The latest album from Julian Priessen is a handcrafted, meticulous work of art

Seven new tracks from the German artist were produced entirely by him with no sampled sounds

Dreams And Pieces Vol. 1 is the latest album from Julian Priessen, a musician based in Düsseldorf, Germany. As a member of the collective “kids in a candy store,” he is also a music composer for feature films, TV, documentaries, and more. Within his own musical practice, he creates emotionally charged music that features energized snippets to engage the listener and create space for them to drift away mentally and emotionally. Recording and producing all his music as a solo venture, he uses chance to shape perspective and discover different angles and approaches.

Priessen’s debut album in 2019 was Permanent Shore, a mixture of beats, found sound, song fragments, and more, all tied together through piano and bass undertones. More recently, in 2022, he released the single “Lovly,” from his forthcoming album, as well as the EP Fades. In 2021, he dropped singles including “Caught” and “Voyage,” as well as two EPS, Beam/In Bloom and Dawn.

His newest album from May 2022 features hip-hop-inspired rhythms and a smooth, funky sound with elements of jazz and rock woven throughout. The album is comprised of seven tracks, all of which are entirely created by Priessen himself, with no sampled sounds. Through his meticulous, handcrafted process, his music develops its own lexicon that is enchanting for the listener, provides an escape, and brings it back to earth intermittently to ground the entire composition in familiar elements.

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Stereo Ferment merges sounds from around the world in their latest groove compilation

Ten producers and DJs feature on the label’s newest release

Toronto-based label Stereo Ferment has released its compilation Fermented Grooves Volume One. As the label’s fourth release, this collection of tracks keeps at the pace of their afro-centric inspired grooves and what they call a ‘psych-tropical disco-dub-boogie’ sound. The label is operated by producers Oreku (Cayden Mowbray) and Coy Haste (Brad Weber) and collaborates with artists from around the world to produce experimental sound.

Stereo Ferment released Coy Haste’s EP Apicultura earlier this year. The songs on this album represent the artist’s interpretation of a San folk origin story from the Kalahari Desert. The album blends electronica with folk recordings and 70s inspired afro synth. In 2020, the label released ia ia ia by Oreku which is a collection of three tracks inspired by Kabyle folk of Algeria, Baul folk of West Bengal, and radio recordings from Indonesia, all mixed with dub and disco sounds. 2020 also saw Stereo Ferment’s debut release Quorum Sensing I, an EP named after the cell-to-cell communication in bacteria.

Fermented Grooves Volume One features ten tracks from ten DJs and producers from around the world. Contributors include Hiatt dB, The Pathchouli Brothers, FOC Edits, Frank Agrario, André Laos, Souldade, Jules Brennan, Kheodo Turner, Oreku, and Coy Haste. The sound on the album is in keeping with their usual funk and merges international genres and eras like 80s Bollywood, Afrobeat rhythms, Filipino disco funk, and Turkish boogie to produce a fun, danceable, detailed electronic sound.

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Amoa floats vocals upon idm, in solo album ‘You’

Combining organic beauty with impactful electronic beats, Amoa’s debut collection evokes tranquillity and far horizons

Since 2019 Swiss singer and composer Andrea Thoma has been releasing a trail of singles under the name of Amoa, creating soft chillwave laced with idm electronica. Her discography so far hums with warm vocals, and an appreciation for how subtle organic samples can elevate the quality of flowing synth.

Now Amoa steps towards a more focused route, as she draws those singles together and releases a fresh wave of work to release her debut album ‘You’. Into her sound falls production support from Roland Vollenweider and Jonathan Nage, as well as guitar from Simon Boss.

The electronic aspect in Amoa’s work is more present than might be expected of a project able to deliver so strongly from a vocal standpoint. There’s the smooth atmospheric vibe of chillwave but also the heavier pulse of glitch. Space is left for Amoa’s impressive voice but other samples move in between the synthetic soundscape to add to the organic quality of the tracks.

‘You’ was recently released on the Radicalis label, and achieves a balance of synthetic power and delicate harmony. Each individual track forms a small oasis, carrying peaceful melodies which float skywards to form an ethereal canopy.

Support the release on Bandcamp or stream it on Spotify.

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A rich return to form; Anchorsong with ‘Tunis Dream’

The Tokyo born, London-based producer announces a highly anticipated homecoming, with new paths ahead for the landmark artist

Anchorsong is an artist whose return has been long awaited by fans and critics alike. The work of Tokyo born artist Masaaki Yoshida, Anchorsong is a project which has just reached its 10th year with the Tru Thoughts label. The mixed electronica collections released over the course of those ten years have drawn acclaim from major trend setters and media outlets, particularly from primetime presenters on BBC Radio like Lauren Laverne and Gilles Peterson. Sets for the Boiler Room and Glastonbury have occurred alongside support performances for Bonobo and DJ Krush. It’s been an undeniably strong journey.

The elements in Anchorsong’s music which stir up this attention are manifold, and like many artists there’s no fixation to be found on certain genre in his discography. Ambient and shoegaze form part of his work, downtempo and hip-hop groove also finding a place. The use of an MPC2500 sampling drum machine is a characteristic choice, but hardware is often limited only by creativity which there’s no shortage of here.

Fresh single ‘Tunis Dream’ is the first track to appear from Anchorsong since his third album in 2018. Travel and mindfulness influence the mood, finishing a smooth beat and groove infused melody.

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Marihiko Hara and Polar M offer a moment of peace, with ‘Our Season’

The two artists have composed an EP which strikes a more hopeful note, and sets off a new series of ambient work

As a medium that reflects on emotion and internal narratives, music has been a pathway to expression for many artists working during the pandemic. Compositions inspired by feelings of isolation and depression have seen steady release, but so too have tracks built around patience and hope.

Our featured track ‘Our Season’ is part of a four track EP of the same name, which gently draws on those emotions which have become part of our daily lives. Produced by Japanese duo Marihiko Hara and Polar M, the collection is to be included in the ‘Music for Home’ series mapped out by the electro-acoustic label Mü-nest.

Marihiko’s discography focuses on ambient, experimental and beat music. He’s created scores for theatre, visual audio art as well as an award winning short movie. His collaborator in this project is Polar M (aka Masumi Muranaka), who shines for his skills as a guitarist and his own work in media projects.

Together they’ve been able to create music which circulates quiet, beautiful melodies, brought to life my classical piano and warm ambient synthesizer. Our Season is a carries a feeling of warmth, guitar lending another organic dimension to a track which stands out as an oasis of peace.

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