COSMIC VIBRATIONS – Compiled By Zeb Samuels
Following the release of ‘Sampler 1’ on the 30th March, record label owner and multi-dexterous performer Zeb Samuels is unleashing a full compilation album, released at the end of March via UK tastemaker label Deep Heads.
‘Cosmic Vibrations’ is a masterful production, combining the voices of the Deep Heads’ family to curate a deeply immersive fusion of dreamy electronica and downtempo soundscapes. Featuring the likes of Flying Lotus, Synkro, Bonobo, Biome, Ash Walker, BadBadNotGood and Kaytranada, the finished product generously offers seven unreleased tracks as part of a thirteen track poly-chromatic masterpiece, including three tracks from Zeb himself, all previously unreleased.
The first four track sampler embarks on an immersive listening experience through a wealth of music genius. By highlighting artists from the Deep Heads family, our first introduction to the compilations came in the form of Zeb Samuels’ ‘Back To Your Soul’. ’Cosmic Vibrations’ then continues to expand on this astronomical agenda, with Ash Walker’s remix of ‘Drifting’ by Escapism Refuge & Zeb Samuels, with all the intricate electronic textures beautifully accomplished throughout.
Amongst the sea of talented names featuring across the full release is the multi-genre music titan Flying Lotus. Founder of the independent cult label Brainfeeder established in 2008, the experimental music pioneer has signed the likes of Thundercat and Lapalux – who’s Pitchfork-approved track ‘Without You’ also features on the compilation. Ash Walker brings in another distinctive talent on track 4, ‘They Have Lost Jesus’ with Yazz Ahmed, who emerged as a distinctive voice on the UK Jazz scene after she performed the flugelhorn on Radiohead’s Grammy nominated 2011 album ‘The King of Limbs’.
Born and raised in London, Zeb Samuels has been a prominent figure in the music industry, having worked on releases with Synkro (R&S, Apollo) with his label Smokin’ Sessions, Reso (Hospital Records), Vivek, Djrum and more recently Escapism Refuge, where he worked as Executive Producer & Composer on the album ‘Hold’. Zeb also worked very closely with Ash Walker as Executive Producer, Writer & Performer on his studio albums that have received worldwide critical acclaim.
With ‘Cosmic Vibrations’ release, Zeb Samuels continues to demonstrate his alluring artistic ability and multi-faceted talent, resonating widely through the industry with a brand of sonic curation that’s always fresh and distinct.
Video: Crooked Teeth – Mountain Song
East London electro beat masters Crooked Teeth share new release, ‘Mountain Song’, the band’s debut single for Lost in the Manor Records.
The Orb – Doughnuts Forever
Stream ‘Doughnuts Forever’ via YouTube above, Spotify and more here
On June 22nd Alex Paterson’s longstanding electronic titans The Orb present new album ‘No Sounds Are Out Of Bounds’, which as the title suggests finds them embracing an anything-goes new approach to creative freedom.
Refreshing and reinventing the predominantly two-man set up with Thomas Fehlmann on the prior two albums (‘Moonbuilding 2703 AD’ and ‘COW / Chill Out World!’), ‘No Sounds…’ is intentionally an ensemble piece, featuring a large cast of big names, cult heroes, rising talent and fresh newcomers.
Alex Paterson, Thomas Fehlmann, Youth, Roger Eno, Hollie Cook and Guy Pratt take star turns, as does heroic bassist Jah Wobble, who returns to the fold following the bassbin-bullying anthem ‘Blue Room’.
Additional supporting roles come from Gaudi, Roney FM and Michael Rendall, plus vocalists Brother Culture, Mary Pearce, Emma Gillespie, Rianna, and Andy Cain – who’s best known for voicing Mark Ernestus and Moritz Von Oswald’s deep house gems ‘I’m Your Brother’ and ‘A New Day’.
“I wanted to try something with more musicians and more voices. More contributors essentially – similar to the conditions our first album ‘Adventures Beyond The Ultraworld’ were recorded in”, explains Alex.
“Thomas and I made two streamlined, techno-style albums for Kompakt which I love, but this time I wanted a change to expand the palate, and to bring in other elements that will keep people guessing and keep them confused.
This is a more English and less German sounding LP and it’s on an English label, although obviously the music comes from all over the globe and beyond, as do the musicians.”
Despite featuring a cheeky nod to their remix of Primal Scream’s ‘Higher Than The Sun’, vocal led opener ‘The End Of The Road’ makes it clear this is virgin territory. But despite new paths being forged, Paterson’s omnipresent humour remains on ‘I Wish I Had A Pretty Dog’’s animalistic rhythm – joined by tablas, strings, half speed beats and bass, which collide like planets in the cosmos.
Hollie Cook returns a favour following Alex’s production work on her ‘Vessel Of Love’ album, lending her vocals to the Battersea-referencing, classic dub house throbber ‘Rush Hill Road’, alongside Brother Culture.
