A peak inside the brain of Minerva. The Hungarian artist has once again got in touch with her more experimental side. Expect acid, dub, techno and all sorts of chaos.
We'll just leave this here... "Sputnik" is Russian word that means "fellow traveler". The title reflects to the thankful feeling of having a partner next to you who shares similar values, phylosophy and attitude to life. Things that connect you together, and create a foundation of mutual responsibility, its essence, the deepest and holistic view about the quality of everyday life. A person that respects you and has the curiousity and passion to escort you on your way wherever it leads to.
At the end of last month, Bricolage affiliate Suncastle released a mammoth full length LP on the fascinating Triplicate Records. "Original Son" is a 19 track electronic monster that acts as a sonic exhibit of what the Manchester producer is capable of conjuring up. We'll run you through our own track by track take on whats on offer in the album.
1. Vision Quest
The album opener starts things off with a blast. A melody soaked, broken beat epic.
2. Into The Trees
Plods into sight with a rumble and focuses more on this producers ability to create a slow burning atmosphere.
3. Carousel
Another slow tempo and deep bass that slowly gives way to a stuttering fun fair of chiptune sounds.
4. Low-Lands
A short upbeat funk based ditty.
5. Deer Archer
Carefully plucked melodics and a thumping kick carry this funk infused electronica gem from start to finish.
6. Nerikara and Tabasuko
More carefully portrayed melodics, this time with an Eastern flavour, and some playful sounds over a swift tempo.
7. Ley-Lines
Warm arpeggios and solid rhythmic patterns create an energetic number.
8. Sugar Cairn
Absorbing tones and textures that throw up sunshine vibes.
9. Dragon of Peat
An experimental interlude of sorts that leads into....
10. Forest Fire
A diverse and sonically challenging slice of electronica that never sits still.
11. Clive's Dream
Another short interlude, even more experimental than the last with bleeps and blips falling over each other in harmony.
12. Thorpe Cloud
Starts with what could be an almost trance like tone and slowly develops into a broken beat hybrid.
13. Treefortress
60 seconds of bright, ambient/glitch, sound design.
14. Friendly Bacteria
A rapid fire beat, warped bassline and a sumptuous ascending melody.
15. Sabilulungan
A beautifully constructed piece of nature themed ambient that conjures up images of a gleaming forest.
16. Ghosts in the Cabin
Field recordings and curious, haunting sound design.
17. Rabbit Dream
A perfect electro/8bit crossover that confidently bounces and sways along. Possibly my stand out track.
18. Drownhouse
The most calming track on the release. A quiet and ethereal slice of ambient that slows down the pace as we reach the end.
19. Under the Hills, Magic Remains
A superb closing track that somehow manages to take pretty much every musical ingredient from the album and cram it into 5 minutes. The precise way to close out a phenomenal release.
Overall, "Original Son" is an expansive and eclectic body or work that shows a producer who is clearly in his element when given free reign to genre-smash and explore the many sounds that occupy his headspace.
Have a listen for yourself at the bottom of the page and grab a copy from the Triplicate Records bandcamp.
*EDIT: The folks over at Triplicate have been kind enough to offer up a few download codes for this phenomenal album.
Our latest Headroom session is a special two hour extravaganza curated and mixed by US producer, Supply Fi. He’s brought together a collections of sounds from friends, peers and underground artists far and wide for a genre bending 2 hour journey full of curious and ultimately engaging music that includes ambient, glitch, dreamy electronica, fractured textures and a whole host of experimental sounds.
TRACKLISTING 1. Dark Fidelity HiFi - Butterfly Whip (feat Belial Pelegrim and Hannah Moore) 2. Belly Full Of Stars - Palisades 3. Devras Plexi - Silk 4. Supply Fi - Unruly Cascade 5. Bufinjer - Shadow Party 6. Belial Pelegrim - Giants In The Earth 7. Danny Playamaqui - Finches02 8. maxpro.audio - Fox Tail Old Tale 9. Station Zero - Chasing Silver 10. Elsa Hewitt - Blood Orange 11. Chris Randall - getProcessor 12. Shiko - Sullen 13. Made In The Dark - Visitation Rites 14. Suncastle - Sugar Cairn 15. Glitchfield Plaines - Basilisk 16. Running In Slow Motion - Deep Woods 17. Dandelion Head - Marigolds (feat Nicolé) 18. Stuffamebobs - Mr. Brown's Folly 19. TWOBOB and Textured Grooves - Non Soinua Etorri Zen 20. Crest Of The Syndicate - Duntisbourne Arp 21. Amberglow - Therapy ii 22. Xixistix - Travelling Strange Angles Not Known To Men 23. Time Rival and Running In Slow Motion - Paper Mill VI 24. Mood Exhibit - Brevity of Euphoria / Gone 25. The Quietist - Be Like Water
It's been a while since our last ITL so we're starting off February with a new episode that takes a look at what a few artists on the roster have been up to recently.
