Hello, as we near the end of the summer of Namlook, its time to check out some more of his solowork, because between his many collaborations there was plenty of time for a workaholic like Kuhlman to deliver almost as many solo albums....and not just easy listening today's 3 part epic New Organic Life could be seen as a soundtrack to the Electric Universe, after all all life is electric, planets create sounds, the universe is full of sound and it's not easy listening, but without it we wouldn't exist..
If most artists in contemporary electronica are like islands unto themselves, turning out tracks in relative anonymity, Pete "Namlook" Kuhlmann was a whole continent. A dizzyingly prolific composer who steadily built up an entire industry around his Frankfurt-based Fax label, Namlook's name was inextricably linked with the post-rave resurgence of ambient music, and many of his solo and collaborative recordings with the likes of Mixmaster Morris, Tetsu Inoue, Klaus Schulze, Bill Laswell, Richie Hawtin, Geir Jenssen, Dr. Atmo, Burhan Ocal, Atom Heart, Jonah Sharp, Charles Uzzell-Edwards, and David Moufang, among many others, number among the most lauded and influential in new ambient. "... ......N-Joy
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
Pete Namlook (born 25 November 1960 as Peter Kuhlmann [phon koolman] in Frankfurt, Germany, died on 8 November 2012) was an ambient and electronic-music producer and composer., the extremely prolific Pete Namlook (1960-2012) was one of the high priests of new-school ambient, ie. ambient techno, trance, lounge and other related dance-music spinoffs. In its 20 year history his record label Fax Records released some of the definitive albums in these sub-genres and Namlook stands alongside a handful of other names such as The Orb, Biosphere and Mixmaster Morris as one of the originators of ambient's resurgence and reinvention via dance music in the late 80's and early 90's.
Intriguingly, he often favoured the sounds of analogue synthesisers over digital and - alongside fellow German e-musician Oliver Lieb - was reputed to have one of the most extensive collections of classic analogue equipment in Europe. And although he downplayed the linage, like many of his new-school peers his music has some of its roots in old-school electronica as varied as Brian Eno, psy rockers Pink Floyd, and Krautrock icons like Klaus Schulze and Tangerine Dream.
But Namlook was no imitator. He deepened and refined the sound of his predecessors with an injection of fresh ideas from the dance world, coupled with fine musicianship honed from many years of playing rock and jazz. In a 2007 interview with e-music magazine Slices he actually made a point of distancing his music from the conceptual influence of Eno particularly:
"You have to differentiate quite clearly between ambient in a techno sense, and on the other hand Brian Eno, a purely conceptual thing. I only knew of a collaboration between Brian Eno and Cluster [the German band], and him with Roxy Music. I only bought his ambient stuff later. Ambient as Eno defines it...is more or less musical wallpaper. It stays in the background and serves the environment rather than saying something about itself. In my definition of ambient, which has nothing in common with Eno's definition, it's about a journey, intense emotions that need to be transported - environmental music, jazz, ethno - depending on what project I'm working on".
The genesis of Fax Records
Although he had long dreamed of making a career from ambient electronica, in Fax Records' early days he was mainly pursuing a dance floor-oriented direction and releasing 12-inch vinyl singles to a warm reception from sectors of Europe's club scene.
But Namlook soon became dismayed at other artists' appropriation of the Frankfurt "hard trance" sound (developed through his genre-defining 4 Voice project). Thankfully his ambient B-sides to these singles - in hindsight a brilliant strategy - were also creating plenty of interest. Within a few years of the label's inception he had set about focusing Fax almost entirely on ambient and downtempo styles.
Up to his death in 2012 Namlook released an enormous number of solo and collaborative albums of widely varying quality both under his own name and various other project monikers. Collectors should be aware that many CD's were very limited pressings and some will be difficult to find, even more so now that Namlook has gone and the label is no more. Certain key titles were re-issued on CD and download from time to time, however, and much of the Fax catalogue is now spread widely online.
The Silence series
Silence (1992) is the one that started it all, Fax's first album release and one which caught the ear of both seasoned electronic boffins and dance fans looking for a chilled-out tonic after a night among the thumping beats of clubland. Both this album and Silence II (1993) are collaborations with close associate Dr Atmo and despite being at times almost new age in their choice of themes (a voice whispers sweet cosmic nothings like "we are all part of the universe") the music is outstanding. These beguiling, shimmering, reverberant landscapes are sometimes beatless and sometimes gently beaty with subdued live pads and cymbals. The 20 minute "Garden Of Dreams" is a particular mesmerising blend of slow Mid-Eastern rhythms with sighing and crying electronic chords.
