Afe [news]

Click on each artist for all the details about their latest / forthcoming releases on Afe...

Out now: Never Known (I)
                 The Impossible Flower
                 Ninth Desert
                 Sam & Valley
                 Non Ethos
                 The Infant Cycle / UPhold
                 a034
                 Edward Ruchalski (I)
                 Edward Ruchalski (II)
                 Cordell Klier
                 Cría Cuervos
                 Bestia Centauri
                 Steve Brand
                 Andrew Duke
                 Horchata
                 Mathieu Ruhlmann
                 Pholde
                 Logoplasm
                 Mark Hamn
                 Never Known (II)
                 aal
                 The Afeman vs. Madame P
                 Punck
                 Der Einzige
Coming soon: Total Black Out
                          Mindmap / A.A.V.V.
                          Frog Pocket / The Impossible Flower
                          Amon vs. Mortar
                          John Hudak
                          Maurizio Bianchi / M.B. & Maor Appelbaum
                          Brian Lavelle
                          Daniele Brusaschetto & Benny Braaten
                          Subinterior
                          Tiziano Milani
                          Cisfinitum
                          Ascanio Borga
                          Mirko Uhlig
                          Genetic Transmission
                          Ur + Craig Hilton
                          Horchata
                          Gydja
                          Alistair Crosbie
                          Fhievel
                          Olyvetty



August 5, 2008

Afe summer sale!!!
Can you guess it
? As usual, when August comes, Afe is about to enter stand-by mode and won't be operative until early September.

At this particular time of the year it's our pleasure to
give our Afecionados the chance of buying many items from the Afe catalogue at a very special price: choose five titles among the following items and get them shipped by registered air-mail to your door in September for 40,00 EUR!!!


-
afe014rcd  Never Known "Once in a Lifetime [Remastered Edition]"  [Ambient]

-
afe030lcd  A.A.V.V. "No Abiding Places"  [Dark Ambient]

- afe032lcd  True Colour of Blood "The Significance of Secrecy"  [Ambient / Dark Ambient]

-
afe040cd  Kabal "Alone"  [New Electronica]

- afe041
lcd  Nat Evans "Post Modern Sound Images"  [Ambient / Avantgarde]

- afe043lcd  Nimh "Frozen"  [Ambient / Experimental
]

- afe044lcd  Moan "Between/Associated"  [Ambient / Experimental]

- afe046lcd  Telepherique "Hörspiele"  [Experimental]

- afe050lcd  aal "Disc 1 + Inherited and Partially Transmitted"  [Deep Space/Inner Space Soundtracks]

-
afe054cd  Raffaele Serra "Le spectre de la rose"  [Avantgarde]

-
afe056lcd  Luca Sigurtà "La vera macchina d'argento"  [Avantgarde]

-
afe059cd  Telepherique + Maurizio Bianchi "Zehn Tage (Touka)"  [Experimental]

-
afe060lcd  Sparkle in Grey / A.A.V.V. "The Echoes of Thiiings / Fadiiing Echoes"  [Ambient-Electronica / Experimental]

-
afe063lcd  The Impossible Flower "Roots and Fruits"  [Post-Everything]

-
afe064lcd  The Impossible Flower "Anthophobia"  [IDM / Drill'n'Bass]

-
afe065lcd  Snotra "All Done By John"  [IDM / Weird Electronica]

-
afe066lcd  Ornament "Unicorn Lullaby"  [Industrial Ambient]

-
afe071mcd  Anofele + Logoplasm "Gravescapes"  [Experimental]

- afe073lcd  Ninth Desert "Different Trouble Experiences of Twilight"  [Ambient / Dark Ambient]

- afe075lcd  Sam & Valley "Stupid Love or Smart Laugh"  [Unsuitable Rock / Electro-Pop]

- afe076lcd  Non Ethos "Syk Asfalt"  [Electroacoustic / Experimental / Dark Ambient]

- afe079cd  Leeza "Plasmic"  [Electronica / IDM]

- afe081lcd  Two Dead Bodies "Reflect"  [Experimental / Extreme / Tribal-Noise Rock]

- afe082lcd  Sidra "A Swampadelic Blessing of Downtown SF (The Official Bootleg)"  [Post-Noise Guitar Grooves / Desktop Jazz]

- afe083lcd  Ur "Triadic Memories"  [Industrial]

- afe084lcd  Steve Brand "Awakensong"  [Ritual / Tribal / Ambient]

- afe085lcd  Dronæment "Ezoterick Muzick"  [Ambient / Experimental]

- afe086mcd  The Infant Cycle / UPhold "Our Past Present (Now Then)"  [Experimental]

- afe087cd  a034 "Chemical Nature"  [Ambient-Electronica / IDM / Drill'n'Bass]

- afe088mcd  Fhievel "Preghiera per una stella"  [Experimental]

- afe089lcd  Edward Ruchalski "Territorial Objects"  [Experimental]

-
afe090lcd  Edward Ruchalski "Dark Night"  [Experimental]

-
afe091lcd  Cordell Klier "Measure Here and Be Now"  [Ambient / Minimal / Lowercase]

-
afe092lcd  Cría Cuervos "Vor Feuerschlünden"  [Electroacoustic / Experimental]

-
afe093cd  Bestia Centauri "Teratogenesis"  [Avantgarde / Experimental]

