It seems like ages since we last made a Vervine mix show and this is largely down to having moved house. These shows are great fun to make, but we’ve seen why it would have been difficult to commit to a monthly show. So after a bit of a new year pause, here’s the next Vervine show, as usual, hosted by our label owner Harry Towell.
This third show features recent Whitelabrecs pieces from the likes of Guy Gelem, Peter Kvidera, Wodwo, Glåsbird, thisfloatingworld and a piece from Hoshiko Yamane’s forthcoming album. It also features jazz, shoegaze, folk, indie, chillout and ambient music and then this show is rounded off with a Deep House mix.
The cover artwork for this new show was created from a photo of a painting from Harry’s daughter Emily, who was learning one day last year about paint, colour and art, with the help of her Mummy. Harry was struck by its abstract shapes, colours and texture and knew he’d use it in a musical project sometime.
Already we’re planning the next show and we hope it won’t be too long a wait next time. But for now, here’s Vervine003:
Tracklist: 01 Masako Ohta/Matthias Lindermayr – La 02 Guy Gelem – Relocations 03 Joel Vandroogenbroeck – Mutation 04 Ballake Sissoko & Patrick Messina & Vincent Segal – Jeu Sur La Symphonie Fantastique 05 Tokyo Bloodworm – Pale The Clerics Pass 06 Wodwo – Veils 07 Peter Kvidera – Obsaženo 08 Afterlife – Dust 09 TLF Trio – Suite X 10 Hoshiko Yamane – Patiently 11 Harry Towell & Sven Laux – Ground Moraine 12 Tone – Dawn 13 Glåsbird – Tired Seams 14 Efterklang – The Living Layer 15 thisfloatingworld – airs 16 Alan Licht – Raw Deal 17 Telly Quin – My Funny Side Up 18 Pender Street Slippers – The Glass City 19 Jonas Palzer – Friendssection 20 Hamatsuki – Kandzaia 21 Izmo – Echoes 22 Jump Source – S Recovery 23 Nacho Riveros – Moment Of My Life 24 Yadava – Heart Strings 25 Edward White – Cool Water 26 Fantastic Man – St. Elmo’s Theme 27 Intr0beatz – Trees Breez 28 Tour-Maubourg – Might Groove 29 D’Arabia – Key Lime (Harry Wolfman Remix) 30 Zoo Look – I Can’t Deny
Here’s our first release of 2023 which is called ‘Petrologist’s Lens‘ by our label owner Harry Towellas Harry Towell & Friends. It was made in collaboration with 12 artists who have had 2 or more releases on Whitelabrecs over the years. This album is out today in two runs of 100 CDrs; a standard gold edition, and a special marble-effect version. Both packaging versions include a 16 page booklet in our gatefold vinyl-effect. If you follow us on Bandcamp (Click HERE) we’ll keep you updated when we have new releases.
press release “Whitelabrecs label owner Harry Towell is perhaps best renowned for his long-standing Spheruleus project, with a discography listing releases on Lost Tribe Sound, Home Normal, Time Released Sound, Hibernate and Eilean, as well as his collaborations alongside Sven Laux, Guy Gelem, Ekca Liena and more. Harry returns to his own label, following 2021’s ‘Canvas Homes + Supplémentaires’ and EPs ‘Absent Frames’ and ‘Inaugurate’, in this special collaborative album called ‘Petrologist’s Lens’.
January is a month we usually reserve for a compilation album, such as our Sleeplaboratory series. This year Harry decided to invite 12 artists who had contributed more than 2 releases on Whitelabrecs to submit a short sketch or sample, and then he developed these into the tracks that make up this album. As with some of his more recent work, this album is created under his own name, but with ‘& friends’ added to credit the label artists and good friends which he has worked alongside.
The title ‘Petrologist’s Lens’ nods to the concept of this body of work, which is rooted in the ancient geological history of the earth. Harry studied the land history of the areas where his collaborators reside, to help form a title for each piece. Tracks are named after particular fragments of rock or sediments, land regions or fossils for example, and the compositions were developed in a way which mimics the layering of these. The layers tell a story, giving clues of how they came to be. Sonically, filigree details and eroded tape textures ride waves of modern classical orchestration, ambient drones and electronics.
The packaging for this release features cover artwork by Soraya Kornblum, an art student in Adrian Lane’s class, submitted to Whitelabrecs as part of a school project. Each of the 200 editions include a 16 page booklet with words provided by Neil McRoberts, who transcribed his thoughts after listening to the music and reflecting on the concept. Physical copies are split into two runs; a standard gold disc version and a special marble print deluxe edition.“
credits
Written and produced by Harry Towell Additional production and inspiration provided by Adrian Lane, Andrew Heath, Blochemy, Edu Comelles, Glåsbird, Guy Gelem, James Edward Armstrong, Paweł Pruski, Phil Tomsett, Polaroid Notes, Simon McCorry, Sven Laux
Mastered by James Edward Armstrong Cover Art by Soraya Kornblum Booklet Notes by Neil McRoberts Art and Design by Andrew Heath
Our first release of 2023 is ‘Petrologist’s Lens‘ by our label owner Harry Towellas Harry Towell & Friends, in collaboration with 12 artists who have had 2 or more releases on Whitelabrecs over the years. This album will be available officially in two runs of 100 CDrs; a standard gold edition, and a special marble-effect version. Both packaging versions include a 16 page booklet in our gatefold vinyl-effectsleeves and will be out officially on Saturday the 14th of Januaryafter a pre-order on the 7th of January. If you follow us on Bandcamp (Click HERE) we’ll make sure you’re the first to hear.
press release “Whitelabrecs label owner Harry Towell is perhaps best renowned for his long-standing Spheruleus project, with a discography listing releases on Lost Tribe Sound, Home Normal, Time Released Sound, Hibernate and Eilean, as well as his collaborations alongside Sven Laux, Guy Gelem, Ekca Liena and more. Harry returns to his own label, following 2021’s ‘Canvas Homes + Supplémentaires’ and EPs ‘Absent Frames’ and ‘Inaugurate’, in this special collaborative album called ‘Petrologist’s Lens’.
