Repress!

Following the success of last years Babe Roots EP, Echocord revisits the package with reworks from Forest Drive West, Mike Schommer, Felix K, DB1 and Babe Roots themself.
London’s DB1 leads the package with his take on ‘Work Hard’, a mostly beatless interpretation fuelled by oscillating white noise, winding dub chords and snippets of the original’s dub reggae vocals. Hidden Hawai’s Felix K then ups the energy levels with a high-octane take on ‘Sufferation Time’, driven by upfront, shuffled and distorted drums and unfaltering, tension building dub swells. The hotly tipped Forest Drive West steps up next to remix ‘Jah Nuh Dead’, a typically classy reimagining from the Livity Sound artist, stipping things back to ethereal pads, off-kilter percussion and sporadic echoes of the original composition. Former Deepchord member Mike Schommer’s take on ‘Bless Me’ follows, the pioneer of contemporary dub techno delivers a cinematic rework employing sweeping voices, glitched out electronics and resonant swells alongside the bouncy dub reggae groove of the original. Lastly Babe Roots revisit one of their own compositions, ‘Sufferation Time’, delivering a more refined feel this time round with more impetus on drums and dark, hypnotic synths to contrast the original’s more vocal focused feel. More

Over the past decade Rising Sun has firmly established himself as a purveyor of the finest deep, dubby and cinematic leaning house and techno, consistently delivering a sound that is distinctly his through labels such as Fauxpas, Freund Der Familie and his own numerous imprints Reality Used To Be A Friend Of Mine, Kristofferson Kristofferson and Beautiful Things Don't Ask For Attention under a variant of guises such as The Ambientist, Rising Sun Project, Rising Sun Psyche, Rising Sun Melancholia and simply Rising Sun under which he returns here for Echocord. As one has come to expect from a Rising Sun release ‘The Eternal’ has a firm foundation in emotive melodies and atmospherics across six alternate versions. ‘Eternal 1’ leads with muted drums, fluttering stabs and a preaching spoken word vocal. ‘Eternal 2’ edges into darked realms, merging expansive dub echoes with swelling subs and tension building strings before ‘Eternal 3’ dives head first into ethereal hypnotism via unfurling textures, soft stab sequences and a rounded kick. ‘Eternal 4’ opens the B-side with a subtly unfolding construction as vocals, chords and swinging drums run in unison. ‘Eternal 5’ then strips things back to a gritty statured feel with boomy percussion, enchanting strings and nuanced stabs before ‘Eternal 6’ rounds out the release laying down murky, multilayered pads, widely dispersing reverberations and bubbling delays throughout. More

Echocord welcomes the return of Mathimidori to the imprint with his ‘Anata’ EP, accompanied by a remix from New Yorker and Novel Sound boss Levon Vincent.

Mathimidori is the dub techno leaning guise of Germany’s Mathias Kaden, known for his works under his own name on imprints such as REKIDS, Ovum and Freude Am Tanzen, while Mathimidori material has found a home on the likes of Mule Musiq, Raum, Ornaments and of course Echocord where he returns here following 2020’s ‘Akebono’ LP.

Opening the release is ‘Anata’, a texturally dense six-and-a-half-minute composition fusing pulsating subs, billowing synth atmospherics, spiralling dub echoes and sporadic dubbed out spoken word running atop a crisp 4/4 rhythm. ‘Zanziba’ follows and dives deeper via ethereal pads, snaking low-end pulsations, choppy stab sequences and heavily echoing reggae chants.

Levon Vincent steps up to remix ‘Zanziba’ next, delivering a typically raw and dynamic rework, upping the energy levels as dub stabs dynamically unfold and retract amongst a thunderous low-end drive, intricate synth flutters and low-slung drums across its ten minute duration. More

Repress! NOTE: RE-PRESS COMES IN BLACK VIYNL.

Echocord 20th anniversary special release

echocord records marks a momentous twenty years with an exclusive release, featuring 12 iconic artists on a limited edition triple clear vinyl, for dub-techno lovers and collectors.This vinyl series celebrates artists who continue to inspire the echocord journey, from 2001 to 2021 and beyond.

