Monday, December 31, 2012

... NEXT

it's been quite a busy and stressful end of the year for me, but don't worry, smilecoldanatomy will keep moving forward in 2013. i'll be posting my top ten albums of 2012 later in the week, and after not really putting out any of my own techno mixes over the past year, fans of yours truly can expect some fresh patty sets soon. (and don't forget, i'll be playing smart bar on saturday, february 9th!) oh, and anatomy 23 will most probably go up next week.

i want to thank anyone and everyone who has ever taken the time to stop by this blog and try out some of the sounds and words. after more than three years, smilecoldanatomy is still my own very personal project, and i'm always happy and grateful for any sort of feedback from friends, fans and fellow techno heads.

and, last but not least, thanks to the five artists who cooked up anatomy mixes in 2012: rossella, hakimonu, abdulla rashim, bleaching agent, and fabrizio lapiana. it's been a pleasure to host such wonderful artists.

there will be more soon, i promise. so stay tuned... and until then, happy new year!

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

anatomy 22 - fabrizio lapiana

merry christmas! now, who wants to cuddle? because it's time to share the next anatomy mix, from fabrizio lapiana!

fabrizio lapiana - anatomy 22 art
(original photo credit: giovanni capriotti)

fabrizio is from rome, and he specializes in deep and dubby sounds. just about all of his music has come out through his own label, attic music - fellow italians like donato dozzy, dj say and commodity place have also shown up on attic music, offering a great glimpse into that country's underground electronic scene. this year has seen fabrizio start up a new project, sustain (i wrote an RA review for the project's first twelve-inch back in june), and looking ahead, he'll be working with a very nice selection of producers, including a few other anatomy favorites... so let's have a chat:

Who is Fabrizio Lapiana?
Fabrizio Lapiana is a dreamer!

Do you remember the first 'techno' tracks you had ever heard?
"Mentasm" and "Energy Flash" by Joey Beltram.

Which artists have made the biggest impression on you over the years?
There are many artists who have had an influence on me in the '90s to the present. In particular I would like to mention some Roman artists with whom I have had the pleasure of staying in touch: Claudio Fabrianesi, Lory D, Freddy K, Donato Dozzy and Giorgio Gigli.

Name three of your all-time favorite records or pieces of music.
Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Works
Plastikman - "Plasticine"
Brian Eno - Apollo

What made you want to start producing, and what made you want to start your own label?
After many years of DJing I really needed to "say" something with music, to give something of my own.

Tell us about Sustain. Will there be more records from this project?
Sustain is a white label oriented on dub, downtempo and deep sounds. I launched this label to make different stuff than Attic Music. Yes, Sustain 03 is ready for mastering and the press...

What artists and labels excite you right now? What is the last record you bought? What have been some of your 2012 favorites?
Last record shopping was in Berlin at Spacehall just few days ago, about 15 records. One is by Shxcxchcxsh on Avian, very nice. Another is a great remix of Israel Vines by Silent Servant on Cult Figures. Phase is also an artist I like very much. His Binary Opposition EP on Token, I think, has been the techno record of the year. Another artist I like is Analog Roland Orchestra. Album of the year is Voices From The Lake on Prologue.

The other labels from K1971 (like me) all have great releases, especially: M_Rec, Informa, Par Wax, Limited, Natch, NX1, Annulled User, Biorecordings, Fluxus. My mates at electronique.it launched their own label in 2012 and are doing great work.

What can we expect from Fabrizio in 2013 and beyond?
Two of my releases are ready for Attic Music: the first will include remixes from Giorgio Gigli and Ness. The second will include remixes from Voices From The Lake and Milton Bradley. Other releases will include remixes from Claudio Fabrianesi and Roberto Bosco, and there will also be a release with two of my tracks only. I'm also working on a new duo project with Claudio Fabrianesi, called MUDRA. We've started to make some music and we are finishing our first track.

Finally, tell us about your mix, and how it fits into your personal philosophy of music.
Many people think I play just techno. Instead I love all electronic music: ambient, electro, dub, downtempo, deep house... So I wanted to propose my ambient and dub side.


i think the artwork fabrizio has selected is a perfect visual accompaniment to this 90 minute-long mix. smooth, moody, expansive and sensual... anatomy 22 should make a great wintertime soundtrack.



huge thanks to fabrizio for sharing this. i can't wait to hear what he does in 2013. check out his RA page and the attic music facebook page for more details, and for another recent dj set, you can try out his erfunden podcast from a month ago.

in fact, now's a great time to say thanks to all five artists who joined the fun and contributed to the anatomy series this year: rossella, hakimonu, abdulla rashim, bleaching agent, and fabrizio lapiana. now go get cozy, enjoy the holidays, and stay tuned for smilecoldanatomy's year-end picks.

Monday, December 17, 2012

monday moods: lowtec

i've been feeling pretty weird lately, so what could be a better soundtrack to such a mood then some fresh stuff from lowtec?

lowtec, aka jens kuhn, is a german producer and dj who helps run the excellent workshop imprint. along with lowtec and fellow label boss even tuell, workshop has been host to like-minded house experimentalists kassem mosse and madteo, among others. his own jams have relatively recently appeared on labels like smallville, laid and nonplus.

though it's been a somewhat slow year on the production front, lowtec has cooked up a handful of really interesting mixes in 2012. most recently, there's this, odd man out mix #3, the latest in a series of downloadable sets he's uploaded to his soundcloud. this one is marked as "lost tracks by lowtec ... some unreleased lowtec tracks from the last 10 years." it's weird, but definitely worth a listen. (and if the embedded player doesn't load below, just click one of the links above.)



if you like that one, i highly recommend trying out mlat69, a fantastic set of sounds lowtec crafted over the summer for the made like a tree series. and, for one more blast from the past, here's this sexy gem from 2005. i just got hold of the vinyl and i'm thoroughly enjoying it.



happy monday!

Sunday, December 2, 2012

anatomy 21 - bleaching agent

zoinks! this is anatomy 21, from bleaching agent.

bleaching agent - anatomy 21

bleaching agent is a mysterious producer (a clever koala, perhaps) who crafts raw, gloomy techno. his first tracks have appeared via a pair of 10" records on mira, the new label operated by shifted and ventress.

you do not have to ask who he is. just listen to this, bleaching agent's first 'public' mix (or whatever), and the twenty-first for the anatomy series. it clocks in at just over an hour in length, and it's more than a bit strange... probably because there's lots of bleaching agent worked in throughout, including some unreleased tracks. it's a really diverse and really addictive listen, i think.



thanks to bleaching agent for coming through and sharing some delightfully weird stuff here. it's proof that he's more than just a producer, as he clearly knows how to make an adventurous mix. you'll definitely hear more from him soon but for now check out his RA page and soundcloud for more information, samples and whatnot. and just like abdulla rashim's mix last month, we're gonna keep this one pretty simple - no more words (and no tracklist) - and let the music do the talking, so get to it.