-
afe094lcd  Steve Brand "Looking Into the Other"  [Ritual / Tribal / Ambient]

-
afe095lcd  Andrew Duke "From the Deep End"  [Minimal Electronica / Glitch / Experimental]

-
afe096lcd  Horchata "Coleoid"  [Ambient / Dark Ambient]

-
afe097lcd  Mathieu Ruhlmann "The Earth Grows in Each of Us"  [Electroacoustic / Experimental]

-
afe098lcd  Pholde "Aperture of the Internal Surface"  [Dark Ambient / Sound Art / Experimental]

-
afe100cd  Logoplasm "Testa piena d'orche"  [Electroacoustic / Experimental]

-
afe103lcd  Mark Hamn "Je déchire l'ongle aux criminels"  [Post-Everything / Electroacoustic / Glitch]

-
afe104cd  Never Known "Live at the Cosmic Egg, 10.06.2000"  [Ambient]

- afe50008  Rensek "Rensek EP"  [
Minimal / Microscopic Explorations]

-
afe50014  Madame P & The Afeman "April's Fool"  [Experimental / Noise]

-
afe50015  Spiral "Minimum Effort / Maximum Result"  [Experimental / Minimal]

-
afe50016  The Afeman vs. Madame P "Journey Through the Shadow of the Sun"  [Ambient / Drone Music]

-
afe50017  Punck "Aube noire"  [Avantgarde]

-
afe50018  Der Einzige "Early Poor Loops For Krishna"  [Industrial / Noise]



This offer ends on August 31st. All orders received will be shipped in early September by registered air-mail.

To order please specify which titles you wish to buy and send a PayPal payment to:


We wish you a wonderful summertime!




August 4, 2008


New reviews (21)
Here's a few more reviews about the latest Afe releases:
Edward Ruchalski "Dark Night" on Furthernoise.org
Mark Hamn "Je déchire l'ongle aux criminels" on Connexion Bizarre
Ninth Desert "Different Trouble Experiences of Twilight" on Connexion Bizarre

Mathieu Ruhlmann "The Earth Grows In Each of Us" on Earlabs



July 18, 2008


Forthcoming Afe releases
Before we enjoy our summer break, it's time to spend a few words about some of the many forthcoming Afe releases that will be out in late October 2008. You'll be treated with the following
:

- an Amon vs. Mortar full-lenght disc based on the tracks originally published by Oktagön in January 2000 on the "From the Graves" vinyl album. The disc will also include two extra tracks that didn't appear on the Oktagön release;

- a new full-lenght experimental work by acclaimed american sound artist John Hudak that include a one hour long composition based on field-recordings of doves;

- the newest chapter of the collaboration between italian maestro Maurizio Bianchi and israeli veteran producer and multi-instrumentalist musician Maor Appelbaum;

- the return on Afe of Brian Lavelle with "Ustrina" a new experimental unreleased work that follows his recent releases on Diophantine Discs, Taâlem and EE Tapes;

- a noisy collaboration between italian underground guitarist / songwriter Daniele Brusaschetto and norwegian experimentalist Benny Braaten, better known as Origami Galaktika;

- the latest full-lenght work by italian dark-ambient act Subinterior (also of Konau and Canaan fame), which follows his acclaimed "The Chrysalis Secret", also released by Afe in 2006;

- the fourth album by extraordinaire acoustic architect Tiziano Milani, a very particular work partly recorded in a reverberating room;

- "Nevmenosis", a collection of both released and unreleased ambient / experimental tracks by russian musician and composer Evgeny Voronovsky a.k.a. Cisfinitum;

- the first "official" release by italian guitarist / electronic musician Ascanio Borga, which comes after many self-released titles to showcase the many sides of his talent;

- a new work by german young experimentalist Mirko Uhlig, which was once active as Aalfang Mit Pferdekopf and who recently had releases on Nextera, Mystery Sea and Field Muzick;

- an industrial / noise new album by Tomasz Twardawa a.k.a. Genetic Transmission, a living legend of the underground industrial scene in Poland;

- a collaboration between the well-known italian industrialists Ur (...we also released their debut "Triadic Memories" in 2006...) and american musician / sound designer Craig Hilton;

- the newest minimal ambient / experimental / glitch work by Horchata, which is quite different from his previous "Coleoid", also released by Afe in 2007;

- a new album by brilliant New Zealand sound sculptress Abby Helasdottir best known as Gydja, quite a magickal listening experience;

- a sombre but effective album of ambient / drone music by scottish musician / guitarist Alistair Crosbie, which has been active at least for fifteen years in the local scene;

- the reissue of "Pipe Smoking On a Balloon", the latest full-lenght work by italian lowercase experimentalist Luca Bergero / Fhievel;

- an ultranoisy 3" MiniCD-R card by italian cult "band" Olyvetty;

- ...and probably a few more surprises, mp3 previews are coming soon, stay tuned!



June
19, 2008

Afe @ Tago Fest 4

Afe will take part to Tago Fest 4, a three days long independent music festival organized by Tago Mago, Fratto9under The Sky, Boring Machines, Wallace Records, Fooltribe and Bar la Muerte. The festival will be staged from July the 4th to July the 6th at the Tago Mago Lounge Café in Marina di Massa, Tuscany, Italy. More than 30 independent italian labels will be represented on stage by one or more bands. Sil Muir will play as part of the Afe rooster, see you there!!! For more information please visit www.myspace.com/tagofest.

