Interchill the Compilation Review

Interchill Compilation

I must confess that this album was on my Bandcamp wish list, so I was delighted when Woodzee offered me the chance to review it.

First thing that struck me is the beautiful artwork adorning the front cover- the morning sun (I assume), in a clear blue sky partially hidden by the girder of a bridge. A perfect moment of stillness.

The artwork appropriately sets the mood for the music contained within. This is a selection obviously compiled with great love and attention to detail and as such it seems a bit churlish to have favourites. In saying that I’m going to single out the tracks that I either knew beforehand or grabbed my attention at first listen

First off is the effusive tones of Bruce Bikerton aka Alucidnation. I’ve known of Bruce’s music for a good few years now and love the warmth and generosity of his stuff. I was lucky enough to have Bruce compile a sublime selection for my radio show a year or so ago- (https://hearthis.at/thehouseoftheflyineyball/network16-alucidnation/)

Next up is the sublime Tom Green aka Another Fine Day with a track from his most recent album ‘A good place to be’. On remix duties is Greg Hunter who comes up with a delightful little twist taking in elements of Dub and Didgeridoo. The Kaya Project's 'Desert Phase' (Hibernation remix) is a more up-tempo offering, yet still proves to be a gorgeous slice of aural sunshine.

This is followed by the dreamy vocals of ‘To Mend’ by Bluetech & Lynx & Janover. I must admit that I far prefer this version to the harder original with the softer approach that Bluetech has taken the piece. Whilst Tom's 2^nd inclusion on this compilation is the delicate and playful ‘Dusty Feet’. This track is the aural equivalent of summer rain, all light and refreshing

Spiral System follows up perfectly with the aptly named ‘Rain’. A great bass line provides the foundation for a lazy, hazy meander. Then Liquid Stranger takes us for a little diversion into ‘Zero Gravity’ before the brief interlude of Sunmonx laid back number ‘Run’. Then the Kaya Project return with their second offering the even shorter, but appropriately named ‘Flicker’. Short but extremely sweet.

Sinepearl serve up the aptly named and blissful ‘Ceremonial Tea’ and Ishq follows with a sublime slice of ambience. Best let these last two just work their subtle magic over you and please don’t attempt to operate any heavy machinery!

Alucidnation return for their second offering ‘Genetics’. This time remixed by the incomparable Mixmaster Morris in his much loved Irresistible Force incarnation. For me Morris can pretty much do no wrong and this track has long been a favourite of mine. I’m very much looking forward to the new Irresistible Force album seeing the light of day, hopefully in the New Year.

Liquid Stranger finishes off the delights with a final slice of excellence, which puts me in mind a little bit of Global Communications, remix of Chapterhouse ‘Pentamerous Metamorphosis’. Which is no bad thing at all.

In my honest opinion this is a sublime selection of chilled and ambient tunes to keep away the winter chill and I heartily recommend adding this to your collection.

Reviewed by Matthew Foord

Links

https://interchill.bandcamp.com/album/interchill-2

Desert Dwellers 'The Great Mystery Remixes Part One' Review

Artist: 

The Desert Dwellers

Title: 

The Great Mystery

Remixes Pt. 1

Label: 

Desert Trax

Released:

21^st September

Earlier this year the Desert Dwellers released 'The Great Mystery' which they consider to be their most diverse to date. To celebrate they embarked on a re-mix project of established and up-and-coming artists from across the globe with the intention of being just as diverse. The second part will be released in late October with contributions from Emancipator, Whitebear, Sixis, Mystral, Supersillyus, Halfred, Master Minded and many others.

Moving back to the release in question they begin with Liquid Stranger a producer whose releases are just as diverse, but whether he's focusing on dub-step, reggae or chill you can be sure there's plenty of low frequency bass. His take on 'Wings of Waves' is light and summery with flutes and chimes and subtle yet effective use of speaker shattering bass. Following on from the enticing opener is Gaudi's take on 'Our Dream World' where he's clearly put his knowledge of vintage synthesizers and gadgets to get this ethnic dub chugging along nicely. If you're not suitably impressed by the re-mix talent employed so far they're not slipping with Kaminanda joining the throng and taking on 'View of Laniakea' which he's kept down-tempo and melodic utilising the chorus and strings at times some of the fx tease and fool you it's going to go mental and then he pulls back at the last second.

At this point I'm guessing the album moves to the up-and-coming (well at least for me as it's an artist I'm unaware of) with the Tribone Re-Stomp of the title track. It's an interesting style slightly harsher than it's predecessors with an electro feel to the bass line, plenty of psychedelic twists before the atmospheric breakdown where the emphasis is placed on manipulating the Arabic vocals and strings while the final section pulls it altogether. I'm not overly familiar with Twin Shape either and their Lost Tribe re-work of 'The Sacrament' fuses spacey synths and harmonic voices with psy-bass and synthetic dialogue. Following on Acid Crunk pioneer An-Ten-Nae offers an alternative take of 'View of Lanaikea' where he masterfully manipulates the vocals and strings over intermittent choppy breaks.

