ASIP 2019 Label Compilation

I’ve always wanted to do one of these for the label each year, but until now we’ve never really had enough output to warrant a decent end of year ‘sampler’. 2019 however saw us release eight records in various formats, so consider this our first of hopefully many annual label compilations.

There’s no hype or deep context needed for this, it’s one track taken from each of those eight releases however, some tracks features some slight edits* / versions as detailed below. Hopefully people will still discover something new, or if you’ve purchased them all already (thank you!) there are some small edits to present a new listening experience.

Thank you to everyone who has supported our music this year and a big thank you to all of the artists included who are along for the ride.

Available to download on Bandcamp for $1.

2019 releases (in reverse chronological order)

Olga Wojciechowska / Infinite Distances 12” Vinyl + Digital - buy

“…Sometimes opposing thoughts can be held in tension, and a person can be two things at once; in such cases, reconciliation is not two halves that make a whole, but two wholes that occupy the same space. In the end, the beauty of Infinite Distances is not distance, but closeness, as Wojciechowska sews seams between past and present, abstract and concrete, composer and listener ~ more intimate than infinite.”

— A Closer Listen

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36 / Fade To Grey (Reinterpreted) CD + Digital - buy

*Compilation includes an edited version of Midnight Tether.

“Entering the aural Eden, the primal dystopian “Fade To Grey” scenario by 36 exquisitely shifted into awe-inspiringly drifting dronescape euphoria... ”

— Richard Gürtler on Bandcamp

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Comit / Remote Viewing 2LP Vinyl + Digital - buy

“... a supremely listenable piece of music, as much bespoke made for your mind as for your heart.”

— Headphone Commute

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Max Würden / Format 2LP Vinyl + Digital - buy

*Compilation includes an edited version of Constituent Elements

“Though it may sound like hyperbole, the absolute masterpiece that is Format deserves to award Würden a place among the likes of Eno, Laraaji, Jenssen, Budd and Roach, such is the richness of content, diversity of technique and spellbinding atmospheric ambience”

— James Knapman / Igloo Magazine

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Yagya / Stormur 2LP Vinyl + Digital - buy

*Compilation includes the unmixed vinyl version of Stormur Sex.

“Their combination sparks something particularly unique on ‘Stormur niu‘ – a wonderful shuddering, driver of a track featuring whispered vocals in Japanese from Hatis Noit.”

— Andy Gilham / inverted Audio

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James Bernard / Atwater (Remixes) Digital - buy

Arovane, Bluetech, Christian Kleine, Comit, Mike Golding (B12), Milieu provide 90’s IDM & electronica takes on the original recording of Atwater.

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James Bernard / Atwater 12” Vinyl and Digital - buy

A recording of a modular live set performed by James a year earlier in Los Angeles, brought to life once again.

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36 / Fade To Grey 2LP Vinyl and Digital - buy

“Fade To Grey is aware of a deeper need, a deeper yearning, a deeper wish”

— James Catchpole / Fluid Radio

Now available: Comit / Remote Viewing

We’re extremely pleased for this one to see the light of day. After hearing James’ music as Comit back in 2016, it was refreshing to hear such a new take on what was previously called “IDM”. Done in a style that only someone like James could achieve he brings a clean, break-beat, heavily melodic approach to the “intelligent” side of electronic music, without using the typical tropes of yester-year.

Given the early inspirations for this sound, we enlisted the man behind many of City Centre Offices releases to master the record, Andreas ‘Loop-O’ Lubich and of course some stunning artwork by our regular contributor Noah M / Keep Adding. One detail, I myself got to provide the original photograph for this record which Noah manipulated to what you see today. It was a shot taken in Tokyo of the neon lights, and I’m sure you can guess where.

Lastly, a big thank you to Heath Looney who helped birth this project for James and had our support in bringing it to life on ASIP.

Remote Viewing is now available with all information, links to buy and listen on the release page.

