Soundscapes

Coming soon… Yuya Ota – Dramatic Syndrome

Our second forthcoming release for April is ‘Dramatic Syndrome‘ by Japan’s Yuya Ota, an album that this artist calls ‘drone, not drone’. It’s an Ambient album created through digital software techniques that produced lulling but ever-changing extended melodies. It will be available officially in a run of 100 CDrs in our signature gatefold vinyl-effect sleeves. The album will be out officially on Saturday the 15th of April after a pre-order on the 7th of April. If you follow us on Bandcamp (Click HERE) we’ll make sure you’re the first to hear.

press release
“Yuya Ota is an artist based in Japan who has previously released music on Glacial Movements Records, Institute For Electronic Arts and FUSELab. With a first release since 2015, we’re pleased to break this artist’s hiatus by introducing ‘Dramatic Syndrome’, a record created from fragments of sound using Max/MSP techniques.

In this body of work, Yuya established a particular process in which instrument tones were performed automatically, with the software memorising multiple melodic lines and playing them back randomly. By dropping one or more of the notes within the fluctuations of set algorithms, the beginning of the melody or the melody itself changed. This led to multiple melody lines being combined, through the elimination of the beginning and end.

Some elements of chance were part of the process, allowing an evolution of textures to develop. However, through manipulating the tempo of each sound, Yuya was able to create seamless sound structures where there are no moments of repeated harmonies. Essentially, the output is what Yuya describes as drone but not drone, through reconstructing the movement of sound via ever-changing melodies and algorithms.

Yuya had a desire to create something that had not previously been imagined or expected and this became the inspiration behind the concept for this album. The title Dramatic Syndrome references the artist’s tendency to dream big and grand with the album’s production approach and its concept. The track titles explore abstract, disparate themes whilst the dream-like artwork hints at the surreal“

credits

Written and produced by Yuya Ota
Mastered by James Edward Armstrong
Artwork by Harry Towell
Art and design by Andrew Heath

Coming soon… edu comelles & rafa ramos sania – de camp

Here’s the second of our two new releases lined-up for the 9th of April. We’re pleased to welcome back Edu Comelles who had released Línia Pedra Paisatge Solc with us back in 2020. This time, Edu is joined by his regular collaborator Rafa Ramos Sania who performs double bass, cello among other instruments. ‘de camp‘ will be out for pre-order this coming Bandcamp Friday, the 1st of April a record which is a rich blend of contemporary sound art and modern classical music. It also includes a 32 minute bonus recording, of a live performance at the VolumensFest in 2021.

‘de camp‘ will be available in one of our typically low runs of 100 gatefold vinyl-effect CDrs, complete with art and design by Andrew Heath.

It will be released officially on Saturday the 9th of April. If you join our mailing list using the link below, we’ll make sure you’re the first to hear.

press release
“de camp is the second album by the Spanish duo formed by sound artist Edu Comelles and multi-instrumentalist Rafa Ramos Sania. After their debut on Archives label with Botánica de Balcón, the two artists expand their sonic universe by refining their own style, aesthetics and sound design. The outcome is ‘de camp’, an album featuring five new compositions and Bleda, a piece originally released on El Muelle Records as part of a charity compilation album.

de camp encompasses a widening of the musical horizons of this duo, stretching the colour palette of their timbres and shedding some light to their darker first album on Archives. Botánica de Balcón revolved around setting up a dialogue between austere electronics and the sombre strength of the double bass. On de camp the composition process has been a back and forth exercise of recording and re-recording, dissolving the lines between instrumentation, electronics and field recordings and striving for a unity in language and aesthetics.
de camp means ‘from the field’ or ‘from land’ in Catalan. All track titles refer to Catalan names of plants found in the outskirts of Valencia, the city where both artists live.“

credits
Recorded, composed and mixed by Edu Comelles & Rafa Ramos Sania between Patraix and Alboraia 2021
Edu Comelles: Electronics & Field Recordings
Rafa Ramos Sania: Double Bass, Cello, Piano, Acoustic Guitar, Music Box and Objects
Mastered by David Mata
Art and design by Andrew Heath

out now! morimoto naoki – soak

Here’s the second of our two new releases lined-up for the 12th of March. We’re pleased to be joined by Tokyo, Japan based artist morimoto naoki for this one, with an album that follows recent releases on Seil and ROHS! The melancholy blend of light electronics, field recordings and manipulated acoustics makes this record a pleasant listen from start to finish.

