ASIP - Intercepted Transmissions (Optic Echo Presents Guest Mix)

The Portland based, Optic Echo Presents show has been a great supporter of ambient music throughout the years and as the man at the controls, Mike has continually helped showcase unknown, local, and of course, some of the best ambient music you can find on vinyl. One example here.

This guest mix for OE Presents was originally broadcast on Mike's show on Xray FM this week, and I had a clear concept in mind for the mix as soon as I was invited. While the OE Presents guest mixes can choose any format, I wanted to adhere to the same rules that Mike does for his own shows - vinyl only…

As we’re all sat at home during the lockdown, wondering what life is like for others in the same situation, (or in some instances imagining life in a far away world…), I pictured a situation where I was scanning through FM radio stations and listening in on various moments - different worlds, weird sounds, some recognizable, some jarring, and some comforting. I thought it would be a nice moment once this mix was broadcast on Xray FM, as if this moment was being bounced back to me from another planet. (OK, I think through concepts way too much sometimes).

This mix was, however, very nearly thrown in the trash. I accidentally recorded it in mono and once I had realized this mistake, I got pretty annoyed as anybody would. But then I gave it some time and listened back, and felt the aesthetic suited the overall concept and theme pretty well - especially as an FM transmission. Our trusty friend todos even polished the mix a little to help bring out the frequencies.

I’'m a big believer in vinyl sets capturing a moment in time. Digital sets you can repeat, perfect and start again (and they have their own benefits), but this one was gone, and despite the mistake, in my eyes it adds a little charm knowing this set as you know it (and like all live vinyl sets) will never be repeated again in 100% the same manner, and I can refer back to the exact memory this was made.

Despite the clear concept, I didn’t know what tracks I was going to play once I started and was digging into my shelves ad-hoc (the best kind of digging). You’ll find early ambient music from pioneers such as Pauline Oliveiros and Steve Reich, alongside some modern ‘classic’ artists such as Aphex Twin and Seefeel. A time-agnostic Intercepted Transmission.

Big thank you to Mike for the invite and opportunity. Check out all of the mixes over on Mixcloud or subscribe to his podcast.

Download

Tracklist:

1. Pauline Oliveiros - I of IV [Odyssey, 1967]
2. Arovane - The Storm [CCO, 2000]
3. Christina Vantzou - Music For a Room with a Vaulted Ceiling [Temporary Residence, 2020]
4. Blinkar från Norr - Other Days [A Strangely Isolated Place, 2020]
5. Pauline Anna Strom - In Flight Suspension [Rvng Intl., 2017]
6. Autechre - Piezo [Warp, 1994]
7. Aardvarck - U Are, When U Not Think [Crowd, 2019]
8. Aphex Twin - On (D-Scape remix) [Warp, 1993]
9. Sophia Loizou - Silver Nemesis [Kathexis, 2016]
10. Skanfrom - Midnight Romance [Thrill Beat Construction, 2001]
11. Aphex Twin - On [Warp, 1993]
12. Blanck Mass - Chernobyl [Rock Action, 2011]
13. Murcof & Vanessa Wagner - Farewell O’World O’Earth [Infiné, 2016]
14. Secede - The King Of Sanda [Lapsus, 2019]
15. Susumu Yokota - Gekkoh [Leaf, 1999] / Steve Reich - Come Out [Odyssey 1967]
16. Seefeel - Through You [Too Pure, 1993]
17. Neozaïre ‎– Graves Creek Tab [Fauxpas Musik, 2016]
18. Low - The Son, The Sun [Sub Pop, 2018]
19. Roberto Musci - Claudia, Wilhem R. And Me [Raw Material, 1984]

ASIP - Dream The Daydream

I like to think I’ve been productive during the lockdown, but it’s easy to look back and see that time has truly flown by and you didn’t get half the things you want to do, done.

I did however manage to make a couple of mixes. One of them, a guest mix, should see the light of day in the next month or so and then this one, titled Dream The Daydream.

The concept I had in mind for this mix was loose at the beginning. I wanted to create something that was happy, uplifting and melodic, as opposed to anything dark during these already dark times (and it’s very easy for me to go that way) I ended up turning to a lot of 90’s (and new but 90’s influenced) music, a couple of classics and reissues, and found myself dreaming of new worlds - that era of music had the most amazing power to transport you for some reason.

The mix starts off with Ambient, but quickly moves into more dub, uptempo, breaks, beats and full-on Trance... Those of you who know me well, know I love Trance music and surprisingly this is the first time I’ve managed to sneak it into an ASIP mix.

I saw this mix as a route to escapism, a look out of the window, and a journey that just goes up and up.

Also big shout to Jane Fitz as I’m pretty sure on hindsight a couple of these tracks came at her recommendation at some point - an inspiration and a world of knowledge on this type of music.

Download

Or listen on Soundcloud, Mixcloud, or the ASIP Podcast.