Pre order: Comit / Remote Viewing

In 2016, we were excited to see a brand new alias from James Clements that took a new direction from his ambient and drum’n bass influenced works as ASC.

Comit debuted on the Short Trips label (read about it here) with three early 90’s / IDM inspired tracks on a beautiful neon yellow 7” vinyl. An immediate throwback to a warm and melodic time, but modernized in a way that only James could.

And for those that might’ve missed it, James released a sneaky Comit remix on our James Bernard remixes EP a few months back.

Following this release, and after three years finessing his first full length after the alias’ debut, we’re overjoyed to present James’ Comit project in full here on ASIP, titled Remote Viewing.

Read about the release, listen and links to pre-order/buy here.

James Bernard / Atwater (Remixes) Now Available

James Bernard’s live recording, ‘Atwater’ demonstrated the beauty to emerge from the simplicity and gentle manipulation of modular synthesizers. Such a raw moment captured that day, packed full of melody and escapism, presented a perfect opportunity to invite some of our favorite musicians to remix the original material recorded in North Atwater Park.

The remix lineup was purposefully selected to highlight electronica and a genre that grew from the manipulation of the synthesizer - a new toy for many bedroom producers that grew in commercial success and helped define a new sound in the late 90’s and early 00’s. With this in mind, we invited six producers who go some way in reflecting this approach over the years, with James Bernard’s original synthesizer recordings providing the basis of each experiment.

Arovane opens the release, with a sweet and sharp electronic punch, followed by Christian Kleine’s guitar-hook driven take, who as many will know, were two crucial producers that helped place electronica on the map through their releases on City Centre Offices. Alongside Uwe and Christian, also representing the early pioneering years of the sound and housed by the seminal label, Warp over the years; B12’s, Mike Golding, who takes James Bernard's sound to the limit across 9 minutes of additional modular manipulation.

Joining them, are three producers taking the electronica sound in new directions in recent years. James Clements, known to many under his own name or as ASC, guides us into the relatively unheard realm of his electronica-inspired Comit alias, combining the energy of his drum’n bass-led releases with the nostalgia and escapism heard amongst his ambient works. Bluetech, producing since the late 90’s and known for many approaches from psychedelic to downtempo, turns in an inspired, glistening take on the original, unearthing even more melodic moments. And lastly, Milieu, a firm favorite of ASIP's for many years now, uses nothing but the source material, to create a chugging and serene take on the original, closing out the Atwater remixes.

Buy on Bandcamp

ASIP - Reflection on 2016

2016 was a busy year! The label started with the Arovane & Hior Chronik Remix EP, then Merrin Karras' glorious synthesizer piece, Apex. And more recently, the much-desired 36 album, The Infinity Room.  It was also a very sad year in many ways, with ASIP artist, Igor Bystrov aka Parks, passing away. The In Memory EP, featuring a collection of his works was also released, with all proceeds going to Igor's family. Thank you to everyone who supported the label and the artists throughout 2016 - I can't express how grateful I am to have such an amazing bunch of listeners and supporters.

It was an amazing year for music. I was overwhelmed for the most part, and didn't get round to writing about half as many albums as I would have liked to. But my yearly Reflections mix goes some way in helping soothe my guilt and pain. Featuring many of my favorite tracks from some of my favorite albums and releases from the year, it's my version of the infamous journo 'best-of' list but presented in the best way possible I start with a playlist including one track from every album I've enjoyed over the year, and then whittle it down, based on what sounds right in the mix and ultimately, what I've been listening to the most. It goes without saying, this only scrapes the surface of the many great albums and releases we've been treated to in 2016.

A quick run down of the inclusions in this years mix...