January is a month we usually reserve for a compilation album, such as our Sleeplaboratory series. This year Harry decided to invite 12 artists who had contributed more than 2 releases on Whitelabrecs to submit a short sketch or sample, and then he developed these into the tracks that make up this album. As with some of his more recent work, this album is created under his own name, but with ‘& friends’ added to credit the label artists and good friends which he has worked alongside.
The title ‘Petrologist’s Lens’ nods to the concept of this body of work, which is rooted in the ancient geological history of the earth. Harry studied the land history of the areas where his collaborators reside, to help form a title for each piece. Tracks are named after particular fragments of rock or sediments, land regions or fossils for example, and the compositions were developed in a way which mimics the layering of these. The layers tell a story, giving clues of how they came to be. Sonically, filigree details and eroded tape textures ride waves of modern classical orchestration, ambient drones and electronics.
The packaging for this release features cover artwork by Soraya Kornblum, an art student in Adrian Lane’s class, submitted to Whitelabrecs as part of a school project. Each of the 200 editions include a 16 page booklet with words provided by Neil McRoberts, who transcribed his thoughts after listening to the music and reflecting on the concept. Physical copies are split into two runs; a standard gold disc version and a special marble print deluxe edition.“
credits
Written and produced by Harry Towell Additional production and inspiration provided by Adrian Lane, Andrew Heath, Blochemy, Edu Comelles, Glåsbird, Guy Gelem, James Edward Armstrong, Paweł Pruski, Phil Tomsett, Polaroid Notes, Simon McCorry, Sven Laux
Mastered by James Edward Armstrong Cover Art by Soraya Kornblum Booklet Notes by Neil McRoberts Art and Design by Andrew Heath
Our label owner Harry Towell has finalised his top 20 list of favourite albums of 2022, complete with a mix. See below a few words from Harry on his year in music, followed by the top 20, each with a link, a brief commentary and the artwork. You can check out the mix Harry created by clicking the picture above, which counts down with a track from each of his favourite albums. Alternatively, there’s a player below and you can click play whilst you read on…
“I feel like I’ve spent most of 2022 getting ready to move house, with our family having moved into our new home at last on the 9th of December. All year I had in mind that I wanted the cover image for this year’s end of year show to be a photo of somewhere in the new house and it was starting to seem like it might not happen, as we moved into December. Thankfully, the weekend after we’d moved I managed to take a moment to shoot a bird sat on top of our garage, on an icy -4 degree morning.
I changed jobs earlier this year and have spent much more time working from home, and therefore my appetite for music and of varying genres, has been in overdrive. I’ve felt like I’ve really pushed the boat out in listening through lots of genres this year, but when I look at my top 20 records whittled down from a list of 80, it’s mostly ambient, electro acoustic and modern classical music – which will no doubt please Whitelabrecs fans! There has been some jazz and more adventurous styles that have made the list though…
In terms of formats, I’ve mostly been scouring music on Spotify and Bandcamp, streaming over and over in the days whilst making a running list of my favourites. I use an app called ‘Paperless lists’ which allows me to adjust the albums that make the list into a running chart, which I was adjusting constantly. With the move, I’ll be able to play vinyl again on my Technics 1210s, but I also bought a cheap ‘run around’ in the form of a Crosley Voyager. So I’ve made it my mission to own as many of my top 20 albums on vinyl as possible; to date, I’m pretty much there with just a couple left to track down.
For my best-of list for 2022 then, I’ve followed the exact same format as last year, with a mix show counting down my top 20, which you can check out on my Spheruleus Mixcloud page. Last year I took the time to upload end of year mixes since 2010 and so I’ve kept the cover image format so that it matches these. We now have 13 years of mixes to listen back through; something very personal for me whenever I want to jump down a rabbit hole of nostalgia. But hopefully people who tune in will enjoy!
Then with this post, you can see my final list below; again, for simplicity I’ve kept last year’s format the same. I hope you enjoy the selections and as always, the links will transport you to a release page where you can explore more. If this list connects one person with an album they didn’t know about, and they decide to support the respective artist and label by purchasing, then it’s all been worth it!
