Electronica/IDM
The Sierra Leonean producer Lamin Fofana arrives on the label with Here Lies Universality, a brace of undulating sound design explorations – in equal parts tense and meditative; thorny and worked smooth. Label info: Lamin Fofana debuts on Avian. Despite the beatless nature of the compositions, Lamin Fafona’swork is imbued with the spirit of Detroit’s pioneering Techno experimentalists. As such, it is Ambient music that does not exist as a peripheral flavor to color the listeners own experience, but rather as a vehicle for expression that requires attention and observation. The artist uses sound as a vehicle to examine the historical movement – forced or otherwise, of Black people across the globe, and how this movement feeds into inequitable contemporary socio-political and economic power dynamics. Fofana explains that this latest missive, ‘rubs against liberal universalism and reflects on how the pandemic exacerbates existing contradictions and violence significantly and puts them in high relief.’ Opener Here Lies Universality, with its warbling, crystalline lead-synths and pitch-bent tonal interjections offers an introduction to this latest deep-sea rumination. Made at once near with layers of surface noise, but simultaneously fathoms deep thanks to delicate pulses in the low frequencies, it builds gently before subsiding purposefully but without resolution. Split subtly into three movements, follow up Bankrupt Utopia Sez Tell Me begins life with a rousing lead sequence that approaches crescendo before dissipating with washes of heavy modulation. The recording continues with a more conversational tone and that heavy surface noise returns once more to the fore, driving the work and providing a satisfying level of sonic intricacy. Finally, the piece segues into a soft, almost mournful reflection in its closing minutes. On the B1 the artist shares Here Lies Universality Redux, an alternative iteration of the title track. Soft and mediative in its early moments, the recording leaves its synth work behind near the mid-point and morphs into a dense matrix of aquatic sound design and field recording. Measure of Memory/ I Stagger and Remember continues to mine the Drexiyan palette to create a patchwork of shifting, granular sound architecture. Glistening in the high frequencies with timbral plucks and knocks giving the work a shape of sorts, there’s a palpable – almost unnerving,sense of movement throughout. Resounding Water closes the EP, an echo of Here Lies Universality Redux’s latter stages – but also a bookend, returning the listener to the depths after the glowing reverie that preceded.
LABEL INFO: Soreab debuts on Avian.Dario Picchi, whose repertoire includes forays into Dancehall, Bass Music and genres less easily classified, alongside a spate of intriguing collaborations, keeps things sparse on Sensitivity 6.0. The six track EP offers up idiosyncratic takes on IDM, Techno and Ambient music with a focus on intricate sound design, showcasing the Baroque Sunburst label head’s admirable versatility as a producer.Brazen opener Squirrel Stampede might surprise listeners expecting a more delicate approach from the EP title. Neatly layered and economic in its execution, it’s a forceful slice of modern Techno. Meditative follow up Trub marries a thick, undulating percussion line with a saccharine melody. Loose synths emerge sporadically from the sonic periphery, breaking up the rolling drum pattern to create a cinematic atmosphere. Closing out the A side is Giale Draws, an intriguing beatless piece with nods to both vintage Musique concrète and more contemporary compositions from the electronic music leftfield.On the B side, Soreab ups the tempo and goes fathoms deep with the cavernous Dust Eater. Landing somewhere between Autonomic Drum & Bass and Dub Techno, it sets the tone for the dense, atmospheric march of Insomnias that follows. Letting well-worked drums lead the recording, Picchi introduces Rhodes and a low-sunk synth flourish to create a crisp, hazy atmosphere. Rite closes the EP, a glistening Ambient recording with subtle percussive motifs and delayed vocals that sit atop hypnotic pads – a wide-open, ethereal closing statement. <iframe style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 120px;" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=2432904443/size=large/bgcol=333333/linkcol=e32c14/tracklist=false/artwork=small/transparent=true/" seamless><a href="https://soreab.bandcamp.com/album/sensitivity-60">Sensitivity 6.0 by Soreab</a></iframe>
Original sealed copy of the triple vinyl Caustic WIndow compilation from 1998. Never opened/never played! Cover has a bit of storage wear (see scan) Important note: Records packaged in those PVC sleeves are prone to so called "vinyl cancer", which manifests itself in a "foggy" surface. This can affect play a little bit, so even mint records can have some surface noise. In this case I can't see if the records are affected. In other words I can not see any signs of them being affected, but I can't guarantee it. I always recommend to unpack records in PVC sleeves immediately and re-bag them in paper sleeves.
Still sealed! Never opened - light shelf wear on the outside, slight dent on corners.
2016 release. NM copy from shop stocks, possibly played at our store a couple of times, but in perfect conditon
Black Lung: Silent Weapons For Quiet Wars. The 1998 picture disc version on Ant-Zen in VG+ condition. A bit of crackle at the beginning but overall excellent audio even in quiet (!) parts. Generic picture disc cover with sticker has some storage wear and a seam split, but it's recommended to replace these PVC sleeves anyways.
Klangstabil: Kantorka. VG+ used copy in excellent condition <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/videoseries?si=oSmnEctY5FMh4F86&list=OLAK5uy_kwQcU8oJCuP_wofVrUnV0PRZV1XWwmiW0" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>