It’s good to see you back on Raster-Noton with a full-length album! What have you been up to since your 2006 Robot EP?
Sorry it to so long for redsuperstructure! I needed the right “situation” for producing it. From 2006 to now I worked on many things. I did stage design for two operas here in Berlin. Did a big sound installation in Caracas Venezuela, a record with To Rococo Rot. I started my collaboration with the Italian Harpist Beatrice Martini, founded a new Band project called Knuckleduster with the Canadian percussionist Debashis Sinha. Went on a little world tour for the Tenori On presantation. Started another Band Project, Whitetree with my brother Ronald and Ludovico Einaudi. Been a member of the ensemble of Ludovico and we did over a hundred shows together. Can’t say I was lazy. I´m looking forward to focus on a new raster noton release soon. Might be just an EP.

Is there a particular alien world that inhabits the sounds of redsuperstructure? Describe the particular aesthetic of sound that you tried to capture on the album.
No aliens involved in redsuperstructure : ) The sound world of the record as a simple and in this word grounded. Inspired more by everyday life than by imaginary spaces. I like to see my tracks as sculptures formed out of basic structures. For the moment I’m not too much in sound manipulation. Changes happening more do to cuts and layers rather than complex edits. The tracks I’m working on right now are “barebone versions” of redsuperstructure. But there is some funk flying in from somewhere. Might be a alien from a Sun Ra space ship.

Tell us a bit about your studio setup. What would a typical DSP junkie drool over?
I´m a musical nomad and have very small studio set up. I don’t like to have much gear and and different set ups in various places / studios.

Software I use:
Metasynth - Still a very good tool to create sound. But I’ll use it to 99 % only the effects. Which are very simple but you can do a lot with them. Ableton Live - of course : ) it’s been a live tool over the years but i´m using it for production more and more often. Logic Audio - I follow this software since the early days of a Atari computer in the 80´s. I´ll just feel home in it.

Plug ins:
Logic Audio Sculpture - love it for percussion sounds. Destroy FX Transverb - good for “arhythmical rhythms”. Stereo Shuffle / GRM tools - good for pad sounds to make them not so static. Also good to use before a reverb.  PPG Wave V2 – still a great software synth if you don´t belive the marketing who says its very good for eighties octave bass.

Hardware:
Metric Halo sound card - good preamps an clear sound. Motu ultralight mk3 - awful sound but very reliable. I use it for live only. Clavia Micro Modular – fantastic instrument. A bit weak in the mix. I sold mine and regret it the day after! Waldorf Pulse I – if you like a clear, strong , analog bass with not too much character, this synthesizer is for you. Mics, mics, mics! I´ll use a lot of mic but own not many. I love to record percussion sounds with different mics at the same time. dynamic, condenser, contact mics and mix them together. APC 40 USB controller – just got it. It seems very useful if you change the midi preferences. Yamaha Tenori On - I like this, too early died dinosaur of the evolution of musical instruments, unit. It’s a great, easy to use, matrix sequencer and a fine performance tool. In the past I triggered my Micro Modular with the Tenori On with great results.

I definitely hear a bit of Alva Noto, a touch of Mika Vainio and a dash of Byetone in the influences of this particular release. What artists, music or events inspired this work?
For me it was a great adventure to dive into the raster noton sound ocean. The most inspiration out of they catalogue Frühi found in SND. I love the emotional minimalism and they insistence. They like a little donkey staying on they own. Path no matter what happens left or right. In general I keep my eyes wide open when I walk around. Take many pictures , etc. For redsuperstructure I made drawings of the tracks and simple models out of every day objects and clay to find a good balance. Within the composition. Somehow I need some sort of visualization to find my path. The music they play in Spain in super markets was an inspiration too. Very strange techno played thru a bass-less sound system. Some tracks of the industrial band Espledor Geometrico been inspiring too.

Talk a little a bout the current state of electronic music in Germany…
Its all a mess! But in a good way. There are so many projects. Its hard to keep up. There is a big electro acoustic scene in Berlin. So many new little venues. After the big hype for German electronic music around 2000 it’s getting back to normal. A good development. Thru all the new ways of distribution, people are able to share their stuff. Like around the globe. I found some good projects like Fchen Früh. A young lady witch makes crazy an beautiful tracks.

Read Headphone Commute review of Redsuperstructure

raster-noton.net

The helicopter drops me off in an alien forest and I’m left all on my own to explore. Wind-up birds and digital crows screech and jitter as I make my way towards the cave. A cavernous opening welcomes me with a wide gape. And the beat kicks in. With a precision of an acoustic surgeon Robert Lippok dissects the sonic layers, peels them apart, and then stitches the textures together to create a journey for an avid audiophile. Microscopic percussive errors make up the rhythms within swirling synthesized leads, and hand drawn square waves of low-frequency bass.  Immediately fit on Raster-Noton (even if you didn’t know it was released by the label), Redsuperstructure is an album that explores the future of electronic music ahead of multiple generations.

