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

Background/Info: The German Kompakt label has reassembled 12 tracks composed by artists dealing with progressive electronics, but more especially with electro-ambient music. Most of the artists are familiar with the label from Köln. Notice by the way that Japanese artist Yui Onodera has been featured with 2 tracks while Pfeiffer has been featured two times as well, working with different artists.

Bands: T. Raumschmiere, The Orb, Yui Onodera, Fresco & Pfeiffer, Chuck Johnson, Triola, Kenneth James Gibson, Kaito, Mikkel Metal, Jens-Uwe Beyer, Würden & Pfeiffer.

Content: When you discover the impressive selection of artists and you’re a bit familiar with Kompakt, it’s hard to imagine this album as mix between pop and ambient music. Most of the bands are clearly experimenting with an electronic format of ambient music. The tracks are moving from progressive experiments towards pure cinematographic work to evasive electronics.

+ + + : This is a high-tech format of progressive ambient music. Most of the artists gained a serious reputation dealing with visionary electronic music. It’s an evasive sensation made with delicate treatments and sophisticated noise treatments. “Pop Ambient” rather sounds as a sonic laboratory for further generations!

– – – : I don’t really understand the ‘pop’ part of the title. This album has less in common with traditional pop standards. It’s pure ambient music and what I’m missing is not exactly the pop aspect of the work rather than visual content, which would be the right match with this kind of music.

Conclusion: Kompakt is a major label when it comes to progressive and visionary ambient- and experimental artists. This album is a nice and international trip to discover a great ambient music canvas.

Best bands: Mikkel Metal, The Orb, Fresco & Pfeiffer.

Rate: (8).

Label: www.kompakt.fm/imprint / www.facebook.com/KompaktRecords

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.

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Genre/Influences: Electro-ambient, dance-pop, ambient-techno, downtempo, experimental.

Background/Info: The “Total”-series started in 1999. The latest series reveals an impressive cocktail of great artists active at the wider fields of ‘electronic’ music, but related with music genres such as ambient, techno, dance, experimental and downtempo. It’s an opportunity to (re)discover great formations active on the German Kompakt label. Next to ‘familiar’ cuts this compilation also features new tracks.

Bands: T. Raumschmiere, Voigt & Voigt, Sebastopol, Laurent Garnier, Demian, The Orb ao.

Content: The first disc sounds globally speaking pretty sensual. Most of the tracks are driven by downtempo rhythms and groovy sequences. Some artists are feature female vocals accentuating the sensuality supporting this work.

The second disc sounds more danceable and characterized by groovy passages. I also noticed more evasive cuts and even a somewhat dub-dance track.

+ + + : The tracklist bringing several great and renowned named together is impressive. But I also like the diversity of this compilation. Kompakt definitely confirms its open-minded perception about electronic artist. It’s cool to get a compilation moving from T. Raumschmiere to Laurent Garnier to The Orb. Nevertheless I was more pleased by the sensuality and delicacy of Nu U Orchestra, the groovy dance approach of Sasha feat. Poliça and the somewhat dub style of Danny Daze & Shokh.

– – – : It’s just about personal taste, but I prefer the second disc, which is more danceable and I dare to say more creative in sound.

Conclusion: “Total 17” is a very good opportunity to (re)discover the finest music released on Kompakt. You get the hottest electronics of today featuring 21 artists and tracks.

Best bands: Sasha feat. Poliça, Danny Daze & Shokh, Nu U Orchestra, The Orb.

Rate: (8).

Label: www.kompakt.fm / www.facebook.com/KompaktRecords

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: Minimal-techno, ambient, trance, IDM.

Background/Info: Operating from Paris Damien Pontonnier was previously active in the Northern part of Spain. DJ-ing and organizing music events were his main activities until he started composing his own material. The newest EP was released on Kompakt and features three new cuts.

Content: “Milestars” sounds diversified, but always carried by minimal-technoid influences and ambient, astral effects. Some of the repetitive sequences progressively lead you into trance. The main characteristic of this 12” is the impressive sound creation and –production.

+ + + : It’s hard to qualify “Milestars” as techno music. This production reflects intelligence in the sound creation and the global composition process. The tracks don’t only focus on typical dance beats, but has something visionary. Different elements have been brought together resulting in three noticeable cuts.

