Motionfield - Luftrum

Carpe Sonum are a relatively new label, born out of an unusual inspiration following the death of Pete Namlook a few years back.  As the original North American distributor of Pete's legendary label, FAX, the Boulder (Colorado) based company looked to pay tribute to Pete with an 8-CD boxed set entitled Die Wel ist Klang, and since it couldn't be released on FAX, Carpe Sonum was born.

Scanning through the label's back-catalogue, they have a wealth of releases already under their belts. I've happened upon them a couple of times, now, but have never been drawn-in to the extent I have with this release by Motionfield, titled Luftrum.

Motionfield, real name Petter Friberg, has put together a brilliant ten-track album, rooted in lush electronics and varying from Boards of Canada-esque retro (in Luftrum 1), to Ultimae style psy-ambient we normally associate with the likes of Carbon Based Lifeforms (in Luftrum 3).  

Given the influence of the label and its origins in early 90's ambient music, it's an album unmistakably influenced by the likes of FAX, and the many early ambient pioneers of the time - subtle vocal samples, spacey-synths, and the consistent feeling of floating in space. This is a timeless album that will invoke nostalgia, and remind you that there's an ever expanding wealth of music that was born from the great, late Pete Namlook and his notorious FAX label.

Download on Bandcamp.

Big thank you to the always brilliant @sibear71 for the heads-up on this one.

Biosphere - Microgravity (Reissue)

Let’s go back to a time when electronic music was on the cusp of its defining years. A time when I wasn’t even really aware of electronic music (being just seven years old). A time when nobody knew that the artist they were listening to (probably in a chill-out room somewhere) would end up defining an entire genre, and 14 years later, still be pushing ahead.

in 1991, Geir Jenssen released his first ever album under his renowned Biosphere name. Inspired by the likes of Brian Eno, New Order, Depeche Mode and titled Microgravity, it would go on to be a cult classic. And it would be the first of many from Geir that did exactly that - define ambient music as we hear it today. Geir’s sound took techno, acid, and psychedelic /drug induced music to a whole new level; a deeper level; and was undoubtedly the spark to many of the greatest electronic musicians we hear today. 

The years surrounding Biosphere’s debut release in 1991 witnessed the likes of Global Communication, The Orb, The Future Sound of London, Autechre, and even Aphex Twin birth classic albums. That’s not to say that each of these artists were a result or influenced entirely by Biosphere’s sound, but I’d put a wager on it that Biosphere is respected as a pioneer for many of those guys. 

The relationship is more obvious in some than others. Take Global Communication for example and one of their aliases Reload, who remixed an entire Biosphere EP. Aphex Twin’s Selected Ambient Works is packed full of the sound you hear in Biosphere’s Microgravity too - the warped samples, the acid-lined bass and the warm analog sound. 

I’m not writing this to compare, or to say who influenced who - that would be a never-ending debate I'm sure. Let's just say, Biosphere’s first album, Microgravity was a seminal and defining piece of electronic music. And I’ll get to the point... it’s now available to buy in all its remastered, extended, vinyl, CD and digital glory alongside a bunch of unreleased tracks, following a successful Kickstarter campaign.  

Not bad for an album which was originally rejected as unmarketable by Geir's original record label.

Satellites, baby, Satellites. 

Available on Bandcamp. 

You may also want to check out Patashnik 2, also available on Geir's Bandcamp - more unreleased greatness.

Alva Noto - Xerrox Vol.3

After a break of five years, Carsten Nicolai the data-centric mastermind returns with his third instalment of the Xerrox series. The Xerrox series deals with the manipulation of data by means of endless reproduction.

Alva Noto's live shows are often based on this data manipulation, incorporating partnerships with visual artists such as Japan's Ryoji Ikeda, leaving audiences in awe after colour inducing assaults and pixel-perfect manipulation. It's an approach which Carsten has coined, but in my opinion, sometimes at the cost of the listening experience when outside of the 20ft screens and surround sound. Weighing up these live experiences with personal listening sessions, you often wonder if they can ever live apart - and maybe they were never intended to.

When approaching Vol. 3 I wondered if the five years of data manipulation would impact his often minimal approach to the series and we'd be left with clicks and beeps. Tracks like Monophaser 2 are still at the very top for me, and as the series expanded, I had to remind myself of the narrative Carsten had put into play. Volume 1 referred to the old world, volume 2, to the new world. And now, Vol.3, towards space.

It's as if Carsten was inspired by one of my favourite unofficial videos for Monophaser 2 (see above). This video is the perfect match for this track, and as Vol.3 seeps through my headphones, I look back and realize in excitement that the epic-soundtrack style synths that break on Monophaser 2 as the rockets break-off, are just a taster of what we had in store for his next volume.

