David Behrman – “On The Other Ocean”

David Behrman’s “On The Other Ocean” is an album I have been enjoying late in the evenings and on weekends when working. As you can hear in the except above, It is composed of soothing, tranquil sounds well suited for a tired soul. It has a very meditative feel to it, kind of feels a bit like a brain massage. The first track also features Maggi Payne, who some of you may know from the excellent, “Ahh-Ahh – Music For Ed Tannenbaum’s Technological Feets, 1984-1987“, a LP of her work released last year by Root Strata (which is also strongly recommended). This is originally from 1977, but you can still buy the CD direct from the Lovely label. And I’d strongly suggest purchasing direct, I’ve made a couple of orders with them and they’ve been very fast and well priced. I’ve been doing a bit of exploring of Lovely’s catalog and probably will be posting some other things here in the future.

Saturday 30 March at Module

Veta have been organising some good parties at Module, with the last one being Dasha Rush in December. This Saturday 30 March they are back, with Thomas P. Heckmann as their guest. He’ll be doing a live and DJ set. It’s a bit of an interesting choice – Heckmann was obviously a very pivotal figure back in the ’90s, but has been less prominent in recent years, even though A.F.U. appears to be still going strong. I’ve only seen him once, at a rave in Melbourne in 2002. I really liked him back then, and I am very curious to hear how he will sound now… I’ll also be DJing in the lounge, and I’m planning on playing some warm synth sounds, similar to what I’ve been pointing to in my last few posts. I’ll be playing from 3:30 – 4:30. For more info, check the Veta event page.

Time Traveler

JD Emmanuel is someone who has benefited from the recent interest in kosmische and synth music from the ’70s and 80s, with many people (including me) discovering his work through reissues on Aguirre and Important records. This newfound interest led to him touring Europe in 2011, and a selection of the recordings from the shows have been compiled on an impressive new double LP on Aguirre. This is very hypnotic, immersive music that really transports you to a more serene state. Definitely worth checking:

You can pick up more of JD Emmanuel’s music directly through his bandcamp, and you can check his website for more info.

Light Echoes

While Steve Moore is linked in with the LIES camp, he really kind of feels like he is on his own trajectory, soaring off into outer space on his synths… His album from late last year, “Light Echoes”, is really excellent – not a weak track throughout. The standout is the one above: the majestic “Ancient Shorelines II”, a 28 minute epic that closes the album. Proper celestial synth music.

Perhaps I am wrong, but I feel like this album slipped under the radar a bit. Definitely do yourself a favour and pick it up. You can grab it on bandcamp here:

Steve Moore also has a bandcamp page, where you can get most of his other releases.

Svreca in Moscow

A beautiful, textured mix from Svreca, a DJ who is really developing a very unique and distinctive voice. This is a live recording, taken from a recent set he played in Moscow in February. It appears that another part of the same set is available as part of the Arma podcast here. That one is more heavier and dancefloor orientated, presumably from later on in the night. And while I like that recording , it is this more abstract and exploratory part of his set that really hits the spot for me. Taken together, I think these recordings give a good sense of the direction Svreca is moving in… It is a very heady, powerful take on techno that challenges and pushes the listener without alienating them. Enjoy…

http://official.fm/tracks/bC5Q

Donato Dozzy – Babylon market mix

When MNML SSGS was coming to an end, Donato Dozzy provided the first of our FNL mixes. It was partly meant as a coded message, one that different people (including myself) spent the following months working out. Whether intentional or not, I think it was also a signal about where Dozzy was headed musically. This mix gives us another clue. There is plenty to take from it, and I won’t interfere with your judgements by trying to describe the mix. All I will say is this is one for headphones and deep listening. This is not background music. Put it on and dive deep.

http://official.fm/tracks/4Fgs?control=1&width=500&height=40&skin_bg=000000&skin_fg=FFFFFF

Needs Continuum

Karen Gwyer was a new name to me when I picked up her album, “Need Continuum“. There is nothing especially new or mindblowing about what she is doing – its basically warm synth sounds combined with her vocals – but it has a real charm to it. The obvious reference point would be Motion Sickness of Time Travel, but there is more depth and range in what Gwyer is doing. But if you like MSOTT, there is fair chance you’ll like it. This is my favourite track of the album, which should give you an idea:

And if you want to hear more, No Pain in Pop have the full album available for stream on their soundcloud. Nice release.

EOD – Volume 1

EOD – Volume 1 just arrived and it is pretty much exactly what I was hoping for. It builds on the promise that EOD has shown in his previous releases and definitely benefits from being a bit less rough around the edges. Quite a few tracks on this album can be found on the ssg mix he did last year. Proper braindance music, but done in a way that does not feel overly nostalgic or derivative. The final track, “Retcho”, is especially good. Really nice release. Looking forward to Volume 2, which I believe is coming pretty soon. Worth checking. For more on EOD, check his homepage or follow him on twitter.