"Flower Studies", the enchanting third album by Australia’s Blue Chemise, consists of eight intimate, delicate and touching ‘études’, reflecting Mark Gomes’ introspective musings on a series of floral studies by 19th-century French photographer Adolphe Braun (1812-1877).
More info: https://linktr.ee/BAADM

Blue Chemise – Chrysanthemum No 1

@simasokas
nosejob.bandcamp.com/album/plexihog
Simas Okas, hidden away in the depths of a murky swamp, is trying to create a new species - a combination of natural and synthetic, capable of adapting and thriving in the harshest conditions. He becomes subject of his own creation and is transformed . . . Chasing down a magical, mystical, non-defined apparition, like a ghost or a shadow, not necessarily evil, but certainly other-worldly. From reeds to smudge, everything's a dream. Much beauty in the swamp, if only you look...

Mastering • Carsten Dämbkes
Drawing • Gvidas Pakarklis
Boogie School Sans/Boogie School Serif • Or Type
Kupole • Studio Cryo
Graphic Design • Rick Shiver

A1 Simas Okas - Mallards

I've got a powerful and slightly conceptual track premiere for you today. Powerful, because, well, it's Siavash Amini, the Tehran-based Iranian ambient and sound artist whom I've been following for about a decade now via his releases on Umor Rex, Flaming Pines, Opal Tapes, Room40, and the Swiss Hallow Ground imprint, the latter of which is putting out this record, titled Songs For Sad Poets on September 23rd. Conceptual, because the collection of eight tracks is inspired by the "legacy of the so-called cursed poets (»poètes maudits«) as well as the German-language tradition of song cycles and expands the structure of the classic art song through a process of lyrical abstraction." On this album, Amini is collaborating with the New York-based author Eugene Thacker, who supplies the poems which intricately weave themselves into the dark, brooding and desolate drones. But the words here are not spoken. They are expressed by virtue of this sound. Spending over nine minutes with this piece while reading the printed poetry really sets the mood, accompanied by music [I'll embed the image of the piece below]. Words like "wilted", "dead", ablaze", "withered", "black", and "silent" indeed set the mood for rumbling bass, dissonant cries, and shuffling noise, reflected in music, reflected in words. Together, the two creators deliver a project focused on the idea of the "fragility of the human being set against the vast horizon of climate, planet, and the cosmos that produces a ‘sadness without cause.’" "Powerful" is not a word that I throw around lightly - and if you listen to this track, I think you will agree with me.

"The structure and inspiration for textures of this track (and the whole first volume) come directly from Eugene’s text, but not in the exact order they appear in the poem. Imagine a choir singing some parts of the text simultaneously– in this case 1|5, 2|3  correspond to the first three minutes, 3|4|6 to the more quiet middle part and 7|8 to the ending. There are two tunings used simultaneously in some parts to express this superimposition in a more audible manner."

Songs for Sad Poets

A Quiet Glow (For Chūya Nakahara)

TRACK PREMIERE : Siavash Amini & Eugene Thacker - A Quiet Glow (For Chūya Nakahara)

CD available from: IMPREC.com

“an intoxicating sauce of stark and tripped out ritual music... which conspires to keep listeners in a semi-permanent trance state” Julian Cope / Head Heritage

“a heady brew of deep listening music that is almost medieval in mood and wholly reverential in technique” Edwin Pouncey / Wire Magazine

“Razen push the drone potential of medieval instruments like hurdy gurdy as well as shawm and recorders... into realms of total sensory overload” David Keenan / Volcanic Tongue



Razen's Postcards From Hereafter was recorded using a 17th century organ tuned at 398 Hz (meantone) in a Belgian cathedral erected in 1305. The ensemble explored, with rich results, the organ's strict and limiting tuning with an arrangement that included hurdy gurdy, recorders, chalumeau, violone and nyckelharpa.

Razen - Poscards From Hereafter - CD - Release: 3.24.23

Available via Imprec.com

Mo H. Zareei (mHz) returns to Imprec/Cassauna with Proof Of Identity, an album of pulsating, pattern-based electronic pieces that evolve in ways reminiscent of Steve Reich's early work or Philip Glass' Music In 12 Parts. With Proof Of Identity, Zareei confronts issues surrounding identity and authorship in composition specifically when created by non-Western musicians. He simultaneously tackles orientalism and the normative take on identity politics. 

