Sex Judas - Monter Sur Le Cochon Norvégien N'est Pas Facile - The Norwegian Remixes (Cymasonic)

Barcelona-based Cymasonic is a musical imprint, platform and collaboration between longtime friends Trulz & Robin (Trulz Kvam, Robin Crafoord) and Arildo (Arild Lopez) with stellar releases by Robomatic, Usmev, and Camilla Luna, among others. Cymasonic returns with “Monter Sur Le Cochon Norwégien N'est Pas Facil – The Norwegian Remixes” by Sex Judas (Tore Gjedrem), one half of Ost & Kjex, whose prior output spans everything from Dyinamic releases, leftfield Norwegian trash, ‘90s doom metal bands, and avant-disco funk.

In his restless quest for the funk, Sex Judas invites label-mates as well as players from the Norwegian underground scene—Blackbelt Andersen, Human Inferno, Charlotte Bendiks, Magnus international, Melkeveien—to re-imagine originals culled from 2011-2015 releases on Tim Paris’ Marketing label. The mixes are infused with the vigilante attitude, grit, and funk of the current northern scene, as well as analog, slinky, and abstract house. After this scintillating tease, stay tuned for Sex Judas’ full album drop later this winter.

Flash Atkins (Paper Recordings) – “Yes yes yes, it’s a win for me!”
Tyler Stadius (Dialtone Records) – “Tripped out tracks. I’ll play the Charlotte Bendiks Remix.”
Jaymz Nylon (Adult Selections Radio Show) – “The Blackbelt Anderson Remix is a feel good track that’s funky in all the right places.”
Lee Jones / Country Gents (Buslife) – “Wow, what a journey this is. The Magnus International remix floats my boat.”
Robot84 (Paper Recordings) – “Lots of super remixes on here. Blackbelt Anderson is the one for me, I love it!”
DJ Osric (Black and Blue Show) – “Love the variety on this release. Very enjoyable.”
Matt Prehn (Oh So Coy / Large Music) – “Some fresh vibes here. Really feeling Charlotte’s remix.”
Simon Kirk (Stag Beetle Radio Show) – “Fantastic release – the Magnus International remix is so good. Dancefloor Devistation!”
DJ Morpheus (Lysergic Factory radio show) – “Truly bonkers stuff, but it’s up my tree so I dig it! Top crazy.”
Taigo Onez (Bang Le’ Dex Radio Show) – “Arildo, Trulz & Robin come through in the clutch on this! They complement the release for sure. Great body of work here!”

Available Now From: Bandcamp, Juno Download, Spotify, And iTunes.

Camilla Luna - Lost & Found (Cymasonic)

Digging through the archives of one of its most enigmatic artistic figures, Cymasonic have stumbled across an album that’s been hiding in plain sight for the last eleven years. Camilla Luna’s Lost & Found, is exactly as the title suggests, a collection of musical rarities, reimagined in an album where Cymasonic have breathed new life to these undiscovered gems. It features some of the last work Camilla Luna and production partner BHLB might create together, and something of a ‘rescue mission’ for the label, who feared that these tracks might get lost permanently like so many before them, unless they intervened.

Lost & Found is a body of work that consolidates the past, the present, and the future for Camilla Luna as one artistic entity. The shy, reclusive singer catalogues eleven years worth of songs and ideas into a singular body of work with the help of the anonymous BHLB, a mysterious entity in his own right. Re-imagining these scattered moments in a single album has given them a distinct voice in this new context, the tracks finding an unlikely contemporary relationship to each other.

Camilla Luna’s raspy, enigmatic vocals bite and tear at lyrics flirting with concepts of love, friendship, and the realities of a life as a musician, with the technical intent of jazz and the passion of R&B. Finding a happy equilibrium somewhere between Erykah Badu and TLC’s T-Boz, Camilla’s vocals on Lost & Found engage at a literal level, where she draws you into the murky nether world of BHLB’s music. Bold, creeping synth movements orchestrated around restrained beats find that perfect balance between contrast and harmony with Luna’s vocals defining a sound for the creative duo’s extensive career together.

