Sunday 30 December 2018

Spatialize 'Beyond the Radar' Review




Artist: Spatialize



Title: Beyond The Radar



Label: Self Released



Released: 11th Jan 2019










After four years of concentrating on his deep ambient project ‘Experiments in Silence’ Neil returns to the more groove orientated productions of Spatialize. With influences ranging from the psychedelic, electronic, ambient, world and space rock. Juicy synths, exotic instrumentation and guitars float over organic and electronic drums, with the album including sax from Ian East of Gong and futuristic synths from Ishq.


The album begins with ‘Cat and Mouse’ with sequenced synths, drums, fx and a touch of squelch which combines to produce a sound reminiscent of Ozric Tentacles, with sax rather than flute. This is followed by the title track which is a more dubby affair with vocal harmonies that still retains an Ozric vibe. The next piece ‘Hobo Sapien’ moves the pace up a notch with a distinctly psy-chill feel, with little touches of sax peppered in appropriate intervals.


It’s a darker intro that emerges into the light with ‘Colour of Sky’ which continues on a psy-chill tip with some touches of the orient and vocal harmonies. The guitar is a more prominent feature on ‘Dance into the Light’ where the intro reminded me somewhat of Tangerine Dream, before the groove commences with the introduction of the beat and vocal harmonies. After the ambient introduction it’s back to the psy-chill on ‘The Great Super Mango’ which teases you somewhat before letting go and repeating that cycle.


The elongated intro of ‘Tolticken’ once again had somewhat of a TD and Ozric feel with the sequenced synths and vocal samples invite you in before it drops into slow motion with some beautiful guitar licks. The slow pace continues with ‘Out of Body’ intro, with a spoken sample not a million mizles away from the Orb’s ‘Little Fluffy Clouds’ when the drums kick in ethnic and harmonic vocal samples are utilised and again little passages of guitar. The final piece of the album ‘Tree Frogs’ another downtempo number that introduces some flute and sax to the party.


For me personally I’d strayed away from the psy-chill, psy-dub sounds in recent years, aside from the odd producers such as Globular I felt it was morphing into territories such as psy-bass and swamp and losing the chill out aspect that was always a welcome element for me. However, of late I’ve been re-visiting and enjoying some of the older releases in the scene so this review really couldn’t have come at a better time. I’d recommend this album to those who like space music, space rock and psy-chill as it switches between and combines these styles throughout.


Reviewed by Woodzee


Links







Thursday 20 December 2018

E.R.S. Dub Chants and Magic Plants Review






Artist: 


E.R.S.



Title: 

Dub Chants and Magic Plants



Label:

Dubmission Records



Released: 

7th December 2018






This five track E.P. by Austrian producer Manfred under his E.R.S. pseudonym, takes the vibe slightly more in the direction of psy-dub than his previous dub reggae productions.


The release gets underway with ‘Made of Information’ where a slightly delayed and melodic guitar is over-layed with the kind of spoken dialogue you would expect from a psy-dub release. Although it’s a short piece it’s enough of an enticer to maintain my interest. The next track ‘Shroomed’ begins in a typical reggae fashion but drops off into twisted spacey fx before returning with the reggae vibe overlayed alongside bells and an apt vocal sample.


Moving on in more of a stereo-typical dub reggae fashion ‘One Million Questions’ drifts through a myriad of tones, vocal samples and shakers layered over a simplistic yet effective bass-line. While ‘On a Mission’ is a pure electro-dub journey where reverbed tones meet tribal percussion. The E.P. comes to a close with ‘Roots Station’ a slow burner of rolling percussion and sound fx that builds and drops nicely before the stereo-typical reggae keys and horns are introduced.


Overall although this may not be a classic you will frequently return to for years to come. I found it an enjoyable enough and at a reasonable £3 or more you can’t go wrong.


Reviewed by Woodzee.


