2LP Edition of 250 copies in gatefold sleeve.
In celebration of its 10th anniversary, Aesthetical Records is honoured to reissue Peau Froide, Léger Soleil, the groundbreaking collaboration between Finnish electronic music luminary Mika Vainio and French experimental music pioneer Franck Vigroux. Originally released in 2015, this new edition revives a work of unparalleled sonic intensity and textural exploration. The album is set to release on double vinyl and CD on May 24, 2025.
This iconic album is the result of a three year recording process that began after Vainio and Vigroux's first live performance in Paris in 2012. Their collaboration serves as an intricate balance of minimalist meditations and maximalist energy, pushing electronic music into radical new directions. Peau Froide, Léger Soleil is a journey through psychic resonance and spatial abstraction, constructed through Vainio's intense, brutalist grooves and Vigroux's explorations in tonal extremities. Spanning a total of nine tracks, the album unfolds like an odyssey, densely layered yet free from structural limitations, traversing vast emotional landscapes where each sound feels at once intimate and tectonic.
Beginning with the ominous, bass-heavy textures of "Deux," Vainio and Vigroux establish a dynamic atmosphere, setting the stage for the intense soundscapes to follow. "Mémoire" introduces ghostly voices that weave through thick waves of sub-bass and distorted noise, while "Souffles" explores uncharted sonic territories with its microtonal landscapes and spectral ambiance. Vigroux's mastery over spatial abstraction comes to life in "Le Souterrain," adding an atmospheric weight reminiscent of Ennio Morricone's stark loneliness or Neil Young's Dead Man soundtrack. In contrast, tracks like "Parabole" and "Le crâne tambour" unleash fierce, maximalist grooves, making them some of the most aggressive and memorable moments in Vainio's discography.
Peau Froide, Léger Soleil represents a landmark in its sonic identity, embodying a vision of uncompromising, avant-garde sound design. This anniversary reissue on Aesthetical honours that legacy while inviting new listeners into Vainio & Vigroux's collaborative universe-a space where electronic music becomes both weapon and sanctuary.
The 10th-anniversary edition promises a fresh listening experience, preserving the legacy of two artists who have redefined the boundaries of sound.
All tracks written, produced and mixed by Mika Vainio and Franck Vigroux.
Mastered by Dennis Blackham at Sky Mastering.
Photography by Umut Ungan
Listen: https://on.soundcloud.com/qoGZTuM5NT3pjfSS6
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
In celebration of its 10th anniversary, Aesthetical Records is honoured to reissue Peau Froide, Léger Soleil, the groundbreaking collaboration between Finnish electronic music luminary Mika Vainio and French experimental music pioneer Franck Vigroux. Originally released in 2015, this new edition revives a work of unparalleled sonic intensity and textural exploration. The album is set to release on double vinyl and CD on May 24, 2025.
This iconic album is the result of a three year recording process that began after Vainio and Vigroux's first live performance in Paris in 2012. Their collaboration serves as an intricate balance of minimalist meditations and maximalist energy, pushing electronic music into radical new directions. Peau Froide, Léger Soleil is a journey through psychic resonance and spatial abstraction, constructed through Vainio's intense, brutalist grooves and Vigroux's explorations in tonal extremities. Spanning a total of nine tracks, the album unfolds like an odyssey, densely layered yet free from structural limitations, traversing vast emotional landscapes where each sound feels at once intimate and tectonic.
Beginning with the ominous, bass-heavy textures of "Deux," Vainio and Vigroux establish a dynamic atmosphere, setting the stage for the intense soundscapes to follow. "Mémoire" introduces ghostly voices that weave through thick waves of sub-bass and distorted noise, while "Souffles" explores uncharted sonic territories with its microtonal landscapes and spectral ambiance. Vigroux's mastery over spatial abstraction comes to life in "Le Souterrain," adding an atmospheric weight reminiscent of Ennio Morricone's stark loneliness or Neil Young's Dead Man soundtrack. In contrast, tracks like "Parabole" and "Le crâne tambour" unleash fierce, maximalist grooves, making them some of the most aggressive and memorable moments in Vainio's discography.
Peau Froide, Léger Soleil represents a landmark in its sonic identity, embodying a vision of uncompromising, avant-garde sound design. This anniversary reissue on Aesthetical honours that legacy while inviting new listeners into Vainio & Vigroux's collaborative universe-a space where electronic music becomes both weapon and sanctuary.
The 10th-anniversary edition promises a fresh listening experience, preserving the legacy of two artists who have redefined the boundaries of sound.
All tracks written, produced and mixed by Mika Vainio and Franck Vigroux.
Mastered by Dennis Blackham at Sky Mastering.
Photography by Umut Ungan
Listen: https://on.soundcloud.com/qoGZTuM5NT3pjfSS6
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 Aesthetical
CD Edition of 200 copies in 4 panel Digipak.
In celebration of its 10th anniversary, Aesthetical Records is honoured to reissue Peau Froide, Léger Soleil, the groundbreaking collaboration between Finnish electronic music luminary Mika Vainio and French experimental music pioneer Franck Vigroux. Originally released in 2015, this new edition revives a work of unparalleled sonic intensity and textural exploration. The album is set to release on double vinyl and CD on May 24, 2025.
This iconic album is the result of a three year recording process that began after Vainio and Vigroux's first live performance in Paris in 2012. Their collaboration serves as an intricate balance of minimalist meditations and maximalist energy, pushing electronic music into radical new directions. Peau Froide, Léger Soleil is a journey through psychic resonance and spatial abstraction, constructed through Vainio's intense, brutalist grooves and Vigroux's explorations in tonal extremities. Spanning a total of nine tracks, the album unfolds like an odyssey, densely layered yet free from structural limitations, traversing vast emotional landscapes where each sound feels at once intimate and tectonic.
Beginning with the ominous, bass-heavy textures of "Deux," Vainio and Vigroux establish a dynamic atmosphere, setting the stage for the intense soundscapes to follow. "Mémoire" introduces ghostly voices that weave through thick waves of sub-bass and distorted noise, while "Souffles" explores uncharted sonic territories with its microtonal landscapes and spectral ambiance. Vigroux's mastery over spatial abstraction comes to life in "Le Souterrain," adding an atmospheric weight reminiscent of Ennio Morricone's stark loneliness or Neil Young's Dead Man soundtrack. In contrast, tracks like "Parabole" and "Le crâne tambour" unleash fierce, maximalist grooves, making them some of the most aggressive and memorable moments in Vainio's discography.
