1LP, Tip on jacket, After a Séance Centre debut, a new label and album by Shelter. 300 copies limited



GENRE/S: Ambient Krautrock Experimental

TRACKLISTS:
A1 Initiatory Ways 3:52
A2 Grey-green Cycles 3:34
A3 Dihun 5:28
A4 Song Of Dawn 3:48
A5 Liorzh Da Sod 3:30
B1 Ar Balumed Nij 5:33
B2 Three Thousand Years On High 9:38
B3 The Night 4:47

SHORT INFO:
A collection of improvisational electronic mantras, premiered earlier this year on NTS, where Parisian artist Shelter explores odd meters, Indian-inspired drum cycles and expansive drone harmonics. It's a dreamed folklore, reminiscent of Hariprasad Chaurasia and Charanjit Singh's Eternity, John Hassel's fourth world or Craig Leon's Nommos. The LP blurs the line between organic and synthesis where drum machines melt into surreal harmonium textures and programming is indistinguishable from improvisation.

More

Release Date: June 25th 2018 - 2022 Repress Edition

Tracklist:

A1. Variation Abyssale (Part 1)
A2. Immersion
A3. La Vie à L‘Ombre
A4. Plénitude Azotée
A5. Parade
A6. Interlude
B1. Variation Abyssale (Part 2)
B2. Dans la Jungle de Varech
B3. Hors d_Haleine
B4. Fumeurs Noirs
B5. Synthi Outtro

Info:
Last time we heard from the Growing Bin, Basso was sat at the water‘s edge, trousers rolled up, toes inthe tide, savouring a Falanghina while Eleventeen Eston went with the wave. Now we move from theshoreline to the ocean shelf, led on an underwater adventure by young Parisian Shelter. Where previousreleases have seen the synth-obsessed Frenchman take his inspiration from Caribbean rhythms orBalearic attitudes, this marine missive sees Shelter turn to the lavish world of the library, creating his analternate score to Jean Faurez’ 1960 documentary short.More submersible than snorkel, our journey begins in the very dark of the deep, mystical harp trillsechoing through the inky blackness, picking up the bioluminescent shimmer of an Abraliopsis Squid.Gradually we make our way into the light, cruising past shoals of silver scales and underwater forests.‚Immersion’ offers a placid, percolating rhythm and billowing pads, providing sonic symmetry for thedancing leaves, while the spheric soundscape of ‘La Vie A L’Ombre’ bubbles away like an underwatervolcano. The optimistic ambience of ‘Plenitude Azotee’, brimming with delicate melody and glisteningsequences, perfectly captures the wide-eyed wonder of a reef dive, before drifting into the serenity of‘Parade’, an aquatic acquaintance of A.R.T. Wilson’s ‘Overworld’. A brief foray into shark fin funk seesout the A-side, before we’re back amid the beauty of the ocean floor; ‘Variation Abyssale II’ echoing thealbum opener but with even more poetry. The exotic and otherworldly sine waves of ‘Dans La Jungle DeVarech’ simultaneously sound like a rainforest canopy, alien landscape and coral microcosm, expandingour horizons nicely ahead of the adrenaline rush of ‘Hors D’Haleine’. Shelter then sets us at ease with thetidal tonality and subtle shuffle of ‘Fumeurs Noirs’, a sublime synthetic suite, then leaves us to marvel atthe soft focus splendour of ‘Synthii Outro’.This is Jules Verne by way of Vangelis, just grab your goggles and take the plunge…(words by Patrick Ryder)
More

Tracklist:

A1. Edwin Schimscheimer – Bon Nuit Michelle
A2. Dancing Fantasy – Mystery Voice
A3. Peak Of Normal – Hava
A4. Christian Ch. Kneisel – Jungle Connection

B1. Beau Michael – Move Away (Extended)
B2. Summer Vee – Judas
B3. Patrick Jahn & Erobique – Moonlight Shuffle
B4. Ikee Largo – After The Storm



This whole text about a compilation of legit chill slippers could be over with one quote of drummer Aaron Sterling. The John Mayer band member and studio guru called Basso (our compiler) the „ECM of chill wave“.

As we all know, even if some words may be hollow, good quotes help to tell a story. And that is definitely a great quote and if someone has a good story to tell, it is Basso.

