Favorite Releases from September 2022
One yellow leaf is whispering in solitude,
To the wind, that flows at great altitude,
A flower to blossom and a fruit to ripe,
To cheer a cry and to feed a wipe,
That tree is now old with no one to care,
Beneficiaries are passing by with no one to spare,
It fell down with the sorrow of being left behind,
The journey of good deeds were running through his mind,
The leftover of him were turned into ash,
And some land that is empty now is used for great cash,
The generosity of him was shown in his attitude,
One yellow leaf was whispering in solitude.
- Arman
September continues to distinguish itself as one of the finest months in underground electronic music with stunning releases from Molly, Aspetuck, Rødhåd, .VRIL, Yugen, Downstairs J, Ela Minus, DJ Python, Lb Honne, His Master's Voice, Pablo Bolivar, Joerg Schuster, Lea Lisa, and nthng. Tracks are listed in no particular order.
Molly
Palm Tree Right
Kilómetro 4.5
Parisian producer Molly is next in line of talented artists that the Tulum-based Kilometro 4.5 imprint proudly welcomes to the fold. Having established herself as a multitalented producer, live performer, and RDV label founder, Molly brings four tracks ripe with blistering sonic textures, intricate drum programming, and offbeat artistry of deep house music.
Driven by a funky atmosphere and warm haze of its gentle melodic sounds, "Palm Tree Right" juxtaposes propulsive deep house rhythms with ethereal vibes carved by the percussive elements and bubbling synth sequences.
Aspetuck
Bubbles
Oslated
Aspectuk makes his impressive debut on the Jeju-Island-based record label, Oslated. Hailing from New York, the fast-rising producer composed a new album, "Inanimate Distraction Object, "drawing together a broad range of electronic music influences while creating his own distinctive sound. The album was inspired by the experience of becoming a new parent - the process of coping with constant change & learning to deal with a loss of independence contrasted with the beauty of watching a baby grow & observe the world around them. These songs serve as a sort of diary for Aspetuck, which has been a recurring theme throughout his time releasing music. Various field recordings of baby toys can be heard subtly throughout the album.
We had the pleasure of premiering one of the standout tracks off the album "Bubbles." Read an entire article by Gilles Wasserman here
Out Of Place Artefacts (Rødhåd & .VRIL)
NIBIRU
WSNWG
"Out Of Place Artefacts, the collaboration alchemizing the sounds of german producers Rødhåd and .VRIL, embarks on a new sonic exploration with "II" on Rødhåd's label WSNWG.
This second long-player ventures significantly deeper into the spheres of electronic music - exploring a wide range of abysmal drums and breaks as well as focusing on flickering sound sketches and elusive noises whose origin will have to remain a mystery for the listener. It aims to leave them in inexplicable realms between the dance floor and deep listening, unfolding its magnetism beyond genre definitions.
Throughout the listening experience, one is exposed to bewildering surprises such as traces of lightheartedness and stronger use of samples, vocals, and strings. "Universian" invites a softer tone, revealing the duo's more seductive, gloomier, and poppier facette.
The closing track, "Triskaideka," concludes the journey by featuring classical musicians Angelina Delgado (Violin) and Alexandra Ivanova (Viola).
Out Of Place Artefacts considerably developed the rapport between both artists' contributions to this LP - merging them into a more harmonious yet very distinct expression. Each of the 13 tracks showcases layered, intricate arrangements so that they become their microcosms, forming a radiant universe as a whole album." - Words by Theresa Baumel.
Buy on Bandcamp
Soundcloud - Rødhåd
Soundcloud - .VRIL
Yugen
Oblivion
Semantica Records
Dedicated to sophisticated electronica blended with abstract and complex techno, the Madrid-based Semantica Records continues to expand its music palette with a stunning release by Yugen. At the helm of this project, Yugen is the talented producer and Konstrukt label founder Han Frissen, who returns to Semantica Records with a nine-track album exploring multi-granular fringes of the subtle allure of atmospheric techno and electronica.
The third track, "Oblivion," carries listeners on a mesmerizing musical journey that gracefully blends elegant melodic elements with driving futuristic rhythms while amplifying the power of tranquility.
Downstairs J
Soothsayer
Suzi
Suzi is excited to announce its first EP, "Too," from NYC-based artist Downstairs J who recently released his debut record on Incienso.
Downstairs J has a unique way of using detailed minimalistic sounds that feel organic and sharp at the same time.
His trademark "friendly chilled-out vibe" can be found in the opening and closing tracks of the record; "Soothsayer"'s slight digital-romance vibe gently starts the record. "Mana4000" and "Orion" tracks reveal a newer straightforward club side of the producer. The A2 track is a tasty tech-house groover with incredible sharp bleepy details, and B1 "Orion" is a playful crossover between house tech and trance elements. While "Symbiosis" ends the record with a warm and constantly growing flame that feels like an everlasting floating momentum.
