DIN Label

Artist: Ian Boddy
P: 2008    
DIN 31
LTD 1500 Copies
Slide is the studio album follow-up to Elemental (DiN25) and is the sixteenth full solo CD release by DiN label boss Ian Boddy. Musically it is split between three beautifully expressive legato pieces and six up-tempo tracks which employ Boddy's trademark inventive rhythms with soaring, expressive synth voices.

Although Boddy has a well known love of vintage analogue synths he's never made a big deal of whatever gear he's used on a particular project as it's always been the music on each release that has governed what audio tools he's employed. However Slide is dominated by the sound and playing techniques Boddy has coaxed from a new musical instrument he aquired in 2008. This is a modern analogue version of the keyboard employed by the Ondes Martenot (invented in the 1920's) which utilises a wire and ring pulley system sitting in front of a keyboard via which the player can smoothly glide between notes and create natural vibrato. Furthermore a rocker switch on the left of the keyboard allows for the natural and subtle control of the articulation of each note. This instrument breathes new life into playing a synthesiser and allows for an incredibly expressive performance. In combination with Boddy's large modular analogue synth a series of beautiful, expressive tones emerge that are arranged over nine pieces. Indeed analogue sounds dominate throughout the album lending a gorgeously lush, warm sound to the tracks.

Thus even after a musical career spanning 28 years Boddy still has the ability to discover new ways of expressing himself and producing an album that will delight and surprise with it's musical inventiveness.

Artist: V/A
P: 2008   
DIN 30
LTD 1000 Copies
iNDEX03 is the third DiN compilation album and includes two tracks each from the titles DiN21 - 29. The artists include Robert Rich, Ian Boddy, Tetsu Inoue, Radio Massacre International, Surface 10, Parallel Worlds, Hoffmann-Hoock/Wöstheinrich & ARC.

As with the previous two DiN compilation albums, iNDEX01 (DiN10) and iNDEX02 (DiN20), DiN label boss Ian Boddy has mixed and cross-faded the 18 pieces into a continuous ambient mix that not only showcases the albums on the disc but presents an exciting and varied album in it's own right. It also highlights the varied and intruiging music that the DiN label conjures up on it's releases from deep analogue synth grooves through glitchy, digital soundscapes to powerful, epic ambient atmospheres. An intoxicating mix of the old and new beautifully presented in a slimline cardboard wallet with an extra front flap which just adds to the value and collectability of this disc

Artist: Robert Rich & Ian Boddy 
P: 2008   
DIN 29
LTD 2000 Copies
React is the third collaboration between American ambient pioneer Robert Rich and DiN label boss Ian Boddy. However, unlike their previous two studio outings on the DiN label, Outpost (2001) and Lithosphere (2005), this is a record of their first ever live performance at the Star’s End Radio Show 30th Anniversary Celebration Concert in Philadelphia in June 2007.

The duo forge a fascinating sonic collaboration that allows for glimpses of each other’s musical personalities to be seen within the evolving musical landscape. Boddy is mainly responsible for the rhythmic content which he mutates and morphs from the sonic input of Rich’s MOTM modular system. There are references to a couple of tracks from Outpost (Ice Fields and The Edge of Nowhere) and the title track of Lithosphere but they’re presented in a more energised and dynamic version. Meanwhile Rich paints a tapestry of sound with muted keyboards, flutes and his trademark gliss lap steel guitar voicing.

The music ebbs and flows from abstract soundscapes through gentle reveries to up tempo sections that combine thunderous analogue bass and glitchy percussion overlain with a mesmerising mix of keyboards, flutes and gliss guitar. A truly unique concert performance by two of the most accomplished musicians in modern ambient electronica.

Artist: Hoffmann-Hoock & Wöstheinrich
P: 2007
DIN 27
LTD 1000
Space guitar, rhythms, atmospheres. The collaboration of two extraordinary musicians.
Interesting and a kind of new.

Here the last copy!