Best known for his label Growing Bin and probably even more so for the online record shop of the same name, he is one of those miraculous figures in music or record culture who can be called a true believer.

Helplessly addicted to collecting music nonstop (hence Growing Bin) from all corners of the spectrum and with an uncanny knack of finding precious little diamonds, where others only assume slop, his shop features everything from original trance tapes to fake reggae and plain private press folly. Much to the pleasure of his devoted customers and even more so to the nickel nursers who use his website for window shopping and go bargain hunting in the dusty canyons and wide plains of the internet. Unfair, you might think, because knowledge like that comes with a commitment. A commitment that is not only financial in nature, but also involves time, dedication, thrift store and flea market visits and hardships (lacerated cuticles especially).

Sitting in Trees for International Feel is a sampling demonstration of this commitment. Devotees of his previous compiling efforts Proper Sunburn (Music For Dreams) and Lucky Are Those Who Hear The Birds Sing (Growing Bin), know what to expect: some of the best songs you have never heard before, some you would probably never hear without this and even some that you did not know you would even like. Even self-proclaimed record diggers might not recognize more than Mystery Voice by smooth jazz new agers Dancing Fantasy. It is a world of merry music that pretty much is boundary- and genre-free and includes sunshine stepper like Beau Michael’s Move Away. Patrick Jahn’s and Erobique’s previously unreleased Moonlight Shuffle (the soundtrack to a lost Schimanski Tatort) and Christian Ch. Kneisel’s impossible-to-find Balearic digi gem Jungle Connection.
All contextualized, explained and wonderfully described with meticulous liner notes by the king
of record descriptions himself: Basso. But what else would you expect from a DJ turned trip-hop-producer turned artiste turned record sommelier? Magic moments galore that won’t make you move away!



Short: Legit chill slippers by the „ECM of chill wave“ by Growing Bin boss and record collector sommelier Basso. A world of merry music, precious little diamonds and impossible to find records. File under Balearic beats, smooth hardcore jazz, new age ambient or fake reggae.






More

Tracklist

A1. Casita Más Alta
B1. Cala Vedella
B2. Las Cicadas
B3. Niu Blau

Ruffy's back with a new four track EP Casita Más Alta and it's a love letter to Ibiza -
as he takes us on an alternative tour of his favourite parts of the pine-covered
island.

The title track opens slowly, spaced out with motifs and pads washing in like an
incoming tide, before charging headlong to the beach with a thumping kick and
distorted keyboard solo. In contrast, we get a more sundown feel with Cala Vedella,
soaking up the forest breeze and sounding like The Art of Noise but fed through a
modulator and left to float in the iciest pitcher of 7Up.

Meanwhile, the rolling congas and percussive synths of Las Cicadas take us deep
into tribal territory, Lost Woods style. The EP closes out with Niu Blau, built on
beautifully optimistic choir pads and steel pan sounds, and the evening could just
go on forever, especially if you've taken any of those power ups. It might be an
homage to Ibiza and the Balearics, but seen through the Ruf Dug prism, there's
always something new to discover.





More

Tracklist

A1. About Time
A2. Zwang!
B1. Anyway, Music
B2. Lost In The Forest
B3. Where’s The Fifty?

Release Info:
Marco Vella and Anth Wendt step up to International Feel with a five-track EP of Balearic-tinged bliss for their first collaborative release as Other Mother.

There’s definitely something in the air round the Adelaide Hills. Longtime friends Marco (aka Body Corp) and Anth (aka Oisima) finally got together in Anth’s studio after the pandemic and the result is Numero Uno an EP of laidback synth guitar and drum machine workouts mixing 303 riffs and sunsets for a supremely low-slung vibe.

After cruising around the Hills in the day the pair worked on tracks by night and their carefree days soaking up the sun shines through. Opening track About Time sets a steady pace with its lush delayed guitars slow-rising acid melody and hefty sub perfect for Sunday pub garden appreciation. A side closer Zwang! drops the tempo but brings the percussion into focus for another masterclass in tension and release with interwoven 303s and dub feedback.

