Tag: Home Diaries

End of 2020 Sale – 30% Off

On Friday for Bandcamp day, we announced our winter sale for the month of December and into January before we begin our schedule for 2021. This year’s sale double’s the amount off from last year; a massive 30%!

The reason we’ve gone over the top this year is by way of thanks for all the support we received to keep us going in a tough year, but also, because our storage cupboard is overflowing with unloved CDs!

So until midnight on the 14th of January 2021, you can enjoy an extra 30% off all of our catalog, both physical and digital.

Simply enter the following code into the discount box provided when you check out to access the 30% reduction on all items:

CODE: extra30
LINK: https://whitelabrecs.bandcamp.com/merch

If you’re new to the label and not sure where to begin, please see a few select items from our 2020 catalog that are low on stock. These might be a good place to start if you want to check out our catalog – simply take a look below and hit ‘play’ on the embedded mini players. You can then click the player or image to be transported to the release page.

Various Artists “Home Diaries”
April-June| Digital Only

A feature to pretty much everyone’s 2020 has been the outbreak of Covid-19, it goes without saying. In March we had to stop all of our planned CDr releases, due to the closure of our local post-office. With nothing to release and bills to pay, we launched the Home Diaries series, in which 30 artists contributed an EP or album which we sold digitally. Each record in the series featured a recurring image of a lonely house in a field, with varying colour filters and there’s a bonus PDF interview with the artist included with each one.
This details what the artist’s situation was during lockdown or social distancing conditions, as well as their plans and what equipment they used to create their work.

You can check out a landing page below, which summarises each release in this series. We’ll be releasing a double compilation album in January next year, featuring a track from each album, so watch this space!

https://mailchi.mp/971a27fff884/homediaries

Glåsbird “Novaya Zemlya”
September | 15 copies left

Now having landed at 4 different geographical locations, Glåsbird’s most recent edition to this series is a trip to the isolated and sparsely populated island Novaya Zemlya. This destination is two islands split in two by the Matochkin Strait. The northern island is pretty much all glacier whereas the southern island is currently inhabited by just over 2000 people and was also the site of the largest ever nuclear bomb test, the Tsar Bomba. Glåsbird uses icy static, strings and hints of brass to weave some of their most dramatic compositions yet.

thme “that’s what it will be like”
September | 30 copies left

Something which may have escaped the radar, this tonal, textured Ambient record by Parisian artist thme has been enjoyed by those who have checked it out with some nice feedback being received. Field recordings, samples and damaged piano keys drape over this idyllic but surreal soundtrack, with collage artwork provided by artist Arctic Sun.

Polaroid Notes “Ghost Sounds”
November | 10 copies left

These have literally been flying out the door since we released this latest album by Polaroid Notes last month. Although not intended to necessarily be festive, this record feels apt for this kind of year as we’re in winter holiday season, or at least over here in Europe anyway. Polaroid Notes used piano and synth to create deep and cinematic soundscapes, with some spooky undertones. The cover artwork is particularly striking we think, with the artist providing photography from the Black Mountain region of Southern Germany across the four panels of this package.

Mikael Lind “Give Shape To Space”
July | 10 copies left

We were thrilled to be working on the release of this album by Iceland’s Mikael Lind, an artist whose work featured right at the top of our favourite albums of 2019. Unfortunately we had to delay the release of ‘Give Shape To Space’ and we’re thankful Mikael stayed patient with us. This record features a generous selection of strings, synth and textural sounds along with artwork by his partner, Sigga Björg

Jens Pauly “Below”
June| 21 Copies Remaining

In June, we were delighted to get going again with our CDr releases. First on the list was the return of Jens Pauly, who had contributed ‘Vihne’ to our catalog last year. As with his last release, Jens completed the full packaging creation himself and put together a combination of black and white photography with sleek, minimal design. The music is a further selection of electro-acoustic manipulations, carefully blended with filigree detail.