Links





Saturday 15 December 2018

Experiments in Silence Interview


1) Firstly, thank you for taking the time out from your busy schedule to complete this interview. Could you tell us a little about yourself and what first appealed to you about music?



More than happy to.

Between my dad and my uncle I was exposed to loads of 70’s prog before I was even a teenager. My brother was also music mad, plays guitar and is a keen audiophile.

Even before that my gran was a good old fashioned knees up pianist who taught me the basics at a young age. But instead of particularly playing pieces of music as such I mostly ended up improvising dreamy arpeggios for the feel of it, which in retrospect, is a bit like electronic sequencing.

I grew up in Birmingham which was a good place to be in the late 90’s. You had Oscillate doing ambient electronica nights with Bubble Club and Planet Dog doing dance nights. Add to that the fact that you could see bands like Ozrics and Porcupine Tree live regularly.

So music was all around me really growing up and I had slowly expanded into a fledgling budget studio with four track and sampler by the time I went to college.

2) You also release music under the name of Spatialize, what was the reason for releasing these productions as Experiments in Silence?

When I had completed the 2014 Spatialize albums Radial and On the Edge of Forever I felt I had spent a good amount of time with all those carefully crafted multi layered parts and that I wanted to do something a bit more spontaneous. I’d always been a fan of deeper ambient music, in fact that was mostly what I listened to for quite a few years, and of course there’s a lot of atmospheric intros and outros in Spatialize.

Then in 2013-2014 I saw that Mauxuam, Greg Hunter and Master Margarita were doing what they called nightly builds / remixes and posting them on sound cloud. It was a refreshing approach to music after the slower in-depth mixing in Spatialize. So I decided to have a go at remixing one of their Cloudform tracks in a deep ambient style, but in one session. That decision was important as it would give me an opportunity to flex the techniques and knowledge that I had built up with Spatialize into a condensed, free flowing, spontaneous form. I uploaded my remix the next morning and felt that I had suddenly a brand new project in front of me. I needed a name and named it after a long abandoned Spatialize track which was called Experiments in Silence.

3) Matt Hillier (probably best know for his work as Ishq) is also involved with this project. Are you both part of the creative process or is he just mastering your compositions?

Instead of being a full collaborative member as such, Matt has been more of a mentoring tutor and friend who dips in and out of the project. I met Matt just as I was in the nascent form of the project and he shared his working philosophy with me and encouraged me to develop the project. At the time my approach was still in the Spatialize mindset which is to multi layer everything and build structures. That was hard to let go of. What Matt did was encourage me to work in a much looser and spontaneous way, often without midi clock. I would play him a track idea and he would say “take that out, take that out and take that out”. I know it’s a cliche but it became evident how less is more, particularly with deep ambient.

We collaborated on two tracks on the first album (Hidden Harmonic)and he has done remixes on the 2nd (Encrypted Transmissions) and 3rd albums, in particular the massive 37 min remix on Suspended Form.

We would probably write more together but I think we find it good fun to just sit together in a studio and just investigate sound, introduce each other to new working methods, drink tea and generally chew the ambient cud without the aim or pressure of creating something. Though I’m sure we will do a project again sometime in the future.

In terms of mastering the albums I did that myself, but again Matt did share his working methods with me and helped get me going. He has also helped with CD artwork and in encouraging me to approach to release through Txt which got the name known to ambient heads throughout the world. So, yes. Without Matt’s help I’m not sure the project would have got to this point. Big up to Mr Ishq!
4) Do you prefer analogue or digital when composing your work? Or is it a blend of the two?
I have a small range of outboard gear which I I’ve folded into the mixes (novation x station, Roland Gaia, bass station 2) but the majority of the sounds come from within the computer where I use Logic X. Although I love the tactility of hardware I’m a big fan of the sound and convenience of digital. There’s a lot to be said for both approaches but I think the advantage of analogue now is less about the sound quality and more about the way it allows you to interact and be expressive.
Actually on the last album Escape to the Skyline I wrote the majority of the tracks on a laptop with headphones via a mini keyboard in a conservatory with my feet up on a sofa. I then took the laptop back to the studio and added a bit of extra hardware synths and mixed on my monitors.
Some of my core plug ins of late have been NI Reaktor (particularly the grain sampling), the ExS24 sampler, Valhalla reverb, Uhe Pro One and TAL Juno and sh101. There’s a lot to be said for all that convenience in one box and being able to create whenever you feel spontaneously creative and inspired.

