Tag Archives: handstitched

The Voices of Time (review)

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As Maps and Diagrams Get Lost is released on Time Released Sound (see below for details) another Maps and Diagrams album is lurking, waiting for release; The Voices of Time features on Fluid Radio with a review…

The reputation garnered by a slew of excellent releases on labels such as Static Caravan, Fluid Audio, Smallfish, Moamoo and Symbolic Interaction has made each Maps and Diagrams release an event within itself, inspiring a mixture of anticipation and excitement. Once again, this latest album from UK based Tim Martin exceeds expectations and delivers an excursion through the artist’s vast imagination, this time made available by Handstitched.

The Voices of Time opens with Your Weakness and Martin signals his intentions by weaving together various sound sources with meticulous care, guitar usually holding centre stage. The organic lo-fi beauty of Your Weakness and indeed, on each of the tracks which follow, bring to mind recent output from musicians such as Taylor Deupree, Marcus Fischer and Offthesky, all artists who work in an unusual and unique way with audio, but nonetheless create music which has some cohesion when taken as a whole. One feels that there should be almost another term coined to describe this genre within a genre which comprises found sounds and broken melodies to make music which is less about the destination reached and more focused on the journey taken.

On an album of innumerable highlights, title track The Voices of Time is as fine a moment as any to note as possible apex, with gentle piano notes rolling atop a shifting foundation of guitar, synth and drones, peppered with static throughout – though in truth any such track could be chosen at random with similar results, such as the gentle floating ambience of Letraset Addiction or the abstract experimentalism of Three Blows To The Mind. The Voices Of Time is an album without fault and is a joy to experience.

This is not an album to be thrown on while jogging or doing the dishes, or at least to do so would be missing the point. Rather, The Voices of Time should be enjoyed as a whole in one sitting, enabling one to lose track of time and become immersed in the sonic memories which the artist so generously shares with us here.

The Voices of Time comes packaged in case-bound CD covers, stencilled with a Japanese Plum Blossom stencil and individually hand-stamped. Release date: May 27.

- Review by Adam Williams for Fluid Radio

The Voices of Time (Handstitched*)

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Almost instantly after the release Get Lost on Time Released Sound is another long-player by Maps and Diagrams. The Voices of Time is released on Handstitched* and features 13 new songs, focusing on compositional space, sound source and dimensional musical mechanics. The Voices of Time deploys de-automised production with a transfer away from technologically driven tenets in favour of a more tactile tonal humanity, as sound and texture are trusted to recognise their own ambitions. Released as a limited edition CDR of 100 with handmade recycled covers, each one individually hand-stamped. Release date TBC.

Hessien “Home is where the Ghost is”

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For sale at Normans Records now – Hessien ”Home is where the Ghost is” here’s what they had to say about it….

‘Home Is Where The Ghost Is’ is the debut full length record from collaborators Tim Martin and Charles Sage, known collectively as Hessien. They are creators of a super restrained form of ambient music that merges subtle melodies with waves of breezy drones which makes for particularly relaxed listening. Guitars play a prominent role on ‘Home is Where…’ providing much of the melodic front whilst layers of synths and tones back it up. On first listen it reminds me of the loose ambient moments that precede a Tortoise track kicking in. This brings me to the conclusion that Hessien dabble in a sort of ambient post-rock/jazz type sound. It’s dynamic and playful in much the same way as the Chicago strain of post-rock/jazz and it also has that conversational feel you’d expect from artists playing off each other in real time. I can’t tell if these tracks are improvised or carefully structured, in parts it feels like they probably do both. Incredibly relaxing stuff that will more than likely appeal to the Norman massive, so get in… There’s only 100 hard copies available and we have 30 so catch ‘em while you can.

Follow the link to buy from Norman Records here

Home is where the Ghost is (review)

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“….Working under their Hessien guise, acoustic sound artists Charles Sage and Tim Diagram produce beautifully crafted works that merge the acoustic and electronic together to form a seamless whole. Home… is noticeably sparser than Hessien’s previous works, allowing the album to grow as a whole over a longer period of time.”

For the full, in-depth review of “Home is where the Ghost is” head over to Fluid Radio

And for the full Hessien interview, go here

Pre-orders are welcomed –they will be limited to one copy per person and will be limited to a first come, first serve basis, for more info contact: handstitchedinfo@gmail.com

Hessien – Home is where the Ghost is (edits)

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Hessien – Home is where the Ghost is. Released mid-November.

