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Forest Drive West delivers the ‘Parallel Space’ EP via Copenhagen’s Echocord this December, backed with a remix from Conforce.

London’s Forest Drive West has gained widespread recognition as a purveyor of raw and emotive techno over the past few years, releasing material on the likes of Livity Sound, Hidden Hawaii, Neighbourhood and Whities. Here though see him returning to Echocord following his recent remix of Babe Roots on the imprint earlier this year. ‘Creation Dub’ leads, fusing echoing dub chords and off-kilter drums with cavernous atmospherics and pulsating low-end tones before ‘Drift’ edges into darker territories with murky synth textures, glitched out percussion and tension building drones creating a hypnotic and subtly nuanced six and a half minutes. Title-track ‘Parallel Space’ then opens the B-Side, bring the rhythmic aspects into the spotlight this time as bumpy broken drums, a rounded sub line and oscillating percussion ebb and flow amongst hazy pads, fluttering echoes and expansive reverbs. Conforce’s take on ‘Parallel Space’ rounds out the package next and the Delsin regular delivers a typically classy interpretation with choppy bass stabs dynamically driving the composition as snippets of the original’s ethereal textures and spiralling percussion are weaved within.
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Forest Drive West makes a welcome return to Echocord this February with the ‘Recursion’ EP, featuring one solo cut and two collaborations with DB1 and Localhost. London’s Forest Drive West has been steadily releasing his left of centre take on techno over the past five years on the likes of Livity Sound, Hidden Hawaii, Delsin, AD93 fka Whities and of course Echocord where here returns here following the ‘Parallel Space’ EP back in 2019.

Leading the release is the murky, tense atmospherics of ‘100m’, produced alongside regular collaborator DB1 the eight minute composition journeys through unfurling, expansive pads, subtly nuanced bass warbles and gritty off-kilter percussion.

Next up, Forest Drive West joins forces with Localhost for title-cut ‘Recursion’, embracing a 4/4 approach rhythmically this time and bringing hazy, ethereal pads, earth shattering subs and circling stab sequences into the limelight. Forest Drive West’s solo cut ‘Anchor’ then rounds out the release, taking things deeper into dub territory via tumbling percussive echoes, billowing chords and heavy doses of low-end drive.

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Copenhagen’s Echocord returns this September with the ‘Invincible Nature’ EP by Altone, backed by a remix from Thomas Fehlmann and Another Channel. Atone is the guise of Tokyo’s Yuki Takasaki, one of the leading figures of the genre out of Japan with releases on the likes of Greyscale, Lempuyang, Vuo, Æ Recordings, Primary [colours] and many more. His distinctive twist on Dub Techno has earned him accolades worldwide within the underground and here he joins the roster of the esteemed Echocord, the Kenneth Christiansen helmed label that’s been at the forefront of Dub Techno for more than two decades now. The original mix of ‘Naturally Unnatural’ opens, showcasing Altone’s unique style via subtly nuanced chord flutters, expansive reverberations, pulsating low end tones and ever unfolding, subtly unfurling feel. The ‘Naturally Flowing Thomas Fehlmann Remix’ follows, the Swiss sonic wizard and former member of the legendary The Orb among many other projects delivers deep, throbbing subs and glitched out synth modulations intertwined with fragments of the original composition. ‘Unnaturally Balanced’ then opens the B-Side with Altone diving deeper into dub realms courtesy of ever alternating, billowing dub echoes and a raw, reduced rhythm section. The ‘Another Channel Version’ of ‘Unnaturally Balanced’ then rounds out the EP, embracing a more classic dub techno aesthetic as crunchy drums, swirling atmospherics and spaced out echoes ebb and flow amongst one another across the six and half minute duration.

