Electro/Ambient

Record Label: Warp Style: Electronic

ENSEMBLE ECONOMIQUE is Brian Pyle of Starving Weirdos and RV Paintings. His solo project (hence the slightly ironic moniker), which could be probably briefly classified as ambient / drone / psychedelic / shoegaze, has released various albums, splits and EPs on labels such as Digitalis, Amish, Not Not Fun, Dekorder and Clan Destine so far, before joining forces with Denovali Records in 2012. His new full length LIGHT THAT COMES, LIGHT THAT GOES constitutes Ensemble Economique's first release on Denovali, and is accompanied by another release, INTERVAL SIGNALS, which is a concept record consisting of a single coherent 40 minute long piece, interrupted only by the necessity to flip the vinyl record. Brian lives in Humboldt county, a very isolated part of northern California which is probably one of the only places left in California where you can live on the beach and pay $500 per month rent, where both poor and rich can enjoy the profound beauty of this nature in equal measure. An epic coastline, the redwoods, seven different rivers, these surroundings have a profound impact on Ensemble Economiques's music, and Pyle is quite aware of this: "The nature here is pure drama. There's so much space to move around here, get lost in. So many places to take LONG walks to nowhere, alone, just you and your thoughts, and some gorgeous scenery. It's liberating, inspiring. I can see how it fucks up musicians in cities, being around so many other musicians and so many other ideas. I think it makes artists a little bit more self-conscious which maybe isn't the best thing when you're trying just to be free." Exploiting the freedom of isolation, Brian utilizes found sounds, field recordings, and musical performance that he later meticulously edits, layers, and loops in the studio. The effects of these processes are dramatic, cinematic and conceptually rigorous and this recording evidences Pyle as an important new composer emerging out of the long and storied tradition of West Coast experimentalism. Pyle's practice involves a dense approach to composition akin to assemblage, but unlike electronic and laptop composition, Pyle's studio work aims to re-establish an organicism associated with live (or, in the case of the field recordings, lived) performance that pushes the studio out into nature and nature into the studio. The result is a seamless, cinematic tapestry of beauty, filled to the brim with cacophonous melodies, meditative auditory chants, & hypnotic shambolic rhythms. This is dense music that begs for deeper inspection. Each space, each note carefully chosen and etched into glass. Ensemble Economqiue is music for the darkest nights, the pinkest mornings, and everything in between. This is vivid, haunting music that leaves a trail of gold in its wake. Indeed, the pieces comprising LIGHT THAT COMES, LIGHT THAT GOES are episodic in nature, a narrative arc, travelling from dark to light. They are loosely inspired by Brian's long walks along the ocean and the thoughts he would have. Each piece captures a mood, a feeling, a singular moment out there on the beach, on his long aimless walks to nowhere, the horizon stretching for infinity. For fans of TIM HECKER, MY BLOODY VALENTINE, EVAN CAMINITI, RAIME Style: Ambient

Artist: MAJESTICS Label: Unidisc Music

Artist: Vangelis Label: Gonzo Import

Artist: Parov Stelar Label: Etage Noir

Artist: Onkel Tom Angelripper Label: Drakkar

Artist: Nolan Thomas Label: Unidisc

Artist: Paul Butterfield Label: Unidisc

Artist: PZAZZ/CHAMPAGNE EXPL Label: Unidisc

Artist: FAT LARRY'S BAND Label: Unidisc

Artist: Hank Williams Label: zyx

Kawax is the third studio release from roman guitar goddess Lili Refrain, a cathartic experience which celebrates departures, goodbyes and rebirths on the altar of an imaginary totemic demon – Kawax. The making of this album took more than a year of studio sessions before it was molded into its ultimate shape. The sound of this record takes the artist’s musical research one step further, offering a fine blend of the distinctive elements of her musical language: the epic guitar riffing inspired by both classical music and 90′s metal, the rhythmic textures stacked layer upon layer, the use of her vocal extension to create soundscapes reminding of Dead can Dance’s most rarefied moments – all of these influences and stylistic features are still highly recognizable, yet mixed and reshaped into a complex and personal language. Kawax is a mature and fully accomplished work where heavy metal, psychedelia, blues and avantgarde research converge into an innovative and vital sonic experience Record Label: Code 7 - Subsound Records Style: Independent