5) You recently played live with Banco de Gaia and Andrew Heath. How did this come about and do you have any up and coming gigs?
A few years ago when Toby Marks was looking for music for his first Strange Eyes Constellations compilation, Paul from Templehedz sent him a Spatialize link and I ended up with a track on that album.

So when Toby came to the next compilation I suggested the Experiments in Silence project and I think he really dug it as he played a few tracks in his Glastonbury radio show. I’d also got to know Andrew Heath a bit online and had seen their live ambient show and chatted with them afterwards. Then when the banco/ heath show was coming to the south west in Exeter I was asked to open the night.

Unbeknown to Toby it was excellent timing as I had been investigating granular looping on the iPad with Samplr; an app where you can play the sample with your fingers on the screen and loop it. The prospect of a live gig helped me to put it all into practice and I added live midi looping and synth step sequences from soft synths on a laptop in Ableton Live as a second, unsynced system to the iPad. Normally with live electronica you have to rely to a large degree on pre-prepared loops or backing tracks. So being able to build up a properly live and reactive ambient set was challenging but very rewarding.

I haven’t looked into getting more EiS gigs yet but I’m certainly open to it. The crowd in Exeter were certainly very knowledgeable and appreciative so I would love to do more.
6) Are you working on any Experiments in Silence productions at the moment? Or is it currently taking a back seat to Spatialize?

In terms of recorded material 2018 has been taken up completely with creating new Spatialize material. It’s been a productive year and a new Spatialize album called Beyond the Radar will be released on 11th January 2019. It’s going to be a high vibe release of psychedelic electronica, quite different from EiS, but also drawing on the insights and production techniques from the deep ambient work.
7) What other artists are impressing you at the moment?

The music which has been really shaking my tree in the past year has been desert blues from North Africa. In particular artists such as Ali Farka Toure and Tinariwen. There’s a really great combination between earthiness and sky and a sense of the astrength of the human spirit that I absolutely love. And some badass grooves.

In the electronic world I’ve been exploring Steve Roach quite a lot this year. I’ve also been appreciating the very slick arrangements and production of Hedflux. It’s really nice to hear a producer who uses glitchy effects etc but does so in a very considered and effective way. Matt Coldrick’s new album is also very musical and pleasing.

Links



Albums of interest 2018


A selection of recommendations for albums released in 2018 that you may not want to miss out on.




Kaya Project

Up from the Dust

Comprising 20 musicians and four years in the making global chill at it's finest.


Woob

新 プログラム

Taking a step back from the 80's horror soundtracks with a more ambient approach, futuristic and Bladerunner'esque.


Pan Electric

Step Out

Comprising new material with re-works of old drawing on prog-rock and folk and fusing with ambient electronica.


Experiments in Silence

Escape to the Skyline

Laid back and beatless electronic soundscapes that take you on a journey from your armchair.


Various Artists

Zero Gravity

Interchill have always been a good bet with their releases and this compilation doesn't fail to return that stake.



Crystal Nada 

Awa uta - あわ歌

Comprising Indian ragas with Japanese mantras a go to album for quiet reflection and meditation.


Laraaji

Sun Transformations

American ambient pioneer Laraaji's compositions are given the re-mix treatment and it works a treat.



DF Tram

Serenitay Infinitay

Dubby, strange and packed to the hilt with samples there's no one quite like DF Tram.



Andrew Heath

Evenfall

Beatless ambience with strong focus on the piano. Perhaps his best work to date.


