Music from Memory

We welcome Tornado Wallace (@tornadowallace), long time friend of the label and whose record 'Falling Sun' we released through Second Circle back in 2016.  Interview (excerpt) down below.

www.musicfrommemory.com

MFM: Hey Lewie, how have you been lately?

TW: I dipped out to East Asia and Australia for the infamous Berlin winter and now I’m back ready for the euro warmth. Though it’s in no hurry to arrive here just yet.

MFM: There's a new record coming on Basic Spirit, the label you run with Jamie Tiller, and it all looks rather secretive... Can you tell us more about it Lew E? :) 

TW: I made these tracks when I was holed up sick for a week. Not being able to go to the studio I relied strictly on samples and software, which was fun to change the workflow up a little bit. I wanted to make some very club ready tracks, without any intention for a release. They (rather obviously) sample two well known tracks, but there’s a lot of new ideas too. I use a different name as it felt like a different style and approach to how I usually go about things. I think there will be more Lew E things on the horizon though :D.

MFM: Previous releases on Basic Spirit also had this '90s touch to it. What is it that you like about (music from) that era?

TW: I grew up in the 90s so a lot of the music coming out then really hits the nostalgic feels. But also, really interesting things were happening with technology, and it became a lot more affordable to put together a record. So there were a lot of - for lack of a better term - laymen releasing electronic music. Some of which had very new and out-there approaches to processes like sampling, mixing and arranging. But trends and technology all moved along so quickly that some of these sounds and ideas never had a chance to get fully fleshed out. Which is why it’s nice to pick up where some left off. People are currently very responsive to this late 90s/early 2000s sound, which is great for me because that’s a time when I really fell in love with electronic music. As a DJ, I’m playing these really personal tracks that I discovered as a teenager, and for the first time since I began playing parties/clubs 18 years ago, people seem to really understand them. It’s a very cool feeling.

MFM: You've also started a new more pop oriented project called a.s.o. together with vocalist Alia Seror O’Neill. Has it always been a dream or goal of yours to start a more band kind of project? Does it require a different writing/recording approach compared to when making dance music for the clubs?

TW: I like making music that I like listening to. And with the pandemic in full swing in 2020, I was having a little break from club music, and diving deeper into other styles of music I enjoy. Both from a listening and producing perspective. I found it to be a very different approach. It’s more melody/hook driven and focuses on getting ideas down quickly as they’re forming. A lot of the time I would use a basic keyboard and guitar to record, and Alia would add vocal melodies and harmonies on the fly. Sometimes it could get difficult when we would both want to put our fleeting ideas down at the same time! On that note, collaboration is never easy for me as I like to have full creative control of whatever it is I’m working on, and sometimes the creative paths divide and compromises have to be made. Sometimes the compromised path is thick and thorny, and sometimes it is paved gold and smells of roses.

MFM: How did you go through the selecting and recording process, any specific record or mood you had planned?

TW: I came across a bunch of really nice tracks all in a relatively similar downtempo/shoegaze style, and wanted to make a mix of music like that. For moody home/car/train etc listening. I also included a forthcoming Cousin remix of an a.s.o. single which I love and wanted to share early!

MFM Mix 049: Tornado Wallace

Steno - VENA Tangier II, Oct 2023

Continuing the series is Mancunian producer, dj and music teacher Tom Burford who just released his LP 'Elevations' with us as Contours (@contoursmusic). Interview (excerpt) down below.

www.musicfrommemory.com

MFM: Hey Tom. You just returned from a big hike, how was it?

TC: Hey! Yeah, we were able to get out on some beautiful hikes around the Anaga national park in the north of Tenerife. It’s a stunning landscape and a nice change from the overbearing grey we get in Manchester for half the year. 

MFM: Does nature play an important role in your life and music?

JC: Definitely in life, and then I guess that just seeps into my music. I grew up in a pretty rural part of Cumbria. It was very beautiful landscape but with very little to do from an entertainment perspective, so getting out in the landscape or jamming with friends always felt like the two most freeing things to do. 

MFM: About jamming with friends... Your new album Elevations includes a lot of collaborations with other musicians, of which you did the recordings yourself. Can you highlight one special moment from those recording sessions?

TC: When recording Pots, I had initially written and recorded the percussion and synth parts at home and hit up Abraham to see if he wanted to add some Trumpet parts. He is based in London and so he recorded initial takes remotely and sent them through. They sounded great, but I really wanted to transform and process his parts for the track to manipulate them into sounding more synth like at points. Doing, that without him in the space felt like there was dialogue missing. In the end I went down to London and we recorded and dubbed them out in the same space at the Rhythm Section studio (shouts to Mali on engineering duties). Being able to respond to his playing and him in turn being able to respond to the dubbing of his parts felt like it was able to capture some really special elements.  

MFM: The A side of your new LP has Elevations 1, 2 and 3. Was it intentional for these tracks to end up separately or did they used to be one larger piece?