One of the, if not the most anticipated record in the history of Rebellion Records! Fans had to wait five whole years, but finally it's here. "Alexandrian Age", the new full-length record by BADLANDS! What started out as an idea for a mini-album with six tracks to be released on a 12" EP has now turned out in a full album which makes "Alexandrian Age" BADLANDS' fifth official studio album in a way you never heard the band before. Sure, old influences from bands such as Templars and Perkele are there, but with room for so much melody, harmony in combination with singer / guitarist Victor's fantastic voice and guitar work the band also got compared with punkrock legends such as Bad Religion and Social Distortion. A unique and fantastic sound indeed! "Alexandrian Age" has a total of ten songs and clocks around 40 minutes with BADLANDS being on top of their game and the band delivers one of the best albums of 2013! A must-have for anyone into melodic punkrock, streetpunk & streetrock! Record Label: Rebellion Style: PunkRock

Volume II. Originally issued as a limited CDR in 2003, now reissued as a fully pressed CD. "A certain flavour of composition puts emphasis more on what could be considered 'hang-time' than 'narrative'. Some pieces don't necessarily have to 'go' anywhere in particular, their existence is simple enough in that it presents a mood, a moment, a place and encapsulates it. Think of still-images for the ears as opposed to moving-pictures for the eyes. As an audio exploration into this hovering suspension-fluid-photography, Basinski presents Watermusic. The piece utilises what seems to be a form of generative music technique similar to that employed by Brian Eno on his 'Systems Series' works, wherein the compositional factor is comprised of the simple interaction between a limited number of carefully calculated cycling motifs, designed to create a form of self-perpetuating music. Basinki's piece, however, allows for much more randomness and unexpected event happenings than may be envisioned by this coarse description. His dense textures and softly pulsing tones continually drift around one another in gradually shifting plains of sound, creating new and constantly evolving variations on the piece's theme, yet never deviating from what defines its essential sentiment... Very much the soundtrack for a place as opposed to a film, the beautiful scene is set by gently swelling low end bass tones. Lovely soft pulses caress one another, intermingling to create something both flowing and floating at the same time." -- [k/doherty] The 2062 label collects the creative musical output of now-legendary experimental media artist William Basinski. Best known for 2004's critically-beloved masterwork, ,The Disintegration Loops" (reissued by Temporary Residence in lavish LP and CD box set editions), Basinski has been a fixture in electronic, art, and film circles for over three decades. He employs obsolete technology and analog tape loops, deconstructing and reconstructing media and exploiting machines beyond their intended uses, in order to shape his haunting and melancholic soundscapes Record Label: 2062 Style: Experimental

Early Basinski works, released on professionally pressed CDs (not CDR's!) for the first time. Minimal packaging in the style of the original release (from 2003). These works have been spoken of in hushed tones for a few years, as they have never been widely available. But the Basinski legends grows as the full catalog becomes accessible. The 2062 label collects the creative musical output of now-legendary experimental media artist William Basinski. Best known for 2004's critically-beloved masterwork, ,The Disintegration Loops" (reissued by Temporary Residence in lavish LP and CD box set editions), Basinski has been a fixture in electronic, art, and film circles for over three decades. He employs obsolete technology and analog tape loops, deconstructing and reconstructing media and exploiting machines beyond their intended uses, in order to shape his haunting and melancholic soundscapes. Basinski, classically trained in composition, cites Steve Reich, Brian Eno, and John Cage as inspirations, but his creations are just as clearly drawn from the sounds of machines and the music/muzak streaming from all corners of everyday life. This account of how he used radio broadcasts and four-tracks for early pieces provides a telling glimpse into the creative process informing his unparalleled creative work: "The idea came from wanting to make a Mellotron - a string synthesizer. They were gorgeous, like a big, white spinet piano, with full keyboards and everything. I never got to see the inside of one, but apparently they had tape loops of sampled strings in there, and I loved string sounds. At that time, living in New York, this radio station at the top of the Empire State Building had the strongest signal in the Northeast, and they played these 1,001 string versions of popular American standards - with all the syncopation taken out, and no vocals except maybe some oohs and ahhs here and there. And since it was pretty much cutting into everything I was doing, just because of how strong the signal was - if you ran a wire across the floor, you'd pick it up - I thought, "Well, let me just cut up some loops and record some of these strings." A measure from the beginning, or an interlude, the outro - taking that and using a tape deck that has four speeds on it and made it possible to slow the strings down a couple times. It was very encouraging to me, so I just went crazy Record Label: 2062 Style: Experimental

