Mick Chillage : FAXology PS 08/122

I've been meaning for sometime to write an article on Fax records but I never would have imagined in my wildest dreams that I would be writing an article about my own release for the label.

Fax records have been a major influence on me ever since I discovered the cult electronic imprint back in 1993. While so many labels have come and gone since its inception in 1992 Fax still continue with the same open minded approach and high quality standard, breaking new artists and giving Pete himself and many veterans of the scene a platform to release cutting edge and experimental music.

Fax continue to release on CD and focus on full albums while many independent labels struggle to survive with just MP3 releases. Over the years the label has pioneered completely new formats like the MP3 CD [several albums on one disc] and double discs with DTS and regular stereo versions included, so with names like, Klaus Schulze, Anthony Rother, Ritchie Hawtin, Move D and even the godfather of ambient himself Brian Eno and many collaborations with Pete, its no surprise to the labels continued success.


Over the years some of my productions have had a Fax records feel, not that I ever consciously set out to emulate the sound, I guess its down to the fact that I have listened to so much of Fax over the years, it just instinctively appears in the creative process. So it has always been a dream that one day I may release on the label, I've had plenty of friends and followers of my music saying "That has a strong Fax vibe" or "why don't you send some music to Namlook"

So Mick Chillage "FAXology" is a result of me psyching myself up to send Peter a demo for Fax records, as the title suggest the CD is collection of Fax inspired pieces which Pete felt would suit a release to celebrate the labels fast approaching 20th year. Pete said while listening to the works he began to reminisce about the early days of Fax with albums like Broadway 2350 etc and felt the time was right for such a release.

So I am absolutely delighted to be part of this incredible legacy and to present a collection of my Fax inspired works just before Fax celebrate its 20th birthday.

Mick Chillage FAXology CD is out 14/06/2011

Check the official info here namlook.de

FAXology PS08/122 Teaser Clips forthcoming on Fax [Germany] by mick chillage



Pre listen on itunes now

Secret Cinema "Minerals"

Secret Cinema AKA Jeroen Verheij releases his latest long player "Minerals" on the recently formed Netherlands based Gem Records. The album is released on vinyl and CD. The tracks on Minerals, are inspired by the hardness, color and material of various minerals.

The CD version comes with two albums disc one "Night On Earth" covers the tech/house vibes Jeroen is more associated with and then the ambient/experimental collaboration "Moving Earth" with Mental Youth..

Night on earth opens with "Exploration" a dreamy ambient intro before heading into the deep tech house of "Smooth Talc" its layered poly rhythmic groove and funky arpeggio's and swelling synth stabs and melodic organ refrains make this an blinding opener. "Crystal System" effortlessly flows in next, a bouncy and hypnotic deep bass driven growler that cruises along with some tastefully filtered and delayed cymbals, vocal stabs and shimmering Detroit-esque keys keep this emotive and deeply funky

The deepness continues with "Turquoise" with its solid house groove, filtered alien funk and a mutating yet incredibly infectious organ hook keeps it building. "Calcite Night" ventures into some serious tech-jazz.

Things get slightly sinister yet extremely deep with the off kilter afro tribal vibes of "Moms Scale" its a rather dark and hypnotic mantra.. "Star Sapphire" is an absolute killer techno track reminiscent of The Black Dogs "Bytes" period. "Smoky Quartz" takes us in a more minimal direction but its warped acidic bass line is almost psychosis inducing but with the help of sweeping cinematic swells it brings you back to a normal mind state.

Towards the end we have "Caught In Amber" another acidic bleep treat with an almost jazz like feel but never leaving the dance floor. we are then given a little breather with the beautifully haunting Interlude "Passage" before finishing off with the early IDM inspired "Ruby FM" which ends "Night On Earth" with a subtly melancholic vibe..

Disc two "Moving Earth" is an ambient mix created from the source material on the tracks off disc one, Dirk-Jan Hanegraaff and Robert Kroos also known as Mental Youth, collaborated with Verheij on this collection of deeply haunting yet futuristic ambient textures. For the maximum effect, this is one for personal listening in a horizontal position with the lights out.

