Exclusive Black Gauge Interview

Black Gauge is a recent project between the ambient dj/producer DF Tram and Zagreb based theatrical production engineer Villi. Which at times explores a slighty dark feel to ambient production, reflecting the dark times they felt was approaching society as a whole.

1) Welcome back Dylan nice of you to join us again and hi Villi good to meet you. Could you tell us how you met Dylan and how the Black Gauge project came to fruition?

VILLI: We met in Zagreb, through our mutual friends Mixmaster Morris and Mario Lalich, who hooked us up. One day Dylan came over to my studio, and brought along his recent release ‘Serenitay Infinitay’. We had a nice talk about the world of music while listening to his album. He brought up this initiative to try to make some tunes together, and it seemed like great idea to me. My life was in a turmoil at the time and working on something fresh, with a new kid in town seemed like right thing to do.



2) What was the process in combining your individual parts of the production?

VILLI: We were together in the studio for most of the time. Either in my studio or at Dylan’s place. Both are different and provide different vibes. Mine is more of a ground floor studio dwelling with loads of cables, gear and instruments and a creative chaos vibe opposed to Dylans place which is on the 4th floor with nice view, a very comfortable couch and his setup: laptop, turntables, mixer, synth and a lot of vinyl. We exchanged some tracks over the net but those were finished ideas, these times will probably call for more net based work.

DF Tram: Yes, I think working in our own studios, and basically rotating from one studio to the other, gave us a different perspective for every session… imho jams and productions just sound different, depending on your environment, and going to Villi’s studio gave me the idea for the band name. When I would take the tram to his studio here in Zagreb, the name of the tram line is called “Črnomerec” and when I put that word into google translate it translated to "Black Gauge”, so it fit . 

3) In terms of hardware or software did Villi introduce you to anything new that impressed you?

DF Tram: YES! for sure… Villi has a different way of working, and has a very good ear and talent for production. He is a very proficient engineer with lots of experience in theatre. So I think it gave some of our tunes that interesting combination of the theatrical but also very technical; if that makes sense. I’m a bit theatrical myself and love comedy and drama, so I think that comes through in some of our tunes. As far as hardware goes, Villi has quite the collection of tools at his disposal, and was often using different machines or apps… We even used one of his old cassette decks he had for some of the samples… This is a special tape deck made for blind people, that has interesting pitch/speed controls on it, so you can do interesting things with tapes.


4) The album Underhill is already available on Bandcamp, when is it expected to hit the other platforms?

DF Tram: it will be out on May 21^st. Additionally, we are also planning a cd/vinyl release in the near future. 

5) Do you foresee this being an on-going collaboration or is it simply a one-off?


Villi: I really enjoy working and performing with Dylan so i see and feel this as an on-going collaboration, we have some nice tracks yet to finish and i hope that soon we find the time and maybe even the place to make some new tracks together.

DF Tram: Yep, what Villi said. In other words, I think this could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship. ?Thanks so much again for having us Martin! Your site is a very valuable resource for artists and connoisseurs in our community, so we really appreciate it!

Bluetech 'Liquid Geometries in Dub' Review

Artist: Bluetech

Title: Liquid Geometries in Dub

Label: Liquid Sound Design

Released: 19^th of July

Liquid Sound Design re-visit and re-mix Bluetech’s album ‘Liquid Geometries’ initially released on DiN last year. They described the release as Evan using a huge range of analogue modular synthesizers, with a distinct nod to the Berlin masters of the past he upgrades that musical heritage with nine shimmering soundscapes utilising modern production techniques to create beautiful tapestries of sound. The DiN label boss Ian Boddy also features on the track ‘Tranquillity Gate’ using his distinctive Ondes Martenot analogue synth keyboard.

So if like me the original released passed you by and you’ve not left us to buy that already. You’re probably wondering who Liquid Sound Design have got onboard to add their musical seasoning to this already enticing album. As you may well have expected label boss Youth and fellow label artists Pan Electric, DF Tram and Mixmaster Morris make an appearance as well as Evan Marc himself and Ian Boddy. There’s more some of which are known to me and others which are not but they shall come to light as I work through the release.