– – – : The main difficulty for Demian maybe is this diversity and the difficulty to label the music as one specific genre. You don’t hear me to complain.

Conclusion: If Demian is dealing with techno music, I think he then invented a so-called avant-garde movement. If this is the techno from the future, I hope to get old pretty soon…

Best songs: “Milestars”, “No Hype for The Fish”.

Rate: (7½).

Band: www.facebook.com/demianmusique

Label: www.kompakt.fm / www.facebook.com/KompaktRecords

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: Experimental, minimal-electronics, technoid, ambient.

Background/Info: Marco Haas better known as T.Raumschmiere is a real phenomenon in techno music. He got some recognition for his minimalistic and visionary sound approach. This new opus is also the first one he has released on Kompakt, on which he previously released a few 12”. “Heimat” is available on vinyl- and digital format.

Content: The work is characterized by the traditional minimal approach resulting in experimental treatments such as white noise and multiple sound effects. The tracks cover multiple genres, moving from an experimental-pop approach towards ambient passages. You also will notice a few groovier elements. “Heimat” features a few danceable cuts next to more ambient tracks filled with drama and melancholia.

+ + + : T.Raumschmiere has this little ‘plus’ other artists can only dream of. Haas is literally putting his sonic stamp on all of his work. The minimal sound approach reveals a truly passion for sound creation. “Heimat” is an album with multiple faces avoiding cheap and ‘commercial’ clichés. It remains visionary and without real compromises. Speaking for myself I fully enjoyed the somewhat symphonic arrangements on “Juli” and the minimalism of “Amina”.

– – – : I’m not sure “Heimat” will enter into history as T.Raumschmiere’s most famous and successful album. It’s a complex work, which needs multiple listening before you can really get into it. I’m missing the technoid element of this artist, which is definitely in the background.

Conclusion: “Heimat” is a new sonic experiment and a real voyage for all lovers of intelligent and sophisticated electronic music. It’s not the most successful work of T.Raumschmiere although it remains characterized by the familiar elements this artist has used to experiment with.

Best songs: “Juli”, “Amina”, “Wacker”.

Rate: (7).

Band: www.raumschmiere.com / www.facebook.com/t.raumschmiere

Label: www.kompakt.fm / www.facebook.com/KompaktRecords

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

While you still have to wait until May 19th to hear the brand new T.Raumschmiere 8-track album “Heimat”, a first video single has already been released: “Wacker”. You can view the video right below.

Berlin based Marco Haas (born 1975) is a punk techno DJ known by the stage name T.Raumschmiere. He has released 7 albums so far of aggressive electropop and has worked with notables such as Miss Kittin and Ellen Allien, and helped found the Shitkatapult record label. He is also partly responsible for the mid-2000s resurgence of the schaffel beat, a style in progressive electronic music in which the beat is shuffled hard. Often triplet eighths are used to create swinging rhythms.

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.

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Out on March 3rd is the The Orb EP “The Cow Remixes – Sin In Space Pt.3”. Just like the previous 2 parts also this 3rd part is focussing on the duo’s latest full-length, “COW / Chill Out, World!”.

The remixes were this time executed by Kompakt mainstays The Field, Dave DK and Jörg Burger. The digital bonus track comes from the pop ambient act Leandro Fresco who revamp “Wireless MK2”.

“COW / Chill Out, World!” is the 14th studio album from The Orb and was released last year. The album was announced alongside the announcement of a full UK tour taking place between 24 November and 10 December 2016 for their 25th Anniversary celebration of their debut album “Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld”.

The album was recorded and produced in six months. Alex Patterson’s recording of sounds whilst touring the world, straight to Ableton, using his iPhone was one of main reasons for its speedy completion. While the duo went out on tour, Paterson was collecting field recordings during the process of making this record. Patterson described this album as their “most ambient album yet”.

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.

side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Electro-ambient, cinematographic.

Background/Info: Set up in the late 90s by Wolfgang Voigt and Michael Mayer the German label Kompakt got a deserved recognition in the wider fields of intelligent ambient music. Some worldwide famous artists like The Orb, Scanner, Gus Gus and many more got signed on Kompakt. The label is also renowned for this “Pop Ambient”-series.