Chemnitz based (Germany) Raster-Noton continues to remain at the forefront of digital micro glitch manipulation, and with this new release by Lippok it leaves the rest of the followers back in the dust. The release is based on a live performance set that Lippok performed at Raster-Noton’s Electric Campfire at Villa Massimo in September of 2010, and then agreed to finish up in the studio with encouragement of the label. “The events and structures of Lippok‘s vaudeville follow scripts which Lippok notated himself with water color and pencil. Other tracks were even visualized as clay sculptures.” With all the talk of digital manipulation the album is surprisingly very musical, with many tracks worthy of a dance floor – I picture a damp basement of Tresor where only strobe flashes are the source of any light. In the corner there is a mannequin dressed in a doctor’s outfit seemingly moving closer towards the speaker…

In the past, Lippok has only contributed a three track EP to Raster-Noton, with previous solo releases on labels such as Monika Enterprise, Series 500, and Western Vinyl. That, of course, leaves out any of his work as the co-founding member of To Rococo Rot – and that is a huge discography in itself. On Redsuperstructure I particularly enjoyed the closing 14-minute track, which features ambient atmospheres, glitchy tweets, twisted bass drops and Beatrice Martini on the Harp. DSP geeks and sonic adventurers will really appreciate! Especially if you dig everything by Alva Noto, Byetone, Kangding Ray, and the rest of the R-N roster. Absolutely pristine quality production – you can lick the beats off the floor! Highly recommended!

Be sure to check out Interview with Robert Lippok

raster-noton.net

Sasu Ripatti has been on a roll lately. I am mostly impressed by his collaborations with a handful of artists. There is his work with the critically acclaimed Moritz Von Oswald Trio alongside Max Loderbauer and of course Moritz von Oswald, with a handful of releases on Honest Jon’s Records, from Vertical Ascent (2009) to Horizontal Structures (2011). And then, as if working in a trio is not enough, Riptatti formed his very own Vladislav Delay Quartet, comprising of Derek Shirley, Lucio Capece and the one and only Mika Vainio (aka Ø and member of Pan Sonic), with a self titled 2011 release on the very same Honest Jon’s. Not to forget Ripatti’s full work as Sistol on Halo Cyan Records, his output as Uusitalo on Huume, and yet another project release as Luomo on Moodmusic. So when does he have the time to release as Vladislav Delay, and more importantly, for the first time appearing on Raster-Noton? And how does he decide which alias to use for a particular album? I’ll see if I can track him down to answer these questions, but meanwhile let’s get back to Vantaa.

Vantaa is a living, breathing organism of percussive shuffles, synthy wobbles, and bubbling grit. Like a metallic machine, that has its own heartbeat, it gurgles in the open space full of reverb and delay. One rhythm of the track is interleaved with another rhythm, the instruments lingering at their own pace, staggering past each other in interwoven layers. Although the nature Vantaa is undoubtedly electronic, its aesthetic is indeed organic, vitalized with complex textures and patterns that ripple on their very own. Unlike the pristine surgical lab of Raster-Noton’s catalog, the sound on Vantaa is incredibly dense, at times suffocating the barely audible structure. Yet further listens allow the protagonist to peel back the layers to reveal a fragile growing sprout of a new life, beneath that wobble, grit and grime.

“The tracks oscillate between a decadent, greyish, post-industrial sound cloud and the intimate atmosphere of a vast and desolate Finnish landscape. Ripatti plays with tiny rhythmic bricks that drift and collapse, but nevertheless create spaces that radiate calmness and tranquility. Being an experienced producer, he uses his know-how to layer compact sound fabrics in unusual ways. In this case, these elements arouse associations with gushing water, crackling wood, or growing grass.”

Vantaa marks a 10th anniversary release for Riptatti as Vladislav Delay. By now, the output of his moniker has been perfected to perfectly blend organic matter into his staple mixture of dub and techno. Ripatti sonic approach to produce seemingly random elements, fractured motifs and syncopated percussion has earned him worldwide recognition. His undeniable contribution to evolution of electronic music is archived by labels such as Mille Plateaux, Leaf, BPitch Control, and his very own Huume Recordings. I’m happy to see a relationship form between Ripatti and Raster-Noton, and will watch the development of this hopefully lasting collaboration for the years to come.

Read Headphone Commute’s 2009 Interview with Vladislav Delay

vladislavdelay.com | raster-noton.net

It’s been quite some time since I published my own mix. I actually compiled this selection of favorite tracks back in January, and let it marinate while other selectors stepped up to the plate. For this 90th mix on Headphone Commute, I’ll let it slowly ooze out of your speakers and drape your ears with darkness and cold. The theme on this mix explores dark ambient techno, hauntology, and experimental beats, alternating between banging rhythms and noisy drones, with a touch of speech for a good measure. It’s a trip and a half.

The cover image of the mix is a photo I took when travelling along California’s State Route 1 in July of 2008, and coming upon an ash covered Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, which just reopened after a week-long fire, damaging over 163k acres of land. I thought it was appropriate for the mix, being a soundtrack for desolate places and deserted sites.

When selecting the tracks for the mix, I tried to stay pretty current, with most pieces being released in 2011, and a few nose dives into 2003 for an audible contrast. I also picked a handful of techno artists exploring ambient territories, as well as ambient artists exploring the beats. There are more than a few sonic surprises in here. So be sure to buckle up and enjoy responsibly.

~HC

[ S T R E A M ] | [ D O W N L O A D ] | [ P O D C A S T ] | [ i T U N E S ]

On Saturday, my weekend began with a trip to Issue Project Room, where Unsound LABS featured three performances between musicians that have never worked together in the past, fusing territorial borders, styles and genres. The first showcase featured a set by Norwegian Hai Ngueen Dinh and American Nondor Neval. Throughout the semi-improvised performance, Dinh worked the distorted guitar, skimming through drone and noise, while Neval murdered the drum kit with rapid fire heavy metal rhythms. Half way through the set, Dinh got up from his laptop and attacked the sound, bending his body parallel to the floor, as Neval roared into the microphone incomprehensible lyrics at turbulent volumes.

