SECURE SHOPPING
Danish electropop troupe WhoMadeWho will belatedly serve up their fourth album Brighter on new home Kompakt next month.
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Walls’ self-titled debut set was one of the surprise success stories of 2010, a curiously atmospheric set that somehow felt both gloriously old-fashioned and unashamedly current. Dreamed up by Allez Allez man Sam Willis and Alessio Natalizia (Banjo Or Freakout), the first Walls album gently tip-toed between krautrock flavoured dark ambience, crackly electronica and occasional bursts of pin-sharp beauty. It was arresting stuff, all told – downtempo music that sidestepped clichés in favour of altogether more interesting sonic visions.
Here the London-based production partnership continue their rapid ascent with a second impressive full-length. This time round, they seem to have opted for a far more bright and breezy approach, largely giving the darker themes an elbow in favour of dreamy compositions that could easily be described as Balearic. That’s not to suggest that they’ve abandoned their founding principles, though; Coracle is every bit as experimental, daring and otherworldly as its predecessor, it just carries a more positive message.
Opener “Into Our Midst” is a good case in point. The backwards guitars and classic ambient noises recall the long forgotten Orb/Robert Fripp collaboration FFWD>>, but its steady pulse and quietly bubbling electronics evoke memories of Kompakt’s best slow trance releases. Throw in some discordant harmonizing and you’ve got something that’s more aesthetically pleasing than strangely unsettling. Elsewhere, there are more moments of divine inspiration. “Heat Haze” is hypnotic and blissful, all droning krautrock guitars (put, of course, through the mangler), pedal steel and drifting vocals, somehow drawn together by the most subtle of beats. “Sunporch” tiptoes towards the dancefloor impressively, adding the pair’s favoured guitars, pianos and wailing vocals to heavyweight Italo disco back end. It’s Kosmiche all right.
And so it goes on, variously referencing ambient, avant indie (think Animal Collective), wide-eyed electronica, cosmic disco and – texturally if not sonically – German techno. It’s an aural mix that impresses and inspires in equal measure, throwing up highlights with efficient regularity. “Raw Umber/Twilight” sounds like a chiming cosmic disco re-make of Bowie’s “Heroes” imagined by acid-fried musicians recalling a lost night with Terrence McKenna, whilst “Drunken Galleon” boasts so much simple beauty you’ll be hard-pressed not to raise a smile. Throughout, Coracle shuffles between sun-flecked Balearic beauty and quiet contemplation with consummate ease. It’s dreamy, out-there, odd and, at times, ecstatic. If you’re anything like us, it will make your heart sing.
Matt Anniss
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The languid, rich sounds that permeated last year’s self titled debut from London duo Walls saw them rightfully claim the affection of many a critic and music lover, ourselves included. Amidst the soft edged cosmiche, “Gaberdine” was the lone hint that the duo of Sam Willis and Alessio Natalizia might deviate towards more rhythmic foundations in the future.
This speculative notion is pleasantly borne to fruition on “Sunporch”, the first track to be taken from Coracle, the duo’s second album, set for release via Kompakt later this month. The track retains the vast swathes of duvet-thick layers of melodies and gently scattered vocal cooing from Alessio that forms the soft underbelly of the Walls sound, but it deviates from past excursions via the implementation of a rippling arpeggio that bristles with energy throughout the six minutes.
This simple addition combines effectively with a more prominent yet not overbearing groove, allowing the duo to whip proceedings into the sort of hypnotic crescendo of elements which sounds glorious on record. A side note for fans of playing music at the wrong speed is that “Sunporch” takes on a whole new languid, early morning charm at 33rpm. Further reshaping is showcased on the Reprise, which strips back the layers of sonic fuzz right down to a minimal hum, as a delicate 4 /4 throb gradually arises coated with spectral fuzz.
“Tight Spots” ends this release on an intriguing note, dragging your senses through the depths of tense, slow baked, ominous machine funk in a manner akin to the current strain of Modern Love output. It’s all too brief at two minutes but offers an intriguing insight into where Walls want to go musically on Coracle and beyond. Furthermore, this release as a whole makes one wonder how the duo’s new material sounds amidst the live Walls show, where Willis and Natalizia perform their material as one elongated and deviating wall of mesmerizing analogue sound.
Tony Poland
Kompakt have revealed that The Field is putting the finishing touches to Looping State Of Mind, his third album for the Cologne based label, which is set for release at the end of October.
