Warp Records: 2005
Also known as that Boards Of Canada album with all the guitars. Fuzzy guitars, acoustic guitars, distorted guitars, folksy guitars, and, most definitely, nostalgic guitars. It can't be a Boards album review without that word getting in, so may as well do it post-haste. It also was the Scottish duo's last LP for a significant amount of time, some wondering whether it would be their final one period. If it had, The Campfire Headcase - sorry, Headphase - would have been a rather limp conclusion to the Boards saga, almost an afterthought of an album where their genre indulgences sidetracked them from whatever future-classics could come hither. Tomorrow's Harvest saved us from that fate. Now, instead of treating this album like a disappointing denouement to an adored career, we can enjoy it based on its own merits, just like these Boards Of Canada undoubtedly wanted anyway.
And as a self-contained album, separate from artist narrative, how is The Campfire Headcase - dammit, PHase? Sure, it’s good – I mean, would you expect any less? Boards, if nothing else, are experts at crafting warm, charming music on the trip-hop tip. Whenever they get too cute with their concepts, over-indulge in numerological Easter eggs, or waste potentially great tunes with pointless doodles, that’s where our intrepid non-Canadian Canadas stumble. Just give us music, mang, songs that we can hazily drift along with.
For all the lasting impression the guitar work imparted on this album, The Campfire Headcase - arggh, PHASE - maybe a third of the tracks actually utilize the six-stringers. Not that I blame listeners remembering it as such, so front-loaded on here as they are. It also doesn’t hurt tracks like Chromakey Dreamcoat, Satelite Anthem Icarus, and Dayvan Cowboy (which was also tapped for single duty on Trans Canada Highway) worm their way into the noggin as only ‘Boards Of Canada goes shoegaze’ music can. The other half of this album is Boards being Boards as per usual. Detuned, crackly synths, gorgeous ambience, functional rhythms, and a total lack of quirky skits.
Wait, that’s something new! You mean to tell me The Campfase Headphire (*sigh*... I’ll dyslexia a cure this for...) doesn’t feature any weird-for-weird-sake bits of children dialog, clips of National Film Boards documentaries, or whatever else that made Music Has The Right To Children and Geogaddi the distinctive albums they were? There are still ambient interludes, but even they typically run lengthier compared to prior LPs’ doodles, most breaching well over the one-minute mark (I forgive A Moment Of Clarity for being under, since making it any longer wouldn’t make it a moment). And man, those last few tracks - Slow This Bird Down, Tears From The Compound Eye, and Farewell Fire - my heart bleeds, it does.
While I wouldn’t recommend The Campfire Headphase (yes!) as your diving off point with Boards Of Canada, it’s a worthy addition to your collection if Musical Children has tempted you for more. Although, I’m only preaching to the converted, aren’t I?
Wednesday, November 5, 2014
Monday, November 3, 2014
ACE TRACKS: September 2014
I haven't posted a permanent entry for September's ACE TRACKS playlist, have I? Guess I was in such a rush putting it together and over-excited to get it into the sidebar that it slipped my mind.
Full Track List Here.
MISSING ALBUMS:
Androcell - Entheomystic
P.M. Dawn - Of The Heart, Of The Soul, & Of The Cross: The Utopian Experience (FOUND...?)
Also, most of those single-track ambient-drone albums aren't on Spotify either (surprise, I know), but then only Hansen's The Dome got ACE TRACK status out of those anyway.
Percentage Of Hip-Hop: 15%
Percentage Of Neil Young: 2%
Most “WTF?” Track: Neil Young - Misfits (yes, the lone Young tune is a right oddity in this bundle – you'd almost think it was a... 'misfit'! Yeah? ...yeah)
This one was all over the place, which made it fun to sequence (Oliver Lieb and Type O Negative, together at last!), but maybe not so much of a listen. The gargantuan seven-plus hour run time couldn't have been appealing either, but considering the length of some of those ambient tracks, not unexpected. I don't know what else to say here that wouldn't come off like redundant information though. It's sat on the right of your screen for a month, more than enough time for regulars to take it in. If you're stumbling upon this blog at a later date though, here's a quick-and-dirty of what's on this playlist: hip-hop, electro, ambient, psy, techno, jazzy downtempo... you know, the usual things you'll find in most of my playlists.
Full Track List Here.
MISSING ALBUMS:
Androcell - Entheomystic
P.M. Dawn - Of The Heart, Of The Soul, & Of The Cross: The Utopian Experience (FOUND...?)
Also, most of those single-track ambient-drone albums aren't on Spotify either (surprise, I know), but then only Hansen's The Dome got ACE TRACK status out of those anyway.
Percentage Of Hip-Hop: 15%
Percentage Of Neil Young: 2%
Most “WTF?” Track: Neil Young - Misfits (yes, the lone Young tune is a right oddity in this bundle – you'd almost think it was a... 'misfit'! Yeah? ...yeah)
This one was all over the place, which made it fun to sequence (Oliver Lieb and Type O Negative, together at last!), but maybe not so much of a listen. The gargantuan seven-plus hour run time couldn't have been appealing either, but considering the length of some of those ambient tracks, not unexpected. I don't know what else to say here that wouldn't come off like redundant information though. It's sat on the right of your screen for a month, more than enough time for regulars to take it in. If you're stumbling upon this blog at a later date though, here's a quick-and-dirty of what's on this playlist: hip-hop, electro, ambient, psy, techno, jazzy downtempo... you know, the usual things you'll find in most of my playlists.
Sykonee Surveys Spotify's Senseless Suggestions: Round 2
Spotify sure likes sending me suggestions more often than I anticipated. I think its best that I save my surveys until I clear batches of my review backlog, lest they impede my regular progress. I already make enough tangents these days, and I’ve some large bulks to plow through. Just look how many ‘O’s I reviewed, and that’s traditionally one of the ‘lesser’ letters to name your album with!
So last round’s recommendations leaned way heavy on the rock side of things, and not even rock I care much for. I’m giving Spotify the benefit of the doubt on its erroneous assumptions of my musical tastes, what with having so little time to get acquainted an all. It’ll have to butter me up better if it wants me to take its suggestions seriously going forward though. Let’s find out what Round 2 offers.
Kenny Chesney - 1. American Kids / 2. Somewhere With You
Oh for… Spotify, you couldn’t be more off if you tried. This is full-on modern country, which I absolutely, positively never-in-a-zillion years go out of my way to listen to. I don’t hate the stuff, but I’ve no reason to bother with that field of music in my life either. Chesney’s apparently one of the bigger names to emerge from country’s renewed dominance with youthful, tailgating demographics, and I’m quite thankful these two tracks don’t tread anywhere near the Georgia Straight Line dirt road of ‘bro-country’ (yes, this is a thing, and yes, it’s as awful as you’re imagining), but… yeah. This is just one big “NOPE” from me.
Odds I’ll Listen Again: 0/5
Radiohead - 3. Karma Police / 4. Paranoid Android
Come on, are you even trying, Spotify? You suggested these guys in the last email. Is Radiohead just a generic, go-to band to name drop? Are you trolling Thom Yorke’s anti-Spotify stance? Also, I’m somewhat disappointed that the next two tracks in this list are more from OK Computer. It’s clear the Top 5 has nothing to do with actual plays, as No Suprises from the last round lags well behind Karma Police by some seven million hits. If this is the case, why not feature more songs from their other albums, mix things up for the newbie Radiohead listener? Ah well, despite Spotify’s insistence at gumming the stats, my Odds score stands with this band.
Odds I’ll Listen Again: 3/5
Wu-Tang Clan - 1. C.R.E.A.M. / 2. Wu-Tang Clan Ain’t Nuthing Ta F’ Wit
I take it all back. Spotify, you totally get me. How’d you know I’d absolutely be down for some Wu-Tang Clan? Sure, I’ve Playlisted Raekwon, U-God, Masta Killa, and Ghostface Killah, but you figured out I might like the Clan having not played anything from RZA, GZA, Ol’ Dirty BZA, Method MZA, or Inspectah DZA (yet). Seriously, this couldn’t have been a more obvious recommendation than suggesting N.W.A. because I played some Dr. Dre or Ice Cube. Yeah, I’m gonna’ listen to the Wu again – they’ll be eventually in an ACE TRACKS Playlist after all – but it would have been nice for Spotify to show a little more intuition than this.
Odds I’ll Listen Again: 5/5
Mayday Parade - 3. Oh Well, Oh Well / 4. You’re Dead Wrong
I wasn’t terribly enthused by all the rock recommendations in Round 1, but I at least enjoyed the process of discovering a few new bands, some of which I’ll likely dabble in later on. Mayday Parade was not one of them, got’dang it. Seriously, I gave them an Odds score of 1/5 - I can’t even remember what I wrote about them, so off base with my tastes they were. These two songs are more of the same ‘arena-emo-rock-punk’ style I heard from the their first two, so it’s safe to say that’s the Mayday Parade stylee. No more for me, thanks.
Odds I’ll Listen Again: 0/5
Kid Cudi - 1. Pursuit Of Happiness (Extended Steve Aoki Remix) / 2. Just What I Am
I’m assuming I’m getting a Cudi suggestion for the prior hip-hop I’ve listened to, and not because Spotify thinks I’d be down for an Aoki remix or that I might like MGMT (because Radiohead, obviously). I’m honestly surprised to see that track as the first one, as it’s little more than your standard modern-day anthem house rub – there’s thousands of tracks like this one out the. The second track has some cool ambient-electro vibe going for it, but the lyrics are just wack ‘get-wrecked’ party-hop nonsense. He doesn’t even sound that sincere, simply catering to the festival kids. Or maybe that Aoki impression’s still lingering. Will have to hear more of his material for a better idea, and I suspect Spotify will force upon me at that.
Odds I’ll Listen Again: 2/5
Weezer - 1. Island In The Sun / 2. Say It Ain’t So
Well sure, may as well get these guys in there at some point. Like many of my teenaged era, I enjoyed their Blue Album, then promptly stopped giving a shit. Okay, that’s not entirely accurate – the ongoing drama of Weezer’s rise-fall-rise-fall-rise-fall in the world of pop is its own unique brand of fascinating for any music enthusiast. The last song I heard from them was the “we’re all on drugs” one, whatever it was called, and I can’t say I’m in a hurry to check out their back catalog. Although, hearing these two songs, especially Say It Ain’t So again, sure does tug at my nostalgic centre. Maybe I ought to finally check out that Pinkerton LP…
Odds I’ll Listen Again: 3/5
Pye Corner Audio - 1. Perfect Secrecy Forever / 2. Sleep Games
Ah, finally something that looks new and interesting. I’ve never heard of this guy before (Martin Jenkins), but he’s been quite busy on the digital release realm, putting out quite a few Black Mill Tapes between albums – he even offered them in tape formats! I should also mention these two tracks aren’t the first pair of suggestions at Spotify, but since the proper first two are both on the John Talbot DJ-Kicks mix, I figured these are more representative of what Pye’s all about. Perfect Secrecy Forever, which came out this year, has a chill-trance New Beat thing going for it, which has been seeing something of a minor bump in interest of late. Sleep Games, the older cut, has a similar sluggish rhythm, though has more of a classic EBM menace about it. I like it. The world could use more New Beat.