Peau Froide, Léger Soleil represents a landmark in its sonic identity, embodying a vision of uncompromising, avant-garde sound design. This anniversary reissue on Aesthetical honours that legacy while inviting new listeners into Vainio & Vigroux's collaborative universe-a space where electronic music becomes both weapon and sanctuary.
The 10th-anniversary edition promises a fresh listening experience, preserving the legacy of two artists who have redefined the boundaries of sound.
All tracks written, produced and mixed by Mika Vainio and Franck Vigroux.
Mastered by Dennis Blackham at Sky Mastering.
Photography by Umut Ungan
Listen: https://on.soundcloud.com/qoGZTuM5NT3pjfSS6
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
In celebration of its 10th anniversary, Aesthetical Records is honoured to reissue Peau Froide, Léger Soleil, the groundbreaking collaboration between Finnish electronic music luminary Mika Vainio and French experimental music pioneer Franck Vigroux. Originally released in 2015, this new edition revives a work of unparalleled sonic intensity and textural exploration. The album is set to release on double vinyl and CD on May 24, 2025.
This iconic album is the result of a three year recording process that began after Vainio and Vigroux's first live performance in Paris in 2012. Their collaboration serves as an intricate balance of minimalist meditations and maximalist energy, pushing electronic music into radical new directions. Peau Froide, Léger Soleil is a journey through psychic resonance and spatial abstraction, constructed through Vainio's intense, brutalist grooves and Vigroux's explorations in tonal extremities. Spanning a total of nine tracks, the album unfolds like an odyssey, densely layered yet free from structural limitations, traversing vast emotional landscapes where each sound feels at once intimate and tectonic.
Beginning with the ominous, bass-heavy textures of "Deux," Vainio and Vigroux establish a dynamic atmosphere, setting the stage for the intense soundscapes to follow. "Mémoire" introduces ghostly voices that weave through thick waves of sub-bass and distorted noise, while "Souffles" explores uncharted sonic territories with its microtonal landscapes and spectral ambiance. Vigroux's mastery over spatial abstraction comes to life in "Le Souterrain," adding an atmospheric weight reminiscent of Ennio Morricone's stark loneliness or Neil Young's Dead Man soundtrack. In contrast, tracks like "Parabole" and "Le crâne tambour" unleash fierce, maximalist grooves, making them some of the most aggressive and memorable moments in Vainio's discography.
Peau Froide, Léger Soleil represents a landmark in its sonic identity, embodying a vision of uncompromising, avant-garde sound design. This anniversary reissue on Aesthetical honours that legacy while inviting new listeners into Vainio & Vigroux's collaborative universe-a space where electronic music becomes both weapon and sanctuary.
The 10th-anniversary edition promises a fresh listening experience, preserving the legacy of two artists who have redefined the boundaries of sound.
All tracks written, produced and mixed by Mika Vainio and Franck Vigroux.
Mastered by Dennis Blackham at Sky Mastering.
Photography by Umut Ungan
Listen: https://on.soundcloud.com/qoGZTuM5NT3pjfSS6
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
Franck Vigroux - A1. Loïc
2
Franck Vigroux - A2. Le Bal
3
Franck Vigroux - A3. Jolin
4
Franck Vigroux - A4. L.A.Live
5
Franck Vigroux - B1. Lightnin'
6
Franck Vigroux - B2. 68
7
Franck Vigroux - B3. Vice
8
Franck Vigroux - B4.Outsider
Following his highly acclaimed 2021 album "Atotal" (Aesthetical) and 2022
"Magnetoscope" (Raster), Vigroux returns with eight heavyweight tracks composed
in 2023 and 2024. Vigroux states about his current work: "I am not very talkative
about my music unless I am specifically questioned, the immaterial dimension of
music partly spares us from the major questions which are the prerogative of
theatrical forms for which I am also very active, in this sense for me music is a real
outlet where things are done intuitively, for pleasure". Always pushing forth and
expanding his now classic rigidly cold analog sounds and rhythmic structures
entwined with lush atmospheric synth compositions, "Grand Bal is another milestone
in his ever growing discography.
LP Edition of 300 copies in 3mm sleeve, matt lamination with black paper
innersleeve. 8 Tracks. Running Time 40:48
Premonition:
https://www.premo.fr/information/Grand-Bal-le-nouvel-album-de-Franck-Vigrouxattendu-
le-29-mars/8207&from
Industrial complex:
https://industrialcomplexx.com/franck-vigroux-grans-bal-aesthetical/
Kalistik:
https://www.kallistik.de/2024/01/29/franck-vigroux-grand-bal/
A Closer Listen:
https://acloserlisten.com/upcoming-releases/
PREMIERES
The Orb: “L.A. Live”
Klubikon: “Jolin”
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
"Magnetoscope" (Raster), Vigroux returns with eight heavyweight tracks composed
in 2023 and 2024. Vigroux states about his current work: "I am not very talkative
about my music unless I am specifically questioned, the immaterial dimension of
music partly spares us from the major questions which are the prerogative of
theatrical forms for which I am also very active, in this sense for me music is a real
outlet where things are done intuitively, for pleasure". Always pushing forth and
expanding his now classic rigidly cold analog sounds and rhythmic structures
entwined with lush atmospheric synth compositions, "Grand Bal is another milestone
in his ever growing discography.