1st: Michael Scott Dawson Music For Listening We Are Busy Bodies
“This year there’s been a clear winner for my album of the year ‘award’. I feel like I’ve played this one by Michael Scott Dawson pretty much every week, whether it be to help me drift off to sleep, to help my daughter to drift off to sleep, or to work to during the day. Not to mention my listens to the 12″ vinyl version on the turntable in the office. ‘Music For Listening’ came out in March this year on We Are Busy Bodies and initially I was struck by the design, with a thought provoking angled view through the window of a boat, or train on a bridge. Then the vinyl and its white disc grabbed my attention further and whilst a subtle listen to begin with, this record is one I’ve soaked myself into time and time again in 2022. It’s definitely going to be a record that instantly, when I hear it or see the sleeve, I’ll think back to this year. There’s so much detail in the field recordings and arrangement but also, it’s so simple and minimal at the same time.“
“I love retro-inspired, dusty funk records and was drawn to this one by its cover image, and the Brazilian influences referenced in the release notes. Hitting the play button, I was instantly sucked into the melting pot of cultures and styles across this record. It’s filled with sun-bleached tropical sounds, hints of bossa rhythymns, hazy electro-acoustic atmospherics, licks of funk, moments of folk song and the slightest hint of post rock. In the summer, this was my go-to album in daylight and I’ve fond memories sat in 25+ degree heat, absorbing the sunshine vibes of Hermit’s Grove.“
“Kranky output is always top quality and it’s a must-stop-by destination for any fan of ambient music. Certainly a regular haunt for me over the years and this year, I was really taken by ‘The Patience Fader’ by Pan American, which came out earlier in the year. I’ve had the vinyl copy on rotation in the office and these softly melancholy ambient guitar songs take me back to some of the early ambient guitar stuff I’d listen to when I first got into this scene.“
4th: Channelers Time, Space, and Thought Inner Islands
“Plenty of warmth in this one by Channelers and a generous body of work too, clocking in at around an hour. Sadly I’ve not got a cassette player that works properly, so I’ve had to settle for download / streaming this year but nevertheless, this record has lived up to its title, being played regularly throughout 2022. The album has a folk and americana feel but with some ambient and electro acoustic composition thrown in. It sounded particularly impressive in the warmer months and the record definitely soundtracked my summer.“
“I’ve always been into dusty lo-fi Hip-Hop and turntablism, and records with crafty sampling techniques. This one by Kolumbo was quite a discovery – initially I thought it would be a lo-fi or chillhop record, but I realise I was pretty wrong after a listen, as the madness unfolded. This one has strings, piano and beautiful arrangements, but also has a really imaginative aesthetic too, with dreamlike, retro-film composition. Very hard to explain, so instead, I recommend you take a listen for yourself!“
“I’ve been to Italy a few times and so the title and cover artwork drew me in to giving this one a spin. On inspection of the liner notes, I learned that Gianni Brezzo is in fact a Cologne, Germany based musician called Marvin Horsch. His work is inspired by 60s and 70s Italian composers, as well as annual visits to see his Grandmother in Sicily. The record is a low-slung form of Jazz, with swathes of strings, licks of sax and trumpet underpinned by double bass and slow grooves. The vinyl has an insert of images that really bring the concept to life.“
7th: Jeremiah Chiu & Marta Sofia Honer Recordings from the Åland Islands International Anthem
“Iwas really intrigued by this album, with its concept being a location-based visit to the Åland islands. When I read up on the islands, I was amazed that there are so many! Some 6500 in fact. Composers Jeremiah Chiu and Marta Sofia Honer visited the islands and captured field recordings and musical performances, in an aural study of the region and with the vinyl package, their booklet of liner notes really bring the trip to life. Musically, violin, piano and synth take center stage, alongside the field recordings and other incidental inclusions.”
“Again, as a theme this year, I was drawn in by the album cover of this album from Gerald Clayton and immediately, on listening, I was met with a feeling that this album would find its way into my end of year list. It’s got variety first and foremost, which always seems to help elevate an album for me and this is in part down to the two vocal tracks, sung by MARO and also, tracks with sax from Charles Lloyd. I’ve been a fan of jazz from a young age and there are many albums from the jazz greats. For me, this record will sit right up there, among the best of them – quite a statement, but it really is that good. Fittingly, it’s out on legendary jazz label Blue Note.“
“I discovered the Misha Panfilov Sound Combo a couple of years back and loved his Days As Echoes album. I was intrigued by this new one on 2 Headed Deer and it didn’t disappoint. Instantly I ordered the vinyl – this one’s a jazzy number with percussive rhythms, brass, piano, organ, synth and mellotron. It has a retro feel to it, with what is presumed to be tape effects, not to mention some field recordings along the way to give some further texture.“
“I check out a lot of Moderna releases, with their output always being of a high quality. The label offers modern classical music and I’ve often discovered new artists in their catalog. One such is Malcolm Parson, whose short album ‘Letters From Home’ came out in April this year. Piano and strings take center stage, in these nostalgic and melancholy arrangements. There is no clear concept to it, but with the old family photo and through a bit of reading, it’s apparent that Malcolm was looking to reconnect with his childhood in making this record.“
11th: Andrew Wasylyk Hearing The Water Before Seeing The Falls Clay Pipe