Odds I’ll Listen Again: 4/5
Grateful Dead - 3. Touch Of Grey / 4. Truckin’
Another repeat. But wait, this Grateful Dead has a different picture. Maybe it’s a different Grateful Dead, one that- (*clicks link*) Nope, still the same ol’ Dead. What’s funny is Touch Of Grey is about the only Dead song I know off hand, and only because it was so ubiquitous on classic rock stations. I also didn’t know it was a Dead song because it sounds so bloody ‘80s, and that’s the last era of music I’d associate with the band, despite their activity lasting well into that decade. Truckin’ is more what you’d expect from a ‘60s hippie jam band. Nothing else to say here that I didn’t say in Round 1.
Odds I’ll Listen Again: 3/5
will.i.am - 1. Scream & Shout / 2. Feelin’ Myself
Odds I’ll Listen Again: 0/5
Hybrid Minds - 3. Fade / 4. Trauma
Finally… finally, a repeat I was looking forward to. Only took you four tries to get that right, Spotify. These songs are also from two more different singles, so mixing things up too. I just might not give up on you after all, Spotify Suggestions. Fade and Trauma stick to the same smooth, jazzy liquid-funk vibe that’s given Hybrid Minds props within the jungle scene. Getting more of their tunes just became higher.
Odds I’ll Listen Again: 4/5
This Survey was even more erratic than the last one, yet somehow comes away with a near-identical final tally of 24/50. If this feature’s supposed to improve with the more data it gathers on my listening habits, this is actually a worse result than before. I can’t imagine the Artist Suggestions getting any lower than will.i.am though. It just can’t…
So last round’s recommendations leaned way heavy on the rock side of things, and not even rock I care much for. I’m giving Spotify the benefit of the doubt on its erroneous assumptions of my musical tastes, what with having so little time to get acquainted an all. It’ll have to butter me up better if it wants me to take its suggestions seriously going forward though. Let’s find out what Round 2 offers.
Kenny Chesney - 1. American Kids / 2. Somewhere With You
Oh for… Spotify, you couldn’t be more off if you tried. This is full-on modern country, which I absolutely, positively never-in-a-zillion years go out of my way to listen to. I don’t hate the stuff, but I’ve no reason to bother with that field of music in my life either. Chesney’s apparently one of the bigger names to emerge from country’s renewed dominance with youthful, tailgating demographics, and I’m quite thankful these two tracks don’t tread anywhere near the Georgia Straight Line dirt road of ‘bro-country’ (yes, this is a thing, and yes, it’s as awful as you’re imagining), but… yeah. This is just one big “NOPE” from me.
Odds I’ll Listen Again: 0/5
Radiohead - 3. Karma Police / 4. Paranoid Android
Come on, are you even trying, Spotify? You suggested these guys in the last email. Is Radiohead just a generic, go-to band to name drop? Are you trolling Thom Yorke’s anti-Spotify stance? Also, I’m somewhat disappointed that the next two tracks in this list are more from OK Computer. It’s clear the Top 5 has nothing to do with actual plays, as No Suprises from the last round lags well behind Karma Police by some seven million hits. If this is the case, why not feature more songs from their other albums, mix things up for the newbie Radiohead listener? Ah well, despite Spotify’s insistence at gumming the stats, my Odds score stands with this band.
Odds I’ll Listen Again: 3/5
Wu-Tang Clan - 1. C.R.E.A.M. / 2. Wu-Tang Clan Ain’t Nuthing Ta F’ Wit
I take it all back. Spotify, you totally get me. How’d you know I’d absolutely be down for some Wu-Tang Clan? Sure, I’ve Playlisted Raekwon, U-God, Masta Killa, and Ghostface Killah, but you figured out I might like the Clan having not played anything from RZA, GZA, Ol’ Dirty BZA, Method MZA, or Inspectah DZA (yet). Seriously, this couldn’t have been a more obvious recommendation than suggesting N.W.A. because I played some Dr. Dre or Ice Cube. Yeah, I’m gonna’ listen to the Wu again – they’ll be eventually in an ACE TRACKS Playlist after all – but it would have been nice for Spotify to show a little more intuition than this.
Odds I’ll Listen Again: 5/5
Mayday Parade - 3. Oh Well, Oh Well / 4. You’re Dead Wrong
I wasn’t terribly enthused by all the rock recommendations in Round 1, but I at least enjoyed the process of discovering a few new bands, some of which I’ll likely dabble in later on. Mayday Parade was not one of them, got’dang it. Seriously, I gave them an Odds score of 1/5 - I can’t even remember what I wrote about them, so off base with my tastes they were. These two songs are more of the same ‘arena-emo-rock-punk’ style I heard from the their first two, so it’s safe to say that’s the Mayday Parade stylee. No more for me, thanks.
Odds I’ll Listen Again: 0/5
Kid Cudi - 1. Pursuit Of Happiness (Extended Steve Aoki Remix) / 2. Just What I Am
I’m assuming I’m getting a Cudi suggestion for the prior hip-hop I’ve listened to, and not because Spotify thinks I’d be down for an Aoki remix or that I might like MGMT (because Radiohead, obviously). I’m honestly surprised to see that track as the first one, as it’s little more than your standard modern-day anthem house rub – there’s thousands of tracks like this one out the. The second track has some cool ambient-electro vibe going for it, but the lyrics are just wack ‘get-wrecked’ party-hop nonsense. He doesn’t even sound that sincere, simply catering to the festival kids. Or maybe that Aoki impression’s still lingering. Will have to hear more of his material for a better idea, and I suspect Spotify will force upon me at that.
Odds I’ll Listen Again: 2/5
Weezer - 1. Island In The Sun / 2. Say It Ain’t So
Well sure, may as well get these guys in there at some point. Like many of my teenaged era, I enjoyed their Blue Album, then promptly stopped giving a shit. Okay, that’s not entirely accurate – the ongoing drama of Weezer’s rise-fall-rise-fall-rise-fall in the world of pop is its own unique brand of fascinating for any music enthusiast. The last song I heard from them was the “we’re all on drugs” one, whatever it was called, and I can’t say I’m in a hurry to check out their back catalog. Although, hearing these two songs, especially Say It Ain’t So again, sure does tug at my nostalgic centre. Maybe I ought to finally check out that Pinkerton LP…
Odds I’ll Listen Again: 3/5
Pye Corner Audio - 1. Perfect Secrecy Forever / 2. Sleep Games
Ah, finally something that looks new and interesting. I’ve never heard of this guy before (Martin Jenkins), but he’s been quite busy on the digital release realm, putting out quite a few Black Mill Tapes between albums – he even offered them in tape formats! I should also mention these two tracks aren’t the first pair of suggestions at Spotify, but since the proper first two are both on the John Talbot DJ-Kicks mix, I figured these are more representative of what Pye’s all about. Perfect Secrecy Forever, which came out this year, has a chill-trance New Beat thing going for it, which has been seeing something of a minor bump in interest of late. Sleep Games, the older cut, has a similar sluggish rhythm, though has more of a classic EBM menace about it. I like it. The world could use more New Beat.
Odds I’ll Listen Again: 4/5
Grateful Dead - 3. Touch Of Grey / 4. Truckin’
Another repeat. But wait, this Grateful Dead has a different picture. Maybe it’s a different Grateful Dead, one that- (*clicks link*) Nope, still the same ol’ Dead. What’s funny is Touch Of Grey is about the only Dead song I know off hand, and only because it was so ubiquitous on classic rock stations. I also didn’t know it was a Dead song because it sounds so bloody ‘80s, and that’s the last era of music I’d associate with the band, despite their activity lasting well into that decade. Truckin’ is more what you’d expect from a ‘60s hippie jam band. Nothing else to say here that I didn’t say in Round 1.
Odds I’ll Listen Again: 3/5
will.i.am - 1. Scream & Shout / 2. Feelin’ Myself
Odds I’ll Listen Again: 0/5
Hybrid Minds - 3. Fade / 4. Trauma
Finally… finally, a repeat I was looking forward to. Only took you four tries to get that right, Spotify. These songs are also from two more different singles, so mixing things up too. I just might not give up on you after all, Spotify Suggestions. Fade and Trauma stick to the same smooth, jazzy liquid-funk vibe that’s given Hybrid Minds props within the jungle scene. Getting more of their tunes just became higher.
Odds I’ll Listen Again: 4/5
This Survey was even more erratic than the last one, yet somehow comes away with a near-identical final tally of 24/50. If this feature’s supposed to improve with the more data it gathers on my listening habits, this is actually a worse result than before. I can’t imagine the Artist Suggestions getting any lower than will.i.am though. It just can’t…
Sunday, November 2, 2014
ACE TRACKS: October 2014
One month past. Feels like forever since I started up with this Spotify Deezer thinger, yet here we are, finally with a new permanent Playlist for the sidebar to last us another month. Here are the choice cuts from what I reviewed in October.
Full track list here.
Missing Albums:
Calibre - Overflow (FOUND!)
Sunbeam - Out Of Reality
Astropilot - Here And Now
TUU - One Thousand Years (FOUND!)
The Orb - The Orb’s Adventures Beyond The Ultraworld (FOUND!)
Various - One A.D. (FOUND!)
Percentage Of Hip-Hop: 16%
Percentage Of Neil Young: 5%
Most “WTF?” Track: Aphex Twin - Xepha (like anyone else could take this spot)
Waveform Records isn't on Spotify [but are on Deezer!]. I have the sads now, since I can’t share the music they’ve put out exclusively through their label (not to mention some of the older rarities). You’ll just have to settle for the crummy Amazon clips below their reviews or, I dunno, go to their website and buy the music. It’s a worthy purchase, trust me on that.
I’m surprised by how flowing, dynamic, and fun this playlist turned out. You’d think an over-abundance of music from Raekwon, The Orb, and ambient-psy/chill-dub would make for another relatively dull collection of tunes (those May and June ones were kinda’ drab), but nay, there’s enough quirky tangents (Rock! Nu-Jazzsteps! “Peanuts!”) to keep things fresh as it plays through. Won’t deny it’s a long listen though, clocking in at nearly seven hours in length. Hey, I listened to a lot of good music in October, and now you can too, with a few play throughs! Or split it up into chunks. It’s what I do.
Full track list here.
Missing Albums:
Calibre - Overflow (FOUND!)
Sunbeam - Out Of Reality
Astropilot - Here And Now
TUU - One Thousand Years (FOUND!)
The Orb - The Orb’s Adventures Beyond The Ultraworld (FOUND!)
Various - One A.D. (FOUND!)
Percentage Of Hip-Hop: 16%
Percentage Of Neil Young: 5%
Most “WTF?” Track: Aphex Twin - Xepha (like anyone else could take this spot)
Waveform Records isn't on Spotify [but are on Deezer!]. I have the sads now, since I can’t share the music they’ve put out exclusively through their label (not to mention some of the older rarities). You’ll just have to settle for the crummy Amazon clips below their reviews or, I dunno, go to their website and buy the music. It’s a worthy purchase, trust me on that.
I’m surprised by how flowing, dynamic, and fun this playlist turned out. You’d think an over-abundance of music from Raekwon, The Orb, and ambient-psy/chill-dub would make for another relatively dull collection of tunes (those May and June ones were kinda’ drab), but nay, there’s enough quirky tangents (Rock! Nu-Jazzsteps! “Peanuts!”) to keep things fresh as it plays through. Won’t deny it’s a long listen though, clocking in at nearly seven hours in length. Hey, I listened to a lot of good music in October, and now you can too, with a few play throughs! Or split it up into chunks. It’s what I do.
