Kotra is a moniker and main art project of Berlin-based multidisciplinary artist Dmytro Fedorenko – one of the earliest and most prolific pioneers of Ukrainian experimental electronic music.

We're pleased to welcome him back to CDM with a full-length interview - check it on the site.

Radness Methods

PREMIERE: Kotra - Quantum Presence

Northern Techno's Alex Glass writes about this driving techno mix for CDM, produced in Ukraine on the eve of the war:

"Hard techno for hard times. So it happened I recorded this mix literally a few hours before the war, at the very beginning of that fateful night on February 24, at the dawn of which Putin's troops launched an invasion of Ukraine. Thus, it turned out to be a kind of bridge between the usual normal and peaceful life and that terrifying new reality, where instead of a beat, the sounds of shots sound, and the sky is illuminated not by strobe lights, but by flashes of rockets falling. At the moment, music remains for me the main and most important outlet, allowing me not to go crazy from everything that happens. I hope that this mix will make the mood of some of the listeners at least a little better. Thank you for your attention. Fuck war. Invaders must die. Support Ukraine & love each other."

Alex Glass - techno mix from Ukraine, 24.02

Fresh sound designs for the new Oberheim OB-X8 - the first synth from Oberheim in over 35 years - as created by sound design Francis Preve, who worked for a month on the factory presets.

OBX8 6 - Fizzyping

CDM exclusive - sound samples from the new Sequential Trigon polysynth by Francis Preve.

Trigon 6 F

Trigon 6 E

Trigon 6 D

Trigon 6 C

Trigon 6 B

Trigon 6 A

Exclusive sounds samples of a prototype Waldorf Streichfett (not final), shown for the first time at Frankfurt Musikmesse. Improvisation with the various choral, string, and solo sections and effects.

Streichfett Improv Messe #1

Streichfett Improv Messe #2

Premiering on CDM: Ireen Amnes delivers a brisk, growling scorcher for Keyi Magazine's new charity compilation. 

Check the full story and interview:
https://cdm.link/2023/06/premiere-ireen-amnes-keyi-magazine/

Photo: Hedge Mundt.

Premiere: Ireen Amnes - Pact (Keyi Sonic Reflections charity compilation)

Sonic illustration for our hands-on review and sound design guide, IK Multimedia UNO Synth Pro X.

Percussive

Ambient

Acid

Ring Mod

Maze DK shares a scorcher as part of the Earthquake charity for Morocco compilation assembled by Znzl. Check this debut scorcher of a track, from the artist who describes her work as "industrial sounds of broken machinery with an acid sprinkle on top."

Check our article on the compilation for more on the music, links to the full album, and direct donation resources for Morocco.

https://cdm.link/2023/10/compilation-for-morocco-plus-maze-dk-premiere/

Learn more

PREMIERE - Maze DK - Disrupted Rush (Original Mix)

From Donbas, Ukraine, up-and-coming talent Moe Nagasi aka Surface Crawler aka Valeria Khazan shares this set recorded live at the Establishment showcase at Arkaoda, Berlin - 25 June 2023.

Full story - https://cdm.link/2023/10/cdm-mixes-moe-nagasi/

Valeria mixes live violin and effects with her sets for a unique hybrid sound, and the composer / producer / musician has a deep connection to her selections. In this set:

Eprom - Remorse
Ice_Eyes x Sueuga - Superficie
Jean Redondo - Hypersonic
Two Fingers vs. Muadeep - Blood Moon
Blawan - Toast 
PESSIMIST - SPRTLZM
Simo Cell - Short Leg
Siu Mata - Tokamak
Sinusoidal - Mind Killer
4 6 2 5 - Proles 
Na Nich - Super Earth
Donato Dozzy - Le Confort Electronique
G Jones - A2C2I2D
Blawan - Under Belly
Rrose - Spore
E-Saggila - Pr1nt
Transparent Sound - No Call from New York

Photo: Albert Ovadia.

CDM Mixes: Surface Crawler aka Moe Nagasi (live at Arkaoda)

Gaza's Delia Arts Center was a hub for musicians and community before it was destroyed by occupying Israeli forces. Ayman, now sheltering in Rafah, talks about the space and the current realities on the ground. Courtesy Delia Arts Foundation.

Ayman speaks on Delia Arts Center in Gaza, sheltering in Rafah

Various Artists, Vol. 4

The Real One

Having some fun with iZotope's Möbius Filter plug-in, which combines a filter with the impression of ever-rising Shepard Tones (the "barber pole" effect in sound). One of our favorite plug-ins of the year.

iZotope Möbius filter demo

Selector and producer Sofia Kourtesis joins us for an eclectic moody-Amazonian trip through 2017. Feature and track listing on CDM.

CDM Mixes: Sofia Kourtesis / Winter skies

MESS is "Mindful Electronic Sonic Selections" - and a regular party in Berlin at Ohm, above Tresor. Party organizer and producer/DJ Hyperaktivist shares a 2.5 hour B2B set with us, recorded at the Valentine's edition from February 2018, made with Melinda Mohajer.

For more:
www.facebook.com/Hyperaktivist/
www.soundcloud.com/hyperaktivist
www.soundcloud.com/messberlin
www.facebook.com/messberlin

And see our interview/feature with Ana Laura:

CDM Mixes: Hyperaktivist B2b Mohajer X Mess

Exclusive sounds recorded directly from the new KORG volca modular, created by expert sound designer, synthesist, and journalist Francis Preve.

Sequence Demo 5

Sequence Demo 4

Sequence Demo 3

Sequence Demo 2

Sequence Demo 1

Dual Osc Clocked FGen

Just two tracks of MeeBlip geode synth, entirely dry / no effects, proving you can make ambient and experimental textures, too.

Music: Peter Kirn

Synth: http://meeblip.com

MeeBlip geode synth: geode gone ambient

All MeeBlip geode sounds - all dry. (Only light EQ on the kick and tom, mainly bandpass)Each part improvised in one take, then layered/arranged.

Music: Peter Kirn

Synth: http://meeblip.com

MeeBlip geode synth: an all geode song

Sine + Square
Create Digital Music + DE:BUG Chat

DE:BUG's Benjamin Weiss and createdigitalmusic.com's Peter Kirn go head to head with each other to pit the new Korg MS-20 mini against a vintage original. Korg has remade their classic 1978 design in a new model that claims to recreate the original's circuitry and sound. The two editors get to talk about what makes this special, and share some experiments in sound comparison.

Sound samples and chat.

In the sound samples, listen first for the original MS-20, followed by the mini.


Korg MS-20 mini, Meet MS-20 Original: CDM + DE:BUG Chat

As played by Tatsuya Takahashi, from Korg's development group, creator of the volca series. Tatsuya improvised some sounds for us to show off what the upcoming, sub-$150 instruments from KORG can do. Recorded direct, dry from the instruments without modification.

Popular tracks by cdm