adrianalvas

[adrianalvas]

Podcast 191: AnD [Inner Surface Music][ +Interview]

Mancunian duo AnD rose to prominence in 2011 following a slew of ground breaking releases characterised by their refurbished, stripped back and Dave Clarke-inspired brandof techno. True vinyl purists, the two maintain fierce analogue production principals and showcase this in their heavy hitting live show.

AnD’s modernistic approach has been endorsed by trailblazing UK imprints Project Squared and Idle Hands, whilst their purist ideologies have been employed by the visionary Horizontal Ground, Black Sun Records, Electric Deluxe Repitch labels. Meanwhile covert productions on their own self-titled white label series has seen the pair embrace the shadowy outskirts of techno, furthered by a collaboration with Headless Horseman, Sunil Sharpe and D.Carbone for the clandestine Brothers imprint.

Together with Tom Dicicco, the three artists established Inner Surface Music back in 2011,which has already garnered support from the likes of Regis, Surgeon, Lucy, Norman Nodge, DVS1 and many more.

TF: Tell us something about you. Where did you studied and who influenced you to explore musical processes?

AnD: We both have quite different backgrounds Andrew studied graphic design and Dimitri studied electrical engineering. Music was something that came to both of us quite early on Dimitri played several musical instruments as a child and Andrew was collecting records and music from his early teens and started to dj at 17. With djing and producing music we both got sucked in and when we first met up to write music together 15years ago its been the same ever since. We both influence each other and this comes across in the work, two peoples creativity becoming something different.

TF: When you look back to your career with all its highs and lows, can you imagine having done things differently? Is it more fate or choice?

AnD: No one should ever regret what they have done, we all make our choices and should stick to them. We are happy we made the choices we have and worked hard to create a body of work, this is the only way to approach anything.

TF: You haven’t given much interviews and you remain quite discreet despite of the recognition your productions and contribution to the techno culture. Do you think that an excessive media exposure tends to cause harm to music?

AnD: Definitely puts a different type of focus on everything, most of the time it´s all just a big pile of bullshit when it comes to social media. People who seem to take care about what they do in all art forms, don't get the recognition they deserve. People don't really care! but when people post selfies and egotistical posts everyone is in for the good time!

Sometimes media also play things safe, they say they support the real underground but a lot of the time its hard for talented new artists to get features on their sites or magazines. The truth is if it doesn't sell copies then they don't want to know. It would be nice to see journalism and writing taken to a creative form again supporting a far wider spectrum of musical releases and not just the next big thing or the flavour of the day.

TF: Which aspects of sound do you examine recently? Is for you important the impression that your music produces on the audience?

AnD: We are always trying to push ourselves to find new ways of working or new machines to create a different type of sound than we have made before. Its probably we just both get bored too quickly and we will write a batch of tracks in a certain style for a week or two and then move on again to something different again.

For us its very important that when we play our music has a connection with the crowd and we can see that its physically moving people on the floor. Go Hard Or Go Home! :)

TF: What do you think is the role of new technology in composing music? Do you rely more on digital or analog sound?

AnD: There are so many new technologies all of the time its very easy to get lost in it all. It always comes down to personal preference when it comes to work flow and what you use to achieve this. We like to work more on analog machines and then record into the computer. We find this is the easiest way of coming up with original ideas and not just repeating ourselves, recording the take live is never perfect but also add a lot of character to the sound.

TF: What’s your favourite track to play live and why?

AnD: We don't actually play our tracks live, we always have a live improvisation on stage. Again this allows us to be in the moment when we perform live. We don't have any idea of what will happen so we go with flow and keep things open so each live show is unique.

TF: Can you tell us more about ''AnD005'' and "? What does it bring to your work? What are the perspectives you want to explore through this?

AnD: Each AnD release always has a certain concept behind the sound for the ep. With 005 we wanted to have a big and bold rave sound that looked to the future. Not to just copy old sounds but to work out how to incorporate old sounds in new ways.

TF: What is the first synthesizer you have ever played? Do you have your favourite instruments or devices?