Rameses B

Spacewalk

Putting on the brakes for this release comprising mellow electronica and chilled out drum & bass.


Various Artists

Strange-Eyed Constellations 2

A selection of beatless ambience, dark drones and more experimental than the first in the series.



Monday 3 December 2018

Gypsy Hill 'Producing' Review






Artist: Gypsy Hill



Title: Producing



Label: Batov Records



Released: 9th November 2018











A collaboration between DJ Kobayashi and Herbert Newbert, in Gypsy Hill they bring together the balls and the brass from the Balkans, surf-rock Mediterranean guitar lines, Arabic & Jewish melodies, massive bass-lines and a whole heap of electronics, scratching and beats. Having previously worked on re-mixes they decided to invite artists to the studio to collaborate for this album.


The release commences alongside Kobi Israelite on ‘Special Brew’ which drifts between the aforementioned surf-rock Mediterranean guitar lines, Balkan brass and the snake charmer of the Arabian bazaar. It’s exactly what you’d expect and it’s a catchy ditty that works equally well foot tapping or hand clapping. Next on the agenda they team up with Simo Lagnawi on ‘Gzeyel Meyel’ subtly blending along with his style of Gnawa (Moroccan Folk).


Composer, saxophonist and ethnomusicologist Alejandro Toldoe joins the throng on ‘Can’t Pay The Rent’ where horns and guitars carry you along over the tribal percussion. The next track is advertised as only featuring Gypsy Hill on Hallouminati’s ‘Late Junkies’. Hailing from Nottingham and fusing Punk with Balkan Beats and Greek music, this seems almost natural to merge alongside Gypsy Hill, with some added Bouzaki and a touch of plate smashing wouldn’t go amiss.


The next collaboration is alongside the Swingrowers on ‘Sugar’, as you might expect this is a swing but there’s a little extra oomph on percussion and electronics but not as full on as electro-Swing. Moving on they are joined by international collective the Turbans on ‘Funtashlikh’, mashing together eastern European and Middle Eastern sounds this pacy number rolls along nicely and is made to drag you to the dancefloor.


Koby Israelite returns on ‘Rural Ghost’ with more guitar fused Middle Eastern vibes before the final piece ‘Six Steps’ by D.I.N. (Drowned in Noise) feat. Gypsy Hill which sounds like a fusion of bluegrass and horn with a suitably drawn out vocal.


To summarise I like Gypsy Hill’s productions and highly recommend a live show, where they really come into their own. This album doesn’t steer too far from their previous work and also works well as introduction to some if not all of the collaborators.

Review by Woodzee


Links




Thursday 29 November 2018

Pan Electric 'Step Out' Review




Artist: Pan Electric



Title: Step Out



Label: Liquid Sound Design




Released: 7th December 2018







This new release from Matt Coldrick features a combination of new productions and re-works from the past, such as his first single under this moniker ‘Shadow Hunters’ on Flying Rhino twenty years ago. I must admit I was blissfully unaware of this production at the time and it wasn’t until 2007 I picked up on tracks from ‘Conscious Pilot’ on a One World Music podcast. At that point it was an instant purchase and remains a firm favourite. So I was pleased to see a couple of the tracks given a fresh lick on here.


The album begins with the title track ‘Step Out’ which at just over 13 minutes combines piano, lush ambient tones, Balearic guitar and a fitting vocal hook which work in phases throughout the track maintaining the interest. The next track ‘Half World’ adds a few more minutes entwining elements of dubbed out electronica, folk and at times sounding somewhat akin to Eat Static around the time of the ‘Implant’ album.


The album continues with a more typical length on ‘Rhythm Is A Sense (Quarter World) where a shuffling rhythm is over layered with spoken samples and ambient dub like tones and bleeps. Following on is the 2018 version of ‘Rising Slowly’ one of my favourite pieces from ‘Conscious Pilot’, this version retains everything that I loved about the original, the vocal harmonies and blues guitar licks that give a nod to 70’s prog rock, Matt just adds suitably placed dub echoes and a deeper bass. This is followed by the album mix of ‘Sweet As Rain’ where African vocals are layered over electro-folk which absolutely maintains the laid back atmosphere of the album.


