ASIP - Reflection on 2016

2016 was a busy year! The label started with the Arovane & Hior Chronik Remix EP, then Merrin Karras' glorious synthesizer piece, Apex. And more recently, the much-desired 36 album, The Infinity Room.  It was also a very sad year in many ways, with ASIP artist, Igor Bystrov aka Parks, passing away. The In Memory EP, featuring a collection of his works was also released, with all proceeds going to Igor's family. Thank you to everyone who supported the label and the artists throughout 2016 - I can't express how grateful I am to have such an amazing bunch of listeners and supporters.

It was an amazing year for music. I was overwhelmed for the most part, and didn't get round to writing about half as many albums as I would have liked to. But my yearly Reflections mix goes some way in helping soothe my guilt and pain. Featuring many of my favorite tracks from some of my favorite albums and releases from the year, it's my version of the infamous journo 'best-of' list but presented in the best way possible I start with a playlist including one track from every album I've enjoyed over the year, and then whittle it down, based on what sounds right in the mix and ultimately, what I've been listening to the most. It goes without saying, this only scrapes the surface of the many great albums and releases we've been treated to in 2016.

A quick run down of the inclusions in this years mix...

Sad Elron, the one track I spent the year looping, was the standout in one of this years best albums from Mark Pritchard. Bvdub surprised us with a selection of shorter-than-normal cuts, and potentially his best album yet. The Green Kingdom is this years under-the-radar gem, cutting up dubby-ambient and post-rock. Steve Hauschildt topped the year of the synthesizer, as did Phaeleh, with outstanding albums on both fronts. ASC made a sneaky retro-electronica appearance as Comit. Synkro enlisted the best for his remix EP - with Helios providing a glorious take, alongside a superb album of his own. Jesse Somfay returned after over 5-years with a unique and exciting new album. Segue turned in da-dub as usual on the ever-brilliant Silent Season. Isan made a return with their quirky melodic electronica. The Orb made an attempt to out-chill-out the Chill Out. Ametsub dropped a sneaky jazz-infused ambient piece. Tangent proved the newcomer of the year on n5MD. Jóhann Jóhannsson should be on the front-cover of Time magazine as man of the year with his outstanding score for Arrival and another complete masterpiece in Orphée. Heck got the remastering and reworking of choice by Field Rotation's Christopher Berg. Ocoeur got our year off to a stunner with his modern-classical masterpiece. Eluvium won the hearts of everyone with his operatic tearjerker. Drape kept Infraction's continually brilliant ambient output up-to-scratch. Warmth treated us to one of the years best ambient surprises. Deepchord turned in one of the years best remixes - out-ambienting Wolgang Voigt's flip. Benoit Pioulard broke his wrist and showed us how to remix Aphex Twin. Porya Hatami and Arovane joined forces once again book-ending their ASIP remix EP.  And lastly, as a special tribute, we end the mix on one of my favourite tracks by Park from 2009 - RIP.

And breathe. Enjoy the look back.

Download.

Tracklist:

01. Mark Pritchard - Sad Alron [Under The Sun] (Warp)
02. Bvdub - 07 [Yours Are Stories Of Sadness] (Self) - Read the review
03. The Green Kingdom - Haze Layers [Harbor] (Dronarivm) 
04. Steve Hauschildt - Time We Have [Strands] (Kranky) Read the review
05. Phaeleh - Frequency [Illusion of The Tale] (Undertow) Read the review
06. Comit - Under Your Spell [Trip 01] (Warm Communications) Read the review
07. Synkro - Midnight Sun (Helios Remix) [Changes Remix EP] (Apollo)
08. Jesse Somfay - Chorona (A Voice Like Sunshine) [Levamentum] (Tipping Hand) Read the review
09. Segue - Deep Valley [Over The Mountains] (Silent Season) 
10. Isan - Lace Murex [Glass Bird Movement] (Morr) Read the review
11. The Orb - 4am Exhale [COW] (Kompakt)
12. Ametsub - Skydroppin' [Skydroppin' EP] (Blueberry Records)
13. Tangent - Perceived Horizon [Collapsing Horizons] (n5MD)
14. Jóhann Jóhannsson - Heptapod B [Arrival OST] (Deutschegrammophon)
15. Hecq - Night Falls (reworked by Christopher Berg) [Night Falls] (Hymen Records)
16. Ocoeur - Fixo 2 [Reversed] (n5MD) Read the review
17. Eluvium - Fugue State [False Readings On] (Temporary Residence) Read the review / mix
18. Drape - Detrial Rest [Let There Water Air] (Infraction)
19. Helios - Land Father [Remembrance] (Unseen Music) Read the review
20. Warmth - Odessa [Essay] (Archives) Read the review / mix 
21. Peter Michael Hamel - Colours of Time [Reinterpreted] (Deepchord’s Carolina Forest Mix) Read the review
22. Benoit Pioulard - Stone In Focus [Radial] Read the review / mix
23. Porya Hatami & Arovane - iaan [Kaziwa] (Time Released Sound) 
24. Jóhann Jóhannsson - Flight From The City [Orphée] (Deutschegrammophon) Read the review
25. Parks - Eternal Wind [Hidden] (Infraction - 2009)