AnD: Our first synthesizers where the Korg MS20 and Korg Electribe EMX1 they both really good starting points. The electric was the first one with the valves and it had a good variety of distortion and saturation effects with it and with the valve on top it was a lot of fun. Also the ribbon strip was super easy to program arps and sequences on the fly. The Korg MS20 is one of the best mono synths ever, and has a wide palette of timbres. Plus the semi modular patching means its a beast you can program whatever type of sound you like, its a great synth to learn synthesis with.

TF: Our typical question ... any book or movie that you would like to recommend to the public to feed your creative side?

AnD: Yes one book that was very inspiring was "The KLF Chaos, Magic and The Band Who Burned A Million Pounds" by John Higgs.

A very interesting biography and look into the world of KLF concepts on dadaism, chaos theory, synchronicity, magic, punk, rave, the alchemic symbolism of Dr Who and the special power of the number 23.

TF: To say goodbye, what can you tell us about the mix you publish with us? Any experience during the creative process?

AnD: The podcast we have made for you is a representation of what we have been playing on the dance floor at the minute. A mixture of techno, rave and hardcore sounds with the AnD bump :) We hope you enjoy it!

TF: Thank you guys!

Tracklist:

Manu La Malin - Afrik 125Noisebuilder - DanceflowerAni & Unhuman - Five To NineWelt in Scherben - 1-2Jazmine Azarian - PenanceSomatic Responses - Distasm14anger - Mother Of The NullQuest?Onmarc - SpiralAneed - The FallenEdge Of Motion - Soul ApartPaula Temple - Joshua & Goliath (Ghost In The Machine Remix)Ayarcana - Sharp Objects{KRTM} & The Panacea - PQTmDY3xUhaSz3dBrecc - CripleD Carbone - Back To The Hardcore (14anger Remix)Danilo Incovaia - We´re Not Born FreeDiazepin - TerrorSour - 7Exsiderurgica - SquilibrioMab - BreliqueDj Balu & Begez - ExterminationSDBX - Stupid SuckerHigh Speed Violence - Ultraforce

source https://www.tforgotten.org/single-post/Podcast-191-AnD-Inner-Surface-Music-Interview

[adrianalvas]

Greyscale anuncia el regreso de Mike Schommer, después de una década de inactividad, junto a Deepchord & Milly James

Greyscale fue lanzada en 2012 por el productor y DJ lituano grad_u, y la fotógrafa Rima Prusakova, que con su fotografía analógica en blanco y negro proporciona la identidad visual a la etiqueta.

Cuenta con más de treinta lanzamientos de dub techno y ambient-experimental, liberados en diversos formatos. La mayoría de ellos pertenecen al fundador y amigos cercanos como, Faded, Gradient, Zub, Dubonautik, entre otros.

Para comenzar sus actividades del 2020, han anunciado el regreso después de casi una década de inactividad del legendario productor Mike Schommer, tambien co fundador del sello Deepchord, creadode la mano de otra leyenda del dub, Rod Modell.

'Come Home' es un EP corto que rompe los moldes del género dub techno de una manera en la que pocos pueden lograrlo, para dar una dosis extra de encanto se suma la multifacética Milly James con su distintiva voz acompañada de letras positivas. Durante tres pistas originales se nota un emparejamiento natural y perfectamente equilibrado, sin pisar el ancho de banda entre pistas. Los ritmos son particularmente llamativos, subliminales y pegajosos. El 'Ocean Remix'de Deepchord al tema angular 'Breathe' cierra de manera magistral el disco, dando al oyente un retorno a las raíces que tanto ayudaron a definir este genero.

Escucha en primicia 'Breathe (Deepchord Ocean Remix)'.

