Thursday, February 29, 2024

Dopplereffekt - Infinite Tetraspace EP, Arpanet Biometry reissue and more


 

There is a new four track Dopplereffekt EP Infinite Tetraspace on Italy's Curtis Electronix due on 1st March. You can pre-order and sample all four tracks on clone.nl, Bandcamp and more. 

Also in March 2024 there is double vinyl re-press of Biometry (2004) by Der Zyklys on Clone Records' Aqualung label. It was last re-pressed in 2015 (for the first time), a sign I suppose of new fans getting into his forever fresh sounding music, no more so than on this futuristic album. Bandcamp link up now.

There is a new Dopplereffekt remodel included on Digital Entropy by Sheffield's Datashader on Tresor Berlin. You can pre-order the vinyl and digital now on BC and elsewhere online. 

You can now get the It's Amazing EP by Lucie Antunes on Bandcamp (digital only). Its been available since last August but only now on BC. It includes a remix by Dopplereffekt.

Dopplereffekt will be appearing at Houghton Festival, Norfolk, England, which runs from 8th-11th August. Full details here. They also have a gig in Paris on 30th March and at Tresor, Berlin on 26th April .

Arpanet play live at Portugal's Waking Life Festival, which runs from 19th-24th June 2024. Full details here.

You can now purchase on 12" vinyl and digital the The Exaltics' Das Heise Experiment - The Remixes on the Solar One Music Bandcamp. It includes Arpanet's 'Helium Shell Remodel' of 'Zwoelf'.


'The mutant fishmen are back'

I noticed a Drexciya - Digital Tsunami EP press release/info sheet I hadn't seen or archived here before was shared online. I've cropped it to make it readable. While there doesn't seem to be anything directly from the group in the text, written by UK promo company ePM, it's good to know the exact release date (16/12/01) and interesting to see how they were being marketed by Tresor Berlin at the time.

One of the best things about doing DRL has been finding pieces of forgotten or not widely known information or in some cases a whole website, World Techno Nation (circa 2001). Stewart Caig was in touch to say he ran this website. He also ran the UK label Digital Soul which had another Drexciya connection. Before social media, Wikipedia, You Tube and Discogs these fan run websites and forums etc were an essential part of various underground music scenes, especially for Techno.

These Wayback Machine links will take you there

Drexciya biog and discography

Ultradyne and Dopplereffekt live in Detroit 2001 review and Ultradyne interview (more info below)

General Interviews

General Menu

I was looking at the old website for World Techno Nation on the Wayback Machine and one of the most interesting things they had was a review of the Ultradyne and Dopplereffekt show at Eyes Only, Liberal Arts Gallery, Detroit during the DEMF in 2001, which I have written about before. This would have been a very early gig for Dopplereffekt and it seems to have been just Gerald Donald on stage. In the pic (below) you can see the flags from Dopplereffekt's set still up when Ultradyne play. On the same page there is also a good interview with Ultradyne. Nice to find this piece of history.


BMG aka Brendan M Gillen of Ectomorph's 2012 piece on Drexciya for Beatportal is no longer accessible but you can still read it on Wayback Machine here.

The Detroit music journalist Dan Sicko's research material has long been held at the University of Michigan since his death. I've known there was tape with a Drexciya interview but didn't know the details until now. It's just over 12 mins long and most likely dates from 1997. I think the quotes were used in his Techno Rebels book and quite possibly Techno: The Rough Guide by Tim Barr (Sicko wrote a few of the entries). You can request the tape in person or listen online if connected to the campus network (for students and staff only). Text for tape below:

'[Side 1], Undated

(First Interview with musician of afrofuturist techno duo, Drexciya. discussion of influences, history and music. Discussion of album The Quest (1997) and others; Second Interview with Adam Sherburne musician of Consolidated regarding current issues in band and music direction. First Interview 0-12:38; Second Interview 12:40-end of tape)

[Side 2], Undated

(Interview with former Kraftwerk musician, Florian Schneider at Electric Music Studios. Discussion regarding his solo career, and working with Kraftwerk.)'

This video gives you a glimpse of the HOPE exhibition at Italy's Museion. At 2min 30sec there is the section introduced by DeForrest Brown Jr with music by Drexciya and his part of the show can be seen. 

