Aythar - The God Particle

...txt: 2017

It feels like all my recent Aythar coverage has been leading to this, The God Particle. Yeah, it's Mr. Tamás' most recent effort, but it's his first proper album on ...txt as well. Considering the rarefied air Lee Norris' print currently occupies within ambient techno circles (painfully limited CD runs help), that's no small feat. Not to mention the compilation Dream Of Stars from a year ago served as something of a primer to the Aythar stylee, should you have missed the Carpe Sonum Records debut or his prior self-released material. So while The God Particle is technically his seventh full-length, I can't help but think of it as the first in a new stage for his career: from outright obscurity to ambient techno mini-fame ...which remains pretty darn obscure nonetheless.

Right, I may just be building an idea of “Aythar's Next Chapter” in my head. For sure many artists develop their sound over time, but it's left me with an expectation that The God Particle should sound significantly different and evolved from earlier works. Let's hear what Mr. Tamás has up his sleeve in the right here, right now. Or from last year, The God Particle apparently digitally self-released in 2016 before given this spiffy CD remastering. Well, doesn't that just shoot my narrative in the kneecaps.

Fortunately, Aythar does add some new wrinkles to his sound with this album, so I'm sated on that front. Opener The Sirens Of Titan is all kinds of dreamy, spacey ambience, with sweeping distant pads, burbling arps and spritely synths floating about the sonic ether. The titular follow-up gets in on that ambient techno front, starting out with a minimalist pitter-patter rhythm before escalating, echoing arps join the fray. As the track develops, it threads the line between mint Berlin-School modulations and light IDM manipulations without ever committing to either side. Meanwhile, Return To The Moon gets its dubby psy-chill vibe on, coming off like a long-lost track that didn't quite make it on one of Ultimae Records' Fahrenheit Project compilations.

If it's not clear yet, there be variety on The God Particle, Aythar seemingly trying out various flavours of ambient chill music both new and old. Healing Nature reaches way back to the olden days of Hearts Of Space (without getting too deep in the New Age sap), while Arctic Night's near eleven-minute runtime flits through some good ol' Fax+ ambient techno, and kinda' reminds me of Asura's Galaxies in the process. Molecular Flow almost comes off like something Orbital might have made if they ever contributed to Apollo Records, Pulsar like a latter-era cut from Ultimae (dub-glitch, yo'), and Mission To The Stars... I'd make the Sonic Voyagers call-back, but that might be too obscure even for ambient techno dudes.

Front to back though, The God Particle is solid material, mixing old space ambient with psy-chill and IDM aesthetics. Perhaps not the most original sound on the market, but Aythar does it right by my biased standards.

Various - Global Underground Nubreed: Steve Lawler

Boxed: 2000

The Nubreed series from Global Underground was set up as a sort of farm league for the main series. It's tough cracking that starting line-up, see, featuring such legendary talents as Sasha, John Digweed, Nick Warren, Dave Seaman, and Danny Tenaglia, and British clubland had plenty of hot, young prospects in the pipeline waiting for that call-up from the big leagues to rub shoulders with the f'n All-Stars. The series didn't last much past 2002, though sees occasional dusting off to promote another wave of generational talents, most recently this past month with a tenth volume featuring Oliver Schories. Wow, I don't know these kids at all.

Of the original Nubreeders, only Danny Howells made it to the big league roster, but Steve Lawler got himself a mini-series called Lights Out. Does that mean he was drafted into his own league? Man, this sports metaphor's stressed, but I can't help it – 'tis the season!

Heck, Lawler's own career fits the metaphor: starting out in real underground settings (street ballin', y'all), struggling in the literal 'beer leagues' (re: playing out at bars), then hitting a personal rock-bottom before lucky fate handed him a Cream residency. The year 2000 proved his big breakout, not only landing this Nubreed mix, but two more DJ mixes (Home on INCredible, Dark Drums on Tide), plus a gig for Essential Mix. Just goes to show you don't have to play for the LA Lakers or NY Yankees to have yourself a successful sportsrun. I'm reaching.

By this point in his career, Lawler had built a rep' as the UK's Danny Tenaglia, that dude who'll take you on a long, deep, dark journey through tribal house and dubby prog. This mix comes out when this sound was deemed official “new hotness” status, both Digweed and Tenaglia's recent offerings on Global Underground paving the way for a few years of relentless, unwavering sweaty thump of a groove. And hoo boy, is Steve ever on that sound, making this my third release in a row with a tribal theme going on. (The... odds...!)