Over the past two decades, the Kenneth Christiansen helmed echocord imprint has been at the forefront of the dub-techno scene, discovering and developing sophisticated artists globally.

The twelve-track release is an exploration, from energetic dub techno, with cuts like Luke & Jeff Hess’ “M1 Dub”, grad_u’s “Pacific Lair”, and Idealist’s “Ride” to more esoteric passages with Forest Drive West’s “Signals”, Mikkel Metal’s “Lakam Dub” and Brendon Moeller’s “Slow Return”. Heavy dub vibrations resound in Babe Roots feat Another Channel’s “Gunman” and Deadbeat’s sub-driven “The Old Doom and Gloom” while Fluxion turns it to a jazzy, dub house wave with “Slide”.

“To me music is life, thank you for your support keeping the sound of echocord resonating” –Kenneth Christiansen More

Forest Drive West makes a welcome return to Echocord this February with the ‘Recursion’ EP, featuring one solo cut and two collaborations with DB1 and Localhost. London’s Forest Drive West has been steadily releasing his left of centre take on techno over the past five years on the likes of Livity Sound, Hidden Hawaii, Delsin, AD93 fka Whities and of course Echocord where here returns here following the ‘Parallel Space’ EP back in 2019.

Leading the release is the murky, tense atmospherics of ‘100m’, produced alongside regular collaborator DB1 the eight minute composition journeys through unfurling, expansive pads, subtly nuanced bass warbles and gritty off-kilter percussion.

Next up, Forest Drive West joins forces with Localhost for title-cut ‘Recursion’, embracing a 4/4 approach rhythmically this time and bringing hazy, ethereal pads, earth shattering subs and circling stab sequences into the limelight. Forest Drive West’s solo cut ‘Anchor’ then rounds out the release, taking things deeper into dub territory via tumbling percussive echoes, billowing chords and heavy doses of low-end drive. More

Echocord returns this March with a new EP from El Choop, backed by a remix from Sven Weisemann. Harvey Bones, better known to most as El Choop is a London based producer and DJ delivering dub leaning house and techno via the likes of Etui Records, Greyscale and now Echocord, a perfect home for his subtly nuanced, intricately unfolding aesthetic. Leading is title-track ‘Insane Sends’, employing a sturdy kick, cavernous percussion and choppy stab sequences, as the name would suggest all dynamically modulating across the composition’s six-minute duration. ‘Some Fall Harder Than Others’ then follows, embracing a more stripped back feel atmospherically, bringing filtered dub chords, ethereal pad textures and rounded subs into focus while dusty drums carry the hypnotic groove. Label regular Sven Weisemann then rounds out the release with his ‘Angelis Sends Mix’ of ‘Insane Sends’, a twelve-minute interpretation embracing a cinematic feel via expansive synth atmospherics, spiralling dub echoes and metallic chimes, all ebbing and flowing amongst one another throughout while a bumpy drum groove keep things moving. More

Copenhagen’s Echocord returns with a long player from Mathimidori this October, entitled the ‘Akebono’ LP and comprised on ten original compositions. Mathimidori, better know by most as Mathias Kaden has been using this alias as a way to showcase his take on dub-leaning, minimalistic and refined Techno via labels such as Dorian Paic’s Raum Musik, Tokyo’s Mule Musiq and Berlin’s Ornaments. Here though we see deliver his debut long player under the guise, and fittingly the LP will be released via esteemed Dub Techno imprint Echocord, home to releases from the likes of STL, Deepchord, Fluxion, XDB and Forest Drive West. Across the ‘Akebono’ album Mathimidori delivers hazy, spaced out instrumentals like ‘Maiia’, ‘Ork’ and ‘Soso’ while tracks like ‘Asaka’ and ‘Shao’ offer a darker approach. The project also welcomes an assortment of collaborations such as opening track ‘Java’ alongside Spain’s Pulshar, ‘Kioku’ featuring Japanese artist Tomomi Ukumori and ‘Kobe’ with Germany’s Rhauder which all lean towards downtempo dub territories. Also featured are Sakura who provides spoken word vocals for ‘Akebono’ and Shoco who joins Mathimidori for the ambient leaning album conclusion ‘Akari’. More

