A Silent Season showcase in Seattle

I had travelled about an hour out of Vancouver last Friday morning to meet up with Jamie McCue and Dan Anthon. Jamie is the founder and curator of Silent Season, a small ambient and dub techno imprint based in Canada’s Comox Valley and Dan is the mastermind behind the label’s visual aesthetic. Drawing from the seemingly endless beauty of their immediate surroundings they’ve been presenting a discography that has helped recognize emerging artists and garnered genuine interest in the geography that inspires it.

They were both invited to host a showcase at this year’s Decibel Festival alongside two of the label’s most prominent figures: ASC andSegue. The show was a collaborative effort with Secondnature, an ambitious group of young minds helping develop context for some of techno’s more obscure outputs. It was the first time Silent Season had ever been presented on a festival stage and the first time all of them would be in the same room together. It was the kind of situation that drew equal parts support and disapointment from an international community that were largely unable to attend.

Jamie and Dan were making their way over from the island and we had agreed to meet at an appropriate checkpoint early that morning. The drive down was as cloudy and wet as they come, but it seemed to clear up as we approached Seattle. Traffic didn’t leave us much time so a brief check into the hotel, where a towering Marcel Dettmann had also just arrived, had us quickly off to the EMP for sound check. After a warm bump in with Communikey founder Kate Lesta we were whisked away through a number of back halls to the green room at Sky Church. Realizing we still had about a half hour to kill we reveled in the impressive setup and enjoyed a taste of the set Simian Mobile Disco had planned for that night.

Soon after we hurried to level 3 and the guys got straight to work. Jordan Sauer (Segue) and James Clements (ASC) arrived with minutes to get their gear on stage and plugged in. Jamie had already been teasing the speakers with sub frequencies. They had all originally been slated to perform in a more intimate space, but a last minute program change had them enjoying the benefits of a larger sound system. After everyone got the clear we took 15 minutes to get in our last meal of the night.

Doors opened and lights dimmed as festival goers made their way into the venue and respectfully took their seats. Jamie set the tone with calming field sounds and airy pads. His set had a satisfying arc, moving through a wide range of the Silent Season catalog, as beatless ambience patiently blossomed into deep pulsating rhythms.

Dan was situated at the back of the room getting aquainted with a setup he had pieced together just days earlier. He had spent the last two and a half months combing Vancouver Island for material to help him bring the Silent Season world to life. The visuals were stunning. Time lapse scenes showcased much of the surroundings Jamie and Dan have been championing and they would blend into beautiful fusions of geometric shapes and soft colors. It was a treat to see it in motion and while I regret not bringing a SLR to get more appropriate video, I’m certain we’ll get to see more of it in the future.

Substrata 1.4 in review

This was my second year in a row making the trip up to Seattle for Rafael Anton Irisarri’s Substrata Festival, but this year, I approached it a little differently. Whereas last time I put together a festival preview and spent time looking into the artists’ involved, last year had afforded me enough trust in what Rafael would curate, and I put my OCD to one side. Apart from Markus Guentner and Mika Vainio, I wasn’t too familiar with the other artists set to perform from a live perspective – and I felt pretty good about leaving it that way.

The festival was once again held at the beautiful Chapel Performance Space in the Wallingford District of Seattle, perfect for the hazy Seattle summer evenings and an intimate space for the attendees to immerse themselves in over the next three days.

Thursday night began with Gregg Kowalsky taking his performance close to the audience and echoing Raf’s purpose for the night: “The composer as both the outrider and map-maker in their simultaneous manifestation and guidance through geographic, abstract, cosmic, oneiric non-place”. Subtle cracks came to life through numerous tapes played back through the mics – a constant puppetry by Greg as he flicked between minimal analog hardware inputs and three portable tape-decks. Short and sweet, I couldn’t help but want more from Gregg’s creaky, intimate sounds.

New York City-based Julia Kent took to the stage and immediately changed the mood in the room. As the sun began to set, Julia settled down bare-footed with her cello and quickly began looping numerous string parts, conjuring up the presence of multiple instruments and compositions depicting the drama and emotion from an epic film. Gently acknowledging the crowds reaction to each short but sweet performance, Julia played through to a dramatic ending and remains one of my favourite acts from the festival.

There are no headliners at Substrata, but Markus Guentner was my biggest anticipation of the week. The ASIP contributor has long been a hero of mine and this was my first time seeing him live. With his modest set-up, including his notorious PC (Markus loves to sign off emails with “sent from a PC”) adorning an ASIP laptop sticker, Markus wasted no time getting stuck in to his beautifully textured Pop-ambient sound, progressing through layers of signature textures and recognisable elements. It was, as expected a pure joy to consume in this environment.

Friday played host to “the evolving field of electro-acoustic composition in it’s intersection with fringe pop, folk, improvisation and non-rock form” starting with Australian Sanso-Xtro. Her set began with random synth-stabs, never confirming to melody, rhythm or pattern and to be honest, it lost me entirely. But when she picked up her guitar and gently strummed home a repetitive melody peppered with tiny string flicks, (and what i’m sure most people would recognise as great guitar playing), she made amends and I began to enjoy her unorthodox and experimental approach.

