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CD
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99CHANTS 012CD
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A lavish four-chapter chronicle that imagines an alternative evolution of mankind through sound, VĪS (Latin for energy or force) is the result of a lengthy process of self-discovery, collaboration and research for Italian-German composer David August. The son of a classical pianist, August slipped from the academic music world into an early career as a dance music producer and DJ before he felt his artistic outlook shifting considerably. He established the adventurous 99CHANTS label in 2018, and has since used it as an output for his most progressive notions, collaborating most recently with jazz-noise vocalist Cansu Tanrikulu and Carnatic singer Sushma Soma on last year's acclaimed Imaginary Landscapes compilation. VĪS then is a chance for August to reconcile his personal narrative, leveling it with concepts that touch on history, transformation and metaphysics. He wrote the album's 13 pieces to play like a linear storyline, tracking the development of culture from its illusory beginnings in Plato's Cave into the wider world and observing its progression and adaptation. August represents these themes with levitational orchestral drones, choirs and bells that slowly bend to long-forgotten ancestral rhythms, inevitably colliding with the digitized chaos of the information age. Motion guides everything, whether it's shadows on a wall projected by dancing flames, or dramatic, overlayed rhythms that vibrate the air and excite the feet. VĪS is a dynamic attempt to show the movement of time on a macro scale, looking backwards in order to move forwards. It charts mankind's journey from its cosmic beginnings through the awe-inspiring world of flora and fauna, grounding the experience in rhythmic expression and dance before we're returned to the stars in transcended form. Crucially, it's a hopeful articulation of ideas and concepts that continue to echo throughout history, inviting us to imagine greater and cherish the teeming landscape that surrounds us.
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2LP
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99CHANTS 012LP
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Double LP version. Heavyweight, gatefold sleeve with silver metallic print and screenprinted PE sleeve. A lavish four-chapter chronicle that imagines an alternative evolution of mankind through sound, VĪS (Latin for energy or force) is the result of a lengthy process of self-discovery, collaboration and research for Italian-German composer David August. The son of a classical pianist, August slipped from the academic music world into an early career as a dance music producer and DJ before he felt his artistic outlook shifting considerably. He established the adventurous 99CHANTS label in 2018, and has since used it as an output for his most progressive notions, collaborating most recently with jazz-noise vocalist Cansu Tanrikulu and Carnatic singer Sushma Soma on last year's acclaimed Imaginary Landscapes compilation. VĪS then is a chance for August to reconcile his personal narrative, leveling it with concepts that touch on history, transformation and metaphysics. He wrote the album's 13 pieces to play like a linear storyline, tracking the development of culture from its illusory beginnings in Plato's Cave into the wider world and observing its progression and adaptation. August represents these themes with levitational orchestral drones, choirs and bells that slowly bend to long-forgotten ancestral rhythms, inevitably colliding with the digitized chaos of the information age. Motion guides everything, whether it's shadows on a wall projected by dancing flames, or dramatic, overlayed rhythms that vibrate the air and excite the feet. VĪS is a dynamic attempt to show the movement of time on a macro scale, looking backwards in order to move forwards. It charts mankind's journey from its cosmic beginnings through the awe-inspiring world of flora and fauna, grounding the experience in rhythmic expression and dance before we're returned to the stars in transcended form. Crucially, it's a hopeful articulation of ideas and concepts that continue to echo throughout history, inviting us to imagine greater and cherish the teeming landscape that surrounds us.
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12"
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99CHANTS 003EP
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Two tracks from David August's album D'Angelo are given two radically different takes from two titans of their fields, on David's first official remix EP. Rafael Anton Irisarri deconstructs "Florence" and rebuilds it into something grander, even more filmic than the original. Sparse, dripping piano, warbling, fizzing drones, and haunting specters of voices phasing through the mists. Ron Trent reconstructs and extends "Elysian Fields" into a slowly evolving soulful house jam. Insistent drums, blissful guitar, and piano themes are all perfectly interlocked, with David's plaintive vocals reconstituted into a textured layer flowing underneath and above.
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2LP
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99CHANTS 001LP
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A proudly nonconformist and multifaceted electronic artist, David August went on hiatus for a year. Taking time to reflect and discover unknown paths in both, musically and personally, August connected to his Italian roots, drawing inspiration from its history, rich culture, and diverse landscape. The result is a new language of sound and space that until now has remained hidden inside of him. Ready to come back, August emerges with a new label, 99CHANTS, a finite project limited to 99 releases. Offering an openminded platform for a diverse range of artists, the label aims to contribute to culture and society in a positive way. The first release comes from August himself. Ambient in form, DCXXXIX A.C. marks the first step that will lead to a bigger picture. David in his own words: "A couple years ago, I found myself in jam sessions, naively messing around with sound; no rhythm, no structure. Not considering any borders, trying to 'think' about music, as subconsciously as possible. It's been a vein in me ever since, which I developed and explored quietly in my personal space, slowly realizing that half of me somehow existed in this realm; so-called ambient music. During these years, a relevant amount of drafts came together. While working on my main project last year, I decided to present this other side of me in an own independent way, to initialize a path that would be continued. I founded a new label, 99CHANTS, a dream I wish I could have realized earlier. . . . Everything relies on these two things, in my opinion. The record is 60 minutes in length and contains 24 tracks, which I see as being all linked together, forming a single, extended breath. As my most recent work pulls inspiration from my Italian provenience, so does this album. I go back in time, finding myself surrounded by the nature and old spirits of an ancient commune, in the middle of the country. Relating to the details of a land, it's a soundtrack to a time and space unknown. Generally speaking, the tracks took shape rather quickly, trying to believe in the moment of what a first intuition could have of value, or maybe not. All music came together in Berlin, Iceland, above the Atlantic and in a small Mediterranean town. Connecting the dots, the story leads to where the next begins." Gatefold sleeve.
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12"
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DIYRV 001EP
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Diynamic has come up with another great idea for a new series of EPs. Under the title Diynamic Revisited, it sees one artist remixing two older tracks from the label's excellent back-catalog. First up is David August, who has elected to revision tracks by Kollektiv Turmstrasse and Stimming. Kollektiv Turmstrasse's "Last Day" was first released back in 2009 and was a tropical bit of metallic tech-house. David August's revision of "Last Day" transforms it into a much deeper, slower-burning and spiritual track with heavenly chords and buried, deep bass lines. "Der Schmelz" is reworked into a moody, spaced-out track with slowly undulating grooves and haunting synths.
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12"
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SVT 042EP
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David August is back on Stil Vor Talent with his second EP. "Sweden Roof" is about the funkiness of house music and glorious melodic moments. A cut-up vocal sample dominates the groove, and a great organ melody will have dancefloors swinging along to this monster of musical finesse. "Soul Kitchen" is an even more organic piece of tech-house niceness. Clap snares, pianos, a deep male vocal sample and loads of sex appeal makes this truly soulful house music.
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12"
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SVT 038EP
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David August will keep everyone grooving with his swing-oriented techno for Stil Vor Talent. "Trumpets Victory" features a stompy bass-line, an old school clap snare, a cut-up vocal, some white noise, and then the most beautiful trumpet melody imaginable. On "Guitarra Baja," a Spanish guitar reminds us of how house music used to be: groovy, bouncy, seminal. "Children" is a more percussive house affair with a playful organ line joyfully jumping up and down over bongos and metallic hi-hats.
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