Echocord welcomes the return of STL this May with the ‘Take Off Music’ EP, comprised of three murky, dubbed out cuts from the acclaimed German producer. Stephan Laubner, better known as STL has long been one of the most respected producers in the underground electronic music scene. Racking up releases on the likes of Smallville, Perlon, Echospace [Detroit], his own Something and of course Echocord where he returns here. ‘Fluxxy’ leads on the package, embracing STL’s signature style via, dusty analogue drums, choppy dub stabs, penetrating low end flutters and airy atmospherics before ‘Dub Plus’ lays focus on a stripped-back, perfectly balanced drum groove, hazy field recordings and bubbling chord delays and bell chime synths. ‘Magic Thing’ then rounds out the release, fusing fm synth melodies and gritty bass stab sequences with thunderous subs and Laubner’s robust rhythmic style. Once again STL delivers a touch of class with a contemporary Dub Techno style for Echocord. More

The inimitable STL makes a welcome return to Echocord this May with a new three-track EP in the shape of ‘Take Your Seats’. Stephan Laubner, better known to most as simply as STL is highly regarded for his unique twist on dubbed out house and techno sounds and has been responsible for some underground anthems such as the lauded ‘Silent State’ on Smallville Records and other material on the likes of Perlon, Echospace [Detroit] and ofcourse his own Something imprint. Here though we see him returning to Echocord following 2015’s ‘Message Of Sound’ Part 1 & 2 EP’s with yet more mind- altering murky cuts. ‘Lost Harbour’ leads on the package with textural field recordings, crunchy distorted rhythms and an amalgamation of snaking bass, synth and piano lines, intertwining and unfolding throughout. ‘Mr Sinister’ switches the vibes over to menacing bass swells, fluttering subs, gritty percussion and an underlying tension before ‘Sensimilla’ edges into more ethereal territory with spiralling dub chords, shuffled hats and winding atmospherics. More

Idealist returns with his second long player this October, entitled ‘Mind Field’ and featuring eight dub-leaning cuts from the Swiss producer. Based out of Zurich, Switzerland, producer and DJ Idealist has become a respected figure in raw, dubby house and techno over the past five years via his releases on Echocord and his Idealistmusic and Details Series labels, picking up support along the way from the likes of Mike Huckaby, Dana Ruh, Tini and Mandar to name but a few. Here though we see him returning to Copenhagen’s Echocord with his second long player following 2016’s ‘Firewood Street’ on his own label. Leading on the package is ‘Explorer’, setting the tone with crunchy percussion, billowing stab sequences and airy dub swells before ‘Dimension’ employs pulsing subs, soft organ like chords and gritty analogue drums as its foundation whilst fluttering stabs and sweeping atmospherics wander within.‘Stage One’ is up next, consisting of a weight low end drive, thunderous kick and snappy clap running in unison with swirling dub echoes and tension building strings, a shining example of an effective dub-techno tool. ‘Golden Places’ offers something different, this time round embracing a walking bass groove, soft 303 style resonant flutters and cinematic strings. ‘M.I.T.H’ opens up the flips side of the release, upping the energy levels with a dynamic, robust rhythm, gritty stabs and murky modulating effects throughout before ‘Singularity’ edges things back into deeper territory with fluttering synth licks, vacillating pads and low-slung drums. ‘Smoke and Mirrors’ embraces a loop driven approach next with a focus on short, sharp synth cuts, bumpy drums and skippy hats before ‘Final Cut’, as the name would suggest, wraps up the album with oscillating percussion, choppy bass hits and raw drums all unfolding with the subtle nuances prevalent throughout yet another smooth and understated addition to Idealist’s catalogue. More

