1
Loop Diary - Safe Place
2
Loop Diary - Field Trip
3
Loop Diary - Park
4
Loop Diary - Secret
5
Loop Diary - Tipsy Dub
6
Loop Diary - Slow Waves
7
Loop Diary - Past / Future
8
Loop Diary - Windy Station
9
Loop Diary - Easy Steps
10
Loop Diary - Midsummer Forest
Music from Tokyo / New York serves as the 2024 sequel to his previous release, Music for Joshua Tree. This conceptual album is divided into Side A (Tokyo) and Side B (New York), utilizing field recordings captured in each location. The ceramic images featured on LP jacket is the work of Namiko Ishikawa (NamipotNYC).
On this record, he incorporates Ambient, Downtempo, Trip-hop, and Dub—bringing to life the specific sounds currently resonating in his mind and his original roots.
Since the pandemic, he has been traveling and capturing "environmental sounds" through field recordings, which served as the primary inspiration for this record. Side A features tracks inspired by the atmosphere of Tokyo, including recordings from streets, parks near his home in Japan. Side B explores New York, incorporating the sounds of Brooklyn and Manhattan, as well as the chirping of insects recorded in the New York mountains.
While the album remains centered on analog synthesizers and vinyl samples, he has introduced analog drum machines and glitch noise to craft the groove. Unlike his previous work, this release brings prominent bass lines and added more Dub elements to the forefront. His primary focus for this project was expressing a sense of "space" and "air" through the meticulous use of reverb and delay.
Throughout the album, he invites the listener to imagine the unique "local atmosphere" he experienced during his travels.
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
On this record, he incorporates Ambient, Downtempo, Trip-hop, and Dub—bringing to life the specific sounds currently resonating in his mind and his original roots.
Since the pandemic, he has been traveling and capturing "environmental sounds" through field recordings, which served as the primary inspiration for this record. Side A features tracks inspired by the atmosphere of Tokyo, including recordings from streets, parks near his home in Japan. Side B explores New York, incorporating the sounds of Brooklyn and Manhattan, as well as the chirping of insects recorded in the New York mountains.
While the album remains centered on analog synthesizers and vinyl samples, he has introduced analog drum machines and glitch noise to craft the groove. Unlike his previous work, this release brings prominent bass lines and added more Dub elements to the forefront. His primary focus for this project was expressing a sense of "space" and "air" through the meticulous use of reverb and delay.
Throughout the album, he invites the listener to imagine the unique "local atmosphere" he experienced during his travels.
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 Personal Affair
1
Kotaro Maruyama - signal
2
Kotaro Maruyama - dim light
3
Kotaro Maruyama - paper balloon
4
Kotaro Maruyama - river of grass
5
Kotaro Maruyama - mild alkaline
6
Kotaro Maruyama - from dusk
A new release from the back alleys of Tokyo
"Prior to the vinyl release of the debut work “Vapor Curve”, which suffered a one-year delay due to manufacturing errors, the release of the mini-album “grainy film” has been confirmed."
Following the artist's previous release, this album completely eschews the use of computer-based DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) software. By relying exclusively on a strictly limited setup of hardware—synthesizers, samplers, and delay units—the artist pursues a meticulously woven, highly original take on minimal harmony.
At the core of this record lie exquisite ambient textures and beautifully shimmering synthesizer arpeggios. These are layered with the organic warmth of the sampler, vividly sketching out the contemporary "sound of Tokyo." As the album title suggests, the gritty, Lo-Fi texture of the sampler evokes the imagery of a vintage, low-fidelity film reel in the listener's mind. Pushing further than the predecessor, this approach embraces a more abstract, dubby, and deep soundscape aesthetic, elevating the album's artistry to new depths.
Describing this stoically refined electronic music, Maruyama reveals that it is "music for a cigar." It is not an assertive sound that demands to be the center of attention in the room. Instead, the moment the needle drops, it possesses an overwhelming power to transform the very particles of the room's air. The nostalgic and melancholic melodies, much like the shifting and fading trails of cigar smoke, embody the aesthetic of shogyo mujo (the impermanence of all things). Amidst a constantly changing world, it offers a desire to simply drift away in the slumber of sound—a supreme deep-listening experience guaranteed to transport you.
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
"Prior to the vinyl release of the debut work “Vapor Curve”, which suffered a one-year delay due to manufacturing errors, the release of the mini-album “grainy film” has been confirmed."
Following the artist's previous release, this album completely eschews the use of computer-based DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) software. By relying exclusively on a strictly limited setup of hardware—synthesizers, samplers, and delay units—the artist pursues a meticulously woven, highly original take on minimal harmony.
At the core of this record lie exquisite ambient textures and beautifully shimmering synthesizer arpeggios. These are layered with the organic warmth of the sampler, vividly sketching out the contemporary "sound of Tokyo." As the album title suggests, the gritty, Lo-Fi texture of the sampler evokes the imagery of a vintage, low-fidelity film reel in the listener's mind. Pushing further than the predecessor, this approach embraces a more abstract, dubby, and deep soundscape aesthetic, elevating the album's artistry to new depths.
Describing this stoically refined electronic music, Maruyama reveals that it is "music for a cigar." It is not an assertive sound that demands to be the center of attention in the room. Instead, the moment the needle drops, it possesses an overwhelming power to transform the very particles of the room's air. The nostalgic and melancholic melodies, much like the shifting and fading trails of cigar smoke, embody the aesthetic of shogyo mujo (the impermanence of all things). Amidst a constantly changing world, it offers a desire to simply drift away in the slumber of sound—a supreme deep-listening experience guaranteed to transport you.
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:Personal Affair
Cat-No:PALP-008
Release-Date:31.08.2026
Genre:Electronic, Electronica
Configuration:LP
Label:Personal Affair
Cat-No:PALP-008
Release-Date:31.08.2026
Genre:Electronic, Electronica
Configuration:LP
1
Kotaro Maruyama - River
2
Kotaro Maruyama - Sunrise
3
Kotaro Maruyama - Space
4
Kotaro Maruyama - Random
5
Kotaro Maruyama - Midnight
6
Kotaro Maruyama - Void
7
Kotaro Maruyama - Eastside
8
Kotaro Maruyama - Rewind
9
Kotaro Maruyama - Aitake
New Japanese Ambient Electronica from Tokyo
Composing primarily with the piano, Kotaro Maruyama creates music for a variety of visual media, including commercials and short films. Influenced by the composer Toru Takemitsu, he places importance on the “silence” and "ambience" of sound, aiming to create works where the music quietly depicts a scene.
