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viewing 1 To 11 of 11 items
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2x12"
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COUNTER 034LP
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Magna Pia, aka seasoned producer, DJ, and composer Hüseyin Evirgen, announces his second full-length album, QUT, arriving on Inland's Counterchange label. After two steamrolling EPs of club tracks on the label -- now entering its tenth year of action -- Magna Pia presents his most complete and advanced body of work to date, weaving a dense narrative of drone, figurative synthesis, bass-heavy electronica, and abstract techno. Over eight tracks each referencing his rich cultural and musical background, you are treated to a unique overview of a producer at the crest of his art. The word "Qut" is an ancient positive affirmation, in one short word encompassing all that is scared, pure and good. The Old Turkic term meaning not only "good fortune" and "joy", but in shamanic circles, the "wonder of the heavens", permeates the roots of Evirgen's multi-heritage history. That Evirgen expresses his interpretation of this central theme through the marriage of bewitching melodies with atonal, experimental and rumbling electronics is a conscious comment on the distortions and mutations of our Modern Era. We now exist in the digital age of the Technosphere for better or worse, and must seek beauty where-ever possible. The opening "Prologue" invites the listener into a futuristic yet organic sound world, where lush stereo processing goes hand in hand with rumbling bass and subtly detuned drone languages. From the echoes of traditional Uyghur folk music, translated via synthesizers into a glistening slowdiving opus ("Qizil"), to churning dub-techno adorned with a symphony of evolving sine-waves ("Venus M"), Evirgen then deploys "X" -- a haunting experimental piece composed predominantly with his voice and electronic processing. The interweaving synth lines of "Gudanna" pierce the fog with a radiant and transcendent club techno bounce before the ode to the ancient Bronze Age goddess "Astarte" unfolds its snare-driven broken-beat formations. The title track "Qut" embodies by far the heaviest club track of the album, in a deadly, stripped-back moment of future-techno hypnotism. Dancing flames of purple-tongued synthesis are held (just) in line by a wonderfully tough throb of drums. With his "Epilogue", Magna Pia allows the spectral ideas and concepts laid out across the LP to connect and travel full circle, confirming our suspicions that this could be one of the most coherent and exciting works to emerge in the brave new field of introspective, and sensitive techno-electronic language.
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12"
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COUNT 027EP
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Four new undeniable club burners from Counterchange label head Inland. Inland's seventh solo release on his home label is the latest in a decadelong legacy of enduring productions under the Inland alias. All tracks operate at 138 bpm, exploring biting synth lines, psychedelic overtones, tribal techno attitude, and mechanical rhythm programming.
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12"
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COUNTER 025EP
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Counterchange celebrates its 25th release with a special 12" by much loved Berlin techno-sound-artist and Berghain resident Efdemin, aka Phillip Sollmann, featuring two brand new productions, plus remixes of "Sequence 100" by DJ Skull and Johanna Knutsson. "Mono" steers an organic, runaway synth line (courtesy of the classic Korg Monopoly), along a sleek, 136bpm set of modernist rails. In contrast, "Subconscious Dub" bows to a dusty lo-fi house alter, while bouncing to a funky, techno-centric and contemporary pulse. Chicago's DJ Skull is a revered member of techno and house history who continues to provide slinky bangers that joyfully evade pigeon-holing. Skull's mix of "Sequence 100" reshapes the cascading polyrhythms into an effervescent, summery deep-house stomper. In beguiling contrast, Malmö-based Johanna Knutsson channels sensitive storytelling and blissful tonal formations, ushering Efdemin's original through a verdant forest of post-club ambience and subtle harmonics.
