Bruno Pronsato + [a]pendics.shuffle
Thursday, November 12th @ Vessel
9pm-2am | $5 presales available at arlsmves111209.eventbrite.com

Auralism & Vessel present
a very special night of music featuring

BRUNO PRONSATO
(Hello?Repeat, Perlon, thesongsays)
[A]PENDICS.SHUFFLE
(adjunct, Mo's Ferry)
JASON SHORT (Auralism, Nightlight)
HAC LE (Auralism, listed, playcomusic.com)

Open Svedka Vodka Bar 9:30-10:30

Hosted by Dolce Presents, Antonio Sierra, & Ali Meykadeh
85 Campton Place | SF | 9:30p-2a | reservations@vesselsf.com

arlsm D022 [DIGITAL RELEASE]
Dead Seal - Corpus Animus LP

Available now on Beatport & iTunes

ARLSMD022 Dead Seal - Corpus Animus LP (Set 1) by Auralism Records ARLSMD022 Dead Seal - Corpus Animus LP (Set 2) by Auralism Records

San Francisco techno producer Derrick Boyd AKA Dead Seal delivers one of the more interesting and forward-thinking releases of 2009 with his debut album Corpus Animus for Auralism Records. The release, due out on October 13th is a dynamic translation of Dead Seal's frenetic live performances and years of home recording which have incorporated his mastery of the clarinet, guitar, and bass into the mix. The results are equal bits shoegazer techno, solid San Francisco house groove, and strikingly original musical portions- often in the same track. There is a clear vision of songwriting and cutting edge production ideas on Corpus Animus as Dead Seal ties together many disparate influences from Balearic to dripping psychedelia.

Dolgama– An icy foray into what sounds like an Eastern European modality with a rich aristocratic feel. "Dolgama" can best be described as somber with a digitally treated clarinet is transformed into a string lacrimosa.

The Triangle– Perhaps the most futuristic of the tracks on this release "The Triangle" is a nice mix of glitch and a strong organic musical aspect. Carried by a warm, dubby bass line and dense layers of intricate percussion the track is filled out by some glitchy vocal and piano snippets and some fine guitar work.

Bone Apple Tit.– Haunting synth pads, ominous vocal sounds, and a shrieking loop color this track. Interesting percussion drives it but the tension-inducing theatrics and intricate melodies add interesting new, almost gothic, dimensions to the track.

Above Lies– A dreamy roller coaster of deep, head swirling techno with a twist of goth. The melancholic arpeggios note a distinct sojourn into reflective, shoegazer techno.

Oklearance– Imagine ghetto house complete with P-Funk synth squiggles and bumpin' vocal hook as the bones skeleton for this track . Now add liberal amounts of dense melodic sequences unravelling around that minimal boompty bounce and "voila!"

Pull The Lever– This track has a low-key deep funk/West Coast house but also includes a proper "middle eight" as found in a pop song. This section is a strong contrast to the intro with a dark, post punk influence that is skillfully worked into the overall dynamic and feel of the entire track. The two parts interlace for something that sounds equal parts Ziggy Stardust and Berghain.

King Burk– "King Burk" is ominous, sounding like a lost Joy Division demo. Everything about this track is spine-tingling as if it was drowned in aged absinthe and the works of Poe from the wicked bass line to the dark and doomy lyrics. Atonal string sounds and a steady techno pulse help push this track into a unique creative space that lies somewhere between dance and pop.

Sword Play– Tracks like this were commonplace in the late 80s, ones that combined a dark, aggressive menace with a good danceable groove. Dead Seal revisits that vibe here with buzzsaw synths but adds strings and dub elements to give it techno's deep sense of space.

::more::

Auralism on Proton Radio
New episodes every 1st Tuesday at 4:00 AM EST and available on demand!

October 6th, 2009

featuring

Alland Byallo
He's been called "San Francisco's very own tidal wave of techno", and for good reason.

Alland Byallo is one of the busiest men in the San Francisco techno community. Having produced electronic music for over 10 years and DJing for nearly as long Alland come to be an international talent, releasing original material and remixes on respected US and European record labels such as Liebe*Detail, Floppy Funk, Utensil Recordings and Dirtybird among many others, and headlining events all over. His music, a blend of old and new elements of techno, house and minimal, is regularly charted and has been licensed to CD’s released by Universal, Proton Music and Airdrop Music.

Alland’s involvement with music didn’t just start from splurging and buying some 1200’s. Having been raised with music since the age of 5 playing piano, and adding trumpet at age 11, it only seemed natural for Alland to follow up his skills and training by sharing his taste in quality music with people as a DJ, and pursuing production. Alland is always quite busy in the studio working hard on his own unique take on electronic dance music for his own Nightlight Music imprint and many other labels.

In 2006 Alland founded ElektrUS. This private forum is made specifically to increase European interest in the American minimal techno / tech-house scene. By providing a simple, central and easy means of communication, ElektrUS streamlines the booking process and maximizes the productivity of tour booking ventures. The hope is to make the US a more fun and respectable place for the techno community, and a more profitable venture for European talent and agents.This forum was a large part of successful US techno bookings in 2007 and 2008, and is set to help more in the coming years.

Not only is Alland a resident, graphic designer and A&R for what is arguably the States’ most respected and notorious techno night, [KONTROL], he is also booked regularly as the opening act for influences such as Superpitcher, Trentemoller, Michael Mayer, Booka Shade, M.A.N.D.Y., Swayzak, Miss Kittin, Modeselektor, Claude VonStroke, Jeff Samuel, Heartthrob, Ambivalent and many others. Alland has quickly grown to be one of the most in-demand Techno talents that SF has to offer. Among many great parties, 2007 saw Alland performing live at Seattle‘s Decibel Festival and DJing at Lovefest in San Francisco. In 2008 Alland played a fantastic DJ set on the Beatport Stage at the Detroit Electronic Music Festival (DEMF Movement), a DJ performance at Decibel 2008, and played a successful European tour including gigs at such world famous clubs as Panoramabar in Berlin and Propoganda Moscow. With a full-length album in the works and plans for another European tour, it’s obvious that the future looks bright for both him and his label, Nightlight Music.

Hac Le
Ever since he took control of his Catholic High School's dance committee and started spinning the new wave and early electronic music he loved, Hac Le has been exhorting audiences to dance, and audiences have listened. listed resident & Auralism's multi-talented Creative Director is a man of many hats, from world-traveling DJ, to promoter, to up-and-coming producer.

The Vietnam-born Hac spent the '90s kicking around LA, absorbing the spacey, mind-warping West Coast sound and putting in a three-year residency at Melrose's Kontrol Faktory party. After relocating to Chicago, giving up on and subsequently rediscovering DJing, he began producing his own dark, tech-y tracks under the name Kyaro with new ally and future Auralism founder Jason Short. (Hac currently has several solo and collaborative projects in the works.)

In 2000, Hac co-founded Global Trip, a Mexico-based company that has imported everyone from Lee Burridge to Deep Dish to Dimitri from Paris; he also forms the heart of Play Co. & Friends, a cadre of producers, artists, and DJs who promote Chicago's underground scene through parties, radio shows, and podcasts. Still, the turntables remain Hac's true passion, reinforced when John Digweed chose Hac's mix as the winner of FutureMusic's Next Big Thing DJ contest and James Zabiela in the recent DJ Mag poll named him "Breakthru DJ of 2008". Hac's sets, which will carry him around the globe in the coming year, are where his longstanding infatuation with dance music comes alive. "On one hand, I have the Chicago house influence, on the other, the nearby Detroit techno, and my West Coast background. It all comes together in a very nice fusion which people enjoy and seem to have a hard time categorizing!"

