Herbarium - Mix Series

QEONE - Releases

SoundSculptors - Live Set Series

For the second episode of our Herbarium Podcast series, we are pleased to welcome French producer and DJ @vardaemusic. 
The co-owner of @cosmicwaverecords presents a powerful mixture of breaks and straight beats interspersed with irresistible grooves from the faster realms of our genre direction. 
For this mix we have chosen the shrub 'Genista', which can be found all over Europe. In autumn, the plant forms elongated legumes that can contain up to 30 tiny seeds. These are widely dispersed by a centrifugal mechanism, the movement of which evokes in us strong associations with Vardae's mix. 

Artwork by @polygonia

Herbarium No 2 - Vardae - Genista

It is our absolute pleasure to announce the first compilation on QEONE. This wonderful collection of tracks is really unique as all pieces are based on one concept which is completely sound design oriented. The idea behind this release series is to have one material or substance which will then be interpreted by the artists. For this very first compilation we chose the material Wood. In the end the artists will also reveal some specific techniques which they used for the production of each track to transform this project also into a skill sharing platform for followers to learn from and get inspired. It offers a great opportunity to get insight into various approaches to one topic.

Preorder here: 
https://qeone.bandcamp.com/album/glyphs-wood

Tracklist:
01  Primal Code - Adansonia
02 Dycide - Tapio
03 Cafe de la Jungle - QMMF
04 Saša Delimar - What if...
05 Polygonia - iunua
06 FTP Doctor - Aaaah Naja
07 Mordio - Ancient Grove
08 Michał Wolski - Where have you come from
09 Kangding Ray - Ebeniste
10  Tenzia - Branches

Mastered by Klangstellwerk (Niklas Bühler)
Artwork by Lindsey Wang (Polygonia) and Tenzia

@primalcodemusic
@dycide
@cafe-de-la-jungle
@inf001
@polygonia
@ftp_doctor
@mordiomusic
@michalwolski
@kangding-ray
@tenziasounds

Support & Buy

GLYPHS : WOOD [QNE.GL.001]

It is a big honour to feature the very talented @syberkid for our ninth Herbarium Episode. With her organic and trippy sound, she makes the perfect match for our series.
The artist chose one of the oldest ferns for her mix, Pteridium Aquilinum. There are fossil records for this plant which are over 55 million years old.
It’s native in the U.K., the place where Sybil is based. She says '[it] looks so prehistoric & Jurassic, I love it.'

It is wonderful how Sybil integrates the mystic yet ancient vibe of this plant into her mix. It describes the complex form and the magic which comes with the age of its existence on earth very well. There are moments in which one can imagine to really communicate with this inspiring plant and feel the atmosphere around it in our forests.

Artwork by @polygonia

Follow Sybil
@syberkid
https://www.instagram.com/syberkid/
https://www.facebook.com/syberkid

Herbarium No 9 - Sybil - Pteridium Aquilinum

We are excited to kick off a new format with this beautiful first live set by the Armenian artist @innersha. She crafted an organic and deep but fast and groovy session. 
Our SoundSculptors series will introduce you to live sets of artists who we work with. As our label is very much focused on profound sound design we feel that it is high time to share such journeys with you as live sets are something very unique. With it we feature small interviews about the live sets with the artists, so that you get to know them and their concepts as well as techniques a bit better. You can read it on our instagram and our future website.

More about Innersha ~
Innersha is an electronic music producer and live performer based in Yerevan, Armenia. 
With a background in visual arts, communicating emotions and stories through media has always been a crucial part of her life. Her passion for crafting sound palettes using analog and modular synths, led to the development of diverse moods and storylines, transmitted through dynamic live sets. 
Her sound revolves around IDM and deep techno grooves, filled with organic sounds, rhythmic noises, and trance-inducing hypnotic basslines. 
As an initiator in the local raving scene and a co-founder of the dk.tsk collective, her artistic development was significantly shaped by the communal music experience.

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Follow Innersha
@innersha
https://www.instagram.com/innersha_/

SoundSculptors No 1 - Innersha 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦

Vardae - Mind Spectrum [QNE006]

Vardae reveals a truly auditory adventure with ‚Mind Spectrum, the sixth release on our label. His EP includes four tracks, each with its own distinct energy and character. Opening with ‚Thoughts,‘ Vardae sets a calm and profound tone, showcasing his exceptional minimalistic sound design. ‚Body Entrance,‘ the second track, promises an intense experience with its otherworldly textures that crawl under the skin. ‚Loose It,‘ the third track, is an instant classic inspired by the free party vibe, destined to ignite dance floors. The EP ends with a flourish as ‚Feel the Grass,‘ a fast paced, very deep, and mystical track, serves as the perfect finale.
In its entirety, ‚Mind Spectrum‘ escalates in tempo, providing a climactic journey and encapsulating the story of an entire night.

Preorder: https://qeone.bandcamp.com/album/mind-spectrum

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About Vardae:

Vardae is a project with the ambition of breaking away from the genre barrier, to explore new sounds territory around the love of psychedelic music.

https://soundcloud.com/vardaemusic
https://www.instagram.com/vardae_music/

Written and produced by Vardae aka Cédric Arnous
Mastered at Klangstellwerk by Niklas Bühler (www.klangstellwerk.de)
Artwork by Lindsey Wang (Polygonia)

Buy & Support

Vardae - Mind Spectrum [QNE006]

It's our big pleasure to welcome the amazing Japanese artist DJ MARIA. to our seventeenth episode of the Herbarium mix series! We absolutely love all her DJ sets, each time she manages to bewitch all our senses with her strong energetic selections.

She chose the plant Bamboo for this fine journey, here is why:
Bamboo shines beautifully in the wind and continues to grow strong over the years in any weather. Like such bamboo, this mix incorporates beautiful powerful sounds.

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About DJ MARIA.

DJ MARIA., hailed as "Japan's fastest rising star" in the techno realm, continues to captivate audiences worldwide with her dynamic blend of techno, infused with psychedelic and experimental elements. Her sets are more than just music; they're an immersive journey, offering a meditative, euphoric experience that transcends the ordinary.

Renowned for her versatility, DJ MARIA. skillfully navigates through various genres including house, ambient, trance, and downtempo, while remaining true to her techno roots. Her onstage presence, marked by intense energy control and an infectious smile, forges a deep connection with her audience, leaving an unforgettable impact.

In the past year, DJ MARIA.'s artistic journey has seen remarkable milestones. She released the enthralling EP ‘Acid Sunrise’ under the label Beyond the Galaxy and made a significant impact with ‘Communicating with the Universe’ on Deep Fundraisers, supporting humanitarian efforts in Ukraine.

Her European tour was a resounding success, featuring acclaimed performances at iconic venues like Bassiani, Berghain, S//IP, Astron Bar, and HOR Radio. She's now a regular at Berlin's Berghain, mesmerizing crowds with her unique sound. Her recent performances at De School during ADE, the "Het Einde" closing party, SMUT in Athens, Acquario Masada in Milan, and Elysia in Basel have solidified her status as a must-see act in the global techno scene.

She is also one of the promoter team ''Transcendance'', which focuses on unique psychedelic music, and is an organizer/resident DJ at the festival ''Moment'' in Tenkawa-mura, Nara, Japan. 

As DJ MARIA. continues to evolve and explore new sonic landscapes, fans can eagerly anticipate her upcoming releases. Her relentless dedication to her craft and her ability to innovate ensure that she will remain at the forefront of the techno world.

