A lot of the electronic music I’ve been enjoying recently fits into the “hauntology” classification: Pye Corner Audio, the Advisory Circle, Heinrich Dressel — they all visit a region of vaguely-nostalgic electronic ambiance that suggests unexplained apparitions, dark wonder and perhaps a hint of documentarian objectivity to the whole venture.
The music of Polypores (AKA Stephen J. Buckley) certainly treads this sonic landscape as well.
Stuff to Blow Your Mind
We’re proud to present a mix by Stephen James Buckley (aka Polypores) – an extremely prolific electronic/ambient/drone artist from UK. Over the last few years he put out a variety of material under several monikers on such labels as Polytechnic Youth, Spun Out of Control and Reverb Worship (among many others).
Mix he made for us brings together 14 tracks (including his own). Most of the artists featured (with the exception of Karen Gwyer and Actress) are new to us, which only means that there are even more reasons to dive in and investigate/listen!
Tracklist
EMA – Where the Darkness Began (City Slang)
EMA – the project of South Dakota native and Portland, OR-based artist Erika M. Anderson – has announced her third album Exile In The Outer Ring for release on August 25, 2017 via City Slang.
Deathcount in Silicon Valley – Hex Void (Burning Witches Records)
Straying into ‘stranger things’ terrains and kissed with a cinematic iciness, this darkly set pulsar is sumptuously immersed in a brooding shadow lined kosmische toning whose hypnotic glare very much veers with amorphous seduction into the kind of futuro-retro vintage that imagines both Zombi and Pye Corner Audio revisiting Tangerine Dream’s sonic outlands – The Sunday Experience
Smackos – I Go In the Morning When There’s Not So Many People (Strange Life Records)
One of many projects of Legowelt aka Danny Wolfers. Taken from Computer Day album.
Patricia – Plural (Opal Tapes)
Patricia’s warm, fuzzy post-techno-house slots neatly with the Opal Tapes aesthetic on his debut album, ‘Body Issues’. Six tracks come off like a boosted 1991 or Huerco S, pushing malleable bass hits below swirling streaks of melody bursting with ferric quality. – Boomkat
Actress – Ivy May Gilpin (Werkdiscs / Ninja Tune)
From Hazyville, debut album by Actress aka Darren Jordan Cunningham.
Karen Gwyer – You Big (Opal Tapes)
From Kiki the Wormhole EP.
Karen Gwyer unfolds through three long and interesting pieces a focused array of old-school synthesizers and psychedelic influences.
While the last track Hippie Fracca is much closer to ambient and could remind the soundtrack of a 70’s movie taking place in space, the first two patiently build frenetic techno patterns holding an incredible emotional charge, climaxing in You Big when it combines the pump organ drones and the errating vocals.
r beny – Sideways in Air 1 (dauw)
The four albums that make up ‘Seafoam & Dust’ were all initially released on cassette and digitally, establishing r beny – the electronic ambient project of Bay Area-based artist, Austin Cairns – as one of the most gifted modular artists around. Blending fragile melodies with deep, textural washes, r beny is able to craft an organic sonic palette from purely electronic sources.
Portland Vows – Applications (Concrete Tapes)
From Play Nicely album.
9 more tracks of lush ambience from Portland Vows – Cassette includes a bonus track not available anywhere else.
Kik – Ara (New York Haunted)
From NYH113 V.A. – We Roll 100 Deep compilation.
Converti World – Pier Schateiland (New York Haunted)
Contributor to NYH compilations. Also records for Creme Organization.
Tulketh – Gastro (Self Released)
From Difficult Third EP.
Recorded live using 2 x synthesizers and 1 x drum sampler. Produced by Stephen James Buckley.
Polypores – A Hum Always (Self Released)
From Suddenly Emptied Rooms, And The Ghosts That Live There album.
An unwilling exploration of a suddenly emptied house. An exercise (exorcise?) in killing time, wiping memories, and swallowing loss. An attempt to avoid the void.
Pay what you like.