Dead Seal: Corpus Animus Debut Album Release Party
Friday, September 25th @ Mezzanine
10pm-3am | $10 presales available at arlsmd022.eventbrite.com
Dead Seal - OKlearance by Mezzanine | SF

San Francisco artist Dead Seal's new album Corpus Animus (Auralism Records) marks the possibility an interesting new chapter unfolding in the annals of techno. Without playing into the cheesy cliches of the rock-tronica scene, Dead Seal's debut album is a nice change from all of the blipping and bloopings that have recently taken control of the dancefloor. Corpus Animus does have the required amount of bleepery to remind listeners this is a techno album on Auralism but mainly the focus here is on the artist's songwriting abilities and an almost retro tribal musicality (think Flowers Of Romance). It's a strange combo for sure but one that does seem to work, as the album (due out digitally this October) bears out on tracks like "King Burk".

The reaction thus far from US DJs and tastemakers has been to label Dead Seal's sound shoegazer techno. which is as fine as any other name, but that just doesn't tell the whole story. What's important is that Dead Seal has finally bucked the long standing tradition of techno lacking a strong visual performance component. This guy's performances are chaotic, kinetic gyrating masses of volatile energy, everything a night in the club spent staring at a DJ booth is not. Imagine what Jimi could have done with one Richard James to get an idea of what a live perfomance from this guy is like-this tall looming figure up there grabbing for a mic, clarinet, bass, or guitar or really for anything that will drive the music (and crowd) to new heights and new possibilities.

On Friday September 25th Dead Seal brings that perpetual motion to the Mezzanine for a record release fete that actually involves a real CD for lucky attendees to take home! Support comes from a good chunk of the Auralism family with Clint Stewart, Marc Smith, Jason Short, Hac Le, and Roman Stange sharing the bill for this momentous occasion.

featuring
Dead Seal (live performance)
Marc Smith (live)
Clint Stewart
Hac Le
Jason Short
Roman Stange

FREE CD of Album release included with each paid admission

arlsm D021 [DIGITAL ONLY RELEASE]
Kenneth Scott- What Do I Do? EP

Available now on Beatport & iTunes

ARLSMD021 Kenneth Scott - What Do I Do? EP by Auralism Records

Auralism is proud to present the new five track EP from talented San Francisco producer Kenneth Scott. The title track “What Do I Do?” is a dynamic vocal cut framed by hints of Eighties synth-pop contrasted against the modern techno sleekness and intricate musicality of Scott's work. On the flip, "What Do I Say?" is all about bass line, recalling the heady free-for-all of the early Nineties illegal party scene- but updated to meet 2009 standards.

What Do I Do?
"What Do I Do?" combines cutting edge late night techno, groovy house music, and solid pop hooks into something distinct. There is a serenity to this cut that can be found inside a memorable vocal, solid use of melody, and that serpentine bass line.

What Do I Say?
Imagine putting a heavy plumber's wrench into a commercial dryer, that's about the best description of the masculine bass bin destruction going on the flipside of the EP. But this track is far from a thuggish techno onslaught, the weird mechanical throbs and clicks serve as the melodic glue holding this counterweight of musical ideas together. This allows "What Do I Say?" to take on a simple life of understated grace where the best elements of the track partially obscure themselves only to reveal its magic to those souls who really sit and listen.

What Do I Do? (Dave Aju Remix)
Circus Company's Dave Aju brings real elements of the Eighties into his remix of "What Do I Do?", although the handclap percussion hook exudes more of a downtown Oakland influence of old school electro rather than the New Romantic pulse of the original. However, the cleverly crafted bouncing bass line could only come from San Francisco circa 2009 and gives this remix its form and definition. The melodies are the key attraction, though, always in perfect balance with the emotions Aju is trying to capture in this subtle re-working.

What Do I Do? (Rift Remix)
Rift transforms the A-side track into a sleazy, late night tech house voyage to an after-hours club somewhere on the wrong side of the tracks in Florida. His remix is loaded with the musical interpretations of overworked flesh peddlers crowding the dance floor of the club. The brilliant flashes of micro melodies tangled in Rift's dense web of sounds help keep things from getting too dark but it's the blowzy and swollen bass line that defines the track’s decent into unbridled hedonism.

What Do I Say? (Jason Short’s Response)
Auralism head Jason Short brings a tackle box full of sounds and throws every one of them at his remix of "What Do I Say?". Far from sounding cluttered, Short uses each ping, blip, and bleep to make contact the “great beyond” via a psychedelic musical conversation. A rolling bass line meets shamanistic techno buzz saws and an otherworldly clacking to create a face numbing late night 8-bit excursion to a place just a little beyond our universe.

::more::

Auralism on Proton Radio
New episodes every 1st Tuesday at 4:00 AM EST and available on demand!

September 1st, 2009

featuring

Mikael Stavoestrand
He has been lauded as a key figure of the Swedish electronic music scene for his unique interpretations of minimal club techno as well as for producing some of the most essential experimental electronic music of the past years. Stavöstrand mixes deconstructed sounds with funky little beats to create minimal dance textures. On his debut album on Force Inc., "Reduce", swarms of glitches, crackles and skips infiltrate the 4/4 drive formula of minimal techno. As Vita, his "Vita" 12" on Force Inc. imprint Force Labs was welcomed by critical praise and became one of the best selling releases with its digitalized organic groove.

He started to produce music in the early nineties, but back then he was a part of the industrial scene and released some now labeled as "classic" records under different names. Lately due to a lot of demand from different labels, he agreed to allow reissues of these early works.
After that period he got more interested into sound research and minimalism, which also led to a couple of CD releases on labels as Staalplaat in The Netherlands to name a few. In 2000 he became more focused on bringing his experiences and sound from the pure minimal scene into a more club context, so he started to work with minimal techno sounds, which immediately resulted with releases on Force Inc. in Germany.

He has released over 40 12" Ep's and 19 Albums (CD, DLP, LP) so far and he has been featured on many compilation and mix records. He is also a sought after as a remix artist.

The last years he has been playing live around the world at such events as Mutek in Canada and in Mexico and Swedish Style in Tokyo. He has also played in Japan, North South America and all over Europe at respected clubs such as Panorama Bar, Weekend, Watergate, Fuse, Otto Zuts, Cargo, Brancaleone and many more. He is often asked by Swedish Cultural Institutes to represent Sweden abroad at festivals (ex. Detali Zvuku in Kiev, Take me to Sweden in Berlin and Swedish Style in Tokyo).

Between 2000 to 2007 he ran the record label Mitek. Mitek's aim was to produce and promote upcoming Swedish talents in the field of electronic music. In the years Mitek produced 22 records with different kinds of electronic music, from avant-garde to club. Mitek often received grants from The Swedish Art Council to produce the records.

In the summer of 2006 he also started his new label "Sunset Diskos". This label is purely for club music and deep, funky minimal tunes are the aim here. With artists such as himself, [a]pendics shuffle, agaric & Bulgur Brothers, Pheek and Franco Cinelli.

Now he is released by Kindisch/Get Physical [DE], Spectral Sound [US], Minisketch [IT], Adjunct [US], Lick My Deck [UK], Sounderground [UK] We Are [SE], Sushitech [UK], Thema [US] and others, with more exciting prospects on the way soon.

Marc Smith
With a talent for insane melodies and harmonies, Auralism Records co-founder Marc Smith is a producer driven by a musical calling since childhood. From the life-changing moment when blues legend B.B. King pulled the 12-year-old guitar player onstage during a concert, Smith has remained committed to music-making—albeit, as it turned out, with a slant more towards Moog than Gibson. In 2003, Smith joined forces with Jason Short as Coalition of the Killing, a project that sprang from their mutual admiration for minimal techno's inspiring first wave, but which quickly developed into a more musical, pelvis-jostling sound all their own. Two years later, he helped to birth Auralism Records as a mouthpiece for COTK's prodigious output. In 2008 Smith took some solo steps away that veered away from the COTK sound towards the Teutonic end of the techno spectrum, creating a new sound from himself that really twisted some heads around . Of this new sound Smith says, "What I like about techno is its out-of-the-ordinary, dirty element. It's a little bit more carnal, you know? I've been focusing on using as few elements as possible, and getting the most impact out of each one. I'm a big fan of the 'less is more' aesthetic!"