Side B keeps the beach-side atmos flowing with guitar licks working around sumptuous synth chords for Anyway Music - a song that’s the ultimate soundtrack understated parts fitting together seamlessly in service to the feeling and belying the technique required. Lost In The Forest makes use of expansive ambient pads synth riffs and shakers to evoke a sense of wonder sunlight coming through the trees.

The EP concludes with Where’s The Fifty a dreamy piece of drum synth phrases and 303 interplay that perfectly characterizes Marco and Anth’s collaboration - two musicians and producers playing to serve the song. They write elements that combine for a harmonious whole greater than the sum of its parts. This is the underlying feel of Other Mother and Numero Uno - we’re all in this together - and by working collaboratively a brighter future might just be around the corner.








More

Tracklist:

A1. Pulsar Diaries
A2. Delphic Expanse
A3. Blackburn Tales
B1. Fourth Amendment
B2. Farewell Theme
B2. Ursa Major

Release Info:

The Croatian production powerhouse and disco boogie impresario steps up to International Feel, and takes a left turn into deep space with a new six track LP Pulsar Diaries.

Ilija’s discography stretches back to 2003, and over those 20 years he’s packed it full with albums, versions, remixes and singles. His releases are often perfectly-penned love letters to ‘80s boogie, electro and disco, and like postcards from an old flame, they’ve landed in an array of record label catalogs, from Bear Funk, Rong, and Electric Minds, to Is It Balearic? as well as his own Red Music and Imogen Recordings. He’s long-been an active voice on the underground club scene, and if you’ve been out dancing in Zagreb, Berlin or even Tisno beach, chances are you’ve gotten down to one of his beautifully blended sets of cosmic-tinged electro funk and disco dubs.

On Pulsar Diaries, Ilija delivers a panoramic collection of spaced-out synths and drum machine grooves, dedicated to the planet and our place in the universe. The A side opens up with the blissful, weightless pads of the title track, before it breaks out into filtered stabs over a minimal b-boy bounce. Delphic Expanse ebbs and flows like a lunar eclipse, sounding like a futuristic version of Key-Matic’s Breaking In Space, all uprock rhythms and syrupy synth horns as it spins off beyond the asteroid belt. Side A closes out with Blackburn Tales, a suspenseful and spacious electro rhythm packed with strings and 303 squelch, which you might call anti-gravity acid, if you were so inclined.

Side B picks up the tempo with Fourth Amendment, perfect for the space station discotheque with its sweeping bass filters and ice-cold synth melodies hovering in orbit. Farewell Theme takes an introspective moment, slowing the pace to a cosmic 90 bpm and inviting a certain cinematic feel to proceedings. This feeling applies not just to the vivid landscapes we travel through, but also wider thoughts about humankind: as we pause for a breath and look around, we find ourselves in Ilija’s space, considering human motivations, like the pursuit of happiness, or the eternal struggle with the self.

Every journey begins with a goodbye, and so the last track of the album feels like the arrival at a new destination: Ursa Major is ablaze with cascading drum fills, bubble-wrapped bass riffs and bright synth chords that sparkle like city lights underneath a re-orbiting satellite.

With Pulsar Diaries, Ilija Rudman has created a rare artifact: an album that straddles several worlds at once. Part soundtrack to space travel, part meditation on the human condition, part deep-burning dancefloor dynamo - whether in the club surrounded by friends or at home by yourself, this is a record that expands the mind and lets the imagination soar.







More

Tracklist

A1. Subtle Body
A2. Nightfall (Instrumental)
B1. The Light Of Jesus
B2. Room ’96 (Recorded live at Room Nightclub, Hull)

Release Info:
Hot on the heels of last year’s Mermaids reissue retrospective, Hull’s deep listening house forerunners return: this time revisiting a pair of originals as well as previously unreleased versions.

It’s testament to the depth of feeling that Steve Cobby and David McSherry can conjure, that these tracks sound as potent and impactful as they did when they first came out - and not just for the dance. Throughout their 30+ years, the Yorkshire duo have produced ten albums amid many more collaborations, and transformed the remix into an artform, putting their fingerprints on everyone from Busta Rhymes to The Orb to Radiohead.

