Best New Releases from September 2020
Though September brings the end of beach days and summer fun, it also gives a windfall of new and enthralling releases we were looking forward to, including utterly gorgeous albums from Saphileaum and Khotin; stunning compilations from On Board Music, Sweat Lodge, De Lichting, and AD 93; mighty EPs from Iron Curtis, Konduku, Villete, and Mateis e. aqir.
Lord Of The Isles
Enduro
Spectrum SL
The booking agency Sweat Lodge presents the third edition of their Spectrum SL compilation series, reflecting the various musical styles and genres represented by the agency’s artists. Following ORANGE and PURPLE, the next installment EMERALD, showcases the wealth of talent from the label artists such as R-Kitt, Mano Le Tough, Mattheis, Lord Of The Isles, and Amandra.
Lord Of The Isles's consistent production of quality electronic music has seen him release records on labels like ESP Institute, AD 93 ( formerly known as Whities), DFSANT, Permanent Vacation, Firecracker Recordings, Mule Musiq, Phonica Records, among others. Fresh from his beautifully poetic "Lord Of the Isles feat. Ellen Renton" EP released via AD 93 earlier this year, Scottish producer now steps up to Sweat Lodge to offer another mighty contribution.
"Enduro" is a brooding techno excursion through driving rhythms, subtle percussive brush strokes, and intricately woven arrangements.
Saphileaum
Freshwater Mind
NYAME
Georgian composer Andro Gogibedashvili, better known as Saphileaum, delivers a beautifully immersive new album "Imaginary Treasure Mountain" via the Dutch NYAME imprint. This album induces ab unfolding universe of meditative sounds, slow-moving rhythms, and picturesque soundscapes with endless elegancy and pastoral moods. In Saphileaum's own words:
"'Imaginary Treasure Mountain' is inspired by old Georgian tales and legends. The old sayings say that underneath some mountains in Caucasus and Georgia, ancient treasure and heritage have been held for centuries. Many have tried to find the treasure but have failed. There have been several expeditions during the 19th and 20th centuries, in order to go to the bottom of specific mountains from caves, but always some hidden force was protecting the place and was against people going down. Native saying says that he, who will find the treasure, will gain access to ancient Georgian treasure as well as cosmic and earthly knowledge. This album is a journey to that place."
The third track, "Freshwater Mind," is an exploration of natural beauty and subtlety. The instrumentation and gentle melodies work in unison, carefully crafting a multi-textured sound collage.
Mateis e. aqir
Semitone Adventure
Jungle Gym Records
Barcelona-based musician and producer Mateis e. aqir returns to JUNGLE GYM RECORDS for the first time since his 2018 debut "Geography of Nowhere" EP. Embracing the realm of shape-shifting soundscapes mixed with meditative rhythmics, the five-track "Looking Backward" EP employs aquatic obscurity and eloquent sonic experimentation.
Pulsating with energy, the opening track "Semitone Adventure" sets the tone with an airy vibe filled with the tiniest inflection of tropical flair. The intricate percussive patterns, evocative pads, and fluid melodic passages are complete with lyricism and spaciousness.
Bas Dobbelaer
Diversion
AD 93
AD 93, a rebranded Whities, curates the eighth installment of the label's "Blue" series with a quartet of tracks from their favorite international artists such as Mucho Sueño, Bas Dobbelaer, martinou, and Sapphire Slows. The multi-artist "Blue 08" EP delivers a sumptuous display of introspective moods and atmospheric realms.
"Diversion" comes from the hands of the Amsterdam-based producer Bas Dobbelaer who debuts on AD 93 following his outstanding 2019 "Laren" EP released in partnership with another Dutch producer Vand through Nuno Dos Santos' SOHASO imprint, and a beautiful contribution to Appian Sounds. His track poses subtle electronic flourishes with softly vibrated percussive textures that build and shift around the reflective groove.
