MUSIC

Brian d’Souza (fka Auntie Flo) teams up with in-demand producer/DJ Or:la, harpist Róisín Berkeley and celebrated artist Jana Nicole for a release celebrating the humble mushroom. Originally commissioned for the Hayes Mycelium Pavilion at Glastonbury Festival 2023, these two pieces represent the artist homage to the unique power of connection within nature - the mychorrizal network that humans could do well from learning from. d’Souza’s piece uses a process of biosonification, picking up electrical impulses from four different mushroom species (Oyster, Reishi, Lion’s Mane and Shiitake) and turning them into musical notes. The 18 min piece is a literal ecological sound walk into the mind of the mushroom. Irish producer/ DJ Orlagh Dooley aka Or:la debuts with her piece created in collaboration with harpist Róisín Berkeley. Glacial textures and delicious harp glissandos form a mushroom habitat that exists in peace and harmony. The bespoke art work was created by multi-award winning artist Jana Nicole, who used a combination of collage, digital photography and manipulation to put together an art piece that resembles the depth and beauty of the mushroom and its mycelium. The limited edition vinyl will include a scratch and sniff smell component and incorporate UV paint that will only show up in dark light, revealing a different perspective as mushrooms do in the wilds.

Genius Loci exorcises the ghosts and spirits residing in the former munitions factory Het Hem, in Zaandam, Netherlands in the latest release on A State Of Flo. In contemporary usage, ‘genius loci’ refers to a location's distinctive atmosphere, or a "spirit of the place"... Genius Loci is a new album by sound artist Brian d'Souza (fka Auntie Flo). Genius Loci references the notion of the protective 'spirit of place' from ancient Roman times, d'Souza used a vintage accordion to capture the acoustic properties of the Het Hem building in Zaandam, Netherlands - enabling him to travel through time using sound. In this music, you can hear ghosts from a previous, more sinister time - the paranoia of cold war panic - echoes of misfiring bullets ricocheting around the 200m subterranean shooting range and the overwhelmingly vast vibrations of the main expo space. The music also instills a sense of hope, a wistful desire for a brighter and more peaceful future where the spirits are vanquished. Are we there yet? A former munitions and gun testing factory, Het Hem is a space full of character made up of a range of rooms that each hold a different acoustic property. On Genius Loci, d'Souza is interested in the connection between sound, space and time. He uses an accordion as a drone instrument to capture a variety of resonances using microphones placed around each room to tell a unique story in each song. The results are released as a vinyl 12” and digital download on d’Souza’s new A State Of Flo label and as part of an audiovisual interactive website which incorporates generative audio technology developed by d'Souza's Swell Studio in collaboration with The University of Arts in London. Recorded & mastered by Karl Choueiri at Modular Mind Studio Artwork and commissiong by Orpheu De Jong Visuals by Simon Dirks

Throbbing Gristle revisits TGCD1, long out of print, now available on vinyl for the first time ever via Mute. This release includes the original sleeve notes by all the members of the band, uncovering the story and ethos behind TG’s independent record label, Industrial Records. Formed in 1975, Throbbing Gristle, aka Chris Carter, Peter “Sleazy” Christopherson (1955-2010), Cosey Fanni Tutti, and Genesis Breyer P-Orridge (1950- 2020), fully delivered on punk’s failed promise to explore extreme culture as a way of sabotaging systems of control. Their impact on music, culture, and the arts has been immeasurable and still felt today. Originally released on Mute’s imprint, The Grey Area, in 1986, TGCD1 comprises forty-two minutes of studio recordingscaptured at their own Industrial Records Studio on a TEAC 8-Track in 1979. Initially serving as an exclusive piece of unreleased material for TG’s first-ever CD release, the record’ dark and harsh droning sound stands as a significant chapter in their discography, showcasing the band during, arguably, their most formative era. TGCD1 is reissued alongside The Third Mind Movements - both vital additions for dedicated Throbbing Gristle and industrial music fans.

Evening Air is the result Loren Connors and David Grubbs’s first trip to the recording studio in the two decades since their first duo album, Arborvitae (Häpna). Arborvitae stood out for its spellbinding, utterly unhurried meshing of electric guitar (Connors) and piano (Grubbs). With this long-awaited return, Connors and Grubbs take turns trading off on piano and guitar, with Grubbs at the keyboard for the two gently expansive pieces on the first side and Connors taking over the instrument for three gorgeous miniatures on the flip, including an album-closing and perfectly heart-stopping version of Connors’s and Suzanne Langille’s “Child.” The album’s wildcard is “It’s Snowing Onstage,” which finds the two locking horns with two electric guitars before Loren blew the minds of all present in the studio by unexpectedly switching to drums. Loren Connors is one-of-a-kind, one of a handful of deservedly storied musical greats gracing us with their presence, and with Evening Air David Grubbs again demonstrates that he’s a stellar musician who also ranks among the most simpatico of collaborators. A cover painting by Connors—another wordless signalling—sets the tone for this most beguiling of seances.

