Bessell, Dave

Artist: Dave Bessell & Liam Boyle
P: 2021
Dave Bessell and Liam Boyle first met on Facebook through an interest in Node. Liam has a very wide range of musical interests and skills including the classical avant garde so Dave invited him to a performance of one of his classi-cal modernist pieces for orchestra at Plymouth University. The two hit it off and first collaborated on a track called Theme One from Dave’s solo electronic album ‘Black Horses of the Sun’. It was always on the cards that these two would collaborate further and in 2020 the opportunity arose which resulted in this latest album ‘Imaginator’.
Liam has produced a number of film socres for american independent films as well as recording multiple electronic albums such as ‘Off World’ and more recently ‘Waveforms’ He continues to explore electronic sound design, visuals, guitar and classical compositions
Dave Bessell, founder member of synth group Node, has been releasing a series of fascinating solo and collaborative EM albums over recent years, mainly on DiN records. He also has a lengthy back story involving session playing programming and arranging for a variety of artists and labels including Killing Joke and Suede. Along the way he also picked up a Phd in classical orchestration from the Royal College of Music.
This latest collaboration is the first full album with versatile soundtrack and EM composer Liam Boyle. The musical emphasis here is on both melody and sonic explora-tion with an atmospheric soundtrack feel throughout. Not surprising really considering both artists have seperately worked on soundtracks - from independent films to TV. The music is detailed and multilayered repaying close and repeated listening and is realised entirely with analogue hardware, plus a little heavily treated and disguised guitar. Dave also uses an unusual instrument on a couple of tracks called an Aum guitar which is designed to be played with an ebow and sounds nothing like a guitar!

Artist: Dave Bessell
P: 2020
DIN 62
LTD 500 Copies
Dave Bessell is a familiar name for followers of the DiN label for his previous solo release, “Black Horses Of the Sun” (DiN47), his two collaborations with Parallel Worlds (DiN41 & 56) and being a founder member of synth supergroup Node (DiN44 & 55). 

Artist: DB (Node)
P: 2010
First solo album from one half of Node Dave Bessell, with excellent analog atmospheres and just right sequencer work.
Dave explores the abstract and the melodic spectrum with a fresh approach to what is known as Electronic Music or Berlin School.
Well done.

Here the last copy!

Artist: Michael Brückner
P: 2012 / 2022
10 years earlier, in 2012, Michael released his first label release on SynGate Records, which was also his 100th album: "One Hundred Million Miles Under The Stars".
Since then, this album has been one of Michael Brückner's personal favorites among the albums he recorded. The new re-release is now much more than a re-release, in fact completely new tracks were created when the individual pieces were not only remixed but completely reinterpreted by other artists that Michael had invited to this project. The excellent participating artists on 100 MILLION MILES UNDER THE STARS are:
- Dave Bessell
- Johan Tronestam
- Joerg Schaaf
- Esteban Menash
- Ami Hassinnen (of Nemesis)
- Hollan Holmes

Michael says: "I'm really impressed and happy how the new versions have taken shape through the hands of the immensely talented artists.
The double album offers the remix with the artists involved on CD1 and the original album from 2012 on CD2.

Artist: Node
P: 2014
LTD 1000
Synth supergroup Node return with their first new release since 1995! Node 2 features three of the original members, maverick producer and sonic legend Flood, renowned producer and composer Ed Buller and classically trained Doctor of music Dave Bessell.
The band are joined by new member, Hollywood composer Mel Wesson, who has most recently provided the soundscapes for Hans Zimmers run of blockbuster films.
This extraordinary collective take time out from their high flying day jobs to indulge their secret passion for all things analogue.
The result, Node 2, is the culmination of two recording sessions that took place over the last year and a half at Battery studios in London.
Featuring what is quite possibly the largest collection of vintage analogue equipment that has been assembled in a studio in recent times, this quartet drag their favoured analogue tools, crackling and bleeping into the 21st century.
Staying true to their roots the band improvised everything live and recorded straight to two track.
The final result is edited down from the mass of material that was recorded but is otherwise presented as it was played, without the computer tidying up or overdubbing that has become part & parcel of most contemporary recordings.
The resulting nine tracks range from the classic Berlin sequencing of Shinkansen East and West to the moody introspection of Dark Beneath The Earth.
Along the way we are served up such unclassifiable treats as Marche Mecanique, which mixes martial rhythms with Arabic flavours and subtle sequencing, or the extraordinary No Signal which pushes sonic boundaries, mixing custom written physical modeling software with analogue microtones.
Don't miss this increasingly rare chance to hear what these legendary machines can do in the hands of experts.
Presented with an extensive accompanying booklet that contains fascinating insights into the recording sessions and working methods Node 2 is another must have release.