This EP collection finds them at the full scope of their powers: from disembodied mood music, to tripped-out dubby beats and raw house sessions for the club. The title track Subtle Body sounds like it drifted in through the window in the middle of a snowy night. Its layered chimes, looped delay feedback and floaty chords (played on a Wurlitzer Electronic Piano that Steve bought from Bill Nelson), mark it out as an enduring piece of ambient music, and a favorite for film-makers, able to soundtrack both haunted memories and afterparty comedowns with finesse. It precedes an unreleased instrumental version of Nightfall from Fila Brazillia’s 2002 album Jump Leads (named Mixmag’s chill album of the year), and as an instrumental, the chunky electro bass and mix of ephemeral tones and bird-like chirrups are brought clearly into focus. The attention to detail is what makes Fila Brazillia’s sound palette so rich, and Nightfall a certified smokers’ anthem.

On the B side, the tempo and temperature rises, and we’re treated to The Light Of Jesus, a favorite from Fila Brazillia’s 1994 debut LP Old Codes: New Chaos. Atop a bumping house groove, the song weaves together smooth organ pads and electrified guitar licks with syrupy bass and gospel-tinged exaltations from Charles Bukowski. The EP rounds out with Room ‘96, a live house jam from Hull’s Room nightclub, and a veritable time capsule back to the halcyon ‘90s rave days, when the lights were still on, everyone was home, and anything seemed possible.

The songs here on Subtle Body might be a window into a time long past, but they remain in the present: and as long as bodies seek pleasure, and dancers want to keep going til sunrise, Fila Brazillia will endure, and soundtrack those moments for us all to get lost in.




More

Tracklist:

A1. Coding
A2. Positive People
B1. Expensive Zeit
B2. Decline All Cookies

Info:
Running Back regular Feater aka Daniel Meuzard puts his newly-transplanted studio through its paces for the first time since relocating from Vienna, swapping out the bustle of the city for the fresh mountain breeze of the West Alps. The Positive People EP proves that a change is as good as a rest, as the wide open nature not only had some rejuvenating effects on the creative process - it also gave Feater some room in his head to ponder questions about nature, nurture, and whether our inner morality is externally programmed.

The taut jazz funk of opening track Coding springs into action like the montage music of a lost ‘70s TV show, while the title track Positive People plays on the ambiguity of its title, with cascading synth notes, tastefully dubby 303 stabs, and an afro-cuban drum figure that forms the foundation for a spaced-out dancefloor workout. It's a combo of tracks that should appeal to chat room moderators and serotonin programmers alike.

Expensive Zeit kicks off sounding like grime maverick XTC had been brought up on Murder Capital electro rather than East London garage - before it morphs into a bumpin electrofunk and percussion session, with its sights set firmly on an aquatic worm hole. The EP rounds out with Decline All Cookies, which breaks out of a flanged-out half-time drum 'n' effects intro to reveal a lush chord progression, flipping a soul jazz piano mood into a trippy slice of modern instrumental funk.


Can man be the master of his own destiny? It seems with this change of location and musical direction, Feater might just have figured out the answer.



More

Tracklist

A1. Don’t Give In (Street Soul Vocal Version)
A2. Don’t Give In (Street Soul Instrumental Version)

B1. Don’t Give In (Reggae Vocal Version)
B2. Don’t Give In (Reggae Instrumental Version)


Release Info:
Manchester’s balearic synth provocateur Ruf Dug teams up with Private Joy for a sizzling slice of laidback street soul - if the streets were lined with palm trees, that is. Ruffy admits to not having any recollection of making the beat, which adds to the sundrenched, day-dream quality. Modulated pads evaporate in the heat haze, while a synth saxophone riff dances on the breeze, all setting the scene for a tropically-tinged marimba and a piano solo that respectfully nods to Vladimir Cosma’s Sentimental Walk. When Gerd enquired about a possible vocal, Ruffy reached out to Private Joy, who sings like the fate of the track was entwined with her own, and it elevates the track to a whole other soulful level. In true ‘90s tradition, Ruffy delivers an alternate reggae mix for the flip, putting an off-beat bump to the track, while the instrumental versions shine a light on Ruffy’s pitch-perfect production, and provide plenty of ammunition for acapellas of all sorts.



