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LP
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KTX 001LP
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According to ancient mythology, the woodland nymph Echo was fascinated by the handsome Narcissus, and wished to lure him into marriage. Unable to say anything on her own, her voice could only repeat the last words said, and this act was not enough for the arrogant Narcissus. Heartbroken, Echo fled deep into the forest, her body turning to mountain stone. Her soul is often considered to be the faint reverberation of the wind, still calling out for her lost love. A Song for Echo's central character embarks on a spiritual journey through earth and water, attempting to discover herself and her relationship to the elements before nightfall. Ricardo Donoso's score really heightens the interplay between the attraction and repulsion of the doomed lovers and makes for an all-consuming, disorienting immersion. Rhythmic cadences collapse in on themselves for moments of striking isolation. Subtle melodic flourishes and field recordings are doused in digital textures and dark ominous drones. At once light and playful, the musical suite moves through time slowly, cautiously and in a downward trajectory. It's fitting that the inaugural release on Kathexis mark such a transitional stage in Donoso's discography. From the geometric, inspired post-rave moments of his Digitalis trilogy to the oppressive depths of the Scuba Death project, A Song for Echo shows the composer blurring the lines between what was once compartmentalized and segregated into something clearly becoming a unified whole. An essential piece of the Donoso puzzle and a small glimpse into what's on the horizon. Limited to 300 copies.
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12"
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DIGI 067EP
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Ricardo Donoso brings his triptych of releases to a close with this remix EP, bringing in five diverse artists to pick tracks for re-working. Yves De Mey offers a nerve-wracking, midnight-black take on "The Sphinx," which slowly builds through layers of skittering synths, while Recondite brings "Diagonal Environment" straight to the floor with a driving 4/4 that adds a solid backbone to proceedings. Paul Jebanasam presents a dark and winding "Affirmation" remix, complete with intricate compositional elements and blasting cinematics, while John Tejada offers a club-ready version of "The Redeemer" before Andreas Tilliander's TM404 provides an acid-soaked take on "Open Drawer, Full of Masks."
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12"
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DIGI 062LP
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The second part in a two-part 12" treatise that together will be entitled As Iron Sharpens Iron, One Verse Sharpens Another. Ricardo Donoso completes his latest trance mission for Digitalis with One Verse Sharpens Another. Four tracks of serpentine arpeggios, rolling bass pulses, and stealthy, soaring synth chords that simulate cybersex in anti-G, from the X-Files atmospheres and alien seduction of "The Redeemer," to the pilo-erect triggers and tense pizzicato strings of "Open Drawer, Full of Masks" and over to the sublime, supple bass roll and gentle ambient caress of "Child Primitive" and the mind-weaving Belgian trance bliss of "Master Game (Shape to Come)."
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12"
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DIGI 061LP
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The first part in a two-part 12" treatise that together will be entitled As Iron Sharpens Iron, One Verse Sharpens Another. Over the past five years, Ricardo Donoso has sharpened his vision and craft into a diamond point. Opener "Affirmation" references Assimilating the Shadow (DIGI 046CD/LP) while still pulling the listener deeper into the darkened pyramid that Iron/Verse occupies. Bleeding into "The Sphinx," the focus is further dialed in. As the geometry that's graced the covers of each album has become more acute, so has the music contained therein. "Diagonal Environment" features a relentless pummeling of heady bass sequences and subtle leads while the "The Old Straight Track" mixes elements of blackened dub and burnt-out goa into something new and addictive.
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