Disponible a partir del 24 de enero en formato vinyl blanco 180g acompañado por la hermosa fotografía de Kristina Petrošienė, aquí.

source https://www.tforgotten.org/single-post/Greyscale-anuncia-Mike-Schommer-2020

[adrianalvas]

Podcast 190: Autumns [Death & Leisure] [ +Interview]

Autumns is the solo project of Christian Donaghey, From Derry, Ireland, an outlet for electronic post-punk with a lethal pulse. After a brace of rough demos without preliminary hype, the project emerged fully formed on Karl O’Connor’s (aka Regis) illustrious label Downwards back in 2014, the youngest act in a new vanguard of artists that included the likes of Tropic of Cancer, DVA DAMAS and The KVB.

Following contributions to labels such as Opal Tapes, Amok Tapes, Touch Sensitive, Veyl (Maenad Veyl) and Earwiggle (Sunil Sharpe), as well as remixes for Strange Therapy, Infidel Bodies, and Clan Destine Records. 2019 see’s Autumns’ experimentation in the studio go much deeper, with the release of his sophomore album ‘Shortly After Nothing’ on Oliver Ho’s (aka Broken English Club) illustrious ‘Death & Leisure’ label, alongside a heavy touring schedule, a collaboration with post-punk legend Eric Random, the launch of his radio show ‘Dyslexia Tracks’ on Dublin Digital Radio and more upcoming releases.

TF: What was the turning point in your life, where you have decided to fully delve into electronic music?

AU: It was probably when I got an email out of the blue from Regis. I had just uploaded the first songs I ever wrote/recorded to SoundCloud, and within four months or so I get an email from Regis telling me to remove all my tracks from SoundCloud because he wanted to release them. I had absolutely no idea who he was, but I thought whoever wanted to release my record had to be trustworthy hah. Ever since then it's been a steady progression.

TF: Please tell us about your musical influences? Give us a chart, please

AU: On-U Sound Records, Fast Product Records, Bernadette Devlin, McAliskey, Eric Random, Flann O'brien, John Fante, Derry, Coen Brothers, Richard Pryor, No Wave, Brendan Behan, Rowland S Howard, The Fall, Anaïs Nin, Yves Klein, Lemaire, James Baldwin, Georges Bataille, Suede Cy and Twombly.

TF: Does Autumns has some rituals before start producing?

AU: No rituals are involved. I just make music when I want to, there's nothing deep or profound about it. When people start talking about how it's an "emotional release" I tend to knock off.

TF: Can we talk about the hardware? What is the first synthesizer you have ever played? Do you have your favourite instruments or devices?

AU: I'm not sure what was the first synth I ever played. Probably messing around on a friend's synth or something - maybe an MS-20 Mini? However, my favourite instrument is my guitar.

TF: You have a vision of how technology will continue to influence art and music?

AU: Technology and art are constantly evolving, so it's hard to know how things are going to have developed ten years from now. But to put it simply, I think there will be people who will always want to use an original Roland 808 and there will be people who will always want to use an 808 through their IPad. There's no right or wrong way to do things. I think technology has always impacted on art and music, but it just depends on how much a person wants it to impact their art. I mean there are still people making folk music regardless of all the technological advancements.

TF: Could you tell us a bit more about your future projects?

AU: More releases. More radio shows and mixes. More gigs. Maybe some collaborations.

TF: To say goodbye, what can you tell us about the mix you publish with us? Any experience during the creative process?

AU: The mix is just some tunes I keep going back, to along with some music of friends and a few of my own tunes.

TF: Thank you!

source https://www.tforgotten.org/single-post/Podcast-190-Autumns-Death-Leisure

[adrianalvas]

Velvet May anuncia 'Phoebe’s White Skin' en su sello, Tears on Waves

Velvet May es un artista italiano con sede en Berlín que se centra en los estilos del EBM, post-punk y techno industrial. Debuto con "Vast As Black Night" en su propio sello Tears On Waves. Este lanzamiento recibió solido apoyo por parte de la comunidad del circuito europeo.

El 2019 fue un año ha ido acumulando créditos bajo este alias, este joven productor ha ido puliendo su estilo y técnica a través de dos EPs, más un tercer que prepara para el comenzar el nuevo año.