Artist: Parallel Worlds
P: 2007    
DIN 26
LTD 1000 Copies.
Parallel Worlds is the main project for the Greek musician Bakis Sirros. He has been active in the Greek electronic music scene since 1998 having performed at several concerts including E-PHOS electronic music festival in summer of 2001, Mad club, Club22 (2nd Summer in the city Festival), Music Day Festival 2006, Small Music Theatre and the Underworld Club. He is also involved with other muscians in collaborative work. The new IDM project “Interconnected” with the German IDM musician Ingo Zobel (of DRON, Signalform, Self Oscillate) and the ambient / experimental project “Memory Geist” with the Australian electronica musician Steve Law (of Zen Paradox, Starseed Transmission).
“Obsessive Surrealism” (DiN26) is his fourth album having previously released “Existence” in 2003 on Greek label Rubber Recordings and “Insight” in 2004 and “Far Away Light” in 2005 both on the UK label Shima Records. He has also had tracks included on several compilation releases.
Bakis is a great advocate of modular analogue instruments and indeed is the moderator for the Doepfer A100 modular users group. He has also been extensively involved with sound design for the UK analogue modular synthesiser company Analogue Systems.

The music of Parallel Worlds is a combination of dreamy, atmospheric textures and pure analogue electronic rhythms and sequences, combining the feel of 70’s electronic music with modern electronica and ambient music. Sirros uses huge analogue modular instruments and analogue step sequencers of the past and present combined with digital FM, virtual analogue synths and sampling. However he manages to elude the fate of many of his contemporaries in not falling into the trap of simply recycling the past. He creates a music that lives and breathes, imbued with his own personality and mannerisms. At one and the same time familiar and fresh. Steady, organic rhythmic structures are overlaid with deceptively simple melodies that remind one of some lost John Carpenter soundtrack.

Artist: Ian Boddy
P: 2006    
DIN 25
LTD 1500 Copies
With the release of "Elemental" DiN reaches it's quarter of a century of titles since Boddy's inaugral release "Box of Secrets" in 1999. This is his fourth DiN release with "Chiasmata" in 2004 and "Aurora" in 2002 being the other two. He has also been involved in collaborative projects on eleven other DiN releases working with musicians from diverse backgrounds. These include the American ambient pioneer Robert Rich, Throbbing Gristle member Chris Carter, German virtuoso touch guitarist Markus Reuter and UK synth artist Mark Shreeve. Such a broad range of influences have had a positive effect on Boddy's music and he has absorbed and distilled many of these to startling effect on "Elemental". Indeed this album shows off his chameleon like ability to constantly change and develop over what has now been a long musical career since his first cassette only release way back in 1980!

Furthermore Boddy has also composed several library music albums for DeWolfe Music Limited. These have often been atmospherically themed releases but by their very nature have to be compositionally compact . This has also influenced much of the music on "Elemental" which is certainly Boddy's most structured set of pieces for quite some time. The 8 tracks run in a continuous set merging into each other via ambient cross fades. The first, "Never Forever" and last tracks, "Elemental" have a grandiose, chordal character that nicely bookend the album. Four of the other tracks are strongly rhythmic and include hefty bass lines and intricate percussion overlaid with beguiling and subtle melodic themes. The remaining two tracks are in a more atmospheric, ambient vein and provide aural resting points in what feels like a musical journey. However "Elemental" doesn't have a spacey feel as found on his last two releases but exudes a more organic, down to earth approach.

Artist: Radio Massacre International
P: 2005    
DIN 23
LTD 1500 Copies
Radio Massacre International ( RMI ) comprises Steve Dinsdale (keyboards, electronics, drums), Duncan Goddard (keyboards, electronics, bass) and Gary Houghton (guitar, keyboards). This trio of musicians have steadily been building a solid reputation since 1995 with the release of their first album ‘Frozen North’ on Centaur Records. Since then they have released several other albums on Centaur as well as their own private Northern Echo label. Most recently they have released the double CD album ‘Emissaries’ on the well respected Stateside Cuneiform label.
The band incorporate elements of Berlin school electronics with Prog/Krautrock and are a force to be reckoned with in a live setting. Indeed it could be argued that they are best experienced in one of their concert performances which are often improvisational in nature and thus ebb and flow in a fluid and organic manner. They have performed many concerts and festivals throughout their career including dates in the Netherlands, Finland and the USA. Notable appearances in the UK include them co-hosting the dance orientated ‘Party Zone’ on MTV and an improv performance with legendary Can guru Damo Suzuki.
‘Septentrional’, their inaugral release on the DiN label see’s a new approach co-ordinated by DiN label boss Ian Boddy. RMI recorded a series of three hour long improvisations which they handed over to Boddy in multitrack form. These were then sifted through, extensively edited - often in a non-linear fashion, re-mixed with the addition of synthetic percussion layers on three of the five tracks and finally reassembled by Boddy into five new pieces. The result is still definitely an RMI sounding album and captures the feel and spirit of the band but filtered through the sonic excellence listeners have come to expect from this innovative label.

