Glimmering medieval weaponry forged, polished and brandished, Zhenya Lavrinov arrives to take us back in time and beyond the stars. As LVRIN, he appeared opposite Maoupa Mazzochetti on a split EP for Arma – but one pockmark in a scattering of machine-powered ruminations for respected, proudly underground labels – and now he returns to wield a new alias across five tracks of ominous, night-creeping sonics.

The tracks making up Milky Way were recorded by Bryansk-based Lavrinov between 2013 and 2020, reflecting a side of his musical demanour not betrothed to the demands of the dancefloor. Golden Axe is far from ambient though – this is still resolutely rhythmic music spoken by specifically sculpted synths and powered by purposeful sequencers.

There’s a cosmic theme at play here, but ‘Moon Influence’ speaks as much to ancient rites and man’s obsession with lunar forces as any space-age sci-fi symbolism you might associate with gurgling electronic patterns. ‘Rhythmbox From Space’ may be brimming with analogue freakery, but it’s also locked into a rhythmic mantra which tracks back to the dawn of humanity. 

Cementing the philosophy of the record visually, Milky Way comes clothed in a striking artwork by Alina Vinogradova. Lavrinov’s Golden Axe seems to hail from this very space depicted on the cover, speaking through time-honoured tools and revelling in universal mysticism as it opens a new chapter in his darkly seductive, psychosomatic music.

Release  Date: 03 Dec 2021

ARMA 024 / Golden Axe / Milky Way

Cotenius X is the duo that stops making sense. It’s an exploratory improvisational project of the Ukrainian sound artist Daria Redkina and the Russian experimental vocalist Varya Pavlova aka Lisokot. Improvising together since 2017 they incorporate folk, electronic and musique concrète elements into their spontaneous compositions. Their theatrical performances involve impersonation or adoption of different characters and are informed by social, historical, and site-specific narratives.

Both Redkina and Pavlova work with loops, synths and effects, reshaping various samples into novel forms. “Oceans In Flames”, for example, evokes a slowly evolving sound field that sprouts, collapses and decays under flickering fluorescent bulbs. The effect is not dissimilar to the epic catastrophic landscape paintings, but remixed for our own AI-saturated end times.

Most of the tracks on Plastic Bag are recordings of live shows. “Burunduk” is taken from the duo’s first ever performance and sees Pavlova impersonating animal spirits – forest sprites and haunted chipmunks abound. Meanwhile “Fukushima Tuna” and the album’s title track employ the talents of avant-garde saxophonist Sergey Letov who sows seeds of optimism onto the scorched plastic soil...  

releases April 5, 2024

Cover artwork by Pavel Pepperstein

all rights reserved

purchase vinyl at https://armarecords.bandcamp.com/album/arma-026-cotenius-x-plastic-bag-lp

ARMA 026 / Cotenius X / Plastic Bag

'108 Mysteries' is a double vinyl comprising 9 tracks created by Vakula at his studio, mostly by the artist himself, few in collaboration with the vocalist Amrita Ananda and other artists.

Affected by circumstances, the release was repeatedly postponed until a mutual decision to move forward with its publication was made by the artist and the label. The tragedy that was forced upon Ukrainian and Russian people, throwing both nations into an unthinkable circle of pain, hatred and death, had a devastating effect on our cultures, historically perceived as a whole. The catastrophe unwraps further, taking lives, burning homes, destroying connections between people. At that terrifying moment we, the community of artists, still have the voice that used to bring us together — our music.
credits
released August 6, 2021

Credits:

Bansuri by Vitaly Tkachuk
Flute & Harp by Vakula
Voice 1 by Amrita Ananda
Voice 2 by Alina Zelenskaya
Voice 3 by Vakula
Bass & Guitar by Igoz
All Percussions, Drumz by Vakula
Keyboards by Vakula
DJ Rido by Alex

ART work by Dima Rabik & Gregor Gudkov
Mastered by Alexander Golovanov

all rights reserved

purchase vinyl and digital: https://armarecords.bandcamp.com/album/arma-025-vakula-108-mysteries

ARMA 025 / Vakula / 108 Mysteries

No romantic trip into the sunset here – Gaja and Huren come to Arma with a nihilistic determination and a one-way route into absolute darkness. 

