2LP

Xerrox Vol. 2 is the sixth studio album, released in 2009 by German electronic artist Alva Noto. It is the second installment of the Xerrox penthalogy, based on the concept of digital replication of source material.

As with the first Xerrox album, the starting point is a set of samples culled from external sources. This time, snippets and recordings from Sunn O))) collaborator Stephen O'Malley and composer Michael Nyman are featured, as is an excerpt from the 2004 Insen tour with Ryuichi Sakamoto.

While Alva Noto's oeuvre is predominantly affiliated with pristine sound design, the Xerrox series holds more intimate gestures and emotional sensibility. This volume moves further from the conceptualism and orderliness of prior musical outputs, ranging from heart-warming elegies to mind-bending sci-fi projections in extrasolar territories.

This remastered version will be reissued on NOTON in 2026


Tracklisting
---------------------------------------------------------
Medium: 1 // Side: A // Track: 1

Artist: Alva Noto
Title: Xerrox Phaser Acat 1
Playtime: 00:12:11
Explicit Lyrics: No
ISRC: DE1N62500015
(P): 2025 NOTON
Country: Germany

Composer: Carsten Nicolai
---------------------------------------------------------
Medium: 1 // Side: A // Track: 2

Artist: Alva Noto
Title: Xerrox Rin
Playtime: 00:00:51
Explicit Lyrics: No
ISRC: DE1N62500016
(P): 2025 NOTON
Country: Germany

Composer: Carsten Nicolai
---------------------------------------------------------
Medium: 1 // Side: A // Track: 3

Artist: Alva Noto
Title: Xerrox Soma
Playtime: 00:07:11
Explicit Lyrics: No
ISRC: DE1N62500017
(P): 2025 NOTON
Country: Germany

Composer: Carsten Nicolai
---------------------------------------------------------
Medium: 1 // Side: B // Track: 4

Artist: Alva Noto
Title: Xerrox Meta Phaser
Playtime: 00:06:23
Explicit Lyrics: No
ISRC: DE1N62500018
(P): 2025 NOTON
Country: Germany

Composer: Carsten Nicolai
---------------------------------------------------------
Medium: 1 // Side: B // Track: 5

Artist: Alva Noto
Title: Xerrox Sora 1
Playtime: 00:06:54
Explicit Lyrics: No
ISRC: DE1N62500019
(P): 2025 NOTON
Country: Germany

Composer: Carsten Nicolai
---------------------------------------------------------
Medium: 2 // Side: C // Track: 6

Artist: Alva Noto
Title: Xerrox Monophaser 1
Playtime: 00:08:04
Explicit Lyrics: No
ISRC: DE1N62500020
(P): 2025 NOTON
Country: Germany

Composer: Carsten Nicolai
---------------------------------------------------------
Medium: 2 // Side: C // Track: 7

Artist: Alva Noto
Title: Xerrox Monophaser 2
Playtime: 00:05:31
Explicit Lyrics: No
ISRC: DE1N62500021
(P): 2025 NOTON
Country: Germany

Composer: Carsten Nicolai
---------------------------------------------------------
Medium: 2 // Side: D // Track: 8

Artist: Alva Noto
Title: Xerrox Teion
Playtime: 00:02:03
Explicit Lyrics: No
ISRC: DE1N62500022
(P): 2025 NOTON
Country: Germany

Composer: Carsten Nicolai
---------------------------------------------------------
Medium: 2 // Side: D // Track: 9

Artist: Alva Noto
Title: Xerrox Teion Acat
Playtime: 00:05:26
Explicit Lyrics: No
ISRC: DE1N62500023
(P): 2025 NOTON
Country: Germany

Composer: Carsten Nicolai
---------------------------------------------------------
Medium: 2 // Side: D // Track: 10

Artist: Alva Noto
Title: Xerrox Tek Part 1
Playtime: 00:05:27
Explicit Lyrics: No
ISRC: DE1N62500024
(P): 2025 NOTON
Country: Germany

Composer: Carsten Nicolai
---------------------------------------------------------
Medium: 2 // Side: D // Track: 11

