Auralism is once again switching gears with a collection of techno odysseys forged in the reactors of a deep-space ferry en route to the center of the sun.  This release demonstrates Auralism’s ceaseless desire to push forward into new and alien terrain.
 
Eutactic kicks it off with, Sentience, a bleeped-out journey grinding itself from the steel hulls of our star-bound vessel into the endless zero gravity terrain of outer space. In the end, our hero has lost his mind, and the android crew has taken the helm. What begins as a simple mission of self-destruction develops into fantastic late-night psychadelia perfect for those eyes-closed, time-lapsed trips that make day or night completely irrelevant concepts and the sense of self melt into nothingness.
 
COTK follows up with what is by far their most big-room techno excursion to date. Minimal, and throbbing, Amdroid is begging to be played on the loudest system possible for an ocean of sweaty, bobbing heads.  A poly-rhythmic sci-fi womp builds over a pounding tech pulse, growing into a monsterous, hands-in-the-air pinnacle.  Expect this one to make it onto the playlists of some big-time festival selectors.
 
Jason Short, ½ of COTK & Eutactic, and label manager of Auralism drops an acid-tech beast with Blood Brain Barrier. A composed banger, this track is filthy and full of raw sex. The bubbling bass line romps away underneath a thumping, steady beat setting dance-floors alight with its gurgling, beastly attitude.. Eww-faces a plenty when this one hits the bass bins.
 
Capping off this release full of future-classics, COTK brings it back to EDM’s roots with Persona Non Grata. A track that blends new-school technical precision with a classic texture & aesthetic that builds into the perfect tear-jerking ender. A pounding break & rolling bass contrasts the swelling chords & timeless vocal evoking the sense that this party really meant something. Expect some dance-floor kisses, and accidental romances when this emotional track seeps into the audience. This is a commanding end to a massive release for Auralism.

ARLSMD023 Eutactic - Sentience

ARLSMD023 COTK  - Amdroid

ARLSMD023 Jason Short - Blood Brain Barrier

ARLSMD023 COTK - PersonaNonGrata

Auralism is proud to present the new five track EP from talented San Francisco producer Kenneth Scott. The title track “What Do I Do?” is a dynamic vocal cut framed by hints of Eighties synth-pop contrasted against the modern techno sleekness and intricate musicality of Scott's work. On the flip, "What Do I Say?" is all about bass line, recalling the heady free-for-all of the early Nineties illegal party scene- but updated to meet 2009 standards. 

What Do I Do? 
"What Do I Do?" combines cutting edge late night techno, groovy house music, and solid pop hooks into something distinct. There is a serenity to this cut that can be found inside a memorable vocal, solid use of melody, and that serpentine bass line. 

What Do I Say? 
Imagine putting a heavy plumber's wrench into a commercial dryer, that's about the best description of the masculine bass bin destruction going on the flipside of the EP. But this track is far from a thuggish techno onslaught, the weird mechanical throbs and clicks serve as the melodic glue holding this counterweight of musical ideas together. This allows "What Do I Say?" to take on a simple life of understated grace where the best elements of the track partially obscure themselves only to reveal its magic to those souls who really sit and listen. 

What Do I Do? (Dave Aju Remix) 
Circus Company's Dave Aju brings real elements of the Eighties into his remix of "What Do I Do?", although the handclap percussion hook exudes more of a downtown Oakland influence of old school electro rather than the New Romantic pulse of the original. However, the cleverly crafted bouncing bass line could only come from San Francisco circa 2009 and gives this remix its form and definition. The melodies are the key attraction, though, always in perfect balance with the emotions Aju is trying to capture in this subtle re-working. 

What Do I Do? (Rift Remix) 
Rift transforms the A-side track into a sleazy, late night tech house voyage to an after-hours club somewhere on the wrong side of the tracks in Florida. His remix is loaded with the musical interpretations of overworked flesh peddlers crowding the dance floor of the club. The brilliant flashes of micro melodies tangled in Rift's dense web of sounds help keep things from getting too dark but it's the blowzy and swollen bass line that defines the track’s decent into unbridled hedonism. 

What Do I Say? (Jason Short’s Response) 
Auralism head Jason Short brings a tackle box full of sounds and throws every one of them at his remix of "What Do I Say?". Far from sounding cluttered, Short uses each ping, blip, and bleep to make contact the “great beyond” via a psychedelic musical conversation. A rolling bass line meets shamanistic techno buzz saws and an otherworldly clacking to create a face numbing late night 8-bit excursion to a place just a little beyond our universe.

ARLSMD021 Track1 Kenneth Scott - What Do I Do?

ARLSMD021 Track2 Kenneth Scott - What Do I Say?