2009 has already seen Smith garnering praise from the DJ community for his solo contribution to Auralism's annual Primaveral compilation entitled "Insisting upon its self". He and Short as COTK were also just recently highlighted as one of Beatport's artists to watch this year. The duo plan to tour this August to capitalize on these accolades. But hey, let the guy catch his breath, he's still savoring his amazing set from the "Night Moves" party at this year's Movement Festival in Detroit. If it all seems like a whirlwind flash of heat and smoke recently, that's because for Smith it has been. "One of the reasons for that", surmises Smith, "[is that] It seems as if the pipeline between San Francisco and the European electronic music industry is really opening up. We have so much talent here it is easy to forget there is anything else going on in the world of electronic music." But one things for sure, instead of trippin' on the E-G-O Smith has chosen to work even harder on his music with a focus on more groovin' cuts outside of his normal comfort zone. He's also branching out with some upcoming collaborations with other noted San Francisco producers such as Alland Byallo and Clint Stewart that should see the light of day later this year. Marc Smith is undoubtedly one artist to keep an eye on this year.

arlsm D020 [DIGITAL ONLY RELEASE]
Limaçon - With You EP

Available now on Beatport & iTunes

The latest EP from influential American techno producer Limaçon follows the same arc the Santa Cruz, CA native has been carving out since his debut release for Poker Flat way back in 2005. Here he steps away slightly from the minimal techno sounds he's been constructing for German labels like Flash, Resopal Schallware, and Force Inc. for something decidedly more American. That's not to say Limacon has drastically re-worked his unmistakable sound for the "With You" EP, instead he uses it as an add-on to the white-hot "Ef" EP he dropped last year for the label. The sounds on this three tracker are the same kind of crisp, eccentric, and cutting-edge bleeps & blips you'd expect from the Auralism camp but  contained within the minimal techno framework that Limaçon has devoted much of his passion to perfect. The subsequent results are a collision of rhythms and sounds that stretch both label and artist's right out of their comfort zone into something pleasantly noisy and invigoratingly fresh. Each of the three tracks are tension-builders that seem all too simple at first but unfurl like a snowflake upon closer inspection into myriad, fractal nuance.  With such a diverse palette of sounds, "With You"  has exactly the kind of kinetic energy that fans have come to expect from an Auralism release.

1. With You
A disco funk grooves holds this track together like a gloppy coating of epoxy. Now add some bouncy, rubber-band bass stabs with zippy electro accents, a smidge of zapping lasers, eerie modulated vocals, and some heavy-duty miminal techno bass undulations to this sticky mess and suddenly there's a lot going on with what at first seems like a fairly languid opus. As with all of Limacon's best work this track is not an anthem but a rather well constructed, late-night tracky groover for all the hipsters out there who like to stay up way past their bedtimes dancing.

2. This
"This" is dominated by two major elements: a dub soaked minimal techno bass line that pulses constantly as if it was a terrestrial quasar and vocal accents of the word "this" which seemingly highlights the important portions of this track to listeners. Beneath the bass line and hook, "This" is also a hefty helping of true German minimal techno-the kind that drives the kids the wild, but with a heavy dose of San Francisco funk to help keep the track interesting and danceable throughout.

3. Bumped
Rattling chimes create an off-kilter and strange melodic theme while the shuffling percussion give this b-side a major German minimal techno bounce. The coy whooshing sounds and clattering drum breaks add a solid late night foundation with Limaçon adding flourishes of his trademark sub-bass work that give "Bumped" a great deal of warmth and sophistication.

::more::

Auralism on Proton Radio
New episodes every 1st Tuesday at 4:00 AM EST and available on demand!

August 4th, 2009

featuring

Craig Kuna
Hailing from the once industrial city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Craig found his early tastes in music heavily influenced by the environment that surrounded him. Being brought up on a diet of heavy metal and classic rock, he found himself wielding the proverbial axe at the age of 12. Throughout his teen years, Craig played guitar, bass, and drums in many local Pittsburgh metal and punk bands. In 1993, at age 15, he attended his first rave, and the rest is history.

His influences of hard-edged music initially turned his ears towards the gritty sounds of D'n'B and Detroit Techno as his passion for the beat flourished. Within a few years, Craig sold his guitar, bass, and amps to buy his first set of 1200's. He started off playing breakbeats and D'n'B, but soon after found his art in techno. due to it's complexity and his ability to create longer mixes with more minimal tracks. Soon after, in the wake of a burgeoning rave scene, he decided it was time to introduce other people to the music he loved and played, and in 1998, at the ripe old age of 19, he threw his first underground rave.

In the years to come Craig continued to host events, from small club after-hours to 5000 person warehouse raves, bringing the likes of Green Velvet, The Stickmen, Mike Dearborn, Marco Carola, Funk' D'void, Slam, and H-Foundation to name a few. After relocating to San Francisco in 2001 in an effort to broaden his horizons, he realized that techno was just about a dead art on the West Coast, and started to get more into house music, or as people so often call it, he became "San Francsicanized". After getting burned out on the music and the scene and taking a brief break from it all, Craig turned to what was happening in Europe and, more specifically, Germany for inspiration.

As he puts it, "I realized that with minimal techno and house I could play with the sounds that I loved and was used to with traditional techno but with the swing and groove of house, which ultimately appeals to the older and more mature crowds."

For the past 4 years Craig has played an integral part in organizing the famed [KONTROL] event in San Francisco as well as performing each month as a resident DJ. When he's not busy with [KONTROL] he can be found DJing around the states or organizing underground loft and warehouse events in San Francisco.

Limaçon
In the winter of 1997, Santa Cruz-native Christopher T. Lee fell in love with his first Nord Lead I synth—and Limaçon was born. Over the ensuing decade, Limaçon has carved a solid international rep, first via live PAs and later with electrifying DJ sets, as an artist who puts the move back into minimal. In the last two years, Limaçon made the move to San Francisco and scaled down his imposing hardware arsenal in order to focus on studio work. And focus he certainly did. From the expansive dance-floor journeys of his live sets, Limaçon has honed his sound into subtle, finely structured glitch-house gems that linger in the ear long after the record ends.

Limaçon’s debut record Catch, released on Steve Bug's seminal Poker Flat label in 2005, brought the producer instant acclaim, selling thousands of copies in the first six months. IMP, his sophomore effort on Resopal Schallware in April 2006, let him flex his tech-funk muscle, while his summertime follow-up on Intrinsic Design, Muster Funk, took on a deeper, late-night vibe. Most recently, Limaçon’s three-tracker on Force Inc., entitled That Hard, has been blowing up techy floors around the globe since it dropped last August.

As a producer pursuing both the warmth of house music and the machine edge of minimal techno, Limaçon slips perfectly into the Auralism spectrum. "I love analog synthesis, which the essence of minimal techno. Minimal is about exploration, creating new sounds. But I try to keep that funk in my music, because at the end of the day, this music is for the dance floor. I try to keep a balance between something for your mind and something for your body, between experimenting with new sounds and giving people something they can grab onto."

arlsm D019 [DIGITAL ONLY RELEASE]
Jason Short - Pheromonal

Available now on Beatport & iTunes

Pheromonal


On the second single-sided solo effort from Coalition of the Killing's Jason Short, he's really beginning to show off another side of his musical personality- a wicked savageness that would make the villainous old Mr. Hyde proud. Stripped of Short's typical adornments-the dense filagree, shadow of his mid-range color and the sculpted psychedelic meanderings of the beat, "Pheromonal" is none of these things and could best be described as punk-funk.