THE OSCILLOSCOPE
Some "new" old material has surfaced on The Oscilloscope page as the Swiss based producer changes pace from his usual acid sound and revisits a gentler sound with some ambient material. There's plans for a conceptual release in the works so stay tuned to his account for more details soon.
------------------------------------------------------------- BLUE NOTES
Fresh from his Tetrahedron album release on Bricolage at the end of last year, the young Glaswegian has kept his foot on the production pedal and continued to provide some excellent tracks for his followers. The latest offering being "Mnemonics". An atmospheric piece with some class ping pong style percussion littered throughout.
"Revival of Interest" is a work in progress from the Dutch musician that is driven along by a strange, bubbling, melody, warped vocal, crisp, clean beats and a rumbling, sparse bassline.
The ever prolific Californian is always at the forefront of consistency and never disappoints with his eclectic skills. Newest track "And The Sun Went Out In The Sky" is a prime example of his ability to carve out soaring ambient soundscapes alongside a tight backbone of experimental elements.
"Deep Archer" is the first track from an upcoming Suncastle LP on Triplicate Records. . It's a warm breeze of slightly wonky electronica. Upbeat basslines and fluttering melodies supply the depth in a superb all rounder that gives an insight what to expect when the release comes around. Free DL so no excuses not to dig in.
To round off the episode we have a sprawling acid-electro hybrid gem from Arran Trax. Building off the base of an almost tribal rhythm it slowly grows and grows into a monster of a tune that never sits still. There's a sweet melodic break halfway through that pops up to say hello before it gives way to the return of sonic chaos. "Morgenlicht" is up there with my own personal favourites from the, Hamburg based, Scottish producer and I'm delighted to reveal that we've started dialogue on a Bricolage EP from the man himself over summer. Expect more acid....
Seeing as the 11th of December was “International Mountain Day” we decided to head all the way back to August 2015 and this stunning piece of glitch minimalism and vocal manipulation from the Japanese producer. Available, exclusively, on Bricolage as part of our first ever release, Volume 1.
A bright, positive and nostalgia laced analogue composition from the German based Scottish producer. Martin Grafton, the man behind the name, is known for his ability to consistently churn out catchy earworms and melodic hooks. This particularly upbeat little ditty is full of them.
A special throwback to 2015 and our winter solstice themed compilation release where we asked some of the artists on the label to portray what the 'Longest Night' of the year feels like to them personally. This album was released 2 years ago to the day and includes exclusive tracks written specifically for the album.
The first official release from our friends across the channel at Collectif Sympa sees the Bricolage affiliated, Sunn Boo, provide a smooth remix of his stablemate, Emigr, as part of the Brigadier EP.
Episode 22 of In The Loop takes a look at what the 13 artists from our most recent compilation (VOL 5) have been upto recently. We'll work our through the tracklist in order so without further ado....
colab
Mikael Hansson aka colab has managed to create his own distinctive style over the years and continually sculpts small ambient/glitch universes at every turn. His latest offering "kids" is no different. There's an air of nostalgia that flows through the dream like nature of the track.
A producer that refuses to be tied down to any specific genre. The sounds of Devras Plexi map themselves out over landscapes of beats, alien sounds and a whole body of textured melodies. There's always LOTS going on but never too much that it becomes a jumble. Having that skill in terms of production can be all to rare these days. His latest SC upload "greenYellowGlow" shows off that technique perfectly.
There's been nothing new from the German producer since our compilation release date but we can still take a look back at a track from the start of 2017. "Illumic Curves" is a track that we were potentially looking to release before settling on his more DnB themed "Fractal Particles" for Volume 5. This track has a unique feel and time signature to it then draws you into an almost psychedelic realm.
The Hamburg based Scottish producer has released a fair amount of danceable tracks over the past month or so. "Journey To A Better Future" is something a little bit different. It's still danceable, it's still got the trademark AT spacey synths and pingy drums but the message behind it is a little different. The track was made with a certain mindset....... "I had in mind the dangerous journeys so many people have made to Europe fleeing war, persecution & poverty. Maybe someday the whole of mankind will have to leave this planet in search of a new home too."
"Angel of Life" sees the Finnish producer let his guitar skills come to the fore as he mesmerises with some beautiful tones before letting the sounds drift off into a melancholic wonderland full of The Cure-esque basslines and catchy lead lines.
The French sound designer has brewed up a slow burning fusion of electro, house and techno for his newest creation. A perfectly executed, reverb soaked, sound collage of micro beats and ping pong basslines that dance in and around each other.
