Tag Archives: promo

Clan Analogue presents Emerge at Bar 303

3-week residency showcasing upcoming local electronic music artists in Melbourne Fringe

Long-running electronic music collective Clan Analogue takes over Bar 303 in Northcote on Thursday evenings, October 10th, 17th and 24th for the Emerge residency – a showcase of upcoming local electronic artists over three weeks. From modular synth experimentalism to electro-pop and techno, the diversity of local live electronic music performers will be on show as part of Melbourne Fringe.

Each week will commence at 6pm with an open-entry electronic music jam session so that anyone has an opportunity to be part of Emerge. Turn up early with your preferred noise-making device to take part! From 8pm onwards three performers each night will play a live set demonstrating the creativity and diversity in electronic music for which this city is known.

Thursday the 10th of October launches Emerge with an opening set from Mayia Alché, her intuitive, improvised sound design diving deep into the psyche and imagination. She will be followed by a rare set from new age krautrock-influenced duo Infinity Deck. Closing the night will be Asinine, playing a live set of improvised Detroit-flavoured acid and techno.

Thursday the 17th of October is headlined by James Russller, moving from ambient through to house and techno with a live set honed at raves and clubs. Opening the night will be an experimental electronic set from dom alt, followed by One Hit Kill who uses a setup of synced Gameboys in a frenetic lo-fi blend of breakbeat, acid techno and drum’n’bass.

The closing night of Emerge on Thursday 24th of October will open with Her Waveform playing a modular synth deconstructed techno set. Vessa will follow with hardware sequencer experimentation, combining reggaeton and latin rhythms with emotive EBM. Closing the night will be electropop trio Lost Memories with their trademark energy and blend of house, techno and breakbeat.

Clan Analogue has an unparalleled history in Australian electronic music as an ongoing collective of diverse and innovative electronic music artists and it has long provided an entry point for electronic music artists of all styles. We are continuing the organisation’s track record with Emerge at Bar 303, 303 High St in Northcote.

To book tickets for either the 10th or 17th of October, visit the Melbourne Fringe website at https://melbournefringe.com.au/

Tickets for the 24th of October are available via Eventbrite and on the door.

The Creative Vibes Years – now on Bandcamp

After a brush with late-90s mainstream music industry success via a deal with Festival Records, Clan Analogue felt the need to re-establish its cutting-edge credentials when the 21st century rolled around. So in 2001 a new distribution deal was signed with groovy indie Sydney label Creative Vibes, home of funky and hip artists including Gotye, Spoonbill and The Bird. For the following six years Clan Analogue released a series of albums which are amongst the most popular and enduring in its back catalogue.

Clan Analogue have now made available for the first time on Bandcamp this collection of much-loved releases, spanning the years from 2001 to 2007. Download in the format of your choice or take a listen via streaming and enjoy the sounds of Clan Analogue’s Creative Vibes years!

Solid Gold: Cognition Four (CA028) was the last release compiled by Clan Analogue’s then Label Manager Gordon Finlayson before he retired from the independent electronic music scene to become a jet-setting intellectual property lawyer. As Gordon had a plane to catch some of the proofreading on the artwork was a bit rushed, so if you have one of the original CDs you may spot some amusing typos. Other than that, this is classic early 2000s electroclash with some legendary tracks by Artificial & DJ Toupee, Andy Rantzen & General Electrik, B(if)tek, Itch-E & Scratch-E, Bleepin’ J Squawkins, and more. Still sounds great in the clubs!

An Englishman In Ibiza (CA029) by Disco Stu somehow became Clan Analogue’s closest thing to a commercial hit single, getting high rotation airplay on Triple-J and becoming the station’s most-requested song for a fortnight or so. Disco Stu was the alter-ego for experimental sounds artist Ian Andrews and this was the follow-up to the first Disco Stu album Adult Themes which we had released a few years earlier. The track “An Englishman in Ibiza” had actually already been released by Nicole Skeltys on her Stoner Classix label but it took the Clan Analogue and Creative Vibes partnership to get this some wider attention. We don’t question the tastes of the record-buying public and were happy for this rare moment of mainstream popularity!

