hmot aka stas sharifullin is siberian-born, moscow-based musician, curator, educator and multi-disciplinary artist from siberia. using modular synthesizer, field recordings and visual programming languages, hmot collects sounds and organizes them into structures, pushing traditional electronic music genres beyond their comfort zones. “permanent imbalance” is his ep debut on the berlin imprint oqko following a single contribution to the label’s “form_1” compilation. structurally, “permanent imbalance” is disorderly and elusive, it’s a techno record which has undergone a gregor samsaesque metamorphosis. embedded with dizzying polyrhythmics, the discontinuity at the heart of the record might also be its central directive – interrupting the ecstatic clubbing experience in favor of a contradictory reality which is impossible to describe with regular rhythms. boldly submitted to the niche of dance music deviations, “permanent imbalance” also reveals techniques directly derived from early institutional electronics and musique concrete. but where others would pile on the layers, sharifullin keeps it trim. these are just some finishing touches enhancing his rickety and multifaceted soundscapes. subject to constant deviations of its own temporality, this music proves to mirror the crisis in which modernity resides – a state of life out of balance which now appears to be permanent as never before.

dualexercise_l is elaborated on the premise of collaboration and reinterpretation, it presents the original work of two artists along its respective recompositions. as a musical release produced by manchester s daniel ruane & oqko co-founder smog, dualexercise_l opens up with side a comprehended of two the original compositions which go through reinterpretation on the flip side. taking the concept of entropic degradation for focus, with harsh textural depth, twisted mechanistic noise and glimmers of breaks, bass and broken techno providing the sonic backdrop, ruane and smog serve out their singular visions of pandemonium across four slabs of high octane compositions.

lvis mejía s newest project, titled anthropology of amnesia is an acousmatic essay addressing our utter necessity to remember in the face of existential oblivion, an innate behaviour of the human race. presented as a 33 minute long continuous composition, anthropology of amnesia unrolls as a series of chapters, the contemplative character of the piece opening a particular frame within the listening experience, where lvis mejía attempts to convey the phenomenon of the collective consciousness through the cultural traces we leave behind. mejía s takes the idea of -one species, one culture, one past- and places it at the center of the concept of the piece. anthropology of amnesia examines a number of interpretations of rituals, orchestrations, chants, synthesis and field recordings - nestled within the piece are recordings of animals, fire, water and a human heart - the sum of these sonic identities incidentally reshaping their roots. the diversity of the sonic sources highlights the comparative study element of mejía s work yet the common thread remains the human experience, recorded stories and the viva voce.

based on seven key themes, at least traverses overcast atmospheres, physical bass hues and radiant melodies, synthesizing elements over a fine composite of sound design, polyrhythmic patterns and club-influenced design. astvaldur’s debut album is a personal re-evaluation of the boundaries of the genres he draws inspiration from. his distinctive sonic textures encompass exploding percussion from the post internet age, repurposed orchestral sound bites, un-organic keys and a trained ear for monumentally expressive arrangements. at least will be released both digitally and on vinyl with a handprinted and stamped double layered artwork – utilizing organic and synthetic materials, representing the essence of the album.

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