 

Gaja, aka Alessandro Gaia, was last seen pounding out Bracny Chelloveck on falling apart. Once locked into the throes of Berlin’s ceaseless techno throb and now back home in Albenga, Italy, Gaia represents the gnarly, noisy extremity of modern dance music. It’s a desolate, distorted place where blasts of noise spit in the empty footprints once shaped by snares and hi-hats, and the bass bleeds out over everything. Listen closely though – the deeper you take yourself into this forbidding space, the more you can detect the subtleties. The delicate relief of the harmonic overtones, the brutally managed modulation. It’s bleak, to be sure, but it’s also beautiful. 

 

Huren is the current guise for David Foster, a Canadian techno vet of high standing thanks to his role in the seminal Teste project. A true underground lifer, he’s cavorted through a cavalcade of aliases and projects over the years – as Huren he’s most noticeably wielded rhythmic noise explorations via Clan Destine, FALK and, since the late 90s, on Zhark. You can sense the primal, instinctive act of creation in his three offering on Ride Or Die – this is the sound of someone for whom post-industrial rhythm mantras and exorcistic utterations are second only to respiring and perspiring. 

 

In two distinct but complementary ways, Gaja and Huren showcase the vivid expressions achievable within monochromatic, noise-oriented techno. It’s a sensory experience matched with unsettling accuracy by Judex Franju’s intense sleeve design. Intense contrast and artful distortion lead the way in lieu of colour – a fierce and formidable underground expression for dystopian times.

Release Date: 21 May 2021

A3. Gaja - Dyna

A2. Gaja - Logjammin'

No romantic trip into the sunset here – Gaja and Huren come to Arma with a nihilistic determination and a one-way route into absolute darkness. 

Gaja, aka Alessandro Gaia, was last seen pounding out Bracny Chelloveck on falling apart. Once locked into the throes of Berlin’s ceaseless techno throb and now back home in Albenga, Italy, Gaia represents the gnarly, noisy extremity of modern dance music. It’s a desolate, distorted place where blasts of noise spit in the empty footprints once shaped by snares and hi-hats, and the bass bleeds out over everything. Listen closely though – the deeper you take yourself into this forbidding space, the more you can detect the subtleties. The delicate relief of the harmonic overtones, the brutally managed modulation. It’s bleak, to be sure, but it’s also beautiful. 

Huren is the current guise for David Foster, a Canadian techno vet of high standing thanks to his role in the seminal Teste project. A true underground lifer, he’s cavorted through a cavalcade of aliases and projects over the years – as Huren he’s most noticeably wielded rhythmic noise explorations via Clan Destine, FALK and, since the late 90s, on Zhark. You can sense the primal, instinctive act of creation in his three offering on Ride Or Die – this is the sound of someone for whom post-industrial rhythm mantras and exorcistic utterations are second only to respiring and perspiring. 

In two distinct but complementary ways, Gaja and Huren showcase the vivid expressions achievable within monochromatic, noise-oriented techno. It’s a sensory experience matched with unsettling accuracy by Judex Franju’s intense sleeve design. Intense contrast and artful distortion lead the way in lieu of colour – a fierce and formidable underground expression for dystopian times.

21 May 2021

A1. Gaja - Ride Or Die

Glimmering medieval weaponry forged, polished and brandished, Zhenya Lavrinov arrives to take us back in time and beyond the stars. As LVRIN, he appeared opposite Maoupa Mazzochetti on a split EP for Arma – but one pockmark in a scattering of machine-powered ruminations for respected, proudly underground labels – and now he returns to wield a new alias across five tracks of ominous, night-creeping sonics.

The tracks making up Milky Way were recorded by Bryansk-based Lavrinov between 2013 and 2020, reflecting a side of his musical demanour not betrothed to the demands of the dancefloor. Golden Axe is far from ambient though – this is still resolutely rhythmic music spoken by specifically sculpted synths and powered by purposeful sequencers.