LP Edition of 300 copies in 3mm sleeve, matt lamination with black paper
innersleeve. 8 Tracks. Running Time 40:48
Premonition:
https://www.premo.fr/information/Grand-Bal-le-nouvel-album-de-Franck-Vigrouxattendu-
le-29-mars/8207&from
Industrial complex:
https://industrialcomplexx.com/franck-vigroux-grans-bal-aesthetical/
Kalistik:
https://www.kallistik.de/2024/01/29/franck-vigroux-grand-bal/
A Closer Listen:
https://acloserlisten.com/upcoming-releases/
PREMIERES
The Orb: “L.A. Live”
Klubikon: “Jolin”
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
Following his highly acclaimed 2021 album "Atotal" (Aesthetical) and 2022
"Magnetoscope" (Raster), Vigroux returns with eight heavyweight tracks composed
in 2023 and 2024. Vigroux states about his current work: "I am not very talkative
about my music unless I am specifically questioned, the immaterial dimension of
music partly spares us from the major questions which are the prerogative of
theatrical forms for which I am also very active, in this sense for me music is a real
outlet where things are done intuitively, for pleasure". Always pushing forth and
expanding his now classic rigidly cold analog sounds and rhythmic structures
entwined with lush atmospheric synth compositions, "Grand Bal is another milestone
in his ever growing discography.
CD Edition of 300 copies in 4 panel Digipak. 8 Tracks. Running Time 40:48
Tracklist:
CD:1. Loïc 2 . Le Bal 3. Jolin 4. L.A. Live 5. Lightnin' 6. 68 7. Vice 8. Outsider
Listen: https://on.soundcloud.com/VpuyY
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
"Magnetoscope" (Raster), Vigroux returns with eight heavyweight tracks composed
in 2023 and 2024. Vigroux states about his current work: "I am not very talkative
about my music unless I am specifically questioned, the immaterial dimension of
music partly spares us from the major questions which are the prerogative of
theatrical forms for which I am also very active, in this sense for me music is a real
outlet where things are done intuitively, for pleasure". Always pushing forth and
expanding his now classic rigidly cold analog sounds and rhythmic structures
entwined with lush atmospheric synth compositions, "Grand Bal is another milestone
in his ever growing discography.
CD Edition of 300 copies in 4 panel Digipak. 8 Tracks. Running Time 40:48
Tracklist:
CD:1. Loïc 2 . Le Bal 3. Jolin 4. L.A. Live 5. Lightnin' 6. 68 7. Vice 8. Outsider
Listen: https://on.soundcloud.com/VpuyY
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
Vinyl Edition of 300 copies, 3mm sleeve, matt lamination, black paper inner sleeve. 14 Tracks. Running Time 46:13
Aesthetical in collaboration with Sync presents "Detect" by Marco Monfardini.
Originally developed as an audio/video live performance, Marco Monfardini based his research for Detect on the decoding of inaudible sounds, sound generated by electromagnetic emissions left from electronic devices and inaudible to the human ear. By using various electro-smog detectors Marco Monfardini creates a sort of detection mapping where electromagnetic emissions are the starting point for the sonorous development of each single composition.
A path that creates a parallel with our lives by questioning how much these emissions affect unconsciously our choices, tastes and perceptions, seeking a relationship between the massive use of technology in everyday life and our emotional state.
The album Detect is developed in 15 tracks in continuous play, an imperfect, faulty mosaic inhabited by invisible beings manifesting themselves in the form of sound streams, mutable entities that find a definitive form in the pattern of the compositional structure.
The album opens with "a[R1] detection", sounds of pure detection place themselves in the sound space giving the initial coordinates for the exploration of unconscious parallel areas. The boundaries transform and gradually expand until they flow into the structure of "kernel variations", a growing rhythmic pattern decodes the impulses projecting a perspective that dissolves in the unstable and fluctuating electromagnetic emissions of the subsequent "[a]3020t detection", "binary defect "and "core[2] ". "[A.box]emission" confronts the use of sound downloaded random from internet sample banks and the emissions generated during the download itself, micro sound fragments arrange themselves in an organized and regular pattern, shaping a rhythmic structure. The first part ends with the short "[sa]6030" and "[det]x1a", absence and presence provide an alternation of movements, inaudible and elusive signals all trying to establish a contact with our perception. "det : scan" opens the second part of Detect, a sort of scanning, leaving EMF (electromagnetic field) textures, a static multilayer that progressively expands until it dissolves into the rhythmic emissions of a common smartphone "[4s]detection".The track "[rs]zone" " is pushing itself deeper, two minutes of sound speleology that reveal the existence of sound artifacts that seem to vanish getting in contact with the light accented by the bass drum of "[det] 0100+" a constant, rhythmic pumping, a luminous pulsation that reveals an apparent void, which seems to subside entering in the winding and waving atmosphere of "conductive [area]" and "[s3] microfunktion". Detect comes to the end with "[emf]terminal" a mirror of the unarrestable technological acceleration intercepting the flow of data that feeds the system of communication , digital micro waste suffocates the living space by centering up the invisible in an unconscious map.
Tracklist:
A01 - [a]R1 detection A02 - kernel variations A03 - [a]3020t detection A04 - binary defect A05 - core[2] A06 - [A.box]emission (2) A07 - [sa]6030 - det]x1a
B01 - det-scan B02 - [4s]detection B03 - [rs]zone B04 - [det]0100+ B05 - conductive[area] B06 - [s3]microfunktion B07 - [emf]terminal
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
Aesthetical in collaboration with Sync presents "Detect" by Marco Monfardini.
Originally developed as an audio/video live performance, Marco Monfardini based his research for Detect on the decoding of inaudible sounds, sound generated by electromagnetic emissions left from electronic devices and inaudible to the human ear. By using various electro-smog detectors Marco Monfardini creates a sort of detection mapping where electromagnetic emissions are the starting point for the sonorous development of each single composition.
A path that creates a parallel with our lives by questioning how much these emissions affect unconsciously our choices, tastes and perceptions, seeking a relationship between the massive use of technology in everyday life and our emotional state.
The album Detect is developed in 15 tracks in continuous play, an imperfect, faulty mosaic inhabited by invisible beings manifesting themselves in the form of sound streams, mutable entities that find a definitive form in the pattern of the compositional structure.
