Optimistic

Before the left brain logically determined and categorized things, everything was one.

Pure experience, it is a state where the subject and the object are undivided and there are no boundaries.

1. Ameagari (雨上がり) - After the rain
2. Rakusui (落水) - Waterfall
3. Usuakari (薄明かり) - Dim light
4. Yudaneru (委ねる) - Entrust
5. Syouyou (逍遥) - Saunter
6. Haiiro (灰色) - Gray
7. Shibuki (飛沫) - Splash

All tracks are produced by Hidekazu Imashige
Cover Photo by Hidekazu Imashige

Pure Experience

Yudaneru

eRecords is a digital record series created by Whitelabrecs, to run alongside our physical releases. These editions aim to transform the digital format into something that can be experienced in a similar way to a listener’s interaction with a real, white label vinyl record. Each edition includes a special PDF scrapbook including polaroids and liner notes.

We do not publish details about the concepts or production methods of a release, so that the liner notes and content in each scrapbook will give you the background of each edition in the series.

catalog: eR026
artist: christian wittman
release title: the story of the sun, moon, and stars
runtime: 49:24
location: paris, france

produced by christian wittman
mastered by james edward armstrong
cover artwork by harry towell
booklet art and design by harry towell   
        
inner imagery adapted from open source imagery by Agnes Giberne, from her book: ‘The Story of the sun, moon, and stars’

The Story of the Sun, Moon, and Stars

eR026 christian wittman - expanding galaxies

Marco Lucchi, based in Modena, Italy, and Henrik Meierkord, based in Stockholm, Sweden, have a lengthy collaboration to their reciprocal credit, and they accomplish it far and near alike. A testament to the interplay of their work together is that a listener might be hard-pressed to discern which of their recordings are the result of long-distance file-trading, and which occurred when the two managed to be in the same place at the same time.

Several aspects of their respective music-making serve them well as creative partners. First of all, both tend toward the ambient, given as they are generally to a slow pace and to a sensibility that manages to be at once radiant and intimate. Secondly, while both are multi-instrumentalists, there is a complementary nature to their specialties, Lucchi being more of a keyboardist, Meierkord more of a string player. Thirdly, and perhaps most importantly, they are both immersed in techniques drawn from electronic music.

In particular, both men are experienced with live multitrack recording, in which they process and layer their own performances in real time. Meierkord is fond of layering sinuous tones to create scenarios of unique dimensions. It becomes uncertain — even unimportant — to the listener what preceded what, so intricate is his deployment of interplay. Lucchi likewise finds parallels between classical orchestration and the opportunity for drones lent by modern synthesizers; in a small room he can create a vast space. There is often an oceanic depth to such efforts, part composed and part improvisatory, in which playing is a tool toward composition, rather than the other way around.

Throughout their new record, there is an underlying melancholy, a nostalgic beauty, and a reflective consideration — a virtue that is foundational to their ongoing collaboration. The result is particularly rich in plaintive scene setting, as on the glacially paced “La bestia umana,” which emerges from a neighborly field recording of a dog barking, and “Kosmisk Strålning II,” which maintains a dream-like quietude, more shadow than light. One “Like tears in rain”, what sounds like a synthesizer is, in fact, a piano, a recording of which has been stretched beyond the point of it being readily identifiable.

On first listen, their leaning toward unimpeachable steadiness can seem uniform, but listen more closely and you’ll recognize how explicitly they emote on a track like “The Third Stage,” due not just to the reaching melodic surges (which, in turn, match the sampled recordings of bird calls) but to the slight discordances that suggest trouble and tension. In a different manner, there is “A warm and golden October,” which balances breaking-dawn hush with piercing overtones. That track features a motif at the end, played on a celesta; those bell-like tones edge the piece out of dreaminess without entirely breaking the spell.

The greatest outlier — dog barking notwithstanding — may be on “Oändlig,” not just for its fierce pulse, but because of its more immediately electronic vibe. “Oändlig” is an exceptional piece, bringing to mind the minimalism of Terry Riley and the rave classics of Underworld.

