// Denovali Swingfest 2013

Hi guys!

Denovali Swingfest 2013 has been announced and what a lineup it has this year.

Piano Interrupted (UK), Biosphere (NO), Deaf Centre (NO), Tim Hecker (CAN), Witxes (FR), Poppy Ackroyd (UK), Nils Frahm (GER), Field Rotation (GER) and my friend, Saffronkeira (IT) will be performing his new collaboration tracks along with Trumpeter Mario Massa (IT).

If you can get to Essen in early October this year, this is gonna be some great nights of music and should be checked out.

Link: http://www.sonofmarketing.it/eventi-essen-denovali-swingfest/

//Quick Post - Netherworld_Alchemy of Ice

Good friend of mine, Alessandro Tedeschi (Netherworld) has recently released his latest album Alchemy of Ice on his own label, Glacial Movements.

Glacial Movements is a well known and very highly respected label which uses glacial or ice sounds and soundscapes in its roots. Artists such as Netherworld himself, Pjusk and Francisco Lopez havell all appeared on its roster in the past and are all worth taking a listen to.

Alchemy of Ice is Netherworlds third release on Glacial Movements and has been spectacualarly mastered by the great Denis Blackman (Fennesz, Biosphere, William Basinski).

Buy here: www.glacialmovements.com/gmcat7.htm

// Newsletter 001 - 18th June 2013

First-Stage Experimental Newsletter 001

18th June 2013

Since I havent added anything for a long time I thought id better write up a new post about some actual music. Although these wont be reviews I thought id make some short observations in a short "newsletter" style update. 

If you like these newsletter ideas let me know what you would like to see in them, until then I will carry on posting in this format. 

Thanks.

Chris Pegg, First-Stage Experimental

New Artist: ((( Witxes )))

This artist has come to my attention with the recently announced re-release of his Sorcery / Geography. An interesting blend of ambience/electronic/acoustic and sometimes classical, Witxes is well worth taking a listen to to if you want to listen to something similar to SaffronKeira with a Rock/Metal edge. Intriguing stuff.

Find more information @ www.denovali.com/witxes/

New Album: Pixel - Mantel

I first came across Pixel when I found Alva Noto and Byetone. I was taken by his rhythmical use of the minimalist sound sample and found myself listening to his Set Your Centre Between Your Parts In Order To album over and over. 

Find more information @ www.shop.raster-noton.net/?pid=285

In Other News: Aoki Takamasa, Kangding Ray and Diamond Version

Lastly, just to upadte you with news of releases from Aoki Takamasa "RV8" and Kangding Ray "The Pentaki Slopes". Both of these releases can be found over at Raster-Noton (which you will know by now is one of my favorite labels). There has also been quite a lot of activity from Diamond Version (the collaboration between Alva Noto and Byetone) in that they have now released 1-5 of their EP's, all of which are well worth listening to. Absolutely sublime aural works.

// An Apology & Update

I am writing this post as an apology to the people who have been enjoying reading my blog posts about minimalist music around the world.

I am trying my hardest to find time to write more blog updates about the latest minimalist music that I have enjoyed listening to and reading reviews of. I am trying to get back into the swing of things as things have been getting a little more hectic for me in the last few weeks/months.

As many of you will know, I compose minimalist ambient electronic music under the moniker, Sleep Orchestra. Well good things have been happening and I am finding myself in the middle of a few projects that are expected this year and some more projects that may be released a little further afield. The things I can tell you is that these are truly exciting projects that I am working on, but most of them I can't tell you anything about. That's how exciting all this is!

The other thing I can tell you about is that I am hoping to get my first full length Sleep Orchestra release out later this year. I have been in my "studio" for a few months making some new sounds and loops and effect chains for this project. I can't tell you much about this, as, we'll I'm still working on it. Ill let you know the further details in the coming weeks/months.

I have also recently found some files that didn't make the cut for the first Endless Forms EP but I have been thinking that I may release them as the next instalment. They are similar to the Ossiir EP in rhythmic details etc but fit in after the experimentations I was working on at the time of Endless Forms [exhibit A]. Ill let you know!

Well that's how things stand at the moment, so please keep visiting my blog, I hope to get some more updates and review posts up on here again very soon.

Chris,

First-Stage Experimental

// Störung Festival 8

Störung Festival 8 took place in Barcelona, Spain between 17th and 20th April 2013. It took place at La Farinera del Clot and was in memory of Juan Diego, B, a good friend whom we all miss greatly.

