Author: dave

“Planet Mu 30” offers an exhilarating snapshot of Mike Paradinas’ pioneering label in 2025. Planet Mu continues to carve its own unique and exciting path, proving that electronic music remains some of the most intriguing and challenging work today, always slightly outside the relentless churn of the dance music industry. It’s a fleet-footed label whose artists look towards the future; yet echoes of Planet Mu’s past—ranging from jungle, dubstep and glitchy hip-hop to banging techno, electronica and breakcore—still resonate through its new generation of talent. The compilation features fresh material from familiar names like Venetian Snares, Luke Vibert, Ital Tek and FaltyDL as well as Mike Paradinas himself as µ-Ziq, which sit alongside the 160bpm footwork artists that Planet Mu has successfully nurtured, including Jlin, Traxman, DJ Manny, RP Boo, Jana Rush and Elmoe. On the other hand, newer artists like Nondi_, Rian Treanor, Xylitol, Saint Abdullah and Eomac, DJ Girl and Speaker Music have recently contributed some of the label’s most exciting music. The compilation also teases unreleased music from fresh additions to the roster, including Nik Colk Void, Rev, BAE BAE, Ship Sket, Slikback, and James Krivchenia. It’s an exciting time to be listening to Planet Mu in 2025.

Elemental Studies (by TJ Norris) is a 4-channel film installation. The series of twelve b/w short films are individually scored by some of today’s most provocative sound artists. Several of the individual films continue to be showcased in international film festivals. Three years in the making is something of a collaborative labor of love, a melange of audio/visual synergy. This is most certainly the time in our history where we speak for the ailing Earth in a way that may take some afterthought, and action.

The original score to these films is being released as a 2-CD set.

The first CD consists of scores to the films created by Carpe Sonum alumni Darren McClure, Mick Chillage, and Porya Hatami, as well as Jos Smolders, Das Synthetische Mischgewebe, Vitor Joaquim,
Simon Šerc, PBK, Schneider TM, Illusion of Safety, Massimo Toniutti, and Andrew Lagowski. Plus a bonus track by Sigtryggur Berg Sigmarsson.

The second disc consists of “re-works” of the tracks from the first disc by Alessandra Eramo, Faex Optim, Femanyst, Mariuca García-lomas, Liz Helman, Hilde Marie Holsen, Kokhlias, Fani Konstantinidou, Stephanie Merchak, Gaël Segalen, Marja-Leena Sillanpää, and Veryan.

Originally released in 1993, Quique was the first album by the UK band Seefeel, and it became a must-have for any serious collector of ambient techno. Released by too pure, the album was reissued in expanded form as Quique Redux on cd in 2007. Newly remastered by Geoff Pesche at Abbey Road.

Originally released in 1993, Quique was the first album by the UK band Seefeel, and it became a must-have for any serious collector of ambient techno. Released by too pure, the album was reissued in expanded form as Quique Redux on cd in 2007. Newly remastered by Geoff Pesche at Abbey Road.

The passing of Pete was a heartfelt loss for me and for the entire electronic music community and beyond. His immense contributions to music and his boundless creativity continue to resonate deeply in our hearts and echo in our ears.

We collaborated on five albums for the Labyrinth series, driven by an endless passion and enthusiasm. He was eager to carry on with this series, which had been inspiring him so profoundly. Before he left us, Pete shared a dream of coming to Italy to work in my studio, a dream that, sadly, was never realized.

This tribute is for Pete Namlook. To honor his memory, I brought together several artists who had worked with him or released music on his label. It has been an intense labor of love spanning nearly two years, and I am profoundly grateful to everyone who contributed their sounds, their hearts, and their spirit to this project.

1. Montanà + Higher Intelligence Agency – Journey XXXVIII 09:12
2. Montanà + Mick Chillage – Journey XXXIX 11:53
3. Montanà + Dr. Atmo – Journey XL 09:28
4. Montanà + Spyra – Journey XLI 06:31
5. Montanà + Gate Zero – Journey XLII 06:31
6. Montanà + Material Object – Journey XLIII 07:06
7. Montanà + Gabriel Le Mar – Journey XLIV 09:40
8. Montanà + Krystian Shek – Journey XLV 11:31

In late 2022 I acquired my sisters old acoustic guitar and set about with the intention to firstly experiment with it for some sonic textures that may sit with certain projects. Over sometime I began to develop some themes or compositions within my limited playing ability, however I was quite pleased with the emotions that they appeared to convey.

During this period, naturally I had accumulated various synth based ambient works that covered various themes and moods and I also played some acoustic moments with certain pieces.

Cut to summer of 2023 I now had what felt like the foundation for a new album that included a mix of pure synth based ambient and some with the acoustic guitar taking centre stage & a mix of both approaches.

I knew this was going to be a bit of leap for me releasing this to the world as I’m mainly known for purely electronic based music with occasional filed recordings and electroacoustic & found sounds.

However, from an artists point of view its always being important for me to grow in someway, take risks, jump genres etc so I decided to complete this collection of pieces and present a new album! The last part of the creative process was creating a title, as the album displays varying themes that conjure, memories. environments, mind states & emotions I was mindful not to use specific words that may sway the listener to thinking of a particular sonic narrative.

Eventually I arrived with the title “Points Of Gradations” as I see this collection as another point in my creative artistic journey. The title also leaves plenty of space for the listeners mind to wander and create what ever feelings, images they wish.