Kotra and Blue Rain (© Bradley Buehring)

The second combination featured Polish Andrea Pensado and Ukrainian Kateryna Zavoloka. Abstract rhythms and noise piercing circuitry dominated the stage over the sporadic vocal swearing (in what I could only guess to be German) from Pensado’s motion controlled console. Abrasive sounds of this duo only added to the unnerving experience that set the stage by the previous act. The final duo of Dmytro Fedorenko (aka Kotra) and Stuart Argabright (aka Black Rain), allowed me to relax and finally melt in my chair with soothing tones and drones, letting my mind drift with the sounds. This overall avant-garde showcase left many impressions on my already overwhelmed, fatigued, and mildly ambushed psyche. I was finally ready for what I considered to be the main event.

Jacaszek (© Natasha Phillips Photography)

For Unsound’s Transgression showcase, I made my way back into the city, up to 86th street, where I found myself having a beer at the West Park Presbyterian Church. That’s right, there was a home made bar up on the second floor in the house of God. The crowd nervously shuffled around the old wooden floors, afraid that at any moment lightning may strike upon them. For the first performance, Jacaszek lurked behind the laptop, with a live accompaniment from harpsichord and clarinet (if you know the name of the musicians performing with him, please let me know). Listening to the pieces from his latest album, Glimmer, (Ghostly International), the sinners held their breath as the plucked strings and raspy winds filled the church with electronic glitches, acoustic shuffles, and ambient textures.

Lustmord (© Natasha Phillips Photography)

But nothing prepared the crowd for the long awaited appearance of Brian Williams and Gier Jensen, performing for the first time as Lustmord and Biosphere. The atmosphere in the church was replaced with the void – the lord of darkness was in the house. All wooden objects vibrated with the bass, and all metal screws split with the piercing frequencies, as the duo created a soundtrack to the first tests of nuclear weapons in the New Mexico desert. The music was accompanied by film projections of archival and new material shot on location, where the first detonation, under the code name Trinity, took place in July of 1945. The sinister, mournful and distressed sounds explored the themes of the human condition and its ability to finally destroy itself. I always wanted to witness a dark ambient performance in a church, and this one was worth waiting for!

Singularity at LPR (© Natasha Phillips Photography)

The festival came to a close on Sunday, after a few more Unsound LABS, featuring talks on The Music and Mysticism of La Monte Young and conversations with Lustmord on the TRINITY project. Overall, it was great to finally experience the acclaimed Polish festival in my hometown, even if I couldn’t stay up for all of the late night shows. The schedule was not overwhelming, and the shows did not overlap, leaving attendees plenty of time to migrate between the venues, even if they were miles apart. During the week I was able to finally meet some of my long time favorite musicians, and discover a few new ones along the way. The only thing that could top this experience off is if I experienced it in Warsaw! There’s always next time! Special thanks go out to Gamal at Backspin Promotions for supporting the festival and organizing my Unsound experience.

unsound.pl

[ preview ] [ day one ] [ day two and three ] [ day four and five ]

On Thursday, the second day of Unsound Festival, I managed to catch Monolake give an in-depth talk at the Goethe-Institut Wyoming Building. As one of the prominent figures in the minimal techno scene, Robert Henke has refined and redefined the concepts on sound design, minimalism, and of course live performance, most notably recognized as the co-developer of Ableton Live production suite. During the panel, Henke discussed the concepts of his latest release, Ghosts, his music production, and the limitations imposed on an artist with the hardware available in the early 90s.

Monolake (© Seze Devres)

Henke compared the past creative constraints to the newly self-imposed restrictions that must be set by an artist on himself, in order to extract every bit of inspiration from each instrument, instead of becoming overwhelmed by the abundance and availability of software plugins. He also spoke of being at the center of his live performance, so that the controlled, improvised, and perceived experience would be identical for the artist and his fans, rather than being veiled by backstage monitors unparalleled in quality to the house sound system. A very inspiring conversation on minimalism, simplicity and the beauty therein. Be sure to check out Monolake’s first two albums in the trilogy: Silence and Ghosts, both released on his own Imbalance Computer Music. Highly recommended!

Pole (© Natasha Phillips Photography)

Friday night could not come soon enough. It’s been a long week, and after a few late nights I was in dire need of a drink. Thankfully, Le Poisson Rouge was the next venue to host Unsound and furnish a seat with table service. The show started off with Mark McGuire of the Inner Tube project (Spencer Clark could not make it out). Cleveland based McGuire used his guitar to control layered drones, synth driven pads and light percussion to induce a dreamlike melancholia that slowly mixed and drifted with my drink. By the time Stefan Betke began his live performance as Pole, I was properly medicated, lubricated and subdued. Betke’s hypnotic dub beats with pulsating bass and delayed minor chords reminded me of why I love this Berlin based artist, along with his trilogy of 1, 2, and 3, albums, and the 2001 followup, R, on his very own ~scape label. The crowed seemed to agree, as it slowly moved with the hazy minimal basslines and rhythm of the beat.

