This week at le dojo, the third hall's opening is a fast-paced one. We start with Heitt from the dutch producer nthng. Careful, it's a banger!
Heitt is THE enormous slap in the face from nthng's second album: Hypnotherapy. Even if the project is full of delicate and mellow sounds, with captivating dub/ambient tracks like Hynotherapy, Beaufitul Love or With you, Heitt itself is miles away from tenderness. Well, it might not be tender but holy molly it's good! By giving in to the track, you get taken by a structure that keeps gaining in power and intensity. The airy intro, a calm section of the record, quickly gets coated with a deep and intense kickdrum right before metamorphosing into a meca-techno-destructive monster capable of making creatures from the beyond dance. Heitt separates itself from the airy vibe that defines the album and brings you back to the fast-paced sharpening reality of a techno-borderline-trance that sounds more like nthng's previous projects (we'll get to it, chill).
It's London's own Lobster Theremin label that welcomes nthng's second album, and it's not a surprise since most of his discography is related to that label. The dutch producer inaugurated Mörk in 2014, one of LT's sub-labels, with the Remember Us EP. In 2017, it was his first album It Never Ends that LT released. Without forgetting a multitude of EPs released through that label, some even on his own Transatlantic and the inevitable Turn To Gaia on Delsin Records. Delsin Records? That rings a bell... oh wait, Vril. It can't be :O Yes, we talked about Vril in our hall_01 two weeks ago ;) everything is connected...
Lobster Theremin, in a few words, it's a legendary EP Equation by Palms Trax, it's Ross From Friends or even DJ Seinfeld. A few of the any little names that make up that label's catalogue. A british label that's been turning heads since its inception in 2013.
Let's wrap up this first discovery with some tunes, 'cause the best way to discover an artist is to listen, duh. Here's a playlist taking you into nthng's world - specially selected by yours truly - the dojonions.
Artist: nthng
LP: Hypnotherapy
Single: Heitt
Release: 24.04.2020
Label: Lobster Theremin
That was definitely intense... Let's move on to something for the melody-lovers. At le dojo, we really love melodies. We're taking you to Leicester with the 34-year old british artist, Rival Consoles, who's been making experimental gems since 2007. Yup, Articulation is no exception.
Ryan Lee West (aka Rival Consoles) is a groundbreaking producer, exclusively working with one of our favourite labels: Erased Tapes. This however does not limit his creativity, definitely not! That record label, home for artists such as the amazing Kiasmos, Olafur Arnolds or even Dauwd (again from our hall_01), is a place that overflows with creativity and uniqueness. Rival Consoles is their first signee, and has an important role since the label's inception in 2007. We dojonions are so very glad to be able to write a few words on that artist and his sonic universe we so love, so here goes:
Articulation starts off with simple drums, all the while breaking that four-on-the-floor rhythm, just like the brits like to do it. We directly feel like we're in a huge room with a prominent reverb, and at le dojo we can even imagine being in a futuristic warehouse. The synths come in through the front door, and it's so unique. Fast forward to 1min27, we're thrown into an airy section that breaks the momentum a little, and just enough to throw us back-in 30 seconds later. That moment is just magical...You're forced to head-bang at a fast pace, but smoothly. You get shakers and percussions coming into the equation, and loads of subtle sounds. All of this is done with such warmth only analog can create.
Articulation is part of the album of the same name that came out in July this year. The artist revisits some previously-created sonic worlds, such as in Recovery in 2014. It's full of magic and surprises, based around the concoction of rhythmically-insane synthesizers. It's full of melodies and accelerations that seem random, but we know very well they're not. Rival Consoles being such a perfectionist, crafts his sounds in such a way that you hear that perfection, you actually hear it...
There can be only one! He's the one, who knows how to sculpt synths in such a way, making them feel human, making them breathe and interact. Creating a story through movements and rhythms. That video shows him in action on a Prophet Rev2, and it's just beautiful.
You dig Articulation? So go listen to one of his previous jewels: Dreamer's Wake. It's an amazing journey that you don't wanna miss! And listen to that whole album Persona now that you're at it.
Artist: Rival Consoles
Album: Articulation
Single: Articulation
Release: 31.07.2020
Label: Erased Tapes
For this week's SWISS artist, we head to 'Ticino' and discover CAVA'S TOOL from Brenno DellaVecchia aka BRE:DEL.
We're wrapping-up this hall_03 with a touch of pure simplicity. After some heavy dutch stuff and experimental angelic britishness, we make way for swiss minimal techno: CAVA'S TOOL. We usually have a tendency to get drawn by complexity, right?, because it's intriguing, because you ask yourself: how? why? bonjour? BRE:DEL however, reminds you that the fundamentals, if well done, can seduce you as well. CAVA'S TOOL is a techno/house/dub minimal and-more-than-minimal tune with textures that make its authenticity. THE MAKER adds a pinch of innocence with sounds of children, warm wind sounds and bells that disappear in the skies. Without knowing, you're moving from left to right, left, right... and you press play again.
The EP was released on SEM (Swiss Electronic Music), and if you liked CAVA'S TOOL, go check out Locic, Hostom or Giorgio Maulini.
PS: Go follow BRE:DEL on Spotify, gotta support the swiss artists right? See you next week :)
Artiste: BRE:DEL
EP: Silent Valley
Titre: CAVA'S TOOL
Sortie: 11.11.2019
Label: SEM (Swiss Electronic Music)