More

LP

Tracklist:

A1 Capitolo 1 Consacrazione
A2 Cities
A3 Drum Talk
A4 Congiuzioni

B1 Capitolo 2 Coscienza
B2 Time Spirals
B3 Giallo assoluto
B4 Ritorno al domani
B5 Capitolo 3 Terra

Release Info:
Rome’s own disco wizard L.U.C.A. aka Francesco De Bellis is back for his second LP Terra, hot on the heels of his Venus 12” EP earlier this year. In this far-reaching album, the Edizioni Mondo founder explores the deteriorating relationship between Man and Nature, and the dire consequences. The album is split into two themes - part one is Consacrazione (Consecration) and side two is Coscienza (Conscience) - as L.U.C.A. charts a trip through mankind’s psychic universe, and imagines worlds beyond our physical dimension.

The opening composition Cities is an uptempo number that slowly comes into focus, as dreamy drum machines emerge from the urban bustle, before settling into a soulful groove as keyboard, upright bass and guitar figures dance across bright percussion. As it builds up a head of steam, the piece gives way to an ambient, tribal breakdown, which is also echoed in the following song, Drum Talk. This second tune sets up in a fourth world dreamscape of drums, synths, and abstracted echo effects, and is peppered with word fragments from the bush of ghosts. By the time we’ve reached the third track, Congiunzione sounds like travelling at singularity speed, beaming in from a future where human consciousness and gaia can finally dance on a cosmic plain.

Part two of Terra details how revelation of the spirit can guide the mind, as Time Spirals rises out of a drum motif with a nod to classic ragas, as a disembodied voice asks questions on the nature of corporeality. The sound design is just as front and centre as the sitar and fretless bass, and the song gives way to a richly-layered soup that sounds like the vast space between atoms. It’s this shift from composition to ambience that is the dynamic core of Terra, giving L.U.C.A. plenty of space to showcase his next-level audio and arranging skills. Midway through part two, Giallo Assoluto begins with reverb tails and choral voices before expanding in brightness and texture until the audio field is practically levitating your hi-fi speakers, vibrating them with drones, twinkling keys and shards of digital noise. The closing composition Ritorno al Domani is a perfect balance of optimism and mystery. Tension and release collapse in on themselves as waves of ambient pads crescendo and then break over stretched-out sonic turbulence, before reversed synths bring the listener to a closing door, and the end of the journey.

It’s a mind-expanding musical exploration of other worlds and parallel universes which are surely all around us, and in many ways serve to remind us of the marvel that is our own planet.






More

Format: 7”

Tracklist

A1. Manctalo Beach - Original
B1. Manctalo Beach - Version


Info:

Manchester producer, DJ and dancefloor spirit guide Ruf Dug gets fruity on his Korg DW8000, for this homage to Manctalo pioneers Red Laser Disco who have revitalised the Italo sound over the last decade. Given that Ruffy lives on the same street as Red Laser head honcho “Il Bosco” it’s unsurprising that his latest release is heavily influenced by his noisy neighbour’s antics.

Manctalo Beach has gone through several versions over the years to arrive, like a chilled Bianco, at the crisp beauty you hear today. Packed with chunky bass arpeggios, pixelated pitch-bent melodies and freeze-frame drum fills, the A-side conjures images of coastline sunsets and waterski waves. Meanwhile on the flip, the bonus beats proceed in a more dubbed disco direction, with acres more space, cascading delays and tripped-out breakdowns. One for your speedboat!




More

Tracklist

A1. Nebula
A2. Optical Bells
B1. Luce Eterna ai Sognatori
B2. Templum Dub


Info:


With the two-part EP Mediterranean Dreams, Perugia producer and composer Feel Fly revisits his musical roots and pays tribute to the sounds and ‘sun-kissed nostalgia’ that informed his style.


Mediterranean Dreams Part 1 collected four tracks, and added that Feel Fly touch of emotive chord progressions and layered production onto cosmic disco grooves to powerful dancefloor effect. Now with Mediterranean Dream Part 2, Feel Fly switches the tempo both up and down, to fully demonstrate his affinity for club moments of all shapes and sizes.


Nebula flies out the gate with full intent, recalling classic Detroit techno while pushing the vibe even more wide-screen - it’s driving, melodic dance music that delivers on the fine details as much as it does on the life-affirming, big picture sentiment.