Home Diaries 030: Luis Miehlich

We’ve taken a pause from our schedule of CD albums due to our local post office closing, following the outbreak of Covid19. We launched a digital series called Home Diaries, in which we’ll release EPs and albums by an international line-up of artists, with the music created during lockdown and social distancing conditions.

The series reflects a range of sounds, styles and ideas, as each artist portrays their own reflections uniquely. Each release is digital only for now, as we hope to raise what we can to help keep our label ticking over at this time. The releases feature a recurring polaroid image of a small lonely house, with a coloured filter chosen by the artist for each respective release.

In final Home Diaries release, we welcome back Luis Miehlich, who provided last year’s ‘Timecuts‘. Heidelberg, Germany based Luis has also had a release back in 2018 with Archives and we’re excited to present this almost hour-long suite of piano improvisations. Luis found that the repetition of days indoors made time go quickly in lockdown, so he used this as inspiration to try to revers this, by making an album centralised on his piano, with only the slightest of subtle electronic techniques

Each Home Diaries release will include bonus PDF liner notes, which has an interview with the artist on how they made the album, what their situation is like, what they have planned, their influences and what equipment/techniques they used.  There are also additional photos provided by the artist as part of the PDF too. Click on the link below to check it out:

-LABEL LINK-
https://whitelabrecs.bandcamp.com/album/home-diaries-030

-ARTIST LINK-
https://woolookologie.bandcamp.com/album/home-diaries-030

press release
“Home Diaries is an invitation to artists and musicians to create an album or EP to document their personal experience during the lockdown or social distancing conditions that are upon us, due to the coronavirus outbreak. The series reflects a range of sounds, styles and ideas, as each artist portrays their own reflections uniquely. Each release is digital only for now, as we hope to raise what we can to help keep our label ticking over at this time. The releases feature a recurring polaroid image of a small lonely house, with a coloured filter chosen by the artist for each respective release. We interview each artist and this is included as a bonus PDF with the download. You can also check out the Home Diaries series on Spotify if you prefer, which will be available to stream in due course.

Our final Home Diaries sees the return of Luis Miehlich whose album Timecuts was released by us last year. Luis has also been active with self-released works as well as the beautiful ‘Silences’ on Archives in 2018. He is a music student and pianist and the pandemic resulted in the cancellation of a performance he’d written music for. Whilst the lockdown in Heidelberg, Germany was less stringent than many other countries, Luis spent his time at home and the endless repetition of days gave him a sense of time running away at pace.

Luis’ Home Diaries is an expansive, almost hour-long collection of piano improvisations, which he created to counter his perception of time, to slow the world down. He used subtle delay effects to force him to have an awareness of the past and future as he played. The gentlest of electronics and guitar is used to accompany the piano at times and the result is something we feel is the perfect way to end the journey that has been this Home Diaries series.”

credits
Written and produced by Luis Miehlich
Mastered by James Edward Armstrong
Artwork by Harry Towell

Home Diaries 029: Darkroom

We’ve taken a pause from our schedule of CD albums due to our local post office closing, following the outbreak of Covid19. We launched a digital series called Home Diaries, in which we’ll release EPs and albums by an international line-up of artists, with the music created during lockdown and social distancing conditions.

The series reflects a range of sounds, styles and ideas, as each artist portrays their own reflections uniquely. Each release is digital only for now, as we hope to raise what we can to help keep our label ticking over at this time. The releases feature a recurring polaroid image of a small lonely house, with a coloured filter chosen by the artist for each respective release.

In this next Home Diaries release, we welcome UK artists Darkroom, who have been active since the 1990s. Darkroom consists of Andrew Ostler and Michael Bearpark and we have an album due on CD later this year. This Home Diaries was originally two live performances by Andrew, in which Michael was unable to join physically. So he used a cassette with Mike’s previously recorded guitar composition as part of the sessions, so that Mike could still have a presence as a key part of the performance. The resulting two tracks ebb and flow with detail, retaining a live feel yet adopting the quality of presentation you’d expect to come from a studio.