You can hear Zwischenwelt's 'Materialisation' (2011) used underneath 'Coven of the Dead' (2021) by German Death Metal band Crypts (the beginning is best place to hear). It's actually a brilliant combination. Bandcamp for Crypts' album of the same name.



Friday, December 08, 2023

Drexciya catalogue Spotify playlist and more



Clone, Tresor and Warp have combined their Drexciya catalogues to create a 144 song playlist on Spotify. It includes music by Drexciya, Transllusion, The Other People Place, Abstract Thought, Shifted Phases and Lab Rat XL. It feels like an historic moment to see them all together like this (total play time is 9hrs 30 mins). The only album that's missing is Transllusion's L.I.F.E (hope this gets reissued someday soon). If you have Spotify it can be accessed here (if you don't you can still see the list).

Dopplereffekt created a new various artist mix for Different Sound.

There is a new Arpanet remix on box set reissue of Das Heise Experiment by The Exaltics. Bandcamp link here.

A fan video of Dopplereffekt at British Library. 

A new Drexciya centred radio show by Crix Madine. 

Be sure to check out the DRL FB page for daily posts. 

Tuesday, October 10, 2023

NRSB-11 Commodified and self-titled 12" EP reissued and more


The long out of press and highly sought after album and self-titled 12" EP by NRSB-11 has been reissued by Disciples (a  sub-label of Warp Records). You can get both as a bundle along with a tote-bag exclusively from Bleep now at this link. You can also get just the album Commodified on double clear vinyl and CD. The three track 12" EP is also available on clear vinyl and features Nina Kraviz on one track. This is fantastic news and has been one fans have wanted at retail price for a long time. The EP and album were originally released on WeMe Records in 2012 and 2013.

https://bleep.com/release/410892-nrsb-11-commodified

https://bleep.com/release/411902-nrsb-11-nrsb-11

'NRSB-11 is the brainchild of Dataphysix (of Drexciya and Dopplereffekt) DJ Stingray 313 (Drexciya's touring DJ), Penelope Martin and Lana Jastrevski. Their sole and wholly singular album Commodified dropped in 2013 on Belgium label WéMè Records, enigmatically and to immediate attention. The ever current affairs of economics, capitalism, and consumer culture resonate deeply through sparing digitised voices, electrical discharges, and illustrious mechanical rhythms.'

There was a live stream of Dopplereffekt's recent show for Machina Bristonica. It's still online and I've just watched it and it's pretty incredible stuff, amazing music from sound-desk and visuals by Maria Mendes. Well worth a look, hopefully it will remain online. You will find their whole set at 1hr 33min.

It's always a good day when you discover a new Dopplereffekt remix! One of my readers brought 'It's Amazing (Dopplereffekt Hadron Matrix version)' by Lucie Antunes to my attention. Listen on YouTube here and follow links for download,

'Dopplereffekt’s remix of 'It’s Amazing' takes the dance record and morphs its playful ambiance into a synthetic conceptual soundscape. On the original track, Lucie craftily layers computer generated vocals into the production, while Dopplereffekt have stripped the robotic vocals to bare bones, reminiscent of Kraftwerk with their pulsating new wave FM synths.'

Awesome fun track inspired by Dopplereffekt and Dire Straits by the very talented Ed DMX. Love the artwork too.

There is a new track, 'Artimisia' by Avina Vishnu on their Bandcamp. They are really going back to nature with this project.

Albert van Abbe is releasing a very special four track EP of Heinrich Mueller remixes he has commissioned in the past, including one exclusive mix. You can get it on digital or as a one-off acetate dubplate. The artwork is by Erwin Thomasse. You can listen to the unreleased remix on Bandcamp too (pre-order now, out on 19th Oct).

Andrea Benedetti has made an excellent new James Stinson tribute mix for Italy's Radio Raheen.

A 30 minute Gerald Donald video tribute mix I found. The camera angle is right about the decks and mixer, good stuff. Deal With It No. 3 by DJ Tabi aka Olivia Xhignesse.

Drexciya are included in this exhibition in Italy from September 30, 2023 – February 25, 2024. Full details here.

