Label:Arjunamusic Records
Cat-No:amel-lp723
Release-Date:23.09.2022
Genre:Electronic
Configuration:LP Excl
Label:Arjunamusic Records
Cat-No:amel-lp723
Release-Date:23.09.2022
Genre:Electronic
Configuration:LP Excl
LP includes DL Card
GENRE/S: Electronica/Ambient/broken beat
TRACKLISTS:
Side A: 1_Oxygen Beats 2_Bodylanguage 3_Serotonin 4_Ctenophora 5_Window Pain 6_Slow Fox
Side B: 1_Treehouse 2_Human Regression 3_Ctenophora Var. 4_Radar Reflector 5_Ceremonism
Total playing time: 36:04
SHORT INFO:
With his Arjunamusic label and a growing catalog of category-defying releases, Samuel Rohrer
continues to quietly, yet confidently, make a name for himself as a genuinely unique figure within
the European electronic music realm. Over the past decade he has assembled a repertoire of
music that fills a sadly neglected gap in the modern musical landscape. That is to say, he has
made a number of “electronically”-aided works that never seem to make “electronic-ism” the main
selling point or raison d'être. Rohrer understands that we inhabit a networked media landscape
that no longer sees a novelty value in every synthetic or technological sound, and by realizing
this, he makes a music that fully engages with the present without completely disregarding the
exciting speculative sensibility that has allowed electronic music to solidify into a tradition. His
latest solo album, Hungry Ghosts, again shows the high quality of sonic design that can be
achieved by conceptualizing musical passages as living, breathing entities rather than as
signposts to some still distant reality.
Maybe more so than any of Rohrer’s solo records to date, Hungry Ghosts is the one that
most unambiguously displays the artist as a kind of inspired sound “cultivator” or landscaper
rather than just a straightforward “producer”. The emphasis here seems to be biological growth
processes rendered in musical form, and in fact some track titles namechecking the biodiversity
of the external world (“Slow Fox”, “Ctenophora”) and neurochemistry (“Serotonin”) lend some
additional credence to this interpretation.
As with previous outings, Rohrer starts with his skills as a genre-resistant percussionist
and builds from there, with dense clusters of drum hits and icy cymbal exclamations leading the
way into a wide-open atmosphere full of fragmented phrases, marked with strange reversals or
compressions of time. The percussive portions and other ambiences merge together in such a
way that the latter seems like a kind of shifting, holographic camouflage for the former; an effect
which makes for a greater than usual number of shifts in mood. Rohrer’s already established
ambiguity and mystery are the moods that permeate throughout, to be sure, but there are also
surprising moments of humorous whimsy (the flourishes of cartoon mischief and teasing silences
on the tracks “Human Regression” and “Bodylanguage”), reverence (the optimistic organ swells
and steady sequencer guiding “Ceremonism”), and meditative focus (the slow-motion spectral
waltz of “Treehouse”). Also notable here are very brief etudes, such as “Window Pain,” whose
dark, lush ebb and flow actually seem tailored to repeated or looped listening.
It’s particularly remarkable that almost all of this material is recorded solo and in a “live /
no overdubs” mode, given how much it feels like well-rehearsed ensemble playing, and given the
impeccable timing involved in continually exchanging the sounds at the very forefront of the mix.
And here we come full circle to the idea of “electronic music” mentioned at the beginning here:
instead of making us feel that we are in the presence of some fully-realized form brought back
from “the future,” Rohrer invites us instead to witness fascinating processes of transition and
mutation, and to value them for what they are now as much as for where they are headed.
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
GENRE/S: Electronica/Ambient/broken beat
TRACKLISTS:
Side A: 1_Oxygen Beats 2_Bodylanguage 3_Serotonin 4_Ctenophora 5_Window Pain 6_Slow Fox
Side B: 1_Treehouse 2_Human Regression 3_Ctenophora Var. 4_Radar Reflector 5_Ceremonism
Total playing time: 36:04
SHORT INFO:
With his Arjunamusic label and a growing catalog of category-defying releases, Samuel Rohrer
continues to quietly, yet confidently, make a name for himself as a genuinely unique figure within
the European electronic music realm. Over the past decade he has assembled a repertoire of
music that fills a sadly neglected gap in the modern musical landscape. That is to say, he has
made a number of “electronically”-aided works that never seem to make “electronic-ism” the main
selling point or raison d'être. Rohrer understands that we inhabit a networked media landscape
that no longer sees a novelty value in every synthetic or technological sound, and by realizing
this, he makes a music that fully engages with the present without completely disregarding the
exciting speculative sensibility that has allowed electronic music to solidify into a tradition. His
latest solo album, Hungry Ghosts, again shows the high quality of sonic design that can be
achieved by conceptualizing musical passages as living, breathing entities rather than as
signposts to some still distant reality.
Maybe more so than any of Rohrer’s solo records to date, Hungry Ghosts is the one that
most unambiguously displays the artist as a kind of inspired sound “cultivator” or landscaper
rather than just a straightforward “producer”. The emphasis here seems to be biological growth
processes rendered in musical form, and in fact some track titles namechecking the biodiversity
of the external world (“Slow Fox”, “Ctenophora”) and neurochemistry (“Serotonin”) lend some
additional credence to this interpretation.
As with previous outings, Rohrer starts with his skills as a genre-resistant percussionist
and builds from there, with dense clusters of drum hits and icy cymbal exclamations leading the
way into a wide-open atmosphere full of fragmented phrases, marked with strange reversals or
compressions of time. The percussive portions and other ambiences merge together in such a
way that the latter seems like a kind of shifting, holographic camouflage for the former; an effect
which makes for a greater than usual number of shifts in mood. Rohrer’s already established
ambiguity and mystery are the moods that permeate throughout, to be sure, but there are also
surprising moments of humorous whimsy (the flourishes of cartoon mischief and teasing silences
on the tracks “Human Regression” and “Bodylanguage”), reverence (the optimistic organ swells
and steady sequencer guiding “Ceremonism”), and meditative focus (the slow-motion spectral
waltz of “Treehouse”). Also notable here are very brief etudes, such as “Window Pain,” whose
dark, lush ebb and flow actually seem tailored to repeated or looped listening.