There’s a cosmic theme at play here, but ‘Moon Influence’ speaks as much to ancient rites and man’s obsession with lunar forces as any space-age sci-fi symbolism you might associate with gurgling electronic patterns. ‘Rhythmbox From Space’ may be brimming with analogue freakery, but it’s also locked into a rhythmic mantra which tracks back to the dawn of humanity. 

 

Cementing the philosophy of the record visually, Milky Way comes clothed in a striking artwork by Alina Vinogradova. Lavrinov’s Golden Axe seems to hail from this very space depicted on the cover, speaking through time-honoured tools and revelling in universal mysticism as it opens a new chapter in his darkly seductive, psychosomatic music.

Release  Date: 03 Dec 2021

A1. Golden Axe - Moon Influence

A2. Golden Axe - Milky Way

B1. Golden Axe - Sinar

B2. Golden Axe - Rhythmbox From Space

B3. Golden Axe - Yaatra

B1 - San Proper - 35 featuring Tettero

Cotenius X is the duo that stops making sense. It’s an exploratory improvisational project of the Ukrainian sound artist Daria Redkina and the Russian experimental vocalist Varya Pavlova aka Lisokot. Improvising together since 2017 they incorporate folk, electronic and musique concrète elements into their spontaneous compositions. Their theatrical performances involve impersonation or adoption of different characters and are informed by social, historical, and site-specific narratives.

Both Redkina and Pavlova work with loops, synths and effects, reshaping various samples into novel forms. “Oceans In Flames”, for example, evokes a slowly evolving sound field that sprouts, collapses and decays under flickering fluorescent bulbs. The effect is not dissimilar to the epic catastrophic landscape paintings, but remixed for our own AI-saturated end times.

Most of the tracks on Plastic Bag are recordings of live shows. “Burunduk” is taken from the duo’s first ever performance and sees Pavlova impersonating animal spirits – forest sprites and haunted chipmunks abound. Meanwhile “Fukushima Tuna” and the album’s title track employ the talents of avant-garde saxophonist Sergey Letov who sows seeds of optimism onto the scorched plastic soil...  more
credits
releases April 5, 2024

Cover artwork by Pavel Pepperstein
all rights reserved

B4. Cotenius X - Udarnitsy

B3. Cotenius X - Melting Pot

Cotenius X is the duo that stops making sense. It’s an exploratory improvisational project of the Ukrainian sound artist Daria Redkina and the Russian experimental vocalist Varya Pavlova aka Lisokot. Improvising together since 2017 they incorporate folk, electronic and musique concrète elements into their spontaneous compositions. Their theatrical performances involve impersonation or adoption of different characters and are informed by social, historical, and site-specific narratives.

Both Redkina and Pavlova work with loops, synths and effects, reshaping various samples into novel forms. “Oceans In Flames”, for example, evokes a slowly evolving sound field that sprouts, collapses and decays under flickering fluorescent bulbs. The effect is not dissimilar to the epic catastrophic landscape paintings, but remixed for our own AI-saturated end times.

Most of the tracks on Plastic Bag are recordings of live shows. “Burunduk” is taken from the duo’s first ever performance and sees Pavlova impersonating animal spirits – forest sprites and haunted chipmunks abound. Meanwhile “Fukushima Tuna” and the album’s title track employ the talents of avant-garde saxophonist Sergey Letov who sows seeds of optimism onto the scorched plastic soil...  

releases April 5, 2024

Cover artwork by Pavel Pepperstein

all rights reserved

B2. Cotenius X - Fukushima Tuna (feat. Sergey Letov)

B1. Cotenius X - Plastic Bag (feat. Sergey Letov)

A3. Cotenius X - Burunduk

A2. Cotenius X - Oceans in Flames

A1. Cotenius X - Intro

'108 Mysteries' is a double vinyl comprising 9 tracks created by Vakula at his studio, mostly by the artist himself, few in collaboration with the vocalist Amrita Ananda and other artists.

