path. Something suggests to me that this was the plan all along” – Interview for UKF, March 2017

Portals: The KLF's Chill Out (A New Dimension)

First off, I’ve never had so much fun compiling a mix. Limitations really do help focus. But as soon as I had the idea and began strategizing how to go about it, I didn’t realize what I was getting into. I ended up in Psychedelic Rock Youtube rabbit holes, reading forums from the 1990’s that no longer worked in a browser; downloading .txt files from KLF obsessives; listening to the album on repeat, again and again. It was brilliant. And I urge anyone to do the same to truly understand a piece of music and go deep on something you enjoy. This album is the Holy Grail for many of us, and is without a doubt in my top 10 of all time. It’s at least one of my most played albums due to its inclusion as a regular bedtime routine (despite my wife asking why she can hear sheep noises and then continuing to freak out).

To reinterpret The KLF’s Chill Out, might be similar to many peoples polarizing opinions on remixes. Most of the time (and I often agree), it shouldn’t even be messed with. But, what’s interesting with Chill Out, is that it’s as much a DJ mix as it is piece of music. The line between producer and DJ is blurred. Apart from a couple of (soon to then be) popular KLF tunes in the latter half of the album, the majority of the recording is improvised sessions pulled together and re-recorded live, alongside a wealth of samples ranging from Elvis Presley, 808 State, Fleetwood Mac, trains, chanting and radio announcements. On hindsight after digging into this further than ever before, I started to wonder how this album is even any good. There’s crazy people shouting in the background and loud vehicles rushing past. How is this Chill-out? Well it is, and it’s a genius, landmark piece of work.

If you’ve got this far and have no idea what I’m talking about, then go listen to the original before going any further. That’s a large point of this piece - to hold in high regard one of the best electronic albums of all time, and like all of the Portal’s features, add my own deeper story and perspective to it.

Chill Out was pioneering in approach. Completed by mad-scientists Jimmy Cauty and Bill Drummond, who later went on to burn a million pounds, it was arguably the first time an entire album was thought of as one meandering journey with samples at the core. Eno was doing long-form ambient, but he certainly didn’t have the sheep. It was 1990. People got high listening to this (proven after digging into the forums and Youtube comments), came-down on this, or reflected on times when they were high and subsequently reached all kinds of new dimensions. There’s a reason those sheep, Tuvan throat singers and mad radio presenters are in here - they're moments you don’t expect, whilst at the same time depicting a vivid new (or old, or imagined) world - a world that is often attributed as a road-trip across the USA. That’s the very reason why the best Ambient music (and Chill-out in its earliest forms) are so powerful. The music transports you.

You could argue this album is just as relevant today than it was back in 1990. It’s no secret that The KLF were rebelling against a society and its norms, and this album was the gift they gave to everyone else suffering at the same time. The idea of a rave society as a form of rebellion was reaching its peak, and where raves existed, often too the come-down and the chill-out room. The album is peppered with political, likely subliminal messaging and samples. It would be easy to slip into a 2019 version of this - it basically writes itself with the crazy political world of 2019, but I chose not to take that route.

The overall idea for this mix has been in my head for a few years now. I got to the point where I decided to try and capture all new field recordings and maybe one day, actually make some music to accompany them. As it turns out, that was way too ambitious. I ended up staying as close to the original album as I could with the premise of not lifting anything from it. I laid the original album down as one track in Ableton, and then started adding music and moments in parallel, eventually removing the original album completely. The tracks I chose vary from classic pieces, to slightly more obscure, and some even released within the past few months.

The end result is a similarly timed and themed reinterpretation of the overall concept, with completely new music and samples. Just two small moments in here use the same sample that ended up in the original KLF recording (as much as we can only assume), but they are used slightly differently in this version. See if you can spot them. After completing the mix, I ended up reading the Discogs listing which does a good job describing the concept of the album, a concept I had coincidentally tried to adhere to.

"Chill Out is a single continuous musical piece having many distinctive sections, each of which either segues into or introduces the next. The album as a whole is a progression, with percussion gradually introduced during the second half. "

"The album has many recurring musical elements, which unify and merge the parts into the collective whole. Common characteristics of most parts include ethereal background synthesizers, the use of echo and pitch bend, samples of nature and transport, and the punctuation of soft synthesizer loops by sudden flourishes of harmonious sound.” - Discogs

I had to stop myself getting meta with the interpretation and remind myself to zoom out every now and then and build this as an enjoyable mix. I could have - in theory - copied every single moment down to a tee with a new or similar sound, but there were some moments that I enjoyed the flow and let it continue. There were moments from the original album that, when taken out of context, you could never even start to replicate in any way. And then there were some that seemed to be reflected nicely with a new piece of music.

Is it as good as the original? No way.
Is it meant for sleeping? Give it a try.
Are there sheep? Not as you know them.
Is this sacrilege? To many of us, maybe.
But so is burning a million pounds 😉

Download MP3

‘Tracklist’

For the best experience, I would suggest listening without looking at the track list first. If you knew what was coming in the original album, would it have been as fun?!

Tracks are listed below in (very) rough order in which they first play. Most of the time 4/5 tracks are playing at the same time. Many tracks are used multiple times at different points in the mix. Plus there are other small samples used that were changed from existence and not listed below.

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Keep going…

Keep going…

Ourson - Calm Mountain Night
Bartosz Kruczyński - Pastoral Sequences
Ourson - Mountain, Bird, Boo
Chris Watson - El Divisadero
Saariselka - Ceres
Markus Guentner - Sparks
Oneohtrix Point Never - Immanence
The Chi Factory - Part One
Fedor Tau Steppe Kargiraa
Markus Guentner - Express Yourself
Bochum Welt - Canyon Drive
Ernest Hood - Gloaming
Boards of Canada - Dave (I’m a real traditionalist)
Ernest Hood - From The Bluff
Tongues of Light - Healing Side
Priori - 2see
Klimek - Milk and Honey
Akis - The Powers of Pi
Boreal Massif - Weather In August
Heavenly Music Corporation - Cloudless Light
Boreal Network - Cumulonimbus
Ex-Terrestrial - Water Walk
The KLF - Snub TV interview
Bartosz Kruczyński - V
Perishing Thirst - Boshing So High
808 State - In Yer Face (Bicep Remix)
Leo Anibaldi - Universal
Boards of Canada - Ready Let’s Go
Boreal Network - Viewers Like You
Stranger On The Shore - Acker Bilk
Boards of Canada - Apparatus