It’s particularly remarkable that almost all of this material is recorded solo and in a “live /
no overdubs” mode, given how much it feels like well-rehearsed ensemble playing, and given the
impeccable timing involved in continually exchanging the sounds at the very forefront of the mix.
And here we come full circle to the idea of “electronic music” mentioned at the beginning here:
instead of making us feel that we are in the presence of some fully-realized form brought back
from “the future,” Rohrer invites us instead to witness fascinating processes of transition and
mutation, and to value them for what they are now as much as for where they are headed.
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
More records from Samuel Rohrer
1
Samuel Rohrer - The Parish Bell 7´10
2
Samuel Rohrer - Labrynthia/Many Rivers 6´25
3
Samuel Rohrer - Schizophonia 8´28
4
Samuel Rohrer - The Gift 4´53
5
Samuel Rohrer - Celestial Body 5´45
6
Samuel Rohrer - Love and Warfare 6´57
7
Samuel Rohrer - Where Things Grow 4´32
GENRE/S: Electronic, Ambient, Experimental, Electronica,…
TRACKLISTS:
A1 The Parish Bell 7´10
A2 Labrynthia/Many Rivers 6´25
A3 Schizophonia 8´28
B1 The Gift 4´53
B2 Celestial Body 5´45
B3 Love and Warfare 6´57
B4 Where Things Grow 4´32
SHORT INFO:
“Music for Lovers” is the new solo outing of multi-instrumentalist Samuel Rohrer (playing a combination of percussion, modular synthesizer and keyboard-based instruments on this recording).
The album’s title, which has been used for other albums in unrelated musical genres, might be deceiving: those who expect overly sentimental, fluffy pieces full of levity from start to finish, or sarcastic and cynical attempts at rejecting such “easy” listening, will be surprised by the emotional and tonal complexity on display here. In Rohrer’s own words, it is dedicated to “those brave lovers, who are ready to not only find, but eventually become truth,” and as such is an exploration of an evolving process rather than an idealized state.
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
TRACKLISTS:
A1 The Parish Bell 7´10
A2 Labrynthia/Many Rivers 6´25
A3 Schizophonia 8´28
B1 The Gift 4´53
B2 Celestial Body 5´45
B3 Love and Warfare 6´57
B4 Where Things Grow 4´32
SHORT INFO:
“Music for Lovers” is the new solo outing of multi-instrumentalist Samuel Rohrer (playing a combination of percussion, modular synthesizer and keyboard-based instruments on this recording).
The album’s title, which has been used for other albums in unrelated musical genres, might be deceiving: those who expect overly sentimental, fluffy pieces full of levity from start to finish, or sarcastic and cynical attempts at rejecting such “easy” listening, will be surprised by the emotional and tonal complexity on display here. In Rohrer’s own words, it is dedicated to “those brave lovers, who are ready to not only find, but eventually become truth,” and as such is an exploration of an evolving process rather than an idealized state.
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
Label:Arjunamusic Records
Cat-No:amel-lp724
Release-Date:10.02.2023
Genre:Electronic
Configuration:2LP Excl
Label:Arjunamusic Records
Cat-No:amel-lp724
Release-Date:10.02.2023
Genre:Electronic
Configuration:2LP Excl
[2x12”]
GENRE/S: Minimal, Electronic, Ambient, Downtempo
TRACKLISTS:
1_Body Of Lies 2_Scapegoat Principle 3_Forth Density 4_The Banality Of Evil
5_Talking to Nature Spirits 6_Resurrection — Total playing time: 50:04
SHORT INFO:
Samuel Rohrer - drums, percussion, electronics, keys, modular synths
Music produced, recorded and mixed by Samuel Rohrer
Samuel Rohrer’s newest solo album, Codes of Nature, shows the artist making yet more refinements and
additions to an already rich catalog of musical ideas. Though he has excelled in collaborative projects with Ambiq,
Ricardo Villalobos, Max Loderbauer, Tobias Freund, Dark Star Safari, Nils Petter Molvaer, Oren Ambarchi and
many others, it is fascinating to experience him also working in a field completely his own, yet managing to still give
the impression of being fully integrated or connected with a larger musical universe.
A strange, intriguing ambiguity between the specific and the universal is indeed what makes Rohrer’s music
worth playing on a loop – the cool, downtempo, yet energized constructions on Codes are powered by subtle
atmospheric and tonal changes, and work like a camouflage adaptable to any environment.
This is a record whose strength derives from its versatility. It’s clear that this versatility of sounds has been
inspired by a commitment to positive differentiation that is not just a musical one, and that’s where this work will
inspire others in turn.
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
GENRE/S: Minimal, Electronic, Ambient, Downtempo
TRACKLISTS:
1_Body Of Lies 2_Scapegoat Principle 3_Forth Density 4_The Banality Of Evil
5_Talking to Nature Spirits 6_Resurrection — Total playing time: 50:04
SHORT INFO:
Samuel Rohrer - drums, percussion, electronics, keys, modular synths
Music produced, recorded and mixed by Samuel Rohrer
Samuel Rohrer’s newest solo album, Codes of Nature, shows the artist making yet more refinements and
additions to an already rich catalog of musical ideas. Though he has excelled in collaborative projects with Ambiq,
Ricardo Villalobos, Max Loderbauer, Tobias Freund, Dark Star Safari, Nils Petter Molvaer, Oren Ambarchi and
many others, it is fascinating to experience him also working in a field completely his own, yet managing to still give
the impression of being fully integrated or connected with a larger musical universe.
A strange, intriguing ambiguity between the specific and the universal is indeed what makes Rohrer’s music
worth playing on a loop – the cool, downtempo, yet energized constructions on Codes are powered by subtle
atmospheric and tonal changes, and work like a camouflage adaptable to any environment.
This is a record whose strength derives from its versatility. It’s clear that this versatility of sounds has been
inspired by a commitment to positive differentiation that is not just a musical one, and that’s where this work will
inspire others in turn.
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
1
samuel rohrer - Microcosmoism (Burnt Friedman Remix)
2
samuel rohrer - Microcosmoism (Ricardo Villalobos Remix)
Burnt Friedman’s own dramatic interpretation of “Microcosmoism” pairs up his consciousness of deep bass and analog inventiveness with Rohrer’s continually transforming sound objects, making for a flowing and wordless narrative that simply dares listeners to stop paying attention. Feeling more like a collaboration in “real time” than a remix proper, Friedman brings his characteristic ‘mad scientist’ wit to the proceedings and delivers an energetic piece that simply glows in the dark.