Most prog mixes of the time kept the deep shit on CD1, serving as the warm-up for the energetic, peak-time rinse-outs of CD2. Long wary of jocks relying on anthems, Lawler says nuts to that, going with the deep shit for pretty much the duration of both discs. There are a few recognizable tunes – Tenaglia's Elements, Cevin Fisher's Love You Some More, Green Velvet's Answering Machine (“I don't need. This. Shit!”), but that's not the point of this set. Lawler's goal is to drag you into the club, with him in full swing at his personal peak hour, home listening practicality be damned. It makes his Nubreed offering rather samey throughout, and still comes off like an extended warm-up set before a superstar jock takes over the decks. If you're down for a DJ that can ride such a vibe for that long, you'll probably like this. Prefer a little spicy variety myself.

Paleowolf - Genesis

Cryo Chamber: 2016

Holy cow, what are the odds of this happening? Yeah, I've come across a couple instances of it in this endless excursion through my music collection. Eurythmics and Michael Mayer both had LPs called Touch, Moby and Märtini Brös have albums called Play, and Labyrinth is shared by both Juno Reactor and the Namlook-Montanà collaborations (teaser!). It hasn't come up often though, which is interesting in of itself. Either my 1300+ sample size isn't large enough to draw conclusions, or musicians are more creative with their album titles than I thought. Still, that doesn't dissuade the astounding fact that, within the very small sample size of 'Sykonee's 2017 Summer Purchases', I ended up with two albums titled Genesis. There's even a tribal vibe between the two, but the similarities end there.

Paleowolf is another dark ambient prospect called up from the farm leagues for a Cryo Chamber tryout. Heh, not really – it's actually a side-project from one Scorpio V, who made a couple critically-hailed albums for Cryo Chamber as Metatron Omega. That one leans into the ritualistic side of the genre, and Paleowolf does as well, though with a significant primeval bent. We're well before any human civilization, folks, times about as tribal as we've ever been. Not even a series of ravaged ruins to explore in this primitive setting – mankind probably hasn't even figured out how to make a fur hut yet!

The Paleowolf project is four albums deep now (ooh, that Megafauna Rituals has nifty artwork!), first appearing on Echoes Of Koliba Productions with Primordial. Genesis is his second album, adding Cryo Chamber one more sub-micro genre of dark ambient to its ever-expanding canvas. Gotta' fill all the niches, amirite?

Actually, the trick worked, as I cannot deny being at least curious about this stuff. How it relates to other forms of dark ambient? What sort of sounds might creep in when the genre has a heavy reliance of twisting recognizable field recordings into perverse parodies? Whether Cryo Chamber's record of 'cinematic drone' would translate well in a primordial realm, placing me among hunter-gatherers as we prepare for fire rituals, mammoth slaying, and cave bear evading. Oh, of course the latter would be the case!

So you get lots of tribal drumming throughout Genesis, some placing you in the thick of things, others echoing off distant valley mountains obscured by Ice Age fog. Plenty of deep-throated, meditating chants too, with an additional war chant for Hunter II. Some compositions use primitive instruments, like horns in Archaic Eon, and a didgeridoo in Eastern Tribes. And yes, a couple electronic sounds crop up as well, mostly in the form of droning tones, treated effects to voice chants, and subtle melodic touches from synth-pads. Still, they don't distract from the overall feeling of hanging out with neolithic peoples, eating charred Megaloceros meat, and wondering whether death will come from a sabre-cat attack, a competing tribe from over the mountain, or that strange wall of ice inching closer every day.

Astral Waves - Genesis

Altar Records: 2017

Once again, I picked up the latest Astral Waves album without realizing it's DJ Zen's main production alias. I don't think I even checked who the artist was, just perusing through some of Altar Records' recent output, and picking up whatever caught my eye. “Ooh, that one with the dragon looks cool, and this one, it has a final boss of a jRPG, or maybe a Dr. Strange nemesis. Sure, I'll give it a shot. Eh, a new Asura as well? Ah, the cover's just a bunch of high air. Pass for now.” It's been a couple years since his last effort though, and while festival DJing, compilation compiling, studio mastering, and label management undoubtedly keeps Mr. Descoutieras a busy boy, he's gotta' scratch that music-making itch like any of his peers.