Each Home Diaries release will include bonus PDF liner notes, which has an interview with the artist on how they made the album, what their situation is like, what they have planned, their influences and what equipment/techniques they used.  There are also additional photos provided by the artist as part of the PDF too. Click on the link below to check it out:

-LABEL LINK-
https://whitelabrecs.bandcamp.com/album/home-diaries-029

-ARTIST LINK-
https://darkroomtheband.bandcamp.com/album/home-diaries-029

press release
“Home Diaries is an invitation to artists and musicians to create an album or EP to document their personal experience during the lockdown or social distancing conditions that are upon us, due to the coronavirus outbreak. The series reflects a range of sounds, styles and ideas, as each artist portrays their own reflections uniquely. Each release is digital only for now, as we hope to raise what we can to help keep our label ticking over at this time. The releases feature a recurring polaroid image of a small lonely house, with a coloured filter chosen by the artist for each respective release. We interview each artist and this is included as a bonus PDF with the download. You can also check out the Home Diaries series on Spotify if you prefer, which will be available to stream in due course.

Our penultimate Home Diaries edition is the first and only collaboration as part of the series. UK duo Darkroom – Andrew Ostler and Michael Bearpark – have been active since the late 1990s with releases on Burning Shed and more recently via their Bandcamp site. They are renowned for their extended live performances: rarer following Andrew’s move to Scotland; now even more challenging with the pandemic and resulting lockdown.

Seeking and finding positives through the ‘new normal’, Andrew has been performing as part of streaming event series. Mike was present on these occasions from a distance via guitar recordings transferred to cassette: one from their Edinburgh performance towards the end of 2019, and another, inspired by Scotland, that seeded the recording of their full Whitelabrecs album planned for November 2020. The pieces evolve through multiple shades of colour and dynamics, retaining an open live feel; ‘Arrokoth’ and ‘The Uncut Stones of Night’ are very much of their time, yet combine to make a timeless album experience, with a total running time of 40 minutes.”

credits
Arrokoth

Original recording for Fuzz Bat Live Stream – 31st March 2020
Guitar: recorded at The Darkroom, 2nd February 2019

The Uncut Stones Of Night

Original recording for More Kicks Than Friends – 29th April 2020
Guitar: recorded at Henry’s Cellar Bar, Edinburgh, 13th November 2019

Recorded by Andrew Ostler
Edited, mixed, and produced by Darkroom
Mastered by James Edward Armstrong

Andrew Ostler – bass clarinet, modular synth, laptop
Michael Bearpark – guitar, field recordings

Special thanks: Stuart Fraser (Fuzz Bat), Ned Rush (More Kicks), Elif Yalvaç, New Horizons, Roy Fuller. Go well, LB

Home Diaries 028: Ben McElroy

We’ve taken a pause from our schedule of CD albums due to our local post office closing, following the outbreak of Covid19. We launched a digital series called Home Diaries, in which we’ll release EPs and albums by an international line-up of artists, with the music created during lockdown and social distancing conditions.

The series reflects a range of sounds, styles and ideas, as each artist portrays their own reflections uniquely. Each release is digital only for now, as we hope to raise what we can to help keep our label ticking over at this time. The releases feature a recurring polaroid image of a small lonely house, with a coloured filter chosen by the artist for each respective release.

In this next Home Diaries release, we welcome back Ben McElroy, who provided 2016’s ‘Bird-stone‘. Nottingham, UK based Ben has gone on to have releases with Eilean Rec, Unknown Tone and our sister netlabel Audio Gourmet. His Home Diaries edition is a mini album of is signature Ambient Folk sound, woven together during the English lockdown, in which his girlfriend Lizzie and her pet dog moved in.