Overall "Minerals" is a stunningly produced release, although disc one "Night On Earth" is extremely club friendly I feel its one of those techno/house music albums that will work for home listening, perfect for preparing for a night of clubbing or for long journeys with only your headphones to keep you company, because of its mixed format its ideal for parties, a guaranteed floor burner with an underground edge often venturing into the more darker/experimental side of club culture. The inclusion of a second ambient album will only further delight the more open minded music fans.. 9/10

Minerals is out now on Gem Records on Vinyl and double CD..


Stream the album here @128kbps
Secret Cinema - Minerals: CD1 mixed (128Kbps) by GEM Records

Soma Coma 5 Various Compilation

Various Soma Coma 5

Glasgow based Soma records are celebrating their 20Th birthday this year, to mark this occasion they are releasing their 5Th Soma Coma compilation.
Soma maybe best known for their techno and house music releases from the likes of Slam, Funk de void and many many more but the label is certainly no stranger to other forms of electronic music, most recently they have ventured into the full on ambient album territory with the ambient classic "Music For Real Airports" by The Black Dog.

So the fifth in the Soma Coma series yet again displays a rather eclectic range of electronic music with some previously released tracks and some new artists to the Soma roster..

Some of the highlights are, the albums opener "Later Vexations" by The Black Dog, the track effortlessly combines beautiful shifting pads and electronic bleeps with distant melodic flourishes and then a deep bassline and a minimal downtempo groove appear, keeping this haunting track evolving with a graceful momentum.

Recent newcomer Joe Starwarz delivers an emotive string soaked epic "Cry" which rides along a deep dub tech structure and subtle jazz breaks. Hatikvah moves us with his thought provoking electric piano composition on "Daedalus". From Decimal we have the dreamy uplifting and infectiously melodic "The Lesson of Hope" which takes me back to the days of labels like "Recycle or Die".

Another new comer to the label, Vakama AKA Conor Dalton, debuts his mesmerising "Yemaya", its a deep grinding dub tech epic set adrift with a Steve Hillage style solo guitar jam which kinda makes you think this is what the Orb and David Gilmore's recent collaboration should have sounded like.

Gene Farris serves up "Smoke Session Pause" which is a Delicious downtempo funk jam, that wouldn't sound out of place on a Nightmares On Wax album. Harvey Mckay's "Life" returns us to the more emotive side of the album, a rather short but delicate and haunting track.

Counter Plan treats us with a melodic yet deeply soulful slab of electro minimalism that is "The Morning After" and in a similar vein "Sleazy Listening" by Chaser is an excellent shimmering electro jazz jam with a deep funk vibe. Universal Principles keeps thing's in the funk arena with "Dons Different Ducks" Smokey Keys, throbbing bass and a tastefully modulated synth line sit nicely on top of some classic breaks all designed to keep your head nodding blissfully.

The album finishes with the rather quirky minimal hip hopper "The Strip" which has a synth melody that reminds me of Lalo Schiffrins "Enter The Dragon".

So a truly solid collection of downtempo cuts from Scotland finest electronica label which will suit any mood and one that certainly displays Soma's dedication to quality music, here's to another twenty years!!!

The Album will be released on CD and digital 23rd May

Alka "Compounded" Remix Album

Philadelphia based Bryan Michael, AKA Alka creates some of the most stunningly beautiful electronic music, he effortlessly blends a huge palette of sound into some of the most memorable and emotive electronica. Alka's work is often full of intricate detail and rhythm but he always leaves plenty of room for melody which is often lost by many in the IDM genre.

May 2011 will see the release of Alka's Compounded" which is a collection of remixes from his excellent "A Dog Lost In The Woods" album which was released on the diverse Electronic Eel label in 2009. The compilation features remixes from some rather well known names from around the globe, Icelandic based Ruxpin [electrolux] Gate Zero [fax] and also along side label mates City Rain and Axiotronic plus other rising names, all showing their unique take on Alka's already mesmerising work.

All proceeds from the album will be donated to the Peta2 organisation.

Check out more info on Alka @ Discogs

I am also proud that my remix of "What Will Become Of Your High Existence" has been included.