“In 2020 I loved Andrew Wasylyk’s ‘Fugitive Light and Themes of Consolation’ and have followed his work ever since. I was excited to see him dropping singles for his new album and instantly ordered the vinyl direct from Clay Pipe, as soon as it came out. It was only released in late November, so I’ve had very little time to listen to it – particularly the vinyl version. But by the time the record arrived, I’d already streamed the album over and over again several times, making my mind up that this one’s to be placed pretty high in my end of year list. Lots of deeply nostalgic, retro-infused instrumentals here – highly recommended.“
“This year I went mad again for House music, reigniting my dormant blog Wallofhouse, scouring the scene and making mixes and playlists. As the winter drew near, I soon began neglecting the blog again, focusing again on Ambient music. But throughout the year, whenever there is work to be done around the house, I’ll reach for – house. What I tend to find is that quality, conceptually-leaning albums in the house scene are lacking. So when a record like this one by Melchior Sultana arrives, lavishly packaged in a beautiful gatefold vinyl sleeve, I tend to get pretty excited. Due to vinyl pressing delays, I waited months for this to arrive but it was worth it. Lovely Deep House music here.“
13th: William Basinski & Janek Schaefer …On Reflection Temporary Residence
“Ambient legend William Basinski’s releases always tend to get gobbled up by fans and pretty much everything he does is a must have. I’ve always enjoyed the work of another legend, Janek Schaefer too and to see that these two collaborated in an album raised the intrigue. Sleepy piano loops play through over these reflective movements, full of field recordings and everyday happenstance. You guessed it – sounds amazing on vinyl too!“
14th: Landtitles As The Night Comes Softly Down Polar Seas
“I was fortunate this year to call Brad Deschamps’ Polar Seas label a home this year, for my deeply personal collaborative album with Guy Gelem. When I got my copies, Brad had included a copy of the other release which came out at the same time – a record by Landtitles. I don’t own a CD player in the house, so this kind gift hung around unplayed in the office for a while – until one day I took it into my car, and it’s not left the player since. Pretty much everywhere I drove, this was my soundtrack – a beautiful collection of warm, electro-acoustic pieces, with light and slightly glitchy electronics.“
“Here’s another fine example of Moderna quality, with ‘Formations’ by Julia Gjertsen coming out at the beginning of this year. Gjertsen is a pianist and composer, based in Oslo, Norway and this record is full to the brim of high fidelity modern classical orchestration, with piano and strings combining into a beautiful Ambient-leaning soundtrack. The record is a little light on a concept, at least based on what’s available to read on the Moderna release page. But the album name, artwork, track titles and compositions themselves do a good job of pulling you into an immersive world.“
16th: Erland Cooper Music For Growing Flowers Mercury KX
“I was getting regular notifications of new singles from Erland Cooper throughout the year, which culminated in this album, Music For Growing Flowers. This record compiles the tracks which soundtrack the Superbloom installation, in the moats of the Tower of London – where wild flowers were planted for a dramatic, and picturesque view, to celebrate the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. The quality of the music, the concept and as a tribute to the Queen, made this into a much-cherished album in my collection. Not to mention the packet of accompanying seeds which I had to buy, so that this story can live on in the garden at my new home.“
“Through my relentless search forvariousstyles of music, I’ve enjoyed a lot of Sweatson Klank’s stuff over the last couple of years. Typically his work tends to end up on my soul, jazz, funk, deep house or chill playlists and the odd DJ mix. But in this album, not only was I surprised to see a chicken on the front cover, I was surprised at how ‘ambient’ this one is, with exotic far-flung sounds serving as a travelogue from the artist, presented in a series of deep, droning moods. Unfortunately, this is one of the few albums from this year which I’ve been unable to hunt down on vinyl. Hopefully I can track down a copy sometime.“
“Sneaking into the list is this one by Flore Laurentienne, which came out in November on Rvng Int’l. Flore Laurentienne is a project helmed by Canadian composer Mathieu David Gagnon and this second volume follows the critically acclaimed first, which was released in 2019. I’m new to both, and the album artwork and white vinyl alone was enough to get pretty excited about. The retro approach to production, combining orchestral strings and synth textures cemented my need to own this one on vinyl and I’ve been enjoying this one on heavy rotation.“
“Another late, last minute entry to this list is from Snowdrops, with their album ‘Missing Islands’ having only just dropped in November. It is a luxurious arrangement of modern compositions, combining the talents of Christine Ott with Mathieu Gabry. After hearing the singles prior to release, I’ve been eagerly awaiting the release of this album and currently, have had to settle for a digital version for the time being after being unsure of which address I’ll be at. But I’ll be sure to put the order in soon, as this is a must have for the collection.“
“I’ve followed Andrew Tasselmyer’s music, ever since I discovered his work as Gray Acres, in which he records alongside his brother, in an album released here on Whitelabrecs a few years back. I also keep a close eye on the always-high-quality output on Laaps Recordings. Limits is a beautifully minimal album, both in artwork and sound, with the snowy cover matching well with the scratchy, blurred edges of ambient drones.”
We were very encouraged to see the number of people tuning into the first Vervine show, which we launched last month as an occasional radio show series, presented by our label owner Harry Towell. These shows will cover the full extent of his wide reaching musical taste. Harry’s been spurred on by the positive feedback and has recorded another show, complete with voiceovers between each selection.