Conforce returns under his Silent Harbour guise this August with the ‘Noctiluca’ mini LP, a six track collection set for release via Copenhagen’s Echocord. Dutch producer Boris Bunnik has been releasing material under various guises over the past two decades such as Conforce, Versalife, Hexagon, Vernon Felicity and of course Silent Harbour which he revisits here following 2015’s ‘Hinterland’ on Deep Sound Channel and the self-tilted inauguration of the project in 2012 on Echocord. The beatless drones of ‘Riparian’ open the package, perfectly setting the tone with murky bell like chimes, rumbling subs and splashes of white noise before title-track ‘Noctiluca’ picks up the pace, tipping the focus over to bubbling dub echoes, glitched out, minute percussion and a sturdy muted kick to keep things driving. ‘Dwelling’ is up next, featuring expansive, washed out synth textures, cavernous bass tones and modulating percussion throughout. Leading on the B-Side of the release is ‘Peridinum’, employing classic dub techno tropes with an amalgamation of choppy stab sequences dynamically evolving over off-beat hats and a thunderous kick. ‘Fusiformis’ strips things rhythmically whilst keeping the bubbling delays and expansive reverbs at it’s core before closing track ‘Pelagia’ brings bright, resonant synth lines, delayed percussive hits and tension building synth bass into the limelight. More

Mikkel Metal returns to Copenhagen’s Echocord this May with his new mini LP ‘Just Enough Light’, comprising six originals from the Danish artist. Copenhagen based producer and DJ Mikkel Metal has been a beacon of light in the Danish electronic music scene and further afield for nearly two decades now, with the Dub Techno imprint from his hometown, Echocord, being the predominant home for his output, whilst also releasing material on Cologne’s Kompakt, Tartelet, Semantica and Avant Roots, a telling sign of the quality embodied in his work. Here though we see Mikkel deliver a mini album concept in the shape of ‘Just Enough Light’ and opener ‘Awake’ perfectly sets the tone with emotive, dynamically unfolding atmospherics, tension building bass drones and spiraling dub chords subtly easing us into the project. ‘Bregnan’ then stirs in some classing Dub-Techno tropes with billowing stab sequences, lumpy subs and off beat high hats carrying the hypnotic groove for six and a half minutes. ‘Jech’ then strips things back to an almost beatless amalgamation of murky chords and modulating synth whirrs. Opening the flip side of the release is ‘Include’ which embraces a brighter feel via ethereal pad swells, jazztinged synth melodies and bumpy 909 rhythms before ‘Konkin’ edges back into the eerie, brooding aesthetic with bubbling echoes, broken drums and menacing bass swells at its core. ‘Restore’ then closes the package on a stripped-back vibe, laying focus on an ever- eveolving singular dub chord to ebb and flow around thunderous subs, kicks and bright hats. More

Greek producer Fluxion returns to Danish imprint Echocord in January with his ‘Upsides & Sideways EP’, comprising three original productions. The Athens-based artist has spent nearly two decades honing his craft both on stage through his live improvised performances and in the studio, producing records for the likes of Chain Reaction, Vibrant Music and Subwax Bcn. Copenhagen’s Echocord has consistently delivered high quality dub techno from the likes of Roberto Clementi, Brendon Moeller and Luke Hess since its inception in 2001 and now Fluxion returns with his twelfth outing on the label with his latest material. Fluxion opens with ‘En route’, employing sharp percussive foundations, white noise atmospheres and haunting chord progressions which evolve throughout the track before ‘The Place’ offers dubbed out synthesiser motifs and glitching arpeggios which are underpinned by echoing drums and a subtle bass melody. ‘Flick’ then closes out the release with spacey synth riffs developing over groove-led percussion and a warm, distorted low-end. More