Here a powerful, animalistic bass line engulfs the whole track like a runaway forest fire but before the whole thing goes sailing down into the Inferno with a big Dante-esque thrust, Short paints in some tiny little uplifting flourishes in the form of angelic tinkling bells. The chiming offers some much needed relief from the bucketful of tension that "Pheromonal" offers as well as solidifies what is becoming Short's instantly recognizable web of dense aural passion. However, the new direction of this single is still everything you'd expect from the San Francisco techno scene, with all of the dramatic tech-house sleekness at the kernel of "Pheromonal.” Yet, there is this underlying feeling that the track may have been jabbed by broken beer bottles and a rusty razorblade or two, as if Short was letting you know that this flight may get a little bumpy while he sails through some serious synewave squall. It's a bold move but this guy is a serious risk taker and this is what he's all about-transforming the avant-garde into the palatable. Sure there may be some new kind of squelch that anchors this single but Short's bell choir, in contrast, is the one vital tidbit of musical information that gently reminds listeners that everything will be okay, and to just sit back and let the groove wash over them. It's the musical equivalent of an ice cold shower on a hot summer day - shocking at first but refreshing for hours to come

::more::

Auralism on Proton Radio
New episodes every 1st Tuesday at 4:00 AM EST and available on demand!

July 7th, 2009

featuring

Superkondktor
Born and bred in troubled times in the Northern Irish City of Belfast, Superkonduktor aka Si Moore found solace and passion deep underground at the early age of 15 in the famed club 'Shine.' The venue combined a safe haven for young music lovers in a confused city and quickly evolved into one of the most infamous underground techno clubs in Europe. With influence from American based artists such as Green Velvet he developed an initial love of harder percussive house though as time moved on he discovered the complexity of modern minimal techno through artists such Richie Hawtin and Adam Beyer.

It was not long before watching and listening was simply not enough and Si saved up for his first set of turntables, fascinated by how the music was designed and performed. The next number of years were spent hosting small parties in the UK and frequenting the bigger venues to sample the finest performances in clubs such as Fabric, The End and the Glasgow Arches. After several transatlantic moves as a professional rock climber Si has set up base in San Francisco to concentrate on production. He has though brought with him his latest side project - The 'U-bahng.'

Beginning in the UK in early 2008 and showcasing the finest young modern techno artists alongside the best local talent, the U-bahng has gone from strength to strength hosting artists such as Mathais Kaden, Ben Klock, Clive Henry and Matthais Tanzmann to name a few. With a lot of hard promoting from Si and his partner in crime in the UK, Ryan Cooke 'U-bahng' opened its doors in San Francisco last month with a bahng, as the young and exceptionally talented Kyle Geiger took to the turntables. With San Francisco being dubbed as the new Berlin there is really no excuse for what the future may bring......

Franklin DeCosta
Franklin's early musical roots began with a Taiwan Drumset and a Hohner Organ. After some training years under the influence of metal, jazz, 70sprog/rock and live perfomances as a versatile drummer his transition to electronic music began with an Amiga 500 computer.

The Trackermusic of this machine lead him to the early techno music of the 90s and early production experiments in his Father's home studio. First releases followed in 1995 to 96 on the label Fusion Records (w/ 303 Nation Member, Patrick Vauillaume).

Later he released as Tichy on various Frankfurt techno labels until at the end of the 90s his search for inspiration brought him to a very experimental productionphase without the "4 to the floor"
presetting. From this he developed his distinctive trademark sound with straight grooves and frisky sound design. With the concentration on DJing and party organising Franklin began the extroverted phase of the studio nerd. In 2003 he started working with Yapacc and founded the Studiogemeinschaft project. Along with the infamous Frankfurt DJs Bo Irion and Miriam Schulte they started "The Green Empire" events in Frankfurt.

Meanwhile Franklin was gaining more international recognition with releases on well-known labels such as Trapez ltd, Karmarouge Noir, Einmaleins Musik and Treibstoff. His singles entered the charts of djs worldwide.

New releases of him can be heard on Leena, Resopal Red, Curle and Below this year.

arlsm D017 & D018 [DIGITAL ONLY RELEASE]
Primaveral EP Pts. 5 & 6
Various Artists

Available now on Beatport & iTunes

Part 5

Mikael Stavoestrand - Look Kids

Clint Stewart - Shark Belly

Jonni Darkko - Congo

Beaner & C.L.A.W.S.present War vs. Sleep - Date Raver

Mikael Stavoestrand - Look Kids
Mikael Stavoestrand is one of the hottest techno producers in the world right now and the main reason why are his original drum sounds and man does "Look Kids" have drums-all kinds of drums. This is the kind of track that can be looped or played on a third deck for hours, it is minimal in the truest sense. But what Stavoestrand omits in terms of melody on "Look Kids" he amply reciprocates with onion skin layers of percussion integrated in strikingly inventive new ways.

Clint Stewart - Shark Belly
Clint Stewart is not only partially responsible for the cooling looking Auralism releases and event flyers he is a wise and wonderful DJ and producer in the Marcel Dettmann mold. His "SharkBelly" starts with a familiar San Francisco house glide, some subdued blippings, hints of acid, and good old fashion handclaps for flare.  But what at first seems like just another funky house cut then unfurls into something entirely different, worshipping the dark side of techno. Unexpected stabs appear throughout to add a sense of disconcerting tension to a track already enamored with some seriously evil sleaziness.

Jonni Darkko - Congo
"Congo" by newcomer Jonni Darkko is part of the vast array of sounds on this exciting compilation from Auralism. It is very dark and menacing, reminicent of the hard late night techno favored by producers such as the Hacker.  But instead of being as bleak and nihilistic, Darkko chooses to include subtle elements to keep the grooves tasty. The odd combination of styles lends itself to a unique dance floor ready tune.

Beaner & C.L.A.W.S.present War vs. Sleep - Date Raver
"Date Raver" is straight-up late night alien abduction techno defined by a rolling bass line with more than just a few hints of psy trance in it along with some eerie clinking chimes to make the whole thing even creepier. Hide the women and children on this one it is all about the freaks coming out at night and getting their mothership boogie on.

Part 6

Nikola Baytala & Myles Egner - Ha!

Perla - You Are Threatened

Dead Seal - The Breeze

Touane - Together

Nikola Baytala & Myles Egner - Ha!
"Ha!"  comes loaded with a slappy equestrian hitch beat and an ever so slight breakbeat pumping up the booty flava in this relentless stomper. An old school sounding rave siren and growling bassline anchor the beginning of the track with an instant hands- in- the- air feeling. String pads come in and give it some nice Kraftwerk touches making "Ha!" one of the more unique and memorable tracks in the series.

Perla - You Are Threatened
Auralism gives some exposure to yet another newcomer in Perla. He reciprocates the favor with a moody Plastic City style tech houser with subtle hints of progressive house and South American house. "You Are Threatened" is infused like a rare tea with a Zen feeling of melodic innocence but drenched in subwoofer choking bass. The contrasts are shocking building serious dancefloor tension but gradually decaying as does the lotus bloom in summer.

Dead Seal - The Breeze
Derrick Boyd aka Dead Seal closes out the Primaveral series with "The Breeze" one of the most foward looking tracks on Auralism to date. There are nods to Stimming but the zipping acid bass line betrays the tracks inner lust for Hardfloor. Heavily edited vocals give the track some organic contrast amongst the hum of sleek machinery. The vocal hook "You'll never be free again" carries the whole track's  ominous desperation.

Touane - Together
Glamor, described in the most traditional sense conveys a meaning of magic, a fragile wonderment with an evanescense that crumbles quickly to dust . That description perfectly describes "Together" from veteran Italian producer Touane, who once again perfectly mimics both Boards of Canada and Vangelis with glamorous melodies. He also adds his dubby Basic Channel style techno bass lines to give the track some bounce.  Touane's special attention to detail brings a melancholy and beautiful anti-anthem worthy of a Lee Burridge mix.

::more::

Auralism on Proton Radio
New episodes every 1st Tuesday at 4:00 AM EST and available on demand!

June 2nd, 2009

featuring

Javaight
David Javate aka DJ Javaight aka JV8, is a San Francisco based DJ, event promoter and writer. A veteran DJ from Washington DC and lifelong dance music aficionado, David's love has always been towards the deeper side of house and techno. Evident in his contributions to SF nightlife with the deep house night, Staple, the ground breaking techno event, Optimal, and the techno happy hour, Killswitch, David continues to showcase deeper styles with a DJ style which acknowledges house and techno's pioneers while also welcoming today's  innovators. Showing the diversity of being able to play during different moods of the night, David always strives to take the listener on a journey, and make an audio collage which moves the mind and body.