Continuing the series is the the Persian-tinged Silence III (1998) which features Namlook on his own. Titles like "Mirage" "Into The Desert" and “A Ship On A Sea Of Sand” are just perfect; his sense of place is quite stunning and he understands the visual qualities of ambient sound exceptionally well. His creative range across entire series is impressive: from stately progressions of warm, organic-sounding orchestral synthscapes to atonal, purely atmospheric pieces of pure texture. When it comes to sound design Namlook’s attention to detail is faultless, which makes hearing his music on good hi-fi equipment especially rewarding. Silence III is followed by two more superb albums in the series.
The surreal, innovative first volume of Dreamfish (1993) with collaborator Mixmaster Morris is another genre-defining release, still cited today as a favourite by fans of early post-rave ambient. The environmental sound effects are deployed in a quirky way amongst the textured, gently rhythmic landscapes and the music brims with surprises and quiet invention. The jazzy bass notes on "Fishology", for example, move along at a good clip yet are so subtle that the track's calming qualities are never disturbed. The first three volumes of the Air series are also high-water marks for Namlook. Like the Silence series they show some rich ethnic and neo-classical leanings, and they remain particularly effective examples of how he uses live acoustic instruments in an electronic setting. The delicate, tinkling cymbals and soft tom-tom beats on "Je suis seule et triste ici" from Air I (1993), for instance, are utterly refreshing because Namlook is able to maintain a deep electronic ambient feel while still expanding electronica's instrumental vocabulary.
Air II (1994) is deeply psychedelic. An eleven-part "trip" subtitled "Traveling Without Moving", it takes it's thematic cue from Frank Herbert's cult sci-fi novel and movie Dune. Herbert's story posited a strange universe dependant on a life-extending, mind-altering spice drug. On Air II Namlook subtly draws on the story's themes to create a beautiful, creepy, intoxicating universe of his own. Again he utilizes acoustic instruments: didgeridoo, sighing woodwinds, flamenco guitar, Mid-Eastern flutes, and swooping vocal textures that rise and fall to striking effect. They're all integrated seamlessly, proving that despite the club music influences he thrived by exploring outside the rigid structures of electronic beats and sequencing.
Other collaborations
Although as an artist Namlook's focus was far broader than just club-influenced sounds, when he did get into more squelchy or bleepy techy-trance territory the results could be just as stimulating. On the brilliant two-part title track from The Fires Of Ork (1993) that thumping 4/4 kick drum is there alright, but somehow Namlook and cohort Gier Jenssen (aka Biosphere) have managed to mute it just enough to create a truly "ambient" dance music: thunderous yet shadowy and eerie, built around a voice sample of Rutger Hauer from Blade Runner. Also beats-based is the the superb first volume of From Within (1994), one of the pinnacles of ambient techno that marries Namlook's warm keys and spiralling synth sounds with the sparse bleeps and beats of Canadian techno guru Richie Hawtin. Again, the rhythms don't drive you into the ground but rather lull you into a gentle if uneasy trance, particularly on "Million Miles To Earth" and "Sad Alliance". The third in this series, From Within III (1997) is also outstanding
Namlook after the mid 90's
While many aficionados would agree that the early to mid 1990's produced most of Fax's - and Namlook's - most enduring releases, it would be unfair to dismiss some of Namlook's work since then. Highlights from 1995-2001 include the final volumes in what is probably Namlook's greatest series, the magnificent Silence IV (2000) and Silence V (2001). The luminous piano notes and warm orchestral synths of "The Night Before I Left" from Silence IV might just be the most emotional piece of music Namlook has ever made, an elegy that's at once incredibly sad and jaw-droppingly pretty. From the same album is the extraordinary "Bedouin Love", a dark, swirling epic with thunderous Moroccan drums, a strange spoken Arabic monologue and chilling yet beautiful synthesiser chords. In the same sonic universe as the Silence albums is From Within 3 from 1997, again made with Richie Hawtin but this time quite different from earlier volumes due to its softer, warmer sound. There's feather-soft lead guitar lines, lush strings, jazzy improvising and warm analogue melodies, all held together by subtle, intelligent drum programming. It's a fantastic example of accessible, soulful electronica.
