#10 is techno dream trance - melody from heaven

[fuckdamn]

okay wait that tag game was interesting because my answers were so immediate and i want to see if i can do it for like. idk the past 15 years of my life or so lol

[thesunlounge]

Reviews 277: LSW

One of my favorite collectives and labels descending from Düsseldorf’s Salon des amateurs is candomblé, the slightly mysterious group of artists and producers based loosely around those Phaserboys Aki Aki and Rasputin. Across a pair of various artist 10”s called Check Your Reality and To Style One Into, the duo and friends Kaschiel, Schaik Mitz, and DJ Normal 4 explored psychedelic breakbeat stylings with touches of cosmic chill-out, prog house, and trance. And most recently, Aki Aki himself released collection of low-slung, dubbed out, and downbeat acidbass rave outs through the label called Dishjockey. But in between those first 10” releases and Aki Aki’s leftfield drug experiments came a curious collection of mutant krautrock and shadowy NDW-leaning pop called Life Style West, which was written and produced by that Phaserboy Gregor Darman, Sebastian Welicki, and vocalist/lyricist Leonard Horres under the name LSW. The music here aligns with the recent work of Niklas Wandt and Joshua Gottmans as Neuzeitliche Bodenbeläge as well elements of Stabil Elites’ sound, though LSW head even further into realms of dark Kraftwerk-ian body music militance, with monotone vocals at once pleading and apathetic hovering above retro-futurist hardware jam-outs. Mechanized drums stomp through the night, squelching basslines pulsate narcotically, and synths morph between kosmische crystals and Goan energy fields, with things occasionally ascending towards realms of lounge exotica, jazz fusion, and Napoli-style future funk. And through it all, Horres weaves lyrical spells, dark humorisms, and post-punk poems concerning modern anxiety, urban decay, and themes of rage, fear, and surreality.

LSW - Life Style West (candomblé, 2019) Blaring brass and tribal drums intercut at the start of “Trendalarmstufe Rot,” before giving way to a ritualistic groove, where machine kicks stomp, beachside bongos roll, claps crack,, and gated reverb snares smack against cavern walls. Synths drone into the void, Horres’ monotone voice speaks expressively, and mystical electronics smear into ether, with synthesizers gliding like steel drum sunbeams. At certain points, dissonant fusion solos swirl around squelching bassline madness while elsewhere, apathetic chants of "trendalarm stufe rot” lead to thrilling passages that mix jacking EBM and Italo funk, as the percussion slams and flamboyant basslines slap and slither alongside zooming acid psychedelics. Nearing the end, rave squiggles work around anthemic leads, mermaid breaths fade into space vapor, and chords of crystal disperse, with everything locking into a hypnotic side-to-side swagger. Then in “Deutsche Bahn,” bulbous basslines and cyborg surf melodies are shrouded in mist while sci-fi motorik magic builds in, all white noise cymbals, kraut pulsations, and wobbly basslines morphing through sequential syncopations. Horres chatters over top before locking into shamanic repetitions of “gute reise mit der Deutsche bahn”…the vibe like soaring down a futurescape railway on pulsing energy waves as neon tracers and psychosonic patterns swirl. The hypnotic glide is periodically disturbed by electro-tom panoramas, stuttering robo-rhythms, and double tracked vocalisms and at some point, the kick drums cut away for a passage of sequential reso-filter chaos, wherein basslines evolve into alien liquids. Later, as the cymbals return, they no longer lead a kosmische float and now guide a futuristic doom dirge, with stoner sub-bass swinging and searing layers of static frying the mind.

