A new label from Japan run by Akihito released its first release which is a compilation of 20 tracks, 4 of them exclusive for this comp and the 16 left are unreleased. Many are well-known artists the electronic field from around Europe who had a slew of releases in various labels, so Akihito here has done a good selection, because we can find different genres of electronic music that have marked the last years in this field: pop ambient, avant folk, minimal electronics, ambient, among others. However there are two artists which have nothing to do with the atmosphere of this comp that is to say, Yagya and L’usine; because of their dance orientated style. There are many notables here in the likes of Sons Of Magdalene for its blissful ambient, the electronic rock edge of Danish Dub Tractor (is it Anders Remmer who sings here?), the delicate and piano notes of Goldmund, the glitch-pop of September Collective, a band by Stefan Schneider (Mapstation, To Rococo Rot), Paul Wirkus and Barbara Morgenstern, the ambient atmospheres of American Anticipate Recordings’s boss Ezekiel Honig, the pop ambient of The Sight Below with its the hypnotic upbeat, the warm pop melodies of Icelander Olafur Josephsson aka Stafraenn Häkon that remember me of his releases on the now defunct UK’s Resonant Label. :: Crack for your Ears :: On Sundays we take a step back and turn the dial a notch down. This day of the weekend is a great opportunity to let in the sound waves that massages the eardrums and stimulate the senses. Sounds meditative huh, but after a good weekend of absorbing the club most of you will walk around the house like zombies anyway. We received a message from Icelandic / Japanse new born label nothing66 if we could have a listen to their first release. Besides we like free goodies, I had a gut feeling this was going to be something special. And because it’s sunday you know what to expect from us, no heavy basslines, laser bleeps or wobbles. A sooting cocktail of field recordings, experimantal sounds, emotions and thoughts, see it as aural therapy. Nothing66 is your shrink for today. For it’s debut the label has managed to bring together one hell of a line-up with well respected people like: Helios and Goldmund from the Type Records, leading artist (Keith Kenniff) in the current electronic music scene, Lusine and The Sight Below from prestigious record label Ghostly International (just to name a few). Have a look at their website to see the complete line-up (you won’t be disappointed). This compilation offers a unique and united view of the world with various sounds resounding from the abyss and soaking straight into your heart. If you let them (sounds scary huh) and you relax and kick back, this compilation will take you on a journey through motions and reflections. This might sound a little bit dreamy, but I can assure you this type of music will only hit you harder when you really take the time to listen to it. It will make you understand the story they’re trying to tell, but also the work and effort the artists put into it. This album is a breath of fresh air from Northern Europe with the gloomsy temperature from the far east. Its tasteful selection of artists appeals not only to those new to this kind of music but also to more appreciative listeners. Every single one of them could be a soundtrack for an independent movie. Well for the past week it was my soundtrack to fall a sleep with at night, and boy did I had some nice dreams! Listen to a preview or support this spanky cool new label and buy directly from the shop! :: Whisperin and Hollerin :: Given that it is a characteristic of the electronica genre for artists to maintain low profiles and perform under different identities, this 20 track compilation is invaluable for helping to make fresh discoveries and new connections. It visits all parts of the globe from the label's base in Japan to Leeds in the UK with stop-offs along the way in Finland , Italy, America, Iceland, Finland, Germany, Belgium, Spain, Denmark and Poland. Tracks that initially caught my ear were the gentle acoustic loops with violin of Color Cassette from Kentucky and the bass driven shoegaze of Copenhagen's Dub Tractor. The latter is easily the most beat orientated track here, the rest tend to have more organic textures and range from minimalist ambience to glitch based atmospherics. Titles like Life's Fading Light and Things Said When The Firmament Falls should give you a good indication of what to expect. The pervasive mood is melancholic, making it an ideal soundtrack for daydreamers and reflective night owls.he review of "duskscape not seen" in Icelandia blog , and deal in it on their online music shop. :: sonomu :: After the first quarter of 2010, I proclaim Duskscape Not Seen my favourite electronica compilation of the year so far, and certainly one of the strongest debuts for a new label in many a day. Sepia-toned ambient shorts seen through a