In the 2000's and beyond Namlook continued with a busy release schedule of solo albums and collaborations but rarely with the same impact his music made in the previous decade. Not that there's lack of variety; for hardcore Fax fans there's plenty to explore. Experimental releases like New Organic Life (2002) are scarily unfamiliar, experimental, arguably unlistenable at times. Some outstanding individual melodic tracks appear on otherwise less-then-great albums such as Resonate (2006) and Namlook Le Mar (2009). However, some of his other collaborative albums made after the mid 90's - not listed on this page - are highly recommended including recordings with Tetsu Inoue, Klaus Schulze and Wolfram Spyra.
Death and legacy
Aged just 51, Namlook died unexpectedly in his sleep of a heart attack on 8 November 2012. Maintaining his intense work rate right up to the night he passed away, some wondered whether Namlook simply drove himself into the ground, literally living and dying for his art. Yet his sister told UK music journalist Mark Prendergast that "he went to bed happy" that day. Who are we to judge? Namlook left behind an extraordinary and enormous recorded legacy, as well as a generation of underground electronic producers and composers inspired by both his talents and his uncompromising independence. Fax Records is no more, though for the moment a good deal of his discography remains available. Hopefully a sensible licensing deal with the Kuhlmann estate will enable another publisher take on the best of his catalogue and keep it available in the coming decades. He deserves no less.
The tribute: Die Welt ist Klang
A superb Namlook tribute album appeared in 2013, almost as essential as any of the work released by the man himself. Die Welt ist Klang ("The World Is Sound") was put together in 2012-13 via a crowdfunding campaign by Dave Wade-Stein from EAR/Rational Music, the longtime North American distributor for Fax and related labels. The album is presented thus: four volumes of mostly new or unreleased music by former Fax artists, and four volumes of new material by mostly unknown musician-fans.
It's only fitting that one of the most prolific recording artists in the history of music - in all recorded music, not just a genre - should be honoured with a sprawling 8-volume tribute. It would take pages to review so much music in detail; suffice to say the standard of contributions overall is very high. Interestingly, most of the former Fax artists here don't seek to recapture peak moments from their past works. They just do what they do - from beatless ambient to bleepy dance grooves, from lounge to techno, from gentle dissonance to sweet, tender melodies. As for the the 40 or so musician-fan contributions, they were chosen from a large pool of submissions by a blind vote. Although there are some easy-to-spot pastiches among them, here too there is much freshness and surprise.
Die Welt ist Klang is a massive treasure chest of (mostly) new ambient and electronica. Some of it is the sound of now and some of it wistfully looks back. All of it acknowledges the contributions and example of one remarkable man.
Namlook" is "Koolman", a phonetic rendering of his real name, spelled backwards.
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
With Solarized, Pete takes the Namlook series from the live compositions it has been known for, to more well-thought out yet experimental studio compositions. The fourtheenth installment of series represents a turning point in Namlook's musical direction, as if the year 1999 inspired him to think about the future of music, and to kick it of this set of futuristic soundscapes. "Go No Go", which gets its title cleverly from one of the many samples from the movie Armageddon laced throughout the track, makes for some great science fiction. "Hidden Love" and "BEsic AeEmail" are great emotional ambient tracks that interject some sparse electro-beats, the latter making good use of melody. A sign of good things to come..