We then move onto the aforementioned Fractal Kiss re-mix of ‘Shadow Hunters’ which is probably the most uplifting track of the album, switching from melodic harmonies to touches of trance. The final piece is the Veena mix of ‘Always A Way’ my favourite from Conscious Pilot. The added vocal sample works well in the sense that I felt I could relate to the lyrics of the original and this now implies could it also apply to artificial intelligence? That aside it works it’s way slowly luring you into the crescendo you know will follow, where the vocal harmonies (which once again harp back to the days of prog rock) work perfectly in tandem with the ambient electronica.


To summarise if your already a fan of Matt’s music then this fresh take on the pinnacle of his productions is subtle enough not to ruin any of your favourites, yet interesting enough to bag a copy as it’s a joy to listen to in it’s own right. For me it’s up there as a contender in my best Chill Out albums of 2018.


Reviewed by Woodzee.




Links






Monday 5 November 2018

Animat 'The Last Man' Review






Artist: Animat



Title: The Last Man



Label: Disco Gecko



Released: 9th November










Animat specialise in developing and performing new soundtracks to existing cult films, and have played live at cinemas, festivals and other venues throughout the U.K.


This November they are revisiting their soundtrack to the 1964 post-apocalyptic horror fantasy ‘The Last Man On Earth’ which stars Vincent Price as scientist Robert Morgan, the one man apparently immune to a virus that has killed 90% of the earth’s population and transformed the survivors into vampire-like creatures.


Originally toured in 2011, the film inspired the album ‘Imaging Ghosts’, first released by Big Chill Recordings, and this collection brings together the highlights from that album together with exclusive new re-workings plus remixes from Deep Dive Corp, DF Tram, The Verbrilli Sound and Disco Gecko’s own Andrew Heath.


As a fan of Vincent Price, this film and partial to Animat’s productions this was of instant interest to me. I found myself eager to hear the results and slightly sad I hadn’t witnessed the audio/visual experience. Beginning with ‘Ghost People’ a dub reggae tinged piece of electronica, that embraces a bit of warmth amongst the colder passages along with a touch of electric guitar. This is followed by the Forest Fires mix of ‘September Falls’ which doesn’t alter the mood too much with plenty of dubbed out guitar licks. The Only Seen At Night mix of ‘Throwing Shapes’ grips me instantly with a Vincent Price vocal sample running over the bass guitar. The piece soothes out before sequences are slowly added that expertly build back to the bass guitar before dropping off again. My attention is retained with ‘Gogo’s Dub’ a mellow piece of dubbed out electronica containing some wonderful harmonic voices.


Vincent’s distinctive voice is utilised alongside mellow dubbed out electronica once again, with the 2018 Revamp of ‘International Frequency’. By this point I’m beginning to imagine how this soundtrack works with the movie. The next piece Verbrillis Windy Accumulation Mix of ‘A Promise of Snow’ maintains a similar vibe with a slightly more atmospheric vibe as you probably gathered from the title. By now I’ve reached the first of the guest re-mixes with Deep Dive Corp’s take on ‘Ghost People’ which is subtly done, a little more heavy on the drums and a touch of reverb adding to the groove.


Andrew Heaths re-mix of ‘Throwing Shapes’ omits the Vincent Price samples and instead tinkers on the ivories, this gives a whole new feel to the piece and personally I love them both. Next on the agenda is the DF Tram & Future B.C. re-mix of ‘Gogo’s Dub’ where the vocal samples are twisted and chopped and the fx bubble away nicely. Finally to see us out is The Only Michael’s Ambient Mix of ‘Earplay’ where ambient strings give way to dubbed out sequences only to return for the finale.