Walls truly captivated with their debut self titled long player for Kompakt last year, securing a place in our end of year album charts. This week the London duo revealed plans for their second album, entitled Coracle, which is set for release in September.
WhoMadeWho have jumped ship from long term imprint Gomma and announced a new mini LP on Kompakt due next month, which showcases a change in direction and serves as a precursor to a full length album due out later this year.
Arch London & Nottingham promotion types dollop have announced a series of impressive looking Friday night parties at the soon to be relaunched Citipost warehouse space on Scrutton St, East London.
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Ricardo Villalobos is cited by many as the master of the shuffling, spaced out minimal DJing, but on Metawuffmischfelge, the Wighnomy Brothers’ 2008 mix CD, and now in solo mode with this latest selection, Robag Wruhme proves that he has some serious competition. Keeping the studio trickery to a minimum - although there are some inspired instances of layering, most notably the ghostly vocal over “Dexter” and the subsequent merging of Villalobos’s most introspective track with Kollektiv Turmstrasse – Wruhme, a vinyl DJ through and through, excels simply because he plays great music in the right order.
That may sound like a simplistic evaluation of Wuppdeckmischmampflow, but it’s hard to arrive at any other conclusion. Designed to be listened on a sunny spring morning rather than late at night, it teems with melodic cuts, like the aforementioned “Dexter” and Kollektiv Turmstrasse, but also Four Tet’s utterly beguiling glitch techno “Angel Echoes” and the live, Durutti Column meets Isolee-inspired Krause Duo remix of Ian Simmonds. There are brief dalliances with stripped back, dancefloor focused rhythms courtesy of Claro Intelecto and Moderat, but Wruhme’s own “Robellada” best defines the mood and direction of this mix. Underpinned by achingly evocative music minor keys and balmy melodies, it hints at intelligent techno isolationism and captures a quintessentially Germanic melancholia that even Villalobos would struggle to emulate.
Richard Brophy
Later this month Kompkat will release a recording of veteran producer Thomas Fehlmann’s rendition of Gustav Mahler’s “Symphony No. 1 (Titan)” produced in collaboration with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra.
Kompakt have announced details of Kompilation, a selection of tracks from Jurgen Paape, the spotlight-shy co founder of the esteemed label based in Cologne, Germany.
To celebrate the release of the new Superpitcher album, we’ve got one of the LP’s highlights available for free download.
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As with anything that’s around for more than a successful ten minutes in the dance music world, Kompakt gets a lot of stick. How anyone can value the worth of a company which acts as distributor for over 120 labels and releases two benchmark compilations a year (this as well as Pop Ambient) though, is bemusing to say the least. What’s more, Total 11 is far from a regurgitation of old material, but instead is a double disc effort made-up by 95% new material – and that’s value for money, if nothing else.
As well as new music, there are new production teams – It’s A Fine Line, AKA Ivan Smagghe and Tim Paris, who contribute a tobacco stained, rock infused and bleepy beauty; Three Lions, a group made up of Jorg Burger, Superpitcher and Rebolledo, who add some stoned Calypso vibes and have Michael Mayer on saxophone, as well as recent label newbies Walls who get tightened up and techno-fried by Allez Allez (Sam Willis is a member of both). Then there are subliminal tech tones and seductive, raw synth funk from Kompakt staples like Superpitcher and Ada battling for your attention next to the broken pianos, oscillating pads, muffled growls and sci-fi patters of favourites like DJ Koze or The Field. Encompassing as many styles as it does, Total 11 is a fine example of quality control and is one which makes you dance as much as dream and laugh as much as cry: off-kilter and experimental electronica isn’t often as classy as this.
Kristan J Caryl
Michael Mayer is a founding member of Kompakt Recordings, the Cologne imprint borne out of Delirium, the record emporium he was involved with alongside fellow Kompakt founders Jurgen Paape and the brothers Voigt. Since establishing the brand in 1998, they have forged a signature “Cologne Sound”. 2010 has been one of Kompakt’s strongest years, with the third instalment of Mayer’s Immer mix released alongside impressive albums from Walls and Thomas Fehlmann, with an 11th edition of the Kompakt Total series due later this month. Ahead of Michael’s appearance at Eastern Electric’s August party we got him on the phone to discuss the important things in life…
DJ Koze (pictured), Matias Aguayo and Thomas Fehlmann are among the artists set to feature in Total 11, a new Kompakt compilation which showcases the imprint’s Class of 2011.