Kotaro Maruyama's first solo album, "Vapor Curve," is constructed entirely from the sound source of the OP-Z digital synthesizer. Notably, he avoids the concept of harmony for a single tone, instead pursuing a unique "woven harmony" created by intricately layering multiple independent melodies. Using only the OP-Z, and recording everything in a single take without using a computer, Kotaro Maruyama's "Vapor Curve" is distinguished by its uncompromising production style. The minimalist melodies that are layered to create an ambient soundscape, along with the incidental noise that gives an organic texture to the inorganic electronic sound, showcase the raw appeal of sound that is imperfect."
Originally scheduled for release September 2025, this album faced delays due to a series of errors involving the distributor, pressing plant, and cutting engineer. However, earlier this year, Personal Affair teamed up with a new distributor, Rubadub, who introduced them new pressing plant, allowing them to restart the entire pressing process from scratch. Emerging from Tokyo via Glasgow, this release is now ready to deliver a fresh sound to the world."
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
Composing primarily with the piano, Kotaro Maruyama creates music for a variety of visual media, including commercials and short films. Influenced by the composer Toru Takemitsu, he places importance on the “silence” and "ambience" of sound, aiming to create works where the music quietly depicts a scene.
Kotaro Maruyama's first solo album, "Vapor Curve," is constructed entirely from the sound source of the OP-Z digital synthesizer. Notably, he avoids the concept of harmony for a single tone, instead pursuing a unique "woven harmony" created by intricately layering multiple independent melodies. Using only the OP-Z, and recording everything in a single take without using a computer, Kotaro Maruyama's "Vapor Curve" is distinguished by its uncompromising production style. The minimalist melodies that are layered to create an ambient soundscape, along with the incidental noise that gives an organic texture to the inorganic electronic sound, showcase the raw appeal of sound that is imperfect."
Originally scheduled for release September 2025, this album faced delays due to a series of errors involving the distributor, pressing plant, and cutting engineer. However, earlier this year, Personal Affair teamed up with a new distributor, Rubadub, who introduced them new pressing plant, allowing them to restart the entire pressing process from scratch. Emerging from Tokyo via Glasgow, this release is now ready to deliver a fresh sound to the world."
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
Marter & Yony - Spy
2
Marter & Yony - Level 13
3
Marter & Yony - Cosmic Dance
4
Marter & Yony - High Wind
5
Marter & Yony - Alpha Wave
6
Marter & Yony - Palm's Dream
7
Marter & Yony - Reel To Real Dub
8
Marter & Yony - Fung-Ku
The 2018 Dub Classic — Officially Repressed.
Due to overwhelming requests from the community, we are bringing back this essential 2018 release with full color jacket!
Inspired by Basic Channel, Rhythm & Sound & King Tubby.
Recorded on 4 & 8-track, reel to reel tapes for authentic texture.
Marter & Yony: Rhythm Matter profile
It started in a Brooklyn studio back in 2011. A raw demo, a shared vision, and a deep reverence for the echoes of Basic Channel and King Tubby. After years of meticulous overdubbing and sonic layering, Marter (Bass) & Yony (Drums) have finally completed their masterpiece. Originally licensed to Bill Laswell’s label for digital release, this warm, lo-fi journey is finally available in its truest form. Recorded on 4-track and 8-track tape before meeting ProTools, every frequency breathes with analog soul.
This album sold out immediately upon its initial release in 2018. Due to overwhelming demand, a highly limited number of copies have been repressed with sticker on black jacket.
2nd album is on the way!
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
Due to overwhelming requests from the community, we are bringing back this essential 2018 release with full color jacket!
Inspired by Basic Channel, Rhythm & Sound & King Tubby.
Recorded on 4 & 8-track, reel to reel tapes for authentic texture.
Marter & Yony: Rhythm Matter profile
It started in a Brooklyn studio back in 2011. A raw demo, a shared vision, and a deep reverence for the echoes of Basic Channel and King Tubby. After years of meticulous overdubbing and sonic layering, Marter (Bass) & Yony (Drums) have finally completed their masterpiece. Originally licensed to Bill Laswell’s label for digital release, this warm, lo-fi journey is finally available in its truest form. Recorded on 4-track and 8-track tape before meeting ProTools, every frequency breathes with analog soul.
This album sold out immediately upon its initial release in 2018. Due to overwhelming demand, a highly limited number of copies have been repressed with sticker on black jacket.
2nd album is on the way!
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
Stardust Multiplier - Creation // Convergence
2
Stardust Multiplier - Burrow
3
Stardust Multiplier - Woven
4
Stardust Multiplier - Smoke
5
Stardust Multiplier - Bending The Shapes
6
Stardust Multiplier - Predawn Initiate
7
Stardust Multiplier - Tunnel // Return
Convergence is an ambient album formed through a series of morning rituals during rehabilitation following a severe medical event and an extended hospital stay. After weeks immersed in the constant alarms, beeps, and environmental signals of medical equipment, the act of listening itself became recalibrated. The music was performed and assembled using glass marimba, flute, and analog synthesizers, with each instrument treated as a source of resonance and gradually dissected through spectral analysis—allowing melody to emerge from fragments through repetition, attention, and daily practice, where synthesis functions not as traditional composition but as an exchange of signals.
Working slowly and intuitively, Stardust Multiplier approaches sound as a communicative medium between humans, the natural environment, and non-ordinary states of perception. Motifs evolve through repetition and subtle variation, informed by ceremonial music, mythic structures, and speculative communication frameworks associated with non-human intelligence—not as narrative devices, but as metaphors for attuned listening and pattern recognition.
Rather than moving toward resolution, Convergence documents moments of alignment—instances where intention, system, and environment briefly synchronize. The result is a restrained, deeply focused record, less concerned with atmosphere than attention, where synthesis functions as both a grounding practice and a method of inquiry.
————
Personal Affair Label profile
Founded in Brooklyn by DJ/Producer Marihito “MARI” Ayabe (Loop Diary), what began as a humble cassette imprint in 2017 has evolved into a curated home for Ambient and Dub-influenced textures. Label thrive on the connection between the underground scenes of the NY and Japan, delivering their vision to the world. Their catalog is a reflection of Marihito’s deepest inspirations—deep, atmospheric, and timeless.
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
Working slowly and intuitively, Stardust Multiplier approaches sound as a communicative medium between humans, the natural environment, and non-ordinary states of perception. Motifs evolve through repetition and subtle variation, informed by ceremonial music, mythic structures, and speculative communication frameworks associated with non-human intelligence—not as narrative devices, but as metaphors for attuned listening and pattern recognition.
