Amek nl_14: New tapes by LATE & Evitceles
Read an interview Vanity Productions before his first show in Sofia on June 19
With a rainy but busy summer ahead, our June newsletter comes with the announcement of twо new cassette tapes, a bunch of videos and our first proper show in what feels like forever.
Releases
LATE Far North Eleven
After two EPs, which shaped his signature take on industrial-leaning downtempo music with strong influences from UK bass music and ambient, LATE returns with his first full-length album on Amek. Far North Eleven offers a deeper and lengthier descent into thick atmospheres and sparse, contemplative melodies, soaked in despair.
Dive into Far North Eleven on tape (ltd. to 66) and digital here.
Evitceles Naive Slumber
For Naive Slumber, his long due full-length album appearance on Amek, Evitceles reached deep into his well of emotional ambient and carefully picked nearly 60 minutes of music, which we couldn’t be releasing at a more appropriate time. Naive Slumber is structured by warm, swirling synth loops, floating melodies, subtle pads and hidden audio artifacts.
Experience Naive Slumber on tape (ltd. to 66) and digital here.
Videos
Evitceles “Half Dream”
Svetlin Stoyanov (Iniakick) created a mesmerizing video for “Half Dream” from Evitceles’ Naive Slumber.
Svetoslav Todorov “Каишка” (Non Photo Blue Rework)
Daniel Donchov reworked one of the stories from Svetoslav Todorov’s 2020 audio book “Нищо няма да ти се случи” (with original music by NOCKTERN).
Radio Updates
Шумна неделя
If you didn’t have the chance to tune in to this month’s Шумна неделя on Kanal 103, you can find the recording here. Next one is July 4th.
Comfort Club
We are super stoked to announce that we are starting a new monthly radio show called Comfort Club on the newly unveiled Romanian Black Rhino Radio. Tune in on June 17th at 18:00 Sofia time for the first episode.
Concerts
Sofia Дrone Day
On May 26th we celebrated Sofia Дrone Day at Koncept Space. You can see pictures from the event by Zlatina Tochkova here.
Vanity Productions, Rangelova, Niandraz & Cyberian
On June 19th at 20:00 we are going to hold the first performance of Vanity Productions in Bulgaria. Before him we will hear live sets by Niandraz and Cyberian. The event will end with a DJ set by Rangelova.
You can RSVP here and get your tickets here.
Sometimes your head is your worst enemy - An Interview with Vanity Productions
Vanity Productions is the name, under which you will find the solo work of Christian Stadsgaard, co-founder of Danish label Posh Isolation and member of Damien Dubrovnik (with Loke Rahbek) and The Empire Line (with Isak Hansen, Jonas Rönnberg). Having followed Stadsgaard’s music for almost a decade now, we were happy to have a quick chat about Vanity Productions prior to his first show in Sofia.
Your work as Vanity Productions inhabits way calmer musical territories than your more extreme-sounding current collaborative projects or your past noise works, is there a place for the extreme in your solo approach to music?
Actually, in the beginning of this year I started working with more harsh sounds again. It was during the third wave of Coronavirus, and out of sheer boredom I started experimenting with feedback and pedal noise again after many years of not doing so, but this time applying some of the granular techniques that I’ve been using for the past years. I was overwhelmed by the richness of sound and textures, and now almost all of my upcoming releases will in one way or the other include harsh or feedback noise.
You’ve shared that in recent years your tools have become more digital and yet your sound has become even more minimal, with an almost chamber music feel, how aren’t you tempted by the limitless options of digital software to explore a more maximalist sound and composition?
I don't really enjoy maximalist productions. Whether it's a piece of classical music or a new digital production, I often find it somewhat annoying. So basically it's a matter of taste. The last thing I want to do is to sound like a producer with expensive software playing it like I was Toto on steroids. It's true that I make use of more digital means now, but to this day most of the work happens outside of the computer so, in that sense I don’t really use software all that much.
I feel in recent years Vanity Productions has been a bit more prolific, I guess this isn’t you catching up with older production, but somehow the need or comfort to put more of your own music has increased?
I don't think I could fully express what I wanted with the means I had before. I think I was too rigid in my ideas and lacked the courage to leave different principles I had about gear and workflow behind and embrace new technology and techniques. Sometimes your head is your worst enemy. I now have a MUCH smaller setup than I had five-six years ago. To a large degree I now sample other people’s music and only make use of a few different analogue and digital effect boxes plus a bit of editing on the computer. But I don’t think I have ever been more productive, and I feel much closer to where I want to be artistically.
To what degree performing live is a part of your creative process or is it a completely different experience?
Playing live is another creative process. I really enjoy playing live, to be able to meet and touch people, to see them hug, and to see them cry. But the two things are still connected. I need stimulation to be able to make music, I need to see things I have not seen before. I need to talk to people, who think differently than I do, or just do things I don't do every day. In that sense travelling and playing shows are really important in my overall creative process.
Some people involved in more extreme genres of music would find performing ambient therapeutic, for others it’s an utterly boring affair, even if their ambient production is worth hearing live, where do you think you stand?
I might have gotten softer over the years in my music, but deep down I’m a noise kid who likes my live shows loud, dirty and physical. My live shows are a bit of both more soothing sounds and pure noise. Only a few artists can do a set of pure ambient or pure noise without boring the minds out of people, or boring the mind out of me at least.
Your show in Sofia will be (hopefully) the first one after some time away from the stage, should we expect to hear live renditions of recent published works or should we prepare to be surprised?
Bring tissues.
We heard you’re interested in performing in difficult places like Eastern Europe, you’ve already played in Macedonia so you’re prepared for our (shared) reality but is there a place that really surprised you?
I don't think I would consider Sofia difficult, but yes, I do like to see places in the world that are not Northern Europe. Few years back, when I played Macedonia, I was simply blown away by the whole infrastructure of the city. It basically looked like the collages we made for the cover art of old Posh Isolation releases. So yes, Macedonia really did catch me off guard, and I have really been wanting to go back to this part of the world ever since. I'm actually very, very happy arranging this show was possible.