Placing Shells - 3:11
Part of You – 4:40
The Invisible Man – 4:39
Sasparilla – 4:00
Get Polanski – 2:56
Overarchangel – 3:48
The Death of Abba – 4:57
Thuilm – 2:36
Loch Quoich – 4:29
Deep in the Mountains – 5:16
Rontgen’s Vibrations – 3:15
Speckled Peaks – 4:02
Centipede – 3:24

Obelisk|Stelea out today….

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Released today. . . .

Release date: 4 October, limited to 200 copies for the world. Fluid Audio and Handstitched* have joined forces to release an EP by Hessien entitled “Obelisk|Stelea” including exclusive reworking of the original source material by Solo Andata, Jasper TX, Zelienople and Konntinent.

“Obelisk” – as Hessien’s landscape evolves, the sound continues to push into an environment littered with obstacles. Although not obvious at first, there is a relationship between these objects; a focus on submerged, hazy rhythms and textures that mirror the unconventional landscapes and surrounds. Prominent on this release is the human voice, represented in snatches of field recordings and overheard conversations, including vocals contributed by Jane Williams. Acoustic tones continue to underpin the tactile electronic arrangements – loops, delays, e-bow, cello, pedals, creaking furniture and low-fi hiss rearing up then dropping away as quickly as they came.

“Stelea” – these four pieces have been intercepted in various states of formation by – Solo Andata – combining distant parts of the original composition with their faultless signature sequences, unmistakable and balanced. The ever-prolific Jasper TX – weaving his acoustical, drone-style magic into the mix, floating into a territory with a never-ending haze as the backdrop. Zelienople – an open-handed reinterpretation shines and guides the way forward with acoustic/prog interestingness, flowing with a staccato pulse. And finally, Konntinent – transporting the listener into an irregular, avant-garde-like version, fuzzed-up, resampled and re-routed via a tape deck.

All four reworks have been broken down, inspected, and then put back together. Four pieces becoming eight tales of dislocation, separation and musical connectivity. Hessien and the four remixers conspire a bizarre plot and an equally bizarre, larger-than-life conclusion.

Packaged in letter pressed covers that slip nicely into organic silk screened cotton pouches, this Handstitched* /Fluid Audio split release is limited to 200 copies. An 8-page full colour booklet containing exclusive images and 4 specially commissioned poems by Estela Lamat, themed around the 4 original songs by Hessien, also accompanies the release.

Songs 1-4 produced by Hessien (Charles Sage & Tim Diagram) 2010. Recorded on location in Queanbeyan, Australia and Cambridgshire, UK. Songs 5-8 remixed by Jasper TX, Solo Andata, Zelienople and Konntinent.

1. A Letter from Engels
2. Gazed and Pale Reflections
3. Five Sisters
4. Breaking Webs
5. Gazed and Pale Reflections – Solo Andata Remix
6. A Letter from Engels – Jasper TX Remix
7. Five Sisters – Zelienople Remix
8. Breaking Webs – Konntinents’ Analogue edit.

Available soon through Fluid Audio, Norman Records and Experimedia.

There’s a free download of an exclusive Hessien Track “We Don’t want to Live in Your Dreams here

To check out more info, buy the CD and to check out some super-cool images and short audio samples of “Obelisk|Stelea” visit Fluid Audio

A review in for Obelisk|Stelea from Was is Das
More copies available at Norman Records!-be quick!

Solo Andata – Ritual (September 2010)

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After the highly praised “Fyris Swan” (Hefty) and “S/T” (12K), Solo Andata return with “Ritual”,
a meticulously-crafted album emphasizing an engagement with the unknown.

‘Ritual’ is Solo Andata’s third full-length album and also the inaugural release for the Buffalo-based label, ‘Desire Path Recordings’. This limited edition 12”LP consists of four glorious sonic ‘topographies’ that are altogether spellbinding, eerie, visceral and energetic. ‘Ritual’, similar to Solo Andata’s self-titled album on 12k, is fundamentally made up of organic sounds, such as primitive gongs, bells and bowls, wildlife and environmental recordings, sacred chants, the vibration of human cancerous cells, cleavers, and prepared piano. These four pieces seem to work toward a repetition or ‘ritual‘ between disparate elements so as to transport us, via a magical spell, to dense otherworldly habitats. In fact, the title of the twenty-minute piece Incantare translates as ‘to chant’ (a magical spell upon), which derives from ‘in’, into, unto and ‘cantare’, to sing. For the eight-minute piece Carving, there exists a ‘ritualistic’ image similar to that of Kafka’s In the Penal Colony, where  an intricate carving device inscribes the Condemned prisoner’s sentence onto his flesh. The whole affair of ‘Ritual’ is bound to leave listeners mesmerized by its vividness and bewitched by its intensity. Desire Path Recordings