Each Home Diaries release will include bonus PDF liner notes, which has an interview with the artist on how they made the album, what their situation is like, what they have planned, their influences and what equipment/techniques they used.  There are also additional photos provided by the artist as part of the PDF too. Click on the link below to check it out:

-LABEL LINK-
https://whitelabrecs.bandcamp.com/album/home-diaries-028

-ARTIST LINK-
https://benmcelroy.bandcamp.com/album/home-diaries-28-whitelabrecs

press release
“Home Diaries is an invitation to artists and musicians to create an album or EP to document their personal experience during the lockdown or social distancing conditions that are upon us, due to the coronavirus outbreak. The series reflects a range of sounds, styles and ideas, as each artist portrays their own reflections uniquely. Each release is digital only for now, as we hope to raise what we can to help keep our label ticking over at this time. The releases feature a recurring polaroid image of a small lonely house, with a coloured filter chosen by the artist for each respective release. We interview each artist and this is included as a bonus PDF with the download. You can also check out the Home Diaries series on Spotify if you prefer, which will be available to stream in due course.

We’re pleased to welcome back Ben McElroy, who contributed the album ‘Bird-stone’ to our catalog back in our inaugural year, 2016. Since then, Nottingham, UK’s Ben has gone onto have releases with Unknown Tone, Eilean Recs and our sister netlabel Audio Gourmet. Ben normally teaches and performs music as part of a theatre Ceilidh band and this has all been cancelled for the summer due to the pandemic.

Ben’s Home Diaries record is a mini-album of wistful pieces, in his typical hybrid Folk Ambient style. Warm traditional instrument performances are lightly affected with passages of Ambient drone, for this fleeting 20 minute session. It is a warm and hazy collection which reflects strongest in the bright sunshine, offering a truly idyllic listening environment for its listener.”

credits
Written and produced by Ben McElroy
Mastered by James Edward Armstrong
Artwork by Harry Towell

Home Diaries 027: The Inventors of Aircraft

We’ve taken a pause from our schedule of CD albums due to our local post office closing, following the outbreak of Covid19. We launched a digital series called Home Diaries, in which we’ll release EPs and albums by an international line-up of artists, with the music created during lockdown and social distancing conditions.

The series reflects a range of sounds, styles and ideas, as each artist portrays their own reflections uniquely. Each release is digital only for now, as we hope to raise what we can to help keep our label ticking over at this time. The releases feature a recurring polaroid image of a small lonely house, with a coloured filter chosen by the artist for each respective release.

In our next edition, we welcome Phil Tomsett, who also records as The Inventors of Aircraft with releases on labels such as Home Normal, Hibernate, Fluid Audio and Time Released Sound. Phil had two albums lined up for release this year which have been delayed. One of these is ‘Velatore’ so when we explained there’d be a delay, Phil decided to create a Home Diaries. Twenty-third of the Third is a fully realised album, which he recorded in lockdown whilst staying with his friend Annie after he was unable to complete a planned house move. This album was created with a restrictive studio but a macro-approach to creativity as he filled his time.

We have an exciting line-up to follow and each release will include bonus PDF liner notes, which has an interview with the artist on how they made the album, what their situation is like, what they have planned, their influences and what equipment/techniques they used.  There are also additional photos provided by the artist as part of the PDF too. Click on the link below to check it out:

-LABEL LINK-
https://whitelabrecs.bandcamp.com/album/home-diaries-027

-ARTIST LINK-
Coming soon…

press release
“Home Diaries is an invitation to artists and musicians to create an album or EP to document their personal experience during the lockdown or social distancing conditions that are upon us, due to the coronavirus outbreak. The series reflects a range of sounds, styles and ideas, as each artist portrays their own reflections uniquely. Each release is digital only for now, as we hope to raise what we can to help keep our label ticking over at this time. The releases feature a recurring polaroid image of a small lonely house, with a coloured filter chosen by the artist for each respective release. We interview each artist and this is included as a bonus PDF with the download. You can also check out the Home Diaries series on Spotify if you prefer, which will be available to stream in due course.