Soak is out now in a run of 100 copies! The best way to keep informed about our low-run releases, is to join our mailing list, and we’ll make sure you’re the first to hear!

press release
“morimoto naoki is an electronic and ambient composer from Tokyo in Japan, with previous releases on labels that include Seil, Inner Ocean and ROHS!. He started writing music around a decade ago and his approach draws in various instrument samples and every day sounds which he captures from his daily routines.

There is an undoubted influence from the Japanese ambient and electronica scenes and his restful, lightly fractured acoustic sound stands up to that of his peers. In this new record ‘Soak’, morimoto’s breathes a sense of warmth and stillness into the world as acoustic and electric guitars, synthesizers, toy pianos and metallophones are woven into a tapestry of beautiful tones. Field recordings add narrative whilst cassette tape recordings give further warmth and charm.

The concept for this record is to ‘soak’ the listener into the happenstances of daily life around them. The idea came about during the recording process as the field recordings were captured; morimoto found that listening to the world around him revealed many ambient textures that might normally go unnoticed. The process of trying to absorb these consciously felt like a ‘soaking’ process.“

credits
Written, Produced and Mastered by morimoto naoki
Photography by Harry Towell
Art and Design by Andrew Heath

out now! letna – starigrad

Here’s the first of two new releases out now! For this edition, we welcome Paris, France based artist Letna, an artist who we’ve admired for many years, after we enjoyed his early netlabel releases on the likes of SEM and Zymogen many years ago. The sounds in this new album are a restful blend of nostalgia and environmental bliss, with its fine details and soft drones.

Starigrad is out now in a run of 100 copies! The best way to keep informed about our low-run releases, is to join our mailing list, and we’ll make sure you’re the first to hear!

press release
“Letna is Serbian artist Saša Vojvodić based close to Paris in France, whose projects began in the netlabel scene in the early 2000s, with early releases appearing on Standard Klik, Zymogen and Eko. He went on to form the SEM label in 2007 alongside Alexandre Navarro, from which his first CD album ‘Adria’ was released. His first cassette appeared on the Sunshine Ltd label in 2013 and since then, he has self-released occasional works.

Saša has also collaborated, with music made alongside Steven Preston as Bridges Buildings, Alexandre Navarro as Redfish and David Sutorus as Zvezdara. It was the latter project that made Whitelabrecs reach out to Saša to see if he would be willing to create something for release on our label. 2005’s ‘The Dawn of New Possibilities’ is one of our all-time favourite netlabel releases and we are delighted to present ‘Starigrad’ which translates to old town.

This record aims to be both contemplative and nostalgic, as if a family member is recalling tales from the memories that are evoked by an old photo album. Different times and ways of life are revealed, as stories from an old town are shared. This album serves as a time capsule, containing both the fictitious memories and album concept, alongside Saša’s own tales, contained within these field recordings, cassette tape experiments, guitar pedal swells and the everyday sounds of his own family.“

credits
Written and produced by Sasa Vojvodic
Mastered by James Edward Armstrong
Photography by Harry Towell
Art and design by Andrew Heath

Coming soon… morimoto naoki – soak

Here’s the second of our two new releases lined-up for the 12th of March. We’re pleased to be joined by Tokyo, Japan based artist morimoto naoki for this one, with an album that follows recent releases on Seil and ROHS! ‘Soak‘ will be out for pre-order this coming Bandcamp Friday, the 4th of March and the melancholy blend of light electronics, field recordings and manipulated acoustics makes this record a pleasant listen from start to finish.