From Justin Broadrick: The theme of this recording is the invisible world, and one's (my) need for it. It's necessary for me, this idea of the invisible world, if I am to function on a daily basis. I find comfort in knowing that this is all not just us here and now, that there's something else around us. That there's something within us, that isn't just this frail skin and bones and the immediate environments we drag ourselves around. I am sure since I was a child, that within me I am many, I am more than this. I surely can't be just this, so I am motivated by the fantasy and/or promise of more...

Kato Hideki’s Statement: “ The Walk is the first collaboration between me and my brother from another mother, Kramer. We started working together in the late summer in 2023, discussing the thematics and the sonic palette of the album. We shared strong connections with the writings by Robert Walser and Basho - both of them walked, dreamed, lived and died on the road. Ambient music was our natural plane for us to transduce the power of their literature into our music as signifiers. Neither of us imagined just to make “another ambient record”, nor a direct translation of their writings. My instinct was to use various modal colors with modulation - slow yet structured music that sounds deceivingly similar to ambient music. Kramer’s genius was apparent to me: his ability to elaborate the music as a composer / musician with his keen ears; to frame the album conceptually, sonically and musically as a producer. What you hear in this album is a true collaboration between two artists who trusted each other to let the music transcend. Here you have it, enjoy YOUR walk - dream, live and die well! ”Kato Hideki - Brooklyn, NY on April 3rd, 2024 Kramer’s Statement: “Sometime in the latter 20th Century, I became aware of the art of The Brothers Quay, two American animators living in London and making the most beautiful works of art I’d ever experienced in cinema.I noted that some of their work was inspired by… “the writings of Robert Walser”. Fast forward to 2024 and I have now read every word there was to read (translated into English) by this unique Swiss-German writer. I’d waited decades to find the right ‘environment’ in which to create music in dedication to this great prose writer and poet, and in 2023, I found that it was not ‘the right environment’ that I’d been waiting for, but rather, the right collaborator. Kato Hideki and his extraordinary work as composer for film, dance and just about every other creative discipline you can imagine, was equally as inspiring to me for this project as the words and worlds of Walser and Basho. Our journey in collaborative composition began all over the global map, but arrived at the same physical endpoint, and at the very same point in time. I’m not sure that I would even be interested in music at all, unless there were other artists to partner with as I worked. Working alone means Nothing to me. This months-long act of co-creation i have shared with Kato for “THE WALK” has made me as happy to be alive as Walser and Basho were so happy to be alive while on their walks, as evidenced by their extraordinary descriptive powers, knowing that the world around them - so simple yet so very complex - made life so wondrous, and so well worth the sometimes seemingly insurmountable struggles of finding a way to survive Today, so that we might try again Tomorrow.”-Kramer, April 9, 2024 (Asheville, NC)

Through the eye of the pinkish gate... Soft lights... cool evening breezes, toxic fumes, burnt champagne and supper for one... love and longing...disenchantment... and the murky meanderings of Pinkcourtesyphone. It is impossible for us to supply all the recipe ingredients needed for this, the sounds of soured romance, but we can at least dish up the musical setting on a deluxe digital porcelain platter (with a just few hairline cracks)... but only for an hour. A gourmet offering befitting a pall party without compare. Attempts have been made in this collection of recordings, obdurate and diegetic, to express anxiety, always, often, and sometimes. 'Arise in Sinking Feelings', an unmistakable pinkcourtesy mood, simply combinations of magic and memory that spin out within moments before our delighted senses... a fanciful flight of neurosis. No one who is anyone has heard it and even they were met with incomprehension. "A Stunning Blandness!" read the headlines. This album includes a printed insert of inspiration. Use it to gain maximum benefits from your study of Pinkcourtesyphone. Read and imbibe the insert while you listen to the recording. The Room40 Media Institute recommends the ‘Double Sensory’ method of absorbing sonic information. Its consistent use will greatly increase your powers of concentration and retention. Let your feelings sink as you let Pinkcourtesyphone sink in... its secret can destroy you in its unyielding grasp.