Optical Bells opens in meditative style, not unlike a new dawn in a Tibetan monastery, before each element of the track slowly reveals itself and assumes its place. It’s an arrangement technique that Feel Fly employs masterfully, and gives the impression of a camera lens moving into focus, or a storyteller setting the scene. The revolving chord changes pull you in and while whisking you away, you’re compelled to engage with the moment - like being asked to dance by a mysterious stranger.


The B side kicks off with Luce Eterna Ai Sognatori, still keeping the tempo high while cherry-picking disco house drum patterns and piano synths with a slight Italo flavor to create an irresistible slice of dancefloor dessert. This is a soundtrack for Sognatori, in whose dreams anything is possible.


The EP finishes up with a superb cut of echoey balearic dub in the form of Templum Dub. Putting the drums through its mixing desk paces, Feel Fly reanimates the drum kit with delays, phasers and flangers, and wraps it up in hazy drifting pads that could accompany any moment of contemplation - from that morning espresso to a midnight phone call.


Mediterranean Dreams Part 2 acts as the perfect compliment to its prequel Part 1, and shows a producer at the height of his powers, reimagining his musical roots and composing a love letter to the sounds and stories of his youth.



More

Tracklist

A1. Onironauta
A2. Grace In Space
B1. Mediterranean Dreams
B2. Becalmed


Info:
Perugia producer, synth collector and linchpin of the underground scene Feel Fly pokes his head above the trenches to deliver a consummate four track EP Mediterranean Dreams - Part 1.

Onironauta rolls up all the best bits of spaced-out disco and italo house into an expansive dancefloor soundtrack that would sound equally at home in a Den Haag squat as by an Ibizan hillside pool. Sounding in turns both futuristic and nostalgic, it sets the tone for the dream-like timezone in which this EP resides.

Meanwhile slowed-down 303 chugger Grace In Space sounds perfect for Room 2 - that is, if the room is on an orbiting space station and someone adjusted the gravity settings. The track concludes the side with timeless balearic drift and a dash of kosmiche afro percussion sprinkled on top.

Flip the 12” over and the title track Mediterranean Dreams seeps through, with more than a slight nod to the summer of ‘88, like a faded photograph. The revolving chord progression and melodic synth phrases that weave through the groove fit together sweeter than the cogs in a swiss watch.

EP closer Becalmed rounds proceedings out in fine cosmic disco style, firing more 16th note lasers through the dry ice than KITT, as melancholic pads float over the rhythm section like a négligée. It’s a stylish way to sign off a collection of tracks that are equal parts fond memory, hopeful optimism, and hazy dance-fuelled hedonism.


More

Tracklist

Dunkler Sonnenaufgang
Erinnerungen
Wüstensonne
Schweben
Wenn Der Tiefe Schlaf
Am Wasserfall
Sonnentanz
Spähren Am Strand
Übergang
Ein Neuer Anfang
War Alles Nur Ein Traum

Info:

Studiogruppe1

Not much is known about the German session musician ensemble Studiogruppe 1 from the ‘70s and ‘80s. It’s believed that the grandfather of one member, known only as V.S., originally soundtracked silent films in theatres - although that hasn’t been proved. Studiogruppe1 never rose to prominence in the heyday of studio groups and library records, but it certainly wasn’t due to lack of trying.

Although it’s unknown who the individual members of Studiogruppe1 were, it’s clear they could find a groove within the machines. It appears the sessions were also engineered by V.S., and there’s plenty of space between the notes, which lends a heady atmosphere of anticipation to the music. Just close your eyes and you will find that the music triggers many scenes from the movies in your mind.

Take the opener Dunkler Sonnenaufgang, for example. Waves lap on the shore line of an alternate Coney Island, while the sound system of an abandoned amusement park plays arpeggios in the distance. Errinungen could complement expansive panoramic time-lapses of natural cycles and rolling clouds. The track Wenn Der Tiefe Schlaf Kommt, might accompany a documentary on REM dream cycles and flotation tanks. Sonnentanz raises the temperature, as act III in every movie narrative should, as protagonists rush to overcome their challenges. Ein Neuer Anfang would perfectly soundtrack the plot twist of any number of thrillers, film noirs, or sci-fi mysteries. Album closer War Alles Nur Ein Traum could supplement slow-motion shots of dawning realization, foreshadowing a betrayal or a cliffhanger.