Artist's Statement: 

More than a decade ago, I made a piece of beat-based electronic music and titled it "Middle Eastern IDM" for a course assignment. After listening to it in class, my professor asked what was Middle Eastern about it. It was only a year after I had left Iran to study in the US, and I didn't know that I could say "I am. I made the piece". So I went back and superimposed a sample of Egyptian protest chants on top of the piece, to make it "sufficiently Middle Eastern".  

What prejudiced conservatism and performative liberalism share is gatekeeping practices that box one in a preconceived state of otherness. While the former overtly regards that otherness as inferior, the latter exoticises it through patronising paternalism. To me, it is especially troubling when exclusionary practices are driven by some form of overzealous "diversity and inclusion" agenda. If you don't fit the diversity box they've made for you, too bad. It's your fault for being "insufficiently diverse". "Poor thing, you've been colonised!", they tell you, as they claim ownership over a collection of frequencies and rhythms. When you look at who gets to decide if something's indigenous enough, you see how decolonisation itself has been colonised.

When you listen to this piece, I'm very happy for you to keep in mind that it was made by someone from Iran. But I might need to clarify that this piece has nothing to do with sufism and the whirling dervishes, the interweaving patterns of the Persian carpet, the poetry of Rumi, or Islamic architecture. And if you hear those moments of "non-western" sonorities, that is because I have constructed this piece from samples of a piece of Iranian traditional music – an overplayed piece that was all over TV and radio while I was growing up Iran, one that I never found particularly inspiring or interesting. Here, I have tried to make it more interesting by completely taking it apart and reconstructing it through my personal compositional techniques, aesthetic preferences, and a wide range of musical influences. So in short, while this piece might not sound like your archetypical Iranian music, I assure you that it is Iranian enough. 

bio

Mo H. Zareei aka mHz is an Iranian electronic musician, sound artist, and researcher, based in Wellington, New Zealand. Using custom-built software and hardware, his experiments with sound cover a wide range from electronic compositions to kinetic sound-sculptures and audiovisual installations. Regardless of the medium, Zareei’s work aims to highlight the beauty in the basics of sound and light production and reductionist audiovisual elements that draw inspiration from physical and architectural principles. Over the course of his PhD, he developed a portfolio of works focused on the intersections of sound art and Brutalism. 

Zareei has presented his work at international venues and festivals such as ISEA (Montreal/Vancouver/Dubai), SETxCTM festival (Tehran), NIME (London), Modern Body Festival (The Hague), ICAD (New York), and NZ Festival (Wellington), to name a few. His installation “Rasping Music" was the recipient of the 1st prize for Sound Art at the last iteration of the international Sonic Arts Award in 2015 (Italy).

Under the moniker mHz, Zareei’s electronic music projects have been published via LINE (US), Important Records (US), leerraum (CH), and Kasuga Records (DE).

mHz - Proof Of Identity (Part I) - Tape

from KR108: 75 DOLLAR BILL - Power Failures
2xLP / DL out on august 25th 2023

Power Failures

75 DOLLAR BILL - Snow Jumper's Harp

Behrang Najafi, a musician and sound artist from Tehran, Iran, embarked on his musical journey as a guitarist and drummer in local bands. In 2010, he transitioned into the realm of electronic experimentation, adopting the moniker "Bescolour."

Beyond his solo pursuits, Behrang is a driving force behind the electronic/experimental duo "Temp-Illusion," alongside the talented Shahin Entezami. Together, they form an innovative partnership that pushes the boundaries of electronic experimental composition, bringing Shahin's unique contributions to the duo's evolving sound.

As a founding member of the SET festival in Tehran, Behrang actively contributes to the vibrant intersection of art and music. His collaborative works with Shahin have found a home on esteemed labels like “Zabte Sote/Opal Tapes”, “Soft Recordings”, “Flaming Pines”, and "PTP".

