Name: Laughter by Steve Hadfield in ENTIRE INBOX: Batch 399
Duration: 3 min 10 s
Description: The opening track from 'The Silly Baby LP', which constructs playful electronica around warped samples of our baby from the first year or so of her life.

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If a track you submitted does not appear in this list, it’s probably because another of your tracks appeared in our Fresh Faves or on the BBC Music Introducing Mixtape during the last three months — we ask that artists featured on either wait three months before resubmitting to give others a chance. We also don’t accept short previews or SoundCloud GO tracks that can only be heard as 30 second previews, and tracks made private after submission, which cannot be included in playlists. You will be able to resubmit the track in future. Tracks that have been previously submitted and tracks from banned artists will also be removed.

ENTIRE INBOX: Batch 399

Wouldn't It Be Good If We Talk To The Trees

Streets full of houses bolted, barred, blinds drawn tight, no lights, no cars,
No room to let, I’m home again. 
Home for heroes after war / to see what they were fighting for

HOME FOR HEROES

The opening track from 'The Silly Baby LP', which constructs playful electronica around warped samples of our baby from the first year or so of her life.

Laughter

Made during the early hours while our newborn slept on me, this was the perfect project to keep me vaguely awake on the sofa. A little tribute to my favourite band.

#PizzaBoyRemix

Pizza Boy - Steve Hadfield Goodnight Mix

My entry for Everything Everything's #PizzaBoyRemix competition. Please enquire if you would prefer a version with pineapple.

Everything Everything - 'Pizza Boy (Mute Branches Standard Margherita Remix)'

Experimenting!

As close to sounding like Everything Everything as I can manage 🙃

Loud Whisper

SLIME! (LIVE RECORDING)

Second single 'Gaps in the Mesh' out on the 29th March 2019 and taken from the album 'The Fog Bank' on 'ten recordings' Written and performed by Dominic Deane | Guitar playing by 
Tom Basri (2018) Recorded by Ross Holden of Ghost Town (2018)

gaps In the mesh (single)

Disintegration State co-heads Steve Hadfield and Lowering produced their first ever collaboration for radio show An Taobh Tuathail's 20th anniversary. The track premiered on Thursday 2nd May on one of a series of special anniversary shows alongside other tracks never heard anywhere else in the world before.

Steve Hadfield And Lowering - Not Invented Here

Roamer is out now!

https://open.spotify.com/album/4JYTfGyiZQxl3kYfHQz5ED?si=aIkY56jEQnmeLWsJs_qlxg

Roamer

'Temporary Lapse' EP
Steve Hadfield
See Blue Audio SBA 002

1. Unwitting Accomplice
2. Mind Tricks
3. Don’t Look Back
4. Witting Accomplice (Beatless Version)
5. Breathe

Release date: 14 June 2019

lnk.to/SBA002

See Blue Audio: ambient / electronic / beatless / cinematic / downtempo / eclectic / introspective… Shade rather than light...

The second release on the recently launched See Blue Audio imprint comes from Steve Hadfield with the five-track 'Temporary Lapse' EP. Now based in Leeds in the UK, Steve has many years of experience as an electronic producer. Since moving to Leeds from London in 2018, he's ventured into a variety of musical territories, including melodic IDM, haunted ambience, breakneck drum & bass and dub-style techno, as well as developing a live show. Steve is perhaps best known for his more experimental side on Disintegration State, a label he co-founded, which specialises in under-the-radar electronica. Most recently he released 'Battle Royale' in collaboration with Sunbane.

With 'Temporary Lapse' for See Blue Audio, Steve has retained his ambient and glitch sensibilities, but added more melodic and dubbier qualities. 'Unwitting Accomplice' introduces the EP with gentle waves of spectral sound underpinned by a murmuring bassline and soft beats. Swirling synth lines then build the track into a powerfully atmospheric piece.

Both 'Mind Tricks' and 'Don't Look Back' travel deeper into dark space with viscous beats and eerie effects. Trembling with nervous energy and a marked increase in tension, they take the EP in a different direction with references to Detroit techno and the dubby side of downtempo electronica.

Every release on See Blue Audio will include at least one beatless track or remix, so Steve has reworked 'Unwitting Accomplice' into the beatless 'Witting Accomplice', which takes the original down a couple of paces. This alternative version is a wander through distant valleys of fragile loops, trickling sounds and electronic whispers.

For the concluding track, 'Breathe', Steve changes direction again, both to complete the story of the EP and provide a different panorama. As the title suggest, it feels a little like coming up for air with its rolling groove and sensual sounds, and there’s a hint of a Balearic vibe too.