"...I got back to work and found yet another lunchbox of ancient tape-loops to go through for possible inclusion in the new piece. I came across the main theme and thought...well, this is gorgeous; let's see if we can use this to coax Viv to come out. I went through the rest of them and found another dozen or so that mixed well used randomly, just under the threshold. "The next night I performed the piece at Issue with their 16 channel hemispherical speaker system set to move the sounds randomly around the room as if waves in a pool. We all had a really good time. It was mesmerizing." - WILLIAM BASINSKI This version was recorded with microphones and two Norelco tape decks live in my studio in Los Angeles in one take in September 2008. The 2062 label collects the creative musical output of now-legendary experimental media artist William Basinski. Best known for 2004's critically-beloved masterwork, ,The Disintegration Loops" (reissued by Temporary Residence in lavish LP and CD box set editions), Basinski has been a fixture in electronic, art, and film circles for over three decades. He employs obsolete technology and analog tape loops, deconstructing and reconstructing media and exploiting machines beyond their intended uses, in order to shape his haunting and melancholic soundscapes Record Label: 2062 Style: Experimental

Reissue full-length CD with bonus track. "It is almost impossible to comprehend that Basinski was recording this stuff back in 1982, it still sounds so futuristic and prophetic, the delicate and sentimental ghost-like melodies and the sheets of echoing fizzing and buzzing...Anyone who dares suggest that instrumental music, that 'experimental' music can't affect you emotionally just needs to take a listen to this disc; it is a collection of music that seems to suggest the end is near, the end of what exactly is up to you to decide? absolutely breathtaking in every way..." -- boomkat The 2062 label collects the creative musical output of now-legendary experimental media artist William Basinski. Best known for 2004's critically-beloved masterwork, ,The Disintegration Loops" (reissued by Temporary Residence in lavish LP and CD box set editions), Basinski has been a fixture in electronic, art, and film circles for over three decades. He employs obsolete technology and analog tape loops, deconstructing and reconstructing media and exploiting machines beyond their intended uses, in order to shape his haunting and melancholic soundscapes Record Label: 2062 Style: Experimental

