Beneath the Surface (Native State)

[furthur]

VA – Beneath the Surface

 

Label: Native State Records (Canada) NSCD003

Date: 6 March 2006

 

 

Track listing:

 

01. 02’26” Irwin’s Conspiracy – The Beginning of Something Good

02. 05’50” Bluetech – Ice Forming on Glass

03. 05’18” Sympath – Amethyst

04. 05’09” String Theories – White Dragon

05. 04’52” Marconi Union – Buildings and People

06. 06’42” krill.minima – CatDinR42

07. 04’58” Nalepa – Porcelain

08. 06’29” Ganucheau - Stillness

09. 04’52” Rena Jones – Aurora Borealis

10. 05’27” Desert Dwellers – Stellar Dendrites

11. 06’32” Bluetech vs. Shulman – Midnight Bloom

12. 06’14” Aerostatic - Continuous

13. 03’13” David Last - Landscape

 

Label’s Statement:

 

‘Beneath the Surface’ is an exploration of that which lies just below the threshold of consciousness, where subject and object lose their distinction, and the definitions of the commonplace lose their validity.

 

‘Beneath the Surface’ weaves its way into the listener’s experience through deep ambient landscapes, crystalline digital beat structures, and lyrical organic melodies over the course of 13 tracks.

 

This compilation represents a foray into deeper and more delicate ambient structures. Atmospheres are allowed to evolve, textures wind quietly through the background, and inteligent electronics establish icey and foreign structures for your imagination to inhabit.

 

Review:

 

Native State records compile another voyage through sound for us, bringing together veterans of electronic music that might otherwise go unnoticed by many “psy-chill” afficionados. As their previous output Left Coast Liquid swept me completely off my feet and left me breathless ever since I first heard it, I could not hide my excitement when I learned that this was going to be released. I have had it for quite a while already and even though I have been enjoying this immensely, I have had a hard time deciding to formally review it. The thing is, the music here is even more complex than on LCL, and needs a lot of attention if the most is to be taken from it.

 

Let’s go through it track by track.

 

The American Irwin has been involved in live electronic music since ’96 incorporating drums, samples, and other sounds from modules or computer, accessed via theremin and looped on the spot. Here he presents us with an opener suitable for an epic film. A very desolate piece, but one which hints that the desolateness is not inevitable. A short beatless symphonic adventure.

 

Healer-musician Evan Bluetech needs no introduction here. Ice forming on glass has that typical Bluetech sound. Flawless percussion work, slowly evolving dreamscapes that do take us to that first freeze-up. Nature goes into a slumber, and with it so do we a bit, at least we have this music to keep us company. The subtle melody and the multitude of layers are very thoughtfully woven into a great minimal psydm song. This would have fit very well onto Sines and Singularities. Not Evan’s best work, but a very worthy effort nonetheless.

 

Sympath is an all-Canadian collaboration between Shen aka Noah Pred and Native State’s manager Naasko. Here, we get the first song that has a bit more to hang onto. This is also much closer to the standard aquatic dubby chillout, not to say that the song is standard. A piece very suitable for nighttime listening imo, with occasional breaks in the clouds to let the moonlight shine through and show us the foliage beneath our feet. This is definitely one the less experimental and more straight-up emotional pieces from Native State. Nothing groundbreaking here, just very intelligent structuring and a very good song overall.

 

String Theories is the project of Bay Area string musician Rena Jones and Bluetech. A very tribal beginning to this next installment in the Bluetech saga. More of his sounds being blended extremely well with Rena’s string work. Quickly turns out to be a very melancholic song. Personally, I would have preferred to have a slightly bigger focus here on the instrumental work and less on the dubby percussion, even though the effect of the drums sounding like they’re kept from breaking out of their shell that appears a couple of times is very cool.

 

Manchester’s Richard Talbot recently released his full-length album Distance on All Saints records under his Marconi Union moniker. Buildings and People is licensed from that album, described as a single unified piece of work exploring images of travel and city living, evoking the feeling of being silently driven around an unknown city at night, observing the activity and life of the urban sprawl from the sealed safety and isolation of a car. With Buildings and People, we go into more upbeat territory. Do not get me wrong, this is still highly relaxing material, but there is a more present bassline, and it is pulled off very well. Sort of reminds me of a lighter Downhill, but less broken. Great atmosphere created here. Definitely amazing for a cold rainy night in the city. Best song of the record so far.

 

Krill.minima is Dortmund’s Martin Juhis experimenting with clicking rhythms, ambient constructions, warmth, emotion, and pop appeal, having released the full album Zwischen zwei und einer sekunde on the free net-label Thinner. This pive here is very heady, very ambient, very psychedelic, very patient. It takes a full minute for the first beat to kick in, and when it does (in an oh-so idm way), we are not dissapointed. Lots of moods are mixed here, but it stays slightly dark throughout. Yes, a lot of ambient producers have been giving us this style on free net-labels, but they are rarely made with as much feeling as here. It gives you structure to hang onto, and yet leaves you enough freedom to take it wherever you want to. Brain-massage music.

