German musician Mary Yalex debuts on A Strangely Isolated Place depicting a storied transition from our recognizable surroundings, into a vision of the future.

With releases and music styles across a variety of labels over the years, it has been Yalex's more experimental ambient work that has stood out amongst her catalog, and in Fantasy Zone, we find Mary fine-tuning this sound to reflect the work of a true architect of storytelling, mood and atmosphere.

Drawing influences from her day-to-day surroundings, Fantasy Zone begins with more vivid pieces; softer melodies and clearer instrumentation, represented as much in song titles such as Air, After Rain Comes Sun, and Half Light of Dawn. The second half of the album transitions into a future state, as Yalex draws on darker manifestations - perhaps intrinsically influenced by the state of the world, and in particular her love of nature, we play witness to more storied, haunting atmospheres, distant voices and slowly shifting gravitational chord movements. Dystopian-bound or pure fantasy, Yalex depicts a future that mirrors some of the more poignant, thought-provoking work of great synthesizer soundtracks of the past.

Mastered by Rafael Anton Irisarri, and featuring artwork by Noah M / Keep Adding, Fantasy Zone will be available on Purple Smoke 12" and digital.
More

Blue Veil, AKA Danny Clancy, serves up four mesmerising productions for his Dichotomy label’s fifth release. Having already showcased stunning releases from Mary Yalex and Ahu, Blue Veil continues to shape the sound and aesthetics of this burgeoning label with the “Dreaming In Colour” EP. Choral pads breeze over an uncluttered rhythm on the stunning “I Can’t Go On. I’ll Go On”, whilst “Small Prophecies” drifts over forlorn piano chords and an almost tropical rhythm pattern. A brooding and dusty breakbeat heralds “Another Day”, switching up the EPs tempo for a slower jam, but still bathed in blankets of soulful tones, whilst “I Don’t Want to Die in Dalston” is another emotive composition filled with deft musical refrains and big, panoramic melodies. More

Further expeditions into spacey and celestial techno can be found on Blue Veil’s second EP for Dichotomy Records. Danny Clancy’s new project assembles four measured and characteristic tracks on the “Natural Boundary” EP, all wrapped up in Dichotomy’s bespoke design aesthetic on the 12” vinyl. “Three Horsemen Of The Apocalypse” offers a beautiful contrast of dark and light via a heady, acidic techno flavour against ethereal vocals, and “Broken Pieces” delivers delicate electronica bathed in glorious melody. The atmosphere remains celestial throughout “Measure Of Time”, with driving toms marching through a blanket of deep, melancholic synths, whilst “Light Mask” signs off the EP with a rhythmic and percussive workout that teases with its blissful tones. More

Ahu’s debut album from 2017, ‘Nord Dream’, was something of an overlooked gem from that year, but its musical palette of dubwise techno and ambient sounds caught the ears and enthusiasm of many. Danny Clancy was one such admirer, and in turn brings Ahu’s sophisticated sounds to his Dichotomy Records label for the ‘Atlas’ EP. Collating three tracks of pure and untethered house and techno, the ‘Atlas’ EP shifts tempos and moods with ease, from the celestial rhythms of ‘Skyway’, the pipe dreams of ‘Mpale’ to the 909 swing and the seraphic pads of ‘Searching More

Heady, astute, deep techno and ambient from Blue Veil, a new musical project from Danny Clancy. Blue Veil’s debut EP reveals gorgeously textured techno on tracks like ‘wherethetimegoes’ and ‘Citizen Score’, as well as crafting some tender ambient passages on cuts like ‘Night Czar’ and ‘A Kind Of Adventure’. The EP will be released on Dichotomy Records, a new imprint, dedicated to refined electronic music. The label’s ambition is to allow artists to explore dichotomies through their work, as they span sonic landscapes from pure ambient to techno, and other abstract dance sounds in-between. There will be a strong attention to the visual presentation of the label, with all artwork and photography also created by label boss Danny Clancy. With the next release lined up from Ahu, and more to follow from there, the agenda for Dichotomy Records looks hugely promising indeed. More