Amsterdam-based collective Wanderwelle presents an electro-acoustic adaptation of one of their favourite stories, which has haunted them for many years. Wat gebeurde er met sergeant Massuro (What Happened to Sergeant Massuro) is a little-known tale written by master storyteller Harry Mulisch, in which he has thoughtfully succeeded in interweaving strong anti-colonial ideas with mythical elements. In letter form, the story recounts the fate of Sergeant Massuro, who, during a mission in the former Dutch colony of Netherlands New Guinea, slowly but surely turns to stone under mysterious circumstances. It appears that certain unspeakable actions of his past may have brought this fate upon him... Wat gebeurde er met Sergeant Massuro, published in 1957, is a rarity in Dutch literature, as there was little critical writing during the time when New Guinea was still under colonial authority of the Netherlands. The Dutch retained sovereignty over Western New Guinea until 1962. Drawing upon a vast array of electronic and acoustic instruments, alongside archival and field recordings, Wanderwelle expanded the story's horizons with a sonic dimension, making it accessible to a new generation of listeners and readers. The artists consulted the author's estate, his publisher, and literary scholars during the creation of the album to fully grasp the extent of the author's intricate writing and thoughts. Given the deeply personal significance of Harry Mulisch’s story to the artists, this record serves as the inaugural release for their label. Maalstroom is not your usual label. It is a public archive that will feature some of Wanderwelle’s most personal projects. Harry Mulisch (1927-2010) is considered one of the most prolific writers of Dutch post-war literature. He wrote more than eighty novels, plays, essays, poems, and philosophical reflections. A frequent theme in Mulisch’s work is the Second World War, and he often incorporated ancient legends or myths, drawing on Greek mythology, Jewish mysticism, urban legends, and politics. The artists would like to express their sincere gratitude to the Stichting Vrienden van het Harry Mulisch Huis and Cultuurfonds, without whom this project would not have been possible. In remembrance of Harry Mulisch (1927-2010)

Everything Is Simple arrives four years after its predecessor, Hold You Up, which in turn came five years after Show Us The Fire. Zelienople does not do things in a hurry. Why should it? Operationally and musically, haste has nothing to offer the Chicago-identified trio. They do not rush their time signatures, and they do not rush their albums, because however long it takes is the amount of time necessary. So, what’s necessary? Singer-guitarist Matt Christensen, multi-instrumentalist Brian Harding, and drummer Mike Weis had all been in other bands before they united to become Zelienople in 1998 (the band’s name references a town in Pennsylvania where Harding and Christensen were once stranded while waiting for parts necessary to fix a broken-down car). All of them have all played other music since then. Harding records long-form instrumental music under the guise Ill Professor. Weis has explored ambient sound, studied Korean rhythmic practices, and improvised with Kwaidan and Slow Bell Trio. Christensen is torrentially productive on his own; at the end of April 2024 he had 212 digital releases on Bandcamp, and by the time you read this, there’ll be more. If Christensen is driven by compulsive necessity, Zelienople’s rate of production must be a spoiler, not an enhancer. But the three musicians need each other to make the convergence of ceremonial cadences, echo-laden instrumentation, and mournfully resigned singing that constitutes Zelienople’s music. Still, the making of Everything Is Simple took Zelienople out of its comfort zone. In 2020, Weis left Chicago for Kalamazoo, Michigan, which meant that the band no longer had access to its usual recording refuge in his basement. They turned loss into an opportunity to change their approach. Instead of layering tracks incrementally, they recorded mostly live with two extra musicians, Eric Eleazer (synthesizer, Fender Rhodes piano) and PM Tummala (synthesizer, Fender Rhodes piano, vibraphones). Keyboards and metallophones broaden the sound field around Weis’ patiently perambulating percussion. And instead of clinging, Harding’s basses and clarinets swirl and wreath around Christensen’s apprehensive articulations of the experience of being a quiet person in a menacingly loud cultural moment. Tummala also contributed his engineering skills, which enabled Christensen to step back from recording duties to concentrate on singing and playing, and his studio, which is much more spacious than Weis’ old basement. While the basic tracks went down quickly, a lengthy period of mixing and fixing ensued, followed by the spatially conscious mastering of Slowdive’s Simon Scott, all of which further magnified the effect of being a bigger band in a bigger space. Still, Zelienople wears its expansiveness lightly; Everything Is Simple may loom sonically, but it doesn’t overwhelm the listener so much as give them the space to inhabit a singular realm.

