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2LP
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KOM 453LP
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Double LP version. Italian duo Agents Of Time have been incredibly busy over the past few years, from releasing a string of classic singles -- including their recent single for Afterlife, "The Mirage" -- to remixing The Weeknd's "Take My Breath", which appeared on his recent Dawn FM (Alternative World). But the biggest news is here now -- their second album, Universo, is ready. Elevating their trademark melodic techno with an exquisite pop-ness, Universo has found its ideal home with Kompakt, following their Music Made Paradise 2020 debut EP for the label (KOM 417EP). It's a meeting of minds that makes perfect sense. Andrea Di Ceglie and Luigi Tutolo, the two members of Agents Of Time, used their time during the pandemic to work on Universo, an album loosely conceptualized around their "personal universe", a manifestation of the world Di Ceglie and Tutolo built both within and around their studio. This accounts for the sparkle and brightness of Universo -- it's full of personality, vim and vigor, the duo experimenting with their music, exploring its furthest corners. If you come to Universo expecting just another album of melodic techno, get ready to be pleasantly surprised -- there's a whole lot more going on here, and it's all equally compelling. After a typically poetic opening gesture -- the swirling, synesthetic, self-titled intro track -- expectations are immediately blindsided with the two-step pop of "Fallin'", sung with gentle clarity by guest Audrey Janssens, a dream of a song that harks back to the glory days of early '00s UK garage. "Interstellar Cowboy" is a confident, lithe, disco-fied strut; the gentle minor-key piano of "Liquid Fantasy" spirals into a gorgeously melancholy techno-pop epic, Vicky Who?'s voice rich with yearning. Janssens also reappears on the electro-swirl of "Poison"; "Dream Vision" revisits their single "The Mirage", soft with sweeping strings, loaded with drama; "Part Of Life" sashays into view with a schaffel-stomp. This rich variety throws the more dancefloor-focused tracks, like "Ciao", into even starker relief -- they're more decisive, streamlined, yet rich with detail, chugging, Moroder-esque bass meeting strobe-lit synths that fire melodies out into the firmament. Universo feels texturally dense, but it still breathes, its sounds so tactile you want to reach out and grab them, its tunes so seductive you can't get them out of your head. Universo is a fiercely beautiful album, brave in its spirit, a perfectly poised meeting-point of pop melody and stylish, lush techno.
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CD
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KOMP 172CD
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Italian duo Agents Of Time have been incredibly busy over the past few years, from releasing a string of classic singles -- including their recent single for Afterlife, "The Mirage" -- to remixing The Weeknd's "Take My Breath", which appeared on his recent Dawn FM (Alternative World). But the biggest news is here now -- their second album, Universo, is ready. Elevating their trademark melodic techno with an exquisite pop-ness, Universo has found its ideal home with Kompakt, following their Music Made Paradise 2020 debut EP for the label (KOM 417EP). It's a meeting of minds that makes perfect sense. Andrea Di Ceglie and Luigi Tutolo, the two members of Agents Of Time, used their time during the pandemic to work on Universo, an album loosely conceptualized around their "personal universe", a manifestation of the world Di Ceglie and Tutolo built both within and around their studio. This accounts for the sparkle and brightness of Universo -- it's full of personality, vim and vigor, the duo experimenting with their music, exploring its furthest corners. If you come to Universo expecting just another album of melodic techno, get ready to be pleasantly surprised -- there's a whole lot more going on here, and it's all equally compelling. After a typically poetic opening gesture -- the swirling, synesthetic, self-titled intro track -- expectations are immediately blindsided with the two-step pop of "Fallin'", sung with gentle clarity by guest Audrey Janssens, a dream of a song that harks back to the glory days of early '00s UK garage. "Interstellar Cowboy" is a confident, lithe, disco-fied strut; the gentle minor-key piano of "Liquid Fantasy" spirals into a gorgeously melancholy techno-pop epic, Vicky Who?'s voice rich with yearning. Janssens also reappears on the electro-swirl of "Poison"; "Dream Vision" revisits their single "The Mirage", soft with sweeping strings, loaded with drama; "Part Of Life" sashays into view with a schaffel-stomp. This rich variety throws the more dancefloor-focused tracks, like "Ciao", into even starker relief -- they're more decisive, streamlined, yet rich with detail, chugging, Moroder-esque bass meeting strobe-lit synths that fire melodies out into the firmament. Universo feels texturally dense, but it still breathes, its sounds so tactile you want to reach out and grab them, its tunes so seductive you can't get them out of your head. Universo is a fiercely beautiful album, brave in its spirit, a perfectly poised meeting-point of pop melody and stylish, lush techno.