I found this text on Tresor Berlin's old website back in 2004 via the Wayback Machine. Interesting to note how important 'Positron Island' was to the beginning of their relationship back in 1993.

'The first sightings of this nebulous Detroit Techno/Electro outfit began during 1991, forming close liaisons with Underground Resistance and Submerge. "Staying low and staying true", each instalment of the mighty Drexciya discography narrates fantastic accounts of conflict and survival in the dark depths of unwritten history chapters; tales of ...yesternow. Swimming with stories of `aquatic funk bombs and `Darthouven Fish Men, Drexciyan philosophy, technology and time travel are very real aspects and vital parts to the project.Recording mainly within the UR, Submerge, Shockwave triumverate, Drexciyan outings with labels outside of Detroit have been rare with the exception of one-offs for Warp and Rephlex. Tresor established contact with Drexciya in 1993 via UR with the release of "Deep Detroit Vol. 2: Magic Tracks Compiled by Juan Atkins" featuring Drexciya´s "Positron Island"; the track which for many European youth would become anthemic, sonically defining the magic that is Detroit. Within the then revolutionary climates found in united Germany and other Eastern European countries finding themselves anew, Drexciya was the sound of originality; music for change and identity. Armed with freestyle Electro, Techno and Funk, Drexciya defies categorization and sounds like ...`Drexciya'.'


One of my readers very kindly shared a photo of the new cover artwork for Tresor Berlin's recent Drexciya reissues. If any of you are visiting there soon it can be found outside Tresor's club. You can also just about make out a James Stinson quote underneath, "An infinite journey to inner space within". It comes from the Liz Copeland interview on Detroit Public Radio in 2002. The sentence was in response to being asked to describe the theme of Drexciya; in full he said, “An infinite journey to inner space, within, and find out the beauty that’s inside and bring it out."

Friday, July 14, 2023

Drexciya Day 2023

 


‘A date for your diaries. A unique central London Drexciya event is soon to be announced for Friday 3rd November’. I have been allowed to share this much and while this event is happening outside of the Drexciya Day period, I thought it belonged here, more info soon. EDIT: It will be Dopplereffekt live with special guests at the British Library, full details here

There will be a Drexciya Day event in Rome on Sat 2nd September, I will put up a link when I have it but for now they say this. 'This time for the annual meeting we have been doing since 2017 to remember the disappearance of James Stinson/Drexciya we change space and from Spin with Fabrizio Rega we move to Forte Antenna. At the time it was 15 years old and every year it seems more for the depth of the music that has left us, one of the greatest expressions of Techno Detroit has given us and that today seems even more unreachable. Forte Antenne has given us the opportunity to celebrate it in the Forte Court from 19.00 to 5.00. Paolo Monti aka T/Error, Alessio Qu Er Vernuccio aka Akkaelle, Bob Arctor and the Giano Electronics crew will be there. If you’re in the area come on by! More info soon.'

Clone Records have announced the reissue of Grava 4, Jack Peoples EP, Abstract Thought EP and the Transllusion EP for the first week of September, bang in the middle of the Drexciya Day period.

The 21st anniversary of James Stinson's death will be in about six weeks time, 3rd September. Since 2017 fans around the world have been celebrating his music on or around this date on what has become known as 'Drexciya Day'. 

As ever there is no pressure from DRL as this concept originally happened spontaneously and I simply remind people about it and promote whatever anyone feels like doing that year. Previously fans have organised DJ nights, radio shows and online events. The former have ranged from a small get together in a bar or café to larger events.

If anyone wants to organise something please let me know and I will be very happy to share it at the top of this post and on the DRL FB page. Email or contact me through the DRL FB page with an FB event link or whatever. Please use #drexciyaday2023 for your events. 

Thanks


 



Thursday, July 13, 2023

Heinrich Mueller - False Vacuum Vol. 2


WeMe Records have announced a second collection of Heinrich Mueller remixes/remodels False Vacuum Vol. 2. This time they have selected thirteen of these rare tracks, three of which will be on vinyl for the first time. It will be available from 17th September. You can pre-order a 2LP turquoise coloured vinyl now from WeMe only.