Sun Araw (© Natasha Phillips Photography)

Finally, Los Angeles based Cameron Stallones closed the True Horizons showcase with his Sun Araw performance. The dub infused psychedelia slowly rose with the smoke, 60s delayed vocals, and detached acoustic percussion. Perhaps the multiple alcoholic beverages I’ve consumed have finally hit the spot, because the overall atmosphere took on a fuzzy, fluffy hue. But then again, Sun Araw’s music can have that intoxicating effect without any endogenous depressants – after all, he came up with his moniker as a tribute to the “master of hyper-dimensional living”, Sun Ra. Check out numerous releases by Sun Araw on Not Not Fun Records, as well as his 2011 release on his very own Sun Ark Records, titled Ancient Romans.

unsound.pl

[ preview ] [ day one ] [ day two and three ] [ day four and five ]

In April of 2012, the world famous Unsound Festival came to New York City for the third time. The festival was originally born in Krakow, Poland, and this year it will celebrate its 10th anniversary in October. Since 2010 the Polish festival found a sibling outlet in New York, cloaking the city with groundbreaking music, from comfy evening lounges to all night stomping clubs. My Unsound Festival experience began on Wednesday, when after a long day of work I took a subway over the bridge to the Brooklyn Academy of Music, to attend a screening of Polish animation from 50s, 60s and 70s, accompanied by a live score from Baaba. The lineup featured eight short films, incorporating graphic arts, clay, puppetry and experimental theater, from Academy Award winner Zbigniew Rybczynski’s New Book, auteur Walerian Borowczyk’s Banner of Youth, Mirosław Kijowicz’s Cages, and Stanislaw Schabenbeck‘s Stairs.

Baaba (© Natasha Phillips Photography)

The underground supergroup Baaba took up the front row, settling comfortably behind a synth, bass, and a drum kit, and performed a mind bending experimental soundtrack to the screening which was perfectly synced up with the action! I was especially impressed by the drummer, Maciej Moruś, who wrestled with the rhythm while keeping his eyes on the screen. This was an abstract, jazzy, and avant-garde score that only enhanced the creative, metaphorical and very cerebral concepts explored by the classic Polish animators. I recommend you get your hands on Baaba’s 2012 release on Ladoabc, titled The Wrong Vampire, which is an interpretation of the Krzysztof Komeda‘s score to Roman Polański‘s 1967 film, The Fearless Vampire Killers.

Julia Kent (© Natasha Phillips Photography)

After the show I migrated over to Issue Project Room for The Option Of Silence showcase, featuring a night of female artists working with experimental sounds. The show opened with a performance by New York based Julia Kent, who looped solo cello layers with gentle electronics and mild effects. The black cello sang, growled and hiccupped, as Kent used her right foot’s hallux to switch on the loop pedals, phrase samplers, and delay controls. Kent’s second full length album, Green and Grey, features more of her staple cello loops and field recordings, exploring “the  intersections between the natural world and the human-created world”, and is available for purchase via her bandcamp.

Jenny Hval (© Natasha Phillips Photography)

Next, the celebrated and mildly occult Norwegian Jenny Hval took to the stage with her three-piece band. Hval’s 2011 debut on Rune Grammofon, Viscera, took the experimental and indie communities by storm, quickly reaching a spot on many Best of the Year lists. The now famous opening line, “I arrived in town with an electric toothbrush pressed against my clitoris” set the tone for the poetic album and the beautiful performance that she delivered. Hval’s presence is surreal. Unfortunately, I couldn’t stay for the performance by Julia Holter, something I terribly regret. Her previous show at Le Poisson Rouge earlier in March was captured by NPR, and is available on video here: Julia Holter In Concert.

unsound.pl

[ preview ] [ day one ] [ day two and three ] [ day four and five ]

Today’s mix comes from one of my favorite artists, the man behind Kesh Recordings, and all around great guy, Simon Scott. Since his debut, Navigare (Miasmah, 2009), Scott has proven to embrace and conquer musical territories, from ambient and experimental to abstract and drone. For this exclusive Headphone Commute podcast, Scott selects his favorite tracks to grace our ears with an incoming Spring:

As winter slowly turns into spring I celebrate turning a year older as the blossoms begin to appear and we begin to hear the croak of the crows who begin busily nesting at the top of the trees. As I begin to anticipate the forthcoming hot summer evenings the pollen in the air is accompanied by my activity of making this mix that contains some of my favourite tracks both old (Eno and Moore) and new (Intrusion and Kane Ikin + David Wenngren). Here is a spring 2012 mix that also serves to bridge the transition in my music of my previous album Bunny to releasing a new album on 12k called Below Sea Level in May 2012.

Photography by Simon Scott from his upcoming Below Sea Level on 12k

keshhhhhh.com | 12k.com/simon_scott

[ S T R E A M ] | [ D O W N L O A D ] | [ P O D C A S T ] | [ i T U N E S ]

After almost two weeks of going out for the Unsound Festival and a few performances by Nils Frahm, Ryuichi Sakamoto and Taylor Deupree, I feel a bit overwhelmed, worn out and tired. Thankfully the weekend is here, and so I can settle comfortably in my studio chair to catch up to the latest releases and share some of my favorites with you. On the rotation today is a set of ten three-inch CDr releases from a small Australian independent label, Flaming Pines. The Rivers Home series began with an initial installment of five EPs released in September of 2011, and concluded with another set of five, published this past March. The series is dedicated to the rivers of the world, celebrating with the music inspired by the flow of water from a variety of ambient, drone, and minimalist musicians.

As our environment continues to change, rivers represent some of our most vulnerable eco-systems with urban runoff, over fishing, changing rain patterns and the clearing of river banks just some of the challenges to river systems worldwide.