Rather than moving toward resolution, Convergence documents moments of alignment—instances where intention, system, and environment briefly synchronize. The result is a restrained, deeply focused record, less concerned with atmosphere than attention, where synthesis functions as both a grounding practice and a method of inquiry.
————
Personal Affair Label profile
Founded in Brooklyn by DJ/Producer Marihito “MARI” Ayabe (Loop Diary), what began as a humble cassette imprint in 2017 has evolved into a curated home for Ambient and Dub-influenced textures. Label thrive on the connection between the underground scenes of the NY and Japan, delivering their vision to the world. Their catalog is a reflection of Marihito’s deepest inspirations—deep, atmospheric, and timeless.
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
Customers who bought this also bought this
1
Snad - AM Yard
2
Snad - Anticip8
3
Snad - The Pursuit
4
Snad - The Pursuit (Frank & Tony's Housebeat Remix)
GENRE/S: House, Deep House
TRACKLIST:
A1. AM Yard
A2. Anticip8
B1. The Pursuit
B2. The Pursuit (Frank & Tony's Housebeat Remix)
SHORT INFO:
Up next on Brooklyn's Scissor & Thread is the latest EP from Snad, aka Shyam Anand (also known as Spandrel), the Berlin-based artist whose discography already spans labels like Smallville, Minibar, 20:20 Vision, Phonica AM, TerraFirm, Running Back, Cabinet, Kimochi and Dungeon Meat with remixes for names including Seafoam and Chez Damier.
A trusted selector and producer in the underground, Snad has steadily built a reputation for deeply considered productions that balance classic inspiration with his own forward-thinking edge.
The AM Yard EP opens with its title track, a warm, hazy cut rooted in the kind of bassline architecture that recalls Chez n Trent's Morning Factory but reshaped with Snad's signature dreamlike touch.
Anticip8 fanchors the release with a more direct energy, rolling, insistent and focused on the floor, balancing stripped-down drive of dusty samples wrung through his digitakt with just enough harmonic flourish to pull the listener inward.
On the flip, The Pursuit follows in a slightly different mode, drawing on experimental vocoder techniques and filtered percussion creating a hypnotic push-and-pull that feels as intricate as it is understated.
Rounding things out, label heads Francis Harris and Anthony Collins, under their Frank & Tony alias, reimagine The Pursuit with their Housebeat Remix, extending its atmospherics into an even deeper headspace that glides effortlessly into late-night territory.
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
TRACKLIST:
A1. AM Yard
A2. Anticip8
B1. The Pursuit
B2. The Pursuit (Frank & Tony's Housebeat Remix)
SHORT INFO:
Up next on Brooklyn's Scissor & Thread is the latest EP from Snad, aka Shyam Anand (also known as Spandrel), the Berlin-based artist whose discography already spans labels like Smallville, Minibar, 20:20 Vision, Phonica AM, TerraFirm, Running Back, Cabinet, Kimochi and Dungeon Meat with remixes for names including Seafoam and Chez Damier.
A trusted selector and producer in the underground, Snad has steadily built a reputation for deeply considered productions that balance classic inspiration with his own forward-thinking edge.
The AM Yard EP opens with its title track, a warm, hazy cut rooted in the kind of bassline architecture that recalls Chez n Trent's Morning Factory but reshaped with Snad's signature dreamlike touch.
Anticip8 fanchors the release with a more direct energy, rolling, insistent and focused on the floor, balancing stripped-down drive of dusty samples wrung through his digitakt with just enough harmonic flourish to pull the listener inward.
On the flip, The Pursuit follows in a slightly different mode, drawing on experimental vocoder techniques and filtered percussion creating a hypnotic push-and-pull that feels as intricate as it is understated.
Rounding things out, label heads Francis Harris and Anthony Collins, under their Frank & Tony alias, reimagine The Pursuit with their Housebeat Remix, extending its atmospherics into an even deeper headspace that glides effortlessly into late-night territory.
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
Fumio Miyashita - Mezame: See The Light
2
Fumio Miyashita - Asa No Inori: Morning Prayer
First time re-issued on vinyl.
For its third release, Ambient Sans turns to one of the most quietly beloved works in Japanese ambient music.
Recorded at Biwa Studio in 1989, White Morning is the work of Fumio Miyashita — composer, arranger, and multi-instrumentalist whose output through the late 1980s and early 1990s occupies a singular space between healing music, environmental sound, and meditative ambient. Where his contemporaries were mapping the exterior world, Miyashita turned inward: his music was designed for the body as much as the ear, conceived explicitly for rest, focus, and presence.
White Morning distills that vision into its purest form. Two extended pieces — ??? (See The Light) and ???? (Morning Prayer) — built from soft synthesizer layers, delicate acoustic textures, and a stillness that feels less composed than discovered. Music that doesn't impose itself. Music that simply stays.
Originally released on CD in 1991 and circulated quietly ever since among devotees of kankyo ongaku and Japanese new age, White Morning has never appeared on vinyl — until now. Essential listening for anyone drawn to the environmental music of Hiroshi Yoshimura, the meditative depth of Satoshi Ashikawa, or the healing ambient of Klaus Wiese.
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
For its third release, Ambient Sans turns to one of the most quietly beloved works in Japanese ambient music.
Recorded at Biwa Studio in 1989, White Morning is the work of Fumio Miyashita — composer, arranger, and multi-instrumentalist whose output through the late 1980s and early 1990s occupies a singular space between healing music, environmental sound, and meditative ambient. Where his contemporaries were mapping the exterior world, Miyashita turned inward: his music was designed for the body as much as the ear, conceived explicitly for rest, focus, and presence.
White Morning distills that vision into its purest form. Two extended pieces — ??? (See The Light) and ???? (Morning Prayer) — built from soft synthesizer layers, delicate acoustic textures, and a stillness that feels less composed than discovered. Music that doesn't impose itself. Music that simply stays.
Originally released on CD in 1991 and circulated quietly ever since among devotees of kankyo ongaku and Japanese new age, White Morning has never appeared on vinyl — until now. Essential listening for anyone drawn to the environmental music of Hiroshi Yoshimura, the meditative depth of Satoshi Ashikawa, or the healing ambient of Klaus Wiese.