On Xerrox vol. 3, a new aspect enters the scene. Inspired by childhood film memories from the 1970s including Tarkovsky‘s adaption of “Solaris” and “La Isla Misteriosa y el Capitán Nemo” based on Jules Verne‘s “The Mysterious Island”, the record shows Alva Noto‘s private side. With its very intimate atmosphere, it's a personal reflection of dreams, an imaginary journey through emotional landscapes or, as he himself puts it, a "cinematographic emotion of a soundtrack to a film that actually, does not exist in reality". 

It's a study of the score to our favourite sci-fi film, beginning with an opening theme and subtly breaking into it's own components, chapters and moods. The feeling of expanse is almost palpable as the record sizzles and rumbles alongside expansive washes and tense, distant strings.

“I see Xerrox Vol. 3 as my most personal album so far. I have to admit that this emotional output is a surprise even for myself. it remains exciting how the last two albums of this series will sound like.”

— Alva Noto

Carsten gives each track the space to breathe, with slow melodies, subtle progressions and a recognisable suspense. You sit watching his imaginary film-score anticipating the next move, as the rumbles re-appear; the ship passes camera, voices muted by nothing but black on tracks within Xerrox 2ndevol2nd.

Carsten dances with romance and the longing-stares out into the void with Xerrox Isola. The falling debris, the uncontrollable spinning and changing colors of the horizon are seen in Xerrox Solphaer. And the gentle introduction of a piano on Xerrox Spiegel, spell an ending of hope, or perhaps an introduction to Part 4, as Xerrox Exosphere slowly dissipates - a white dot slowly getting smaller and smaller, the pixels digress, finally blending with the millions of surrounding stars.

Vol. 3 is available to buy and stream in full on Raster Noton - note the limited edition vinyl package!

Tracklist:

01 xerrox atmosphere 01 : 23
02 xerrox helm transphaser 06 : 45
03 xerrox 2ndevol 03 : 44
04 xerrox radieuse 05 : 60
05 xerrox 2ndevol2nd 05 : 05
06 xerrox isola 08 : 07
07 verrox solphaer 06 : 09
08 xerrox mesosphere 05 : 55
09 xerrox spark 06 : 10
10 xerrox spiegel 03 : 33
11 xerrox exosphere 03 : 48

Horizon Fire - Earthlight

A soundtrack from a distant galaxy; a slow-setting sun in an unrecognizable world; a strangely isolated new place. No-matter where Horizon Fire has been since his last release four-years ago, Paul Tebbott returns with another visionary masterpiece, combining his beautiful graphics and warm, vintage electronica sound.

It would be easy to compare Horizon Fire's sound to that of Boards of Canada, particularly Tomorrow's Harvest for example, but there's a much simpler, addictive ploy to Paul's sound. It's fitting that Paul is a talented designer as well as a producer, as the graphics he pairs with his release speak more to the sound that I can. Simple; dream-inducing; nostalgic yet futuristic; Paul could be scoring the next Tron, Blade Runner or other cult sci-fi. Either way you look at it, when you pair his graphics with the likes of Earthlight, you're transported.

I thoroughly recommend listening to the Horizon Fire back-catalog on Bandcamp, all name-your-price, whilst flicking through some of Paul's images on Tumblr. I've taken the liberty of presenting a select few below to accompany your listening experience.

Available on Bandcamp.

http://paultebbott.co.uk/
http://paultebbott.tumblr.com/

Bering Strait - Archive 0

As one half of Kiyoko, Jack Lever is no stranger to many of us here on ASIP. Alongside Joe McBride (Synkro), Kiyoko provided us with an isolatedmix a few months back and are about to re-release their debut album, Sea Of Trees on vinyl. However, with one of my favourite EP's of 2013 to his name under his own guise, Bering Strait, Jack is slowly but surely carving out his own route -  a distinctly varied production approach and a sound that's appealing to the ambient enthusiasts among us.

Released on tape, Archive 0 includes three tracks of stripped back texture, samples and grainy drones, book-ending three more stylized productions. Drone-A, B and C sandwich the rolling dub-techno of Transmission 110, the glistening Fog Open Key, and the sinister footprints of Name-VAc. 

It's a tricky balance where this type of  music is concerned, trying to keep the listener entertained throughout is a tough job, but one Jack succeeds at, with alternating styles, subtle samples and a delicate progression throughout each track - on  Concrete-X-28hr Drone B you hear the faint glimmer of life from an unknown vocal sample as it descends into choral delays - it's this type of introduction which entices you around the dark corner.