Sven Weisemann is set to release his ‘Bilateral Relations’ EP via Copenhagen’s Echocord this September, comprising four originals from the German producer. Sven Weisemann has been immersed in the underground House and Techno scene for quite some time now having started DJing in 1997 during the rise of the scene on his home turf of Berlin and going on to release material via the likes of Amsterdam’s Delsin, Mojuba, Telrae and liebe.detail amongst many more. Here though we see Sven joining the roster of Echocord, a perfect fit for his more dubbed out compositions with artists like Fluxion, Rod Modell and STL on the roster. ‘Lunation’ opens the release and sees Weisemann fuse emotive string melodies and cavernous vocal echoes with off- kilter rhythms and rounded sub hits before title-track ‘Bilateral Relations’ embraces a more direct four-four approach via sparse percussion and tumbling toms alongside choppy bass stabs and ever-unfolding, echoing dub chords. Opening the flip is ‘Monistic’, an airy ethereal number employing billowing pads, bright synth chimes and a dropped tempo dubbed out feel to create something truly stunning and thought provoking before the ‘Decimation (Valvle tR9 Mix) closes things on a darker tip with looming stab swells, heavily swung drums and sporadic growling bass drones. More

Echocord returns late June with a new release, Joel Alter under his Jor-El alias, entitled ‘Tilted Reality’ and comprising three originals from the Swedish artist.
Currently based in Copenhagen, Sweden born producer and DJ Joel Alter is a name synonymous with the contemporary Techno scene on both his home turf and across the globe, his back catalogue to date features a long player for the Uncanny Valley imprint, solo EP’s for D’Julz’ Bass Culture, Sweatshop and collaborative works for Kontra Musik alongside Henrik Johnsson amongst much more. This time round though we see Alter return under his Jor-El guise under which he first started releasing material on DJ Hell’s Internation Deejay Gigolo imprint. Up first is title-track ‘Tilted Reality’ laid out over seven minutes with a slowly unfolding dynamic feel, encompassing spiraling atmospherics, distorted rhythms and blooming stab- sequences. ‘Elevation’ follows and takes a more direct groove-driven approach via straight four-four percussion and hooky bass chops, whilst tension building pads and fluttering dub echoes gradually build around the foundation. ‘Solitude’ closes out the package deliving into deeper realms with soft ethereal dub chords, acid tinged leads and emotive strings. More

We are proud to announce that Andreas Tilliander is back on Echocord after 15 years. This March sees Echocord release the ‘Ofog’ EP comprising three original productions from Sweden’s Andreas Tilliander. Stockholm based Andreas Tilliander is a name that’s been synonymous with the underground electronic music scene for a while now, from his contribution to the ‘Glitch’ genre in the early 1990’s through to winning a Swedish Grammy and producing under various monikers creating a variety of sonic art.
This includes his previous Echocord released Lowfour alias, The Raster.Noton seminal Moikra ‘Cliphop’ album and his more recently explored TM404 project which has seen him release on Skudge and Kontra-Musik. Tilliander’s ‘Ofog’ EP kicks off with an upfront and club leaning track entitled ‘Störet’, which is driven by deep kicks and crisp hats that both sit tightly at each end of the mix, leaving room for twisted chords and delayed synth swells to fill the gap. Next up comes the fine dub-tinged and spacious aesthetic of ‘Oliveros’, where ethereal textures glide freely alongside the live-sounding tape delayed drums, accompanied by a deep, weaving sub. Closing the package is ‘Risset’, in which a half time bass line chugs alongside vibrantly saturated percussion escorted by dubby chords and glitchy atmospherics. More

We are proud to announce a new member to the Echocord family, we have signed the super talented Idealist. From Zurich Switzerland, Idealist is producing already for more than a decade, but only the last five years he took it a step further and signed releases or tracks on labels like Pro-Tez, Lackrec, Berg Audio and focused on building up his own label Idealistmusic with the non written Details Series sublabel. Both of which gained him international attention and sold like hot cakes at the distribution. In September 2016 he released his anticipated debut album „Firewood Street“, which followed his previous work.The last two years the success of his releases lead him to play in various European countries, Canada and Georgia, where he played in clubs like Tresor, Batofar and Culture Box. His first ep on Echocord contains 3 heavy powerfull dubby tracks, all for the dancefloor. More

