1
GRANDBROTHERS - Bloodflow (Lone remix)
2
GRANDBROTHERS - Bloodflow (Brainwaltzera Catastrophic Blood Loss Edit)
3
GRANDBROTHERS - Bloodflow (Christian Löffler Remix)
4
GRANDBROTHERS - Bloodflow (Aera High Blood Pressure Remake)
Tracklist:
A1. Bloodflow (Lone remix)
A2. Bloodflow (Brainwaltzera Catastrophic Blood Loss Edit)
B1. Bloodflow (Christian Löffler Remix)
B2. Bloodflow (Aera High Blood Pressure Remake)
Short Info:
The new EP by German duo Grandbrothers is a collection of remixes and re-interpretations of their standout track ‘Bloodflow'. The remix by UK producer Lone was introduced last autumn but there’s brand new tracks to be found here by German techno electronic vanguard Christian Löffler, everyones favourite new IDM producer Brainwaltzera and new Permanent Vacation signing Aera
Grandbrothers are the sum of unique parts: progressive Swiss engineer/mechanic/sofware designer Lukas Vogel and German-Turkish pianist Erol Sarp. Their second album ‘Open' twins Sarp’s piano skills with Vogel’s talent for both building the homemade intricate mechanics with which he exploits his partner’s instrument and also designing it’s software. Sarp works at his ivory keyboard while, from behind his own computer keys, Vogel live-samples his partner’s notes, triggering further effects with the aid of DIY electronic apparatus that physically manipulate the piano’s strings and body.
More
A1. Bloodflow (Lone remix)
A2. Bloodflow (Brainwaltzera Catastrophic Blood Loss Edit)
B1. Bloodflow (Christian Löffler Remix)
B2. Bloodflow (Aera High Blood Pressure Remake)
Short Info:
The new EP by German duo Grandbrothers is a collection of remixes and re-interpretations of their standout track ‘Bloodflow'. The remix by UK producer Lone was introduced last autumn but there’s brand new tracks to be found here by German techno electronic vanguard Christian Löffler, everyones favourite new IDM producer Brainwaltzera and new Permanent Vacation signing Aera
Grandbrothers are the sum of unique parts: progressive Swiss engineer/mechanic/sofware designer Lukas Vogel and German-Turkish pianist Erol Sarp. Their second album ‘Open' twins Sarp’s piano skills with Vogel’s talent for both building the homemade intricate mechanics with which he exploits his partner’s instrument and also designing it’s software. Sarp works at his ivory keyboard while, from behind his own computer keys, Vogel live-samples his partner’s notes, triggering further effects with the aid of DIY electronic apparatus that physically manipulate the piano’s strings and body.
More
More records from GRANDBROTHERS
2022 RE PRESS EDITION
Special remarks : 2x12", high gloss photo like gatefold sleeve
Tracklist:
A
1. Prologue
2. Wuppertal
3. Naive Ride
B
4. Arctica
5. Rotor
6. Ezra was Right
C
7. Studie V
8. Newton's Cradle
9. 5 gegen 1
D
10. Neon
11. Start from Innocence
12. Ghost Clock
Shortinfo:
Following their debut EP with "Ezra Was Right" and support from the likes of Gilles Peterson, Grandbrothers are presenting their debut album "Dilation". Twelve modern Experimental / Ambient / Piano pieces, whose sounds are generated completely out of a grand piano using small electromagnetic hammers.
Grandbrothers are Erol Sarp and Lukas Vogel. After meeting at university in Dusseldorf, Erol and Lukas formed Grandbrothers to tie together their respective musical backgrounds and disciplines: Erol is a trained jazz pianist, while by day Lukas constructs synthesizers at Access Music. Together, they create a sound that combines classical composition with modern, experimental production and sound design.
Their first song, 'Ezra Was Right', earned an early supporter in the esteemed Gilles Peterson, who included the track on his Bubblers 10 compilation and played it numerous times on his Worldwide radio show for BBC Radio 6 Music, with the song eventually being voted #7 by listeners in his end-of-year poll in 2013. A full EP on FILM followed - backed by remixes from legendary Manchester DJ Greg Wilson, Optimo's JD Twitch, and Kim Brown - which sold out its initial run within ten days.
Now, Grandbrothers present their debut album, Dilation. The product of two years work, Dilation builds on some of the ideas established on 'Ezra Was Right' while exploring further elements of minimalism, ambient music, IDM, and techno. Tracks start as repeated two or three note patterns, which gradually develop into sweeping, cinematic soundscapes, recalling the structural and rhythmic qualities club music as much as it does the work of a composer like Steve Reich, as well as Ryuichi Sakamoto's collaborations with Alva Noto.
Surprisingly, there are no synthetic sounds on Dilation: Erol and Lukas deliberately restrict themselves to the sounds of the grand piano across the album. "We wanted to make modern-sounding music using classical instruments," Lukas explains, "Instruments with a lot of history."
To achieve this modern sound, Lukas developed an unusual system for playing the piano. Drawing on his technical background, he created a series of electromechanical hammers that could be controlled via laptop (on software that he designed himself, no less) to 'play' the piano. This process allowed the duo to discover new, previously unknown sounds - sounds that couldn't be achieved through conventional playing - which give the record its unique sonic qualities.
"'Dilation' is a physical term for expansion and widening," Erol says, "We see the project as an experiment: how far you can go with a piano? How much you can get out of it, soundwise?"
With further manipulation using loops, effects, and amplification, Dilation is an album that covers an extraordinary range of sounds despite coming from such a small, unorthodox setup.
Classical, yet forward-thinking; expressive and emotional, yet with one foot on the dancefloor, Dilation is set to be an early highlight of 2015 and sure to put Grandbrothers on the radar for the future.
More
Special remarks : 2x12", high gloss photo like gatefold sleeve
Tracklist:
A
1. Prologue
2. Wuppertal
3. Naive Ride
B
4. Arctica
5. Rotor
6. Ezra was Right
C
7. Studie V
8. Newton's Cradle
9. 5 gegen 1
D
10. Neon
11. Start from Innocence
12. Ghost Clock
Shortinfo:
Following their debut EP with "Ezra Was Right" and support from the likes of Gilles Peterson, Grandbrothers are presenting their debut album "Dilation". Twelve modern Experimental / Ambient / Piano pieces, whose sounds are generated completely out of a grand piano using small electromagnetic hammers.