 

Steve Nalepa is a West Coast software developper who had a beautiful and one of the most experimental tracks on Left Coast Liquid vol. 1. This is for me the stormer of the compilation. Who knew drone music could be so danceable. If this does not put you into a state of trance, nothing will. Magnificent melody, intelligent sound design, beautiful organic undertones to very electronic sonic landscapes. Music created on foggy mornings on an ocean coast. It definitely takes its time to develop, but the wait is well worth it, because once bliss comes, it takes over one’s whole being. Wow.

 

Bay Area film musician Matt Ganucheau has been writing electronic music since 1998. With stillness, he treats us to a desolate desert landscape where life is well hidden at first and then breaks out into a dance once the moment presents itself in the form of shade or rain. The sound is crispy clear, but I fear that the idea has already been done before. Reminds me of Mum, but in a different genre of music. All the necessary ingredients are here, but that is exactly my problem with it, it needed some unnecessary component to distinguish the song. Not a standout, but a very good piece of music. And then everyone crawls back into their hideout as the sun comes back up.

 

Virtuoso Rena Jones, whom Native State has introduced to us on LCL is about to release a full-length sometime in the summer of ’06. If her singles on compilations are any indication, the album will be a must-have. Aurora Borealis begins sounding like the soundtrack to a spooky film with children playing in the first scenes. Is in a similar vein to the earlier Marconi Union song, in that it would wonders on a rainy sleepless night aimlessly driving around town. The irregular percussion work, which is so easy to bungle up passes the test with flying colours. Very very well done.

 

Santa Fe’s Amani Friend is another Native State regular with his Stellar Dendrites taking us deep beneath the surface. If you watched the HBO original series Carnivale, you might be asking yourself if it was not Mr. Friend that was writing their music. One cannot help but imagine oneself in the middle of a central American dusty plain with people fleeing the poverty. Only you cannot bring yourself to leave the spot you are glued to, and keep going further and further beneath your surface. Very original, very relaxing, and very engaging piece of music. Better than his output on LCL in my opinion.

 

Bluetech and Israel’s Yaniv Shulman had this piece released on Yaniv’s latest album Random Thoughts as well, and it was one of the most mesmerizing pieces on that album. Very hypnotizing and entrancing without losing that touch of experimentation. More digestable that a lot of the rest of this compilation, Midnight Bloom adds a more human and organic touch, what with Alyssa Palmer’s amazing singing. If anyone ever tells you that you listen to background music, just put this on for them, and it will change their mind about electronic downbeat music forever. Very trippy.

 

New York’s sound designer for children’s programming Michele Darling seems to have written this without her Aerostatic partner Terry Golob. Another great droning ambient piece here that comes from a Hub Culture DVD entitled Antarctica. Honestly, I find the production here of a lower level than the rest of the compilation. The beat sounds somewhat muffled. Nothing really wrong musically with this one, but nothing special either, much less interesting than most of Native State’s choices.

 

New York’s electro-organic musician David Last has a full-length album The Push Pull released on the underrated and very psychedelic downbeat label the Agriculture. He offers us the closer Landscape, another grandiose-sounding ambient piece that does not reinvent the wheel at all, but is a suitable and soothing end to this very visual compilation.

 

Well, this is no Left Coast Liquid, but it is still a very good compilation in a similar vein. Native State continue to cross boundaries in bringing us hghly psychedelic music from all over the place. The regular artist roster is very solid, and I cannot wait until Rena Jones’ album on Native State.

 

The artwork here is much better than the first time around. Suits the music very well and is very tasteful. Recreates the mood Antix was going for with TCD.

 

There was one weak song here for me, no. 12. The rest are all very good, with no’s 5,6,9, 10,11 standing out, and 7 completely out of this world.

 

Overall, I give it 8.4 out of 10.

 

www.nativestaterecords.com

[Trolsk]

Native State records is the most exciting new label right now! No cliched overused ethnic samples or ethnic dub, but rather deep, warm, moving and beautiful music of excellent quality.

 

5/5

[Trance2MoveU]

 

Artist: Various

Title: Beneath The Surface

Label: Native State Records

Date: March, 2006

 

 

1. Irwin’s Conspiracy – The Beginning of Something Good

2. Bluetech – Ice Forming on Glass

3. Sympath – Amethyst

4. String Theories – White Dragon

5. Marconi Union – Buildings and People

6. krill.minima – CatDinR42

7. Nalepa – Porcelain

8. Ganucheau - Stillness

9. Rena Jones – Aurora Borealis

10. Desert Dwellers – Stellar Dendrites

11. Bluetech vs. Shulman – Midnight Bloom

12. Aerostatic - Continuous

13. David Last - Landscape

 

 

You have kids?

 

I do...Well, just one. He is absolutely wonderful and staying at home with him is the best decision I have ever made. I get to teach him, spend time with him, and watch him grow up. Also, I don't have a boss or a fear of getting laid off.

 

Those are the positives.

