CVX
Zibaldone IV of CVX

boomkat: ...As the artist acknowledges, “there’s a lot of serendipity involved in wrestling grooves out of these awkward machines”, and that’s where a lot of the chewy charm to ‘Pink Nothing’ stems from. Working with his re-imagined version of Daphne Oram’s uncompleted “Mini Oramics” machine - a slightly less unwieldy version of her drawing/light-to-sound interface for music making - which he finished in 2016, Tom harnesses its bleeps and whistles to palpitating bass drums owing to modern dance music, dreaming of what Daphne might have come up with if, as rumours imply, she really was at the first Shoom party.

For the next Blue Hour Music chapter, a special friend of the label’s family is stepping in. Hailing from the city of Delft, Dutch composer Spekki Webu delivers ‘Tenzan’, a forceful 4-track EP which might be the producer’s most ambitious project to date. Spawned from a place of personal reflection, Tenzan is the result of the ongoing cycle of life that has been influencing Webu since his early years. This philosophy was heightened after a fascination for mountains and a series of dreams about enlightenment on top of a sacred hill. These dreams later became reality after witnessing a ‘Tenzan’ (translated as ‘heavenly mountain’) during a trip in the Japanese wilderness. The cycle of life as represented by the heavenly mountain formed the spiritual direction to complete the narrative for this long-running Blue Hour project - as the leaves fell into place a new cycle began. Aligned in force and vigor, the A-side takes off with ‘Okada’, a grooving tension builder led by ominous melodies that drift off into the depths of the forests. Entering a state of empyrean elevation, ‘Horizon’ is a dub-induced peak-time roller of monumental grandeur. On the B side, the gears shift as ‘Solaris’ unveils a contemporary reinterpretation of 90s acid trance, fusing psyche-warping panned drones and minimalistic drum programming set to make blood pressures rise. Coming full circle, ‘Eion’ delivers euphoric salvation with a pulsating bassline guided by dreamy, repetitive soundscapes that reach for atmospheric heights. Vertigo-induced and wisdom-fueled, Spekki Webu opens the portal to the next cycle of sonic exploration marking the 25th release on Blue Hour Music.

Efficient Space: ...Efficient Space is honoured to share the little-heard recordings of three Yolngu songmen from Northeast Arnhem Land - Bobby Bunnungurr, Jimmy Djamunba and Peter Milaynga (d. 2007) - working in collaboration with Victorian musician Peter Mumme. Yolngu are the indigenous peoples of Arnhem Land in Northern Territory, Australia; their clans are the Marangu and Malabirr, the languages Djinang and Gannalbingu. Their songs are of instruction, story and ceremony.A connection first initiated by Yolngu actor David Gulpilil, Waak Waak Djungi’s mid-90s recordings were preceded by years of respectful sharing of culture. Mumme explains that “the aim was to produce something that is new, not in the sense of a breakthrough, but what emerges from the combining of existing ideas”. What developed was sonically unique - sprawling vocal/electronic soundscapes and field recordings that reimagine the traditional songs of black crows and white cockatoos, sharing, creation spirits and of leaving and returning home to country. Spacious and patiently durational, the songs resound in a big land with a big story to tell.On the 1997 Waak Waak Djungi album Crow Fire Music, these interpretations were assembled with traditional recordings and additional material from Sebastian Jörgensen and Sally Grice. Falling short of generating public interest, it became well known in the Yolngu homeland. Nearly two decades later, a CD copy filed away in the 3RRR FM library would prompt a three year investigation to meet the people behind the music.Waak Waak ga Min Min (Black Crow, White Cockatoo) combines the previously unreleased Gandi Bawong with five contemporary versions from the original album, with a new cover painting by Bobby Bunnungurr. Tracing 1997 back to many millennia ago, this is a captivating window into the richness of Aboriginal culture and collaboration.