Clint Stewart
In a sea of heads, Clint Stewart can’t contain his enthusiasm. “It’s an amazing time for dance music,” says the Auralism assistant label manager. “There’s so much good music and an endless list of people making it. It’s inspiring.” The Florida-born DJ / producer / promoter is true to his word, commanding crowds with ease and producing sexy, gauzy cuts that exhort everyone to dance.

Growing up in a home surrounded by the sounds of classical music to classic rock and early blues, he began training in classical piano and guitar. Over time Stewart’s adolescent obsession with punk’s passion and aggression (“I hated dance music”) led to a college-age awakening to techno’s dark, relentless groove. A stint on UNF College Radio Station gave him the opportunity to start Nocturnal Underground radio show where he met Marc Smith. After college he moved to Miami and began eventually joining forces with Auralism co-founders Marc Smith and Jason Short and playing at their residency at Jazid. Within the year, Stewart moved to Hawaii for a brief stint to “get away”, but was soon living in San Francisco after a gig in which he never stepped foot on his return flight.

Since joining the Auralism camp, Stewart has been “going 100 miles an hour, all day, every day,” playing high-profile DJ gigs with top artists among as well as a particularly sizzling set at SF’s annual LoveFest. In addition pounding the pavement for Auralism, Stewart has a growing list of productions out there, including a pair of ecstatic remixes for the label’s inaugural Aural Therapy 1.1 compilation. That’s a lot of work for a short time in a new town, but master multi-tasker Stewart’s just getting started.

arlsm D015 & D016 [DIGITAL ONLY RELEASE]
Primaveral EP Pts. 3 & 4
Various Artists

Available now on Beatport & iTunes

Part 3

Marc Smith - Insisting Upon Itself

Elon - Cup Of Coffee

Franklin De Costa - Matters

Marc Smith - Insisting Upon Itself
Marc Smith leads off the series with a memorable opener. Smith is best known as a member of the production duo Coalition Of The Killing, one of Beatport's artists to watch in 2009. On "Insisting Upon Itself" he goes solo with heaps of dubby goodness on this late night tech house pearl. Squelching bass line accents add to the meticulous filter action that define this track. But it is the demented San Francisco bent that gives this track supreme dance floor appeal.

Elon - Cup Of Coffee
New York's rising talent Elon returns to Auralism with a follow-up to his hit EP "Snorting Pinky". This time around he presents something a little more subdued and stately. "Cup Of Coffee" is the kind of elegant house with pretty synth washes of melody that only Elon seems to be capable of creating.

Franklin De Costa - Matters
Berlin's Franklin De Costa has put out some fantastic records for well-established labels like Trapez, Leena and Sender. Here he concocts a wicked brew of deep, dubby house that descends precariously into a world of sounds that are both eternal midnight and luxuriously delicious afternoon. Despite the delicate precision of De Costa's melodies this track can still summon a tempest on late night dance floors with an incredibly chunky house bass line that instantly asserts itself.

Part 4

Moniker - Pocket Call

Dave Aju - Weebles

Alland Byallo - Into My Here

Moniker - Pocket Call
Moniker is comprised of Kenneth Scott and Eo, who in turn extract the sweetest sounds imaginable from lots and lots of gear. Here the two absorb twenty-five years worth of Chicago jack with a stripped down, tracky, almost minimal style cut that never loses its soul. The bass line anchoring this workout is a heads-down chugger that allows the track to remain firmly plugged into the future without sacrificing any of the groovy retro touches that paint all of the corners on "Pocket Call"

Dave Aju - Weebles
Dave Aju has to be one of San Francisco's most notable rising stars with critically acclaimed releases on Circus Company and is a welcome addition to the second Primaveral release. Cowbells and funky popping percussion hem in the vocal snippets forming them into a catchy hook giving the abstract techno framework of this track more of a San Francisco house swing.


Alland Byallo - Into My Here
Nightlight Music chief and [KONTROL SF] resident Alland Byallo delivers a heady quaff of tasty house with a dash of dark tribal atavism.  "Into My Here" is very dramatic, complete with jarring horns, crazy vocals, and tension building pauses in the action for total peak hour perfection and one of the many unexpected surprises on this compilation.

::more::

Auralism on Proton Radio
New episodes every 1st Tuesday at 4:00 AM EST and available on demand!

May 5th, 2009

featuring

Coalition of the Killing
Established in Florida circa 1999 but incubated in the friendly quarters of the San Francisco techno scene, Coalition of the Killing is the partnership forged between Auralism Records founders Jason Short and Marc Smith. Under their aegis, the Auralism label has become one of the most talked about electronic music brands in an urban landscape literally busting at the seams with them. But even with a to die for artist roster it is easy to forget that Short and Smith founded the label back in 2005 as a vehicle for their own work as Coalition of the Killing.

In 2008, from this solid foundation, they made a huge commotion in the techno scene with remixes on Chris Fortier's esteemed album remix project to EPs like "Backwards on Pony" on Karloff. These, amongst others, helped to establish an "official" sound for the pair last year. It has been described as equal parts experimental etherealism and funky house bounce with deep heady bass grooves that lock down the insistent dance floor throb. Last year the two brought that sound to the San Francisco masses at the annual Lovefest event. Playing to a literal sea of bobbing heads, thousands of dance music fans  gave Coalition of the Killing a huge thumbs up.

In 2009, Short and Smith hope to build on this forward momentum with new releases on Nightlight and, of course, Auralism. They are also looking to partner with other labels looking to release high-quality underground techno. The plan is to further expand their sound with more sonic explorations while steering themselves in an even more floor friendly direction while continuing their experimentation with new forms. Also look for the two to make a strong live performance impression this year globally by incorporating more hardware and instrumentation into their already stunning live PA sets. Heads up world, 2009 looks to be the year of the Coalition. Beatport has already named them one of their artists to watch in 2009 so let that serve as fair warning.

Roman Stange
Roman Stange is the dark horse of the Auralism stable in more ways than one. Experiencing techno's birth in the 80's Detroit, as a teenager, Stange has soul and techno music in his blood. In the early 90's Stange emerged on the other side of the techno underground with a penchant for immersive soulful sound scapes ringing to a 4/4 beat. After relocating to Boston, Roman quickly began pushing the shaded experimental underbelly of electronic music—minimal, IDM, and industrial—against the city's prevailing indie rock scene, performing leftfield live PAs with the renowned Toneburst & Lollygagger collectives, which also included Hrvatski (Keith Whitman Fullerton), DJ C, Mr. In Ter Rupt , Soplerfo, DJ/Rupture, and ESP.

Based in San Francisco since 2006, Stange has come out of retirement and has taken up the West Coast's vibrant dance-floor culture as his personal call to arms, hearkening back to his Detroit roots to create immersive, psychedelic groovers blooming with mechanized soul. Romans Paratroupr Ep was released on Auralism in 2008, with remixes by Dave Aju, Elon,  and Jason Short.  Roman also remixed Rift, Mossmoss, Lemonade, and is remixing Lilofee.  Roman's originals and remixes have been charted by  Damian Lazarus, Jonas Kopp, Habersham, Elon, Kenneth Scott, and Alland Byallo.  Roman is also one half of Luther Mandross with Jason Short and one half of Sinthe with [Kontrol]'s Craig Kuna.

Since January 2008 Roman has DJ'd gigs with Lee Burridge, Elon, Franklin De Costa, Pan-Pot, Stewart Walker, Drumcell, Agaric, Thomas Melchior, Josh Wink, Acid Circus, Speedy J  and many others.  All the while assisting in the duties of promotions  at Auralism Records.  Which includes a successful residency at the Auralisms' Lil Brthr monthly in San Francisco and Auralisms' internet radio show Comfort Sessions on Proton Radio.  In October of 2008, Roman DJ'd at the South American Music Conference in Quito Ecuador, along side Jason Short and Marco Carola.  Now for 2009...........

arlsm D014 [DIGITAL ONLY RELEASE]
Jason Short - Cutting The Losses

Available now on Beatport & iTunes

Cutting the Losses

On "Cutting The Losses" Auralism honcho Jason Short takes a brief respite to step away from his many collaborative partnerships-most notably Coalition of the Killing-for something completely different.