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Follow DJ MARIA.
https://soundcloud.com/djmaria-jp
https://www.instagram.com/mariasatelles/
https://www.facebook.com/djmaria.jp

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Artwork by @polygonia

Herbarium No 17 - DJ MARIA. - Bambusoideae

With our third episode of the SoundSculptors series we share with you a beautiful live set, recorded by @yasei_mu. You might already know him from his album 'Tombo' which he released with us in November 2023. The special thing about Yasei's live sets and productions are his versatile use of synth sequences combined with broken beats, juicy drums as well as sentimental moments which go very well in combination with the tooly parts which focus on repetitive organic patterns. 💦 

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More about Yasei ~

Yasei, also known as Alejandro Bento, is a multifaceted artist hailing from Spain. With a foundation deeply rooted in techno, Axel‘s musical interests span a wide spectrum. He‘s not just a composer, DJ, producer, and multi-instrumentalist but also an avid explorer of sound.

Yasei‘s artistic journey celebrates the blend of analogic sounds, classic instruments, tribal rhythms, and the marvels of digital technology. His music possesses a hypnotic quality, interwoven with harmonious intrigue. The organic textures and tribal beats in his creations can transport listeners into a trance-like state.

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Follow Yasei:
@yasei_mu
www.instagram.com/yasei.mu

SoundSculptors No 3 - Yasei 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦

We are extremely happy to feature a dear friend from our home city of Munich, @samgoku, in this 20th episode of the Herbarium mix series. He is such a colourful artist as his specialty is to combine multiple genre styles and create an organic conceptual journey with these gems. This also applies to this beautiful mix which he put together for us. He deep dives into precious harmonious textural ambient, tribal rhythms and catchy melodic instrumental references.

About Sam Goku's choice of plant: 
The 'Epiphyllum oxypetalum', or 'queen of the night', blooms only once a year. Its flower opens at night and closes again before sunrise. There is also one growing on the staircase at my parents' home – it’s a mix that feels special and close to home at the same time.

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About Sam Goku

It is a satisfying experience when an artist manages to create a modern sound by implementing what makes dance music so dearly appreciated amongst enthusiasts: Blended noises, repetition and some cheeky, unexpected madness.

Sam Goku does that in his productions - with a sleek straightforwardness that one would not expect from a rather hypnotic beat.

While appearances in some of Europes most established clubs and his eclectic set at the final rendition of Secret Garden Party put him on the map, he has never stopped to refine his skills as a mixer and selector.

He skilfully plays his way through myriads of subgenres and microcosm in the realm of (leftfield) house, techno and bass music, developing sets that are equally characterized by buoyant ease and yet great depth in the rhythmic, melodic and sonic details.

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Follow Sam Goku
https://soundcloud.com/samgoku
https://www.instagram.com/samgoku.ssj/
https://samgoku.bandcamp.com/music

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Artwork by @polygonia

Herbarium No 20 - Sam Goku - Epiphyllum Oxypetalum

Time to share the 21st Herbarium episode with you, this time we warmly welcome our talented friend and artist @caldera-caldera from Brighton. He curated a fantastic journey between deep and subtle textures combined with delicate harmonic glimpses into other worlds.

Caldera chose the European Ash for his mix, here is why:
I chose Fraxinus excelsior since I always admired how the light shines through the leaves of those trees and it has always made me in awe of them. I've been fortunate enough to have been living opposite a little forest that consists of many Ash Trees, so it's been my studio view since moving here 9 years ago and a steady source of subtle inspiration. (The first track includes a field recording of this forest)
For this mix I tried to capture the sound and movement of this plant in the wind which is why I choose tracks that include long pads and reverberend sounds as well as music that has some kind of sprinkly patterns representing the more in depth movements and interplay of the many small leaves.

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About Caldera

Since 2012, Caldera has been creating a unique and personal blend of Techno and Bass music with a love for detail and a dedicated sounddesign that immerses listeners into imaginary worlds.
His experiments with drums and rhythms result in grooves that represent a new and fresh way of looking at dance music while exploring a deeper side of it.
Caldera's music has been released on Labels such as Berlin based Nummer Music, Chicago's Kimochi Sound, Bristol based Pressure Dome and many more. He is also releasing music as .

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Follow @caldera-caldera
https://www.instagram.com/caldera.em.es/
https://caldera11.bandcamp.com/
https://ra.co/dj/caldera

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Artwork by @polygonia

Herbarium No 21 - Caldera - Fraxinus Excelsior

It is with great pleasure that we present ‚Bioma,‘ the upcoming EP from Pianeti Sintetici. A deep dive into organic yet groovy sounds rooted in the realms of psychedelic techno and grey area. The release perfectly shows how different style influences combined create a new forward thinking vibe while the heat of dance keeps arising within the listener‘s body.
Opening with ‚Steppa Plains,‘ the EP sets a moody, mysterious tone, set by a crawling synthetic pendulum swinging over a pulsating beat. ‚Dry Marsh‘ ramps up the energy, featuring driving rhythms and textured trippy elements. In ‚Vulcano Island,‘ the essence of tribal influences melds with vibrant sound design. The finale, ‚Gloomy Tundra,‘ wraps up the narrative with fast and broken bass patterns, which lead deep into otherworldy headspaces. 
‚Bioma‘ is a testament to Pianeti Sintetici‘s mastery of sound design, drumwork and arrangement arts, offering a unique and immersive listening experience.

Preorder: qeone.bandcamp.com/album/bioma

Release Date ~ August 22, 2024

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About Pianeti Sintetici:
An intergalactic journey open to the reception of biosounds from remote solar systems. Letters from alien worlds that tell of infinite possibilities of life. The soundtrack of synthetic planets aimed at hyperevolution of intelligent organisms.
৲ ∙ ⌓ ▔ ◎ ▴
Pianeti Sintetici ('synthetic planets' in Italian) is a new conceptual project by Davide Perrone (Primal Code) that draws inspiration from the factories of Magrathea, a planet in Douglas Adams' classic space opera The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, where artificial planets are manufactured on commission. 
'This concept has always fascinated me, and I chose the name to frame a hypothetical future of synthetic worlds, told with sound,' Davide says. 'I like to imagine the howls of creatures inhabiting solar systems outside our own. Rarefied atmospheres, alien sequences, and unfamiliar tonal scales. So, I see Pianeti Sintetici as an open-ended design research project where I can explore these inspirations.'
Mi piace pensare ai ruggiti delle creature abitanti altri sistemi solari. Atmosfere rarefatte, sequenze aliene, scale tonali sconosciute. Vedo Pianeti Sintetici come un progetto di ricerca aperto, dove posso esplorare e concretizzare la mia immaginazione sonora e visiva.”

https://soundcloud.com/pianetisintetici
https://www.instagram.com/pianetisintetici/
https://ra.co/dj/pianetisintetici

Written and produced by Pianeti Sintetici
Mastered by Klangstellwerk (Niklas Bühler)
Artwork by Lindsey Wang (Polygonia)

Pianeti Sintetici - Bioma [QNE010]

For the 22nd episode of our Herbarium mix series, we have the pleasure to feature our label head @polygonia. She put together a journey which leads us through organic breakbeats combined with funky yet trippy dubstep tunes leading over to Four on the Floor madness and back.