The compilation of miniature hand-crafted gems opens up with a twenty minute meditation on Willamette River by the one and only Marcus Fischer. On the piece, Fischer gently strums over the ambient soundscapes, echoing some of his best work previously appearing on the beloved 12k. The delicate composition follows the path of Willamette river through Fischer’s native Portland (Oregon, USA), and explores abstract minimalism and organic ambient textures of water and sound.

The label founder and visionary behind the project, Kate Carr, appears on the third disk with a dedication to Brisbane River, flowing through the Queensland in Australia. Field recordings of gurgling waters and washes of guitar pads reflect on the transformation of the river in January of 2011, when the river flooded its banks, disabling entire communities of Brisbane, and shutting down the city for several days. The unprecedented power of water appears in this miniature composition as melancholy guitar chords strum through the running ripples and churning tide.

Christoph Berg contributes to the project under his Field Rotation moniker, with a ten minute piece on Kielerfjorden, a river near his home town of Kiel, Germany. Subdued filter sweeps, rhythmic sounds of shipyard, and synthetic chirping encompass this farewell piece to Berg’s childhood. The music captures the grey dullness of the daily life, with its cold air, scent of the Baltic sea, and “oppressive colour, bringing nothing but rain and storm.” The composition is a somber tribute to the environment most likely responsible for shaping Berg’s aural perceptions – and for that we thank Kiel Fjord.

The second half of the series opens with Seth Chrisman‘s piece on Rio Grande. Hailing out of New Mexico, USA, Chrisman (aka Widesky) recorded the sounds of the mighty river using a hydrophone. The thirteen minute exploration of the river’s 2,000 mile course drones with deep vibrations, field recordings of birds, and delicate burbling of the water. The music is broody, steady and calm, covering vast spaces of audible climates. Besides the Rio Grande piece, Chrisman managed to release another mini EP on Flaming Pines, titled Aetherdrift, Do You Copy? Be sure to also check out  Within That Aura out on Futuresequence.

A celebration of the River Calder appears on the compilation courtesy of The Boats. The river runs through Andrew Hargreaves’ home town in Burnley, UK. The piece recalls a vague flashback on a near-death experience from Hargreaves’ childhood. “My grandfather was showing me how to build a dam at one of the overflow tunnels that leaf off from the river [...] I began to explore the far end of the tunnel [...] The next thing I remember is flowing like a poohstick down the Calder [...] A stranger dived in and rescued me and returned me to my grandparents.” This is an emotional piece that is just as pungent as its story.

Besides the five contributions covered above, the series also features releases from Broken Chip, Billy Gomberg, All N4tural, Dan Whiting and Savaran. Each copy in this limited run of 100 CDs comes in a numbered handmade sleeve, with an insert containing a personal message from the artist (from which I quoted some of the above words). The entire set has been mastered by 12k, and is a beautifully crafted compilation for connoisseurs and collectors alike. It’s no wonder that Flaming Pines has been featured as one of the Best New Labels of 2011 on Headphone Commute. Highly recommended!

What are you working on right now?
I’m currently working on not working that much, not even music. I spent a lot of time switching inbetween Hamburg and Berlin and things have been way too busy over the past months, it’s time for some time off. I’m basically on my way to a secluded house in Denmark, just need to finish this E-Mail and find me some good books to read.

What prompted you to explore the expeditions into Arctic Ocean and Antarctica?
I’ve been a fan of these sort of mystical stories for a long time, not so much in the scientific sense but regarding the overall theme here – pushing the northern limits, searching for new, distant land, triumphant battles vs. nature – such things. When it comes down to the process of composing these stories deliver all the creative input you’ll need.

How did you prepare to recreate a sonic environment of these desolate quests?
I traveled continuously over the past two years – to Ireland, Iceland, Norway, Denmark, trying to spent as much time close to the sea as possible. I recorded and collected a lot of sounds and eventually set up a temporary studio in a small house in Denmark to merge it all together. Also a few friends helped me out and recorded additional sounds for the record. In the end Martin (Neo Ouija) and me sat down in his studio and I watched him do his magic.

Would you ever consider traveling on an expedition to the poles yourself?
Sure, though I think all the real expeditions have been done by now. I also think of turning my mind to other things now. I’ve been so involved with all this music for forlorn landscapes and troublesome journeys, it’s actually time for some less disquieting sounds. We’ll see how that works out.

I’m a big fan of Vladislav Delay so I have to ask, how did you end up working with Sasu Ripatti?
We work very close regarding his overall communication and the digital appearance of his works. We know each other from previous times at Kitty-Yo – Sasu and Antye used to live right above our office back then.

Who are some of your inspirations when it comes to music composition?
Currently… Ernst Reijseger, Cliff Martinez, Jonsi and Alex, Paavoharju, Stephan Mathieu

Read Headphone Commute’s review of Schwere See

palac.de

Going to a live performance is more than just an experience for the duration of the show. First of all, there’s that whole act of “going”. And prior, the anticipation thereof. The buildup, if you will, of an upcoming evening in the company of musicians, fellow sonic connoisseurs, and a few alcoholic beverages. Saturday nights are the best, but I made an exception on this past Sunday to venture into New York City, to witness a live performance of Gavin Bryars‘ The Sinking of the Titanic, by Ensemble LPR and Wordless Music Orchestra at the beloved (Le) Poisson Rouge. This venue, located in the heart of NYC’s premiere music spot, is quickly becoming one of my favorites. I’ve spent a few nights here already, enjoying the crispy and bass-heavy electronic sounds, but this was the first time when I got to see a live orchestra.