Still, I wonder if he really had the time to explore his muse. Genesis isn't so much a new album of new material, as it's an assortment of original productions, plus 'reworkings' of Altar tunes from other producers. No, not remixes, as the inlay doesn't tag the original artists beyond “W+P” credits. Far as I can tell, these are intended to be regarded as Astral Waves tracks, like a cover, or a 're-genesis', I guess. It's not SuryaDemaH's Ashura, but Astral Waves' Ashura II. It's not Alwoods' Rain Of Shooting Stars, but Astral Waves' Rain Of Shooting Stars II. It's not AstroPilot & Astral Waves' Inflation Eternelle, but Astral Waves' Inflation Eternelle II. Huh, why not call it Inflation Eternelle (Astral Waves Version). It's what was done with Dimitriy's take on the tune that appeared on the Fall compilation. I dunno', just seems a tad dodgy presenting these tunes as such, but I'm sure they all gave DJ Zen their blessing.

This is all just niggling-picking though. The music itself is surprisingly diverse and different from what I typically expect out of an Altar record. Gabriel intended this as something of a challenge, making sure each cut was significantly unique from each other so nothing comes off samey throughout (an issue of his last album, in fact). There's also a heavier emphasis on tribal vibes, sections of Genesis coming off like a '90s world beat album, though with modern production chops (can't escape that over-compressed, plastic rhythm).

So you get an extended version of an oldie DJ Zen psy-chill tune of I Believe, redubbed The Believer, now with added vocals from New Age chanter Patrick Bernard. Ashura II chugs along at a crisp pace while digitally chopping up its Indian influences. La Danse du Feu gets in on that Native pow-wow chanting and howling, and follow-up La Danse de L'Eau ups the tempo with drumming and live fluting from Aeolia Project. Then you have your prog-psy numbers (Optimistica II, Rain Of Shooting Stars II, Les Liens du Sang (Profondita Remix)), and a right progressive trance stomper in Inflation Eternelle II. Man, is it wrong that both versions of this AstroPilot collab' get an Ace Tracks nod? Does it matter?

ACE TRACKS: October 2017

Well hey, that was a productive month of reviews, wasn't it? Sure helps to set yourself a specific deadline to meet a goal, filling yourself with determination to see it to fruition no matter the cost. Only... no matter my fortitude in my hopes of reaching the end of the 'Z's by the end of the year, I don't think I'll make it after all. I mean, just look at this past month alone, twenty-six reviews, and just squeaking by the 'F's in that time. Dear Lord, 'A' had nine alone. Now imagine what a heavier letter like 'S' or 'T' are holding in this alphabetical queue!

One thing that struck me as curious is how front-loaded some labels ended up with this. Believe me when I say I've bought from a wide range of prints this past summer, some familiar, but others delving into for the first time. Under normal circumstances, you'd think material would be spread out more evenly, but I've essentially shot my load with Carpe Sonum Records and Dronarivm albums; meanwhile, nary a Cryo Chamber CD in this lot, to say nothing of a couple newer entries. Ah well, at least good ol' Waveform Records will pace out nicely in this run. For now, here's the ACE TRACKS for October 2017.




MISSING ALBUMS:
Jafu - Add To Cart
Grey Area - And Then The Clouds
The Oak Ridge Boys - At Their Best
Si Matthews - Aurora
Ajna & Dronny Darko - Black Monolith
Cyril Secq & Orla Wren - Branches
Autumn Of Communion - Broken Apart By Echoes
Aythar - Dream Of Stars
The Oak Ridge Boys - Favorite Songs

Percentage Of Hip-Hop: 0%
Percentage Of Rock: 0% (no, Oak Ridge Boys country doesn't count; Chemical Brothers are more rock than them)
Most “WTF?” Track: Anything Oak Ridge Boys. (this is all leading to something, isn't it?)

Yikes, is that ever a lot of missing albums. I think nearly a third of the tunes on this playlist aren't actually on Spotify (yet), but if you happen to have them in your Local Files, they should play just fine. Man, what are the odds of someone having Autumn Of Communion, Jafu, and Oak Ridge Boys in their directory though? 2 in 7.6 billion? I'm certain I've a doppelganger somewhere out in this wide wide, mad mad world. Maybe we'll cross paths on Kerguelen Island.