Once again we move into the up-and-coming territory with AtYya's take on 'Birds Over Sand Dunes' slower and more minimal than the original echoing the vocal samples with a series of looped sequences and gated vocals sections which are pleasant in places but it didn't grip me overall. Land Switcher move back to the realms of psy-bass with their take on 'I Dropped It' with plenty of rapid loop sequences and drum rolls over the dubby main body they still manage to keep an overall down-tempo feel to the piece. While Drumspyder keeps us firmly placed in the east with his trademark doumbek infused alternative to 'Our Dream World' although much lighter than Gaudi's in places it still chugs along nicely in the appropriate sections.

Govinda deliver what I would describe as a minimal psy-bass take on 'Crossing Beyond' and once again maintain the eastern feel of the piece throughout. Finally, we're back were we started with the Hibernation alternative to 'Wings of Waves' a light and harmonious rug thrown over a slow and bass-heavy floor.

Reviewed by Woodzee.

Links https://desertdwellersmusic.bandcamp.com/

Interchill's 'Waypoint' Compilation Review

Artist: Various

Title: Waypoint

Label: Interchill

Released: 19^th November

On previous compilations whichever stance Interchill's head honcho Andrew Ross Collins took on a compilation, whether it's reggae and dub, chilled electronica or global bass you could be rest assured that Andrew's selection of hand picked artists which may or may not be familiar to you, would be a blend of the tried and tested with some new discoveries and the result would usually come up trumps.

There's a slightly different approach to this compilation all the artists have previously appeared on Interchill's releases (an Interchill's underground All-Stars if you like) and focuses on creating a sonic journey of contrast within the spectrum of chill out music rather than the similarities.

The journey begins with the Hibernation re-mix of 'Indifference' by New Zealand's psychedelic dance producer Grouch. Which entices you in with an atmosphere of lush synthetic eastern infused electronica transcending into the realms of psychedelic bass music and back. This is followed by Drift's 'Invisible Spirit' which is a contrast within it's self drifting (excuse the pun) between laid back, sun soaked acoustics of a Mediterranean vibe and darker electronic bass notes.

Although from his name Guru Shishya may appear like he's going to offer a Turkish number with 'Rich In Loss' appearances truly are deceiving as the piece is more orchestral chill with a gentle choir and a crescendo of drums and synths towards the end. Next up is Gaudi who manipulation of vintage hardware and modern techniques have firmly placed him as a latter day master of dub. There's no guest mc or theramin scratches in this piece it's a blend of traditional reggae dub with some ambient breakdown's and a touch of Indian percussion in the form of tablas.

The journey turns another corner with Seb Taylor re-mixing one of his previous releases under his Kaya Project moniker 'Dust Devil' under his glitchy ambient moniker Hibernation and spinning rather than turning expectations on their face with a stroke of genius and more than a touch of jazz. Variant Field a collaboration of Amani Friend of Desert Dwellers fame and Alex DeYoung offer a crisp and crunchy piece of chill with a spring in it's step and some nice melodic breakdowns as the title 'Dulcet Dalliance' suggests.

When I first heard the throwback dub of Another Fine Day's 'Walk Tall' as a teaser for this compilation I commented it was so laid back it was almost horizontal and this piece of jazzy piano lounge truly epitomises lazy Sundays. While Austero layer a blanket of Mediterranean beach chill over a surface of IDM beats and Latin vocal samples with 'Fuerza Brutal'.

The album then flows through a trio of contrasting Swedish artists initiated by ambient composer Fredrik Ohr who projects the compilation into the upper atmosphere with his piece 'In Orbit' combining melodic synths, crunchy bass and elongated panned passages. While my favourite dub-step artist Liquid Stranger (although now based in the United States a Swede by birth) continues in the slow deep and bass heavy vein of previous Interchill releases with 'Flipside'. This trio concludes with Sinepearl whose sound is inspired by nature and the forest parties of Sweden and takes a deep melodic trip with 'Cosmic Centre' resulting in a tribal like Tangerine Dream sound.

The journey winds down with a couple of UK based artists Spiral Systems 'Mondays' is a laid back melodic number injected with a sprinkling of Brazilian flavours and acoustic guitar. While Alucidnation gently drops you at your destination with a dreamy melodic piece of chill leaving you content with the memories of your excursion through 'Waypoint' and grateful for Andrew's wonderful selections.

Reviewed by Woodzee

Links https://interchill.bandcamp.com/album/waypoint

Liquid Stranger 'Renegade Crusade E.P.' Review

Artist: Liquid Stranger

Release: Renegade Crusade E.P.

Label: Interchill Records

Released: 15^th April on Beatport and itunes

On the back of Martin Staff's (a.k.a. Liquid Stranger's) recent infusion mix https://soundcloud.com/liquid-stranger/liquid-stranger-infusion-mix which proved to be a journey of perfection, touching on his work in a variety of genres from hip-hop to reggae, from dub to trap and even throwing in some pop re-works. Comes this new release from Interchill once again showing another string to his bow with the exploration of chilled electronica and low frequency bass.