“In recent years, the introductory texts for the Pop Ambient compilation series, which is released every year on Kompakt as the last release before the Christmas break, often began with the sentence ‘Every year again.’ ‘Every year again,’ a quiet, almost unnoticed maxim of self-evidentness. Because this is already the 25th issue to be published this year. 25 years in increasingly fast-moving times in the even faster-moving music business is an eternity that doesn’t just feel like it. It is all the more remarkable how I, as someone who is always restless and often driven by this fast pace himself, pleasantly almost haven’t realized how — in pop-ambient contexts — time does not pass (or passes differently) in the best sense. When compiling the 25th edition I was asked, among other things, what it was like that I was still doing this and whether I had a favorite track. In the spirit of bringing all the tracks together I don’t have a favorite track, or all of them. But I have a favorite part (moment) that I played. In this case it was a broad chord in a change of key at minute 2:55 in the piece ‘Circles’ by Max Würden. A moment of majesty and familiarity that, at that moment, contains the entire Pop Ambient cosmos, that just works and doesn’t explain anything — and I said: ‘that’s the reason why I’m still doing this.’ Pop Ambient is a statement without demands. Is promise without expectation. Is a path without a destination. Every year again.” —Wolfgang Voigt, October 2024

As always, the indispensable final mastering by Jörg Burger ensures that everything is brought together and the sound is fine-tuned. And like every year, the 25th edition is of course wrapped in an abstract, floral magic creation by Veronika Unland. Over the years, the grace of her imagery has increasingly merged with the musical aura to form an unmistakable magical symbiosis. Featuring Leandro Fresco/Thore Pfeiffer, Pass Into Silence, Tamarma & Sebastian Mullaert, Sono Kollektiv, Nathalie Brum, Andrew Thomas, Julia Parr, Segensklang, Ümit Han, Max Würden, Blank Gloss, Hendrik Meyer, and Triola Zum.

“In recent years, the introductory texts for the Pop Ambient compilation series, which is released every year on Kompakt as the last release before the Christmas break, often began with the sentence ‘Every year again.’ ‘Every year again,’ a quiet, almost unnoticed maxim of self-evidentness. Because this is already the 25th issue to be published this year. 25 years in increasingly fast-moving times in the even faster-moving music business is an eternity that doesn’t just feel like it. It is all the more remarkable how I, as someone who is always restless and often driven by this fast pace himself, pleasantly almost haven’t realized how — in pop-ambient contexts — time does not pass (or passes differently) in the best sense. When compiling the 25th edition I was asked, among other things, what it was like that I was still doing this and whether I had a favorite track. In the spirit of bringing all the tracks together I don’t have a favorite track, or all of them. But I have a favorite part (moment) that I played. In this case it was a broad chord in a change of key at minute 2:55 in the piece ‘Circles’ by Max Würden. A moment of majesty and familiarity that, at that moment, contains the entire Pop Ambient cosmos, that just works and doesn’t explain anything — and I said: ‘that’s the reason why I’m still doing this.’ Pop Ambient is a statement without demands. Is promise without expectation. Is a path without a destination. Every year again.” —Wolfgang Voigt, October 2024

As always, the indispensable final mastering by Jörg Burger ensures that everything is brought together and the sound is fine-tuned. And like every year, the 25th edition is of course wrapped in an abstract, floral magic creation by Veronika Unland. Over the years, the grace of her imagery has increasingly merged with the musical aura to form an unmistakable magical symbiosis. Featuring Leandro Fresco/Thore Pfeiffer, Pass Into Silence, Tamarma & Sebastian Mullaert, Sono Kollektiv, Nathalie Brum, Andrew Thomas, Julia Parr, Segensklang, Ümit Han, Max Würden, Blank Gloss, Hendrik Meyer, and Triola Zum.

All Orbital’s classic tracks across all albums in one release, as cult edit versions. Orbital’s own words about A Beginner’s Guide: “The package you are holding in your hands is your threshold to a transformational psychoacoustic experience. An experience that will take you to spaces familiar, sonic pathways opening different times and different sounds to the chronosonic method of Orbital.”

Track Listing:
A
01. Chime (Edit) 03:13
02. Halcyon (Edit) 03:48
03. Belfast (Edit) 04:30
04. Satan (Spawn) 03:44
05. The Box (Edit) 04:12
B
06. Lush 3.1 (Edit) 05:52
07. Beached (Edit) 03:33
08. Are We Here? (Edit) 03:45
09. Are You Alive? (Edit) (feat. Penelope Isles) 03:29
10. Style (Edit) 04:04
11. Dirty Rat (Edit) 03:28

All Orbital’s classic tracks across all albums in one release, as cult edit versions. Orbital’s own words about A Beginner’s Guide: “The package you are holding in your hands is your threshold to a transformational psychoacoustic experience. An experience that will take you to spaces familiar, sonic pathways opening different times and different sounds to the chronosonic method of Orbital.”

Track Listing:
A
01. Chime (Edit) 03:13
02. Halcyon (Edit) 03:48
03. Belfast (Edit) 04:30
04. Satan (Spawn) 03:44
05. The Box (Edit) 04:12
B
06. Lush 3.1 (Edit) 05:52
07. Beached (Edit) 03:33
08. Are We Here? (Edit) 03:45
09. Are You Alive? (Edit) (feat. Penelope Isles) 03:29
10. Style (Edit) 04:04
11. Dirty Rat (Edit) 03:28