Here the last copy!

Artist: Robert Rich & Ian Boddy 
P: 2005   
DIN 21
LTD 2000 Copies
"Lithosphere" is the second collaborative release between DiN label boss Ian Boddy & American ambient pioneer Robert Rich. Following on from their debut album "Outpost" (DiN 11 - 2002) the duo once again decided to eschew the false economy of a purely virtual collaboration and convened at Rich's Californian Soundscape studio to physically work together over an intense period of 10 days. Following Boddy's departure Rich then honed and fine-tuned the arrangements before finalising the mastering of the project.
Whereas "Outpost" was sonically 'out there' and was perceived by many to have it's heart in the realms of space music, "Lithosphere" has a more earthy, organic quality. Once again the album is centered around Rich's signature lap steel guitar voicings and deep bass machinations of his analogue MOTM modular system. However Boddy's input is once again unexpected in it's direction with astonishing sound design elements intermingling with delicate keyboard textures using high quality sampled glass & stone percussion instruments together with haunting string & woodwind loops.
One of the binding forces for this album was the duos decision to utilise an alternate just intonation tuning. This at times gives the harmonies a piquant flavour whereas at others a glistening quality that just adds to the sonic exotica that Boddy & Rich have concocted on "Lithosphere".
Boddy has always pushed the aspect of collaborations within his DiN catalogue and "Lithosphere" shows the true advantage such a philosophy brings to bear musically on the labels output. The album is a true reflection of the two artists combined efforts and could only have been produced with their joint work ethic. "Outpost" is one of the most popular DiN albums. There's every chance that "Lithosphere" could surpass the high standard that it's illustrious predecessor has set.

Artist: V/A
P: 2005
DIN 20
This is the second DiN sampler disc and as such follows the path set by DiN 10- iNDEX01 (which was the disc included in the June 2001 issue of The Wire). It features a continuous mix of music especially compiled by DiN boss Ian Boddy which includes 2 cuts from each of the 9 titles spanning DiN 11 - 19. This amounts to almost 78 minutes worth of DiN goodness and with the special low sampler price is a perfect introduction to the DiN label. It is presented in a beautifully designed cardboard wallet with an extra front flap which just adds to the value and collectability of this disc.

Artist: Ian Boddy  & Wöstheinrich
P: 2004    
DIN 18
LTD 1000 Copies
One of the aims of the DiN label was to act as a community of artists who could interact and colloborate in different ways. DiN 18 is a perfect example of this with label founder Ian Boddy forming a new creative partnership with Bernhard Wöstheinrich. DiN afficionadas will recognise the latters previous involvement as both one half of Centrozoon on DiN 6 - Blast and also Subsonic Experience on DiN 13 - Praposition. Furthermore Wöstheinrich, a trained graphic designer, has also been instrumental in the sense of design style that permeates the DiN artwork since DiN 10.

However the collaborative mesh involved in the creation of Moiré has further layers in that Markus Reuter, long time Boddy colloborator & musical partner to Wöstheinrich in Centrozoon was also heavily involved in the early editing of the pieces as well as guesting on bass on the track "Fractalise". Indeed the gestation of Moiré has been a long and complex process. Boddy & Wöstheinrich first got together in the DiN studio way back in April 2002 and played a number of improvisations utilising Boddys mastery of his large analogue modular system with Wöstheinrichs quirky & organic approach to drum & arpeggiator patterns. These sessions were then locked in the DiN vault for almost a year until Reuter opened the lid and intuitively edited the performances into a number of arrangements that formed the basis of the tracks on Moiré. The baton was then taken on by Wöstheinrich who, over the summer of 2004, further added to and sculpted the pieces into more refined forms. The final lap was then for Boddy & Wöstheinrich to finalise the arrangements & mix at the DiN studios in December 2004.

The resulting music spread over 10 tracks captures both the detail & complexity of arrangement possible with modern music technology with the spontaneous nature & organic feel of the original improvisations. Sonically it effortlessly ranges from classic analogue sequencer lines to deep, metallic atmospheres through to full on drum & synth work-outs. The majority of the tracks employ organic analogue arpeggiations together with muscular & unusual percussive loops to form the backbone of the music . Ethereal ambient textures provide a suitably surreal counter-balance to the solidity of the rhythmic structure to create a constant sense of flow & change within the compositions .