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BLUE TUNES CHILLOUT (2015-2016). One year after: GODSENDS & DISILLUSIONS.


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Hi guyz!

 

The summer is going to its end but festival season still blasts. Every year there are many new acts, releases & other fun things appears in the scene. Some for a long time and some for a moment. Just as years before psy scene nowadays seethes and bubbles to deliver new sound impressions to all of us. It is morphing and changing to bring new forms & trends just to leave them back again and keep moving on.

 

One of the best & significant prog&psy label of last years - Blue Tunes Records - has started its chillout division about one year ago. After almost 10 years of building their very special main team and unique sound. Blue Tunes chillout has been started from the only project - far-famed Koan - that used to be resident of Blue Tunes Records since epic & all-time-classic "When The Silence Is Speaking" was released in 2009.

 

Everybody knows the older we get the better we are. Apparently the venerable age and extensive experience of music management pushed Sirko & Co. to expand their vision of today's scene needs. No need to expalain how it is risky to found new line of product especially if it is slow & intelligent sound. And we definetely should say thank you Blue Tunes just for attempt.

 

The year that gone is not true index of what has realy happend and nothing is too clear now but there are some tracks & artists that worth reviewing and measuring. For every head that is in this kind of music it is rather important to have a glance of what is going on at one of the most demanded labels in the scene. So I've tried to listen to several releases that were out recentely to have a chance to catch the main idea and direction of the new source of contemporary chillout & downtempo.

 

I must confess that I was realy impressed of Beatport's page of the label. Almost 30 releases mostly by newcomers in less then one year is very strong result. It seems like label team has started with a massive rush. Artist list contains of both newcomers (the majority) and already well-known artists. Among them such names as Baba Ghnome, Astropilot, Feuerhake, Blue Lunar Monkey and Koan. Also One Arc Degree was very intersting for me as project that sounds perspective.

 

I dont claim to have my review too impersonal and comprehensive enough. I've tried to describe briefly several releases in order of my sympathy. To be true & relevant I've included few releases that I didnt like too much but that I was expected to be rather good.

 

Lets start!

 

Eyescream - Melting Point EP

 

Date: 29 Dec 2015

Code: BTCDR009

 

1 Phillrider 5:16

2 Laroxyl 4:43

3 Dextro 5:42

4 Nystagma 4:47

 

The first place in the list is for russian project of Andrey Novikov from Saint-Petersburg. I havent heard of him before this release and was very surprised that it is his 4th release. Howerer almost all of them were out at sort of netlebels so it is little excuse for my ignorance.

 

The album presents 4 tracks of one nice style. It is neat downtempo european progressive style with plain beat and smooth melodies. The mood is elegiac but not too melancholic. It is not so original but very good composed and performed. All sounds are at their places nothing excessive and not too minimal. This kind of music is good to open progressive club party with. In the early evening when people still gathering to the place. The mood and composition reminds older tracks of Abakus and Vibrasphere. The first and the last tracks are more peculiar and the pair in the middle is more mainstream. Altogether they sounds very nice!

I also think that this style of downtempo fits the style of main label very nice.

Laroxyl is my favorite piece but i need to say that there are no weak tracks in the list in my ears.

 

Maluns - Emmas Dream EP

 

Date: 14 Jan 2016

Code: BTCDR011

 

1 Dream 1 6:30

2 Dream 2 7:01

 

Maluns has erlier releases at Cosmicleaf Records and Plusquam Records. It is Swiss artist who prefer to hide his real name so lets pretend we dont want to know it )

 

This sound is about dynamic psychill. It has cinematic stories inside and very diverse flow. Many different instruments and tunes are intertwined in two impressive suites. Artist definetely has his own style and musical testiness. Each track has good development and sounds original and catching enough. I think it is important for psychill music to have some action and changing in the story the song tells. And Maluns do it just right! Both tracks are in one style but dont sounds dull together.

 

Jule Grasz - Higher Love EP

 

Date: 17 Mar 2016

Code: BTCDR021

 

1 Full of Stars 6:17

2 Gaia's Rise 6:35

3 Painted Moon 6:40

4 Higher Love 7:55

 

Jule Grasz has been noticed 4 years ago at unhappy Beats & Pieces Records that was reanimated for 2 years and then fell down again. This year 2 new releases out at Blue Tunes chillout show that this artist is good enough to move out from dead studio and bring her sound to the world. Here I'll review EP but I have listened to album too.