Polygonia chose the ancient Ginkgo tree for her musical journey:
Choosing the Ginkgo Biloba tree as the topic for my mix resonates deeply with its unique and ancient characteristics such as resilience and adaptability through millions of years. The tree's versatility gave me the perfect inspiration to explore various genre styles and put them together in a coherent way. Ginkgo Biloba's distinct, fan-shaped leaves evoke a sense of rhythm and movement, akin to the pulsating beats of this musical story. Additionally, the tree's symbolism of longevity and endurance aligns with the enduring appeal and transformative power of these tracks.

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About Polygonia

Polygonia represents a multidisciplinary music and art project conceived by Lindsey Wang from Munich, Germany.
The soundscapes of her productions exude a mystical, organic quality, featuring intricate and compelling rhythms. Polygonia’s sound palette has no limit in terms of BPM. Her main focus regarding genre directions lays on Techno, Grey Area, Downtempo and Ambient. She draws a lot of inspiration from nature as well as from her deep knowledge about instruments and musical theory which plays a major role in her productions.
Polygonia has already played DJ and Live sets at numerous international prestigious venues. She is now a regular at Tresor or Berghain in Berlin and in addition to that she started her Residency in 2023 at the Munichbased BLITZ club.
Together with the artists Dycide and MTRL, she established her collective and label IO in 2018. In 2021, Polygonia launched the collaborative band project Lyder with the musicians Niklas Bühler and Moritz Stahl, focusing on the fusion of jazz and electronic music. In July 2022, she founded her own label QEONE.

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Follow @polygonia
https://www.instagram.com/_polygonia_/
https://polygonia.bandcamp.com/
https://de.ra.co/dj/polygonia

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Artwork by @polygonia

Herbarium No 22 - Polygonia - Ginkgo Biloba

Following her mesmerizing live set in our SoundSculptors series, we‘re proud to release the debut EP ‚Inner Landscapes‘ by Innersha, a gifted producer hailing from Armenia.
The EP features her signature organic, trippy aesthetic, starting with ‚Yutori,‘ a deep, tribal track that hypnotizes with its intense, subconscious pull. ‚Konda‘ shifts gears with driving rhythms and playful, intricate layers, while ‚Emeralds‘ explores trance-like influences with a relentless, organic flow. ‚Elysion‘ provides a lighter, more airy sound that remains grounded by its driving bass and rhythm. The final track, ‚Shmana,‘ delivers an intense, energetic finale, with powerful drone swells and percussion that push the track into the grey area. 
This release is a rich exploration of the diverse elements that make up an ‚Inner Landscape.‘

Support: https://qeone.bandcamp.com/album/inner-landscapes

Release Date ~ October 3, 2024

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About Innersha:

Innersha is an electronic music producer and live performer based in Yerevan, Armenia. 
Her passion for crafting stories and sound palettes became the foundation for developing her signature live sets. 
Inspired by the elements and sounds of nature, her soundscapes are infused with organic percussive textures and hypnotizing grooves. 
Innersha is also a co-founder of the dk.tsk collective and label, where her artistic vision has been significantly shaped by studio experimentation and communal music experiences. 

@innersha
www.instagram.com/innersha_/

Written and produced by Innersha
Mastered by Klangstellwerk (Niklas Bühler)
Artwork by Lindsey Wang (Polygonia)

Innersha - Inner Landscapes [QNE011]

It is with great pleasure to feature talented emerging artist Aerae for our 24th Herbarium episode. She convinces us with the great energy that her productions and mixes radiate. Trippy, tribal characteristics combined with experimental soundscapes is what we grasp from her output.

Aerae chose the plant Calea zacatechichi as inspiration for her mix.
It is a shrub found throughout Central America, especially in the highlands of Mexico. Indigenous people prepare a ritual infusion with its leaves, which resemble nettle leaves. After drinking it, one lies down and experiences the ensuing dreams which are believed to provide insights into healing current ailments.

Some words about her thoughts behind the mix : 
I have therefore imagined an entire journey of what this plant provides when consumed. From the very first seconds to the last. Passing through different states, different sensations, and encounters. Datura Stramonium is a psychoactive deliriant traditionally used in folk medicine and occult ritual. The drug induces a state of total confusion and disassociation, with users reporting not knowing where they are for days at a time. Join me on this long strange trip.

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About Aerae

Under her former alias, she had the privilege of performing at various renowned festivals and clubs in France, such as I LOVE TECHNO (Montpellier, FR), Les Plages Electroniques (Cannes, FR), REF (Nice, FR), Kwartz Club (Nice, FR), Le Spot (Rouen, FR), and ADE (Amsterdam, NL). She has shared the stage with artists like Marcel Dettmann, Justine Perry, Ben Klock, François X, to name a few.
Her debut LP 'Percussive Reverie' released on Annulled Music, marks a turn in her production skills, which gained international support by artists like Claudio PRC, Spekki Webu, Evigt Mörker, Eric Cloutier, Laura BCR, Refracted and many more. It was selected as ‘Best Album of the year" on the popular German magazine GROOVE alongside prestigious artist like Donato Dozzy.

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Follow Aerae
soundcloud.com/aeraemusic
instagram.com/_aerae__
www.facebook.com/aeraemusic

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Artwork by @polygonia

Herbarium No 24 - Aerae - Calea Zacatechichi

We're so delighted to have gifted Ophélie with us for our 25th Herbarium episode. Their mix features a wide palette of fastinating breakbeat, bass music and grey area gems with driving character yet smooth organic aesthetics. It's a wonderful fusion of different moods which melt together as one.

Ophélie chose the moss Atrichum undulatum as inspiration for their mix.
It is quite a lowkey plant but that is actually vital for a lot of ecosystems. Unlike most plants, mosses don't have roots and can grow on trees, rocks, and lots of different kinds of soils. It's a plant that's very adaptable and can survive in a lot of environments and extreme conditions. By soaking up water, they play an important role in the development of ecosystems and allow other plants around them to grow and thrive, and are also a valuable shelter for all kinds of insects and microorganisms. I find their color, form and texture super fascinating and I love their fluffy and soft side. I'm a big forest and water person, which is what the moss represents to me. This mix is definitely forest inspired, it's very inspired by the color green and the mysterious and eerie feeling that one can have when going into a forest on its own. There's also some more liquid elements that add a bit of softness to the mix.

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About Ophélie

ophélie is a France-born, Berlin-based DJ with a strong taste for bass-heavy music in all its forms. They are interested in the fluid, liquid, melancholic, and often emotional aspect of music, achieved through combining multiple layers of sounds, and creating weird (poly)rhythms.
As a producer, they enjoy experimenting with FX, textures, granular and generative sounds, and all different kinds of percussions. They released tracks on compilations by Early Reflex and traverse and have released their debut EP on hundert Records in February 2024.
ophélie’ monthly Refuge Worldwide residency, Therapy Dog, and event series at Kwia, allow her to experiment and explore the different genres she’s into, while often sharing the decks with friends and artists she admires. As part of Open Music Lab, a non-profit collective offering free music and production courses for people from Berlin’s diverse communities to connect and create together, she's interested in ways to support emerging artists outside the mainstream, in the hope to build a more equitable music scene.

