Sk'p - Unmute Your Journey (2010) :: Review + Interview

Sk'p
Unmute Your Journey
[Planet Terror Records :: 2010]

Free Download + Interview

Sk'p is the new alias of Belgian electronic music artist Skip who is known for his hyper, playful, chiptune/drill'n'bass style and has performed along side braindance / IDM heroes such as Ceephax, Venetian Snares, and DMX Krew.  With his first release of this new project Sk'p departs from his colorful happy place into darker, more introspective territory, revealing a whole new side of him that we haven't yet heard.  Ten-track long player "Unmute Your Journey" leads us through a fascinating micro-world where we hear the sounds of amoebas and nano spores making an epic trek across vast microbial landscapes that, in retrospect, could fit on the tip of your finger.  He has a way of making small things sound big, turning tiny micro samples, synthesized pops, clicks, and droplets into intriguing complex beats and textures, and bubbling up through these expertly woven rhythms are beautiful, swelling melodies from light and pleasant to heavy and dramatic. It's an album of polaric contrast that stays true to its name and takes listeners on an up and down journey through sonic hills, valleys, deserts and forests.

Experimenting with song deconstruction, Sk'p lets some tracks like "Mentoa Mass" and "Seyefer" sway between beat-driven moments and moments of chaotic noise with mindful timing that always keeps the listener interested and excited.  Other tracks like "Kraeactor" and "Unmute 2.2" really delve into sound appreciation and ambiance seemingly without a real structure, but it's there, stretched across the vastness he paints.  Sk'p also delivers classic golden-era style IDM in tracks like "Cotrol Clod" that are just short of danceable but get your head nodding the whole way through.  "Lost Land" really showcases the range in this album, opening with residual static and stuttering pips carried over from the previous track and evolving into a full-fledged song complete with a grooving beat, warm melody, and a climactic finale that harkens back to the speedy, chip'n'bass style of preceding Skip releases.

This album is mind blowing from start to finish, but my absolute favorite tracks are the "Soivelslevios" and "Vleckeffect" spread.  Gorgeous! Epic! Huge!  The melody of the former is so incredibly moving and between the emotional choir pads and upbeat chiptune interjections I don't know whether to cry or rejoice.  Perhaps both would be in order, but after every listen I can't help but literally shake my head in awe.  The latter of the two has these sharp, metallic harmonics, steamy crescendos and oil drum rhythms that together make a brooding film score-like track to rival the best.

"Unmute Your Journey" is a modern day "Lifeforms" that gives me what I wanted out of "Oversteps".  This is one free netlabel release you do not want to overlook.  Interview after the teasers and download link.

Teasers:



Download Sk'p - Unmute Your Journey :: MP3 (320kbps) .ZIP | Label Page

Connect with Sk'p/Skip :: MySpace | Facebook | SoundCloud

// Interview with Sk'p //

Bc: "Unmute Your Journey" has a darker, more serious sound that many of your previous releases. What inspired this new sound for you?

Sk'p: Its a collection of tracks where I wanted them to be part of a different but very specific "journey" outside my releases under "Skip". Each Sk'p track also started with a specific vibe in my mind before and while producing it. These tracks were much more pre-thought, which is why I believe they sound more serious and worked out. In comparison with Skip, Sk'p tries to be much more sharp, glitchy, crunchy, experimental, slower than Skip, still very melodic, atmospheric, melancholic but not too much, and more than ever inspired by the late 90's melodic ambient and IDM.

Bc: What was the most fun or interesting aspect of writing in this style vs. upbeat drill n bass and do you feel like you've grown as a musician in the process?

Sk'p: I have grown because I think I (again) have managed to produce music I wanted to hear but couldn't find and am very satisfied with it so far. Its all about musical self-fulfilling creationism.

Bc: What albums or artists have you been listening to a lot of lately?

Sk'p: I usually keep a healthy variation along the day. But I'd have to say Edgar Froese, Nofx, Four Tet (latest stuff is beautiful), Philip Glass, unreleased Kettel-stuff, Thomas Newman, some italo disco and a wide variety of selected netlabel stuff such as Implex Grace (superb stuff, check his album "Through Luminescent Passages 2"). I also started to listen to audiobooks and radio interviews about unexplainable natural phenomena, it really feeds your fantasy.

Bc: Favorite snack or meal while writing/recording?

Sk'p: Something with tuna please.

Bc: I see that you are a sketch artist as well and have quite a lot of detailed pieces online.  Which Bic Art are you most proud of? How long did it take you?

Sk'p: Giant curved cylinders going into the white fog, or the one featuring different little organisms attached to each other, with a small black orb in the middle. I can not really say how long it took for one of those because I usually do them in many sessions. Sessions of 30 minutes to 2 or more hours. It has been over a year now since I actually did some ballpoint stuff. Partially because I'm working on a comic book concept at this time which is still in pre-phase (I only do sketching for now.)