The track "Shadowlands", from Blue Notes, has an eerie and spooky vibe floating throughout. Church like synth notes stab through the piece and build up tension before dashes of acid slide their way into the equation and add to the atmosphere. Dark electronica at it's purest.
It's sometimes hard to keep on top of the phenomenal output of this supremely talented producer and given the quality and quantity of his releases it's even harder to pick a track to share in here. We've gone for "Tetrahedral Kites" due to it's insane sound detail and remarkably fresh big beat feel. A true hybrid of electronic music. Think of a tone, it's probably in there. Think of an instrument, it's probably in there. The term "braindance" was coined for these kinda tracks.
Every few weeks a new production falls of the Moscow Machina production line and onto Soundcloud. The latest noise coming from the studio is "Taboo". It's a hypnotic, warm, acid based number with effective percussion leading the way for an overlay of trippy sounds.
Clearly an advocate of the raw, lo-fi sound, Pedraw's latest track sees him stick to his guns. Gravelly , understated perc work acts as the backbone for a solid groove that worms its way into your ears.
"Solution" from No Arrival starts off as a wonky ambient soundscape before traversing into a rapid fire barrage of drums complimented and acid tinged bass. Throw in the fascinating amient noises that linger over the top of the track and you've got anther unique electronic track from a very unique producer. Personally, we think this guy is really one to watch for.
"Room 13" sounds a tad unsettling. It is. But in the best possible way. There's a wave of paranoia gnawing away through this industrial synth effort from All Buttons In. A tense atmosphere born through beats that whip at you through the headphones and a deep, deep bass that constantly buzzes and intertwines itself with the bleepy leads. A complex but worthwhile listen.
"Monster With 21 Faces" really has to be heard to be believed. A true journey in sound. Classical elements clash with modern electronics to create, pardon the pun, a monster. Suncastle seems like a producer who values his experimental side and this track takes things to the perfect level of the experimental genre. It glides along with ease, never once feeling disjointed. The further you listen the deeper you fall into it's charm. You can grab it as part of the most recent Mangled Music compilation release.
Volume 5 of our various artists compilation series is yet another assemblage of colourful and eclectic sounds from a unique array of musicians from around the world alongside a few, closer to home, names from right here in Scotland. It's a massive auricular adventure that traverses through a combination of styles and tastes.
As with all our previous VA compilations, each and every one of the producers has been cherry picked for their ability to create distinctive and appealing musical art. There's a generous assortment of engaging work throughout the compilation from start to finish, It's a particularly wide ranging selection of electronic compositions that more than deserve your full listening attention. There's a bit of everything to go round your ears. A truly broad horizon that sweeps through some finely detailed and multifaceted IDM cuts, mutated drum n bass patterns and a medley of woozy slow burning ambient infused electronica voyages to let you catch your breath. Then there's some expertly designed melodic experimental efforts to keep your brain occupied and a couple of hypnotic and gritty house/techno numbers for good measure before the conclusion of the release leads us to some more experimental productions that encompass all manner of abstract techniques and patterns from glitch, industrial, noise and breakcore.
As always you can stream and download the compilation below or at our bandcamp.
There's also a Soundcloud playlist to stream
Bricolage would like to thank all the artists involved for contributing their work and making this release possible, We couldn't have done it without you.
On the 12th of June we release Volume 5 in our Various Artists compilation series. Once again, we've scoured the electronic terrain to bring you some innovative artists from across the world mixed with some ultra creative home grown talent . Tonight, with 3 weeks until the release date, we start introducing some of the new faces and provide you with a bit more info about them and their respective sounds.
56. BELIAL PELEGRIM
Belial Pelegrim is a Los Angeles born electronic musician and producer whose work covers a blend of dark IDM, avante garde and experimental genres. Taking acid and jazz compositional ideas, the jostling rhythms and hip hop and dub, as well as the twisted sonic mayhem of ambient and drone. Mr Pelegrim explores the periphery of experimental IDM, weaving melody with dissonance and has worked on collaborations with artists around the globe.
Arran Trax is the pseudonym of Martin Grafton, a Scottish producer based in Hamburg, Germany. His passion for music was lit at an early age by tinkering on the synths in his uncles studio. These days he prefers the hands on pleasure of sound design on hardware synths. His upbringing on the West coast of Scotland still resonates through his music and his output can lean towards an one of his various influences, be it Italo Disco, Detroit Techno or Scottish folk music.
After taking an extended break from electronic music, Arran Trax returned in 2016 with vinyl and digital releases on Envy Music and Expressive Waves.
Suncastle is a seven-year long recording project of UK native, George Ernest Evans. A veteran of the Mangled Music Collective, Evans has elected to produce bizarre and unconventional electronica ever since the means to do so became available. Growing up on a diet of weird tunes from the usual suspects; Boards of Canada, Aphex Twin, with a healthy obsession with all things classical.