.Pete Namlook - Solarized ( 319mb)
01 Go No Go 12:33
02 Solarized 14:55
03 Hidden Love 15:09
04 BEsic AnEmail 11:30
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
1999, guess what movie Pete saw over the summer and really loved! Namlook wastes no time and spares no samples from the 1999 sci-fi hit The Matrix, starting with "The Real World", a powerful synthwave anthem that really seems to show a newly revived and inspired Pete compared to his previous album Solarized (perhaps a testament to how much better the Matrix was, compared to Armageddon). "The Colony" is sure to be a classical synth fan-favorite, while the title track "Free Your Mind" is a big beat track that seems to be inspired by The Matrix in a different way, specifically the Meat Beat Manifesto track featured in the movie. "The Forthcoming" combines the styles of the previous two tracks along with Namlook's more signature style of synth and the result is quite favorable. But with "Samba Giselle", it goes to prove that it isn't a Namlook album without Pete getting experimental with style. As the name suggests, it's a latin ditty that Pete tries to bring into the 23rd century, but really could have used more of Namlook's familar style mixed in. The closing "The Dreamreader" is this album's spacey ambient track, but that doesn't last long. Halfway through, Pete shows he can do modern IDM too, combining fast scatterdrums with the cool ambient background. A stunning end to a surprisingly fantastic album. Why Solarized was reissued instead of this is beyond me. (maybe Pete was afraid of getting in trouble for all those Matrix samples)
Pete Namlook XV - Free Your Mind ( flac 394mb)
01 The Real World 8:03
02 The Colony 8:22
03 Free Your Mind 5:39
04 The Forthcoming 8:46
05 Samba Giselle 11:02
06 The Dreamreader 12:53
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
New Organic Life is Pete Namlook's contribution to the soundtrack of the 21st century. It relates to the solving of genetic codes and the use of digital technology in constructing new sound entities. This is one of Namlook's best solo releases. Given his proclivity, that says a lot. This set combines wild sci-fi sounds, chilling atmospheres, and verbose sequences in a mélange of vast proportions. Namlook's soundscapes grab listeners and do not let them go. This bears closer inspection, deep listening, and focused attention. At that point, the adventure becomes psychoactive and dangerous. It is not advisable to listen to this in the dark or alone.
Peter Namlook XVI - New Organic Life (flac 348mb)
01 Genetic Drift 5:45
02 Molecular Progression #1 9:55
03 Klanglabor 20:13
04 Molecular Progression #2 1:32
05 Olan 5:00
06 Entity 2840 3:00
07 Reakton 1:42
08 New Organic Life 5:36
09 Giant Insects 8:16
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
New Organic Life 2 picks up right where the first volume left off. Pete Namlook has created some great sci-fi music in his career and this is among his best work. The spacescapes are dark and foreboding. There are no subtleties involved. This straightforward space music is unpretentious and fraught with imminent disaster. Deep listeners are in for a treat. The music grabs and holds. This is an essential disc for all space music fans. Like the first disc, this dark trip will appeal to fans of Lászlo Hortobágyi, Lustmord, Jeff Greinke, and Stephen Philips.
Peter Namlook XVI - New Organic Life II (flac 309mb)
01 In the Beginning There Was Grain 2:49
02 In and Out of Zoom 3:35
03 Jet - Final Test 9:18
04 Molecular Progression #3 2:35
05 Pixel Party 3:34
06 Airport Freak 6:37
07 Take Me With You to the Stars 6:09
08 Inun 6:22
09 Sundance of the Microbes 4:35
10 Genetic Synthesis 6:50
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
Louder, harsher, and gritter this time around, New Organic Life III roars in like your kitchen garbage disposal for this second command encore performance featuring Namlook's new brand of grainy noise. If anything, we can commend Namlook for generating a bigger bolder industrial sound for this third and final installment. "Nocturnal Flight Environment" wails like a massive jet engine. "Organic Engine" and "Russia's NOL is Space" begins what almost sounds like music before getting sucked into a mechanical whirlwind of unforgiving hellfire grain. Things take a break and quiet down for an "Interview with New and Native Organic Life". What does 'New and Native Organic Life' have to say? well, what else? BLIP! BLOORP! BLOOOP!. Finally "Grain City" cranks things up to full Merzbow as Namlook brings this jarring and exhaustive trilogy to a close. Pete boasts that this is great meditation tank music but it's more like staying alert and alive in a scary subway system or airport music if you ask me..
Peter Namlook XVI - New Organic Life III (flac 324mb)
01 Pixelconference 7:35
02 Nocturnal Right Environment 5:59
03 Grainology 1:53
04 Organic Engine 11:28
05 Interview with New and Native Organic Life 13:44
06 Russia's NOL in Space 12:17
07 Grain City 5:06
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
If most artists in contemporary electronica are like islands unto themselves, turning out tracks in relative anonymity, Pete "Namlook" Kuhlmann was a whole continent. A dizzyingly prolific composer who steadily built up an entire industry around his Frankfurt-based Fax label, Namlook's name was inextricably linked with the post-rave resurgence of ambient music, and many of his solo and collaborative recordings with the likes of Mixmaster Morris, Tetsu Inoue, Klaus Schulze, Bill Laswell, Richie Hawtin, Geir Jenssen, Dr. Atmo, Burhan Ocal, Atom Heart, Jonah Sharp, Charles Uzzell-Edwards, and David Moufang, among many others, number among the most lauded and influential in new ambient. "... ......N-Joy
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
Pete Namlook (born 25 November 1960 as Peter Kuhlmann [phon koolman] in Frankfurt, Germany, died on 8 November 2012) was an ambient and electronic-music producer and composer., the extremely prolific Pete Namlook (1960-2012) was one of the high priests of new-school ambient, ie. ambient techno, trance, lounge and other related dance-music spinoffs. In its 20 year history his record label Fax Records released some of the definitive albums in these sub-genres and Namlook stands alongside a handful of other names such as The Orb, Biosphere and Mixmaster Morris as one of the originators of ambient's resurgence and reinvention via dance music in the late 80's and early 90's.
