Monday, October 18, 2010
Broken Memories
Hello again!OK, so three months on from our 'final' post, things have been going pretty much as planned on the musical front with me having actually finished some new tracks and got round to sending some demos out. The vinyl release that I'm hankering after still eludes me but my release debut is looking ever more likely on the Broken20 digital imprint I mentioned previously.
You'll have to wait a little while until you can spend your hard-earned on some Nanorhythm product (I'm currently pencilled in for Broken20 release #4) but today sees the the first release on Broken 20 hit the shops so I figured it was worth me dusting off my blogging hat for the occasion.
Release number one comes from label boss The Village Orchestra / TVO and despite the quality of the goods on offer, I'll avoid a lengthy dissection and upbeat appraisal of the content as it would be hard for me to write a fully balanced review when I clearly have a vested interest in the label doing well so I'll resort to my tried and trusted method of getting the message across by providing some sound files instead - check it out here.
The label pivots around a concept rather than a specific sound or genre with the focus being on music "concerned with decay, erosion, entropy, mistakes and errors, line noise and tape hiss, hum and buzz." The five tracks on offer for the inaugural release help to showcase the way in which the label's aesthetic manifests itself in its varying roster with the first track actually being an hour long recording of a live performance from earlier this year and is a meandering sonic experiment which slowly evolves through drone and ambient territory with the interspersion of spoken word, choral excerpts and all manner of distorted effects before introducing rhythmic elements towards the end of the arrangement. These rhythmic elements hints at what is to come with the four shorter tracks on offer here which themselves showcase the label's alter ego where the textures are woven around a more DJ oriented track structure.
The release is scheduled to come out on limited DVD-R later in the year where visuals from the live performance will also be included but for now you'll have to make do with the mp3s which can be purchased from digital stores such as Boomkat.
In addition to the 'paying' releases, Broken20 also has a Podcast series, now in it's it's sixth installment, as well as the free 'BrokenZero' series which re-releases selected cuts from the label artist's archives.
Labels: Broken20, The Village Orchestra, TVO
Thursday, July 16, 2009
ill-ec-tro-nic @ Concrete, London. Sat 18th July
Here's a final reminder about our night down at Concrete Bar in London. We are showcasing Glasgow's Stuff records and playing live is The Village Orchestra and ill-ec-tro-nic's very own RAW in his Nanorhythm guise.TVO has an arsenal of electronic weapons in his machines ranging from cerebral armchair electronica through to dancefloor bombs whilst always exhibiting an air of playful experimentation. With a new album just released on Highpoint Lowlife and still riding the wave of the critical acclaim he received for his The Dark is Rising EP on Stuffrecords earlier in the year, this rare London appearance for the talented producer should be unmissable.
Nanorhythm will already be known to The ill-ec-tro-nic readership and while a small number of his productions have been exposed to the world via the blog and through the Soliton Research netlabel (of sorts) that he co-runs, this is Nanorhythm's debut live set. He's been working on a host of new productions and is looking forward to unleashing his brand of dub-infused techno minimalism on the crowd.
If that's not enough then Stuff and Numbers resident DJ Goodhand will be bringing the funk with his glitched-up party tunes and myself, Langer will be playing deep Techno and my favourite cutting edge Dubtec records.
We always like to give you a little something extra here at ill-ec-tro-nic so TVO has put together a superb mix of Techno and Dubstep for you listening pleasure.
TVO - Blank Page Mix // 1 h 40 mins
You can get the tracklisting plus other Stuffrecords podcasts Here.
Saturday July 18th
Concrete Bar,
Hayward Gallery, South Bank,
London, SE1 8XX
8pm - 1am / Free Entry
Map
www.stuffrecords.co.uk
www.ruaridh.marciablaine.com
www.nmbrs.net
www.solitonresearch.com
www.myspace.com/djmarksolo
Labels: Concrete Bar, Nanorhythm, Stuff Records, Stuffrecords, The Village Orchestra
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Orchestral Maneuvers
Glasgow based Stuff Records have been responsible for some of the most out there, ground breaking releases to come out since Warp records first came onto the scene in the last Millennium. Warp records respect them so much that they have signed Rustie, the Glasgow wunderkind after his first two EPs for Stuff and being signed by the label is now seen by many as a stepping stone onto greater heights.So we were filled with much excitement when Stuff sent through their latest release for our starving ears to review.
The Village Orchestra or TVO as he is sometimes known is the Techno nom de plume of Ruaridh Law, The Dark is Rising is a new mini album + EP which brings together elements of old skool Hardcore, Detroit Techno, Warp Electronica and the Techno/Dubstep crossover which has been championed on these pages many times.
2562 has been chosen to remix 'Afanc' from the EP and his mix is superbly spacious track, half dubstep and half Chain Reaction Heroin House.
The Village Orchestra - Afanc (2562 Remix) // Stuff 006
The first 200 records are accompanied by a CDR of the mini album, The Dark is Rising and this reverts to the more familiar territory of subtle atmospheric Electronica, perfect listening material for the early hours.
The EP and mini album should be released shortly through the usual outlets.
The Village Orchestra - The Grey King // Stuff Records
I couldn't leave without giving you a slice of the genius of Rustie, the young scamp, that with his releases have put himself and Stuff Records firmly on the musical map. 'Soapy Tits' is taken from the Beatnicks Vol 1 EP released in 2007 on Up My Alley Records.
Rustie - Soapy Tits // Beatnicks Vol 1 EP. Up My Alley
Labels: 2562, Rustie, Stuff Records, The Village Orchestra
