@visionquest-records

It’s commonplace in the life of a young Native American, to undertake a very definite turning point in his life as he approaches puberty. In order to define the young man’s spiritual path, a period of fasting and solitary physical and mental exploration will commence. This usually manifests itself with the young man going into the wilderness for a number of days, often under the influence of hallucinogenic drugs.

Otherwise known as a Visionquest, his path forward into the unknown heralds a distinct rite of passage for the young man in question. The hope is the spiritual direction in life will appear to the child at some point during his Visionquest. The sensory deprivation involved and the intensity of the experience, it is hoped, will resonate with the fledgling boy as he moves into full adulthood.

Friends frequently go on vision quests together. Name any of the leading purveyors of modern music and I bet at some point during their lives there have been epiphanies (medicated or otherwise) that have informed and reinforced their creativity. Four such friends are Seth Troxler, Ryan Crosson, Shaun Reeves and Lee Curtiss. Having grown up together in techno birthplace, Detroit, a city of exceptionally rich musical heritage, they represent the freshest wave of new producers to emerge from this dance music heartland in a decade. Informed by their city’s techno heritage from the likes of Juan Atkins and Jeff Mills, but influenced by the emotive house music sounds of Kenny Dixon Jnr and Theo Parrish, they were organising parties in Lee’s basement at an early age.

At the start of 2011 they launched their much-vaunted Visionquest record label. Reflecting their outlook… diverse, and free from the constraints of genre-specifics, the record label is a home for friends, newcomers and established artists alike and one of the most talked about imprints of recent times (coming seventh in Resident Advisor’s top twenty dance labels of 2011). Focusing not only on the quality of the music, but on the whole art of music delivery that goes with it, Visionquest represents quality in every facet of its output. A series of key artists and graphic designers including most recently Tom Cook, who did all of the early artwork for fabric in London, have produced the highly collectable art inserts that are included in each of the label's twenty plus releases, which, alongside heavyweight vinyl and packaging that incorporates metallic printing, screams quality and longevity.

The imprint founded by Seth Troxler, Lee Curtiss, Ryan Crosson and Shaun Reeves put out its first release from Franco-American duo Benoit & Sergio in January 2011 with the seminal ‘Where The Freaks Have No Name’ EP. This featuring the ubiquitous hit ‘Walk & Talk’, which quickly became one of the key underground hits of the year. This was followed by a pair of releases by Visionquest discoveries Montreal’s Footprintz and Milan’s Tale Of Us. Right from the off, the label was championing genre-spanning quality electronica created by a close-knit family of artists. The label followed up the success of ‘Walk and Talk’ with further underground smash hits in the form of ‘Falling’ by (then little-known) Maceo Plex, and ‘Morgana’ by Tale of Us/ Since then a myriad of artists have contributed to the label's output from Dinky and Mirko Loco to Brett Johnson, UNER, Guy Gerber and Butch. Each one of these fully represents the Visionquest ethos in their own individual way, encompassing the crew's collective notion of being open-minded and allowing their hearts to guide them. From the brooding menace of ‘Step Aside (Lightweight)’ by Life & Death and Thugfucker to the ethereal beauty of Butch's ‘Medusa’, Brett Johnson's anthemic ‘Move Power’ and the off-kilter ‘Warehouse Fool’ by Visionquest discoveries Matthew Burton and Kate Rathod, the four has never been scared to take exciting chances with their A&R choices.

Visionquest 

ATOM | Label #1 Visionquest

Square Room Heroes Releases

March '13

Visionquest

Shaun Reeves, one member of the Visionquest power force, teams up with good friend and industry veteran Alexi Delano for the next release on the label with two solid cuts that are deeply mystifying and hypnotic while packing plenty of groove for the dance floor. Title track ‘The Breeze’captures the senses with warm, dubby synths flowing and rippling throughout, evoking a sense of melancholy enhanced by Charlotte Carter-Allen’s vocals, while ‘The Mistral’ rides with a deep chugging bassline as the mesmerising vocals float and echo through the deep vortex. Over on the B-side, one of Visionquest’s favourite producers, the highly respected Thomas Melchior aka Melchior Productions Ltd is proudly welcomed onto the label to remix ‘The Breeze’, adding his unmistakable groove and distinctive percussive patterns. This is certainly a package not to be missed.

Born in Chile, raised in Sweden and later adopted by New York, Alexi Delano now lives in London. Over his two decades in the industry he has developed a style, which combines the heavy compressed Swedish sound with the vibrancy of the creative music scene in Brooklyn. Releasing on established labels such as the historic SVEK, Plus 8, Minus, Drumcode, HProduction and many more.  Now in 2013 Alexi Delano is finalizing his 6th album “The Art Of Collaboration” for the Swedish Techno label H-productions as well as relaunching his own record label AD Limited whilst continuing to write original pieces for a string of projects.