This second show picks up where the first left off, with styles covered including Ambient, Electro Acoustic, Jazz, Modern Classical, World and Downtempo electronica. Again, the styles switch about in no clear order, but hopefully the flow nicely together as a show for you to sink into. Harry’s included some Whitelabrecs releases in the tracklist, with premieres of music from Darkroom, Hoshiko Yamane, a wave, a mouth as well as something new from Towell himself, alongside Pruski. The latter is a 12 track collaborative album we have lined up for a January release. Elsewhere, recent discoveries are placed alongside older pieces and classics, and we hope you’ll discover something new. Click the picture above or the player below:
Tracklist: 01 Tapes and Topographies – Penn Tir 02 Darkroom – Water like mbira 03 Andy Aquarius – Chapel 04 Sofie Birch & Antonina Nowacka – Sudany 05 Anna Butterss – Blevins 06 Kokoroko – We Give Thanks 07 Carlos Niño & Friends – Actually (feat Deantoni Parks/Jamael Dean/Nate Mercereau) 08 Bosq – Paciencia De Jo (feat Tita Lima) 09 OHMA – A Portal To All That Is 10 Snowflake Memory – Railroad Dreamer 11 Noori & His Dorpa Band – Jabana 12 Harry Towell & Pruski – Lacustyna 13 George Riley – Cleanse Me 14 Hoshiko Yamane – Prayer 15 Chip Wickham – Winter 16 Daniel Villarreal – Cali Colours 17 Mejiwahn – Spring (feat. Juuwah & Daniel Bitrán) 18 Pharoah Sanders & Boozoo Bajou – Astral Traveling (Boozoo Bajou Remix) 19 Free the Robots – Far Away (feat. Chhom Nimol) 20 The Cinematic Orchestra – In To You 21 Bentley & Horatio Luna – Bingo Bongo 22 Gianni Brezzo – Rising Of My Mind 23 Elaine Howley – To The Test 24 Clear Path Ensemble – Interlock 25 The Theory Behind – Source 26 Yarni – Trinacria 27 a wave, a mouth – Shake Me Gently Call Me Names 28 Part Timer – Freeway 29 Matthew Halsall – Mindfulness Meditations
Today we’ve launched a new mix series called ‘Vervine’. This will be presented by our label owner Harry Towell, and will cover the full extent of his wide ranging music taste. We can’t say how frequently we’ll make these shows but we’re hoping they’ll appear regularly enough and include one or two interesting features such as themes, vinyl-only shows and guest mixes. Hopefully, the voice-overs should hopefully grow in confidence the more of these we do!
This first show features a range of musical styles including Ambient, Electro Acoustic, Funk, Jazz, Modern Classical, World. The tracks are not arranged in a particular order, so it should feel pretty varied throughout and within the tracklist there are a few recent Whitelabrecs releases from the likes of Sven Laux, Adrian Lane, Fred Baty and John Reidar Holmes. Not to mention the opening track which is a premiere of our next release on the 19th of November, which is by Tapes and Topographies! Click the picture above or the player below:
Our artist albums for 2022 are underway as of the 12th of February, with two new editions. But first, they’ll both be up for pre-order this coming Bandcamp Friday, the 4th of February. The first of these two new albums is a collaboration between two north-Italians, Grotta Veterano and Francis Gri. It’s free from a clear concept and instead concentrates on the minimal, sensitively electro-acoustic developed sounds that the pair arrived at.
‘Soolo‘ will be available in one of our typically low runs of 100 gatefold vinyl-effect CDrs, complete with photography by Harry Towell.
It will be released officially on Saturday the 12th of February. If you join our mailing listusing the link below, we’ll make sure you’re the first to hear.
press release “Soolo is a collaboration between Grotta Veterano and Francis Gri, who are both artists residing in Northern Italy. Between these artists, their solo work has appeared on the likes of Slowcraft, Fluid Audio, Shimmering Moods, Time Released Sound, Fluid Audio, Elm and Dewtone. Not to mention appearances on Francis’ own Krysalisound label, and some of our early followers may recall Francis’ album ‘Apart’ which we released back in 2018.
The Grotta Veterano project has been active for just a couple of years, working creatively within a limited space, to apply recorded instruments, effects and field recordings through digital processing. Francis Gri has been active under his own name since 2011, exploring his improvised style, typically using guitar or piano as the focal point. This collaboration began as a collection of small sketches by Grotta Veterano, built around substantially long and controlled improvisations, using a piano. The same first melodic and rhythmic line of the piano was twisted out of phase and subsequently superimposed onto the original one, allowing chords, melodies and timbres to be created. Sensing that the work was not yet complete, he invited Francis to develop the work, knowing that he would add just the right amount of magic, to develop the work into soundscapes. Francis added guitar and electric piano as his chosen instruments to embellish these sounds but he allowed the sparse, cascading minimalism between the notes to breathe. You can hear all kinds of details in between the keys, as field recordings, fading notes, light noise and blurred electronics interact with the compositions.
The final collection, Soolo is free from a clear concept as the artists decided to focus less on themes to work to, for fear of falling into a cliché all too common within the ambient genre. Instead, the collaboration and sounds itself becomes its own path, as the artists worked remotely, with little communication. The music became a form of communication in its own right, as each artist reacted to what they heard as sonic interpretations developed. The cover photography provides a feint visual backdrop to accompany the music, with the misty landscape giving an ambiguous stimuli for the listener, as they decode this body of spacious sound.“
credits Written and produced by Grotta Veterano and Francis Gri Mastered by James Edward Armstrong Photography by Harry Towell Art and design by Andrew Heath
Released today is a various artists compilation album called sleeplaboratory3.0. This is the third in the series, after a two year break and the concept for these albums is for the curated artists to produce their interpretation of sleep music. The result is CDr packed full of tracks designed to help induce the listener to sleep and this edition features work by the likes of Federico Mosconi, The Lifted Index, Stijn Hüwels, Tapes and Topographies, Andrew Heathand Ian Hawgood, who also mastered the album.
sleeplaboratory3.0is out now in a run of 100 copies! The best way to keep informed about our low-run releases, is to join ourmailing list, and we’ll make sure you’re the first to hear!
press release “Sleeplaboratory3.0 is the third edition of Whitelabrecs’ long-standing concept compilation, a series that aims to induce the listener into a peaceful sleep. The series began in 2019 to mark the 50th release in the label’s catalog and was followed up with a second edition in 2020. It has seen contributions from the likes of Offthesky, Janek Schaefer, M.grig, The Green Kingdom, Warmth and Halftribe as well as artists from the label, including Mikael Lind, Gray Acres, Sven Laux, Glåsbird and Valotihkuu.