Habitat: Environmental Sound Research (CA030) was originally intended as the follow-up to Clan Analogue’s Aphelion One release of the late 90s. Exploring the ambient and abstract areas of Clan Analogue’s artistic output this fairly leftfield release from 2002 was nonetheless nominated for Best Compilation in the Australian Dance Music Awards. Some of the notable artists included were Sydney sound artists Kazumichi Grime and Shannon O’Neil, Adelaide’s indietronica duo Pretty Boy Crossover, and Melbourne’s legendary industrial psychedelic rock group Clowns Smiling Backwards.

During this era we usually paired compilation albums with a complementary artist release, so in 2002 we also released Any Number Can Play (CA031) from Adelaide indietronica duo Pretty Boy Crossover, a collaboration between Jason Sweeney and Cailan Burns. This was a mini-album with four tracks and four accompanying remixes by some interesting leftfield artists including Kazumichi Grime.

Defocus: Low Res Productions (CA032) continued the exploration of electronic music styles quite removed from club and rave cultures. Released in 2003, this compilation explored lo-fi, glitch and indietronica styles, so was a fairly diverse collection but certainly an interesting one! Some notable artists featured include Deepchild, Dark Network and Two4K.

Late Set (CA033) from Dark Network is one of the most-loved releases in the Clan Analogue catalogue, continuing to attract new fans with its chilled hypnotic grooves made with classic analogue gear. A mainstay of Clan Analogue’s chill-out rooms Dark Network often played lengthy sets in the late hours and they go deep into that sonic territory with this album.

Clan Analogue returned to the dancefloor with the compilation Doppler Shift: Electro Selections (CA034) released in 2004, but with a cheeky 80s synth-pop influence coming to the fore. New Clan Analogue artists Valley Forge and Lunar Module made their first appearances here, joining some great long-time Clan contributors such as Itch-E & Scratch-E and General Electrik.

After they won an inaugural B(if)tek WINK Award Clan Analogue recognised Sydney electro duo Bleepin’ J Squawkins as an act to watch. In 2004 we released their debut album Floppydisco (CA035), featuring a batch of short and sharp electro-pop tunes. “Minerva Moog part 1” even made it onto Triple J’s daytime playlists with its catchy electro groove and enigmatic narrative.

By 2006 the age of iTunes and legal downloads was upon us, so Clan Analogue started releasing singles and shorter EPs along with compilation albums and artist releases to take advantage of this new-found format freedom. The first such release was the single Over & Over Dub (CA036A) by Dsico, an advance track from the forthcoming compilation Clan Analogue In Version. The single included a catchy post-punk-flavoured “B-side” called “Stone’s Throw”.

Clan Analogue In Version: Dub Selections (CA036) is one of the rare releases in Clan Analogue’s catalogue which actually includes the name of the collective (although it is often shortened to just In Version). Executive Producer Scot McPhee (Victor X-Ray) sent out MIDI files of classic reggae basslines that artists could use to develop their dub tracks, in classic soundsystem style. The result is a unique combination of dub innovation and classic reggae tradition which sounds just as contemporary today. In Version includes some great contributions from Andy Rantzen, Winduptoys, Kazumichi Grime and others.

Originally put together as a promo collection to try to secure a distribution deal with a Hong Kong label, Inverted: Further Dub Selections (CA036B) became a limited edition companion CD for those who bought Clan Analogue In Version in physical format. The EP was another dub release, however these were more dub-influenced tracks rather than purist in their style, with artists mixing dub elements into their music in their own way.

An advance single in the leadup to the forthcoming release of the Winduptoys album, Melbourne’s psychedelic dub duo released Switch On (CA037P) in 2006 with a bunch of alternative mixes and obscure rarities which brought their exotica influences to the fore.

