Well...

Dear friends, as most of you with an IQ over 17 have gathered, I'm out of blogging since quite some time now. I've totally stopped participating in the share net in all ways and have neglected this blog for good; I even forgot to celebrate its 4th birthday. I actually spend less and less time online, as I find it too exhausting and distracting. I must be getting really old.

The truth is that, putting aside my already busy schedule (see: family life, day job, part-time job #2), I've finally decided to devote my virtually non-existent and oh so precious free time to meddle again with music production. And yes, if the stars are right, even to fulfill a project I have in mind since I was 20+ (aaargh, has it been that long? anyway...) To go along with that, I try to sort out my house, starting from the record collection, a challenge for the brave indeed. Which I'm halfway through btw, yet the hard 50% is ahead of me and I'm sorting vinyl only...

I tried to build a new blog from scratch in order to post my to-be vinyl rips as I had so pompously announced, yet didn't even managed to come to the end of that - too many distractions, so little time. When it came to ripping, I did a dozen of tests; yet, due to a (totally silly) mistake I had to get rid of everything I had recorded - and that was another blow.

And then it just dawned to me that OK, failing always annoys me (I'm that type of guy...) still there is time to do certain stuff and there is time to fold back and gather your strength; to think about your life and organize your space and time, or even to do completely different things. I simply have to sort out my life a bit before I can get back on any track. For how long, I really don't know. After all, Time Is Time, as they say in Zion.

So. I plan on leaving this blog intact, for as long as it takes them (?) to take it down - or until my RS premiums expire for good, which will surely come first. I'll think about what I'll do with it when the time comes. Some links are already off anyway, yet even thinking about digging those CDs out and ripping them... Maybe I'll keep the blog inactive with a possible comeback in mind, maybe I'll just let it rot or just sweep it like a sand mandala.

On the other hand, if someone is interested in running it, in keeping it going, best thing you can do is to send me an e-mail or comment here and we can possibly arrange it. Only serious proposals, as they say in the ads; I may be about to quit this blog, yet I still feel close to it...

So, dear friends. I feel this is not the last we'll hear of each other. Still, since Life has its magnificent twists now and then and we never know where we will land after the ride, I bid you farewell in advance and hope the best for you and your people.

Love Is The Law, Love Under Will.

Everything Popular Is Wrong

I have to admit that as much as I like some of his music works, I often get bored by the rest of them. That's just me, I guess; but I had to get this out of my chest.

Putting that aside, Stefan Goldmann's opinions on the current situation concerning our music today (as expressed through Silo Magazin and Little White Earbuds' lovely site) seemed to me a quite accurate synopsis of what went wrong during the last decade, business- and creatively-wise. I agree with at least 95% of his views (save the PS...), so I felt I had to share this. Just in case some of you missed it - it has circulated a bit, as far as I can tell.

Please take some time and read it.

Great title for such an article, isn't it?

(I'm buying time for my not-yet-ready posts. You know that.)

Back from the grave

OK, I have to admit it was a really big surprise for me to see this blog back up again. I sincerely had lost all hope about it and was thinking about creating a new one, what it would be about, if there was a way to re-post all previously upped CDs, etc. etc.- and had decided I have absolutely no time to do that anymore. And suddenly I visit my account and see it's up again, for a few weeks at least, judging from your comments. What can I say...

Some great news, people. I bought a Mac and managed to get my audio stuff together, creating a mini-studio - which gives me the ability to rip from vinyl. Finally. So, now my record collection is up for grabs. Needless to say, I won't be ripping any recent stuff, unless it's decidedly out-of-print and unavailable elsewhere - I haven't done anything like it in the past and I won't start now. But I have a lot of good stuff from the (late) '90s and early '00s that's mostly unknown yet marvelous stuff, deep and punchy techno and house, or some rare releases from well-known artists, so I'll start with these first.

Vinyl ripping is definitely slower than CD ripping. I'll just do my best, just don't expect daily updates. And while the state of my 12"s is far from being 'mint', I'm afraid I won't do a lot of corrections, pop- and hiss-wise, I just don't have the time. But we'll live with it. Also, I'm thinking on posting high quality links, possibly FLAC - give me some feedback on that, won't you?

So glad to be back. I now know that I missed this. So nice to see you again, dear friends.

(No, these are not my records. They are better kept and organized but, sadly, only slightly.)

Force + Form

This was a request, I had honestly forgotten about it; but after listening to it again after those few years, I have to say it has aged extremely well. Full of loopy, dark techno with industrial references both sonically and thematically (see Coil), it's a classic Surgeon album revealing in full his idiosyncratic tendencies for bastardizing righteous techno beats with weird atmospheres and post-breakbeat loops. On that account, he always reminded me of early PWOG, amongst others; but that may be just me. Anyway, it's no wonder he made a turn towards the tech/dubstep crossover during the last few years.

His downtempo interludes are (according to Anthony Child himself) influenced by the work of his mentor/friend, Napalm Death's ex-drummer Mick Harris aka Scorn or Lull, who also contributed a dub in a 12" of remakes of tracks from the album.

Surgeon - 1999 Force + Form
Info here.

Most people would call it 'experimental techno'. I like to think that techno music is experimental by nature, although I would have to be braindead and/or deaf to believe something like this for all that music categorized as 'techno' and published in the last two decades.

P.S. I found the EP (not my link), so check it here:
Surgeon - 1999 Force + Form Remakes
Info here.

P.S.2: Link updated. Original post 2010-05-05

The Way Eye See

Late '90s techhouse, somewhere between Svek's minimalistic house excursions and the various US hybrids of house and techno, from Alexi Delano - who has of old built his reputation in creating soulful and deep tracks with dancefloor appeal and still releases quality stuff under various monikers, in collaborations and through various labels. This is an one-off project
through Germany's Plastic City, full of lush chords and groovy elements over tight and phat beats for house lovers with open ears.

A.D.N.Y. presents Leiva - 1999 The Way Eye See
Info here.

Resuscitation

Out through Ersatz Audio, this is a compilation of several 12"s released by ADULT. on E.A. as well as labels like Intuit-Solar, Bolz Bolz' Electrecord and Clone.
"Working class electronic music", they say. I call it retro electro with edge, cold synth influenced. Not dancefloor material per se, yet that's its appeal, in some sense. The artwork is also essential and a big part of the concept, Ballard-like in essence, so check more of their artwork where you can find it.

ADULT. - 2001 Resuscitation
Info here.

Sheen

It's been some time since I posted some music from KK Records, so here's a classic compilation - full of techno, harsh industrial beats and dark atmos.

Highlights include legendary Test Dept.'s excursions in electronics, plus classic stuff from artists already presented in this blog, like Uwe Schmidt's Lassigue Bendthaus project, PWOG, Riou, etc. The first CD focuses on technoid beats, the second one is more abstract and experimental in its sound.

VA - 1995 Sheen. Kk Records Compilation
CD1 - CD2
Info here.