Grandbrothers are Erol Sarp and Lukas Vogel. After meeting at university in Dusseldorf, Erol and Lukas formed Grandbrothers to tie together their respective musical backgrounds and disciplines: Erol is a trained jazz pianist, while by day Lukas constructs synthesizers at Access Music. Together, they create a sound that combines classical composition with modern, experimental production and sound design.
Their first song, 'Ezra Was Right', earned an early supporter in the esteemed Gilles Peterson, who included the track on his Bubblers 10 compilation and played it numerous times on his Worldwide radio show for BBC Radio 6 Music, with the song eventually being voted #7 by listeners in his end-of-year poll in 2013. A full EP on FILM followed - backed by remixes from legendary Manchester DJ Greg Wilson, Optimo's JD Twitch, and Kim Brown - which sold out its initial run within ten days.
Now, Grandbrothers present their debut album, Dilation. The product of two years work, Dilation builds on some of the ideas established on 'Ezra Was Right' while exploring further elements of minimalism, ambient music, IDM, and techno. Tracks start as repeated two or three note patterns, which gradually develop into sweeping, cinematic soundscapes, recalling the structural and rhythmic qualities club music as much as it does the work of a composer like Steve Reich, as well as Ryuichi Sakamoto's collaborations with Alva Noto.
Surprisingly, there are no synthetic sounds on Dilation: Erol and Lukas deliberately restrict themselves to the sounds of the grand piano across the album. "We wanted to make modern-sounding music using classical instruments," Lukas explains, "Instruments with a lot of history."
To achieve this modern sound, Lukas developed an unusual system for playing the piano. Drawing on his technical background, he created a series of electromechanical hammers that could be controlled via laptop (on software that he designed himself, no less) to 'play' the piano. This process allowed the duo to discover new, previously unknown sounds - sounds that couldn't be achieved through conventional playing - which give the record its unique sonic qualities.
"'Dilation' is a physical term for expansion and widening," Erol says, "We see the project as an experiment: how far you can go with a piano? How much you can get out of it, soundwise?"
With further manipulation using loops, effects, and amplification, Dilation is an album that covers an extraordinary range of sounds despite coming from such a small, unorthodox setup.
Classical, yet forward-thinking; expressive and emotional, yet with one foot on the dancefloor, Dilation is set to be an early highlight of 2015 and sure to put Grandbrothers on the radar for the future.
More
1
Grandbrothers - Newton`s Cradle (FaltyDL Remix)
2
Grandbrothers - Studie V (Grand Optimist Remix)
3
Grandbrothers - Prologue (Djrum Remix)
4
Grandbrothers - Neon (Portable Sunsets Remix)
Special remarks : 12" with printed deluxe sleeve , remixes by FaltyDL, Djrum, Grand Optimist & Portable Sunsets
Tracklist
A1: Grandbrothers "Newton`s Cradle" (FaltyDL Remix)
A2: Grandbrothers "Studie V" (Grand Optimist Remix)
B1: Grandbrothers "Prologue" (Djrum Remix)
B2: Grandbrothers "Neon" (Portable Sunsets Remix)
Shortinfo:
Following the excellently received Dilation LP on FILM, the duo return to the Berlin based imprint for a remix package featuring FaltyDL, Grand Optimist, Djrum & Portable Sunsets.
Erol Sarp & Lukas Vogel's ingenious use of the grand piano has won them many plaudits over the years. Working solely with the sounds of the grand piano and a set of 20 self-built hammers hitting the piano on different parts - filtered & warped in an extraordinary fashion, the pair craft dense, rousing music - kept fresh & current with nods to IDM, ambient & techno.
As such, the original recordings are fertile ground for remix opportunities, and the FILM label call on a who's who of left-field electronica to reimagine the work.
NYC native FaltyDL takes on Newtons Cradle, flipping the original and turning in a stepping, psychedelic slice of half time proto-Footwork while both Phillip Otterbach, operating under his Grand Optimist alias, and 2nd Drop's Djrum offer tripping, ambient reinterpretations. 1080p's Portable Sunsets reimagines key LP cut Neon as fuzzy beach house jam, reseting the original & eeking out a wholly different energy with driven drum machine hits & a soothing vox line.
More
Tracklist
A1: Grandbrothers "Newton`s Cradle" (FaltyDL Remix)
A2: Grandbrothers "Studie V" (Grand Optimist Remix)
B1: Grandbrothers "Prologue" (Djrum Remix)
B2: Grandbrothers "Neon" (Portable Sunsets Remix)
Shortinfo:
Following the excellently received Dilation LP on FILM, the duo return to the Berlin based imprint for a remix package featuring FaltyDL, Grand Optimist, Djrum & Portable Sunsets.
Erol Sarp & Lukas Vogel's ingenious use of the grand piano has won them many plaudits over the years. Working solely with the sounds of the grand piano and a set of 20 self-built hammers hitting the piano on different parts - filtered & warped in an extraordinary fashion, the pair craft dense, rousing music - kept fresh & current with nods to IDM, ambient & techno.
As such, the original recordings are fertile ground for remix opportunities, and the FILM label call on a who's who of left-field electronica to reimagine the work.
NYC native FaltyDL takes on Newtons Cradle, flipping the original and turning in a stepping, psychedelic slice of half time proto-Footwork while both Phillip Otterbach, operating under his Grand Optimist alias, and 2nd Drop's Djrum offer tripping, ambient reinterpretations. 1080p's Portable Sunsets reimagines key LP cut Neon as fuzzy beach house jam, reseting the original & eeking out a wholly different energy with driven drum machine hits & a soothing vox line.
More
Releasedate 23.2.2015
UPC 827170146525
Special remarks :CD Digipack , high gloss photo like print
Tracklist:
1. Prologue / 2. Wuppertal / 3. Naive Rider / 4. Arctica / 5. Rotor / 6. Ezra was Right / 7. Studie V / 8. Newton's Cradle / 9. 5 gegen 1 / 10. Neon / 11. Start from Innocence / 12. Ghost Clock
Shortinfo:
Following their debut EP with "Ezra Was Right" and support from the likes of Gilles Peterson, Grandbrothers are presenting their debut album "Dilation". Twelve modern Experimental / Ambient / Piano pieces, whose sounds are generated completely out of a grand piano using small electromagnetic hammers.