More on Camilla:

Camilla Luna is the versatile voice behind some of the most significant EPs and singles from the Norwegian clubbing world with releases on the likes of Bpitch Control, Eskimo, Bogota, and Cymawax. Born Camilla Molvær Vazquez she is a Norwegian/Uruguayan songstress who was later dubbed Luna, in the Charrúa way by her Uruguayan father. Traversing the worlds of soul, jazz, and R&B through a singular artistic identity, she works comfortably within electronic soundscapes with her strong natural Latin influences often coming to the fore. Hers is a sound that errs on the side of raw, futuristic, wonky, and bumpy with clear references to ’80s funk and hip hop.

Camilla has worked closely with producer BHLB aka Baz (Streetology Studios) since 2006, and although they brought 2016’s seminal Open Up EP to the world, their work together has remained largely hidden with many gems still awaiting release. Some of her previous Camilla’s previous efforts include music on WahWah 45s, People Love Music, and Echorek Records, and she continues to work with established artists like Trulz & Robin, Usmev, and Arildo. Camilla Luna is singular voice for Norwegian club music and beyond.

Azaxx (Tru Thoughts) – “Amazing voice and very inspired musical layout. One of the most exiting things I've heard recently.”
Mr. Bristow (Subtek / Detox) – “Excellent. Really soulful.”
Kid Loco (Flor) – “Great mood. Red Handed is amazing!”
Rory Hoy (Howlin’ Records) – “Amazing album. Reminds me of Macy Gray and Erykah Badu.”
DJ Wash (Funk The System) – “Listened to 2 tracks and that was enough to say that this release is fire!”
Andy (Scandanavian Soul) – “Deep, sensual beats and tones draw you in like a light in the woods. Dark yet hauntingly infectious.”
Simon Harrison (Basic Soul radio show) – “It's been a long time coming but I'm glad Camilla & Baz are back! Lovely vocals and proper heavy weight beats.”
MadameFLY (mmRadio) – “Amazing collection. The ‘sultry’ is on overdrive and this is amazing.”
DJ Osric (Black and Blue Show) – “I’ve listened to this about 4 times now and it gets more enjoyable with each listen.”
Jon Fugler (XLNT radio show / Fluke) – “Weirdly wonderful & strangely hypnotic. I’m really enjoying this.”

Available Now From Bandcamp, Juno Download, iTunes, And Spotify.

Various Artists - Glad i Dag EP (Cymasonic)

Cymasonic celebrate the 'happy days' of summer with Glad i Dag, an exciting various artists collection showcasing the label's hard-working stalwarts. With roots in both Barcelona and Oslo, Cymasonic and its vinyl-only offshoot Cymawax transmit a truly trans-European attitude alongside a globally representative deep techno sound. This ethos is in full view with the opening track "Don't Give Up" by Trulz & Robin side-project Robomatic. It's a pulsating, beatless electronic track that lies somewhere between prime Detroit moments and evocative Blade Runner shimmers. Rising Norway-via-Bulgaria producer Ivaylo brings the beats and bleeps into play with "Hazel", a groovy house track with heaps of bass perfectly suited for late night vibrations. Newcomer Fede Zerdan, who recently made his second appearance with a well-received 12" on Cymawax, is next to land in the zone with "RPS-SET" … dubby textures and oozing synthesizers build steadily over some tough rhythms. Finally, Trulz & Robin contribute the eleven minute "Glad i Dag (Frosk Edit)", a hypnotic, churning techno composition with evolving layers of melody and a joyful, rhythmic bounce. It's a mind-blowing set from Cymasonic, confirming the healthy state of the label on the occasion of its ninth release.