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Follow Ophélie
https://soundcloud.com/opheliek
https://www.instagram.com/ophelieeeee__/
https://ra.co/dj/ophelie

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Artwork by @polygonia

Herbarium No 25 - Ophélie - Atrichum undulatum

Super excited to welcome Sentient with his powerful debut Blank Aperture, a five-track EP that masterfully blends bass music influences with grey area aesthetics. Through distorted yet juicy textures, razor-sharp rhythms, and deep, driving grooves, Sentient crafts a soundscape that is as dystopian as it is captivating.
The title track ‘Blank Aperture’ opens with gritty halftime grooves and meticulously crafted distortion, building an atmosphere thick with tension. ‘Repeater’ warps perceptions with its polymetric structures and rhythmical shifts, while ‘Void Treader’ explores stark minimalism, each element painstakingly placed. ‘Frayed End’, a collaboration with Kahter, shifts the energy to full-throttle bass music with smacking percussion and earth-shaking basslines.
Closing the release, ‘Spiral Realm’ plunges into abstract ambient territory, with metallic drones, stretched breaks, and heavy bass surges evoking a bleak, dystopian horizon.

Preorder: https://qeone.bandcamp.com/album/blank-aperture

Release Date ~ January 8, 2025

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About Sentient:

London-based dubstep and experimental bass music producer & DJ, Sentient, has carved himself a niche in bass music with crushing, genre-spanning soundscapes, moving fluidly between various styles of sound. Inspired by horror game soundtracks with heavy, crushing atmospheres, and his love of classical and hardcore music, Sentient’s distinctive sound fuses these influences resulting in a mesmerising blend of gloomy and oppressive sonic landscapes that aim to challenge the norm.
Signed to Bristol-based Foundation Audio (UK) as well as XCPT music (IT), QEONE (DE), Dub Colony (CH), WobWob! (DE), ENDZ (UK), Locus Sound (UK) and LDH Records (UK), and with a monthly radio show on Mode London (UK), Sentient continues to establish himself as a new sound in the underground music scene. His mixes are a journey through the subterranean depths of bass music, showcasing his intricate production skills and fearless experimentation with sound design.

https://soundcloud.com/sentientsound
https://www.instagram.com/sentientsonics/

Written and produced by Sentient
Mastered by Klangstellwerk (Niklas Bühler)
Artwork by Lindsey Wang (@polygonia)

Sentient - Blank Aperture [QNE012]

A real pleasure to have the extremely gifted @xiaolinmusic from Hongkong for our fourth SoundSculptors episode 😍 She crafted a beautiful trip through many different moods and styles, capturing our musical heart and soul. It's such an interesting story accompanied by high skill not only in the electronic but also in the instrumental parts. Ambient, Downtempo, old school gamy sound, cantonese pop music vibes and more interesting colours appear in this versatile journey. Real earcandy 🍭

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More about Xiaolin ~

Xiaolin (曉霖) is a DJ, producer, vinyl collector and classically-trained musician from Hong Kong. Driven by a relentless curiosity for warm sounds, complex emotions and colourful textures, she enjoys crafting magnetic sets that draw audiences in, while her live ambient sets reveal the more contemplative side of her natural musicality as a former concert violinist.

Xiaolin spent a decade studying classical violin, jazz, world music and electronic composition at Juilliard (BM’14) and Berklee Valencia (MM ’15/’16), where she played in Batucada/jazz bands and began collecting records under her mentor, Nacho Marco. Having spent two years in London just before the pandemic, she developed an interest in UK underground culture and Detroit electro.

Inspired by sounds from the the mid 80’s-early 00’s, her love for video games, anime, nature as well as a respect for her Cantonese roots, Xiaolin’s analog synth-heavy productions range from gritty acid house and breaks with earthy percussion to tripped-out electro, bassy groovers and raw downtempo ambience that invoke deeper feelings of romantic adventure with a dreamy, theatrical touch.  

Despite her ever-evolving nature, Xiaolin’s ethereal-yet-raw sound remains a signature throughout all productions.

Xiaolin is sensitive to the dancefloor and crafts an intuitive journey unbound by genre, digging deep to discover dynamic connections.  Her energetic, acid-laden selections explore the vast in-between of house and techno, while her original live set has three formats: “Sun” for daytime settings, “Moon” for meditative settings and “Body” for nightclub settings.

Releases include two EP’s on 宀 Records, a collaborative track on Klasse Wrecks “Michaelsoft", VA contributions on 20/20 Vision (Exit Planet Earth – “Helium”), Polychrome Audio (“Diffraction EP”) and Harmony Rec (upcoming), as well as three 80’s Cantonese disco tribute EP’s on Sound Metaphors’ “Bless You” imprint (A&R by Jane Fitz).

Xiaolin's ‘HEX’ residency at 宀 (Hong Kong) has seen her invite & play alongside guests such as Polygonia, Mary Lake, Peach, Merve, Vlada, Joe Delon, Closet Yi, Jesse You, Maara etc.  She hosts a bimonthly show on Baihui Radio China and has done guest mixes on EYA, Test Pressing, The Mudd Show, The Lot Radio, NTS and Balamii amongst others.  

Recent highlights include Boiler Room (Singapore), Blitz Club (Unchained), and Panorama Bar on live set as part of Sound Metaphors’ 9-year-anniversary event (coinciding with the release of her second EP on Bless You), with upcoming sets at Wonderfruit Festival and Womb Tokyo.  She will make her Rainbow Disco Club live set debut with Kuniyuki Takahashi in April 2025.

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Follow Xiaolin
https://soundcloud.com/xiaolinmusic
https://www.instagram.com/oliviaxiaolin
https://ra.co/dj/xiaolin

More music from her
Bandcamp (Tower Moment EP)
https://xiaolin.bandcamp.com/album/tower-moment-ep
Bandcamp (MIHN002 EP)
https://xiaolin.bandcamp.com/album/mihn002

SoundSculptors No 4 - Xiaolin 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦

It is a pleasure to have gifted Switzerland based artist @timnah-sommerfeldt with us for the 26th episode of our Herbarium mix series! 🌱
She composed a trippy journey through ambient, dnb and grey area - a really deep and introspective ride. She created a very coherent story around her choice of plant, the European beech. 

Here's a little backstory by TImnah about her choice:
"I chose the native, beautiful European beech (Fagus sylvatica) because it serves as an important point of reference for me during my mushroom walks in the forest. Among all the trees there, it is especially the beech that always guides me.
A large mushroom community lives in symbiosis with this impressive tree. It's fascinating to observe how this natural cycle begins anew each year—from summer into winter.

~ The coexistence of the beech with fungi begins when the delicate root of a beech seedling comes into contact with the soil and the mycorrhizal fungi living within it. It only ends long after the tree's death, when the dead beech wood is completely decomposed. ~

My mix was recorded after a snowy, cold November day in the forest and is joyfully dedicated to the European beech, which gifted me a delicious dinner 🍄‍🟫🦪🌳🤍"

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About Timnah
Timnah lives, works and feeds the cats in the Northwestern extremities of Switzerland. Brought up in her parents’ jazz clubs and deeply influenced by her brother’s love for dub and soundsystem culture, she started DJing just after the massively feared Millenium Bug had threatened to offset our relation to time and space. Dedicated to drawing her own map of late 20th century sonic landscapes, she spent the early 2000s exploring 90s electronics including breakbeat, triphop, ambient techno, drum&bass, house and jungle. After a short but sweet excursion into producing in the early 2010s, Timnah dedicated herself fully to spinning the wheels and transversing genres, gravitating towards her current signature sound that spans immersive sound baths and intergalactic carpet rides in half-time. Timnah is a member of Amenthia Recordings and a recent addition to the A Walking Contradiction Collective.

