This year, Tony Young celebrates the 20th anniversary of his sonic project, Autoclav1.1. Over the past two decades, he has crafted stunning albums released on renowned labels such as Crunch Pod, Tympanik Audio, WTII Records, and, more recently, Audiophob. His latest work offers an intimate glimpse into the British artist’s childhood, reflecting his thoughts and experiences from that time -beautifully expressed through evocative track titles and an eclectic Electro production. The album seamlessly blends Young’s signature influences, from his familiar IDM roots to Cinematic and Ambient elements. The tracklist is thoughtfully arranged, starting with eerie, Ambient compositions and gradually building toward more danceable pieces in the latter half. Pulsing beats invite listeners to move, while the intricate and nuanced arrangements reward attentive ears. Listeners will encounter deep, resonant basslines and witness the meticulous craftsmanship with which Young builds and evolves his tracks. While Autoclav1.1’s sound has become slightly less dark and more atmospheric, the album remains a captivating experience,  offering a glimpse into the unique sonic world Tony Young has cultivated over two decades. (Rating:8).

Listen to “Asleep On harmony Hill”:

https://audiophob.bandcamp.com/track/asleep-on-harmony-hill

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Electro-Ambient, IDM, Techno-EBM, Industrial, Cinematic.

Format: Digital, CD.    

Background/Info: Nearly four years after the previous “Hyperakusis”-compilation German Audiophob label unleashed the fourth chapter of the series. Nine bands from the labels have been selected and twelve tracks have been featured.

Artists: Spherical Disrupted, Axiome, Gamlaskatten, Mortaja, Wesenberg, Mandelbrot, Starmen, Autoclav1.1, Darkrad.

Content: This compilation perfectly represents Audiophob’s roster. From Electro-Ambient with Industrial sound treatments to old-school Electronics to powerful Techno-Body to Ambient-Techno to space-like electronics to Cinematic music the bands bring a very diversified menu.

+ + + : Audiophob is a small label but with a great taste of music. Most productions stand for true sound intelligence and a visionary approach. I’m getting once more totally wild of the heavy, bouncing Techno-Body music by Mortaja which is characterized by devastating, solid, bass lines. This artist brings two exceptional cuts. Wesenberg is a more familiar name and still a visionary artist when it comes to Electronic music. He brings a great mixture of techno and Ambient. I also want to mention both debut cuts by Spherical Disrupted remaining one of the label’s flagholders and a great Electro-Industrial project featuring haunting passages. Notice by the way the sampler is only featuring new and exclusive cuts.

– – – : Some artists didn’t feature their best work to date but on the other hand, it’s an opportunity to get something unique.

Conclusion: This work celebrates the 40^th Audiophob release which remains a label devoted to intelligent Electro underground music.

Best bands: Mortaja, Wesenberg, Axiome, Spherical Disrupted.

Rate: 8.

Label: www.audiophob.de / www.facebook.com/audiophob

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Cinematic, IDM.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Tony Young strikes back with a new work of his sonic brainchild Autoclav1.1. He released an impressive discography in less than twenty years. This is his second work released by the German label Audiophob. The album deals with human apathy towards climate change.

Content: The work of Autoclav1.1 remains characterized by sophisticated sound arrangements mixing bombast rhythms and downtempo cadence. I also notice groovier rhythms. The songs have been accomplished with subtle sound treatments and piano play. Notice by the way 2 songs featuring collaborations; the first one with Sven Phalanx (Schattenspiel, Schwarzwald) and the second one with Andreas DAvids (his mate from Natura Est and still involved with Xotox. Now relaxing and then overwhelming, this album is a true sonic journey.

+ + + : I’ve always liked the work of this artist who’s maybe not dealing with the most accessible sound format although composing his work with intelligence. It’s the result of a creative process wherein the new work he perfectly assimilates Cinematic impressions and IDM. The songs have been recovered with beautiful strings. “Landfill” is a beautiful track driven by a downtempo and accentuated by a low, vibrating, bass line while you’ll also notice a great, explicit, sequence. Autoclav1.1 first of all remains a project with a very own and recognizable style.