V.S. and Studiogruppe1 have condensed the evocative sounds of the ’80s into something of an art form. Bringing to mind the lilting melodies and melancholy chord movements of Tangerine Dream, Vangelis or Manuel Göttsching, Studiogruppe1 manage to capture widescreen emotional flash points without the need for celluloid, or barely any visual aid, for that matter. These tracks work just as well in the furnace of your imagination or a dark room filled with dry ice and lasers.

(Short version)

Not much is known about the German session musician ensemble Studiogruppe 1 from the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. They never rose to prominence in the heyday of big studios and library records, but it’s clear they could find a groove within the machines. Just close your eyes and you will find that the music triggers many scenes from the movies in your mind.

This collection of tracks could accompany a whole host of scenes, from the plot-twist of a sci-fi noir, to widescreen timelapses, or the slow-motion foreshadowing of a cliffhanger. Studiogruppe1 have condensed the evocative sounds of the ’80s into something of an art form. Bringing to mind the lilting melodies and melancholic chord movements of Tangerine Dream, Vangelis and Manuel Göttsching, Studiogruppe 1 manages to capture emotional flash points without the need for celluloid. These tracks work just as well in the furnace of your imagination or a dark room filled with dry ice and lasers.





More

Tracklist:

Longboat
Stormfront
Changing Tides
Spirit Walk
Unknown Caller
New Dawn
Valley


Info:
Hypernatural, comprises of Dan Whitford, better known as one of the pillars of Melbourne heavyweights Cut Copy, Mirko Vogel, the engineer extraordinaire who has recorded for Modular and Room40, and Mike Gamwell, also known as Knightlife, who’s racked up several releases on Cut Copy’s own Cutters Records. You could say their roots are in Melbourne, Australia, but it seems unfair to pinpoint the trio to any specific location.

That’s because their sound lies somewhere deep in misty forests, or half-remembered dreams and subconscious wells of ancestral emotion. The transformative power of these 7 tracks was no accident however. The music was pieced together during two trips - one to the remote Swedish coast and another to the Scottish highlands. The three producers used a set of guidelines that allowed each of them to compose and arrange tracks separately yet collectively, like a connected Oblique Strategy. They took inspiration from the stark beauty of their natural surroundings, which had a huge effect on the music they were making.

The resulting tracks inhabit a world of their own, full of shimmering arpeggios and drifting pads, taut drums and sound effects. The opening track Longboat cruises into view with white noise washes and galley master rhythms, conjuring Old Norse battleships and a sense of sailing the open sea, destination unknown. The single Stormfront is a depth-charged deep house burner, bristling with atmospheric energy and rolling like thunder. With its cascading synth arpeggios and weighty drops, it swells like moody clouds on the horizon and releases tension like the first rain of a summer storm.

Hypernatural particularly succeeds in its world-building, and there’s a cohesion to the tracks despite their many differences in tempo and style. Spirit Walk joins marimbas with modular pulses, as well as slide guitar and snappy shakers, to bring out some Ry Cooder swagger. Unknown Caller taps into the phone line at the speed of 5G, sending breakbeats down the wire on a cold calling mission to recruit ravers for the next after hours. But there are also tracks nodding to blissed-out comedowns and daydreams. Both Changing Tides and New Dawn slow down time to an introspective moment, a catch of the breath, the witness to a beautiful moment. Album closer Valley harks back to classic rave-era ambient, an avalanche of optimism down a majestic mountainside.

Hypernatural evokes panoramic vistas and serene countryside, and you could certainly imagine it soundtracking a hike along coastal hills, or a field at a festival. But it also resides beyond the pastoral, finding a home in airport departure lounges and autobahn service stations, until it eventually settles down inside us - even without the headphones on.

Stormfront
Hypernatural’s single Stormfront is a depth-charged house-tempo burner, bristling with atmospheric energy and rolling like thunder. With its cascading synth arpeggios, raindance incantation and weighty drops, it swells like moody clouds on the horizon, and releases tension like the first rain of a summer storm.