Alka's "What Will Become Of Your High Existence?" [micks ghostly echoes mix] by mick chillage








"Compounded' is released on May 17th 2011

Tomtom Records.. Rising from the ashes..

In recent years Iceland has been constantly surprising me with an unbelievable amount of high quality electronic music emerging from its relatively small population.

Iceland maybe famous for its beautiful icy landscapes and its and its recent volcanic eruption but it is has also made quite an impact on pop music with an electronic edge, as Bjork formally of the Sugarcubes blended her unique vocal talents with acts like 808 state in the early nineties and has also worked with Mark Bell [LFO] and Alec Empire amongst others.

The noughties saw the rise of bedroom producers like Yagya and Ruxpin who have made some rather big waves in the global ambient/electronica scene, with some of their out of print releases fetching serious money on ebay and Discogs.

In recent years, through connections on Facebook I have been introduced to more underground acts from Iceland, one act in particular "Stereo Hypnosis" AKA Beatmakin Troopa & Jafet Meige have released two stunning CD albums on the Triangle Productions label, both albums venture in a rich sonic terrain of ambient, dub, hip hop, jazz, and folk which gives you an amazing sense of the awesome environment which surrounds them.
http://www.discogs.com/artist/Stereo+Hypnosis

So 2011 starts of with a new Icelandic label TomTom Records, the label was started by electronic musicians Jóhann Ómarsson (aka Skurken) and Árni Grétar (aka Futuregrapher) the label is scheduled to release the music of many known and established Icelandic electronic producers.

Tomtom records gets off to a stunning start with its first release by Prince Valium, AKA Þorsteinn Konráð Ólafsson who has previously released music on the now defunct Resonant records.

The album "Andefni" has a deep sense of melancholy and each track has its own very strong identity, some of its high points are "Electropet" which plays a somewhat chamber music melody with clean sine tones before launching off in a fuzzy electro groove with an arpeggio progression that's reminiscent of Aphex Twin's "Polynomial C".

We are then sent off on a deep and soothing journey on a lake of flowing synths and subtle beats with "Efni" and from the ethereal vocals and the moving church like organ keys and strings of "Dab60" the beauty just keeps coming.

This is already a contender for best album of 2011 and means that Tomtom records are certainly a label to keep a close eye on.

http://www.tomtomrecords.com/index4.html

John Barry Remembered

Sadly my very first blog of 2011 is due to the death of composer John Barry, who sadly passed away from a heart attack on the 30th of January. Barry's music was a true inspiration to many electronica producers. Paul Hartnoll of Orbital regularly cites Barry as a musical hero.

One of my earliest musical memories was watching Goldfinger on TV for the very first time when I was a child, yes I enjoyed the movie but it was the music that truly blew me away. I had just barely grown out of nursery rhymes but that was the effect Barry's unmistakable and otherworldly emotive themes had on me.

The very first piece of vinyl I owned was "The James Bond 10th anniversary Collection" covering a selection of key points from "Dr No" through to "Diamonds Are Forever" which was a ninth birthday present from my parents, a start to my Barry Obsession and a music obsession in general..

With a massive score writing credit for a diverse range of movies and from working with contemporary greats like Louis Armstrong, Shirley Bassey to mainstream pop acts like A-ha and Duran Duran. Barry was a composer who wasn't afraid to mix things up, from using experimental synth tones on Her Majesty's secret service and combining genres like jazz, country and military in one composition was child's play for Barry.

While most music scored for film only really works within the context of the movie, Barry's music can stand alone Just like any piece of classical,rock or pop and it can act as the soundtrack to the movies in your mind or even your own life.

Barry recently spoke out about his peers In an interview with The Guardian, the four-times Oscar winner said, "[The composers] have nothing to say. They are just messing around with notes. I'm at a loss." He also told The Guardian, "I walk out of the cinema bewildered these days. I think, what was the producer or director thinking of to allow 45 minutes or an hour of music that doesn't mean a damn thing? Today it's very empty.

It is a sad loss for the movie and music world because we all know Barry was a one off, as he pretty much redefined the movie and TV scores through the 1960's, yet he never ran out of appeal or emotive creativity through the years and decades that followed.