– – – : The sound isn’t probably the most accessible one for a wider audience but I guess that’s not exactly the main purpose of this artist. I however would like to hear a few tracks with styled vocals.

Conclusion: This album is just the umpteenth confirmation of this artist’s genius who throughout the years has created a very sound DNA.

Best songs: “Landfill”, “Fauna Collapse”, “Dead Air feat. Sven Phalanx”, “Tsunami”.

Rate: 8.

Artist: https://autoclav.wixsite.com /  www.facebook.com/Autoclav11-41967751781

Label: www.audiophob.de / www.facebook.com/audiophob

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Tony Young started writing music under the AUTOCLAV1.1 moniker in 2004. Since the first album released in 2005 on Crunch Pod, the creativity of the British artist has no limits. AUTOCLAV1.1 is a prolific project releasing new material nearly every single year. Dealing with different, but related music genres and influences like IDM, Industrial, Electro-Ambient ao Tony Young released his albums on different labels; the already mentioned Crunch Pod, Tympanik Audio,  but also Hive Records and WTII Records. EP’s were released on other labels. This year AUTOCLAV1.1 joined hands together with Audiophob to unleash the new album “Nothing Outside”, which is without a shadow of a doubt the most intimate work so far. I talked with Tony Young about his new work and a few more things.

(by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: “Nothing Outside” has been released during the Covid-19 pandemic, which clearly also inspired this work. How do you as citizen and as artist experience this situation?

Tony: Yeah, this was written as the initial lockdown took hold over here. It’s been tough for everyone really; but I do have the luxury of enjoying my own company. As far as writing music is concerned, there has been little difference for me. I spend a lot of time just messing with music and not really recording it; and this album just came into being. I remember thinking I may write an EP of just piano and Ambient music and when I started I just got out the bass guitar and then of course, beats followed. Covid-19 or no Covid19 there would have been a new album; just probably with a different concept if there hadn’t been a pandemic.

Q: The album also wants us to reflect about what is going on in the world, but I’m afraid less politicians and/or leaders feel really concerned. What’s your critical perception about it all and how do you see things evolving? Do you also see positive things evolving?

Tony: Well, it’s more about my own experiences and environment really than asking anyone else to reflect. It would be cool if it has meant something to anyone else though with regards to his or her own personal experiences in this time. As far as how the pandemic has been dealt with… well, our government has been shocking from start to finish.  They’re a bunch of over privileged Tories who just look out for their own; and are now maxing out on an opportunity to stamp out those less fortunate. I wouldn’t have expected anything less from a UK Conservative government. I don’t see anything positive on the horizon really. It makes me wish I lived in New Zealand. The UK really is a shambles; and with the compete clusterfuck of Brexit tag-teaming with the pandemic, it’s only gonna get worse.

Q: I’m not affirming that you reinvented the AUTOCLAV1.1-sound at “Nothing Outside”, but the composition sounds more intimate and Cinematographic than ever before, which is probably due to the piano play and arrangements. What did you try to accomplish and did you handle specific references and/or criteria to compose the album?

Tony: I do try to make each release different, but in all honesty, when I start a new album I have no real idea how it’s going to end up sounding at the start, with just a general impression of what I am after.

I wasn’t really planning of having a lot of piano in my newer songs; and “Makeshift Splint” was my first in a while where I only utilized it a small amount. However, I was having an afternoon just playing around with piano giving my fingers a workout, so to speak; and I just hit record and it went from there. I really enjoyed making this one. Song titles are personal reference points in my home environment, apart from the non-piano track “Hiraeth”, which was a nostalgia-fest for me personally speaking. There’s so much I write that I normally just bin; but for the first time ever, I was genuinely happy with everything I was writing. There’s so much I have released in the past that was below par; and if I had chance to re-write a couple of those albums with what I know now programming wise, I would.

Q: You’re a prolific artist, but you don’t exactly repeat yourself; it feels like every single album reveals new ideas while it remains difficult to label your music as one specific music genre. How comes you’re that prolific and where does this eclecticism comes from?

