isolatedmix 127 - David Douglas & Applescal

Two familiar names step up for our next isolated mix, with a highly conceptual approach that matches their new (and similarly conceptual) collaborative album, ‘Démarrage’.

I’m unsure where I would start if I were to create an album based on a love of cycling. Weirdly enough, it wouldn’t be the first electronic album to do so (See Kraftwerk’s, Tour De France, of course), but it’s obviously a big enough inspiration to spur electronic producers David Douglas and Applescal. After listening to t‘Démarrage’, it makes total sense, in more ways than one. The energy, euphoria, drive - even the pop of color and variation in approach - an effervescent continual movement throughout its 10 tracks.

Applescal contributed an isolatedmix some twelve (!) years ago now, and it remains one of our most popular in the series. Combining multiple styles across an addictive hour of listening, the session proved Pascal is a master at developing a conceptual narrative in mix form, and now evidently in album form. David Douglas, who has made numerous appearances on Pascal’s Atmonation label, with one highlight for me being 2014’s, Moon Observation’s, is similarly a man of conceptual understanding and many undercurrents, spending time scoring music for films and commercials, while also releasing under a new alias HATY HATY, which combines electronic and indie music tendencies.

I imagined a hybrid of styles to appear on their mix submission, and I wasn’t disappointed. But for it to also match the concept of their new album, takes it up a notch. The mix, goes as slow as Chihei, with the euphoric highs of The Paradise, sudden bursts of pace in Eversines, the anguish in Bersarin Quartett, and the comforting (I can see the finish line-vibes) of Ulrich Schnauss, in an unexpecting manner that’s on par with the unexpectedness of Fourtet’s not-so-secret secret side project.

“Just like our album "Démarrage," which is essentially a long mix of interconnected tracks, we aimed to tell a broad story with this mix. We love to approach music as a continuous mix, as you can set a certain different vibe and have tracks complement each other. Our mix for ASIP begins gently, like a warm bath, with the calming sounds of Chihei Hatakeyama's "Calm Sea." Later on, we bring up the pace with the remix from Roman Flugel. We end with a return to tranquility and introspection with work from Bersarin Quartett and Skúli Sverrisson. Just like on our new album, we added a bunch of samples of cyclists to capture the emotion of the race” - David & Pascal

astrangelyisolatedplace · isolatedmix 127 - David Dougls & Applescal

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Tracklist:

01. Chihei Hatakeyama - Calm Sea
02. Tomaga - Intimate Immensity
03. Kyle Hall, Kero - 19FT
04. Unit Moebius - Dolfinarium
05. Tambo’s House - Jhe Gu Jye
06. Dusky - Metropolis
07. C.A.R - Idle eyes. (Roman Fluegel Remix) Applescal body Edit
08. The Paradise - In Love With You (Alan Braxe Remix)
09. Fasme - Sweet Flux
10. David Douglas & Applescal - Galibier
11. David Douglas & Applescal - Galibier (Gruppetto)
12. ⣎⡇ꉺლ༽இ•̛)ྀ◞ ༎ຶ ༽ৣৢ؞ৢ؞ؖ ꉺლ - ʅ͡͡͡͡͡͡͡͡͡͡͡(ƟӨ)ʃ͡͡͡͡͡͡͡͡͡͡ ꐑ(ཀ ඊູ ఠీੂ೧ູ࿃ूੂ✧✧✧✧✧✧ළඕั࿃ूੂ࿃ूੂ
13. Eversines - Vlaag
14. Eversines - Vlaag (Beatless Version)
15. Ulrich Schnauss - A Letter from Home
16. Bersarin Quartett - Verflossen ist das Gold der Tage
17. Skúli Sverrisson - Instants

Applescal | Bandcamp
David Douglas | Website

Passing by: David Douglas, Nikosf, Warmth and an epic Ghostly colab

David Douglas – Moon Observations

Atomnation, head-up by our friend Applescal is on a roll this year. You may have seen me getting excited about the upcoming Gidge album already, but until that time arises, Pascal is treating us to label stalwart David Douglas’ latest, ‘Moon Observations’. A truly immersive journey through different styles of electronica, packed full of instrumentation, emotion and beautiful melodies. The title track below, my favourite of the bunch. Available on Bandcamp.

Nikosf – Collecting The Moments

You probably know Nikosf from his releases on Dewtone (The Forgotten Pieces and Silence Speaks When The Words End), but this is the first release of his to see some action on wax. As you’d expect it’s a love affair with “tranquil soundscapes, minimalistic rhythms and warm dub undertones”. This kind of music is normally reserved for digital only, maybe CD, so it’s great to see it getting a full vinyl press. Available on Decks.de

MOSHImix22 – Warmth

Continuing the deep and dubby vibe is Warmth, with a guest mix for MOSHItaka. Featuring Doyeq and Martin Nonstatic you should know what rabbit hole this is going down. If you’re new to Warmth, check out his own Soundcloud page for some beautiful productions of his own.

Download

Tracklist:
Alex Humann – Slave
Audub – Sonar Dub
Doyeq – Sine
Stefan Gubatz – An
BdTom – Humanoids
Havantepe – Melody For Penelope
Yernesto – Deep Ambition
Andrea Cichecki – Subjective
Stefan Gubatz – Aus
Martin Nonstatic – Quantum Dub
Van Bonn – Onwards II

Christopher Willits / Heathered Pearls / The Sight Below – Collider

Lastly, and with little explanation needed, is this mega-lineup of Ghostly all-stars going all-in. “Collider” is a collaborative track between Christopher Willits, Heathered Pearls, and The Sight Below made using Splice (splice.com/) to promote Michael Cina and John Klukas’ upcoming show in Minneapolis”.

I thought this was going to be a pretty dark piece given those involved, but instead it’s a refreshingly beautiful piece of music that wouldn’t be out of a place underlying an epic reflective moment on a movie Soundtrack; think Underworld’s ‘To Heal’ or some of Clint Mansell’s work, but with added #dronelife.

Photo by astrangelyisolatedplace – Monkey Face/ Smith Rock, Oregon.

Atomnation – Anniversary Compilation ’10’

Atomnation is just over a year old now, and looking back at its small but growing catalogue, label honcho Applescal can definitely hold his head high on getting some new talented artists on board and some exquisite music out to us all.

Launched under his alias ‘Yoshiba 87′ (featured on ASIP here), Atomnation has amassed a beautiful library of electronica and has opened me up to a new breed of artists including David Douglas and more recently, Gidge. Ten releases in and it’s time for a quick reflection on the achievements so far with this compilation.

In an electronic dominated world where Boards of Canada take all the headlines, take some time to absorb what the new kids on the block are bringing us – it’s definitely worth it.

Available to download below or on Bandcamp for pay-what-you-want.