At the start of “Tenor Ist Terror,” looping electronics lead to irresistible breakbeat funk, with everything low slung, loose, and free. Subsonic pulses erupt from earthen depths and Horres leads a call and response between smooth voices and creepy whispers before working into a delirious combination of early 80s proto-rapping and soft schlager lullaby. It’s a world of hands-in-the-air west coast magic and booty shaking beat science, with mystical Arabian melodics constructed from cycling oscillations, textures of plucked gemstone and galactic diamond merging, and eerie synthesis droning into a golden haze. The electronics surrounding the hip-hop jam out sometimes recall textures of Goa trance and at certain moments, Horres’ voice is double tracked while moving through rapid fire repetitions of “doch egal wer dich weiter durch die nacho begleitet / das her int nicht bearbeitet.” During a breakdown, everything sounds distorted and ring modulated while claps fire through strange echo layers and wierdo siren patterns modulate. And after the breaky rhythms build back up and Horres returns, his voice is backed by triumphant waves of ambient fog…these blaring chords and bending arcs of sonic darkness leading to a brief yet emotional climax. “Altbier,” the final track on the A-side, is a fantasy dub interlude as seen through a drunken mirage. Jazzy drums sway through downbeat rhythms and basslines walk through bebop futureworlds, with everything embellished by wiggling electronics and wavering FM synthesis. It’s lounge exotica on a faraway plant, like early Sun Ra meeting a strange NDW berceuse, with sexual whispers raising the hair on the back of the neck and evoking Walter Wegmüller, star menschen Rosi Müller, and the vocal erotica of The Pilotwings.

The centerpiece of the B-side is “Goldketten Aus Fett,” which sees the title and the phrase “geld wie dreck” repeated under gentle multitracking while alternating with cold delirium whispers. Hand drums mutate through strange electronics and snare splashes build anticipation, with everything setting the stage for another Kraftwerk-infused electro rhythm, only as if written in the era of acid house. Sketchy shakers join simplistic subkick and snare militance, with everything smashing through layers of 80s verb. Square wave basslines generate an infectious future dance and trance arps fly all around, as “goldketten aus fett / geld wie dreck” is endlessly repeated. During a flashy bass passage, tubular subsynth melodies flow beneath haunted chord swells, riffing funk liquids, and Horres’ whispering voice, all while cowbells ping and sweltering sequences dance in counterpoint. The drums continuously build up and reduce according to a hyperactive dream logic and satellite transmissions are transformed into melodic phrases while virtual saxophones skronk through wild fusion solos beneath a heatwave sky. Beats hit in isolation during a smashing percussion passage before being joined by video game bass sequencing and virtual seagull cries. Then, a majestic theme rains down from the heavens, with Horres crooning in joyous wonderment and chords calling out to the sunset as they move through heart-wrenching themes. Returning to the technoid future jam and its dark industrial hypnotics, plucked bass synths morph into progressive trance runs as birds of the sea suffuse the air. And eventually, as the pleading voices fade away, we arrive at an outro of rhythmic computer noise, blasting mirage chords, and futuristic drum funk.

“Goldketten Aus Fett” is surrounded by “Bist Du Irgendetwas Wert” and “Denkst Du,” with the former co-produced by Kaschiel and seeing double time cymbals and claps rocketing over kicks and snares. Wisps of sickly starlight drift as the track develops into Kraftwerk-ian breakbeat mesmerism, all slamming electro and techno-funk magic. There’s a moment where the rhythms cut away, leaving snares and computer sequences to fly alone until a wobbly brass bassline brings back the narcotic robo-break hypnotics. The singing is like a monotone serenade, with two doped out voices sounding as if in a closed-eye trance while singing “bist du irgendetwas wert / schaffst du es alleine / bist du irgendetwas wert / weißt du was ich meine.” Later, the Kraftwerk vibes are pushed into all out worship as gothic leads pay tribute to “Trans Europa Express” and nearing the end, it all devolves into a crashing cymbals, growling funk bass, and squiggling West Hill synthesis before returning to an airy future dance of proto-technoid breaks and sequential space calculations. Life Style West ends with “Denskt Du” and its ethnological percussion sounding like rattlesnake tails over thudding kicks and laser blasts. Rhythmic voices repeat “denkst du / ich denke nichte” amidst further Middle Eastern melodic mysticisms and distorted synthbass sensualisms while double-time cymbals skip and drums flow playfully through stoner groove outs. Outerspace broadcasts introduce ethereal pad wonderment…these phaser-blasted waves of kosmische magic flowing in then dispersing, leaving voices to hover above smashing beat hypnotics. Elsewhere, Horres moves through longform meditations and apathetic chants of om, creating an anthemic vocal ritual matched by decaying bass squelches. All around move rattling hand drums and atmosphere of desert fantasy and at the climax, phaser chords return and work through ascendent prog rock euphorias, with angel voices and solar synthesis uniting for epic paradise incantations. And after an ending of timbale rhythms, ecstasy raving, and psychoactive android funk, the track closes with coughing sounds and a familiar iPhone sound effect.