Affected by circumstances, the release was repeatedly postponed until a mutual decision to move forward with its publication was made by the artist and the label. The tragedy that was forced upon Ukrainian and Russian people, throwing both nations into an unthinkable circle of pain, hatred and death, had a devastating effect on our cultures, historically perceived as a whole. The catastrophe unwraps further, taking lives, burning homes, destroying connections between people. At that terrifying moment we, the community of artists, still have the voice that used to bring us together — our music.
credits
released August 6, 2021

Credits:

Bansuri by Vitaly Tkachuk
Flute & Harp by Vakula
Voice 1 by Amrita Ananda
Voice 2 by Alina Zelenskaya
Voice 3 by Vakula
Bass & Guitar by Igoz
All Percussions, Drumz by Vakula
Keyboards by Vakula
DJ Rido by Alex

Cover artwork by Dima Rabik & Gregor Gudkov
Mastered by Alexander Golovanov

all rights reserved

purchase vinyl and digital: https://armarecords.bandcamp.com/album/arma-025-vakula-108-mysteries

D3. Vakula - There Is No Tomorrow

D2. Vakula - Spirit Okarine

D1. Vakula - A Breath Of Life

C3. Vakula - GongTra

C2. Vakula - Ikaros

C1. Vakula - Щедрий Вечор

B2. Vakula - Highest love

B1. Vakula - Yoga Yoga Yogeshwaraya ft. Amrita Ananda

A1. Vakula - Aim Hrim Clim ft. Amrita Ananda

April will see Alex Danilov, notable DJ and producer from Yekaterinburg, release his music on Arma. Published along with 'reshape' by Fred P., three original tracks constitute the Noises EP — second production of the label in 2016. 

Being welcomed to diverse clubs throughout Russia and Europe, Alex Danilov has all the experience needed to know how dance music works. His own production is about finding the way to sustain deep mystic atmosphere within signature low-pass rhythm picture. Side B, containing both original and remix of 'Unknown Numbers', shows how this approach varies from classy style of Fred P. aka Black Jazz Consortium. 

Noises EP is the 12th release by Arma. The cover features artwork by P. Kuznetsov.

***

Noises EP, мини-альбом Алекса Данилова с тремя авторскими треками и ремиксом от Fred P., выходит на Arma в апреле, это второй релиз лейбла в 2016 году. 

Опытный диджей, Алекс Данилов продолжает делать любимые вещи в студии: придумывает особую ритмическую ткань, благодаря которой в созданной им музыкальной атмосфере дышится глубоко и опьяняюще свежо. Оригинал и ремикс вещи 'Unknown Numbers' на обратной стороне пластинки показывают, насколько это звучание отлично от более традиционного танцевального стиля "решейпа" руки самого Black Jazz Consortium. 

Noises EP — 12-й в линейке релизов лейбла Arma. В оформлении обложки использована работа Павлика Кузнецова.

B2 - Alex Danilov - Unknown Numbers (Fred P reshape)

Following recent releases from Vakula, Alex Danilov and Andrey Zots, Arma turns its focus towards the unique, transcendental sound of Hypnobeat.

The project has its roots in the DIY industrial scene of Frankfurt in the early ‘80s, spearheaded by Perlon affiliate James Dean Brown (Narcotic Syntax) in collaboration with artists including Tobias Freund, Victor Sol and Pietro Insipido. Aside from a few underground cassette releases, the project was mainly a live venture made up of polyrhythmic workouts on an array of drum machines and effects units, long before the practice became so fashionable.

After many years in the wilderness, Hypnobeat received a shot in the arm thanks to the increased interest in obscure tapes from the early industrial period. Given her own modern explorations of raw drum machine science, Brown invited Helena Hauff to join him in performing Hypnobeat live with a setup that revolves around three 808s and an assortment of other rhythm boxes, a formidable arsenal of effects, and no preconceived plan.

As well as shows at Les Siestes Electroniques and CTM (where the duo shook the walls of Berghain), Brown and Hauff were invited to perform for the Save Festival at Arma17 in Moscow in March 2015. It is from this set that the material on Ritual Fire Dance is gathered, aptly titled as the interlocking percussive rumble takes on a cyclical, tribal quality as aligned with traditional music as it is with contemporary electronics.