Tago Fest 4


Friday 4th July

Bachi da Pietra (Die Schachtel/Wallace)
Bob Corn & The Outsiders (Fooltribe)
Plasma Expander (Here I Stay/Wallace)
Ultraviolet Makes Me Sick (Urtovox)

Saturday 5th July


?Alos (Bar La Muerte)
Andrea Rottin (Madcap Collective)
Chewingum (About a Boy/Marinaio Gaio)
Movie Star Junkies (Rijapov)
Overmood (Suiteside)
Pss Pss Pss (Produzioni Pezzente)
Quit Classic Music w/ Renato Ciunfrini (Setola di Maiale)
Satantango (Wallace)
Sex Offenders Seek Salvation (Fooltribe)
Sil Muir (Afe Records)
Sparkle In Grey (Disasters by Choice)
Tanake (Fratto9 Under the Sky)
Tapso II (Indigena)
War Is Terror (Burp Publications)
X-Marillas (Dischi di Plastica/Wallace/Smartz)
Zabrisky (Shyrec)
+ dj-set by LeGo mY eGo

Sunday 6th July

Airchamber3 (Amirani)
Amavo (Fromscratch)
Butcher Mind Collapse (Bloody Sound/Valvolare)
Eat The Rabbit (Marsiglia)
Evolution So Far (Donnabavosa)
Flap (In the Bottle)
Hiroshima Rocks Around (No=Fi)
Logoplasm (Ctrl+Alt+Canc)
Lucertolas (Robotradio)
My Dear Killer (Under My Bed/Eaten by Squirrels/Madcap Collective/Shyrec/Boring Machines)
Olyvetty (Hundebiss)
Phidge (Riff Records)
R.U.N.I. (Megaplomb)
Satan Is My Brother (Boring Machines)
Spiral (Motorgrafosociety)
Vonneumann (Ebria Records)
Zen Circus (Unhip Records)
+ dj-set by Onga (Boring Machines)


June 18, 2008

New reviews (20)
A few more reviews about some of our latest releases were published during the last weeks:
Mathieu Ruhlmann "The Earth Grows In Each of Us" on The Cookshop
Mathieu Ruhlmann "The Earth Grows In Each of Us" on Musique Machine
Logoplasm "Testa piena d'orche" on Rockit.it
Non Ethos "Syk Asfalt" on Connexion Bizarre
Never Known "Once In a Lifetime" on Sonomu


June 5, 2008

A
fe @ Mi Ami 2008
Afe Records & Pins will be present with its own stand at the Mi Ami 2008. The festival will be staged at Circolo Magnolia, Idroscalo (Milan, Italy), from Friday the 6th to Sunday the 8th June 2008. Please have a look here for the full program, see you there!


May 20, 2008

New items available in our mail-order catalogue
Many new items are now available for sale in the mail order section of this website, including latest arrivals from Silentes, A Silent Place, Smallvoices, Faria, Taâlem, Kokeshidisk, C3R and more. Here's a direct link to the distribution catalogue.


May 7, 2008

New reviews (19)
Well, one year is passed since our latest releases were out and reviews keep flowing in, here's the latest we received in late April / early May:
Andrew Duke "From the Deep End" on Audiodrome
Mathieu Ruhlmann "The Earth Grows In Each of Us" on Cyclic Defrost
Pholde "Aperture of the Internal Surface" on Lunar Hypnosis
Mark Hamn "Je déchire l'ongle aux criminels" on Earlabs
Edward Ruchalski "Territorial Objects" on Connexion Bizarre



April 2, 2008


New reviews (1
8)
Here's the usual bunch of reviews about some of our latest releases that we collected during the last weeks:
The Afeman vs. Madame P "Journey Through the Shadow of the Sun" on Audiodrome
Mathieu Ruhlmann "The Earth Grows In Each of Us" on Lunar Hypnosis
The Afeman vs. Madame P "Journey Through the Shadow of the Sun" on Lunar Hypnosis
Edward Ruchalski "Dark Night" on Musique Machine
Cordell Klier "Measure Here and Be Now" on Lunar Hypnosis

The Impossible Flower "Anthophobia" on Audiodrome
Edward Ruchalksi "Territorial Objects" on Lunar Hypnosis
Horchata "Coleoid" on Musique Machine



March 17, 2007

Amon + Griefer + Brutophilia live @ Margini Sonori II

Margini Sonori is a festival organized by ODRZ, the last night of the second edition will be staged on Tuesday 18 March 2008 at Barrio's Cafè, Milan (Italy).

On such occasion Andrea Marutti will perform a dark-ambient solo concert as Amon at 10:00 p.m. followed by Canadian noisers Griefer and Brutophilia. Admission is free, more information is available here.




March 6, 2008


Afe Records showcase at Villa Franchin, Mestre (Vene
zia, Italy)

Madcap Collective and Basemental have organized an Afe Records showcase in Mestre (Venezia, Italy). The happening will be staged in the beautiful Villa Franchin. Andrea Marutti will play a live concert, Punck and Davide Del Col / Accursio Graffeo will be on stage too. Concerts begin at 9:30 p.m., admission is free. More information about this happening - in Italian - is available here.


