Not A Hologram: Authentic Environmental Electronic Music

Abigail Vettese is a multi-disciplinary artist based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is a writer, botanical illustrator, and electronic music producer who is passionate about environmental ethics and exploring the heavier side of the sonic spectrum. Her work is raw and authentic, highlighting the importance of imperfection and embracing the chaos. Through her artistry, Abigail seeks to raise awareness about the importance of environmental stewardship and embracing the spontaneity of the natural world.

To witness the sprouting of Abigail’s sound, one simply has to listen closely to her releases thus far. Breaking ground in summer 2022 with her debut single ‘a j a r // p i g m e n t’ the release opens up with a biosphere of misty sounds and fluttering chords. While the track ‘p i g m e n t’ takes a harder edge, foreshadowing a darker side of the producer we see come to light in her newest release ‘Not a Hologram’.

Being her first full length album, ‘Not a Hologram’ feels like a good representation of Vettese’s journey in sound so far. Created in just over a month using an Elektron Model:Cycles, Novation launchpad, and Ableton Live to craft tracks that convey a sense of chaos and authenticity while embracing the fleeting experience of unconstrained creation. As the Elektron groovebox serves as the driving force throughout the album, motifs of dark minimalism and tribal vibrations begin to take shape. Tasteful touches of distortion and spurts of white noise can be experienced in the tracks ‘Dense’ and ‘Door is Closed’ while the more punishing notes of ‘Not a Hologram’ and ‘Impulse’ showcase the more extreme contortions of the 6 track FM Swedish sound sculpting tool.

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Constantly in motion - Kumi Takahara shares elegant new video for 'Tide'

The first thing that comes to mind about Kumi Takahara’s new track ‘Tide’ is how it seems to have perfectly captured the essence of it’s namesake.

The opening ambient sounds give way to swirling, constantly moving interwoven string melodies that seem to drift from plaintive, to wondrous and uplifting, back and forth.

Delicate vocals and instrumentation build into an evolving and deep piece that does indeed remind of moving waters, and showcases a real talent in arranging and composition from Takahara, who it seems is under the influence of Phillip Glass. This of course is by no means a bad thing…

The accompanying video only adds to the experience of the music with natural imagery, soft focus, light patterns, and intriguing time lapse shots in a demonstration of elegance and taste.

There is a lot to like here and thankfully there is more to come as a debut album titled ‘See-Through’ is due for release February 24th also. Takahara describes it as “Introspective and expansive at the same time, — a collection of classical music with a contemporary spirit.” which seems apt based on the evidence so far.

For now ‘Tide’ is the only track available from the record, but if it is is anything to go by then the album should be a very interesting listen.

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Modeling draw closer to an upcoming EP with ‘Low Fantasy’

Creators of cinematic synthwave, Modeling are furthering their relationship with the genre through steps into future landscapes

Working together under the name ‘Modeling’, brothers Connor, Ryan and Cuinn Brogan produce electronic music tailored towards use in cinema. Soft pads and synth form a significant part of the often gentle environments the three producers build together, filling the atmosphere around them with calming tones which transport the listener to a place shaped by the trio.

Modeling are clearly at home with the solace imbibed worlds of chillwave, but have also shown talent in other areas of synth. ‘Lodestone’ is an example of a release which conjures up dystopian realms of sci-fi, and ‘Apex’ ushers in a more minimalist perspective. Classical piano and strings appear in the discography of the group, as well as the occasional addition of intimate vocals which capture a sense of both emotion and distance.

The current series of releases from Modeling is taking them closer to an upcoming EP of synthwave. Ultimately planned to feature six tracks, the group recently made public the second track from the collection earlier this month, titled ‘Low Fantasy’.

The EP will develop the group’s relationship with dystopian territories, though perhaps from a more melancholic than aggressive perspective. ‘Low Fantasy’ makes its presence known with an open sky of broad synth waves, chased by repeating melodies.

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Stripped back minimal work from Zerstorte Zelle

Zerstorte Zelle seems the type of artist to prefer to lean back from creating an online presence and platform, instead forming an identity purely around the sound he creates and distributes. Zelle’s personal route into the world of electronica involves homemade synth, experimental tracks built up through live recordings, and a dose of the unconventional.