The first of several tracks to feature Roney FM’s plummy, faux vintage BBC voice, ‘Pillow Fight At Shag Mountain’ is airy and bright like stratus on a clear day, bubbling in pleasing fashion through various styles and samples tethered by Wobble’s bass and Eno’s piano, somehow coalescing, making illogical logic in a way only The Orb can.
‘Isle Of Horns’ pares things down to a loping, dusty and organically-minimal piece that’s closer to the last two albums, yet works well as a subtler break from other more maximal moments herein.
Driven by Youth’s double bass, ‘Wolfbane’ is a lysergic romp through hip hop across the ages, from Run DMC to Dre to Dilla. It also withholds the anti-war stance expressed on ‘COW’, putting vintage nuclear threat back on the menu, thanks to Trump, Jong-un and Putin.
Paying homage to another or Alex’s faves is the boom bap of ‘Doughnuts Forever’, which swings from chilling, pensive atmosphere into reassuringly lush, 50s Hollywood strings and back again.
Featuring the singing and poetry of Rianna, the “small dittie” ‘Drift’ offers another pleasant moment of calm reflection, before“Wobble’s phenomenal bassline and Roger’s supreme piano” on ‘Easy On The Onions’ elevates the listener blissfully skywards above Bermondsey and “West Snorewood”.
‘Ununited States’ takes a darker but breathtaking turn, with Eno’s playing taking centre stage on what Alex claims is “how the new ‘Blade Runner’ score should’ve sounded” – and it’s hard to disagree.
Ending the album on majestic form (and also mirroring ‘Ultraworld’’s lengthy closer ‘A Huge Evergrowing Pulsating Brain…’) is the 15 minute classic opus ‘Soul Planet’, which finds the vocal axis between divas of house music and Pink Floyd’s ‘Great Gig In The Sky’. Disembodied voices float in a black hole, before an undulating throb cuts through the darkness, with layers of detail gradually building to a gentle euphoria, before drifting back into the darkness of space, with a lonely piano refrain.
Really The Orb should need no introduction by now, but in essence they’re a rotating cast of members helmed by Paterson that began in 1988 and still thrives to this day. They were there since UK acid house day one, providing a unique ambient take on the musical milieu and soon rising to chart-topping, huge-venue-headlining prominence. They’ve released 17 albums plus EPs, singles, compilations and live recordings, influencing countless other musicians along the way.
1. ‘The End of the End’
2. ‘Wish I Had a Pretty Dog’
3. ‘Rush Hill Road’
4. ‘Pillow Fight @ Shag Mountain’
5. ‘Isle of Horns’
6. ‘Wolfbane’
7. ‘Other Blue Worlds’
8. ‘Doughnuts Forever’
9. ‘Drift’
10. ‘Easy On the Onions’
11. ‘Ununited States’
12. ‘Soul Planet’
The Orb present ‘ORBFEST’ at the Roundhouse, London on Saturday 23rd June.
MASSIVE ATTACK ENCODE MEZZANINE INTO DNA
Massive Attack have marked the passing of 20 years since the release of Mezzanine by encoding the album into DNA. This is the first time that an entire album has been stored in this way.
In 1998 Mezzanine became the first album to be made available as a free stream from the internet using Real Audio player.
Today, on the anniversary of its release the process of writing the DNA has begun – an acknowledgement that it could be an answer to the problem of archiving the increasing amount of information that the world is creating.
Robert Del Naja is especially interested in the idea that the synthesised DNA can be added to paint or ink and where that might lead in the creation of art and artefacts.
Massive Attack employs technology developed at ETH Zurich by Professor Robert Grass and his team. They also partner with the Zurich-based company Turbobeads and the U.S. company, CustomArray to realise the project.
Keep Shelly in Athens – Livin’
Keep Shelly in Athens’ brand new single is out now. Get it here: https://goo.gl/gWpYQt
Video: Stereo Nova – Video Club
Στέρεο Νόβα – Βίντεο Κλαμπ. Taken from the the legendary Greek band’s new album “Ουρανός”. Out on May 4th via Inner Ear Records. Pre-order here: http://smarturl.it/xlcrfz
Talaboman – Dins El Llit (Superpitcher Remix)
Taken from ‘The Night Land Remixed’, out May 18 on R&S Records.
Video: Kerala Dust – Maria
Taken from the forthcoming Kerala Dust EP ‘Francesca’s Frames’: https://Ouie.lnk.to/FrancescasFrames
Ocean Hope – Devotion
Lead single from brother-sister Greek duo Ocean Hope’s debut LP ‘Rolling Days’. Release date: May 25th 2018 / Hush Hush Records
Pre-order ‘Rolling Days’ – hushhushrecords.bandcamp.com/album/rolling-days