This is complemented nicely by Villalobos’ remix of “Microcosmoism”. It carries the energy level of the 1st EP over to a new disk, while heavily experimenting with feelings of emotional ambiguity. At some points aggressive and at other points merely curious, this mischievous collage of attitudes feels as inspired by the questing jazz of Sun Ra as it is by continental techno. Contemplative keyboard runs, enthusiastic spring-like percussion and malfunctioning machine chatter all coalesce to make this a most fascinating piece of multi-purpose electronic music.
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
This is complemented nicely by Villalobos’ remix of “Microcosmoism”. It carries the energy level of the 1st EP over to a new disk, while heavily experimenting with feelings of emotional ambiguity. At some points aggressive and at other points merely curious, this mischievous collage of attitudes feels as inspired by the questing jazz of Sun Ra as it is by continental techno. Contemplative keyboard runs, enthusiastic spring-like percussion and malfunctioning machine chatter all coalesce to make this a most fascinating piece of multi-purpose electronic music.
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
More records from Arjunamusic Records
1
Samuel Rohrer - The Parish Bell 7´10
2
Samuel Rohrer - Labrynthia/Many Rivers 6´25
3
Samuel Rohrer - Schizophonia 8´28
4
Samuel Rohrer - The Gift 4´53
5
Samuel Rohrer - Celestial Body 5´45
6
Samuel Rohrer - Love and Warfare 6´57
7
Samuel Rohrer - Where Things Grow 4´32
GENRE/S: Electronic, Ambient, Experimental, Electronica,…
TRACKLISTS:
A1 The Parish Bell 7´10
A2 Labrynthia/Many Rivers 6´25
A3 Schizophonia 8´28
B1 The Gift 4´53
B2 Celestial Body 5´45
B3 Love and Warfare 6´57
B4 Where Things Grow 4´32
SHORT INFO:
“Music for Lovers” is the new solo outing of multi-instrumentalist Samuel Rohrer (playing a combination of percussion, modular synthesizer and keyboard-based instruments on this recording).
The album’s title, which has been used for other albums in unrelated musical genres, might be deceiving: those who expect overly sentimental, fluffy pieces full of levity from start to finish, or sarcastic and cynical attempts at rejecting such “easy” listening, will be surprised by the emotional and tonal complexity on display here. In Rohrer’s own words, it is dedicated to “those brave lovers, who are ready to not only find, but eventually become truth,” and as such is an exploration of an evolving process rather than an idealized state.
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
TRACKLISTS:
A1 The Parish Bell 7´10
A2 Labrynthia/Many Rivers 6´25
A3 Schizophonia 8´28
B1 The Gift 4´53
B2 Celestial Body 5´45
B3 Love and Warfare 6´57
B4 Where Things Grow 4´32
SHORT INFO:
“Music for Lovers” is the new solo outing of multi-instrumentalist Samuel Rohrer (playing a combination of percussion, modular synthesizer and keyboard-based instruments on this recording).
The album’s title, which has been used for other albums in unrelated musical genres, might be deceiving: those who expect overly sentimental, fluffy pieces full of levity from start to finish, or sarcastic and cynical attempts at rejecting such “easy” listening, will be surprised by the emotional and tonal complexity on display here. In Rohrer’s own words, it is dedicated to “those brave lovers, who are ready to not only find, but eventually become truth,” and as such is an exploration of an evolving process rather than an idealized state.
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
Label:Arjunamusic Records
Cat-No:AMEL-CD729
Release-Date:08.12.2023
Genre:Electronic
Configuration:CD Excl
Label:Arjunamusic Records
Cat-No:AMEL-CD729
Release-Date:08.12.2023
Genre:Electronic
Configuration:CD Excl
1
SUN ELECTRIC Max Loderbauer & Tom Thiel - 1. Opening 12:32
2
SUN ELECTRIC Max Loderbauer & Tom Thiel - 2. Waitati Post 10:04
3
SUN ELECTRIC Max Loderbauer & Tom Thiel - 3. Flat and endless 10:06,
4
SUN ELECTRIC Max Loderbauer & Tom Thiel - 4. Cristal Bolloré 08:30
5
SUN ELECTRIC Max Loderbauer & Tom Thiel - 5. Kallisto 11:43
6
SUN ELECTRIC Max Loderbauer & Tom Thiel - 6. Bagatto 09:58
7
SUN ELECTRIC Max Loderbauer & Tom Thiel - 7. Aaah! 12:13
CD
2. GENRE/S: Electronica, Ambient
3. TRACKLISTS:
1. Opening 12:32, 2. Waitati Post 10:04,
4. Cristal Bolloré 08:30, 5. Kallisto 11:43, 6. Bagatto 09:58, 7. Aaah! 12:13
4. SHORT INFO:
Sun Electric, the Berlin-based electronic music duo of Tom Thiel and Max Loderbauer, were
among the pioneers of “live” electronica presentation in the early 1990s, when options for realtime reproduction of one’s sound were a fraction of what we enjoy today. Perhaps a spiritual
successor to earlier forms of “kosmische” music, which saw the exploration of outer and inner
space as being equally worthwhile undertakings, Sun Electric’s music was expansive, epic, and
involving in a way that prioritized the communion between sounds and listeners over the public
exposition of the musicians’ personalities. Space was, of course, utilized as an instrument unto
itself: a fact that is evident in this new release of a notable 1996 set in which Sun Electric
performed at the neo-Gothic Votivkirche in Vienna. Over 75 minutes of performance time, the
duo took full advantage of the 20-second reverb decay time offered by the space.
The real star here remains the way in which the interdependent musical objects move through
open space and mutually evolve with it, and the percussive impacts are part of a “sonic
democracy”, standing on an equal footing with the glistening effects and the lapping waves of
sequenced melody. It’s the consistent application of these strengths which allows the music of
Sun Electric not to be a “nostalgic trip” to a simpler time, but very much a part of the musical
dialogue of the present.
ARTIST: SUN ELECTRIC Max Loderbauer & Tom Thiel
TITLE: Live at Votivkirche Wien
LABEL: Arjunamusic Records!