The debut Winduptoys album Double Exposure (CA037) released in 2006 was Clan Analogue’s last release through Creative Vibes. An experimental electronic masterpiece, Double Exposure mixed elements of dub, psychedelia, exotica, industrial music, found sound and general sonic weirdness. Enjoy!

The Promise EP (CA036K) from  KOshowKO was released in 2007 at the tail end of our time with Creative Vibes. KOshowKO’s track “Promise” had been included on the Clan Analogue In Version compilation and the EP collected this track along with a bunch of alternate mixes and remixes plus an otherwise unreleased “B-side”. Although CDs were pressed, the release emphasis was moving towards iTunes and other platforms for digital downloads by this stage.

101 Lock Groves (CA-LG101) was not a Creative Vibes release as it was released completely independently, however we include it here because it belongs in this era. This was originally a vinyl-only release coordinated by Nathan Elliot-Watson (Null Object) featuring 101 locked grooves by 28 different artists – very useful for some extra sonic spice in late night DJ sets! These loops have never before been available in non-physical format. We have made them available under a Creative Commons license so use as you will, although we would appreciate attribution please!

And finally, something that was never released at all. In 2002 Clan Analogue prepared to release the long-awaited debut album from Sydney industrial techno artist Null Object. But the abrasive qualities of Null Object’s uncompromising sound proved too much for the gentle ears at Creative Vibes and they didn’t want to release it. However while the “to release or not to release” debate was going on, one of the tracks was pressed onto a Creative Vibes vinyl promotional EP, which also included tracks by Disco Stu and Pretty Boy Crossover on the Clan Analogue side and some tracks from Sydney label Groovescooter on the other. If you have a copy of this rare release, count yourself lucky! In the meantime, enjoy this rediscovered hard industrial gem created with Null Object trademark vintage analogue gear and distortion aesthetic, the track “Stan Astad Is My Dad” which we are now releasing as CA03X.

New Clan Analogue t-shirts available now!

Some great new Clan Analogue t-shirts are now available from our Bandcamp merch store!

We have a new version of the Clan Analogue logo t-shirt, with a silver-embossed “modern era” Clan logo as designed by Shaw Cunningham.

And celebrating the forthcoming Clan Analogue FM synthesis compilation, we have an FM-themed blue-on-black t-shirt with carrier and modulator waveforms.

These t-shirts are available in S, M, L, XL and XXL sizes. Just head over to our Bandcamp merch store link and place your order!

CA060: David Prescott-Steed | Shadow Music

Prescott-Steed plants shadows in eardrums

Melbourne electroacoustic sound artist David Prescott-Steed releases his first album on Australia’s legendary Clan Analogue, the expansive and evocative Shadow Music.

Shadow Music immerses the listener in shifting ambiences, fragments of found sound, granulated modular synthesis, weather-worn strings and percussion. The album is inspired by the Jungian concept of the shadow self, with eight tracks that twist and turn into fragmented distortions of identity, neurodiversity, alienation, hyperfixation, love, loss, and memory. Caliginous stream-of-consciousness vocals punctuate post-industrial soundscapes, kicking up sonic dust along the way.

“These psycho-spatial interiors are personal”, says David. “Among my creative projects, the archive of songs grew. There was a gravitational pull to create them, yet they remained like paintings in the corner of an attic, not quite discarded but rarely mentioned. It felt like the right time to bring them into the light.” Shadow Music is an adventure in sonic surrealism, a murmuring in the shadows, now extracted, inspected, and given a home in your ears.

David Prescott-Steed has contributed music to Clan Analogue’s Coordinate and Distance compilations. Shadow Music is his first full-length release with the label.

Shadow Music will be launched at Clan Analogue’s event Sonic Selections, Spectral Visions, taking place at LongPlay Bar & Cinema, 318 St Georges Rd, North Fitzroy, on Saturday the 14th of October. Tickets can be purchased from the Melbourne Fringe website.

Track Listing:
1. Underfoot
2. New Canopy
3. NYE
4. Plume
5. Road
6. Embers
7. Another Runt
8. Ghost Money

Released October 2023.