The album commences with what I can only describe as a jumbled up space transmission reminiscent of a 50’s sci-fi film on Pan Electrics take of ‘Helix’, this leads to a series of bleeps and sequences with occasional changes of tone that throughout the piece left a sense of a spaceship navigating an erratic course through a meteor storm. Next up is DF Tram on ‘Dawn Ascent’, where he conjures up an exotic lingering piece of dub with plenty of apt spoken samples, and as I travel through the track it’s beginning to make me wonder what else is in store. Moving on to Mixmaster Morris with his re-working of ‘Tranquillity Gate’, and what an apt title it is, my ears are treated to synthesized sequencers, weaving through flute like and ethereal clouds of sound, resulting in me being enchanted by this piece of music.

The Saafi Brothers tackle ‘Crystalline Forms’ with a low-fi piece of acid tinged dub-techno that pushes a tad harder than it’s predecessors, but never fully breaks into a sweat. Fellow Americans the Desert Dwellers offer a similar pace and push on ‘Dawn Ascent’ although it’s more melodic in places, whilst atmospheric and dubby in others. Evan then joins the throng with Bluetech’s Dub Diver mix of ‘Vessels’, which in some respects reminds me of a slowed down piece of progressive house, counter-balanced with angelic chilled out voices and slow deep drums.

We then re-wind once again to ‘Helix’ this time with Living Light at the controls. There’s no space transmission here, this is a rolling piece of lush spacey electronica, with touches of echo fx and sparse drum rolls, which Eartha has injected in all the appropriate places. Label Head Honcho Youth drops the pace somewhat with an elongated beat-less intro to ‘Resonating Heart’. Once the drums do drop there are enough little fx and twists peppered through the lush synths to maintain your interest. I’m not familiar with David Last who adds his touch to ‘Bardo Waves’ but he ups the pace a little once more and the drum work is quite intricate and industrial, adding a mechanical harshness that juxtaposes the lighter synth sequences.

We re-wind and drop the pace again with Gaudi’s version of ‘Crystalline Forms’ it’s softer and lighter than the Saafi Brothers and somewhat like Youth he utilises an elongated beat-less intro. This is followed by a shuffling beat and bleepy tones that float along throughout the rest of the track. DiN label boss Ian Boddy eventually gets to stamp his mark on ‘Subterranea’, where the dark and foreboding intro seeps into the light somewhat, before the drones reclaim that fleeting glimpse with an eerie atmosphere. I then encounter a by now familiar track in ‘Crystalline Forms’ this time re-mixed by another unfamiliar artist Backstage Gurus. I find myself adrift here even more so than with Gaudi’s take as the flutes they utilise work wonderfully with the mellow chilled out synths and shuffling beat.

By this stage I’m in totally unfamiliar territory and enter into Takkra Satori’s version of ‘Underground Lakes’. Although, I’m oblivious to his usual productions, I think he’s held his own here with this lovely piece of chilled out dub, even offering some subtle touches of vocoder fx that feel totally in place on the album. The next track flips the switch with the Sy Borg re-mix of ‘Bardo Waves’, the most driving take so far and as I’m unfamiliar with his work, totally unexpected, but not unappreciated. Lastly (no pun intended) David Last gets another stab with his extended dub of ‘Bardo Waves’ the intricate drum work remains and there’s still a sense of the industrial feel that I mentioned earlier, this time more subtle and leads to far longer passages of guitar laden dub reggae.

To conclude this album is a journey within itself and as with any album there’s peaks and troughs. However, overall I feel this is going to be a strong contender when those end of year chill out charts are being compiled. My personal favourites were Mixmaster Morris, Living Light and Takka Satori, but I suspect there will be some debate amongst the fans regarding this.

Review by Woodzee

Pre-Order vinyls, compact discs and digital via

https://bluetech.bandcamp.com/album/liquid-geometries-in-dub

Exclusive interview with Liquid Sound Design

Liquid Sound Design is hosting a special event the 19th April on Good Friday at London hot spot Mau-Mau Bar on Portobello Road. The event comprises conscious talks, art, a pop-up shop selling classic L.S.D. & Dragonfly Records vinyl, cd’s, and label paraphernalia.

You can also hear Dj sets from Youth, Gaudi, Dr. Alex Paterson/The Orb, Mixmaster Morris, Robin Triskele & Liquidyne.