The Oak Ridge Boys - Favorite Songs

Sony Music Select: 1992

Greetings, Past-Peoples. It is I, once again, 2073 Sykonee, of the far flung son of a past-man. Not a preacher man, though he did often orate to masses large and small about getting down to Swingtown. He was quite Smooth about it too, but alas, his time came and went, the flocks no longer there to hear his sage Messages In Bottles. Eh? Nah, this didn't happen in my-past/your-future – it's already happened, and cannot be prevented. Folks may enjoy a bar band when visiting their local waterhole, but not many proprietors pay for them, especially 'established musicians', who are well past the point of just looking for a chance to play to a live audience for drinks and gas money.

And yes, we still have bands that go on tours by my time, though very few of them bother with actual instruments anymore. Heckles, I recall it being as such even back thenners, almost all the major new big stars singers and rappers and mumblers and criers. These days, we still get singers and rappers, but also crooners, boxers, and acapellers. With most new music generated automatically to our specific whims via streamloads, the only skill that impresses anyone is what they can do with their voice. You're damn skippy, drippy-hippies, that the Mongolian throat singers took over the Cascadian airwaves like a new horde of dorpeness. Vocalizations is where it's all at in the new-modern.

Which helps explain the enduring popularity of The Oak Ridge Boys for so long. For certain they aren't as dynamic as Afro Veldt-Funk, and it's undeniable they're a product of their time and place, back when the American States weren't so fragmented... until they were again. Hey, the group's existed long enough to see it all, y'all, every rise and fall of all the Empires and Global Dominions.

Naturally, a group as long lasting as this has amassed an extensive discography, one ripe for plundering songs into compilation form. And hoo-Nelly, do The Oak Ridge Boys have themselves a lot of compilations, such that it'd take me to the the end of my time within your time to even scratch that surface. Sykonee Prime assures all that he's gathered for me to review contain unique songs among each release, but I don't trust myself there. No way I could have done that extensive of research into this, especially on a budget.

Favorite Songs sure seems like a raggity-tagged assortment of Oak Ridge Boys tunes though. Ten songs long, it features material mostly from their Nauty-Seventies country period, but only two were actual singles (Loves Me Like A Rock and Rhythm Guitar), neither of which were charting hits. Are these favourite songs from the Boys themselves, then? They sure sound like they're having fun singing them, peppy and swinging as that era's country so often goes. Why, some of it even reminds me of an old fav' of mine, Neil Youngman, though with heavier emphasis on the Jesus stuff.

Dag Rosenqvist - Elephant

Dronarivm: 2016

As I trawl through Dronarivm albums, one thing's become clear to me: they don't really have a set roster of artists to their name. Rather, they welcome many a journeyman (and journeywoman) for a release or two, most of which already have extensive discographies behind them. Not that Dronarivm can help it, the Moscow print being in existence for a mere half-decade at this point. Either their A&R are quite efficient in bringing in veteran talent, or they quickly established a rep that made all these abstract ambient, drone-classical dudes and dudettes eager to contribute to the Dronarivm catalogue. Fair play I say, since the label's introduced me to a ton of musicians that I'd never have stumbled upon otherwise.

Maybe this Dag Rosenqvist though, as he's got quite the history in music making. His career started out as Jasper TX, releasing albums throughout the mid-'00s that leaned towards the post-rock side of things. As time went on, his guitar strums grew more abstract and droning, which has acts like Fennesz and Tim Hecker popping up in Lord Discogs' Recommendations algorithms. During this period he collaborated with other musicians under his own name, and when he retired the Jasper TX project in 2011, carried on making music as such. And he's played a part in other assorted groups like From The Mouth Of The Sun and The Silent Set. With over thirty albums to his name, the amount of labels he's appeared on is extensive, with almost none drawing recollection in my eyes (ooh, waz' this Slaapwel Records?). Just how many post-rock, ambient fuzz prints even exist?