Different in the sense that this single sided release is raw and a little further afield than the elegant, psychedelic techno for which Short has become best known. But also rest assured this isn't raw as in Short was suffering from sunstroke when he made it and the results were "raw". This is  the channeling endless hours of late night Z-grade horror flicks,  disturbing alien abduction fantasies, and lots of black coffee kind of raw.  Not surprisingly "Cutting The Losses" comes springing out of the speakers thusly-all jagged and sweaty. The track is almost shocking at first listen with disturbing techno sounds that verge on the avant garde but as it begins to unfolds a Derrick Carter style "boompty" bass line pops uo to keep asses on the dance floor in the midst of some heavy duty sonic chicanery. This rock solid bounce provides some sharp counterbalance to Short's alien landing explorations and gets wicked after the miniscule breakdown with two bass lines appearing-one rising and the other falling that give the whole thing a seriously forward thinking edge. Add on some innovative ticky-tacky percussion work to the bass line play and what emerges is something new for both artist and label that is tough as nails yet effortlessly groovy.

"Cutting The Losses" is a wild ride in some new directions that captures a bold raw quality previously unexplored by artist or label. Viva la difference!

::more::

Aural Therapy: Primaveral Showcase
Friday, April 17th @ the COM#
10pm-7am and beyond
$25 presales available at groovetickets.com

We are ecstatic to present to you another twisted episode of Aural Therapy. This episode we are showcasing some of the amazing Auralism talent from the upcoming Primaveral compilation on Auralism including 4 live shows in 8.2 sorround sound and dj sets by Elon and Clint Stewart on the finest sound system in San Francisco. We are pushing the production level on this event even higher than our past events, with a video crew filming the show in order to make some nice promo pieces and possibly a DVD down the road featuring the surround recordings and live footage from the event. With this in mind, be sure to wear your Auralism gear and/or any outrageous costume/outfits you want to bust out. Be sure to bring that special SF vibe to this one-of-a-kind event! Aural Therapy is going back home to the Com#. You know what that means!!!!!! Bigtime-Partytime...oh yes.

LINEUP:
Elon
Dead Seal [Live]
Alland Byallo [Live]
Moniker [Live] (Eo and Kenneth)
Marc Smith [Live]
Clint Stewart

Auralism on Proton Radio
New episodes every 1st Tuesday at 4:00 AM EST and available on demand!

April 7th, 2009

featuring

George Holland
George Holland began mixing records in 1993 and quickly established himself as a Northwest favorite throughout the 90's and into the current century. In the 15 years since he began playing, he has journeyed through many genres, starting with breakbeat hardcore and jungle, then moving on to breaks and house, and eventually finding his true voice in the techno sound, which he began to solely focus on in 1999. The pounding, looping sound of modern techno lends itself perfectly to George's skillset, consisting of lightning-fast mixing, liberal EQ work and delivery of a set that is constantly in motion. 

Throughout his career, George has played all over the west coast, including bookings at the legendary Spundae weekly in San Francisco. A small sampling of some of the talent he has played alongside includes: Richie Hawtin, Doc Martin, DJ Dan, Frankie Bones, Terry Mullan, Scott Henry, DJ Lewis of The Orb and John Acquaviva. 

After taking a sabbatical from playing out for a couple years, George is back and ready to once again deliver the high-caliber dancefloor workouts that a generation of partygoers have come to expect.

Kenneth Scott
Kenneth Scott makes small-scale techno with large sonic concerns. Recording under his Eutactic moniker with Auralism label head Jason Short and under his own name for friend Alland Byallo's Nightlight Music, Scott takes cues from early Warp records, Matthew Dear's acid experimentation as Audion, and minimal-minded composers like Philip Glass and Arvo Part. The results eye the "minimal" label with suspicion, combining techy snares, reptilian synths, and subtle layers of melody into something melodic, funky, and emotional -- uncategorizable and catchy as hell, just how Scott likes it. "I think that trance really ruined melodies and arpeggios for everyone," he says, "and only now are people a bit more open to it." Scott was raised in a small, rural Iowa town, where he nursed an obsession with dance music while exploring its tiny scene. He learned a bit of every instrument he could get his hands on, while DJing his first house parties with his father's old turntable, a portable CD player, and a Radio Shack mixer. Scott's been honing his craft in the years since, running San Francisco's successful Binary party, DJing alongside Pan Pot, Lee Curtiss, and Argenis Brito, and creating music with collaborators Jason Short, Alland Byallo, and Emilio Orlandi. Now he's ready to open the floodgates. "I want to create dance-floor friendly, funky, jacking, sonically dexterous, soulful music," he says. "I want to make a crowd tear up, as well as pump their fists."

arlsm D013 [DIGITAL ONLY RELEASE]
COTK vs Eutactic - What of the Future? EP

Available on Beatport & iTunes

COTK - Attack Of The Elephant Army

Eutactic - Science, Hi Fi, Wine, Women, and Song

COTK & Eutactic - Aww Naw

COTK & Eutactic - Haven't Gotten So Far

What Of The Future? combines the recent Eutactic partnership of Jason Short and Kenneth Scott with the longstanding Jason Short and Marc Smith partnership of the Coalition of The Killing. Riffing on the success of last year's Hypnagogia EP the two forces coalesced for a great show at an Auralism sponsored Aural Therapy party and from that awe-inspiring live surround sound set this new EP was born. What Of The Future? succeeds by uniting the best parts of Eutactic (weird, demented late night insanity) and COTK's elegant, emotionally charged techno. The results can only be described as a moment of dance floor Zen for the ADHD generation.

COTK & Eutactic - Aww Naw
This dark, late night roller jiggles more than Jell-O with some serious ghetto house underpinnings complete with Prince-approved chirping 80s synth accents. The rising wooze of the wobbly horns that drive this track hit harder than a handle of cheap vodka causing the dance floor to stagger gleefully like a reckless drunken mass. Add a helium-coated vocal line and suddenly it all becomes a fun house from hell.

COTK - Attack Of The Elephant Army
Gorgeous fusions of Detroit and Berlin technos' melodic precision with the housey looseness only found in San Francisco come shining through on this track from Auralism cofounders Jason Short and Marc Smith. Add the pair's fondness for elegant psychedelic and this track is unmistakably a COTK production.

Eutactic - Science, Hi Fi, Wine, Women, and Song
The extended spoken word here contains the source of this curiously named track. It is pure deep space buzz-and-ping techno that would make the crop-circle making aliens circling Earth proud. Science rings, roars, and zips like some distant relative of the old psy-trance scene but with a tight minimal techno beat instead of the goa scene's over the top excess.

COTK & Eutactic - Haven't Gotten So Far
Exquisitely gorgeous and melancholic chimes powder this intensely deep piece chunk of late night "personal space" techno. The melodies unwind like a lost 80s synth pop nugget while the bass line throbs and pulses subliminally in the background before giving way to a modulating 303 line for the slightest touch of acid. The dubby washes keep the acid in check with aching twitches of romantic yearning rarely found in dance floor techno.

::more::

arlsm D012 [DIGITAL ONLY RELEASE]
The Captains’ Crunk - Monosodium Booty Breaks EP

Available on Beatport & iTunes

Monosodium Booty Breaks

Monosodium Booty Breaks (Acid Circus Mix)

Best known as a drum & bass producer in his hometown of Miami, DJ Stereotype (Gary Montoya to his friends) teams up with Jason Short and Marc Smith of Coalition of the Killing to form the techno bootiliciousness of the Captain's Crunk.

