V/A MD8 CATMD118

n5MD continues it’s “MD” series of compilations on a slightly “friendlier” format. As with the MD1, MD2 and Tim Koch compilations n5MD has aurally conjoined new artists with veterans of the experimental electronica genre. MD8 features rare and unreleased tracks from quench, gimmik, gridlock (remixed by loess), spark, vesna, headphone science, vcam (remixed by proem), among others. All of which are decompressed for your listening leisure.

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California-based label n5md is now in the CD business. Previously, one of the charms of Mike Cadoo's (who records as one-half of Gridlock) efforts with n5md has been that the releases have (almost) all been issued on pre-recorded mini-discs. Sony, however, finally ran the numbers and decided that there just wasn't a viable market for the pre-recorded format and dropped the availability. Cadoo, though disappointed at the reality, hasn't missed a beat and is now releasing n5md releases on CD. For the rest of us who weren't embracing the technology, this means that we can now more readily hear the sort of music Cadoo means when he references one of the core tenets of the label as being a home for a "more emotional type of experimental electronica." The first post mini-disc demise release, MD8, is a compilation showcasing the efforts of the n5md roster to realize the Three E's of Cadoo's dream.

Quench's "Frost" is a textured piece of winter night music, flush with the sort of soft flakes and persistent whiteness, which fills the air and layers a sparkling coat across rooftops and city streets. This is a gorgeous tune and it takes me four tries to get past it on the CD. I keep hitting the repeat key and losing myself in the slow build of the blizzard it raises in my head. Sohcahtoa's "Magretha" exudes a similar textured lushness, the ripe melodies flooding your speakers like a spreading pool of warm sunlight. Beats dapple the surface of the piece like a dusting of colored motes dancing in the waves of heat given off by the expanding pool.

Vesna's "Rack Mode" clatters like a broom closet exploding which only adds to the organic charm of the warm analog melodies. Rivel's "Isine" is a winsome little tune that is fractured by digital artifacting. Round tones are cut and fragmented by bit-slicing, turning the human emotion of the melody into a stuttering mechanical expression. Portland's "Soco 2110 Th" is a soundtrack to a cybernetic private eye film, a biomechanical film noir ditty. Gridlock's "Chrometaphor" is remixed by Loess, turned into a ballad which sounds like it is being sung by a chorus of steam pipes and old machinery going gently into the dark night.

Gimmik blenderizes a Speak-n-Spell and children's voices into a Squarepusher-esque mix with "Booga." Headphone Science re-imagines a Philip Chandler novel as a piece of electronic mood music for "Disappeared in the Rear View." Spark's "Don't Rain on my Parade" sounds like a spring shower dancing on the rooftop, and Mercurial's "Rainwater" closes the disc with an emotive piano and rainwater hymn to the temperate space following a heavy thundershower.

Electronic music can be devoid of any human touch, beats and rhythms derived by abstract math and soulless calculations. It's a testament to our insistent need to communicate that mathematically derived music can so readily be warm and engaging. MD8 showcases the possibilities for emotion and experimentation in electronic music. This is the first time I've heard some of these artists and MD8 only fuels my desire to devour n5md's back catalogue. Excellent, and damaging to the pocket book.

MD8 is OUT NOW on n5MD featuring Headphone Science, Quench, Sohcahtoa, Rivel, Vesna, Portland, Similar, ML, Gridlock (Remixed by Loess), Vcam (Remixed by Proem), Phaeon, Gimmik, Spark and Mercurial. grooves

Even with the demise of the minidisc format, the Oakland, California-based outlet n5MD once again establishes itself as a premiere outlet for some of the best forward-thinking — and, frankly, enjoyable — electronic music to be found these days with the label's third compilation MD8. The first half of the disc offers its most exuberant work, opening with label-hometown artist Dustin Craig, whose Headphone Science's brightly-lit "Disappeared in the Rear View" chimes and glitches atop its bittersweet film score theme, before the Funcken brothers take over as Quench, dropping their standout, breakbeat stomper "Frost" into the mix. Sohcahtoa's "Magretha" softly interjects with melancholy synth and a surprisingly rhythmic finish, while Vesna's "Rack Mode" oozes and bubbles a dark, tight beat that craves a high volume fix. Rivel's "Isene" opens with a delicate and playful, nearly saccharine keyboard riff before a stuttering beatbox awakens a gleefully glitchy, damaged program. More excellent work is to be found in Similar's time-warped "Cit", its despair-filled pace fighting over and again to restart itself, as indeed in Spark's smooth and perky "Don't Rain On My Parade" and the stochastic metal raindrop ambience of Mercurial's more sinister "Rainwalker". Other contributions toMD8include tracks from Gimmik and Phaeon, as well as label artists Proem, Loess, Portland and ML. With nary a bit of filler, this adept collection of rare and unreleased work should not be missed by any IDM fan. barcode

‘MD8’ is the latest compilation release on the N5MD label, which plays hosts to a number of high calibre electronic acts, perhaps lead by the powerful ambient/industrialist act, Gridlock. 14 tracks are on offer, and Headphone Silence get proceedings underway with a sublime cut on ‘Disappeared In The Rear View’, as shimmering melodies flirt against a backdrop of mechanical blips and beeps, all skilfully moulded. Sohcahtoa’s ‘Magretha’ is another super ambient/electro number, melodic, simple and understated, its 4 minutes of milieu are over in a flash.