"Dedicated to a united Arab response." - Bryn Jones

フィンランド電子音楽界の生ける伝説であり、Mika Vainioらと共にPan Sonicでも活躍した実験的作家、Ilpo Väisänenによる2022年の12インチ作品をストック。今この時間も繰り広げられ続けている、無視できない殺戮と破壊に対する、鎮静と鎮魂が込められた、力強く瞑想的な、漆黒のポスト・インダストリアル作品。版元は、「自由と独立のために戦うすべての人々に捧げる」ウクライナの新しいレーベルであり、MuslimgauzeやMerzbow、Noémi Büchiの作品も発表している 〈I Shall Sing Until My Land Is Free〉。Noel Summervilleによるマスタリング＆カッティング仕様と盤質も万全。

「この侵略には依然として反対だ。夏は最高だが、一部の人にとってはそうではないのだ。ロシアはウクライナで残忍な戦争を続け、民間人を爆撃し、民間人を殺害し、都市や村を意図的に破壊している。

戦争は続いており、ロシアの戦略はそれを長引かせ、西側諸国がいつかすべてを忘れるようにすることである。プーチンは、エネルギーと食料を武器として使い、我々の団結を破壊しようとしている。

現在、ヨーロッパで大量虐殺が起きていることを指摘したい。ちくしょう、今ここにあると。忘れるな！」
- Ilpo Väisänen

ヴェイパーウェイヴ史上に残る伝説的名作が待望の再来！当初ジャンルの標榜したアイロニカルなコンセプトが自分たちのジャンルの氾濫に溺れ、2012年に一度ジャンルの死を宣言されたVaporwave。それ以降の流れの中で現れた世代の作家として最大の特異点的人物であり、今も熱狂的なファンを増やし続けるオハイオ発のレジェンド、ドリームパンクのパイオニア、t e l e p a t h テレパシー能力者が、〈Dream Catalogue〉全盛期の2015年に発表した金字塔『星間性交』が奇跡の3LP化再発！テレパシー能力者関連の作品としても『現実を超えて』や『アンタラ通信』『ロストエデンへのパス』などといったこのジャンルの古典的名作と並んで断トツに評価の高いマスターピースが遂にアナログ・リリース。テレパシー能力者の慈愛と祈り、安らぎの全てが詰め込まれた作品と言っても過言ではない作品といえるこのアルバムには、10分越えの大曲も数多く収録。メランコリックでシュルレアリスム的でありつつも温かなアンビエンスと気品、ほろ苦さ、メロウネスを備えた、独特の瞑想的でロマンチックな雰囲気。遥か遠くの最愛の夢想、明日への視線、憂い、幻想、希望、感傷。人が生き、恋焦がれる事、人を愛する事、その普遍的な美しさを、惑星間の性交という宇宙的なスケールで描き切った、独り深夜に浴びたいスラッシュウェイヴ／ドリームパンクの名盤。テレパシー能力者という、ヴェイパーウェイヴ界屈指のロマンチストによる最高傑作です。未体験の方はこの機会にアナログで是非！

ヴェイパーウェイヴ史上に残る伝説的名作が待望の再来！当初ジャンルの標榜したアイロニカルなコンセプトが自分たちのジャンルの氾濫に溺れ、2012年に一度ジャンルの死を宣言されたVaporwave。それ以降の流れの中で現れた世代の作家として最大の特異点的人物であり、今も熱狂的なファンを増やし続けるオハイオ発のレジェンド、ドリームパンクのパイオニア、t e l e p a t h テレパシー能力者が、〈Dream Catalogue〉や〈Orange Milk Records〉〈AMDISCS〉などから作品を発表してきた実験的作家Nmeshと共に全盛期の〈Dream Catalogue〉から2015年に発表したスプリット・アルバムにして、同ジャンルのクラシック『ロストエデンへのパス』が待望の3LP化再発！テレパシー能力者関連の作品としても『現実を超えて』や『アンタラ通信』『星間性交』などといったこのジャンルの古典的名作と並んで断トツに評価の高いマスターピースが遂にアナログ・リリース。「ロ​ス​ト​エ​デ​ン​」と表題に冠されている通り、その後のHKEとの2814『新しい日の誕生』が頭をよぎる、東洋的異都憧憬の入り混じったサイバーパンク的な混沌とした世界観、シュルレアリスム、亜熱帯的な湿度と民族的な繰り返しのリズムが織り合い、孤独で鎮静的な孤高の雰囲気を作り上げています。

A more conceptual Mallsoft work that combines a unique mellowness with a psychedelic, surreal atmosphere, digital psychedelia, and nostalgic sentimentality to create a bittersweet, mysterious worldview.

Great 2017 album by New York legends, 식료품groceries, who have supported the development of vaporwave while traversing subgenres such as Mallsoft and Utopian Virtual.

This album is a collaboration between two slushwave legends.