I took a little time leading up to the event to prise L.S.D. label manager Robin Triskele away from her busy schedule to talk about the event, recent releases and what the future holds in store for fans of the label.

1) What does it mean personally to you managing an iconic underground label as Liquid Sound Design?

I have been listening to L.S.D. releases since the labels inception in the 90s and for sure some of my very favourite early psychedelic dub albums would be from Liquid Sound Design. Being in the scene in various manners since the 90s, I have always had a deep respect for Youth as he is renowned for launching the first Goatrance label with Dragonfly Records and of course soon to follow was the first ‘psydub’ label with L.S.D. These early releases defined these genres throughout the world by putting them to vinyl & CD.

When I was asked by Youth to manage the relaunch of the label in early 2015 I was quite honoured. Through running a music and event management consulting agency with Triskele Management, I have had the chance to work most of the scenes artists and labels over the last 15 years but to be given the opportunity to help bring such a seminal label back to life has been a wonderful opportunity.

Having already been friends with or connected to the labels artists and much of the other leading downtempo electronica artists, has helped considerably in making the label grow and bring new sounds and styles into the fold. Everyone fully got behind the label with such amazing releases and remixes and this has led the label to be quite prolific. I am blessed to have such legends weaving our labels history again, including Youth, Mixmaster Morris, Gaudi, Saafi Brothers, The Orb, Kuba, DF Tram, Suns Of Arqa for example. Most of us have been involved in the music industry for decades, we all share a strong family vibe and the artists have a very dedicated approach to the music we are releasing. The best part is it feels like we are just getting started!

2) I tend to think of Liquid Sound Design as a psychedelic dub/dub reggae off-shoot to Dragonfly Records. More recently it’s much more diverse for example Abraham Carmona’s ‘Ibiza’ focused on a far more laid back Mediterranean sound. What did you feel this release brought to the label?

The one thing that we are consistently doing within the label is trying to find new talented artists and music that is fresh and cutting edge. Music that is different to the norm with an open mind and slightly left field approach to the genre profile we were defined by in the earlier days of L.S.D. While psydub/psychill is still very much prevalent in our label, we have been exploring a wider variety of new styles. Over recent years we have seen the chill out scene become much more diverse and artists are exploring and experimenting more with sound. We see chill stages at music festivals and events are now offering more eclectic line ups and the music scene seems to be widening its scope of what is considered chill out. We want to be sure to embrace this change in L.S.D. as well now and you will continue to see us dipping our toes into different genres and scenes more and more with releases to come.

Abraham Carmona recorded his traditional flamenco album ‘Homage to Catalonia’ (Suriya Recordings) with Youth at his legendary Space Mountain Studios in Spain. After finishing the traditional album, they decided to explore a new sound, combining beats, samples, electronics, and merging them with Abraham’s unique style of infusing jazz techniques with a flamenco aesthetic. The result was ‘Ibiza’.

This album goes to show how the labels idea of downtempo electronica is not wrapped up in just one sound. It also shows how well different styles and genres can morph together to create something new and exciting and shows our fans we are always there with something unpredictable. At L.S.D. all artists & DJs involved with our label are truly passionate about all types of downtempo electronica and sharing good music! We are pleased to have the platform to share what we consider to be ground breaking music and to be able to introduce these new sounds through our releases.

3) Another example is DF Tram whose previous album release was on Afterlife’s Subatomic UK label which again focuses on the sunset Balearic sound. What inspired you to bring him over to the dub side so to speak?

Personally, even before I came to re-launch L.S.D. in 2015, DF Tram had been on my peripheral radar. Being from the US originally, I visited San Francisco several times and was familiar with the underground chill scene from the early 2000s. Dylan has been involved in the North American underground scene for over two decades and is known for his eclectic and thought provoking multi-media collages combining music and video. He has also visited the UK several times playing Big Chill Festival.

DF Tram came to know Mixmaster Morris almost 20 years ago from bringing him to play a weekly club night in San Francisco he was organizing and has also has worked with him on some early The Irresistible Force productions, but his original connections to the LSD family came through Alex Paterson/The Orb. Alex sampled one of his tracks many years back and this led to him playing shows with both The Orb and Thomas Fehlmann, they have remained friends since, so much that he has been opening for The Orb on their 30 yr anniversary tour stateside. Dylan passed ‘Serenitay Infinitay’ on to Alex Paterson, who passed it on to Youth and the rest is history!