Tony: I listen to a lot of styles of music; and this keeps new ideas forming in my head. I haven’t listened to anything really Industrial in a long time and a lot of my songs are written in the formula of a lot of music I listen to. I listen to more guitar-based music than electronic really. Don’t get me wrong, I still listen to Dark-Ambient and stuff like that; but you’re more likely to catch me blasting out New Model Army, The Wonderstuff, PWEI and The Mission over any Industrial band nowadays. Although I still adore Coil and Swans. 

I like to think an appreciation of different styles means I am going to be more adventurous when I write. Although I know I can’t write as well as half the bands I listen to.

Q: As I just said you’re a prolific artist and even started a side-project NATURA EST together with Andreas Davids from XOTOX. What does this project bring you next to AUTOCLAV1.1 and what makes the chemistry between you and Andreas?

Tony: Andy is one of my best friends. We don’t see each other much, but it doesn’t really matter. I always wanted to do a Dark-Ambient project, knowing one day I will stop writing Autoclav1.1; so I wanted a project that seemed more fitting of someone growing older. 

I knew Andy liked his Dark-Ambient stuff too. I asked him just the once, if he wanted to do this and got an emphatic ‘Yes!’ immediately. We work well together and I don’t see it as a side-project. It is its own beast, running on its own steam.  The possibilities are endless; and we cannot wait for “Real Seasons” to be released. I think because Andy and I have a different style of writing on our respective solo-projects, it filters into a different kind of Dark-Ambient when we combine the stems we write. “We both have had the same vision when writing each album too. I am really proud of the project and I know he is too. There’s a lot of snobbery within Dark-Ambient circles as with other scenes, but we appear to have got our followers now.

Q: Covid-19 is definitely a curse for artists, but don’t you think it’s also a kind of blessing? An opportunity to work on new material, remixes, clips, revisiting old- and/or unachieved songs? What brings the future for AUTOCLAV1.1?

Tony: In no way, shape or form is this a blessing; but I think I see where you are coming from. As far as writing goes, it shouldn’t have an impact on anyone writing Electronic music as most have their own home studios. But I can definitely see how it affects bands playing live. I have missed many a show this year and I am sure I won’t see many next year either.

The future of Autoclav1.1? Who knows? I always say after each release that it will be my last; but I always find myself playing my bass or keyboards one miserable Yorkshire afternoon, where I more often than not, hit the record button once more.

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: IDM, Ambient, Cinematographic.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Tony Young has released an impressive number of productions under the Autoclav1.1 moniker since 2004. His newest opus is also the first one released on Audiophob, which is the perfect label for this kind of music.

Content: The album takes off in a rather intimate way revealing Cinematographic piano parts joined by Electronics. Quite progressively the album evolves towards more sophisticated cuts featuring slow, broken rhythms, dreamy synths alternated with cold sequences, but even some more explicit danceable sequences. One of the tracks (cf. “A Bed In Each Window”) even has something pretty groovy-like. It all ends like it started; with a dreamy last track. 

+ + + : I’ve always considered Tony Young as one of the true inventors of IDM mixed with some Industrial and Ambient music. He has released multiple noticeable productions and now strikes back with a real intimate and personal exposure. The Cinematographic genre is mixing reverie and mystery. The songs are meticulously composed with some ‘heavier’ danceable parts. “Hireath” is a little sonic pearl, but I also have to mention the groovy-driven “A Bed In Each Window”. If you prefer the evasive side of the work “Nothing Outside” reflects all the intelligence in sound of this artist.

– – – : From a very personal point of view I would have liked to hear a few more danceable cuts. This could be an idea for a remix album…

Conclusion: Autoclav1.1 is not repeating itself, but simply moving on with the flow. “Nothing Outside” is a great work.

Best songs: “Hireath”, “A Bed In Each Window”, “Nothing Outside”, “Weeds Still Push Through”.

Rate: (8).