Eastern Electric Reveal (Almost) Full Line For August Party
by Juno Plus on 22.06.2010 at 14:39pm
Tri Annual party types Eastern Electrics today revealed that Thomas Fehlman, Scuba and the Wighnomy Brothers are amongst the acts to share billing with Michael Mayer, Justin Martin and Joy Orbison for their London August bank holiday party.
Our latest featured chart comes courtesy of Walls, a side project of Allez Allez’s Sam Willis and Alessio Natalizia (of Banjo or Freakout fame). The two teamed up last year to throw down some tracks, the result being a wonderful little album full of fuzzy synths lost in an ambient haze, with nods to Brian Eno and krautrockers of the Neu! and Can ilk . And it seems their record bags reflect their superbly oddball taste, with some leftfield techno from Oni Ayhun and Pantha Du Prince, as well as the utterly superb Appleblim & Komonazmuk remix of Eno and Harmonia’s “By The Riverside,” released on Allez Allez’s Amazing Sounds imprint.
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A staple on the Cologne scene, Jens-Uwe Beyer, AKA Popnoname has released two acclaimed full length albums on Italic, worked on the Sound of Cologne project and recently collaborated with Can percussionist Jaki Liebezeit. Now, following a string of contributions for Kompakt’s Pop Ambient series, he joins Kompakt Pop to unveil his latest work to the masses.
His original version of the track is an epic sounding piece of electro house that is loaded with Beyer’s pop credentials. Somewhere between the traditional sound of Kompakt and 80s pop from the likes of Pet Shop Boys, “Hello Gorgeous” has a classic shine. The tight drums, clean bass and shaking percussion is all brought together harmoniously by Beyer’s strong vocal performance. Later in the track, the dance vibe starts to filter through as xylophone melodies begin to fuse with trance-style pads. Preceding the original however, are two dance remixes that signal Popnoname’s intent from the off.
Opening with a rework from veterans Terranova, “Hello Gorgeous ” is turned into a streamlined, functional club track. Swirling synth arpeggios unload over a jacking house groove in this killer remix. Popnoname’s own “Le Klub Mix” keeps more in line with the original, however all but drops the vocals in favour for more trance and techno styled elements.
Review: Tom Jones
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Artist: Ewan Pearson/Various
Title: We Are Proud Of Our Choices
Label: Kompakt
Genre: Minimal/Tech House
Format: CD
Buy From: Juno Records
Still buzzing from his much acclaimed fabric mix from a few years back, Ewan Pearson returns with a new compilation for Kompakt entitled “We Are Proud Of Our Choices”. Pearson has been DJing and producing music for over a decade and with his new mix he shows us his fondness for warm and melodic tech-house. Following in the tradition of earlier Kompakt mixes like “Smallville” from Tobias Thomas and DJ Koze’s “All People Is My Friends”, Pearson starts off with a lush pop sensibility – building slowly but deliberately with tracks by Gold Panda, A Ldric, and RMNVN, before he really starts to hit his stride with “Cirrus” by Lusine, and then he begins to up the tempo exponentially as the mix goes on.
After “Cirrus” has limbered everyone up for the dance floor, two great dark house tracks from obscure producers Wah Chu Ku and Yukihiro Fukotomi will no doubt fill the floor with shaking bodies. Other artists of note that’ll keep your booty shaking are Neville Watson, Gregor Tresher, Chris Fortier, and B.D.I. who all offer solid tracks, before Pearson begins to pull the 4/4 beat out of the equation for a cool down period at the end. The last two tracks are sexy, warm, and poppy, featuring female vocals, that suggest the party doesn’t have to end yet. An edit by Pearson of “Fortune” by emerging stars Little Dragon is the mix’s penultimate track, before closing with the Lali Punaesque “Blue Steel” by Bot’Ox.
Pearson seems uninterested in the trends of the moment and sticks proudly to his tech-house roots with “We Are Proud Of Our Choices” – and it proves a solid mix of dance friendly and warm beats, featuring unsung artists you’ll want to know more about after you’ve had a listen. Check it.
Review: Matt Leslie
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Aksel Schaufler – aka German producer Superpitcher – will release his sophomore studio album on May 17, via Kompakt Records.