Something from a long time ago...in Brooklyn, 351 jay street...A fruitful evening in the studio... Home at last after a day of work at the answering service...answering phones for calvin klein, bianca jagger, steve rubell, and all the other somebody people...in our space station: home in my studio experimenting live. James is in the adjacent studio painting masterpieces. Roger is in the front, gluing old shoes on canvas and painting them orange... I'm clicking the old norelcos back and forth between channels...all the windows are open. The sound is spreading all over downtown brooklyn mixing with the helicopters, sirens, pot smoke and fireworks... The 2062 label collects the creative musical output of now-legendary experimental media artist William Basinski. Best known for 2004's critically-beloved masterwork, ,The Disintegration Loops" (reissued by Temporary Residence in lavish LP and CD box set editions), Basinski has been a fixture in electronic, art, and film circles for over three decades. He employs obsolete technology and analog tape loops, deconstructing and reconstructing media and exploiting machines beyond their intended uses, in order to shape his haunting and melancholic soundscapes. Basinski, classically trained in composition, cites Steve Reich, Brian Eno, and John Cage as inspirations, but his creations are just as clearly drawn from the sounds of machines and the music/muzak streaming from all corners of everyday life. This account of how he used radio broadcasts and four-tracks for early pieces provides a telling glimpse into the creative process informing his unparalleled creative work: "The idea came from wanting to make a Mellotron - a string synthesizer. They were gorgeous, like a big, white spinet piano, with full keyboards and everything. I never got to see the inside of one, but apparently they had tape loops of sampled strings in there, and I loved string sounds. At that time, living in New York, this radio station at the top of the Empire State Building had the strongest signal in the Northeast, and they played these 1,001 string versions of popular American standards - with all the syncopation taken out, and no vocals except maybe some oohs and ahhs here and there. And since it was pretty much cutting into everything I was doing, just because of how strong the signal was - if you ran a wire across the floor, you'd pick it up - I thought, "Well, let me just cut up some loops and record some of these strings." A measure from the beginning, or an interlude, the outro - taking that and using a tape deck that has four speeds on it and made it possible to slow the strings down a couple times. It was very encouraging to me, so I just went crazy. Record Label: 2062 Style: Experimental

These works are a collaboration between the Japanese figure of experimental electronic music, KK Null, and Mexican artists and brothers Israel and Diego Martinez. Diego is best known as Lumen lab, and both are mentors of the label Abolipop - Suplex. The process started at the end of 2012 when Kazuyuki Kishino, based in Tokyo and Israel Martinez in Berlin, started to share electronic sounds and field recordings. They tried making new pieces exploring various approaches to composition such as the recording of improvisation sessions, the capturing of the soundscape and incorporating some electroacoustic computer processes. After several exchanges, Israel invited Lumen lab to participate in the project from Zapopan, Mexico. The two had not worked together since 2002 when Israel was part of Lumen lab. Sharing this experience with an early influential musician of the 90's electronic and experimental scene provided a good moment. The process of exchanging isolated sounds and then fragments of composition continued. The three musicians worked using each others' lead. Eight months after moving back to Mexico, Israel together with Diego and Kazuyuki, finished four pieces called Incognita, now available on CD as an album. In addition, they composed work for a limited edition vinyl, Terra. It includes the first track of Incognita, which makes it especially appealing for vinyl collectors. The result of this collaboration shows the different profiles of the musicians, from the semi-rhythmic and powerful electronic dynamism of KK Null and Lumen lab to the deep drones and the convulsive field recording's treatment of Israel Martinez. Incognita and Terra Incognita are a celebration of sound as a bridge of communication between people of diverse geographies and generations, sharing respect for each others' work and their cultural context. Friendship, reflection and teamwork.9 Record Label: Aagoo Records Af Style: Electronic

Blevin Blectum, aka Bevin Kelley, has a new album coming out titled Emblem Album, not to be confused with her recordings under the name Blectum from Blechdom. Try saying that five times fast. Linguistic quibbling aside, Blectum is an electronic composer, performer, violinist, sound designer, and, most importantly, a veterinary nurse. The full package, you might say. Since 1998, she has released about twelve records, either solo or with collaborator Kristin Grace Erickson (the aforementioned Blectum from Blechdom), on a variety of labels, including Tigerbeat6, Orthlorng, Phthalo, and Aagoo. The upcoming year proves to be a busy one for Blectum. In addition to putting out her fifth solo album, she plans on completing her Ph.D in Computer Music and Multimedia from Brown University this Spring. In anticipation of Emblem Album, Blectum has shared the LP's opening track. "Cromis Part One" is as hypnotic as it is frantic, assaulting the listener with piercing sonic constructions. At times sinister, there is also an underlying playfulness to the track. This isn't surprising upon looking at Blectum's lengthy resume. She spent a few years as a sound designer at LeapFrog Enterprises, and her last collaboration with her brother Kelley Polar was a co-produced live radio play science fiction composed for violin, viola, voices, electronics, and theatrical objects. Record Label: Aagoo Records Af Style: Electronic