Hailing from Detroit where he ran parties booking the likes of Magda and Dan Bell, Shaun Reeves has now lived in the techno city Berlin for the past nine years. Playing at all of the top venues and parties in the world on a relentless touring schedule and spending every spare second in the studio, Shaun’s dedication to the job is second to none.

Thomas Melchior is well respected as a solo artist and as a duo alongside Baby Ford under the moniker Soul Capsule, releasing on the likes of Perlon, Playhouse, Smallville and a:rpia:r. Earlier this year they rereleased the classic ‘Overcome Ø Lady Science’ with smashing results.


TRACK LISTING

A1. The Breeze feat. Charlotte Carter-Allen
A2. The Mistral
B1. The Breeze (Melchior Production Limted Remix)

A1. The Breeze feat. Charlotte Carter-Allen

Next up on Visionquest is the second single from Wareika’s righteous and raw ‘Wternal’ album. ‘All Little Things’, here in its ‘Club Mix’ incarnation, is another example of the trio’s hefty musicianship and unbridled eccentric energy, where jazzy textures and pulsating grooves build up with a rising melody to the powerful vocal drop. On the first remix Visionquest & Nikko Gibler develop expansive piano melodies alongside an elasticated bassline and vocal snippets. Fred P reigns over the B-side with his raw, deep hypnotic ‘Reshape’ and warmed up ‘Spirit Dub’. This is a distinctly diverse remix package from a rich artistic source.

 

Hamburg trio Wareika started as a project in 2007 with a collection of shining releases on prestigious labels such as Connaisseur, Eskimo, Future Classic and Circus Company, and three studio albums on Perlon, liebe*detail and Tartelet Records, Wareika’s style ranges from Balearic to deep Techno, jazzy House sounds and from Balkan-Jazz to dubby riddims but always retains the smart intellect, depth and dynamism in composition Wareika is known for.

 

Their thrilling jazz-marries-techno live shows has now been captured on vinyl and CD with fourth full-length album ‘Wternal’ recorded in one 65min take and out now on Visionquest. After remixes for David Lynch and Benoit & Sergio in the past couple of years, Visionquest, the artists, here join forces with Nikko Gibler - a multi instrumentalist and composer based in Hollywood, who’s also released records on Culprit and Leftroom.

 

Fred P aka Black Jazz Consortium is one of the godfathers of the New York house movement and a true master of that often overused accolade ‘deep’. Fred P runs Soul People Music and has appeared on Jus-Ed’s imprint Underground Quality.

TRACK LISTING

A1. All Little Things (Club Version)
A2. All Little Things (Visionquest & Nikko Gibler Remix)
B1. All Little Things (Fred P Reshape)
B2. All Little Things (Fred P Reshape Dub)

A1. All Little Things (Club Version)

A2. All Little Things (Visionquest & Nikko Gibler Remix)

B1. All Little Things (Fred P Reshape)

B2. All Little Things (Fred P Reshape Dub)

In The Air

Art In Motion - Lean On Down (Mark Wells Remix)

Medlar - Knockard Pearl (Detroit Swindle Remix)

From his EP - WOLFEP016

Out on 12" December 2012

Digi to follow.

http://wolfmusicrecords.com/

Medlar - Knockard Pearl (Detroit Swindle Remix) (WOLFEP016)



Steadily mining gold in an ever-evolving electronic landscape, the Visionquest imprint gets set to unleash an incredibly special 6-track EP from Clarian - one half of the supreme duo Footprintz. Collaborating with the always-innovative Guy Gerber on the opener, Clarian voyages solo throughout the rest of the EP – a collective of ‘Chemical Gardens’ for a sonically re-imagined Blade Runner kingdom.

Beach Boys oohs on top of Camino 808 lines with Morriconne style piano licks over a zombie meets deep house track - the ‘Chemical Gardens EP’ is a patchwork of cross-genres and moods. The A-side covers ethereal sunrise magic and cosmic oddities opening with ‘Claire’ featuring Guy Gerber - an emotive beauty in which dubby beats dissolve into a motif of synth stabs, sweet electronic melodies and rising waves of filtered vox. ‘Destroy, She Says’ is a haunting dream of hypnotic keys and heavy drums while ‘Renaissance’ is simply a magical set closer that alludes to an innocent era of rave.

