Blog

The Kodama Remixes

The Kodama Remixes:

1. Kodama* 04:45
2. Kodama (Bnibs Remix) 04:30
3. Kodama (Kurt Lorenz Remix) 04:23
4. Kodama (Castenada Remix) 04:41
5. Kodama (SandSpace Remix) 05:20
6. Kodama (Virlyn Remix) 05:00
7. Kodama (Weldroid Remix) 05:32
8. Kodama (Kid Schurke Remix) 03:03
9. Kodama (Arbee Remix) 05:00
10. Kodama (Shxzet Division Remix) 04:50
11. Kodama (Stan Pete Remix) 05:02
12. Kodama (Demo Version) 04:52

«While listening to the first granular clouds of sound of “Kodama” one could search the internet to find out what the original meaning of the title is that has been processed in ten amazingly different ways by ten different remixers. The almighty internet will respond, that a “Kodama” is a tree ghost (and sometimes also the tree itself that houses such a creature) in japanese mythology. But by then you could have derived this already from the sounds and spheres in the title track itself.
A remix album that consists of 12 tracks based on only one (and such a fragile) song could easily fail conceptually. But not here! something very rare happens here instead: The remix artists augment the original mood and prevailing atmosphere of the basis track by adding new layers and aspects instead of varying the same loops and phrases again and again. They complement the fragments in their own, individual ways and supply additional elements, just like a painting evolves from a sketch or characters in a good tv show mature with every episode. Twigs are snapped. Branches are creaking and crack. Leaves crinkle in the background and occasionally the tree ghosts are even dancing. and when they do, They do this in a their own quirky but nevertheless fascinating way.

Instead of being a mere collection of variations as one might suggest, “The Kodama Remixes” is a surprising album which enriches the eponymous title track by one untold aspect after the other. At the same time this album is the documentation of an impressive creative process that sometimes is still present in today’s electronic music and results in such surprising and great releases every now and then. »
-Carsten Büttemeier

«Very interesting collection of different interpretations of AN MOKU’s composition. The Album “Kodama Remixes” is certainly not a patchwork of random remixes, but was created in fact a real album.»
–Łukasz Komła

A kodama (木霊 or 木魂) is a spirit living in a tree. During my stay in Japan in 2012 I once observed raindrops crashing down onto the ground of a shrine nearby a mighty forest. This being so inspiring made me develop the idea of creating a track about this impression. Do not mention that I tried to picture Princess Mononoke’s small, white humanoids with large, rattling heads and mask-like features, similar to bobble heads or just owls sitting in trees. An amazing moment captured in this track.

After releasing «How to catch STILLE?» in 2013 (a remix album of STILLE and a charity project for people with hearing loss involving 30 different artists and musicians) the idea of releasing a one track remix album evolved. Kodama was this single basis track as a starting point. So I began gathering alternative versions of this track created by my great artist friends and here we are finally. Enjoy!
-AN MOKU

a4089206332_10

kodama-1

kodama-2

kodama by: AN MOKU
mastering: weldroid
artwork – photo: dominik grenzler
track 2: remix by: bnibs
track 3: remix by: kurt lorenz
track 4: remix by: castaneda
track 5: remix by: sandspace
track 6: remix by: virlyn
track 7: remix by: weldroid
track 8: remix by: kid schurke
track 9: remix by: arbee
track 10: remix by: shxzet division
track 11: remix by: stan pete
license: cc-nc-by-nd

Released by tonAtom.net
tonatom.net/releases/131

*Kodama (Mononocle, Etalabel, 2012)
etalabel.bandcamp.com/album/mononocle

Released 16 February 2014

Foto

 

My favorites in 2013:

NIN – Hesitation Marks (2013), Samaris – Samaris (2013), Múm – Smilewound (2013), Damien Rice – O (2003), Beatstakes – Limbo Messiah (2007), Olafur Arnalds – For now I am winter (2013), Alice in chains – The devil put dinosaurs here (2013), Arovane – Ve Palor (2013), Douglas Dare – Seven hours (2013), Nils Frahm – Screws (2012)

Aguirre EP by Virlyn

a1574916059_10

If I, Aguirre, want the birds to drop dead from the trees… then the birds will drop dead from the trees. I am the wrath of god. The earth I pass will see me and tremble. Whoever follows me and the river, will win untold riches. But whoever deserts…

~Don Lope de Aguirre
from Herzog’s “Aguirre, the Wrath of God”

Also known as “Aguirre, Wrath of God”, it is (according to Wikipedia) a West German New Wave adventure art film written and directed by Werner Herzog. It was shot in 1972, two years before I was born, and looks like it is a tremendous film … in part because it has inspired Virlyn to create the “Aguirre EP” for the Subterranean Tide netlabel.

The Aguirre EP features four exquisitely detailed instrumental tracks from Virlyn that sit somewhere in the intersection of ambient & neo-classical music. Their use of drones, synths, field recordings, strings, acoustic guitar, and even what sounds like a harp to create the vibrantly dense and overwhelmingly immersive tracks that populate this EP is simply inspired.

In addition to having not seen the film, I have not heard the Popol Vuh soundtrack. Whilst I mean no disrespect to Popol Vuh, I could easily imagine Virlyn’s EP, and music in a similar vein, easily and succinctly replacing their original backing. Virlyn’s expression paints pictures in my head of oppressive natural environments … places and spaces that could easily overwhelm. Fitting, therefore, for a journey down the Orinoco and Amazon River trudging on foot through the lush but unforgiving Amazonian jungle.

There is an eeriness to the music … an unfamiliarity that comes from the unknown … an unfamiliarity that ensures the listener pays attention, it keeps them on edge. I found this eeriness utterly fascinating and intriguing … the EP caught & held my attention through numerous plays on repeat.

In fact, I found the whole EP fascinating. It is a wonderfully vibrant & expressive ambient piece that is right at home with Subterranean Tide, a netlabel whose output to date has been flawless.

I hope you will enjoy this EP as much as I have. I intend to catch “Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes” soon and will put to the test my idea that this EP could replace the soundtrack … however, until I do, I will hold onto this EP with the mental images I have and treasure it for the marvel it is.

~Thomas Mathie, Founder of weareallghosts

Credits:

Music by Frédéric Vanderlynden
Photography by Kris Germann (kgephotography.com)
Thanks to Cristiane Silva Corten, Joannes Truyens, Gilmard Monte and Emily Ferrell

Get it here:

Free Download from Archive here
Available from Bandcamp here