Suncastle tunes suggest a giddy fascination with erratic melodies and textures that often find themselves chopped and filtered into straightforward pop sounds before the music stops playing. You might hear echoes of happier times and nostalgic flourishes that evoke a feeling that everything is going to be alright. Then again, repeated listens may 'reward' the listener with eerie suggestions of sounds from the dark side. 'Was that a children's choir? Or was it a Manson Family sing-song?' This uncertainty will keep you coming back for more, like morbid curiosity keeps you glued to the silver screen in times of peril.
The casual listener may delight in the ever-so-slightly-fucked-up vibes the Suncastle project has to offer, for those willing to dig a little deeper, that is an entirely different matter.
Blue Notes is an independent electronic artist from Glasgow with a serious love for making noise in general. Everything from IDM to downtempo to drum n bass and gabber is fair game for this producer who enjoys incorporating sample based music which allows him to explore his love of crate digging whilst combining digital and analogue sounds.
If you keep up to date with our social media accounts then you'll know that earlier this week we said that we'd have a few announcements coming this weekend regarding many aspects of a creative summer here at Bricolage. There's new music, guest mixes, a remix competition and a very big collaborative release coming at the end of summer.
First off, we're proud to announce that, after four successful Various Artists compilations, we're officially moving onto our fifth edition of the series with VA5 penciled in for official release on the 12th of June. Once again, we've rounded up a collection of established and creative producers from around the globe. All of them with their own unique sounds and creations to bring to the table. The latest compilation release will be featuring American electronic wizard Belial Pelegrim, Finnish downtempo specialist Sect-ion, the mysterious Suncastle, Edinburgh producer All Buttons In, Glaswegian experimental musician No Arrival and the exceptional work of Devras Plexi to name but a few. It's safe to say that we have another very eclectic Various Artists album coming your way next month. Stay tuned for the standard introduction and bio posts starting on our blog next week, as we welcome the new faces to the Bricolage family. As always, you'll get to learn a little bit more about the people behind the sounds.
To have a listen to the previous VA compilations head to our bandcamp page where you'll find the releases alongside the rest of our back catalogue.
Ever since the inception of Bricolage in 2015 we've ran our monthly podcasts and bi-monthly Headroom mix series to great effect over on Mixcloud. Our artists have consistently provided listening experiences that span across every spectrum of the electronic genre.
For June, we've managed to pull off a coup in getting some one off mixes from some very special guests. Friend of the label, Esef, takes over our podcast for the month. His monthly residents slot, alongside Loui Cleghorn, in Glasgows Flat 0/1 venue is known for it's sweat inducing mayhem and the boundless energy provided by the precise and remarkable tune selection on show.
As someone with a broad range of influences and tastes, Friday night club sets and after party marathons are just the tip of the iceberg with Esef though. A few years back he fused together ever evolving moods of dub, ambient sounds and house music for the very first guest session for the Fragile X "Cult Zer0es" mix series. So who knows what we're in for next month. Either way it's going to be a fun ride.
Be sure to check out his Return To The Cities EP over on soundcloud.
Our second guest mix next month sees Glasgow based powerhouse, Boom Merchant, take the wheel for the latest episode of our Headroom mix series. He's an astonishingly well established all rounder with an unwavering dedication to his craft in terms of both DJing and production. Known just as much for carving his own brand of house and techno as he is for his ability to hold club goers attention from start to finish with his cosmic sets at his very own Tribal Pulse club night. With an extensive and meticulously assembled record collection to choose from we should be in for a huge treat come June. Have a listen to a guest mix for Proton Radio below alongside the latest Boom Merchant release, "Haka".
Last summer we ran a remix competition for Loui Cleghorn's "Waterworks" track, where the two winning remixes got to feature on the title tracks EP.. This summer we're back again with another remix competition, this time for Oscurito. He releases his second EP, "Eastern Philosophy", on Bricolage this July and next Saturday we'll be officially launching the competition for his new track "Find Your Centre". Stay tuned for remix stems and more info coming soon.
Last but definitely not least, to celebrate Bricolage turning two years old in August we've lined up a very special collaborative project.
All of our releases so far have been digital only but thanks to the help of Rick at Dark Fidelity Hifi we've managed to secure a physical release for what should be one of our most ambitious projects to date. A CD run of 200 copies is in the pipeline and if it proves to be a success we'll be looking at more physical releases down the road whether it's CD, vinyl or cassette.
For the August release, we've pooled together an assortment of producers from a bunch of our previous releases over the past 20 odd months and paired them together to collaborate and come up with a track between them for the album. So far we have around 14 musicians on board, with many paired off and already in the early process of production. We're currently still looking for another 6 or 8 names to round off the production team and then it's all systems go.
More details on the physical release as they arrive. When we know, you'll know.