Artist: https://autoclavonline.com / www.facebook.com/Autoclav11-41967751781

Label: www.audiophob.de / www.facebook.com/audiophob

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Andreas (Andy) Davids set up Xotox in 1998. The German solo-project gained some reputation composing harsh rhythmic- and industrial music. Xotox released an impressive number of productions, but remained pretty silent during the past few years. “Gestern” is the first new studio-album in six years, but it also stands for an evolution in sound while it also is the first album released on Infacted Recordings. “Gestern” is a diversified production and yet mainly driven by a sonic hybrid between industrial- and techno music.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: “Gestern” is the first new Xotox studio-album in nearly six years. The work reveals a clear evolution in sound and has been released for the very first time on Infacted Recordings. Does it all feel as a new start, a kind of Xotox.v2 or is it just a natural evolution? What does it mean to you and what inspired you to release this work?

Andy: Both of it. During the last few years a lot has changed in my private living, which feels like a new start anyway so the change to Infacted Recordings and the release of “Gestern” really mark a new beginning which can be named Xotox 2.0 (by the way, these are exactly the same words my friend Marco said to me). It is also a kind of natural evolution as I am, of course, getting older, getting inspired by different things, being more open-minded to other music and many more things.

I think it is not good to be stucked to a specific kind of sound just to please someone else´s ears. To be honest, I had some doubts because of the sound of “Gestern”, but at the other side, that is what I wanted to do, this is me! I always listen to my heart and do what comes into my mind. It’s reflected in the sound of my music and it is great to see that many other people like that too.

Q: One thing is for sure, “Gestern” moves a step forward in the exploration of hard-techno music. What’s your perception of contemporary techno music and especially the fusion between techno- and industrial music?

Andy: Techno was a new kind of music back in the days. It’s a progression of electronic-dance music and there is, as in all other genres too, music that I like and music that I don´t like. I think that the fusion of techno and industrial has put the harder electronic club-sound to a new level –danceable beats, hard percussions and also melody –which is a mixture that is hard to resist. But that is not so simple as it sometimes seems to be; this kind of music is more than just a distorted bass drum.

Q: How did the writing and recording of “Gestern” happened? Did the album requested some specific preparation, research or technical evolution?

Andy: Indeed it did. I had to change my music-software and I also changed the operating-system of my computer too. That really made it a new beginning of everything, which also was a great challenge and gave me the chance to make music without falling back into old patterns and I think that this resulted in a really good release.

Q: I noticed “Gestern” is doing well in the famous DAC (Deutsche Alternative Charts), which I can imagine is something to get proud of, but what’s the real impact of reaching the charts?

Andy: The DAC represent the plays in the clubs and that makes me, well, a little proud –being in some kind of club-charts with no clubs opened. It also makes me happy as I see, that I can reach these charts even after such a long time being around with Xotox. It shows me that my music really reaches and touches people and the fans so I’m thankful for this.

Q: I can easily imagine the Covid 19 pandemic has a serious (negative) impact as well on your album; no concerts and no big festivals! How do you experience the situation as an artist and as simple German citizen?

Andy: It’s a difficult situation for all of us and for both in me -the artist and the simple citizen. I’m in the lucky position to have no need to make a living from my music, but the whole situation really affects me as an employee too –especially as a father of a little kid. It’s frustrating, of course, as I want to present my music and the new album while doing concerts, which is not possible for the moment. Luckily the internet and the social media gives us a chance to spread the music and all news.

Q: You’ve been involved with multiple other projects, but Xotox remains your main artistic work for now more than 20 years. What makes Xotox different from the rest and how do you expect things evolving considering aspects such as modern technology, social network, streaming vs. physical releases etc?

Andy: Xotox has always been (and will always be) my main project. Here I can express myself and my emotions. I also have a love for dark-ambient which resulted in the project NATURA EST together with the wonderful Tony Young (Autoclav1.1). The third album will be released later on this year. I also collaborate with other artists or release solo-stuff on different labels or on my own Bandcamp-page. All this is very different from what I do with Xotox.

I always prefer physical releases, but I also know that times have changed and are still changing. Digital releases, streaming and social media have become very important and have to be considered too. I’m happy to be on a label that understands such ways of releasing and distribution.

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Electro-ambient, industrial, cinematographic.