Sleeplaboratory compilations are typically released in January and after a two year break, 3.0 continues the themes established in the previous two records. Each artist in the line-up takes the brief of creating ‘sleep music’ and paints the sonic field with their own ideas. Some artists develop restful electro-acoustic compositions, whilst others sketch out soothing drones or vacant ambient textures. With a varied spectrum of warmth and cold, light and floaty, weighted and deep, this new collection features label-regulars such as Andrew Heath, blochemy and Pruski alongside the likes of Ian Hawgood, The Lifted Index, Federico Mosconi and Stijn Huwels. The track titles tend to tie back to the central album theme with words synonymous with rest, phases of sleep or calm places. This album can be experienced in many ways, such as at low volume with headphones, or streamed through hi-fi in a dimly lit room, consciously, or subconsciously.“
credits All rights reserved with the artists Mastered by Ian Hawgood Curated by Harry Towell Art and design by Tom Tebby
We kick off what is sure to be another exciting year of releases, with the long-awaited return of our Sleeplaboratory compilation series. We’ve had a two year break since the last edition, and we welcome 3.0 to the series, and a line-up including label artists such as Andrew Heath, Tapes and Topographies, Lauge and Simon McCorry as well as artists that are new to the label, such as Ian Hawgood, The Lifted Index, Federico Mosconiand Stijn Hüwels. This compilation album will be available for pre-order on Friday the 7th of January and if the previous two releases are anything to go by, this will be quick to sell-out.
‘sleeplaboratory3.0‘ will be available in one of our typically low runs of 100 gatefold vinyl-effect CDrs, complete with art and design by Tom Tebby.
It will be released officially on Saturday the 15th of January. If you join our mailing listusing the link below, we’ll make sure you’re the first to hear.
press release “Sleeplaboratory3.0 is the third edition of Whitelabrecs’ long-standing concept compilation, a series that aims to induce the listener into a peaceful sleep. The series began in 2019 to mark the 50th release in the label’s catalog and was followed up with a second edition in 2020. It has seen contributions from the likes of Offthesky, Janek Schaefer, M.grig, The Green Kingdom, Warmth and Halftribe as well as artists from the label, including Mikael Lind, Gray Acres, Sven Laux, Glåsbird and Valotihkuu.
Sleeplaboratory compilations are typically released in January and after a two year break, 3.0 continues the themes established in the previous two records. Each artist in the line-up takes the brief of creating ‘sleep music’ and paints the sonic field with their own ideas. Some artists develop restful electro-acoustic compositions, whilst others sketch out soothing drones or vacant ambient textures. With a varied spectrum of warmth and cold, light and floaty, weighted and deep, this new collection features label-regulars such as Andrew Heath, blochemy and Pruski alongside the likes of Ian Hawgood, The Lifted Index, Federico Mosconi and Stijn Huwels. The track titles tend to tie back to the central album theme with words synonymous with rest, phases of sleep or calm places. This album can be experienced in many ways, such as at low volume with headphones, or streamed through hi-fi in a dimly lit room, consciously, or subconsciously.“
credits All rights reserved with the artists Mastered by Ian Hawgood Curated by Harry Towell Art and design by Tom Tebby
Our label owner Harry Towell has finalised his top 20 list of favourite albums of 2021, complete with a mix. See below a few words from Harry on his year in music, followed by the top 20, each with a link, a brief commentary and artwork. You can check out the mix Harry created by clicking the picture above, which counts down with a track from each of his favourite albums. Alternatively, there’s a player below and you can click play whilst you read on…
“2021 has been a year of forging onwards, back ‘to normal’ after the pandemic, returns to work, business as usual etc. However, it doesn’t feel completely the same, with climate change, destruction, scandal, social and political unrest all around us and the constant shadow of a pandemic that’s still very much here to stay. That’s before we even talk about Brexit, in particular the challenges it has brought to running the label. All that sounds pretty negative, but the year for me has been positive on so many fronts and all the while, the year has been soundtracked by some fantastic music the whole year through.
I think this year, I may well have explored more music than ever before, with a mixture of homeworking, commuting and leisure-time listening which covered a wide range of genres. I focused on a few scenes in particular; in the summer I went mad on Deep House music again, as I launched my Wallofhouse blog. Then I’ve been fascinated by Modern Classical music and the volume of sheer quality that is emerging from this scene. And Ambient, drone, electro acoustic styles, being the focus of Whitelabrecs, also dominated my listening.
This year my wife and I welcomed our second daughter Emily, into the family and so we’ve turned the music studio into a little bedroom for her. My physical music collection is in storage for now and so my listening has been much more digital than ever before. I know there’s a lack of a fair deal for musicians with Spotify in particular, but it has enabled me to cast the net much wider as I search for albums to indulge in. I still can’t help but feel that ‘liking’ an album on Spotify so I can scroll through some menus and stream it again on demand, is more than a little soul-less. But for the time being, it has suited our circumstances and I have committed to buying physical versions of the music I feel will stay with me forever. I.e, albums that make my best of list!
