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viewing 1 To 16 of 16 items
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SOMA 117CD
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Deepchord's latest album on Soma, Auratones, sees a return to a more techno sound. A foray into deep, organic, cinematic dance music; subterranean bass, intercepted alien transmissions, and stripped down dance-beats meld with sheets of sounds that roll over the listener like waves lapping up on the shore. Shimmering, watery, brain hemisphere synchronization tones caress and melt stress away. Dancefloor-friendly tracks that work equally well in one's private listening space; Immersive music with a distinctive aquatic quality. Inspired by Detroit and Berlin's dance genres, but tempered by more ambience/atmosphere than one would expect from those genres. Music without harshness or rough edges; Fuzzy, out-of-focus, soft-sounds that slip in and out of the listener's consciousness. Auratones uniquely melds current dance rhythms with lushness and spirituality. Synesthetic sounds that trigger sensory experiences in cognitive pathways other than hearing: smells of perfumes, thoughts of colors, and altered perception of time and space. Psychoacoustic, cerebral, electronic listening music for those wanting a different experience than the current harsher, darker dance trends are offering. Responsibly made gentle music designed from the ground-up to have a positive effect on the nervous system and leave the listener invigorated and recharged. Chi-building sonic balm. Timeless, exotic dance tracks for a new school of electronic music enthusiasts who are searching for beautiful sounds, crafted with a higher purpose in mind. Recorded during April-June 2016 in Barcelona Spain, then further mixed/processed/assembled in Port Huron Michigan in early 2017.
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SOMA 112CD
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Soma present the debut album from one of the most exiting techno artists to spring out of the French scene in recent years, Charles Fenckler. A chance happening across Fenckler's Soundcloud heralded some fine results for the Soma camp back in 2014. The 20 year old exploded onto the label with the finely produced Anklam in that same year. Sporting such a mature sound for someone so young, his profile has been creeping up since the release of Anklam, quickly gaining fans throughout the techno community such as Jeff Mills, Marcel Dettmann, Josh Wink and Alan Fitzpatrick. Frozen Room (2015) saw him return to form after a short hiatus with the title track taking the scene by storm. With his debut album, Diving From The Void, Fenckler looks to continue his meteoric rise through electronic music.
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SOMA 111CD
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Dub techno master Deepchord returns with his fourth album on Soma, a collection of otherworldly transmissions from his laboratory. With Ultraviolet Music, Deepchord returns to his proprietary formula of atmospheric heroin-house (after 2013's more cinematic 20 Electrostatic Soundfields (SOMA 104CD)). A hallucinogenic amalgamation of deep emotive textures swimming around 4/4 kicks and sub-bass, middle-of-the-night atmospheres, hypnotic repetitions, shortwave static, and slowly evolving textures that envelop the listener in warm blankets of sound. Equally effective on a dancefloor as it is in one's private space. Multi-dimensional sounds that move the mind and the feet. Numerous (processed) acoustic and organic sound sources make these tracks seem alive in a way that is uncommon in electronic music today. They are breathing life-forms that reveal their subtle layers with repeated listenings. It's music that's influenced equally by 1980s experimental, 1990s ambient, Detroit techno, deep house, and Berlin school, creating something entirely unique in the process. State of the art low-tech electronica.
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SOMA 110CD
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Petrichor, one of Glasgow's most exciting producers, presents his stunning debut album, Mångata. The man behind the project, Simon Stokes, has been gradually working his way up the ranks in his home city's scene and has firmly established himself within the Soma hierarchy with a hat-trick of original EPs, each laden with his analog-focused, dream-like sound that straddles the boundaries between electronica, house, and techno. As well as a burgeoning career in electronic music, Stokes has founded his own music production school, Shoogle Studios. As the only Ableton Certified Trainer in Scotland, he has taken on the mantle of leadership at the illustrious Soma Skool, helping a new breed of producers find their footing within the realms of electronic music production. Never one to stand still and remain focused on one facet of his skills in the studio, he has also found himself working as a mastering engineer in the studio with Soma founders Slam, helping them shape their 2014 album Reverse Proceed (SOMA 105CD). Stokes's tireless work in the studio on his own project has now come to fruition, as he delivers the dramatic and provocative Mångata. Amalgamating his array of impressive hardware and his intricate knowledge of Ableton Live, Petrichor has refined his sound and crafted an intricate, multifaceted album that draws on many spheres of influence, designed as a singular listening piece.