The a-side- Monosodium Booty Edit- is a wicked slice of dancefloor jiggle that sounds as if Lil Jon stormed the studio and the crunk juice from his pimp cup spilled all over the bass creating something wonderfully nasty. Super edited and glitchy like a mutant strain of hyphy and abstract mode minimal, this track brings a refreshing urban edge to the techno scene without relinquishing any of Auralism's strong roots in cutting edge electronic noise.

Droid Behavior's Vidal & Vangelis Vargas man the Captain's chair under their Acid Circus alias on the flipside-Monosodium Booty Breaks(Acid Circus Crunkfunk Mix). The sound is gossamer wings of blip-a-delia that even the zombies from a vintage George Romero flick can get their strut on to anchored on a bedrock layer of filthy jungle-esque bassline. The results are immediately physical with a lean, sinewy peak hour pleasure avalanche of West Coast techno.

::more::

arlsm D011 [DIGITAL ONLY RELEASE]
Peter Seligman- Diffraction Subs EP

Available on Beatport & iTunes

See Saw Slow

Bassems

Spinout

Petrolum Float

Still

Petrolum vs. Hi Five (Jason Shorts Dawn to Dusk Mix)

Newcomer Peter Seligman drops some adventurous leftfield techno sounds on Diffraction Subs his first EP for Auralism and follow-up to his track Bingo Fleece that appeared on this summer's Primaveral Pt.2 compilation. Seligman explores exciting new sound frontiers on his latest that add to Auralism's already broad sonic palette.

On See Saw Slow a punchy elastic beat is reminiscent of Optimo's retro industrial leanings but with buzzing blips exploding from the mids that insistently remind you this is a modern techno track.

Bassems creates an atmospheric interlude into rich ambient tones and warm, blanketing textures that recall the best of serious experimental pioneers like Steve Reich, Experimental Audio Research, and Throbbing Gristle.

Spinout is propelled by a shambling beat and a pinch of electro-house sass laying an off-kilter funk foundation for the groove. This groove becomes the perfect set-up for a memorably wonky melodic before the track breaks down into some abstract mode techno that should catch the attention of Perlon fans.

Petrolum Float ventures to the farthest fringes of the micro-verse once explored by the Warp Records catalog. Here is as a heady infusion of the subtlest moments of Autechre's seminal LP Amber and the purest clarion sounds of the San Francisco techno scene co-mingling and creating something wholly unique.

Still is a real speaker freaking mindbender popping and sizzling with rabid intensity. Although deep down below those zips and pings there is a molten techno core that helps to control some of the sonic chaos as well as creating fresh new sound possibilities in the process.

Jason Short's remix of Petrolum delivers a stunningly gorgeous techno mashup that both uplifts the soul and drives the body with a gentle pulsing beat and teasing hints of achingly lush melodies for a quintessential late night floor filler.

::more::

arlsm D010 [DIGITAL ONLY RELEASE]
Rift - Dredging

Available on Beatport & iTunes

Dredging

Deep Bled

Deep Bled (Roman Stange’s Femoral Cut Rmx)

Deep Bled (Clint Stewart and Dead Seal Rmx)

With the Dredging EP, Rift brings a totally fresh perspective on Auralism's sound. Dredging starts off the EP with a solid groove, intricate sound design and bubbling melodies. This is the perfect song to get bodies moving at any open-air or sunny after-hours session. Deep Bled is a moodier cut with a cloud of harmonies surrounding pulsating rhythmical melodies. Deep Bled sounds halfway between a deep Detroit track and one of those rare and epic journeys crafted by the South American techno prodigies. On Roman Stange's Femoral Dub Cut, Roman strips the original down to its bare essentials, keeps the strong tonal elements, but structures them in a way that they progress one into the other, making for the perfect after party builder. For the final track, Clint Stewart and Dead Seal come together to remix Deep Bled. They dug out the hidden grit and bounce, and brought it right to the front of the sound spectrum. The result is a late-night warehouse-ready beater with heady textures and grimy rhythmical-splashes.

::more::

arlsm D009 [DIGITAL ONLY RELEASE]
Elon - Snorting Pinky

Available on Beatport & iTunes

Jennie's Keys

Jennie's Keys (Justin Maxwell Remix)

Snorting Pinky

Snorting Pinky (Justin Maxwell Remix)

New York-based DJ/Producer Elon leads of with Snorting Pinky a dark, tech monster that begs to be heard on the biggest system possible. Despite its hefty bottom end, it manages to still nimbly swing with crisp snare accents and plenty of midrange touches to keep things engaging. Justin Maxwell's remix is a tasteful overhaul of the original, focusing more on sonic textures rather than the sheer physicality of the original. Jennie's Keys is a more restrained cut, perfect for early set buildup, while Maxwell's mix ups the tempo and adds some gelatinous bounce and tight, high-pitched stabs for the floor.

::more::

arlsm D008 [DIGITAL ONLY RELEASE]
Kyaro - Vortices (Stewart Walker Remix)

Available on Beatport & iTunes

Vortices (Stewart Walker Remix)

Auralism Records presents a deep and moving remix of Kyaro's techno stormer Vortices, recently released on Fade Records. Stewart Walker, founder of the amazing Persona Records imprint, takes the melodic elements of the original into a more hypnotic, late-night territory. Stewart starts his remix off with a rolling sub and eerie tones, then building pads and warm harmonies enter the mix and give the listener a sense that they are embarking on a long journey. Slowly, the rhythm unfolds in unexpected ways until everything comes together finally, transforming into emotional and subtle techno reminiscent of Stewart's classic productions on Persona. This track will be perfect for dark-room warm-ups or sunrise rooftops alike.

::more::

arlsm D007 [DIGITAL ONLY RELEASE]
Eutactic - Hypnagogia

Available on Beatport & iTunes

Hypnagogia

Cavour

Hypnagogia (Komposit Remix)

Hypnagogia (Ruoho Ruotsi Reshape)

This debut EP from Eutactic continues the Auralism tradition of stretching the boundaries of the label's sound and keeping audiences on their toes. Hypnagogia, the title track, starts off the EP with a mid-set, 4am beating. The track builds into a dreamlike frenzy after an unexpected break picks the energy up through the roof. Its fluid melodies intertwine with the heavy groove to make a real dance floor masher. The 2nd original song on the EP, Cavour, is a more funky excursion, maintaining the same warehouse feeling of Hypnagogia, but combining a swinging, playful rhythm with some eerie forces driving the groove into the darkness. Komposit's (owner of Lobotomy Records) remix of Hypnagogia takes the original to a more twisted place, focusing more on mind-warping intricacies and micro-hypnotics. Ruoho Ruotsi's (owner of Def Child Recordings) remix dubs out the original melodies and creates a droney, floating track perfect for the late-night jam sessions.

::more::

arlsm 002 [DIGITAL ONLY RELEASE]
Limaçon - Ef

Available on Beatport & iTunes

Ef

Ef (Billy Dalessandro Remix)

Ef (Falko Brocksieper Remix)

Dark Glitz

Dark Glitz (Jason Short Remix)

Having recorded for noted imprints such as Force, Inc. and Poker Flat, Limaçon comes with a funky yet twisted, bottom-heavy groover on Ef. On remix duties, Billy Dalessandro adds slightly more swing and percussion flourishes to the track, before diving deeper halfway through into hypnotic dub techno, emerging again to the surface for air. Falko Brocksieper's remix of Ef is a droney and dark beater, suited for transitioning from funkier cuts, deeper into the abyss. The other Limaçon original, Dark Glitz, is a track that lives up to its name with gritty textures over an expansive bass line. As Auralism's label manager and half of Coalition of the Killing, Jason Short has been very busy with a recent release on Karloff and a slew of remixes coming this summer. His remix of Dark Glitz keeps the edgy aesthetic of the original, but adds a bit more groove, turning it into a peak-time, hands-in-the-air rocker.

::more::

Aural Therapy 4.0Auralism presents Aural Therapy 4.0 @ our favorite underground venue in San francisco. Presale tickets are available at groovetickets.com.