Produced by Sun Electric aka Max Loderbauer & Tom Thiel
Recorded by Teo Schulte @ Votivkirche Vienna on October 5, 1996
Mixed by Ingo Kraus @ Candybomber Studio Berlin 2023
Mastered by Mike Grinser @ Manmade Mastering Berlin 2023
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
2. GENRE/S: Electronica, Ambient
3. TRACKLISTS:
1. Opening 12:32, 2. Waitati Post 10:04,
4. Cristal Bolloré 08:30, 5. Kallisto 11:43, 6. Bagatto 09:58, 7. Aaah! 12:13
4. SHORT INFO:
Sun Electric, the Berlin-based electronic music duo of Tom Thiel and Max Loderbauer, were
among the pioneers of “live” electronica presentation in the early 1990s, when options for realtime reproduction of one’s sound were a fraction of what we enjoy today. Perhaps a spiritual
successor to earlier forms of “kosmische” music, which saw the exploration of outer and inner
space as being equally worthwhile undertakings, Sun Electric’s music was expansive, epic, and
involving in a way that prioritized the communion between sounds and listeners over the public
exposition of the musicians’ personalities. Space was, of course, utilized as an instrument unto
itself: a fact that is evident in this new release of a notable 1996 set in which Sun Electric
performed at the neo-Gothic Votivkirche in Vienna. Over 75 minutes of performance time, the
duo took full advantage of the 20-second reverb decay time offered by the space.
The real star here remains the way in which the interdependent musical objects move through
open space and mutually evolve with it, and the percussive impacts are part of a “sonic
democracy”, standing on an equal footing with the glistening effects and the lapping waves of
sequenced melody. It’s the consistent application of these strengths which allows the music of
Sun Electric not to be a “nostalgic trip” to a simpler time, but very much a part of the musical
dialogue of the present.
ARTIST: SUN ELECTRIC Max Loderbauer & Tom Thiel
TITLE: Live at Votivkirche Wien
LABEL: Arjunamusic Records!
Produced by Sun Electric aka Max Loderbauer & Tom Thiel
Recorded by Teo Schulte @ Votivkirche Vienna on October 5, 1996
Mixed by Ingo Kraus @ Candybomber Studio Berlin 2023
Mastered by Mike Grinser @ Manmade Mastering Berlin 2023
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
1
Tom Thiel - Emag Ballad 5:46
2
Tom Thiel - Bursts 3:50
3
Tom Thiel - Lakeside 5:19
4
Tom Thiel - Fields 4:59
5
Tom Thiel - Sharif 4:44
6
Tom Thiel - Bubbles 3:42
7
Tom Thiel - Spider 3:47
8
Tom Thiel - Hydro 4:59
9
Tom Thiel - Timeout 3:33
GENRE/S: Electronic, Ambient
TRACKLISTS:
A- 01. Emag Ballad 5:46, 02. Bursts 3:50, 03. Lakeside 5:19, 04. Fields 4:59, 05. Sharif 4:44
B- 06. Bubbles 3:42, 07. Spider 3:47, 08. Hydro 4:59, 09. Timeout 3:33
SHORT INFO:
Producer Tom Thiel has worked in the medium of electronic music since the 1980s, been active in the musical epicenter of Berlin since 1987 and with the Sun Electric duo, he was already at the forefront of live / “real time” electronica since the 1990s.
Incidentally, Sun Electric are set to release an archival live set from this period on Arjunamusic later this year.
Though not everyone becomes exceptional on the basis of “veteran” status alone, Thiel’s latest work shows that he has made good on one of the main promises held out by electronic music and sound synthesis: namely, that it would also provide unexpected, novel, highly individualized syntheses of different attitudes, atmospheres, and affects. This is happily the case with Thiel’s new Arjunamusic release (his first full solo outing since his eponymous 2011 album): it’s a series of colorful, self-contained vignettes that are perceptibly drawn from an eclectic pool of personal experiences and insights.
Like similarly successful musical projects, Thiel’s “Album” utilizes all of the above strengths to craft a rewarding listen in its own right, but also to spark curiosity about what other as-of-yet unrealized fusions may be waiting ahead.
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
TRACKLISTS:
A- 01. Emag Ballad 5:46, 02. Bursts 3:50, 03. Lakeside 5:19, 04. Fields 4:59, 05. Sharif 4:44
B- 06. Bubbles 3:42, 07. Spider 3:47, 08. Hydro 4:59, 09. Timeout 3:33
SHORT INFO:
Producer Tom Thiel has worked in the medium of electronic music since the 1980s, been active in the musical epicenter of Berlin since 1987 and with the Sun Electric duo, he was already at the forefront of live / “real time” electronica since the 1990s.
Incidentally, Sun Electric are set to release an archival live set from this period on Arjunamusic later this year.
Though not everyone becomes exceptional on the basis of “veteran” status alone, Thiel’s latest work shows that he has made good on one of the main promises held out by electronic music and sound synthesis: namely, that it would also provide unexpected, novel, highly individualized syntheses of different attitudes, atmospheres, and affects. This is happily the case with Thiel’s new Arjunamusic release (his first full solo outing since his eponymous 2011 album): it’s a series of colorful, self-contained vignettes that are perceptibly drawn from an eclectic pool of personal experiences and insights.
Like similarly successful musical projects, Thiel’s “Album” utilizes all of the above strengths to craft a rewarding listen in its own right, but also to spark curiosity about what other as-of-yet unrealized fusions may be waiting ahead.
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
Label:Arjunamusic Records
Cat-No:AMAC-CD727
Release-Date:22.09.2023
Genre:Electronic
Configuration:CD Excl
Label:Arjunamusic Records
Cat-No:AMAC-CD727
Release-Date:22.09.2023
Genre:Electronic
Configuration:CD Excl
1
João Paulo Esteves da Silva Trio - 1_The House Behind
2
João Paulo Esteves da Silva Trio - 2_Loosing Memory
3
João Paulo Esteves da Silva Trio - 3_City People
4
João Paulo Esteves da Silva Trio - 4_Concerning the Ice
5
João Paulo Esteves da Silva Trio - 5_Passing Wind
6
João Paulo Esteves da Silva Trio - 6_Head/Heart
7
João Paulo Esteves da Silva Trio - 7_From Below
8
João Paulo Esteves da Silva Trio - 8_Lost Small Things
9
João Paulo Esteves da Silva Trio - 9_Smoke Signals
CD
2. GENRE/S: Jazz, Experimental
3. TRACKLISTS:
1_The House Behind 2_Loosing Memory 3_City People
4_Concerning the Ice 5_Passing Wind 6_Head/Heart 7_From Below 8_Lost Small Things
9_Smoke Signals
4. SHORT INFO:
Joao Paulo Esteves da Silva piano?
