Jonathan Kusuma is no stranger to club music. He has played, produced and re-edited multiple works. This is what he excels at. But on Dream Bot, he wants his audience to discover a more introspective side of his. Raised in Indonesia, where rhythms are abound, be it from a folk song sung in a ceremony, a machine in a soul-crushing factory or a Boombox on the back of a bicycle, Jonathan’s ears are destined for a career absorbed in rhythm and sound.

With 5 tracks of kaleidoscopic rhythms and introspective moods on Dream Bot, he is paying homage to his rich musical education and heritage. Layered percussive samples come to mind as well as the intricate interplay of gamelans and moody arpeggios. They both evoke their distinct mournful tunings. Dream Bot is a reminder of his roots and the beauty of the sounds on the Indonesian streets that have left many ears in awe.

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Jonathan Kusuma makes his return to Cocktail d'Amore with a love letter to his Indonesian homeland. Each song is steeped in the ancient textures and timbres of the gamelan, brought to life through modular synthesis. 'Awalan' opens the EP with a delicate touch - otherworldly chirps and aural colours of an early morning sunrise. 'Roda Rodi' as Mr. Kusuma explains is his interpretation of interlocking as a traditional Indonesian way of life - "Gotong Royong" or "Mutual Assistance". The idea of mutual assistance is the sharing of burdens between the member of community. Modular sequences tightly fitting into one another, helping to support one another in the structure of their momentary existence. 'Kerontang' and 'Racacak' are two cuts which have Jonathan's signature sound design printed all over them. Big, booming and full of enraptured percussion. We're treated to a haunting close on 'Lorong K'. Menaced tones rising and falling, small fragments piercing through as to be bits of disintegrating concrete falling off the walls of a lost city.

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Dopamine Dreams is the latest album by Berlin-based French producer Cosmo Vitelli and California-based Dutch experimental electronic musician Truus de Groot, the driving force behind Plus Instruments. Cosmo Vitelli’s third album, the acclaimed Medhead LP, released in 2022, featured de Groot’s lyrics and voice on several tracks. This collaboration went so well that both artists decided to work together again, and Dopamine Dreams is the result.

It’s out on I’m a Cliche

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Independent labels have always been risky ventures, marred by uncertainty; you never know how long they'll last for. Yet, for more than 15 years, Cosmo Vitelli has kept I'm a Cliché going. During this time, his label, its releases, and the artists behind them have found their place in the musical landscape, standing proudly and defiantly in the margins, a place where music is always more interesting and fluid than right in the middle of the spotlight. After countless EPs, several albums and a compilation, a new chapter in I’m a Cliché’s story begins, one with a greatly reduced release schedule. To mark this turning point, the label releases Bongo Beats & Bankruptcy, its second compilation ever. Aesthetically coherent and simultaneously diverse in its expressions, Bongo Beats & Bankruptcy is a celebration of the label (and the label manager’s) quirks and eccentricities and a tongue-in-cheek snapshot that brilliantly captures the label’s DNA, featuring friends and allies along with newer faces on 13 exclusive tracks scattered over 3 LPs. Whether they are downtempo, uptempo or ambient like Orestt's contribution, each tune on this compilation distills in its own idiosyncratic way I’m a Cliché’s essence: electronic music influenced by club culture but in no way constrained to the dancefloor. Ivan Smagghe & Marc Collin’s analog synth track by their acclaimed Volga Select project, June’s dreamy tune at the crossroads between wave and kraut influences, Coy’s mutant synth arpeggios, and an old-school wave cut by Oliver Decrow mixed by Dunkeltier are all tracks boldly standing on the dancefloor's margins. For those looking for club-ready tracks that with I’m a Cliché’s one-of-a-kind atmosphere will surely find what they are after in an downtempo edit of Awkward Corners, a bouncy and melodic IDM not IDM number by Rouge Mécanique, a bleeps & pan-pipes affair by Benoît B, an esoteric dance-rock number with stated Lynch influences by Fantastic Twins, a freaky electro cut by Linja, a melancholic 707 driven banger by Krikor and finally an anxious and forward-thinking half-stepper by label head Cosmo Vitelli.

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A1: When Suddenly : Acid, With Cosmo Vitelli’s trademark style being eclectism, it’s pointless to pin down this track to a specific genre. Borrowing from the kind of disco not disco and acid-without-303 vibes that I’m a Cliché is famous for, this is an instantly gratifying tune where synthesizers are engaged in call and response melodies in an elegant take on the idea of machine funk. The result is catchy, refreshing and primed for the dancefloor. A2: El Si Señor (Skinny version) If you think this track is just a tool, then you’re only getting half of the picture. Skinny but chock-full of melodic and percussive content with a plodding rhythmic section moving at around 105 BPM. This is a downtempo track where heartfelt melodies, sound effects, and pristine seamless arrangements are used with great results by Cosmo Vitelli. B1:The Cemetery of Unsigned House Tracks
Clocking at 9 minutes, don’t get fooled by the track’s tongue-in-cheek title, we’re dealing here with a seriously epic tune. Set in an endlessly rising motion, the track begins with a refined but twisted vibe, sparse but ominous guitars and plenty of FX. Gradually, an infectious synth arpeggio rises and carries with it the whole track, some sort of hypnotic and sensual monster, utterly irresistible on the dancefloor. B2: El Si Señor (Soundtrack Version) With melodies that are more expansive and at the fore, leaving the rhythmic section discernible but clearly in the background, this version of El Si Senor is a reference to 70s film music, and this bittersweet tune closes the EP in style.

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I’m a Cliché’s first release of 2016 comes from label boss Cosmo Vitelli. After a five year hiatus during which he was kept busy by his band Bot’Ox and relocating from Paris to Berlin, this is the very first release to come out of his new studio located in Berlin’s Marzahn district.

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I'm a Cliché is proud to present a self-titled mini-LP by Stiletti-Ana aka Ilari Larjosto, the legend of Helsinki's underground. What are the man's credentials, you ask? Well, Larjosto is a drummer, producer, session musician for multiple bands and a mixing, mastering and recording engineer for countless projects. He's dedicated his whole life to music making and sound engineering in its all forms. Truly an omnipresent figure in the Helsinki underground, he's got his finger on pretty much every button in the world of Scandinavian electronic music while he sits in the control room of his dungeon studio on a fortified island off the Finnish capital's coast. The man's involved in many popular projects such as K-X-P, Tähtiportti, DJ Candle in The Wind, Jimi Tenor, Randy Barracuda, and acclaimed band JESSE.

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After an LP by Red Axes and an EP by Bot'Ox earlier this year, I'm A Cliché is back in the saddle with a new look and a new feel while keeping the same great sound. Two EPs including this one are going to be released on both digital and vinyl formats this Fall, leading up to very special 10th anniversary celebrations in Paris towards the end of the year.

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