anatomy 01 and 09, revisited

today marks the two year 'anniversary' of the start of the anatomy mix series. way back when, on 14 march 2010, nax_acid cooked up anatomy 01 to kick things off. then exactly one year ago, alan backdrop's anecumene became the ninth entry in the series. so, happy birthday to both mixes... and until i share the next set in the series, what better time to (re)listen to these two than now?

anatomy news

lots of things happening in the smilecoldanatomy galaxy. read on to see what some anatomy mixers are up to lately:

STROBOSCOPIC ARTEFACTS SHOWCASE in BERLIN TONIGHT last minute alert! berlin club suicide circus will host lucy and pfirter for a showcase of SA sounds. look it up on RA then go go go!

NAX_ACID in LONDON TOMORROW curator of the first anatomy and the mind behind aconito records, nax_acid and his label-mate bioni samp will be playing the fluid bar in london tomorrow. it's either cheap or free, and i'm sure nax will be banging out some new aconito jams. go check it out!

PERC and FSG in LONDON (NEXT SATURDAY) perc and the lethal corporate duo of smear and patrick walker will join forces with truss at an underground party in london next saturday to celebrate the release of perc's LP wicker and steel. check it out and get tickets at RA.

PROLOGUE in JAPAN THIS SUMMER claudio prc, dino sabatini and iori will all play the rural festival next month in shizuoka, japan! unfortunately the rest of the details are announced in japanese... via this flyer. but this sounds awesome and i hope to hear some reviews of this one later.

DINO SABATINI'S NEW LABEL speaking of dino, he's started his own label, outis music. go check out the official homepage, where he explains the inspiration behind the label: odysseus, the ancient greek hero, whom i studied extensively in school. also get on the label's new podcast. the first release drops later this month on digital and - yes! - vinyl.... go dino!

NEW MIXES from GIORGIO GIGLI double your pleasure with two new studio sets from giorgio: first, a low-bpm deep techno journey for smoke machine. and for the true romantics, this two-hour collection of dramatic atmospheres for speedy j's electric deluxe podcast. and just for the hell of it, check out this youtube clip of giorgio's recent zooloft epic. ciao giorgio!

XHIN GETS THE CURSE another new studio set from an anatomy mixer, as xhin puts one together for get the curse (direct DL here), and check out the intriguing (as usual) tracklisting here. and what's more: xhin is set to tour the US in july! stay tuned...

news! mixes!

time for some news and updates about things that matter in the world of smilecoldanatomy...

ANATOMY MIXERS IN ACTION i'll try to post regular updates on events and things happening with the awesome folks who have contributed mixes to this site. i had already mentioned the upcoming mini-techno-market aconito/prologue party with nax_acid and giorgio gigli coming up in a few weeks, but before then - actually tonight/saturday march 12th - giorgio teams up with obtane for a zooloft showcase in rome, more info here... you can maybe consider it a celebration of their brand new record. and later this month, claudio prc plays a local basstation party also featuring ellen allien; listen to a mix claudio made for the occasion here. meanwhile, the forward strategy group guys just put out another perc trax record, and last but certainly not least, nax_acid preps a collaborative record with ink, obtane, and claudio prc, to be released next month.

SHACKLETON AND BEN KLOCK INTERVIEWS experimental/whatever producer shackleton talks with the quietus about, among other things, his live set and his focus on quality control. meanwhile, little white earbuds interviews ben klock about how he came to berghain and ostgut, and gets his perspective on the culture behind the music.

NEW ALBUMS FROM BRUNO PRONSATO AND KATE SIMKO exciting news on the house-ier side of this writer's tastes. bruno prepares lovers do, a work that has been in progress for two years, and one that will be released in late may, on the eve of movement weekend in detroit... check out this ibiza voice interview with bruno and his girlfriend ninca leece; looks like a public lover album is in the works as well. meanwhile, chicago's own kate simko gets ready for lights out, her first solo full-length album, which will be released in may as well. tonight in the windy city, she'll celebrate the release of the album's first single at darkroom; details here.