Review by Woodzee


Links …





Friday 2 November 2018

SaQi & SuRaj 'Dust into Gold' Review







Artist: SaQi & SuRaj



Title: Dust into Gold



Label: Desert Trax



Released: 16th November










When I first saw this release advertised I initially thought I have no idea who these guys are, but I was intrigued at the promise of a deep fusion of progressive electronic downtempo and dance music with a variety of Middle-Eastern realms of sound. I’m still none the wiser to the previous productions of SaQi an electro-acoustic producer and trumpet player. However, SuRaj a multi-instrumentalist and vocalist has performed for many years as part of of the Qawwali ensemble Fanna fi Allah. Throwing several guest vocalists into the melting pot and a couple of re-mixes added to the anticipation.


The album begins with the title track and features the vocals from Shazieh Shah, which I found to be melodic and rather than the Azam Ali’esque vocals I expected, I found the whole piece closer to Massive Attack with Tracey Thorn. The next track named ‘SuRaj’ I expect as his Oud performance provides a backbone to the synth and flute melodies that accompany the piece. Moving on the direction changes once more with Eastern European flavour of ‘Babushka’ featuring Sarasvati Dasi (who has worked with the Polish Ambassador) and placing more focus on the trumpet of SaQi.


Once again the style changes with the Sufi number ‘Taje Dare’ featuring SuRaj’s band Fanna fi Allah fused perfectly with SaQi’s trumpet. Then it switches back to more of the downtempo Massive Attack style with ‘Higher Place’ this time featuring vocals from Pepper Proud. Sarasvati Dasi returns on ‘Anu Pama’ which returns to the desert in a stereotypical fashion.


We then encounter the first of the re-mixes with Treavor Moontribes take on the title track under his Forever and Ever pseudonym, which adds a slightly growling electronic emphasis to the piece. Once again the emphasis switches back to the acoustic this time fusing the skills of renowned Israeli oud player Atallah with SaQi’s trumpet. The final piece of the jigsaw is the SAAND re-mix of ‘Higher Place’ where I think he injects a bit of magic to the piece, which wasn’t bad to begin with.


To summarise this release may not be on everyone’s radar. However, if you like your electronic world fusions to contain real instruments, it’s definitely worth giving it your ears at least once and you really can’t fault them for variety.


Reviewed by Woodzee


Links



Sunday 21 October 2018

Youth & Gaudi 'Astronaut Alchemists' Review








Artist: Youth & Gaudi



Title: Astronaut Alchemists



Label: Liquid Sound Design



Released: Dec 2018









Comprising two producers whose careers have been heavily entwined with dub, simultaneously in the studio. With Youth on bass, Gaudi on keys and taking turns in the knob twiddling studio fx. So on paper this promises to be an album of interest to fans of this genre. Therefore, it stands to reason that the question is does it live up to the expectation?


The album opens with ‘Bass Weapon’ a stereo-typical piece of dub reggae comprising low frequency bass, keys and lots of reverb. Initially, it fulfils what you would expect from a dub reggae tune with nothing to stand out from the crowd. However, around two minutes in there are some uplifting strings which unfortunately are short lived. I felt this was remedied somewhat with ‘The Gods must be Crazy’ a far more interesting piece in my opinion, which although maintains an old skool feel I could imagine enjoying on a speaker shaking sound system.


As I moving through the album I think I’m able to answer my question above. It does live up to expectation in the sense it’s well produced and arguably could hold it’s head high amongst some of the classic albums of the genre. However, where I feel it’s lacking is it’s nothing new even down to the samples on ‘Apollo’ (which were to be expected I guess considering the album title) utilised countless times before.


That said I can imagine the live performance will be rocking and those in and around London at the time the launch party is being held at Bloc in Hackney Wick, London on Friday the 7th of December. You can book your tickets via https://accessallareas.org/listings/youth-gaudi/


Review by Woodzee


Links

https://liquidsounddesignuk.bandcamp.com/album/youth-gaudi-astronaut-alchemists