Intriguingly, he often favoured the sounds of analogue synthesisers over digital and - alongside fellow German e-musician Oliver Lieb - was reputed to have one of the most extensive collections of classic analogue equipment in Europe. And although he downplayed the linage, like many of his new-school peers his music has some of its roots in old-school electronica as varied as Brian Eno, psy rockers Pink Floyd, and Krautrock icons like Klaus Schulze and Tangerine Dream.
But Namlook was no imitator. He deepened and refined the sound of his predecessors with an injection of fresh ideas from the dance world, coupled with fine musicianship honed from many years of playing rock and jazz. In a 2007 interview with e-music magazine Slices he actually made a point of distancing his music from the conceptual influence of Eno particularly:
"You have to differentiate quite clearly between ambient in a techno sense, and on the other hand Brian Eno, a purely conceptual thing. I only knew of a collaboration between Brian Eno and Cluster [the German band], and him with Roxy Music. I only bought his ambient stuff later. Ambient as Eno defines it...is more or less musical wallpaper. It stays in the background and serves the environment rather than saying something about itself. In my definition of ambient, which has nothing in common with Eno's definition, it's about a journey, intense emotions that need to be transported - environmental music, jazz, ethno - depending on what project I'm working on".
The genesis of Fax Records
Although he had long dreamed of making a career from ambient electronica, in Fax Records' early days he was mainly pursuing a dance floor-oriented direction and releasing 12-inch vinyl singles to a warm reception from sectors of Europe's club scene.
But Namlook soon became dismayed at other artists' appropriation of the Frankfurt "hard trance" sound (developed through his genre-defining 4 Voice project). Thankfully his ambient B-sides to these singles - in hindsight a brilliant strategy - were also creating plenty of interest. Within a few years of the label's inception he had set about focusing Fax almost entirely on ambient and downtempo styles.
Up to his death in 2012 Namlook released an enormous number of solo and collaborative albums of widely varying quality both under his own name and various other project monikers. Collectors should be aware that many CD's were very limited pressings and some will be difficult to find, even more so now that Namlook has gone and the label is no more. Certain key titles were re-issued on CD and download from time to time, however, and much of the Fax catalogue is now spread widely online.
The Silence series
Silence (1992) is the one that started it all, Fax's first album release and one which caught the ear of both seasoned electronic boffins and dance fans looking for a chilled-out tonic after a night among the thumping beats of clubland. Both this album and Silence II (1993) are collaborations with close associate Dr Atmo and despite being at times almost new age in their choice of themes (a voice whispers sweet cosmic nothings like "we are all part of the universe") the music is outstanding. These beguiling, shimmering, reverberant landscapes are sometimes beatless and sometimes gently beaty with subdued live pads and cymbals. The 20 minute "Garden Of Dreams" is a particular mesmerising blend of slow Mid-Eastern rhythms with sighing and crying electronic chords.
Continuing the series is the the Persian-tinged Silence III (1998) which features Namlook on his own. Titles like "Mirage" "Into The Desert" and “A Ship On A Sea Of Sand” are just perfect; his sense of place is quite stunning and he understands the visual qualities of ambient sound exceptionally well. His creative range across entire series is impressive: from stately progressions of warm, organic-sounding orchestral synthscapes to atonal, purely atmospheric pieces of pure texture. When it comes to sound design Namlook’s attention to detail is faultless, which makes hearing his music on good hi-fi equipment especially rewarding. Silence III is followed by two more superb albums in the series.