Grandbrothers are Erol Sarp and Lukas Vogel. After meeting at university in Dusseldorf, Erol and Lukas formed Grandbrothers to tie together their respective musical backgrounds and disciplines: Erol is a trained jazz pianist, while by day Lukas constructs synthesizers at Access Music. Together, they create a sound that combines classical composition with modern, experimental production and sound design.
Their first song, 'Ezra Was Right', earned an early supporter in the esteemed Gilles Peterson, who included the track on his Bubblers 10 compilation and played it numerous times on his Worldwide radio show for BBC Radio 6 Music, with the song eventually being voted #7 by listeners in his end-of-year poll in 2013. A full EP on FILM followed - backed by remixes from legendary Manchester DJ Greg Wilson, Optimo's JD Twitch, and Kim Brown - which sold out its initial run within ten days.
Now, Grandbrothers present their debut album, Dilation. The product of two years work, Dilation builds on some of the ideas established on 'Ezra Was Right' while exploring further elements of minimalism, ambient music, IDM, and techno. Tracks start as repeated two or three note patterns, which gradually develop into sweeping, cinematic soundscapes, recalling the structural and rhythmic qualities club music as much as it does the work of a composer like Steve Reich, as well as Ryuichi Sakamoto's collaborations with Alva Noto.
Surprisingly, there are no synthetic sounds on Dilation: Erol and Lukas deliberately restrict themselves to the sounds of the grand piano across the album. "We wanted to make modern-sounding music using classical instruments," Lukas explains, "Instruments with a lot of history."
To achieve this modern sound, Lukas developed an unusual system for playing the piano. Drawing on his technical background, he created a series of electromechanical hammers that could be controlled via laptop (on software that he designed himself, no less) to 'play' the piano. This process allowed the duo to discover new, previously unknown sounds - sounds that couldn't be achieved through conventional playing - which give the record its unique sonic qualities.
"'Dilation' is a physical term for expansion and widening," Erol says, "We see the project as an experiment: how far you can go with a piano? How much you can get out of it, soundwise?"
With further manipulation using loops, effects, and amplification, Dilation is an album that covers an extraordinary range of sounds despite coming from such a small, unorthodox setup.
Classical, yet forward-thinking; expressive and emotional, yet with one foot on the dancefloor, Dilation is set to be an early highlight of 2015 and sure to put Grandbrothers on the radar for the future.
More
UPC 827170146525
Special remarks :CD Digipack , high gloss photo like print
Tracklist:
1. Prologue / 2. Wuppertal / 3. Naive Rider / 4. Arctica / 5. Rotor / 6. Ezra was Right / 7. Studie V / 8. Newton's Cradle / 9. 5 gegen 1 / 10. Neon / 11. Start from Innocence / 12. Ghost Clock
Shortinfo:
Following their debut EP with "Ezra Was Right" and support from the likes of Gilles Peterson, Grandbrothers are presenting their debut album "Dilation". Twelve modern Experimental / Ambient / Piano pieces, whose sounds are generated completely out of a grand piano using small electromagnetic hammers.
Grandbrothers are Erol Sarp and Lukas Vogel. After meeting at university in Dusseldorf, Erol and Lukas formed Grandbrothers to tie together their respective musical backgrounds and disciplines: Erol is a trained jazz pianist, while by day Lukas constructs synthesizers at Access Music. Together, they create a sound that combines classical composition with modern, experimental production and sound design.
Their first song, 'Ezra Was Right', earned an early supporter in the esteemed Gilles Peterson, who included the track on his Bubblers 10 compilation and played it numerous times on his Worldwide radio show for BBC Radio 6 Music, with the song eventually being voted #7 by listeners in his end-of-year poll in 2013. A full EP on FILM followed - backed by remixes from legendary Manchester DJ Greg Wilson, Optimo's JD Twitch, and Kim Brown - which sold out its initial run within ten days.
Now, Grandbrothers present their debut album, Dilation. The product of two years work, Dilation builds on some of the ideas established on 'Ezra Was Right' while exploring further elements of minimalism, ambient music, IDM, and techno. Tracks start as repeated two or three note patterns, which gradually develop into sweeping, cinematic soundscapes, recalling the structural and rhythmic qualities club music as much as it does the work of a composer like Steve Reich, as well as Ryuichi Sakamoto's collaborations with Alva Noto.
Surprisingly, there are no synthetic sounds on Dilation: Erol and Lukas deliberately restrict themselves to the sounds of the grand piano across the album. "We wanted to make modern-sounding music using classical instruments," Lukas explains, "Instruments with a lot of history."
To achieve this modern sound, Lukas developed an unusual system for playing the piano. Drawing on his technical background, he created a series of electromechanical hammers that could be controlled via laptop (on software that he designed himself, no less) to 'play' the piano. This process allowed the duo to discover new, previously unknown sounds - sounds that couldn't be achieved through conventional playing - which give the record its unique sonic qualities.
"'Dilation' is a physical term for expansion and widening," Erol says, "We see the project as an experiment: how far you can go with a piano? How much you can get out of it, soundwise?"
With further manipulation using loops, effects, and amplification, Dilation is an album that covers an extraordinary range of sounds despite coming from such a small, unorthodox setup.
Classical, yet forward-thinking; expressive and emotional, yet with one foot on the dancefloor, Dilation is set to be an early highlight of 2015 and sure to put Grandbrothers on the radar for the future.
More
1
Grandbrothers - Ezra Was Right
2
Grandbrothers - Notbrause
3
Grandbrothers - Ezra Was Right (Kim Brown Iron Rave Remix)
4
Grandbrothers - Ezra Was Right (Greg Wilson & Derke Kaye Remix)
Releasedate 3.2.2014
UPC 827170135420
Tracklisting:
A1 Ezra Was Right
A2 Notbrause
B1 Ezra Was Right (Kim Brown Iron Rave Remix)
B2 Ezra Was Right (Greg Wilson & Derek Kaye Remix)
Erol Sarp and Lukas Vogel are Grandbrothers.