"Phoebe's White Skin" se conforma de cuatro pistas originales narradas a través de sonidos EBM, tenues matices de coldwave y estructuras industriales. Este álbum continua contando apasionantes historias de dolor, placer, horror y locura.

Escucha en primicia el corte B1, 'I Won't Shed A Tear'.

Disponible en formato digital a partir de enero 1, 2020.

source https://www.tforgotten.org/single-post/Velvet-May-anuncia-PhoebeE28099s-White-Skin-EP-en-su-sello-Tears-on-Waves

[adrianalvas]

Podcast 189: Aoud [Persephonic Sirens]

Aoud es un misterioso pero emocionante proyecto de techno industrial moderno, que se dio a conocer después del lanzamiento de 'SE MKII' en Persephonic Sirens, sello dirigido por Ancient Methods.

Su estilo ha probado usar sus instrumentos de una manera interesante, presentando nuevos enfoques tanto para las formas más profundas como para las más rítmicas de la música electrónica.

Pronto tendremos una interesante liberaremos una extensa entrevista, para que puedan conocer de este prometedor talento.

Escucha el episodio 189:

source https://www.tforgotten.org/single-post/Podcast-Aoud-Persephonic-Sirens

[adrianalvas]

Infidel Bodies cierra el año con una extensa compilación; ft. MDD, Hypnoskull, Crystal Geometry, Rendered, y más

Infidel Bodies es una etiqueta en constante crecimiento, que se ha comprometido en nutrir la escena italiana de culto. A lo largo de diez lanzamientos la discográfica se ha encargado de curar perfectamente cada EP, pasando por diversos estilos de la electrónica contemporánea, como el drone, noise, hardcore, industrial, experimental, etc.

Para cerrar el año presenta la segunda parte de su solida compilación "Infidel Selection", que presenta material inedito de doce diferentes artistas, nombres como MDD, Max Durante, Crystal Geometry, Thomas P. Heckmann, NX1 y más, ofrecen sonidos oscuros de atmósferas desoladas, kicks de marchas incisivas y disparos metálicos que dan al oyente una impresión euforica, llevándolo por diferentes terrenos emocionales a lo largo de los minutos.

Este lanzamiento lo podras encontrar disponible a partir del 27 de diciembre en formato casete y archivos digitales.

Escucha 'Damals' del francés Hypnoskull y 'Subsist' del dúo canadiense MDD.

source https://www.tforgotten.org/single-post/Infidel-Bodies-Infidel-Selection-II

[adrianalvas]

Podcast 188: Figure Section [aufnahme + wiedergabe] [ +Interview]

Figure Section arose from the meeting of Austrian-French musician and actress Olivia Carrère - aka Olive - and Belgian artist and producer Yannick Franck (RAUM, Orphan Swords, Mt Gemini), who first crossed paths on a theatre stage in Brussels.

Although founded on an acknowledgement of these styles, their execution is experimental, idiosyncratic and entirely modern in spirit, guided by an intent to revise their influences and an approach shaped by romanticism and a surreal, Dadaistic sense of humour. The recurrent themes of the project address friendship, love, loss, existential angst, survival, irony, degeneration, queer culture, non-conformity and ‘the expiation of tensions through modern day rituals’.

The duo’s first single ‘Teutonic Knights’ was hailed by The Brvtalist as an illustration of ”infectious wave [music] with an eerie atmosphere and frigid vocals”, a track that subsequently generated widespread acclaim. In October their debut EP was released on the cult Berlin based label run by Phillip Strobel, aufnahme + wiedergabe.

TF: What motivates you to create Figure Section?

O: My collaboration with Yannick is an intersection between a strong friendship and similar interests and tastes in music. What’s more, the collaboration between us is really complementary in the creative process and allows us to explore new musical playgrounds which neither of us would probably reach if we were working separately.

Y: There are certain musical realms I wanted to explore for a long time whilst doing very different projects (Orphan Swords, RAUM, Y.E.R.M.O.), and since we met and started to experiment together, we dreamed of having a proper duo. It took time but here we are, I am very glad the project exists and I couldn’t dream of a better companion to do it with.