Upon my arrival I immediately began observing the crowd, and noticed that… that I was probably the youngest one. That’s not particularly surprising, considering that Bryars composed the score back in 1969, and that the gathered aficionados were most likely his fans for over 40 years! The crowd shuffled down the stairs into the performance space, which suddenly took a more sophisticated atmosphere than I remember from my last visit (I saw Sepalcure and Africa Hitech back in November). The stage became a seating area, while the dance floor – the stage. Individual tables were setup very close to the orchestra, creating a cozy and intimate environment. Once the music began, this configuration was particularly special to my heart – the last time I sat this close to a cello was when I was playing an upright bass in high school orchestra.

The piece opened up with a summoning gong, followed by the rolling thunder of an assorted percussion, beating the wooden blocks in what may be a Morse code rhythm for a distress call. The violin section picked up the opening, proceeding to measure out equal bars of a major-scale hymn, reminding me a bit of a chord progression from Amazing Grace. One of the disaster’s survivors later recalled that he heard bits of Episcopal Autumn hymn as the ship tipped upright on its nose and began to sink. Members of the orchestra gave cues to the music by raising their eyebrows, and frowning their faces, revealing the secrets behind the score – perhaps that one last note was an intended surprise in the movement that I should have picked up on. The players’ delicate fingers danced on the violin necks, their bodies rocking with the movement, making love to the music and space.

Electronic static, radio frequencies and bits of [intended] conversations echoed over the music, occasionally colliding with camera shutters, clanking utensils and bits of [unintended] waitress’ last calls. The most poignant samples came from the recordings of interviews with the survivors of the disaster. Music flowed from every corner of the venue, mixing in with a wide range of industrial sounding objects, attempting to replicate the sounds of bent, scraped, and twisted metal. A bass clarinet woke up from its solemn meditation and cried out in angst as the ethereal choral voices faded away. I even watched a percussionist drip water into a metallic bowl in front of a microphone. I wondered what that particular direction looked like on sheet music.

The piece was beautiful, the experience unique, and the performance expertly executed in the hands of a renowned orchestra, most celebrated for their concerts with Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood, the Japanese instrumental post-rock group MONO, and former Battles multi-instrumentalist Tyondai Braxton. The orchestra is composed of New York’s young musicians and members of groups such as Ensemble Signal, Alarm Will Sound, ACME, and Bang on a Can. The Sinking of the Titanic was first recorded and released on Brian Eno‘s Obscure Records in 1975. In 1994, the piece was remixed by Aphex Twin as the Raising the Titanic (later appearing on the 26 Mixes for Cash). This particular perfromance was presented on a centennial anniversary of the day of the Titanic’s sinking, on April 15, 1912.

Photography by Alexis Sumsion for Le Poisson Rouge. Used with permission.

lepoissonrouge.com

Listening to Christian Fennesz and Ryuichi Sakamoto is an experience of itself. Personally, I like to prepare for this two-hour sonic trip by opening up my windows, lighting up some mild incense, and brewing up some genmaicha (Japanese green tea with roasted brown rice). As the sunlight enters my room and gets trapped by the slowly rising smoke, the hot tea and the soft music gently flow through my body, warming up my extremities, essence and soul. The ambient textures lightly swirl in the air, as the tender piano keys sparsely land on the strings. The seemingly abstract atmosphere is delicate, soothing and a bit somber, perfectly balancing all other senses for curating a relaxing state of mind. At the end, the music is neither subjectively demanding nor is it boring – exactly as Brian Eno preferred it, when he defined his description of ambient music. If ambient music is intended to “induce calm and a space to think,” then Flumina delivers just that, with every flawless detail.

The twenty four tracks on this double disc album are titled after twenty four days, from March 18 to April 29th, during which Ryuichi Sakamoto recorded his piano compositions while touring in Japan. Prior to the performance, Sakamoto would semi-improvise a new piece in a different key, eventually covering all twenty four tonal steps of the scale. The pieces were then delivered to Christian Fennesz, who has layered additional synth pads, tiny electronic elements, and of course, his guitar. Sakamoto’s piano takes on the foreground and lead on each recording, while Fennesz’s buzzing hums fill in the spaces in between – something that the duo has perfect for this third collaboration together recorded for Touch.

Sakamoto’s melodies remain somewhat abstract, wondering and subtle, abandoning cohesive song structure while clearing the mind. Flumina happens to be a two-hour head cleaner prescribed by a doctor when one submits  to complaints of overabundance. Definitely different from the duo’s recording at the Auditorium Parco della Music in Rome, Sala Santa Cecilia (Touch, 2005), and a further exploration in minimal sound than their celebrated Cendre (Touch, 2007), but nevertheless incredibly welcome collection of miniature vignettes. Over burdened with a torrent of new sounds and fatigued with over compressed post production? You must find the time for Flumina! For fans of Harold Budd, Steve Roach and Brian Eno. Doctor recommended. – HC, MD

fennesz.com | sitesakamoto.com | touchmusic.org.uk

What Xander Richaers (aka Rich-Ears) doesn’t know, is that I’ve been a fan of his mixes for years. In particular, his “Perfect” series, from ”Perfect Aphex Twin” to “Perfect Four Tet” to “Perfect Orbital” and even “Perfect Autechre” - these compilations capture the essence of my favorite artists. So why hasn’t he appeared on Headphone Commute podcast until today? The truth is, I was a bit cautious about broadcasting a mix full of single artist’s tracks — even after Amon Tobin praised the “Perfect Amon Tobin” mix himself – some rumored copyright restrictions spooked me away a bit… But that doesn’t meant that we can’t have Rich put together a mix featuring his favorite selections. Which is precisely what this Summerfall mix entails! Behold… here comes DJ Rich-Ears!