CA059A: Valley Forge | Alright

Valley Forge return and announce it’s Alright

After more than a decade of silence, Valley Forge are back with a new release, the new EP “Alright”, out now from Clan Analogue.

Valley Forge began making waves in Sydney’s electronic music scene in the early 2000s with their signature blend of synth-pop and alternative electro-rock. A string of releases on Clan Analogue helped build a loyal fanbase and critical acclaim for releases including their epic 2011 album Artificial Heart, the collaboration “Wayfaring Stranger” with Australian music icon Kamahl, and the single “Follow Suit” which included remixes by Boxcar and Single Gun Theory.

Their new single “Alright” is released as a 6-track classic 90s electro-pop maxi-single available on CD, download and streaming on all major platforms. It features four eclectic remixes of the title track, including one by Australian electronic pioneer Tom Ellard of Severed Heads, and the propulsive B-side “Rage-Fear-Love”.

“Alright” is a testament to Valley Forge’s ability to create lush soundscapes with an anthemic melodic hook, shimmering harmonics, pulsating electronics and thought-provoking lyrics, all packaged within a tightly composed pop song structure. The track will also appear on the forthcoming new Valley Forge album, scheduled for release next year. 

Valley Forge frontman Freeman Lowell says, “Like a lot of other artists’ output from the last few years, “Alright” was seeded by the global COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns that affected the entire world. Its theme is that you have zero control over a great many things in life, and sometimes you simply have to keep your foot to the pedal and turn that corner, without knowing what the outcome will be.”

The opening track is what, in the 80s, would have been referred to as a 7-inch mix – a big sounding, alternative electronic pop track designed to bounce off the back of an arena, filled with swirling wah-wah guitars, chunky drums, two resonant basslines, synth arpeggios and lush pads drenched in phasers, choruses and reverbs.

The ‘Hair Cut’ (Track 2) is close to a traditional 12” version of the title track, remixed by Tom Ellard of Severed Heads with additional synthesised percussion and electronics.

Track 3 slows down with the stripped-back ‘Ambient Mix’, dropping the BPM and emphasising the sonar-inspired percussion hits, filter-sweeps and vocoders while adding arpeggios which syncopatically echo into the musical distance.

‘Alright: The OxyMix’ (Track 4) captures the spirit of 70s new-age synthesis, with phased string synths, minimal compurhythms and unison-lead synth sequences cascading downwards from analogue heaven, reminiscent of a certain European electronic pioneer/synth god.

The B-side, ‘Rage-Fear-Love’ raises the pulse rate with a driving bassline, skittering percussion, melodic leads and vocoded vocal samples, telling a tale of atomic-era emotional dysregulation, rising to a fever-pitch of side-chained sonic mayhem and a bit-crushed crescendo.  

The final track is an instrumental version of the ‘Ambient Mix’, a chilled-out environment where the soundscape becomes an exploratory listen. Interpolating sequences rise and fall as they float among waves of delay-riddled atmospherics, accompanied by pulsing subharmonic bass and buoyant, airy percussion.

While Valley Forge’s earlier material is largely instrumental, their collaboration with Kamahl proved to be a pivotal moment for the band, and was the catalyst for vocals to make more of an appearance in their material. Valley Forge’s writing has always been a fairly organic process – driven by a deep love of sound design and layering. “Alright”, however, was written with one ear tuned to classic pop sensibilities. Its influences can be heard in much of the British Alternative hits of the 90’s & the 00’s as well as, dare they say it, The Beach Boys and Electric Light Orchestra. “We have always loved harmonies, especially when they tend to be a little melancholy.” Valley Forge also count among their many influences the likes of Depeche Mode, Orbital, LFO, Recoil, Scritti Politti, Jesus Jones and PWEI.