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Following the success of last years Babe Roots EP, Echocord revisits the package with reworks from Forest Drive West, Mike Schommer, Felix K, DB1 and Babe Roots themself.
London’s DB1 leads the package with his take on ‘Work Hard’, a mostly beatless interpretation fuelled by oscillating white noise, winding dub chords and snippets of the original’s dub reggae vocals. Hidden Hawai’s Felix K then ups the energy levels with a high-octane take on ‘Sufferation Time’, driven by upfront, shuffled and distorted drums and unfaltering, tension building dub swells. The hotly tipped Forest Drive West steps up next to remix ‘Jah Nuh Dead’, a typically classy reimagining from the Livity Sound artist, stipping things back to ethereal pads, off-kilter percussion and sporadic echoes of the original composition. Former Deepchord member Mike Schommer’s take on ‘Bless Me’ follows, the pioneer of contemporary dub techno delivers a cinematic rework employing sweeping voices, glitched out electronics and resonant swells alongside the bouncy dub reggae groove of the original. Lastly Babe Roots revisit one of their own compositions, ‘Sufferation Time’, delivering a more refined feel this time round with more impetus on drums and dark, hypnotic synths to contrast the original’s more vocal focused feel.

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Babe Roots & Another Channel join forces with Danish label Echocord with four dubbed out cuts titled, ‘Takeover’. Turin based artist, Babe Roots’ catalogue has seen a steady growth since he started out in 2016 with releases on French label Linear Movement, Portland dub label ZamZam Sounds and Rohs! Records. ‘Takeover’ sees him team up with Another Channel, an up and coming German producer with records on Transient Audio and Modern Hypnosis. After a successful summer for Echocord with albums from Silent Harbour aka Conforce and Idealist, the label continues 2018 with consistently intriguing output from artists across the electronic music spectrum. ‘Takeover (intro)’ kicks off the pack by delivering a minute of spaced-out, dub-tinged atmospheres to ease you in. ‘Can’t See’ then provides a pitched-down, meditative ambience peppered with deep, sedative reggae drums, calming synth flutters and an enchanting vocal. Next, ‘Money Run Things’ sustains the mellow moods, spirited chants and stirring flourishes of dubby vibrations. To finish, ‘Get You Down’ offers a meditative, dropped- tempo dub-techno track – with sound system culture, dispersed grooves and undulating minimalism becoming the main focus here.

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Over the past decade Rising Sun has firmly established himself as a purveyor of the finest deep, dubby and cinematic leaning house and techno, consistently delivering a sound that is distinctly his through labels such as Fauxpas, Freund Der Familie and his own numerous imprints Reality Used To Be A Friend Of Mine, Kristofferson Kristofferson and Beautiful Things Don't Ask For Attention under a variant of guises such as The Ambientist, Rising Sun Project, Rising Sun Psyche, Rising Sun Melancholia and simply Rising Sun under which he returns here for Echocord. As one has come to expect from a Rising Sun release ‘The Eternal’ has a firm foundation in emotive melodies and atmospherics across six alternate versions. ‘Eternal 1’ leads with muted drums, fluttering stabs and a preaching spoken word vocal. ‘Eternal 2’ edges into darked realms, merging expansive dub echoes with swelling subs and tension building strings before ‘Eternal 3’ dives head first into ethereal hypnotism via unfurling textures, soft stab sequences and a rounded kick. ‘Eternal 4’ opens the B-side with a subtly unfolding construction as vocals, chords and swinging drums run in unison. ‘Eternal 5’ then strips things back to a gritty statured feel with boomy percussion, enchanting strings and nuanced stabs before ‘Eternal 6’ rounds out the release laying down murky, multilayered pads, widely dispersing reverberations and bubbling delays throughout.

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Echocord welcomes the return of Mathimidori to the imprint with his ‘Anata’ EP, accompanied by a remix from New Yorker and Novel Sound boss Levon Vincent.