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
Theory Of Movement - The Geometry Of Leaving
2
Theory Of Movement - Suspended Motion
3
Theory Of Movement - The Distance Between Things
4
Theory Of Movement - The Distance Between Things (Acid Version)
Dan Piu and Grant's Theory of Movement project is rather sporadic - we last heard from it more than a year ago - but that only makes fresh drops all the more essential. This return to When The Morning Comes opens with the swirling ambience and deft house depths of 'The Geometry Of Leaving', which is a heady scene-setter before 'Suspended Motion' floats you amongst more airy pads. 'The Distance Between Things' has a joyful feeling of hope and optimism in the luminous keys, and the Acid version beefs it up for extra club impact. Artful sounds from two seasoned heads.
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
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
Close Counters - Soul to Soul
2
Close Counters - Sunshine
3
Close Counters - House of Lucien
4
Close Counters - Bruk of Lucien
lim. to 300 Copies / Vinyl Only!
If It Aint Jazz, is about quality over quantity, inviting world class musicians and producers to bring a modern edge to jazz and soul roots. Back for Volume 5 of their vinyl only series, this time they invite young Australian artists Close Counters. The duo effortless blends jazz, disco and soul with house and broken vibes for yet another killer 12".
On the A-side, 'Sunshine' flips a classic gospel cut into a euphoric anthem with a raw shuffling groove that will work for the house heads and broken beat and garage fans.
'Soul to Soul' features a catchy bassline, vocal chops and added synth parts that build into a peak time disco weapon.
On the flip side, 'House of Lucien' and 'Bruk of Lucien' give two electric grooves that have already been setting dancefloors on fire.
A1. Soul to Soul
A2. Sunshine
B1. House of Lucien
B2. Bruk of Lucien
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
If It Aint Jazz, is about quality over quantity, inviting world class musicians and producers to bring a modern edge to jazz and soul roots. Back for Volume 5 of their vinyl only series, this time they invite young Australian artists Close Counters. The duo effortless blends jazz, disco and soul with house and broken vibes for yet another killer 12".
On the A-side, 'Sunshine' flips a classic gospel cut into a euphoric anthem with a raw shuffling groove that will work for the house heads and broken beat and garage fans.
'Soul to Soul' features a catchy bassline, vocal chops and added synth parts that build into a peak time disco weapon.
On the flip side, 'House of Lucien' and 'Bruk of Lucien' give two electric grooves that have already been setting dancefloors on fire.
A1. Soul to Soul
A2. Sunshine
B1. House of Lucien
B2. Bruk of Lucien
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
Pablos Eye - Walking The Line
2
Pablos Eye - Bardo For Pablo
3
Pablos Eye - Rverie
4
Pablos Eye - The Wind At Night
5
Pablos Eye - A Dash Of Raspberry
6
Pablos Eye - View Point
7
Pablos Eye - Open Chords
8
Pablos Eye - Pendientes De Jade
9
Pablos Eye - Losing Love
10
Pablos Eye - October 74
"And so they sat, watching the waves break.
He picked up green pebbles and threw them into the sea,
she played with her jade earrings.
That night in bed, she felt one missing.
She pictured it lying in the sea,
she felt relief: the best place to hide a leaf is in a tree.
“a remoteness from the centre” from “the light user scheme”
poems by Richard Skinner, Smokestack Books 2013."
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
He picked up green pebbles and threw them into the sea,
she played with her jade earrings.
That night in bed, she felt one missing.
She pictured it lying in the sea,
she felt relief: the best place to hide a leaf is in a tree.
“a remoteness from the centre” from “the light user scheme”
poems by Richard Skinner, Smokestack Books 2013."
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:Scissor And Thread
Cat-No:satltd008
Release-Date:14.08.2026
Genre:Deephouse
Configuration:12" Excl
Label:Scissor And Thread
Cat-No:satltd008
Release-Date:14.08.2026
Genre:Deephouse
Configuration:12" Excl
1
Francis Harris - You Can Always Leave (Curtains) feat. Gry Bagøien (DJ Sprinkles
2
Frank & Tony with DJ Sprinkles - Companion
FORMAT: 12”
GENRE/S: House, Deep House
TRACKLIST:
A. Francis Harris: You Can Always Leave (Curtains) feat. Gry Bagøien (DJ Sprinkles Remix)
B. Frank & Tony with DJ Sprinkles: Companion
SHORT INFO:
From the acclaimed remix of Francis Harris single You Can Always Leave (Curtains) to her collaboration with Frank & Tony on the heavily sought after Companion, DJ Sprinkles indelible touch has become legendary.
You Can Always Leave (Curtains) feat. Gry Bagøien (DJ Sprinkles Remix) was originally released on the vinyl only single You Can Always Leave in 2013. The original appeared on Francis Harris album Minutes Of Sleep (2014) and features the vocals of danish singer Gry Bagoien alongside Greg Paulus on trumpet.
Likewiese Companion was released vinly-only on the first out of three EPs that formed Frank & Tony's debut album You Go Girl in 2014.
Both vinyl releases have been out of print since their initial release and now, after much demand, Scissor & Thread presents a limited re-issue including new DJ Sprinkles remasters.
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: House, Deep House
TRACKLIST:
A. Francis Harris: You Can Always Leave (Curtains) feat. Gry Bagøien (DJ Sprinkles Remix)
B. Frank & Tony with DJ Sprinkles: Companion
SHORT INFO:
From the acclaimed remix of Francis Harris single You Can Always Leave (Curtains) to her collaboration with Frank & Tony on the heavily sought after Companion, DJ Sprinkles indelible touch has become legendary.
You Can Always Leave (Curtains) feat. Gry Bagøien (DJ Sprinkles Remix) was originally released on the vinyl only single You Can Always Leave in 2013. The original appeared on Francis Harris album Minutes Of Sleep (2014) and features the vocals of danish singer Gry Bagoien alongside Greg Paulus on trumpet.
Likewiese Companion was released vinly-only on the first out of three EPs that formed Frank & Tony's debut album You Go Girl in 2014.
Both vinyl releases have been out of print since their initial release and now, after much demand, Scissor & Thread presents a limited re-issue including new DJ Sprinkles remasters.