Valley Forge’s audio gear list has also grown over the last decade, comprising an array of vintage and modern equipment in both physical and digital formats, moulded through extensive buying, selling and trading of synths, samplers and drum machines. “It’s kind of a Swiss Army-style toolkit now, where everything does something different and you know exactly what each bit of kit is best at. We mix as we build, and we tend to have a lot going on in each track, so the ability to sculpt frequencies while still maintaining clarity and separation is absolutely vital” says Lowell, “Also we’ve gotten technically better at mixing and shaping that soundscape over the years, thanks in part to the incredible control you have over tiny details. We still like to eschew all that every now and again though, and leave something in that has a bit of wobble or “artistic” imperfection.”

“We’re thrilled to be back and to share our new music with our fans. We may have been quiet for the last decade but we never stopped making music. This EP, and the upcoming new album, hopefully showcases our growth as electronic producers and our willingness to push ourselves into a more speculative and pop-centric songwriting space.”

For a limited time, purchases of the “Alright” CD from Bandcamp come with a groove Valley Forge lapel pin. Head over to the Clan’s Bandcamp merch page via this link:

Track Listing:
1. Alright
2. Alright (Hair Cut)
3. Alright (Ambient Mix)
4. Alright (Oxymix)
5. Rage-Fear-Love
6. Alright (Ambient Instrumental)

Released September 2023.

Volunteers wanted to test Future Security Agency audio

Volunteers wanted to test Future Security Agency audioare you eligible?

Do you have the aptitude to hear the decrypted Future Security Agency data? Assessment criteria include musical awareness, psychological resilience & physiological stamina

Take our eligibility test to check your suitability. Click here to apply.

Clan Analogue have finally completely decoded the mysterious Future Security Agency Partial Decryptions into its purest form.  A small number of musically-competent volunteers are required to “test listen” to these fully decoded, and potentially hallucinogenic, audio snippets.

In 2021, Clan Analogue were contacted by an anonymous source asking for assistance in decrypting a unique dataset. Despite their scepticism, our IT team agreed to look into it, assembling an entirely-airgapped rack server constrained within a Faraday cage so as to safely examine the data without risk of wider network contamination.

The patterns that emerged matched those of audio encoding frameworks, in an as-yet unencountered ultra-high resolution quantum audio format. Remarkably, certain recurring temporal patterning within the data indicated a correlation with music. 

Before vanishing, our source left us a warning that the data could be dangerous, hinting at possible retribution from an unknown source due to the effects these sounds could have on listeners. 

During the decryption process a piece of corrupt tri-code was initially discarded as noise. After applying several Fourier transform equations, it was realised that this was actually some kind of metadata stamping algorithm. The name Future Security Agency emerged, along with an image, possibly a key to the data’s original source.

A handpicked team of Clan Analogue artists worked at decrypting the data, reconstructing the waveforms within the perceivable audible frequency spectrum. These select artists, Chamberz, Tim Marcus Moore, Kable54, Reductionist and GJ Hannah, were each given a discrete portion of the data to reconstruct as best they could. In 2022 we made these reconstructions available as the Future Security Agency Partial Decryptions

In January this year our IT team were stuck, making no further progress in decoding the data. A breakthrough occurred when we managed to sneak some time with a CSIRO hyper-qubit quantum computer, on the pretext of developing the perfect reverb plugin as an Australian export opportunity. Utilising the processing power now available, we realised the sidechain noise contained an encrypted blockchain. Running it through proprietary cryptocurrency decoding software gave us the breakthrough we needed. We now believe we have in our possession the completely-decrypted Future Security Agency audio.

We are however, hesitant to make this audio more widely available as yet, due to both the warnings given when we received the original data and some strange experiences reported by Clan Analogue’s team of decrypting artists. 

Hallucinations, hyper-real dreams, visions of alternative social structures,… these mental experiences became familiar to our audio technicians.

Because of these dangers, we are not yet making this significant audio available for all to listen to. 

Instead, Clan Analogue are looking for capable volunteers to “test listen” to some short snippets of the pure audio.  Prior to listening, volunteers will be assessed for their suitability, according to criteria of musical awareness, physical stamina and psychological resilience.