An overall unique, intimate and adventurous record that perfectly rounds up the first EP of the label.
Ela Minus and DJ Python
Kiss U
Smugglers Away
The New York-based artists Ela Minus and DJ Python present their first EP, the ♡ (referred to as "corazón"). Released through Domino's newly established offshoot Smugglers Way, the tracks mark their first collaboration featuring "DJ Python's immersive, ebbing instrumentals and Ela Minus singing about the liberation, intimacy, and mutuality that blooms in love." The package comes complete with an instrumental version of each song.
Here is what Ela Minus intends to say about this release: "I made a list of things I was grateful for," she said. "Clouds (and the time to look at them), quietness, sleep, books, food. I wanted to celebrate that 'after all the days that never happened and the nights that didn't exist,' we are here, alive, and together."
Always dripping with emotion, "Kiss U" is dazzling, full of vibrant colors, intricate textures, and alluring rhythms that cascade across a dreamy landscape filled with velvety Ela Minus' vocals and bright instrumentation.
Buy on Bandcamp
Soundcloud - Ela Minus
Soundcloud - DJ Python
Lb Honne
Untitled 09 (His Master's Voice Remix)
Vorgott
Swiss artist Lb Honne revisits his debut album "a move" with a remix package released via his imprint Vorgott. Eight months after the release, Lb Honne invited an impressive array of producers, such as martinou, His Master's Voice, Orion, Carsten Jost, and Ben Kaczor, to rework the original tracks, each in their captivating style.
The German producer, His Master's Voice, steps in and transforms "Untitled 09" into a melancholic dream with breaky electro rhythms underlying morphing basslines and delicate tones obscured by radiant electronic flourishes of textures and harmonies.
Lea Lisa
Love To The End (Sunset Short Mix)
Phonica Records
After her stunning release on our deeper House-focused Karakul label, we are over the moon to welcome Swiss producer Lea Lisa back on our main Phonica imprint.
The 'Love To The End EP' takes influence and inspiration from a particular early 90s UK Techno rarity by Mark Goddard titled 'The End' (The Truth EP), a beautiful and emotive take on the classic sound of UK Techno that's been much loved and highly sought after for decades, even being a particular favorite of Aphex Twin. It's an ode to the original rather than a remix or cover. The two mixes re-imagine the sound of soulful and deep techno, combining driving basslines and drum machine grooves with atmospheric and nostalgic synth lines.
Over on the B-Side, the 'Sunset Mix' jacks up the drums with kicks and claps that shake your spine. The bassline rolls steadily throughout the mix, but the melodic lines this time are more restrained, introspective, and subtle, echoing and harking to past rave memories with ease...
As a digital bonus, there is an exclusive shorter edit of the Sunset mix for those who want to get 'there' a little faster than others. From 12 mins to 7, it still has plenty of time to breathe...
Pablo Bolivar & Sensual Physics
Backen Punch
Seven Villas Music
For a long time, Pablo Bolivar and Joerg Schuster have floated through the endless expanses of space as independent flying objects to bring their impressive concept of music into the cosmos. And yet the two monoliths resemble each other in many ways. An aesthetic understanding of complex soundscapes, a love of organic sounds, embracing gently wavering melodic surfaces and groove as far as the eyes can see. And as if their gathering was preordained since the birth of space, these two characterful individuals now fuse together on their first joint album, "DETAILS AM RANDE."
Pablo and Joerg have created ten tracks in intensive sessions on the Cantabrian coast. Artful productions take you on a journey through infinity, space, and time. Organic warmth of instrumentation catalysts the tracks and combines with elements of dub techno, minimal, ambient, and other electronic genre variations - always with a warm and embracing crackle between the lines.
Gentle rhythms, grooves, and flashing effect sections characterize the album. At the same time, a remarkable closeness to nature and organic sound succeeds. Contrasts come together playfully on "DETAILS AM RANDE" - melancholy meets momentum, and loneliness meets recognition - to create something unique. The compositions create entire worlds of images and make it possible to dive into them and surrender completely. It is all about the details, and it's about "DETAILS AM RANDE."
Buy on Bandcamp
Soundcloud - Pablo Bolivar
Soundcloud - Sensual Physics
nthng
Sub-Sonar
Delsin Records
Dutch producer nthng returns to Delsin with another four pieces of melodic, ambient-spirited techno following his 2017 label debut, Turn To Gaia. Sub-Sonar opens with the beatless, melancholic reflection of 'Looking Outside' before drifting into the submersion chamber pulse of 'Liberate Truth.' Guided by the hypnotic allure of dub techno, the track follows a linear path through spacious chord drops and an understated drum jack. Following a similar rhythmic tract, 'Sub-Sonar' offers a cloudy, sombre beatdown shot through with winsome sine wave blips. As a surprise parting shot, '1 2 Butterfly' shakes up the scene with a crooked breakbeat treatment which cuts an angular path through the hazy atmospheric tones nthng has made his own.