Saturday, November 1, 2014
ZerO One - ozOne
Waveform Records: 2007
I feel like Kevin Dooley's ZerO One project is one I should have far more material of. He's a Waveform Records regular, makes a brand of ambient techno-dub that has ties to The Higher Intelligence Agency's approach to the craft, and I even got a ZerO One t-shirt purchased during one of my hauls from the Waveform online shop. A t-shirt! I don’t even have a Banco de Gaia shirt. And yet, ozOne remains his only album that I have, plucked from a used shop no less. Soon, I must gather more CDs of this man's work, but there are just so many other musics I must have. So many more, not enough time, not enough time. Curse this limited lifespan. Like, how could anyone complain about being an immortal? Can you think of a better way of finally hearing all the music there is?
Anyhow, ozOne is the fourth album from Dooley’s binary alias, third for Waveform, and first in my collection. It’s also another one of those albums I’m kind of at a loss to say much about. It doesn’t help I haven’t heard anything else in the ZerO One discography, so points of comparison are useless. Are the slightly psy-dub leanings in many of these tracks (Nano, Affirmative, Lifeforce, and Glitch) a new wrinkle explored on this album, or have they always been a part of the ZerO One stylee? I’m almost certain the down-low acid-jazz funk of Flashback and OK are unique offerings from Dooley, tunes made on a lark of genre exploration, yet I’m not firm in that assumption either. And heck, this is all supposing you folks are familiar enough with HIA that you’d understand the inevitable multi-comparisons I’ll make (seriously, if you aren’t yet, get on that). Maybe early Biosphere’s an easier point of reference?
Anyhow-anyhow, here’s a few wicked-cool-awesome things about ozOne you should seek out if my useless rambling hasn’t already turned you away. Future (Autozone Mix) has a weirdly funky... mellotron hook? It’s something I’ve yet to ever hear in an acid-dub bleep-tronica cut, and is great, is what it is! If you’re more about cut-up sample-glitch though, maybe give Malfunction or Brainwave a run. Then there’s the world dub-beat stabs found in Dreams and OK again – man, there’s a fair bit of genre blending on ozOne now that I think about it. Rather surprising, that, considering how much the album comes off as a traditional ambient-bleep collection.
And as I continue thinking about that, why have I overlook ZerO One this much? For all the moaning and bemoaning I used to do over the lack of worthy successors to Bobby Bird’s output, I sure didn’t do much to actively look for any. And here was one (a ZerO One!), literally sitting on my shoulders this whole time. It’s a good reminder that, for as knowledgeable about electronic music as I’ve become over the years, there’s still plenty more to uncover. All I need is that immortality serum.
I feel like Kevin Dooley's ZerO One project is one I should have far more material of. He's a Waveform Records regular, makes a brand of ambient techno-dub that has ties to The Higher Intelligence Agency's approach to the craft, and I even got a ZerO One t-shirt purchased during one of my hauls from the Waveform online shop. A t-shirt! I don’t even have a Banco de Gaia shirt. And yet, ozOne remains his only album that I have, plucked from a used shop no less. Soon, I must gather more CDs of this man's work, but there are just so many other musics I must have. So many more, not enough time, not enough time. Curse this limited lifespan. Like, how could anyone complain about being an immortal? Can you think of a better way of finally hearing all the music there is?
Anyhow, ozOne is the fourth album from Dooley’s binary alias, third for Waveform, and first in my collection. It’s also another one of those albums I’m kind of at a loss to say much about. It doesn’t help I haven’t heard anything else in the ZerO One discography, so points of comparison are useless. Are the slightly psy-dub leanings in many of these tracks (Nano, Affirmative, Lifeforce, and Glitch) a new wrinkle explored on this album, or have they always been a part of the ZerO One stylee? I’m almost certain the down-low acid-jazz funk of Flashback and OK are unique offerings from Dooley, tunes made on a lark of genre exploration, yet I’m not firm in that assumption either. And heck, this is all supposing you folks are familiar enough with HIA that you’d understand the inevitable multi-comparisons I’ll make (seriously, if you aren’t yet, get on that). Maybe early Biosphere’s an easier point of reference?
Anyhow-anyhow, here’s a few wicked-cool-awesome things about ozOne you should seek out if my useless rambling hasn’t already turned you away. Future (Autozone Mix) has a weirdly funky... mellotron hook? It’s something I’ve yet to ever hear in an acid-dub bleep-tronica cut, and is great, is what it is! If you’re more about cut-up sample-glitch though, maybe give Malfunction or Brainwave a run. Then there’s the world dub-beat stabs found in Dreams and OK again – man, there’s a fair bit of genre blending on ozOne now that I think about it. Rather surprising, that, considering how much the album comes off as a traditional ambient-bleep collection.
And as I continue thinking about that, why have I overlook ZerO One this much? For all the moaning and bemoaning I used to do over the lack of worthy successors to Bobby Bird’s output, I sure didn’t do much to actively look for any. And here was one (a ZerO One!), literally sitting on my shoulders this whole time. It’s a good reminder that, for as knowledgeable about electronic music as I’ve become over the years, there’s still plenty more to uncover. All I need is that immortality serum.
Labels:
2007,
album,
ambient techno,
dub,
Waveform Records,
ZerO One
Friday, October 31, 2014
Jean-Michel Jarre - Oxygene
Polydor/Capitol: 1976/2007
The only Jean-Michel Jarre album you’re supposed to have, even if you’re not a Jean-Michel Jarre fan. Chances are though, if you do listen to Oxygene, it’s because you’re a fan and have more of his music already. Or you sought his most famous work from a sense of obligation in learning electronic music's roots, were blown away, and hunted for more (with varying degrees of enjoyment and frustration). Bottom line is, though Oxygene is supposed to be the only Jarre album in your music collection, odds are it won’t be. Ol’ Jean-Michel’s the type of musician you just can’t dabble-sample once, especially if this is your starting point.
More than just being one of Jarre’s best albums though, Oxygene was incredibly successful in the European charts, almost single-handily bringing synth music out of the realms of quirky modern classicists and krautrock weirdoes, and into the mainstream. Sure it had plenty of swooshy keyboards, sweeping pads, singing strings, musical Moogs, and Minipop rhythm machines doing the business, but there were some gosh-darned ear-wormy pieces in there too. Oxygene, Part IV is practically a pop song, following a traditional verse-chorus-verse-chorus arrangement, yet wrapped in an egg-headed craftsmanship. Elsewhere, Part VI finds a groovy hook complementing the shuffly Latin rhythm (think the ‘marimba’ pattern on a Casio keyboard). Its appeal lies in finding that perfect sweet spot between high-minded concept art and pop sensibilities – a Hot Butter and Tangerine Dream spawn wasn’t something asked for, but Jarre gave us a tasty one anyway. (mmm… buttered tangerines…)
And the influence! By God, how influential did Oxygene turn out, many synth-poppers, euro-trancers, New Agers, and ambient wibblers pointing to this album (much of Jarre’s work, really) as an inspiration. One can hear genres like space synth getting their start in pieces like Part II’s charming free-floating strings and pew-pew lasers sounds; or trance finding kinship with the repetitive rhythms of Part V. Also, is it just me, or does Part V sound like the score for a SNES game? Hell, might as well throw in early chiptune musicians with those getting something out of Jarre’s material. Lord knows the east Asian market adored the guy’s work just as much as their local synth titans like Tomita and Kitaro.
That all said, I have a bone of contention with this New Master Recording re-release. Not with the actual music itself, as everything comes in with splendid clarity and stunning space between Jarre’s layers of synths and sounds. Nay, I must ask what’s with that 3D performance, “Live In Your Living Room”? I can’t imagine anyone having a large enough screen that could fool the watcher into believing Jarre’s sparse stage set-up was actually in their abode. For that matter, hasn’t the appeal of live Jarre always been the ridiculously bombastic concerts? Nope, not buying this ‘analog performance’, despite the cool set-up of these guys working the old gear live. Stick with the standard multi-channel audio and scrap the visuals on this one, friends.
The only Jean-Michel Jarre album you’re supposed to have, even if you’re not a Jean-Michel Jarre fan. Chances are though, if you do listen to Oxygene, it’s because you’re a fan and have more of his music already. Or you sought his most famous work from a sense of obligation in learning electronic music's roots, were blown away, and hunted for more (with varying degrees of enjoyment and frustration). Bottom line is, though Oxygene is supposed to be the only Jarre album in your music collection, odds are it won’t be. Ol’ Jean-Michel’s the type of musician you just can’t dabble-sample once, especially if this is your starting point.
More than just being one of Jarre’s best albums though, Oxygene was incredibly successful in the European charts, almost single-handily bringing synth music out of the realms of quirky modern classicists and krautrock weirdoes, and into the mainstream. Sure it had plenty of swooshy keyboards, sweeping pads, singing strings, musical Moogs, and Minipop rhythm machines doing the business, but there were some gosh-darned ear-wormy pieces in there too. Oxygene, Part IV is practically a pop song, following a traditional verse-chorus-verse-chorus arrangement, yet wrapped in an egg-headed craftsmanship. Elsewhere, Part VI finds a groovy hook complementing the shuffly Latin rhythm (think the ‘marimba’ pattern on a Casio keyboard). Its appeal lies in finding that perfect sweet spot between high-minded concept art and pop sensibilities – a Hot Butter and Tangerine Dream spawn wasn’t something asked for, but Jarre gave us a tasty one anyway. (mmm… buttered tangerines…)
And the influence! By God, how influential did Oxygene turn out, many synth-poppers, euro-trancers, New Agers, and ambient wibblers pointing to this album (much of Jarre’s work, really) as an inspiration. One can hear genres like space synth getting their start in pieces like Part II’s charming free-floating strings and pew-pew lasers sounds; or trance finding kinship with the repetitive rhythms of Part V. Also, is it just me, or does Part V sound like the score for a SNES game? Hell, might as well throw in early chiptune musicians with those getting something out of Jarre’s material. Lord knows the east Asian market adored the guy’s work just as much as their local synth titans like Tomita and Kitaro.
That all said, I have a bone of contention with this New Master Recording re-release. Not with the actual music itself, as everything comes in with splendid clarity and stunning space between Jarre’s layers of synths and sounds. Nay, I must ask what’s with that 3D performance, “Live In Your Living Room”? I can’t imagine anyone having a large enough screen that could fool the watcher into believing Jarre’s sparse stage set-up was actually in their abode. For that matter, hasn’t the appeal of live Jarre always been the ridiculously bombastic concerts? Nope, not buying this ‘analog performance’, despite the cool set-up of these guys working the old gear live. Stick with the standard multi-channel audio and scrap the visuals on this one, friends.
Thursday, October 30, 2014
Mahiane - Oxycanta III
Ultimae Records: 2013
Rising from the dead all zombie-like, it's Ultimae's Oxycanta series. No, wait, that's not right. “Zombie-like” suggests an ambling, horrific monstrosity whilst being a pathetic parody of its former self. Such adjectives could never be associated with an Ultimae compilation, at least not until Volume/Season 9. What other spooky, Halloween creature would suffice for such a comparison though? Vampires? Frankensteiners? Black Lagoon goons? Damn these attempts at seasonal reviews. At least the last Oxycanta had a seasonal theme I could wax poetic over. Coincidentally, I'm reviewing Oxycanta III a little over a year after it came out, just like I originally did with Winter Blooms six years past. Wouldn't it be something if the same thing happened should we ever be graced with Oxycanta IV: The Voyage Home?
