Browse by Label: SOMA (UK)

Artist:	DEEPCHORD
Title:	Hash-Bar Loops
Label:	SOMA (UK)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.50
Catalog #:	SOMA 091CD

Rod Modell (aka DeepChord) is a sound-designer with 25 years involvement in electronic music and over 50 releases under various aliases and styles. Rod's idea of an album revolves around a concept that isn't always followed in modern day electronic long-players. A chain of feelings and emotions emanate from his work and flow in a manner that has been very carefully considered. Buzzing in atmospheric warmth and layered with mesmerizing rhythms, Hash-Bar Loops tells the tale of a hazy extended stay in Amsterdam, where the album was in the most part formed. Starting from deep and dreamy soundscapes, the album warms from the outset with the opener, "Spirits." The underlying atmosphere is somewhat disconcerting, but balances perfectly with soft, distant chords and ever-evolving percussion. The album progresses through turbulent synths and outlying melodies on "Sofitel" and "Merlot." On "Tangier," stabs and textures melt into one another, adding tension and dynamics in true DeepChord style. The swirling air of "Electromagnetic" then conveys a dizzying and hypnotic feel in which budding chords emerge from a white-washed DC soundscape. "Balm" steps into another world, with beautiful hovering chords that pulse throughout the track, forming a delicate and emotive shape. The climactic "Oude Kerk" sits at the peak of this album and deserves its crown. Arguably the most exposed of all tracks on the album, "Oude Kerk" fizzles end to end, letting the deep low frequencies and advancing percussion take over. "City Centre" then reels the synths back in, with contemplative pads that are underpinned with arguably the heaviest sub-bass on the album. Field recordings can once again be heard, hidden deep in the layers of sound on "Crimson" and "Black Cavendish," where their dense sonics slowly swell behind metallic clangs. Closing the circle, "Neon" and "Rain" steps back into the deep and wistful soundscapes heard at the opening of the album where the familiar sense of unease and contemplation toy with one another. In Soma's 20th anniversary year, they count themselves truly fortunate to be able to release music they love this much.

Artist:	VA
Title:	Soma Records: 20 Years
Label:	SOMA (UK)
Format:	3CD
Price:	$29.00
Catalog #:	SOMA 095CD

"When Stuart McMillan and Orde Meikle decided to name their fledgling imprint Soma Quality Recordings, they were being more uncannily prescient than anyone could have imagined during the heady, post-acid electronic eruption, whose volcanic ash continues to disrupt services and belch up astonishing new talent on a regular basis through to the present day. Soma was born out of the insanely euphoric celebrations taking place at the DJ duo's club held in Glasgow since a track by Phuture named them and their night, Slam. Along with manager Dave Clarke and fellow founder Glenn Gibbons (both still at the helm), they had little idea that, out of the countless clubs and labels flourishing during that magical period, they would be the one still holding strong two decades later, Soma now acknowledged as the UK's longest-running dance label and one of the most consistently-dazzling electronic imprints in the world." --Kris Needs, May 2011.
CD1 is comprised of "Soma Classics" -- covering 20 years of releases (310 singles and 90+ albums). There are the obvious tracks that had to be included, like Slam's "Positive Education," Silicone Soul's "Right On, Right On" and Funk D'Void's "Diabla." There are others like Daft Punk's remix of Scott Grooves and Slam's first-ever track on Soma Records, "Eterna," which quite literally took the dance music world by storm. Then there are tracks like Sharkimaxx's (aka Felix Da Housecat) "Clashback" and Percy X's "X-Traks," which still fuel dancefloors around the world. Joris Voorn's mix of Samuel L. Session is one of the biggest tracks on Soma Records in the last 10 years, and the label included the flip of that. The Black Dog's "Cost II" (originally on the GPR imprint in '93, but signed to Soma in the late '00s) was the sound of a time, just like the Desert Storm release. Daft Punk's "Drive" track is a rediscovered classic. CD2 is the Slam DJ mix. Orde and Stuart have gone through all the remixes, revisions and reconstructions of past Soma gems that they have worked on throughout the last 12 months, and molded a DJ mix of where Slam stand in athe current climate -- one that shows depth, groove and jack in a 65-minute showdown. On CD3 is the Silicone Soul DJ mix. The legendary production and DJ duo of Graeme Reedie and Craig Morrison (aka Silicone Soul) have been at home on Soma since their first release. Before the guys signed to Soma, being native Glaswegians, they religiously attended the legendary Slam nights at both the Arches and the Sub Club in the early '90s. When this all started, Graeme and Craig did the PR for the club events, getting to know Dave Clarke, the event promoter. Their DJ mix is a representation of the tracks they saw from the dancefloor, be it the first record they bought; Otaku's "Percussion Obsession," or DJ Q's masterful mix of Counter Plan's "90 Degrees." Peppered through their mix are snippets and a cappellas, like the beautiful keys of "Daedalus" or the vocals from "Inspiration & Light," "Tonight" and "U Dig." You'll also hear Mark Henning's "Last Night," the boys' personal favorite from the last few years of Soma stock. Other artists include: Deepchord, Eastmen, Loco Dice, H-Foundation, Klartraum, Hatikvah, Rod Modell, Oxia, Nick Curly, Pablo, Alex Under, Vector Lovers, Sebrok, Itamar Sagi, Mark Broom, D'Julz, Master H, Paul Ritch, Maetrik, Pan-Pot, Mark Henning, Zero T, Adam Beyer & Jesper Dahlback, Gary Beck, Christian Smith And Wehbba, Joash, Percy X vs. Bloodsugar, Roy Ayers, Chaser, Alex Smoke, Schatrax, Rejuvination, Wighnomy Bros. & Robag Wruhme, Eastmen and Aion.

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