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LP
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COUNTER 023LP
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The original Soundtrack to Greek-German director Nikias Chryssos's new feature, A Pure Place, scored by John Gürtler, with his studio partner Jan Miserre, and featuring a track by chameleonic British artist Shackleton. The script for A Pure Place had a dizzying effect on John Gürtler and Jan Miserre; their minds reeling with the possibilities. From Persian sheep bells, Chinese sheng, prepared trombone, quarter-tone piano, a beaten-up cembalo, hand percussion, and a room full of synthesizers, embryonic compositions and experiments came to life early on in the project. An electro-acoustic extravaganza, the soundtrack for A Pure Place takes a deep bow towards the many magnificent composers and scores from the late '60s and '70s where orchestral arrangements met with tape loops, psychedelia, and instruments from across the globe. Listening to that era of film music, anything seems possible. The minimalist tones of "Ritual Bells" set the dial to weird in the opening sequence of the movie, whilst "The Island" makes use of ambient vocals recorded through an oil drum, gently introducing one of the score's main themes with a distant quarter-tone cembalo. Acclaimed British artist Shackleton's eerie original version of "Fust's Song" was a tonal keystone for the entire soundtrack. Gürtler and Miserre translated his psychedelic electronic blueprint, layering acoustic instruments and bottom-heavy percussion in their "Paradox Paradise" production style. The vocals, written by Chryssos, and sung by the cast on set, capture the sonics of the actual crypt-like space where cult leader Fust addresses with his following. "A Glimpse of the Other Side" speaks of love and death in a '70s-indebted composition reflecting John and Jan's shared love for melancholic and suspenseful chord progressions. Meanwhile, the sparkling synths of "Athens" -- the children discovering neon-lit civilization after years confined on the island -- transplant you to an entirely different era. Greek artist Maroulita del Kol features heavily throughout -- her choir of vocals on 'Erotica' were recorded late at night in the studio foyer, capturing its unique tiled reflections and concrete reverb. On "Purification" Maroulita's voice guides us alongside a Moog bass drone, building to an ecstatic climax, whilst she also features in the film's disco-centric ending credits on "Gatoula Mou Mikri".
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LP
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COUNT 019LP
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Counterchange presents Eigenlicht by Portuguese-German multi-instrumentalist, producer, and award-winning film composer, John Gürtler. Gently teetering between krautrock-influenced synth mantras and saxophone improvisations, down-tempo electronica, sound design experiments, and moments of rich ambience, Eigenlicht is a diverse album of electro-acoustic music. The 11 tracks were recorded between two studios and on location at Berlin's infamous Teufelsberg, the abandoned Cold War era US spy-radio and radar outpost named "Field Station Berlin", surrounded by forest to the west of the city. A document of Gürtler's development, many of the pieces here were first laid down in his bunker-like former basement studios at Drontheimer Straße in north Berlin, before he eventually elevated above ground -- both physically and musically -- building his current Paradox Paradise studio and becoming an established film music composer. In 2019 John won the European Film Academy Award for Best Score, for his soundtrack for Nora Fingscheidt's debut feature Systemsprenger (System Crasher). In recent years John collaborated on a number of projects with acclaimed German producer and composer Phillip Sollmann aka Efdemin, performing live and releasing the Gegen Die Zeit EP on Sky Walking (SKYWALK 003LP, 2017). In part an ode to the Macbeth Systems M5 modular synthesizer, with its three oscillators, much of the album features the towering instrument, whose uniquely rich tone and rumbling, pure bass end characterizes tracks like "Eigenlicht", "M5", "Synthetics", and "Five Voice". John's primary background is in acoustic music, coming from woodwind and keyboard instruments, improvisation and composition. The leap into working with computers and electronic instruments found him exploring ways to make synths and samplers sound as organic as possible. You can hear a polyphonic soviet-built Electronics EM-25 (Электроника ЭМ-25) on "Russia Falling". Part of John's ongoing search took him to amplifying synthesizers in unusual spaces, from the vast basement corridors outside his old Drontheimer Straße studio to the twelve-second-long reverb spaces of the Teufelsberg Station. The track "Old Devil's Hill" is a spontaneous composition played on saxophone, recorded in the middle of Field Station Berlin's highest dome. Through connecting different kinds of old and new wind controllers, John was able to play synthesizers with a controller similar to a saxophone or clarinet, that would recognize lip pressure and intensity of breath.