Bc: What has been your favorite live gig to play so far?

Sk'p: I played at 2 festivals this summer, both were I believe my best and biggest gigs. Big up PeerPressure crew and Once Upon A Festival!

Bc: What is the most memorable / fun live performance you've attended so far?

Sk'p: I always very much enjoy Autechre, Bogdan Raczynski, Ceephax Acid Crew, Wisp...I couldn't choose.

Bc: How do you feel your surroundings inspire your music?

Sk'p: Absorb everything with a selective mind.

Bc: Do you think you'll continue on this musical path for your next release or try something different?

Sk'p: At one hand I'll surely continue, but other paths might get along and they could eventually mix together, who knows. It's a living thing, you don't have to rush it.

Bc: Any gigs coming up?

Sk'p: Got a couple for these last 2 months; one in a few weeks, and on january first :D !

Boards of Canada - Turquoise Hexagon Sun [C64 Demo Interpretation] :: Video

Gotta' love the modulation that begins around the 0:47 mark.  Though this piece was programmed with the VICE emulator, it's beautifully done with interesting visuals. I only wish it would go on longer.

William S. Braintree - This Is Story (2010) :: Review & Interview

William S. Braintree
This Is Story
[Future Image Records :: 2010]

7.5/10

William S. Braintree lives and composes his brand of glitchy, melodic IDM in San Francisco, CA, one of the most populous cities in the United States.  Much like San Francisco, his new release "This Is Story" is densely packed full of variety that co-exists harmoniously in the small span of an album.

The first sound you hear when you press play is the crackle and pop of a vinyl record, followed by a vintage recording from what I would guess to be some sort of self-help or relaxation album.

"I recommend that you listen to this record in the evening before you retire.  Have your wife and loved ones listen too so that good, constructive thoughts are impregnated in your consciousness just before you go to sleep."

It's true, William S. Braintree has completed a collection of tracks that are both stimulating and uplifting, though they may make you want to jump out of the lounge chair to dance.  Said to appeal to Team Doyobi or HCCBU-era Venetian Snares fans, Braintree's sound pallet knows no limit.  Tracks like "Space Birds" and "Koala March Invasion" feature classic glitchy digital percussion, warm, resonant bass, and modern synths while "Boris Karloff Is Racist" dips into a world percussion soundbank full of tabla drums and finger cymbals.  He also weaves in some older squarewave tones like on "Glass Joe", an 8-bit dirge that morphs into what I can only describe as sort of "chip-grime" with a loud, melodic breakdown that demands your attention.

Space Birds by william s. braintree

One could say that a collection of such varied tracks make an album sound "disjointed", but who cares? When it's good, it's good, and that's exactly what "This Is Story" is. One of my favorite tracks is "Burning Sand", a funky stepper which opens with a warm and snuggly arpeggiated bass synth.

Burning Sand by william s. braintree

I had a few questions for William S. Braintree and he graciously obliged.

Bc: Did you start these tracks after your "a very abbrev xmas" last year or do some of them date further back than that?
WSB: Some of them were written much before, and some were written a few months afterward. That xmas EP was written in about a week's time, actually.

Bc: What is your hardware/softsynth ratio? What is your favorite of those to work with?
WSB: Most of the album is written with software, but I have an Electribe ESX that's on a track or two. I really have no preference when it comes to hardware or software. I write music with a group from Columbus, OH [pinebox.org] that uses 99% hardware, and I'm completely comfortable working with it as if it were software. Sometimes MIDI can be a pain, but it's usually not an issue.

Bc: What do you use for your lo-fi sounds? Like in Glass Joe for example. It sounds a lot like C64 or a toy keyboard. Do you use samples or do you have some of that dusty old gear lying around?
WSB:  Some of them are definitely samples from old Nintendo, Amiga, or C64 games, and some of them are random samples I send through a bitcrusher/decimator. On Glass Joe, I actually wrote some of those patches in an FM softsynth. I prefer to get samples right from the source, but sometimes you have to improvise if you don't have them on hand.

Bc: Any plans to tour a bit or maybe some local live shows?
WSB: I don't have any plans for a tour, but I'm always playing shows in San Francisco and the bay area.

Bc: Do you feel like living in the city of San Francisco influences or inspires your music at all?
WSB:  Maybe not directly, but I do think that your environment has a heavy impact on your creativity. This city is amazing, and I hope to stay here a long time. All of the crazy events here [Howeird festival, Bay to Breakers, Love fest, etc.] really make me happy, and inspire me to be very active. So in that sense, San Francisco definitely has a profound influence on me.

Bc: What is your favorite pub or bar & grill in SF?
WSB: There are so many! Noc Noc has great music and beer, Zeitgeist has a huge patio outside, and the Bean Bag Cafe has super cheap, good beers. Also, Bender's since they have bike hooks inside and two pool tables, haha.