February 21, 2008

Andrea Marutti interviewed by Digimag - English version
The English version of the interview with Andrea Marutti conducted last November by Bertram Niessen for Digimag is now available here.


February 19, 2008

New reviews (17)

It
's time for more reviews about some of our latest releases, here we go:
The Infant Cycle / UPhold "Our Past Present (Now Then)" on Heathen Harvest
Sam & Valley "Stupid Love or Smart Laugh" on Blow Up
Sam & Valley "Stupid Love or Smart Laugh" on Connexion Bizarre
Punck "Aube noire" on The Wire
Der Einzige "Early Poor Loops For Krishna" on RockLab




January 21, 2008

New reviews (16)

Here's a few m
ore reviews about the latest Afe releases:
Andrew Duke "From the Deep End" on Connexion Bizarre
Cría Cuervos "Vor Feuerschlünden" on Connexion Bizarre
Mathieu Ruhlmann "The Earth Grows In Each of Us" on The Sound Projector
Bestia Centauri "Teratogenesis" on Chronicles of Chaos
Bestia Centauri "Teratogenesis" on Shapeless Zine




January 10, 2008

New reviews (15)

The new year brought some more reviews about
out latest releases, here's a short list:
The Impossible Flower "Anthophobia" on Connexion Bizarre
Der Einzige "Early Poor Loops For Krishna" on Blow Up
Punck "Aube noir" on Blow Up
The Afeman vs. Madame P "Journey Through the Shadow of the Sun
Edward Ruchalski "Territorial Objects" on Musique Machine

Logoplasm "Testa piena d'orche" on Rocklab



January 7, 2008


Andrea Marutti "The Subliminal Relation Between P
lanets (Live in Archiaro) is out now on Nextera

Andrea Marutti's latest CD album entitled "The Subliminal Relation Between Planets (Live in Archiaro)" is out now on Nextera. The album was recorded live in Archiaro (Albi, Catanzaro, Italy) in August 2007 and is a 74 minutes excursion into ambient / dark-ambient territories. A few copies are available for sale through the Afe mail-order.


 

 

[Out Now]

top^


AFE014RCD

Artist: Never Known
Title: Once in a Lifetime [Remastered Edition]
Format: CD-R in pro-printed cardboard sleeve
Tracks: 10
Playing time: 46:53
Release date: April 2007
File under: Ambient
Description: Never Known is the earliest music project of Andrea Marutti, best known as Amon and as Afe label owner. Andrea began his experiments with music in the early '90s using tapes and concrete elements. A few years later he also began to use synthesizers, samplers and other electronic devices, and founded the Lips Vago Digital Studio. Several releases of Ambient / Dark Ambient music were published by labels such as Eibon Records, Amplexus, Drone Records, Taâlem, etc. on CD and other medias. Following "Dawn of an Era", "Once in a lifetime" was Never Known's second release. Recorded between August 1994 and August 1995, it was published by Murder Release as a C46 tape in September 1995. The tape was subsequently re-released on CD-R by Afe in March 1999. For this new edition, all tracks were remastered from the original tapes by the author in March 2007 at Lips Vago Digital Studio. The album consists of ten short ambient numbers mostly created with poor equipment which included several tape recorders, cheap microphones and objects. Basic synthesizers lines were subsequently added to some of the tracks... [more]
Mp3: Through the Gate / Once in a Lifetime / On the Beach - Part Two

 


AFE064LCD

Artist: The Impossible Flower
Title: Anthophobia
Format: CD-R ltd. to 100 copies in pro-printed cardboard sleeve
Tracks: 9
Playing time: 49:26
Release date: April 2007
File under: IDM / Drill'n'Bass
Description: "Anthophobia" was supposed to be released one year earlier along with "Roots and Fruits" to showcase the other side of The Impossible Flower. Unfortunately we had to pospone this release until... now! In the meantime, The Impossible Flower has gained more and more a cult status due to a collection of previously self-released material that was compiled and published by Benbecula Records in their monthly Mineral Series. Just like "Roots & Fruits", all the tracks that appear on "Anthophobia" were recorded some time ago, when The Impossible Flower was still a solo project by Andrew David Daly. Clocking in at about 50 minutes, "Anthophobia" (...an abnormal and persistent fear or flowers...) consists of nine great carefully produced IDM tracks that compete with themselves to conquer the listeners' favour. A very difficult match since all of them stand out one way or the other... "Anthophobia" comes with a beautiful artwork designed by our friend Jing Zhang and is one of the most anticipated - and delayed - Afe releases. After listening to it, you won't help but agree with us that it was really worth the wait... [more]
Mp3: Electro Mummykins / Flip Flop / Girl on Mount Florida

 


AFE073LCD

Artist: Ninth Desert
Title: Different Trouble Experiences of Twilight
Format: CD-R ltd. to 100 copies in pro-printed cardboard sleeve
Tracks: 5
Playing time: 53:47
Release date: April 2007
File under: Ambient / Dark Ambient
Description: Ninth Desert is the latest solo project of Cyril Herry from France, also known before as Ashes To Ashes, Sechres Mound (a duo in collaboration with Toy Bizarre), Lecanora and Exotoendo. During the years his music has been released by many international labels including Athanor, Old Europa Cafe, Harmonie, Verato Project, Taâlem / Kokeshidisk and Mystery Sea. After taking part to our 10th year celebrative on-line compilation in late 2005, Cyril proposed us a full-lenght release. We're therefore happiest to bring "Different Trouble Experiences of Twilight" to your attention. As the title aptly suggests, the album was recorded using many different kinds of manipulated, stretched, treated and stripped down sound sources. All the tracks on "Different Trouble Experiences of Twilight" were created mostly at night during Summer 2005 and Summer 2006; they represent different mentalscapes where all elements are forced to coexist in the same time and space by a complex internal memory system... [more]
Mp3: Combinations From a Persistent Night / Red Mute