(images from my personal copy)

[perceptemc]

Sunburn klassique reveals its artist line-up for February 2019

Festival to feature over 42 act including KSHMR, Claptone, Art Department, and India debuts for Alle Farben & Mandragora

January 31, 2019 - Percept Live recently announced the homecoming of Asia’s largest dance music festival, Sunburn to Goa in collaboration with Klassique events represented by Shailesh Shetty. After a hiatus of over 3 years, the festival giant will be making its grand return to its birthplace.

Spanning over two days, a brand-new format "Sunburn Klassique" will be held on the 23rd and 24th of February 2019 at Vagator, the venue where the festival was first hosted in 2013. Sunburn which enjoys an undisputed monopoly in the music festival industry recently concluded its 12th edition of its annual showcase in Pune and enters its 13th year in 2019.

The festival will feature 4 stages i.e. Klassique, Techno Kraft, Psychedelic Circus and Vinyl Ambulance and will have over 42 artist performing including the likes of KSHMR, Markus Schulz,  Claptone, Art Department, Sultan & Ned, Alle Farben, Arjun Vagale, Ankytrixx, Sonic Species,  Liquid Soul, GMS, Mandragora, Midival  Punditz w/ Nathulal Solanki, Richard Durand, UnderHer, Janux, Bullzeye, Beyond 120, David Phimster, Joel Discobar, Ma Faiza, Almost Human, Alexander Smith, Heiko Laux, Leon Pereira, Moscada, Nic Thomson,  Roman Sheronov, Sashanti, Veronika Fleyta among others.

Making his return to Sunburn in Goa after 2015 is the best live act in the DJ circuit, KSHMR. Ranked #19 on DJ Mag’s 2018 list of Top 100 DJs, KSHMR has been making India proud by taking his heterogeneous sound to different parts of the world, and has been hailed by many, as a champion of his immersive cinematic sound. The forever achieving diligent record producer, Niles Hollowell-Dhar from Berkeley, California with deeply seated Indian roots has been a festival front-runner

Making his India festival debut, the mysterious house music producer, Claptone with his signature golden mask with a beak is one of the highest- placed houses DJ in the Top 100 DJs Poll who curates The Masquerade events everywhere from Ibiza to Amsterdam to Melbourne.

Having headlined Sunburn way back in 2013, the German-born, but Miami-based DJ Markus Schulz who won the DJ Times‘ America’s Best DJ for an unparalleled third time, will be sampling some of his signature hybrid trance sound he is responsible for with spine-tingling melodies and outrageous basslines.

Trance fans can exult as Dutchman Richard Durand who visited Sunburn in 2012 will be  dropping some adrenaline pumping baseline from his album ‘The Air We Breathe’ which he released recently after a 6-year hiatus.

Canadian Jonny White, acting Head of No.19 Music, Art Department will return to Sunburn once again after 12 years. The prolific producer’s original style landed AD at the forefront of a major underground music movement, transcending genre barriers and breaking down walls as few other underground artists have. Their game-changing contribution to the electronic music landscape has been undeniable, garnering accolades such as ‘#1 Track of the Year’ at the Beatport Awards, the iTunes #2 ‘Best Electronic Album’, hailed as the “hottest duo in dance music” by DJ Mag, awarded the ‘Track Of The Year’ by Resident Advisor (UK), Groove Mag (Germany), and #2 in Mixmag (US), and voted #6 Top DJ's in the world.