Artwork by Jep Cuesta / Baumann Electronics

soundcloud.com/rich_ears | mixcloud.com/dj_richears

[ S T R E A M ] | [ D O W N L O A D ] | [ P O D C A S T ] | [ i T U N E S ]

After your work with Paul Fiocco on Solo Andata, what prompted you to produce a solo release?
It wasn’t so much that anything prompted me, I don’t think it was even a conscious decision, I’m constantly writing but generally not towards anything specific though. Some things end up as beginnings to Solo Andata songs, other’s evolve in different directions altogether. Specifically with Contrail, I’d just started writing with a purposefully minimal setup that was more of a throw back to when I started making music with tape machines, guitars and synths, kind of revelling in the noise and imperfectness of the medium whilst getting away from the precision of purely writing in a computer. Eventually I had an EP’s worth of material which I sent to Taylor (12k) in an email saying something cheeky like “I think this would make a great EP and sound awesome on vinyl”.

What analogue equipment did you use on Contrail? Was the computer used at all?
If I had the facilities I would love to work completely outside of computers, but that dream is a way away. For Contrail the main setup was an old miniKorg 700, my first guitar – a worn out Telecaster copy with faulty pickups, a no brand buzzy/noisy bass and some effects pedals (delay’s, octave, echo) all fed into a Tascam M-30 mixer into a Akai 4000ds reel to reel with one very worn out and overly used reel cut as a tape loop. Then lot’s of feeding the signal back and forth through the mixer and tape before it was recorded into the computer to drench in reverb, add some more sounds, edit and mix. For the most part though as it’s heard on the record is how it was laid down to tape.

How did the work on Strangers come into being?
I think I approached David actually after hearing Murrilin Lane (12k). I wasn’t really into his Library Tapes work so much but I thought Murrilin Lane was a fantastic, dirty, soulful record, and I sent him an email saying as much. That led to the swapping of some songs and sounds and I guess eventually we were working on a record. It all happened pretty quickly and with little conversation.

So did you actually ever meet David Wenngren face to face?
Not yet. Not even on Skype or phone. Just email.

What was the process by which the two of you worked on the album?
We each had a few unfinished sketches or long instrument recordings that we’d pass back and forth. Some were more finished than others, Veil and Drifter I’d pretty much already written, it just took David’s new perspective to flip them a little and get the spark going to finish them off. Strings was a string section recording David had made that I cut and edited into something else entirely before passing it back, changing completely again and so on and so on. All of that resulted in 8 songs which we culled to 6 which we then got pretty meticulous with, layering more and more sounds, recording new parts etc etc. Just making them as big as we could. Around all of that were sporadic short emails between each other of suggested directions, ideas, things to try out. The whole process didn’t take long to finish and, for me anyway, felt very organic and natural. I doubt the record would have sounded the same though had we been working in the same space.

And how did the album end up on Kesh?
Actually Simon Scott posted on his twitter feed he was looking for the next Kesh release, we sent it to him about a minute later and not long after that he replied saying he’d listened to it on repeat for several hours wanted to release it. I’ve been a fan of Simon for a long time, so I was more than happy to go with Kesh.

What’s next in the queue for you? Will there be more Solo Andata releases?
I’m currently working with a new Melbourne label //This Thing// (thisthing.us/tt) on a release, probably on cassette, and I have about 2 albums worth of material I’m looking for a home for. Some of that comes from music I’ve written for a dance performance here in Melbourne in May as part of the Next Wave festival called Wintering, similar to Contrail, but inspired by and referencing Antarctica, the rest is more explorative of my love of early post-punk and electronic music, rhythm and obsolete formats. Paul Fiocco and I have been discussing the next Solo Andata record for a few months now, we’re actually about to start an intensive month long recording session in June. I’m very excited, It’s not going to be like anything we’ve recorded before. In a good way. Aside from that Solo Andata have a new song on the next Air Texture Vol II compilation and another new song we composed for Ryuichi Sakamoto’s Kizuna World project (kizunaworld.org). Hopefully they both come out before too long.

Read Headphone Commute reviews of Contrail and Strangers

kaneikin.com

I begin the journey of El Tren Fantasma at the station, as the announcer calls out the “last call for the ghost train”. The train enters a dark tunnel and I drift away with a rhythmical beat of the wheels falling into the spaces between the old tracks. These sounds remind me of my childhood, when I traveled by train to visit my grandparents for the summer. I arrive in the Mexican village, where the birds chirp and the roosters crow, as the train screeches to a halt somewhere in the heart of the country between Pacific and Atlantic coasts. My ears are awake, picking up on the sounds of the trees talking to each other in the wind, butterflies dismissing the air with their conceded flapping, and the woodpecker’s cryptic beat. The train moves on, and soon its rhythm turns into a soothing pulse, slowly hypnotizing me as I drift in and out of dream state.