... and, yes, finally, more recommended mixes!

if you are in the mood for some deadly techno funk, try out this set, tcdp026 by dead sound. i guess this dude does stuff for perc trax... makes sense: this strays nicely away from strict 4/4 to incorporate tons of punchy, syncopated beats. more info here.

hey! some fresh dasha rush jams: lada, a live collaboration with lars hemmerling. lean, stripped-back percussion, swirling melodies, and barely-controlled blasts of noise, with a raw improvised feel... hell yeah!

if you're still reeling from obtane's terrordrome mix, try out another fresh mix (direct download), this time one full of rhythmic techno (and a few record skips, unfortunately). an italian interview (which i can't understand) accompanies this mix for the soundwall music website. on the italian tip, check out another mix of deep dark stuff from claudio prc, fwd0121.

and a new mix from prologue boss tom bonaty for the smoke machine podcast. it weaves together a bunch of new stuff, including some new deep tracks from prologue, and brings it all home with plastikman's 'marbles'... very nice.

finally, check out this mix by dj kiddo - frozen molecules (winter 2010). my friend and local chicago dj has great taste in techno sounds, so give it a try!


i think that's all for now. oh also: i'll be making my debut on the friendly funktion ones of smartbar in may (the weekend before movement in detroit), doing a 90-minute opening set in front of my fellow local qbot as we support berghain dj's ben klock and ryan elliott! check out the RA event page here, and why not become a fan of my dj page as well. also, i should be dj'ing on qbot's wluw radio spot the monday of that week.

okay, have a good weekend, and come back in one piece in a few days when i'll be sharing the next anatomy mix!

mid-week blues/news

hello all! i've been busy doing some off-blog writing/reviewing, and also recruiting some more artists to contribute to the anatomy mix series here. more on that very soon but for now here's some quick news...

PARTY PICK OF THE WEEKEND: silent servant and dvs1 at smartbar friday night! chicago welcomes the debut of oktave, a promotion group originally from new york city that is now trying to expand and bring better techno things to the windy city. check out this mix by oktave man jeff derringer, who will help open the night along with karl meier... AND be sure to check out the new little white earbuds podcast featuring both silent servant and dvs1. looks like the two headliners will get 4 hours to tag-team at smartbar... should be tons of fun!

and if you can keep your shit together, saturday night sees some sexy slow-house sounds descend upon the city with an underground loft party with soul clap and art department. more info at the RA event page.

on to some quick music tips:
been really enjoying a few mnml ssg special mixes lately. check out the classy sounds of steffi, the harder techno stuff of patrick walker (forward strategy group), and the deep 'live' microhouse of kettenkarussell.

it's been dormant for a little while, but nax_acid's aconito records will be back in action later this month with the release of a new record, gaia's archetype, by hironori takahashi. the record features two original mixes by takahashi, 'serv' and 'outgass', along with an extremely atmospheric edit by nax. while the main aconito website is still under construction, get more info here. release date: monday 11.22!

another anatomy friend, claudio prc gets his first vinyl release under his own name ... on prologue records! the clear depths EP will feature claudio's 'clear depths' original mix, a 'variant', and remixes by silent servant and obtane. stream the tracks at prologue's soundcloud... super deep stuff here. the record hits stores next week, thursday 11.11!


that's all for now. stay tuned...

stuff to read!

happy tuesday morning! before i jet to work, check out this stuff to read:

RA says 'italians do it better'
check out this featured article at resident advisor, discussing the history of techno in italy as well as some young producers today who continue to push deep, hypnotic sounds. cheers to smilecoldanatomy's friend claudio PRC, who is discussed along with the likes of giorgio gigli and donato dozzy!

lucy and his artefacts
speaking of italians, enjoy this very informative interview with lucy, the italian-born dj/producer who now runs his stroboscopic artefacts imprint out of berlin.

tea with xhin
on the other side of the world, singapore's xhin briefly enjoys some tea and talks about his music (some of which has been released through stroboscopic artefacts) and his homeland.

efdemin talks chicago...
but has he ever even been to our fair city? pardon my ignorance; i only ask because i'd love to have him make an appearance, because from my first listen, efdemin's new LP chicago on dial records sounds like a pretty good one. check out this interview where he talks about the new album.