The line up was spectacular and I am sure the Juan would have approved:

+Wednesday:
1. SAFFRONKEIRA, LIVE @ Universitat Metro
-
2. Mika Vainio, LIVE @ La Farinera del Clot
3. Pjusk, LIVE @ La Farinera del Clot
4. Yui Onodera, LIVE @ La Farinera del Clot

+Thursday:
1. Jacob Kirkegaard, LIVE @ La Farinera del Clot
2. Das Synthetische Mischgewebe, LIVE @ La Farinera del Clot
3. Asférico, LIVE with XX-XY Visuals @ La Farinera del Clot
4. Protofuse, LIVE @ La Farinera del Clot
5. Störung Workshop Performance, LIVE @ La Farinera del Clot

+Friday:
1. Francisco Lopez, LIVE @ La Farinera del Clot
2. Franck Vigroux & Antoine Schmitt, LIVE @ La Farinera del Clot
3. Mathias Delphanque, LIVE @ La Farinera del Clot
4. SAFFRONKEIRA, LIVE @ La Farinera del Clot

+Saturday:
1. Moritz Von Oswald, LIVE @ La Farinera del Clot
2. Mia Zabelka, LIVE @ La Farinera del Clot
3. Artificial Memory Trace, LIVE @ La Farinera del Clot
4. XX-XY Visuals and Sound Art Project, LIVE @ La Farinera del Clot

We had a mixture of experimental electronic music ranging from the highly experimental from Mia Zabelka and Das Synthetische Mischgewebe colliding against the laid back rhythms of Pjusk and XX-XY Visuals and Sound Art Project all the way through to the legendary Moritz Von Oswald.

We enjoyed multiple nights of Visuals and Music in a week of Audio Visual performances that really served the memory of Juan Diego, B. A highly emotional night for Asférico (Alex Gamez) was on Thursday, as he performed "Sonidos del Subconsciente", a release on the Galaverna label dedicated to the memory of Juan, "Friend and Mate".

Heres to another year of Störung Festival...

// Sleep Orchestra News

As you'll probably know by now i write my music under the moniker of Sleep Orchestra. This mini post on my blog is basically just to let you know that i have done my first internet interview as Sleep Orchestra, and you can find it and read it at the link below.

Thanks.

Link 1: http://kulturterrorismus.de/interviews/13-questions-to-sleep-orchestra.html

PS: Special thanks go out to both the blog, kulturterrorismus.de and my netlabel friends Dramavinile and Akamoi at manyfeetunder/homemade label.

// SaffronKeira "Tourette" (Italian)

Well, here we are. About a half year after the superb "A New Life" double disc release from SaffronKeira on the Denovali Label we have a brand new album. "Tourette" follows the same overall soundscape of the debut release but pushes it in a new direction. When I first heard the works from SaffronKeira (Eugenio Caria), I was reminded of the artists who inspired me to write my own music. Eugenio manages to wrap all these various artists styles and production techniques up in own way, add in some of his own ideas, throw them up in the air and see what lands. Its an incredible emotional journey through quite a familiar yet also slightly disturbing soundscape that moves you.

With the debut release Eugenio wanted to tell of the story of life, from the beginnings to the end from the joys of new life to the sadness of loss. With this new release, SaffronKeira instead takes you into the mind. As its name suggests, "Tourette" talks about mental disabilities and the difficulties of coming to terms with what this means. Also like the disease itself, the music can have spontaneous outbursts where it changes direction and hits you with something digital and harsh the next moment it could hit you with something very emotional. The best track that shows this is the frankly superb "1859-1904". 

There are many highlights on this album that must be heard to fully appreciate. If you are looking for a taster of these tracks, you can find videos on youtube.com. These are as follows:

Link 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhS7NITDyCA - "1859-1905"
Link 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHyguJZFXcI - "The Hope"
Link 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgYAO29369A - "The Disease"

This new album is a natural progression for SaffronKeira and its great to see that Eugenio Caria is kicking out new material at a great rate. For those who love music by Max Richter or the Mexican genius that is Murcof, this and his debut release are must buys.

Buy from:
Link 4: http://denovali.com/saffronkeira/

SaffronKeira will be performing at Störung Festival 8 on 17th April at TMB, Metro Universitat, 19:00h, and also on the 19th April at La Farinera del Clot, 20:00h.

@storungfestival8
#storungfestival8