Artwork image by Aldebaran S.

astrangelyisolatedplace · ASIP - Dream The Daydream

Tracklist:

01. Sneaker - Tagtraum [Tursiops]
02. Boris Acket - Unrest [De Lichting]
03. The Orb - Back Side Of The Moon [Big Life]
04. Ron Boots - Far Boundaries [Stroom TV]
05. Heavenly Music Corporation - Lunar Phase [Astral Industries / Silent]
06. Trans-4M - Arrival [Safe Trip]
07. Ex-Terrestrial - Aletheia [1080p]
08. Priori - Dreams of a Digital Sublime [Naff]
09. Trans-4M - Amma [Safe Trip]
10. Saafi Brothers - Internal.Code.Error [Blue Room Released]
11. Elijah - Protoquestion [Contagion Discs]
12. Ex-Terrestrial - Mojave Skyline [Magic Wire]
13. Forehard - Edial [Self]
14. Oprofessionell - Will U [Ute Rec]
15. No Moon - aoe_advancing [Craigie Knowes]
16. Trancemaster - Nordspedition [Transatlantic]
17. James Bernard - UW07 [Unreleased]
18. Jo Bogaert - Ambient Kinsky [Stroom TV]

ASIP - Through The Other Side (9128.live/Astral Industries Takeover Guest Mix)

Originally broadcast as a 2-hr guest mix as part of our www.9128.live Astral Industries takeover weekend, April 4/5/6th 2020. Such an epic weekend, thank you to Ario, AI and all the artists who took part.

The mix includes several upcoming ASIP releases noted as Forthcoming.

For info on the event and some of the other sets, see the post here

Tracklist:

1. Radio sample March 2020
2. Markus Guentner - Unreleased
3. Joachim Spieth - Equilibrium [Affin]
4. quinev - Forgiveness Brings Peace [De Lichting]
5. Bartosz Kruczyński - Selected Ambient Projects 9 [Self Released]
6. woob - Foundation 1 [Bigamoebasounds]
7. Chill Collins - In The Air Tonight (Snared 1000 Cuts Remix) [Self Released]
8. Blinkar från Norr - Disconnection From Reality [A Strangely Isolated Place]
9. Forthcoming [A Strangely Isolated Place]
10. woob - Foundation 3 [Bigamoebasounds]
11. Max Würden - Unreleased
12. Forthcoming [A Strangely Isolated Place]
13. Vernal Equinox - Galaxy [Clover]
14. Forthcoming [A Strangely Isolated Place]
15. Kettel - Oblomov [Self Released]
16. Swoop & Cross - St. No [Time Released Sound]
17. Tukico - It Appears [Hush Hush Records]
18. LF58 - Untitled [Auxiliary]
19. Merrin Karras - Monument [A Strangely Isolated Place]
20. Vernal Equinox - Sunrise [Aural Medium]
21. Mick Chillage - Hypersleep [FAX]
22. Atom TM - Dense [Astral Industries]
23. Lena Deen - Dorsal [Stellar Remnant]
24. Higher Intelligence Agency - B-theory [Touched]
25. Forthcoming [A Strangely Isolated Place]
26. Milieu - In Blue Fields [Install]
27. Olga Wojciechowska - Labyrinth made of Labyrinths [A Strangely Isolated Place]
28. Warmth - Spherule (Purl remix) [Archives]
29. Alaska - Denalis Realm [Arctic Music]
30. Forthcoming [A Strangely Isolated Place]

ASIP - Reflection on 2019

We’ve given a recap of our label releases this year and now it’s time to reflect on some of the music I’ve enjoyed listening to in 2019.

“What an amazing year for music”. I feel like I could say that every year, but really, every year has great music if you dig deep enough. But this year especially, music seems to have taken on a new lease of life and ramped up a notch in terms of output and velocity - in my world at least. If I had to guess as to why, it might be because Bandcamp is becoming more and more ubiquitous for independent artists and subsequently a daily visit for listeners like me. This ubiquity has meant a) more people getting their music out into the world, b) easier ways for people like me (who want to) to support the music we enjoy and c) new labels capitalizing on a distribution process that until a few years ago, was very hard to stand up.

2019 even played host to the mighty Radiohead embracing the Bandcamp platform with ~18,000 (last time I counted before it was removed) purchasers of their unreleased OK Computer Outtakes album at a minimum of ~$23-a-pop. That’s a crazy sum for purchased music. There’s also Buy Music Club, launched by Avalon Emerson, which (technically launched at the end of 2018 but was fully embraced this year) seems to have been used by many notable DJs using it to link to music played in their sets (you can find this Reflection on 2019 mix in a list below). And lastly, Bandcamp themselves, through their Bandcamp Daily platform, have done an almighty job of stepping up their editorial game spotlighting music on the platform through a constant stream of style/genre specific breakdowns. The clichéd music industry in-depth ‘album review’ seems to have been flipped to keep up with this increased output too, turning into an equivalent wade through micro-genres, bringing people a choice of obscure styled albums in the same vein. It’s hard to find the extended narratives on one album nowadays it seems… All this to say that it’s encouraging to see a model that goes some way to working for independent artists, labels and listeners, getting more out into the world.

Now, to wade through some (some) of it.