Buy William S. Braintree - This Is Story at:

Bandcamp | iTunes | JunoDownload

Connect w/ William S. Braintree @

MySpace | Bandcamp | Soundcloud 

Polygon Ring - Songs From The Season Labs (2010) :: Review & Interview

Polygon Ring
Songs From The Season Labs
[Kahvi Collective :: 2010]
Free Download

8/10

This album almost didn't happen, but I'm relieved that it did.  It's a beautiful collection of tracks by Bulgarian artist Polygon Ring that, in his own words, "ranges from tender and hazy interludes, through wavering instrumental hip-hop pieces, to lengthy messed up glitch affairs."

Fans of Boards of Canada and Autechre should certainly lend this album an ear as their influences on Polygon Ring's sounds and techniques are pretty out in the open.  Be that as it may, he mixes and molds the warped tape loops and textural beats into arrangements of his own, incorporating hints of traditional music from his ancestral heritage, hip-hop leaniencies, and recordings of live performance with radio receiver hardware.

His personal style really shines in the track Clouds And Other Contraptions, which happens to be a favorite of mine.  A constant drone tone provides meditative bliss while glitchy rhythms dance around you and a distant voice, sounding like it was recorded in a cathedral, sings an unintelligible but heartfelt hymn.  I hope Polygon Ring decides to explore this sound in future releases as it is both gorgeous and unique.  I also quite enjoy his shorter interludes which feature warm, Bach-like organ solos, and the instrumental hip-hop joint "A Most Unusual Camera" that includes a lazy flute loop, shimmery synths and a sampled Rod Serling monologue from the Twilight Zone.  While listening through this album from start to finish, it's easy to tell that these songs were composed by someone who has an undying appreciation and love for this style of music;  he handles it with care.  Overall this album just feels good and I recommend checking it out.

Clouds And Other Contraptions by Polygon Ring

So how did this album come about?  Mr. Polygon Ring took some time out to talk about that and answer some other questions about the release.

Bc: I read in the album description on Kahvi.org that you were urged by fans to create this album based on a single track that was heard in a podcast? How long did you work on Songs From The Season Labs before releasing it into the universe?

PR: This is not how this happened. It was actually Nik, the head of Kahvi, who found out that I was performing at last year's Artmospheric festival and was curious what I was up to musically, since I had not released anything on Kahvi for the last several years. I sent him the tracks that I played there and he was eager to release them right away. I was convinced by his positive attitude that releasing them to a wider audience would actually be a good thing. Most of these tracks were from older albums and EPs of mine that I had only sent out among various friends and never intended for world-wide release, but I was converted. Still, I wanted some time to work on what exactly to include in the album, polish a bit more some of the tracks that end up on it, and have the whole release properly mastered. This took about an year to happen, and being featured on the podcast was like a little nudge for me to lead things to completion. The album itself contains pieces dating back to 2004, and each following year till 2010 is represented by at least two tracks.

Bc: Ah, I see. So which track did you complete first, and which track was the most enjoyable to compose?

PR: Must have been either "Twisty Little Passages" or "Istedi". Both these little interludes were written about 6 years ago. Nik was keen on having the first one, and I'm pretty partial to the latter for more reasons than just the sheer sound of it. So, leading to the second part of the question, hard as it is to single a track out, I'd say this is a draw between "Istedi" and "Induce" which featured an enjoyable live performance on two radio receivers. Recording "Clouds and Other Contraptions" was a pleasant experience too. It was recorded live and has subtle references to traditional Bulgarian music with its constant drone, specific rhythmic structure, and the dvoyanka parts (that's a wooden double flute).

Bc: What artists inspire you most to make music?

PR: I enjoy tons of different music, but I guess the Autechre and Boards of Canada influences are the most obvious. Perhaps Machinefabriek has part in my choice of sonic palette as well.

Bc: Who is your favorite up and coming artist right now?

PR: There's a Bulgarian artist called Nurthice who recently released his debut album "Otono" on VU-US. Highly recommended. I'd like to mention Smartech too, a friend of mine who has been making music for as long as I can remember, but he has also released it primarily among friends until recently, so I guess "up and coming" still applies. You'll be rewarded if you make a trip to http://smartech.bandcamp.com

Bc: What was your favorite T.V. show while growing up?

PR: I was never much of a TV kid, but I have rather fond memories of "Nu, Pogodi!", a Russian cartoon that was very popular in Bulgaria during my single-digit years.

Polygon Ring doesn't have an official website or MySpace page (how rare!) but you can keep up with his musical endeavors on Soundcloud for now.  If you're a fellow music maker, you may want to explore his large collection of free electronic drum samples via the stylish http://blips.hit.bg website.  Also, if you use Renoise at all, you might find his Renoise Track Generator page interesting.


Polygon Ring - Songs From The Season Labs :: FREE DOWNLOAD | Stream M3U | Album @ Kahvi.org