Favorite Releases from January 2022
Life is a snowflake
a free-falling star
a fragile reminder
of all that we are
born of a raindrop
laced by the breeze
spinning through space
dancing through trees
a diamond of light
a gem in the sun
a journey of hope
a new life begun
© Charles Gluigna
The dawn of the new year brings stunning albums, releases, and remixes featuring Birds Ov Paradise, Gacha Bakradze, Shinichi Atobe, Shaded Explorer, Earthen Sea, Primal Code, Jacques Greene, DJ Python, Jonathan Fitoussi /Clemens Hourrière, and Datassette. Tracks are listed in no particular order.
Birds Ov Paradise
Amanda
Hypnus Records
Hypnus Records marks the end of the first lunar century with the debut album from Birds ov Paradise. Across nine tracks, “Memorial” continues his musical journey through the beautifully enigmatic world of electronic music helping to draw up the blueprint for the label’s distinctive dub techno and atmospheric ambient sounds.
The album’s opening track “Amanda” sets the mood with smooth waves of modulating tones, immersive dub techno rhythms, and delicate harmonies.
Gacha Bakradze
Widow
Georgian producer Gacha Bakradze offers a sonic treat on his new “Out” EP. The self-released five-track collection of the artist’s trademark immersive sound stocked with melancholy-tinged IDM, breakbeat and electro feel. In Gacha Barkadze’s own words, “I recorded this EP by the end of 2019 Before covid took off. It was supposed to be released on label AD.93, but due to the pandemic, it was pushed back. Consequently, I decided it was no longer worth the wait and decided to share this music with you via Bandcamp.”
The beauty of the second track “Widow” is unfurled in its infinite layers of intricately assembled blossoming melodic elements, a breakbeat rhythm, and crisp percussive textures that collide together to create an elegant futuristic dreamscape.
Shinichi Atobe
Love Of Plastic 5
DDS
The Japanese producer Shinichi Atobe returns to his home base Demdike Stare's DDS with a new record, “Love Of Plastic.” Atobe’s sixth album is a shifting mosaic comprising of nine tracks that touch on deep techno and dub house-driven sound that evolves through euphoric rhythms and emotive melodies. “Love Of Plastic” follows his 2020’s album “Yes” and 2018’s “Heat”, all released through DDS.
“Love Of Plastic 5” is a gorgeous journey into dreamy melodies, smoothly layered harmonies, and sonic palettes that suit the emotion and sensibility entangling gently over deep house influenced groove.
Shaded Explorer
Selva
Mirror Tapes
Melbourne-based Citizen Maze has launched a new record label Mirror Tapes, a platform that “focuses on electronic music that captures the ambience/immersion of the world around us.” The label’s first release, a various artist compilation “Mirror Tapes Worldwide vol. 1”, is both an introduction and display of the rising talent showcasing meticulous production and vision. With twelve original tracks from Queniv, Shaded Explorer, Kato De Vidts, Forest On Stasys, Citizen Maze, among others, the overall vibe is a mesmerizing blend of deep techno, atmospheric breaks, and ambiance.
One of the standout tracks on the compilation is from Italian producer Emanuele Pertoldi, better known as Shaded Explorer. His track “Seva” melds deep and atmospheric techno with immersive soundscapes of dark ambient and shimmering tones inviting listeners to discover connections between transcendence and consciousness.
Earthen Sea
Gleaming Beach
Figure
Hot on the heels of the first installment of their Open Space VA series, the German imprint Figure returns with the second volume. “OPEN SPACE VOLUME 2” serves as a natural bridge between the new and pivotal members from the label including Arthur Robert, Wata Igarashi, John Beltran, Exos, the label founder Len Faki, among others.
“A breadth of fresh artists, some new to the label and others renowned for their more dance-centric works, the compilation aims to give each individual artist their creative freedom to explore the space” the label admits.