Seriously though, Oxycanta III is a welcome surprise, and a nifty snapshot of how Ultimae’s evolved over the years. Mahiane, whom pieces together these compilations, maintains the unifying theme behind Oxycanta is of heart-healing music, an idea derived by the flora pictured on their covers. That’s an incredibly broad idea though, an association that can fit many forms of melody and harmony. Thus it makes sense that, as Ultimae went through a gray, melancholic mood through much of 2013, that Oxycanta III would follow form, a departure from the glitchier psy-chill on Winter Blooms.
And who should kick off this compilation than the name that practically kicked off Ultimae’s tonal shift: Miktek, with the track Drone Flower. Oh yeah, this is one droney piece of music, in that distinctive moody Miktek way – gotta’ love the gentle, distant piano work that accompanies the sombre pads though. The first third of Oxycanta III: No Need For A Sub-Title goes more the downtempo dub-techno route, some tracks from familiar Ultimae names (Aes Dana, Lars Leonhard), and others contributing for the first time (Fingers In The Noise, Muridae, Mer-A). Yeah, the label really got on that dub techno in recent years, which helped add another element to Ultimae’s growing bag of candies (I’ll get in these Halloween metaphors yet!).
The second half features the (then) returning I Awake and Circular, both offering tracks that you’d expect of them if you’re at all familiar with their prior work (I Awake likes short compositions that flits through genres from track to track; Circular likes lengthier tracks that flit through genres within a single track). It’s nice to see another Scann-Tec piece, and quite surprising finding 36, one of drone ambient music’s current best talents, making a rare compilation appearance. Overall, the second half of Oxycanta III is warmer and more musically diverse, as though Mahiane intended for a little sonic light to breach the relative downcast mood of the first half.
That general monochromatic mood, however, makes Oxycanta III less appealing than Winter Blooms. It’s still all lovely music in its own way, just not as evocative as its forbearer. Mind, it was a ridiculously high peak to top.
Rising from the dead all zombie-like, it's Ultimae's Oxycanta series. No, wait, that's not right. “Zombie-like” suggests an ambling, horrific monstrosity whilst being a pathetic parody of its former self. Such adjectives could never be associated with an Ultimae compilation, at least not until Volume/Season 9. What other spooky, Halloween creature would suffice for such a comparison though? Vampires? Frankensteiners? Black Lagoon goons? Damn these attempts at seasonal reviews. At least the last Oxycanta had a seasonal theme I could wax poetic over. Coincidentally, I'm reviewing Oxycanta III a little over a year after it came out, just like I originally did with Winter Blooms six years past. Wouldn't it be something if the same thing happened should we ever be graced with Oxycanta IV: The Voyage Home?
Seriously though, Oxycanta III is a welcome surprise, and a nifty snapshot of how Ultimae’s evolved over the years. Mahiane, whom pieces together these compilations, maintains the unifying theme behind Oxycanta is of heart-healing music, an idea derived by the flora pictured on their covers. That’s an incredibly broad idea though, an association that can fit many forms of melody and harmony. Thus it makes sense that, as Ultimae went through a gray, melancholic mood through much of 2013, that Oxycanta III would follow form, a departure from the glitchier psy-chill on Winter Blooms.
And who should kick off this compilation than the name that practically kicked off Ultimae’s tonal shift: Miktek, with the track Drone Flower. Oh yeah, this is one droney piece of music, in that distinctive moody Miktek way – gotta’ love the gentle, distant piano work that accompanies the sombre pads though. The first third of Oxycanta III: No Need For A Sub-Title goes more the downtempo dub-techno route, some tracks from familiar Ultimae names (Aes Dana, Lars Leonhard), and others contributing for the first time (Fingers In The Noise, Muridae, Mer-A). Yeah, the label really got on that dub techno in recent years, which helped add another element to Ultimae’s growing bag of candies (I’ll get in these Halloween metaphors yet!).
The second half features the (then) returning I Awake and Circular, both offering tracks that you’d expect of them if you’re at all familiar with their prior work (I Awake likes short compositions that flits through genres from track to track; Circular likes lengthier tracks that flit through genres within a single track). It’s nice to see another Scann-Tec piece, and quite surprising finding 36, one of drone ambient music’s current best talents, making a rare compilation appearance. Overall, the second half of Oxycanta III is warmer and more musically diverse, as though Mahiane intended for a little sonic light to breach the relative downcast mood of the first half.
That general monochromatic mood, however, makes Oxycanta III less appealing than Winter Blooms. It’s still all lovely music in its own way, just not as evocative as its forbearer. Mind, it was a ridiculously high peak to top.
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
ACE TRACKS: May 2014
Oh man, May feels so long ago now, what with the fabric review, and that other fabric review, not to mention the FabricLive review, the FabricLive review, and that fabric review. Also, dinosaur footprints. Here’s the best tunes I heard that month.
Full tracklist here.
Missing Albums:
fabric 35: Ewan Pearson
FabricLive.34: Krafty Kuts
fabric 21: DJ Heather
fabric 20: John Digweed
FabricLive 08: Plump DJs
fabric 08: Radioactive Man
Toto - Dune (Original Soundtrack) (FOUND!)
Stylophonic - Beatbox Show
Grooverider - Mysteries Of Funk (FOUND!)
Hip-Hop Percentage: 2%
Neil Young Percentage: 0%
Most “WTF?” Track : Fusiphorm - I Am… You (because you’ll wonder how this track ever earned ‘ACE TRACK’ status; compared to the rest of Marco Carola’s mix, it totally was)
Technically, most Fabric mixes aren’t available onSpotify Deezer, but since a large quantity of the songs used are, I’ve included them in this Playlist. Going forward, I’ll only list an album as “missing” if more than half the songs I’ve selected as an ‘ACE TRACK’ from an album/mix/etc. can’t currently be found on Spotify Deezer. That said, small surprise the older Fabric mixes would feature tough-to-find material.
And yes, May 2014 was utterly dominated by my second round of Fabric On A Budget, rendering this playlist rather samey throughout – hope ya’ll like deep and tech-house, with a few electro and New Wave curiosities thrown in for good measure! The few strays off this path come care of dark ambient (Sabled Sun), soundtrack ambient (Dune), and Grooverider tech-step roughness. Interestingly, despite Stylophonic’s Beatbox Show being unavailable onSpotify, he’s apparently since released a couple more albums that are there, but aren’t listed on Lord Discogs. Then his sophomore LP wasn’t the end after all! I took a quick-listen through his most recent, Jam The House, and it’s deep house. Huh, well, if you’re gonna’ jump on a bandwagon, that’s a better one to do so than trashy electro as found on Beatbox Show.
Full tracklist here.
Missing Albums:
fabric 35: Ewan Pearson
FabricLive.34: Krafty Kuts
fabric 21: DJ Heather
fabric 20: John Digweed
FabricLive 08: Plump DJs
fabric 08: Radioactive Man
Toto - Dune (Original Soundtrack) (FOUND!)
Stylophonic - Beatbox Show
Grooverider - Mysteries Of Funk (FOUND!)
Hip-Hop Percentage: 2%
Neil Young Percentage: 0%
Most “WTF?” Track : Fusiphorm - I Am… You (because you’ll wonder how this track ever earned ‘ACE TRACK’ status; compared to the rest of Marco Carola’s mix, it totally was)
Technically, most Fabric mixes aren’t available on
And yes, May 2014 was utterly dominated by my second round of Fabric On A Budget, rendering this playlist rather samey throughout – hope ya’ll like deep and tech-house, with a few electro and New Wave curiosities thrown in for good measure! The few strays off this path come care of dark ambient (Sabled Sun), soundtrack ambient (Dune), and Grooverider tech-step roughness. Interestingly, despite Stylophonic’s Beatbox Show being unavailable on
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Mahiane - Oxycanta: Winter Blooms (Original TC Review)
Ultimae Records: 2007
(2014 Update:
I go on about how awesome Ultimae is and how they're one of my favorite labels and that everyone should immediately check out their roster and I'll shut up now. In truth though, it took me over a year after stumbling upon Asura's Life² before fully committing to digging into their catalog further. When I finally did, it was with this CD, again an impulse purchase based on the cover. The music within completely and utterly convinced me that Ultimae was a label I needed to keep tabs on, which led to further purchases from Solar Fields' Movements and the Fahrenheit Project series. You probably know how the rest of this story plays out by now.
Oxycanta seemed destined to have a short existence, scuttled like so many of Ultimae's compilation series as this decade turned. Lo', it returned last year. I guess Mahiane found inspiration again with the crop of new talent contributing to the label. It's... well, I'll save those thoughts for when I review it.)
IN BRIEF: ‘Tis the season.
As tempting as it is to start a winter-themed compilation of music with some sort of poetic metaphor tying into the frigid months of the year, my internal Corny-Countermeasure Procedure continuously denies me the opportunity – damn you, Corny-Countermeasure Procedure! Besides, for all the tranquil, pretty vistas a snow-covered landscape portrays, the reality of winter tends to be far more brutal. Ice storms, biting winds below fifty-degrees Centigrade, mucky gritty slush as snow melts, hideous displays of driving… there’s a reason so many birds flee to more hospitable regions of the world and several animals would just rather sleep through it all.
Being one of the more illogical animals of this world, however, humans prefer making the best of the cold climate while we can. Ice skating, skiing, festive light shows (it really does glow prettily off the snow), and, of course, music. At no other time of the year will you find more popular music directly tied to a season, such that we have to endure it over and over and over and over…
Sorry, I’m getting side-tracked. Oxycanta, then. The second of a somewhat infrequent compilation series put together by Ultimae co-founder Sandrine Gryson (aka: Mahiane), the obvious-to-everyone-now theme here is that of winter. Of course, this being Ultimae, the music dwells on the delicate and naturalistic aspects of the season, preferring to conjure images of quiet frosted forests and frozen-over streams, untouched and unspoiled by human influence. And it is stunningly beautiful to listen to.
Seriously, opener Strawberry Planetarium is ambient at its hauntingly best - layered pads and delicate timbre work together to create a sublime trip through tonal harmony. Along the way, spritely clicks and glitches add to the atmosphere; it’s like being trapped in lake ice as it slowly thaws. Of course, there really isn’t much of a song here, but then ambient seldom follows structure, merely going about its business as it sooths to the ears.
Much of Winter Blooms features passages and pieces of this nature. It isn’t until third track Flaktsystem from Amos that we have something resembling a proper song (though everything leading up to it is still engaging nonetheless). Even then, Flaktsystem is more of an excursion through tones and timbres, only this time with lovely piano melodies guiding us along laid-back rhythms. Aes Dana’s Nexus, nearly half-way through the CD, provides the first fully-formed piece of music, which is a quite a long while to wait. I’m sure this begs the question, then, of whether half a disc of lovely tonal textures and meditative passages is too much noodly music for the casual listener.
To this, I give a definite no. The beauty of Oxycanta is that it works in various ways. If you play diligent attention to the music, you’re rewarded with deeply considered harmonies, sucking you into a calming meditation of delicate tones and steadying rhythms, none of which ever dip into saccharine New Age mumbo-jumbo. If you just throw this on as background fodder, however, it’s equally effective as atmospheric ambient, setting a blissful mood that will tingle at the soul while you’re engaged in other activities.
Oh wait, you’re still wondering if that winter theme is ever-present - to a degree, yes. As mentioned, the first half touches upon the tranquil nature of the season; meanwhile, the second half delves into the less comforting aspects of winter: the cold textures of downbeat techno. Mind, Waters from Sgnl_fltr is something more akin to old-school trance, and quite brisk for a compilation of this sort. Beyond there, however, things get rather experimental, with clicks and glitches meandering around cold soundscapes; still, lurking underneath it all is some warmth, as though buried and patiently waiting for the season to change. And closer Nautilus from James Murray is definitely the perfect track to bring in some warmth, dipping into ambient dub’s bubbly waters with Far East influences.