Live electronic act, composed of Kalden Bess and Jessica Abruzzese, UNDERHER who describe their music as “music to have sex to” will ensure dark, twisted fantasies meet a controlled reality with their immersive set.

Liquid Soul, the solo project of Swiss artist Nicola Capobianco, with more than 100 hypnotic tracks and a best Beat port artist and a best Beat port track acclaim under his belt, has undoubtedly paved the way for progressive psy-trance landscape and will showcasing some of his hard hitting sounds.

Ever since Mandragora, one of the most undisputed names in Brazil, released his first track, fans have been bewildered trying to catalogue him. The people that know him closely say he can produce a complete album in one weekend!

UK electronic artist Sonic Species, established as one of the world's leading producer of cutting-edge psytrance will ensure not to disappoint. Initiated into the global psytrance tribe after attending his first rave in the early 2000s, currently signed to the Nano Records label, Sonic Species is set to release his second album this year, the follow-up to his 2012 debut 'Unleash the Beat'.

The Kreuzberger Frans Zimmer has reached heights others can only dream of. Having evolved under the artist alias ALLE FARBEN, Berlin based DJ and producer has played over 3000 shows, more than 350 streams on Spotify, 200 million views on YouTube, 2 million downloads.

In the realm of classic dance music duos, few are more recognizable than Sultan + Shepard. From releases like ‘Where Are You’, ‘In The Air’, ‘When We Were Young’, ‘Make Things Right, to remixes like their remix of ‘Locked Out Of Heaven’, they’ve remained a household name for nearly a decade. Fresh off the success of their latest dance floor anthem ‘American Dream’, the forward thinking electronic duo’s return to Sunburn after 7 years.

Sunburn Klassique will also feature the best home-grown artists from across genre, such as Arjun Vagale, Ankytrixx, Ma Faiza, and Midival Punditz, some of them making their Sunburn come-back. The festival will see an assortment of techno, trance and commercial names ensuring a time travel to what Sunburn was in its heydays. The event will also embrace a food court, flea market and an adventure zone as seen in its annual showcase.

Karan Singh, CEO, Sunburn states, “Goa has been the birthplace of Sunburn and we are truly excited to be back. We have aligned our overall programming keeping in mind this vision and have signed on many artists who made their initial India appearances at the festival in Goa. Sunburn introduced the concept of dance music to India and has aided in building music tourism across India. Over the last 12 years we've evolved from being just a music festival to an aspirational brand with millions of loyalists. We hope our return to Goa is truly memorable and magical and we can once again build Goa into a thriving music destination. As a practice, we will deliver the most intrinsic and enhanced fan experience without compromising on our production and experiential ethics. A massive festival like Sunburn is built on foresight and passion and we're going in all guns blazing to make an even bigger mark in 2019.”

Sunburn last year saw a series of preliminary showcases throughout the year such as Sunburn Arena, Sunburn Campus, Sunburn Reload leading up to the main festival showcase on 29th-31st of December.  Over the last decade, Sunburn has played host to most of the top international talent including Sam Feldt, KYGO, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Martin Garrix, Kshmr, David Guetta, Dyro Afrojack, Above& Beyond, Axwell, Infected Mushroom, Marshmello, Hardwell, Avicii, David Guetta, Armin Van Buuren, Deadmau5, Don Diablo, Paul Okenfold, DJ Snake, Alan Walker, Swedish House Mafia, Krewella, Swedish House Mafia, amongst others.  

Sunburn Festival 2018, Pune which recorded over 2 lac attendance saw one of the best artist line-ups, sound design and engineering, and jaw dropping SFX. The festival was streamed live exclusively on the Zee 5 app to reach millions of fans across the country. The festival featured 4 stages with the main stage, Cubezoid 4.0 measuring upto 300 x 100 feet (as tall as a 10 storey building and as wide as the Statue of Liberty horizontally) with 7,000 sq. ft. of LED and 3D fireworks.

Tickets can be booked on www.bookmyshow.com