Iron Curtis
Candi 101
Hudd Traxx Records
Iron Curtis is a prolific electronic producer synonymous with quality music and an extensive catalogue of releases, including three albums, one in collaboration with Johannes Albert released earlier this year, and over a dozen EPs. His latest record is a double EP "Total Art Of Living Part 1 & 2", which he released on the Manchester-based label Hudd Traxx. Across ten tracks, the mini-album navigates "straight-up house jams, hints of techno, nods to broken beat, references to Detroit and a few interludes for good measure."
Delayed enjoyed premiering the track "Candi 101" from the long player's first part. Read a full article by Zach Huenink.
Villete
Dawn Is Mine
Scissor and Thread
Amsterdam-based producer Villete marks a return to Scissors and Thread, a Brooklyn label run by Francis Harries, with a new EP. After her impressive 2016 debut on the label with a 12" 'Girl Next Door' EP, Villete returns to the imprint with seven tracks drawing inspirations from listening to Pauline Anna Strom, Takashi Kokubo, and Actress.
The title track "Dawn Is Mine" is a carefully woven net of ambient sounds and textures cloaked in a hazy atmosphere reminiscent of a lucid dream.
Konduku
Cipres
Mantis
Delsin Records' fledging Mantis series continues to spotlight the brightest talents with its third release from Konduku. Following his recent contribution to Valentino Mora's compilation "Transcendental Movements Vol. 1," the Berlin-based producer continues his futuristic sonic experimentation with a new record "Mantis 03." The release features three tracks that channel immersive polymorphic techno with ambient sketches and delicate patterns of slowly evolving bleeps.
The opening track, "Cipres" evokes the meditative dance-floor psychedelia through its soft pads, nuanced drum programming, and bleeps swirling in an idyl haze.
Will Oirson
New Dreams
On Board Music
Following up on their debut "The Meaning Of Life" compilation from June, Laura BCR's On-Board Music is back with the second installment exploring the fringes of ambient and techno with a twist. The seventeen-track diverse collection highlights an array of artistic work from procedures such as Machine, Estrato Aurora, Laura BCR, KMRU, CORE, Will Oirson, ABSIS, Nems-B, among others. On Board Music will donate half of the proceeds from the sales to Sea Watch, a German N.G.O. that rescues migrants in the Mediterranean, notably by commissioning rescue ships.
Hot on the heels of his "Inland / Tomorrow, or till the end of time" EP, which inaugurated his own The Something Something imprint, the Dutch producer Will Orison brings magnetism to On Board music with his stunning contribution "New Dreams."
Featuring reflective brushstrokes of sheer ambiance, lush harmonic waves, and widescreen sound design, "New Dreams" is a beautifully evocative, breakbeat-driven track made for sunrise pick time set moments.
Human Space Machine
DGTR8S
De Lichting
De Lichting collective unveiled a cohesive and skillfully assembled compilation, "Drie punt twee" showcasing the Dutch crew’s creative energy to bring forth an intricate and sophisticated sound. The four-track collection features unreleased materials from label stalwarts Human Space Machine, Nathan Kofi, Eversines, and Working Titles.
A beautifully expressive and elegant "DGTR8S" by the Dutch producer Human Space Machine made a warm tonal palette with hints of melancholia. The track gracefully balances between delicate and powerful, evoking sonic images of frozen landscapes and abandoned places.
Khotin
Ivory Tower
Ghostly International
Khotin is a project of the Edmonton producer Dylan Khotin-Foote, known for creating beautiful, dreamlike atmospherics and a colorful tapestry of sounds co-existing together somewhere as one.
After self-releasing his highly acclaimed 2018 "Beautiful You" LP, which received a 4.5 review in Resident Advisor and got attention from Ghostly International, who later pressed the cassette on vinyl for a broader audience in 2019, Khotin returns to the label with a new album. Dreamy and evocative, "Finds You Well" draws a listener into a hypnotizing, nostalgia-induced state of mind.
Taking influences and inspiration from Boards of Canada, Khotin ornates "Ivory Tower" with richly textured layers of sound, mesmerizing instrumentation, nostalgia-induced modulated synth melodies, adding further to the 90s downtempo ethos.