Temporary Lapse EP

'Temporary Lapse' EP (preview) – Steve Hadfield (See Blue Audio SBA #002)

'En mis sueños' EP
Khuenzz
See Blue Audio SBA 003

1. En mi alma
2. En mis sueños
3. En tu memoria
4. Estoy aquí

Release date: 6 December 2019

lnk.to/SBA003

See Blue Audio: ambient / electronic / beatless / cinematic / downtempo / eclectic / introspective… Shade rather than light...

See Blue Audio closes 2019 with its third release: the 'En mis sueños' EP from Khuenzz. Little is known about the identity of the enigmatic Khuenzz, although the name was allegedly inspired by the sound of a robot's voice. The track titles may be in Spanish, but that's probably a smokescreen too. All we know about Khuenzz is that there was an earlier release this year, the 'Leviathan' EP on SLiCK Records.

Over its four tracks, 'En mis sueños' heads deep into the dubbier side of ambient electronica, where hypnotic rhythms, spooky synths and effects, and distorted voices create a mysterious musical landscape. The opening track, 'En mi alma', is built around rolling percussion and a simple piano refrain, which is interspersed with a manipulated vocal sample and layers of electronic crackle. The effect is intriguing and haunting in equal measure.

The title track is next, and it represents the beatless contribution that is part of every release on See Blue Audio. 'En mis sueños' is a short story of drifting ambience punctuated by moments of dramatic tension. As the title suggests, it has a dreamlike quality, like slowly falling through space, but then being hit by bursts of hyperreality.

'En tu memoria' has a lighter quality but is still infused with the same heavy dub textures and vocal manipulation as 'En mi alma'. It’s also feels like a reawakening after the deep dreams of 'En mis sueños'. Completing the EP is 'Estoy aquí', which continues the lighter mood with a swaying rhythm providing the foundation for gentle synth melodies and glitch-style effects.

What's most remarkable about 'En mis sueños' is the way in which it tells a musical story in relatively short chapters. There's a strong narrative throughout of sleeping and waking, falling and rising, and travelling into the unknown.

En mis sueños EP

'En mis sueños' EP (preview) – Khuenzz (See Blue Audio SBA #003)

'Displacement Activity Vol. 1'
Steve Hadfield
See Blue Audio SBA 004

1. The Sunlight
2. Tremors
3. Space
4. Reflections
5. Gaze of the Moon
6. Middle Distance

Release date: 31 January 2020

lnk.to/SBA004

See Blue Audio: ambient / electronic / beatless / cinematic / downtempo / eclectic / introspective… Shade rather than light...

See Blue Audio begins 2020 with another release from Steve Hadfield following on from the 'Temporary Lapse' EP. 'Displacement Activity Vol. 1' is the first in a series of collections of music with the second volume to be released later in the year and more to follow. Over its six tracks, Steve reveals a different side to his sound and influences, and one born out of his recent personal experiences: ambient/modern classical with glitchy electronics.

Drawing on his passion for defining experimental and ambient artists like Alva Noto, Ryuichi Sakamoto and Murcof, Steve set out to craft his own style which reaches its conclusion with the 'Displacement Activity' series. Field recordings also form part of his musical landscape; likewise, Steve's fascination with space and how Planet Earth could appear as seen from faraway. Displaced, in other words, with the full title referencing a spaceship in Iain M. Banks's science fiction novel 'The Hydrogen Sonata'.

Using his imagination as a starting point – does the Moon view the Earth with the same reverence? – and slowly finding his musical path, Steve was also brought back to reality with the impending arrival of his first child in 2019. An intoxicating mix of excitement, nervousness and uncertainty is reflected in this music, not least as the rise of far-right politics worldwide provided a distressing backdrop. This vast array of ideas and emotions has seeped into 'Displacement Activity', which uses a similarly wide range of sounds and textures from beatless soundscapes to dramatic electronica.

'The Sunlight' opens the collection and, as the title suggests, it's a burst of warm celestial light based around rich synth sounds that slowly transform into something more brittle and with a churchlike intensity. 'Tremors' follows and the theme of space is further explored; this is a journey into the deep beyond where fear and paranoia creep into the edges of your mind. By way of contrast, 'Space' is a short sketch of morphing piano notes that takes us back to some kind of natural world.

'Reflections' continues the piano form but is then slowly enveloped by ghostly electronic fragments. The feeling is one of gentle awakening and the discovery of new life. As the title 'Displacement Activity' suggests, these tracks are also about contrast, and we get that with 'Gaze of the Moon', where our perception of reality is shaped from another angle. Drone-like electronic calm is punctured by sudden rushes of cold, piercing light before sliding back into the shadows.