As great as the music on Oxycanta is, though, it’s Mahiane’s arrangement of the tracks that gives this compilation that extra bit of shine. While not exactly a DJ mix, there are still nice blends between the each piece of music, and is sequenced in such a way that it rather plays like one long song. In the burgeoning age of digital downloads, it’s growing increasingly rare to find compilations of this sort, much less expertly arranged to form a cohesive flow. It’s reassuring to know this isn’t a completely lost art.
Eh? Oh, I guess you’ve noticed that, technically, Winter Blooms isn’t exactly current. Granted, as of this writing, it was released a year ago, but that’s beside the point. Like the season it draws influence from, there is a timeless quality to Oxycanta; while it may make better sense to listen to during the frigid months of the year, it works for any setting. Heart-healing properties indeed.
Written by Sykonee for TranceCritic.com, 2008. © All rights reserved.
(2014 Update:
I go on about how awesome Ultimae is and how they're one of my favorite labels and that everyone should immediately check out their roster and I'll shut up now. In truth though, it took me over a year after stumbling upon Asura's Life² before fully committing to digging into their catalog further. When I finally did, it was with this CD, again an impulse purchase based on the cover. The music within completely and utterly convinced me that Ultimae was a label I needed to keep tabs on, which led to further purchases from Solar Fields' Movements and the Fahrenheit Project series. You probably know how the rest of this story plays out by now.
Oxycanta seemed destined to have a short existence, scuttled like so many of Ultimae's compilation series as this decade turned. Lo', it returned last year. I guess Mahiane found inspiration again with the crop of new talent contributing to the label. It's... well, I'll save those thoughts for when I review it.)
IN BRIEF: ‘Tis the season.
As tempting as it is to start a winter-themed compilation of music with some sort of poetic metaphor tying into the frigid months of the year, my internal Corny-Countermeasure Procedure continuously denies me the opportunity – damn you, Corny-Countermeasure Procedure! Besides, for all the tranquil, pretty vistas a snow-covered landscape portrays, the reality of winter tends to be far more brutal. Ice storms, biting winds below fifty-degrees Centigrade, mucky gritty slush as snow melts, hideous displays of driving… there’s a reason so many birds flee to more hospitable regions of the world and several animals would just rather sleep through it all.
Being one of the more illogical animals of this world, however, humans prefer making the best of the cold climate while we can. Ice skating, skiing, festive light shows (it really does glow prettily off the snow), and, of course, music. At no other time of the year will you find more popular music directly tied to a season, such that we have to endure it over and over and over and over…
Sorry, I’m getting side-tracked. Oxycanta, then. The second of a somewhat infrequent compilation series put together by Ultimae co-founder Sandrine Gryson (aka: Mahiane), the obvious-to-everyone-now theme here is that of winter. Of course, this being Ultimae, the music dwells on the delicate and naturalistic aspects of the season, preferring to conjure images of quiet frosted forests and frozen-over streams, untouched and unspoiled by human influence. And it is stunningly beautiful to listen to.
Seriously, opener Strawberry Planetarium is ambient at its hauntingly best - layered pads and delicate timbre work together to create a sublime trip through tonal harmony. Along the way, spritely clicks and glitches add to the atmosphere; it’s like being trapped in lake ice as it slowly thaws. Of course, there really isn’t much of a song here, but then ambient seldom follows structure, merely going about its business as it sooths to the ears.
Much of Winter Blooms features passages and pieces of this nature. It isn’t until third track Flaktsystem from Amos that we have something resembling a proper song (though everything leading up to it is still engaging nonetheless). Even then, Flaktsystem is more of an excursion through tones and timbres, only this time with lovely piano melodies guiding us along laid-back rhythms. Aes Dana’s Nexus, nearly half-way through the CD, provides the first fully-formed piece of music, which is a quite a long while to wait. I’m sure this begs the question, then, of whether half a disc of lovely tonal textures and meditative passages is too much noodly music for the casual listener.
To this, I give a definite no. The beauty of Oxycanta is that it works in various ways. If you play diligent attention to the music, you’re rewarded with deeply considered harmonies, sucking you into a calming meditation of delicate tones and steadying rhythms, none of which ever dip into saccharine New Age mumbo-jumbo. If you just throw this on as background fodder, however, it’s equally effective as atmospheric ambient, setting a blissful mood that will tingle at the soul while you’re engaged in other activities.
Oh wait, you’re still wondering if that winter theme is ever-present - to a degree, yes. As mentioned, the first half touches upon the tranquil nature of the season; meanwhile, the second half delves into the less comforting aspects of winter: the cold textures of downbeat techno. Mind, Waters from Sgnl_fltr is something more akin to old-school trance, and quite brisk for a compilation of this sort. Beyond there, however, things get rather experimental, with clicks and glitches meandering around cold soundscapes; still, lurking underneath it all is some warmth, as though buried and patiently waiting for the season to change. And closer Nautilus from James Murray is definitely the perfect track to bring in some warmth, dipping into ambient dub’s bubbly waters with Far East influences.
As great as the music on Oxycanta is, though, it’s Mahiane’s arrangement of the tracks that gives this compilation that extra bit of shine. While not exactly a DJ mix, there are still nice blends between the each piece of music, and is sequenced in such a way that it rather plays like one long song. In the burgeoning age of digital downloads, it’s growing increasingly rare to find compilations of this sort, much less expertly arranged to form a cohesive flow. It’s reassuring to know this isn’t a completely lost art.
Eh? Oh, I guess you’ve noticed that, technically, Winter Blooms isn’t exactly current. Granted, as of this writing, it was released a year ago, but that’s beside the point. Like the season it draws influence from, there is a timeless quality to Oxycanta; while it may make better sense to listen to during the frigid months of the year, it works for any setting. Heart-healing properties indeed.
Written by Sykonee for TranceCritic.com, 2008. © All rights reserved.
Various - Ovum Sampler
Columbia: 1997
You couldn’t escape this CD. There it sat on every single store shelf, because it was an affordable retail disc with a hot name in Josh Wink on the tracklist. There it sat in the collections of fellow electronic music aficionados, because it was a cheap compilation that had Josh Wink’s hot new single, Are You There… included. There it rested in every pawn shop, because when folks inevitably do their music purges, this was always one of the first to go. I’ve a feeling, should I be forced into selling CDs for ramen noodles again, I’ll harbor no regret over sending Ovum Sampler back to the used music bargain bins that I plucked it from. (er, if anyone will even accept CDs anymore)
Ovum Recordings itself has had a storied history over the years, one of the American leaders in all things deep house, tech-house, and vibey goodness from the City Of Brotherly Love. After the ridiculous success of Higher State Of Consciousness, Winky boy undoubtedly wanted more control over his own productions, hence setting up a label he and like-minded Philadelphia producers could build their careers on. King Britt also had a hand in the early development of Ovum, often releasing music as Sylk 130 because... it was an actual alias? Oh yeah, King Britt's name really is King Britt. He was destined to produce jazzy deep house, wasn't he?
So Ovum got rolling with Wink and Britt providing the early bulk of singles; a few others like Size 9 and Scuba (no, not that Scuba) rounded out the rest. A sampler disc should logically offer a smattering of all the artists one might find on the label, but for some reason, we only get three tracks from Sylk 130, two tracks from Wink, and two from Jamie Myerson, a young musical prospect that had recently signed to Ovum.
The Sylk 130 cuts are about as you’d expect from King Britt, though do a good job showing his eclectic range – it doesn’t hurt two of them are remixes. The Reason is a pure jazz-funk work, with a soulful croon from Vicki Miles and a rub by John Wicks; meanwhile, Tek 9 of 4 Hero offers a hip-hop vibe for Getting’ Into It, and the final Sylk 130 tune, Incident On The Couch, is all hazy nu-jazz, perfect for all your spliffed-out needs. As for Wink’s contributions, yes, Are You There… is here, but it’s the Size 9 Groove Mix. Well, that’s disappointing, this version far too loopy even by Wink standards. New Groove’s far more interesting, a minimalist slice of acid techno with spacey synths in support. Float on, my son. Finally, Jamie Myerson gives us some jazzy d’n’b in Everything Is Gonna Be Alright and… Balearic electro-chill in Unity Gain?
Wow, Ovum Sampler’s actually quite diverse, maybe too diverse for a label showcase. Guess that’s why folks don’t give this CD much care anymore, preferring these artists in the context of their own albums.
You couldn’t escape this CD. There it sat on every single store shelf, because it was an affordable retail disc with a hot name in Josh Wink on the tracklist. There it sat in the collections of fellow electronic music aficionados, because it was a cheap compilation that had Josh Wink’s hot new single, Are You There… included. There it rested in every pawn shop, because when folks inevitably do their music purges, this was always one of the first to go. I’ve a feeling, should I be forced into selling CDs for ramen noodles again, I’ll harbor no regret over sending Ovum Sampler back to the used music bargain bins that I plucked it from. (er, if anyone will even accept CDs anymore)
Ovum Recordings itself has had a storied history over the years, one of the American leaders in all things deep house, tech-house, and vibey goodness from the City Of Brotherly Love. After the ridiculous success of Higher State Of Consciousness, Winky boy undoubtedly wanted more control over his own productions, hence setting up a label he and like-minded Philadelphia producers could build their careers on. King Britt also had a hand in the early development of Ovum, often releasing music as Sylk 130 because... it was an actual alias? Oh yeah, King Britt's name really is King Britt. He was destined to produce jazzy deep house, wasn't he?
So Ovum got rolling with Wink and Britt providing the early bulk of singles; a few others like Size 9 and Scuba (no, not that Scuba) rounded out the rest. A sampler disc should logically offer a smattering of all the artists one might find on the label, but for some reason, we only get three tracks from Sylk 130, two tracks from Wink, and two from Jamie Myerson, a young musical prospect that had recently signed to Ovum.
The Sylk 130 cuts are about as you’d expect from King Britt, though do a good job showing his eclectic range – it doesn’t hurt two of them are remixes. The Reason is a pure jazz-funk work, with a soulful croon from Vicki Miles and a rub by John Wicks; meanwhile, Tek 9 of 4 Hero offers a hip-hop vibe for Getting’ Into It, and the final Sylk 130 tune, Incident On The Couch, is all hazy nu-jazz, perfect for all your spliffed-out needs. As for Wink’s contributions, yes, Are You There… is here, but it’s the Size 9 Groove Mix. Well, that’s disappointing, this version far too loopy even by Wink standards. New Groove’s far more interesting, a minimalist slice of acid techno with spacey synths in support. Float on, my son. Finally, Jamie Myerson gives us some jazzy d’n’b in Everything Is Gonna Be Alright and… Balearic electro-chill in Unity Gain?
Wow, Ovum Sampler’s actually quite diverse, maybe too diverse for a label showcase. Guess that’s why folks don’t give this CD much care anymore, preferring these artists in the context of their own albums.