TC: When I started writing Elevations 1, 2 and 3 it just began as a series of jams and recording sessions in my flat bouncing ideas back and forth between myself, Beka, Abel and Simmy. These sessions were always just me and one other collaborator at a time, partly down to schedules, the size of the flat, but also the chance to not have to rush the process and to really dig into how we worked together. I continued building out the same project over multiple sessions so that I could have access to all the material collated in one place. Specific sections and ideas started to come together, but I liked the idea of them forging part of a wider piece. I’d previously worked in a largely self-contained track basis but had been listening to a lot of pieces like Six Marimbas, Music for 18 musicians and Tehillim by Steve Reich that build over a long period and loved the scope this gave to get completely lost in the music. I love the hypnotic nature created when polyrhythms morph over each other for a long enough period, shifting emphasis and eventually melting away.  

MFM: What can you tell about the mix you've made?

TC: I wanted to create a mix that was able to showcase the variety of sounds that influence me, both as a DJ and Producer. I love listening to mixes and radio at home and the best club experiences I’ve had have always been when a DJ is able to surprise you and really take you on a journey. The album makes heavy use of strings through the violin and cello, but also the Guzheng, a Chinese Zither and the Clàrsach a Celtic Harp. The initial three tracks of the mix focus on these sounds before skirting into more percussive and jazz focused influences and then into some deeper acid-tinged downtempo tracks and sub heavy club sounds. Hopefully this mix takes people on a journey and is something for people to get lost in.

MFM Mix 051: Contours

Offen is proud to present to you June’s Outsiders episode courtesy of Katzi Kenneth, head honcho of seminal Malka Tuti label, and much more. 

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Niemandsland w/ Rick Shiver ~ Lyl Radio 2024.06.05

Taken from 'Dead Sound - Into The Void' (MFM069)
Buy Vinyl: https://www.musicfrommemory.com/
Buy Digital: https://music-from-memory.bandcamp.com/
© 2024 Music From Memory

Into The Void

Illusion

A2. Dead Sound - Illusion

Low, slow, and sleazy sounds for your Friday afternoon. Expect post-punk, synth pop, -wave and more. 
Find the full tracklist and related episodes on NTS: https://www.nts.live/shows/babyschon/episodes/babyschon-13th-september-2024

babyschön w/ Pigeon Steve 130924

From Japan here's producer, DJ and friend of the label Kunyuki Takahashi (@kuniyuki-takahashi) with a special recording of his live set during Rainbow Disco Club this year 2024. Interview (excerpt) down below.

www.musicfrommemory.com

MFM: Hey Kuni. What was growing up in Sapporo like, being quite remote from the other major cities in Japan? Via what channels/media/ways did you learn about music, art, etc? 

KT: Tokyo is most biggest scene about culture and music, but I was really looking for more out of Japan. Sapporo is more slow. I was just into music when I was teenager so everydays looking interesting music, because around 80's was crazy it' like big bung for music. My friends and i also really looking for PUNK, Industrial music, Ambient music, also of cause electric music as well at that time. It was just our like networks and channels for connect to other essence from each one. You know Teenager No need mainstream, no need TV show just believe to get some good one  from friends!

MFM: Your sound overall has a very 'organic' and 'spiritual' touch. Where does this come from? Who and what were/are your inspirations?  

KT: Both of feeling is definitely I need and my favorite things about when I touch instruments because it's nice to connect into music. So many instruments has lot's of colors so it's my inspirations come from. But to be honest i'm really bad to playing instruments....

MFM: That is debatable, haha. Where did you actually learn to play all those instruments, like the conga's and flute?

KT: I learnt about percussion and congas by listening to African music, and in the 90s I spent a lot of time with these. I used to listen to Peter Gabriel's Realworld record series so it's my teacher of  music! There are flute-like instruments in synthesizers and music workstations, but when I tried to use flute sounds by Synth, I couldn't feel spiritual, so I decided to try my hand at it. There is so much spiritual real instruments.

MFM: Your contribution is a recording of your live show at Rainbow Disco Club in Japan this year 2024. What can you tell us about the show? For those who had to miss it, maybe you can describe the setting a bit?

KT: Yes it was from My good friend Masa From Rainbow disco club.
I've been joined Rainbow disco club many times and always did a Dance set but he Told me “could you play live show like your album from Music from memory For RDC2024?”, and I was say “YES I would love to and if we can do then I want to do proper Music from memory live set.” So it was so exciting. Because these music from MFM was very special. It was morning time, there is nature and birds singing, and I was joined with my like bird whistle, feel windows, relaxing people waiting before making dance time. I re-created all sound patterns so it was so fun like should do make Tape sound like bit noise sound, more retro sound. Also I really remembered about what I used different Chords before in the 80's and 90's!

MFM: Your live shows seem to be improvisation based, very playful. As if you're jamming in the studio. Does playing live differ much to you from working in the studio?

KT: Yes I love like improvisations when doing live show. I'm always thinking about each party is totally different energy from music lovers. I love to get something good happen with music lovers, and yes it's totally different with Studio works. Prepare for live set also needs time and skills, so i always try to do at my studio for what can happen at the live show.

MFM Mix 052: Kuniyuki Takahashi

Taken from 'H.A.N.K. - The Big Melt' (SC021)
Buy Vinyl: https://www.musicfrommemory.com/
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The Big Melt

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www.musicfrommemory.com

Amsterdam based record label releasing visionary electronic music from both past and present.

Sublabel: @secondcircle

A2. Dead Sound - Illusion

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