Mathimidori is the dub techno leaning guise of Germany’s Mathias Kaden, known for his works under his own name on imprints such as REKIDS, Ovum and Freude Am Tanzen, while Mathimidori material has found a home on the likes of Mule Musiq, Raum, Ornaments and of course Echocord where he returns here following 2020’s ‘Akebono’ LP.

Opening the release is ‘Anata’, a texturally dense six-and-a-half-minute composition fusing pulsating subs, billowing synth atmospherics, spiralling dub echoes and sporadic dubbed out spoken word running atop a crisp 4/4 rhythm. ‘Zanziba’ follows and dives deeper via ethereal pads, snaking low-end pulsations, choppy stab sequences and heavily echoing reggae chants.

Levon Vincent steps up to remix ‘Zanziba’ next, delivering a typically raw and dynamic rework, upping the energy levels as dub stabs dynamically unfold and retract amongst a thunderous low-end drive, intricate synth flutters and low-slung drums across its ten minute duration.

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Repress! NOTE: RE-PRESS COMES IN BLACK VIYNL.

Echocord 20th anniversary special release

echocord records marks a momentous twenty years with an exclusive release, featuring 12 iconic artists on a limited edition triple clear vinyl, for dub-techno lovers and collectors.This vinyl series celebrates artists who continue to inspire the echocord journey, from 2001 to 2021 and beyond.

Over the past two decades, the Kenneth Christiansen helmed echocord imprint has been at the forefront of the dub-techno scene, discovering and developing sophisticated artists globally.

The twelve-track release is an exploration, from energetic dub techno, with cuts like Luke & Jeff Hess’ “M1 Dub”, grad_u’s “Pacific Lair”, and Idealist’s “Ride” to more esoteric passages with Forest Drive West’s “Signals”, Mikkel Metal’s “Lakam Dub” and Brendon Moeller’s “Slow Return”. Heavy dub vibrations resound in Babe Roots feat Another Channel’s “Gunman” and Deadbeat’s sub-driven “The Old Doom and Gloom” while Fluxion turns it to a jazzy, dub house wave with “Slide”.

“To me music is life, thank you for your support keeping the sound of echocord resonating” –Kenneth Christiansen

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Echocord returns this March with a new EP from El Choop, backed by a remix from Sven Weisemann. Harvey Bones, better known to most as El Choop is a London based producer and DJ delivering dub leaning house and techno via the likes of Etui Records, Greyscale and now Echocord, a perfect home for his subtly nuanced, intricately unfolding aesthetic. Leading is title-track ‘Insane Sends’, employing a sturdy kick, cavernous percussion and choppy stab sequences, as the name would suggest all dynamically modulating across the composition’s six-minute duration. ‘Some Fall Harder Than Others’ then follows, embracing a more stripped back feel atmospherically, bringing filtered dub chords, ethereal pad textures and rounded subs into focus while dusty drums carry the hypnotic groove. Label regular Sven Weisemann then rounds out the release with his ‘Angelis Sends Mix’ of ‘Insane Sends’, a twelve-minute interpretation embracing a cinematic feel via expansive synth atmospherics, spiralling dub echoes and metallic chimes, all ebbing and flowing amongst one another throughout while a bumpy drum groove keep things moving.

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Copenhagen’s Echocord returns with a long player from Mathimidori this October, entitled the ‘Akebono’ LP and comprised on ten original compositions. Mathimidori, better know by most as Mathias Kaden has been using this alias as a way to showcase his take on dub-leaning, minimalistic and refined Techno via labels such as Dorian Paic’s Raum Musik, Tokyo’s Mule Musiq and Berlin’s Ornaments. Here though we see deliver his debut long player under the guise, and fittingly the LP will be released via esteemed Dub Techno imprint Echocord, home to releases from the likes of STL, Deepchord, Fluxion, XDB and Forest Drive West. Across the ‘Akebono’ album Mathimidori delivers hazy, spaced out instrumentals like ‘Maiia’, ‘Ork’ and ‘Soso’ while tracks like ‘Asaka’ and ‘Shao’ offer a darker approach. The project also welcomes an assortment of collaborations such as opening track ‘Java’ alongside Spain’s Pulshar, ‘Kioku’ featuring Japanese artist Tomomi Ukumori and ‘Kobe’ with Germany’s Rhauder which all lean towards downtempo dub territories. Also featured are Sakura who provides spoken word vocals for ‘Akebono’ and Shoco who joins Mathimidori for the ambient leaning album conclusion ‘Akari’.