Saturday August 19th
10pm - 8 am
$15 presale $ 20 door

arlsm D006 [DIGITAL ONLY RELEASE]
Roman Stange - Paratroupr

Available on Beatport & iTunes

Paratroupr Maximal

Paratroupr Minimal

Goodbye

Paratroupr (Elon Remix)

Paratroupr (Dave Aju Remix)

Roman Stange's latest for Auralism embraces warped, radiant melodies and house music roots, all framed in different contexts. The original mix of Paratroupr sits atop a 4/4 chassis, but with programming that is more IDM-styled in construction. Bright pads -- seemingly culled from a classic house tune and then cut up and reconfigured, bounce and undulate above a layer of static while sinewy textures play over the straightforward kick. The minimal mix reduces the sonic elements and warps the proceedings further into leftfield and with both versions, the strength lies in the interplay between the abstract and the immediate. With his remix, Elon transforms the track into straightforward, ambient-tinged house with plenty of percussive nuance, and San Francisco producer Dave Aju turns in a cut that works equally well in headphones as it does on the floor, emphasizing vivid spatial elements -- a jagged, simple bass line, jazzy hi-hat shuffle, and ethereal pads floating in the top of the mix.

::more::

arlsm D005 [DIGITAL ONLY RELEASE]
Primaveral EP Pt. 2
Various Artists
Available on Beatport & iTunes

Rift - Astral Bridge

Alland Byallo - Haunted Heart

Peter Seligman - Bingo Fleece

Lance Desardi - Match Point (Jason Short Edit)

Domingo Castillo - It Could Have Been You

Auralism's fifth release kicks off with Rift's Astral Bridge, a dark, cinematic soundtrack to a cityscape of the future, complete with the standout production the imprint is increasingly known for. Alland Byallo follows with Haunted Heart, a dark, peak-time cut where aggressive, grumbling synths build into a buzzsaw crescendo of white static.

Next up, Peter Seligman's Bingo Fleece brings a playful, tight, and decidedly techy bounce to the proceedings, while noted SF producer Lance Desardi shows his techno-oriented side with Matchpoint an powerful track with an analogue feel and bulbous, dubby undertones.

D. Castillo rounds the release off with It Could Have Been You, which shows off a completely different, more introspective side of the label, with beautiful, sprawling melancholic tones that hang over glitchy, syncopated drum programming.

::more::

arlsm D004 [DIGITAL ONLY RELEASE]
Primaveral EP Pt. 1
Various Artists
Available on Beatport & iTunes

Miguel Colmenares - Tapipas Groove

Limaçon - BA Incandescent

Crazy Larry - Rooftop Music

Habersham - Donotdonut

Clint Stewart - Wormwood

SF-based Auralism returns with an EP of the label's signature techy, psychedelic sound.

Miguel Colmenares leads off the release with Tapipa's Groove, a crisp, melodic mid-paced groover buoyed by a big bottom end. Limaçon follows with BA Incandecent, an angular, slightly deranged cut from the asylum (or a particularly twisted after hours), complete with off-kilter vocal grunts and chantings over tight production.

Crazy Larry's Rooftop Music rides a tough, aggressive beat through a ethereal and sublime breakdown, while Habersham's cut – the most fluid option of the bunch – seduces with a deep, hypnotic rhythm and incredibly nuanced sound design.

Finally, Clint Stewart's Wormwood is the hardest and most techno leaning track on the release, with a poised kick drum cadence, woozy bass and a dark yet colorful hook.

::more::

Free Download!
In support of caKe, Resonant Vibes and Auralism Records have teamed up to deliver a mind-bending Exclusive Free Download!

Click the banner below to check it out…

arlsm 001 [VINYL/DIGITAL RELEASE]
COTK - Too Many Machines
Available on Beatport & iTunes

VINYL SOLD OUT!

Franklin DeCosta Remix

Argenis Brito Late Nite Mix


The flagship artist in the Auralism fleet, Coalition of the Killing lead off with Too Many Machines, where thick walls of static sit in a haze over a dub techno groove, building in atmosphere and intensity with sci-fi tinged vocoders and razor sharp synth stabs. The Argenis Brito Late Nite Mix dubs things out nicely, adding crisp percussion to contrast the dark grooves, while the Franklin DeCosta Remix is the late night option of the bunch, and wouldn't sound out of place in a particularly twisted session at Berlin's Panoramabar.

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Auralism Launch Tour Dates

01.20.08 [San Francisco] featuring Franklin De Costa
02.09.08 [New York City] featuring Argenis Brito
02.14.08 [Nashville] featuring COTK
04.19.08 [Chicago] featuring Stewart Walker (TBC)
04.25.08 [Detroit] featuring Stewart Walker (TBC)

arlsm D003 [DIGITAL ONLY RELEASE]
Aural Therapy 1.4 Singles
Available on Beatport & iTunes

Jason Short & Clint Stewart - Mimetic

Miguel Colmenares & Jason Short - Trading Abuses

Dead Seal - Spark

Auralism Digital 003 kicks off with Short and Stewart's Mimetic; a lumbering, heavy, yet oddly fluid track that seems to blur the lines of time and genre. Trading Abuses finds melodic stabs cutting through dark, crunchy tones while Sparks is the headiest selection of the lot. Dead Seal's production is an immersive, often haunting affair that builds into resonating and oddly disorienting church bells and panning vocal incantations over dark, ambient tones and a deep groove.

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Auralism now on Proton Radio!
Auralism has taken over the hosting duties for Comfort Sessions on Proton Radio.

This month's show features Limacon, RI_FT, and Ruoho Ruotsi. They will be available to download via on demand @ protonradio.com at 6am Monday, February 25, 2008.

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arlsm D002 [DIGITAL ONLY RELEASE]
Aural Therapy 1.3 Singles
Now Available on Beatport & iTunes

Luther Mandross - We Set Them Up the Bomb

Kyaro - Good in a Bad Way

COTK - Alpha y Omega


Luther Mandross, a collaboration between Jason Short and Roman Stange, kicks off the release with their cheeky reference to Internet pop culture. Sci-fi tones sit over a mid-paced groove with plenty of tight, skeletal percussion to keep things engaging. Good in a Bad Way highlights Auralism's penchant for beautifully off-kilter tracks with melted melodies, warped bass, and plenty of pitched-down vocals and effects. Alpha Y Omega finds COTK walking their trademark line between gritty dancefloor heft and cerebral flourishes˜most notably the panning arpeggios that plant themselves smack in the middle of the mix to achieve an immensely hypnotic effect.

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arlsm D001 [DIGITAL ONLY RELEASE]
Aural Therapy 1.2 Singles
Now Available on Beatport & iTunes

Roman Stange - Paratroupr (Jason Short Remix)

Le Chous Chou - Tu Balli

Miguel Colmenares - Retocante

On the first installment of Auralism Digital, each cut suits its own, functional purpose in the night. Roman Stange leads off with a nuanced, early evening track that builds through a syncopated, experimental introduction, flowing into straight 4/4 with a pronounced melody, and finishing cleanly with a beautiful, pitch-bent ambient outro. Le Chous Chous bring a techy building block to build up the pace and tension, while Miguel Colmenares' Retocante is a sparse, hyponotic music for the deeper ends of peak time.

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arlsm CD001 [CD/DIGITAL RELEASE]
Aural Therapy 1.1
Now Available @ Select Stores!
Online Ordering Also Now Available



After signing a strong series of releases for the forthcoming year, San Francisco-based label Auralism Records kicks off with their debut commercial release; a mix of the imprint's unreleased music, selected and mixed by label boss, DJ, and producer, Jason Short.

Aural Therapy provides an overview of the nascent label's range of sounds, spanning time-stretched, high-tensile minimal techno constructions, to raw, warehouse cuts, to gritty, acid stormers with industrial undertones. The label's releases are all united by a relentless attention to sound design, finding the elusive balance between sonic detail and cerebral textures and raw, dancefloor physicality.

In addition, the mix features remixes by Short for two tracks by Alland Byallo (Kontrol SF) on Nightlight Music, as well as Billy Dalessandro's Are You There? on Siteholder Records.

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