 


AFE075LCD

Artist: Sam & Valley
Title: Stupid Love or Smart Laugh
Format: CD-R ltd. to 200 copies in pro-printed cardboard sleeve
Tracks: 17
Playing time: 53:50
Release date: April 2007
File under: Unsuitable Rock / Electro-Pop
Description: Well, we guess that "Stupid Love or Smart Laugh" is one of those releases that will quite surprise our Afecionados who only know us for our most extreme and experimental output. Believe it or not, we have been enthusiast about Sam & Valley since their early days and we already had the great pleasure to collaborate with them at the time of the glorious "Teddy Bear Remix Project" back in 2002, when they provided two of the best remixes of the original Wolkspurz & Ramirez title track (...and Sam also made a lovely drawing for the TBRP box!). Sam & Valley were born in 1995 when Alex de K, who was active in The Kazuyuchy, a japanese punk band, met Special and Max in Tokyo. They recorded many songs mixing their own extremely different tastes, defined their style as Unsuitable Rock and choose the Sam & Valley moniker to present their work to the world. Four Sam & Valley albums were published between 1997 and 2000: "My Favorite Clinic", their debut, was notably released on Aphex Twin's Rephlex label, "Unsuitable Japanese" and "A Miracle Is Simple" were released on Angelika Koehlermann in Europe, while "Torso" was published by the canadian label Awhisp. The project quit in 2003 leaving a lot of unreleased tracks behind them... Luckily The Afeman was granted access to part of their archive, so he picked up some favourites and compiled "Stupid Love or Smart Laugh" with them, hopefully bringing their music to the attention of old and new fans... [more]
Mp3: Heigh Ho! Says Anthony Rowley / If All the World / Rebirth / The Stars and Stripes

 


AFE076LCD

Artist: Non Ethos
Title: Syk Asfalt
Format: CD-R ltd. to 100 copies in pro-printed cardboard sleeve
Tracks: 7
Playing time: 54:31
Release date: April 2007
File under: Electroacoustic / Experimental / Dark Ambient
Description: Non Ethos was a side-project of Norwegian Hærleif Langås (...now active as Northaunt) up to around 2003. It was a no-rules project that dived deep into experimental soundworks, drones and isolationism. It was just like a musical terrain vague, undefined but still loaded with hidden meanings. During its existence, a few Non Ethos discs were privately released in very small editions by the author himself. One of them, "Hidden Structures, Lost Places" was re-released by Afe back in 2000; now it's the turn of "Syk Asfalt", which comes in a completely remastered and revised version. According to the author's words, this album is a meditation on time, urban emptiness and nature's destructive forces, the ever ongoing erosion, the crack in the asphalt that slowly spreads, unheard, unseen, in the urban nights, sometimes patched by street workers but never stopped, just like we can't mend the cracks in ourselves. The whole "Syk Asfalt" keeps its promises from the beginning to the end, and Non Ethos has the great merit of being able to create such a strong and evocative record with just a few, but very effective, elements... [more]
Mp3: Yellow Light / Erosion / Snow

 


AFE086MCD

Artist: The Infant Cycle / UPhold
Title: Our Past Present (Now Then)
Format: 2xMiniCD-R 3" ltd. to 100 copies in pro-printed cardboard sleeve
Tracks: 1 + 4
Playing time: 20:22 + 24:44
Release date: April 2007
File under: Experimental
Description: Jim DeJong (The Infant Cycle) and Muffy St. Bernard (UPhold) are pleased to be partnered with each other for "Our Past Present (Now Then)". Their friendship dates back to the early '90s Canadian experimental tape scene, and they have worked together on occasion. The Infant Cycle was begun in 1992 by Jim DeJong, as a 21st birthday present to himself. Since then he has steadily created a large number of releases working with both "musical" and "non-musical" objects to create soundscapes that don't easily fit ready-made descriptions. UPhold was formed by Muffy St. Bernard in 1993, growing out of early-morning radio experiments on CKMS, the University of Waterloo's campus station. Those experiments were honed in the group Mindsculpture (a.k.a. Mind-skelp-cher) and have matured over time. His music has been released through his own label, Dangermuff Enterproses, and through Jim DeJong's The Ceiling. "Unrelated Work Tapes 7/7/04" by The Infant Cycle is a new chapter in his series of aural collages based on his own past, present, future and non-existant releases, where he explores the wide possibilities offered by manipulation / juxtaposition of different portions of audio materials taken out of their original context. The four UPhold tracks include assorted synthesizers, field recordings, found sounds and voices, metal percussions and other low-budget electronic paraphernalia used to create very complex and cinematic experimental music... [more]
Mp3: Unrelated Work Tapes 7/7/04 [excerpt] / Folded Memory Syndrome / Bedwetters

 


