Slow-moving finger-picked ambient folk straddling the synthetic and organic divide – that is "The Ending Was A Typical Part", the first album by the Zurich-based duo Gūsū. It combines the tradition of playing the guzheng with electronic instruments, allowing different yet harmonious worlds to collide.

The collaboration between Xueyan Chen and Nicolas Balmer alias Gūsū was born out of their shared musical explorations in 2022 and has evolved into a dialogue of sound. Chen's guzheng, an instrument deeply linked to Chinese history, resonates with improvised and self-composed melodies, freeing its pentatonic scale from its traditional bounds. Her playing is underscored with the cryptic hum of Balmer's modular synthesizers, the deep bass and layered textures that combine the organic with the electronic. Together they create a sonorous exploration of identity, displacement and unity.

Xueyan Chen has been playing the Guzheng since her early childhood. With her moving to Zurich, Switzerland she started reimagining its historical identity through improvisation and self-composed melodies. With this approach, Chen emancipates the instrument from its classical heritage, weaving a contemporary and deeply personal narrative. Nicolas Balmer meanwhile brings a contrasting yet complementary dimension with modular synthesizers, bass guitar, and electronic textures. His layered soundscapes amplify and distort the Guzheng's pentatonic timbres, enveloping them in mysterious tones and expansive harmonics.

Gūsū is a transcultural music project born from the confluence of two distinct artistic voices: Xueyan Chen and Nicolas Balmer. Together, they create a complex dialogue of sound that bridges the ancient and the modern, exploring the liminal spaces between tradition and experimentation. Gūsū's inception was serendipitous, sparked by a shared stage in late 2022. What began as spontaneous improvisations has since evolved into a profound collaboration. The duo has performed under various monikers, finding their ultimate identity in the name Gūsū, a nod to both heritage and transformation.

www.subjecttorestrictions.ch
___________________________
Written and Composed by Xueyan Chen & Nicolas Balmer
Produced by Nicolas Balmer
Vocals and Lyrics by Xueyan Chen
Mastered and Lacquer Cut by Isabel Schröer at Scape Mastering
Graphics by Emilie Meyer
A&R by Dominik André
Unterstützt von Stadt Zürich Kultur
Original Release by Subject To Restrictions Discs
Copyright 2025

The Ending Was A Typical Part

Gūsū - Standing Cross Water

"A Selection Spanning Over Various Genres And Decades"
Here's an impressive collection of Musik from Austria most of us have never heard before. Waist-high in obscurity Florian aka @Heapvienna takes us through the last decades of the 20th century with heavy winking. This mix actually is the result of countless hours spent in record stores and at fleamarkets all around Austria over the range of the past 10 years!
Thanks a lot for sharing the fruit of your work Florian!

Lesser-known Austrian Gems (Guest Mix, 2025)

Another Donkey Pâtè full of curve ball music and eccentric folk.

Here's the Òlta boys redefining what is acceptable on a dance floor around 7am........

Enjoy x

Òlta Karawane LIVE Dj cut - Donkey Pâtè @ Sameheads 22.03.2025

Hello greetings welcome, and relax.

Due to a series of unfortunate events, a very late night session at the HQ. New things (to me), favourites and things you were tired of hearing me play out, 12 times ago. The usual. 



Brew /w RB 


BREW RECORDS w/ Robert Bergman [02.04.25]

PRSG002 Out on 30th of May!

Pre-order active on our Bandcamp. 

You might have previously encountered her through the previous release on Presagi, "Love is a Natural Magical Thing" or her 80s band, Exposé.
Now, an unreleased 1989 gem by Laurie Miller, the freestyle queen from Miami, is on a 7` with a version by Jackson Bailey, aka Tapes on the flip!

Melody, lyrics and vocals by Laurie Miller
Music and Programming by Jeff Hinz
Composed, arranged and produced by Jeff Hinz & Laurie Miller in 1989
Dub Version by Jackson Bailey aka Tapes in 2024
Cover Picture by David Vance (1987)

Mastered by Maspaventi Studio
Distributed by Rush Hour
Pressed by Record Industry
Graphic Design by Wutu

This is a collaboration with Presagi, Mango Park Productions, Xica Productions
All Right Reserved ®

True Love

Pre-order

(PRSG002) Laurie Miller - True Love

Into the Light • Heavy Air w/ Ilias Pitsios (28.04.2025)

babyschön - Subject To Restrictions Discs @ Sameheads 02.05.25

Bill Spencer shares weekend recordings from his living room studio in Detroit, Michigan, from where he brings a range of soulful jazz rock, and ambient sounds, spanning to electronica and psychedelic dub.
 
Find the full tracklist and related episodes on NTS: https://www.nts.live/shows/bill-spencer/episodes/bill-spencer-11th-may-2025

A Month of Sundays w/ Bill Spencer 110525

'Mani' #11 w/ Prins Emanuel 2025-05-15 @ Lyl Radio

| LIVE FROM HIGH NOTE | w/ Skeleten

Welcoming back Personal Space with a very special mix from dear friend and musical mind Karl Halliday. Recorded in the backyard of Joseph Street in April '25 amongst close friends. Karl sets the mood below a grey humid sky unearthing some of his favourite new-wave, post-punk, ebm & industrial leaning records from his collection. Karl weaves together a soundscape of emotive sounds & vulnerability, drawing connections to moments shared with friends & moments of inwards musical discovery. 

"When asked to reflect on my relationship with music, my initial impulse is to celebrate how I owe my dearest, most enduring friendships to a harmonious love of song and dance. My personal space is a social space, a community whose coming together signals more than common taste, but a collective desire for shared experiences and to share experiences. Here, presenting my favourite music, the sort I seldom get to play, I offer an experience I wish to share with you. Spirit propels discovery. I hope you enjoy." - Karl Halliday



Karl Halliday

Be away from the edge. Steep slope.
https://links.subjecttorestrictions.ch



___________________________
Distribution: Bordello A Parigi
Licensing: licensing@subjecttorestrictions.ch