Sundaze 1513

Hello,

Today's Sundazers are pointed to Europe's creative heart, Berlin . N'joy

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Lars Fenin started to make music as a guitarist end of the 80ties in random post-wave/reggae band projects in his hometown Hamburg.  After several visits to Berlin in 1993 he decided to move there, and found himself back in raisin east-berlin with its fresh and unconvential potential of new arts, clubs, and squatted house-partys. After continuing the post-rock-stuff in a 3 member band fenin went more and more into dub/reggae type o music, and founded 1996 his own reggae–band “Tribal Notes”, musically ranging from dub/experimental to straight roots orientated songs.  In 1996 all changed of a sudden after the first outdoor rave and visits of drum’n’bass partys in Berlin. In 1997 Fenin bought his first synthesizer, and an atari 1040 st sequencer, producing little dub/bass/electro pieces in his small homestudio. Fenins first release soon followed on a compilation, done by friends in Hamburg. After that he played his first live-sets with a friend and an 808 bouncing in the back.  In 1999 contact was made to at that time unkown label Shitkatapult, and in 2000 fenins first release followed under alias “Herr Pitzelberger”.

Since then Fenin has released serveral Eps and albums for his homies Shitkatapult as well as 12" s and remixes for labels like Echocord, Revolver, Eintakt and Mitek among others. Along the years he could boast collaborations with artists such as Deadbeat, Mikael Stavöstrand, D-meteo, k.j.gibbs, der dritte raum, Eraldo Bernocchi and Jeff Milligan. In 2005 Shitkatapult released his debut album "Grounded" Since 2008 he runs also his own label called "Dock-records"..Never the less his albums are still released thru Shitkatapult 2008 Been Through and 2 years later Mixes and Maxes is last album thusfar was 1013's Heartware.

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Lars Fenin is one of those people whose past musical heritage reads like a succession of events that were pre-ordained in order to get him from his mid-90's reggae days in Berlin's Tribal Notes, through the cities electronic renaissance and his first 12" in 2000, to now and the release of debut album 'Grounded'.

Longtime Shitkatapult and Meteosound crew member Lars Fenin delivers his second album since 2005's 'Grounded' with 'Been through'. Alongside Daniel Meteo, Anders Ilar and Pole amongst others Fenin has consistently foraged in the dub undergrowth to roughly define the Berlin dub-tech aesthetic, aiming for a calculated post-dub-techno approach that still clings to the basic tenets of dub minimalism but enhanced by updated production processes and open to incorporating new rhythms and styles from hiphop to electronica. With vocal assistance from reggae singer Gorbi, Fenin moves through dubbed mutations on discoid electro on 'breakin', tricky shufflers on 'colourfields', moody melodic steppers on 'Complain' feat Scorcha and ace dub tech on album highlight 'Red wine'. There's a wonderfully inviting early evening dub haze about the whole album which definitely makes it worth a look in, give it a crack like.

Fenin - Been Through  (flac 254mb)

01 Dub Eraldo - Intro 3:17
02 A Try 5:02
03 Breakin 5:31
04 Colourfields 6:26
05 Miles And More 4:34
06 So Weit So Gut 2:08
07 Complain 4:47
08 Elephants 3:56
09 Red Wine 5:30
10 I Guess 5:03
11 Years Ago 3:25

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Fenin showcases a selection of some of his finest deep and dubby techno with a collection of previously unreleased and vinyl-only tracks for Berlin's Shitkatapult. While showcasing a good understanding of the minimal dub sound, it's interesting to hear traces of UK garage and dubstep incorporated into Fenin's sound. Fenin seems to have found the knack of creating a counterbalance to the flow and texture of each track, often playing off smooth with rough, or dreamy with alert, thereby building a dynamic tension that is perfect for repeat listening or losing it on the dance floor. The highlight has to be "Seems Like" whose combination of pulsing electro, rugged dubstep rhythms and carnivalesque synths is simply sublime. The slow, but insistent bass-weight thuggery of "Done," the restless percussive detail of "Romeo Kalimba" and "Driven" with its lusty, but patient kick drum, sparking snares and chiselled Jamaican guitar run a close second.

 Fenin's long-term collaborator Gobi also rises to the challenge with two driven performances, the first on the minimal styled "None of Them" and, most tellingly, on the closing track "Sound and Power" whose refrain "Sound and power is coming your way" is delivered with venom and freshness. Perhaps the only surprise here is that it tails off so quickly, ending the album on a lurch, when so much effort had been made to build a cohesive set out of a collection of released and unreleased tracks. That he does so is just one more reason to want to know more.

Fenin - Mixes and Maxis  (flac  243mb)

01 Done (Edit) 5:20
02 Divison El Norte 6:08
03 Seems Like 5:37
04 None Of Them (Voc.Gorbi) (Robags Wokksikon Remikks) 6:30
05 Romeo Kalimba 6:17
06 Driven 5:43
07 Adeto 2:52
08 And Again 4:06
09 Sound And Power 5:37

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Onmutu Mechanicks is Arne Weinberg, who has been creating Detroit- and dub-inspired techno for ten years on quality labels such as Down Low Music, Styrax Records, Matrix Records, Frantic Flowers, Dpress Industries, and his own AW-Recordings. Onmutu Mechanicks supposedly represents Weinberg at his most abstract. This is his second full-length release under the alias, after a CD-R earlier this year on Diametric.

From the dub stasis of 'Catatonic' he guides us on an inward trajectory with the heavy breathing shuffle of 'Aspiring To Aspire' and continues an internal spiral with the soundtracky space of 'Lupos Moon', recalling the bleakness of Demdike Stare's spare grooves. Down the line and the sleep-techno of 'Neutrino' only keeps consciousness because of its metronomic woodblock, before 'When You Return' inhabits the blue zones of Signer or Fluxion and 'Across The Styx' pulls the rhythmic anchor to drift in placid dub lagoon. With 'Nocturne' Arne proves he knows how to sooth and salve heads with elegance and substance, resulting in a sumptuous listen from start to finish.

Onmutu Mechanicks - Nocturne  (flac  410mb)

01 Catatonic 6:32
02 Aspiring To Aspire 9:29
03 Lupus Moon 10:27
04 Neutrino 6:12
05 Constant X 6:50
06 When You Return 8:57
07 Across The Styx 11:07
08 Your Touch Is So Electric 5:32
09 On Silent Wings 9:10

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