Vesna follow, with the weird and wonderful ‘Rack Mode’, a cacaphony of bristling hi-tec sound particles creak and groan to more atmospheric soundscapes. Meanwhile, Rivel regurgitate sound like a combine harvester on a fine summers day with ‘Isinie’, but the track eventually settles into a trip-hop beat and accessible melodies. The album gets more fractured from here on, amidst Gridlock’s ‘Chrometaphor’, taken from their sparkling ‘Formless’ album and remixed by Loess, it rather drones along in no-mans land unfortunately - stripping the original of all its identity.

After a bright start, ‘MD8’ tends to lose direction and get a little introverted. However, Gimmik gives the album a big lift on the Aphex-insprired drum & bass of ‘Booga’, complete with mangled child samples. Other contributions arrive from Quench, Portlan, Ml, Similar, Vcam, Phaeon, Spark & Mercurial, all with varying degrees of success.

Overall this is an enjoyable compilation that will appeal strongly for those who like their experimental electronica to be hi-tec and highly processed. But it also contains quite a few gems that similar compilations of its ilk don’t. fakezine

second release we have for observing from n5md is a compilation. after their previous compilations n5md continues with their md series but now on friendlier format. they used to release (almost) all releases on pre-recorded minidisks. but unfortunately sony has decided that there is no practical market for them and stopped their availability. anyway now they are continuing with same ideology but switched on cds. emotional experimental electronica is the main slogan of this california based label and this is the sound that you can generally found on this compilation. md8 features rare and unreleased tracks by artist that arte into (post)idm and melodic electronic sound. from melodic rhythmic tracks of headphone science and ml, to deep and dark pieces of quench, vesna and similar. sohcahtoa and portland are presenting themselves with ambiental side of idm music. and rivel, phaeon and spark are offering pure oldschool idm track that irresistibly reminds of plaid’s work. gridlock is contributing one long ambiental deep track in remix of loss and vcam is also giving one remix this time from hypnotic master proem. gimmik is a bit different from all other tracks. it is break beat and drums n bass oriented with direction into drill n bass. not so much connection with classic or post idm, but anyway n5md is not idm label. at the end mercurial offers completely dark melody track with fractured rhythm, emotive piano, raindrops and thunders that closes the disc. much warmness electronics, layers of dark melodies, textures, broken rhythms… e/i mag

Oakland's n5MD are at it once again --churning out pure electronic emotions for MD8. Extracting textured feelings from their roster and essentially forming a label aesthetic that is devoted to personal interpretation, the effects are the harmonized frequencies displayed by the n5 Mafia for the consumers' musical digestion. For MD8, it's the selection of 14 prime cuts meant to bend the normal range of electronics --delivering a fabric of well-nit digital-to-analogous productions, on CD --not MD. Headphone Science offers a chilled, Atari-esque hip-hop menagerie as the opener, Quench drops their signature sub-atomic, bass-bumping ambience, Sohcahtoa relieves the stresses of a cold environment, Vesna accentuates warm hip-hop beats with moody shards of digital distortions and Rivel fluctuates with upbeat, melodic nostalgia. It all multiplies exponentially from here. Portland sculpts Richard D. James influenced ambience with some electronic corruption, ML treads parallel to Rivel's digitized hip-hop punch while Similar renders the ears useless as unique high-pitch squeals shift and recalibrate alongside a decayed percussive rhythm. Up next, Loess remixes Gridlock to perfection --lining up its breathing rhythmic patterns next to low-rumbling bass-beats (match this one next to Quench, it's a necessity). Proem's remix of Vcam slithers across an icy backdrop of loosely tied melodies as Phaeon replenishes starved tweaks with dribbling beat-work. Gimmik reaches for the controls with his grammatically correct, ultra-dynamic, drill'n space --chomping away at distorted melodies just as Spark polishes his grooves with soaked ambient noodling. Mercurial closes the whole package with a digital rainstorm of the aquatic flavor --nothing short of brilliant; his contribution offers a Digitonal feel with personalized emotional bursts of energy. To sum it all up, if it hasn't been noted yet, MD8 is a loose collection of magnetized, crunchy hip-hop subtleties, blurring the building blocks between abstraction, beauty and emotion; Quite an accomplishment, and a definite high-note for 2004.