If you believe you are able to hear this audio, click here to access our diagnostic online test.

The independent 2000s – now on Bandcamp

In the early years of the twenty-first century various Australian music distributors sadly wound up their operations as the music industry continued its journey into the era of downloads and streaming. Clan Analogue’s long-running relationships with distributors such as Mushroom, Festival, Creative Vibes and MDS drew to a close. Once again Clan Analogue began operating completely independently, just as it had when the collective was first formed in the early 1990s.

Clan Analogue have now made available on Bandcamp all the releases from this period of its history – the independent 2000s. These releases were originally released as CDs available on mail order. Now they have been made available for the first time for download or streaming from the Bandcamp platform.

The Neurosis EP (CA021C) was actually a collection of tracks recorded by the Melbourne duo Continuum in the late 1990s, including the track “Neurosis” which had originally been released on the late 90s Clan Analogue compilation Pre Sense. The Neurosis EP was released in 2010 as a teaser EP, making most of these tracks available for the first time, leading up to the release of the Clan Analogue retrospective collection Re Cognition.

We Think You’re Dishy Remixes (CA039B) EP by B(if)tek was a second teaser EP for the Re Cognition Clan Analogue retrospective collection released in 2010. The release included two new remixes of B(if)tek’s classic track “We Think You’re Dishy”, one by Melbourne act KOshowKO, the second by Sydney electro duo Bleepin’ J Squawkins. As well as the two new remixes, the EP featured the original version of “We Think You’re Dishy”, first heard on the Clan Analogue compilation Twenty Disco Greats released in 1999. The fourth track “We Oscillate” was originally heard on the 1996 Clan Analogue cassette release Schizmatrix.

The Lunar Module self-titled EP (CA039L) was one of a collection of EPs by different Clan Analogue artists released in 2010. Sydney’s Lunar Module were first heard on the 2004 Clan Analogue electro compilation Doppler Shift, with a style influenced by the classic sounds of 1980s new wave, industrial electro and synth pop. This EP featured seven retro-futuristic tracks as a mini-album release.

Theme From Tiatto (CA039T) was another in the collection of 2010 Clan Analogue EPs, the first release from Melbourne act Tiatto, whose sound was inspired by the sounds of garage, breakbeat and 2-step emerging from the UK. Andy Rantzen joined the party to add a great remix to this collection of epic psychedelic groovers.

KOshowKO’s The Truth In Me (CA039K) was also one of Clan Analogue’s 2010 EP collection, a follow-up to the earlier Promise EP. The Truth In Me contained tracks that are both haunting and euphoric with an opulent production aesthetic perfected by Martin K on this release.

CA058B: Cognition 3031: Further Deviations | Various Artists

Clan Analogue continue their epic TB-303 exploration

Following in the sequence steps of Cognition 303: Bassline Deviations – now up the squelch with Cognition 3031: Further Deviations

Clan Analogue celebrated their 30th birthday last year in style – by releasing the epic Cognition 303: Bassline Deviations, a compilation exploring the 40-year history of the Roland TB-303 Bass Line machine. Clan Analogue artists from across Australia heeded the call to create a new collection exploring all versions of this instrument and its expanding musical lineage. The result was a stunning collection of 14 squelchy masterpieces.

There was so much great work submitted for the Cognition 303 release that many impressive tracks were not able to make it onto the original compilation. These additional tracks were heard by a select few who bought the album from Bandcamp and received them as an additional bonus download.

Now moving on to its 31st birthday, Clan Analogue are marking the occasion by giving these bonus tracks the attention they deserve, remastering them and packaging them up for release as the new companion volume Cognition 3031: Further Deviations. This collection explores the classic acid and techno sounds which made the TB-303’s reputation as an integral part of electronic music history. Ranging from classic late-80s acid house, through to 90s-style ambient beats to 2000s industrial techno, this compilation is for all who love the resonant bleep of classic acid and techno.