The New York-based artist Jacob Long is the creative mastermind behind the artistic persona Earthen Sea. His sepia-toned “Gleaming Beach” embraces pastures of tranquility with a unique sense of texture and atmosphere.
Primal Code
Autopilot
Kalahari Oyster Cult
Following releases on TGP, Konstrukt, and Hypnus Records, the Milan-based duo Primal Code steps up to Kalahari Oyster Cult’s main series with the new EP. Merging footwork influences with dub techno and ambient, the “ “AI Calculator incl. Priori Remix” EP traverses from modulated electro, IDM, and dub techno sensibilities to kaleidoscopic rhythms. This release has been packaged with a remix of the title track by the Montreal-based artist Priori.
The third track on the release “Autopilot” is a deep exploration of the multidimensional realms of techno wrapped in soft haunting ambiance punctuated by acid-tinged bassline and airy melodic tones.
Jacques Greene
Leave Here
LuckyMe
Jacques Greene is the Toronto-based producer who brings together vibrant flavors of pop, R&B, and house with vast links to trip-hop, downtempo, and ambient production to create a mesmerizing new EP. “Fantasia” is released through the UK label “LuckyMe”, and is the artist’s first new record since 2019’s LP “Down Chorus.” Here is what the label says about the release:
“The things you hear when you’re alone. Walking through Mount Royal or other wooded areas you might notice a branch break. As much as I value my alone time and the subtle things you can pick up around and within yourself in those moments, a certain loneliness and anxiety permeate the quiet at some point. The past couple years created ample opportunity for that anxiety and loneliness to stretch its legs and make itself comfortable. This record was born out of weeks of willing a form of peace and inspiration into my surroundings. A large part of that came from working with Leanne Macomber on some vocals. Through a desire to form new connections and throw more humanity into the work. We made a variety of song sketches that I mostly reworked into the final recordings here. We spoke a lot about where our heads were at, certain key phrases, triggers, and emotions. Joel Ford, whom I worked on Dawn Chorus with, mixed the record and helped me wrangle a few cats to get this across the finish line. Restless at home in Canada, feeling the restlessness of all my friends and loved ones I kept in touch with as much as possible, trying to make something that made the quiet a bit more peaceful.”
DJ Python
Angel
Incienso
New York producer and resident of Nowadays club DJ Python delivers a sublime 3-track EP stretching across the spectrum of overarching facets of house and club-primed “deep reggaeton” fraught with a nuanced dreamy nostalgia. “Club Sentimental Vol Three” EP follows his 2020 album “Mas Amable” also released through Incienso imprint.
“Angel” evokes a transcendent, summery bliss with soft pads, breezy melodies, and mallet-driven rhythm, all of which are immersed in tropical soundscapes that promulgate an alluring sense of tranquility across 11 minutes of playing time.
Jonathan Fitoussi /Clemens Hourrière
Syncussion
Transversales Disques
Jonathan Fitoussi and Clemens Hourrière once more combined forces on their third album “MÖBIUS”. Created for an aerial ballet by Cie XY in collaboration with the choreographer Rachid Ouramdane, the ten-track album was recorded using the Buchla modular synthesizer incorporating the vibrant sound from interwoven tapestries of rhythm, tone, texture, and musical space.
On “Syncussion”, the hypnotizing sonic drift is smoothly set in motion with dense chromaticism and almost ritualistic rhythmic structures embellished with modulated synths and electronic flourishes.
Datassette
Sentinel
Lapsus Records
UK veteran producer John Davies, better known as Datassette joins the Lapsus Records family for his diverse new EP, “Sentinel.” Equally focused on intricate rhythms and emotive melodic arrangement, the four-track EP is brimming with ambient and vibrant tones as Datassette displays his musicianship and meticulous attention to detail to create an eloquent listening experience.
The record opener title track “Sentinel” is a beautiful exploration of atmospheric electro and drum & bass sounds. Dubby chords and constantly shifting abstract patterns wash over complex rhythms and electro-tinged breaks blended with the subtle and expressive beauty of ambient textures.