Citypulse – por Chile video

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Special project in benefit of the victims of the earthquake + tsunami in Chile. Book+CD+DVD @ porchile.net

MUSIC
Andrea Gabriele / A Red Cat in the Dog House / J.Cardema aka R.Kaard / Peter Yu Yung Ta / Bobby Kebab / Colossius / Digi Galessio / Planet Soap / Lluvia Acida / Maps And Diagrams / Mika Martini / Daniel Jeffs / Danieto / Marcelo Leturia-Ottavio Berbakow / Mario Toro

VIDEO
Bhautik Joshi / Geert Wachtelaer / Arturo Almanza / Versa Studios / Andrew Burgess / Epix / Faarm / Leonardo Orellana / Gordon Macdowell / Oktopus Tv / Jorge Sato / David Sant / Alvaro Tapia / Ozan Tekin / CDP Studios / Volkan Ergen / Giuliano Scan / Valentina Serrati / Juanjo Fernandez / Laura Skocek / Lionel Muñoz / Sebastián Soto HMSTR / Bertran Escolà / Toshihiro Oshima
Additional video loops by Lucid House

PHOTO
Alba Escayo / Alexandra Glyptis / Andrew Knowles / Carlos Albalá / Carlos Diaz / Chris Friel / Corey Sch. / Daniel Kevorkian / Dominik Banasik / Donovan Rees / Edmund Levekis / Edward Olive / Erika Pham / Flavia Schaller / Francisco Porcel / Guillermo Casas Baruque / Herman Kolgen / Isa Marcelli / Jon Jacobsen / Jorge Sato / Lester Weiss / Levan Kakabadse / Lio Muñoz / Luis Muñoz Villarroel / Mari Loddo / Matthew Ahern / Maya Newman / Murat Harmanlikli / Paul Cooklin / Sebastián Utreras / Tim Martin / Tim Rafferty / Toshihiro Oshima / Toshifumi Jodai / Tsukamoto P. Mutsumi / Volkan Ergen / Walter Edwards / Zep Wernbacher

Cover image by Tommy Oshima

Hessien – Skurjn (digital release)

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After much demand for ‘Skurjn’ to be released in digital format, the ep is now available at Bandcamp. Below are reviews from Cyclic Defrost (AUS) and Norman Records (UK).
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The long-distance collaboration between “acoustic noise artist” Charles Sage in Australia and Tim Diagram of the band Maps and Diagrams in the UK, Hessien makes its debut with a 20-minute EP limited to 100 copies in hand-stitched cork sleeves. (It will eventually see digital release, though). Recorded either late at night or early in the morning – depending upon which side of the time difference you look at – these compositions feel cast in a fitting sort of half-light. Manipulated field recordings are mingled with strands of acoustic guitar and hazy effects, blurring the lines between all of those ingredients.

The EP is steeped in quietude, starting with the shivering ‘When I Look Down 3’ and the especially translucent ‘The Blundering Pilot’. The middle track, ‘Small Earthquakes’ is more atmospheric than the others, while ‘Neroli Orange Blossom’ is slightly disconcerting somehow yet still quietly vibrant. Each could be a mirage, always wavering and never quite revealing its true form. The closing title track has a lullaby quality to it, and there are similar moments of tranquility elsewhere on Skurjn. Yet there’s an air of uncertainty to it, thanks to so many tiny, fleeting details. Doug Wallen
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In between hanging around with Aussie sound art artist chap called Charles Sage, Tim Martin (Maps & Diagrams) has been hob knobbing and hanging around with Dennis Nilsen and Jeremy Bamber, Crazy times! Tim & Charles (no Jeremy an Dennis though…) have created some music under the guise of Hessien. They’ve collaborated to make a rather lovely 5 track EP called Skurjn. Like the other releases on the Handstitched label it’s lovingly packaged in some hand stitched cork and uber limited (there’s 100 of this one). Well nice!! This is dreamy stuff…. beautiful post rock style guitars over fuzzy soundscapes. Plenty of micro noises and electronics going layering over the field recordings to make a complex yet accessible lump of ear noise. It’s very busy yet un cluttered. Listen to it with headphones though and you’ll be amazed at the level of detail and the richness of the music comes alive. Fans of Moteer, Mobeer, Manual will lap this up!! This will make a superb addition to your 3″ family but be quick as the last 2 releases on the label sold out in hours!