The album opens with "a[R1] detection", sounds of pure detection place themselves in the sound space giving the initial coordinates for the exploration of unconscious parallel areas. The boundaries transform and gradually expand until they flow into the structure of "kernel variations", a growing rhythmic pattern decodes the impulses projecting a perspective that dissolves in the unstable and fluctuating electromagnetic emissions of the subsequent "[a]3020t detection", "binary defect "and "core[2] ". "[A.box]emission" confronts the use of sound downloaded random from internet sample banks and the emissions generated during the download itself, micro sound fragments arrange themselves in an organized and regular pattern, shaping a rhythmic structure. The first part ends with the short "[sa]6030" and "[det]x1a", absence and presence provide an alternation of movements, inaudible and elusive signals all trying to establish a contact with our perception. "det : scan" opens the second part of Detect, a sort of scanning, leaving EMF (electromagnetic field) textures, a static multilayer that progressively expands until it dissolves into the rhythmic emissions of a common smartphone "[4s]detection".The track "[rs]zone" " is pushing itself deeper, two minutes of sound speleology that reveal the existence of sound artifacts that seem to vanish getting in contact with the light accented by the bass drum of "[det] 0100+" a constant, rhythmic pumping, a luminous pulsation that reveals an apparent void, which seems to subside entering in the winding and waving atmosphere of "conductive [area]" and "[s3] microfunktion". Detect comes to the end with "[emf]terminal" a mirror of the unarrestable technological acceleration intercepting the flow of data that feeds the system of communication , digital micro waste suffocates the living space by centering up the invisible in an unconscious map.
Tracklist:
A01 - [a]R1 detection A02 - kernel variations A03 - [a]3020t detection A04 - binary defect A05 - core[2] A06 - [A.box]emission (2) A07 - [sa]6030 - det]x1a
B01 - det-scan B02 - [4s]detection B03 - [rs]zone B04 - [det]0100+ B05 - conductive[area] B06 - [s3]microfunktion B07 - [emf]terminal
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:Aesthetical
Cat-No:AES004LP
Release-Date:25.02.2022
Genre:Electronic, Electronica
Configuration:LP
Label:Aesthetical
Cat-No:AES004LP
Release-Date:25.02.2022
Genre:Electronic, Electronica
Configuration:LP
New full length album of Franck Vigroux's uncompromising signature sound of colossal electronic music. Atotal gathers material from Franck's latest live A/V of the the same name. Working with his long time visual partner Antoine Schmitt, ATOTAL is an audiovisual performance aiming to reconstruct in order to better deconstruct the processes of imposition of will by repetition and absolute synchronism, to propose a breach to a potentially life-saving decoincidence. The total work of art, when pushed to its paroxysm of absolute coincidence of the perceptions of a captive spectator, is similar to the techniques of mental manipulation of totalitarian regimes, proceeding by annihilation of the critical mind, repetitive semantic pounding, subliminal messages. The ideal of a deterministic universe of Newton in which everything rationally stems from its causes, in which everything is predictable like a totality for Laplace's daemon, where everything can be considered already written, has been undermined in the infinitely small of the uncertainties of Heisenberg which tell us that it is impossible to know everything about a particle, in the quantum mechanics of Schrödinger which reveals to us that the looker affects the looked-at, and in the infinitely abstract of Gödel's incompleteness which explains to us that certain things are literally unexplainable. The show ATOTAL slips into these flaws and, like a clinamen of Lucretia, deviates the visual and audio atoms from their destiny. Mastering by Denis Blackham. Artwork by Mostafa Khaled
With the support of Adami 365.
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
With the support of Adami 365.
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:Aesthetical
Cat-No:AES004CD
Release-Date:25.02.2022
Genre:Electronic, Electronica
Configuration:CD
Label:Aesthetical
Cat-No:AES004CD
Release-Date:25.02.2022
Genre:Electronic, Electronica
Configuration:CD
New full length album of Franck Vigroux's uncompromising signature sound of colossal electronic music. Atotal gathers material from Franck's latest live A/V of the the same name. Working with his long time visual partner Antoine Schmitt, ATOTAL is an audiovisual performance aiming to reconstruct in order to better deconstruct the processes of imposition of will by repetition and absolute synchronism, to propose a breach to a potentially life-saving decoincidence. The total work of art, when pushed to its paroxysm of absolute coincidence of the perceptions of a captive spectator, is similar to the techniques of mental manipulation of totalitarian regimes, proceeding by annihilation of the critical mind, repetitive semantic pounding, subliminal messages. The ideal of a deterministic universe of Newton in which everything rationally stems from its causes, in which everything is predictable like a totality for Laplace's daemon, where everything can be considered already written, has been undermined in the infinitely small of the uncertainties of Heisenberg which tell us that it is impossible to know everything about a particle, in the quantum mechanics of Schrödinger which reveals to us that the looker affects the looked-at, and in the infinitely abstract of Gödel's incompleteness which explains to us that certain things are literally unexplainable. The show ATOTAL slips into these flaws and, like a clinamen of Lucretia, deviates the visual and audio atoms from their destiny. Mastering by Denis Blackham. Artwork by Mostafa Khaled
With the support of Adami 365.
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
With the support of Adami 365.
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
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2LP R&S and Apollo Records present an official vinyl repress of this most classicand timeless album The vinyl uses the 2013 re-masters made from original DAT tapes cut by Matt Colton and presented in original artwork.
All time favourite Aphex Twin Album. Nice and accesible experimental techno. Originally released in 1992. What else could be said here, we finally are stocking copies on arguably the most important and influential electronic album of album time, Aphex Twin's Selected Ambient Works 85–92. You will always need this!!!
Tracks: A1 Xtal
A2 Tha
A3 Pulsewidth
B1 Ageispolis
B2 i
B3 Green Calx
B4 Heliosphan
C1 We Are The Music Makers
C2 Schottkey 7th Path
C3 Ptolemy
D1 Hedphelym
D2 Delphium
D3 Actium
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 R&S and Apollo Records present an official vinyl repress of this most classicand timeless album The vinyl uses the 2013 re-masters made from original DAT tapes cut by Matt Colton and presented in original artwork.
All time favourite Aphex Twin Album. Nice and accesible experimental techno. Originally released in 1992. What else could be said here, we finally are stocking copies on arguably the most important and influential electronic album of album time, Aphex Twin's Selected Ambient Works 85–92. You will always need this!!!