Using archive and field recordings, Chris Watson recreates a passenger ride across the country on a line that no longer exists. It’s been more than a decade since the last service operated by the Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México (FNM). Watson spent a month on board one of the trains as a sound recordist working with a film crew documenting a BBC TV series on Great Railways Journeys. The atmospheres captured with sensitive microphones in the country reveal the environment at its most open, intimate and natural setting. An additional post-production of looping train samples, turns this mere field recording into a mesmerizing trip. This is more than just a sound portrait lifted off a television show. Watson composes a cinematic narrative bringing the listener (and the observer) into a setting unattainable alone.

“Take the ghost train from Los Mochis to Veracruz and travel cross country, coast to coast, Pacific to Atlantic. Ride the rhythm of the rails on board the Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México (FNM) and the music of a journey that has now passed into history.”

El Tren Fantasma is a fourth solo album for Touch by one of the world’s leading sonic archivists of wildlife and natural history.  Watson’s 2003 album for the label, titled Weather Report, was named as “one of the albums you should hear before you die” by The Guardian. Watson is a seasoned veteran of sonic architecture. In 1971 he was a founding member of Cabaret Voltaire as well as The Hafler Trio (this is before he left Andrew McKenzie to release his collaborations with Autechre, like æo³ & ³hæ). In 2011 Watson also collaborated with Marcus Davidson on Cross-Pollination (see Headphone Commute review in Sound Bytes : Touch Label Special). And there’s also a 2-track 12″ pressing of El Tren Fantasma: The Signal Man’s Mix. My childlike fascination with trains and the sounds evoked by El Tren Fantasma invite me to listen to the album over and over again. And when you hear this magnificent recording, you will surely agree…

chriswatson.net | touchmusic.org.uk

Today Headphone Commute features a second installment of a two-part mix by Floyd Kelley III, showcasing his selections from  Dynamophone Records, a San Francisco based purveyor of cinematic, euphoric, and ethereal sounds. If you missed the first part, make sure to point your clickers here to download this free mix.

A perfect compliment to these mixes is the release Epitome: A Dynamophone Compendium which features soon-to-be-released tracks from Ryan Hicks and Grzegorz Bojanek. Get your FREE download by visiting the Dynamophone Bandcamp

Make sure you check out part one of the mix!

floydkelley.com | dynamophone.com

[ S T R E A M ] | [ D O W N L O A D ] | [ P O D C A S T ] | [ i T U N E S ]

Since its demise in 2005 and the subsequent return three years later (under a different management), Neo Ouija strived to secure the talent of its past roster and maintain its original mission. Unfortunately, the good old IDM masters of early 2000s, such as Deru, Kettel, Xela, and Apparat have all found a new home; the fifth installment of the Cottage Industries series appeared very promising, but emerging artists didn’t follow-up with full length albums on the label; and the ignited expectations slowly withered and cooled off. The opening paragraph of this review may sound a little negative and bleak, but its tone is designed to put your mind into a certain perspective, and prepare it for celebration of the amazing new release by Peter Prautzsch. So yes, needless to say, I was pretty blown away by the textures on Schwere See, and perhaps a bit unprepared to enter the world of experimental darkness composed in a foley room built for movies of my mind.

Recorded over two years in German cities of Kiel and Berlin, as well as Denmark’s Hvide Sande, the second full-length release by Peter Prautzsch features an appearance by Sasu Ripatti (aka Vladislav Delay and Luomo), Marcus Weiser (aka Rechenzentrum and Zeitkratzer) and Masayoshi Fujita (El Fog). The orchestral arrangement of the album reminds me of the best output by Murcof (speaking of which, whatever happened to Oceaania? – it’s been almost five years since the release of Cosmos!), the cinematic feeling of Jóhann Jóhannsson, the smoky tenderness of Deaf Center, and the beautiful child of Alva Noto and Ryuichi Sakamoto‘s wedlock. The music of Schwere See (tr. ‘heavy sea’) pays a tribute to the struggles of the early expeditions into the Arctic Ocean and Antarctica. These gloomy, cold, and desolate quests claimed many lives during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Prautzsch draws on the themes of these anguished and eventually triumphant journeys, to sculpt elaborate phonographic compositions that transport the listener into a landscape of drifting ice, stormy waters, and hovering fog.

Here is how the quest unfolds : something hollow drops into abyss among the screeching birds and shrieking strings… tension builds behind every corner of metallic rings and concrete echoes… the music carries forth, like an abandoned creaking ship with something breathing and alive in its voracious belly… radio transmissions are intercepted by the corroded wires and amplified through tarnished megaphones exposed to night and hail… the ship plows further on, with its sound slicing through icebergs, glacial fields, and floes… the piano drops its minor chord upon the moaning violins, as orchestral drums announce its inevitable fate…

Falling alongside “cinematic“, “hauntology”, and “doomdrone” mutators of ambient, modern classical, and experimental music, Schwere See immediately places itself among the contenders for best of the year selections, even if we’re only less than a quarter into this year. With mastering by the new Neo Ouija’s label owner, Martin Hirsch and cover art by Frederick Judd Waugh, the only thing that can top this release is a 75-run limited edition in a king size jewel case with color prints. After Schwere See I’m definitely going to check out Prautzsch’s earlier releases on his very own Palacmusic: Field (2007), Vor der Stadt (2007) and Ghosts (2008) — the latter recorded under his Palac moniker. Highly recommended!

Read Headphone Commute Interview with Peter Prautzsch

neoouija.com | palac.de