For our next Home Diaries edition, we welcome Phil Tomsett who has revived his The Inventors of Aircraft moniker for this release. Between his own name and as TIOA, Phil has released with labels such as Time Released Sound, Hibernate, Home Normal and Fluid Audio. Last year he collaborated with Ian Hawgood to produce the album Fragmented Boundaries, released on Ian’s Home Normal label. This year, Phil had two solo albums delayed due to the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. Velatore is one of these, which we plan to release later this year.

When we broke the news that Velatore would be delayed, Phil responded by working on an album for our Home Diaries series. He was just about to move house before lockdown commenced and ended up staying with his friend Annie in South London. He’s been able to set up a temporary studio and make full use of the inspiration and resources that this new environment and circumstance provided. He switched from hardware synths to software, took several daily domestic field recordings, Annie is a professional sound recordist, so she provided some recordings of some dawn choruses and another good friend Ian contributed some slide guitar in a couple of the pieces. The production of this record began on Phil’s birthday, the day lockdown here in the UK commenced and this became the title of the album.”

credits
Written and produced by Phil Tomsett
Additional field recordings by Annie Needham
Slide Guitar in tracks 2 and 7 by Ian Bircumshaw
Purring by Haloumi
Mastered by James Armstrong
Artwork by Harry Towell

Home Diaries 026: Carter

We’ve taken a pause from our schedule of CD albums due to our local post office closing, following the outbreak of Covid19. We launched a digital series called Home Diaries, in which we’ll release EPs and albums by an international line-up of artists, with the music created during lockdown and social distancing conditions.

The series reflects a range of sounds, styles and ideas, as each artist portrays their own reflections uniquely. Each release is digital only for now, as we hope to raise what we can to help keep our label ticking over at this time. The releases feature a recurring polaroid image of a small lonely house, with a coloured filter chosen by the artist for each respective release.

In our next edition, we welcome Bristol, UK’s Carter, who has recently released a digital collaboration with Slow Clinic as A Home For Ghosts, on Rusted Tone Recordings. The artist, Neil Carter has recently had a baby daughter who was 3 months old at the time of the UK lockdown. He has found the circumstances strange, like many of us, but this time has been particularly special for him and his young family. His Home Diaries edition documents this time, as well as a re-acquaintance with his musical equipment which had been in storage. The result is a mini album of three mid-length pieces, featuring evolving, almost child-like music using generative synths, which occasionally swell to crescendos of light noise.

We have an exciting line-up to follow and each release will include bonus PDF liner notes, which has an interview with the artist on how they made the album, what their situation is like, what they have planned, their influences and what equipment/techniques they used.  There are also additional photos provided by the artist as part of the PDF too. Click on the link below to check it out:

-LABEL LINK-
https://whitelabrecs.bandcamp.com/album/home-diaries-026

-ARTIST LINK-
Coming soon…

press release
“Home Diaries is an invitation to artists and musicians to create an album or EP to document their personal experience during the lockdown or social distancing conditions that are upon us, due to the coronavirus outbreak. The series reflects a range of sounds, styles and ideas, as each artist portrays their own reflections uniquely. Each release is digital only for now, as we hope to raise what we can to help keep our label ticking over at this time. The releases feature a recurring polaroid image of a small lonely house, with a coloured filter chosen by the artist for each respective release. We interview each artist and this is included as a bonus PDF with the download. You can also check out the Home Diaries series on Spotify if you prefer, which will be available to stream in due course.

For our next Home Diaries release, we are joined by Bristol, UK’s Neil Carter who records under his surname, Carter. We’ve worked with him before, with a free 15 minute EP on Audio Gourmet, called The Summer Before The Summer and he has many self-released works made available through his Bandcamp page too. He also works alongside James Armstrong (Slow Clinic) as the A Home For Ghosts project, with their most recent album being released digitally via Rusted Tone a few weeks back.