Based in Brooklyn, Zelle has previously shown his talents working with ‘Skyes’, a synth-pop project that released their last indie alternative EP back in 2018. Although Skyes was able to cultivate a creative atmosphere in their discography, pursuing solo work can often lead to a freedom incomparable to that offered in a group.

Whatever the inspiration, Zelle released his debut EP as a solo artist on June 19th. ‘061920’ is a result of DIY music production, created at home with no computer editing involved in the recording process. The EP features five tracks which carry a vibe of minimal electronic and drone, pieced together with a notably experimental method which involved the use of DC motors and Mbira.

Our featured track from 061920 is ‘D_01’, a gradual composition which remains minimalist in its structure, pushing boundaries and escaping genre conventions.

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Plaid bring their own talent to John Tejada’s ‘Moving 909s’

Remixes present an opportunity for separate talents to cross paths, blending their sound and style to view already successful work from new perspectives. The compact three track EP recently dropped by composer and DJ John Tejada provides exactly that kind of chance, passing over his track ‘Moving 909s’ to the London based electronic duo Plaid.

Plaid is a project of Andy Turner and Ed Handley, who have been getting things done since the late 80’s. Founding members of ‘The Black Dog’, a group which helped to pioneer Techno in the UK, the pair has undeniably claimed their space in the electronic scene. Plaid was formed back in 1995 and has been their main focus since.

The release itself references back to Optical’s 1997 track ‘Moving 808s’, with the two tracks sharing an essentialist style and a core bass line. Tejada infused a minimalist atmosphere, respecting a gradual, premeditated progression which left room for both silence and contemplation. It’s a methodology which stays true to his favoured approach of sample manipulation in an environment with limited options.

Plaid has transformed the original and delivered an edit weighted down by a greater gravity, where melodic patterns run above darker beats of techno house.

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The contemplative ambience of Shinji Wakasa, ‘Several Waves’

Shinji Wakasa is a Japanese artist and composer based in the city of Yokosuka, with a host of interesting projects circling around his talent for ambient and experimental music. Professionally he’s active in the commercial music sector, producing for films and advertising with organisations such as New Balance Tokyo, sportswear brand Hummel and camera company Kitamure. His more left-field projects include bringing sound to the duo Semiosis, an award winning collaboration in which he investigates relationships between image and audio, alongside creative partner and cinematography specialist Ryo Takahashi.

Wakasa’s path as a solo artist features a curious collection of EPs, each eliciting gentle contemplation and calm, drifting along on minimal currents of synthesiser. Becoming more active around 2019, Wakasa has been focusing on releases with fewer tracks with significant length that take the time they need to play out.

Made public on April 8th, Wakasa’s 4th EP is a reserved offering influenced by moments of silence, sadness, and beauty. Named after the eponymous lead track ‘I dive in to my jade’, the collection features four tracks leading towards the neo classical ‘Several Waves’, six minutes of measured ambient soundscape which echoes time spent by the artist observing the waves of the Japanese sea and allowing time to slip by.

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Enveloped the downtempo synth of ‘Weighted Blanket’ from Aqeel Aadam

From the album Hollow Moon - available now on Bandcamp: https://aqeelaadam.bandcamp.com/album/hollow-moon Find it on all streaming platforms here: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/aqeelaadam1/hollow-moon

Aqeel Aadam is involving himself in the electronic community from his base of operations in New York, looking to blend the boundaries between the genres of hip-hop and modern electronic, and incorporating a passion for modular synthesiser that began back when he was a teen getting to grips with production.

Making more determined movements to establish his discography, Aadam released Daydreams in late September 2019, a short series of cinematic movements. That’s now been followed by an eight track debut album released on April 24th , and made in association with the LA Label Mystery Circles, continuing their pattern of linking up with artists who are out to experiment with imaginative sound.

The album was put together by Aadam using a Eurorack Modular, alongside standalone synthesizers and is titled ‘Hollow Moon’. The LP takes a trip into themes of anxiety with each track investigating a different aspect of the condition, building into the larger narrative of self- exploration and self-acknowledgement.