Mário Franco double bass?
Samuel Rohrer percussion
Arjunamusic Records presents the new album The River, from the trio of João Paulo Esteves da
Silva, Mário Franco and Samuel Rohrer, following on the aesthetic developed on their previous release
Brightbird from 2017: it is characterized by meaningful pauses and clever subtractions, but it is also a
strong and mature demonstration of the fruitful partnership that exists between them and more
undeniably perceptible musical features. The group’s willingness to consider the value of the spaces
between the notes (and their understanding that reflection and contemplation upon those spaces is an act
of engagement rather than detachment) is one immediately recognizable feature of their sonic terrain.
However, it’s far from the only one.
In the final estimation, the dialogue between the perceptible and the imperceptible works as well as it
does here because an aesthetic of mutual exchange is central to these musicians’ playing styles. It is rare to
ARTIST: João Paulo Esteves da Silva Trio
w/ Mário Franco & Samuel Rohrer
TITLE: The River
LABEL: Arjunamusic Records!
hear albums in which the gestalt can be comprehended rather than voluntarily or involuntarily zooming in
on a single player or aspect of the presentation; the trio here has created something that can be
appreciated in its totality and which challenges listeners to apply its qualities to other areas of lived
experience.
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
2. GENRE/S: Jazz, Experimental
3. TRACKLISTS:
1_The House Behind 2_Loosing Memory 3_City People
4_Concerning the Ice 5_Passing Wind 6_Head/Heart 7_From Below 8_Lost Small Things
9_Smoke Signals
4. SHORT INFO:
Joao Paulo Esteves da Silva piano?
Mário Franco double bass?
Samuel Rohrer percussion
Arjunamusic Records presents the new album The River, from the trio of João Paulo Esteves da
Silva, Mário Franco and Samuel Rohrer, following on the aesthetic developed on their previous release
Brightbird from 2017: it is characterized by meaningful pauses and clever subtractions, but it is also a
strong and mature demonstration of the fruitful partnership that exists between them and more
undeniably perceptible musical features. The group’s willingness to consider the value of the spaces
between the notes (and their understanding that reflection and contemplation upon those spaces is an act
of engagement rather than detachment) is one immediately recognizable feature of their sonic terrain.
However, it’s far from the only one.
In the final estimation, the dialogue between the perceptible and the imperceptible works as well as it
does here because an aesthetic of mutual exchange is central to these musicians’ playing styles. It is rare to
ARTIST: João Paulo Esteves da Silva Trio
w/ Mário Franco & Samuel Rohrer
TITLE: The River
LABEL: Arjunamusic Records!
hear albums in which the gestalt can be comprehended rather than voluntarily or involuntarily zooming in
on a single player or aspect of the presentation; the trio here has created something that can be
appreciated in its totality and which challenges listeners to apply its qualities to other areas of lived
experience.
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
Label:Arjunamusic Records
Cat-No:AMAC-LP725
Release-Date:05.05.2023
Genre:Electronic
Configuration:LP Excl
Label:Arjunamusic Records
Cat-No:AMAC-LP725
Release-Date:05.05.2023
Genre:Electronic
Configuration:LP Excl
LP
GENRE/S: Jazz, Experimental
TRACKLISTS:
A1 Garden Of Silence A2 Dare To Dance A3 On Second Thought A4 Ways Of Paradox
A5 Now That We Finally Met - B6 Refraction of Glass B7 Concentric B8 Nostalgia
B9 Gravity Inn B10 Where We Go From Here — Total playing time: 47:55
SHORT INFO:
Klaus Gesing bass clarinet, soprano sax, effects?
Björn Meyer electric bass, effects ?
Samuel Rohrer drums, electronics, mod.synths
The trio Amiira of Klaus Gesing, Björn Meyer and Samuel Rohrer has returned after a layoff of
six years since their debut LP. It would be unwise to expect for them to pick up exactly where they left
off, given all the turbulent change that the world has encountered since this time, and indeed the new
Album Curious Objects reflects a clear expansion of the players’ abilities. The fundamentals that guided the
debut album – spatiality, refined coolness, the non-verbal “narrative” quality - are still very much present,
but are this time reinforced with an even more pronounced feeling of communicating across wide
physical and conceptual spaces.
Altogether, Curious Objects is a potent antidote for spiritual and musical fatigue; especially
recommended for those who have already left behind the limitations posed by genres. It is more than the
sum of its parts, and its crossing of numerous different boundaries never feels like the goal in and of
itself: instead, all this activity feels like a tool for unlocking and decoding even more supposedly
irreconcilable qualities and ideas.
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
GENRE/S: Jazz, Experimental
TRACKLISTS:
A1 Garden Of Silence A2 Dare To Dance A3 On Second Thought A4 Ways Of Paradox
A5 Now That We Finally Met - B6 Refraction of Glass B7 Concentric B8 Nostalgia
B9 Gravity Inn B10 Where We Go From Here — Total playing time: 47:55
SHORT INFO:
Klaus Gesing bass clarinet, soprano sax, effects?
Björn Meyer electric bass, effects ?
Samuel Rohrer drums, electronics, mod.synths
The trio Amiira of Klaus Gesing, Björn Meyer and Samuel Rohrer has returned after a layoff of
six years since their debut LP. It would be unwise to expect for them to pick up exactly where they left
off, given all the turbulent change that the world has encountered since this time, and indeed the new
Album Curious Objects reflects a clear expansion of the players’ abilities. The fundamentals that guided the
debut album – spatiality, refined coolness, the non-verbal “narrative” quality - are still very much present,
but are this time reinforced with an even more pronounced feeling of communicating across wide
physical and conceptual spaces.
Altogether, Curious Objects is a potent antidote for spiritual and musical fatigue; especially
recommended for those who have already left behind the limitations posed by genres. It is more than the
sum of its parts, and its crossing of numerous different boundaries never feels like the goal in and of
itself: instead, all this activity feels like a tool for unlocking and decoding even more supposedly
irreconcilable qualities and ideas.