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Follow Timnah and her collective

@timnah-sommerfeldt
https://www.instagram.com/timnah_amenthia/
https://de.ra.co/dj/timnahsommerfeldt

Amenthia Recordings
https://amenthia-recordings.net

A Walking Contradiction
https://awalkingcontradiction.org

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Artwork by @polygonia

Herbarium No 26 - Timnah - Fagus Sylvatica

Welcome to our friend @tenziasounds to this 27th episode of the Herbarium series. 🥁 
He recorded a journey containing many own compositions next to carefully selected gems, fitting nicely together to tell the story of the flower Bellis Perennis. 

Here is the little backstory about his choise:
For this episode, the daisy—Gänseblümchen in German—serves as inspiration. A small and familiar flower, yet one that holds an almost otherworldly presence when viewed through the eyes of a child. It was the first flower Tenzia remembers noticing while exploring the world with boundless imagination, back when the size of things was still unknown and a simple bloom could become an entire universe. This mix draws from those memories—of wonder, scale, and the strange way perception can stretch and transform. An element of mystery and eeriness flows through the selections, but also a playful energy, reflected not only in surreal soundscapes but in a rhythmic, danceable pulse that keeps everything in motion, mirroring the fantastical, strange, and sometimes silly stories once imagined while lost in thought.

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About Tenzia
Tenzia is a Munich-based audiovisual artist exploring the boundaries between sound, structure, and perception. The work thrives in contrasts, merging the organic with the synthetic, the delicate with the abrasive. As a producer, Tenzia focuses on intricate sound design, immersive grooves, and psychedelic sonic environments, drawing from techno, psychedelic, house, experimental, drum and bass, dub, hip-hop, tek, breakcore, IDM, and beyond. Productions and performances blur genres and challenge conventions, creating deeply textured and emotive soundscapes.
Both visually and sonically, the work defies conventional patterns, shifting and evolving with each project. As part of the Munich-based label and collective IO Records, a constant push toward immersive experiences continues to blur the lines.

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Follow Tenzia

https://soundcloud.com/tenziasounds
https://www.instagram.com/_tenzia_/
https://mastodon.social/@tenzia

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Artwork by @polygonia

Herbarium No 27 - Tenzia - Bellis Perennis

A rhythmic playground of shifting textures and lively grooves, ‚Ginso‘ by Cafe de la Jungle unfolds as a six-track sonic adventure where dubby depth and organic fluidity intertwine seamlessly. The journey begins with ‚Flying Nimbus‘, which gently draws listeners in with its whimsical melody, setting an open and curious tone. Expanding
the horizon, the title track stretches wide, like a deep inhale on a breezy hilltop, filling the space with an expansive sense of freedom. As the mood intensifies, ‚Energy Cell‘ takes over, injecting hypnotic momentum and driving movement forward. The transition into ‚Sumu‘ introduces a dynamic interplay of percussive structures, twisting and turning unpredictably yet always maintaining a cohesive flow. The elegant ‚Mandarin Duck‘ follows, gliding effortlessly through sonic waters, its vibrant textures mirroring the rich color palette of its namesake. Finally, the journey reaches its luminous
conclusion with ‚Element of Waters‘, where shimmering, flowing percussions bring everything together in a sparkling and uplifting finale.

Preorder: https://qeone.bandcamp.com/album/ginso

Release Date ~ April 8, 2025

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About Cafe de la Jungle

Cafe de la Jungle is a project created by Tomasz K Zajac that defies conventional genre classifi cation, emerging from his deep fascination with shamanic practices within dynamic sound environments. His work sits at the intricate crossroads of downtempo electronica, dubstep, jungle, and techno, creating cutting-edge contemporary electronic music.
Known for his musical adaptability, Tomasz experiments with merging acoustic, analogue, and digital realms. His compositions tend to be expansive, featuring rich textures and an array of weird and wonderful ideas. Drawing inspiration from diverse world music influences, he crafts lengthy sonic journeys that showcase his unique artistic vision and multifaceted approach to production.
His sound is characterized by culturally influenced rhythms, exotic instrumentation, and vibrant textures, seamlessly fusing elements of various electronic genres into cohesive, immersive experiences. This distinctive approach has garnered recognition from respected media outlets such as Orb Mag and Juno, leading his music to find a home on both his imprint, Dans Records, and Polygonia‘s label, QEONE.

instagram.com/cafe_de_la_jungle/
soundcloud.com/cafe-de-la-jungle
ra.co/dj/cafedelajungle
www.facebook.com/cafe.de.la.jungle

Written and produced by Tomasz K. Zajac
Mastered by Klangstellwerk (Niklas Bühler)
Artwork by Lindsey Wang (Polygonia)

Cafe de la Jungle - Ginso [QNE013]

A warm welcome back to Berlin based Saša Delimar who released his beautiful EP ‘Sreča’ with us a while back. He crafted the fifth episode of our SoundSculptors series, a live set which offers loads of juicy textures and loads of interesting sound design experiments. He tells a story which appears full of tension and movement within each element. It’s a snapshot of one particular mood shown from many different angles. Saša offers his very own fusion of genres and styles, creating his own sonic language. Listeners can find characteristics from Glitch, Techno, bass music and other influences. 🥁

-

More about Saša Delimar ~

Saša Delimar is a DJ with over 15 years of experience, carving the name steadily as a music producer since 2017, first through releases in a domain of the deep techno and more recently taking the turn into the sphere of experimental music.
To date, he has been released on labels like QEONE, IO, Illegal Alien records, Lowless, Lett, Pyramid Blood and Oslated.
Saša’s chief preoccupation in music production is finding the balance between a track for home listening and playing in the club, equally embracing the experimentation of texture and composition and the rhythmical intensity of the club track.

-
Follow Saša Delimar 
https://infinityhr.bandcamp.com/ https://soundcloud.com/inf001
https://www.youtube.com/@sasadelimar
https://www.instagram.com/sasa_delimar_infinity/

SoundSculptors No 5 -  Saša Delimar 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦

With 'Mica', Illinois-based artist @zvrra delivers a kaleidoscopic EP that pushes the boundaries of genre and form. Drawing from techno, breakbeat, ambient, and electronica, Zvrra weaves a sonic tapestry that is as intricate as it is imaginative.
Opening with ‚Butterfly‘, the listener is welcomed by a layered interplay of breakbeat rhythm and glistening synths which create a compelling contrast between motion and serenity. The top melody gently flutters, adding a soft emotional tone to the driving groove. The path continues through ‚Wooden Rain‘, where Organic percussion patterns tumble over each other like raindrops on dry wood. The tribal rhythms create a hypnotic momentum that feels both primal and futuristic. Melodies breeze through the third track ‚Prairie Scrub‘ which feel like gusts across a glowing plain. It’s playful and dynamic, evoking the wild beauty of a sun-drenched landscape. Closing with ‚Golden Beetle‘, Zvrra zooms in to a microcosmic world where they lead the listeners on an ambient exploration of chirping tones and looping rhythms, like observing little insects in the act of something strange and sacred.