Nick Warren - "All of these tracks are great!"
Peter Kruder - "I dig the Trulz & Robin tune … I will play that."
Mazi (Audio Soul Project / Fresh Meat) - "I like Ivaylo's 'Hazel' … the keys in the second half really grab your attention."
Tensnake - "Cool EP."
Larry Tee - "Nice stuff here."
Stacey Pullen - "This is cool."
Dr. Motte (PRAXXIZ) - "Funky and deep techno with a great, original spirit."
Anthony Pappa - "Cool release … my favorite is Fede Zerdan' s 'RPS-SET'."
Massimiliano Pagliara (Live At Robert Johnson) - "Nice tunes!"
Ulysses (Neurotic Drum Band) - "The epic edit of 'Glad i Dag' is my pick but everything here is cool."
Taigo Onez (The Essence Radio Show) - "Cymasonic has become a favorite label of mine … quality music that I can trust to be proper underground."
Tom Conrad (Adaptation Music) - "Great track from Ivaylo … I'm also loving Trulz & Robin's 'Glad i Dag' with its tight and intelligent production."
Tariq Ziyad (New Urban ERA music blog) - "It doesn't get any better than this. Diversity, great sounds … a joy to these ears."
Simon Kirk (Stag Beetle Radio Show) - "Each track is distinctive in style and all deliver wonderful results. 'Glad i Dag' is stunning … its Detroit feel makes it stand out and will sound immense in a room."
Andrew Duke (Cognition Audioworks) - "Cymasonic have another winner on their hands."

Available now from Beatport, Juno Download, and iTunes.

Trulz & Robin - Dance Music Therapy (Cymasonic)

Oslo-based techno stalwarts Trulz & Robin are back with Dance Music Therapy, the long-awaited follow-up to 2004's Intersexual and their fourth full-length album since the much-acclaimed 2001 debut Mechanized World. After eleven years and a number of 12"s scattered through vinyl shops around Europe, it is about time that Truls Kvam and Robin Crafoord get back into full album mode … and the wait has been worth it. Dance Music Therapy is an excursion into deep, catchy techno, alternating between the unexpected and transcendent to the efficient and functional.

The album is comprised of tracks taken from the Dance Music Therapy singles series released on Cymasonic, a young label based in both Barcelona and Oslo. Spread over three volumes, these singles garnered glowing accolades from the likes of Laurent Garnier, Brendon Moeller, Nick Warren, Peter Kruder, Colin Dale, and Tensnake. This collection commemorates the completion of the series, as well as the two year anniversary of Cymasonic's debut release, which consisted of three of the songs heard here. Giving back to the dance floor and the home listeners alike, the songs on Dance Music Therapy are delicately mixed into one another -- creating a building continuity -- similar to experiencing a Trulz & Robin DJ set.

Highlights include "Daylight"'s strong Detroit pulse, the soul-searching ambience of "Adventure", "Blue Grass, Green Sky"'s mind-blowing techno journey, and the playfully experimental "Beneath the Surface". And there are many other key moments and evocative nuances to be discovered throughout the album's nine tracks. Dance Music Therapy proves to be an apt title as each minute is strongly emotive, but also physically engaging -- sure to spread from Oslo into the collections of techno connoisseurs the world over.

Laurent Garnier - "I will hammer 'Øyestikker'n' everywhere."
Brendon Moeller (Cielo / Bergain) - "Ace originals … well done!"
Nick Warren - “Stunning release … very cool, indeed.”
Sunshine Jones (Dubtribe) - "Stunning. So refreshing and lovely."
Kruse & Nuernberg - “‘The Clearing’ is beautiful!”
Fabrice Lig (Motech / Fine Art) - "I'm always looking for tracks like 'Øyestikker'n' … I'll play it for sure."
Colin Dale (Abstrakt Dance) - “A really cool release … lush sounds.”
Rune Lindbæk (Drum Island / Luna Flicks) - "Love it!"
Tyler Stadius (Deepsite / Dialtone) - "Lovely, atmospheric, spacey tracks."
Dr. Motte (PRAXXIZ) - "I love the sound of the hang drum on 'Adventure'. Great release."
Chris Fortier - “Very nice vibe on all the tracks.”
diskJokke (Full Pupp / Smalltown Supersound) - “Great stuff!”
Sumsuch (Colour and Pitch) - “Beautifully produced - beguiling and compelling - simply a fantastic release.”

Available now from Beatport, Traxsource, and iTunes.