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
Label:Arjunamusic Records
Cat-No:AMAC-CD725
Release-Date:05.05.2023
Genre:Electronic
Configuration:CD Excl
Label:Arjunamusic Records
Cat-No:AMAC-CD725
Release-Date:05.05.2023
Genre:Electronic
Configuration:CD Excl
CD
GENRE/S: Jazz, Experimental
TRACKLISTS:
1 Garden Of Silence 2 Dare To Dance 3 On Second Thought 4 Ways Of Paradox
5 Now That We Finally Met - 6 Refraction of Glass 7 Concentric 8 Nostalgia
9 Gravity Inn 10 Where We Go From Here — Total playing time: 47:55
SHORT INFO:
Klaus Gesing bass clarinet, soprano sax, effects?
Björn Meyer electric bass, effects ?
Samuel Rohrer drums, electronics, mod.synths
The trio Amiira of Klaus Gesing, Björn Meyer and Samuel Rohrer has returned after a layoff of
six years since their debut LP. It would be unwise to expect for them to pick up exactly where they left
off, given all the turbulent change that the world has encountered since this time, and indeed the new
Album Curious Objects reflects a clear expansion of the players’ abilities. The fundamentals that guided the
debut album – spatiality, refined coolness, the non-verbal “narrative” quality - are still very much present,
but are this time reinforced with an even more pronounced feeling of communicating across wide
physical and conceptual spaces.
Altogether, Curious Objects is a potent antidote for spiritual and musical fatigue; especially
recommended for those who have already left behind the limitations posed by genres. It is more than the
sum of its parts, and its crossing of numerous different boundaries never feels like the goal in and of
itself: instead, all this activity feels like a tool for unlocking and decoding even more supposedly
irreconcilable qualities and ideas.
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
GENRE/S: Jazz, Experimental
TRACKLISTS:
1 Garden Of Silence 2 Dare To Dance 3 On Second Thought 4 Ways Of Paradox
5 Now That We Finally Met - 6 Refraction of Glass 7 Concentric 8 Nostalgia
9 Gravity Inn 10 Where We Go From Here — Total playing time: 47:55
SHORT INFO:
Klaus Gesing bass clarinet, soprano sax, effects?
Björn Meyer electric bass, effects ?
Samuel Rohrer drums, electronics, mod.synths
The trio Amiira of Klaus Gesing, Björn Meyer and Samuel Rohrer has returned after a layoff of
six years since their debut LP. It would be unwise to expect for them to pick up exactly where they left
off, given all the turbulent change that the world has encountered since this time, and indeed the new
Album Curious Objects reflects a clear expansion of the players’ abilities. The fundamentals that guided the
debut album – spatiality, refined coolness, the non-verbal “narrative” quality - are still very much present,
but are this time reinforced with an even more pronounced feeling of communicating across wide
physical and conceptual spaces.
Altogether, Curious Objects is a potent antidote for spiritual and musical fatigue; especially
recommended for those who have already left behind the limitations posed by genres. It is more than the
sum of its parts, and its crossing of numerous different boundaries never feels like the goal in and of
itself: instead, all this activity feels like a tool for unlocking and decoding even more supposedly
irreconcilable qualities and ideas.
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
Label:Arjunamusic Records
Cat-No:amel-lp724
Release-Date:10.02.2023
Genre:Electronic
Configuration:2LP Excl
Label:Arjunamusic Records
Cat-No:amel-lp724
Release-Date:10.02.2023
Genre:Electronic
Configuration:2LP Excl
[2x12”]
GENRE/S: Minimal, Electronic, Ambient, Downtempo
TRACKLISTS:
1_Body Of Lies 2_Scapegoat Principle 3_Forth Density 4_The Banality Of Evil
5_Talking to Nature Spirits 6_Resurrection — Total playing time: 50:04
SHORT INFO:
Samuel Rohrer - drums, percussion, electronics, keys, modular synths
Music produced, recorded and mixed by Samuel Rohrer
Samuel Rohrer’s newest solo album, Codes of Nature, shows the artist making yet more refinements and
additions to an already rich catalog of musical ideas. Though he has excelled in collaborative projects with Ambiq,
Ricardo Villalobos, Max Loderbauer, Tobias Freund, Dark Star Safari, Nils Petter Molvaer, Oren Ambarchi and
many others, it is fascinating to experience him also working in a field completely his own, yet managing to still give
the impression of being fully integrated or connected with a larger musical universe.
A strange, intriguing ambiguity between the specific and the universal is indeed what makes Rohrer’s music
worth playing on a loop – the cool, downtempo, yet energized constructions on Codes are powered by subtle
atmospheric and tonal changes, and work like a camouflage adaptable to any environment.
This is a record whose strength derives from its versatility. It’s clear that this versatility of sounds has been
inspired by a commitment to positive differentiation that is not just a musical one, and that’s where this work will
inspire others in turn.
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
GENRE/S: Minimal, Electronic, Ambient, Downtempo
TRACKLISTS:
1_Body Of Lies 2_Scapegoat Principle 3_Forth Density 4_The Banality Of Evil
5_Talking to Nature Spirits 6_Resurrection — Total playing time: 50:04
SHORT INFO:
Samuel Rohrer - drums, percussion, electronics, keys, modular synths
Music produced, recorded and mixed by Samuel Rohrer
Samuel Rohrer’s newest solo album, Codes of Nature, shows the artist making yet more refinements and
additions to an already rich catalog of musical ideas. Though he has excelled in collaborative projects with Ambiq,
Ricardo Villalobos, Max Loderbauer, Tobias Freund, Dark Star Safari, Nils Petter Molvaer, Oren Ambarchi and
many others, it is fascinating to experience him also working in a field completely his own, yet managing to still give
the impression of being fully integrated or connected with a larger musical universe.
A strange, intriguing ambiguity between the specific and the universal is indeed what makes Rohrer’s music
worth playing on a loop – the cool, downtempo, yet energized constructions on Codes are powered by subtle
atmospheric and tonal changes, and work like a camouflage adaptable to any environment.