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10 Records
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20xx Update
2562
3 Loop Music
302 Acid
36
3FORCE
3six Recordings
4AD
6 x 6 Records
75 Ark
7L & Esoteric
808 State
A Perfect Circle
A Positive Life
A-Wave
a.r.t.less
A&M Records
A&R Records
Abandoned Communities
Abasi
Above and Beyond
abstract
Abstrakce Records
AC/DC
Ace Trace
Ace Tracks Playlists
Ace Ventura
acid
acid house
acid jazz
acid techno
acid trance
acoustic
Acroplane Recordings
Adam Beyer
Adam Ellis
Adam Freeland
Adham Shaikh
ADNY
Adrian Younge
adult contemporary
Advanced UFO Phantom
Aegri Somnia
AEI Music
Aes Dana
Aesthetical
Afgin
Afrika Bambaataa
Afro-house
Afterhours
Agoria
Aidan Casserly
Aira Mitsuki
Airwaves
Ajana Records
Ajna
AK1200
Akshan
album
Aldrin
Alex Smoke
Alex Theory
Alice In Chains
Alien Community
Alien Project
Alio Die
All Saints
Alpha Wave Movement
Alphabet Zoo
Alphaxone
Altar Records
Alter Ego
alternative rock
Alucidnation
Ambelion
Ambidextrous
ambient
ambient dub
ambient techno
Ambient World
Ambientium
Ametsub
Amon Amarth
Amon Tobin
Amplexus
Anabolic Frolic
Anatolya
Andrea Parker
Andrew Heath
Androcell
Anduin
Andy C
anecdotes
Aniplex
Anjunabeats
Annibale Records
Anodize
Another Fine Day
Antares
Antendex
anthem house
Anthony Paul Kerby
Anthony Rother
Anti-Social Network
Anzio Green
Aoide
Aphasia Records
Aphex Twin
Apócrýphos
Apollo
Apollo 440
Apple Records
April Records
Aqua
Aquarellist
Aquascape
Aquasky
Aquila
Arcade
Architects Of Existence
Archives
Arctic Hospital
Arcturus
arena rock
Arista
Armada
Armin van Buuren
Arpatle
Artifact303
Arts & Crafts
As If
ASC
Ashtech
Asia
Asian Dub Foundation
Astral Engineering
Astral Projection
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Astralwerks
AstroPilot
AstroPilot Music
Asura
Asylum Records
ATB
ATCO Records
Atlantic
Atlantis
atmospheric jungle
Atom Heart
Atomic Hooligan
Atomine Elektrine
Atrium Carceri
Attic
Attoya
Audiobulb Records
Audion
AuroraX
Autechre
Autistici
Autumn Of Communion
Auxilary
Auxiliary
Avantgarde
Avatar Records
Aveparthe
Avicii
Axiom
Axs
Axtone Records
Aythar
B.G. The Prince Of Rap
B°TONG
B12
Babygrande
Balance
Balanced Records
Balearic
ballad
Bålsam
Banco de Gaia
Bandulu
Barker & Baumecker
Battle Axe Records
battle-rap
Bauri
Beastie Boys
Beat Buzz Records
Beat Pharmacy
Beatbox Machinery
Beats & Pieces
bebop
Beck
Bedouin Soundclash
Bedrock Records
Beechwood Music
Ben Sims
Benny Benassi
Bent
Benz Street US
Berlin-School
Beto Narme
Beyond
bhangra
Bicep
big beat
Big Boi
Big Dada Recordings
Big L
Big Life
Bill Hamel
Bill Laswell
Bill Leeb
BIlly Idol
BineMusic
BioMetal
Biophon Records
Biosphere
Bipolar Music
BKS
Black Hole Recordings
black metal
black rebel motorcycle club
Black Swan Sounds
Blanco Y Negro
Blasterjaxx
Bleep
Blend
Blood Music
Blow Up
Blue Amazon
Blue Hour
Blue Öyster Cult
blues
blues rock
Bluescreen
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BMG
Boards Of Canada
Bob Dylan
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Bobina
Bogdan Raczynzki
Bombay Records
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony
Boney M
Bong Load Records
Bonobo
Bonzai
Boogie Down Productions
Booka Shade
Boom Boom Satellites
Botchit & Scarper
Bows
Boxed
Boys Noize
Boysnoize Records
BPitch Control
braindance
Brandt Brauer Frick
Brasil & The Gallowbrothers Band
breakbeats
breakcore
breaks
Brian Eno
Brian Wilson
Brick Records
Britpop
Brodinski
broken beat
Brooklyn Music Ltd
brostep
Bryan Adams
BT
Bubble
Buffalo Springfield
Bulk Recordings
Burial
Burned CDs
Bursak Records
Bush
Busta Rhymes
Buttertones
bvdub
C.I.A.
Calibre
calypso
Canibus
Canned Resistor
Canopy Of Stars
Capitol Records
Capsula
Captain Hollywood Project
Captured Digital
Carbon Based Lifeforms
Caribou
Carl B
Carl Craig
Carlos Ferreira
Carol C
Caroline Records
Carpe Sonum Novum
Carpe Sonum Records
Castroe
Casual
Cat Sun
CD-Maximum
Ceephax Acid Crew
Celestial Dragon Records
Cell
Celtic
Centaspike
Cevin Fisher
Cheb i Sabbah
Cheeky Records
chemical breaks
Chihei Hatakeyama
Children Of The Bong
chill out
chill-out
chiptune
Chris Duckenfield
Chris Fortier
Chris Korda
Chris Liebing
Chris Sheppard
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Christmas
Christopher Lawrence
Chromeo
Chronos
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Circular
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Cirrus
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classic house
classic rock
classical
Claude VonStroke
Claude Young
Clear Label Records
Clementz
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Cloud 9
Club Culture
Club Cutz
Club Tools
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Cold Spring
Coldcut
Coldplay
coldwave
Colette
collagist
Columbia
Com.Pact Records
Coma Eye
comedy
Compilation
Comrie Smith
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conscious
Control Music
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Cooking Vinyl
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Cosmos Studios
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Council Estate Electronics
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Counter Records
country
country rock
Covert Operations Recordings
Craig Padilla
Craig Richards
Crazy Horse
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Creamfields
Creedence Clearwater Revival
Crockett's Theme
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Crossing Mind
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crunk
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Culture Beat
Curb Records
Current
Curve
cut'n'paste
CYAN
Cyan Music
Cyber Productions
CyberOctave
Cyclic Law
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Cymphonica
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Cypress Hill
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Czarface
D York
D-Bridge
D-Fuse
D-Topia Entertainment
Daar
Dacru Records
Daddy G
Daft Punk
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Dan The Automator
Dance 2 Trance
Dance Pool
Dance With The Dead
dancehall
Daniel Heatcliff
Daniel Lentz
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Danny Howells
Danny Tenaglia
Dao Da Noize
Daphni
dark ambient
dark disco
dark psy
darkcore
darkside
darkstep
darksynth
darkwave
Darla Records
Darren Emerson
Darren McClure
Darren Nye
DAT Records
Databloem
dataObscura
David Alvarado
David Bickley
David Bridie
David Cordero
David Guetta
David Morley
DDR
De-tuned
Dead Coast
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Deadmau5
Death Grips
death metal
Death Row Records
Decimal
Deconstruction
Dedicated
Deejay Goldfinger
Deep Dish
Deep Forest
deep house
deep tech
Deeply Rooted House
Deepwater Black
Deetron
Def Jam Recordings
Del Tha Funkee Homosapien
Delerium
Delsin
Deltron 3030
Denshi Danshi
Depeche Mode
Der Dritte Raum
Derek Carr
Detroit
Deviant Records
Devin Underwood
Devroka
Deysn Masiello
DFA
DGC
diametric.
Dido
Dieselboy
Different
DigiCube
Dillinja
Dirk Serries
dirty house
Dirty South
Dirty Vegas
Dis Fig
disco
Disco Gecko
disco house
Disco Pinata Records
disco punk
Discover (label)
Disky
Disques Dreyfus
Distant System
Distinct'ive Breaks
Disturbance
Divination
DJ 3000
DJ Brian
DJ Craze
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DJ Dean
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DJ Mix
DJ Moe Sticky
DJ Observer
DJ Premier
DJ Q-Bert
DJ Shadow
DJ Soul Slinger
DJ-Kicks
Djen Ajakan Shean
DJMag
DMC
DMC Records
Doc Scott
Dogon
Dogwhistle
Dooflex
Doom Poets
Dopplereffekt
Dossier
Dousk
downtempo
dowtempo
Dr. Alban
Dr. Atmo
Dr. Dre
Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show
Dr. Octagon
Dragon Quest
dream house
dream pop
Dreamworks
DreamWorks Records
Drexciya
drill 'n' bass
Dronarivm
drone
Dronny Darko
drum 'n' bass
DrumNBassArena
drumstep
drunken review
dub
Dub Pistols
dub techno
Dub Trees
Dubfire
dubstep
Dubtribe Sound System
DuMonde
Dune
Dusted
Dyadik
Dynatron
E-Mantra
E-Z Rollers
Eardream Music
Earth
Earth Nation
Earthling
Eastcoast
Eastcost
Eastern Dub Tactik
EastWest
Eastworld
Eat Static
EBM
Echodub
Ed Rush & Optical
Editions EG
EDM World Weekly News
Ektoplazm
Electric Universe
electro
Electro House
Electro Sun
electro-funk
electro-pop
electroclash
Electronic Dance Essentials
Electronic Music Guide
Electrovoya
Elektra
Elektrolux
Ellen Allien
em:t
EMC update
EMI
Emiliana Torrini
Eminem
Emmerichk
Emperor Norton
Empire
enCAPSULAte
Encym
Engine Recordings
Enigma
Enmarta
Ensiferum
Enya
EP
Epic
epic trance
EQ Recordings
Equal Stones
Erased Tapes Records
Eric Borgo
Erik Vee
Erol Alkan
Erot
Escape
Esko Barba
Esoteric Reactive
Espacio Cielo
ethereal
Etic
Etnica
Etnoscope
Euphoria
euro dance
eurodance
eurotrance
Eurythmics
Eve Records
Everlast
Ewan Pearson
Exitab
experimental
Eye Q Records
Ezdanitoff
F Communications
Fabric
Facture
Fade Records
Faex Optim
Faint
Faithless
Falcon Reekon
Fallen
False Mirror
fanfic
Fantastisizer
Fantasy Enhancing
faru
Fatboy Slim
Fax +49-69/450464
Fear Factory
Fedde Le Grand
Fehrplay
Feist
Fektive Records
Felix da Housecat
Fennesz
Ferry Corsten
FFRR
Fictivision
field recordings
Filter
Filteria
filters
Final Fantasy
Firescope
Five AM
Fjäder
Flashover Recordings
Floating Points
Flowers For Bodysnatchers
Flowjob
Fluke
Fluxion
Flying Lotus
folk
Fontana
footwork
Force Intel
Fountain Music
Four Tet
FPU
Frame
Frame Of Mind
Francis M Gri
Franck Vigroux
Frank Bretschneider
Frankie Bones
Frankie Knuckles
Frans de Waard
Fred Everything
freestyle
French house
Front Line Assembly
Frou Frou
fsoldigital.com
Fugees
full-on
Fun Factory
Function
funk
future garage
Future Sound Of London
Futuregrapher
futurepop
g-funk
G-Prod
gabber
Gabriel Le Mar
Gaither Music Group
Galaktlan
Galati
Gang Starr
gangsta
garage
Gareth Davis
Gary Martin
Gas
Gasoline Alley Records
Gee Street
Geffen Records
Gel-Sol
Genesis
Geometry Combat
George Issakidis
Gerald Donald
Gerd
Get Physical Music
GGGG
ghetto
Ghostface Killah
Ghostly International
Glacial Movements Records
glam
Gliese 581C
glitch
Glitch Hop
Global Communication
Global Underground
Globular
goa trance
Goasia
God Body Disconnect
God's Groove
Gorillaz
gospel
Gost
goth
Grammy Awards
Gravediggaz
Green Bay Wax
Green Day
Grey Area
Greytone
Gridlock
grime
Groove Armada
Groove Corporation
Grooverider
grunge
Guru
Gustaf Hidlebrand
Gusto Records
GZA
H:U:M
H2O Records
Haddaway
Halgrath
happy hardcore
hard house
hard rock
hard techno
hard trance
hardcore
Hardfloor
Hardly Art
hardstyle
Harlequins Enigma
Harmless
Harmonic 33
Harmonic Resonance Recordings
Harold Budd
Harthouse
Harthouse Mannheim
Havoc
Hawtin
Headphone
Hearts Of Space
Hed Kandi
Hefty Records
Helen Marnie
Hell
Hercules And Love Affair
Hernán Cattáneo
Herne
Hexstatic
Hi-Bias Records
Hic Sunt Leones
Hide And Sequence
Hiero Emperium
Hieroglyphics
High Contrast
High Note Records
Higher Ground
Higher Intelligence Agency
Hilyard
hip-hop
hip-house
hipno
Hollywood Burns
Home Normal
Honest Jon's Records
Hooj Choons
Hope Records
horrorcore
Hospital Records
Hot Chip
Hotflush Recordings
house
Howie B
Huey Lewis & The News
Human Blue
Humanoid
Hybrid
Hybrid Leisureland
Hymen Records
Hyperdub
Hypertrophy
Hypnotic
Hypnoxock
I Awake
I-Cube
i! Records
I.F.