Marc Weidenbaum 


Produced and mixed by Marco Lucchi and Henrik Meierkord
Marco Lucchi: mellotron, piano, celesta and synthesizers
Henrik Meierkord: cello, viola, zither, piano, organ and FX
Mastered by Dionis Afonichev (Dionisaf)
Cover picture by Dionis Afonichev (Dionisaf) with AI
Artwork and cover design by Dionis Afonichev (Dionisaf)

https://www.chitrarecords.com

Lieder Ohne Worte

Warum

made for the naviar haiku challenge n. 541

https://www.naviarrecords.com/naviarhaiku541-heat-in-waves/

desert reverberations (naviarhaiku 541)

To me drones in daylight suggest, obviously, brightness but perhaps also a kind of straightforward simplicity and purity. For me, the sine wave rendered in the major scale represents these qualities. Hence this track is the result of a one lone sine wave oscillator tuned to the C-major scale. There is of course lots of looping and over looping and the requisite reverb.

disquiet0647

Drone 1 Resonate

Glacis is the musical alias for Euan Alexander Millar-McMeeken, an artist originally hailing from Dundee but now residing in Hastings, on the south coast of England. He began composing music in the late 2000s but it was in 2010, following the dissolution of his band, that his work as glacis truly took shape. Left alone with just his piano, this project became a conduit for his creativity during a solitary period. Over the years, glacis’ music has been released through several esteemed labels including Fluid Audio, Tavern Eightieth, Oscarson, and Lost Tribe Sound. Beyond his work as Glacis, he has also been involved in numerous collaborative duos, such as Gallowglas, Civic Hall, and The Dead Bell, constantly exploring different facets of his musical identity. Not to mention his work alongside the likes of Satomimagae, Adrian Lane and soon, Polaroid Notes.

Glacis' music is deeply personal and often born from immediacy—a necessity when creating amidst the constant presence of his children. However, since the summer of last year, he’s been able to dedicate more time to his craft, allowing for a more deliberate creative process, whether at the piano or his laptop. His influences are eclectic, with his listening habits varying depending on the nature of his current work.
‘This Darkness From Which We Cannot Run’ encapsulates a unique moment in Euan’s life, where the serenity of a peaceful week in Tighnabruaich contrasted with the darkness of the broader period in which it was created. Characterised by themes of sea, silence, and regret, this album diverges from his earlier work by stepping away from his trusty piano. Except for one track, the compositions were developed using software, originating from sketches made at a kitchen table during the holiday and later refined upon his return to London.

The creation of this album was deeply influenced by the calmness and isolation of Tighnabruaich, a place where Euan found solace amidst the surrounding sea and silence. The memories of watching gannets dive and experiencing a rare tranquility with his family permeate the music, providing a stark contrast to the underlying darkness he was experiencing at the time. Although there is no explicit concept driving the album, it is inherently tied to that week and the feelings it evoked. Notably, ‘This Darkness From Which We Cannot Run’ marks a significant shift in Glacis' approach, focusing on creating soundscapes rather than relying on his piano, a method that will continue to evolve in his future work

Credits:
Written and produced by Euan Alexander Millar-McMeeken
Mastered by James Edward Armstrong
Photography by George Korunov
Art and design by Andrew Heath

This Darkness From Which We Cannot Run

wlr171 Glacis - This Darkness From Which We Cannot Run

yeah

this is kinda like a familiar part 2

fallshort

A live stochastic experiment with
four ARP 2500 synthesisers, 
from http://cherryaudio.com, 
celebrating the centenary of 
Alan Robert Pearlman, founder of ARP.

I first tried this
experiment nine days ago.

There have been continual problems.
There may be some audio artefacts.

ARP@100
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/arp100-celebrating-the-life-and-legacy-of-alan-r-pearlman-tickets-1364598774669

Dronus 2000

Some of my experimental stuff. 
A phrygian scale

Illuminata

This is  my page for sound experiments, some field recording , some modular synth noise, I would be delighted if anyone wants to rework,remix, or use anything in their recordings, just credit me or any of my collaborators in the title, contact me and I will send you the files.

Drone 1 Resonate

Ankhtifi

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