All their music is composed and recorded on the grand piano. Erol plays the keys, while Lukas creates the beat by using small self-made and programmed hammers that hit the grand piano. He captures these sounds on the computer, then manipulates and loops them.
With this setup they create highly analogue cinematic sound-scapes and tracks made for the dancefloor. Grandbrothers track ‘Ezra Was Right’ has become a part of Gilles Peterson’s recent DJ sets and his radio show ‘Worldwide’ on BBC. Peterson also nominated the song for his ‘track of the year 2013’ award. While ‘Ezra Was Right’ is more downbeat, ’Notbrause’ is highly suitable to be mixed straight into a proper house set. The EP comes with an ‘Ezra Was Right’ remix by the edit-master Greg Wilson and his partner Derek Kaye.
Additional remixes were contributed by Berlin’s finest Kim Brown and Glasgow underground legend JD Twitch from Optimo.
More
UPC 827170135420
Tracklisting:
A1 Ezra Was Right
A2 Notbrause
B1 Ezra Was Right (Kim Brown Iron Rave Remix)
B2 Ezra Was Right (Greg Wilson & Derek Kaye Remix)
Erol Sarp and Lukas Vogel are Grandbrothers.
All their music is composed and recorded on the grand piano. Erol plays the keys, while Lukas creates the beat by using small self-made and programmed hammers that hit the grand piano. He captures these sounds on the computer, then manipulates and loops them.
With this setup they create highly analogue cinematic sound-scapes and tracks made for the dancefloor. Grandbrothers track ‘Ezra Was Right’ has become a part of Gilles Peterson’s recent DJ sets and his radio show ‘Worldwide’ on BBC. Peterson also nominated the song for his ‘track of the year 2013’ award. While ‘Ezra Was Right’ is more downbeat, ’Notbrause’ is highly suitable to be mixed straight into a proper house set. The EP comes with an ‘Ezra Was Right’ remix by the edit-master Greg Wilson and his partner Derek Kaye.
Additional remixes were contributed by Berlin’s finest Kim Brown and Glasgow underground legend JD Twitch from Optimo.
More
More records from city slang
Ltd Edition!
Caribou classic album "Our Love", originally released on 03.10.2014, is now available for the first time as a coloured vinyl edition in pink!
Format:
- Ltd edition worlwide 2000 copies (750 units for RTD)
TRACKLISTING:
A1. Can't Do Without You A2. Silver A3. All I Ever Need A4. Our Love A5. Dive
B1. Second Chance B2. Julia Brightly B3. Mars B4. Back Home B5. Your Love Will Set You Free More
Caribou classic album "Our Love", originally released on 03.10.2014, is now available for the first time as a coloured vinyl edition in pink!
Format:
- Ltd edition worlwide 2000 copies (750 units for RTD)
TRACKLISTING:
A1. Can't Do Without You A2. Silver A3. All I Ever Need A4. Our Love A5. Dive
B1. Second Chance B2. Julia Brightly B3. Mars B4. Back Home B5. Your Love Will Set You Free More
In November 2022, GOLD PANDA released his long-awaited album "The Work". It includes the two singles "I've Felt Better (Than I Do Now)" & "Plastic Future". These were remixed by Gold Panda's friend and companion Daniel Avery and the one and only Skee Mask respectively.
On Side A, British techno producer Daniel Avery turned "I've Felt Better" on its head. With a perfect balance of light and shadow, it now races at top speed like a techno bullet train through a blizzard and a multitude of barren landscapes, while the listener sits in an empty wagon, safe from the threat of nature just inches away. On Side B, Skee Mask, the enigmatic versatile electronic producer gives 'Plastic Future' a totally new identity. Known for his rolling rhythms combined with electronic soundscapes, Skee Mask slams the breaks on this remix in a big way. It's a magic combination that begs the question how did it take these 2 producers so long to collaborate like this? A match made in heaven!
TRACKLIST:
Side A: I've Felt Better (Daniel Avery Remix)
Side B: Plastic Future (Skee Mask Remix)
LISTEN LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yL3htKLsdEE More
On Side A, British techno producer Daniel Avery turned "I've Felt Better" on its head. With a perfect balance of light and shadow, it now races at top speed like a techno bullet train through a blizzard and a multitude of barren landscapes, while the listener sits in an empty wagon, safe from the threat of nature just inches away. On Side B, Skee Mask, the enigmatic versatile electronic producer gives 'Plastic Future' a totally new identity. Known for his rolling rhythms combined with electronic soundscapes, Skee Mask slams the breaks on this remix in a big way. It's a magic combination that begs the question how did it take these 2 producers so long to collaborate like this? A match made in heaven!
TRACKLIST:
Side A: I've Felt Better (Daniel Avery Remix)
Side B: Plastic Future (Skee Mask Remix)
LISTEN LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yL3htKLsdEE More
A very quiet album in loud times
On October 28th 2022, Canadian duo Junior Boys will release their sixth album, ‘Waiting Game’, on City Slang. Six years since their last album, 2016’s ‘Big Black Coat’. ‘Waiting Game’ finds producers Jeremy Greenspan and Matt Didemus in a tender and contemplative mood; a switch-up from their punchy, R&B-infused dance melodics. The album’s additonal musicians are Canadians, too; Caribou collaborator Colin Fisher performs saxophone throughout and Bonjay frontwoman Alanna Stuart sings alongside Greenspan on the song “Yes 2”. In this, Junior Boys have made an album that reflects the quiet beauty of the world, so long as you’re prepa- red to truly listen. Junior Boys will embark on an extensive 20th anniversary headline tour in January and March 2023
TRACKLIST CD/LP/:
Side A
01: Must Be All the Wrong Things
02: Night Walk
03: It Never Occurred To Me
04: Thinking About You Calms Me Down
05: Yes II
Side B
06: Dum Audio
07: Fidget
08: Samba On Sama
09: Waiting Game More
On October 28th 2022, Canadian duo Junior Boys will release their sixth album, ‘Waiting Game’, on City Slang. Six years since their last album, 2016’s ‘Big Black Coat’. ‘Waiting Game’ finds producers Jeremy Greenspan and Matt Didemus in a tender and contemplative mood; a switch-up from their punchy, R&B-infused dance melodics. The album’s additonal musicians are Canadians, too; Caribou collaborator Colin Fisher performs saxophone throughout and Bonjay frontwoman Alanna Stuart sings alongside Greenspan on the song “Yes 2”. In this, Junior Boys have made an album that reflects the quiet beauty of the world, so long as you’re prepa- red to truly listen. Junior Boys will embark on an extensive 20th anniversary headline tour in January and March 2023
TRACKLIST CD/LP/:
Side A
01: Must Be All the Wrong Things
02: Night Walk
03: It Never Occurred To Me
04: Thinking About You Calms Me Down
05: Yes II
Side B
06: Dum Audio
07: Fidget
08: Samba On Sama
09: Waiting Game More
At Ohio’s Oberlin College in the early '90s, Morgan Geist spent most of his time cloistered in a dorm room studio, crafting what would become his early techno discography. Across the street at the conservatory, Kelley Polar skipped computer science classes to play Philip Glass and Hindemith, practicing eight hours a day and competing in international viola competitions. A handful of chance meetings occurred over the latest 12” arrivals at the college bookstore: Aphex Twin, Underground Resistance, LFO. The two would cross paths doing late-night shows at the college radio station.