Credits:
All songs written, produced and mixed by Hypernatural.
Recorded near Simrishamn, Sweden and Loch Monar, Scotland.
Mastered by Ben Feggans at Studios301 Sydney.
Vinyl Cut at Schallplatten Schneid Technik.
Artwork By Dan Whitford. © 2022 International Feel.
Manufactured By RAND Muzik.




More

Tracklist
1. Sabbia Bianca
2. Anatema
3. L’Età Dell’Oro
4. Gaul Tanz
5. Vivo
6. Il Capriccio
7. Epsilon



Info: International Feel welcomes Jolly Mare. Hailing from Italy and being a well-versed producer. Multi-instrumentalist and passionate DJ, his first release on the rekindled label sees him delving deep into the mystical and magical realms of vintage synthesizers, drum machines and effect units (please see back sleeve or below for a full instrument list). Sounding like a one-man band from the late Seventies conferring with a studio wizard from the 2020s, it has all the components of a cosmic or balearic master thesis: traces of Krautrock, Italian pop sensibilities, dance rhythms, cosmic curveballs and capturing chants. The single Vivo melds those ingredients and is just the first bite in an extraordinary Omakase.



More

Tracklist
1. Charly
2. Nothing Here But You and Me
3. Say It’s Gold
4. Save Us feat. Mapei
5. Venice Chocolate
6. Hill St
7. Frosty feat. Julimar Santos
8. New Hall
9. Lorena feat. Mapei
10. Run


Info:
The International Feel label is back from an extended meditation. Well-rested and with a cornucopia of new ideas and records, IFeel is happy to announce the debut album from Charlie Charlie as the starting shot. „Little Things“ is the brainchild of Gabriella Borbély alias Bella Boo and Jens Resch better known as Chords. Born on a beach in Southern California instead of their hometown Stockholm, it is exactly what you would hope for such a record to be: pop music that is informed by hippie or counter culture and by a Balearic ethos (hence the International Feel address) that is free of blinkered definitions. In equal parts, the duo’s ten songs take the listener through honey dripping r&b, while respelling that certain Californian recording studio sound aesthetic, revisit vintage yacht rock and pop tropes as well as they are reflecting dance music influences in a broken, yet gold framed mirror. Most of all, it’s like a day dream that you don’t want to end. To quote our Italian friends from Edizioni Mondo: good listening experience!



Band info:
Charlie is Gabriella Borbély – also known as Stockholm's deep house virtuoso Bella Boo. Charlie is Jens Resch – also known as prodigious producer/musician Chords. The two Charlies met on a beach in Southern California and immediately decided to write a song together.
That first track was built on the sampled sounds of a rusty drainpipe. Charlie fired up a dusty ARP Odyssey and played a woozy solo over the drainpipe beats, then the other Charlie did the same, using that same legendary 70's analogue synth. When they realized the two separately recorded solos played together in perfect harmony, they knew they had to keep heading down their newly found, shared musical path.
Charlie & Charlie have since continued making music together, describing their common process as liberating, free-flowing, genre-less. "Little Things", their debut album, is made up of tracks recorded in Los Angeles and Stockholm, using that very same ARP as well as pianos, electric guitars and machines like the Prophet 6, the Juno-106 and the Syncussion SY-1. Vocal contributions come from the Charlies themselves as well as friends like Mapei and Julimar Santos.

"Little Things" is released 09.07.2021 through International Feel.


More

Tracklist
A1. Save Us feat. Mapei
B1. Charly


Info:
The 71st release on International Feel is not only the wake-up-call from the label’s well-deserved lull, but also the constitution of Charlie Charlie.Consisting of Gabriella Borbély alias Bella Boo and Jens Resch better known as Chords, their genesis didn’t happen in their home port Stockholm, but on a beach in Southern California – and the music kid of gives it away, too. „Save Us“ takes a sun bath in pop melodies with infectious vocals of Mapei and a cabriolet ride on the proverbial highway, while „Charly“ is its instrumental counterpart that would sound good on any beach on this planet and was to be expected on a label like International Feel. Balearic on a meta-level and soon to be experienced in full album mode. Hey Charlie!

More