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Echocord welcomes the return of STL this May with the ‘Take Off Music’ EP, comprised of three murky, dubbed out cuts from the acclaimed German producer. Stephan Laubner, better known as STL has long been one of the most respected producers in the underground electronic music scene. Racking up releases on the likes of Smallville, Perlon, Echospace [Detroit], his own Something and of course Echocord where he returns here. ‘Fluxxy’ leads on the package, embracing STL’s signature style via, dusty analogue drums, choppy dub stabs, penetrating low end flutters and airy atmospherics before ‘Dub Plus’ lays focus on a stripped-back, perfectly balanced drum groove, hazy field recordings and bubbling chord delays and bell chime synths. ‘Magic Thing’ then rounds out the release, fusing fm synth melodies and gritty bass stab sequences with thunderous subs and Laubner’s robust rhythmic style. Once again STL delivers a touch of class with a contemporary Dub Techno style for Echocord.

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The inimitable STL makes a welcome return to Echocord this May with a new three-track EP in the shape of ‘Take Your Seats’. Stephan Laubner, better known to most as simply as STL is highly regarded for his unique twist on dubbed out house and techno sounds and has been responsible for some underground anthems such as the lauded ‘Silent State’ on Smallville Records and other material on the likes of Perlon, Echospace [Detroit] and ofcourse his own Something imprint. Here though we see him returning to Echocord following 2015’s ‘Message Of Sound’ Part 1 & 2 EP’s with yet more mind- altering murky cuts. ‘Lost Harbour’ leads on the package with textural field recordings, crunchy distorted rhythms and an amalgamation of snaking bass, synth and piano lines, intertwining and unfolding throughout. ‘Mr Sinister’ switches the vibes over to menacing bass swells, fluttering subs, gritty percussion and an underlying tension before ‘Sensimilla’ edges into more ethereal territory with spiralling dub chords, shuffled hats and winding atmospherics.

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Idealist returns with his second long player this October, entitled ‘Mind Field’ and featuring eight dub-leaning cuts from the Swiss producer. Based out of Zurich, Switzerland, producer and DJ Idealist has become a respected figure in raw, dubby house and techno over the past five years via his releases on Echocord and his Idealistmusic and Details Series labels, picking up support along the way from the likes of Mike Huckaby, Dana Ruh, Tini and Mandar to name but a few. Here though we see him returning to Copenhagen’s Echocord with his second long player following 2016’s ‘Firewood Street’ on his own label. Leading on the package is ‘Explorer’, setting the tone with crunchy percussion, billowing stab sequences and airy dub swells before ‘Dimension’ employs pulsing subs, soft organ like chords and gritty analogue drums as its foundation whilst fluttering stabs and sweeping atmospherics wander within.‘Stage One’ is up next, consisting of a weight low end drive, thunderous kick and snappy clap running in unison with swirling dub echoes and tension building strings, a shining example of an effective dub-techno tool. ‘Golden Places’ offers something different, this time round embracing a walking bass groove, soft 303 style resonant flutters and cinematic strings. ‘M.I.T.H’ opens up the flips side of the release, upping the energy levels with a dynamic, robust rhythm, gritty stabs and murky modulating effects throughout before ‘Singularity’ edges things back into deeper territory with fluttering synth licks, vacillating pads and low-slung drums. ‘Smoke and Mirrors’ embraces a loop driven approach next with a focus on short, sharp synth cuts, bumpy drums and skippy hats before ‘Final Cut’, as the name would suggest, wraps up the album with oscillating percussion, choppy bass hits and raw drums all unfolding with the subtle nuances prevalent throughout yet another smooth and understated addition to Idealist’s catalogue.