5 track downtempo Balearic house EP by Ex Spiral tribe member Lol Hammond's studio project Wah Wah Planet from 1990 along side Russell Crone featuring female vocals by Lucy Sian. Serving as a pioneering early example of UK Street Soul. A side explores the romantic theme brought to the table by the lyrics in a more pop/radio edit oriented manner whereas the B-side takes things down a more leftfield route with 3 different excursions in early 90's smooth Balearics ranging from early breaky/triphop nuances to elements borrowing from dancehall music. Including a previously unreleased mix found deep in Lol's master tapes. More

Tracklisting
A1 Hamdi - Killa
B1 Hamdi - Second Mouse
B2 Hamdi - Simplicity

Sales Note
'It's an absolute honour to be releasing on DEEP MEDi - they'rea label I've looked up to and wanted to release on for a number of years so I'm really gassed to be putting out this EP with them.
It was a lot of fun to get to explore the deeper side of my production and I can't wait for everyone to hear it!'
(Hamdi 2024)

19.04.24
12" Vinyl & Digital
MEDi131
Mastered: Joker
Artwork: Joshua Hughes-Games More

Mexican sensation Pahua comes to Razor-N-Tape via a huge remix project featuring some of the hottest producer names in current outer-national dance music.

Remixers on this 12” includes both staples and newcomers to the RNT production stable. Label co-head JKriv turns in a late-nite bass mix of the exceedingly popular ‘Porque Yo,’ Captain Planet delivers a percussive & thumping afro-house flip to “‘Espantapajaros’, Tigerbalm brings her chugging international disco flair to ‘Pa’lante,’ Prince of Queens digs deep with a housey dub of ‘Calla,’ and Londoner Clive From Accounts takes ‘Cana Brava’ into moody nu-disco meets amapiano territory.

With a collection of remixes as prolific and solid as these, RNT opted for an expansive 12” and 7” package which features seven of the remixes across two slabs of vinyl, with gorgeous artwork that flips the moonrise eclipse motif of the original Habita album cover perfectly in a slick device that reveals a crescent moon as the record is removed from the jacket.

This package honors the essence of the original music, while flipping it in quintessential RNT club-ready fashion. More

Repress!

Music From Memory is excited to announce a special compilation that they’ve been working on for some time now; MFM053 – VA – Heisei No Oto – Japanese Left-field Pop From The CD Age (1989-1996). Compiled by long-time friends of the label, Eiji Taniguchi and Norio Sato, Heisei No Oto delves into a world of music released almost exclusively on CD and brings together a fascinating selection of discoveries from a little known and overlooked part of Japan’s musical history.

The last ten or so years have seen a global wave of interest in Japanese music encompassing ambient, jazz, new wave and pop records from the 1980s, some of which is increasingly considered the most innovative and visionary music of that time. Although some music from this period, in the form of ‘City Pop’ or ‘rare groove’ records, had been coveted by collectors and DJs for a number of years, most Japanese music from the time was little known outside and often even within Japan.

Sometime around the mid 2000s, two Osaka record store owners, Eiji Taniguchi of Revelation Time and Norio Sato of Rare Groove, along with a handful of deep Japanese diggers such as Chee Shimizu of Organic Music records in Tokyo, began to explore beyond the typical ‘grooves’ or ‘breaks’. Much like their counterparts in Europe and the US, they began delving into home-grown ambient, jazz, new wave and pop records, discovering visionary music, often driven by synthesizers or drum computers, that broke beyond the typical confines of their genres.

Spending tireless hours in local record stores and embarking on digging trips across the country, Eiji Taniguchi and Norio Sato, much like Chee Shimizu, have been at the forefront of unearthing and introducing many of the very Japanese records now loved and sought after around the world. Yet as YouTube algorithms and vinyl reissues would transport such music into the global consciousness and demand and therefore scarcity intensified for such records, so Eiji and Norio have recently begun to turn their attention to CDs.

