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LP
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TARTALB 020LP
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Taking his cue from seminal mix albums of days gone by, Glenn Astro is back with a compilation of original productions from a cast of fictional artists on Nothing Is Real. Across 13 tracks, the Tartelet mainstay celebrates the thrill of discovery which came as standard listening to new entries in series like X-Mix and DJ Kicks, moving between head-nodding downtempo, ambient techno, broken beat and all manner of chill-out room delights. You might be left wishing artists such as DJ 1999, Mental Trance, and Eye Soul8r had actual discographies to go and explore, but as Astro himself is keen to point out, "nothing is real." Astro has never been shy to embrace classic tropes and tones in his past albums for Tartelet, Apollo, and Ninja Tune, but he's drawing on a different set of influences for this album and embracing the flexibility afforded by using imagined aliases for varied production styles. "I had the idea to do a mixtape, preferably with unknown dance tracks that also reflect that whole '90s/early '00s vibe," Astro explains. "Instead of digging for some records that haven't been sourced yet or trying to find those 'forgotten' treasures, I made the tracks myself. That way I had full control over BPMs, feel and the whole arrangement of tracks. I thought of a few alter egos and started producing the tracks in the order that I intended to play them in a mix. In the end a whole compilation of tracks emerged." While the concept might suggest you're going to hear a lot of overfamiliar sounds, don't be fooled. Astro is inspired and inquisitive, channeling the experimental spirit of the '90s and early '00s when electronic music was still continually being redefined in all kinds of micro-scenes. In many cases, Astro's productions slip into the cracks between genres rather than specifically mimicking a style. Even if the reference points are detectable, the end result is a curious blend as indebted to ambiguity as the overall concept of the compilation. Like the spine-tingling sensation of hitting play and awaiting the waves of unknown sonics on one of those seminal mixes, you never know exactly what you're going to get as you take the trip through Nothing Is Real. For fans of The Orb, The Future Sound of London, Aphex Twin. Features: Mental Trance, Crystalline Reality, Eye Soul8r, DJ 1999, Brain Liquor, and The Foundation.
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12"
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TART 050EP
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Glenn Astro returns to Tartelet Records with Purple, a four-tracker of minimal slow burners and futuristic dance music, marking the label's 50th 12" release. Since releasing his second album Homespun in late 2020, Glenn Astro has been quietly channeling his funky instincts towards new production approaches. Purple, a four-piece compilation of mutant future-boogie daubed in Rogers-Nelson hues, comes through with emotional heft. "Following up on Homespun, I wanted to try out some more dancefloor-oriented tracks again," says Glenn Astro. "Keeping it simple and practical, while not being too predictable. I incorporated a lot of modular synth bits and experiments, with 'Flux' being an almost exclusively modular-based jam." Incorporating tricky sound design and fluid structures, Astro's new lines of enquiry never come at the expense of the groove. From the opening thump of "Penduloop" onwards it's apparent that his rugged rhythmic kinks are present and correct to hook in the dancers, while the melodic drops later in the track edge in a little melancholic flavor to take the mind somewhere else entirely. On this opening track, the artist explores new territory with his version of early naughties minimal house -- a welcome slow burner. The EP title track "Purple" slaps with purpose, not least in the Linn-esque drums and melodic bassline, but it's a positively dreamy piece which skips on crooked beat formations and floats upwards via a multi-timbral tapestry of yearning synth shapes and robotic vocals. On "Out Of Office" Glenn Astro provides a generous dose of electro nostalgia when he amp sup the heavy-hearted feeling with aching string pads and electro-informed machine logic. The track becomes alive with its deep un-synced rhythms and dark bass notes, pushing further into the abyss. "Flux", with its tool-y feel, takes the electronic mantra further and sheds light on the source of much of Astro's new sound palette. Crucially, even in its techiest moments, an irrepressible humanity shines through across Purple. Glenn Astro's soul is the binding agent which links his early, sample-heavy house to his more explorative new angles, and it comes through in abundance on this fully-formed release. For fans of Steven Julien, Funkin Even, Floating Points, Aphex Twin, Palms Trax.
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12"
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TART 048EP
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Glenn Astro conquers new territories with Naturals, fusing elements of Balearic and left-field house with tribal and acid sounds. Naturals delves into unexpected sound territories without losing touch with planet home. Sub-heavy drums mix with private oceanic field recordings, futuristic synth, and effect pedal workouts, delivering a four-track EP that is novel but honest to the bone.
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12"
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TART 044EP
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Copenhagen's Tartelet continues its 10th anniversary with another an EP in their Limited Edition Series. This one finds Glenn Astro serving up five exclusive tracks on C.I.W.. The EP takes inspiration from Keith Haring's celebrated Crack Is Wack mural in New York, which was a reaction to the drug epidemic of the time. In a short space of time, Astro has cooked up his own unique musical world, releasing full-lengths on Ninja Tune alongside Max Graef, and with Hodini. This is another remarkable EP of effortlessly fused sounds, showcasing Astro exploring cosmic and electronically driven aesthetics. Edition of 250.
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2LP
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TARTALB 005LP
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2015 release. Essen's own Glenn Astro has called his first album Throwback, and the name is at once a perfect fit and not nearly the extent of the story. On the one hand, Astro has filled the double-LP with a wealth of old-school gestures and textures -- the warm whoosh of analog synths, the rattle of Rhodes tines, and the sizzle of jazzy drums, all held together by the comforting glue of tape hiss and vinyl crackle. If you're used to the clean sonic lines and stylistic streamlining of so much contemporary house music, then Throwback is sure to feel less like a record you just pulled out of plastic wrap than a well-seasoned one salvaged from a flea market or unfinished basement. And yet like so many Tartelet releases, it feels fresh and keenly contemporary no matter how vintage the fabric. Rather than throwback to any one moment, he's given us a collage of styles that's quite literally timeless. Astro makes brilliant work of his influences, drawing on hip-hop, house, funk, and soul in such equal measure that it's hard to argue that one impulse dominates the other. The sound certainly flirts with the dancefloor, with Astro applying high-pressure deep house pads on the title cut, gliding on shimmering keys for "One For Viktor", and taking us on a vibraphone-fueled workout with "Kilometer Disco", one of a pair of cuts featuring Max Graef. But Astro obviously relishes the time he spends on the sidelines absorbing the atmosphere, or at home head-nodding to the dustiest corners of his record collection. For every house beat you hear, you'll also dip into juicy, '90s-style beat science, toasty ambience, and buttery chord progressions. Expertly paced but never hustling you along, Throwback begs to be heard as a whole but explored at your own easy pace -- a record for hazy mornings-after, vibey nights in, and endless summer afternoons. Also features Imyrmind. Gatefold sleeve.
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12"
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MUSIQ 222EP
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Raw, soulful, and agitating: Glenn Astro, the humble house sorcerer from Berlin, produced four tunes and a sweet interlude for Mule Musiq that show house music is still heading for the future. With countless EPs, albums, and collaborations for labels like Ninja Tune, Tartlet, or his own imprint $ex Records, the DJ and producer already emphasized that he thinks house counter to the trend. The Taurus EP shows this anew with unpolished, speedy, even techno-like rhythms, and deep gentle melodies. Dance music for jagged movers that have enough of high gloss sounds. Glenn Astro delivers some fresh grooving prayers.
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