I doubt another composer will ever match the thrilling emotive and sexy brilliance of Barry but there is one consolation, I still haven't heard all of his works yet so I have many more wide screen journeys to take with him and many familiar timeless epics I can return to again and again.

My top 10 CD albums of 2010.

2010 another great year for electronic music, while the DJ charts and digital download stores where hyping up some rather dull flavor of the week techno and house etc but if you looked outside of these areas there are still artists and labels releasing some breathtakingly emotive music.

Ambient music in particular made a fairly healthy return, often popping up in well known DJ's podcasts and charts. My chart isn't in order and I emitted digital only releases from my top 10.


1)Thomas Köner - Nunatak • Teimo • Permafrost [Type]










Apologies for including a reissue in my chart but these three early releases from Köner have that timeless quality which sound like no other ambient from the early to mid nineties, no movie samples, twiddling bubbling synth sequences, water or whale samples, just pure unidentifiable drones shifting and morphing with hauntingly beautiful results..



2) A Guy Called Gerald - Tronic Jazz The Berlin Sessions [Laboratory Instinct]










Manchester's finest returns with another stunning collection of techno tracks with that unique Gerald slant, alien afro future funk of the highest order which truly separates him from the rest of the techno clones..





3) Bvdub - The Art Of Dying Alone [Glacial Movements]










Brock Van Wey, has been gathering a rather large underground following with his CDR releases on labels like Quietus and Styrax etc, with his brand of stunning soundscapes, The Art Of Dying Alone is truly breathtaking from beginning to end a modern ambient classic..




4) Anodyne - corrosion [Psychonavigation]










Ireland's answer to Aphex, Muziq etc returned after a lengthy hiatus with his blistering sonic assault of breakbeats and techno with a rather apocalyptic flavor throughout, 2010 also saw the release of the remixes 12" featuring remixes from Autechre and the Black Dog which really put Anodyne and Psychonavigation on the electronica map..




5) The Black Dog - Music For Real Airports [Soma]



The Black Dog venture into the ambient arena with a title that got tongues wagging about it being a statement to Brian Eno's "Music For Airports" while Eno's concept was more about creating a calming mood for the traveller while waiting to depart the black dogs approach was more about creating a soundtrack using field recordings, drones, and emotive compositions that captured all the emotions which can be experienced in such places, from anticipation, stress, sadness, anger etc.

6) Mark Van Hoen - Where Is The Truth [City Centre Offices]



A beautiful collection of deep shoegazing inspired songs and instrumentals with dubby and glitched electronics and warm synths with touches of Marks avant garde edges. The album also features Neil Halstead of Slowdive amongst other guest performers.

7) Pete Namlook and Lorenzo Montanà - Labyrinth [Fax]



Another prolific year for Pete Namlook and his Fax label, with great collaborations between Pete and Move D and solo works like his "Pearl" series and the melodic "Permutations" but his collaboration with Italian IDM producer Lorenzo Montana really stood out with Lorenzo's intricate beats and soulful melodies and Pete's trademark ethereal synths made this a serious contender for album of the year..

8) Loscil - Endless Falls [Kranky]



I'm not sure what it is about the seductivness of Scott Morgans music, but he really is a master of subtlety, the tracks slowly evolve to reveal a haunting beauty and this is probably Loscil at his very best ?

9) Atom™ - Music Is Better Than Pussy [Rather Interesting]



Uwe Schmidt returned to top form after the disappointing digital scrap book of "Muster" with a tongue in cheek look at minimal techno, minimal yet deeply funky and experimental techno tracks with often hilarious lyrical content. also worth mentioning was his experimental ambient Li3835tra3um3 which featured some great ambient tracks which returned to similar terrain explored in "Dots" etc..

10) Sage Taylor - Rain Time [Pronounce]



A truly essential release that only one hundred lucky people will get to hear and I'm happy to be one of them. Based around a theme of rain, each track shifts into the next with the sound of rain running against glass and other materials the album delivers a deep sense of melancholy and emotions that only those wet home bound days can sometimes bring, stunning!!!