It is also available now to pre-order on regular black 2LP from places like Clone and Juno. It's really great to see a second volume of these being made available and it's something I've been keen to see happen for a long time. To help out I nominated some of the remixes and wrote the promo text as well (below). You can listen to samples of all the tracks at the link above. I've updated the Heinrich Mueller remix/remodel list at this link too, so you can see what is still uncollected on these compilations (ripe for volume 3).

'Its been five years since Belgium’s WeMe Records lovingly selected the first ever collection of Heinrich Mueller’s (Drexciya/Doppleffekt) best remixes/remodels for a new generation of listeners that won’t have to pay collector prices to have them on vinyl. Volume 2 of False Vacuum is now with us and still has riches to choose from. These 13 rare and hard to find tracks (3 of which make their vinyl debut) all deliver in different ways as he systematically reinvents each one.

Beginning with his raw and now classic remix of Ultradyne’s ‘Clones’, the hard-edged dance-floor friendly ‘Woman’s Scent’ by Cisco Ferreira (The Advent), the more laidback and futuristic sounding ‘Bohrium 274’ by Jauzas the Shining and Victoria Lukas, the slow and mysterious and first time on vinyl ‘Somehow’ by Rough Days For Diamond Trade, reinventing the darkest of dance-floors on ‘Rytumtraks 0002’ by Albert van Abbe, the moody masterpiece and first time on vinyl ‘Now We Continue’ by White Car, Duplex’s ‘Autoslug’ sounding like its been rearranged inside a black-hole, a balancing act between the light and darkness on Fasenuova ‘Cachito Turulo’, an insistent rise and falling workout for As One’s ‘Where Did He Go and Why’, a tightly wound and almost meditative ‘The Truth’ by The Exaltics, an angular stomping march of the robots ‘Longwang’ by 6D22, a jumpy fidgety groove for first time on vinyl ‘Forty Eight Hours’ by Yan Wagner and perhaps one of his most sublime pieces is kept for last with ‘So Long For A Small Storm’ by Dollska.'


Tuesday, July 04, 2023

New James Stinson pic, L.A.M., Clarence & Glass Domain reissues, Arpanet & Dopplereffekt live and more


One of my readers kindly let me know they had shared a Submerge distribution catalogue from 1994 on their Instagram and FB accounts. I gave it a quick look (quite small online) and wondered who was in the UR photo. I checked the full-size image and recognised a very rare sighting of James Stinson, referred to in the text as '1 Militant Sea Dweller'.

The manoeuvres UR were on would most likely have been their trip to New York's New Music Seminar in 1991 or perhaps '92 (when UR played live). In the 2017 Red Bull Music about this legendary first visit (where they all wore UR T-shirts) both Terrence Parker and Agent X were definitely there. If this is correct it's interesting to know that James was part of the crew from even before Drexciya's debut Deep Sea Dweller EP was released or certainly by '92 (which obviously 'sea dweller' references).

This was a hugely important event for UR to make their mark on the industry and it's even when they met people from Tresor for the first time (at '91 event). As you can see they all look like they were having a great time. 

Please look for similar stuff in your collections!

Clone Records have re-pressed the full trilogy of pre-Drexciya releases. Clarence's Hyperpace Sound Lab 12" EP, Life After Mutation's Balance of Terror 12" EP and Glass Domain's s/t titled 12" EP. They are all available now from clone.nl and all good record stores

There is a free Arpanet show in Paris on 16th July. It is part of a Post-Web conference. You have to RSVP them, more details here and it says 'futuristic/cosmic/cybernetic costumes encouraged'.

Dopplereffekt play Bristol at a festival on 30th September.

This is a really good and brand new James Stinson and Gerald Donald mix by Phil Lucas. He also wrote a text to go with it, some of which is below, enjoy. 

One of my readers tipped me off to this excellent remix of Dopplereffekt's 'Satellites' by Glasgow's Fear-E. It's also make your own price/free if you want to download from Bandcamp.

Clone Records are celebrating 31 years and will be releasing a new boxset compilation Sonic Transmutations. It's quite a line-up and well done to them. From a DRL perspective, Dopplereffekt rarity 'Dyson Sphere' is included. It was last seen on vinyl in 2012 on an obscure Spanish festival compilation. You can sample all the tracks from the comp at this link.