Artist: Node
P: 2018
LTD 2000
Release Date 18.05.2018
Synth supergroup Node don’t do things by halves so when they decided to perform an all to rare concert in London in 2015 they chose non other than the auspicious venue of the Royal College of Music. It’s almost certain that those hallowed halls have not seen such an assemblage of vintage and modular gear before, although indeed that could be said of anywhere else one can care to imagine.The four members of Node, maverick producer and sonic legend Flood, renowned producer and composer Ed Buller, classically trained Doctor of music Dave Bessell and Hollywood film composer Mel Wesson not only have between them a vast arsenal of synth gear to draw upon but they also know how to use it in a live performance. Indeed this is no mean task as without the safety net of a backing track all those myriad knobs, dials and switches have to be manually tuned and set up, a task that took the intrepid quartet plus their road crew several hours to complete.Why bother one may ask in this world of computers and plug ins? Well simply because they can! This is a performance, a unique event never to be repeated. It’s a show where the physical presence of all that ancient, creaking analogue equipment is as much part of the performance as the music itself. And of course there’s the sound these instruments make, a huge pulsating wall of analogue warmth that can rise from a delicate whisper to a mind numbing crescendo of noise at the whim of the performers. “Node Live” includes edits of four tracks from the concert as well as a bonus piece recorded at the groups rehearsal for the event. Released as a limited edition run of 2,000 copies in a beautiful fold out digipak featuring a stunning widescreen live group photo spread across the front and a photographic booklet enclosed this is a must for lovers of Berlin School inspired sequencer music.

Artist: Parallel Worlds + Dave Bessell
P: 2018
DIN 56
LTD 500 Copies
The names of both Parallel Worlds and Dave Bessell should be very familiar by now to followers of the DiN ambient electronica label. Bakis Sirros (aka Parallel Worlds) has two solo albums, Obsessive Surrealism (DiN26), Shade (DiN32) as well as collaborations with DiN label boss Ian Boddy in Exit Strategy (DiN37) and most recently World Adapter (DiN48) with Self Oscillate (Ingo Zobel). Bessell on the other hand has a single solo album Black Horses Of The Sun (DiN47) as well as his contributions to the two synth supergroup Node releases (Node 2 (DiN44) & Node Live (DiN55)). Of course the duo have already collaborated before on their 2012 album, “Morphogenic” (DiN41) and “Dystopia” sees these two musicians continue their sonic dialogue. Track titles such as “Cipher”, “Mutagen” and “Devoid” as well as the album title leaves one in no doubt that you are entering a dark and foreboding sound world. Indeed Bessell quotes the infamous novel “Neuromancer” by William Gibson as a major influence. Bakis Sirros as ever weaves his intricate modular rhythms that seem to squirm and writhe underneath vast slabs of analogue chords that rise and fall like cities. Indeed the album is very dynamic with complex, almost classical arrangements that constantly shift under ones feet. Amongst this Bessell introduces some fleeting guitar work as well as his adventurous analogue physical modelling sound design. Seeming to inhabit a netherworld between dark electronica and progressive synth these two musicians have once again created an album that just doesn’t sound like anyone else out there. Join them for a unique sonic adventure.

Artist: Parallel Worlds + Dave Bessell
P: 2021
DIN 65
LTD 500 Copies
The names of Dave Bessell & Parallel Worlds should be familiar to aficionados of the DiN label with various solo & collaborative albums under their belts. “Phosphenes” see these two well respected musicians team up for their third collaborative release on DiN. Following on from Morphogenic (DiN41, 2012) & Dystopia (DiN56, 2018) this new album builds on their previous work creating an imaginary Synthwave soundtrack. Bakis Sirros the mastermind behind Parallel Worlds provides the skittering rhythmic backdrop to the tracks over which he and Bessell overlay ominous bass lines, twisting melodies and creative sound design that recall a shadow of 1980s John Carpenter film scores. Bessell also adds his unique guitar style that he so effectively uses in his other well known side project with the synth quartet Node. Both musicians make extensive use of modular synth systems but in very different ways that perfectly blend together in these eight atmospheric tracks.The duo of Bessell and Sirros really do have a unique sound that is unlike anything else released in the world of electronic music and “Phosphenes” presents another chance to enter their darkly twisted sonic world.