The title of the compilation Heisei No Oto refers to the sound of the Heisei era, which began in 1989 and corresponds to the reign of Emperor Akihito until his abdication in 2019. Marking the culmination of one of the most rapid economic growths in Japanese history, 1989 also coincided with the music industry’s final shift away from vinyl in favour of CDs. And, although compact discs were first introduced seven years earlier it wasn’t until late into the ‘80s that, beyond dance music labels, CDs became the exclusive format for major and independent labels in Japan and throughout the world.

This however didn’t signal the end of the innovation in Japan. Many of those same musicians who have become known for their work in the ‘80s would continue to produce outstanding music well into the mid ‘90s, as greater innovation and advances in musical equipment allowed Japanese musicians and producers to refine and explore new sounds. While musicians such as the seminal Haruomi Hosono, whose productions feature on a number of tracks, would continue to push the boundaries of these new technologies, these technological advances also meant less established musicians were able to make use of increasingly affordable but state-of-the-art equipment.

Including music by Haruomi Hosono as well as Yasuaki Shimizu, Toshifumi Hinata and Ichiko Hashimoto who have become known and loved around the world in recent years, Hesei No Oto also features Japanese pop star Yosui Inoue, producers Jun Sato and Keisuke Kikuchi in aaddition to less established artists from the contemporary, jazz, new wave, pop and dance music scenes. Bringing together a selection of tracks that seem to define these specific genres and in fact move fluidly between a number of them, the music on the compilation is again underscored by experimentations with synthesizers and drum computers though with something of a gentle Pop sensibility. Reimagined here then under the encompassing term ‘Left-field Pop’, this is an exciting chapter in Japanese musical history that has only just begun to be fully explored.

VA - Heisei No Oto - Japanese Left-field Pop From The CD Age (1989-1996) is a 2xLP/2xCD that includes liner notes by Chee Shimizu and artwork by Hagihara Takuya and is released on February 28th. More

Irresistible Brazilian blues reggae from the heart of the Amazon rainforest. A psychedelic guarana induced trip and ode to the fading indigenous cultures and shifting hegemony in Brazil. This one-off release by Manaus native Natacha Fink was originally written in 1986 as the lead track on NOSSA MUSICA - a compilation celebrating regional music from the Amazon. Emerging out of the dictatorship, Natacha and her fellow artists rejected the aesthetic standards driven by internal colonialism and sought out new ways to express themselves away from the styles of the dominant Rio-São Paulo axis. What surfaced was a melodic blend of genres, with Natacha’s haunting vocals and playful lyrics gliding over an arrangement of guitars and double bass. Vocal backing is led by Torrinho, well known for his layered composition style, whose song ‘Porto de Lenha’ is recognised throughout Amazonas as an unofficial anthem. Hidden within the Amazon, Pirarublue lies in that wonderful space between innocence and honesty. Proudly exploring cultural and ecological spaces through a refreshing, ghostly infectious groove. For fans of Gal Costa, Elis Regina, Chico César, Jorge Ben Jor and Joni Mitchell.

Accompanying Natacha’s beguiling single is the field recording “Unseen Songlines” by artist and academic Nimalan Yoganathan. The composition immerses the listener in the soundscapes of Mamori Lake, a remote village inside the Brazilian Amazon. Nimalan explores the ambiguous perception of sounds emanating from the dense rainforest and deep beneath the Amazon River, where we hear the sounds but cannot see their sources: an acousmatic concert performed by the rainforest itself. Processed field recordings of birds and frogs, as well as underwater hydrophone recordings of dolphins and fish subtly weave throughout electroacoustic textures and beats. The listener is invited to hone in on the musical subtleties hidden throughout the environment. The compositional methods employed in this piece draw on the concepts of sonic rupture, presence, absence and memory found in the dub music tradition.

This limited edition 7” by Sticky Buttons puts these two outlying works together for a unique listening experience, combining the human and more-than-human experience of life at the heart of Brazil. Both uniquely Amazonian but with a universal appeal.

A - Natacha Fink - Pirarublue
B - Nimalan Yoganathan - Unseen Songlines More

Tracklisting
A1 Avant.ocs - Infernal Overture
A2 Red Rooms - Vertical Limit
B1 Maoh - Culto
B2 Uvall - Rotanev More