The All Trades and Prieste5s collaborative EP is now available. They won a contest run by Brighter Sound to tie in with Drexciya Day in Manchester last year. As well as digital there is a limited run 12" dubplate w/ A3 Artwork by Abu Qadim Haqq on Bandcamp.

Ayana V. Jackson has a new Drexciya inspired art show on at Washington's Smithsonian from now until 29th Jan 2024. This is the second stage of her project, From the Deep: In the Wake of Drexciya, that I've shared and I continue to be in awe of the lengths she has gone to realise her vision.

A fan has made an AI generated animated extension of the cover of The Other People Place's Lifestyles of the Laptop Cafe on YouTube. If you've ever wanted to hear and see more of that forest and see what might be in that room then enjoy the ride. Look out for the Drexciya logo, I missed it the first time I watched. This now iconic artwork was created by The Designers Republic and released on Warp Records in 2001.

I wrote a review of A Sphere of Water Orbiting a Star by The Otolith Group at Galway Arts Centre that you can read at this link (exhibition runs until 1st July). The show is very much inspired and informed by Drexciya and the voice of Gerald Donald is featured in both films. The subject of their origin story and more is raised. Well worth a visit if you can, if not I hope the review can suffice.

'Drexciya's Aquatic Invasion was one of the first records Koreman purchased, he told Resident Advisor, and he tried repeatedly to commission a remix from members James Stinson and Gerald Donald in the late '90s, with no success. After a few conversations with Mike Banks, Koreman received a message on his answering machine saying, "Drexciya don't have no phone, but they are too busy to do your remix." '

Back in 2017 Drvg Cvltvre released a 12" EP H-World: Recolonization that was inspired by Drexciya. I did share it here on the DRL FB page at the time but not this part of the article for Resident Advisor. There are still copies in stock at clone.nl too.


Monday, May 08, 2023

Gerald Donald guide on Accolades, The Otolith Group in Galway preview and more

A video interview with DJ Prime Cuts of Scratch Perverts talking to Crate Records about the music of Gerald Donald for their Accolades series (12 mins). Worth book-marking and watching when you can. 

Dopplereffekt are on the bill for this festival in Mongolia, 10th June 2023.

New Drexciya related work from The Otolith Group at Galway Arts Centre, Ireland (13th May - 1st July). The opening includes a talk with The Otolith Group and DeForrest Brown Jr plus a DJ set by the latter. Full details at link

‘A Sphere Of Water Orbiting A Star’, conceived by The Otolith Group in collaboration with sound designer and composer Tyler Friedman for Galway Arts Centre, features unreleased recordings of conversations between Gerald Donald of Detroit Techno duo Drexciya and Kodwo Eshun, along with films made in Galway at the mouth of the River Corrib as it enters the Atlantic Ocean.

‘A Sphere Of Water Orbiting A Star’ is an immersive audio visual environment, conceived as a guide to the imagination, exploring a liquid world orbiting a binary star system through the sonic portal of Drexciya.'

You can also watch the trailer and rent Hydra Decapita (2010) by The Otolith Group at this Vimeo link. The particular section used for the trailer (1 min) is actually really interesting because you can hear Gerald Donald talking about the origins and nature of Drexciya/Drexciyans. 

I've updated the Discography post on DRL and have now included official stream and digital download links as well. Its been designed as an 'at a glance' guide to Drexciya and all the other related projects I cover here. It's everything I'm aware of and when it was first and last pressed. If there's anything I've missed please let me know, enjoy.

"Between ’98 and ’06 I was working menial jobs and doing minimal production, but nothing that was released with the exception of a mix I did on Ken’s first 12″. It was a strange period for sure. I was a little too focused on chilling. It took the DEMF and a meeting with James Stinson to snap me out of a malaise that I was in."

Great 2010 DJ Stingray 313 interview in Little White Earbuds (full interview here). 

The new Nativist EP from Ultradyne is now available on vinyl at various places online and elsewhere and digitally from their Bandcamp.

Anders Wimpelman has made another great Drexciya and related themed mix. I like how he includes so many different projects of James Stinson and Gerald Donald as well as interview snippets as well. Part 2 of mix here.