This is a record whose strength derives from its versatility. It’s clear that this versatility of sounds has been
inspired by a commitment to positive differentiation that is not just a musical one, and that’s where this work will
inspire others in turn.
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
Label:Arjunamusic Records
Cat-No:amel-lp722
Release-Date:08.04.2022
Genre:Electronic
Configuration:2x12" Excl
Label:Arjunamusic Records
Cat-No:amel-lp722
Release-Date:08.04.2022
Genre:Electronic
Configuration:2x12" Excl
1
Ricardo Villalobos & Samuel Rohrer - A. Helix 7:23
2
Ricardo Villalobos & Samuel Rohrer - B. Incus 10:47
3
Ricardo Villalobos & Samuel Rohrer - C. Lobule 11:03
4
Ricardo Villalobos & Samuel Rohrer - D. Cochlea 8:28
Special remarks : 2x12"
Genre: Electronic
Tracklisting:
A: Helix 7:23
B: Incus 10:47
C: Lobule 11:03
D: Cochlea 8:28
Short Info:
Press release by Thomas Bey William Bailey
The Ricardo Villalobos / Samuel Rohrer partnership has yielded increasingly interesting results over the past few
years, with the former’s remixes of the latter’s trio Ambiq being supplemented by further reinterpretations of
Rohrer’s solo work and live meetings at select events like Berlin’s Funkhaus and Radialsystem V. As should be the
case with any strong collaboration, this partnership has been based on mutual challenge rather than compromise,
seeing each participant shuttle key technical and emotive aspects of the other’s work to previously unexpected
places.
Those who have been closely following this relationship will notice a definite sense of continuity between
previous outings and the new collaborative release entitled MICROGESTURES. As with those earlier Villalobos
/ Rohrer pairings, these four new pieces are defined by a special quality of being many things that once: that is to
say, depending on the listener’s own level of focus, these can feel very tightly constructed and disciplined, or
playful and freely wandering. That the tracks are equally engaging regardless of one’s chosen listening “mode” is
a testament to the level of thought put into them; you could almost imagining the creators poring over some
elaborate sketched set of architectural blueprints rather than coolly monitoring the usual multi-track editing
software.
Altogether the music here is firmly a-melodic and percussive, but within these deliberate limitations there is still a
greater variety of individual sounds than most would bother with. Each track is its own observatory of microgestures clustering together into a dense communicative fog or a sort of robotic sound swarm. Yet while all
these tracks are variations on that theme, each one has its own character and, consequently, its own rewards in
terms of the exact sectors of the imagination that it activates.
Take for example “Cochlea” and its twin “Helix,” on which the magnetizing, busy layers of percussion are
tempered with mischievously disruptive blossomings of digital noise, as well as sampled radio communications
(which again bring us back to the idea of listeners’ attentiveness changing the meaning of this music - these
curious transmissions can either be taken as a purely aesthetic element or as something to be actively decoded).
Club-oriented elements are also not absent from this suite, particularly on “Incus” with its traditional sequenced
baseline, crisp synthetic trap and hats, and dizzily sliding set of bell-like tones laid on top.?
Yet this track, too, is powered as much by its restless desire to deviate as by its rhythmic consistency: throughout
the eleven-minute running time, a mass of ambiguous and restless machine sounds build a parallel narrative, and
will maybe
prompt the occasional glance over the shoulder as they seem to be taking on their own life. “Lobule” rounds out
the program with the most rhythmically eventful sound set off the five.
What this all adds up to is a confident music which builds that quality from its faith in possibilities rather than
firm conclusions: it’s an inspiring addition to both the musical landscape and reality in general
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
Genre: Electronic
Tracklisting:
A: Helix 7:23
B: Incus 10:47
C: Lobule 11:03
D: Cochlea 8:28
Short Info:
Press release by Thomas Bey William Bailey
The Ricardo Villalobos / Samuel Rohrer partnership has yielded increasingly interesting results over the past few
years, with the former’s remixes of the latter’s trio Ambiq being supplemented by further reinterpretations of
Rohrer’s solo work and live meetings at select events like Berlin’s Funkhaus and Radialsystem V. As should be the
case with any strong collaboration, this partnership has been based on mutual challenge rather than compromise,
seeing each participant shuttle key technical and emotive aspects of the other’s work to previously unexpected
places.
Those who have been closely following this relationship will notice a definite sense of continuity between
previous outings and the new collaborative release entitled MICROGESTURES. As with those earlier Villalobos
/ Rohrer pairings, these four new pieces are defined by a special quality of being many things that once: that is to
say, depending on the listener’s own level of focus, these can feel very tightly constructed and disciplined, or
playful and freely wandering. That the tracks are equally engaging regardless of one’s chosen listening “mode” is
a testament to the level of thought put into them; you could almost imagining the creators poring over some
elaborate sketched set of architectural blueprints rather than coolly monitoring the usual multi-track editing
software.
Altogether the music here is firmly a-melodic and percussive, but within these deliberate limitations there is still a
greater variety of individual sounds than most would bother with. Each track is its own observatory of microgestures clustering together into a dense communicative fog or a sort of robotic sound swarm. Yet while all
these tracks are variations on that theme, each one has its own character and, consequently, its own rewards in
terms of the exact sectors of the imagination that it activates.
Take for example “Cochlea” and its twin “Helix,” on which the magnetizing, busy layers of percussion are
tempered with mischievously disruptive blossomings of digital noise, as well as sampled radio communications
(which again bring us back to the idea of listeners’ attentiveness changing the meaning of this music - these
curious transmissions can either be taken as a purely aesthetic element or as something to be actively decoded).
Club-oriented elements are also not absent from this suite, particularly on “Incus” with its traditional sequenced
baseline, crisp synthetic trap and hats, and dizzily sliding set of bell-like tones laid on top.?
Yet this track, too, is powered as much by its restless desire to deviate as by its rhythmic consistency: throughout
the eleven-minute running time, a mass of ambiguous and restless machine sounds build a parallel narrative, and
will maybe
prompt the occasional glance over the shoulder as they seem to be taking on their own life. “Lobule” rounds out
the program with the most rhythmically eventful sound set off the five.