Tracks: A1 Xtal
A2 Tha
A3 Pulsewidth
B1 Ageispolis
B2 i
B3 Green Calx
B4 Heliosphan
C1 We Are The Music Makers
C2 Schottkey 7th Path
C3 Ptolemy
D1 Hedphelym
D2 Delphium
D3 Actium
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
Alva Noto - A1 Xerrox Kirlian (00:06:12)
2
Alva Noto - A2 Xerrox Neige (00:04:55)
3
Alva Noto - A3 Xerrox Voyage (00:03:50)
4
Alva Noto - A4 Xerrox Cosmos (00:03:52)
5
Alva Noto - B1 Xerrox Plongée (00:05:36)
6
Alva Noto - B2 Xerrox Île (00:06:24)
7
Alva Noto - B3 Xerrox Argo (00:05:32)
8
Alva Noto - C1 Xerrox Calypsoid 1 (00:04:32)
9
Alva Noto - C2 Xerrox Canaux (00:04:13)
10
Alva Noto - C3 Xerrox Utopia (00:03:06)
11
Alva Noto - C4 Xerrox Sans Retour (00:04:23)
12
Alva Noto - D1 Xerrox Calypsoid 2 (00:11:06)
13
Alva Noto - D2 Xerrox Apesanteur (00:04:32)
14
Alva Noto - D3 Xerrox Néant (00:02:54)
Track list 2LP:
A1 Alva Noto - Xerrox Kirlian (00:06:12)
A2 Alva Noto - Xerrox Neige (00:04:55)
A3 Alva Noto - Xerrox Voyage (00:03:50)
A4 Alva Noto - Xerrox Cosmos (00:03:52)
B1 Alva Noto - Xerrox Plongée (00:05:36)
B2 Alva Noto - Xerrox Île (00:06:24)
B3 Alva Noto - Xerrox Argo (00:05:32)
C1 Alva Noto - Xerrox Calypsoid 1 (00:04:32)
C2 Alva Noto - Xerrox Canaux (00:04:13)
C3 Alva Noto - Xerrox Utopia (00:03:06)
C4 Alva Noto - Xerrox Sans Retour (00:04:23)
D1 Alva Noto - Xerrox Calypsoid 2 (00:11:06)
D2 Alva Noto - Xerrox Apesanteur (00:04:32)
D3 Alva Noto - Xerrox Néant (00:02:54)
Release Info:
Alva Noto returns to his much awaited Xerrox project with Vol. 4, the fourth installment of the five-piece intended series based on the concept of digital replication of source material.
Using the process of copying as a basis, the Xerrox series deals with the manipulation of data by means of endless reproduction. Due to the inherent fallacy of the procedure involving the making of copies made from
other copies, everyday’s sounds become so altered that they can be hardly associated with the source material. As a result, entirely new sounds are created: copies of originals become originals themselves.
Following Xerrox Vol. 1 (2007), Vol. 2 (2009), Vol. 3 (2015), Carsten Nicolai continues the pentalogy eluding the accuracy and precise sound design for which he’s renowned, and turning to a more harmony-driven composition technique.
Unlike the previous Xerrox albums, whose starting point is a set of samples extracted from external sources and fragments of recordings, Vol. 4 compounds under a unified cinematic soundscape, warm chords, thrumming digital ambiences, liquified
electronics, drones, and noise sustained by floods of strings. The tension between the organic warmth and static curves, broads tones into distant roars and electronic cascade of sounds.
While Alva Noto's oeuvre is predominantly affiliated with pristine sound design, Xerrox holds more intimate
gestures and emotional sensibility. This fourth volume shuns further from the conceptualism and orderliness of prior musical outputs, ranging from heart-warming elegies to mind-bending sci-fi projections in extrasolar territories.
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WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More
A1 Alva Noto - Xerrox Kirlian (00:06:12)
A2 Alva Noto - Xerrox Neige (00:04:55)
A3 Alva Noto - Xerrox Voyage (00:03:50)
A4 Alva Noto - Xerrox Cosmos (00:03:52)
B1 Alva Noto - Xerrox Plongée (00:05:36)
B2 Alva Noto - Xerrox Île (00:06:24)
B3 Alva Noto - Xerrox Argo (00:05:32)
C1 Alva Noto - Xerrox Calypsoid 1 (00:04:32)
C2 Alva Noto - Xerrox Canaux (00:04:13)
C3 Alva Noto - Xerrox Utopia (00:03:06)
C4 Alva Noto - Xerrox Sans Retour (00:04:23)
D1 Alva Noto - Xerrox Calypsoid 2 (00:11:06)
D2 Alva Noto - Xerrox Apesanteur (00:04:32)
D3 Alva Noto - Xerrox Néant (00:02:54)
Release Info:
Alva Noto returns to his much awaited Xerrox project with Vol. 4, the fourth installment of the five-piece intended series based on the concept of digital replication of source material.
Using the process of copying as a basis, the Xerrox series deals with the manipulation of data by means of endless reproduction. Due to the inherent fallacy of the procedure involving the making of copies made from
other copies, everyday’s sounds become so altered that they can be hardly associated with the source material. As a result, entirely new sounds are created: copies of originals become originals themselves.
Following Xerrox Vol. 1 (2007), Vol. 2 (2009), Vol. 3 (2015), Carsten Nicolai continues the pentalogy eluding the accuracy and precise sound design for which he’s renowned, and turning to a more harmony-driven composition technique.
Unlike the previous Xerrox albums, whose starting point is a set of samples extracted from external sources and fragments of recordings, Vol. 4 compounds under a unified cinematic soundscape, warm chords, thrumming digital ambiences, liquified
electronics, drones, and noise sustained by floods of strings. The tension between the organic warmth and static curves, broads tones into distant roars and electronic cascade of sounds.
While Alva Noto's oeuvre is predominantly affiliated with pristine sound design, Xerrox holds more intimate
gestures and emotional sensibility. This fourth volume shuns further from the conceptualism and orderliness of prior musical outputs, ranging from heart-warming elegies to mind-bending sci-fi projections in extrasolar territories.
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
Territories : ww -fr -uk -benelux -it
Format: 2LP, two black "sparkled cosmos" vinyls
Originally released in 2005, OK Cowboy, Vitalic’s first album, is celebrating its twentieth anniversary with a reissue in several formats (box set, double vinyl, CD, digital), enriched with rare tracks and previously unreleased versions. OK Cowboy is a landmark album in electronic music, a pivotal record between eras. It perfectly captures that period while also anticipating the raw, abrasive new sounds of French Touch 2.0 (the movement led by Justice and the artists of the Ed Banger label). Twenty years later, the impact and power of this major album still mark it as a defining release of the mid-2000s, retaining its full sonic relevance today.
