Ambient Ibiza

From Kenneth Bager's danish Flex, this is a compilation of downtempo tracks I'm posting mostly for the contributions by Lucky People Center (*), Dub Tractor (*) and the divine 'Journey' by The Gentle People (I think I have their debut somewhere...).

A couple of other known names in here as well, although many of the tracks barely escape mediocrity. And another unfortunate cover/title combination, by the way.

VA - 1996 Ambient Ibiza
Info here.

Putting The Morr Back In Morrissey

I realized that the title's wordplay is lost on most ears nowdays. Anyway, I won't go on about that label that redefined contemporary electronic listening music by combining experimental sounds and techniques with indie pop and aesthetics, blah blah blah. I'm talking about Morr Music and similar stuff, of course - a scene mentioned many times before in this blog anyway (*,*,*,*,*,*).

The first CD mostly contains unreleased stuff, the second one remixes between label artists. Simply one of the best listening compilations I own - still sounds good as gold. Enjoy.

VA - 2000 Putting The Morr Back In Morrissey
CD1 - CD2
Info here.

Delay

Deep and dubby electronics with pop references (occasionally bordering on the mainstream lounge sound) from Anders Remmer, more famous from his later City Centre Offices releases. Out in danish Flex's FX sublabel, this is his last pre-CCO album.

Dub Tractor - 2000 Delay
Info here.

Sometimes it drives me crazy how expensive some records can be - records I consider to be OK to listen to, yet not crucial enough to be characterized as 'classic releases'. This is actually one of them. I never blame the artists, don't get me wrong - always blame the sellers.

Trans Metro Express

To tell you the truth, I don't quite remember how I got there.

Still, this is the site and this is the video:

Trans Metro Express - Mikkel Metal in the Copenhagen Metro from Metro on Vimeo.

Into Forever

Infinite sweetness by guitar hero Manual and Alexander Perls or Icebreaker International (once part of Piano Magic).

Out through a sub-label of Berlin's 'pop' emblematic Morr Music, this music is destined to be transmitted from Antares, "... a deep-space probe fitted with high powered audio projectors..." after his launch in May 2011 from Novgorod, Russia, towards the nebula NGC 10007 (though I have yet to find even a tiny piece of info on that mission..). The sound nods sleepily towards the shoegaze direction (down?), post-Fripp guitars blend with post-Eno abstract electronics, like a glossy 'No Pussyfooting' (but sounding a bit retro instead of cutting-edge). The funny thing is that '90s shoegaze didn't sound so '70s-like. Still, the outcome is exceptionally good, relaxing and spacey. Ambient.

This release is backed up by both RISAcorp (?) and NATOarts (a sponsor of old for the I.I., old site here). Creepy, to say the least.

Icebreaker International & Manual - 2003 Into Forever
Info here.

No Sign Of Bad

Actually I didn't knew these guys until last year, when I first heard at a record shop the 'Chapter One' 12'' (with a Trentemoeller remix) where a serious Roots voice (that of Jah Bobby) describes the history of a certain carribean island over a heavy techno dub bass, and the whole thing hit home. A must, the original. Later I came upon this album (somewhere at NoNaMe.ru, I think) and a Quango 12''.

And what's with these northern guys and dub? And why do they do it so well? Maybe it's just the weed is good and plenty, or that they live relaxed and good lives. Or it's just the crappy weather and the time they have to spent indoors (DJ T-1000 said that for Detroit and Finland, not me). Anyway. At least one of them has now moved to LA, I think, so the Dane character will soon fade, eh?

More or less it's a downtempo album, but don't mistake it for a 'chill out' one (even though a lot of said compilations include tracks of them). They combine the northern style in volume, crispiness and quality of production with the natural flow of the more roots oriented dub bands. They play instruments and use some good vocalists. Some times they sound almost reggae-ish, others they remind me of Rhythm & Sound and Pole (and that's a huge compliment). When they go for the beat they bring to mind other Danish guys like Trentemoeller or Martinez. And they can also go ragga. Quality.

This one went out in Panamericana (their label, obviously) but soon got re-released in Music For Dreams and later in Quango with different playlist (the dark dubs 'Darkness' and 'Ragga Foo' are replaced and the hidden track is missing). This is the Panam one, though the track order is a bit messed up (I noticed it only when I checked the Discogs page, sorry). It's a bit rare but at the same time the only one floating at times around the net. Here are also the tracks of Quango 12'', a massive bass mix by Def Jaguar (aka Djuma Soundsystem aka Ben Horn) and a more housey affair by Parov Stelar.

Djosos Krost - 2005, No Sign Of Bad
CD: Part 1 - Part 2
Info here.
Djosos Krost - 2006, No Sign Of Bad Remixes
12'': Here.
Info here.

And while we 're on the Northern Dub thing, for some mixes check this. Finn guy, not recently updated site but excellent dubs, electronics and disco. What more?

I don't really feel good to post something easy to find as this 12'' is, I just think that they are not as known as they should be and the Def Jaguar remix is really good. If you like it, buy the actual record (or keep striving towards the extinction of vinyl in a very few years).