Taking the listener deeper into the night ‘Remove Control’ kicks off the B-side with a jagged electronic bassline tight snares and shakers and a powerful vocal while ‘Through Your Mind feat. J’ drops a heavy dose of acid with a mechanical sleazy vibe. Closing track ‘U’ is all about the build against the naked drum groove, moody bass synths and echoing vox. Clarian’s chemical gardens and Visionquest are clearly meant to be and these shimmering towers of sound are likely to remain a highlight of the imprints illustrious cannon. A truly innovative and groundbreaking release, that further cements Clarian’s standing as an incredible talent.


TRACK LISTING

    A1. Clarian & Guy Gerber - Claire
    A2. Clarian - Destroy, She Says
    A3. Clarian - Renaissance
    B1. Clarian - Remove Control
    B2. Clarian - Through Your Mind feat. Spaceman
    B3. Clarian - U (Unfinished

A1. Clarian & Guy Gerber - Claire

Track list:

01. Boxwork - Specifics (LNUK Recs)
02. Boxwork - NYC 
03. Boxwork - Seneca 
04. Pusherman - Shake It Off (LNUK Recs) 
05. Boxwork - Voodoo Gently 
06. Boxwork - Shuka 
07. Boxwork - Think Hard 
08. Boxwork - Specialists (Forthcoming Nord Recs) 
09. Mia Dora - Freckles (High Sheen Recs) 
10. Boxwork - Barntom (LNUK Recs) 
11. Joe - Rut (Hessle Audio) 
12. Wax - No. 30003 B (Wax) 
13. Mau'lin - Function Open (Jack Dixon Remix) (Diskotopia) 
14. Boxwork - Creaker 
15. Boxwork - Get Back 
16. Boxwork - Leak (LNUK Recs) 
17. Lorca & Visionist - W.M.I.D (left_blank) 
18. Boxwork - Inya 
19. Cloaka - Refuge 
20. Mike Delinquent - Mama Said (Thefft Remix) [Forthcoming Champion Records] 
21. Sal - Brujo 
22. Boxwork - You Only (LNUK Recs) 

https://soundcloud.com/boxworkmusic
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Boxwork/324101754300651

For exclusive news, features, mixes, reviews, downloads and more visit: on.fb.me/Hyponikfanpage 
Twitter: @hyponik 
www.hyponik.com

Hyp 117: Boxwork

“When I was 18 I had those albums you’d escape with. When we were making the Footprintz record that was really our aim – to produce an album that kids can listen and escape to”.

Every journey has its beginning, and as the opening chords of ‘The Things That Last Forever’ give way to a hypnotic bassline, you know you’re on your way. Basslines form a key part of the Footprintz sound, acting as an anchor from which vocal melodies, synth lines and warm chords weave around in an often psychedelic style. Debut single, ‘Utopia’, exemplifies this ethic with its synth flirtations and optimistic vocal musings adding layers upon a solid core.

As Clarian and Addy say, “We wanted to work around a concept of escaping the confused years of growing up. 16-25, those are the years where you’re figuring yourself out, going through the motions of meeting different people and finding new things”. Tracks like ‘Uncertain Change’ and recent single ‘Dangers of The Mouth’ tackle this subject head on, focusing on the insecurities that arise from growing up. ‘Zanzibar’ takes a lighter approach, touching on the innocence of youth that brings with it, its own simple pleasures.

What becomes apparent throughout ‘Escape Yourself’ is a real craftsmanship to Footprintz’s songwriting. Each track reveals a little more on each listen, aided by the slick production work, done predominantly by the guys themselves in their Montreal bunker studio full of analogue equipment, odd instruments and a fridge laden with ‘special brownies’; which goes some way to explain a noirish-haze that permeates through the album.

Having met at an afterparty aged 15, Clarian North & Adam Hunter have experienced most of their adult life together. ‘Escape Yourself’ distills their experiences, wraps them in a warm analogue fuzz and shares them with the listener. You join them on their journey, and deep down they hope it helps you shape your own.

TRACK LISTING

    A1. The Things That Last Forever
    A2. Heaven Felt Like Night
    A3. Utopia
    B1. The Favourite Game
    B2. Private Enemy
    B3. The Invisible
    C1. Uncertain Change
    C2. Zanzibar
    C3. Dangers Of The Mouth
    D1. The Fear Of Numbers
    D2. The Nightingale
    D3. Keys To The Sky


You can pre-order it here: http://www.juno.co.uk/ppps/products/481654-01.htm

Footprintz - Escape Yourself(album preview) Out 18th March

Title track ‘Moonlight Shadow’ takes you on a journey into the dark night, sublimely deep yet emotively eerie with thick dubby pads complimented perfectly by sonorous chords. While relatively low in tempo, a deep burning energy swells within the complex tiers creating skilled suspense and showcasing immaculate production.