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SOMA 109CD
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Lewis Fautzi follows his 2014 full-length debut, The Gare Album, with the galaxy-spanning Space Exploration, a special collection of tracks focused on the more experimental side of techno. Never one to allow himself to get caught up in one style, Fautzi set himself the challenge of creating an album with more depth and insight into his creative process, bringing more of his emotion to the music: "I think an artist should explore what they feel and what they like and I made this album because it was a challenge that I had in mind." With Space Exploration, the young Portuguese producer intends for the listener to be taken on a journey through not only his deeper, more emotive side but also through their own understanding of modern, experimental techno.
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SOMA 105CD
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Electronic music pioneers Slam return to their home base of Soma with their brand-new album, Reverse Proceed. After tireless months in the studio, the Glaswegian duo are ready to unleash what is easily their best body of work to date. Not only does this album capture where the two are at musically at the moment, but is an extension of their unending fascination with all things Electronic. Lending their 22 years of experience to this new project, Slam have delved into the past for inspiration while simultaneously heralding future technologies in the production process. Conceptually, Slam wanted to have the human experience in mind when recording and to base the architecture of the album around "the sequence." This led them to a locally-built hardware sequencer called the "Sequentix Cirklon" that became the heart of the album. Allowing them to access older machines and also a modern modular synth set-up simultaneously, Stuart & Orde merged live manipulation and recording techniques to full potential to bring soul to the album. Reverse Proceed is more than an album; it is a well-defined experience built on the principle of the sequence. Having been meticulously woven together to create a seamless listening environment, Reverse Proceed aims to capture the audience and guide them through the sonic landscape of the album. This method allowed Slam to fully explore the concept of the album being more than just a collection of tracks but rather a thoroughly immersible piece. With this concept in mind, the album's opening drifts in over the course of several tracks as the malevolent "Tokyo Subway" opens what is the ambient first third of the album. Tension is built through sweeping pads and dubbed-out synths, leading perfectly into the more delicate "Visual Capture," where a sea of field recorded rain splashes over subtle bell tones and dream-state strings. The title-track begins with intensity as pulsing sub-bass fills the void with yet more time-induced percussive fluctuations though synthesis, the haunting pads giving more depth to this deep, evolving track. The hardware at the center of the album takes hold now as "Cirklon Bells" brings a slight edge of melancholy to proceedings. Heavenly pads bring "Synchronicity" into existence as we hear the first semblance of a 4/4 make its way out of the depths of the ambience. "Ghosts of Detroit" stamps that typical Slam sound on the album. This ode to the Motor City sees an almighty melodic upheaval as tones begin to form complete harmonious coexistence and the album sees the shift into a more dancefloor-oriented state of being. The ethereal interlude of "Relevant Question" proves to be little respite, as "Pattern A3" stomps in with flourishing modular-based sequential tones and sparse, kicking 909 drums -- the album's defining heads-down techno moment. Tweeked-out, delayed and cerebral, "Factory Music" continues on perfectly as yet more off-kilter sequences makes heads spin with its subtle use of FX and crisp percussion. The wail of "Convolute" keeps things in check as discord swells enough to keep you ready for the solid and hypnotic "Catacoustics." Dark and brooding, it sets the tone for "Irritant," with its broken beat and roomy percussion riding spaced-out, otherworldly forces. "Rotary" helps see the album out with its elastic synths and driving rhythms, showing Slam's credentials as straight-up dance-floor killers. As we finally wind down from the journey, we are brought into great depths with the sublime "Resolved." Modern techno albums come and go, but the dynamic duo of Stuart McMillan & Orde Meikle have once again raised the bar for the world of techno.
