ASIPVA01 at Hidden Sounds

Back in March this year, we were set to present our very first London label showcase at Hidden Sounds Record Store. As part of the event, I was preparing a very special release that would’ve been available only at the event as thank you to everyone who made the trip and to celebrate our first ASIP show in London. Those plans were cancelled due to Covid-19.

Since then, many business and independent record stores like Hidden Sounds have struggled to survive, having to pivot to online sales only, with foot-traffic coming to a complete standstill. Luckily, Hidden Sounds have so far survived, despite no government support or subsidization and despite getting kicked out of their original space just recently too, they’ve found a new home just around the corner above Dalston Market, London.

So, what to do with the records that’ve been sat at the shop waiting for that ASIP event? We don’t anticipate the event to happen again anytime soon given we are still in the middle of it all and I can’t even fly back to the UK, so we had an idea to put the records to good use and help Hidden Sounds a little.

A select amount of copies of ASIPVA01 will now be available at the Hidden Sounds store with all proceeds kept by HS to help with their recovery and new location.

We’re doing this to encourage business for the store and as a thank you to the venue that, despite the event not happening, were an amazing partner for our first London event. So, Londoners (or people willing to make the trip) - head to the new location First Floor, 89 Ridley Rd, Dalston, London E8 2NH, grab a copy and pick up a bunch of other gems whilst you’re there. First come first served.

The small remainder of copies I have of this record will, as originally intended, only be sold via physical events and stores going forward (and a couple of regular ASIP shops already have them if you look hard enough) There are no plans yet to sell this record online. I know this might be frustrating news for many, but we see it as a chance to repay people who go out of their way to attend our shows and a small step in keeping the physical record store a key staple in our culture.

As an avid record collector, witnessing stores revert to online only, and many (and potentially many more to come) shutter their doors, it’s a stark reminder that we need to continue to support our local record store.

Check out the Hidden Sounds Instagram for more info.

To that point, if you’re a physical shop wanting to stock copies of this record - please get in touch.

Merrin Karras / Silent Planet (ASIP033)

Following his 2020 LP Northwest Passage, Brendan returns with another set of majestic synthesizer-based music.

Conceived and composed in two days, Silent Planet is Brendan's first attempt at a fully continuous piece of music. Normally, albums under his Merrin Karras guise take many months, if not years, to put together:

"I wanted to challenge myself to create a mini-album in a short amount of time, not to think too much about it, but just to let it flow and see what happened. Everything was created in one project, but it's comprised of six distinct sections. Several motifs and elements are re-used at various points throughout the work. It's also the first time that I've used percussion elements in a Merrin Karras work.”

The mood spans from brooding to almost Balearic at points, with strong elements of Berlin School and Space Music, classic Trance, and Ambient all intertwined.

Silent Planet is available as ‘name your price’ on Bandcamp, with all sales going directly to Brendan.

Artwork by Noah M / Keep Adding.

Now available: Gastón Arévalo / Terrain (ASIPV024)

I stumbled across Gastón’s music listening to his album on Marsen Jules’ Oktaf label, ‘Rollin Ballads’. Releases after this were few and far between from him, so it was a lovely surprise to hear a demo come through from Gastón.

Within ‘Terrain’, Gastón aimed to depict an adventurous journey, where each track captured a specific moment over an imaginary, daring ascent. An intimate meeting with nature, the album rises from the ground to our highest peaks - with the two extremes captured in the album’s artwork (a collab between Noah M and I, featuring photography from myself and Gastón).

Field recordings from Patagonia enhance the feeling of freedom, one can only find from the great outdoors. Adorned with drifting harmonies; shimmering guitars; dense pads of cloud; gentle rising mists; the sound of shallow rivers and morning bird-calls, it all comes together to create a vivid and intrepid scene told across a variety of full-length tracks and short interludes, acting as breathers and moments to reflect amongst mother-natures finest grandeur.

Terrain is available in color-in-color, Transparent + Gold Gatefold 2LP vinyl and digital formats, mastered by Rafael Anton Irisarri.

See the release page for more information and links to buy.

Now available: Markus Guentner / Gradient Spirits (ASIP032)

The lockdown has inspired many artists and none more so than Markus Guentner. Not only did Markus prepare a special live set recently for Data.Wave, but Markus also had this lovely Live set in him, which to me is the equivalent and worthiness of any full album release. A magical, sweeping and majestic hour’s worth of improvised material, available for you to download as ‘Name Your Price’ over on Bandcamp.

With mastering by our regular-master-controller, Rafael Anton Irisarri, Gradient Spirits highlights Guentner at his very best since his last album on ASIP (Empire), and should live shows resume sometime soon, this set is a brilliant example of the journey Markus can create within a live setting.

Buy / download on Bandcamp.

Now available: Wanderwelle / A State of Decrepitude

Today we release the fourth full-length from Amsterdam-duo Wanderwelle. Their albums so far have been nothing but original and groundbreaking in terms of vision and concept, and we like to think their latest, ‘A State Of Decrepitude’ continues in the same manner.

See the release page for more information, listen to previews and where to buy.