[Artwork / photo taken on a trip to Japan in August 2016]

isolatedmix 60 - Porya Hatami

Porya Hatami first featured on ASIP at the beginning of 2014 as we geared up to his release on Tench, titled Shallow. The interview gave a short and sweet introduction to the Iranian producer and his respected field recording and live sampling production approach. 

Shallow, went on to receive the remix treatment on Dewtone, with many of our favorite artists contributing to a stunning release, including: Loscil, Arovane, Halo, Bjorn Rohde, Purl and The Green Kingdom. Porya also combined forces with Arovane and his analogue, granular style on the brilliant Resonance last year - a finely tuned craft of subtle electronics, as well as a partnership with Darren McClure in a similar vein, on In-Between Spaces.  

These partnerships have allowed Porya's subtle ambient manipulations to combine forces with similar artists to great effect so far, and 2016 sees him continue this trend as part of The Angling Loser, a collective alongside Lee Norris, Gordon Jones and Shintaro Aoki.

With all this pretense, it goes without saying that Porya was an obvious choice for the recent ASIP Arovane & Hior Chronik remix EP, where he adorned the powerful cello and deep drones of Past Creates The Future; creating an enriching, deeper and more minimal take on the original. He possesses an acute and powerful skill to manipulate the most delicate of sounds, drawing on single elements and expanding tones, rhythms and emotion. 

For his isolatedmix, Porya gives us a unique insight into some of his favorite tracks that have influenced his approach over the years. The minimal glitch of Raster Noton and Mille Plateaux, transcend into the ambient beauty of Purl, Markus Guentner and Gas before the warm energy of Gramm and Jan Jelinek's subtle beats complete the proceedings. 

Download.

Tracklist:

01. Shuttle358 - Frame  (Frame) [12k]
02. Modul - Kkun I  (Isol) [Raster Noton]
03. SND - 00039 d.6  (Stdio) [Mille Plateaux]
04. Robert Lippok - Open (Open Close Open) [Raster Noton]
05. Farben - Bayreuth (Textstar) [Klang Electronik]
06. Porya Hatami - White Forest (Purl remix)  (Shallow Remixes) [Dewtone]
07. Markus Guentner - Der Wustenplanet  (1981) [Kompakt]
08. Porya Hatami - After the rain (The Green Kingdom Remix)  (Shallow Remixes) [Dewtone]
09. Gas - Königsforst 04  (Königsforst) [Mille Plateaux]
10. Gramm - Type Eins (Personal Rock) [Source Records]
11. Jan Jelinek - Tendency (Loop Finding Jazz records) [~scape]

Porya Hatami Web/Bandcamp |  Soundcloud | Twitter

isolatedmix 46 - The Green Kingdom

Like a consistent undercurrent, there’s some artists that seem to have been around for years, cropping up with beautiful releases and never failing to please, never straying too far from their craft and consistently earning respect from likeminded producers and listeners. Michael Cottone is one of them. Hailing from Detroit, he dig deeps to find the beautiful textures and sounds of ambient music, sometimes straying into the more dubbier stuff, but always rooted in the softly-softly, dreamy approach we love here at ASIP.

With releases on notorious labels such as Tench, SEM (now retired) and more recently Dronarivm, Michael represents an ever evolving yet timeless genre of music that is designed for escapism, further more described by himself as “optimistic nostalgia”. You’ll find elements of shoegaze, drone, dub, and heavy processing throughout his catalogue, with a desire to “blur the lines between soundscape and structure”. Michael’s latest album ‘Expanses‘ and his previous, ‘Dustloops’ epitomise this approach, with for example, melodic downtempo tracks such as ‘On Golden Swamp’ sitting comfortably next to the processed dubby ambient sounds in ‘Green Being’.

As you can imagine, his influences and his isolatedmix could’ve attempted to summarise his many influences styles and approaches, but instead Michael has chosen to focus on the more ambient side to his music. Those familar with these artists will already be able to feel the warmth and grain in this mix – a homage to the many ambient artists out there that take good care in wrapping you in comforting music.