Background/Info: Natura Est resulted from the common efforts and the passion for dark-ambient music between Tony Young (Autoclav1.1) and Andreas Davids (Xotox). It’s an interesting meeting between one of the most talented IDM composers (Young) and a musician who’s more familiar with harder and industrial music (Davids). “Nature Est” is the self-titled debut album of the British-German duo.

Content: You rapidly will notice the ambient approach running through this work. It clearly walks towards darker paths accentuated by humming sound waves and background droning kicks. The work has a visual appeal giving me the impression to get lost in an imaginary sound labyrinth. Some passages are more into experimental music while there also is a strong cinematographic touch emerging from the tracklist.

+ + + : I consider Tony Young as one of the most talented musicians when it comes to IDM and related genres. His sonic trademark is maybe less noticeable at this work although there’s a real great songwriting characterized by a progressive evolution in the composition and structure of the songs. There also is a noticeable evolution towards darker sound territories revealing the great “Black Town”. I personally prefer this obscurer side, which also reveals a great visual strength.

– – – : If the main goal was to create a pure dark-ambient release comparable to bands such as Lustmord, Raison d’Être ao I should say Natura Est still has a way to go. “Natura Est” is a different kind of ambient music.

Conclusion: Ambient music is a style with multiple faces. Natura Est likes it dark, a bit astral-like and sophisticated plus diversified. It also is an interesting project between 2 artists who deal with different kinds of music, but who still are complementary.

Best songs: “Black Town”, “Causatum”, “The Soil”.

Rate: (7½).

Artist: http://autoclavonline.com / www.facebook.com/andreas.davids

Label: www.ant–zen.com / www.facebook.com/antzen.official

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: IDM, electro-ambient, experimental.

Background/Info: Released in 2017, this split-album brings two masters in their genre together. UK artist Tony Young (Autoclav1.1) and Canadian artist Michael Morton (Displacer) already released an EP entitled “The Star Atlas” (2015) on Displacer’s own label Crime League.

Content: “Spacetime” is an album that brings the listener to explore intelligent sound dimensions. Most of the tracks are pretty astral-ambient like, but also reflecting a cold sound element. The tracks are still carried by rhythms, which are sometimes danceable. I think it’s a perfect symbiosis between the sound approaches of both musicians. On one hand you get the more evasive electro-ambient work of Autoclav1.1 and on the other hand the somewhat more experimental minded work of Displacer. Both artists feature 6 tracks.

+ + + : Those musicians are made to work together. They music is linked to each other and definitely complementary. I have always experienced Autoclav1.1 as one of the most refined projects dealing with electro-ambient while Displacer is more minimal-like. The common point between both artists is their fascination for sound creation and that’s precisely what comes through on “Spacetime”. The tracks reveal a great sound intelligence and invite listeners to embark for an astral sound dimension, which fits to the title of the album. It can be pretty icy-like, but still dreamier.  It’s a minimal, somewhat experimental and definitely accomplished work.

– – – : My very personal (little) regret is that I would have liked to hear a few vocal lines and/or samplings here and there. The tracks are now a bit similar-like although you don’t hear me complain.

Conclusion: There are artists who are pretty close to each other and that’s precisely what I feel on this work. But I think it would be also interesting to see both musicians composing songs together.

Best songs: Autoclav1.1: “Gravitational Lensing”, “Gravitational” / Displacer: “Traveller”.

Rate: (8).

Artists: http://autoclavonline.com / www.facebook.com/Autoclav11-41967751781 / www.dispalcer.ca / www.facebook.com/displacermusic

Label: www.wtiirecords.com / www.facebook.com/WTIIRecords

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Loyal Side-Line readers will remember that we always have had a soft spot for the now defunct idm, electro label Tympanik Audio which launched in September 2007. The Chicago-based electronic music label closed in March of 2016 and as a result its back catalogue ceased being distributed… until now!

The fine people from Storming The Base have taken over the complete back catalogue stocks and are selling it now at rock bottom prices (US,98 per CD album) via this hidden link.

Attention: For the US-readers, keep in mind that Storming The Base is offering free shipping from US$100 on, so you might want to take advantage of this by filling your basket with plenty of goodies. The same goes for overseas fans as the shipping diminishes a lot per item once you buy in bulk.