After Oberlin, Kelley was living in NYC and attending the Juilliard School. By day, he was the teaching assistant of synthesizer pioneer Michael Czajkowski; nights were spent in an abandoned Williamsburg sweatshop, planning art happenings with his cousin (and future LCD Soundsystem member) Gavilán Russom. Morgan ran his Environ label from New Jersey. Since returning east, he had grown obsessed with tracing modern dance music back to its disco and boogie roots. In search of lush string arrangements to record, he tracked down Kelley, and before long they were creating what were to become some of Metro Area’s most iconic records: "Caught Up," "The Art of Hot," and "Miura." Morgan moved to NYC and co-produced Kelley’s two acclaimed electro-pop albums on Environ, and the pair eventually toured together, planning their itineraries around food destinations rather than festival dates.
While they remained close friends over the subsequent years, their creative endeavors branched off in ways they hadn’t anticipated. By the end of the 2010s, a remix of Morgan’s Storm Queen alias had knocked Rihanna & Eminem from the #1 spot in the UK pop charts. Kelley, now a twenty-year veteran of USIS State Department classical chamber music tours through conflict areas worldwide, has taught at the Moscow Conservatory and performed at the Kennedy Center. Madonna used one of his tracks for her MDNA tour. Perhaps most significantly, Kelley had grown tired of city life and decamped to the woods of New Hampshire. Despite the geographical distance, the pair kept talking about forming a band. Two of each other’s oldest friends, they had still never truly collaborated from scratch—as equal partners, writing new songs together.
That has finally changed. Morgan Geist and Kelley Polar are Au Suisse, a project borne of a long creative friendship, steeped in each member’s traditions, yet simultaneously naïve-sounding and undiscovered. Kelley’s penchant for a maximalist extreme shaped by Morgan’s immaculate production ear; Morgan’s curatorial prowess from years spent record digging and international DJing combined with Kelley’s deep exposure to five hundred years of the Western classical art music tradition. Guest players include friends and labelmates Dan Snaith (Caribou) and Jeremy Greenspan (Junior Boys).
“We had some vague ideas—mainly visual, or perhaps psychological—about what we wanted Au Suisse to be,” says Morgan. “There was a lot of talk about moods and how to establish them, about reverbs and echoes and ‘lonely’ sounds. Ironic, considering we started working just before the onset of the pandemic. But I think a prime motivator was trying to eschew the roles we both fell into in our prior working relationship. I wouldn’t be making things more dancefloor-friendly, and Kelley wouldn’t be doing huge string arrangements.”
This goal is evident in “Control,” the band’s debut single. Kelley’s soft-yet-crisp vocals evoke a lonely actor in the spotlight of an empty stage, the thump of drums absent until the song’s final explosions of sound. The ambiguity of the lyrics may provide the most tangible parallel to his earlier work: “The words are concrete and there’s definitely a narrative,” Kelley says, “but in my mind the story is vague: couple dynamics, or some sci-fi civilizational arc?” “I immediately thought it was about contemporary politics,” adds Morgan. “It's absolutely one of those songs where each listener gets their own read.”
“There’s musically and technically so much crossover between the two of us,” continues Morgan. “We each do the other's thing well enough that it was quite easy working together as partners. We're discovered we’re both capable of doing this stuff on our own, but it's far more inspirational doing it together. Getting the emotional balance right—that was the greatest challenge, and the most fun.” More
After Oberlin, Kelley was living in NYC and attending the Juilliard School. By day, he was the teaching assistant of synthesizer pioneer Michael Czajkowski; nights were spent in an abandoned Williamsburg sweatshop, planning art happenings with his cousin (and future LCD Soundsystem member) Gavilán Russom. Morgan ran his Environ label from New Jersey. Since returning east, he had grown obsessed with tracing modern dance music back to its disco and boogie roots. In search of lush string arrangements to record, he tracked down Kelley, and before long they were creating what were to become some of Metro Area’s most iconic records: "Caught Up," "The Art of Hot," and "Miura." Morgan moved to NYC and co-produced Kelley’s two acclaimed electro-pop albums on Environ, and the pair eventually toured together, planning their itineraries around food destinations rather than festival dates.
While they remained close friends over the subsequent years, their creative endeavors branched off in ways they hadn’t anticipated. By the end of the 2010s, a remix of Morgan’s Storm Queen alias had knocked Rihanna & Eminem from the #1 spot in the UK pop charts. Kelley, now a twenty-year veteran of USIS State Department classical chamber music tours through conflict areas worldwide, has taught at the Moscow Conservatory and performed at the Kennedy Center. Madonna used one of his tracks for her MDNA tour. Perhaps most significantly, Kelley had grown tired of city life and decamped to the woods of New Hampshire. Despite the geographical distance, the pair kept talking about forming a band. Two of each other’s oldest friends, they had still never truly collaborated from scratch—as equal partners, writing new songs together.
That has finally changed. Morgan Geist and Kelley Polar are Au Suisse, a project borne of a long creative friendship, steeped in each member’s traditions, yet simultaneously naïve-sounding and undiscovered. Kelley’s penchant for a maximalist extreme shaped by Morgan’s immaculate production ear; Morgan’s curatorial prowess from years spent record digging and international DJing combined with Kelley’s deep exposure to five hundred years of the Western classical art music tradition. Guest players include friends and labelmates Dan Snaith (Caribou) and Jeremy Greenspan (Junior Boys).