Onto my best of lists, and Bandcamp followers or my Spheruleus Mixcloud followers will have seen my historic best-of list mix shows being uploaded. This summer I added an iPod playlist of all the mixes I’ve made each year and I was bowled over by the nostalgia each one brought to me. Listening to the music literally transported me back in time, so I decided to get them all uploaded to Mixcloud, add them to a playlist and I’ll maintain this going forward. As of today, we have 12 years of listening to tons of records, whittling them down to a list, and recording a show to listen back to.
Below is my final list then – my favourite 20 albums of the year each with a few thoughts and a link where you can find out more about an album for yourself. Then there’s mix show featuring a track from each album, which I’ve made as a countdown with the help of my wife Beth who recorded the numbers a few years back. The cover artwork this year was taken on our holiday in Tenby, Wales, our first as a family of four. We love Tenby, a family-favourite holiday destination and it was particularly beautiful on the morning I took the photo. I woke up to the sound of the sea, which was less than 100 meters away from our apartment. I looked out of the window and saw the sun rising impressively over the sea and had to take a walk along the promenade to take photos. Of course, with the sepia polaroid effect I’ve added, you can’t see the sun…
1st: Origamibiro Miscellany Denovali
“Towards the second half of a year it’s not unusual for me to put out a social media message, asking people to recommend albums for me to check out, as I begin to refine my end of year list. I did so this year and Brian from Stationary Travels recommended Miscellany, by Origamibiro. I’m familiar with the artist’s work from several years ago and within very little time, this moved its way to the very top of my list. And stayed there. It’s experimental, playful, good fun and full of ideas, moments of satisfying calm, moments of decaying, clanking rhythms.“
“Over the last ten years, there’s been a real wealth of quality modern classical music and talented composers are springing up each year. Some countries have a knack for producing a greater percentage of these and Iceland is at the top of the list. The latest name to appear is Eydís Evensen and it’s been on heavy rotation this year, and a record that I can easily listen through from start to finish. The thing I’m finding with modern classical these days, is that there’s so much of it, that the works managing to really stand out need that added magic. Bylur is one such example; there are rich strings against which the piano is more sparse, and then more piano-led pieces. Overall, the mood really is magical and this is at its peak in the vocal track ‘Midnight Moon’.“
“Argentinian cellist Sebastian Plano is an artist I’ve been following since enjoying his album Impetus as well as his collaboration with Ben Lukas Boysen, both of which I own on vinyl. I jumped on this record as soon as I became aware that it was out and it’s right up there with the best, this year. I can’t really call it between the top three of this chart, and this could/should be higher given that it soundtracked some dramatic walks along the high promenade of the Tenby cost, as I walked to fetch breakfast on our holiday in September. Plano may be a cellist, but I have always seen him as an all-round composer; this one’s beautiful, rich, melancholy and imaginative.“
4th: Addex Eko Limitation Music
“In the warm summer of 2020 I made a dub techno mix and discovered how beautiful this genre of music sounded in the sun. This year I set up a blog called Wallofhouse and spent a few months scouring for House music in all its guises. Yet my best (very loosely linked) ‘House’ discovery of the year is this dub techno/ambient record by Addex. ‘Eko’ is a spacious hour and a half of blissed-out, poolside chill and I found myself reaching for this record over and over this summer. The album also sounds great when the sun is well and truly down, late at night, with its minimal techno micro beats and lush, infinitely cascading pads.“
“In 2019 i became aware of Mikael Lind’s work through his album for Archives and I’ve since been lucky to welcome him to Whitelabrecs with his album Give Shape To Space, followed by an EP with S.hel. His album this year for Dronarivm hasn’t left my car CD player and the packaging from this top label makes Geographies an all round spectacle I’m only to glad to appreciate time and time again, on my long commutes.“
6th: Andrew Tuttle and Padang Food Tigers A Cassowary Apart Bedroom Suck
“I’ve followed Padang Food Tigers for many years now, since their EP ‘Born Music’ on Under The Spire. I am less familiar of Andrew Tuttle’s work, although I was aware of him as an artist – I’d just not explored his work before now. In this record, Padang Food Tigers’ signature folk sound combines into beautifully warm electro-acoustic drones; a record that I’ve had towards the top of my list all year.“
“A record I returned to throughout autumn this year is Parisian cellist Gaspar Claus’ debut album Tancade. When you think of grand, stirring modern classical music, you think of the cello. Its deep, rich texture and bass tones are so satisfying and powerful. But it can also sound excellent when the limits of conventional playing are stretched. Here, Claus uses bowed strings alongside plucked and rhythmic patterns and I’m led to believe the entire compositions are made purely from the cello. This is quite incredible given the detail and fully orchestrated pieces of music on offer.“
“LA based Brazilian Fabiano do Nascimento was a discovery I made last year and his last album Preludio made my chart, after sound-tracking walks in a sunny pandemic-stricken UK. I was eager to check out his new album ‘Ykytu’ and this one is somehow even better than last year.“
“I’ve been following Valgeir Sigurðsson’s music and Bedroom Community label for many years now and was excited to learn of his film score release KVIKA, used in the film MALÁ RÍŠA which features various musicians including violinist Daniel Pioro. The album’s title is the Icelandic word for magma, which is fitting given the eruption at Fagradalsfjall which began in March, when this record was released. This record is sprawling with a wealth of orchestral timbres, through the multiple musicians that performed in the score but there are also plenty of electronics and effects that underly the mix, which help make this a fascinating listen all the way through its 21 tracks.“