Cognition 3031 opens with the return of Bleepin’ J Squawkins, presenting their first recorded work in 18 years. Ming One continues the techno grooves explored in his Addiction EP. Melbourne’s acid maestro dyLAB presents a stripped-back minimal groove with “Clan Acid A Log” while Abel el Toro parties like it’s 1989. Speedloader pushes the 303 as hard as it will go while Mr Rachele presents a unique 303 recreation using his modular setup.

If you enjoyed the sound of Cognition 303: Bassline Deviations, make sure you don’t miss out on Cognition 3031: Further Deviations, available on Bandcamp and all streaming platforms.

Cognition 3031 was launched in Melbourne at Bar 303, 303 High St, Northcote, on Friday the 7th of July with 303s on 707 at 303, with live sets from dyLAB, Cwerk, Marcus Newman, Speedloader, Ming One and Mr Rachele.

1. Bleepin’ J Squawkins l The Downup Accent Slide
2. Cwerk l Phonezy
3. Ming One l Two Face
4. Nufe l Searbhag
5. Abel el Toro l You, You, You
6. Marcus Newman l Weekend on Europa
7. Acidalius l Acidemocracy
8. Sebastian Bayne l Zenomorph Blood
9. Speedloader l Blood of Jesus
10. dyLAB l Clan Acid A Log
11. Arcane Trickster l Order to Go
12. Mr Rachele l Clone
13. Pure Saboteur l Dynamique Quadratic Mix
14. Fate Æffect l Spry A4D3

Album credits:
Executive Producer: Ryan Spinoglio
Design concept & photography: Ryan Spinoglio
Design layout: Rae Dixon
Typography: James Wingrove
Mastering: Matthew Boyd
Label support: Nick Wilson

CA058: Cognition 303: Bassline Deviations | Various Artists

Clan Analogue celebrate 30 Years and the TB-303!

Two events, from 40 years ago and 30 years ago, seemingly unrelated yet completely intertwined, are celebrated in Clan Analogue’s newest compilation release Cognition 303: Bassline Deviations.

In 1982 Roland released a new bass sequencer and synthesizer which manifestly failed in its intended purpose – to replace the bass player.

In 1992 Brendan Palmer and Toby Grime had a chance meeting on a train platform in Sydney, bonding over their shared love of obsolete electronic music instruments, and decided to form an electronic music artists’ collective.

The Roland TB-303 Bass Line machine was a discarded device of the 1980s, forgotten as shiny digital synths became the industry standard of polished pop and stadium rock. However a new generation in the late 80s and early 90s reclaimed these analogue relics from pawn shops and Trading Post adverts, inspired by the new sounds of techno, house and electronic experimentalism. These young artists became the flagbearers for new musical movements which swept through the 1990s. From this era, 30 years ago, Clan Analogue was born, Australia’s longest-running and most influential electronic music collective.

Cognition 303: Bassline Deviations celebrates the 40-year history of the TB-303, its status as the last great iconic instrument of electronic music, and explorations of its newest sonic manifestations. The TB-303 has become one of the most used, modified and cloned instruments in electronic music. For Cognition 303 Clan Analogue artists from across Australia heeded the call to create a new selection of sounds exploring all versions of this instrument and its expanding musical lineage.

Cognition 303 spans the styles associated with the TB-303 and pushes them into new and unexpected directions. Techno superstar Honeysmack collaborates with T-Rek for one of his famed acid techno bangers. Australian dance music pioneer Andy Rantzen teams up with fellow 303 lover Ryan Spinoglio to give us a stripped-back funk exploration using four TB-303s. Composite Cone and Klaps celebrate the famed Robin Whittle 303 Devilfish modification. Vision Four 5 produce an anthemic piece of stadium techno while KOshowKO channels the legendary Charanjit Singh by blending the 303 with non-Western instruments. Suspect and Factorypreset, two halves of the seminal Dark Network, each create a piece of hypnotic ambient acid house groove, just some of the squelchy masterpieces on Cognition 303.