Sad Elron, the one track I spent the year looping, was the standout in one of this years best albums from Mark Pritchard. Bvdub surprised us with a selection of shorter-than-normal cuts, and potentially his best album yet. The Green Kingdom is this years under-the-radar gem, cutting up dubby-ambient and post-rock. Steve Hauschildt topped the year of the synthesizer, as did Phaeleh, with outstanding albums on both fronts. ASC made a sneaky retro-electronica appearance as Comit. Synkro enlisted the best for his remix EP - with Helios providing a glorious take, alongside a superb album of his own. Jesse Somfay returned after over 5-years with a unique and exciting new album. Segue turned in da-dub as usual on the ever-brilliant Silent Season. Isan made a return with their quirky melodic electronica. The Orb made an attempt to out-chill-out the Chill Out. Ametsub dropped a sneaky jazz-infused ambient piece. Tangent proved the newcomer of the year on n5MD. Jóhann Jóhannsson should be on the front-cover of Time magazine as man of the year with his outstanding score for Arrival and another complete masterpiece in Orphée. Heck got the remastering and reworking of choice by Field Rotation's Christopher Berg. Ocoeur got our year off to a stunner with his modern-classical masterpiece. Eluvium won the hearts of everyone with his operatic tearjerker. Drape kept Infraction's continually brilliant ambient output up-to-scratch. Warmth treated us to one of the years best ambient surprises. Deepchord turned in one of the years best remixes - out-ambienting Wolgang Voigt's flip. Benoit Pioulard broke his wrist and showed us how to remix Aphex Twin. Porya Hatami and Arovane joined forces once again book-ending their ASIP remix EP.  And lastly, as a special tribute, we end the mix on one of my favourite tracks by Park from 2009 - RIP.

And breathe. Enjoy the look back.

Download.

Tracklist:

01. Mark Pritchard - Sad Alron [Under The Sun] (Warp)
02. Bvdub - 07 [Yours Are Stories Of Sadness] (Self) - Read the review
03. The Green Kingdom - Haze Layers [Harbor] (Dronarivm) 
04. Steve Hauschildt - Time We Have [Strands] (Kranky) Read the review
05. Phaeleh - Frequency [Illusion of The Tale] (Undertow) Read the review
06. Comit - Under Your Spell [Trip 01] (Warm Communications) Read the review
07. Synkro - Midnight Sun (Helios Remix) [Changes Remix EP] (Apollo)
08. Jesse Somfay - Chorona (A Voice Like Sunshine) [Levamentum] (Tipping Hand) Read the review
09. Segue - Deep Valley [Over The Mountains] (Silent Season) 
10. Isan - Lace Murex [Glass Bird Movement] (Morr) Read the review
11. The Orb - 4am Exhale [COW] (Kompakt)
12. Ametsub - Skydroppin' [Skydroppin' EP] (Blueberry Records)
13. Tangent - Perceived Horizon [Collapsing Horizons] (n5MD)
14. Jóhann Jóhannsson - Heptapod B [Arrival OST] (Deutschegrammophon)
15. Hecq - Night Falls (reworked by Christopher Berg) [Night Falls] (Hymen Records)
16. Ocoeur - Fixo 2 [Reversed] (n5MD) Read the review
17. Eluvium - Fugue State [False Readings On] (Temporary Residence) Read the review / mix
18. Drape - Detrial Rest [Let There Water Air] (Infraction)
19. Helios - Land Father [Remembrance] (Unseen Music) Read the review
20. Warmth - Odessa [Essay] (Archives) Read the review / mix 
21. Peter Michael Hamel - Colours of Time [Reinterpreted] (Deepchord’s Carolina Forest Mix) Read the review
22. Benoit Pioulard - Stone In Focus [Radial] Read the review / mix
23. Porya Hatami & Arovane - iaan [Kaziwa] (Time Released Sound) 
24. Jóhann Jóhannsson - Flight From The City [Orphée] (Deutschegrammophon) Read the review
25. Parks - Eternal Wind [Hidden] (Infraction - 2009)

[Artwork / photo taken on a trip to Japan in August 2016]