Our featured track is ‘Weighted Blanket’, smaller clicks leading into a gentle and essentialist melody which is covered by unapologetically dense synth. The downtempo vibe ushers in a mood of peaceful relaxation, which is calm but inescapable.

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Golan uncovers the unconscious mind, with ‘Anima’

Download/Stream - Anima: https://GolanOfficial.lnk.to/Anima https://GolanOfficial.lnk.to/ThisIsGolan Produced by Golan Follow Golan: Website: https://www.gol...

Golan began formation back in 2014, the result of a chance meeting between future members in Havana. Six years down the line and the group has reached five members, without sacrificing integrity of their production or cutting down on risk and creativity. At this point Golan is practically a community of sound, with connections spreading to the event organisers and labels they’ve worked with.

Any attempt at a full summary of Golan’s sound would lack detail, but key elements include classical influence, vibes of electro-pop, minimal and vocal sampling. Regardless, their group size means no shortage of experience or talent, and if that simultaneously leads to instances of artistic conflict in the creative process, it certainly doesn’t appear in the final product.

Despite rapidly making waves, and even receiving Sunete magazine’s ‘Best Electro’ award the same year the band was established, Golan has taken their development at steady pace. Their first EP came in 2016, and it wasn’t until a year later that their first LP ‘Intro’ was released.

It follows that the upcoming 2nd album is highly anticipated, the first track of which will be made public on April 24th; ‘Anima’ is song that looks inward to inescapable thoughts, lifted by vocals which drift between subtle beats.

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Robot Koch’s ‘Dragonfly’ brings Organic sound to the future

Robot Koch began to claim his place in the electronic music scene back in the early 2000’s, his role in the avant-garde, bass-heavy music trio Jahcoozi playing a notable part in that process.

Within the sound of Robot Koch resides the organic ambience of percussion, cinematic synthesizer and artificially projected skies of minimalism. Search further and you may find ghostly vocal samples, and even elements of Techno and House.

Launching a solo career with Project Mooncircle, Koch has taken home the German Music Composers Award, had his music featured in a range of television and film, played several sessions for the acclaimed Boiler Room, in addition to performances at a number of major Festivals and running his own label.

May 29th will mark the release of ‘The Next Billion Years’, a collection inspired by the thoughts put forward in 1973 by lecturer Jacques-Yves Cousteau in regard to what the future might hold. ‘Dragonfly’ is the 6th track on the LP, an international work written in LA, recorded in Estonia and mixed in Berlin. Orchestration has been handled by industry veterans Kristjan Järvi and John Metcalfe and the result is both vibrant and versatile, embracing a unity of organic and minimal electronic.

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Shared discovery from Inventions: Outlook for the Future

Artist: Inventions Track: Outlook for the Future Album: Continuous Portrait Purchase: http://shop.temporaryresidence.com/trr346 Bandcamp: https://inventions....

‘Inventions’ is a partnership that demonstrates genuine passion for musical creation and a refusal to be satisfied with previous achievements. Neither Eluvium nor Mark T. Smith is new to the world of electronic music; both accomplished as artists and having accrued experience through the separate paths they’ve taken. It’s pleasing to know that the energy which powers Inventions is sourced from an essential desire to produce fresh, thoughtful music, and a lasting friendship between creators.

Eluvium (the main alias of ambient artist Matthew Cooper) has been a proponent of experimental electronic since around 2003 and stands atop a solid and varied discography. His colleague in this project Mark T. Smith is perhaps best known for his work as a member of post-rock group ‘Explosions in the Sky’, contributing guitar and synthesiser.

Their previous work may be substantial but it has minimal influence on the sound of Inventions, which steps onto new paths, experimenting with electro-acoustic, shifting tones, found noise and vocal samples. Now six years after their debut 2014 LP, Inventions will be releasing ‘Continuous Portrait’ through Temporary Residence Ltd. The pre-release track ‘Outlook for the Future’ repurposes found recordings to foster a sense of humanity, made weightless with the addition of looping flute samples.

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