Neil’s Home Diaries album consists of three mid-length tracks, which were restful spaces for him to reacquaint himself with his musical equipment, which had been in storage for some time. He has recently become a father and at the point of lockdown, his daughter was just 3 months old. This album has become a deeply personal journal, in which he has documented this special time with his young family, during strange circumstances. The moments of each movement evolve, with generative patterns offering child-like looping melodies which occasionally flourish into echoing synth swells.”

credits
Written and produced by Neil Carter
Mastered by James Edward Armstrong
Artwork by Harry Towell

Home Diaries 025: Sven Laux

We’ve taken a pause from our schedule of CD albums due to our local post office closing, following the outbreak of Covid19. We launched a digital series called Home Diaries, in which we’ll release EPs and albums by an international line-up of artists, with the music created during lockdown and social distancing conditions.

The series reflects a range of sounds, styles and ideas, as each artist portrays their own reflections uniquely. Each release is digital only for now, as we hope to raise what we can to help keep our label ticking over at this time. The releases feature a recurring polaroid image of a small lonely house, with a coloured filter chosen by the artist for each respective release.

In our next edition, we welcome back Berlin, Germany’s Sven Laux, who has regularly collaborated with us over the years, including albums ‘Schachmatt‘ and ‘ODD‘. Sven’s Home Diaries entry is themed around separation and is a full album of fine cinematic modern classical music, clocking in at almost an hour.

We have an exciting line-up to follow and each release will include bonus PDF liner notes, which has an interview with the artist on how they made the album, what their situation is like, what they have planned, their influences and what equipment/techniques they used.  There are also additional photos provided by the artist as part of the PDF too. Click on the link below to check it out:

-LABEL LINK-
https://whitelabrecs.bandcamp.com/album/home-diaries-024

-ARTIST LINK-
https://svenlaux.bandcamp.com/album/scattered-fragments-of-separation

press release
“Home Diaries is an invitation to artists and musicians to create an album or EP to document their personal experience during the lockdown or social distancing conditions that are upon us, due to the coronavirus outbreak. The series reflects a range of sounds, styles and ideas, as each artist portrays their own reflections uniquely. Each release is digital only for now, as we hope to raise what we can to help keep our label ticking over at this time. The releases feature a recurring polaroid image of a small lonely house, with a coloured filter chosen by the artist for each respective release. We interview each artist and this is included as a bonus PDF with the download. You can also check out the Home Diaries series on Spotify if you prefer, which will be available to stream in due course.

Next we welcome back a regular contributor to our catalog, Berlin’s Sven Laux. Sven has released albums ‘Schachmatt’ and ‘ODD’ with us as well as contribute remixes and compilation pieces. Aside from working with us, Sven has also released with labels such as Archives, Dronarivm and more recently Fluid Audio, in a collaborative release with our label owner Harry Towell. He also runs the Seasides On Postcards label.

Sven’s Home Diaries came about suddenly, after his experience of the pandemic saw him living away from home, some 100km from Berlin. He was staying with family for childcare purposes but the weeks away from his art drove him to head back home alone. Over some intense days in his studio, Sven had created ‘Scattered Fragments of Separation‘, a full and immersive album of modern classical compositions. The dreamy but emotive sound of the piano became the focus of his sound, as he wanted to both lose himself whilst also, channel his experiences into a documentary record which preserve this strange time.”

credits
Written and produced by Sven Laux
Mastered by James Edward Armstrong
Artwork by Harry Towell

Home Diaries 024: Daliah

We’ve taken a pause from our schedule of CD albums due to our local post office closing, following the outbreak of Covid19. We launched a digital series called Home Diaries, in which we’ll release EPs and albums by an international line-up of artists, with the music created during lockdown and social distancing conditions.

The series reflects a range of sounds, styles and ideas, as each artist portrays their own reflections uniquely. Each release is digital only for now, as we hope to raise what we can to help keep our label ticking over at this time. The releases feature a recurring polaroid image of a small lonely house, with a coloured filter chosen by the artist for each respective release.

In our next edition, we welcome back Nashville, USA based artist Daliah, whose album ‘Holy Mountain‘ was released on CD back in 2018. His Home Diaries entry sees a departure from his normal Ambient sound, towards a more musical approach as he utilises piano loops, sampling and resampling to tell the slowly unfolding story of staying indoors..