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4x12"
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COUNT 014LP
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British DJ and producer Inland (Ed Davenport) has compiled and mixed Stream-State, his biggest project to date, bringing together over 20 artists in a DJ-ready compilation of colorful, diverse modern techno on his label Counterchange. Complete with a 90-minute continuous mix by Inland himself, the project celebrates over 15 years behind the decks and cements Davenport's reputation not only as a tireless force in the studio, but as a trusted selector and curator of contemporary club music. Spanning deep IDM-rooted studies, lush chord-driven euphoria, powerful modernist workouts and tough house-groove jackers, Davenport weaves an addictive mix full of character and his precision mixing style. From veterans and heroes like DJ Skull, Efdemin, Joel Mull, Boddika, Peter Van Hoesen, and Mark Broom (alongside Discrete Circuit), to a new echelon of up-and-coming talent like Rhyw, Sophia Saze, Jamaica Suk, Johanna Knutsson, Aiken, DJ Sodeyama, Perm, and Felix Fleer, there's an underlying thread of shimmering production values and close attention to detail in every track. Inland also selected debuts from Berlin based artists Fred Mann and Arbitrage, and welcomes back BNJMN, P. Lopez, and Distant Echoes to the label. Stream-State is Inland's celebration of the DJ mix/compilation format. Enamored with UK dance music culture in the mid-90s, the burning, illicit energy of early rave mixtapes left a huge impression. Mystical bootlegs recorded at mass gatherings in fields or late-night Radio One transmissions captured on cassette -- their eternal spirit was absorbed and cherished. Now more than two decades later, Davenport has channeled that fascination into this weighty collector's item and a captivating continuous mix. All 22 tracks included are new and original productions made by some of Inland's favorite artists and colleagues. A network and a community -- complied and presented by an artist who continues to demonstrate his longevity and unique voice in the scene. 4x12" LP set; two printed inserts featuring artwork by Brooklyn based painter Erik Minter; download card including four bonus tracks and continuous DJ mix by Inland.
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12"
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COUNT 011EP
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Inland returns to his home label with a new four-track EP, 2122. Tough, galvanic techno cuts pair with detailed bleep trips in a new strain of mature and confident output. "2122" and "Noisefields" both journey toward a brooding, alien inferno. Meanwhile orbiting alarm signals ("Stowaway") and the psychedelic funk of "Lifeline" chart a lesser-known course, scanning the outer reaches in search of new sonic textures and future dance rituals.
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COUNT 010EP
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Following on from Co-Ops Vol. 1 (2014), Counterchange continues their Various Artists series with an eight-track, double-vinyl edition for its tenth release. Joining the dots between a network of producers all pushing boundaries in their respective fields, label curator Inland (aka Ed Davenport) invited Boddika, Cassegrain & Tin Man, Distant Echoes, Pharaoh & Yogg, Patrik Skoog, and BNJMN to all submit new music. The result is a heavyweight, diverse trip through modern techno. Presented in a hand-printed sleeve featuring artwork by Carina Wittmann; Edition of 200.
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12"
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COUNT 009EP
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Ed Davenport continues his techno experiments as Inland with an elegant EP entitled Coriolis. "Coriolis" is a moody ten-minute voyage with a morphing synth array at its core -- bright, detuned stabs are layered upon tough rhythmic foundations. The jagged metallic lead builds, unearthing harmonic bleep accents and syncopated FX swells before folding in on itself. "D10D3" plows forward with an urgent staccato sequence, segueing into Italo-horror filter sweeps and noise-laden moments of drama. Finally, "Tsereteli" is a more reduced modern dub study, continuing Ed's long running fascination with tranced-out time stretching and after-hours vibes. Cover art by Guy Archard.
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COUNT 008EP
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British producer Bnjmn heads even further into harder techno territory with the heavyweight four tracker, MDCCLXXII. Tipping his cap to '90s industrial techno, the A side delivers two uncompromising cuts. "MDCCLXXII" is tough - brash drums merging with metallic, tonal signals and searing hats. "Tor" is similarly up-tempo, however more stripped in comparison, Bnjmn continuing his inventive and challenging sound design in this Beltram-esque bassline killer. "T.E.N.S" is a short collage of buzzing, cerebral electronics, leading into "Where The Wild Berries Grow" - a fuzzy, hypnotic trip of lo-fi ambience and post-club psychedelia, stretching out over eight minutes.
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12"
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COUNT 007EP
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Incantations is the debut EP from Magna Pia - a solo project by Cassegrain member Hüseyin Evirgen. As Magna Pia, he introduces his own very personal image of techno - rich, textural and full of detail. Characterized by the kind of programming and nuances that only experienced, musically-trained producers are capable of, it offers a strong narrative throughout - from the low slung melodic churn of opening track "Dhul" to the mutant acid of "Nyx" at its epitaph. Over four tracks with four very different moods, Incantations is a masterclass in hardware only, high-end electronics - weird, melodic, hypnotic, banging.
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