matthew dear's black city
on the eve of his new album release (and just after this weekend's day party set here in chicago), matthew dear talks about dance music vocals and new york city's vibe... both of which dear claims as influences on black city.


read on, friends! coming up next is my first full-length album review in a looong time...

fresh music reviews

here's my thoughts on some new deep sounds coming from the italian front:

giorgio gigli, obtane, & nAX_acid - environmental radiation dose on the moon
released barely 2 weeks ago, only on (solid silver) vinyl, i've been looking forward to this record for some time. three of my favorite techno producers join forces as a ZAltd (zooloft/aconito) trio to push deeper into uncharted depths... both sides of this record build slow, hypnotic grooves over the course of nearly ten minutes, featuring the producers' love of sudden transitional splashes and seemingly-random atmospheric noises. 'the child that was watching the moon' is an epic slice of techno noir, with a warm, droning bassline endlessly laying the foundation for frighteningly exotic slashes of noise. on the b-side, 'the moon that was watching the child' is a bit more aggressive and distorted, with bass growls and fuzzy acidy squelches balanced with a series of bells chiming almost lazily around tightly syncopated drums. all in all, this is serious, avant-garde techno made for forward-thinking dancefloors. 200 vinyl copies only, no digital. get on it!

claudio PRC - diving point (w/ rossella 'dark room' remix)
from another anatomy mixer and his fellow italian, rossella, comes this digital single, to be released later this month on elettronica romana. the italian deep techno label (with alumni like donato dozzy and giorgio gigli) has seemingly sprang back to life. here, claudio continues to make forward-thinking techno that cuts deep; with 'diving point', he jumps right into peak-time space, with a sustained, shivering electric tone that becomes the main theme of the track. distorted percussive riffs and reverb'd hand claps drive the track forward, with atmospheric noises floating in and out of the mix. rossella's aptly-titled 'dark room' remix takes energy from the original and sends it into more introspective (and, perhaps, more headphone-happy) spaces. restrained, and at the same time haunting and psychedelic, the remix is anchored by a plaintive piano melody, while harsh rays of light are discovered among looping echoes of vocals and chimes. two good tracks for different situations. digital release date is july 22; until then, stream the tracks at elettronica romana's myspace.

anatomy 02 - claudio PRC

it's been a long time coming, but i can finally present to you the second installment in this blog's anatomy mix series. following up after nAX_acid's excellent set of deep techno, the introverted ambient sounds of anatomy 02 come courtesy of another italian dj/producer: claudio PRC.

i first stumbled across claudio's work via a prologue digital EP compilation last year, and have been intrigued by his music ever since. he continues to produce for prologue records, releasing an excellent digital EP as well as remixing a cio d'or track on the label earlier this year. most recently, he's made an appearance on a digital sampler on stroboscopic artefacts.

when i tracked him down, claudio was happy to put a mix together for smilecoldanatomy; i discovered that he's my age (23), so it was particularly interesting to talk music with him. i could tell claudio puts a lot of honesty, emotion, and effort into his music, and he believes in the strength of minimalism to make the most out of just one or two sounds. before we get to the mix, check out this interview:

Which musicians have made the biggest impression on you? What musicians excite you right now?
Absolutely artists such as Robert Hood, Plastikman, Maurizio and Sleeparchive and their strong philosophy and concepts that have marked all their works. Now I'm attracted to all the works which labels such as Prologue, Stroboscopic Artefacts, Zooloft, Aconito, Sandwell District, and KRD, and of course I'm impressed to all of their artists. But mainly I like the ideas and contents that these labels have, and the movement that they are creating. I can feel a real meaning to the music that they offer, and that's important for me.

If you had to choose your three favorite records, what would they be and why?
I definitely choose Robert Hood's "Minus", Plastikman's "Panikattack" and György Ligeti's "Poème Symphonique For 100 Metronomes". These records have really changed my way of seeing and interpreting music, gave to me a strong sense of how to conceive music and especially how to treat the sound objects and the different methods of composition. Discovery of these records has definitely changed my life.

