Daniel Rafet Grima
You Are In The Embrace Of The History

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.

Seance Centre: ...Take Me With You is a revelatory voyage through the captivating universe of voice artist and poet MJ Lallo. The works on this 2LP compilation were all recorded in her home studio between 1982 and 1997, primarily using drum computer, synth and her own voice processed through a Yamaha SPX 90 digital effects unit. They range from wordless harmonizer mantras and primitive drum computer meditations, to psychedelic latin dance-floor anthems and synth-drenched end-of-the-nighters.Lallo has created her own inimitable galaxy of sound where the human voice, liberated from the constraints of language and abstracted using digital technology, is able to explore the outer realms of human expression, like Joan La Barbara with an Eventide and a new-age sensibility. Although Lallo’s flight path is distinctly her own, her journey converges with other travellers as diverse as Jon Hassell, Laraaji, Stereolab, William Aura, Laurie Anderson, Meredith Monk, Gertrude Stein and even Terry Gilliam (whose film Brazil was a big influence on Lallo). Like something beamed in from another planet, Lallo’s work is both fascinatingly strange and strangely familiar, and will leave a lasting impression for lightyears to come. Double gatefold LP, remastered DMM pressing.

Provenance: ...The contemplative and stretched out twin to last year’s A Body of Full Of Tears, Sia Ahmad continues to revisit her most formative inspirations on Facade, blurring aged textures into contemporary expressions on this newest addition to the Shoeb Ahmad oeuvre.Less claustrophobic than ABFOT and clearer in sonic detail, Facade picks up threads of familial reality, gendered safety and mapping place to weave into a tapestry of disembodied found sound, lush harmonies and widescreen metronomic presence. Once forgotten and now again inhabited, the songs here continue a journey to reclaim what drove Ahmad to create and explore.All profits from sales go towards ongoing contributions made to Aboriginal Legal NSW/ACT and Pay The Rent.

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Uncanny Valley: ...THE LIGHTS, THE HEAT, THE STROBE, THE SWEAT! Just in time for the club season, Sneaker hands in two ten-minute trips containing the darkest secrets of dance music.And for the working DJ, there are 4 stripped-down tools on top.The Flow is the sound of tomorrow! The Flow is the sound of the 90s. But elevated to the next level. Yeah, progressive! The Flow is the sound of our heroes. The Flow is the sound of NY and Boccaccio wrought into DEEP BEAT.The Flow is the mellow of LB and the trip of Andrew. May they rest in heaven's glory on the wings of eternity! The Flow is the endless vibe of Josh’s groove and the elegant abyss of Murk ensouled with celestial angels. The Flow switches paradigm into the extravaganza synthesis of Dazzle Ships.Ain’t nuthin but a 909, an Emulator and a Studer. Cream of the crop. Plus the immersive soul of Yvonne drawing from half a century of light, heat, strobe and sweat. And the vision of a continental producer, whose perspective is timeless, deep, and loving.The Flow is a utopia, where clubs exist. - And flourish!