So obviously ol' Dag has made more music than I can reasonably take in to give this here Elephant perspective among his works. From what I can glean, it touches upon many facets of his muse, tying everything together under a pseudo-narrative of dealing with tumultuous emotions long after we're told to have moved on from them. Gentle, quiet passages are interrupted with brutal distortion (oh God, does Porcelain ever do this). Touching piano leitmotifs lead to mournful reflections with horns and cellos. Tension is built through muted percussion and twitchy drone, erupting in abrasive climaxes that, even after knowing they're coming, still throws me off with dread anticipation. Throughout it all, Elephant almost cruelly teases, tugs, and toys with your senses, and I have no doubt this album captures a rather bad day for those suffering from crippling anxiety, even while doing something as simple as “out grocery shopping” or “when you ride your bike to work”, as Dag puts it. (he apparently went through some difficult times himself).

The album all plays out like a soundtrack to an intense, psychological drama, scored by an unrestrained Hans Zimmer (he loves tense builds and overbearing crescendos). The track Come Silence even has a little noir feel going for it. It's also nothing I expected from an album called Elephant, but then this little Dronarivm excursion's been chock-full of surprises. What's one more?

The Chemical Brothers - Elektrobank

Astralwerks: 1997

Nope, still haven't gotten Dig Your Own Hole. It's just not high on my priority list. In fact, it doesn't even register on such a mythical list. Like, if I find it super-duper ridiculous cheap, maybe I'd consider it just for the sake of “90s 'electronica' completionist” sake. No, the $0.52 at Amazon is still too expensive (d'at $3.49 shipping, tho'!). It'd have to be pennies, or given away by someone offloading their old CD collection in a beat-up cardboard box. Yes, I remain that jaded towards Block Rockin' Beats and Setting Sun. You cannot understand my annoyance, frustration, irritation, exasperation, and vexation hearing those songs ad nauseam though '96-'97, so desperate the rock world was in getting The Chemical Brothers over as the next Oasis or something. It ruined whatever hype I had in hearing Dig Your Own Hole when it first came out, and soured every playthrough with dreaded anticipation of hearing those tunes one... more... fucking... time.

“But wait,” say you, “even if you dislike the two big singles, there's other dope tunes on that album.” I agree. In fact, I distinctly recall having my head forcibly twisted about upon hearing Elektrobank during my initial listen way back when. Those propulsive guitar riffs, furious looping beats, random explosions recalling WipEout's frenetic action, and an instantly ear-wormy sample wherein Keith Murray ponders who might be making manufactured, trippy alpha-beta seti-zappa funkiness. Throw in one of the most badass codas to a big-beat tune I've ever heard, where everything slows right the fuck down and gets cranked beyond the eleven, and you've a classic Chem' Bros. cut that I was almost willing to get Dig Your Own Hole for alone. Almost.

Fortunately, a single option for Elektrobank exists, and for whatever stupid reason, it only occurred to me this year that I should get it. And now I do have it, and can enjoy all that psychedelic funkin' to my heart's content. There's even other cool tunes on this single, so let's dig into these too!

Not Another Drugstore is the official b-side, which you might know from the opener of Brothers Gonna' Work It Out, The Chemical Brothers' DJ mix from the same period. It's got a boozy-woozy arp for a l-o-o-o-ng lead-in before diving into some funky big-beat action and raps from Justin Warfield. Don't Stop The Rock, a surprising techno banger from Dig Your Own Hole, gets an extended Electronic Battle Weapon Version here. And if you liked the Block Rockin' Beats b-side Morning Lemon, you can hear a drab prototype of it with These Beats Are Made For Breakin'.

Then there's the Dust Brothers Remix of Elektrobank. Yes, the same Dust Brothers that The Chemical Brothers initially cribbed their handle from, and were threatened to be sued over if they didn't change their name. It's a funkier outing, heavier on showing off samples than the original, but really, you want to hear it just for the daft scenario of it all. No shame.

Aythar - Dream Of Stars

...txt: 2016

When you think about it, Aythar kinda' came outta' nowhere. Sure, there were a couple teaser tracks on Carpe Sonum's digital-only compilations, and Mr. Tamás' had been self-releasing his music for a while by then. Getting noticed in an overstuffed ambient scene is hard work though, many upon many budding producers flooding the market with their own take on noodly, calming synth pad drone works. It's almost a necessity having some label backing if you're gonna' rise above everyone else – even a compilation spot is enough in getting one's foot in that door.