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:Forever Records
Cat-No:FRVR-3-LP
Release-Date:04.09.2026
Genre:Electronic, Electronica
Configuration:2LP Excl
Label:Forever Records
Cat-No:FRVR-3-LP
Release-Date:04.09.2026
Genre:Electronic, Electronica
Configuration:2LP Excl
1
MLO - a1. Wimborne
2
MLO - a2. Noodle #1
3
MLO - b1. Fast Water
4
MLO - b2. Lagoon
5
MLO - c1. Moon Over Lagos
6
MLO - c2. Ghost
7
MLO - d1. In Search Of Lost Time (Part 1)
8
MLO - d2. In Search Of Lost Time (Part 2)
Formats: 2LP
Tracklist:
a1. Wimborne
a2. Noodle #1
b1. Fast Water
b2. Lagoon
c1. Moon Over Lagos
c2. Ghost
d1. In Search Of Lost Time (Part 1)
d2. In Search Of Lost Time (Part 2)
Sublime frequencies from the golden era of ambient electronica.
Plumbing hidden depths beneath a deceptively tranquil surface, MLO's mid-90s masterpiece Io is an overlooked gem from a golden era for ambient electronic music. Originally released in 1994, Jon Tye and Pete Smith's collaborative album responded to the growing chill-out movement by leaning into classical and avant-garde influences from Satie, Debussy and Cage through to Soft Machine, Incredible String Band and Eno. Recorded across various studios stacked with classic and rare synths, Io was patiently composed into slowly unfolding suites punctuated with ripples of arrhythmic interference to arrive at a purist vision of true ambient.
The next instalment in Forever Records' ongoing reissue series shines a light back on this landmark piece of UK electronica with the first official reissue since its original edition on Rising High. As well as the original double LP pressing and a new CD digipak version, there will also be a uniquely numbered, limited edition housed in a gatefold sleeve that comes with a bonus 10" featuring two previously unreleased versions of the album's opening cut, 'Wimborne'.
Press response to Io:
"Not so much ambient, more environmental music, Io lets you bring as much (or as little) of your surroundings in as suits your mood. Every listen can be different. Interactive ambient at last.”
IO is pure ambience. Relying on motif as opposed to melody, MLO have produced a truly evocative album.
Peter McIntyre, Mixmag, UK 1994.
"[MLO's] influences range from the likes of Eric Satie and the intellectual salon music of his era to the more predictable reference point of dubby, modern techno, though they feel, perhaps rather contentiously, that "ambient music can exist in isolation from the rest of the dance music arena". Can it? Take a trip to Io, and find out."
Generator Magazine, UK 1994.
"If you like your ambient deep and moody with long chords that creep along at approximately the speed of drying paint then check out MLO’s Io."
Mixology, UK 1994.
"MLO set the controls for the heart of headspace for their first full album release. Io is top grade ambient brain… Ace album…"
Select, UK 1994.
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
Tracklist:
a1. Wimborne
a2. Noodle #1
b1. Fast Water
b2. Lagoon
c1. Moon Over Lagos
c2. Ghost
d1. In Search Of Lost Time (Part 1)
d2. In Search Of Lost Time (Part 2)
Sublime frequencies from the golden era of ambient electronica.
Plumbing hidden depths beneath a deceptively tranquil surface, MLO's mid-90s masterpiece Io is an overlooked gem from a golden era for ambient electronic music. Originally released in 1994, Jon Tye and Pete Smith's collaborative album responded to the growing chill-out movement by leaning into classical and avant-garde influences from Satie, Debussy and Cage through to Soft Machine, Incredible String Band and Eno. Recorded across various studios stacked with classic and rare synths, Io was patiently composed into slowly unfolding suites punctuated with ripples of arrhythmic interference to arrive at a purist vision of true ambient.
The next instalment in Forever Records' ongoing reissue series shines a light back on this landmark piece of UK electronica with the first official reissue since its original edition on Rising High. As well as the original double LP pressing and a new CD digipak version, there will also be a uniquely numbered, limited edition housed in a gatefold sleeve that comes with a bonus 10" featuring two previously unreleased versions of the album's opening cut, 'Wimborne'.
Press response to Io:
"Not so much ambient, more environmental music, Io lets you bring as much (or as little) of your surroundings in as suits your mood. Every listen can be different. Interactive ambient at last.”
IO is pure ambience. Relying on motif as opposed to melody, MLO have produced a truly evocative album.
Peter McIntyre, Mixmag, UK 1994.
"[MLO's] influences range from the likes of Eric Satie and the intellectual salon music of his era to the more predictable reference point of dubby, modern techno, though they feel, perhaps rather contentiously, that "ambient music can exist in isolation from the rest of the dance music arena". Can it? Take a trip to Io, and find out."
Generator Magazine, UK 1994.
"If you like your ambient deep and moody with long chords that creep along at approximately the speed of drying paint then check out MLO’s Io."
Mixology, UK 1994.
"MLO set the controls for the heart of headspace for their first full album release. Io is top grade ambient brain… Ace album…"
Select, UK 1994.
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
Picture - Quuuuuu
2
Picture - Ruuuuu
3
Picture - Miiiiiii
4
Picture - Leeeeeee
5
Picture - Peeeeeee
6
Picture - Ziiiiiiiii
7
Picture - Wooooooo
Back with more. Still burning.
Mastered by Mike Grinser at Manmade.
Art by Mammo.Works.
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
Mastered by Mike Grinser at Manmade.
Art by Mammo.Works.
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
Kenji Kawai - 01 - Making of Cyborg
2
Kenji Kawai - 02 - Ghost Hacker
3
Kenji Kawai - 03 - Puppet Master
4
Kenji Kawai - 04 - Virtual Crime
5
Kenji Kawai - 05 - Ghost City
6
Kenji Kawai - 06 - Access
7
Kenji Kawai - 07 - Night Stalker
8
Kenji Kawai - 08 - Floating Museum
9
Kenji Kawai - 09 - Ghost Dive
10
Kenji Kawai - 10 - Reincarnation
11
Kenji Kawai - 11 - Bonus Track
2024 Repress
- NO SALES TO JAPAN -
Regular Offcial Authorised Vinyl Version, Original Soundtrack, 350g Sleeve, Black Inner, Sticker, 12" 140g Vinyl
- The first ever OFFICIAL vinyl release of the soundtrack for Mamoru Oshii's legendary science fiction anime film GHOST IN THE SHELL (1995).
- LP cut from the original master reels at Emil Berliner Studios, official Ghost in the Shell artwork
Tracklisting LP :
A1 ?I - Making Of Cyborg
A2 Ghosthack
A3 Puppetmaster
A4 Virtual Crime
A5 ?II - Ghost City
B1 Access
B2 Nightstalker
B3 Floating Museum
B4 Ghostdive
B5 ?III - Reincarnation
We Release Whatever The Fuck We Want Records is thrilled and honored to announce the first ever official vinyl pressing of the soundtrack for Mamoru Oshii's critically acclaimed and all around legendary science fiction anime film GHOST IN THE SHELL (1995), adapted from Masamune Shirow's groundbreaking manga series of the same name.
