DIN Label

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: Ian Boddy
P: 2016
DIN 49
LTD 500 Copies
Ian Boddy, DiN label boss, is one of the best known names in UK electronic music. He has been releasing music for over 35 years as well as playing concerts, creating sound design and composing library music. Yet despite this long musical career he still manages to surprise his listeners and Tone Science could represent his most experimental album to date. For this release Boddy has returned to his musical roots where experimentation was the name of the game.  He has always been fascinated by the random qualities of natural phenomena such as streams, waves, the leaves on a tree or the clouds in the sky. Whilst they seem, on the one hand to always be the same, they are in fact constantly changing and their patterns never exactly repeat. With this thought in mind he set about creating soundscapes using controlled random systems that could self generate themselves using his analogue modular gear. The pitches of the notes in each piece were massaged into various musical scales by the use of note quantisers giving each of the tracks a distinct harmonic voice. The composition process was the creation of the patch itself and in fact he didn’t physically play anything at all at the recording stage. What you hear on these five pieces is the result of these complex interactions. Like the natural phenomena he describes above they appear to stay the same yet they never repeat and each has a distinct mood. By restricting his audio palette on this project to only his analogue modular instruments including vintage FX the pieces have a very pure, electronic nature. 

With “Tone Science” Boddy proves once again that he never rests in his personal musical journey. There are always new sonic territories to explore and for the adventurous listener this album opens up a whole new world of electronica to enjoy.

Artist: Parallel Worlds + Self Oscillate
P: 2015
DIN 48
LTD 500 Copies
Ingo Zobel (Self Oscillate) and Bakis Sirros (Parallel Worlds) first started collaborating via the internet in 2004. Their first album, “Current Flow”, under the project name “Interconnected”, was released in 2010 on the Belgian VU-US label. Following this a vinyl EP of ambient tracks called “Mechanic Environments” was released in 2013 on the Dohkonul record label. For “World Adapter”, their second full collaborative album, Ingo and Bakis are using their more widely known aliases of Self Oscillate and Parallel Worlds respectively. Four years in the making this album is redolent with the sounds and textures of modular analogue synthesisers which both musicians are well known for employing in their music. Ingo uses a large Doepfer / Eurorack system whereas Bakis creates his complex sonic textures with Doepfer, Serge and Buchla systems as employed on his previous DiN releases (Obsessive Surrealism (DiN26), Shade (DiN32), Exit Strategy with Ian Boddy (DiN37) and Morphogenic with Dave Bessell (DiN41)).

Artist: Erik Wollo & Bernhard Wöstheinrich
P: 2014    
DIN 46
LTD 500
Norwegian ambient guitarist Erik Wøllo and German synthesist Bernhard Wöstheinrich are familiar names to aficionados of the DiN label. They previously collaborated in 2009 on the album Arcadia Borealis (DiN34) but have also been involved in several other DiN project collaborations. Most notably Wøllo in conjunction with DiN label boss Ian Boddy on Frontiers (DiN39) and Wöstheinrich also with Boddy on Moiré (DiN18). During a visit to Germany in 2010 to attend the Schallwelle Prize ceremony for which Arcadia Borealis had been nominated Erik spent some time with Bernhard working on new ideas for a follow up album. Due to the busy work schedule of both musicians the gestation of this project grew intermittently over the next three years. They exchanged ideas and gradually those initial sketches coalesced into their second collaborative album Weltenuhr (German for World Clock). Pushing the boundaries of ambient electronica there is a strong vocal presence to the album with a beautiful, haunting female voice on the opener Gales as well as the albums title track. These pieces complement the other fully instrumental tracks which range from the pounding beat driven Subgiants to the ethereal Echoes Of Parlours. Bernhard’s inventive textural rhythms provide the perfect backdrop for Wøllo’s soaring E-bow guitar melodies on tracks such as Oculus and Denser World.  Beautifully mastered by Lee Fletcher and with an intriguingly abstract cover image Weltenuhr is yet again another quality ambient electronica release from the DiN label.