As with all of my ‘Reflection’ year-end mixes, I start with a long list of albums I have enjoyed over the year. Often hundreds. Through the process of putting a mix together that flows well, the songs are whittled down and selected from each album. This means many of my favorite tracks are often omitted in the process (even favorite tracks from a favorite album). But as I say every year, this isn’t a definitive ‘best-of’ list, but an organic selection of some of my favorite music from the year in a listenable format - it’s the most enjoyable way for me to boil down music I’ve loved from the year using these self-imposed restrictions. Use the mix to jump off and explore more from each artist and album.

This year’s mix ended up being primarily ambient, but with an unexpected ending. The last few yearly Reflection mixes have tended to switch-up gears throughout the mix and cover some of my other musical loves like; electronica, IDM, techno etc. But this time around, I found myself with a (roughly) two-hour ambient-leaning mix before I even came up for air. I debated stopping there (and have provided an MP3 version below to download just the ambient portion should you prefer your music more horizontal), but the full mix went on…

The initial two-hour ambient chapter of the mix is followed by a series of tracks that you could say are a nod to the early years of rave and the chill-out rooms; an alternative ‘retro-feeling suite’. This 90’s sound seems to have made a big impact on 2019 across many genres, from rave-inspired breaks in House and Techno, to Jungle and Balearic back in the game- the 90’s sound seems to be having its moment (or does it every year?!). I wanted to capture a snapshot of it here as I noticed a trend in what I was listening to. On hindsight, the mix ended up like a backwards 90’s album format - with ambient at the front instead of the usual album-ender.

Titled, ‘The Jilted Suite’, this ending chapter is a small dive into some of the non-ambient music I’ve enjoyed this year and is titled so in honor of ‘The Narcotic Suite’ from The Prodigy’s album (RIP Keith Flint - 2019).

So as a final warning, if you’re drifting off at that two-hour mark to the lulls and swells, you have been warned, things switch up after that.

I would normally do a quick written run-down of the music featured at this point, but I feel like I’ve done enough talking already to give an additional 37 track commentary.

All of these albums have been purchased (where possible) through Bandcamp also viewable via my Bandcamp collection page, and I’ve compiled them all into a Buy Music Club list here. Label names below hyperlink to each Bandcamp release (again, where possible - I think all but one release does). Please support and buy this music!

Thanks for listening and for a great year.

Listen on Soundcloud, below or head over to Mixcloud. You might also catch it on 9128.live and you can also get it in Podcasts/iTunes/RSS etc.

Download (Full mix including the Jilted Suite)
Download (Ambient mix only)

Tracklist:

01. Hollie Kenniff - Home Will Follow [n5MD]
02. r beny - Echoes Verse [Dauw]
03. Nils Frahm - Talisman [Erased Tapes]
04. Malibu - One Life [Uno NYC]
05. 36 & Black Swan - Part 2 [Past Inside The Present]
06. Ohio - Rows, Barns, Fields [12K]
07. ASC - Echo Location [Silent Season]
08. Celer - Rains Lit By Neon [Self] READ
09. nthng - Shine [Transatlantic Records]
10. Olan Mill - Metatrons Cube [Dronarivm]
11. Caught In The Wake Forever - NV Drowning [Archives]
12. Simone Giudice - Momento [Delirio]
13. Nathaniel Young - May I Speak Candidly [Mysteries of The Deep]
14. Caterina Barbieri - Fantas [Editions Mego]
15. Violeta Vicci - Violet Light [Painted World] READ
16. Susumu Yokota - Ama and the Mountain [Lo Recordings]
17. Jogging House - Traverse [Dauw]
18. Dots - Tonic Edge [Astral Industries]
19. Coppice Halifax - Slow Earth Ritual [Milieu Music]
20. Sound Awakener - Ammil [Facture]
21. Hotel Neon - Sunfire [Archives]
22. Rafael Anton Irisarri - Decay Waves [Room 40]
23. Hammock - Adnasjur [Facture]
24. Arovane & Mike Lazarev - Us, Inside [Eilean]
25. 扎克 - 000820001 [Past Inside The Present]
26. Bersarin Quartett - Siehst du das auch [Denovali]
[27 - Ambient mix version only]. Aardvarck - U Are, Not What U Think [Crowd]
The Jilted Suite
27. Desolate - Ode To Sines [Fauxpas]
28. RX-101 - Rendezvous Beacon [Suction Records]
29. Priori - 6thematic [NAFF]
30. Phillipe Cam - Manga [Traum Schallplatten]
31. Perishing Thirst - OK - [NAFF]
32. Boreal Massif - Low Forties [Pessimist Productions]
33. Homemade Weapons - Svalsat (Donato Dozzy Remix) [Samurai]
34. ASC - Nimbus [Auxiliary]
35. Nathan Micay - LeafCutAngelicDepths [Lucky Me]
36. CFCF - Closed Space (Single Edit) [BGM Solutions]
37. Coil - Alternative Theme From Gay Man’s Guide To Safer Sex [Mental Groove]

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.

…

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