TF: Tell us something about you. What’s your background? Where did you studied and who influenced you to explore musical processes?

O: My background is rather diverse, and it took me a long time to discover how intimate I was with music as a listener, but also as a composer. I come from a theatrical background. I trained as an actress, though I started my studies with a degree in communication – specifically in socio-cultural animation - knowing that I would change path after obtaining it. It’s quite funny to see how tortuous life can be before finding your way through and beyond all these experiences. When I started as an actress ten years ago, something was missing in my professional contribution. I was desperately looking for some creative language that I could develop on my own. I was already familiar with singing since my childhood, so I started learning the basics of music theory online, and quickly I realized that I wanted to compose songs, and to find the easiest way of recording them without any external help. I got my hands on a keyboard and software and started composing, singing and producing at home. It was more a secret process for a few years, until I created a solo piece in the National Theatre of Belgium, which involved performing some of my compositions. This was a fundamental step where I learned that, with the music, I could be really free in the writing and performing process.

Y: I studied painting, but it quickly became clear that music was a territory worth exploring and one that I had to invest my time and energy into. Since I was pretty disgusted by the blatant materialism and the general mindset of the art world; the galleries, and a lot of the attitudes adopted by other artists (competitiveness, individualism, tendency to follow an art world, scale version of the Star System), I found there would be more freedom making music. People attend a concert to have an experience. Anyhow I love art, all sorts of art and my friends are usually creative people. Also, there have never been any boundaries for me, you can build sonic sculptures or paint rhythms, you can conceive a concert as a performance, you can do whatever you want. I recently moderated a panel at BOZAR about the underground art scene in New York in the 80’s, in East Village in particular. I had the pleasure of interviewing Dany Johnson (she was a resident DJ at Club 57 and later at Paradise Garage), Leonard Abrams (he ran the fabulous magazine The East Village Eye) and Gil Vasquez (DJ and president of the Keith Haring Foundation) and what struck me was the fact that at that particular moment in that scene you had zero boundaries between visual art, music, dance, performance… Klaus Nomi shared the bill with Ann Magnuson and John Sex and Haring curated shows and painted almost 24/7 while listening to music. It was all about energy. It’s academicism and speculation (art as a luxury product) that kills such energies (and eventually did in that case) Two different problems, both normative and alien to any creative essence. I stumbled upon a Serge Daney quote lately: ‘Academicism is the aesthetics of nihilism.’ And I agree with that, once you “do things because that’s the way they’re done”, reproduce them in blind fidelity and separate, classify, and annihilate boundary breaking forces, you start producing numb, meaningless objects. In this case a painting has to go from a gallery to a living room or a collection where it belongs. Is it a nice base material for speculation or a good way to seem educated and exhibit your taste as a buyer, to impress others? Hell no…a painting is rather an expression of life itself, a celebration, an exhibition of the worlds revolting features, its horrors, its injustice, its sadness, qualities and themes such as these…in every case it is an essential, vital gesture. Otherwise why even take a look at it? Music should be just the same.

TF: Do you spend all your time for your musical activity or do you have another job?

O: Yes, I do now. The musical activity has taken the vast majority of my time even though I’m still performing as a theatre actress, but that part of my professional activity is becoming more and more scarce. I’ve been recently offered to create music for theatre. So, my work today is divided between Figure Section, and other emerging projects for which I compose and produce for other artists, and my work as a music composer for the theatre. Maybe one day I will come back to the stage with a performance in which I’ll be the actress as well as the musician. I do keep an eye on that prospect even though it’s not the priority for the moment.

Y: I teach sound in cinema. We analyze movies and their soundtracks most of the time. It is a very interesting way to make a living next to music making.

TF: How is your live set up going to be? Any particular equipment? What’s your favourite track to play live and why?

O: We are working on the simplest and most efficient way of touring. So, our set is based on live keyboard playing, voice mixing, and equalizing the tracks live. So, there’s no particular equipment at the moment.