The recording has been edited into two sections that adorn each side of the 12”, peppered with enthusiastic approval from the crowd to affirm the intensity of the moment this incendiary music was performed live. As well as the widespread vinyl release there will be a limited cassette featuring the entire unedited performance, for those seeking the full hit of the trip. In coming full circle to the origins of Hypnobeat, the live recording was mastered by Tobias Freund at Non-Standard Studios.

For the technically minded out there, the kit list for the live performance at Save included one 707, three 808s, two 303s, the Alesis airFX, the EHX Deluxe Bass Big Miff Pi, the Strymon El Capistan dTape Echo and the Boss RE-20 Space Echo, all of which can be seen on the postcard that accompanies the vinyl release.

***
Выход 14-й пластинки Arma Records намечен на 30 сентября. Это особенный релиз в каталоге лейбла. Не столько потому, что Arma впервые издает эксклюзивную запись живого выступления, сколько в связи с ощутимым сдвигом в эстетике лейбла, источником вдохновения для которого становится андерграундная индустриальная сцена ранних 80-х. 

Релиз связан со знаковыми именами тех времен, в первую очередь с Джеймсом Дином Брауном, одной из ключевых фигур в истории Perlon и электронной музыки Франкфурта и Берлина. Его совместное выступление с Хеленой Хауфф под лайв-алиасом Hypnobeat публикуется под авторским названием Ritual Fire Dance — как нельзя более точно передающем суть релиза. 

Hypnobeat всегда был живым проектом, основанном на ритмических упражнениях с множеством драм-машин и аналоговых эффектов. Как отмечают его создатели — задолго до того, как эта практика "вошла в моду". В выступлении на фестивале Save, запись которого легла в основу релиза, Джеймс Дин Браун задействовал внушительный массив синтезаторов и концертных "педалей", включая легендарные Roland 808 и Roland 303 в количестве три и два соответственно. Для мастеринга материала был приглашен Тобиас Фреунд, имя которого также связано с эпохой DIY-электроники и многочисленными коллаборационными проектами.

Ritual Fire Dance

ARMA14 — Hypnobeat — Ritual Fire Dance (A)

ARMA016
Philipp Gorbachev & The Naked Man – ‘I Don’t Give A Snare’ LP 

Tracklist:
1. Goodman
2. Soldier
3. Ready for the Riffle
4. Public Joy
5. Pentonville
6. Skinny Bones
7. Ivan, Come On, Unlock The Box (Live Version)

“…It is making my blood boil. Man, my jaw is hanging down listening to this stuff.” Read the email from Butthole Surfers man and producer, Paul Leary, when he heard the demo for what would become the debut Philipp Gorbachev & The Naked Man album.
 
Philipp Gorbachev, the Russian musician and DJ, has been throwing killer parties and making some of the most innovative and exciting electronic music to come out of Moscow in years. In 2014 he released his debut album Silver Album but when invited to perform a live Boiler Room he had something else in mind: a band scenario. The resulting concoction was not something locked into a 4/4 beat but rather a much more organic, groove-based sound with funk-strutting bass lines and live drums that rolled and flurried around the beats that jumped around leading the charge of the songs along with Gorbachev’s Damo Suzuki-like vocals. 
 
Taking that experiment into the studio, ‘I Don’t Give A Snare’ is a wild ride that jumps genres, switches paces and alters tones frequently. The opening ‘Goodman’ exploding in intense rhythms and heavy, spiralling riffs that at times recall Sabbath but the ever-shifting drums and gargling electronics give a wonky freshness that feels impossible to place into genre.
 
Whilst Gorbachev cites a range of influences from Beck to Blind Willie Johnson as being core to him, the primary motivation is the live nature of the project itself. “The main influence is the constant live experience we have as music players and performers. I want to get the most out of every party, every jam, and every dancefloor.”

Release date : 02.06.2017 . Cover artwork by Adil Aubekerov

***

Arma Records издает альбом, записанный Филиппом Горбачевым в составе группы Philipp Gorbachev & The Naked Man. Пластинка станет шестнадцатым релизом лейбла и первым LP в каталоге Arma Records. 

