Experimental 2024

The Sound of Lowercase

Ice recordings from Antarctica and Switzerland

04. Brash Ice

“Tenderness” is the first collaborative album between Japanese musician Yumi Iwaki and Brazilian Carlos Ferreira using unreleased sketches, improvisations, and samples, “Tenderness” is a mosaic of painted sounds that does not end in itself, inviting the listener to inhabit its center.

Porto Alegre based experimental guitarist Carlos Ferreira and Tokyo-based synthesizer hypnotist Yumi Iwaki are presenting "Tenderness" , their first ever collaborative album through Modern Obscure Music. Carlos and Yumi have created this powerful ambient odyssey at the distance. Despite some connections between Yumi's family roots with the Brazilian musical scene, both artists feel a strong attraction about their cultural differences, through Literature, films, scents, colors, and nature… Carlos feels “there are infinite cultural differences between Japan and Brazil, and this can be explained by historical and even geographical factors, but people come together through very strong elements that are able to transcend these differences. Diversity must also unite us.”. Yumi explains that when she met Carlos on Instagram, she was instantly captivated by “his quiet, deep and fantastic view of the world, the feelings we shared seemed to take shape naturally, but it was Carlos' great talent to complete the production...  more
credits
released September 2, 2022

Yumi Iwaki: modular & analog synthesizers, op-1, piano, voice, FX pedals, looper, field recordings, sampling.
Carlos Ferreira: electric guitar, bowed guitar, FX pedals, digital synthesizers, looper, field recordings, sampling.

Written & produced by Yumi Iwaki & Carlos Ferreira
Mixed & mastered by Carlos Ferreira

Wabi-sabi

01 New Year's Eve (from Heroin by Stephan Mathieu & Ekkehard Ehlers)

cassette tapes available:
https://blearmoon.bandcamp.com/merch

Revisiting one's artistic practices is a dialogue with past versions of oneself. This reassessment holds enormous potential for new aesthetic forms and meanings, directed towards the future.

This album is a compilation of alternative versions of previously released works and new ones that have not been published before.

produced and mastered by Vlas Presnetsov (Blear Moon)
tape processing by Kirill Yazinin
released December 22, 2023 via Three Head Tapes records

Revisions

bandcamp

Blear Moon - Maples

CASSETTES: https://fantasyaudiomagazine.bandcamp.com/album/lampbound

Satabban - LAMPBOUND

Total runtime: 33:16

In "Lampbound”, you embark on a retro video game journey as Max, an ordinary guy who stumbles upon a mysterious genie's lamp. In an unexpected twist, Max is magically pulled into the lamp and finds himself trapped within a fantastical world. With the genie's powers at his disposal, he must navigate through a labyrinthine maze of perilous puzzles, treacherous platforms, and enigmatic creatures to escape the lamp's confines.

As Max progresses, he uncovers hidden secrets and acquires unique abilities granted by the genie. These powers enable him to manipulate the environment, such as freezing time, conjuring temporary platforms, and transforming into different forms. Careful planning and clever utilization of these newfound skills are crucial to overcoming the various challenges that lie ahead.

Throughout the game, Max encounters eccentric characters, both helpful and mischievous, who offer cryptic advice or attempt to hinder his escape.

As Max inches closer to his freedom, he unravels the genie's backstory, uncovering the truth behind his entrapment and the enigmatic origins of the lamp. Will Max triumph over the lamp's ancient magic and find his way back to reality, or will he remain trapped within its confines forever?

TRACKLIST/LEVELS:

1. Lampbound Foyer: Max begins his adventure in the grand entrance of the lamp, facing introductory puzzles and obstacles while learning the game mechanics.

2. Wishful Woods: Max ventures into a mystical forest within the lamp, navigating through dense foliage, avoiding traps, and solving nature-themed puzzles.

3. Crystal Caverns: Max explores a series of shimmering caves adorned with crystals. He must traverse slippery platforms, dodge falling stalactites, and unravel puzzles involving light reflection.

4. Clockwork Citadel: Max finds himself in a clockwork-themed fortress, where he must manipulate gears, overcome timing-based obstacles, and solve intricate clock puzzles.

5. Mirage Oasis: Max encounters an illusionary oasis filled with mirages and sand-based challenges. He must decipher the real pathways, avoid mirage traps, and cleverly utilize sand-based mechanics.

6. Haunted Halls: Max enters a spooky section of the lamp, haunted by mischievous spirits and ghostly puzzles. He must outwit the apparitions and navigate through ethereal environments.

7. Elemental Chambers: Max enters a series of elemental chambers representing different powers. He must master the elements, such as fire, water, and wind, to progress and overcome elemental puzzles.

8. Genie's Sanctum: Max reaches the heart of the lamp, a majestic chamber housing the powerful genie. He must face the ultimate test, a climactic showdown with the genie, combining all his skills and knowledge. 
credits
released July 16, 2023

Performed, recorded, mixed, and mastered by Satabban.
Storyline, album cover and all art made by Satabban.