AFE087CD

Artist: a034
Title: Chemical Nature
Format: CD-R in pro-printed cardboard sleeve
Tracks: 13
Playing time: 73:48
Release date: April 2007
File under: Ambient-Electronica / IDM / Drill'n'Bass
Description: After the successful debut disc of Two Dead Bodies released in April 2006 it's now time for some more Afe / Bar La Muerte co-productions. One of them is a034's "Chemical Nature". a034 is a one-man band conducted by Stefano Pulici from Mlan, Italy. This project was created some ten years ago without any definite ambitions and was brought to the public attention when its first CD album was released by Tijuana Records (...the very first manifestation of what later became Bar La Muerte...) back in 1999. Today a034 is still alive and kicking and Stefano is also involved in other projects such as Nuke Satori, Six Figure Nigga, Figli di Diapa (with Hyena and Mbst8) and Lava (with Bruno Dorella of OvO and Ronin fame). During the years, his music was released on CD and vinyl by labels such as Bar La Muerte, Hydrophonic, Blackbean and Placenta, FVA, Homesleep, Napalmed and Blackqirex. "Chemical Nature" is a034's latest full-lenght offering and is a more ambient / experimental affair if compared to his previous CDs. The common trait of most of the tracks on the album, is the use of sounds grabbed from natural sources in more synthetic contexts. All tracks on the album are mixed together to create a seventyfour minutes journey... [more]
Mp3: 2 Many Words / Wireframe / Diapason / Elektrostatic / No Time, No Space

 


AFE089LCD

Artist: Edward Ruchalski
Title: Territorial Objects
Format: CD-R ltd. to 100 copies in pro-printed cardboard sleeve
Tracks: 13
Playing time: 45:19
Release date: April 2007
File under: Experimental
Description: We had the chance to listen to Edward Ruchalski's music for the first time when his "Refined Localities Part One" MiniCD-R 3" was released by Taâlem some time ago. Edward is an american composer currently living in Syracuse, New York, where he teaches guitar. He has been commissioned by the Bang on a Can All-Stars, Helen Boatwright and Syracuse's Society for New Music. Ruchalski has also been the recipient of two Individual Artists Grants from the Cultural Resources Council in Syracuse for his compositions Private Harmonies, a series written for motorized string and percussion instruments, and Kafka Resolution, written for speaker and percussion. For the last ten years he has been creating sound installations, motorized string and percussion instruments and playable percussive sculptures. His music has been released worldwide on labels such as Humbug, Pseudoarcana, Foxy Digitalis and Taâlem; he also contributed to many compilations. "Territorial Objects" is his latest full-lenght work, a collection of thirteen untitled short pieces recorded during 2005-2006 with the help of Michael Burton and Matt Broad. A complex and powerful work focusing more on the percussive and mechanical side of Ruchalski's music rather than on the droning elements... [more]
Mp3: Part One / Part Three / Part Eight / Part Nine / Part Thirteen

 


AFE090LCD

Artist: Edward Ruchalski
Title: Dark Night
Format: CD-R ltd. to 100 copies in pro-printed cardboard sleeve
Tracks: 6
Playing time: 38:49
Release date: April 2007
File under: Experimental
Description: Edward Ruchalski is an american composer currently living in Syracuse, New York, where he teaches guitar. He has been commissioned by the Bang on a Can All-Stars, Helen Boatwright and Syracuse's Society for New Music. Ruchalski has also been the recipient of two Individual Artists Grants from the Cultural Resources Council in Syracuse for his compositions Private Harmonies, a series written for motorized string and percussion instruments, and Kafka Resolution, written for speaker and percussion. His music has been released worldwide on labels such as Humbug, Pseudoarcana, Foxy Digitalis and Taâlem; he also contributed to many compilations. For the last ten years he has been creating sound installations, motorized string and percussion instruments and playable percussive sculptures. The first edition of "Dark Night" was released on Foxy Digitalis back in 2004 and is probably one of Ruchalski most well-balanced works... [more]
Mp3: Part One / Part Four / Part Five / Part Eight

 


AFE091LCD

Artist: Cordell Klier
Title: Measure Here and Be Now
Format: CD-R ltd. to 100 copies in pro-printed cardboard sleeve
Tracks: 4
Playing time: 41:06
Release date: April 2007
File under: Ambient / Minimal / Lowercase
Description: Cordell Klier is an avantgarde sound artist, graphic designer and label owner from Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. Since the beginning of his career in music Cordell has continued to carve his own trails and musical nitches with his sincere abilities to bridge the widest of gaps between many of the divided music cultures and sub-cultures. Sometimes to the dismay, and sometimes to the rejoicing of critics and fans alike. Through the years he has worked within many genres of sound. Everything from Noise to Metal, to Punk, Pop and Hip Hop, but currently recognising silence, drone, and glitch as his main mediums of output. Starting out in 1987 with his first Metal band Shadow, Cordell has since moved on to form numerous other acts such as Vedisni, Dream Eternal, Climb to Zalem, No Human Day, Monstrare, Under Crushing Wings and more. His music was successfully released by many labels worldwide including Ad Noiseam, Dragon Flight Recordings, Angle Records, Mystery Sea and many more. "Measure Here and Be Now" was recorded between September 2005 and January 2006, it features four tracks of minimal ambient and lowercase explorations... [more]
Mp3: Be Now [excerpt] / Aware

 