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SOMA 106CD
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After a string of releases through Soma, the label is pleased to present the debut album from Italian DJ/producer Roberto Clementi. Roberto first came to Soma's attention through a series of very slick demos and it was clear from the outset that this was a producer who not only had a grasp of the modern underground techno movement but one who also appreciated the finer things that can be found in electronic music. Hailing from a remote, beautiful area of Southern Italy, Roberto's background and culture has shaped him as a producer, elements which he uses to fill his music with depth and emotion. For Roberto, every track has a background, a story, and through his use of organic grooves and well-defined melodies he allows each individual listener to experience their own interpretation of his music. With the opening pads of "Your Turn," Roberto sets the tone of the album; deep, grooving and brought to life with electronic feeling. He keeps a steady hand as tracks like "Lei," "Subavia," and "Receed" keep the opening dubby vibes of the album in tow while still retaining a dancefloor appeal. The slo-mo electronics of "Obscuria" swell perfectly in the middle of this album, its sluggish subs and tweaking synths breaking the mold. Normal service resumes quickly as "When Love Clashes" (already a previous hit on Soma) and "Untime" come hurtling in. The latter, probably one of Roberto's most grooving tracks, pulses with dubbed-out synths and chugging drums, making for perfect peak-time action. It's at this point Robert brings us slowly out of his universe. The eerie and resonating "Visceral," while ominous, alludes to that light at the end of every tunnel, as percussive keys flash through the cavernous low-end. The stepping "Agile" glistens with perfectly chopped and arranged vocal cuts that lend themselves intuitively to the beat. Jazzy keys with spring-like synths brighten this track from the core, eventually drifting into the ether. At the end of his journey, Roberto closes with the incandescent "At the Fruit." Stuttering beats and otherworldly bass are flanked by beautifully improvised keys tripped-out with space-like FX, tying the album together under his full spectrum of production techniques. Roberto has crafted a very unique and self-exploratory body of work with N Lights, one that has come together with faultless ease.
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SOMA 104CD
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The third Deepchord (Rod Modell) full-length on Soma explores the ambient realm. With this album, Deepchord veers even farther away from the current trends in dance music with an assemblage of conceptual audioscapes culled from video-soundtrack and installation works made between 2008 and 2012. This highly unusual collection contains immersive, introspective audio-sculptures more akin to musique concrète or electroacoustic music rather than dance, and exemplifies Modell's importance of developing a new sound in lieu of following popular trends. With some tracks clocking in at only 60-90 seconds, and practically nothing being dancefloor accessible, this album represents a truly unique electronica offering amongst the oceans of artists following a similar formulaic sound. Much of the album has an otherworldly, nocturnal feeling that would sit well in a David Lynch soundtrack. Sound collages comprised of alien-radio transmissions and earth tones melded with lush electronic sounds and underwater atmosphere. Modell's usual arsenal of studio hardware supplies the tonal food, but much of that is further processed with granular synthesis and arranged with generative-music techniques. Pieces like "Prayer Wheel" and "Seaweed" are set into motion and left to unfold organically without interference. "De Wallen" is from the Hash Bar Loops (SOMA 091CD) period and is a night-time soundtrack for Amsterdam's Red Light District. It audibly mimics this area's quiet uneasiness... beautiful with undercurrents of activity not visible to the casual passer-through. "Trompettersteeg" is similar in feeling, with its late-night field recordings made in the streets surrounding Amsterdam's Oude Kerk. "Raval," "Barcelona," and "Rooftop" contain atmospheric recordings made around Barcelona's El Raval district (a rooftop terrace on a rainy Barcelona night, recording sounds of traffic below and raindrops on an umbrella -- in "Rooftop").
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SOMA 103CD
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Soma Records are pleased to present an extra special compilation of tracks from 2012, mixed exclusively by Gary Beck in what is his first-ever commercially-available mix CD. After the hugely successful 20th anniversary celebrations, Soma continued with their high quality output right through 2012, forging ahead with new and old artists alike. 2012 saw the debut album from Gary himself that immediately made its mark on the techno world, demonstrating his amazing talent as not just a techno producer but as an artist. Further albums came from Deepchord, who followed up his first album on Soma with the deep and uniquely expressional Sommer that also spawned two separate vinyl releases. Heavy-hitters Pig & Dan showed the versatility of Soma's output also with their own 10-year anniversary album Decade, complete with fantastic remixes from Justin Berkovi, Carlo Lio, and more. On the singles front, there were some particular standouts. Soma stalwarts Slam & Silicone Soul also released new material that became instant classics in the house and techno world. New signing Mark Reeve burst onto the scene with his Dice EP, Harvey McKay collaborated with Saytek on the tough Push EP and we also saw the Envoy classic, Detroit-inspired techno groover, "Seawall," reworked by Chilean wonder producer Ricardo Villalobos. Gary's mix is a perfect example of why he has become one of the busiest DJs around. Kicking things off with Deepchord's perfectly dubbed-out "Tonality of Night," Gary quickly picks up the pace, moving fervently through tracks from Joe Stawarz, Heiko Laux & Steve Rachmad into Claude Von Stroke's excellent mix of Scott Grooves' "Mothership Connection." Mark Henning's infectious "You're Digging Into Me" funks things up before launching head-first into the peak of the mix with Pig & Dan and Mark Reeve tracks doing the damage along with Gary's own "Algoreal." Exclusive to the Soma 21 compilation is the Christian Smith & Wehbba remix of the eternal Funk D'Void classic "Diabla." This unforgettable track is given a very modern day rework and doesn't fail to trigger in all the right places. As the mix begins to wind down, we find Gary finishing off in epic style with the fantastic Mattias Tanzmann rework of Silicone Soul's "Right On, Right On" while Gary closes on Ricardo Villalobos' interpretation of Envoy's "Seawall."