What do you think of the debate between vinyl and digital DJ'ing?
I find this discussion very foolish. I do not like all these discussions related to vinyl and digital DJ'ing. I believe that everyone is free to express themselves as best wishes. Technology today can provide any type of highly advanced electronic equipment, it is up to us to choose what to use and how to use them. As for me, I am very attached to authentic things. I feel and I need to give a weight and a worth to everything I do, then I like to give real weight to the music. I buy vinyl, I like to see and read the markings drawn on their covers, their smell when they become old and I like to hear the rustle of the record when it is spinning. For these reasons, and a thousand more I play with vinyls. It is not a problem for me when maybe I have to travel for a gig, it just makes me feel good.

Do you have a philosophy of music?
Of course! I like all the things that have primarily a concept and a philosophy forming it. For me something done without a philosophy is like a lay-figure, maybe it can be beautiful outside, but it's empty inside. My philosophy of course starts from expressing what I am, what I have inside and what I want to be, everything related to my state of mind, my feelings and experiences that I accumulated during my life. This is first. After this, my music philosophy is based on trying to combine different things, maybe belong completely to opposite worlds and times, to get a final and unique result. I always want to have a final product using few things trying to get an extreme simplification of the structure and sounds of the track and work on the sound's spatiality and on depths. I believe that if we have a final result consisting of a single sound or a very simple structure, and therefore we be able to reach an high sensitivity concentrated all to one sound/structure, it is a big experience, it is something really big, is the top of my music philosophy. So this is what I think about my music and also the music I like to play and listen, and all my works are based on this.

What is Claudio PRC up to next?
Sound research, do a lot of music and succeed in my goals, accumulate lot of experience from everything, love, friends and nature. New forthcoming releases on my home label Prologue and Elettronica Romana, push on The Gods Planet Project with my friend Ness and keep to do music with my favourite old and new artists/friends.

Any thoughts on this mix?
I've been thinking a lot about the composition of this mix. I tried to enclose that in my musical philosophy. I took some stuff (from new and old vinyls and cds) that in these last years I listen to so much and really influenced me. I did the mix starting from a purely electro-acoustic base, reflecting on the concept of noise as a sound and the freedom to choose all possible combination concerning the act of composition, also focus on the sound spatiality of the single tracks. I combined to this some Techno tracks that I consider as best releases right now, trying to make not the usual and traditional set and let be the listening of this an unique experience.


... and so, the mix. i think claudio's description is a good preview; i will say to be careful near the end because it does get a bit... noisy. no tracklist for this one, so just turn the lights down low, and see where this takes you...





be sure to check out claudio PRC's myspace for more information, news, and track samples. thanks to claudio for going off the beaten path to create this interesting hour of music; it was a pleasure to get to know him and i'm delighted to help share his sounds with the world. i hope you all enjoy the mix!

prologue portefuille one (2009, prologue)

recently i discussed richie hawtin's plastikman project. one big reason why i like plastikman is that even though it is very minimal, he usually has some drawn out atmospheric noise in the background to settle the music within a deep, disturbing atmosphere.

during the past few months, due to some mnml ssg mixes and an RA label of the month spotlight, i've been attempting to wrap my brain around the concept of 'headfuck techno,' and i think i'm finally getting it. from the munich, germany-based label prologue comes the EP, prologue portefuille one, a trio of tracks that are definitely exemplary of a new, futuristic sound that harkens back to the simplistic subleties of plastikman, 15 years ago.

on this EP are three producers - gianluca meloni, claudio prc, and obtane - whom i had never heard of before, and each one puts forth a lengthy, hypnotic epic that focuses almost entirely on rhythm. busy drumlines phase in and out as rhythmic acid melodies gradually transform and solidify, all under a dark atmosphere that sounds like an icey wind, or a steady inhale or exhale of breath. there's not much else to these tracks, barely even a semblance of melody, but what's there carries so much depth.

this is an amazing record, one that rewards patient, introspective listening on good headphones or a nicely controlled, enclosed soundsystem. prologue's take on minimalist electronic music is refreshing and exciting; the label is barely a year old, and i can't help but think that big things are in store for these guys...