ARLSMD021 Track3 Kenneth Scott - What Do I Do? (Dave Aju Remix)

ARLSMD021 Track4 Kenneth Scott - What Do I Do? (Rift Remix)

ARLSMD021 Track5 Kenneth Scott - What Do I Say? (Jason Short Response)

San Francisco techno producer Derrick Boyd AKA Dead Seal delivers one of the more interesting and forward-thinking releases of 2009 with his debut album Corpus Animus for Auralism Records. The release, due out on October 13th is a dynamic translation of Dead Seal's frenetic live performances and years of home recording which have incorporated his mastery of the clarinet, guitar, and bass into the mix. The results are equal bits shoegazer techno, solid San Francisco house groove, and strikingly original musical portions- often in the same track. There is a clear vision of songwriting and cutting edge production ideas on Corpus Animus as Dead Seal ties together many disparate influences from Balearic to dripping psychedelia.

Dolgama– An icy foray into what sounds like an Eastern European modality with a rich aristocratic feel. "Dolgama" can best be described as somber with a digitally treated clarinet is transformed into a string lacrimosa.

The Triangle– Perhaps the most futuristic of the tracks on this release "The Triangle" is a nice mix of glitch and a strong organic musical aspect. Carried by a warm, dubby bass line and dense layers of intricate percussion the track is filled out by some glitchy vocal and piano snippets and some fine guitar work.

Bone Apple Tit.– Haunting synth pads, ominous vocal sounds, and a shrieking loop color this track. Interesting percussion drives it but the tension-inducing theatrics and intricate melodies add interesting new, almost gothic, dimensions to the track. 

Above Lies– A dreamy roller coaster of deep, head swirling techno with a twist of goth. The melancholic arpeggios note a distinct sojourn into reflective, shoegazer techno.

Oklearance– Imagine ghetto house complete with P-Funk synth squiggles and bumpin' vocal hook as the bones skeleton for this track . Now add liberal amounts of dense melodic sequences unravelling around that minimal boompty bounce and "voila!"

Pull The Lever– This track has a low-key deep funk/West Coast house but also includes a proper "middle eight" as found in a pop song. This section is a strong contrast to the intro with a dark,  post punk influence that is skillfully worked into the overall dynamic and feel of the entire track. The two parts interlace for something that sounds equal parts Ziggy Stardust and Berghain.

King Burk– "King Burk" is ominous, sounding like a lost Joy Division demo. Everything about this track is spine-tingling as if it was drowned in aged absinthe and the works of Poe from the wicked bass line to the dark and doomy lyrics. Atonal string sounds and a steady techno pulse help push this track into a unique creative space that lies somewhere between dance and pop.

Sword Play– Tracks like this were commonplace in the late 80s, ones that combined a dark, aggressive menace with a good danceable groove. Dead Seal revisits that vibe here with buzzsaw synths but adds strings and dub elements to give it techno's deep sense of space.

ARLSMD022 Track1 Dead Seal - Dolgama

ARLSMD022 Track2 Dead Seal - TheTriangle

ARLSMD022 Track3 Dead Seal - Bone Apple Tit

ARLSMD022 Track4 Dead Seal - AboveLies

Launched in 2007 by longtime friends, producers and DJs, Jason Short, Marc Smith, Tim Kelleher and Hac Le, San Francisco-based Auralism Records brings the minimal machinations of Berlin to the Bay Area's famously funky dance floors. Auralism's roots trace back to 2005, when Smith and Short, producing together as the duo Coalition of the Killing, realized they'd need an outlet to handle their formidable stockpile of unreleased tracks. After top-flight DJs began blowing up parties worldwide with their white labels, they knew what needed to be done: the only way to give the music the forum it deserved was to release it themselves. Thus began the vision for a driven, analog-centric label that will finally get Bay Area techno noticed by its European counterparts.

From its original conception as a conduit for COTK's output, the imprint has since matured into a diversified, international roster of artists both seasoned and newly arrived, including Elon (Made to Play), Alland Byallo (Kontrol SF), Miguel Colmenares (Subtropical), and Limaçon (Poker Flat). Auralism is very much a cooperative, encouraging its artists to experiment within its twisted, propulsive blueprint while pushing them to the outer limits of impeccable sound design. The label has also hit the ground running with some of the dirtiest throwdowns that San Francisco has seen in years, importing talents like Pier Bucci, Lee Curtiss, Billy Dalessandro, Appendics Shuffle, Exercise One, and Pan-Pot to go head-to-head with the label's residents. With a release schedule jam-packed with new material, plus remixes commissioned from scene stalwarts such as Argenis Brito, Justin Maxwell, and Franklin De Costa, Auralism has firmly entrenched itself as a label to watch in 2007. 

Auralism Records

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