Koen Holtkamp followed, sat stern behind his analog equipment to the right-side of the stage. I quickly fell into Koen’s subtle shifts and expansive ambience as he masterfully grew his sound to a cacophony of synths pounding through the speakers from all four corners. By the end of his set I felt like I was sat in the middle of a square room of TV screens, lit with brightly coloured circuit boards. It was a modest yet powerful performance.

Raf’s personal hero Carl Hultgren (from Windy & Carl) closed the Friday evening with an ever expanding wash of shoegaze. It was non-descript, yet perfect – I felt myself nodding off numerous times as he gently caressed his guitar into the ears of an audience lulled into every millimetre his fingers moved across the strings.

If the Saturday night from last-year was anything to go by, it seems like Rafael saves the more epic and immersive characters for the closing night. This was no different, as upon entry, the stage was adorned with hundreds of cables depicting an analog synth heaven- “the night’s performers are all sculptors of ambient sonic narrative created from the colluvium of sound’s rawest materials” and a night in which Raf decided to take up the position behind the mixing board – “Bring earplugs” he said.

Evan Caminiti stood at the front of the stage emotionless as he took to melding, mixing and plugging his world of wires. His pulsating electronics slowly evolved into beautiful landscapes – a feat I still struggle to understand when there’s no single laptop involved – my lack of understanding of analog hardware showing, but my appreciation for it growing, especially after performances like this.

Mika Vainio - one half of the minimal electronic duo Pan Sonic, upon closing all the blinds and turning off the lights, sat in the middle of the stage with just a single lamp shining on his analog synth set-up. Stern faced, the familiar stabs hit hard and I could tell Raf had raised the levels . Non-confirming yet rhythmic, Mika slowly but surely built his glitchy structures from nothingness into full-on head-ringing bangs of the purest, most appreciated sounds possible from the equipment at hand. A true master of his art, there were five seconds in-between beats at times, and I felt myself itching for it go on one more time, harder, louder and bigger as he aggressively plunged and stabbed synth cables, creating a raw and unforgettable musical experience.

Seattle based Mamiffer took to the stage to close Substrata 1.4 – the only use of the grand piano helmed by Faith Coloccia, with Aaron Turner taking the lead-presence on stage behind the guitar. Dark and intense, drones were soon shattering around the space with the subtle and quaint voice of Faith and her keys tinkering in the background; unplugged from the main output, i’m pretty sure this was on purpose to help create a sense of depth for the audience and to let the power of the guitar shine through.

A continuous piano and melody and a sweet looping voice were a stark contrast to the sheer strength coming from Aaron’s guitar, and whilst the first 10 minutes seemed a little unsettling, the next 15 or so absolutely blew my mind as Aaron slowly progressed his drones from high-pitched streaks into raw, bone-rattling depths of solid colour. The contrast worked beautifully and the progression was timed to perfection – injecting subtle tonal shifts as the piece grew higher, louder and bigger. Mamiffer’s performance was dark and poignant.

As I walked out of the space that night, I didn’t hear anyone say a thing. Nobody needed to talk about how good that was; how much better one artist was over another; or what they were doing next after the show. When you are immersed in the performances you see at Substrata, you are paying witness to music in its purest form – a vision that Raf pays very careful attention to crafting and a vision that has profound effects on those lucky enough to enjoy it in these settings. It’s not about the individual artists, it’s the overall experience you walk away with.

Levi Patel - Forms

You may remember this talented young producer from his Places Series piece, ‘Dissociation‘ – a rare gem amongst the thousands of aspiring composers in the modern-classical field. Levi Patel’s talent has shone, and John Beltran’s label Dado Records picked up his most recent work ‘Forms'; a five-track EP that brings together years of hard graft from the New Zealand star.

The EP is undoubtedly influenced by his beautiful natural surroundings in New Zealand (the artwork plays a big part in the release), as well as some of his heroes – the likes of fellow country-man Rhian Sheehan. Just those two ingredients alone should get you salivating at the music at hand.

I’ve been lucky enough to stay close to Levi throughout his production, and have experienced first-hand his dedication and attention to detail. The EP’s tracks are all written, performed and recorded by Levi himself, and the sheer beauty and intricacy of the instruments used in these tracks will leave you dumbfounded at the possibility of that fact. With additional support on vocals, violas and cellos, Levi’s intimate piano and string melodies shine amongst some subtle yet poignant atmospheres. Never compromising and never complex, Levi’s compositions are confident – not what you’d expect from such a young composer. His ability to hold back, then to pull the heart-strings, and to suddenly layer instrument upon instrument as one single, emotional piece is what makes this EP hit home.

This is music that would define a soundtrack and the music that immortalises a memory. The perfect companion to that vivid and beautiful landscape, that moment of fleeting love, or indeed, the escapism needed from it all. It’s damn-right beautiful.