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Mikkel Metal returns to Copenhagen’s Echocord this May with his new mini LP ‘Just Enough Light’, comprising six originals from the Danish artist. Copenhagen based producer and DJ Mikkel Metal has been a beacon of light in the Danish electronic music scene and further afield for nearly two decades now, with the Dub Techno imprint from his hometown, Echocord, being the predominant home for his output, whilst also releasing material on Cologne’s Kompakt, Tartelet, Semantica and Avant Roots, a telling sign of the quality embodied in his work. Here though we see Mikkel deliver a mini album concept in the shape of ‘Just Enough Light’ and opener ‘Awake’ perfectly sets the tone with emotive, dynamically unfolding atmospherics, tension building bass drones and spiraling dub chords subtly easing us into the project. ‘Bregnan’ then stirs in some classing Dub-Techno tropes with billowing stab sequences, lumpy subs and off beat high hats carrying the hypnotic groove for six and a half minutes. ‘Jech’ then strips things back to an almost beatless amalgamation of murky chords and modulating synth whirrs. Opening the flip side of the release is ‘Include’ which embraces a brighter feel via ethereal pad swells, jazztinged synth melodies and bumpy 909 rhythms before ‘Konkin’ edges back into the eerie, brooding aesthetic with bubbling echoes, broken drums and menacing bass swells at its core. ‘Restore’ then closes the package on a stripped-back vibe, laying focus on an ever- eveolving singular dub chord to ebb and flow around thunderous subs, kicks and bright hats.

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Greek producer Fluxion returns to Danish imprint Echocord in January with his ‘Upsides & Sideways EP’, comprising three original productions. The Athens-based artist has spent nearly two decades honing his craft both on stage through his live improvised performances and in the studio, producing records for the likes of Chain Reaction, Vibrant Music and Subwax Bcn. Copenhagen’s Echocord has consistently delivered high quality dub techno from the likes of Roberto Clementi, Brendon Moeller and Luke Hess since its inception in 2001 and now Fluxion returns with his twelfth outing on the label with his latest material. Fluxion opens with ‘En route’, employing sharp percussive foundations, white noise atmospheres and haunting chord progressions which evolve throughout the track before ‘The Place’ offers dubbed out synthesiser motifs and glitching arpeggios which are underpinned by echoing drums and a subtle bass melody. ‘Flick’ then closes out the release with spacey synth riffs developing over groove-led percussion and a warm, distorted low-end.

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Sven Weisemann is set to release his ‘Bilateral Relations’ EP via Copenhagen’s Echocord this September, comprising four originals from the German producer. Sven Weisemann has been immersed in the underground House and Techno scene for quite some time now having started DJing in 1997 during the rise of the scene on his home turf of Berlin and going on to release material via the likes of Amsterdam’s Delsin, Mojuba, Telrae and liebe.detail amongst many more. Here though we see Sven joining the roster of Echocord, a perfect fit for his more dubbed out compositions with artists like Fluxion, Rod Modell and STL on the roster. ‘Lunation’ opens the release and sees Weisemann fuse emotive string melodies and cavernous vocal echoes with off- kilter rhythms and rounded sub hits before title-track ‘Bilateral Relations’ embraces a more direct four-four approach via sparse percussion and tumbling toms alongside choppy bass stabs and ever-unfolding, echoing dub chords. Opening the flip is ‘Monistic’, an airy ethereal number employing billowing pads, bright synth chimes and a dropped tempo dubbed out feel to create something truly stunning and thought provoking before the ‘Decimation (Valvle tR9 Mix) closes things on a darker tip with looming stab swells, heavily swung drums and sporadic growling bass drones.

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