L.S.D. Label night : YOUTH & GAUDI ‘ Astronaut Alchemists’ launch party video



Video by Gem Rey / rockumentary.london

4) The tail end of last year you put together an album launch at Bloc in London for Youth and Gaudi’s ‘Astronaut Alchemists’. Whilst this Easter weekend in conjunction with Dragonfly Records, you’re promoting an afternoon of talks followed by an evening of Liquid Sound Design D.J. sets at London’s Mau Mau Bar. Could you tell the readers a little more about these events?

Being in event production and management for over 20 yrs, I’m involved at any given time with several ongoing festivals and events globally, but I have really been wanting to do something new and interesting locally within UK. For the last couple of years I’ve been flirting with the idea to do L.S.D. label events but have been waiting for the perfect opportunity. It seems the stars aligned when the Youth & Gaudi album dropped and thus came the first in a series of bespoke nights that would be tailored to appeal to the new generation, whilst still enticing to the music aficionados from days of L.S.D. past. I was clear on the vibe I wanted to create and the visual image I wanted to present, something that would leave an impression with people and an image that would remain consistent throughout the future events.

When Youth launched the label in 1998, his intention was ‘to create an outlet for more experimental and down-tempo music as well as satisfying the demand for the post club chill out sounds.’ So I wanted to create this vibe along with top notch visuals and deco that bring a reminiscence of the 60’s psychedelic consciousness and art. I wanted to somehow keep in mind and honour Youths vision and his ideals from early days of the label.

I invite you to read the press notes from our release Society Of Inner Light compiled by Youth:

‘Youth started the Society For Ancient Enchantment in 1999, with the intention of combining ritual, music performance, spoken word and DJ's to be able to dive deeper into the mystery and meditation of the music. This created some legendary early L.S.D. events and recordings and is directly connected to this Society of Inner Light album and future events. The inspiration behind this compilation goes back to the 1930's and "Dion Fortunes Order Of Inner Light ". Some of her rituals in Bloomsbury were said to have ushered in the 1960's flower power era ... Our intention here is to facilitate that same intention and free the spirit of those times for our present and future tribal, dance floor, chill out gatherings and facilitate and create an esoteric counter culture that communicates to mind, body and spirit.’

With the Mau Mau takeover we are opening the scope and bringing it to the community by hosting a day out for people to come along to have a chat, hear enlightening talks with Gregory Sams, Lee Harris & Youth, share some wicked music and be immersed in art in a more laid back vibe. It’s a great opportunity for us to see our music family in a more social setting and be able to share new ideas and dream new concepts into creation, invite people to embrace and co-create the esoteric counter culture Youth speaks of. We will also be hosting our first Dragonfly & L.S.D. pop-up shop to bring the label to people personally and connect. We’re really looking forward to a chilled Good Friday with good folks and good music at this legendary Portobello Road spot.

5) What else is in the pipeline for Liquid Sound Design this year?

We have started the year off with a bit of a much needed break after dropping 8 releases in 2018!
So far this year we’ve mostly been busy arranging some really exciting artist collaborations whilst stepping into and tickling many different genres. We are curating remix albums for Youth & Gaudi – Astronaut Alchemists, The Irresistible Force – Kira Kira, the Saafi Brothers seminal debut album Mystic Cigarettes (originally released on Blue Room in 1996). We are really excited to be bringing Bluetech into the LSD family fold with ‘Liquid Geometries in Dub’, with a collection of rather eclectic artist remixes from his recent ambient and fully modular release on DiN Records. We also have a new album soon to be delivered by psydub maestro KUBA, the next release in the Future Horizons series and EPs from both Pan Electric and DF Tram.

On the flipside…. We are super excited to be on the precipice of a re-launch of the legendary Dragonfly Records! The label has been resting far too long and we think it's time to bring it back to life. We have been collecting demos and seeking new talent to join us alongside some of the original Dragonfly family for the next instalment of the well-loved ‘Order Odonata’ series, coming this autumn! The label will also see a new psy trance album from label head YOUTH, the first in almost 15 years.

So as you can see, we are full steam ahead!