AFE092LCD

Artist: Cría Cuervos
Title: Vor Feuerschlünden
Format: CD-R ltd. to 100 copies in pro-printed cardboard sleeve
Tracks: 2
Playing time: 47:34
Release date: April 2007
File under: Electroacoustic / Experimental
Description: Cría Cuervos is the music project of italian sound artist Eugenio Maggi. Influenced by surrealism, minimalism, Drone and Industrial music, Hard Core/Punk and Grind, his music has evolved from more noisy experiments and now sits somewhere in between darker ambience and electroacoustic. During the years he created several full-lenght solo works and also collaborated with artist such as Paul Bradley, Sparkle in Grey, Ninth Desert and Maurizio Bianchi. His music was released on many international labels: Immanence, Thisco, Mystery Sea, Taalem, Twenty Hertz and Dielectric Records. "Vor Feuerschlünden" (...German for "Before Throats of Fire"...) is Cría Cuervos's latest full-lenght offering and it probably is his best solo work to date. The album features two long tracks of electroacoustic / experimental nature, built using field recordings (...cicadas, gas, frogs, water...), self-programmed Theta waves, short waves and softwares. No synthesizers were used during the recording process... [more]
Mp3: Vor Feuerschlünden [excerpt] / Blutgebell [excerpt]

 


AFE093CD

Artist: Bestia Centauri
Title: Teratogenesis
Format: CD in gatefold heavy cardboard digisleeve with inner sleeve
Tracks: 6
Playing time: 63:35
Release date: May 2007
File under: Avantgarde / Experimental
Description: Bestia Centauri is a solo electronic music project begun in 1999. "Teratogenesis" is its fourth release after "Ubbo-Sathla" (Somnambulant Corpse Recordings, 2002), "The Antideluvian Earth" (Afe, 2003) and "The Self Immolation Rite" (Somnambulant Corpse Recordings, 2004). The aim of Bestia Centauri is to create sonic landscapes that convey a sense of the numinous, the horrific, and the extra-human. Its sounds have much in common with those of electroacoustic music, but the compositional structures generally display a much greater sense of flow. With the new release, "Teratogenesis" (...an Eibon / Afe co-production...), Bestia Centauri defies once and for all the persistent mischaracterizations of its sound as belonging to the "Dark Ambient ghetto". Electroacoustic and computer music elements come brazenly to the foreground, and contribute even more so to the flow of "crawling chaos" that has always characterized and inspired Bestia Centauri's compositions. The genesis and development of a monstrosity is the theme of this new work, which charts a course from mutated unicellular sonic DNA to the resultant life-form that reaches "from the jaws of the dragon, from the depths of the abyss"... [more]
Mp3: Spores / Nebular Embryo

 


AFE094LCD

Artist: Steve Brand
Title: Looking Into the Other
Format: CD-R ltd. to 100 copies in pro-printed triple folder cardboard sleeve
Tracks: 6
Playing time: 67:50
Release date: April 2007
File under: Ritual / Tribal / Ambient
Description: Steve Brand has been creating sound art and visual art since the mid-80's. From 1995 to 2003 he was active as Augur, creating obscure and organic music which was released on many labels worldwide, including The Foundry, Manifold, Alluvial, Self-Abuse and others. During the years he had the chance to collaborate with artists such as Jeph Jerman (Hands To, Animist Orchestra), Rick Kitch (I Am Umbrella, Lucky Cricket), PBK, James P. Keeler (Wilt), Brooke Oates (Birds of Tin), etc. His atmospheres, alarmingly austere, with varying shades of gray, are drenched in allusion and a heightened sense of cinematic noir for the listener. According to his own words, "emotional aspects of a recording always come first". Consisting of six long tracks, "Looking Into the Other" takes up where "Awakensong" (...released on Afe in April 2006...) left off, expanding the exploration of twilight worlds. The album utilizes bells, synthesizers, voice, various flutes, medicine drums, cymbals, fiddle, rattles, prayer bowls, etc. Once again, with this work Steve has created an high quality and excellent album of deeply emotional music, and proved himself as one of the most inspired authors in contemporary Ritual Ambient... [more]
Mp3: The Flower of Life / Looking Into the Other

 


AFE095LCD

Artist: Andrew Duke
Title: From the Deep End
Format: 2xCD-R ltd. to 100 copies in pro-printed cardboard sleeve
Tracks: 12 + 12
Playing time: 71:19 + 72:50
Release date: April 2007
File under: Minimal Electronica / Glitch / Experimental
Description: Andrew Duke has been composing, producing, remixing and performing music since 1987, plus scoring and sound-designing for film, television, video, web, theatre and radio. His music is consistently referred to by the media and listeners alike as continuously presenting a unique and distinct sound. He has been commissioned for 55+ remixes (for artists such as Aaliyah, Pink Floyd, Chicks On Speed, Heavy Meadows, David Kristian, etc.) and has licensed 125+ tracks to compilations. Based in Halifax (Nova Scotia, Canada) he operates the Cognition Audioworks label and webzine. "From The Deep End" includes selected excerpts from recordings taken at four different live shows Andrew played In Toronto, Kingston, Halifax and Montreal between 2002 and 2004. The twentyfour untitled tracks combined on this double-disc set are all mixed together to create a complex and organic sonic continuum. Duke's explorations on "From The Deep End" range from classic clicks'n'cuts to dissonant ambiences passing through minimal vocations and subtle variations... [more]
Mp3: 1.02 / 1.06 / 1.07 / 1.12 / 2.01 / 2.07 / 2.09 / 2.12

