Jesse Maas
LTD EP

The latest reissue from chOOn!! is Giedrius Kuprevičius' Erotidijos, the sixth release from the label that specialises in obscure, archival and forgotten releases.Erotidijos translates from the Lithuanian to “Erotidies” - these were festivals held in honour of Eros, God of Love in Ancient Greece. They were organised every five years and were famous for their celebrations, decorations and luxury. Ritual games were played during the festivals, musicians and poets competed, worshipping Eros.Erotidijos is a haunting yet hypnotic tableaux Kuprevičius originally created for a Stanislovas Rubinovas theatre play staged in 1994 in Kaunas, Lithuania. The Lithuanian composer was one of the founding members of the pioneering electronic pop outfit Argo and has written dozens of scores for stage and film over the past several decades, imbuing his soundwork with a multitude of artful moods and emotive depth.The story of Erotidijos unfolds in both melancholic and serenely lush scenery, in turn mysterious and playful. Memories of places you’ve never been drift into frame, from bedroom womb into a foliage of phantasmal keys and gently psychotropic symphonies. A collection that glissandos between notes, place, and time.Erotidijos is guided by an intuitive, improvisational dream logic that threads the line between waking and sleeping revelations. It offers a hazy, voyeuristic lens into another world with dusty ambience and eccentric keyboard effects, warm synth pads and shimmering vistas serving as soft accents to the angelic murmur of giggling voices.As you listen, you are invited to apply your own interpretation of Erotidijos’ narrative of a new land, its climate, sounds, and geography. A contemplative, celestial electronic work in a gentle, often beautiful ambient style which breezily swings with exquisite analogue synth textures and infinity loops. Jazz spontaneity and organic pop impulses lift the meditative veil, ending with a climactic final scene: a sensuous reverie complete with shedding light and gently opening synapses.Available for the first time on vinyl, including over thirty minutes of music not featured on the original cassette release and produced in cooperation with Giedrius Kuprevičius for chOOn!!.

Tristan da Cunha and Brawther's Dungeon Meat label always serve up the chunkiest cuts of juicy house music. Next to offer up some perfectly tenderized beats is Azaad with the Sonic Boom EP. 'Zest' kicks off with some infectious house swing and great height in the drums, all overlaid with chopped vocals and old school US garage pads. The title cut is more tightly woven and stripped back with alien synth sounds and 'Dub Analyser' then gets raw, percussive, and edgy with its hardcore house sound. The slinkiest of the lot is saved for last with 'Making Moves' getting right under your skin. Great stuff.

Tenka aka Meitei and Berlin-based, Japanese scent designer, Ryoko have combined to make a scent that complements this new album from Tenka. It is well worth finding it if you can. The album itself is his first since his trilogy series and once again establishes him as a leading voice in the contemporary electronic scene of Japan. Hydration finds him looking to "work without the boundaries of theme, storytelling or audience expectations" and spent many hours in nearby mountain forests to find inspiration. That plays out with colour, sound, smell, humidity, touch, atmosphere and taste all colouring the grooves.

Switching RhetoricsFirst-ever vinyl edition of Shora & Merzbow’s split release Switching Rhetorics, originally published on CD in 2001, with remastered audio and updated artwork.Following the release of their acclaimed first record Shaping The Random in June 2000, Shora spent the next year touring and gigging around Europe, eventually reconvening in the studio in the summer of 2001 to record four tracks for a collaborative project with Japanese noise-meister Merzbow, a pairing initiated by Bisect Bleep Industries. The band’s sound had by that point coalesced into a tighter and arguably even more hard-hitting affair, however no less puzzling. The blistering first three tracks exude formidable confidence, embracing Dazzling Killmen-styled noise-rock and apocalyptic black metal alike, while maintaining all of Shora’s eloquent singularity. The drumming particularly shines ­throughout, with its multidirectional eruptions of seemingly pure kinetic energy. As its title suggests, the record’s grandiose and repetitive closing piece “To Further Confines” is a clear indication of the Swiss band’s desire to keep challenging itself and looking ahead. Completed with Merzbow’s extended psychedelic digital noise études, Switching Rhetorics is an era-defining record of genuinely great artistry.

In 2006 the now defunct BaseLogic label released the first in a triad of EP's entitled 'Fixxy', produced by the enigmatic British artist Ed Chamberlain. These EPs left many electronic music lovers scratching their heads, having heard something genuinely different. It represented a new generation of IDM reminiscent of The Black Dog or Plaid, melancholic electro with a meticulous nuanced palate that immediately transformed Chamberlain into a revered figure.Fifteen years on Lapsus Records, as part of its 'Perennial' series, will release Ed Chamberlain’s superlative productions across 2x12", entitled '03/06'. The lavish 12” double pack will feature a sizeable part of the ‘Fixxy’ material, along with additional tracks created during the same period of time, 2003 – 2006, including 'Zarathustra' and 'Does Ape' –the latter released on vinyl in 2008 by Madrid label Semantica–. For this special release all tracks have been re-mastered and will be pressed and packaged in a deluxe edition format.