The surreal, innovative first volume of Dreamfish (1993) with collaborator Mixmaster Morris is another genre-defining release, still cited today as a favourite by fans of early post-rave ambient. The environmental sound effects are deployed in a quirky way amongst the textured, gently rhythmic landscapes and the music brims with surprises and quiet invention. The jazzy bass notes on "Fishology", for example, move along at a good clip yet are so subtle that the track's calming qualities are never disturbed. The first three volumes of the Air series are also high-water marks for Namlook. Like the Silence series they show some rich ethnic and neo-classical leanings, and they remain particularly effective examples of how he uses live acoustic instruments in an electronic setting. The delicate, tinkling cymbals and soft tom-tom beats on "Je suis seule et triste ici" from Air I (1993), for instance, are utterly refreshing because Namlook is able to maintain a deep electronic ambient feel while still expanding electronica's instrumental vocabulary.
Air II (1994) is deeply psychedelic. An eleven-part "trip" subtitled "Traveling Without Moving", it takes it's thematic cue from Frank Herbert's cult sci-fi novel and movie Dune. Herbert's story posited a strange universe dependant on a life-extending, mind-altering spice drug. On Air II Namlook subtly draws on the story's themes to create a beautiful, creepy, intoxicating universe of his own. Again he utilizes acoustic instruments: didgeridoo, sighing woodwinds, flamenco guitar, Mid-Eastern flutes, and swooping vocal textures that rise and fall to striking effect. They're all integrated seamlessly, proving that despite the club music influences he thrived by exploring outside the rigid structures of electronic beats and sequencing.
Other collaborations
Although as an artist Namlook's focus was far broader than just club-influenced sounds, when he did get into more squelchy or bleepy techy-trance territory the results could be just as stimulating. On the brilliant two-part title track from The Fires Of Ork (1993) that thumping 4/4 kick drum is there alright, but somehow Namlook and cohort Gier Jenssen (aka Biosphere) have managed to mute it just enough to create a truly "ambient" dance music: thunderous yet shadowy and eerie, built around a voice sample of Rutger Hauer from Blade Runner. Also beats-based is the the superb first volume of From Within (1994), one of the pinnacles of ambient techno that marries Namlook's warm keys and spiralling synth sounds with the sparse bleeps and beats of Canadian techno guru Richie Hawtin. Again, the rhythms don't drive you into the ground but rather lull you into a gentle if uneasy trance, particularly on "Million Miles To Earth" and "Sad Alliance". The third in this series, From Within III (1997) is also outstanding
Namlook after the mid 90's
While many aficionados would agree that the early to mid 1990's produced most of Fax's - and Namlook's - most enduring releases, it would be unfair to dismiss some of Namlook's work since then. Highlights from 1995-2001 include the final volumes in what is probably Namlook's greatest series, the magnificent Silence IV (2000) and Silence V (2001). The luminous piano notes and warm orchestral synths of "The Night Before I Left" from Silence IV might just be the most emotional piece of music Namlook has ever made, an elegy that's at once incredibly sad and jaw-droppingly pretty. From the same album is the extraordinary "Bedouin Love", a dark, swirling epic with thunderous Moroccan drums, a strange spoken Arabic monologue and chilling yet beautiful synthesiser chords. In the same sonic universe as the Silence albums is From Within 3 from 1997, again made with Richie Hawtin but this time quite different from earlier volumes due to its softer, warmer sound. There's feather-soft lead guitar lines, lush strings, jazzy improvising and warm analogue melodies, all held together by subtle, intelligent drum programming. It's a fantastic example of accessible, soulful electronica.
In the 2000's and beyond Namlook continued with a busy release schedule of solo albums and collaborations but rarely with the same impact his music made in the previous decade. Not that there's lack of variety; for hardcore Fax fans there's plenty to explore. Experimental releases like New Organic Life (2002) are scarily unfamiliar, experimental, arguably unlistenable at times. Some outstanding individual melodic tracks appear on otherwise less-then-great albums such as Resonate (2006) and Namlook Le Mar (2009). However, some of his other collaborative albums made after the mid 90's - not listed on this page - are highly recommended including recordings with Tetsu Inoue, Klaus Schulze and Wolfram Spyra.
Death and legacy
Aged just 51, Namlook died unexpectedly in his sleep of a heart attack on 8 November 2012. Maintaining his intense work rate right up to the night he passed away, some wondered whether Namlook simply drove himself into the ground, literally living and dying for his art. Yet his sister told UK music journalist Mark Prendergast that "he went to bed happy" that day. Who are we to judge? Namlook left behind an extraordinary and enormous recorded legacy, as well as a generation of underground electronic producers and composers inspired by both his talents and his uncompromising independence. Fax Records is no more, though for the moment a good deal of his discography remains available. Hopefully a sensible licensing deal with the Kuhlmann estate will enable another publisher take on the best of his catalogue and keep it available in the coming decades. He deserves no less.