Tympanik Audio’s artist roster includes: Totakeke, Displacer, Ad·ver·sary, Stendeck, ESA, Unterm Rad, Pneumatic Detach, Broken Fabiola, Integral, Atiq & EnK, Geomatic, Flint Glass, Haujobb, Erode, Tangent, Normotone, Disharmony, Anklebiter, Comaduster, Tineidae, Known Rebel, C.H.District, MultiColor, Subheim, [Haven], Fractional, c.db.sn, EyeScream, Zentriert ins Antlitz, SE, Black Lung, Worms Of The Earth, r.roo, Access To Arasaka, Ex_tension, Candle Nine, Tapage, Zinovia, Meander, Dirk Geiger, Endif, Zeller, Lucidstatic, Undermathic, Autoclav1.1, Opposite Exhale, Pandora’s Black Book, Famine, and Aphorism.

Recommended!

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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Set up in 2007 by Paul Nielsen, the Chicago-based label Tympanik Audio rapidly became one of the most visionary underground labels dealing with electronic- and industrial music. I felt deeply sad when Paul Nielsen earlier this year announced to close the doors of the label. He has no further plans to continue in the music business. Paul has been involved in this field for over 20 years, from Dj-ing, to music journalism, hosting radio programs, organizing events, to eventually running Tympanik. I can only speak for myself but Tympanik Audio is a label I’ll seriously miss for its innovation and creative spirit. This interview is meant as a homage to this great label and his instigator. Respect Mr. Nielsen!

(by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: A few months ago now you made this terrible announcement about the end of Tympanik Audio. I guess it must have been one of the hardest decisions in life so how did you come to close the doors of the label?

Paul: Indeed it was a very difficult decision to close Tympanik – it affected me quite deeply on a personal level – like the end of a long relationship. I had been struggling to keep the label going for the last few years, but the financial burden finally took its toll on me and it reach a point where I really had no other choice but to shut down the label. I’m just glad I was able to get Tympanik this far.

Q: During the last year I noticed you started to release digital productions. Was it an option to keep the label running by releasing only digital work?

Paul: Yes, I began focusing on digital releases the last year in an effort to not only keep our costs down, but to cater to digital-only listeners. The interest in physical media such as CDs and vinyl have dropped significantly over the past few years so releases that I would have normally produced on CD had to be released digitally.

The important thing was to still have an outlet for the artist’s music under our banner. My main goal has always been to get the music out to our audience, so even thought the release format changed, I still felt the quality was there and the music was still accessible to our listeners, even more so since some of the digital releases were offered as ‘pay-what-you-want’ via Bandcamp.

Q: All labels are complaining about streaming and digital downloads getting CD sales downwards. What’s your point of view about it and is it indeed the main point that hurts?

Paul: I certainly understand the frustration of digital pushing CD releases into the background. This use to bother me quite a bit, as I had always intended Tympanik to be a CD-based label only. Eventually I realized that I couldn’t fight the digital music aspect of the business any longer and in order to perpetuate the label’s existence as well as meet the needs of our audience, I needed to adapt to the changes. Bandcamp was a great way for Tympanik to offer both CD and digital options to our listeners.

I’m still disappointed that CDs do not play such a significant role in music these days. I’ve always enjoyed holding music in my hands and exploring the visual aspect of it (artwork, booklets, tracklistings, credits, etc.). To me, digital music is a much colder medium; it’s a file on your device – very impersonal and in my opinion doesn’t allow that personal connection to the listener that physical formats do. Digital music is here to stay and label owners just need to accept that and meet the demand. There will always be collectors out there like myself who want to own CDs, tapes, vinyl of the music they love – I have no doubt that the demand for physical media will never go away, I just don’t think it will ever be as prevalent as it once was.

Q: What has been the feedback from ‘your’ bands so far and do you see new opportunities for some of them?