Spectral Dance, is one of my favourites to play live. It’s a more nostalgic synthpop song that offers a vast sense of space for the vocals and the keyboard parts. I just love its simplicity, almost naïveté, contrasted by lyrics about pernicious ghosts from the past that try to keep us from moving forward.

Y: There is a lot of different processes and ideas colliding and merging in Figure Section. It is always quite challenging for us to write a new song and perform it on stage. I think my favourite live song is currently Disfigured Section. We both sing on that one and I love that. Lyrics and vibe wise it’s sort of a Neo Dada track, maybe a tad surrealistic too, from apparent nonsense a lot of sense can emerge from the lyrics. Also, it is nervous, rough, noisy, kind of pissed off. At the same time desperate and full of energy. A union of opposites.

TF: What new hardwares did you apply to make 'Spectre' LP? Do you have a particular method while working in the studio?

O: There’s no new hardware utilized, but we have a more precise choice of instruments these days as well as a particular approach in the production process. Yannick and I work just as well separately as together in the studio. It just helps us to be more efficient because of our very different schedules. We both share online a musical file filled with musical ideas, loops, drums and lyrics. We are both the composers and mixers of the songs, but Yannick is more the writer and the producer and I’m more the arranger and singer. I think that we have now reached the perfect balance in the creative process, which is almost symbiotic.

Y: Yes, it is super interesting because I never know where Olive is going to take a song to when she starts working on it with her great skills and sensibility. What I know is that great stuff will eventually happen, leading to things that will stimulate us and give us even more ideas.

TF: How do you compose this tracks? Do you treat them like musical narratives or more like sound sculptures or images?

O: It really depends on the material. Sometimes Yannick comes with a very complete composition and I add the keyboard and voice arrangements, sometimes I come with a proposition and he completes it. Our strongest asset as a duo is that we started music completely differently, Yannick as an electronic experimentalist and performer, and I as a pop songwriter and singer. So, what we do is bring these assets together in our songs. I think the first track of the Spectre release is the perfect example of that symbiosis. This is what we aim for.

Y: Yes, it is a creative adventure, we have no such thing as a clearly established routine, it’s more laboratory like. It is not “experimental music” but the way it is done is not conventional either.

TF: Any movie, documentary, album (not electronic music) that you would like to share with our readers?

O: We are big fans of horror, thrillers and sci-fi. The last movie that left me fascinated as well as horrified is Midsommar by Ari Aster. I loved that movie because its director knows how to subtly inject weird elements of comedy that make you feel uncomfortable, as well as conveying an ice-cold intrigue about ancient pagan practices and rituals. Loved it.

Y: +1 for Midsommar. I loved that the movie never seems to bring any judgment about the neo-pagan community it depicts, it is just utterly different from what we know but it seems to make sense no matter how shocking it can be. It gives us a break from the ethnocentric attitude of many North Americans and from the extreme arrogance of modern western civilizations, which seem to be absolutely convinced of their superiority to any previous or different civilizations. Also, the visual effects are amazing. Der Goldener Handschuh (The Golden Glove) was quite a great movie too. Being utterly disgusted by this ugly, messy, desperate serial killer’s gruesome murders without being able to restrain myself from laughing was for sure a wild experience. And it really triggers thoughts afterwards. Moral thoughts especially. I found it pretty strong. A non-electronic album: Lux perpetua by Ensemble Organum, which is a very particular version of the Requiem by Anthonius de Divitis. It is such a beautiful requiem and such an incredible interpretation; it even features throat singing which is very unusual in the context of European polyphonic reinterpretations. 15th century art tends to focus a lot on death and mortality. And as Regis Debray said in his 1992 book The Life and Death of Images: “Where there is death there’s hope, aesthetically speaking.”

TF: What are the forthcoming projects?

O: Wrapping up our debut LP.

Y: We are also planning tours, confirmed dates are in Israel and the US so far but more will be announced later on. It would be fabulous to come play in Mexico too!

source https://www.tforgotten.org/single-post/Podcast-188-Figure-Section-aufnahme-wiedergabe-Interview