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12"
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KOM 417EP
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Italy's Agents Of Time have long been on the Kompakt radar. It started thanks to their exemplary releases on Correspondant and other labels such as Stem, Ellum plus 2019's collaboration with Mathew Jonson (from whom their name is inspired by). Michael Mayer had chance to play with them last summer at one of their Obscura parties and their friendship was cemented. Which leads now to their four track Kompakt debut, entitled Music Made Paradise. From Kompakt's early days of releasing landmark tracks from Justus Köhncke, the label has never been shy of exploring the enigmatic fringes of disco in their own way. Agents Of Time follow these footsteps but head into galactic territory with Music Made Paradise. They continue their knack for bridging synth-wave with modern bass rhythms in a means which are purely designed for today's dancefloors. This label debut is an incredible selection of music from this talented trio. French touch meets Italo chic on "Drive Me Crazy". At first, "My Heart Is A Microchip" comes across as a segue track, but opens into cascading synths and a predatory breakbeat to lead its own charge. "Under Control" is classy Moroder disco brought to the modern age. Aptly titled "Interstate 10" is an EP highlight -- the percussion lead is infectious and ready for prime-time exploration.
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12"
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CURLE 059EP
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Since forming four years ago, Italian based trio Agents Of Time have already released on both Maceo Plex's Ellum and Jennifer Cardini's Correspondant imprints. On top of crafting remixes for artists including Sailor & I and WhoMadeWho, 2017 saw the launch of their own label Obscura, named after the parties they have been running since 2014. Xylo is their debut EP for Curle Recordings, offering both atmospheric but firm techno, complemented by a healthy dose of floating melodies. Be sure to check out their analog live act when you can, they made Resident Advisor's live Top 20.
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12"
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OBSM 001EP
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Italian based trio Agents Of Time launch their new electronic-music record label Obscura. "Era" is the first track of a new era for Agents Of Time: strong analog sound, led by the classic AOT hypnotic sequencing. "Dungeon" is a further step in a dark and obscure world: strong bassline, powerful drums, and magnetic synths mark the uniqueness of this track. "Rebellion" is where the Agents have pushed their own limits, for the most aggressive track of this release: a perfect combination between techno and psychedelic atmosphere. "Lower World" looks forward: a jazzy and acid composition.
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12"
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CORR 036EP
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Agents of Time follow their 2014 debut Polina EP (CORR 028EP) (played by Dixon, Tale of Us, Agoria, et al.), with Emperor. "Emperor" plows a grand and emotional furrow, but with a driving techno aesthetic. "Metamorfosi" is a deeper affair, building to a tense, spectral conclusion simultaneously dramatic and heart-wrenching. The minimal "Hydra" manages to be both dubbed-out and theatrical, with skittering, shuffling percussion. "Nazgul" continues Correspondant's tradition of left-field house exemplified by label artist Andre Bratten's "Tromer Og Bass" (Compilation 02 Sampler 2, CORR 025EP, 2014), but with added horror soundtrack flair that only the Italians can truly bring.
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12"
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CORR 028EP
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Agents Of Time deliver another brooding, evocative EP for Corespondant. The Italian trio of Andrea Di Ceglie, Fedele Ladisa, and Luigi Tutolo draws a whole spectrum of sounds from their studio in the EP's title-track, which has already seen play by Dixon, Agoria, and Tale Of Us. "Magdalene" is built around layers of sinister sound. From inside raw percussive scaffolding, detuned synth flourishes come prowling out of the shadows to stalk imperceptible prey. Alex Smoke's version of "Polina" rides on an undulating groove, honing in on only a select few elements from the original, before surging into tearing feedback and detuned, empyrean choir chords.
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