Artist: Alva Noto
Title: Xerrox Monophaser 3
Playtime: 00:06:14
Explicit Lyrics: No
ISRC: DE1N62500025
(P): 2025 NOTON
Country: Germany

Composer: Carsten Nicolai
---------------------------------------------------------

























Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More

2LP

A1. Xerrox Topia
A2. Xerrox Sans Nom I
A3. Xerrox Sans Nom II

B1. Xerrox Ascent I
B2. Xerrox Ascent II
B3. Xerrox Sans Repit

C1. Xerrox Nausicaa
C2. Xerrox Xenonym
C3. Xerrox Ada

D1. Xerrox Arc
D2. Xerrox Kryogen
D3. Xerrox Isotope



NOTON is pleased to announce the release of Xerrox Vol. 5, the final installment of Alva Noto’s Xerrox series.

For anyone who has been following the series since its inception in 2007, the concept of Xerrox no longer requires introduction. Originally, it aimed to create copies of images—both visual and acoustic—that are more memorable than the originals. The exploration of the relationship between the original and the copy, along with the invention of the copier, not only inspired the series name but also informed its underlying concept. In 2024, this series comes to an end, marking the culmination of a journey that began with the first recording in 2005/2006. Over nearly two decades, the five albums in this series have accompanied the artist's evolving perspective and conceptual approach.

Initially characterized by rawness and a conceptual focus on seeking resolution in white noise, the later works engage with themes of dissolution while shifting their emphasis toward acoustic particles. The copying process is now less visible through software manipulation; rather, it unfolds as the artist describes melodic and acoustic images that are then manipulated, copied, and transformed into new patterns during composition.

Nicolai describes this evolution as a journey encompassing buildup, exploration, and resolution, drawing parallels to the Odyssey and the stories of Jules Verne, particularly those featuring Captain Nemo.

The conclusion of this album holds a sense of finality for the artist. “I aimed to create a whole cycle of tracks that frame both the beginning and the end,” Nicolai explains. “The motif of the journey continues, but this time, the story reaches a dissolution through a conceptual object that embarks on its own journey into infinity. The word “dissolution” (“Auflösung” in German) is a wonderful concept. On one hand, you can solve a riddle, on the other hand, a pill can completely dissolve in water. Here, I am deliberately describing the process of dissolution.”
In crafting Volume 5, Nicolai has evolved his compositional process, eschewing samples in favor of original melodies. “This album probably took the longest to complete,” he reveals. “I first created melodic sketches, which became the foundation for the pieces. These recordings are created entirely from scratch. Based on these sketches, I constructed the process of copying, manipulating, and reshaping.”

Drawing from his recent experiences working with film and larger ensembles, Nicolai's approach to composition reflects a growing influence of classical instrumentation. “This experience of working with acoustic classical instruments has flowed into the compositional process for Xerrox Vol. 5. Certain instruments are designed with potential orchestral translation in mind.”

The sonic atmosphere of Xerrox Vol. 5 is one of profound dissolution. “I wasn’t initially interested in strong, emotional melodic aspects,” Nicolai shares, “but I realized that the fragment plays a central role.” This shift leads to an emotionally charged experience, imbued with melancholy and the bittersweet essence of farewell. The passing of Ryuichi Sakamoto, an admirer of the series, has further deepened the album’s emotional resonance.

“Xerrox Vol. 5 has a lot to do with farewell,” the artist explains. "Not only the farewell to the series itself, which I’ve nurtured for almost two decades, but also there have been many farewells to people who were close to me. I believe these people are recognizable in the music. It’s a very emotional, personal album.”

Listeners can expect a visual dimension to the music, though Nicolai intentionally leaves this open to interpretation. “I prefer to allow the music to evoke personal experiences and images rather than dictate a specific narrative,” he states. The result is a layered listening experience that invites tenderness and introspection.

Xerrox Vol. 5 will be released as a limited edition vinyl, digitally, and on CD by NOTON on November 29, 2024.

Album art designed by Carsten Nicolai & Nibo.
Mastering by Bo at Calyx.






















Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More

2LP

Xerrox Vol. 3 is the eighth solo studio album by German electronic artist Alva Noto, released in 2015 as part of the ongoing Xerrox penthalogy, which began with Xerrox Vol. 1 (2007) and Xerrox Vol. 2 (2009).
Inspired by formative influences such as Andrei Tarkovsky's 1971 film Solaris, La Isla Misteriosa y el Capitán Nemo by Juan Antonio Bardem, and Henri Colpi, Carsten Nicolai exchanges austerity for cinematographic lushness in the remarkably widescreen third volume of his Xerrox series.

In line with the series' focus on "using the process of copying as a basis," the eleven compositions of this volume can be heard as copies of memories, exploring emotional data patterns that are reflected as melodic vectors and noise.

This remastered version will be reissued on NOTON in 2026


Tracklisting
---------------------------------------------------------
Medium: 1 // Side: A // Track: 1

Artist: Alva Noto
Title: Xerrox Atmosphere
Playtime: 00:01:22
Explicit Lyrics: No
ISRC: DE1N62500026
(P): 2025 NOTON
Country: Germany

Composer: Carsten Nicolai
---------------------------------------------------------
Medium: 1 // Side: A // Track: 2

Artist: Alva Noto
Title: Xerrox Helm Transphaser
Playtime: 00:06:45
Explicit Lyrics: No
ISRC: DE1N62500027
(P): 2025 NOTON
Country: Germany

Composer: Carsten Nicolai
---------------------------------------------------------
Medium: 1 // Side: A // Track: 3

Artist: Alva Noto
Title: Xerrox 2ndevol
Playtime: 00:03:44
Explicit Lyrics: No
ISRC: DE1N62500028
(P): 2025 NOTON
Country: Germany

Composer: Carsten Nicolai
---------------------------------------------------------
Medium: 1 // Side: A // Track: 4

Artist: Alva Noto
Title: Xerrox Radieuse
Playtime: 00:06:00
Explicit Lyrics: No
ISRC: DE1N62500029
(P): 2025 NOTON
Country: Germany

Composer: Carsten Nicolai
---------------------------------------------------------
Medium: 1 // Side: B // Track: 5

Artist: Alva Noto
Title: Xerrox 2ndevol2nd
Playtime: 00:05:04
Explicit Lyrics: No
ISRC: DE1N62500030
(P): 2025 NOTON
Country: Germany

Composer: Carsten Nicolai
---------------------------------------------------------
Medium: 1 // Side: B // Track: 6

Artist: Alva Noto
Title: Xerrox Isola
Playtime: 00:08:07
Explicit Lyrics: No
ISRC: DE1N62500031
(P): 2025 NOTON
Country: Germany

Composer: Carsten Nicolai
---------------------------------------------------------
Medium: 2 // Side: C // Track: 7

Artist: Alva Noto
Title: Verrox Solphaer
Playtime: 00:06:08
Explicit Lyrics: No
ISRC: DE1N62500032
(P): 2025 NOTON
Country: Germany

Composer: Carsten Nicolai
---------------------------------------------------------
Medium: 2 // Side: C // Track: 8

Artist: Alva Noto
Title: Xerrox Mesosphere
Playtime: 00:05:55
Explicit Lyrics: No
ISRC: DE1N62500033
(P): 2025 NOTON
Country: Germany

Composer: Carsten Nicolai
---------------------------------------------------------
Medium: 2 // Side: D // Track: 9

Artist: Alva Noto
Title: Xerrox Spark
Playtime: 00:06:10
Explicit Lyrics: No
ISRC: DE1N62500034
(P): 2025 NOTON
Country: Germany

Composer: Carsten Nicolai
---------------------------------------------------------
Medium: 2 // Side: D // Track: 10

Artist: Alva Noto
Title: Xerrox Spiegel
Playtime: 00:03:32
Explicit Lyrics: No
ISRC: DE1N62500035
(P): 2025 NOTON
Country: Germany

Composer: Carsten Nicolai
---------------------------------------------------------
Medium: 2 // Side: D // Track: 11

Artist: Alva Noto
Title: Xerrox Exosphere
Playtime: 00:03:47
Explicit Lyrics: No
ISRC: DE1N62500036
(P): 2025 NOTON
Country: Germany

Composer: Carsten Nicolai
---------------------------------------------------------


Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More