I.F.O.R.
I.R.S. Records
Iboga Records
Icarus Music
Ice Cube
Ice H2o Records
ICE MC
IDM
Iempamo
Ignis Fatum
Igorrr
Ikjoyce
illbient
ILUITEQ
Imba
Imogen Heap
Imperial Dancefloor
Imploded View
In Charge
In The Face Of
In Trance We Trust
Incoming
Incubus
Indica Records
indie rock
Indisc
Industrial
Infastructure New York
Infected Mushroom
Infinite Guitar
influence records
Infonet
Inhmost
Ink Midget
Inner Ocean Records
Innovative Leisure Records
Insane Clown Posse
Inspectah Deck
Instinct Ambient
Instra-Mental
Intellitronic Bubble
Inter-Modo
Interchill Records
Internal
International Deejays Gigolo
Interscope Records
Intimate Productions
Intuition Recordings
ISBA Music Entertainment
Ishkur
Ishq
Island Def Jam Music Group
Island Records
Islands Of Light
Italians Do It Better
italo disco
italo house
Item Caligo
J-pop
Jack Moss
Jackpot
Jacob Newman
Jafu
Jake Stephenson
Jam and Spoon
Jam El Mar
James Blake
James Holden
James Horner
James Lavelle
James Murray
James Zabiela
Jamie Jones
Jamie Myerson
Jamie Principle
Jamiroquai
Javelin Ltd.
Jay Haze
Jay Tripwire
Jaydee
jazz
jazz dance
jazzdance
jazzstep
Jean-Michel Jarre
Jeannine Sculz
Jefferson Airplane
Jerry Goldsmith
Jesper Dahlbäck
Jesse Rose
Jessy Lanza
Jimmy Van M
Jiri.Ceiver
Jive
Jive Electro
Jliat
Jlin
JMJ
Joel Mull
Joey Beltram
John '00' Fleming
John Acquaviva
John Beltran
John Digweed
John Graham
John Kelly
John O'Callaghan
John Oswald
John Shima
John Tejada
Johnny Cash
Johnny Jewel
Jon Hester
Jonny L
Jori Hulkkonen
Joris Voorn
Jørn Stenzel
Josh Christie
Josh Wink
Journeys By DJ™ LLC
Joyful Noise Recordings
Juan Atkins
juke
Jump Cut
jump up
Jumpin' & Pumpin'
jungle
Junior Boy's Own
Junkie XL
Juno Reactor
Jupiter 8000
Jurassic 5
Justin Timberlake
Ka-Sol
Kaico
Kay Wilder
KDJ
Keith Farrugia
Ken Ishii
Kenji Kawai
Kenny Glasgow
Keoki
Keosz
Kerri Chandler
Kevin Braheny
Kevin Yost
Kevorkian Records
Khetzal
Khooman
Khruangbin
Ki/oon
Kid Koala
Kiko
Killing Joke
Kinder Atom
Kinetic Records
King Cannibal
King Midas Sound
King Tubby
Kiphi
Kitaro
Klang Elektronik
Klaus Schulze
Klik Records
KMFDM
Koch Records
Koichi Sugiyama
Kolhoosi 13
Komakino
Kompakt
Kon Kan
Kontor Records
Kool Keith
Kozo
Kraftwelt
Kraftwerk
Krafty Kuts
Kranky
krautrock
Kriistal Ann
Krill.Minima
Kris O'Neil
Kriztal
KRS-One
Kruder and Dorfmeister
Krusseldorf
Krystian Shek
Kubinski
KuckKuck
Kulor
Kurupt
Kwook
L.B. Dub Corp
L.S.G.
L'usine
La Luz
Lab 4
Ladytron
LaFace Records
Lafleche
Lamb
Lange
Lantern
Large Records
Lars Leonhard
Laserlight Digital
LateNightTales
Latin
Laurent Garnier
Layer 3
LCD Soundsystem
Le Moors
Leaf
Leama and Moor
Lee 'Scratch' Perry
Lee Burridge
Lee Norris
Leftfield
Leftfield Records
Legacy
Legiac
Legowelt
Lemony Records
Leon Bolier
Les Disques Du Crépuscule
LFO
Life Enhancing Audio
Linear Labs
Lingua Lustra
Lionel Weets
Liquid Frog Records
liquid funk
Liquid Sound Design
Liquid Stranger
Liquid Zen
Literon
Live
live album
LL Cool J
lo fi
Loco Dice
Lodsb
LoFi
Logan Sama
Logic Records
London acid crew
London Classics
London Elektricity
London Records 90 Ltd
London-Sire Records
LongWalkShortDock
Loop Guru
Loreena McKennitt
Lorenzo Masotto
Lorenzo MontanÃ
loscil
Lost Language
Lotek Records
Loud Records
Louderbach
Loverboy
Lowfish
Luaka Bop
Lucette Bourdin
Luciano
Luke Slater
Lunarian Records
Lustmord
M_nus
M.A.N.D.Y.
M.I.K.E.
Mack 10
Madonna
Magda
Magicwire
Magik Muzik
Mahiane
Mali
Malignant Records
Mammoth Records
Mantacoup
Marc Simz
Marcel Dettmann
Marcel Fengler
Marco Carola
Marco V
Marcus Intalex
Mark Farina
Mark Norman
Mark Pritchard
Markus Schulz
Marshmello
Martin Allin
Martin Cooper
Martin Nonstatic
Märtini Brös
Martyn
Marvin Gaye
Maschine
Massimo Vivona
Massive Attack
Masta Killa
Master Margherita
Masterboy
Matthew Dear
Max Graham
maximal
Maxx
MCA
MCA Records
McProg
Meanwhile
Meat Loaf
Median Project
Medicine Label
Meditronica
Melusine Records
Memex
Menno de Jong
Mercury
Merr0w
Mesmobeat
metal
Metal Blade Records
Metamatics
Method Man
Metro Area
Metroplex
Metropolis
MF Doom
Miami Bass
Miami Beach Force
Miami Dub Machine
Michael Brook
Michael Jackson
Michael Mantra
Michael Mayer
Michael Stearns
Mick Chillage
micro-house
microfunk
Microscopics
MIG
Miguel Migs
Mike Saint-Jules
Mike Shiver
Miktek
Mille Plateaux
Millennium Records
Mind Distortion System
Mind Over MIDI
mini-CDs
minimal
minimal tech-house
minimalism
Ministry Of Sound
miscellaneous
Misja Helsloot
Miss Kittin
Miss Moneypenny's
Mistical
Mixmag
Mixmaster Morris
Mo Wax
Mo-Do
MO-DU
Moby
Model 500
modern classical
Modeselektor
Mohlao
Moist Music
Moljebka Pvulse
Moodymann
Moonshine
Morgan
Morphic Resonance
Morphology
Moss Covered Technology
Moss Garden
Motech
Motionfield
Motorbass
Mount Shrine
Move D
Moving Shadow
Mr. Scruff
Mujaji
Murk
Murmur
Mushy Records
Music link
Music Man Records
musique concrete
Mutant Sound System
Mute
MUX
Muzik Magazine
My Best Friend
Mystery Tape Laboratory
Mystica Tribe
Mystified
N-Trance
Nacht Plank
Nadia Ali
Nano Records
Napalm Records
Nas
Nashville
Natural Life Essence
Natural Midi
Nature Sounds
Naughty By Nature
Nav Bhinder
Nebula
Nebula Meltdown
Nebulae Records
Neil Young
Nelly Furtado
Neo Ouija
Neo-Adventures
Neogoa
Neon Droid
Neotantra
Neotropic
nerdcore
Nervous Records
Nettwerk
Neurobiotic Records
neurofunk
Neuropa Records
New Age
New Beat
New Jack Swing
New Order
new wave
Nic Fanciulli
Nick Höppner
Night Hex
Night Time Stories
Nightmares On Wax
Nightwind Records
Nimanty
Nine Inch Nails
Ninja Tune
Nirvana
nizmusic
No Mask Effect
Nobuo Uematsu
noise
Noise Factory Records
Nomad
Nonesuch
Nonplus Records
Nookie
Nordic Trax
Norken
Norman Cook
Norman Feller
North South
Northumbria
Not Now Music
Nothing Records
Nova
NovaMute
NRG
Ntone
nu-italo
nu-jazz
nu-metal
nu-skool
Nuclear Blast
Nuclear Blast Entertainment
Nulll
Nunc Stans
Nurse With Wound
NXP
Nyquist
Oasis
Ocelot
Octagen
Offshoot
Offshoot Records
Ol' Dirty Bastard
Olan Mill
Old Europa Cafe
old school rave
Ole Højer Hansen
Olga Musik
Olien
Oliver Lieb
Olivier Orand
Olsen
OM Records
Omni Music
Omni Trio
Omnimotion
Omnisonus
On Delancey Street
One Little Indian
Onyx
Oophoi
Oosh
Open
Open Canvas
Opium
Opus III
orchestral
Original TranceCritic review
Origo Sound
Orkidea
Orla Wren
Ornament
Ostgut Ton
Ott
Ottsonic Music
Ouragan
Out Of The Box
OutKast
Outmosphere Records
Outpost Records
Overdream
Owl
P-Ben
Pale Glow
Paleowolf
Pan Sonic
Pantera
Pantha Du Prince
Paolo Mojo
Parental Advisory
Parlaphone
Part-Sub-Merged
Pascal F.E.O.S.