Praxis “Can you hear it now?” she asked, her eyes reflecting the undulating ocean waves. I cupped my hands behind my ears to aid their search for her elusive sound. “I hear nothing. I’m trying my best, I swear.” We sat cross-legged on the highest rock we could find overlooking the tireless sea. This was the third time the mysterious woman had invited me to this place. Together we’d spent countless hours absorbing the whispers of the tides, searching for meaning in the mists as water leapt into proud standing stones along the shore. I’d never even asked her name. Somehow, that all seemed unimportant to what we had together, not that I could describe it in words. We just both knew without need for explanation. I think that’s why I continued to return. The woman smiled as she often did, yet managed to look anything but happy. She tucked locks of hair behind her ears, the color of dust and faint shadows. Her vibrant dress fluttered in the salty air. Tucking my legs under me, I rocked back and forth. To be truthful, I hadn’t any idea what drew me to her in the first place. Something about the way she’d offered her slender hand, inviting but not obligatory. The way her hips swayed with the ocean undercurrent as she walked. Her hazel eyes, always searching. The woman’s smile grew. “You’ll hear it one day,” she said. “I know you will. I can’t be the only one. Maybe if I described the sound to you.” “You’ve tried,” I told her. “I only hear the wind and the waves. I hear the gulls calling above. I hear the cars passing by, the crickets and toads. I hear all that there is to hear.” She sighed, and then remained silent for a long moment. “Do you trust me?” she asked. I opened my mouth to answer but held myself back. We’d hardly spoken a word between us, her and I. I didn’t even know her name. But I was about to tell her with confidence that yes, I trusted her. Again, she smirked without joy. “I want you to follow me.” Before I could reply, she stood and offered her wanting hand. I clasped her fingers in mind and joined her on a stroll through stone and sand. We traversed the landscape along the beach, further from town than I’d ever been. The sun faded further into the pastel sky. Like a dream, time ceased to exist. By final breath of sunset, we’d reached a cavern of rock cut into the cliff side. The woman’s dress reflected the oranges and pinks of the sun peeking over the horizon. Her form glowed within the vastness of the dark cave. I stopped. “Where are you taking me?” Her eyes flickered with a purposeful blink. “Do you trust me?” she asked me again. I thought hard about it this time. The answer had seemed so clear, watching the beauty of the sea from above. Yet here in the mouth of darkness, my mind raced for reasons to answer no. Holding out her hand, she smiled like an overcast sky. I took a deep breath and looked into her eyes, now more green than hazel. They were filled with a sense of longing and a hint of sadness. I realized that I did trust her, despite not knowing anything about her. Without further hesitation, I took her hand and followed her into the cave. As we walked deeper, the darkness enveloped us. I couldn't see much beyond the faint light coming from the entrance. I could hear the echo of our footsteps and water dripping from the cave ceiling. The air grew colder and damper. I could feel a chill running down my spine. We walked for what felt like hours. I was about to ask her where we were going again and why, but she suddenly stopped. She let go of my hand and walked a few steps forward. I could see a faint light coming from further inside. I followed her, and as we approached, the light grew brighter and brighter. We finally reached the end of the cave. It opened up into a large chamber, and the light was coming from a small pond in the center. The water was crystal clear and the walls of the chamber were adorned with intricate carvings and paintings. I couldn't believe my eyes. The woman turned to me and smiled. "This is where you'll hear the sound," she said. "It's the sound of the ocean. The real sound of the ocean. The water in this pond is connected to the sea and it brings the sound with it." I listened carefully and sure enough, I could hear the new sound of the ocean. It was faint, but it was there. I was amazed. The longer I listened, the more I realized that it resembled music, more than nature. It fell into perfect rhythm with the beating of my heart. "How did you know about this place?" I asked her. She looked at me like falling rain. "This place has been a part of my life for a long time. I come here to listen to the sound of the ocean and find peace. But now it's time for me to move on." I didn't understand what she meant. "What do you mean, move on?" She watched me carefully. "I have to leave this place. I can't stay here forever. Nobody can. But I wanted to share this place with you before I go. I wanted to show you that there's more to life than what we

Ach, komm, ein Mensch kann nicht immer gut sein... This sentiment rings amusingly true for us. How did we find ourselves in this post-truth era, and why does such a term actually exist? In a world where distinctions between right and wrong blur, does the clarity of a black-and-white delineation persist? Are we progressing, or are we regressing to a state reminiscent of the past? Weaving together the complex tapestry of gore, politics, emotions, and, of course, the human experience in this work is done intricately and reflectively by the hands of Christoph de Babalon.