 


AFE096LCD

Artist: Horchata
Title: Coleoid
Format: CD-R ltd. to 100 copies in pro-printed cardboard sleeve
Tracks: 4
Playing time: 58:25
Release date: April 2007
File under: Ambient / Dark Ambient
Description: Horchata is the name used by Michael Palace for his electronic music compositions. His music focuses on four major elements: complex beat music, dark ambient soundscapes, programmed compositional glitch music, and field recordings. Often a composition will include several of these elements. Palace has worked for a number of years as a research scientist at the University of New Hampshire's Complex System Research Center. His work there focuses on necromass or dead wood in Amazonia. During his numerous field visits to the rainforest, he has recorded sounds using various microphones and minidisk recorders. Modification of many computer simulations have yielded some interesting sound generating and compositional programs which are featured in newer recordings by Palace. After inviting him to take part to our 10th year celebrative on-line compilation in late 2005, we also asked him for a full-lenght release and "Coleoid" is the result. Exploring the darkest side of Horchata's music, the album is a one hour long journey recorded and assembled during 2006... [more]
Mp3: Manus [excerpt] / Tentacular [excerpt]

 


AFE097LCD

Artist: Mathieu Ruhlmann
Title: The Earth Grows in Each of Us
Format: CD-R ltd. to 100 copies in pro-printed cardboard sleeve
Tracks: 5
Playing time: 53:10
Release date: April 2007
File under: Electroacoustic / Experimental
Description: Mathieu Ruhlmann is a visual and sound artist. He first began composing soundworks to accompany his visual art based on found material. He has created works for various labels in Europe, Canada and the United States as well as contributed to several compilations. He has also produced sound installations and held performances thorughout North America. He currently resides in Vancouver, British Columbia. "The Earth Grows in Each of Us" was composed and recorded during Spring/Summer 2006. Instruments and sounds used on the album include: violin, piano, autoharp, accordion, bell, shruti box, voice, vinyl, wasps, seafoam, glass, tiles, fireworks, water, tree branch, metal, seedpod, pine cone, tone generator and stones... According to Mathieu's own words: "The main concept behind "The Earth Grows in Each of Us" was to create a soundwork addressing the regeneration of the life cycle. This work was created in 2006, the year of my 30th birthday. On this release there are five tracks. The first four track times refer to the numeric year of my birth, 1976... [more]
Mp3: Eschenau, 1976 / Holding Light (Part I)

 


AFE098LCD

Artist: Pholde
Title: Aperture of the Internal Surface
Format: CD-R ltd. to 100 copies in pro-printed cardboard sleeve
Tracks: 2
Playing time: 45:48
Release date: April 2007
File under: Dark Ambient / Sound Art / Experimental
Description: Pholde is the dark ambient project of sound artist Alan Bloor who is also known for his extreme noise music project called Knurl. In the late '80s he began performing noise backgrounds at poetry readings in which he experimented with his bass guitar by placing metal objects on the strings to produce the sounds. Since that time, Bloor has delved heavily into experimentation with found objects as sound sources. While Knurl unleashes harsh noise performances and side-project Pyrox creates intense electronic drones, Pholde creates dark ambient soundscapes by the bowing and scraping of self-created metal sound-sculptures with hand files, smooth and threaded metal rods, angle iron and blocks of steel to produce atmospheric, haunting soundscapes. His music was released on many labels worldwide, including Alien8 Recordings, Gears of Sand, Mystery Sea, RRRecords, Taâlem and Troniks. As usually happened with all previous Pholde's works, the two pieces on "Aperture of the Internal Structure" were produced and recorded by Alan in single sessions without any overdub, using only his sound-sculptures as source material aided by reverb and some equalization... [more]
Mp3: Aperture of the Internal Surface [excerpt] / Manifested By the Occurrence [excerpt]

 


AFE100CD

Artist: Logoplasm
Title: Testa piena d'orche
Format: CD-R in pro-printed triple folder cardboard sleeve
Tracks: 1
Playing time: 35:13
Release date: April 2007
File under: Electroacoustic / Experimental
Description: click on the following image to read the original press-release of "Testa piena d'orche" or click here to download it as a .pdf file.



Mp3: Testa piena d'orche [excerpt]

 


AFE103LCD

Artist: Mark Hamn
Title: Je déchire l'ongle aux criminels
Format: CD-R ltd. to 150 copies in pro-printed cardboard sleeve
Tracks: 7
Playing time: 37:14
Release date: April 2007
File under: Post-Everything / Electroacoustic / Glitch
Description: Francesco Giannico, best known as Mark Hamn, originates from Carosino a small town near Taranto, in the southern part of Italy. He's graduated in "Musicology and Musical Heritage" at the University of Lecce with a thesis on "History of film music". Musically he was born as an indie-guitarist, but an unexpected convergence with experimental electronic music some ten years ago changed his musical orientation, driving him into a different direction. During the recent years several of his works were published on the Internet in the form of free downloadable albums by popular net labels, including the italian Sine3pm. His musical approach is better described as a cinematic journey which pushes the boundaries of digital media even further by incorporatin