“We had some vague ideas—mainly visual, or perhaps psychological—about what we wanted Au Suisse to be,” says Morgan. “There was a lot of talk about moods and how to establish them, about reverbs and echoes and ‘lonely’ sounds. Ironic, considering we started working just before the onset of the pandemic. But I think a prime motivator was trying to eschew the roles we both fell into in our prior working relationship. I wouldn’t be making things more dancefloor-friendly, and Kelley wouldn’t be doing huge string arrangements.”
This goal is evident in “Control,” the band’s debut single. Kelley’s soft-yet-crisp vocals evoke a lonely actor in the spotlight of an empty stage, the thump of drums absent until the song’s final explosions of sound. The ambiguity of the lyrics may provide the most tangible parallel to his earlier work: “The words are concrete and there’s definitely a narrative,” Kelley says, “but in my mind the story is vague: couple dynamics, or some sci-fi civilizational arc?” “I immediately thought it was about contemporary politics,” adds Morgan. “It's absolutely one of those songs where each listener gets their own read.”
“There’s musically and technically so much crossover between the two of us,” continues Morgan. “We each do the other's thing well enough that it was quite easy working together as partners. We're discovered we’re both capable of doing this stuff on our own, but it's far more inspirational doing it together. Getting the emotional balance right—that was the greatest challenge, and the most fun.” More
Fresh on the back of the release of his third album 'GOOD LUCK AND DO YOUR BEST' this summer, GOLD PANDA signs off an acclaimed 2016 with a very limited 12" of three remixes of music taken from his latest record. Having previously re-worked the Panda track 'Community', Berlin-resident Fort Romeau once again takes the reigns with a gorgeous, nine-minute pulsing, electro-heavy recreation of the track 'Time Eater' complete with ghostly synth motifs that twirl around Japanese instrumentation culminating in a frenetic release. US producer John Roberts, who himself released one of the best deep house records of the year, remixes 'Chiba Nights', transforming it into a thumping, acid-tinged affair that mixes space and warped electronics beautifully.
Finally, the contemplative 'Song For A Dead Friend' is taken on by Japanese musician Daisuke Tanabe, whose wide ranging musical influences of electronica, folk and jazz all come to bear on this track. Radically different to the two that run prior to it on the 12", it's more akin to the likes of Boards of Canada and Plaid, as it slowly ebbs to a wistful conclusion over three different musical phases.
More
Finally, the contemplative 'Song For A Dead Friend' is taken on by Japanese musician Daisuke Tanabe, whose wide ranging musical influences of electronica, folk and jazz all come to bear on this track. Radically different to the two that run prior to it on the 12", it's more akin to the likes of Boards of Canada and Plaid, as it slowly ebbs to a wistful conclusion over three different musical phases.
More
City Slang is very proud to announce the Sympathy for the Auto Industry Remixes by Berlins analog techno prodigies FJAAK (50Weapons/ Monkeytown), which is an Electronic music trio from Berlin and probably the only Techno-Boyband worldwide. Having grown up together, they began to create all types of music made with microphones, guitars and drums in a dark, chaotic and dirty cellar at quite an early age. After getting in touch with the berlin-underground-techno-scene, days and nights started being all about music. Whether it was chopping beats on the mpc in the morning hours or studying manuals, the internet, vinyl stores and Schneiders Buero. In 2014 they signed to 50WEAPONS and have since released 3 captivating and very fresh sounding techno EPs. Modeselektor have hot tipped them to be the next big thing, because of their unique, melodic and high quality style of producing. HeCTA is the brainchild of Kurt Wagner, Ryan Norris and Scott Martin of Lambchop. Exploring and experimenting with the idea of combining the notion of "song", elements from electronic music and a shared love of the electronic form and it's many permutations, HeCTA and the album The Diet does not sound like anything these guys have done before.
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"There's a place for us scattered and uprooted peoples," says Sinkane mainman Ahmed Gallab, "a place we can all know as home, with elements of all our homes." That place, as it turns out, is Mars.
On one level, Mars is dense with deep, polyrhythmic grooves that hail directly to Africa; on another level, it's a 21st century party record that acknowledges the global music village in which we all now live. The music of Mars is kinetic, sexy and catchy. But at its core, it's one man's way of working through a very American story.
While elements of Mars come from all over the world, the album is very firmly rooted in a specific place: "This," Gallab says, "is very much a New York album." He met virtually everyone who appears on Mars within his first year of living in the Big Apple. But more to the point, Mars is the sound of someone figuring out how to exist in New York, as a stranger in a strange land - a feeling anyone can relate to anywhere.
That's why the album is called Mars. People use Mars to describe some place alien, weird, foreign, a place they don't understand. "It's where I feel like I am right now," says Gallab, "a desolate, tropical place filled with hope, ambition and love."
A formidable player on guitar, bass, keys and drums, Gallab is a virtual one-man band, playing at least four instruments on every track on Mars. But he enlists some top-flight musicians, like Twin Shadow, Yeasayer bassist Ira Wolf Tuton, former Shai Hulud guitarist Oliver Chapoy, members of Afrobeat band Nomo, and saxophonist/flautist stutzmcgee.
Tracklist:
1.Runnin'
2.Jeeper Creeper
3.Lady, C'Mon
4.Making Time
5.Warm Spell
6.Lovesick
7.Mars
8.Caparundi
More
On one level, Mars is dense with deep, polyrhythmic grooves that hail directly to Africa; on another level, it's a 21st century party record that acknowledges the global music village in which we all now live. The music of Mars is kinetic, sexy and catchy. But at its core, it's one man's way of working through a very American story.
While elements of Mars come from all over the world, the album is very firmly rooted in a specific place: "This," Gallab says, "is very much a New York album." He met virtually everyone who appears on Mars within his first year of living in the Big Apple. But more to the point, Mars is the sound of someone figuring out how to exist in New York, as a stranger in a strange land - a feeling anyone can relate to anywhere.
That's why the album is called Mars. People use Mars to describe some place alien, weird, foreign, a place they don't understand. "It's where I feel like I am right now," says Gallab, "a desolate, tropical place filled with hope, ambition and love."