Transmission 110 is the defining track on the release - a gentle dub-techno piece and the only track holding any recognition to Jack's previous productions. It's a pleasure to see an artist come together with new styles and experiment in this way; brave enough to embrace alternating approaches and styles after only a few releases in the wild. Archive 0 may suggest a look back, but it's evident Jack is still experimenting and pushing forward with an array of beautiful music.

We're lucky enough to play host and debut Transmission 110 to the world below, and I also shot Jack a few questions for more context.

Archive 0 will be available on April 20th direct through Bering Strait's Bandcamp - available now to pre-order. 

ASIP: Hello Jack, where are you right now and what are you up to?

BS: I’m in Belgium at the moment for a Kiyoko gig but I’ll be returning home after the weekend.

SIP: Nice! Have you been there before? You seem to tour and play live quite a bit - is this a focus for you?

BS: Yeah I flew over for the first time in 2012 when I signed to Apollo, to meet Renaat & Sabine (R&S Records). Playing live isn't  really a focus for me, I prefer writing music, although I don’t mind playing out and it's something I am open to.   

ASIP: You're from the UK's Peak District right? I love it up there - did you grow up in a sleepy town or out in the sticks?

BS: I suppose you could say out in the sticks, I’m originally from a place called ‘Dukinfield’ in Greater Manchester but then my family moved to Derbyshire when I was young, I spent my childhood in the Peak District in a farming village near Kinder Mountain.

ASIP: The Northern Richard D James maybe? Any tanks outside your Peak District house?!

BS: There’s a lot of tractors about, and you get the odd armoured Land Rover. 

ASIP: How did you get into music?

BS: My first memory of being interested in music was going round to my Grandparents house where I knew there was some drums in the spare bedroom, but I don’t think I ever got to go up there and play with them, I always knew that my Dad had played the drums, and two of my Uncles. When I was eleven I asked my 'Ma for some drums and she bought me a black Remo Bravo 2 four piece drum kit, I Joined a band before I could play them which I was in at secondary school, we played a mixture of dated 80’s punk, metal, Thrash & Dub.

We recorded our first EP on CD at age 13 in my friends back room on a Playstation 2 and started playing in pubs in the local area. We had our first recording session in a studio in Stockport around that time. Then I got into electronic music mainly through hallucinogenic drugs in my mid teens, we used to go camping and listen to stuff like Scorn, BOC, Mum & Phonem. A lot of it came from random downloads with poor information so I didn’t end looking into these guys till much later.

ASIP: How would you describe your sound as Bering Strait?

BS: The sun rising on melting ice, after a long journey through a harsh arctic desert.

ASIP: What's your weapon/s of choice when producing music?

BS: My Sanyo handheld cassette recorder, cost me a £1 from a charity shop but its got a nice mic on it. I like Akai samplers too. I also use some boss pedals and I have a rack-mount analog tape delay made by Aria which I use on a lot of the Bering Strait / Kiyoko tracks.

ASIP: So a pretty analog setup - is that on purpose? Do you try to keep this analog sound in your productions?

BS: Yeah I love analog boxes and synths. The first track I ever made was on a 16 channel mixing desk with analog sends recorded to DAT (all not mine - it was at college). Don’t get me wrong though, it's not like my studio at home is full of analog equipment - just cheap stuff and my laptop at the moment. 

ASIP: What do you focus on for samples & field recordings?

BS: I used a lot of recordings on my first EP (Apart) & Sea of Trees (as Kiyoko) I would go anywhere from the kitchen, to outdoors, to the shit I have lying around in my bedroom, Vinyls, guitars, bass, flutes, percussion etc. Sometimes I’ll record re-amped noises and go to the bathroom and the hallway for recording acoustic instruments.

ASIP: So what’s the most interesting sound you’ve incorporated into your Bering Strait tracks? Anything in the Archive 0 release which may surprise us?

BS: Thats a tough question. You might hear a dodgy reggae vocal in a new context on the third track of ‘Archive 0’.

ASIP: I love the title track on Apart, and Archive 0 is a bit of a departure from this sound. Can you tell us more about this evolution? 

BS: I wrote Apart in different circumstances and with different equipment (Guitars & Amps) than Archive 0, but I wanted to approach this release in a new way to keep it interesting, so I used Some Synthesizers and tape.

ASIP: How do you see Bering Strait evolving?

BS: I just want to keep writing music. I can see myself releasing quite a lot in the near future. 

Bering Strait - Archive 0 tracklist:

01. CONCRETE X-28H DRONE C
02. NAMEVAC
03. CONCRETE X-28H DRONE B
04. FOG OPEN KEY
05. TRANSMISSION 110
06. CONCRETE X-28H DRONE A

http://beringstraitarchives.com/