Brainstormlab.org - JFrank & TopforTom
AUDIO
NEWS
As we skip through genres and styles of electronic music this August brings Oregon Vortex with a very specific sub genre of Italic synthwave. Unlike other brands of the ongoing retrowave scene, that tend to give the glorious old a modern glow, INVICTUS feels like it is out of a timewarp; a limbo somewhere between a roguelike dungeon and the recesses of a Vatican library. Bitter riffs take us further into the occult practices of heretics with themes from games we could have played and movies we might have seen.
For some of our followers OTHER_FORMAT will be a new name but the eraliest contribution dates back to 2009, collaborating with XZICD under the probably more familiar name CUT_REPEAT. For our more die hard followers, this marks the end of a long wait. Plenty of o_F music has been briefly glimpsed in the outback of the interweb, to then disappear never to be heard again. Now all those rare long lost specimens will get their own Hardiskeology series. Being a gentleman of criteria, o_F's releases come across as concept albums or studies. Starting with OPERATOR, that comes across as a workout in FM synthesis, in a relentless set of 8. The cover design by o_F says everything about the approach without giving away the mood. Also featured is a remix of another modfreak we all know and love - XZICD, which didn't make it in time for BSL_051.
Insisting in our numerological intent at 61 we happen upon Nick R 61 with Bessonnizza. A lullaby to accompany those last moments awake to the gates of sleep and beyond.. But all dreams and nightmares come to an end when broken by the the morning. Music that watches you while you sleep - best listened to in a comfortable bed or a padded cell..
Since around 2009, every 8th release here on brainstorm has been a Nukua release. And rounding nicely off at cat. number 60 Nukua is back with his 5th solo release on BSL and 10th in total - hence EP.10. A slightly different flavour of unfamilar nostalgia from what one might expect.. Already the old photo on the cover, for those in the know, is a world away from the usual dark environments and clinically lit genetic mutations - the music on the other hand, though certainly lighter than usual, is not so far from the Nukua we knowand yet something is different, something has changed. And that change is described in EP.10 so subtly that it feels like nothing has changed at all.
Always a pleasure when our very own mystical nomad comes "home" - IQbit dropping another album of eclethnic beats with Hello Mahadev. For those familiar with IQbit from his early days as A-Cycle and period of extreme glitch with Sytrjv by way of his foley project FIELD ABUSE will know by now that he has traded in his glitched 'camels' for real camels and the journey he takes you on is as physical as it is cerebral. The VIDEO by Claudio Curciotti, released with this album, proves as much...
The nightmare corpse-city of Heracleion was built in measureless eons behind history by the vast, loathsome shapes that seeped down from the dark stars. There lay great XZICD and his hordes, hidden in blue lofi vaults.. you can watch the video by Claudio Curciotti for the track Quetzlacoatl in the video section or by clicking HERE
From AO-DD's impressions of the past we now go -eeer - back to the future! First timers here in the lab, duo Orgatanatos, hailing from Uzbekistan with flΛwrex_Sc!nt. A heavily conceptual album bordering on the maximal side of minimalism, and following in the vein of deliberately dehumanising sound. The idea of a bored AI resorting to producing electronic music to pass the time, however improbable, is something I'm sure many a producer can identifiy with - both in relation to boredom and in occasionally feeling artificial (possibly the result of prolonged proximity to machines). The result is 1:00:10 of intercepted communication - to you the interpretation..
Part of a twin release this album is the first of two (conceptually if not by release date!) Check out the second part by Orgatanatos on Russian label MNMN
Debut album for Swedish duo AO-DD. Haling from the textile town of Norrköping, which hosts a small but rich electronic scene, they bring us a very specific blend of electronic music. By their own definition an EP inspired by early hip hop and a local sub-genre called cut 'n' lotto. My listening of the album was more like a sonic history lesson. The music is atmospheric with cyclical rhythms and the undertones of locally recorded foley sounds - as well as the track names - take us through the charred bones of a once thriving harbour town at a faultering industrial pace. On many levels a clear aural interpretation of urban environment.
After the mysterious disappearance of the ethereal entity known as Sytrjv in 2009, all that remained were a a couple of tracks on an abandoned myspace page and a few remixes for the likes of Iqbit, Unterm Rad and Hecq. But a recent discovery at a hardiskeology site on the outskirts of Rome has unearthed a vast array of out of place artifacts from as early as 2003. The artifacts will be organised and progressively released here on brainstormlab. Since their discovery, some of the specimens have shown signs of life, which, if the allignment is right, may harbour a return of the obscure occurrence... Be prepared..
And here it is. French duo Bunai Carus are on the rise since their formation in early 2013 and we are happy they made a pitstop in our edge of the universe.Veil merges clean cuts on soaring pads to great visual effect. Ranging from abstract sound design to syncopated glitch, this album plays as a single story line to be heard from start to finish, for the whole cinematic experience.
In the video section is the music video for the track "LUCID" taken from the upcoming EP by French duo Bunai Carus - The video is courtesy of Nicolas Millot and Caroline Collinot.
XZICD with another unspeakably named hit to keep you fit with a live take workout in the player.