Cut from the original master reels at Emil Berliner Studios (formerly the in-house recording department of renowned classical record label Deutsche Grammophon), the album comes as a LP accompanied by a bonus one-sided 7" housed in official Ghost in the Shell artwork sleeve with silver gilt printing and a Japanese obi, and contains extensive 24-page liner notes.
The haunting score is composed by Kenji Kawai, one of Japan's most celebrated soundtrack composers, alongside Joe Hisaishi and Ry?ichi Sakamoto, whose work includes Hideo Nakata's Ring (1998) and Ring 2 (1999), Death Note (2006), Hong Kong films Seven Swords by Tsui Hark (2005) and Ip Man by Wilson Yip (2008), and countless others. Kawai's compositions see ancient harmonies and percussions uncannily mesh with synthesized sounds of the modern world to convey a sumptuous balance between folklore tradition and futuristic outlook. For its iconic main theme "Making of Cyborg", Kawai had a choir chant a wedding song in ancient Japanese following Bulgarian folk harmonies, setting the standard for a timeless and unparalleled soundtrack that admirably echoes the film's musings on the nature of humanity in a technologically advanced world.
Ghost in the Shell is widely considered one of the best anime films of all time and its influence has been felt in the work of numerous movie directors, including James Cameron (Avatar), the Wachowskis (The Matrix), and Steven Spielberg (AI: Artificial Intelligence).
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
- NO SALES TO JAPAN -
Regular Offcial Authorised Vinyl Version, Original Soundtrack, 350g Sleeve, Black Inner, Sticker, 12" 140g Vinyl
- The first ever OFFICIAL vinyl release of the soundtrack for Mamoru Oshii's legendary science fiction anime film GHOST IN THE SHELL (1995).
- LP cut from the original master reels at Emil Berliner Studios, official Ghost in the Shell artwork
Tracklisting LP :
A1 ?I - Making Of Cyborg
A2 Ghosthack
A3 Puppetmaster
A4 Virtual Crime
A5 ?II - Ghost City
B1 Access
B2 Nightstalker
B3 Floating Museum
B4 Ghostdive
B5 ?III - Reincarnation
We Release Whatever The Fuck We Want Records is thrilled and honored to announce the first ever official vinyl pressing of the soundtrack for Mamoru Oshii's critically acclaimed and all around legendary science fiction anime film GHOST IN THE SHELL (1995), adapted from Masamune Shirow's groundbreaking manga series of the same name.
Cut from the original master reels at Emil Berliner Studios (formerly the in-house recording department of renowned classical record label Deutsche Grammophon), the album comes as a LP accompanied by a bonus one-sided 7" housed in official Ghost in the Shell artwork sleeve with silver gilt printing and a Japanese obi, and contains extensive 24-page liner notes.
The haunting score is composed by Kenji Kawai, one of Japan's most celebrated soundtrack composers, alongside Joe Hisaishi and Ry?ichi Sakamoto, whose work includes Hideo Nakata's Ring (1998) and Ring 2 (1999), Death Note (2006), Hong Kong films Seven Swords by Tsui Hark (2005) and Ip Man by Wilson Yip (2008), and countless others. Kawai's compositions see ancient harmonies and percussions uncannily mesh with synthesized sounds of the modern world to convey a sumptuous balance between folklore tradition and futuristic outlook. For its iconic main theme "Making of Cyborg", Kawai had a choir chant a wedding song in ancient Japanese following Bulgarian folk harmonies, setting the standard for a timeless and unparalleled soundtrack that admirably echoes the film's musings on the nature of humanity in a technologically advanced world.
Ghost in the Shell is widely considered one of the best anime films of all time and its influence has been felt in the work of numerous movie directors, including James Cameron (Avatar), the Wachowskis (The Matrix), and Steven Spielberg (AI: Artificial Intelligence).
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
Salamanda - The Big Blue
2
Salamanda - Knowledge
3
Salamanda - Puddle Underwater
4
Salamanda - Rain-bow
5
Salamanda - Boiled Tomato
6
Salamanda - Between Blue And Purple
7
Salamanda - Hemi And Bee
8
Salamanda - Offertorio
Salamanda is the collaborative alias of South Korean producer/DJ duo, and close friends, Uman Therma (Sala) and Yetsuby (Manda). Together they create avant-garde electronic music inspired by minimalist concepts, harmonious rhythms and the work of American composer Steve Reich.
Across the eight tracks of Sphere, their debut for Small Méasures, the pair conjure spherical worlds inspired by bubbles, refracting light and planet earth. Soundscapes laden with percussive elements ebb and flow as arpeggiated stanzas cede to misty synths and shimmering plates, conjuring images of solitary temples sat in vast open plateaus.
“For Sphere, we came up with an abstract concept and image to explore more diversity and encourage imagination. Each track is related to different kinds of sphere we found or imagined. From the big round planet embracing every creature to dancing little bubbles underwater, fragments of ideas floating around, exploding tomatoes, and movement of lights flashing and tickling the eyes…
Or the tracks can be about completely different types of spheres in other people's perspective. We hope Sphere can unleash the imagination and take you on a delightful journey of 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
Across the eight tracks of Sphere, their debut for Small Méasures, the pair conjure spherical worlds inspired by bubbles, refracting light and planet earth. Soundscapes laden with percussive elements ebb and flow as arpeggiated stanzas cede to misty synths and shimmering plates, conjuring images of solitary temples sat in vast open plateaus.