Think about how many obscure acts contributed to Die Welt Ist Klang, some of which having never released official music before, that found themselves with material on a print with a little more prominence after. And man, Aythar didn't even have that going for him, which is surprising considering he was active when it came out. Maybe he sent in a contribution, but didn't make the cut? Carpe Sonum admitted they had to pare things down some to keep it at a 'minimum' of eight CDs. I suppose a proper album on the label's a nice consolation prize.

As always, Carpe Sonum never has an act they won't share with ...txt (and vice-versa). Aythar would release a new album on Lee Norris' print in due time, but as a primer to Mr. Tamás' work, a compilation of older music was released, Dream Of Stars. That's... actually quite remarkable. Usually one has to build up a little rep' on a label before they start re-issuing back-catalogue, get that hype going so new listeners might have more interest in an extended discography. I mean, what if this new act doesn't connect with the audience? Not that Aythar was in any danger of that, nosiree. It's just a curious road he's taken in getting to this point.

That all said, Norris had a bevy of material to gather from in forming Dream Of Stars. Four of Aythar's self-released albums are presented in this compilation: Cosmic Resonance (2010), A Few Light Years Away, Universe (both 2011), and The Flower Of Space (2015). Nine tracks may not seem a lot in offering an introduction-retrospective, but it does provide a tasty summation of the Aythar stylee up to that point. A Few Light Years Away gets the largest showcase, four tracks making their way in, including the titular tune of both that and this release. There is a distinct similarity between all four, with spacey pads flowing about, though Light Years works in an additional melodic lead, while Dream Of Stars gets more New Agey in its early portions before settling into chipper arps for its finish.

Something Depth and The Flower Of Space (both from the same album) also edge closer to New Age's domain, while two offerings from Universe get that Berlin-School vibe going for them. And as for Cosmic Resonance Pt. 4, well, it's no wonder Fax+ followers have taken a major notice of Aythar's music now.

Profondita - Dracarys

Altar Records: 2017

I keep thinking this act's name is Dracarys, with the album titled Profondita. Obviously that's not the case – I wouldn't be reviewing it in a block of 'D' releases if so – but Lord Discogs lists no artist with that handle, and it's a more eye-popping alias than Profondita. You could dress as kick-ass wyrms on stage, maybe get a little fire show going (safety first, always!), have albums themed around storming castles and dungeon raids. It's not unprecedented in this scene, an adored full-on psy album from over ten years ago being The Misted Muppet's From The Legend, and that one's got a whole bunch o' dragons in its cover art (shamelessly pilfered from authentic D&D sources, I suspect).

But nay, it's a Profondita we're dealing with, another obvious indicator of such being Dracarys is their second album with Altar Records. The first, Ciel, in fact came out just last year, which I totally missed since it was lodged among a pile of items that didn't catch my attention then (too wrapped up in dark ambient, I guess). I think I'll have to rectify that oversight, because if this album is any indication, then Altar Records have themselves another premiere talent in the prog-psy side of business. I mean, they did earn an Ace Track status on that Winter compilation, rubbing shoulders with AstroPilot and Asura. What more convincing must I provide? Ah, an actual review of Dracarys. Yeah, I can do that too.

The main criticism I can levy against this album is that it's rather singular in execution. Eight tracks, roughly eight to ten minutes long, all prog-psy. No room for a downtempo cut or a leftfield breaks option; even the tempo is relatively consistent throughout, though does get peppier towards album's end. Mind you, these gripes can apply to the whole genre of prog-psy, so if you've not a care about this style of music, Profondita aren't gonna' change your mind. Hell, if AstroPilot can't convince you, I don't know what will.

That settled, front to back Dracarys is some of the tastiest prog-psy I've heard in a while! Altar Records has maintained a steady level of quality for much of its run, but it's rare that an album hooks me as solidly as this one did, and holds my attention until the end. It's not even a case of Profondita doing anything significantly different from the Altar norm – they just do it with such astounding skill. Their rhythms have plenty of drive while remaining that steady rudder the best prog always offers. The trancey leads tickle your lobes while sending your consciousness floating out in the cosmos (or high in the canopy if you're at a bush party). There's no excessive samples or over-indulgent effects wank. Just solid track after solid track after solid track.

I've played prog albums that struggle getting even one memorable tune in, and here's Profondita dropping eight of 'em! Absolutely that's bang for your buck, my friends.