Buy: qeone.bandcamp.com/album/mica

Release Date ~ May 28, 2025

--

About Zvrra

Zvrra is an American music producer and DJ known for her wide variety of techno, house, and experimental music. Zvrra has released projects on prominent labels such as Avian and International Chrome. After a successful run with her 2020 techno single "Dress" and 2021 LP release "Bizzaroland," the DJ Producer has been performing at venues worldwide and has been a regular on international radio.

www.zvrra.bandcamp.com
www.instagram.com/zvrra_ig
www.youtube.com/zvrra

Written and produced by Raven Mazique (Zvrra)
Mastered by Klangstellwerk (Niklas Bühler)
Artwork by Lindsey Wang (Polygonia)

Zvrra - Mica [QNE014]

Today we open another page of our Herbarium mix series. It's DJ Winggold's turn to show us his musical translation of the plant he picked. He created a colourful story full of energy and dynamics. It's definitely a mix which urges you to move your body while listening, what a banger.

DJ Winggold selected the Kudzu Vine (Pueraria Montana) for his mix, let's lean about his thoughts behind this:
By its nature, the kudzu vine is a relentless plant that is infamous for its ability to invade its surroundings and constantly be growing. Given the way it bulldozes through its environment, overrunning everything in its path, It’s seen as a negative thing, but I wanted to turn it on its head - what if the leaf could represent love and the way we need to constantly feed love in our lives, allowing it to unrelentingly flow in order to be truly fulfilled? Given the wriggly, unrelenting energy of the kudzu vines, I wanted to play wiggly, unpredictable tunes that fan out in multiple directions.

With this starting point, the mix inadvertently became a mix of distinct parts - there’s a point where the energy shifts and gets murkier, representing negative energy fighting against the warmth of love, with the kudzu leaves starting to gnarl, tangle and creep out further. From there on out, the battle intensifies with the mix getting more frantic and frenzied, with this representing the way love needs to be fought for on a daily basis.

--

About DJ Winggold
DJ Winggold is one of the key minds behind Unbound Events, a London-based events platform and monthly radio show carving out a space for minorities in the underground scene through the medium of forward-facing music. 

As an artist, he uses Afrofuturism as a guiding principle to direct his creative pursuits, focusing on the intersection between race, identity, history and culture. Sonically speaking, this manifests through the fusion of lysergic, hypnotic techno with sub-bass heavy global sounds inspired by and from across the hardcore continuum. This comes together to create something respecting the black roots of electronic music whilst remaining firmly forward-facing and unique.

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Follow DJ Winggold
Insta - https://www.instagram.com/winggold_unbound/
Unbound Insta - https://www.instagram.com/unboundevents2.0/
Soundcloud - https://soundcloud.com/unboundevents

--

Artwork by @polygonia

Herbarium No 28 - DJ Winggold - Pueraria Montana

We’re delighted to share another great chapter of our Herbarium mix series, this time recorded by @reasphere! 🌸 It’s a journey full of gems from which you can sense that they have been waiting for the right opportunity to pop out in a very special story. Minimalistic yet trippy and deep compositions with very few but perfectly on point placed elements. rea chose Colobanthus Quitensis (also known as the Antarctic pearlwort) as inspiration for his mix.

Here's a little backstory by rea about his choice:
“It’s the the most southern species growing in Patagonia and Southern Antarctica.
Even above the polar circle it’s sometimes too hot for the plant to survive - similar to the selected music it needs a very specific setting and mood to unfold its power.
Enjoy the sharp resilience.” 

--

About rea

Nourished by deep tap roots in electronic music culture, rea embodies a deep commitment to community, both on and off the dance floor. Crafting unhurried, heady tension alongside moments of explosive, ecstatic release its dynamic storytelling connects people through uniting frequencies. 

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Follow rea
https://soundcloud.com/reasphere
https://www.instagram.com/reasphere/
https://de.ra.co/dj/rea

--

Artwork by @polygonia

Herbarium No 029 - rea - Colobanthus Quitensis

Berlin-based artist Marie Tjong Ayong delivers a captivating four-tracker with her "motherland" EP, which unfolds like a sonic ritual—earthy, dubby, and steeped in natural rhythm. Navigating fluidly between dub techno, grey area, downtempo, and breakbeat, the EP carves out its own genre-blurring identity. The sound is rooted in a warm, organic atmosphere, driven by percussive detail and an unmistakably natural flow.
You can sense Marie’s background as a trained jazz trumpeter in the subtle musical intelligence that underlies each movement. From the driving, rhythm-heavy opener "freshelle" to the introspective, bass-laden "tiger balm", the EP continuously shifts form and energy. "desert of boredom" maintains the dub-soaked aesthetic while injecting a more forceful groove, before "rodeo of the bugs" rounds things off with deep, muted dub techno and refined percussive finesse.

Preorder: qeone.bandcamp.com/album/motherland

Release date ~ August 5, 2025

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About Marie Tjong Ayong

Marie Tjong Ayong is a Berlin-based producer, vinyl-DJ, and trumpeter.
Her sound weaves percussive lushness, warm harmonies, and genre-defying grooves into immersive, abstract sonic spaces. Airy, dreamy, and deeply groovy, her music invites listeners into a world shaped by texture and emotional depth, often reconnecting with her roots through layered sound design.
Born in 1994 to a jazz musician and a music teacher, Marie picked up the trumpet at the age of 12. From 2014 to 2019, she studied jazz trumpet at the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln.
Her versatility and unique voice have since made her collaborator in a wide range of projects—from modern jazz ensembles like Leon Plecity’s Extraordinary Machine to Afrobeat and hip-hop collectives such as HYPNAGOGIA. She is also a member of the Rundfunk-Tanzorchester Ehrenfeld, the house band of ZDF Magazin Royale with Jan Böhmermann.
Marie Tjong Ayong’s work blurs boundaries—not only between genres, but between the tangible and the imagined.

www.instagram.com/marietjongayong/
www.soundcloud.com/user-577926608
www.marietjongayong.bandcamp.com/album/trio

Written and produced by Marie Tjong Ayong
Mastered by Klangstellwerk (Niklas Bühler)
Artwork by Lindsey Wang (@Polygonia)

Marie Tjong Ayong - motherland [QNE015]

We’re excited to welcome @joaquincornejomusic to our sixth SoundSculptors episode. The Ecuadorean musician recorded a stunning improvised live set for us in collaboration with talented visual artist Wraura, who created a giant impressive painting during the span of the whole performance. They work in some kind of symbiosis while creating spontaneous and live, very fascinating. 

- 

More about Joaquín Cornejo

Joaquín Cornejo is a composer and music producer from Quito, Ecuador. Since 2018, he has established a proposal that interweaves different musical styles in a loose and playful manner. Inspired by the non-representational nature of sound and it’s relation to spirituality Joaquín explores everything from ambient to polyrhythmic electronic and acoustic music. His performances are characterized by improvisations with electronic instruments such as modular synthesizers and analog drum machines and occasional full-band format shows. 

- 

Follow Joaquín Cornejo

https://joaquincornejomusic.bandcamp.com 

https://open.spotify.com/artist/6V4NgkMjgxnogUDJe1rAUx?si=vED4KxcCRZ663X1pywq2nA 

https://soundcloud.com/joaquincornejomusic 

https://instagram.com/joaquincornejomusic

SoundSculptors No 6 - Joaquín Cornejo 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦

For the 30th Herbarium we are proud to present two special guests - @bambi__dj and @beatricem._bait. They brought a trippy dubby journey to the table, loaded with unique sound design and spacious grooves. We love the feeling when every detail sits in the right place as in their selection of tracks and elements. This creates an insanely immersive effect and hunger for more. Bambi and Beatrice M. chose the plant Mint (mentha) for their mix. 🌿

Here’s some insight about why they chose their plant: 
Bambi and Beatrice M.’s musical palettes intersect in a very specific zone, with some key words like psychedelia and dub. This can apply to the club interface, but as the summer surfs by, their need for freshness and a soothing soundtrack for the season translates in this mix’s selections. Therefore the choice of plant felt pretty intuitive : mint. A plant that stimulates several senses at once : its vivid green evokes lushness and renewal, its scent is sharp, almost cleansing, and its taste - cool, tingling, slightly sweet - lingers like an echo… Just like their selections, mint stands at a sensory crossroads - refreshing the body, teasing the mind, and awakening something just beneath the surface. 𖧧

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About Bambi & Beatrice M.