Find us online:


Facebook: facebook.com/LiquidSoundDesign

Bandcamp: liquidsounddesignuk.bandcamp.com

YouTube: youtube.com/c/LiquidSoundDesign

Spotify: open.spotify.com/user/liquidsounddesign

Robin Triskele FB: facebook.com/RobinTriskeleDJ

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.

DF Tram Interview

To coincide with his new album release on Liquid Sound Design. DF Tram took some time out to talk about his albums, favourite record store haunts, movie mixes and more ...

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?

Hi Martin, first off, thanks so much for having me, i'm a big fan of your reviews and DJ mixes.

I've been DJ'ing and producing for over 20 years. I'm originally from Los Angeles but moved to San Francisco about 23 years ago (upon moving to San Francisco I began to learn to DJ and produce). San Francisco is a very inspirational place to be, I never really got into the club scene much but the natural beauty and creative energy there is very strong. It informed my work greatly.

I was also lucky that I lived with my oldest brother there for a while, he had an amazing record collection. He brought me my first DJ mixer, and I would go through his record collection and learn to mix different styles of music, he had everything, krautrock, jazz, spoken word, comedy, minimal music and everything inbetween.I fell in love with music. Being a pretty shy person, it was a great outlet for me and a way to communicate without talking my own words. Furthermore, when I was about 20 years old I broke my neck in a car accident. This incident changed my life forever and made me determined to pursue my musical dream. That is why there is a track called 'Broken Neck' on my new album.

2) You utilise a lot of samples in both your DJ sets and productions. How did this come about and how large is your collection?

Sampling was huge for me, when I first heard music from acts like the Orb and The Irresistible Force I was amazed at how the samples pushed the music even further, creating pictures or movies inside my head. I wanted to be able to do the same, not just to make music but to tell stories.

I have a very big vinyl collection and the biggest part of it is my spoken word and comedy records. When I go crated digging it's what I seek out most. I love the happy accidents that happen with sampling and the way it allows the listener to put the familar in a new context. I'm also a big film fan, so a lot of that comes out in my sampling.

3) As a fan of back of the bucket vinyl rarities, do you have any favourite music stores?

Amoeba in San Francisco is a favourite. I lived very close to there so it was always dangerous. I spent way too much money in there over the years. Some of my favourite records were found at flea markets, charity shops, and small record shops in San Francisco, like Jack's Record Cellar in the Haight/Ashbury district. I even found some great records the other day in an outdoor flea market while visting Split, Croatia.

4) Your first album 'Illegal Lingo' was released on Steve Miller's (Afterlife) Subatomic UK label. How did this come about considering you were based in San Francisco?

I was a big fan of Afterlife and one day I contacted him about the possibility of doing a remix for him, he said 'Forget about the remix, how about I produce an album for you?' A lot of the tracks on 'Illegal Lingo' were tracks I'd been working on over the years but never finished, he helped see my vision through. I think it's a modern day 'lounge' album. I think it fits in nicely in the Subatomics label catalogue. The track 'The Idea' from the 'Illegal Lingo' album was my attempt at making an 'Afterlife' sounding track, I think it sort of succeeds in that.

5) Your new album 'Serenitay Infinitay' is an imminent release on Liquid Sound Design. How do you feel it differs from the first?

I think 'Serenitay Infinitay' is more of a diverse album and has a definite psychedelic edge. It is also a more mature album, I think. My love of different styles of music comes out a bit more on this album. There is dub, spoken word, easy listening, comedy, 70's style synth music, krautrock, sound design, progressive rock, hip-hop, lounge/exotica, electronic, folk and of course ambient.

6) You've recently moved to Malta. How do you feel the European chillout scene compares to the States?

I think the scene is much stronger in Europe than in the United States. Here in Europe people have been listening to chill out music a lot longer, so you hear it a lot more in restaurants, bars, lounges, advertisements etc. That is partly why I moved to Europe, my music is better received here, as people are much more accepting of it.

I also just love Europe a lot and always dreamed of being here. Malta is an interesting place. I have to thank Salvatore Muscat (Sequcnchill) for introducing me to Malta. He is the ambient 'Don' there and I'm glad to have connected with him.

7) If you could play at any venue in the world, what would be your first choice and why?