The tribute: Die Welt ist Klang
A superb Namlook tribute album appeared in 2013, almost as essential as any of the work released by the man himself. Die Welt ist Klang ("The World Is Sound") was put together in 2012-13 via a crowdfunding campaign by Dave Wade-Stein from EAR/Rational Music, the longtime North American distributor for Fax and related labels. The album is presented thus: four volumes of mostly new or unreleased music by former Fax artists, and four volumes of new material by mostly unknown musician-fans.
It's only fitting that one of the most prolific recording artists in the history of music - in all recorded music, not just a genre - should be honoured with a sprawling 8-volume tribute. It would take pages to review so much music in detail; suffice to say the standard of contributions overall is very high. Interestingly, most of the former Fax artists here don't seek to recapture peak moments from their past works. They just do what they do - from beatless ambient to bleepy dance grooves, from lounge to techno, from gentle dissonance to sweet, tender melodies. As for the the 40 or so musician-fan contributions, they were chosen from a large pool of submissions by a blind vote. Although there are some easy-to-spot pastiches among them, here too there is much freshness and surprise.
Die Welt ist Klang is a massive treasure chest of (mostly) new ambient and electronica. Some of it is the sound of now and some of it wistfully looks back. All of it acknowledges the contributions and example of one remarkable man.
Namlook" is "Koolman", a phonetic rendering of his real name, spelled backwards.
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
With Solarized, Pete takes the Namlook series from the live compositions it has been known for, to more well-thought out yet experimental studio compositions. The fourtheenth installment of series represents a turning point in Namlook's musical direction, as if the year 1999 inspired him to think about the future of music, and to kick it of this set of futuristic soundscapes. "Go No Go", which gets its title cleverly from one of the many samples from the movie Armageddon laced throughout the track, makes for some great science fiction. "Hidden Love" and "BEsic AeEmail" are great emotional ambient tracks that interject some sparse electro-beats, the latter making good use of melody. A sign of good things to come..
.Pete Namlook - Solarized ( 319mb)
01 Go No Go 12:33
02 Solarized 14:55
03 Hidden Love 15:09
04 BEsic AnEmail 11:30
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
1999, guess what movie Pete saw over the summer and really loved! Namlook wastes no time and spares no samples from the 1999 sci-fi hit The Matrix, starting with "The Real World", a powerful synthwave anthem that really seems to show a newly revived and inspired Pete compared to his previous album Solarized (perhaps a testament to how much better the Matrix was, compared to Armageddon). "The Colony" is sure to be a classical synth fan-favorite, while the title track "Free Your Mind" is a big beat track that seems to be inspired by The Matrix in a different way, specifically the Meat Beat Manifesto track featured in the movie. "The Forthcoming" combines the styles of the previous two tracks along with Namlook's more signature style of synth and the result is quite favorable. But with "Samba Giselle", it goes to prove that it isn't a Namlook album without Pete getting experimental with style. As the name suggests, it's a latin ditty that Pete tries to bring into the 23rd century, but really could have used more of Namlook's familar style mixed in. The closing "The Dreamreader" is this album's spacey ambient track, but that doesn't last long. Halfway through, Pete shows he can do modern IDM too, combining fast scatterdrums with the cool ambient background. A stunning end to a surprisingly fantastic album. Why Solarized was reissued instead of this is beyond me. (maybe Pete was afraid of getting in trouble for all those Matrix samples)
Pete Namlook XV - Free Your Mind ( flac 394mb)
01 The Real World 8:03
02 The Colony 8:22
03 Free Your Mind 5:39
04 The Forthcoming 8:46
05 Samba Giselle 11:02
06 The Dreamreader 12:53
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New Organic Life is Pete Namlook's contribution to the soundtrack of the 21st century. It relates to the solving of genetic codes and the use of digital technology in constructing new sound entities. This is one of Namlook's best solo releases. Given his proclivity, that says a lot. This set combines wild sci-fi sounds, chilling atmospheres, and verbose sequences in a mélange of vast proportions. Namlook's soundscapes grab listeners and do not let them go. This bears closer inspection, deep listening, and focused attention. At that point, the adventure becomes psychoactive and dangerous. It is not advisable to listen to this in the dark or alone.