What this all adds up to is a confident music which builds that quality from its faith in possibilities rather than
firm conclusions: it’s an inspiring addition to both the musical landscape and reality in general
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
Special remarks : Vinyl + Downloadcode
Genre: Alternative - Ambient
Tracklist LP:
1 Patria 3.53 - 2 Life Stand Still 4.18 - 3 Portraits of You 3.35 - 4 Measured
Response 4.26 - 5 Father’s Day 4.21 - 6 Invocation 3.54 - 7 Murmuration 4.04
8 Passover 4.25 - 9 Disembodied 3.43 10 Walk Through Lightly 3.40
Total time: 40.24
Short Info:
Press release by Thomas Bey William Bailey
Dark Star Safari is a musical entity comprised of Jan Bang, Erik Honoré, Eivind Aarset, Samuel Rohrer and John Derek Bishop. Their second fulllength offering Walk Through Lightly is the first to feature all five musicians together in the studio from the outset, making for a more organic refinement upon their already established methodology: gradually sculpting distinct songs out of collective improvisations, or using the raw material from initial recordings as the basis for more carefully articulated compositions. The final mix is one that invites few stylistic comparisons to other musical peers, and in fact few comparisons to existing genres. Though this second offering from the project is frosted over with a Scandinavian sense of spatiality and
melancholy, it’s best listened to without considering any origin points, geographic or otherwise: from the opening moments of “Walk Through Lightly,” listeners will feel as if teleported directly into the middle of an enigmatic film-in-progress.
The album opener immediately and successfully sets the table for what is to follow. The electronic and acoustic instrumentation is pensive, but not passive, with restrained scrapes and stridulations in the background combining with backwards-looped passages and perlescent or granulated sound effects to better emphasize the carefully arranged latticework of guitar, percussion, strings, and bass. In some places, such as on “Father’s Day” and “Measured Response,” the silences or breaths between passages are pronounced enough to be an instrument in their own right (and an elegant confirmation of the fact that silence is also a conveyor of information). This nuanced production, which wisely opts for intimacy instead of relying on overdone "instant atmosphere generators" like lengthy reverb, provides just enough tension to contrast with the sense of elevation provided by Bang’s vocal contributions: smoky, evanescent, and impressionistic recitations offering not snapshots of specific events, but rather complete emotional environments for the listener to hover through and explore.
Within these environments, the lyrical imagery focuses upon coming to grips with sudden transformations on both micro and macro levels (the opening “this was a perfect place / till we lost our way” from “Patria” or the foreboding “Poems that explore / Their silence / Crush their violence / Now their time ends” from “Measured Response.”) It focuses as well upon coming to thresholds or crossings, be they physical crossroads or internal states of mind, or both (see especially the striking turns of phrase from “Murmuration.”) With such things in mind, it’s only natural that there would be consideration of dreaming as well, and indeed four different titles on the LP make different reference to a dream or dream state, seemingly valuing dreams as part of the continuum of consciousness rather than something totally cut off from waking experience.
Given the sense of foreboding, anticipation, and even unease that these kinds of subjects often bring with them, the spare and un-hurried music is all the more intriguing, especially when the eponymous finale arrives and the percolating sound bed seems to hint at a coming resolution, but then leaves the listener with more questions than answers. By competently fusing a mature, economical approach to sincerely romantic lyrical themes, Walk Through Lightly is a rare accomplishment.
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
Genre: Alternative - Ambient
Tracklist LP:
1 Patria 3.53 - 2 Life Stand Still 4.18 - 3 Portraits of You 3.35 - 4 Measured
Response 4.26 - 5 Father’s Day 4.21 - 6 Invocation 3.54 - 7 Murmuration 4.04
8 Passover 4.25 - 9 Disembodied 3.43 10 Walk Through Lightly 3.40
Total time: 40.24
Short Info:
Press release by Thomas Bey William Bailey
Dark Star Safari is a musical entity comprised of Jan Bang, Erik Honoré, Eivind Aarset, Samuel Rohrer and John Derek Bishop. Their second fulllength offering Walk Through Lightly is the first to feature all five musicians together in the studio from the outset, making for a more organic refinement upon their already established methodology: gradually sculpting distinct songs out of collective improvisations, or using the raw material from initial recordings as the basis for more carefully articulated compositions. The final mix is one that invites few stylistic comparisons to other musical peers, and in fact few comparisons to existing genres. Though this second offering from the project is frosted over with a Scandinavian sense of spatiality and
melancholy, it’s best listened to without considering any origin points, geographic or otherwise: from the opening moments of “Walk Through Lightly,” listeners will feel as if teleported directly into the middle of an enigmatic film-in-progress.
The album opener immediately and successfully sets the table for what is to follow. The electronic and acoustic instrumentation is pensive, but not passive, with restrained scrapes and stridulations in the background combining with backwards-looped passages and perlescent or granulated sound effects to better emphasize the carefully arranged latticework of guitar, percussion, strings, and bass. In some places, such as on “Father’s Day” and “Measured Response,” the silences or breaths between passages are pronounced enough to be an instrument in their own right (and an elegant confirmation of the fact that silence is also a conveyor of information). This nuanced production, which wisely opts for intimacy instead of relying on overdone "instant atmosphere generators" like lengthy reverb, provides just enough tension to contrast with the sense of elevation provided by Bang’s vocal contributions: smoky, evanescent, and impressionistic recitations offering not snapshots of specific events, but rather complete emotional environments for the listener to hover through and explore.
Within these environments, the lyrical imagery focuses upon coming to grips with sudden transformations on both micro and macro levels (the opening “this was a perfect place / till we lost our way” from “Patria” or the foreboding “Poems that explore / Their silence / Crush their violence / Now their time ends” from “Measured Response.”) It focuses as well upon coming to thresholds or crossings, be they physical crossroads or internal states of mind, or both (see especially the striking turns of phrase from “Murmuration.”) With such things in mind, it’s only natural that there would be consideration of dreaming as well, and indeed four different titles on the LP make different reference to a dream or dream state, seemingly valuing dreams as part of the continuum of consciousness rather than something totally cut off from waking experience.
Given the sense of foreboding, anticipation, and even unease that these kinds of subjects often bring with them, the spare and un-hurried music is all the more intriguing, especially when the eponymous finale arrives and the percolating sound bed seems to hint at a coming resolution, but then leaves the listener with more questions than answers. By competently fusing a mature, economical approach to sincerely romantic lyrical themes, Walk Through Lightly is a rare accomplishment.
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