В записи ‘I Don’t Give a Snare’ участвовали Кевин Бюке (бас) и Марко Ривали (ударные), музыканты собрались в берлинской студии Nadel Eins и вживую сыграли семь треков, вошедших в альбом, включая инструментальную версию танцевального 'Ivan, Come on, Unlock the Box'. 

Альбом полон энергии, отличной от той, что выплескивается на танцполе, — по силе, возможно, ее превосходящей. Благодаря концертным инструментам и вокалу, музыка приобретает явные оттенки индастриала и панка. Этому также способствуют отстраненные, экзистенциальные тексты, которые то наполняются контрастирующим с их простотой смыслом, то становятся дополнительной ритмической структурой композиций. 

Филипп Горбачев: "Все тексты и все мелодии придуманы в момент импровизации и тут же записаны. Процесс записи был похож на игру оркестра без нот. Баланс ритма и тональностей достигался "дирижерскими" методами — подход, наработанный в рамках моей работы с Матиасом Агуайо в студии Comeme". 

Создание альбома была поощрено грантом Musicboard Berlin, правительственной организации, поддерживающей независимых берлинских музыкантов.
Выход релиза 2го июня 2017. В оформлении обложки использована работа Адила Аубекерова.

ARMA016 - Philipp Gorbachev & The Naked Man - 'I Don't Give A Snare' LP

Arma Records returns with a rare treat from legendary DJ Mick Wills. Mick has been active in the seedier corners of electronic music for more than 30 years, first immersing himself in the world of hi-NRG and new wave before embracing the house, techno, acid and electro explosion of the late 1980s. Aligned with DJ Hell in the 90s and more recently the Intergalactic FM crew, he’s the quintessential selector. A life spent digging in the undergrowth for deviant dance music has given him the edge that makes a truly gifted spinner, without riding on hype or studio productions.

However, Mick isn’t adverse to the odd outing on vinyl, having previously appeared on International DJ Gigolos both solo and as The Kinky Lovers with sometime partner Isabella Venis, but these moments are few and far between. For this release on Arma, Mick has given us two edits that speak to his distinctive style as a DJ – the original tracks are cult choices re-moulded into deadly, subversive club weapons. The brooding darkwave of “Himmelfahrt 89” is enough to turn the most indifferent bar crowd into swaying, baying denizens of the night, while “Stay Silent” pummels out a relentless electro motif that teeters on the edge of destruction for 11 thrilling minutes.

These aren’t crowd-pleasing DJ tools, and neither are they slick and easy edits of obvious classics. This is a peek into the inner workings of a man with decades of experience working masses of flesh into a sweaty fever pitch using sounds you’ve never heard before.

The mastering on Mick’s edits was undertaken by none other than Dutch electro legend Rude 66, while the striking artwork on the sleeve sees Arma reach out for the first time to French artist Judex. The nerve-shredding, broken Op-Art assault was originally found in a book published by cult illustrator Sam Rictus.

...
Московский лейбл АРМА возвращается с новым релизом под символическим номером 17. На пластинке два трека для особых случаев из репертуара легендарного немецкого диджея Мика Виллса.

Мик известен тем, что тщательно работает с неочевидным в контексте танцпола музыкальным материалом, изменяя структуру и динамику трека соответственно своему стилю игры.

Оба эдита с нового релиза - переработанные Виллсом для собственного пользования композиции культовых композиторов начала 80-х. Кинематографичный "Himmelfahrt 89" отправляет в полет через грозовой фронт, а момент когда Мик поставил "Stay Silent" на танцполе Blackout мы не забудем никогда!

A. DAS GESCHWADER - Himmelfahrt 89 (M.W.Cut)

Ukrainian producer Vakula, whose name is linked to the early days of Arma, re-emerges with Techno Game. The double vinyl features seven confidently-carved tracks that reflect Vakula's current exploration of techno landscapes.

As the cover suggests, it is a game. The author does little to nothing to explain the rules, throwing the listener into an elegantly structured space that feels alarmingly material. 

Featuring artwork by Juli Kozyr, the release date is set for the 25th of November.

