The Orb "The Dream"

Artist: The Orb
Album: The Dream
Label: Traffic Inc.
Release date: 29 August 2007
Genre: Electronic
Style: Ambient Techno/Dub/Downtempo
RIYL: The Future Sound Of London, Orbital, Leftfield

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Tracklisting:
01. The Dream (The Future Academy Of Noise, Rhythm And Gardening Mix)
02. Vuja De
03. Something Supernatural
04. A Beautiful Day
05. DDD (Dirty Disco Dub)
06. The Truth Is...
07. Phantom Of Ukraine
08. Mother Nature
09. Lost & Found
10. The Forest Of Lyonesse
11. Katskills
12. High Noon
13. Sleeping Tiger & The Gods Unknown
14. Codes
15. Orbisonia
16. Let the Music Set You Free
Total running time: 79' 56"

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[The Orb - Open MySpace Standalone Music Player]

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[The Orb - Vuja De - Video Clip]

"The Dream sees the reunion of long-term friends and collaborators Alex Paterson and Martin ‘Youth’ Glover, working together under the Orb umbrella for the first time in fifteen years. The pair met at school in the seventies, then, while Youth gained famed as part of post punk outfit Killing Joke, Paterson followed as a roadie for the band. The pair went on to set up W.A.U.! Records and work together, alongside Jimmy Cauty, and later on Kris ‘Thrash’ Weston, on the two first Orb albums. While they remained friends over the year, it wasn’t until Youth set up a brand new studio at the end of his garden a couple of years ago that the pair began working on a new project.

Drenched in fluid dub pulses, overactive layered samples and polymorphic grooves, The Dream, introduced by the Future Academy Of Noise, Rhythm And Gardening, captures the spirit of early Orb in a way not heard since Orblivion. The lush sonic tapestry that unfolds past the guitar motif in the opening sequence of the album has the welcoming feel of a treasured retreat. As the warm pulsating bass kicks in and vocal samples burst out from all sides, wrapped up around the main melody to the point of obliterating it, the Paterson/Youth machine appears fully back in motion. The anthemic Vuja De, featuring vocal contribution from Aki Omori, who previously contributed to Cydonia, hesitate for a moment between the rich soundscapes of its predecessor and progressive pop before settling for unadulterated electronic bliss.

But it is in its middle section that The Dream really hits hard. Once the breezy formations of A Beautiful Day cleared, the album dives deeper into kaleidoscopic grooves, first with the greasy DDD (Dirty Disco Dub), then with the liquid The Truth Is…, which makes good use of a well known Orb hook . Then, it is the turn of the heavy dancehall-infused Mother Nature and ragga flavoured Lost & Found to assert the pair’s chemically fuelled dance floor credential. After that, the pair return to gentler territories and drop a series of beautiful hypnotic compositions, first on Katskills, where they combine ethnic percussions and vocal samples on ever changing patterned backdrops, then with the warm and uplifting High Noon. Codes and Orbisonia bring The Dream down to a gentle close. While the surface gloss of the former is eventually broken by erupting electronics, the peaceful nocturnal ambience of the latter echoes some of the most chilled moments of The Orb’s Adventures Beyond The Ultraworld.

A far cry from the desolate minimal techno of Okie Dokie, which Paterson and Thomas Fehlmann released in 2005 on German imprint Kompakt, The Dream is a lush and groovy offering which, although never reaching the heady heights of U.F.Orb, manages to show that there is life in the old beast yet." [themilkfactory]

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Peace Orchestra "Peace Orchestra"

Artist: Peace Orchestra
Album: Peace Orchestra
Label: G-Stone
Release date: 1 September 1999
Genre: Electronic
Style: Downtempo/Nu Jazz/Trip Hop/Dub
RIYL: Kruder & Dorfmeister, Tosca, Sofa Surfers

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Tracklisting:
01. The Man Part One
02. Meister Petz
03. Double Drums
04. Domination
05. Marakesh
06. Henry
07. Who Am I
08. Shining [Feat. Chilli Bukasa]
09. The Man Part Two
Total running time: 56' 52"

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[Peace Orchestra - Open MySpace Standalone Music Player]

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[Peace Orchestra - Shining - Video Clip]

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[Peace Orchestra - Who Am I - Multi-touch interaction demo]

"As one half of Kruder and Dorfmeister, Peter Kruder helped to unleash the amazing 2CD laid-back beatfest of K & D Sessions. The double disc of remix work (and a couple short originals) was one of the most solid releases of the year and a testament to the duo being able to reconstruct tunes with their own deft touch into something that was often times more interesting than the original. Those wondering what the duo could do without the starting points of other music need wait no longer, as the Peace Orchestra is a fully-realized effort and a great one at that.

Sounding something like you might expect from one half of the above mentioned duo, Peace Orchestra is nine tracks and just over an hours worth of laid back beats, jazzy little keyboard lines and lots of other little bits thrown in for good measure. The disc starts off in familiar K&D territory with "The Man Part One." After some odd blips and washes of sound that give the track an almost underwater feel, in comes a little thicker keyboard melody and some live drumming sounds. It all folds over itself and slowly winds together, and rub a dubs you along in a warm groove. The same sort of feel continues with some nice use of horns on "Meister Petz," before stepping things up just a slight notch on "Double Drums Domination."