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SOMA 101CD
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This is Martin Wheeler aka Vector Lovers' first full-length release since 2011's compilation Electrospective, featuring 16 new tracks from the electro-ambient producer. Although marking a return to the synthetic melodies and "Kraftwerk-in-Tokyo" influences of Vector Lovers' eponymous 2003 debut, this album takes a strikingly different route in terms of its production. As the title suggests, iPhonica was composed, mixed and produced entirely on Martin's iPhone 4. Developed over a period of 10 months, the album was made with nothing more than an iPhone and a pair of Sennheiser HD25 headphones. Numerous locations would stand in as makeshift recording venues, including train carriages, a doctor's waiting room, cafes in Berlin, off the beaten track on the Yorkshire moors, and Martin's back garden. Blip Interactive's Nanostudio app became Martin's weapon of choice for synthesizing, sampling and composing the 16 tracks that make up iPhonica. This album celebrates 10 years of the artist's Vector Lovers project and more solemnly marks the end of it also.
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SOMA 102CD
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Darkroom Dubs marks its 10th year with a specially-compiled, retrospective mix of the label by renowned duo Craig Morrison and Graeme Reedie aka Silicone Soul. Artists include: Of Norway, Frisvold & Lindbaek, Robag Wruhme, Extrawelt, Soukie & Windish, Kellerkind, Terje Saether, Malin Pettersen, Gregorythme, Tim Paris, AFFKT, Los Suruba, Danza Macabra, Patlac, Luc Ringeisen, Alex Niggemann & Marc Poppcke, and Freska.
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SOMA 099CD
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2017 repress. Following on from the dark intensity of Hash-Bar-Loops (SOMA 091CD), Deepchord has continued to innovate and diversify his output. Traces of the previous album remain on this record but here, there is a lighter, more ethereal feel. Deepchord's characteristic manipulation of space and time is still intact and is an integral part of Sommer's soundscape. Modulating textures, sliding tempos, shifting rhythmic elements, and electroacoustics create a constantly-evolving, vaporous, sonic tapestry. Rich field recordings and proprietary processing methods (developed over 20 years of making such recordings) provide an impactful, living, organic element with flecks of percussion and bass pulsing from the sound field. Atmospheric warmth and engrossing layers are expertly woven with the overall mood, evocative of warm summer evenings. Listening is equally effective on a PA with a crowd as it is on the beachside with headphones alone.
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SOMA 098CD
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Pig&Dan's first full-length album release through Soma provides great insight into why the pair have become so visible and important, smoothly shifting between an underground ethos while maintaining a synergy with and respect for the audience whose aural enjoyment is of paramount importance to the pair. The quality and diversity displayed on the album means that this 10 year anniversary album displays perfectly-produced sounds with maintained dynamism and intricacy throughout. Such rich depth and innovation enables this album to sit proudly within Soma's canon of great releases and the very nature of the intense, all-consuming and potent sound makes this album an essential part of the future direction of Pig&Dan and the wider musical sphere.
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SOMA 100CD
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Soma's 100th album release is a huge milestone for the label and reiterates how influential the Glasgow brand has been in defining the musical landscape for two decades. There is no better way to celebrate both the impact and influence of the label than by showcasing one of Glasgow's most successful techno exports. Gary Beck embodies the continued innovation of Soma, having worked in close collaboration with the label from his 2009 debut onwards. In the years since his first release, Gary Beck has become a global techno sensation, performing at every major venue and starting his own successful label, BEK Audio. This album highlights just why Gary Beck has reached such a pinnacle and again shows that his collaborations with Soma are always incendiary. Throughout the album, every track is perfectly balanced and totally unique, creating a sonic journey from the first bar to the last.
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SOMA 095CD
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"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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SOMA 091CD
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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.
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