NEWSLETTER
LIFTING THE VEIL OFF RUE DES GARDERIES // VON SCHOMMER DC15 // FERGUS JONES // FALSE ARALIA // STEFAN VINCENT // 29 SPEEDWAY
FEATURE: LIFTING THE VEIL OFF RUE DES GARDERIES
INTERVIEW BY TOM DURSTON
Following the release of their debut self-titled album in June on Raphaël Fragil’s record label Femacosmé, we caught up with the Parisian production duo composed of Désiré Bonaventure and Zach to discover more about the makings of their enchanting collaboration as Rue des Garderies.
Performed and recorded in one take at a liminal space in Paris, Rue Des Garderies captures a fragile state of collaborative improvisation permeated into a psychedelic journey through seven dream-state ballads. Presented as a triple vinyl gatefold edition, Rue des Garderies contains majestic and hauntingly textural music, reminiscent of William Basinski, Huerco S. and GAS.
Played on repeat throughout the summer, Rue Des Garderies has wormed itself into ears like a fever-dream, provoking deep states of inner reflection and yearning fascination. Accompanied with a sublime music video blending tropical vistas with lysergic Ai trickery, Rue des Garderies is one of the most mystical and beautiful albums that we have encountered this year. With so much intrigue on my mind, I just had to reach out and invite Désiré, Zach, Gambette and Raphaël to each open up about the project and shed light into Rue des Garderies.
REVIEW: VON SCHOMMER - DC15
WRITTEN BY WILL PATTERSON
Before Deepchord was Rod Modell’s dub techno and ambient project, it was the palette for the sonic explorations of Modell and partner-in-crime Mike Schommer.
In 2002, as Von Schommer, the pair wheeled a vast amount of DIY equipment and a monstrous Korg PS-3100 into a dingy motel room in deepest Michigan. The creation that emerged after hours of window rattling experimentation was dc15. The last work they produced together under the moniker, the album is one of the grimiest examples of icy dub techno you are ever likely to hear.
Initially available as an extremely limited Cdr, these 11 cavernous tracks are now available across two slabs of white wax for the first time ever, fully remastered and primed to do untold damage to your reputation with your neighbours. Worming its way from dark, grainy ambient to thumping, slo-mo dub techno, the album is a flawless exercise in crafting music that assimilates the conditions in which it was recorded. You can almost feel the grime on the walls as the record unfolds soundscape after soundscape, particularly on tracks such as ‘untitled 5‘ with its irresistibly dirty groove.
NEWS // 29 SPEEDWAY RELEASE VINYL COMPILATION FEAT. NEXCYIA & MU TATE, JAMES K, FLORA YIN-WONG, EX WIISH AND MANY MORE
New York-based record label and performance series 29 Speedway release their first physical release in the form of a 13-track compilation – a who’s who of producers exploring the deeper realms of of ambient and experimental music.
Established in 2020, 29 Speedway serves as a platform for artists to explore the outer fringes of interdisciplinary art, crossing both physical and digital realms via sonic performance. Four years into their mission, ‘UltraBody‘ emboldens the predominantly digital imprint with a vinyl LP spotlighting artists that have performed at 29 Speedway showcases in New York and Europe.
Contributing artists include; Jake Muir, Pent & Dylan Kerr, Nexcyia & mu tate, James K, Flora Yin-Wong, Ex Wiish & Dorothy Carlos, Kamran Sadeghi, Tati au Miel, James Hoff, Eric Frye, qwqwqwqwa & sop.io, Muein, & Maxwell Sterling.
NEWS // BRIAN FOOTE & IZAAK SCHLOSSMAN LAUNCH NEW IMPRINT FALSE ARALIA
Los Angeles-based producer and Peak Oil co-founder Brian Foote is launching a new record label named False Aralia centred around the studio practices of photographer and sound artist Izaak Schlossman.
For the uninitiated, Brian Foote co-runs Peak Oil, the label responsible for surfacing pioneering producers such as Hoavi, Purelink and Topdown Dialectic. Subsequently, Brian lends a helping hand at 100% Silk and at Kranky. He also produces music solo as Leech and as Smoke Point together with Sage Caswell.
With the first two releases already slated for release in October, False Aralia is said to be “a series of recordings growing in all directions, cataloging the work of a group of North American collaborators…to provide useful tools for dance and avenues for intentional listening.”
‘Zero Key‘ marks the debut release from the imprint, serving up “four tracks of recursive micro-house rhythms and hallucinated dub.” – second release ‘Selfsame‘ explores minimal house, dub and techno “mirroring the structure of ‘zero key’ in presenting an iterative exploration of versioning itself, unspooling a line of flight through four ascending rhythmic configurations.”
