Review: Turkish female prodigy Ipek Gorgun has been aptly recruited by the mighty Touch imprint within minutes of her first material being released, and we couldn't think of a more suitable home for this young talent's sonic experiments. Enrolled as a music student in Ankara, Gorgun certainly has no time for traditional music laws if this album is anything to by. Improvisation and experimentation are the two keywords here, but we really mean it; we've heard very few releases that manage to harness so many different styles and influences under one roof, and the producer's talent lies in her ability to make seemingly impossible transitions seem utterly natural. From noise, then straight to gentle ambient, and then back to the most placid of drones, Ipek Gorgun is the new, undisputed Drone Queen.
Review: As soon as we see a new release on Touch, our mind is instantly greeted by a feeling of reassurance and stability. Jon Wozencraft's mythical label has given us some of the best electronic abstractions of the last fifteen years, not to mention all its timeless material from ambient pioneer Fennesz. We have a newcomer here, the mysterious and talented Bethan Kellough, who delivers five gorgeous segments of kinetic drone music. From "Descent" through to "Vision" and "Low", we are faced with a striking landscape of sounds that slowly build into something special and altogether euphoric. This is purely cinematic music, the sort of material that has the power to move and delight with minimal effort and maximum effectiveness. Stunning.
Review: London's Cafe OTO has grown into an almighty powerhouse over the last five years, both as a community hub for like-minded leftfield enthusiasts, and as a label for some of the most provocative and high-grade free jazz being made today. Simon Scott is an electronic composer who has been impressive since his debut on 12k, an extraordinary effort that has seen him seal a spot on the much coveted Touch imprint. But, this live recording of a session at Cafe OTO is as good and evocative as any of his previous works; it's a dark, foreboding strain of ambient that gets rustier and noisier as the segments progress. If you're into the more spectral strain of hollow electro-acoustic music, then Simon Scott with satisfy you like few others.
Review: There seems to be a huge amount of Material coming out by Mike Cooper of late and whether they are reissues or new material, this guy has been consistently impressive throughout his career, and always able to reinvent himself and keep himself in the cutting-edge. This new mini LP is all about exploration and the moulding of abstract sounds, with the likes of "Te Lapa Phosphorus" spread across exotica, drone, and noise. "Bendigo To Kyoto" flutters its bird sounds and odd bleeps at all angles, but Cooper manages to unleash tidy grooves of sound - totally beret of beats - but still packing a tight melodic bundle. We love this guy - highly recommended.
Review: Multidisciplinary artist Philip Jeck releases his twelfth album on the legendary Touch imprint. The album features revised recordings from London, New Jersey, Athens and Krems over the last few years. The shorter compositions featured being more recent works completed in his own Liverpool studio. There are some truly haunting yet breath taking moments captured here such as on the chilling, near glacial feeling soundscapes of "Bend The Knee Part 1..." and "...Bend The Knee Part 5" and "Station View" taken from Octopus Collective's Full Of Noise Festival in 2014. Highly recommended.
Review: Ambient-drone legend Fennesz has been a pioneer in the science of sound for many years, and London's Touch has been responsible for releasing arguably his best and most important work to date. For its latest release, Touch has reissued the inimitable Venice as a 10th anniversary edition, and the album still sounds as fresh today as it did 10 years ago. It's ambient, for sure, but of a certain variety and quality. Filled with organic sounds and field recordings, tracks like "Rivers Of Sand" have become the blueprint for much of the work made in the same genre today, tailor-made for fans of Oneohtrix Point Never and a lot of the output on Bill Kouligas' PAN label. Unmissable.
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