Tracklist
A1. Polkamatic (remastered)
A2. My Friend Dario (Dima prefers newbeat mix) (remastered)
A3. You are my Sun (remastered)
A4. Poney part 1 (remastered)
B1. My Friend Dario (remastered)
B2. Wooo (remastered)
B3. La Rock 01 (remastered)
B4. The Past (remastered)
C1. No Fun (remastered)
C2. Poney part 2 (remastered)
C3. Repair Machines (remastered)
C4. Newman (remastered)
D1. Trahison (remastered)
D2. U and I (remastered)
D3. Valletta Fanfares (remastered)
D4. One Billion Dollar Studio (remastered)
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WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More
Format: 2LP, two black "sparkled cosmos" vinyls
Originally released in 2005, OK Cowboy, Vitalic’s first album, is celebrating its twentieth anniversary with a reissue in several formats (box set, double vinyl, CD, digital), enriched with rare tracks and previously unreleased versions. OK Cowboy is a landmark album in electronic music, a pivotal record between eras. It perfectly captures that period while also anticipating the raw, abrasive new sounds of French Touch 2.0 (the movement led by Justice and the artists of the Ed Banger label). Twenty years later, the impact and power of this major album still mark it as a defining release of the mid-2000s, retaining its full sonic relevance today.
Tracklist
A1. Polkamatic (remastered)
A2. My Friend Dario (Dima prefers newbeat mix) (remastered)
A3. You are my Sun (remastered)
A4. Poney part 1 (remastered)
B1. My Friend Dario (remastered)
B2. Wooo (remastered)
B3. La Rock 01 (remastered)
B4. The Past (remastered)
C1. No Fun (remastered)
C2. Poney part 2 (remastered)
C3. Repair Machines (remastered)
C4. Newman (remastered)
D1. Trahison (remastered)
D2. U and I (remastered)
D3. Valletta Fanfares (remastered)
D4. One Billion Dollar Studio (remastered)
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DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
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1
Wax - No Title
2
Wax - No Title
Perfect uplifting Techno / House Shedism
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WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More
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
Butch & C. Vogt - Desire
2
Butch & C. Vogt - Desire (Dub)
3
Butch & C. Vogt - Desire (Drum Tool)
4
Butch & C. Vogt - Desire (Vox Tool)
No Sales to US'UK'Benelux
Tracklist
A1. Desire
B1. Desire (Dub)
B2. Desire (Drum Tool)
B3. Desire (Vox Tool)
Shortinfo:
Circulating as a digital dub plate for more than a year on selected USB-sticks, it’s finally available: Butch & C.Vogt’s remix-not-remix (i.e. cover version) of Andy Gibbs’ „Desire“.
Cut, spliced and modernized, it’s the kind of tailor-made DJ pleasure that only comes along once in a while and needs its own record shop section: Blue-eyed R&B house. Made to please and evoking those unifying and uplifting dance-floor moments that are due to Andy Gibbs’ lyrics („we may be big or small or…“) and spot-on production work.
Butch has been known to hit the bulls-eye (see „Dope“ or „Countach“ for further reference) and together with his studio partner C.Vogt, this is an especially inspired outcome.
Enjoy a 45rpm cut, backed up by drum, dubs and vocal tools on the flip side. And always remember: we may be young or old or in between, but together we can learn to grow.
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WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More
Tracklist
A1. Desire
B1. Desire (Dub)
B2. Desire (Drum Tool)
B3. Desire (Vox Tool)
Shortinfo:
Circulating as a digital dub plate for more than a year on selected USB-sticks, it’s finally available: Butch & C.Vogt’s remix-not-remix (i.e. cover version) of Andy Gibbs’ „Desire“.
Cut, spliced and modernized, it’s the kind of tailor-made DJ pleasure that only comes along once in a while and needs its own record shop section: Blue-eyed R&B house. Made to please and evoking those unifying and uplifting dance-floor moments that are due to Andy Gibbs’ lyrics („we may be big or small or…“) and spot-on production work.
Butch has been known to hit the bulls-eye (see „Dope“ or „Countach“ for further reference) and together with his studio partner C.Vogt, this is an especially inspired outcome.
Enjoy a 45rpm cut, backed up by drum, dubs and vocal tools on the flip side. And always remember: we may be young or old or in between, but together we can learn to grow.
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
Chris Liebing & Speedy J: Collabs 3000 - Zwart
2
Chris Liebing & Speedy J: Collabs 3000 - Spiegeling
3
Chris Liebing & Speedy J: Collabs 3000 - Strum
4
Chris Liebing & Speedy J: Collabs 3000 - Galude
Territories: WORLD minus UK/IE/US/CA
TRACKLIST
A1. Zwart
A2. Spiegeling
B1. Strum
B2. Galude
FORMAT: 12" VINYL, Limited run of 500 copies worldwide
ABOUT:
Techno pioneers Chris Liebing and Speedy J (aka Jochem Paap) reunite as Collabs 3000 for their 2025 EP, a brand new four-track release and their first new studio material together in nearly two decades.
Channeling the raw, improvisational energy of their recently revived Collabs 3000 live sets, these tracks build on the legacy of their acclaimed collaboration with a fresh, future-facing edge. The EP precedes the full remastered reissue of the electronic techno masterpiece, Metalism, out 14th November 2025, and celebrates a partnership that helped to define the sound of early '00s Techno.
pressed on a strictly limited vinyl run of 500 copies worldwide and released via NovaMute.
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WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More
TRACKLIST
A1. Zwart
A2. Spiegeling
B1. Strum
B2. Galude
FORMAT: 12" VINYL, Limited run of 500 copies worldwide
ABOUT:
Techno pioneers Chris Liebing and Speedy J (aka Jochem Paap) reunite as Collabs 3000 for their 2025 EP, a brand new four-track release and their first new studio material together in nearly two decades.