Past Inside The Present
Patreon
Patrick Dream
Paul Moelands
Paul Oakenfold
Paul van Dyk
Pendulum
Pentatonik
Perfect Stranger
Perfecto
Perturbator
Pet Shop Boys
Petar Dundov
Pete Namlook
Pete Tong
Peter Andersson
Peter Benisch
Peter Broderick
Peter Gabriel
Peter Tosh
Phantogram
Phonothek
Photek
Phutureprimitive
Phynn
PIAS Recordings
Pinch
Pink Floyd
Pioneer
Pitch Black
PJ Harvey
Plaid
Planet Dog
Planet Earth Recordings
Planet Mu
Planetary Assault Systems
Planetary Consciousness
Plastic City
Plastikman
Platinum
Platipus
Pleq
Plump DJs
Plunderphonic
Plus 8 Records
PM Dawn
Poker Flat Recordings
Polar Seas Recordings
Pole Folder
politics
Polydor
Polytel
pop
Popular Records
Porya Hatami
positivesource
post-dubstep
post-punk
power electronics
Prince
Prince Paul
Prins Thomas
Priority Records
Private Mountain
Procs
Profondita
prog
prog metal
prog psy
prog rock
prog-psy
progress house
Progression
progressive breaks
progressive house
progressive rock
progressive trance
Prolifica
Proper Records
Prototype Recordings
protoU
Pryda
psy chill
psy dub
Psy Spy Records
psy trance
psy-chill
psy-dub
psychedelia
Psychick Warriors Ov Gaia
Psychomanteum
Psychonavigation
Psychonavigation Records
Psycoholic
Psykosonik
Psysolation
Public Enemy
Pulse-8 Records
punk
punk rock
Pureuphoria Records
Purl
Purple Soil
Push
PWL International
Q-Burns Abstract Message
Quadrophonia
Quality
Quango
Quantic
Quantum
Quinlan Road
R & S Records
R'n'B
R&B
Ra
Rabbit In The Moon
Radio Slave
Radioactive
Radioactive Man
Radiohead
Rae
Raekwon
ragga
Rainbow Vector
raison d'etre
Raja Ram
Ralf Hildenbeutel
Ralph Lawson
RAM Records
Randal Collier-Ford
Random Review
Rank 1
rant
Rapoon
RareNoise Records
Ras Command
Rascalz
Raster-Noton
Ratatat
Raum Records
rave
RCA
React
Rebecca & Nathan
Recycle Or Die
Red Fog
Red Jerry
Redman
Refracted
reggae
ReKaB
REKIDS
remixes
Renaissance
Renaissance Man
Rephlex
Reprise Records
Republic Records
Res
Resist Music
Restless Records
RetroSynther
Reverse Alignment
Reverse Pulse
Rhino Records
Rhys Fulber
Ricardo Villalobos
Richard Durand
Richard Stonefield
Riley Reinhold
Ringo Sheena
Rising High Records
RnB
Roadrunner Records
Robert Hood
Robert Miles
Robert Oleysyck
Robert Rich
Roc Raida
rock
rock opera
rockabilly
rocktronica
Roger Sanchez
ROIR
Rollo
Roman Ridder
Rough Trade
Rub-N-Tug
Ruben Garcia
Rudy Adrian
Ruffhouse Records
Rumour Records
Running Back
Ruptured World
Ruthless Records
RX-101
Rykodisc
RZA
S.E.T.I.
Saafi Brothers
Sabled Sun
Sacred Seeds
SadGirl
Saitoh Tomohiro
Sakanaction
Salt Tank
Salted Music
Salvation Music
Samim
Samora
sampling
Samurai Red Seal
Sanctuary Records
Sander van Doorn
Sandoz
Sandwell District
SantAAgostino
Saphileaum
Sarah McLachlan
Sash
Sasha
Saul Stokes
Scandinavian Records
Scann-Tec
sci-fi
Science
Scooter
Scott Grooves
Scott Hardkiss
Scott Stubbs
Scuba
Seán Quinn
Seaworthy
Segue
Sense
Sentimony Records
Sequential
Seraphim Rytm
Setrise
Seven Davis Jr.
Sghor
sgnl_fltr
Shackleton
Shaded Explorations
Shaded Explorer
Shadow Records
Sharam
Shawn Francis
shoegaze
Shpongle
Shuta Yasukochi
Si Matthews
Side Effects
SideOneDummy Records
Sidereal
Signature Records
SiJ
Silent Season
Silent Universe
Silentes
Silentes Minimal Editions
Silicone Soul
silly gimmicks
Silver Age
Simian Mobile Disco
Simon Berry
Simon Heath
Simon Posford
Simon Scott
Simple Records
Sinden
Sine Silex
single
Single Gun Theory
Sire Records Company
Six Degrees
Sixeleven Records
Sixtoo
ska
Skanfrom
Skare
Skin To Skin
Skua Atlantic
Slaapwel Records
Slam
Sleep Research Facility
Slinky Music
Slowcraft Records
Sly and Robbie
Smalltown Supersound
SME Visual Works Inc.
SMTG Limited
Snap
Sneijder
Snoop Dogg
Snowy Tension Pole
soft rock
Soiree Records International
Solar Fields
Solaris Recordings
Solarstone
Soleilmoon Recordings
Solieb
Solieb Digital
Solipsism
Soliquid
Solstice Music Europe
Solvent
Soma Quality Recordings
Songbird
Sony Music Entertainment
SOS
soul
Soul Temple Entertainment
soul:r
Souls Of Mischief
Sound Of Ceres
Sound Synthesis
Soundgarden
Sounds From The Ground
soundtrack
southern rap
southern rock
space ambient
Space Dimension Controller
space disco
Space Manoeuvres
space music
space synth
Spacetime Continuum
Spaghetti Recordings
Spank Rock
Special D
Specta Ciera
speed garage
Speedy J
SPG Music
Sphäre Sechs
Spicelab
Spielerei
Spinefarm Records
Spiritech
spoken word
Sport
Spotify Suggestions
Spotted Peccary
Spring Hill
SPX Digital
Spy vs Spice
Squarepusher
Squaresoft
Stacey Pullen
Stanton Warriors
Star Trek
Stardust
Statrax
Stay Up Forever
Stealth Sonic Recordings
Stephanie B
Stephen Kroos
Stereo Raptor
Stereolab
Steve Angello
Steve Brand
Steve Lawler
Steve Miller Band
Steve Porter
Steven Rutter
Stijn van Cauter
Stimulus Timbre
Stone Temple Pilots
Stonebridge
Stormloop
Stray Gators
Street Fighter
Stuart McLean
Studio K7
Stylophonic
Sub Focus
Subharmonic
Sublime
Sublime Porte Netlabel
Subotika
Substance
Subtle Shift
Suction Records
Suduaya
Suicide Squeeze
SUN Project
Sun Station
Sunbeam
Sunday Best Recordings
Sunscreem
Suntrip Records
Supercar
Superstition
surf rock
Susumu Yokota
Sven van Hees
Sven Väth
SVLBRD
Swayzak
Sweet Trip
swing
Switch
Swollen Members
Sykonee Survey
Sylk 130
Symmetry
Synaptic Voyager
Sync24
Synergy
Synkro
synth pop
synth-pop
synthwave
System 7
Taboo
Tactic Records
Take Me To The Hospital
Tall Paul
Tammy Wynette
Tangerine Dream
Tau Ceti
Taylor
Taylor Deupree
Tayo
tech house
Tech Itch Digital
Tech Itch Recordings
tech-house
tech-step
tech-trance
Technical Itch
techno
technobass
Technoboy
Tectonic
Telefon Tel Aviv
Telstar
Terminal Antwerp
Terra Ferma
Terror Cell
Terry Lee Brown Jr
Tetsu Inoue
Textere Oris
The 13th Sign
The Angling Loser
The B-52's
The Beach Boys
The Beatles
The Black Dog
The Boats
The Brian Jonestown Massacre
The Bug
The Chemical Brothers
The Circular Ruins
The Clash
The Council
The Cranberries
The Crystal Method
The Digital Blonde
The Dust Brothers
The Field
The Frozen Vaults
The Gentle People
The Glimmers
The Green Kingdom
The Grey Area
The Grid
The Hacker
The Herbaliser
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The Irresistible Force
The KLF
The Micronauts
The Misted Muppet
The Movement
The Music Cartel
The Null Corporation
The Oak Ridge Boys
The Offspring
The Orb
The Police
The Prodigy
The Real McCoy
The Roots
The Sabres Of Paradise
The Shamen
The Sharp Boys
The Sonic Voyagers
The Squires
The Stills-Young Band
The Stray Gators
The Tea Party
The Tragically Hip
The Velvet Underground
The Wailers
The White Stripes
The Winterhouse
themes
Thievery Corporation
Third Contact
Third World
Tholen
Thrive Records
Tiefschwarz
Tierro Cosmico
Tiësto
Tiga
Tiger & Woods
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Timbaland
Time Life Music
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Timecode
Timestalker
Tineidae
Tipper
Tobias
Tocadisco
Todd Terje
Toki Fuko
Tom Middleton
Tom Tom Club
Tomas Jirku
Tomita
Tommy '86
Tommy Boy
Ton T.B.
Tone Depth
Tony Anderson Sound Orchestra
Too Pure
Tool
tools
Topaz
Tosca
Toto
Touch
Touched
Tourette Records
Toxik Synther
Tracing Xircles
Traffic Entertainment Group
trance
Trancelucent
Tranquillo Records
Trans'Pact
Transcend
Transformers
Transient Records
trap
Trax Records
Trend
Trentemøller
Tresor
tribal
Tricky
Triloka Records
trip-hop
Triquetra
Trishula Records
Tristan
Troum
Troy Pierce
TRS Records
Tru Thoughts
Tsuba Records
Tsubasa Records
Tuff Gong
Tunnel Records
Turbo Recordings
turntablism
TUU
TVT Records
Twisted Records
Type O Negative
Týr
U-God
U-Recken
U2
U4IC DJs
Ãœberzone
Ugasanie
UK acid house
UK Garage
UK Hard House
Ultimae Records
Ultra Records
Umbra
Underworld
Union Jack
United Dairies
United DJs Of America
United Recordings
Universal Motown
Universal Music
Universal Records
Universal Republic Records
UNKLE
Unknown Tone Records
Unusual Cosmic Process
UOVI
Upstream Records
Urban Icon Records
Urban Meditation
Utada Hikaru
V2
Vagrant Records
Valanx
Valiska
Valley Of The Sun
Vangelis
Vap
VAST
Vector Lovers
Venetian Snares
Venonza Records
Vermont
Vernon
Versatile Records
Verus Records
Verve Records
VGM
Vibrant Music
Vice Records
Victor Calderone
Victor Entertainment
Vidna Obmana
Viking metal
Vince DiCola
Vinyl Cafe Productions
Virgin
Virtual Vault
Virus Recordings
Visionquest
Visions
Vitalic
vocal trance
Vortex
Voxxov Records
Voyage
Wagram Music
Waki
Wanderwelle
Warmth
Warner Bros. Records
Warp Records
Warren G
Water Music Dance
Wave Recordings
Wave Records
Waveform
Waveform Records
Wax Trax Records
Way Out West
WC
WEA
Wednesday Campanella
Weekend Players
Weekly Mini-Review
Werk Discs
Werkstatt Recordings
WestBam
Westside Connection
White Cloud
White Swan Records
Wichita
Wiggle
Will Saul
William Orbit
Willie Nelson
Wintersun
world beat
world music
writing reflections
Wrong Records
Wu-Tang Clan
Wurrm
Wyatt Keusch
Xerxes The Dark
XL Recordings
XTT Recordings
Yahgan
Yamaoka
Yello
Yes
Ylid
Youth
Youtube
YoYo Records
Yul Records
zakè
Zenith
ZerO One
Zoharum
Zomby
Zoo Entertainment
ZTT
Zyron
ZYX Music
µ-Ziq