Hmm, interesting question. I love old venues, One of the best places I have ever played was at the Regency Ballroom in San Francisco. You could just feel the history there from all the old bands that had played there before. I'd love to do an audio/visual piece at an opera house or big old theatre one day. Maybe the 'Teatro Colon' in Argentina. I also love festivals an my audio/visual shows seem to do well at outdoor venues.


DF Tram & Cal-TV presents: The Great Movie Remix (Trailer) from John Callaghan on Vimeo.

8) You've collaborated and compiled 'The Great Movie Remix' and 'Stellar by Starlight' Could you tell us a little more about the process and what appeals to you about fusing your mixes with visual movie clips?

Movies had a profund influence on me, and some of my favourite music comes from film soundtracks and scores. I think the visual element adds a lot to the music I play. They just work well together. 'The Great Movie Remix' started off as a DJ mix I created with music and dialogue samples from my favourite movies. I would put dialogue from from one movie over the music of another movie.

An Irish visual artist 'Cal-TV heard this mix and went about finding all the films and movies I sampled and then edited in all the film clips. It's one of my favourite pieces I have collaborated on. It took the mix to another level, it's like a DJ mix but with movies. I liked it so much I did a couple of others with the visual artist 'Video Dub Poobah' ... 'Illegal Lingo' and most recently 'Stellar by Starlight' which features a lot of material from my new album 'Serinitay Infinitay. We just screened it at the Bestival festival earlier this summer.

9) Do you have any up and coming live shows? If so, where can people hear you play?

I am supporting the Orb on their up and coming tour of America. Needless to say this is a dream come true for me. I'll be playing for my hometown, family and friends (hopefully making some new ones too)

Thanks again so much for having me and the support.

Links ...

https://www.dftram.com/

https://liquidsounddesign.bandcamp.com/

https://vimeo.com/85238507

DF Tram 'Serenitay Infinity' Review

Artist: DF Tram

Album: Serenitay Infinity

Label: Liquid Sound Design

Released: 24^th of August

Dylan Yanez A.K.A. DF Tram is a D.J./Producer from San Francisco who has recently relocated to Malta. His D.J. sets combine a selection of crate digging rarities ranging fromambient, jazz and world music, which are infused with sampled dialogue from film, documentaries, adverts and cartoons. He goes further at times playing alongside film clips in what he calls a Movie Mix. His first album ‘Illegal Lingo’ was released on Subatomic UK and reflected the style of his mixes somewhat and also had a slightly different feel to the other sunset Balearic releases of that label. Dylan has made no secret that he is overjoyed that this release, which he produced in San Francisco was then mastered by Youth with re-mixes from his musical hero’s the Orb and the Irresistible Force. There are also vocal inclusions from Coppe Sweetrice (who appeared on Illegal Lingo) and Lina Fouro, piano from Clifford Borg and bass from Youth himself.

Now to get to the nitty gritty what is the new album like? The opener ‘Lounge Lagarto’ begins like a TV show and quickly moves into a dub fusion of the Middle East bazaar, which sounds like it could be plucked from an old movie rather than a newly produced piece. The track is over-layered with short samples of duck hunting and horse riding, which may not appeal to some depending on your stance of the subject matter. This is followed by the Orb’s Bravo Foxhole re-mix of ‘Lovers Radio’, which begins beatless and very much in the style of the early 90’s ambient dub, eventually a plodding four by four bassline is utilised alongside a vocal sample that I imagine relates to the bunkers used in the Vietnam war. Next up is the title track ‘Serenitay Infinity’ a slow burner overlapped with poetry, that you could imagine springing up in a beatnik bar of 60’s San Francisco. ‘Eagles Shield’ takes a funky turn, filled with samples and orchestral sounds that remind me of old movies, that is bridged with more of a country music feel. This would fit easily alongside releases from Coldcut or the Jurassic 5.

The album takes another turn with ‘A Thousand Knives’, where gentle piano leads to distorted vocals that provide a slight 80’s New Romantic undertone, before sampled psychedelic themed dialogue and a dubbier bassline join the throng. This is followed by ‘Body Fizz’ which again has an ambient dub feel, where the samples sound like they have been plucked from a story not too dissimilar to Alice in Wonderland and the vocals have an early 70’s pop feel. The album then moves on to ‘Stellar by Starlight’ the title employed to a movie mix, recently aired in Malta and this years Bestival in the U.K. The piece itself is very ambient accompanied by faint harmonic voices from Coppe which rise and fall in a gentle sleepy manner. The mood then gets initially darker on ‘Honeycomb where a deep dark bass gets us underway with vocal samples, before lighter tones juxtapose and sultry half spoken vocals and vocoder voices (initially reminiscent of Newcleus) are employed. Which are possibly a combination of Coppe and Lina?