NEWS // NUMBERS LINE UP DEBUT ALBUM FROM FERGUS JONES FEAT. HUERCO S, JAMES K, KORELESS
Following up Perko’s irresistible ‘Prang / Sisu’ last year, Edinburgh-born, Copenhagen-based producer and FELT boss Fergus Jones drops his alias to unveil his forthcoming debut album on Numbers, featuring contributions from; Huerco S, James K, Koreless, Birthmark, ELDON and Withdrawn, Laila Sakini and Lia T.
Consisting of nine tracks, ‘Ephemera‘ is said to embody “Jones’ inner journey as he ranges further than ever sonically and emotionally, emphasising instinct, intensity, tactility and rapture.” In his own words, Jones says “This album was made over the last five years in various studio and outdoor locations around the world, reflecting my ongoing emphasis on natural collaboration as a creative ideal. It’s my most personal record yet, written with experimentation and an open attitude as guiding lights.”
NEWS // STEFAN VINCENT RELEASES DEBUT ALBUM ON MUSAR RECORDINGS
Following up his ‘Pre Melancholy‘ EP on MUSAR in 2023 featuring a remix by Priori, Dutch producer Stefan Vincent returns to the Amsterdam-based label to finally release his debut album ‘Pre Melancholy‘.
Dedicated to Stefan’s now deceased friend Maarten de Vries who sadly passed away at the tender age of 36 (1986-2022) , Vincent deploys an arsenal of meticulous sound design throughout the album incorporating UK-styled breaks, electro, brain tingling IDM and techno resulting in an album of visionary experimental electronics. Recommended if you’re into Aphex / Repflex Records.
VISUAL // MUSIC VIDEO: MARKUS GUENTNER & KAREN VOGT – ALL LIGHT WILL REMAIN
Following the release of ‘Overlay‘ last year together with Joachim Spieth, German producer Markus Guentner delivers his next album ‘Kontrapunkt’ on A Strangely Isolated Place, enhanced with a collage of timeless memories for ‘All Light Will Remain‘ featuring Australian vocalist and musician Karen Vogt.
Throughout his career crafting enigmatic soundscapes for labels including Kompakt, 4AD, and Ghostly International, the veteran producer now reaches a pivotal moment with his latest album, ‘Kontrapunkt‘ navigating through uncanny solar systems and earth-shaking ambient textures, establishing an intriguing dialogue with a diverse lineup of collaborators including Sonae, Abul Mogard (the alter ego of Guido Zen), Karen Vogt, Joachim Spieth, Pepo Galán, Arovane, Benoît Pioulard and Hollie Kenniff.
MUSIC VIDEO: FOUDRE! – CYBERNETIC RESET
NAHAL Recordings and ZamZamRec prepare to release ‘Voltæ (Chthulucene)’ LP from FOUDRE! – the French production trio consisting of Frédéric D. Oberland, Romain Barbot and Paul Régimbeau.
‘Voltæ (Chthulucene)’ marks a seminal moment in FOUDRE!’s discography, delivering eight tracks of unadulterated psychedelia on their inaugural studio album. This release seamlessly intertwines post-punk sensibilities, avant-garde electronica and worldwide mystic grooves, crafting a visionary soundscape that positions them between the likes of Anatolian Weapons, Autechre and Haruomi Hosono.
STORE // CHANTSSSS - SHYNESS
Sydney-based record label Theory Therapy and Glasgow-based imprint co:clear come together to release the debut album by Italian artist CHANTSSSS.
‘Shyness’ suggests something subtle, intricate and ethereal – but it also demands your attention. Over 10 tracks of spacious, sub-aquatic ambience, CHANTSSSS pulls you deep into his vaporous sound world. The songs themselves, a blend of ambient pop, chamber music and pulsing low end rhythms, feel cloaked in mystery. Layers of reverb and zonked vocals float in the atmosphere, moving between and through one another, mist on mist. It’s not necessarily a quiet record, the low end can shake a room if you turn the volume up, but it does feel extremely intimate – proof that some art speaks loudest in its quietest moments.
STORE // SOELA - DARK PORTRAIT
'Dark Portrait's is the second album from Russia-born Berlin-based experienced pianist and vocalist Elina Shorokhova aka Soela.
Consisting of nine heartfelt tracks, ‘Dark Portrait‘ is a deeply atmospheric body of music brimming with emotion, soundscapes, sultry vocals and lose-yourself dancefloor moments. The album opens in a typically understated manner with Unsuitable - a melancholic trip-hop adjacent track that sets the tone for the next 8 pieces. As Soela explains, “I was dealing with some very complex feelings, so I came up with this album, which helped me not to despair, to work on myself, to grow internally, and to start listening to myself. It helped me to keep sane when my country invaded Ukraine with a full scale war. It absolutely broke my heart, and music was one of my main salvations.”