Crystal Caverns

Hope you'll enjoy this under 10 minute dive into my new album out on Sonic Dialogue next week. Preorder for digital and cassette opens today here: sonic-dialogue.bandcamp.com/album/diary-5

The Diary series focuses on the studio process and gives a space to share unfinished pieces and fragmented loops that would have been left on the shelf. Find out more about the album and read about my creative process on the label website here: diary.sonic-dialogue.com/diary05

diary#5 minimix

Parallel Landscapes is the first solo full-length album from Swiss artist Steinbrüchel on 12k, despite his relationship with the label and apperances on compilations, collaborations (Status, with Frank Bretschneider (12k1033)) and EP releases (Mit Ohne, (12k2010)). It seems that Steinbrüchel was waiting for the right moment to release such an illustrious album that is not only a release of music but of visual art as well.

Parallel Landscapes consists of a compact disc in a cd wallet and a beautifully printed sixty page colour printed booklet with a laser stenciled wrap-around cover conceptualized and designed by Steinbrüchel featuring photographs from Taylor Deupree and an essay by Lawrence English. The booklet and cd wallet are housed in a slipcase printed inside and out in black and white on contrasting paperstocks.

The music on Parallel Landscapes was created with the design process in mind. Steinbrüchel engaged himself with ideas of «designing» music instead of making or writing music and about the importance of music existing with (or without) visual enhancement.

The ideas of landscape, while not new in the musical world, were prevalent throughout the creative process. Music vs. landscape, music as horizontal layers, drawing new curves (landscapes) over sound files, imposing one landscape onto another and hearing/seeing the results. However, the album isn¹t just about horizontal combinations but vertical inbetweens as well. What happens from one event to the next? What happens when events are combined? How does the addition of one object (audio, visual) redefine another object next to it? What happens to a table when a chair is placed in front of it? ... And how does all of this coalesce into sonic and visual space?

There¹s an incredible amount of exploratory thought behind Parallel Landscapes that make this one of Steinbrüchel¹s most ambitious projects to date. His music has become increasingly refined but always retaining his signature sound. Still using the ideas of sine waves and pure tones but now softened with time, his palette stretches across electronics into a variety of found and acoustic sources. Bell tones are in the forefront, interspersed with the soft crackles of noise and static. Tones are stretched across the visual plane like a bell being carried across the land forever duplicating itself. Parallel Landscapes is engaging and reflective and sets a new standard in Steinbrüchel¹s creative output.

Parallel Landscapes

from the album 'On Leaving' on Touch, UK (TO124)

dedicated to Steve Roden (1964-2023)

For over a quarter of a century, sound artist and composer Richard Chartier has interrogated an ever deepening thread of minimalist sound that meshes questions of stasis, pulse and timbre. The results of this work is some of the most quietly intense compositions of this century. His is a music of subtle variation, unwavering concentration, and also patience. This five part work created between 2020 and 2022 is dedicated to his friend and fellow sound artist Steve Roden.

"I first became friends with Steve Roden (and later his wife, Sari) back in 1998 when my first album 'direct.incidental.consequential' was released. He was one of the first group of artists to whom I sent the album. Almost instantly he had been there on the other side of the phone (or email) and ever since.

His way of listening and attention to details (no matter how small) was inspirational — the clarity and complexity of his understated and only seemingly simple compositions, engaging. Underneath it all, 'the less’ truly opened your ears to 'the more.' Steve saw and heard everything between the noise, no matter how faint.

Some of the last times I was able to see Steve were right before the pandemic. The effects of his advancing Alzheimers were present, still somewhat subtle, but increasing. I am still regretful that we were unable to spend more time together prior to his succumbing to his condition’s cruel effects. Another regret is not engaging in the collaboration we had both talked about for YEARS. 'We should really start on that sometime soon' Steve and I would say with each passing year.

I worked on the compositions included on this album as Steve gradually slipped away from communication. He was not in my life like he had been before. During this time it became apparent that these pieces were for Steve. A reflection of his ability to find beauty in the most minute details. Even when finally reviewing the final masters after his passing, I tried to think about how Steve would listen.

What would Steve hear in the details? His effect on this album is strong... the accumulation of influence and inspiration. This album feels organic and warm and was developed during a time when his absence in my life increased. That warmth is reflective of the nature of who Steve was himself, his friendship, and his visual & sound work.

on listening... on loss... on leaving...

As Steve and I mutually suggested... for quiet amplification or headphone listening.

On Leaving

Variance.1

Kiri No Oto

Figures Lone Static

Limmat

Limmat 2

Chris Watson - El Divisadero

Richard Chartier (b.1971) is a Los Angeles based artist, considered one of the key figures in minimalist sound art. Chartier’s works explore the inter-relationships between the spatial nature of sound, silence, focus, perception, and the act of listening itself. Chartier’'s sound works/installations have been presented in galleries and museums internationally and he has performed his work live across Europe, Japan, Australia, and North America at digital art/electronic music festivals and exhibits. In 2000 he formed the recording label LINE and has since curated its continuing documentation of compositional and installation work by international sound artists/composers exploring the aesthetics of contemporary and digital minimalism.

He is also Pinkcourtesyphone.