Peter Namlook XVI - New Organic Life (flac 348mb)
01 Genetic Drift 5:45
02 Molecular Progression #1 9:55
03 Klanglabor 20:13
04 Molecular Progression #2 1:32
05 Olan 5:00
06 Entity 2840 3:00
07 Reakton 1:42
08 New Organic Life 5:36
09 Giant Insects 8:16
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New Organic Life 2 picks up right where the first volume left off. Pete Namlook has created some great sci-fi music in his career and this is among his best work. The spacescapes are dark and foreboding. There are no subtleties involved. This straightforward space music is unpretentious and fraught with imminent disaster. Deep listeners are in for a treat. The music grabs and holds. This is an essential disc for all space music fans. Like the first disc, this dark trip will appeal to fans of Lászlo Hortobágyi, Lustmord, Jeff Greinke, and Stephen Philips.
Peter Namlook XVI - New Organic Life II (flac 309mb)
01 In the Beginning There Was Grain 2:49
02 In and Out of Zoom 3:35
03 Jet - Final Test 9:18
04 Molecular Progression #3 2:35
05 Pixel Party 3:34
06 Airport Freak 6:37
07 Take Me With You to the Stars 6:09
08 Inun 6:22
09 Sundance of the Microbes 4:35
10 Genetic Synthesis 6:50
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Louder, harsher, and gritter this time around, New Organic Life III roars in like your kitchen garbage disposal for this second command encore performance featuring Namlook's new brand of grainy noise. If anything, we can commend Namlook for generating a bigger bolder industrial sound for this third and final installment. "Nocturnal Flight Environment" wails like a massive jet engine. "Organic Engine" and "Russia's NOL is Space" begins what almost sounds like music before getting sucked into a mechanical whirlwind of unforgiving hellfire grain. Things take a break and quiet down for an "Interview with New and Native Organic Life". What does 'New and Native Organic Life' have to say? well, what else? BLIP! BLOORP! BLOOOP!. Finally "Grain City" cranks things up to full Merzbow as Namlook brings this jarring and exhaustive trilogy to a close. Pete boasts that this is great meditation tank music but it's more like staying alert and alive in a scary subway system or airport music if you ask me..
Peter Namlook XVI - New Organic Life III (flac 324mb)
01 Pixelconference 7:35
02 Nocturnal Right Environment 5:59
03 Grainology 1:53
04 Organic Engine 11:28
05 Interview with New and Native Organic Life 13:44
06 Russia's NOL in Space 12:17
07 Grain City 5:06
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Terrific shares, Rho - thanks for opening up more of Namlook's non-collaborative works.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your Namlook repertoire. Will you also upload his "The Ambient Gardener" series at some point? He was such a prolific musician...
ReplyDeleteDear Rho,
ReplyDeleteMany thanks for reviving Peter’s heritage. How deep can you go, I don’t know, but that’s not my point. Rest assured that your loyal community is well-served. Only die-hard dedication will do. Like many faxheads, I’ve spent years & years building my FAX archive, from mid-2001. New CDs, second-hand CDs, rips, mp3, Flac, but no vinyl -- and it’s still incomplete.
For me, it all started with my subscription back then to E-Music, and a steady diet of monthly downloads, low-rez mp3s. I cannot remember correctly, it may have been ‘PsyNav-I’ that opened up Pandora’s Box, or was it ‘DSOTM-II’. Then came the motherlode: through my local public library & inter-loan system, I borrowed all Fax releases I could find in their database, week after week.
In the process, there comes a turning point when you, the dedicated listener, morph into a label librarian. You become obsessed with the project scope, higher-resolution upgrades, remasters, shamelessly tracking down even the most exact cover art details. You know the drill. Shades of Asperger, not of Orion! In hindsight, I can sense the strange relationship between the prolific nature of the catalog & its abrupt end. Now I’m listening again, I appreciate, more than ever.
Best \ JF
Props to the above commenter for this: "there comes a turning point when you, the dedicated listener, morph into a label librarian."
ReplyDeleteThis effectively describes my entire downloading/iTunes career (and my physical collecting career).
I had one or two Namlook's in my iTunes, but these last months have been amazing. Lots of great ambient and noodlings of the highest order. Thank you!
Thanks pal!
ReplyDelete