A formidable player on guitar, bass, keys and drums, Gallab is a virtual one-man band, playing at least four instruments on every track on Mars. But he enlists some top-flight musicians, like Twin Shadow, Yeasayer bassist Ira Wolf Tuton, former Shai Hulud guitarist Oliver Chapoy, members of Afrobeat band Nomo, and saxophonist/flautist stutzmcgee.
Tracklist:
1.Runnin'
2.Jeeper Creeper
3.Lady, C'Mon
4.Making Time
5.Warm Spell
6.Lovesick
7.Mars
8.Caparundi
More
release date: 03.12.2012
To celebrate the rerelease of the three classic to rococo rot records on City Slang between 1997 and 2001, we have asked two friends and fans to rework their favourite tracks of these albums.
Four Tet's Kieran Hebden chose the brooding minimal collage 'he loves me' from the bands 1997 archetypal release “veiculo“ and, like a prism in singular beam of light, his remix reveals the songs true glistening content. Mute label founder and longtime to rococo rot afficionado Daniel Miller teamed up with London based producer Gareth Jones to give 'cars', from the bands impeccable second album “the amateur view“, a compassionate modification into a ... well, let's call it a “Krautrock Disco Truck“.
The 12“ will be limited and only available for a short time.
Tracklisting:
a1 he loves me (four tet rmx)
b1 cars (Sunroof Remix by Daniel Miller & Gareth Jones)
More
To celebrate the rerelease of the three classic to rococo rot records on City Slang between 1997 and 2001, we have asked two friends and fans to rework their favourite tracks of these albums.
Four Tet's Kieran Hebden chose the brooding minimal collage 'he loves me' from the bands 1997 archetypal release “veiculo“ and, like a prism in singular beam of light, his remix reveals the songs true glistening content. Mute label founder and longtime to rococo rot afficionado Daniel Miller teamed up with London based producer Gareth Jones to give 'cars', from the bands impeccable second album “the amateur view“, a compassionate modification into a ... well, let's call it a “Krautrock Disco Truck“.
The 12“ will be limited and only available for a short time.
Tracklisting:
a1 he loves me (four tet rmx)
b1 cars (Sunroof Remix by Daniel Miller & Gareth Jones)
More
release date: 03.12.2012
To rococo rot's records on City Slang, “veiculo“ (1997), “the amateur view“ (1999) and “music is a hungry ghost“ (2001) have been out of print for a long time. They will see a reissue as a remastered 3 CD boxset named “rocket road“ that comes with extensive linernotes, more than twenty bonus tracks including the two remixes by Four Tet and Daniel Miller as well as an exclusive Mira Calix rework of 'from dream to dusk'. Each album will also be available on vinyl again as 180g pressing, with the original tracklisting and a CD of the album plus bonus tracks.
Tracklisting:
LP:
. Micromanaged 3:27
. He Loves Me 3:58
. Modern Homes 3:28
. Moto 2:17
. Mit Dir In Der Gegend 6:11
. Leggiero 2:32
. Geheimnis Eines Mantels 3:31
. Extra 3:45
. Fach 0:55
. Lips 4:11
. Merano 3:42
. Allover Dezent 2:00
. Lift 6:00
CD:
. Micromanaged 3:27
. He Loves Me 3:58
. Modern Homes 3:28
. Moto 2:17
. Mit Dir In Der Gegend 6:11
. Leggiero 2:32
. Geheimnis Eines Mantels 3:31
. Extra 3:45
. Fach 0:55
. Lips 4:11
. Merano 3:42
. Allover Dezent 2:00
. Lift 6:00
. He Loves Me (Four Tet Remix) 8:04
. Gehöft (Extra Track) 3:42
. Sonde Mit Orgel (Extra Track) 3:33
. Momentmix (Extra Track) 2:50
. Metalpasta (Extra Track) 0:41
. Neukölln Heute (Extra Track) 1:09
. Moewe (Extra Track) 1:00
. Leggiero (Extra Track) 8:50
More
To rococo rot's records on City Slang, “veiculo“ (1997), “the amateur view“ (1999) and “music is a hungry ghost“ (2001) have been out of print for a long time. They will see a reissue as a remastered 3 CD boxset named “rocket road“ that comes with extensive linernotes, more than twenty bonus tracks including the two remixes by Four Tet and Daniel Miller as well as an exclusive Mira Calix rework of 'from dream to dusk'. Each album will also be available on vinyl again as 180g pressing, with the original tracklisting and a CD of the album plus bonus tracks.
Tracklisting:
LP:
. Micromanaged 3:27
. He Loves Me 3:58
. Modern Homes 3:28
. Moto 2:17
. Mit Dir In Der Gegend 6:11
. Leggiero 2:32
. Geheimnis Eines Mantels 3:31
. Extra 3:45
. Fach 0:55
. Lips 4:11
. Merano 3:42
. Allover Dezent 2:00
. Lift 6:00
CD:
. Micromanaged 3:27
. He Loves Me 3:58
. Modern Homes 3:28
. Moto 2:17
. Mit Dir In Der Gegend 6:11
. Leggiero 2:32
. Geheimnis Eines Mantels 3:31
. Extra 3:45
. Fach 0:55
. Lips 4:11
. Merano 3:42
. Allover Dezent 2:00
. Lift 6:00
. He Loves Me (Four Tet Remix) 8:04
. Gehöft (Extra Track) 3:42
. Sonde Mit Orgel (Extra Track) 3:33
. Momentmix (Extra Track) 2:50
. Metalpasta (Extra Track) 0:41
. Neukölln Heute (Extra Track) 1:09
. Moewe (Extra Track) 1:00
. Leggiero (Extra Track) 8:50
More
release date: 03.12.2012
To rococo rot's records on City Slang, “veiculo“ (1997), “the amateur view“ (1999) and “music is a hungry ghost“ (2001) have been out of print for a long time. They will see a reissue as a remastered 3 CD boxset named “rocket road“ that comes with extensive linernotes, more than twenty bonus tracks including the two remixes by Four Tet and Daniel Miller as well as an exclusive Mira Calix rework of 'from dream to dusk'. Each album will also be available on vinyl again as 180g pressing, with the original tracklisting and a CD of the album plus bonus tracks.