The album continues once again with Beatnik like poetry, distorted fx, old Arcade game sounds and half sung vocals on ‘Broken’. While ‘Dawn is Breaking’ another slow burner which begins with lush analogue sounding synths and vocal dialogue samples, the track builds into something reminiscent of classic Tangerine Dream before calming once more. The final track of the album is the Irresistible Force re-mix of ‘Sandcastles’, a haunting piece of synthesized ambience which once again initially has a somewhat retro feel to it (in this case Berlin School) before the beat comes in and it morphs into a dubbier affair.

To summarise I’ve always found Dylan’s mixes to be a creative journey and this album reflects that more so than ‘Illegal Lingo’ the change of label may also open his productions to a whole new audience. Admittedly with it’s wider palette of sounds it may not appeal to those who strictly love the dub reggae but it’s definitely dubby and definitely psychedelic. I for one would certainly bag this for my collection.

Review by Woodzee

This album is available to pre-order via Liquid Sound Designs bandcamp page

https://liquidsounddesignuk.bandcamp.com/

DF Tram 'Tripped Out' Review

Artist: DF Tram

Title: Tripped Out

Label: Subatomic UK

Released: 17^th June

Following on from his debut album 'Illegal Lingo' on Subatomic last year this E.P. packs together a fresh new track and three re-mixes from that album.

The first track 'A Ping at the Stone Circle' begins with a variety of samples over a simple hip-hop beat that leads to a Glastonbury festival themed verse and vocoder chorus that many of the listeners who attend festivals in general will relate to. For me this is an infectious track that I keep playing over and over and can see this remaining on my play list throughout the summer.

Next up is the first of two re-mixes by Marshall Watson of 'The Mystery' a laid back track with whispered vocals and sax that provided a smoky jazz bar feel on 'Illegal Lingo'. The 'Dreamscape Re-Mix' adds a slight bit of bounce to the beat and a harmonic chorus with an electro like break early on before a touch of echo and plenty of loops as the vocoder vocal is introduced. All in all an intricate mix that works very well and takes it in more of a laid back spacey Balearic direction. The 'Afterlife Edit' again adds some bounce and a touch more pace and although is very similar has more of an early evening beach house feel.

The final track is the Animat re-mix of 'Soul Exchange' which commences in a classic dub reggae fashion then starts toying with a classic sample that was used by Grandmaster Flash if my memory serves me right. Soon after the chilled out female vocal is run through the dub laboratory against the blues guitar, strings and what I assume is DF Tram's vocal. The overall effect is so chilled again I'm ticking this off as another one for the summer play list.

Reviewed by Woodzee

Links

http://www.subatomicuk.com/

Animat 'Slip Into Gold' Review

Artist: Animat

Title: Slip Into Gold

Label: Disco Gecko

Released: 29^th April

This new single from Sheffields ambient audio/visual outfit Animat comprises contrasting warm sounds (that you expect from the title) against dubbed out funk with a slight live band feel and eerie voices that seem more fitting to a haunted bleak industrial wasteland. Yet somehow, it all seems to gel together perfectly.

This is followed by 'While You Were Away' a lovely sun soaked piece with a chilled Balearic feel that could quite easily have been the title track. There's a touch of an orchestral mood to it and they flirt with dub in places and some nice guitar licks for good measure.

On re-mix duties is San Francisco's D.F. Tram whose cut and paste style mixes of bargain bucket finds, cartoon snippets and psychedelic monologue from TV and film are becoming a regular source of entertainment for myself. Here he takes 'Slip Into Gold' and adds some George W. Bush samples adds a little more kick to the bass and elongates the warmth of the original and peppers it with a little harmonica. My advice kick back and soak up the sound.

Review by Woodzee

Links

Animat http://www.animat.co.uk/

Disco Gecko https://discogecko.bandcamp.com/

DF Tram https://soundcloud.com/dftram