‘Soak‘ 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 March. If you join our mailing list using the link below, we’ll make sure you’re the first to hear.

credits
Written, Produced and Mastered by morimoto naoki
Photography by Harry Towell
Art and Design by Andrew Heath

Coming soon… Letna – Starigrad

Here’s the first of two new releases lined-up for the 12th of March. For this edition, we welcome Paris, France based artist Letna, an artist who we’ve admired for many years, after we enjoyed his early netlabel releases on the likes of SEM and Zymogen many years ago. ‘Starigrad‘ will be out for pre-order this coming Bandcamp Friday, the 4th of March and the sounds are a restful blend of nostalgia and environmental bliss, with its fine details and soft drones.

‘Starigrad‘ 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 March. If you join our mailing list using the link below, we’ll make sure you’re the first to hear.

credits
Written and produced by Sasa Vojvodic
Mastered by James Edward Armstrong
Photography by Harry Towell
Art and design by Andrew Heath

out now! andrew heath – quiet noise

Released today is the new album from our regular collaborator Andrew Heath, who our listeners may recognise from his 2021 collaboration with Anne Chris Bakker, or his participation in the recent A Speechless Body compilation. Those of you who read the sleeve notes will recognise him for his design work with Whitelabrecs. Quiet Noise clocks in at almost an hour, and is a melting pot of serene electro-acoustic details.

Quiet Noise is out now in a run of 100 copies! The best way to keep informed about our low-run releases, is to join our mailing list, and we’ll make sure you’re the first to hear!

press release
“Andrew Heath is a UK-based soundscape artist and composer, who creates lower case ambient music based around piano, electronics and field recordings. His discography includes regular output on Toby Marks’ (Banco de Gaia’s) Disco Gecko label, along with contributions for White Paddy Mountain, Rusted Tone and Elm. He has collaborated with many artists, including Hans-Joachim Roedelius, Simon McCorry, Seigo Aoyama, Anne Chris Bakker and Mi Cosa de Resistance. With the latter two, the music has been released by Whitelabrecs, with How To Breathe Like a Stone and A Speechless Body respectively.

Andrew’s latest solo album, Quiet Noise, continues his obsession with small fragments of sound that we are continually surrounded by and exposed to in our everyday lives. Balancing these ‘lower case’ recordings with his fascination of texture and tone through extensive treatments and instruments such as piano and guitar, he explores this quiet and dreamlike world. Quiet Noise also develops a more recent trait in his work towards a warmer and more tonal sound. Andrew’s work is not static and is constantly changing, building and evolving as each piece in this stunning album unfolds.

Quiet Noise presented a perfect opportunity to work with his fellow collaborators within the side project, Konstruct and so thanks must go to cellist, Simon McCorry who adds a soulful elegance to the track Embers which opens this album and to Alexander Caminada (aka Phonsonic) for stunning and majestic, half-speed flute on the concluding piece, Building Mountains. The release is rounded off with packaging designed by Andrew himself, making use of the beautiful collage artwork produced by his wife Zoë.“

credits
Written, produced and mastered by Andrew Heath
Collage by Zoë Heath
Image manipulation and artwork by Andrew Heath

out now! grotta veterano & francis gri – soolo

Released today is a collaborative album 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 is out now in a run of 100 copies! The best way to keep informed about our low-run releases, is to join our mailing list, and 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 Francis Gri
Photography by Harry Towell
Art and design by Andrew Heath

Coming soon… Andrew Heath – Quiet Noise

The second of our two new artist albums due for release on the 12th of February, is the next solo album by UK based composer Andrew Heath. ‘Quiet Noise‘ will be out for for pre-order this coming Bandcamp Friday, the 4th of February and the audio, clocking in at almost an hour, is a melting pot of serene electro-acoustic details.

‘Quiet Noise‘ will be available in one of our typically low runs of 100 gatefold vinyl-effect CDrs, complete with collage artwork by Zoe Heath.

It will be released officially on Saturday the 12th of February. If you join our mailing list using the link below, we’ll make sure you’re the first to hear.

credits
Written, produced and mastered by Andrew Heath
Collage by Zoë Heath
Image manipulation and artwork by Andrew Heath

Coming soon… Grotta Veterano & Francis Gri – Soolo

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.