We have an exciting line-up to follow and each release will include bonus PDF liner notes, which has an interview with the artist on how they made the album, what their situation is like, what they have planned, their influences and what equipment/techniques they used.  There are also additional photos provided by the artist as part of the PDF too. Click on the link below to check it out:

-LABEL LINK-
https://whitelabrecs.bandcamp.com/album/home-diaries-024

-ARTIST LINK-
Coming soon…

press release
“Home Diaries is an invitation to artists and musicians to create an album or EP to document their personal experience during the lockdown or social distancing conditions that are upon us, due to the coronavirus outbreak. The series reflects a range of sounds, styles and ideas, as each artist portrays their own reflections uniquely. Each release is digital only for now, as we hope to raise what we can to help keep our label ticking over at this time. The releases feature a recurring polaroid image of a small lonely house, with a coloured filter chosen by the artist for each respective release. We interview each artist and this is included as a bonus PDF with the download. You can also check out the Home Diaries series on Spotify if you prefer, which will be available to stream in due course.

For this next Home Diaries issue, we welcome back Daliah whose album ‘Holy Mountain’ was released on CDr in 2018. The artist behind the project, John Clubb, is based in Nashville, USA and has previously had a cassette release on Chilean label No Problema tapes.

John and his fiancée had just about finished renovating their RV when the pandemic took hold and their dreams of traveling were put on hold. Like many, they had to focus on the idea of staying put instead. For John, he saw the positivity in being able to use the time wisely and amongst many things, this included a chance to create music. He approached this Home Diaries record wanting to move away from his ambient sound and focus more on musical elements, including looped piano compositions and lots of sampling. Sampling has always been a key element to his approach, but he wanted to use this alongside more acoustic source material. John’s sampling is seamless and these layers of fractured sound tell a story, when the clock is ticking at half its normal rate.”

credits
Written and produced by John Clubb
Mastered by James Edward Armstrong
Artwork by Harry Towell

Home Diaries 023: Adrian Lane

We’ve taken a pause from our schedule of CD albums due to our local post office closing, following the outbreak of Covid19. We launched a digital series called Home Diaries, in which we’ll release EPs and albums by an international line-up of artists, with the music created during lockdown and social distancing conditions.

The series reflects a range of sounds, styles and ideas, as each artist portrays their own reflections uniquely. Each release is digital only for now, as we hope to raise what we can to help keep our label ticking over at this time. The releases feature a recurring polaroid image of a small lonely house, with a coloured filter chosen by the artist for each respective release.

For this edition, we welcome Southend-on-Sea, UK’s Adrian Lane, who has released much of his recent work on the Preserved Sound label. Some of you may also have noticed his EP Atlas Browsing for Hibernate’s Two Point Six Challenge. Adrian is an art teacher and has moved his classes online which he runs from the home he shares with his wife and two children. This has cut out his commute to work and saved 10 hours a week as well as additional energy which he uses to spend his spare time painting or working on music.

We have an exciting line-up to follow and each release will include bonus PDF liner notes, which has an interview with the artist on how they made the album, what their situation is like, what they have planned, their influences and what equipment/techniques they used.  There are also additional photos provided by the artist as part of the PDF too. Click on the link below to check it out:

-LABEL LINK-
https://whitelabrecs.bandcamp.com/album/home-diaries-023

-ARTIST LINK-
Coming soon…

press release
“Home Diaries is an invitation to artists and musicians to create an album or EP to document their personal experience during the lockdown or social distancing conditions that are upon us, due to the coronavirus outbreak. The series reflects a range of sounds, styles and ideas, as each artist portrays their own reflections uniquely. Each release is digital only for now, as we hope to raise what we can to help keep our label ticking over at this time. The releases feature a recurring polaroid image of a small lonely house, with a coloured filter chosen by the artist for each respective release. We interview each artist and this is included as a bonus PDF with the download. You can also check out the Home Diaries series on Spotify if you prefer, which will be available to stream in due course.