After the slightly overlong (but ultra tripped-out) "Domination," the disc changes up ever so slightly for the second half beginning with the darker sound (and awesome chang-up rhythms) of "Marakesh." The disc closes out absolutely beautifully with an awesome 1-2-3 punch of tracks. While "Who Am I" throws down a thick beat over some trancey slow progressions before it picks up and layers on some even chunkier riffs. "Shining" goes the trippier route again with nicely layered chime sounds, big timpani drum hits and vocals by Chilli Bukasa before "The Man Part Two" drops and sounds almost like a Portishead outtake with muted horns, an old gospel singer sample, and completely wah-ed out guitars.

As could be expected, production on the disc is outstanding and although none of the tracks move much beyond a downtempo pace, the music still has plenty of life and interesting things going on within. Fans of Kruder And Dorfmeister would probably definitely want to check this out, as well as anyone who just enjoys good downtempo music that doesn't drag." [source]

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Anders Ilar "Ludwijka (Extended Visit)"

Artist: Anders Ilar
Album: Ludwijka (Extended Visit)
Label: Shitkatapult
Release date: 16 April 2007
Genre: Electronic
Style: Ambient/Ambient Techno/Glitch/Dub
RIYL: Monolake, Murcof, Pole, Dettinger

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Tracklisting:
01. Ludwijka I
02. Ludwijka II
03. Ludwijka III
04. Ludwijka IV
05. Ludwijka V
06. Ludwijka VI
07. Ludwijka VII
08. Ludwijka VIII
09. Ludwijka IX
Total running time: 57' 03"

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"Listening to the non-dance efforts of dance producers is always revealing. Free from the necessary restrictions of 4/4, these projects – as is commonly thought - allow artists to be more experimental, more expressive, and less hemmed in by the restrictions imposed by club formats. The results can go either way though. When Tim Hecker set loose his billowing grey clouds from the regimented beats of his Jetone project, his music grew all the richer. On the other hand, the bouncing tones and naive melodies of Nathan Fake’s 'Drowning in a Sea of Love' drifted off into snoresville; it was bland in the way that only IDM can be.

Swedish artist Anders Ilar has never restricted himself to any one genre, producing acidic minimal techno and less structured electronica, for a host of labels, in equal measure. 'Ludwijka (Extended Visit)' falls into the latter category, and builds upon an earlier vinyl edition formerly released on Merck. Essentially a travelogue around Ilar's hometown of Ludwijka, these tracks are filled with sounds culled from old tapes of a young Ilar singing, playing instruments and making various noises, along with more recent, equally personal recordings, including Ilar's father on trumpet, the meowing family cat and chirping neighbourhood birds. As Ilar states: '...Musically, it's probably inspired by all the music I've listened to over the years. So you see, its a very personal album for me.'

This might lead you to expect a warm, nostalgic journey through resonant patches of sound, but anyone familiar with Ilar's earlier Shitkatapult releases will not be surprised to find something quite different. Filtered through Ilar's laptop, the Ludwijka of his childhood becomes like a David Lynch film: a dark, harrowing nightmare, yet also achingly beautiful. 'Ludwijka I' introduces pads as lush as Ulf Lohmann's, alongside a backdrop teeming with subtle activity, and Casio beats which skip, like Boards of Canada, a notch above ambient music. The same intricate details swarm by, blurred, in 'Ludwijka III', as though viewed from the window of a speeding train, while ticker tape taps scroll past biological moans and groans and morbid, mournful synth pads, all put together like the bleakest electro. 'Ludwijka IV' comes closest to being a pleasant memory, with muffled piano chords shimmering like Budd and Eno, while part VII skips slowly by in 4/4, the drums mere tics, while birds sing and water drips in some dank and horribly lonely place.

Aside from the sounds of birds, the most prevalent theme in 'Ludwijka' is echo, as though Ilar has thrust these memories into a deep cavernous underground. The resultant, reverberant gloom, present in all of these finely constructed tracks, is frequently riveting, and the wealth of detail Ilar has packed in offers much more than misery to the attentive listener." [source]

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Tied & Tickled Trio "Aelita"

Artist: Tied & Tickled Trio
Album: Aelita
Label: Morr
Release date: 1 June 2007
Genre: Electronic
Style: Abstract/Ambient/Dub/Experimental

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Tracklisting:
01. Aelita 1
02. You Said Tomorrow Yesterday
03. Tamaghis
04. Aelita 2
05. A Rocket Debris Cloud Drifts
06. Chlebnikov
07. Other Voices Other Rooms
08. Aelita 3
Total running time: 43' 58"

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"Aelita announces a surprising change in direction for German group Tied & Tickled Trio (Caspar Brandner, Andreas Gerth, Markus and Micha Acher, Carl Oesterhelt), though not necessarily an unappealing one. The quasi-jazz style that characterized past albums like Observing Systems is gone; in its place are through-composed instrumentals devoid of the individual expression that comes with soloing. The new album's eight pieces are evocative, oft-ponderous chamber settings that seem tailor-made for a somber Eastern European film (the title track is, in fact, an homage to the first Russian science fiction film while the suitably funereal “Chlebnikov” is named after the poet of the Russian avant-garde who died of starvation in the 1920s). Synthesizers, vibraphones, and melodicas now occupy the front line, dark electronic clouds clutter the sky, and brass instruments are nowhere heard.

