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Net Decks 18

  Tobias

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reviews

I've been waiting for this release! The „First Motive EP“ by Spanish artist Marc Dosem was one of my personal highlights this year, an intelligent, arousing, stimulating and atmospheric soul-search full of ambition. As Marc revealed to me during our email conversation afterwards, the tracks of this mini-album were essentially part of a full-length originally slated for a regular CD release, until the folks at Antiritmo convinced him otherwhise. Thanks to them for that: The feedback to the music has been overwhelming, strongly suggesting we might be seeing much more of Dosem on the netlabel scene in the future. But first, there's the rest of the pack, four more pieces where the good stuff came from. Not quite as futuristic as the previous outing, maybe, and without quarter of an hour epics this time – even though „Offsequence“ does clock in at a majestic nine minutes – but every inch as idiosyncratic and unadjusted as its predecessor. The beats are hard and straight on „Second Motive“, monotonous in their forward movement and hypnotic in their resolution. Consequently, the entire movement of the tracks lies in their development of timbres and harmonies. On „Tc202“, these surface areas are equally aggressive and adventurous, inflaming the music with brutal sweeps. On the remaining three compositions, however, Dosem counterpoints the rhythmical obstinacy with bouncing bass slaps and warm chords, softening the impact of the nervous grooves. In the final installment „Koderpad“, the thematic lines heave, breathe and sigh like the organism of a friendly alien with a very long cigarette between his fingers. On the „Second Motive EP“, Marc Dosem has found the eye of the storm, a spot where the stomping bassdrum transcends into the pulse of an urban dream – and brought this two-part release to a more than satisfying close. Now it's back to waiting for more again.
www.antiritmo.com

Brian Uzna is the name of the solo project of one of Electronic Music's most versatile voices: Mathias Garde. Next to dozens of remix assignments, producing tracks for a myriad of HipHop projects, dabbling in experimental electro-Soul with his band Voyage Ecoute (formed with Philipp von Wangenheim) and working on intense dronescapes, his releases are marked by hovering and hibernating beats, an openness towards integrating all of the abovementioned styles into coherent concepts and a minute attention to details. Some two years ago, I had the privilege of releasing his debut album „Combat Shock“ on my einzeleinheit imprint (www.einzeleinheit.com), shortly before his career as one of Germany's finest underground beatbuilders took off. Mathias has always stayed close to the more atmospheric side of things, however, and now, again after some impressive precision work, presents the sister release to „Combat Shock“ as a free download from his MySpace account. „Combat Files“ bundles alternative versions of album material, new compositions as well as two remixes by friends. Stylistically, the difference between the two publications is almost negligable, even if the most recent output may even be more closed and hermetic. Harsh frequencies are softened by dreamy ambiances, decided percussion attacks with microscopic variations counterpointed by one-minute short sonic impressions such as „pinae # 3“. In the world of Brian Uzna, the rhythmic textures are not separated from the harmonic development, but rather constitute a single, fluent layer of sound, which flows effortlessly through time and space. This is why his tracks appear pleasant at first, only to reveal their deeper meaning upon closer scrutiny. Martin Steinebach, aka Compest, delivers a perfect remix in this respect, his staccato-impulses more of a subtle propulsion than an aggressive forward thrust. The tight mood collages are complemented by a nine-minute long ambient interpretation by yours truly of the most widely applauded „Combat Shock“ track: „A World full of Sorrow“, which peacefully closes the EP. But believe me: The file on Brian Uzna is anything but closed with this again impeccable effort.
www.myspace.com/brianuznaelectroprofile

The still fairly young Epicure Business label is (watch that pun!) back in business again with a fresh sampler compiled from a couple of well-known artists from their line-up, as well as some newcomers. Newcomers in terms of their own roster, that is, for it is netlabel professional D.Soul, owner of the pace-setting Tropic imprint, who kicks things off in style with a mellow exercise in fender rhodes, crackling vinyl grooves and multiple lightweight melodies softly played alongside and against each other. A wonderfully unpretentious introduction. Vanilladisiak's „Hedonist“ takes a similar route, contrasting finely woven beat structures with an upfront, intermittent spoken word sample and delicate pads. Halfway, the track opens up more, only to return to its heavenly embrace in the finale. In his second contribution to the compilation, the decidedly more demonstrative „Uphorrikk“, the electro assault never exceeds a certain threshold, loosing itself in a sweet nebula of loops and luminescence. More and more, a general approach establishes itself: As if enclosed in a cell cushioned by foamed plastic, even the most retentent sounds are dulled, muted, absorbed and toned down. What should be loud now appears silent, what seemed threatening now feels familiar. In the closing statement courtesy of one of the label heads, Emission, this maxime is highlighted by a serious, abstract and yet physical production, which is just as relaxing as it is spinetingling. Sensous chill-down music for still turned-on minds.
www.epicurebusiness.com

Let's close off with something very different. Mirko Uhlig released „Storm: Outside calm, tamed“ as the second installment of his VIVMMI trilogy. A short recap for all of you who missed out on this: „VIVMMI“ was Mirko's first release under his own name after a sizeable discography with his solo collaborational project Aalfang mit Pferdekopf. The album also introduced listeners to a new chapter in his oeuvre, to a quiet music with decent changes, which almost disappeared completely in the holler of the city but proved to be overwhelming for the very same reason. Rave reviews everywhere and comparisons to classical music where the result, which led to the initial pressing of the album selling out in no time. „Storm: Outside calm, tamed“, was the difficult follow-up to that musical diamond and confounded expectations in the most drastic way. Inspired by the industrial logic of Merzbow and William Basinski's dream of eternal harmony alike, this single track of 33 minutes length' was a piercing, pervasive perversion of its predecessor. A brutal statement of personal troubles, the album was again praised by the critics – this time ignored by the public, though. A couple of months on, Mirko Uhlig now refers to it as „real heart ballast/trash/rubbish set to music“ for which noone should have to pay. Realistically enough, he still calls it „a good piece of music“ and after listening to it again after a while, I couldn't agree more: A distorted wave lingers in the air menacingly, but as yet harmless, for two minutes. Just when it seems to die down, all hell breaks loose. A majestic, completely rag-dolled guitar theme penetrates the ear like a roto hammer for minute after minute after minute. Only towards the very end, a desolate piano comes to the rescue, sounding out the piece on a sorrowful note. Bleeding Heartscapes of the most extreme kind. Uhlig is correct in claiming this music should be free – he has paid enough in its creation process.
www.myspace.com/mirkouhlig

By Tobias Fischer

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“Net Decks” is a weekly feature of tokafi.com covering Netlabel releases from the techno and electronica scene. It is published each Monday. For including your infos, having your releases reviewed or joining the reviews team, please contact us at tobias@tokafi.com