Artist: Ian Boddy  & Markus Reuter
P: 2013  
DIN 43
LTD 500 Copies
"Colour Division" (DiN43) sees DiN label boss Ian Boddy once again collaborating with German composer and guitarist Markus Reuter. They were both there at the birth of the DiN label, with their inaugural album, "Distant Rituals" (DiN2, 1999). Since then both musicians have grown in stature and widened their appeal, whilst periodically combining their musical talents on a series of further DiN releases such as "Pure" (DiN17, 2004) and "Dervish" (DiN33, 2009). Aficionados of the DiN label will be familiar with Boddy's musical exploits. They may not be fully aware of the plethora of work that Reuter has been involved with, including his extensive international touring with Stick Men (alongside Tony Levin and Pat Mastelotto) and The Crimson ProjeKCt. Most recently he has overseen the world premiere performance and recording of his 60-minute masterpiece "Todmorden 513" by the Colorado Chamber Orchestra. "Colour Division" sees these two skilled musicians effortlessly continuing their sonic dialogue over seven mesmerising tracks. Several of these use one of Reuter's trademark guitar looped soundscapes as a starting point over which Boddy paints a glorious ambient tapestry of sound. His distinctive, singing Ondes Martenot style ambient lead lines call out on the opener "Borderlands", soon to be joined by a myriad of Reuters guitar tones. This strong initial piece builds to quite a climax with heavy electronic percussion and an exciting Moog solo from Boddy. By contrast the next track, the title piece "Colour Division", features a beautifully emotional guitar solo from Reuter. The more leisurely legato tracks such as "Crescent" and "Reveal" are like reflections of the duo's first DiN outing "Distant Rituals". Boddy's love of analogue modular synths sees distinctive bass lines and sequencing on the muscular "Fulcrum" and the more laid back "Beacon" which are overlaid with an incredible variety of fuzz tones and textures from the instrument that Reuter is no doubt a master of, the U8 touch guitar. Finally the album comes to a beautiful last passage with "Slowfall", with Boddy's restrained production complementing Reuter's sparse, crunchy guitar chords.

With a beautiful cover image by Polish photographer Szincza and an elegant digipak design this limited edition DiN release is yet another high quality, eminently collectable offering from the DiN label.
 

Ian Boddy:
Serge & Eurorack modular, Moog Voyager, Kontakt & Alchemy

Markus Reuter:
Guitar, guitar synth, loops & soundscapes

Artist: Mazmoneth
P: 2011
DIN 38
After a period of several years Ray & Nigel are back with a new project with a name change to Mazmoneth, for reasons which will remain unclear. "Music By Mirrors" contains 10 tracks in a continuous mix lasting 59 minutes. The music is beautifully produced and ranges from gorgeous ambient soundscapes such as the opening track "The Vital Spark" through cool grooves with beguiling melodies such as "Spooks" and "De Molay". Mullaney is not only a keyboard player and guitarist but rounds out his multi-instrumental skills on drums and it's always refreshing to hear live drums alongside electronics this sumptuous. Tracks such as "Perfect Absolution" and "Oil On Water" showcase this with percussion playing that adds to great feel and atmosphere found throughout this album.
With "Music By Mirrors" the DiN label continues to expand it's roster of talented artists with an album of music that cries out to be heard by as wide an audience as possible.