This E.P. begins with 'Spawn' a pleasant instrumental trip-hop number which springs off some deep bass breakdowns. This is followed by 'The Gargon' which with it's similarity to 'Gorgon' made me think of Medusa. However, it appears it was perhaps more likely coined from an alien lobster from a 1950's sci-fi flick of the same title or from a planet featured in Star Wars. Either way this is the track they've propelled into cyberspace alongside a stunning video by Andy Thomas that's caught everyone's attention. The track itself unfolds slower than the opener but works in a similar vein contrasting some beautiful electronica against growling dark bass lines and slow thumping kicks.

Next up is an alternative version of the Strangers smash hit from his 'Arcane Terrian' album 'The Molecule Man' it's a stripped back and lighter edit in places, which drops the vocal and concentrates on dubbing the vocodered chorus. Then all of a sudden the E.P. takes a twist with 'Brace For Impact' and not in the manner I expected as soulful vocal from Canadian Saratonin is dripped over Honeycomb's beatbox. Last by no means least Martin's switches the mood back with sci-fi vocals from Razza and some down-right dreamy electronica and just about nails it as my favourite on a very fine release.

Review by Woodzee.

Links …

http://liquidstranger.com/

http://www.interchill.com/

Download the Gargon free from Liquid Stranger's Soundcloud page https://soundcloud.com/liquid-stranger/the-gargon-original-mix-2

Liquid Stranger - Cryogenic Encounters review

Label: Interchill 

Mastered By: Vincent Villuis @ Ultimae

Release Date: 5th January 2012

Sitting back playing this through an Arcam amp with new Denon headphones was a perfect come down from a hectic New Year. Martin Stääf‘s Liquid Stranger releases continue to amaze me. Although the material he releases on Interchill are generally less harsh than those on Rottun this album is even more chilled than it's predecessors. The album has a atmospheric backdrop reminiscent of the synthesized sounds of 70's space movies, expertly drifting in and out of different themes ranging from slo mo bass heavy and trip-hop beats, reggae, psy-chill, idm, spacey jazz-funk and beatless ambience providing a perfect soundtrack for getting warm and cosy on a winter’s night.

The opening track Beacon for example begins with a slow trip-hop vibe and soon envelopes you in a funky madness that slowly fades into a lush chilled ambient drone with bass heavy notes. A personal favourite Zeal begins not unlike the Art of Noise slowly enticing you in further through multiple layers until the bass drops. There’s plenty going on throughout the track including an unexpected and slightly vocoder’ish vocal accompaniment. While the final track Ectoplasm is an Ishq’esque beatless ambient affair ideally suited for total relaxation.


Reviewed by Woodzee.

Liquid Stranger Interview

1.Which artists or clubs inspired you to work in the dub genre?

To me, dub is more a way of manipulating and reshaping recordings than it is a certain style of music. I do enjoy the roots dub from Augustus Pablo, and King Tubby. However, I also find inspiration from all kinds of different music, and life in general. Funny enough, the music from vintage computer games has been a great influence. Then again, most of the time a melody or rhythm usually pops up in my head when I am driving, working out, or making food...

2. Is your music entirely synthetic or do you add live instrumentation at gigs?

Whether I use acoustic (live) elements depends on the track. If I am after something organic, I might add live percussion, guitar, flutes, etc. Since I am mostly playing gritty dubstep when I am performing live nowadays, I do not normally add acoustic instrumentation. I bring my analogue modular system to every gig, creating bass lines and fx as I go. It is a very flexible and creative way of performing live.

3. You seem to be quite experimental in fusing genres and the use of sound fx. Do you try and push the musical boundaries of dub or does it just come out unconsciously?

It is not something I think about.

4. Which artists are impressing you recently?

.

I do not search for music much nowadays, and I am not keeping up to date with what is being released. A lot of people send me music, so most of the music I listen to is either made by my friends, or something I hear when I am out playing. Dorothy's Magic Bag and Goto80 always impresses (amuses) me, I like the hard dubstep/techstep from Rottun recordings, and yeah, I heard this great marimba band when I was touring Canada. They were brilliant!

5. What direction do you see electronica heading in the future?

Well, ten years ago the genres were more easily defined. Lately there has been so much fusing of genres, so I do not even know what electronica is anymore. I like that evolution. No style, no boundaries, just good vibrations!

6. Do you have any new releases in store and where can people hear your music?

Yep, I have a bunch of dubstep releases coming up, for example on Rottun Recordings and Adversion Records. Planning a new album that might come out on Interchill next year. Where can people hear your music? Ha ha, just Google Liquid Stranger. There are tons of sites/stores with my music out there. It is so easy to get hold of music today. “underground” does not really exist anymore.

7. Any advice for people getting started with electronic music?

Start simple - do not buy too much gear, you do not need it. Get productive - Do not focus too much on tiny production details. Make more songs instead.Have fun - Experiment, do not take it too seriously.

For a more up-to-date interview here's one I did for Chillbase http://www.chillbase.org/interviews/172-liquid-stranger-interview.html