KiloWatts & Vanek - Perennials Remixes (Harmonious Discord)

Spring begins to bloom as seedlings lay down their roots, a sturdy foundation for their generational journey. The masters of the journey, those perennial species that brave the cycles of the earth, continue to endure. Rewind nearly 20 years to a festival in Augsburg, Germany, called Lab30, which featured a bouquet of forward-thinking musical pioneers. In that collective were the cross-genre band KiloWatts and Vanek, who had played their first show in 2004 as part of a gathering of like-minded music producers and artists worldwide, focusing heavily on experimental electronic music and art.

Fast forward to the present, KiloWatts and Vanek have reunited in a boundlessly special album called Perennials. The album is a truly impressive blend of their classic signature sound and multiple nods to musical innovations that have sparked in between their albums. In celebration of Perennials, the duo decided to reach out to some of those artists for a reunion, as well as collaborate with new friends made along the way. The collection spans a network of producers from near and far, old and new, with eyes looking to the future. The remix collection offers a bountiful selection for all musical minds, from the intelligently precise ethereal offerings by Orphax, The Village Orchestra, Megaheadphoneboy, and Lackluster to the upbeat midtempo music from Erothyme, Gift Culture, Polygon Rainbow, and PointBender. Heavier techno placements from PointBender and Andrew Sega ultimately crescendo into the edit-heavy, dub offering from PHAENOS. Rediscover the Perennials listening experience with this dynamic selection of remixed offerings and rediscover the collective experience.

*Klaus Benedek (Fortunea Records) – “The Gift Culture Remix of One Day is a Beauty!” LUROB (Still Bumpin) – “Nice variety on this release. PointBenders Warehouse Dub of Nankurunasia is my go to.” P.M.F.M. (Deep Dive Corp.) – “Excellent release!” Danny Ward (Moodymanc) – “All nice … Fermenwah (TVO Tool) in particular got me here.” Sandro Bianchi (Ibiza Sonica) – “This is amazing!” Redstickman** (The Ambient Mafia) – “Great album! Please Hold (Polygon Rainbow Remix) is amazing. Super lush and chill. Love it!”

Available Now From: Beatport, Bandcamp, Apple Music, And Spotify.

Polygon Rainbow - Approaching Eternity (Harmonious Discord)

On the heels of radiantly hot remixes of Patchen and KiloWatts for Harmonious Discord comes the episodic journey into the vibrant color palette of the multi-format artist and creative Polygon Rainbow. Hailing high from the pacific northwest, Christopher Bourland’s Polygon Rainbow project fuses an extra-dimensional visual world with the same rich textures baked into an audio selection that resides somewhere between electronica homages and futuristic synth/vaporwave excursions. This five-track project shows the broad mastery of melodic spaces this symmetrical, angular-visioned hero has under his control.

"Approaching Eternity" sweeps the listener away with rich pad textures and dulcet melodics. Transforming and evolving with manipulated vocoder trills and rising arpeggiations, the selection forges right to the steps of eternity. "Inner Workings of External Processes" is a Commodore computer concerto wrapped in a lovely blanket of lo-fi texture. Late 80’s bass lines and tightly programmed drums deliver a nostalgic warmth worth consuming. "Reconstructing Corrupt Memories" retains these warm feelings with fun excursions into stringed and bowed instruments, all with a cascading polyphony of synth layers. "Unraveling the Code" amps up the energy with a rinsed-out, melody-forward selection that grows into a precisely crafted drum and bass banger with dancing bass tones. Lastly is the disenchanted lullaby, "Conversations with the Void." Laden with seductive synth pillars and progressive pitch and frequency excursion, this closer implants in your brain for the long stay, whispering: “can you hear me.”

Sunshine Jones (Dubtribe) – “I really love this. Very refreshing and connecting.”
Hector Rodriguez (Underscore Recordings) – “Really interesting release! Enjoyed the variety of tracks and sound palettes for each.”
DJ Firefly (WRCT 88.3 FM Pittsburgh) – “Infused with plenty of synths and amazing creativity!”
Simon Kirk (Stag Beetle Radio Show) – “Futuristic, fabulous deep electronica.. Approaching Eternity stands out for me. Magic!”
Jon Fugler (XLNT radio show) – “Some real gems here - Reconstructing Corrupt Memories just edging it in a strong field of wonky delights.”
DJ Nova (Rodon FM 95) – “It all builds to a contemporary electronic blend where electronica, synthwave and chillwave which transmits a beautiful today's future soundscape.”

Available Now From: Bandcamp, Beatport, Apple Music, And Spotify.