Artist: Paul Nagle, Parallel Worlds, Dave Bessell u.a.
P: 2018
DIN TS02
LTD 500 Copies
Even after being involved in music since the late 1970’s Boddy has continued to explore new sonic territories and in 2016 he released what was probably his most experimental album in “Tone Science” (DiN48). This album comprised five long, slowly evolving self playing compositions realised entirely on his vast arsenal of modular synthesisers. Boddy’s love of the analogue sound has been well documented not only through his own releases but many sound and sample libraries. These instruments all but disappeared in the 1990’s but recent years has seen an unprecedented growth in interest in this form of synthesiser with a proliferation of both module manufacturers and performers using these highly flexible and personal systems. Thus, inspired by his “Tone Science” release, Boddy has set up this sub-label to feature artists and performers working in the field of modular synthesis. The first release “Module No.1 Structure and Forces” was released in March 2018 and has garnered a lot of critical acclaim. This second compilation “Module No.2 Elements and Particles”, like its predecessor, features nine artists from different musical backgrounds with the common thread being that all the tracks were composed entirely with a modular synth system. The album opens and closes with the ambient soundscapes of two tracks by Todd Barton and r beny. Barton is a world renowned exponent of Buchla modular systems as well as the Music Easel employed on this track. Austin Cairns (aka r beny) has a penchant for lo-fi looped synth atmospheres which combined, in this case, with a field recording creates a haunting, evocative piece. The next three pieces by Bluetech, Parallel Worlds and Paul Nagle build up rhythmic and sequenced elements with a fascinating amount of detail that modular systems are so good at. They also all use various methods to produce a poly-rhythmic, fractal feel as patterns shift and change throughout their tracks. The middle of the album then sees a fascinating experimental ambient interlude by Dave Bessell (a member of the synth group Node) using waveguide physical modelling in the analogue domain. The second half of the album has a rawer, more gritty feel with Richard Quirk building up a crescendo of wonderful textures in his track “Radar Hill”. This is followed by Hainbach using the exotic Ciat-Lonbarde series of hand built instruments to produce, in his words, a piece of “pure electronic music”. Nathan Moody then brings proceedings to a climax with a gnarly, muscular track using a Buchla modular system before the blissful ending piece “Marine Layer” closes out the 60 minute sonic journey the listener has just travelled. Boddy has curated both the artists and tracks on this album to flow in a musical way and not just be a collection of equipment heavy demos. Though fascinating and always cool to look at, it is important not to get lost in the gear for gear’s sake syndrome. Having said that this album features Eurorack, Serge, Buchla & Ciat-Lonbarde modular systems and the nine tracks show how varied and flexible these instruments can be. “Tone Science Module No.2 Elements and Particles” continues the journey down the rabbit hole of possibilities and sound worlds inhabited by artists and musicians working in this ever fascinating and varied musical field.

Artist: V/A
P: 2016
DIN 50
LTD 1000 Copies
INDEX05 is the fifth DiN compilation album and includes two tracks each from the titles DiN41 - 49. The artists on show this time are Ian Boddy, Node, ARC, Dave Bessell (one of the members of Node) and collaborations between Parallel Worlds & Dave Bessell, Ian Boddy & Markus Reuter, Erik Wøllo & Bernhard Wöstheinrich and Parallel Worlds & Self Oscillate. As with the previous four DiN samplers DiN label boss Ian Boddy has mixed and cross-faded the 18 tracks into a continuous ambient mix that not only showcases the albums featured on the release but presents an exciting and varied title in it’s own right. It also highlights the varied and intriguing music that the DiN label offers on it’s releases from deep analogue synth grooves through vibrantly melodic instrumentals to powerful, epic ambient atmospheres. An intoxicating mix of the old and new beautifully presented in a slimline cardboard wallet with an extra flap which just adds to the value and collectibility of this release.

Artist: V/A
P: 2019
DIN 60
LTD 2000 Copies
iNDEX06 is the sixth DiN compilation album and includes two tracks each from the titles DiN51 - 59. The artists on show this time are Ian Boddy, Node, ARC, Bluetech, d’Voxx and collaborations between Parallel Worlds & Dave Bessell, Ian Boddy & Erik Wøllo and Markus Reuter & Ian Boddy. As with the previous five DiN samplers DiN label boss Ian Boddy has mixed and cross-faded the 18 tracks into a continuous ambient mix that not only showcases the albums featured on the release but presents an exciting and varied title in its own right. It also highlights the varied and intriguing music that the DiN label offers on its releases from deep analogue synth grooves through vibrantly melodic instrumentals to powerful, epic ambient atmospheres. An intoxicating mix of the old and new beautifully presented in a slimline cardboard wallet with an extra flap which just adds to the value and collectibility of this release. Furthermore this compilation falls in the same year that the DiN label is celebrating it’s 20th anniversary. This is no small feat for a niche independent label and DiN is finally getting some of the recognition it so justly deserves.

Artist: V/A
P: 2022
DIN 70
LTD 500 Copies
INDEX07 is the seventh DiN compilation album and includes two tracks each from the titles DiN61 - 69. The artists on show this time are Ian Boddy, Nigel Mullaney, Dave Bessell, Scanner, Lyonel Bauchet and collaborations between Dave Bessell & Parallel Worlds and Ian Boddy & Markus Reuter. As with the previous six DiN samplers label boss Ian Boddy has mixed and cross-faded the 18 tracks into a continuous ambient mix that not only showcases the albums featured on the release but presents an exciting and varied title in its own right. It also highlights the varied and intriguing music that the DiN label offers on its releases from deep analogue synth grooves through vibrantly melodic instrumentals to powerful, epic ambient atmospheres. An intoxicating mix of the old and new beautifully presented in a slimline cardboard wallet with an extra flap which just adds to the value and collectibility of this release.Since the previous sampler album, iNDEX06 (DiN60) released in July 2019, DiN has not only celebrated its 20th anniversary but has also released its 100th album with “Nevermore” from label boss Ian Boddy. These are significant milestones for a niche independent electronica label with DiN finally getting some of the recognition it so justly deserves.