“Seil Records have been storming it this year and I could have had a few inclusions from their catalog this year, that didn’t quite make the list in the end, notably albums by Jogging House and Thme. But the stand-out for me and my favourite electronic ambient album is Sanctuary by The Lifted Index. I’ve been working with artist Tom Tebby this year and he recommend I check out The Lifted Index, and this one really stood out. There’s no clear concept, it’s just seriously good ambient/post rock, created with synths, guitars and pedals.“
“I’ve enjoyed Balmorhea’s work for many years and ‘The Wind’ was eagerly anticipated, and did not disappoint. Contemporary classical music befitting of Deutsche Grammophon but some folk moments and guest musicians, including Clarice Jensen, give this record a variation that makes it easy for me to enjoy in one sitting. The artwork is minimal, classic and striking and a loose theme around the natural world provides food for thought as you listen.“
“The high bar that is classical music is something I’ve already touched on and this is another example, of yet another talented composer, Mantova, Italy’s Olivia Belli. She says that dawn is her favourite time to compose and intended for this album ‘Sol Novo’ meaning new sun, to be filled with light. A further example of an artist inspired by the world around them and the result, is some exquisite modern classical music, centered around the piano, joined with gently stirring strings.“
“There were some excellent guitar-driven records this year, that nodded back to post-rock from the early to mid 2000s in particular. I discovered this one by Schreel Van De Velde in the summer and whilst in reminded me of Tape with its use of guitar instrumentals, it has a sound of its own. Schreel Van De Velde is a Belgian duo combining the surnames of Lucas Schreel, who creates the melody in this project and Casper Van De Velde, who provides percussion.“
“I’ve been in touch with Andrew now for over a year, working with him for his release for Whitelabrecs, a collaboration with Anne Chris Bakker as well as having him help with our label’s design work. We have more planned from Andrew in 2022 but also this year, he had been sending me his other releases. All are unmistakably excellent but New Eden stands out as the big one for me. I’ve listened to this over and over towards the end of 2021, a truly complete listen, urging the listener to search for a purer, more natural world; a better place. It works well as a sleep album but also, there is so much detail in the drones, electric piano and superb field recordings, that you can turn this up to a reasonable volume and allow your ears to explore.“
“Last year I listened to a lot of Jazz music and this year, less so. I think it may be due to listening to Jazz FM less and also, I didn’t go out searching for as much in the genre. However, I did stumble across this debut album by 17 year old Danish musician and composer, Teis Ortved. He comes from a musical family so you can expect a degree of competency in his approach to his first album. But listening to this album, I have been repeatedly bowled over at the talent oozing from the production of every beat, every synth and every sound. It’s such an accomplished first step into releasing an album that I’m excited to track Teis’ future career.“
“I have been following American composer Philip G Anderson’s career for a couple of years now and instantly jumped on his self-released album Figment, when it came out in June. His album ‘Wilderness’ was a firm favourite Modern Classical discovery last year and I’m sure it would have made my 2019 chart had I discovered it at the time. Figment does not have a clearly stated concept other than a single line talking about it being a personal reflection of struggle, growth and evolution. The album artwork shows the composer casting a downward glance, but these grand, technically brilliant, sonically fascinating compositions show that any struggle is paying off, if it relates to his musical career. His work is exceptional and I’m sure he’ll go far.“
“Many years back during my early ‘ambient years’, when I’d first got into 12k, Seaworthy was one artist in particular that really got into a more acoustic version of ambient music. 1897 was out of this world for me back then and shortly after, Cameron Webb did a collab with Matt Rösner called ‘Two Lakes’, another exceptional piece of music on 12k. Several years on, the duo made a follow-up which I instantly took to exploring. Exotic field recordings, plaintive guitar and acoustic drones make for a truly compelling listen. And as always, beautiful artwork too from 12k.”
18th: Oliver Patrice Weder The Pool Project SA Recordings
“I’m a follower of Spitfire Audio, a quality company offering sample libraries for musicians and composers. I watch a lot of their videos and one of the video presenters is Oliver Patrice Weder, who unveiled the immersive Pool Project, in which an album was recorded inside an indoor swimming pool, at a beautiful location. Guests were involved in the process and Weder pulled everything together into this fantastic ambient/cinematic album, full of warmth and an airiness. Not to mention an accompanying and affordable sample pack available through Spitfire.“
19th: Miguel Angel Tolosa Nostalgia (Circa 1987) LINE
“Another discovery on the advice of a friend; James Armstrong dropped me a note to let me know I might want to check out this record. He knows I’m a fan of vinyl-crackle and ‘vintaged’ sound aesthetics and he was right on the money. I’ve had these snoozy, antiquated piano and orchestral loops on a lot this year – an exquisite record on Richard Chartier’s LINE imprint.“
20th: Prequel Love Or (I Heard You Like Heartbreak) Rhythm Section
“I went mad on House music again this year after setting up a new blog, Wallofhouse. Posts have been sparse in the last 6 months but during the summer, I was scouring new releases daily. What I’ve found over the years is that in the House music genre, albums are often geared towards retrospectives, or a collection of dancefloor tracks. The best albums contain a concept and here with this one by Prequel, it joins an impressive Rhythm Section catalog and already stands out. It’s a record I can listen to from start to finish; lots of deep loops, dusty samples and percussive breaks.”
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