Hessien – Skurjn (video)

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‘Skurjn’ by Hessien was released 29 January 2010 as a limited edition mini cd, housed in hand-stitched cork sleeves on the Handstitched* label (UK). The video was produced by Tom Hudson in 2010. Music by Hessien 2010. To hear audio samples or buy ‘Skurjn’ visit Norman Records, the most highly skilled handlers of music in the UK, if not the world.

Hessien ep (Flac download)

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This self-titled Hessien ep was originally released for free download from Hessiens’ web site in December 09 as a prelude to the ‘Skurjn’ ep on Handstitched* Recordings. After much demand for these songs to be released in flac/lossless formats they have been remastered and now appear at Bandcamp for easy, accessible downloading. There is also an extra, bonus track ‘Varieties of Parable’ that didn’t appear on the original ep.

Hessien – descending out of the grey (mix)

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Hessien appear on Fluid Radio Friday 19 March with an exclusive hour-long mix, tune in at 7pm BST. Fluid Radio and now available to listen to via mixcloud

Tobis Lilja – Days Pass Faster
Spinform – Yppersta Utposten
On! Air! Library! – 195
Hessien – Monsoon
Tarantel – When We Almost Killed Ourselves
Library Tapes – VIII
People Press Play – Studio
Tobias Lilja – My Teacher Died
Goddamn Electric Bill – Clouds and A Bee
Maps and Diagrams – T’horbed Earth
Mogwai – Wake Up and Go Berserk
Hessien – Gazed and Pale Reflections
Dictaphone – K2
Opitope – A Quiet Morning Arriving to the Valley
Tunng – Tale from the Black
Zelienople – Little Little Eye-Full
Hessien – Neroli Orange Blossom
Dirac – Bantu

Maps and Diagrams – Cubiculo – Fluid Audio

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Taking some time out from making music with Charles Sage as Hessien, Tim Martin brings his Maps and Diagrams project back to the surface with four exclusive songs for Fluid Audio. ‘Cubiculo’ features a more structured, loop-based arrangement, drawing attention to a rounded and melodic stencil with focus on subtle, crystalised, micro-rhythm, surrounded by self-assurance and tangled textures with a salute towards the work of Oval and their deconstructed works of the 90′s. ‘Cubiculo’ creates a less-harsh listening environment compared to ‘The Giant Woods’ album on Yuki Yaki, released in December 2009 - this is another steadfast release carefully crafted, interwoven with unfolding elements that makes Maps and Diagrams’ compositions so precisely enduring. ‘Cubiculo’ will be available for free download in FLAC, mp3 and ogg formats via Fluid Audio and released on 12 March, out now from Fluid audio

 

 

 

 

Maps and Diagrams – Cubiculo;  The Melancholy of the Weavers, Kopangyang, Gnomish Twang, Fragments of a former Moon.

Hessien ep_Beko_33

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Released 1 march - two new and exclusive tracks by Hessien on the wonderful French label Beko. ’To the Finland Station’ and ‘The Book of Lost Tales’ are available for free download,  for more information and to download more of Beko’s digital catalogue visit Beko ….and dont forget, for fans of the Beko_33 ep there’s still some free, downloads of Hessien music over HERE

Maps And Diagrams – Tööpuudus IA030

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New release from Maps and Diagrams on the I, Absentee label. A continuation of ‘The Giant Woods’ album that was released on Yuki Yaki late last year. ‘Tööpuudus’ is made up of 3 songs spanning 20 minutes. to purchase a copy or for more information visit the I, Absentee website here

Norman Records says this about Tööpuudus:

Size matters not when it comes to Maps And Diagrams 3″s of pleasure that sort of looks and feels very much like a Cactus Island release. The disc is comprised of three tracks, the first of which ‘Urschîpfung’ has really grabbed my attention, its a real lush and emotional swirling track with vibrant textures and drifting synths that transports me to another place entirely. Then the sublime and mega gorgeous ‘Glottal’ is heavenly, like the sound of an angel playing a harp (no really!). I’m going to have to completely disagree with the press release here “featuring three ambient/minimal pieces” There really is nothing minimal to my ears just lots and lots of gorgeous electronic sounds that just flood my ears with emotion. It’s deeply soulful and feels very personal and introspective… The final number ‘KÑsiraamat’ is a super deep listen, it feels slightly uneasy, almost sorrowful and a little dark, there’s lots of layers of interesting electronics and I’d probably go as far as saying that this is quite possibly the one of the finest things in the Maps & Diagrams catalogue. Each track is a gem so you best be quick as only 100 copies exist!

I, Absentee says: 

Maps And Diagrams is the highly-esteemed, long running solo project of Tim Martin. Ranging many forms of electronic music, he has released work through Static Caravan, Arable, Expanding Records, Ak Duck, Akward Silence, Unlabel, Toytronic, Smallfish, Moamoo, Symbolic Interaction and many more. He also runs the critically acclaimed labels Cactus Island and Handstitched*. After delivering a remix for us last year for The Twilight Fires: Volume Three, we agreed to do a 3″ together. The result is Tööpuudus, a collection of three newly recorded tracks of ambient / minimal. We’ve provided clips below, but these are sprawling pieces, meant to be heard in their entirety. If you’re fond of past releases from us such as Sounds Look Similar or Anyteazers / Swepstone Songs, you’ll likely enjoy this. Tööpuudus is a limited edition release of 100 copies. – I, Absentee

Skurjn_single of the week_Norman Records!

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 ’Skurjn’  by Hessien is released today (29th January) and is limited to 100 copies for the world, packed in cork sleeves and hand -stitched. ‘Skurjn’ is available exclusively from Norman Records, quite arguably the most highly skilled handlers of music in the UK, if not the world.  More information can be found below and free Hessien songs are on the Hessien website, follow the links,  it wont take you long. Thanks for coming and thanks for listening.

What Norman Records has to say….

Single of the week 2

Hessien – Skurjn (Handstitched*) 3″CD

In between hanging around with Aussie sound art artist chap called Charles Sage,  Maps and Diagrams has been hob knobbing and hanging around with Mr Nilsen and Mr Bamber, Crazy times!  Tim & Charles have created some music under the guise of Hessien. They’ve collaborated to make a rather lovely 5 track EP called Skurjn. Like the other releases on the Handstitched label it’s lovingly packaged in some hand stitched cork and uber limited (there’s 100 of this one). Well nice!! This is dreamy stuff…. beautiful post rock style guitars over fuzzy soundscapes. Plenty of micro noises and electronics going layering over the field recordings to make a complex yet accessible lump of ear noise. It’s very busy yet un cluttered. Listen to it with headphones though and you’ll be amazed at the level of detail and the richness of the music comes alive. Fans of Moteer, Mobeer, Manual will lap this up!! This will make a superb addition to your 3″ family but be quick as the last 2 releases on the label sold out in hours!

s k u r j n – released 29-01

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Hessien usually occurs somewhere between the UK and Australia, somewhere between the hours of 11pm and 6am (Southern Hemisphere) & 9am and 8pm (Northern Hemisphere) Hessien is made up of acoustic noise artist Charles Sage (Australia) and Tim Diagram (UK). They collided through a coincidence and were pleased to note that the collision has produced an EP – ‘Skurjn’, to be released 29th January. ‘Skurjn’ is the first EP from Hessien, is limited to 100 copies (worldwide) and housed in hand-stitched cork sleeves (from a sustainable source)

The musical content is acoustically-challenged, inverted and lo-fi, an amalgamation of tanglible styles, pedal-work and mangled, modern conversions that combine the audible landscapes into one bigger image. Each song has been constructed from live workings and sketches of sound and field recordings, stitched together with fine acoustic thread and broken down into less accessible fragments to be built up again into mutual timings and compositions.

‘Skurjn’ will be available from Norman Records and eventually via digital form from Handstitched* Recordings. Hessien also have a single due for release shortly on Beko (digital single label) in France. Hessien can be found randomly recurring at short intervals around the Equatorial 3rd parallel-north in the early hours of the morning (or late at night, depending from which side you’re looking at it)

For more information and five songs that were found under the old hessian rug go here.