Available through Dado Records on Bandcamp and iTunes

Yagya - Sleepygirls

The signing of Aðalsteinn Guðmundsson’s fifth album to Delsin Records is significant, not just for Guðmundsson, but for the genre he’s helped pioneer. Netherlands-based Delsin has been fostering well respected names like Mike Dehnert, Delta Funktionen, Redshape and Conforce for years, and has long been a beacon for techno’s elite. Despite the occasional leftfield signing (see John Beltran’s, “Amazing Things” last year), the label still very much caters to the DJ craft. This ensures plenty of deck-focused ears will be giving this record a listen and while the idea of mixing ambient-leaning techno is certainly nothing new, it’s been some time since we’ve seen it presented on this stage. With a decade’s worth of ground-breaking work under his belt, Yagya’s legacy will no longer remain quietly cherished by deep techno’s underbelly.

Sleepygirls brings forward some of the celebrated elements from Guðmundsson’s Rhythm of Snow and Rigning, revived with a fresh coat of low-end paint, live instrumentation and a couple of guest vocal performances. The album is entirely mixed and wastes no time immersing you in familiar warmth. There is such an effortless flow to Yagya’s sound and even though this challenges the album’s overall dynamic, there is a sense of reliable comfort in its consistency. Turn the album on and turn yourself off, it’s a wonderful escape.

Mid-way through we’re treated to some of Guðmundsson’s heaviest hitting material. This is still far from a club record, but there is a fresh, punchy energy to these tracks which is sure to please fans who were left longing for a bit more out of Yagya’s 2012, “The Inescapable Decay of My Heart”. There is also something about this genre and the world of jazz just seem to work so well. 8 tracks in, the pace plateaus allowing some tasteful improvisation to carry you effortlessly through. It couldn’t have been more perfectly timed and stood out as a highlight.

Fans are going to love Yagya’s fifth album. It doesn’t breakaway from tried and tested formulas of the past, but it refines enough of the edges to challenge its predecessors as the new favorite. It’s also the perfect introduction to his long line of work and fresh ears will undoubtedly be encouraged to go explore a discography many of us have been enjoying for some time.

Available on Delsin on 3xLP, CD and digital formats on 26th May.

Inventions - Inventions

This was easily one of the best surprises to emerge at the start of 2014. Matthew Cooper of Eluvium fame; hot on the heels of his amazing Catalin LP, and Mark T Smith, guitarist for the legendary post-rockers, ‘Explosions In The Sky’ announced that they would be collaborating on a new album together for Temporary Residence.

The album has been out for a while now and i’ve been in no rush to put any words out on it, as you can tell. Instead i’ve spent much of the past few months absorbing plenty of music, letting much of it wash over me and picking up some of the stellar pieces that stand strong weeks later.

The track ‘Entity’ was our first full preview of what to expect from these guys a few months back, and still remains my favourite. Distant guitar lulls wrapped in Matthews hypnotic ambience and a distorted, alien-like vocal. It’s a softly-softly approach and gently rocks you into the world that straddles these two musical minds.

‘Flood Poems’ is like an extended Explosions In The Sky intro, with Mark taking center stage over gentle percussion with a simple guitar melody. Five minutes in and the track has signature EITS all over it, slowly climbing into daybreak as the guitar layers grow.

The euphoria expands in ‘Luminous Insects’ as a synth takes the lead, contradicting the gentle rumbling and tinkering in the background and drowning out any improv the two may have been predicting in this track. It’s like they had a base and decided to layer on this trance-like synth to really stick it to us, should we be getting too comfortable with their sound.

Matthew’s processing comes to life in ‘Peaceable Child’ as the first track with any kind of beat. Delays, and echoes muddle a piano as the beat slowly preempts the layered guitars to follow. This prelude, a gentle and conceived attempt at disguising the power in ‘Sun Locations, Sun Coda’, as the incessant drumming builds into another slightly warped yet charming outro – sun reflecting off the tide as it retreats back into the Pacific.

The head-nodding and smiles which usually follow any EITS track come alive in ‘Recipient’. On the face, a raw drum, surrounded in distortion, locks you on to the subtle vocal and background melody changes. A perfect example of a track that needs to be listened to in it’s entirety – a crafted journey.

By the time you’ve got to ‘Psychic automation’, you’re in tune with what these two are doing. Their sound lies amongst a deep understanding of both genres at play – ambient and post-rock music, which are both built on very subtle changes, distant but engrossing melodies and above all, the ability to lose the listener amongst complex arrangements, story-lines and journeys. Intentional beginnings, middles and ends.

It wasn’t until I watched the below video that this all made sense. Jamming on the Oregon Coast, Matthew and Mark have taken advantage of the natural beauty, the slow-pace and the company of each-other to create a masterpiece true to them both. With Matthew’s style always hard to pin down, and Mark’s strong style threatening to over-shadow any kind of subdued intricacy, they’ve created a one-of-a-kind album that straddles the multitude of styles at play and it’s a beauty.

Available on Temporary Residence.