Paul: Honestly I think a lot of our artists saw this coming – I don’t imagine it was a big surprise for many of them when I made the announcement, but most have expressed gratitude for being a part of the Tympanik family. I think this closure has offered a lot of our artists new opportunities to project their music to even larger audiences by moving on to other labels and getting more involved in the promotion of their works. It’s good to see some of our artists like ESA, Autoclav1.1, Tangent, Subheim, Totakeke, Displacer, and others find new homes for their music, and I’m confident that many others will move on successfully as well.

Q: Tympanik Audio will be reminded as a label with a visionary taste so what was the original concept all about and did you notice an evolution throughout the years?

Paul: The original concept was to promote music that I felt deserved more attention – unknown and up-and-coming artists who were self-promoting and had no label to help them reach a wider audience. I was hosting a radio program in Chicago for many years in an effort to achieve this, but eventually I felt that starting a label and releasing music on CD would significantly expand the audience for these artists’ work. In the early days of the label, my music tastes were quite eclectic, ranging from industrial, ambient, IDM, rhythmic-noise, etc., so I was initially attracted to artists that not only fell into these broad genres, but were able to combine these styles successfully. I think in the first few years there was a larger focus on industrial-style music, but eventually I began choosing albums to release that weren’t so easily labeled; a hybrid of music styles set on a foundation of originality and accessibility. Artists like Zinovia, Tangent, Idlefon, Tineidae, and MultiColor, are a few that come to mind. Prior to my decision to close the label, I felt like I had found our niche style-wise and I was looking forward to progressing that in the future.

Q: What did you keep in mind from your activities as label owner and I’m especially thinking about some positive experiences?

Paul: I thoroughly enjoyed running Tympanik Audio. There was a lot of stress, financial investment, time, and hard-work involved, but it was a dream for me to work with so many talented and wonderful people over the years. It’s an experience that I feel very fortunate to have had. Everyone involved were so supportive and generous – Tympanik Audio would not have been what it was if it were not for the dedication of everyone involved. I will cherish it always, that’s for sure.

Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: IDM, cinematographic, experimental, electro-ambient.

Content: Autoclav1.1 became one of Side-Line favorite’s when it comes to speak about IDM and other intelligent formats of electro/industrial music. Mastermind Tony Young accomplished his 10th full length in a rather short lapse of time, with his debut album “You Are My All And More” being released in 2005.

I was wondering what “Werewolf Country” would sound like and I can already tell you I wasn’t been disappointed. Tony Young moves a step further in the exploration of electronic music. Globally speaking he holds on the IDM-format mixed with electro-ambient atmospheres while he definitely digs deeper towards the path of cinematographic music.

The album mixes evasive and somewhat surprising passages, which have been emphasized by warm synth layers. “Tall Tails And Hate Trails” will really take you away into a world of the imagination. But the visual strength of this work can also move into more familiar and poignant darker passages. The title song is a chilling experience in the genre.

I’ve always admired Tony Young for his great skills in manipulating sounds and that’s an element he likes to expose on several cuts. He sometimes makes me think to an icy version of Biosphere and I especially refer to “Amitriptylene Nun Chuff” as the most significant track, which features fine piano-like arrangements. “Earworm” is another cut to watch out for. Most of the songs are driven by slow rhythm patterns, which accentuate the beauty of the electronic layers.

A few more experimental tracks remain pretty soundtrack-minded as well, but the last part of the album definitely is the most convincing. Autoclav1.1 here moves into more elaborated sound fields, which mix dark-reverie and a part of mysticism, mainly exposed at the final song “Just Do One”, which features female chants. I also have to mention “Constructive Dismissal” for its scratching electronic manipulations and “Twaddle” featuring low-vibrating sound blasts.

Conclusion: “Werewolf Country” appears to be one of the most intimate productions by Autoclav1.1. The cinematographic approach featured at the previous work “Ten.One.Point.One” seems to have been seriously developed resulting in a poignant electro-ambient format.

Best songs: “Twaddle”, “Earworm”, “Tall Tails And Hate Trails”, “Just Do One”, “Constructive Dismissal”, “Nato Standard”.

Rate: (DP:8½)DP.

Band: http://autoclavonline.com / www.facebook.com/pages/Autoclav11/41967751781

Label: www.wtiirecords.com / www.facebook.com/WTIIRecordsLLC

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com