Buy album from Beatport

Download Cognition 303 from Bandcamp for a bonus collection of 14 more Australian 303 tracks from Clan Analogue’s artists, including contributions from Bleepin’ J Squawkins, Ming One and dyLAB.

Tracklist:

1. Swinging Tasty Bag l Junkyard
2. Mechana l Non-Existent
3. Vision Four 5 l Acidulous Broth
4. Ollie Lee l EMU Lotion
5. Composite Cone & Klaps l Untitled Devilfish Acid Track
6. Times of the Sines l Two 303s and a 909
7. Noneohone l Smokey
8. Andy Rantzen & Ryan Spinoglio l No Gluten For Putin
9. Honeysmack & T-Rek l Wet Channel Acid (CA Mix)
10. KOshowKO l The 303rd Babel of Greed
11. Factorypreset l Off the Clock (Drugs Mix)
12. BluNjin l Forest Rez
13. sd_falter l Alt-Tabbed
14. Suspect l Darkmatter
15. Bleepin’ J Squawkins l The Downup Accent Slide [bonus track on Bandcamp only]
16. Cwerk l Phonezy [bonus track on Bandcamp only]
17. Ming One l Two Face [bonus track on Bandcamp only]
18. Nufe l Searbhag [bonus track on Bandcamp only]
19. Abel el Toro l You, You, You [bonus track on Bandcamp only]
20. Marcus Newman l Weekend on Europa [bonus track on Bandcamp only]
21. Acidalius l Acidemocracy [bonus track on Bandcamp only]
22. Sebastian Bayne l Zenomorph Blood [bonus track on Bandcamp only]
23. Speedloader l Blood of Jesus [bonus track on Bandcamp only]
24. dyLAB l Clan Acid A Log [bonus track on Bandcamp only]
25. Arcane Trickster l Order to Go [bonus track on Bandcamp only]
26. Mr Rachele l Clone [bonus track on Bandcamp only]
27. Pure Saboteur l Dynamique Quadratic Mix [bonus track on Bandcamp only]
28. Fate Æffect l Spry A4D3 [bonus track on Bandcamp only]

Album credits:
Executive Producer: Ryan Spinoglio
Design: James Wingrove
Mastering (tracks 1-14): Darren Ziesing
Label support: Nick Wilson

released in 2022

CA057H: Dylan Beast | How Long

Melbourne singer/songwriter Dylan Beast unveils his new industrial electronic rock sound with the three-track single How Long out now on Australia’s Clan Analogue label.

Dylan Beast’s sonic style is influenced by electronic rock of the 1990s and 2000s melded with the edge of modern club music styles. His songwriting explores the mental struggles of modern life and the inherent tensions of today’s technologically-mediated existence. Following on from his independently released Black Patches album of 2020, Dylan moves further into electronica with this new release on Clan Analogue.

Buy album from Beatport

Through a mix of industrial music, funk guitar, experimental synths and rock vocals, “How Long” talks about the need for people to fake their emotional responses throughout their lives in order to survive the pressures of our society.

How Long” is backed with two extra tracks which build the intensity further. Perth’s Times of the Sines remix “How Long” for a high energy dancefloor vibe, granulising and resynthesizing the vocals to convey heightened alienation.

The closer track “Still in Quarantine” was created using samples recorded by Dylan in his house during lockdown, capturing the enforced introspection produced during mental and physical confinement.

Track Listing
1. How Long
2. How Long (Times of the Sines Remix)
3. Still in Quarantine

Vocals, guitars, sampling and songwriting by Dylan Scutti
Produced by Nick Wilson
Mastering by Tom Glover
Design by Megan Sanelli
Mixing on tracks 1 & 3 by Fred Schilling and Matthew Boyd
Track 2 produced by Jason Fewings
Vocal recording and production by Hamish Muir, Fred Schilling and Matthew Boyd.
Programming on track 1 by Thomas Copeland and Mohit Rao

Originally released in 2022