“Aelita 1,” a melancholy, neo-classical tapestry dominated by xylophone and bass, initiates the album and returns in miniature form two more times. The album springs to life with “Tamaghis” whose pairing of vibes, organ, and dub rhythms recalls Burnt Friedman & the Nu Dub Players' 2000 ~scape release Just Landed. At times, it seems as if the tension wrought by stylistic change is audible. It sounds, for example, like the rhythm section, the drummer in particular, is vainly struggling to break free of the band's self-imposed compositional constrictions in “A Rocket Debris Cloud Drifts.” Regardless of one's feelings about the directional shift, there's no disputing the elegant, chamber-like beauty of “Aelita 3” even if there's not a solo tenor sax anywhere to be heard." [source]

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Bjørn Torske "Feil Knapp"

Artist: Bjørn Torske
Album: Feil Knapp
Label: Smalltown Supersound
Release date: 26 March 2007
Genre: Electronic
Style: House/Dub/Nu Jazz

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Tracklisting:
01. Hemmelig Orkester
02. Hatten Passer
03. Spelunker
04. Tur I Maskinparken
05. Loe Bar
06. Kapteinens Skjegg
07. Møljekalas
08. God Kveld
09. Ørkenrotta
10. Fembussen Hjem
Total running time: 58' 33"

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[Bjørn Torske - Open MySpace Standalone Music Player]

"When Prins Thomas was asked the question “what is the most desirable signing if money grew on trees?” by Fact Magazine, his answer was; “if I could lure him out of his cave for a second I wouldn't mind getting some new stuff from Bjorn Torske”

And now; Bjorn Torske is finally out of the cave with a brand new album titled “Feil Knapp”! This is his first album since “Trøbbel” in 2001 (on Telle Records). In many ways “Feil Knapp” (Norwegian for wrong button) represents a sound that sits somewhere in between “Trøbbel”, 1999`s seminal “Nedi Myra” on Ferox and his underground cult hit “Søppelmann” on Svek. With influences ranging everything from Count Ossie and The Residents via 22 Skidoo to Idjut Boys, Torske has created his very own and characteristic signature sound, a unique blend of warm and melancholic house, quirky avant-disco, leftfield electronica and dark, heavy psychedelic dub. In other words; this album has everything that we have learnt to love Bjorn for. Weirdly melodic and wonderfully groovy.

Leading up the this album Smalltown Supersound has also released the two 12”s “Ny Lugg (kort bak/lang på siden) and “Kokt Kveite”. Torske is now working on remixes for Lindstrøm and Sunburned Hand of The Man.

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Biography:
Bjørn Torske comes from the capital of electronic music in Norway, Tromsø, a small town far north over the artic circle. This town has bred great artists such as Mental Overdrive, Biosphere and Royksopp. Through Geir Jenssen, Torske got in touch with SSR/Crammed Discs in Belgium, and in 1991 he appeared on two separate 12" singles on the label. Dutch label Djax-Up-Beats picked up on the talented young Norwegian, and the following years Torske released a string of underground 12" singles on Djax-Up-Beats and other labels, such as Reinforced Records, run by Mark & Dego of 4Hero.

Still early 90’s, Torske soon moved to Bergen. At this time he played synthesizer on Biosphere’s live shows, and toured around the world with Geir Jenssen. After releasing an album on Djax-Up-Beats in 1995 Torske concentrated on DJing for a couple of years, releasing only one single on Per Martinsen’s Love OD label. It did have a noticeable impact, though. «Fleet» became a club hit in Amsterdam, and was pumped regularly by DJs like Dimitri and Derrick May. Eventually Ferox-boss Russ Gabriel got to hear Torske’s music. He immediately phoned Torske, led to the release the album «Nedi Myra». The album caused quite a stir around the world.

Back in Norway some of Bjørn’s fellow Tromsø-dwellers, like Röyksopp’s Svein Berge and Torbjørn Brundtland moved to Bergen. New acts, clubs and labels were emerging in town, transforming the otherwise sleepy university town on Norway’s west coast to the hippest place to be. Meanwhile, Bjørn had started releasing singles through prestigious house label SVEK. In 1998 his friend Mikal Telle founded Tellé Records, and invited Bjørn to join in on the fun. Bjørn released «Disco Members» on Tellé in 2000 as well as taking take time off to release the brilliant «Aerosoles» on SVEK. In the same period Torske also produced his next album, Trøbbel on Telle Records, as well as remixing his friends and studiopartners Røyksopp`s first hit single “Eple”. Torske also toured Europe with Royksopp in the spring of 2002." [source]

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