Arma Records издает альбом Vakula, одного из ключевых артистов лейбла. Techno Game LP стал развитием темы, заданной продюсером в работе Modulations. 

Вторая интервенция Vakula в техно это игра с прямым указанием жанра. Каждый из семи треков альбома, включая открывающий 'Triple Hi-Hat' и заглавный 'Techno Game' — завораживающая сцена с потрясающим уровнем детализации. Принять правила игры означает стать частью этой реальности — превратиться в живущую вечно звуковую волну или приглянувшийся трехмерный объект.

Альбом выпущен на виниле. Дата официального релиза: 25 ноября. В оформлении обложки использована работа Юлии Козырь.

A2. Vakula - Night In Forest

The latest release on Arma comes from Dutch legend and devoutly deviant underground operator Ruud Lekx, aka Rude 66. With a legacy that reaches back to the early 90s and the rough and ready Dutch electro sound of Bunker Records and The Hague, he’s maintained a distinctly non-conformist approach that touches on acid, Italo, techno and more besides, all finished with the punky attitude that sets him and peers like Unit Moebius and I-F apart.

The tracks gathered together on The Witch Trials EP come from throughout Lekx’s career. As the artist himself says, “tracks from wildly different eras and sessions suddenly can combine to form one coherent EP. It’s almost like the A-side tracks were waiting for 20 years to be combined with the B-side tracks.”

The overriding theme that binds together these timeless machine excursions is that of medieval witch trials – a global phenomenon that peaked in the 15-1600’s. Considering the suspicion, propaganda and mass moral panic involved in this strange curio of distant history, Lekx points to the parallels with the current age, “of political polarization and fake news accusations flying all over.” The EP title is also a tribute to two records close to his heart: The Fall’s Live At The Witch Trials, and the one-off Witch Trials project by members of the Dead Kennedys, Adrian Borland and Christian Lunch.

“Werewolves & Poisoners” and “The Crusade Against Idolatry” are both archive tracks from the 1994-5 period when Lekx made his first albums for Bunker Records. The first track’s charging arps, rugged kicks, nagging acid lines and discordant paranoia all speak to that trailblazing period, while “The Crusade…” revels in canny programming of interwoven synth lines feeding into an unhinged, psychedelic rampage that reflects the righteous fervour and spiritual confusion of the EP concept.

“The Absence Of Diabolism” opens up the B-side with a different tone, having been produced in 2016 and demonstrating the deeper acid undulations Lekx has become known for in more recent years. Still delivered via the same trusted tools he was using in the 90s, the sound feels like an extension of the Rude 66 vision rather than a separate entity. “Envious Are All The People, Witches Watch At Every Gate,” a cut from the late 90s, closes the EP out in a spacious, snarling exploration of broken acid electro laden with cinematic sweeps of synthesizer and a constant sense of unresolved tension.

Across these four tracks, Lekx displays the scope of his craft as Rude 66 while also proving that timeless music can make sense in any context, and that the threads of inspiration in an artist’s journey can be followed, explored and even resolved 20 years later, when you least expect it.

Cover artwork by P.Kuznetsov
Release Date: 16 November 2018

A1. Rude 66 - Werewolves And Poisoners

A2. Rude 66 - The Crusade Against Idolatry

Encouraged with success of the starting release and celebrating Resident Advisor's 'Label of the month' title the second vinyl just got, Arma Label puts another record to spin.

The third unit includes two tracks by Andrey Zots, who clearly has something to say as a regular of Arma's strongest events and has talent to do that with style.

The beloved Arma's soldier Rhadoo grants his name to the release as a producer putting effort into remix of Andrey Zots' track 'Ty El'.

B1 - Andrey Zots - Ty El (Rhadoo Remix)

Following releases from Rude 66, Vakula and Mick Wills, Arma continues to explore the dark and wild corners of contemporary machine music via a new split 12” featuring LVRIN and Maoupa Mazzocchetti.

