A previously unreleased track from the 2022 reissue of Suction001

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Artists: Lowfish / Solvent
Title: suction001
Label / CAT#: Suction Records / suction001 (25th anniversary reissue)
Format: Vinyl 12-inch/Digital EP
Release date: November 11, 2022

2022 marks the 25th anniversary of Suction Records, the Toronto-based electro/IDM label founded in 1997 by two emerging producers, Lowfish (aka Gregory De Rocher) and Solvent (aka Jason Amm), the latter still overseeing the label to this day. The label’s inaugural release was a split Lowfish/Solvent 12”, marking both artists’ debut vinyl appearance.

Gregory and Jason had known each other since high-school, but a deeper friendship was forged during their university years, after Gregory introduced Jason to early Rephlex releases by Aphex Twin and µ-Ziq. Gregory had been making electronic music in his bedroom for more than a decade, but it was those Rephlex releases that ignited Jason’s passion to do the same. After several years of obsessive gear buying, music making, and playing tracks for each other, Lowfish and Solvent had hit their stride, and their demos even attracted the interest of legendary early IDM labels labels Skam (for Lowfish), and Isophlux (for Solvent). But things were slow-moving in those days — letters, faxes, phone calls… nothing was panning out. So that’s when they decided to start their own label, and put out 300 copies of this 12”, suction001.

The label was heavily inspired by contemporary artists like AFX, Autechre, and Panasonic, but on suction001, those influences collided with their ‘80s synth-pop and industrial roots to create something unique. 25 years later, it still sounds fresh, and like nothing else out there. On suction001, 808 drum machines are run through distortion and breakbeats are chopped and mangled, contrasting with melodic OMD-style leads and catchy synth-pop basslines — a sound the label would refer to as ‘distortion pedal new wave.’

Over the past 25 years, Suction’s sound has morphed and evolved, but in recent years has shifted back to it’s original Rephlex-inspired roots. That makes 2022 the perfect year to revisit this wild, 1997 debut, now reissued in a new, expanded edition for it’s 25th anniversary. The reissue adds 2 bonus tracks — a 1999 remix by Detroit electro-punk duo ADULT., along with a previously-unreleased version of Lowfish’s A1 cut, and also features new and improved artwork, including an insert with full label discography.

Limited to 500 copies, and comes with a Bandcamp download card.

Tracklisting:

A1. Lowfish “Helski Gotenks”
A2. Solvent “Course Hub with Garnish”
A3. Lowfish “Helski Gotenks (version)”
B1. Solvent “Flexidisc”
B2. Lowfish “Your Last Legs”
B3. Solvent “ESP (edit)”
B4. Lowfish “Peanut Butter Castles”
B5. ADULT. vs Solvent “Flexidisc (remix)”

suction001

Helsi Gotenks (version)

Lowfish is battle-scarred Canadian electro and analog IDM producer Gregory De Rocher.
 
Founder of the Suction Records label (with like-minded Robot Jason Amm, AKA Solvent) in 1997 – Lowfish's extensive 20+ year discography spans releases and remixes on some of the world's most respected electronic music labels including:

Suction Records
Analogical Force
Ersatz Audio
Ghostly International
Satamile
City Centre Offices
Crème Organization
Noise Factory
Awkward Silence
ADSR
Vynalogica
Lo Recordings
!K7
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"Lowfish's music is deceptively simple, enormously catchy modern electro, eschewing currently fashionable digital trickery for good old analog skills" XLR8R

"Forget the watered-down schlock that passes for electro these days - this is pure, unadulterated synth music, and it rules" VICE

"Seriously, keine Verarsche! Hört mal genau hin, was sich da zwischen den Schaltkreisen entwickelt: ein Organismus, mehrere Zellen, Synthese dank 240 Volt!Lowfish, der bärtigste Bartträger von Toronto, forscht seit den späten Neunzigern nach Lebensformen im Schall. Gefunden hat er: zwei Dutzend EPs und acht Alben, die alle unter eigenen Label-Laborbedingungen entstanden sind. Sie enthalten Spuren von Delia Derbyshire, Mort Garson und Aphex Twin. Möglicherweise haben sich auch Tin Man und ein Dopplereffekt ins Petrischälchen verirrt. Wurscht, weil das ohnehin nur billiges Namedropping ist, um der organisch nach Luft hechelnden und ganz und gar lebendigen Gefühlsverwirrung einen Namen zu verpassen." GROOVE

I love electronic music. I listen to underground, indie artists. There are so many diamonds in the rough. I just want to share them with the world.

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Helsi Gotenks (version)

LOWFISH