Azieb and KiloWatts - Glimmer in the Dark (Harmonious Discord)

"Keep your balance, don’t let it rock you. When you are feeling uncomfortable, that’s a sign you need to grow.” Even the longest wars subside, and collectively humans reach for the light, the "Glimmer in the Dark." An empowering message from Chicago DJ and performing artist Azieb, who is infecting airwaves and inclusive spaces with a cerebral brand of cross-genre melody. Azieb transverses broadband wires and outer space satellites to collaborate with Harmonious Discord hometown hero KiloWatts. The result is an undefinable mixture of calculated atmospheres and guiding lyrics with spectacular reworks from Polygon Rainbow, PointBender, and Patchen. Swim through this palette of textures and sounds.

The original is a particularly musical construction with a strong focus on subversive yet complex synth and drum construction. Front and center are Azieb’s messages ushering and often leading the musical discourse. Later entrances of stuttered percussion and interleaved bass turn this taste into a bonafide journey, a fitting task for upper west coast journeyman Polygon Rainbow. His remake embodies the musical space and expansiveness of the original while exploring new broken beat variations and breathtaking breakdowns. HD label boss PointBender provides a stripped electro revision with progressive layers and tendencies. This remix captures the power of the original vocals and elevates the energy for the dancefloor. Rounding out the project is Patchen, hot off his recent album Southwest Passage. Patchen layers cinematic atmospheres and outer space leads until an evolving arpeggio dominates the musical expanse. This project is a reminder that the creative energy of the underground may prove to be the elusive glimmer in the dark.

Jon Fugler (Fluke) – “Beautiful vocals blending effortlessly with a fine selection of remixes - Patchens Affirmation wins by a whisker.”
Flash Atkins (Paper Recordings) – “Great EP but it’s the original that does it for me.”
Redstickman (The Ambient Mafia) – “So Chill! Love this so much.”
Nick Warren (The Soundgarden) – “Excellent music.”
Double-D (Funky Fresh Radio Show) – “PointBender’s electro mix is rockin’.”
Dr. Best (Radio Z 95.8, Neurnberg) – “The Polygon Rainbow Rework is my favorite here.”
Sandro Bianchi (Ibiza Sonica) – “Great original & Brilliant Remixes.”

Available Now From: Beatport, Bandcamp, Apple Music, And Spotify.

PointBender - Violaceous (Harmonious Discord)

Music creation is not all hype and roses, and few understand that as deeply as Harmonious Discord owner and synthesizer composer Sean Anderson aka PointBender. His fourth artist album is a two-and-a-half-year journey into a growing studio discipline formed by a worldwide pandemic. In a time when humans felt so lost, the importance of being close to music and the artist community was a healing force that was ever-powerful. Calm, almost serene at times, to points approaching mania. Sean encompasses the entirety of the spectrum of human emotion in sound.

Violaceous is a journey through deeply moody ambient, heady electro, and boundary-bending house and techno music. Creative concertos process moments of joy, grief, and experimentation. This stand-alone album offers a musical listening experience all its own. From the ambient and melodic beginnings of "Conflict" and "SY35" — which feature live clarinet instrumentation, experimental synth applications, and manipulated field recordings — to the deeply textured electro offering "CBD." For "Agent of Peace," we see PointBender partner with longtime collaborator KiloWatts for beautifully constructed ivory implantations that elevate the bliss factor. "Plastic Cities" is an homage to the early Plastic City sound, featuring the vocals of Suza Kanon who originally released recordings with Sean on the Guidance and Fair Park imprints. Shifting powers to more playful arenas is "Mistakes Are OK," a fun and bass-centric smooth mover that progresses into haunting overtones. Keeping it light, the undeniable weightlessness of "The Bells Found Me Motionless" collides staggered bells, growing pad tension, and sonically special drums into a growing cacophony of layers. Capping off our ascent is "Altocumulus," an homage to early hard techno composed on all hardware and recorded linearly in real-time with friend Harmon Giddles. The final descent offers a sonic reminder of forgiveness and understanding channeled through a synth-driven ambient outro.

Violaceous, a collection of creative curiosities, aims to please the ears and at times tickle the cerebrum, a familiar formula from PointBender.

Alvaro Hylander (DeepWit Recordings) – “Plenty to play here. Lovely release. Will support on my radio show.”
Michael de Hey (Circle Records) – “Excellent release, thanks!”
Tony H (Late Night Munchies) – “Lovin’ the vibes of Mistakes are OK.”
Simon Kirk (Stag Beetle radio show) – “Great work again from PointBender. Plastic Cities in particular is a gem.”
Jon Fugler (XLNT radio show) – “Sy35 is such a lovely piece it had to be the fave. Some great tracks jostling for the coveted silver.”
Jon Barnes (Airpusher) – “yes! Funky, spacey, original. Mistakes are OK and CBD are the ones for me.”

Available Now From: Beatport, Bandcamp, Apple Music, And Spotify.