“For Sphere, we came up with an abstract concept and image to explore more diversity and encourage imagination. Each track is related to different kinds of sphere we found or imagined. From the big round planet embracing every creature to dancing little bubbles underwater, fragments of ideas floating around, exploding tomatoes, and movement of lights flashing and tickling the eyes…
Or the tracks can be about completely different types of spheres in other people's perspective. We hope Sphere can unleash the imagination and take you on a delightful journey of 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
1
Earth Trax - Purge
2
Earth Trax - Inside Out
3
Earth Trax - After The Rain
4
Earth Trax - Flux
5
Earth Trax - Have You Ever
6
Earth Trax - Ambient Dance
7
Earth Trax - Trust Me
8
Earth Trax - The Complete Trance Induction
9
Earth Trax - After Hours
10
Earth Trax - Lights On’
11
Earth Trax - Dark River
Tracklisting
A1 Earth Trax - Purge
A2 Earth Trax - Inside Out
A3 Earth Trax - After The Rain
B1 Earth Trax - Flux
B2 Earth Trax - Have You Ever
C1 Earth Trax - Ambient Dance
C2 Earth Trax - Trust Me
C3 Earth Trax - The Complete Trance Induction
D1 Earth Trax - After Hours
D2 Earth Trax - Lights On’
D3 Earth Trax - Dark River
Sales Note
LP2 Coninues his exploration of emotive, dreamy atmospheres. soaked with rich pads and otherworldly arpeggios, juxtposing it with hectic drum machines, deep bass lines and unusual sampling evoking industrial music. Its a slightly warmer and in a way more soothing album than LP1, but at the same time more dance oriented as well, at some point reminiscent of Earth Trax early deep house singles. Its fascinating insight in world building extending the author's ideas from previous records (either as Earth Trax or Bartosz Kruczynski downtempo releases) much further and treating them more as a starting point rather than reusing them. LP2 again features the gorgeous photography of Kasia Zacharko and design of Kaja Kukula.
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
A1 Earth Trax - Purge
A2 Earth Trax - Inside Out
A3 Earth Trax - After The Rain
B1 Earth Trax - Flux
B2 Earth Trax - Have You Ever
C1 Earth Trax - Ambient Dance
C2 Earth Trax - Trust Me
C3 Earth Trax - The Complete Trance Induction
D1 Earth Trax - After Hours
D2 Earth Trax - Lights On’
D3 Earth Trax - Dark River
Sales Note
LP2 Coninues his exploration of emotive, dreamy atmospheres. soaked with rich pads and otherworldly arpeggios, juxtposing it with hectic drum machines, deep bass lines and unusual sampling evoking industrial music. Its a slightly warmer and in a way more soothing album than LP1, but at the same time more dance oriented as well, at some point reminiscent of Earth Trax early deep house singles. Its fascinating insight in world building extending the author's ideas from previous records (either as Earth Trax or Bartosz Kruczynski downtempo releases) much further and treating them more as a starting point rather than reusing them. LP2 again features the gorgeous photography of Kasia Zacharko and design of Kaja Kukula.
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
Jason Dungan (aka Blue Lake) / Johan Car - A1. Chords
2
Jason Dungan (aka Blue Lake) / Johan Car - A2. Clouds
3
Jason Dungan (aka Blue Lake) / Johan Car - A3. Hymn
4
Jason Dungan (aka Blue Lake) / Johan Car - A4. Mornings with Rita
5
Jason Dungan (aka Blue Lake) / Johan Car - A5. Routine I
6
Jason Dungan (aka Blue Lake) / Johan Car - B1. Silence
7
Jason Dungan (aka Blue Lake) / Johan Car - B2. Home I
8
Jason Dungan (aka Blue Lake) / Johan Car - B3. Home II
9
Jason Dungan (aka Blue Lake) / Johan Car - B4. Reunion
10
Jason Dungan (aka Blue Lake) / Johan Car - B5. Sweden Organ
Territories: WORLD MINUS US,CA,UK
LP, LTD Transparent Clear Vinyl
- First pressing (500 copies worldwide)
- Limited Edition Transparent Clear Vinyl
- Printed on heavyweight board outer sleeve
- Vinyl comes in black poly-lined protective bag
- Hype front sticker
- Vinyl pressed at Optimal media GmbH
2. GENRE/S: Ambient/Balearic/Kraut/Electro
3. FOR MUSIC FANS OF: Tara Clerkin Trio, Arthur Russell, Mabe Fratti, Visible Cloaks
4. TRACKLISTS:
A
1. Chords
2. Clouds
3. Hymn
4. Mornings with Rita
5. Routine I
B
1. Silence
2. Home I
3. Home II
4. Reunion
5. Sweden Organ
5. SHORT INFO:
Jason Dungan (aka Blue Lake) and Johan Carøe find beauty in the rhythms
and repetitions of domestic life for collaborative album, 'Routine' - out September 25
Copenhagen-based multi-instrumentalists Jason Dungan and Johan Carøe didn't set out to make an album. Instead, as the title 'Routine' suggests, they found their way there through a process of habitual making and listening, developing an intuitive musical language to reflect the dreamlike meanderings and creative play of life's quiet moments. 'Routine' blends pop orientated sounds, Avant-garde minimalism, folk and new age with the emotive depth of film-score.
Their meeting was not entirely coincidental. Previously in bands such as Squares and Triangles, Jason Dungan has since recorded multiple albums under the moniker Blue Lake, including the lauded 'Sun Arcs', pursuing his passion for self-built percussion and multi-string instruments. Johan Carøe meanwhile is a composer whose film soundtrack work has seen him collaborate with Angelo Badalamenti, Arp, and Sofie Birch, at whose Andersabo residency (curated by Dungan) the pair first met, resulting in the highly praised album 'Repair Techniques' written by Birch and Carøe.
'Routine' emerged organically over many years against the backdrop of great personal change. As Carøe said goodbye to his father and welcomed his first child, the pair sent each other fragments of melodies and patterns, working up responses when time allowed to assemble a sonic palette that combined acoustic instrumentation of zither, clarinet, cello, saxophone (among others) with the textures of tape, drum machine and Yamaha DX7 synth. Inspired by the vulnerability and DIY ethos of Arthur Russell's home recordings, the vision of labels like Disques de Crepescule, and the art pop, experimentation inherent to late '70s and early '80s recordings from NYC and Japan alike, Dungan and Carøe conjured new forms for their folk, leftfield pop and avant garde influences from the low-lit living rooms of Copenhagen and rural Sweden. "I'm very interested in the ways in which music and art emerge from our wider experiences as people, workers, parents and in the daydreaming activity of making music," Dungan explains of a process which allowed the duo's individual styles to drift apart and merge together seamlessly. "I think the process was definitely capturing moments in time, but over a long time," Carøe adds. "It was a bit like improvisation, but with time stretched."
The music floats with grace and humility, remaining sophisticated yet acutely introverted.
Whether on 'Clouds', where soft layers of zither and clarinet are moved along by a featherlight bass riff and the hypnotic clip-clop of the primitive groovebox, or the gentle grandeur of cello rising and falling through 'Routine 1', the album reveals itself over 10 instrumental tracks, evoking the ineffable calm that descends when the light changes and the world turns inwards. The act of time passing became a key creative ingredient to the evolution of the album, enriched with the exciting challenge to transform their passing rounds of home recordings via a slow release musical dialogue. Jason found creative moments in the twilight hours to lay down zither, melodica, acoustic guitar to name but few, while Johan utilising "line-in and headphones" would manipulate, stretch and pitch Jason's melodic pathways during newly born naptimes.