 

You have to be the right person for the job, as there isn't anyone I can hold an adult conversation with, I'm knee deep in dirty diapers, and I have to sit through this waaaay more than I would like:

 

 

 

 

How much acid do you have to do...

 

My point is that I need an escape...I had that today. With my little guy asleep and dusk approaching, I dove headlong into this compilation.

 

This is Native State Records, a label headed by Evan Bluetech which released Left Coast Liquid in 2005 to tremendous acclaim. They are strong in ambient and downtempo grooves and continue their fine work with Beneath The Surface. As I have mentioned in the past, sometimes the cover of an album matches the goodness on the inside. That is the case here, where we are treated to some of the most relaxing music I have heard, putting me on a cloud I haven't seen since two Tylenol PM and a Benadryl.

 

The Beginning of Something Good- This is a purely ambient intro. It's a view of an icy landscape while the sun is shining. It's massive glaciers slowly drifting across the sea. Nice beatless opening.

 

Ice Forming on Glass- After 6 albums and numerous appearances on compilations Evan Bartholomew should be no stranger to anyone who listens to psy chill. He has the magic touch it seems as every piece of music by him is brimming with emotional detail. No exception here as bubbling textures ripple across glitchy electronics. Dubby bass contrasts the shimmering leads in a tremendously tactile track. The individual details are so rich and vibrant, with piano melodies leaping over huge glaciers and shimmering leads. Outstanding.

 

Amethyst- This is Noah Pred and Naasko creating another downtempo gem with rich echoing synths and clicking percussion. Deep bass fills the lower end creating a nice afternoon groove on a windy beach. Completely relaxing.

 

White Dragon- Evan and Rena Jones (a multi-instrumentalist who creates truly beautiful cello works) team up to deliver a melancholy track. Far away pads and the soft percussive elements that make this genre so appealing are everywhere. Rena's gentle strings are there, but merely in a supporting role. The track itself is just a beautiful mixture of natural and electronic instruments.

 

Buildings and People- This is a more up tempo track without losing the calming influence. I didn't know the things the previous reviewer did about this tune, but the feeling he was going for was right on the money. Sweeping images as one watches from a vehicle create a dreamy soundscape. Perfect for a cold and rainy day with soft wailing guitars and soft electronic piano melodies.

 

CatDinR42- This is Martin Juhls from Germany with a very dronelike track. It sounds like what an afternoon rainstorm would sound like with soft pads and a contemplative feel. The slow beat provides guidance, with a soft melody that has a wisp like touch. It melts away like the wax of a candle. Nice and calming.

 

Porcelain- With more digital clicking this has the feeling of a smooth child's lullaby. Mellow without any surprises, it has heavenly pads and bounces along. Pretty.

 

Stillness- Continuing in the trend of artists I have never heard of, Scott Tusa gets very glitchy as pads float coldly in the background. With clever percussive touches this track has gently plucked strings that dominate, and that takes me out of the chill comfort zone. Good track though.

 

Aurora Borealis- Rena on her own here and she drops a very spooky tune on you. Horror movie children's chimes hover as strings of sadness draw first blood. Another brilliant combination of real world strings and softly brooding electronica. I'm gonna have to check her albums out. One of my favorites here.

 

Stellar Dendrites- Tribal instruments strum against more electronic warblings, in a slow and measured gait. I find it less sad and more pensive, perhaps unlocking some previous mystery. Very spacious.

 

Midnight Bloom- With another of the best tracks on the compilation, Bluetech joins with Shulman to bring clicks and whirrs, below sparkling tones and smooth female vocals. This is a cold drink on a warm afternoon, with vivid synths and soft touches of percussion. I think it goes beyond genres, as this is just a wonderful piece of music. Loved it.

 

Continuous- This is where the compilation began to dwindle for me. Drones and non melodic phrases that appear and disappear. There wasn't anything for me to really grab on to, is just kind of...was.

 

Landscape- Anyone else find the irony in the last track belonging to David Last? Anyone? If the first track was a beatless intro then this is a beatless outro. Strings and horns that remind me of the first Rocky movie. It's a 70's thing...you young guys wouldn't understand. Very theatrical and totally different from the rest of the stuff here. For me this compilation ended at Midnight Bloom.

 

 

 

What a wonderful and peaceful journey. With lush details and beautiful atmospheres permitting me to float away on clouds of the softest white goose down feathers. The shorter track lengths work really well to get maximum artist vision in one album. It really is very varied, going from straight beatless ambient to downtempo and dub. The vast majority of the tracks were superb with crystal clear sounds and wonderful production. If you are in need of a getaway and the sh*tty economy has taken a bite out of your wallet, get a nice drink, put on some headphones and just melt into your chair.

 

Gotta go, someone just woke up and if he doesn't get his noo noos and magic beans, well, sh*it is going down.

 

Mdk

[abasio]

Another very nice compilation from Native State Records.

All tracks here have a kind of cold, stark beauty. Nicely chilled music, good for deeper exploration in a distraction free environment. My favourites are Ice forming on glass, white dragons, porcelain, stillness and Aurora Borealis