Channeling the raw, improvisational energy of their recently revived Collabs 3000 live sets, these tracks build on the legacy of their acclaimed collaboration with a fresh, future-facing edge. The EP precedes the full remastered reissue of the electronic techno masterpiece, Metalism, out 14th November 2025, and celebrates a partnership that helped to define the sound of early '00s Techno.
pressed on a strictly limited vinyl run of 500 copies worldwide and released via NovaMute.
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
Altinbas - Sidereal
2
Altinbas - Eclipse
3
Altinbas - Maniola
4
Altinbas - Saisei
Fuse resident Altinbas keeps exploring new grounds through his label Observer Station with the release of his sixth EP, Eclipse.
Tracklist
A1. Sidereal
A2. Eclipse
B1. Maniola
B2. Saisei
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WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More
Tracklist
A1. Sidereal
A2. Eclipse
B1. Maniola
B2. Saisei
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Label:Text Records
Cat-No:TEXT058
Release-Date:27.02.2026
Genre:Electronic, Electronica
Configuration:12"
Label:Text Records
Cat-No:TEXT058
Release-Date:27.02.2026
Genre:Electronic, Electronica
Configuration:12"
Side A
A1. Human Voice - 06:36
Side B
B1. T246 130ish Electribe Plaits - 08:30
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DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
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A1. Human Voice - 06:36
Side B
B1. T246 130ish Electribe Plaits - 08:30
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DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
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Label:Underground Resistance
Cat-No:UR-049
Release-Date:06.02.2026
Genre:Detroit Techno
Configuration:12"
Label:Underground Resistance
Cat-No:UR-049
Release-Date:06.02.2026
Genre:Detroit Techno
Configuration:12"
1
UR - Jaguar
2
UR - Ascesion
Repress!
The Aztecs return. UR receives the message. The Aztecs and the Hermanos make the transition from the guitar player. Natives didn’t take the robbery of Mother Earth’s land or her culture lightly. A new warrior culture, the Electronics did not back down when a war broke out with the programmers over this production. Those who know were avenged for the transgression. Strong beautiful music with a stronger beautiful spirit. A first in the history of music: big can lose. Hear it and feel the power of the cats that still prowl the streets of Detroit.
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WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More
The Aztecs return. UR receives the message. The Aztecs and the Hermanos make the transition from the guitar player. Natives didn’t take the robbery of Mother Earth’s land or her culture lightly. A new warrior culture, the Electronics did not back down when a war broke out with the programmers over this production. Those who know were avenged for the transgression. Strong beautiful music with a stronger beautiful spirit. A first in the history of music: big can lose. Hear it and feel the power of the cats that still prowl the streets of Detroit.
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
Ron Trent - Magic Carnival
Sacred Medicine, the joint project/label Joaquin Joe Claussell and Ron Trent have been carefully crafting and honing over the past couple of years, brings you the second instalment of deepness and authenticity.The much anticipated ‘Magic Carnival’, a song heavily programmed in their sets to maximum effect, is finally here!Another manifestation of the powerful and original output of the label, ‘Magic Carnival’ builds and builds in a musical crescendo with signature musical elements pulsating all over the song to full impact.A relentless spiritual groove….another jam in the Sacred Medicine building catalogue…a special one-sided 12 inch made with love and extra care, to spread the message loud and clear!
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WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
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Germany
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In the mid-90s, Ken Ishii rose to prominence, with a futuristic sound rooted in Detroit’s machine soul yet unmistakably his own. Hailing from Sapporo, Ishii quickly became synonymous with futuristic, cutting-edge productions, and ‘Jelly Tones’ - originally released on R&S Records in 1995 - was the breakthrough release that propelled the Japanese producer to global notoriety.
Now reissued on vinyl for the first time since 2008, this 30-year anniversary edition of ‘Jelly Tones’, celebrates the album’s lasting legacy and continued influence with the dynamic rhythms, crystalline synth textures, and sophisticated arrangements that set Ishii apart - from the propulsive elegance of ‘Stretch’ and the layered complexity of ‘Pause in Herbs’, to the tribal, otherworldly darkness of ‘Moved By Air’ and the lush close of ‘Endless Season’.
Liste: https://open.spotify.com/intl-de/album/4TU4WS5SHMNlIJ02ABUdTY?si=ljfjR6eGR12jahQ9gtM_oQ&nd=1&dlsi=3e5e7f016f2140c7
TRACKLIST
A1 Extra
A2 Cocoa Mousse
B1 Stretch
B2 Ethos 9
C1 Moved By Air
C2 Pause In Herbs
D1 Frame Out
D2 Endless Season
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WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More
Now reissued on vinyl for the first time since 2008, this 30-year anniversary edition of ‘Jelly Tones’, celebrates the album’s lasting legacy and continued influence with the dynamic rhythms, crystalline synth textures, and sophisticated arrangements that set Ishii apart - from the propulsive elegance of ‘Stretch’ and the layered complexity of ‘Pause in Herbs’, to the tribal, otherworldly darkness of ‘Moved By Air’ and the lush close of ‘Endless Season’.
Liste: https://open.spotify.com/intl-de/album/4TU4WS5SHMNlIJ02ABUdTY?si=ljfjR6eGR12jahQ9gtM_oQ&nd=1&dlsi=3e5e7f016f2140c7
TRACKLIST
A1 Extra
A2 Cocoa Mousse
B1 Stretch
B2 Ethos 9
C1 Moved By Air
C2 Pause In Herbs
D1 Frame Out
D2 Endless Season
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WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
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1
Thought Leadership - XI
2
Thought Leadership - XII
3
Thought Leadership - XIII
4
Thought Leadership - XIV
5
Thought Leadership - XV
6
Thought Leadership - XVI
7
Thought Leadership - XVII
8
Thought Leadership - XVIII
9
Thought Leadership - XIX
10
Thought Leadership - XX
Territories: Worldwide no restrictions
Format Notes: Hyper-limited (300 only!) ethereal ambient-guitar-soul, originally released on cassette only. 2025 first time ever vinyl release, 140g vinyl.