Bands: Scanner, Yui Onodera, Kenneth James Gibson, Soulsavers, Jens-Uwe Beyer, Max Würden, Anton Kubikov, Leandro Fresco, Thore Pfeiffer.

Content: Nine artists have been featured for this new edition of “Pop ambient” featuring 12 songs. The title of the sampler might be a clear indication about the content and influences of this album compiled by Wolfgang Voigt. I however have to say it sounds less pop, but definitely pure pop-like!

Most artists perfectly know the sound formula to create a sophisticated and fascinating electro-ambient composition. It often sounds pretty astral-like, but still very cinematographic.

+ + + : I will not analyze the songs in detail, but globally speaking I’ve been –once more, impressed by the elaboration of the compositions. The tracks feature many little details and subtle arrangements. Like all high labeled ambient music this is the kind of music that rapidly appeals to create an own fictive universe. Some parts are more into dark atmospheres while other cuts are total reverie. Speaking for myself I have a preference for the tracks of Soulsavers and Anton Kubikov. There also is an interesting track composed by Scanner together with Yui Onodera.

– – – : The only item I’m missing is ‘pop’ music, but is it really a miss?

Conclusion: “Pop Ambient 2017” is a visionary experience in sound, but first of all a fascinating and creative ambient exposure of ambient electronics.

Best bands: Soulsavers, Anton Kubikov, Leandro Fresco, Maw Würden, Scanner + Yui Onodera.

Rate: (7).

Label: www.kompakt.fm / www.facebook.com/pg/KompaktRecords

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: Ambient.

Background/Info: The Orb are an English electronic music group known for being the pioneers of  ambient (house). They even scored a hit with “Fluffy Clouds” in the early nineties. Alex Paterson and Thomas Fehlmann have become known for their genre-bending curiosity and surprising sonic detours, exploring experimental soundscapes as well as club-friendly beats. In contrast to their previous album “Moonbuilding 2703 AD”, which took a few years to produce, a more spontaneous approach was chosen to ‘simply make an ambient album’ within 6 months.

Content: “COW”, being the acronym of “Chill Out World” could ring a bell. Does it refer to a former Pink Floyd cover, is it a nod to the iconic “Chill Out” album from the KLF or is it a megalomaniac invitation to relax? For sure THE ORB’s trademark ‘playfulness’ is on full display. Each track title is a conceptual work in its own right, playing with multiple references, some of which remain highly personal and mysterious.

+ + + : The strength of the album can be found in the witty, ornamental surprises in the majority of the tracks. “Wireless MK2” for example holds mysterious sub bass chords blending perfectly with airy trumpets. Also “9 Elms Over River Eno (Channel 9)” holds interesting sources: material collected at North Carolina’s Moogfest, second-hand records from local stores, field recordings, live samples from gigs and an excursion to “The Eno River”.

– – – : A few tracks, lasting less than 3 minutes, could be considered less refined impulses to the more elaborate tunes.

Conclusion: This 10-track album is definitely a profound, refreshing and soothing ambient experience. Whereas the previous Orb albums referred more to Thomas Fehlmann’s solo work, this album can be interpretated as a combination of the good old Orb time tunes and the 2016’s vibe. The question now: has it enough potential to become an ambient standard?

Best songs: ”First, Consider The Lillys”, “Wireless MK2”, “9 Elms Over River Eno (Channel 9)”

Rate: (7½)Noa.

Band: www.facebook.com/TheOrb

Label: www.kompakt.fm / www.facebook.com/KompaktRecords

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

On October 14th Kompakt present The Orb’s 16th album, “COW / Chill Out, World!”, which features contributions from Youth and Roger Eno.

“COW”’s creation came together in different circumstances with a different working method to their last album. “Moonbuilding 2703 AD” was originally commissioned by the English National Opera for which the duo immersed themselves in that new world and maintained a close, continuous dialogue with the opera’s orchestrator and technicians. The production fell through due to budget cuts and the recordings were then adapted for album format, hence its 6 year gestation period.

“COW” on the other hand, took just 6 months to make. One of main reasons for its speedy completion was Alex’s recording of sounds whilst touring the world, straight to Ableton, using his iPhone.

The album will be available on vinyl + download / CD / download, but you can already listen below:

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.

side-line.com