 

The style is ambient. There is almost no beat with exception of rare drums that are mostly parts of composition moves. Sound is burly and low and stories are epic. Atmosphere reminds fabled worlds of mythic lands & times. It has some taste of medieval I think. The highest point is number 2: Gaia's Rise. Great song with chorus effects and heroic mood. Although it is usually not my cup of a style Jule Grasz sounds very impressive.

 

Yarn - Cryptic Entity EP

 

Date: 07 Jan 2016

Code: BTCDR010

 

1 Entry Level 11:17

2 Deep in Highness 7:03

3 Pille 9:47

4 Innocence 6:42

 

Ferenc Majercsik, Nandor Horvath are from Hungary. Their magic music will hit many chillout areas soon for sure. Its very danceable and handsome psychill with openwork melodies and velvet beatbase. I think it is very useful at the party when you dont realy want people to fall asleep during your set in chillout. Guys have baked very talented release here and you also can check their album that presents the same style but twice as much.

 

Personally I sure that this style of Yarn is required at psyparties that wants to preserve the spirit of real magic psychedlic event. In a scorching heat of main dancefloor there are moments when you need a place to escape to. And this place should run its own atmosphere that is opposite to the rough night rhythmes. It should be melodic and warm but it still needs engine to keep things running through your mind. Yarn are as close to this goal as it is possible today. My favorite track is Pille but the rest is high quality too. Pay your attention to this release folks.

 

Brian Grassfield - Decades EP

 

Date: 28 Jul 2016

Code: BTCDR030

 

1 Decades 5:40

2 Quinta 5:52

3 To the Mars 5:57

 

Brian Grassfield is from Hungary too. And he also presents the division of psychill sound on Blue Tunes. Distinct thread of beat and sophisticated arpeggios of melodies are combined to give us rich taste of wonderland. My favorite Qiunta is morphing a lot and summs up about 3-4 nice tunes that are whirling around each other through the track. I think that while the author have enough imagination to continue this way he will definetely reach a success.

 

Heliocentrism - XIX

 

Date: 19 May 2016

Code: BTCDR025

 

1 Proportions 3:50

2 Arkanoid 6:18

3 Symbol 7:17

4 Patchwork 8:40

5 Ace 4:21

6 Waves 5:15

7 XIX 6:55

 

Helioctntrism sound is example of dusk and minimal music. It have a taste of techno & urban soundscape. Tracks are slow heavy and bit depressed. Gloomy atmosphere of the whole album is picturesque and stylish. It is very unusal mood that personaly me likes not so much usually. But this release is much attractive because of its wholeness. My favorites are 2 tracks in the middle - Patchwork and Ace.

There are not so many projects in the scene came from Poland but those that we know are rather interesting and unusual. Lets track further progress of this one together.

 

Koan - Why? EP

 

Date: 03 Sep 2015

Code: BTCDR001

 

Miracle For One 9:28

The Appearance Of Unicorn 9:18

Envoy (White Mix) 10:24

Destination (White Mix) 6:42

Why? 10:28

 

Koan is headliner of the whole label and probably most known act from the team. Their releases were out at Blue Tunes motherlabel since 2009 and there were many tracks that shake the genre very much. Why? is another one in the long row and presents 5 tracks of saturated and highly melodic and dynamic psychill. Nowaday project is experimenting in many different moods. From dusk ambient to melancholic progressive. But this release is the trademark sound and if you're familiar with Koan's music this one will fit your demands well. My favorite track is Envoy that blasting all the way with great melody and vivid surrounding. All other tracks also very well made and will surely satisfy any psychill lover.

 

J.P. Illusion - When Night Falls EP

 

Date: 05 May 2016

Code: BTCDR024

 

1 When Night Falls 5:38

2 Wind Full of Voices 7:13

 

John Panagoulias, Athens, Greece has couple of releases at local label Harmonia Rec. since 2010. His music is very nice example of quality psychill. He shows up as mature artist with great sense of psychdelic composing. When The Night Falls is full of magic sequences that develops very nice together to born out realy great atmosphere of psy chill-out. The second track is bit repetitive and so bright but has also some nice moves that works well. I hope these two tracks are just begining of creative path of the artist that sounds very perspective.