LVRIN is a Russian producer entrenched in the guttural thrill of distorted hardware techno. His previous releases have surfaced on Pinkman, Crimes Of The Future (alongside Dmitry Distant) and Sign Bit Zero, while his A Bleak Reality alias landed on Lux Rec sublabel Mrt. These reference points make clear the sound world LVRIN occupies, where blown out boxes spit out gnarled beats and slimy basslines through an overdriven desk. The entwined scepters of post punk and industrial loom over his nocturnal incantations, the clamour of the melodies bleeding into the hiss of the reverb for a gloriously deviant end result. It’s no surprise to learn these vibrant pieces were captured in one take – the impulse and energy of the performance supersedes the need for nitpicking and refinement in the mixdown.

Brussels-based Maoupa Mazzocchetti has been weaving defiantly unconventional strains of electronic music since first emerging on Unknown Precept and Mannequin. From the acclaimed Laugh Tool LP to last year’s Gag Flag on Editions Gravats and an essential leftfield reggaeton collaboration with Clara! on Les Disques De La Bretagne, Mazzocchetti’s path has been wildly unpredictable and highly original. This non-trend continues with the vivid shapes he marks out on the B side of this record. There’s a rugged, body-poppin’ thrust to the grooves that power all three tracks – all the stronger to carry the madcap sampling and mischievous synth splashes that shape out the music’s identity. These are short, sweet blasts of ideas dripping in personality and originality – equal parts deadly serious and deliriously flippant, and essential listening for anyone who enjoys straying from established paths while still rocking to the beat.

Cover artwork by P.Kuznetsov
Release Date: 22 March 2019

Pre-order : https://armarecords.bandcamp.com/album/arma-020-lvrin-maoupa-mazzocchetti-split-ep

A1. LVRIN - Escape

B1. Maoupa Mazzocchetti - She Slept With Mohammar

B1 - Area - Bourbon Skies (St. Petersburg Three-Four Blues Remix by DJ Sprinkles)

For the new Arma release Ena explores different, distinct facets of his sound across three productions. “Pale” distills his vision of techno as a minimalist, repetitive construct. Working around non-standard time signatures, he creates a densely woven lattice of percussive pulses, which cut a polyrhythmic path through nightmarish sheets of noise. “Secondary Color” uses a broader palette that opens the Ena sound up to the light,,, “Wired” heads further away from the grid in pursuit of sound design exploration, as a rack of pipes and chambers strike, boom and chime against artful distortion and cavernous reverb. While Ena has historically been hesitant about remixes of his material, he warmed to the idea of long-time Arma friend JASSS reworking “Wired”. Taking the track into her own fiercely individual sound world, she uses the harmonic tonality of the original as a jump-off point for an epic, emotionally forthright chiller loaded with coldwave bombast, trap hats and Silvia’ own voice.

Coming from entirely different angles of approach, Ena and JASSS are bound together by their fearless individuality. You can sense the slithers of pre-existing music somewhere in their constructions, but such familiarities are no more than faint echoes of places they passed through on their way to somewhere new.
Cover artwork by Judex Franju

A1. Ena - Pale

A2. Ena - Wired

B1. Ena - Wired (Jasss Remix)

B2. Ena - Secondary Color

Vakula, a versatile Ukrainian producer and a long-term Arma contributor, drops a new album on the label.

In Search of Ancient Civilization is an contemporary electronic work at its finest, although the tools used to shape its sound are linked to a folk tradition. For that matter the album features musicians from within Vakula's creative circle. Tracks that needed specific vocals and also rare instruments such as harp, fujara, tambourine have been produced in collaboration with Olena Nevertii and Yaroslav. The artist has sampled himself while throat singing along with field recordings in natural surroundings.

There's a message behind the carefully made-by-hand fantasy aesthetics of the production and its unconventional voice. Vakula's fascination with the Ancient world moved him through the history of humanity, to the point where his findings were insightful enough to warn the listener: "It's time to wake up".

In Search of Ancient Civilization is the 22nd release of Arma Records to be released on 23rd October 2020.

C2. Vakula x Nevertii feat Olena - Om Namah Shivaya

Arma is a record label run by the team of Arma17 club, Moscow, Russia
https://armarecords.bandcamp.com/

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