“This is my take on an ambient mix, although it’s not all purely ambient in the traditional sense. What most of these pieces probably have in common is a certain timeless sound. I love music that has a textural, almost tactile – some grit and dirt. What would it sound like if you buried some of your favorite vinyl, dug it up after 50 years and played it? In my opinion, there is no better way to make something timeless than to remove it from the present, both in terms of genre and time period” – The Green Kingdom.

Download (direct)

Tracklist:

01. Stars of the Lid – Gasfarming
02. The Humble Bee – Other Sleepers
03. John Foxx & Harold Budd – Sunlit Silhouette
04. D_Rradio – Still In A Storm
05. Pawn – Entrance-Stairs
06. The Remote Viewer – Take Your Lights With You
07. Paavoharju – Ursulan Uni
08. ISAN – Cinnabar
09. David Sylvian & Ryuichi Sakamoto – World Citizen (Taylor Deupree remix)
10. Skyphone – Dream Tree Lemurs
11. Auburn Lull – Snowtongue [Dub 1_KILN Rebuild]
12. Foxes in Fiction – Static Cults
13. Jan Jelinek – Moiré (Piano & Organ)
14. Andy Stott – New Ground
15. Triola – Das Wunder Der Kulperhutte
16. Pye Corner Audio – Nostalgia Pills

The Green Kingdom Bandcamp | Facebook | Soundcloud

Passing by: Tegh, Inventions, Loscil, The Green Kingdom and Ulf Lohmann

Tegh – Night Scenes

Debut full length from Iranian producer Shahin Entezami on Inner Ocean Records (First Porya from Iran, now Shahin!) This is classic, expansive ambient music that’s perfect for reflection, window watching and imagineering. Download from Bandcamp (Name Your Price).

Inventions – Entity

The mighty Eluvium and Explosions In The Sky guitarist Mark Smith are teaming up for a new project titled ‘Inventions’. This track, taken from the self-titled album, is absolutely breathtaking, and i’ll be on the order as soon as it’s available (1st April) via Temporary Residence.

Loscil – Fury

Loscil hits the road this month alongside Fieldhead and with it, comes a split-tour CD. “Although not a collaboration in the strictest sense, sounds were shared by each artist allowing for a sort of aural infusion between the compositions”. As you’d expect from Scott, another masterpiece, albeit perhaps a little more accessible than his previous dark and mysterious tendencies. Seems like the release will be available to those who can catch him on tour first, with digital following on March 10th on Gizeh.

The Green Kingdom – Expanses

This one’s been on Bandcamp for a few weeks now and i’ve seen a few of you guys picking it up already. For those aware of The Green Kingdom, this masterpiece will come as no surprise. Deep textures, field recordings, and dubby elements make for a defining piece of work for Mike Cottone: “This album is, for all intents and purposes, a homage to classic ambient and ambient techno albums of the past”. Available on Bandcamp.

Ulf Lohmann – PCC

I’m cheating a bit now, because the sample below isn’t even the full track, and i’ve already devoted a whole post to Kompakt’s Pop Ambient 2014. But just give it a listen. It’s bloody good. I wish the track was out there in its entirety. Read the full review of Pop Ambient here.

And last but not least, can someone please explain to this guy why Nils Frahm is a genius, and not a ‘piano mess’?

Photo @astrangelyisolatedplace

Passing by: Alveol, Altus & The Green Kingdom

Alveol – No Point In Holding On

If there’s one label out there who’s sound I could pinpoint a mile off, it’s Dewtone. That’s not to say they are predictable, but more that everything they put out is right on point for me; warm, melodic and dubby – especially this man Ludvig Cimbrelius, aka Alveol. His latest album ‘No Point In Holding On’ is similar to his previous works as Purl (yes, that brilliant Purl and Deflektion album) and equally as addictive. Available to buy digitally here.

Altus – The Sidereal Cycle 4

Looking back now, it’s hard to believe I haven’t featured Altus on ASIP yet (apart from in my Modyfier mix). Free Floating, (Altus’ label) have featured, but it looks like i’ve been missing four amazing pieces of work by Altus up until now. His Sidereal Cycle’s are now four-parts strong and all equally as brilliant. This is what I like to call ‘classic’ ambient music, with very little immediate structure but an overarching sense of direction amongst some beautiful instrumental improvisation. You can download Sidereal Cycle 4 here, with links to all previous versions too.

The Green Kingdom – Dustloops: Memory Fragments

Some more warm-fuzzy goodness that believe it or not, isn’t on Dewtone, but instead on the equally brilliant SEM label. If you like the above Alveol, or even slow, melodic ambient dub-techno that the likes of Segue has been putting out recently, then you’ll love this recent effort byThe Green Kingdom. Download / purchase limited edition CDR here.