stereopticon with a dusty grammophone churning out the soundtrack. Everything sounds kind of old-fashioned, whether stretching all the way back to Victorian times or just gazing over the shoulder in retro-seventies mode. Each track is thickly patinated, its glaze crazed with fine crackles, while at the same time conveying toylike playfulness and childlike wonderment. What makes this compilation so thrilling is two-fold: the impressive stable of mostly Northern European artists (a surprisingly large number from Iceland) recruited to an untested Japanese label – including fan and critical favourites like Goldmund, Strafraenn Hákon, Lusine, Ezekiel Honig, Dub Tractor and Yagya – and the sense of freshness and marvel with which they and their colleagues approach the material, as if trying their hand at the genre for the first time with barely-restrained delight. Furthermore, unlike many well-meaning compilations, it holds together so well thematically. From the very first notes wheezed through damaged vinyl on ”Honey is Sweeter Than Blood” by The Gentleman Losers, our ears and eyes open wide. ”Honey” captures the essence of a nostalgia for something you wished once was that is the hallmark of this entire collection. Color Cassette´s ”Pastoral Picture Show” continues along the same aesthetic lines. A little bit clumsy and yet absolutely endearing. A gorgeous string section enters and exits just as you begin to close your eyes and lean back. A pop song by Dub Tractor – an ambient producer who first came to prominence with his appearances on all three of a classic series of compilations from Denmark, ”Boredom is Deep and Mysterious” – is both unexpected and seamlessly folded into the mix: it´s nice to have a song break up the instrumental flow, like a bit of white water on a smoothly flowing stream. Ozy widens and recalms the waters with a remarkably resonant viola skimming across the top of piano and guitar loops. Yagya offers some of his patented, popular, soft-edged dub techno with ”Finite Permutations”, disproving himself by showing just how many different shapes his music can take. Einn Kottur covers a very broad range of moods in the brief span of only two minutes and ten seconds, and Strafraenn Hákon´s unfortunately titled entry is a catchy, celebratory melody just dying to have lyrics put to it, while aMute sends a whisper of wind through a stand of tall, thin metal reeds which metamorphoses into a symphony of bells and sighs. As the end approaches, Sketches for Albinos gives his piano a surprisingly passionate pounding. The Sons of Magdalene seem to channel – maybe even sample - Górecki´s famed ”Symphony of Sorrowful Songs” on the penultimate track, after which Goldmund sits down at the piano for a quiet and reflective solo epilogue. A number of tracks are not spectacular or wildly enchanting, but succeed admirably in maintaining the flow of lo-fi, low-key electronica with yeoman consistency. Most tracks are accompanied by a beat, but it´s not about the beat. The variety is quite frankly astounding. You never know what to expect round the next corner except quality. :: Norman Records :: Cool one this one. It features a bunch of tracks by folks who are well liked around these parts. Namely The Gentlemen Losers, Color Cassette, Helios, Dub Tractor, Yagya, Fieldhead, L'usine, September Collective, Ezekiel Honig, Stafraenn Hakon, Goldmind and loads more! Yep it's another comp with a stellar line up but we know you like 'em so much we always get 'em in for ya! The styles here vary a lot... From the exotica of The Gentlemen Losers to the electronic folk of Color Cassette, to the electronic mellowness of Helios to the neo classical twinkleisms of Ozy (beautiful track with some warm misery strings on there) to the Berlin minimal techno of The Sight Below.... And so on and so forth. It's a thoroughly entertaining listen from start to end and I'd recommend this to all fans of the drifty, the experimental and the electronic. Excellent! :: Smallfish Records :: This brand new Japanese label gets thing rolling in the finest of styles with a superb compilation. Featuring the likes of L’usine, Helios, Dub Tractor, Yagya, Ozy (which, incidentally happens to be my favourite track on the album – absolutely not what I was expecting from this Icelandic artist at all) The Sight Below, Ezekiel Honig, Color Cassette, Stafraenn Hakon, Goldmund, Fieldhead and more it’s a well thought out and extremely pleasing selection of electronica, organic tracks, a wee bit of post rock and plenty of textured goodness. Fans of any of the aforementioned artists would do extremely well to check this beauty out. The range of styles and sounds is marvellous and should cater to a wide selection of music fans and, ultimately, when it’s a collection of this calibre you simply can’t afford to ignore it. A highly impressive first release – I’ll definitely be keeping my eye on this fledgling imprint. Recommended. |