Carøe rhythmically plucks and slides the stringed cello instrument, leaving palpable foundations on 'Hymn' and 'Chords', in a treated, stylistic approach akin to Mabe Fratti, while 'Silence' draws to a close with a gospel touch. Dungan's harp-motion zither flourishes reveal more classical connotations on 'Reunion' with inspiration of Bedroom Community's Nico Muhly as organs rise with Moogs, culminating with a climatic choral outro from friend, mezzo-soprano Anna Caroline Olesen.
'Routine' then is their first collaboration, an album of deep and sincere reflection with inviting overtones that gesture with unrushed authenticity. A document of a new-found friendship that opens a window into the most personal of spaces, where the daily practices of music and life exist side-by-side to wondrous effect.
6. VITAL SALES POINTS:
- PR + Radio campaign by 9PR (UK/USA) / Dense PR + Radio campaign (EU)
Selected Press
"Magical in its simplicity and all the more compelling for what's just out of frame." - Pitchfork (Blue Lake)
"Uniquley traverses the intersection between Ambient and Folk with a distinct nordic aesthetic" - NPR, Best New Music Friday (Blue Lake)
"Shimmering like dappled sun on water" - The Quietus (Blue Lake)
"One of those rare albums that impresses with minimal gestures" - HHV (Sofie Birch & Johan Carøe)
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
LP, LTD Transparent Clear Vinyl
- First pressing (500 copies worldwide)
- Limited Edition Transparent Clear Vinyl
- Printed on heavyweight board outer sleeve
- Vinyl comes in black poly-lined protective bag
- Hype front sticker
- Vinyl pressed at Optimal media GmbH
2. GENRE/S: Ambient/Balearic/Kraut/Electro
3. FOR MUSIC FANS OF: Tara Clerkin Trio, Arthur Russell, Mabe Fratti, Visible Cloaks
4. TRACKLISTS:
A
1. Chords
2. Clouds
3. Hymn
4. Mornings with Rita
5. Routine I
B
1. Silence
2. Home I
3. Home II
4. Reunion
5. Sweden Organ
5. SHORT INFO:
Jason Dungan (aka Blue Lake) and Johan Carøe find beauty in the rhythms
and repetitions of domestic life for collaborative album, 'Routine' - out September 25
Copenhagen-based multi-instrumentalists Jason Dungan and Johan Carøe didn't set out to make an album. Instead, as the title 'Routine' suggests, they found their way there through a process of habitual making and listening, developing an intuitive musical language to reflect the dreamlike meanderings and creative play of life's quiet moments. 'Routine' blends pop orientated sounds, Avant-garde minimalism, folk and new age with the emotive depth of film-score.
Their meeting was not entirely coincidental. Previously in bands such as Squares and Triangles, Jason Dungan has since recorded multiple albums under the moniker Blue Lake, including the lauded 'Sun Arcs', pursuing his passion for self-built percussion and multi-string instruments. Johan Carøe meanwhile is a composer whose film soundtrack work has seen him collaborate with Angelo Badalamenti, Arp, and Sofie Birch, at whose Andersabo residency (curated by Dungan) the pair first met, resulting in the highly praised album 'Repair Techniques' written by Birch and Carøe.
'Routine' emerged organically over many years against the backdrop of great personal change. As Carøe said goodbye to his father and welcomed his first child, the pair sent each other fragments of melodies and patterns, working up responses when time allowed to assemble a sonic palette that combined acoustic instrumentation of zither, clarinet, cello, saxophone (among others) with the textures of tape, drum machine and Yamaha DX7 synth. Inspired by the vulnerability and DIY ethos of Arthur Russell's home recordings, the vision of labels like Disques de Crepescule, and the art pop, experimentation inherent to late '70s and early '80s recordings from NYC and Japan alike, Dungan and Carøe conjured new forms for their folk, leftfield pop and avant garde influences from the low-lit living rooms of Copenhagen and rural Sweden. "I'm very interested in the ways in which music and art emerge from our wider experiences as people, workers, parents and in the daydreaming activity of making music," Dungan explains of a process which allowed the duo's individual styles to drift apart and merge together seamlessly. "I think the process was definitely capturing moments in time, but over a long time," Carøe adds. "It was a bit like improvisation, but with time stretched."
The music floats with grace and humility, remaining sophisticated yet acutely introverted.
Whether on 'Clouds', where soft layers of zither and clarinet are moved along by a featherlight bass riff and the hypnotic clip-clop of the primitive groovebox, or the gentle grandeur of cello rising and falling through 'Routine 1', the album reveals itself over 10 instrumental tracks, evoking the ineffable calm that descends when the light changes and the world turns inwards. The act of time passing became a key creative ingredient to the evolution of the album, enriched with the exciting challenge to transform their passing rounds of home recordings via a slow release musical dialogue. Jason found creative moments in the twilight hours to lay down zither, melodica, acoustic guitar to name but few, while Johan utilising "line-in and headphones" would manipulate, stretch and pitch Jason's melodic pathways during newly born naptimes.
Carøe rhythmically plucks and slides the stringed cello instrument, leaving palpable foundations on 'Hymn' and 'Chords', in a treated, stylistic approach akin to Mabe Fratti, while 'Silence' draws to a close with a gospel touch. Dungan's harp-motion zither flourishes reveal more classical connotations on 'Reunion' with inspiration of Bedroom Community's Nico Muhly as organs rise with Moogs, culminating with a climatic choral outro from friend, mezzo-soprano Anna Caroline Olesen.
'Routine' then is their first collaboration, an album of deep and sincere reflection with inviting overtones that gesture with unrushed authenticity. A document of a new-found friendship that opens a window into the most personal of spaces, where the daily practices of music and life exist side-by-side to wondrous effect.
6. VITAL SALES POINTS:
- PR + Radio campaign by 9PR (UK/USA) / Dense PR + Radio campaign (EU)
Selected Press
"Magical in its simplicity and all the more compelling for what's just out of frame." - Pitchfork (Blue Lake)
"Uniquley traverses the intersection between Ambient and Folk with a distinct nordic aesthetic" - NPR, Best New Music Friday (Blue Lake)
"Shimmering like dappled sun on water" - The Quietus (Blue Lake)
"One of those rare albums that impresses with minimal gestures" - HHV (Sofie Birch & Johan Carøe)
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