On the flip, ‘To Real Time’ witnesses the Hamburg-Thessaloniki connection yielding fruits again. Originally from Greece, good friend George Boronas aka Square Room

Heroes pairs up with the German duo to show clearly what connects them: intimacy, deepness, freakiness, groove and spirit. Beginning with the subtle introduction of new instruments and rich sounds, the track soon gains force and momentum, building into wonderful layers and a kicking groove, directed much more firmly at the floor.

Rounding off this wholly satisfying package ‘From Dub To Dub’ is stripped back with broken beats, thick plush keys, delicate shakes and reverbed guitar licks, that all fall and rise within the warm depths and infinite atmosphere.

Jakob Seidensticker & Bardia Salour are names that are becoming very familiar on the underground circuit. While Bardia is a local Hamburg DJ and music connoisseur with a great influence on the whole of Hamburg, Jakob Seidensticker is an essential part on the internationally respected Wareika trio, releasing on highly acclaimed labels such as Perlon, Circus Company and Eskimo. After DJ'ing in various clubs and locations, they have finally found their base at the 'fulminant' EGO club in Hamburg.

Joining forces, Seidensticker & Salour's track selection and dub-influenced sound have been known to satisfy all hedonistic impulses ignited on the dance floor and this seamless EP on the mighty Visionquest imprint promises to do just that.


TRACK LISTING

A1. Moonlight Shadow
B1. To Real Time feat. Square Room Heroes
B2. From Dub To Dub

A1. Moonlight Shadow

B1. To Real Time feat. Square Room Heroes

B2. From Dub To Dub

With BAFDIGI027 we're proud to introduce you another extraordinary duo hailing from Greece that for sure you'd heard about for their works on labels as Visionquest or Claap, here for you the mighty Square Room Heroes! Three tracks made to dance, thought to party and designed to get crazy that for sure will enterntain you during these hot summer night! Don't miss it!

Square Room Heroes - Lovers And Fighters

Square Room Heroes - Moovo

Seidensticker & Salour feat. Square Room Heroes - To Real Time
out on Seidensticker & Salour_"Moonlight Shadow ep" // VISIONQUEST 026

 http://www.beatport.com/track/to-real-time-original-mix/4244194

Seidensticker & Salour feat. Square Room Heroes - To Real Time_Visionquest

vi•sion quest (noun): a search for personal communication with the spirit world. 

Every mystical journey eventually comes to a fork in the road. The seeker of life’s destiny has two options: remain satisfied with whatever level of consciousness he has already attained, or push forward into ever-new domains of promise and possibility. 2014 sees dance music’s best-known spiritual pilgrims, the Visionquest trio of Ryan Crosson, Lee Curtiss, and Shaun Reeves, bravely embarking upon that wondrous journey. Each member of this celebrated DJing and production team contributes a distinct yet interlocking vision that together forms a seamless, organic whole. Just think of Crosson’s enthusiastic shuffle, Lee’s soulful stare, Shaun’s soft touch. Everything they craft has the same unmistakable flair: slow-burning, shape-shifting, expansive techno and house marked by compositional elegance and unabashed pop hooks.

Although long-time partner and co-conspirator Seth Troxler has stepped aside to pursue other projects, 2013 was the biggest year ever for the four. Inspired by the passing of the Mayan calendar, the group embarked upon Visionquest 13, 13 dates where the boys not only played together the whole night, but curated a true multimedia experience. From London to Buenos Aires, from the American hinterland to the Chilean wilderness, Visionquest 13 was a Freudian trip into the deepest recesses of the Detroit rave unconscious, what Ibiza Voice described as a “collective expedition into the depths of your soul”—but with a sophisticated, modern twist.

Their accomplishments are well-known and too many to list. For starters: a critically acclaimed 2011 Fabric mix; year-defining hit remixes for artists as diverse as Kiki, Wareika, Tracey Thorn, and David Lynch; showcases and dates in the biggest clubs and festivals around the world; and the creation of a now iconic-label that’s played host to dancefloor weaponry from the likes of Benoit & Sergio, Life & Death, Dinky, and Laura Jones—all this while each member maintained significant individual production and DJ careers. But, by definition, no journey dwells in the past. So in 2014 they launched Visionquest Special Editions, a limited-release, vinyl only label. Evoking the experimental sounds of the European techno avant-garde that first inspired the boys back in Detroit, the debut release, remixes of Montreal songwriter Quilla, features a stunning collaboration between Shaun and long-time hero Ricardo Villalobos. With Visionquest Special Editions we see the group at home at a breezy, gentle afterparty, not just igniting the club. As Visionquest winds around the corner into their bright future, they remain open and excited for what lies ahead.

B1. To Real Time feat. Square Room Heroes

Visionquest Records