Tracklisting:
LP:
. I Am In The World With You 3:20
. Telema 3:42
. Prado 4:19
. A Little Asphalt Here And There 3:11
. This Sandy Piece 4:05
. Tomorrow 4:30
. Greenwich 3:51
. Cars 2:58
. She Loves Animals 4:12
. Die Dinge Des Lebens 4:56
. Das Blau Und Der Morgen 3:00
CD:
. I Am In The World With You 3:20
. Telema 3:42
. Prado 4:19
. A Little Asphalt Here And There 3:11
. This Sandy Piece 4:05
. Tomorrow 4:30
. Greenwich 3:51
. Cars 2:58
. She Loves Animals 4:12
. Die Dinge Des Lebens 4:56
. Das Blau Und Der Morgen 3:00
. Cars (Sunroof Remix by Daniel Miller & Gareth Jones) 7:56
. Mirror (Extra Track) 2:31
. Milker (Extra Track) 3:45
. Meteor (Extra Track) 5:36 More
To rococo rot's records on City Slang, “veiculo“ (1997), “the amateur view“ (1999) and “music is a hungry ghost“ (2001) have been out of print for a long time. They will see a reissue as a remastered 3 CD boxset named “rocket road“ that comes with extensive linernotes, more than twenty bonus tracks including the two remixes by Four Tet and Daniel Miller as well as an exclusive Mira Calix rework of 'from dream to dusk'. Each album will also be available on vinyl again as 180g pressing, with the original tracklisting and a CD of the album plus bonus tracks.
Tracklisting:
LP:
. I Am In The World With You 3:20
. Telema 3:42
. Prado 4:19
. A Little Asphalt Here And There 3:11
. This Sandy Piece 4:05
. Tomorrow 4:30
. Greenwich 3:51
. Cars 2:58
. She Loves Animals 4:12
. Die Dinge Des Lebens 4:56
. Das Blau Und Der Morgen 3:00
CD:
. I Am In The World With You 3:20
. Telema 3:42
. Prado 4:19
. A Little Asphalt Here And There 3:11
. This Sandy Piece 4:05
. Tomorrow 4:30
. Greenwich 3:51
. Cars 2:58
. She Loves Animals 4:12
. Die Dinge Des Lebens 4:56
. Das Blau Und Der Morgen 3:00
. Cars (Sunroof Remix by Daniel Miller & Gareth Jones) 7:56
. Mirror (Extra Track) 2:31
. Milker (Extra Track) 3:45
. Meteor (Extra Track) 5:36 More
release date: 03.12.2012
To rococo rot's records on City Slang, “veiculo“ (1997), “the amateur view“ (1999) and “music is a hungry ghost“ (2001) have been out of print for a long time. They will see a reissue as a remastered 3 CD boxset named “rocket road“ that comes with extensive linernotes, more than twenty bonus tracks including the two remixes by Four Tet and Daniel Miller as well as an exclusive Mira Calix rework of 'from dream to dusk'. Each album will also be available on vinyl again as 180g pressing, with the original tracklisting and a CD of the album plus bonus tracks.
Tracklisting:
LP:
. A Number Of Things 4:14
. For A Moment 4:31
. How We Never Went To Bed 4:12
. First 2:24
. From Dream To Daylight 4:10
. Your Secrets, A Few Words 3:12
. Along The Route 2:50
. Overhead 4:08
. Koku 0:39
. Pantone 2:56
. Mazda In The Mist 4:18
. She Tended To Forget 2:20
. The Trance Of Travel 4:58
CD:
. A Number Of Things 4:14
. For A Moment 4:31
. How We Never Went To Bed 4:12
. First 2:24
. From Dream To Daylight 4:10
. Your Secrets, A Few Words 3:12
. Along The Route 2:50
. Overhead 4:08
. Koku 0:39
. Pantone 2:56
. Mazda In The Mist 4:18
. She Tended To Forget 2:20
. The Trance Of Travel 4:58
. From Dream To Dusk (Mira Calix Remix) 4:09
. Expo (Extra Track) 2:19
. Rebirth Of Spock (Extra Track) 1:46
. Stefan Funk (Extra Track) 2:06
. Craig Loop (Extra Track) 0:56
. Boss Groove (Extra Track) 2:16
. Attractor (Extra Track) 2:33
. Dub Mix (Extra Track) 4:55
. Mars (Extra Track) 3:12
. Tone Song (Extra Track) 3:10 More
To rococo rot's records on City Slang, “veiculo“ (1997), “the amateur view“ (1999) and “music is a hungry ghost“ (2001) have been out of print for a long time. They will see a reissue as a remastered 3 CD boxset named “rocket road“ that comes with extensive linernotes, more than twenty bonus tracks including the two remixes by Four Tet and Daniel Miller as well as an exclusive Mira Calix rework of 'from dream to dusk'. Each album will also be available on vinyl again as 180g pressing, with the original tracklisting and a CD of the album plus bonus tracks.
Tracklisting:
LP:
. A Number Of Things 4:14
. For A Moment 4:31
. How We Never Went To Bed 4:12
. First 2:24
. From Dream To Daylight 4:10
. Your Secrets, A Few Words 3:12
. Along The Route 2:50
. Overhead 4:08
. Koku 0:39
. Pantone 2:56
. Mazda In The Mist 4:18
. She Tended To Forget 2:20
. The Trance Of Travel 4:58
CD:
. A Number Of Things 4:14
. For A Moment 4:31
. How We Never Went To Bed 4:12
. First 2:24
. From Dream To Daylight 4:10
. Your Secrets, A Few Words 3:12
. Along The Route 2:50
. Overhead 4:08
. Koku 0:39
. Pantone 2:56
. Mazda In The Mist 4:18
. She Tended To Forget 2:20
. The Trance Of Travel 4:58
. From Dream To Dusk (Mira Calix Remix) 4:09
. Expo (Extra Track) 2:19
. Rebirth Of Spock (Extra Track) 1:46
. Stefan Funk (Extra Track) 2:06
. Craig Loop (Extra Track) 0:56
. Boss Groove (Extra Track) 2:16
. Attractor (Extra Track) 2:33
. Dub Mix (Extra Track) 4:55
. Mars (Extra Track) 3:12
. Tone Song (Extra Track) 3:10 More