Completing 'Displacement Activity Vol. 1' is 'Middle Distance' with its shimmering ambience, and its dreamlike quality is a fitting conclusion to this extraordinary collection of music. With this release, Steve Hadfield has pushed through the boundaries of his own musical knowledge and capabilities, but also taken a journey inward and shared his inner psyche.

Displacement Activity Vol. 1

'Displacement Activity Vol. 1' (preview) – Steve Hadfield (See Blue Audio SBA #004)

'Displacement Activity Vol. 3'
Steve Hadfield
See Blue Audio SBA 012

1. Reflected
2. Blossom Is a Vector
3. Ever Onward
4. Liminal Night Feeds
5. Alone, Dark

Release date: 6 November 2020

lnk.to/SBA012

See Blue Audio: ambient / electronic / beatless / cinematic / downtempo / eclectic / introspective… Shade rather than light...

Back in January 2020, Steve Hadfield released the first instalment of 'Displacement Activity', which was also his second release on See Blue Audio, when the COVID-19 pandemic was just an approaching blip on the radar. Its release also coincided with the delights and challenges of becoming a parent for the first time. Volume two followed in May as we were in the midst of a strange new world, and Steve’s music had taken on a more reflective, shadowy tone as the world grappled with confinement, and his parenting took on a higher level of intensity than perhaps originally anticipated, while all around uncertainty raged.

Ten months on and as one of the most remarkable years of modern times draws to a close, we have 'Displacement Activity Vol. 3', the twelfth release on See Blue Audio, and five tracks in Steve’s trademark fusion of ambient/modern classical and glitchy electronics. The first two volumes of 'Displacement Activity' were written prior to coronavirus as Steve was beginning to see the early signs of conflict and dark political forces, and then think about how these could be navigated through parenthood. Those warnings are turning into reality alongside the pandemic. This gives the music its shadowy feel, and it seems particularly apt that these latest tracks are being released as we approach a time when some kind of 'new normality' sits uneasily beside the fresh storm clouds that may be gathering, virus-related, social and political.

There are a range of different moods on 'Displacement Activity Vol. 3', and it was forged during a time when the pandemic inevitably casts its shadow. The opening track, 'Reflected', is a reworking of 'Reflections' from 'Displacement Activity Vol. 1', and more ghostly, beatless atmospherics, but with the same lightness of touch and sense of adventure (the original was composed before the birth of his daughter, while the new version reflects the joy she has brought).

The more uptempo, percussive 'Blossom Is a Vector' with its layers of warped piano and strings, and 'Ever Onward', which takes the mood down a notch with melancholy piano notes and electronic distortion, both retain this sense of warmth and promise. The former was composed after the family's first walk in the local park following the relaxation of lockdown, where a nine-month-old could finally see nature, but not touch it; fear of infections transmission still couldn't take away the wonder of this new experience. The latter, meanwhile, captures a time when the gripes of mild illness descend into sleep with the soothing accompaniment of improvised music.

'Liminal Night Feeds', as the name suggests, is all about the nocturnal rhythms of infants: the space between waking and sleep, breathing and movement, and parental synchronisation. The music takes on a jittery, almost illusory quality as time and space fold in on themselves.

As with the first two volumes of 'Displacement Activity', the final track sees Steve take a leftfield turn. As the mood changes to a more claustrophobic atmosphere through 'Ever Onward' and 'Liminal Night Feeds', it might be expected that this would continue inwards and downwards. In contrast, Steve flings open the window to let in bursts of electronic light underpinned by defiant beats and a pulsating bassline. It's a jagged, hesitant kind of hope – how could it be otherwise in these times – but hope, nonetheless. The future is unwritten, and we end on a note of positivity. New music, new challenges and a new optimism will surely come.

Photography: R.Cleveland Aaron.

Displacement Activity Vol. 3

'Displacement Activity Vol. 3' (preview) – Steve Hadfield (See Blue Audio SBA #012)

Written and performed by Caroline & The Lights.

Guitar - Tom Caunt
Cello - Mike Andrew
Bass - Liam Hill
Drums - Joshua Steven
Piano and vocals - Caroline
Strings - Caroline
Backing vocals - Caroline
Songwriter, composer, arrangement - Caroline

Produced, mixed, and mastered by Paul Tuffs.

Once or Twice

Once Or Twice

Fresh On The Net is a music blog hosted by Tom Robinson and Team Freshnet, offering independent artists an open door and a level playing field for their music. Our inbox is open at http://freshonthenet.co.uk every Monday to Thursday morning - if you share a track with us there it will be heard by every member of our moderation team.

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Co-founder of the Disintegration State label. I make all sorts of electronic music which I hope brings you joy :)
https://stevehadfield.bandcamp.com

Laughter

Steve Hadfield

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