Track List:
A1 XI
A2 XII
A3 XIII
A4 XIV
A5 XV
A6 XVI
A7 XVII
B1 XVIII
B2 XIX
B3 XX
Release Notes:
On a "Balearic-Jazz trip", the phenomenally hyped Thought Leadership returns with another X ideas: the deck this time chooses the Ace of Swords. In the acclaim garnered by III of Pentacles, there were many whispers of “Balearic” from those in the know. As soon as you drop the needle on XI you will be basking in turbo Balearica.
Originally out on cassette only, we present the first ever vinyl issue. It's a hideously limited pressing of 300 for the world, so don't sleep on this.
The sonic palate has been augmented by the addition of synth and bass; there are more guitar layers, more pedals and more organic drums this time – a much fuller production. Still DIY, and still recorded straight to multitrack, just ever so slightly grander in scale; think a rough-hewn, long-lost Claremont 56 cut and you’ll have some idea of how XI opens this future classic LP.
The touchstones so key to the vision of Pentacles (Cocteau Twins, Dif Juz, Durutti Column) are all still present and correct; XII could be a piece from Extractions, XIII is pure Garlands-era Guthrie and, now with the shuffling jazz drums, XV makes TL even more LC – but more disparate influences are found this time out too. ECM guitar legends John Abercrombie and Pat Metheny in the more considered melodic phrasing and harmonic structure of the ideas and a nod to the cosmic Balearic spirit in the overall vibe, means more is offered to the listener across Swords.
XVI and XVII are the biggest indicators to Thought Leaderships’ new found love of The Real Book and their grasp of jazz chords. The former sounds like if Mike Hedges had produced on a heavily sedated ECM date in the early 80s, whilst the latter is Bright Size Life condensed into a most post-punk shard of Strat conversation. The syrupy Phase 90 on the lead parts lends much weight to the guitar melodies, a beautiful tonal counterpoint to the Vox-ish chimes of the plangent chords we’ve all come to love.
The flip again treats us to three extended, improvised jams. XVIII owes as much to Canterbury as it does to Krautrock, another modal voyage through the stars. Light the incense and drift away, guided by delayed cymbals and weaving ribbons of guitar. XIX has almost a New-Wave/Sophisti-Pop energy to it in tone, if not in structure and execution. Something almost Tears for Fears-esque in the chiming chorus guitars. An interesting outlier that has already received a lot of love from those that have heard it. XX is the starkest idea, and the only piece this time with no drums. What we do get, however, is a free exploration over a two chord-vamp. It’s Harvest Time meets Planet Caravan and a fitting end to this Balearic jazz trip.
Be With is honoured to present the first ever vinyl release of Ace Of Swords, carefully remastered by Be With's engineer Simon Francis to ensure it sounds better than ever after its initial tape release. Cicely Balston's expert skills have made sure nothing is lost in the cut at Abbey Road Studios whilst the records have been pressed to the highest possible standard at Record Industry, in Holland. The original tape cover artwork, so crucial to Thought Leadership's striking visual aesthetic, has been rejigged for vinyl issue here at Be With.
The last one flew. You have been warned.
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WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More
Format Notes: Hyper-limited (300 only!) ethereal ambient-guitar-soul, originally released on cassette only. 2025 first time ever vinyl release, 140g vinyl.
Track List:
A1 XI
A2 XII
A3 XIII
A4 XIV
A5 XV
A6 XVI
A7 XVII
B1 XVIII
B2 XIX
B3 XX
Release Notes:
On a "Balearic-Jazz trip", the phenomenally hyped Thought Leadership returns with another X ideas: the deck this time chooses the Ace of Swords. In the acclaim garnered by III of Pentacles, there were many whispers of “Balearic” from those in the know. As soon as you drop the needle on XI you will be basking in turbo Balearica.
Originally out on cassette only, we present the first ever vinyl issue. It's a hideously limited pressing of 300 for the world, so don't sleep on this.
The sonic palate has been augmented by the addition of synth and bass; there are more guitar layers, more pedals and more organic drums this time – a much fuller production. Still DIY, and still recorded straight to multitrack, just ever so slightly grander in scale; think a rough-hewn, long-lost Claremont 56 cut and you’ll have some idea of how XI opens this future classic LP.
The touchstones so key to the vision of Pentacles (Cocteau Twins, Dif Juz, Durutti Column) are all still present and correct; XII could be a piece from Extractions, XIII is pure Garlands-era Guthrie and, now with the shuffling jazz drums, XV makes TL even more LC – but more disparate influences are found this time out too. ECM guitar legends John Abercrombie and Pat Metheny in the more considered melodic phrasing and harmonic structure of the ideas and a nod to the cosmic Balearic spirit in the overall vibe, means more is offered to the listener across Swords.
XVI and XVII are the biggest indicators to Thought Leaderships’ new found love of The Real Book and their grasp of jazz chords. The former sounds like if Mike Hedges had produced on a heavily sedated ECM date in the early 80s, whilst the latter is Bright Size Life condensed into a most post-punk shard of Strat conversation. The syrupy Phase 90 on the lead parts lends much weight to the guitar melodies, a beautiful tonal counterpoint to the Vox-ish chimes of the plangent chords we’ve all come to love.
The flip again treats us to three extended, improvised jams. XVIII owes as much to Canterbury as it does to Krautrock, another modal voyage through the stars. Light the incense and drift away, guided by delayed cymbals and weaving ribbons of guitar. XIX has almost a New-Wave/Sophisti-Pop energy to it in tone, if not in structure and execution. Something almost Tears for Fears-esque in the chiming chorus guitars. An interesting outlier that has already received a lot of love from those that have heard it. XX is the starkest idea, and the only piece this time with no drums. What we do get, however, is a free exploration over a two chord-vamp. It’s Harvest Time meets Planet Caravan and a fitting end to this Balearic jazz trip.
Be With is honoured to present the first ever vinyl release of Ace Of Swords, carefully remastered by Be With's engineer Simon Francis to ensure it sounds better than ever after its initial tape release. Cicely Balston's expert skills have made sure nothing is lost in the cut at Abbey Road Studios whilst the records have been pressed to the highest possible standard at Record Industry, in Holland. The original tape cover artwork, so crucial to Thought Leadership's striking visual aesthetic, has been rejigged for vinyl issue here at Be With.
The last one flew. You have been warned.
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