Beatrice M. and Bambi are two french DJs who met through intersecting music circles, which is what their duo is all about. Take a venn diagram with on one side, Bambi’s library ranging from deep techno to trance to house to triphop, and on the other side Beatrice M. with mainly dub and dubstep. The crossing point of the two circles is always somewhat a little dubby, a little psychedelic, sprinkled with friendship and fun.

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Follow Bambi & Beatrice M. 

https://www.instagram.com/bambi___dj/
https://www.instagram.com/beatricem._bait/
https://soundcloud.com/bambi-dj
https://soundcloud.com/beatricemasters

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Artwork by @polygonia

Herbarium No 030 - Bambi & Beatrice M. - Mentha

We’re excited to welcome back @zvrra, a gifted Haitian artist based in Illinois. After releasing their ‘Mica’ with us earlier this year, they are showing how to spin the decks properly for our 31st Herbarium episode. Their mix features hypnotising textures and patterns fully loaded with energy and drive. Zvrra chose White Pines (Pinus Strobus) as their inspiration. 
They say: “White Pines are my selection for the Herbarium mix series. I chose this plant, because of it's unique ability to grow in all seasons. Also I often spent many winter nights in Illinois and Wisconsin surrounded by these beautiful plants.”

--

About Zvrra
Zvrra is an American music producer and DJ known for her wide variety of techno, house, and experimental music. Zvrra has released projects on prominent labels such as Avian and International Chrome. After a successful run with her 2020 techno single "Dress" and 2021 LP release "Bizzaroland," the DJ Producer has been performing at venues worldwide and has been a regular on international radio.

--

Follow Zvrrahttps://zvrra.bandcamp.com/
https://www.youtube.com/@Zvrra
https://soundcloud.com/zvrra
https://linktr.ee/zvrra

--

Artwork by @polygonia

Herbarium No 031 - Zvrra - Pinus Strobus

Soundcloud

It’s our pleasure to welcome back @sentientsound, this time for a stunning SoundSculptors live set, the seventh episode of this series. His live set definitely pulls the listener deeply into the vortex with it’s dissonant abyssal drones and powerful drum patterns. He created a special mixture of half time and drumandbass, while varying the kick patterns strongly, sometimes even dipping into ambient where he even implemented his guitar. Punctually perfectly dosed distortion marks the intense sound signature of Sentient.  

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More about Sentient
London-based dubstep, drum and bass, experimental bass and ambient music producer & DJ, Sentient, has carved himself a niche in bass music with crushing, genre-spanning soundscapes, moving fluidly between various styles and sounds.
Inspired by horror game soundtracks with heavy, crushing atmospheres, his love of classical and hardcore music, and the idea of dissociation and abstraction from the everyday, Sentient’s distinctive sound fuses these influences resulting in a mesmerising blend of gloomy and oppressive sonic landscapes that aim to move the listener to an intangible plain outside of their field of vision.

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Follow Sentient
https://www.instagram.com/sentientsonics/
https://soundcloud.com/sentientsound
https://sentientsound.bandcamp.com/

SoundSculptors No 7 - Sentient 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦

“Misty Secrets“ is a window into the playful and organic world of French but Tbilisi-based producer Ina Kacz. Across five immersive, intricately woven tracks, she cultivates a vibrant sonic garden where percussive patterns, rich organic layers, and colourful textures intertwine.
The EP opens with “Whispers”, a mysterious initiation filled with ritualistic beats and abstract voices, as if calling the listener deeper into the undergrowth. The path quickens with “Last Night’s Dream”, a driving, mysterious chase, and reaches its most physical moment in “Dive In”, where rhythmic energy commands movement. Without breaking its stride, the EP turns to a more diffused light: “Unveiled Mysteries” wraps the beat in textured swells, while “Desert” moves under a soft, hazy surface, carrying a quiet sense of pressure beneath.
Prismatic, trippy, and rich with subtle shifts, the EP moves as a single organism, breathing differently in each track.

Preorder: https://qeone.bandcamp.com/album/misty-secrets

Release date ~ October 8, 2025

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About Ina Kacz
Ina Kacz's sound is a captivating fusion of tribal grooves, hypnotic rhythms with a slight touch of trance, drawing from a wide variety of influences. The French/Polish artist, now based in Tbilisi, crafts music that always retains an emotional touch at its core.
In 2024, Ina unveiled her debut EP Endless on her newly founded imprint Aneelhi Rec, a bold exploration of dreamy half-tempo beats and techno-infused atmospheres that marked a pivotal evolution in her identity. Her music has also appeared on Anastasia Kristensen’s absorb emit, Kalt Records, On Board Music’s 10-year compilation, as well as on her own Aneelhi Rec’s latest Various Artists, each track pushing her signature sound into bold new territories.
Ina’s DJ sets are immersive, emotive, and unrelenting in their intensity, and Shave brought her to perform in iconic spaces such as Berghain and Tresor in Berlin, Bassiani in Tbilisi, ∄ in Kyiv, Fold in London, or Womb in Tokyo. As she continues to explore and evolve, Ina carves a unique space for herself in electronic music, shaped by rhythm, emotion, and a constant search for new forms of expression.

soundcloud.com/inakacz 
ra.co/dj/inakacz 
www.instagram.com/inakacz 
www.facebook.com/inakacz

Written & produced by Ina Kacz
Mastering by Niklas Bühler (Klangstellwerk) & Lindsey Wang (Polygonia)
Artwork & Design by Lindsey Wang (@polygonia)

Ina Kacz - Misty Secrets [QNE016]

It’s our pleasure to feature our friend @tangeladj for the 32nd episode of the Herbarium mix series. She put together a magical trippy yet playful mix, we’re in love with its dynamic.  🌳

Here’s a little insight into Tangela’s choice of a plant as a synaesthetic base for her mix -
Melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree) or kallara as referred to by the Bundjalung People in Northern NSW is a particularly special native tree. They grow in swampy environments next to bodies of water. I have fond memories soaking in tea tree lakes in the northern rivers, stained brown by the leaves stewing, precious oil seeping into the water. For centuries the Aboriginal people have used this plant for medicinal purposes as a natural antiseptic and tea tree lakes were often sacred women’s spaces used in birthing ceremonies. This shrubby tree doesn’t scream for attention amongst the vibrant flora but its significance runs deep, a swampy healer and spiritual protector. This mix is a sensory soak in the soothing, tingly river, dripping with kallara magic. 	

—

About Tangela 

Tangela’s style of aural storytelling is as distinct as it is varied. She guides the listener through deep, subby, subterranean worlds, encouraging listeners to float up through spacious, textural soundscapes full of unexpected turns, all with a nimble and playful touch. You’ll find yourself wondering how it is you got here from where you began.

