Veteran producer Black Merlin aka George Thompson debuts on Transmigration sub label Crystal Ceremony with four dense and hypnotic dance floor cuts.
Informed as much by a deep knowledge of dance music’s history as well as extensive field recording work in some of the most remote parts of the world, the EP’s 4 tracks swerve modern techno’s expectations of high BPMs in favour of a slow, timeless journey through ritualistic drum patterns, atmospheric modular loops and ethereal vocals.

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Surface Air is the lovechild of a long relationship between Malka Tuti & Black Merlin. After remixing Tapan and Shari Vari for the label, as well as being part of Spectral Empire who released Iron Muscle with us on 2018, George has always been an inspiration for us, both sonically and spiritually.

His new record, Surface Air, in which the A-side is accompanied with vocals from Dallas artist Aura Nox, is a slow burning deep record for the late emo hours of the night, for you trippy after hour or your late night drive. On the B-side you can also find a Remix from an artist we’ve been following for years here in MT, and that when his name came up in a conversation with George (BM) as a possible remixer, excitement levels went through the roof.

The Remix Wata Igarashi delivered is a stripped down epic ambient track, ala late 90’s Pete Namlook endeavours with some 2022’s Wata Igarashi unique sonic aesthetics.

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For his first release with Artificial Dance, Black Merlin aka George Thompson takes a departure from the hard-wearing techno and intricate field recording work that he has come to be known for. Scape One is a fifteen-minute psychedelic diversion recorded in one continuous live session. While the track’s sonic characteristics may echo dance music from the turn of the millennium, its pulsating rhythm is more suggestive of the slowly evolving landscapes seen outside of a train window as opposed to raves from the late ‘90s.

Appearing on the B-side is Gordon Pohl’s remix of Scape One. Like its source material, this track is long and subtle in the way it develops over time, but Pohl dissects the most salient elements of the original to construct a new rhythmic urgency. The high frequency accent that guides the remix does so at a speed that recalls the rotations of Brion Gysin’s stroboscopic Dream Machine, which taps into your brain’s alpha waves, aiding drug-free hallucinations.

Pohl and Thompson are frequent collaborators and release music together as Karamika. While Scape One is not a collaboration in the strict sense, there is plenty of crossover in the working methodology of the two musicians, especially when it comes to constructing uncomplicated arrangements.

The repetitive nature of their respective tracks locks the listener into a contradictory sensation of travelling whilst staying seemingly motionless. This sensation is not altogether uncommon, but in this instance it’s not quotidian either. The result is a record that unravels slowly, leaving space for the listener to home in on all the available information and, in the process, discover elements that can be just as unnerving as they are satisfying.

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The two inimitable long tracks from George Thompson AKA Black Merlin have reached Offen on 13.11.2019, and Offen said: let there be 013! Featuring words by Alexandra Grübler on „Textured Land“. Artwork by Patrick Keuthen, mastered by Enrico Mercaldi at Time Tools Mastering.

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The second release of Black Merlin's SFORMATOR series on Pinkman. Three cuts of hypno-beat electronics, created through ritualistic embodiment of sound by the machine doctor to expand minds.

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One of the most diverse artists in contemporary electronic music is back on Pinkman, with more than just another 12". To give him the freedom to experiment and roam between different sounds, textures and influences, Black Merlin will be doing a trilogy of releases for Broken Dreams. The first one - Sformator1, is a ghastly and infuriating techno EP. Dance floor obliteration assured and more is to follow.

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Back in 2015 George Thompson AKA Black Merlin started a deep love affair with the remote island of Papua New Guinea. After his first album ‘Hipnotik Tradisi’, released on Island Of The Gods; George was intrigued to find a place drenched in culture and untouched by the western world.
.In 2016 George planned his first solo expedition, venturing out to meet the Kosua Tribe. Over the course of the next two years George would record the sounds of the Kosua people. From their daily lives, ancient dance customs and wildlife. During one of these trips he spent 14 days alone in the jungle, getting in and out of the Mount Bosavi crater and further 3 days inside recording and filming his experience. These recordings and experiences formed the basis of his second album, Kosua.

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George Thompson aka Black Merlin is joining the family of Mannequin Records with this insane EP for the Death of the Machines, the serie dedicated to new artists ready to smash the dancefloor. 3-tracks strongly permeated by drones'n'noises, EBM basslines and a 4/4 straight tecnoish kick drum.

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After efforts on Andrew Weatherall's Bird Scarer Records and the mighty World Unknown. Black Merlin is kicking off the Common Thread series with New World Fantasy / Ice House. Dark and progressive synth music that comes in strictly limited pressing of 400 copies.

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"Logos leaves the weightless sound for a minute and cooks up a stew with ingredients as tasty as the Bloom era Aardvarck white labels, Shed as Panamax Project and Wormhole era Ed Rush & Optical sound design. Ossia delivers one of the heaviest remixes of the year, taking the ice cold grime sensibilities of Eska and infusing them with the militant sound of early Aba Shanti I on that Jah Lightning album. Soundsystem music at its best."

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On his first release for Berceuse Heroique, Rotterdam's finest DJ Overdose meets one of the strongest producers of Detroit, Mr. OB Ignitt. Overdose creates the best soundtrack for a "march of the robots" scene with Dead City. The mighty bounce of early Dr. Dre productions meets some nasty electro carnage. On Sorry To Disappoint you can hear the classic West Coast electro sound of some of his older releases mixed with some funky sci fi synth lines. Then, OB Ignitt takes this monster of a tune and creates one of the gnarliest house tunes of this year with a proper G Funk bassline that will properly test your sound system on a good night.


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Morah's first release came from Helena Hauff's Return To Disorder label and this time the Athenian producer takes the same techno and electro sound and goes completely berserk for Berceuse Heroique. Morah creates some huge waves of feedback on Anarchy, which sounds like a techno version of Metal Machine Music, then he takes the old school Viewlexx sound and makes it even more confrontational, on You Said No and Impasse. Looking Back is a beautiful, melancholic - but still very dysfunctional - version of the death of a rave. One of the strongest points of this new producer is that his music sounds like the city of Athens right now: Raw energy mixed with manic depression and pessimism.

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Koehler returns to Berceuse Heroique with his third release for the label. Contra Blood invokes the spirit of early No U Turn records, infusing some techno dynamics, creating a very interesting anthem for people who don't care about boundaries in dance music. Flammarion Breach combines his classic 'ardcore techno sound with a repetitive arpeggio that recalls the tension of some of the best film scores by John Carpenter. With Rotating Rupees, Koehler delivers another beautiful ambient tune and this time its his ode to Zelda.

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Florian Meyer back on BH, with ten minutes of gamelan psychedelia, subtly and tensely minimalist as Terrence Dixon at his best. On the flip, Dresvn takes more of a beeline to Detroit, fuelled by submerged classics like UR’s Coinochime — cosmic, but deadly and unsettling. (‘Gammel’ means ‘junk’, in German. Maybe Magellan the explorer permeates that title, too, going round in circles in the East Indies, giddy and gammy below decks, amidst his trophy exotica.) Warmly recommended.



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Japan Blues strikes back with another set of edits. Meticulously picked, chopped up, and ready to go for the after hours crew.



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The forever under-rated MB steps out on BH — after illustrious releases everywhere from Mathematics to Creme — with this gorgeous fifteen-minute epic, evoking the glory days of Carl Craig. On the flip, Specter from Sound Signature draws the dancefloor in deep.


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