Behrang's sonic explorations have not only graced these labels but have also resonated at renowned venues and festivals worldwide. From the SET Experimental Art Events and CTM festival to the Roskilde Festival and Berghain Club, their live performances have left an indelible mark on diverse audiences.

In the midst of Tehran Contemporary Sounds, Mutek Japan, SETXCTM festival, Alice venue, and more, Behrang Najafi and Shahin Entezami's collaborative tapestry continues to evolve, creating a profound impact on the electronic and experimental music landscape.
––
tracklist:
1. G Jones & Eprom - On My Mind
2. TNGHT - Dollaz
3. Deft, Lewis James - Teleporter (Original Mix) 
4. Homemade Weapons - Kintaro
5. Buck-Tick - Iconoclasm (Autechre Don't X Ray Da DAT Mix)
6. 3.14… - Fíf and Syxtig Wintra Hæfde
7. Shapednoise - Savage Mindedness
8. SOPHIE - UNISIL (Autechre Mx)
9. Raiden - The Firm
10. Hello Spiral - dakifIIIIIIIiIIIIIIIIIiheo
11. Arca - Doña
12. Lexis - Hypnotise (Autechre Remix)
13. Eprom - Hope
14. The Fear Ratio - Small World
15. SDEM - NSEM REV
16. Kindohm - 07 Veil 3
17. Ulver - Ghost Entry (Autechre Re-Entry)
––
links:
°soundcloud (Besclour) – https://soundcloud.com/bescolour
°soundcloud (Temp-Illusion) – https://soundcloud.com/temp-illusion
°bandcamp (Temp-Illusion) – https://temp-illusion.bandcamp.com/
°instagram (Besclour) – https://www.instagram.com/behrangnajafi/
°instagram (Temp-Illusion) – https://www.instagram.com/temp_illusion/
°instagram (SET Fesival) – https://www.instagram.com/setfest_tehran/

078 – Bescolour – Behrang Najafi

Live from the Musikhuset Aarhus, Denmark August 2017: Premiere performance of O, for spatialised Orchestra with Turntable and Organ Improvisation.

Composed by Shiva Feshareki
Conducted by Robert Ames
Soloists: Shiva Feshareki (turntables) and Kit Downes (concert organ)
Performed by Aarhus Symphony Orchestra.

O - for spatialised orchestra, and turntables & organ improvisation (2017 version)

Yllään on aamu, korennot ja kesä (Svarte Greiner remix)

Pre-Order available now via imprec.com 
Cassette edition of 100 via Cassauna/Imprec

“Rupture” was inspired by the southern Italian folktale of Tarantism,
which is said to be an epidemic provoked by the bite of the tarantula.
It causes extreme spiritual possession. 
Aki Onda composed these tracks using the traditional folk music of the region as underlays, mostly in indirect ways but occasionally directly sampled. 
The tracks were recorded with musicians Tatsuya Nakatani, Gareth Davis and Clifton Hyde. The artwork features eerie and uncanny images of the Japanese
photographer Daisuke Yokota.

1. Rupture 
2. Betrayal

3. Rebirth
4. Growth 

Aki Onda : electronics, field recordings (1-4)
Tatsuya Nakatani : percussion, gongs, bells (1-4)
Gareth Davis : bass clarinet (4)
Clifton Hyde : mandolin (3)

Soundtrack for “Rupture” by Aki Onda
Recorded by Tatsuya Nakatani, Gareth Davis, and Aki Onda 
Edited and mixed by Aki Onda 
Mastered by Michael Fossenkemper



Photography by Daisuke Yokota

Aki Onda - Rupture - Cassette - August 3, 2020

From Sines, available now from Muzan Editions on cassette tape and digital.
https://muzaneditions.bandcamp.com/album/sines

Shiva Feshareki is an internationally acclaimed experimental composer and electronic artist who works at the intersections between electronic music, contemporary-classical composition and the “cutting-edge expression of turntablism”.
(Ryan Walmsley, Strange Sounds from Beyond) 

All enquiries: info@shivafeshareki.co.uk

O - for spatialised orchestra, and turntables & organ improvisation (2017 version)

Shiva Feshareki

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