Upcoming KAIJU #5 on the 8th of March. The KAIJU team bring their formula to the Muzak club in Rome with live sets by PIERLO, INICOLABUG and JFRANK as well as DJ SETS by eclectic selector MALACARNE and vinyl junkie ORREE - who's pre party mix you can get HERE. The party is linked to the first release of the KAIJU vs format and they will be selling tapes for 3.50 at the party - Listen to K001 HERE
IQBit / Mahmoud Refat / Maurice Louca - CAIRO JAM
From the Archives IQbit sends us a live recording from his travels. An electro acoustic jam session recorded on the 8th of April 2011 with 2 prominent members of Egyptian underground electronica - Mahmoud Refat and Maurice Louca - Founder and releasing artist respectively on the label 100COPIES MUSIC
A new name to our mutable face here on brainstormlab - and long over due for that matter. MITOMA's first contribution to community is no less than a 12 track LP. Coming from that realm of electronic music where fronts collide as warm and melodic sheets melt over robotic splicing appendages, all to the sound of pulsing progressive rhythms *breathe*. Cover art by Theresa Silver shows the frozen landscape in wave capturing tectonics. Being an LP there is more space for construction and narrative confirming that album needs to be seen as well as heard.
No longer a coincidence and punctual as ever, Nukua returns every 8 releases. The sacrifice in this ritual is a collection of 7 clinically cut, cautionary tales for all ages and persuasions. Preferably absorbed in a peaceful environment and feel the closeness..
XZICD _ Denocleosis Reutomaghafth Remix Album
Once upon a time, portuguese afro-donning movie nerd XZICD makes 4 track EP and giant derivative remix pack. Sends to 11 friends without original track reference and entices liberal use of samples. And so the camel got his Denocleosis Reutomaghafth. The end.
From the recesses of some chunky hard drive on a shelf between a stack of gameboys and a broken monitor, comes Ralp's retrospective _ a Ralprospective! All pieces created from 2008-2012 this marvel of self-historification contains 14 tracks in what can only be described as the voice of machines. Ralp is a true synthesis purist and every sound is meticulously produced from scratch... and they are legion! This collection is emblematic of Ralp's style and will be marked with a limited edition hardcase CD - ORDER NOW @ WWW.RALP.ORG or info@brainstormlab.org
COMING SOON Rule 03 compilation + more from IQBIT, o_F, XZICD as well as unreleased SYTRJV tracks from the Archives...
Interactive banners made in Processing by MEZE, Set Controls RALP, JFrank
www.processing.org
if you want to be on the newsletter write to info@brainstormlab.org
Also: recently recovered live footage and recordings of long gone live events and jam sessions have been found are periodically being uploaded onto our youtube and soundcloud channels - we are unsure by who.. http://www.youtube.com/user/brainstormlab http://soundcloud.com/brainstormlab
ARCHIVE
Oregon Vortex
INVICTUS
Free Download.Italian Occult Synthwave with Oregon Vortex - INVICTUS EP.
OTHER_FORMAT
OPERATOR
Free Download. /o_F/ for the Hardiskeology sries with an all FM oriented EP from the archives
Nick R 61
Bessonnizza
Free Download. Nick R 61 for music that watches you while you sleep...
Nukua
EP.10
Free Download. Nukua returns with a slightly different flavour of unfamiliar nostalgia
IQBIT
Hello Mahadev
Free Download. IQbit returns with more sonic tales of nomadic spirituality
XZICD
ROTODYNE
Free Download. XZICD from the depths with his new album - ROTODYNE
Orgatanatos
flΛwrex_Sc!nt
Free Download. Crisp sounds and thrashing cuts by Uzbek duo Orgatanatos
AO-DD
EP 1
Free Download. Debut for Norrköping duo on brainstormlab introduce their special brand of Cut n Lotto
Sytrjv
Lateral Latency
Free Download. Unearthed artifacts from the ethereal entity that is Sytrjv.
Bunai Carus
Veil EP
Free Download. Rising stars Bunai Carus take us on an astral trip with Veil EP. Check the Lucid video on the right..
IQbit / Mahmoud Refat / Maurice Louca
Cairo Jam
Free Download. From the Archives electro acoustic jam session recorded live by IQbit with Mahmoud Refat and Maurice Louca of 100COPIES MUSIC.
MITOMA
ISO:FORMS
Free Download. MITOMA's first release on brainstormlab with mythical 12 track LP.
Nukua
Compressed
Free Download. Nukua returns by 1/8ths with new EP C___O___M____P___R___E__S____S_____E_____D
XZICD
Denocleosis Reutomaghafth Remix Album
Free Download. XZICD EP with 11 mashed up remixes by JFrank, Dubit, Ralp, Amyloid, Maesia, Randomform, Vicetto,Nukua, Enabl.ed, Huron and Somaticae.
Premute
Nome
Free Download. Premute project on glacial abductions in Alaska.
Set Controls
Warm Front Monuments
Free Download A new metereological phenomenon by Set Controls.
Ralp
0812
Free Download mp3 / 50 copies limited edition CD - to order contact: ralp@ralp.org / info@brainstormlab.org
rachMiel
Groove Quotient.
Free Download. Classically trained composer rachMiel electronically decomposes himself > Groove Quotient.
Dino Felipe
Psychonautical
Free Download. From the Archives Dino Felipe's last 'electronic' outing dated 2007-2008.
Randomform
Vapr Core EP
Free Download. Randomform debut on Brainstorm with Vapr Core EP..
RULE 02_compilation - software included
Datadadaism
Free Download.Various Artists showcase Datadada Download includes Win/Mac/Linux binaries and source code > January 2011 > BSL_034