Tangela’s meteoric rise through the underground scene finds its origins in her weekly radio slot on Sydney’s iconic FBi radio 94.5FM, currently in it’s fifth year of broadcasting all things “squelchy, wobbly, gooey, twisty”. Her signature style has translated from the airwaves to dance floors across many of Australia’s cult clubs, DIY warehouses and bush raves, including her own as founder of both dstreet and Minutiae Festival. Her record label Oomycota pushes into the experimental realm of techno, platforming emerging artists from Australia and beyond. 

Alongside curating and throwing DIY events, she is heavily involved in her local community, organising ‘Dance Class’, a series of BIPOC & FLINTA DJ workshops and radio mentorship.

—

Follow Tangela
https://soundcloud.com/tangeladj
https://www.instagram.com/tangela__t/
https://oomycota.bandcamp.com/

—

Artwork by @polygonia

Herbarium No 032 - Tangela - Melaleuca Alternifolia

We are happy to welcome our friend @djhi-c-kireek for the 33nd episode of the Herbarium mix series. We’re absolutely fascinated by the versatility of this selection, he manages to flow through different styles with a very natural flow. Exactly how we love it!

Let’s explore DJ HI-C’s plant choice for this little journey:
The reason I chose it is simply because I genuinely love it and often enjoy drinking Tulsi as herbal tea.
Also known as “holy basil,” it carries a sacred and spiritual aura, which inspired me to weave that same sense of holiness into this mix.
So I invite you to relax and enjoy the mix while sipping on a cup of Tulsi tea.

—

About DJ HI-C 

Organic rhythms hidden in repetition resonate with the floor and then grooves are created. DJ HI-C, who has been based in Osaka and cultivated a brilliant career in the world of turntablists, has recently come to distinguish himself in the scene as a stirring presence in the world of techno music, a beauty in a more robust repetition and long narratives. 

In the long sets played by DJ HI-C, more primitive dub sounds and drum sounds that intensely stimulate the instincts are fused together in innovative ways, while using the boundaries of ambient / psychedelic techno, of which the Japanese outdoor scene also played a part in its development, as a base point. The scratching sounds that are occasionally woven into the music elevate the dance floor groove to a firmer one. DJ HI-C's remarkable ability to break down a track's unique sound into its smallest units and reconstruct them is due to his belief that the CDJ, like the turntable, is an instrument with endless possibilities.
Early in his career, he was one half of the turntablist unit Kireek, which won an unprecedented five consecutive DMC world championships.
DJ HI-C is also one of the resident DJs of "Moment" Festival in Japan. Furthermore he runs his imprint @aumrecordings.

—

Follow DJ HI-C
https://discoveryhi-c.com/
https://soundcloud.com/djhi-c-kireek
https://ja.ra.co/dj/djhi-c
https://www.instagram.com/djhic/

—

Artwork by @polygonia

Herbarium No 033 - DJ HI-C - Ocimum Tenuiflorum

Berlin-based Mexican artist Viiaan unveils her new EP “Taiko”, a bold four-track exploration of rhythm, ritual, and futuristic bass. The title, “Taiko,” is drawn from the Japanese word for “drum,” symbolizing both the instrument itself and the communal force of ancient drumming ceremonies.
Across the EP, Viiaan fuses primal percussion with razor-sharp digital textures, shaping rhythm into pure motion.
The opening track, “Taiko,” sets the tone with glitchy micro-sounds that feel alive, mechanical yet organic. Massive drum strikes collide with synthetic fragments, evoking a futuristic tribal ritual.
“Amaterasu” continues with breakbeat ferocity, drenched in juicy percussion while a vocal slides in with raw confidence, charging the track with direct, physical energy. “Elohalo” shifts gears into rolling trap-inspired rolls, sub-heavy grooves and driving percussion. Its vocal accents keeping the intensity taut and immediate. Finally, “Azkhar” digs deeper — heavy, spacious, and alive with rhythmical chopped reese drones and flowing tribal grooves.
Between mechanical precision and primal power, the EP captures rhythm as a timeless human language — ancient in spirit, modern in execution.

--

Preorder: qeone.bandcamp.com/album/taiko

Release date ~ December 4, 2025

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About Viiaan

Viiaan, the sonic alchemist from Mexico City, has transplanted her musical vision to the streets of Berlin, where she continues to shape a world of sound that defies categorization. Active as a producer, DJ, and curator since 2017, she stands at the crossroads of experimental electronics and club culture.
As the visionary force behind Voragine, a label that serves as a meeting point for artists working across experimental sound, and visual art, Viiaan’s work blurs the lines between the introspection and the physical. 
Her sound is a living organism: breaks, intricate percussions, ambient atmospheres,  left field bass,  and techno intertwine to form a sonic language that refuses containment. It's a symphony of diversity that refuses to be confined, and this refusal is the lifeblood of her artistic vision.
Her discography reads as a journey with releases on Woozy Dub (Dublin), Sumac (Berlin/Sydney), Causal Chain (Montreal), WVWV (CDMX), and her own imprint, Voragine. Each release reveals another facet of her evolving artistry. 
Beyond the studio, Viiaan curates two distinct sonic experiences: Raeve and Ambient 4 Babies, gatherings that dissolve the boundary between performer and listener, inviting audiences into immersive worlds of rhythm, reflection, and club culture.

--

www.soundcloud.com/viiaan
www.ra.co/dj/viiaan
www.instagram.com/__viiaan/
viiaan.bandcamp.com  
credits

Written & produced by Viiaan
Mastering by Niklas Bühler (Klangstellwerk) & Lindsey Wang (Polygonia)
Artwork & Design by Lindsey Wang (Polygonia)

Preorder

Viiaan - Taiko [QNE017]

After witnessing @alokamusic’s set at Fusion festival 2025, we simply had to invite him for our 34th Herbarium episode. We are more than glad we did as he put together such a powerful journey enriched with juicy sounds and grooves, we can’t hold back to move to this 🐒

Here’s some background about aloka’s choice of a plant: 
The plant that I think best represents my sound is gorse (Ulex europaeus). It grows everywhere along the Welsh coast where I’m from, and it has this wild, intimidating look with its sharp spines. But when it blooms, it suddenly becomes bright and full of colour - sometimes almost all year round. I think that the contrast of something fierce turning vibrant really reflects the balance in my music.

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About Aloka

Aloka has risen as a prominent figure in the contemporary electronic music realm, captivating audiences globally. Originating from West Wales, he has showcased his talents across various impactful platforms. In 2019, Aloka launched his 'Typeless' label following a momentous string of drops on other imprints, establishing himself as a captivating artist with an experimental edge. With his sharp productions gaining accolades from industry giants, it's uncommon to find a mix without one of his tracks. Paired with his refined DJ skills that have led him to headline events worldwide, Aloka embodies a multifaceted talent. By infusing his unique vision into the gritty essence of electronic music, he has navigated his path to success, with boundless possibilities on the horizon.

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Follow Aloka
https://soundcloud.com/alokamusic
https://www.instagram.com/aloka_music/
https://ra.co/dj/aloka
https://open.spotify.com/artist/4UbgpaTDik0SDhBQq5Ucmt

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Artwork by @polygonia

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Herbarium No 034 - Aloka - Ulex Europaeus

𝐰𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐱 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐬

Founded by @polygonia

- 𝘸𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘱𝘵 𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘴 -

QEONE

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