 

Unusual Cosmic Process - Living Earth

 

Date: 10 Mar 2016

Code: BTCDR019

 

1 Another Beautiful Morning 7:28

2 Salar De Uyuni 6:52

3 Silent Kerguelen 8:22

4 EveRest 8:35

5 Frozen Svalbard 9:04

6 New Zealand 9:22

7 Antarctica 8:26

8 Paints Of Danakil 9:06

9 World Of Tomorrow 8:09

 

Armen Akopov from Nikolaev, Ukraine is known as founder of many different projects. Unusual Cosmic Process is his psyambient alter-ego. It is expirienced artist whose albums were released at Ovnimoon Rec., Microcosmos Rec. and other studios. I think this album isnt bad at all and the project definetely worth attention. All of you who likes ambient sound and seek some additional inspiration of this kind of music are welcome to try this release. It has some fresh moves and presents its rather special taste. It has some deversity but mostly it is slow cosmic ambient to seduce you. Personaly I didnt like it much but it is more about my personal predilections. My favorite is Frozen Svalbard.

 

One Arc Degree - The Ocean Palace

 

Date: 31 Mar 2016

Code: BTCDR023

 

1 Through This Haze 7:50

2 The Ocean Palace - Part I 5:30

3 The Ocean Palace - Part II 5:22

4 Saturn Rising 6:28

5 Kraken Mare 6:53

6 Methane Tears 6:02

7 Crossing Belet 6:40

8 Hydrogen Times Pi 6:36

9 Memories of Earth 5:31

 

One Arc Degree is ambient music producers Ioannis Konstantios & Vasilis Kesalidis from Greece. Couple of earlier previews at soundcloud were very exciting for me and I was waiting the release with impatience. Notwithstanding its not exactely what I was waiting for the album has some nice features that worth to be checked if you are in this kind of music. It is atmospheric and melodic kind of beatless music that nothing to do with psychedlic actually.

 

AstroPilot - Solar Walk IV. YOUniverse

 

Date: 04 Feb 2016

Code: BTCDR014

 

1 Our Second Sun 7:58

2 Balance 7:46

3 Desolate Spaces 7:41

4 Permanent Impermanence 6:54

5 Immersion (Space Symphony Version) 6:18

6 YOUniverse 6:52

7 Attraction 6:43

8 Through The Veil 8:29

9 Shots Of Awe 6:37

10 Frozen Time 9:39

 

AstroPilot's album was most anticipated by me among these bunch of releases. I have to say that my expectations were way too high. I dont gonna say that release is awful but I should say that it is not show any development. In both inner and outer meanings. It has no any perceptible development inside - all tracks are so uniform and even... And it seems like all of them just trying to repeat previous releases of the artist. I didnt found any idea that connected them in one suite. It seems like release starts from one uncertain point and then ends in another that uncertain even more.

Ambient style is very demanding to the skill of compilation of the release. Slow, almost immobile music wants to be packed in the long stories and should impress listener with imperceptible micro changes all the way to substitute more colorful design of more upbeat music. This release sounds more as compilation of similar beatless tracks then true ambient story as were albums by Cell, Solar Fields or Healer and so on.

However the production is still hi-level and up-to-date. Looking forward to find out great creative progress by this artist in next releases.

 

As we see the label now at the time of team's building. They are trying out different artists and styles. Many of them are very interesting and perspective. Personally I prefer psychill & chilgressive styles better then too dull ambient and in my eyes there are too much beatless releases. Also I hope to see more dub/psydub/dubstep acts in the list. But it is up to label's owner to gather artist's pool.

 

All in all I can say that Blue Tunes Chillout team have done great job! Many cool releases and new names are definetely badly needed in the scene today. In the era of digital production there are too many projects borns and dies without a trace at all. Sublabel of mighty Blue Tunes Records is a great chance for newcomers to draw attention and then blast with a masterpiece.

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