isolatedmix 94 - Brambles

Back in 2012 we were introduced to the work of Brambles. It came through a debut release on Welsh label Serein. From the very first track on ‘Charcoal’, as those beautiful strings hit, we knew we were in for something spectacular. It seems like millions agreed too, with 2.1m people streaming the track on Soundcloud since its upload - a testament to the beauty at hand. The album only got better as it progressed too, with the second track ‘Such Owls As You’ ending up as my favorite.

It wasn’t until 2015 that we were treated with a follow-up arriving as a single, more experimental track in ‘Half Gramme Holiday’, featuring another beautiful composition but this time underpinned by slow heart-beating drums. It was a subtle progression, perhaps enough of a progression after a three-year hiatus. But since then, we’ve been waiting to see where Brambles would land next. A full four years later (and three years after I emailed inviting Brambles to contribute an isolatedmix ha!) we have a new album coming soon, and an accompanying journey in the form of isolatedmix 94.

The lead single from the (yet untitled) album, Spirits may come as a surprise to listeners expecting another Charcoal. But Brambles’ respect for texture, composure and melody is clearly evident throughout this new approach.

… the sound palette has shifted dramatically but the moody and melancholic qualities that made their previous release so resonant remain deeply embedded.

One notable addition is the added manipulation of vocals. In Spirits, this evangelical, alien language is used as an instrument, never quite overpowering, holding enough back to add depth and mysteriousness.

The new balance of ambient and more colorful pop-infused productions comes to life within Brambles’ isolatedmix, showing where the inspiration has arisen from over the past few years.

This mix is a little trip around my current influences. Starting with experimental ambient, to left-field pop and ending with dreamy folky shoegaze. Some tracks are recent discoveries and others are tracks I keep returning to. I love how the internet has spawned so many micro-genres and niches. It's overwhelming at times but also exciting to find a new style and follow that path through the various artists, collaborations and offshoots. I have also included an unreleased Brambles track which will be on my forthcoming album - M.

Download.

Tracklist:

01. Kara-Lis Coverdale - Touch me & die
02. Ryuichi Sakamoto - Fullmoon (Motion Graphics Remix)
03. Natureboy Flako - Gelis
04. Brambles - Out Of Bounds
05. Amnesia Scanner - AS Daemon
06. Aisha Devi - Two Serpents
07. Susumu Yokota - GEKKOH
08. Visible Cloaks, Yoshio Ojima, Satsuki Shibano - Anata
09. Zora Jones - Oh Boy
10. Lorn - UNDEAD DOGS
11. SOPHIE - Is It Cold In The Water?
12. Charli XCX - Cross You Out (feat. Sky Ferreira)
13. Nosaj Thing - How We Do (feat. KAZU)
14. M83 - Corridor
15. Florist - The Fear of Losing This
16. Slowdive - So Tired
17. Julia Holter - How Long?
18. Grouper - I’m Clean Now
19. John Maus - Cop Killer

Brambles | Soundcloud | Discogs | Bandcamp

isolatedmix 92 - Midori Hirano

Born in Kyoto, Japan and now residing in Berlin, Midori Hirano’s discography has spanned a wide spectrum of experimental electronic music. From her 2016 album on the esteemed Sonic Pieces, to her latest praised work on Australian label Daisart and her beautiful extended piece for the Longform Editions series, Midori’s work is often recognizable when in play due to her manipulation of the piano.

A talented player from a young age, Midori’s work revolves around these classical elements, often told through soft pieces, with added electronic processing and field recordings. The result draws you in through attachment, as differentiating layers and effects change productions from a simple modern classical score, to an engaging experimental piece. Think Steve Reich, or other minimalist innovators, and you’ll enjoy Midori’s experimentations.

For any electronica fans, take Midori’s work as MimiCof however, and these minimalist productions take on new rhythmic layers, often finding themselves in an even more electronic guise, sitting alongside the finest moments of labels like City Centre Offices and Morr Music, the melodies of a Lusine and the classical manipulation and experimentation of a Ryuichi Sakamoto. A high bar by all accounts, but evident in the pieces captured below, where the extremes of this sound have seen Midori’s most energetic piece to date, Moon Synch, expand with rich experimentations originating from the Buchla synthesizer.

Not only is Midori pushing the boundaries of electronic music as her own name and as MimiCof, Midori has recently signed with Erased Tapes Music, and has contributed remixes for the likes of Sonae, Kid 606 and Liars. And of course, the talent doesn’t stop there - Midori has also helped provide some photography for Christian Kleine’s ASIP release, taking pictures of her newly adopted home in Berlin.

But, back to what you’re here for, the music, and here’s what Midori had to say about her isolatedmix which combines the art evident across both her monikers with recent experimental pioneers that stay true to her sound:

“This mix consists of recent favourite tracks of mine including two of my own songs. A few tracks have voices or field recordings which I often like to use also for my music, as I often want to have a kind of feeling of watching films every time I make a mix. It puts me into a place isolated from a world while I’m listening to it for myself” - MH

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Tracklist:

01. Tujiko Noriko - Ride
02. Senking - Ep 4
03. Félicia Atkinson - Valis
04. alva noto + ryuichi sakamoto with ensemble modern - Broken Line
05. MimiCof - Opal
06. Eli Keszler - The Immense Endless Belt Of Faces
07. Caterina Barbieri - Fantas
08. Driftmachine - Shift II
09. Ornate Coldtrain - Powerful Myth
10. Uguisubari - Nanzen-Ji
11. Mark Pritchard - The Blinds Cage (feat. Beans)
12. Amnesia Scanner & Bill Kouligas - II
13. Midori Hirano - Haiyuki
14. Jim O’Rourke - And a 1, 2, 3, 4
15. Yair Elazar Glotman & Mats Erlandsson - Format And Formalize Desire
16. Robert Lippok - Samtal

Midori Hirano / MimiCof | Website | Bandcamp | Soundcloud |