Artist: Ian Boddy
P: 2010 
DIN 36
LTD 1000 Copies
A 30 year retrospective of the music of Ian BoddyThey say a journey begins with a single step. Ian Boddy's journey began in 1979 when he walked into the studio at Newcastle's Spectro Arts Workshop. Intrigued by the sounds emanating from the banks of VCS3 synthesisers and Revox tape recorders, he started a 30 year odyssey of musical experimentation and adventure. Never following the mainstream or courting a band-centric musical path he has nevertheless forged a truly unique musical career. From the release of his first ever full album on the UK cassette label Mirage in 1980, he has gone on to issue 23 solo & 24 collaborative albums, performed over 100 concerts in the UK, The Netherlands, Germany & USA, composed 11 library music albums for DeWolfe Music and programmed several sample CD's & virtual instruments.  In 1999 he founded the DiN electronica label which has since become synonymous with adventurous and eclectic music. There have been 35 titles to date, including albums by Chris Carter, Robert Rich, Tetsu Inoue, Mark Shreeve, Markus Reuter & Erik Wøllo. Boddy's influence also extends into sound design where numerous musicians and film makers have used his sounds in their own music and soundtracks. He has over 300 library music tracks released via DeWolfe Music which are used worldwide on a huge variety of TV shows, documentaries and films. 
These statistics are impressive enough however what impresses the most is Boddy's sheer determination and presence of mind to follow his own musical path and create music and sounds that offer a very personal reflection of his own personality. Pearl is the 36th release on DiN and offers a retrospective of Boddy's 30 year journey. Released in a limited edition of 1,000 (with the first 300 being signed & numbered by the artist) , beautifully designed digipak format the music is split across two discs. "Outer DiN" attempts to bring together all his work outside of DiN. It includes his solo work stretching all the way back to the early cassette releases, three DeWolfe library music tracks and an excerpt of his sound design work. "Inner DiN" showcases both his solo and collaborative work on the DiN ambient label. Boddy has mixed both CDs into a continuous mix of music that provides a fascinating and unique way to experience the music of a truly original musician.

Here the last copy!

Artist: Markus Reuter & Ian Boddy
P: 2009    
DIN 33
LTD 1000 Copies
Having first worked together on the enigmatic ambience of Distant Rituals (1999) and the melodic complexities of Pure (2003), Dervish is Ian Boddy and Markus Reuter’s most challenging studio collaboration to date.
Recorded in England and Austria, the album contains a guest appearance by King Crimson’s drumming and electronics wizard, Pat Mastelotto. Inspired in part by the musical theories of 20th Century composer Olivier Messiaen, there’s a terse angularity to the compositions whose unexpected textures feature the appearances of a string quartet and a recorder player.
At a personal level, the music of Dervish and the creative methods used in its composition, have pushed both Boddy and Reuter into markedly different places, forcing each one to change their usual approaches.
At a 2008 recording session in Austria, having sampled Reuter’s Touch Guitar loops, Boddy then effectively “plays” the notes.

The result is a mirage of shades and colors in which it is impossible to determine the respective roles of the players. At times Dervish occasionally flirts with playful but punchy dance beats, off-kilter funk and stabbing percussive blasts that manage to be both unsettling in their apparently anarchic deployment whilst also providing a startling focal point.
Their microscopic attention to the album’s sound design ensures every track sparkles with intriguing detail that include the spiraling pat

Artist: Parallel Worlds
P: 2009    
DIN 32
LTD 1000 Copies.
Shade is the studio album follow-up to Obsessive Surrealism (DiN26 - 2007) and is the fifth CD release by Parallel Worlds (the main musical project of Greek electronic musician Bakis Sirros).

Parallel Worlds employ a vast arsenal of both vintage and modern analogue modular synthesisers with extensive use of classic sequencing techniques to produce a sonic world that combines modern electronica and ambient music styles with the feel of retro electronic music. His attention to detail is astonishing and his careful sculpting of sounds and textures produce an organic, ever evolving atmosphere full of half glimpsed meanings and subdued emotions. The purely electronic rhythms and beats seem to have a life of their own and showcase a musician who is a virtuoso with these types of instruments that are the antithesis of the quick fix pick-a-preset mind set of much of todays society. Musically he likes to explore various states of mind, no doubt influenced by his medical background and this adds a tension and darkness to his compositions that are punctuated by disarmingly simple and wistful melodies.

With Shade Parallel Worlds show a musical maturity and command of sonic atmospherics that takes the music on a journey, moving through dreams and shades, aiming for the light.