For this edition, we welcome Southend-on-Sea, UK’s Adrian Lane, who has released much of his recent work on the Preserved Sound label. Some of you may also have noticed his EP Atlas Browsing for Hibernate’s Two Point Six Challenge. Adrian is an art teacher and has moved his classes online which he runs from the home he shares with his wife and two children. This has cut out his commute to work and saved 10 hours a week as well as additional energy which he uses to spend his spare time painting or working on music.

Adrian’s recent work has largely been focused around the piano but in his Home Diaries record, Adrian decided to focus on strings and combined his acoustic instruments such as violin and bowed guitar and psaltery with orchestral MIDI libraries for Kontakt. He wanted to tread the line between the real and the synthetic so that this would be difficult to discern for the listener. The result is a form of Neo Classical composition which feels both modern and traditional, weaving stories that reflect the restrictions of the pandemic, the positivity born from spending time creatively and with family and also, a series of dreams.”

credits
Written and produced by Adrian Lane
Mastered by James Edward Armstrong
Artwork by Harry Towell

Home Diaries 022: Hipnotic Earth

We’ve taken a pause from our schedule of CD albums due to our local post office closing, following the outbreak of Covid19. We launched a digital series called Home Diaries, in which we’ll release EPs and albums by an international line-up of artists, with the music created during lockdown and social distancing conditions.

The series reflects a range of sounds, styles and ideas, as each artist portrays their own reflections uniquely. Each release is digital only for now, as we hope to raise what we can to help keep our label ticking over at this time. The releases feature a recurring polaroid image of a small lonely house, with a coloured filter chosen by the artist for each respective release.

We’re pleased to welcome back Hipnotic Earth to our label after Cosmos Rennert, the artist, had contributed the CD album ‘Suspended In Silence‘ last year. He prefers not to use the term lockdown and has been positive over the period of the pandemic, despite its obvious restrictions. He has been growing his own vegetables and engaging in a communal howling with his neighbours (both people and other creatures) at 8:00pm each night.

We have an exciting line-up to follow and each release will include bonus PDF liner notes, which has an interview with the artist on how they made the album, what their situation is like, what they have planned, their influences and what equipment/techniques they used.  There are also additional photos provided by the artist as part of the PDF too. Click on the link below to check it out:

-LABEL LINK-
https://whitelabrecs.bandcamp.com/album/home-diaries-022

-ARTIST LINK-
https://hipnoticearth.bandcamp.com/album/home-diaries

press release
“Home Diaries is an invitation to artists and musicians to create an album or EP to document their personal experience during the lockdown or social distancing conditions that are upon us, due to the coronavirus outbreak. The series reflects a range of sounds, styles and ideas, as each artist portrays their own reflections uniquely. Each release is digital only for now, as we hope to raise what we can to help keep our label ticking over at this time. The releases feature a recurring polaroid image of a small lonely house, with a coloured filter chosen by the artist for each respective release. We interview each artist and this is included as a bonus PDF with the download. You can also check out the Home Diaries series on Spotify if you prefer, which will be available to stream in due course.

We’re pleased to welcome back Hipnotic Earth to our label after Cosmos Rennert, the artist, had contributed the CD album ‘Suspended In Silence’ last year. He prefers not to use the term lockdown and has been positive over the period of the pandemic, despite its obvious restrictions. He has been growing his own vegetables and engaging in a communal howling with his neighbours (both people and other creatures) at 8:00pm each night.

Cosmos’ Home Diaries edition follows a series of live video performances, in which he used the pressure of the live situation to focus on the need for an immediate accuracy to his work and he has retained the realism of these sessions, by leaving the compositions largely unedited in this short album. Field recordings from his previous homes as well as the nightly howls are included, amongst other captured moments. In this work, you’ll find a restful space awaits you, as delicate piano notes adorn a bed of deep ambient drones.”

credits
Written and produced by Cosmos Rennert
Mastered by James Edward Armstrong
Artwork by Harry Towell