topo2 world - edition 001
The moment I launched into your inbox with yet another music-newsletter. The first topo2 world bulletin is here with a truckload of adventurous electronic music recommendations.
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Hello, Bert from topo2 here! Thank you for subscribing to the newsletter and entering the topo2 world. I started this thing for two reasons: 1) Navigating a label within the music industry usually is done from a kinda strict point of view, only communicating on the label’s output. With topo2 I like to broaden the scope to the wider ecosystem and be enthusiastic about everything that forms this silly corner of the music spectrum. 2) I just like to embrace the inner-nerd in me and think it is simply big fun sharing music.
As this is the first one, please let me explain a bit about what the plan is. Let’s start by making abundantly clear that I’m not a writer. Writing about music, or art in general, is something that only a few people can do really well so I will not burn my hands on that. Recommendations will be accompanied by some personal thoughts but never will I go too much into (factually) describing or reviewing the music - just ride the vibe if you like.
Secondly, I hope to both engage with fellow nerds that already recognize most of the music here ánd curious minds that are not in the know about what’s in some random niche pocket of the electronic music spectrum.
Third, I would describe my taste to be quite broad within the spectrum of niche electronic music, but I tend to spend most of my time listening “electronica”, ““experimental”” (that one just deserves two pairs of air quotes), and “ambient”. Do expect some dancefloor oriented house, techno, and bass music too.
Lastly this is how I recommend ‘using’ this mailer. Don’t feel any obligation reading it immediately and don’t open all the tabs in your browser and feel bad you didn’t listen anything in an hour. Just let it sit or archive it and come back at it when you're in the mood to listen or discover music. This is not a to-do task, it should be fun.
Two last disclaimers before we start of. As someone who’s very non-nationalistic, I do tend to give special attention to the local (Dutch) scene around me. Also, I will share Bandcamp en Soundcloud links mostly for lay-out reasons but I urge you to look into buying stuff via recordshops or artists too.
So, introduction sorted: let’s move on to the good stuff 🫠
ps. special thanks to my friend Kees de Klein for all the artwork!
a. new releases that deserve your attention
Every mailer, I’ll serve you at least ten releases (and usually a few more) that came out recently. “New” for me are releases that came out roughly in the last six months.
1. Nour Sokhon - Beirut Birds (aural conduct, oct 2024) | experimental/collage/storytelling
Intriguing debut album by Nour Sokhon on Luke Cohlen’s aural conduct label, announced on a moment when the voice of Lebanese people, whose stories on migration are central on the record, need to be amplified as strong as possible.
2. Nicola Ratti - Automatic Popular Music (LL edizioni, sep 2024) | ambient/electronics
I found out about Nicola Ratti’s 2019 album on Students of Decay years after the release and I still play it very often. This new release is super playful - a big tip if you’re into adventurous ambient.
3. Aryo Adhianto - Nol ke Mall (DIVISI62, aug 2024) | electronics/pop/
DIVISI62 is an Indonesian label that brings out a broad spectrum of music, all having quite an interesting voice. This album by Aryo Adhianto is not for the faint-hearted and covers a lot of ground. I don’t like all the tracks to be very honest but you will be rewarded for giving this a chance, I’m sure.
4. Yosuke Tokunaga - 5 Doubts / 5 Occurs (Entangled Visions, sep 2024) | ambient/experimental
Entangled Vision’s second release by Yousuke Tokunaga - and it’s equally good to the first album. The Amsterdam based label has a great ear for the more traditional ideas surrounding the genre ambient.
5. Pieter Kock - Bright Bars From The Stars (Meakusma, june 2024) | electronics
Pieter Kock is probably one of my favorite producers at the moment, and I only learned about his music last year. Dubbed out psychedelia go hand in hand with lovely melodies and playful percussions. If you’re a bit daunted by other music in this newsletter, Bright Bars From The Stars (released on the great Meakusma label) will surely be an easy-not-easy first choice to check out.
6. scopeotaku - They Came From The Sea (self-released, jan 2024) | dub, electronics
One of my highlight this year. Weird dub by scopeotaku - sometimes more on the hazy electronics side of things, sometimes actually great to play out on dancefloors that are openminded enough.
7. Xylitol - Anemones (Planet Mu, jul 2024) | jungle, electronics
I originally missed this release back in the summer but oh what a joy this is. It reminds me of my first encounters with jungle and DnB 20 years or so ago. Touches of Kosmische and IDM make this record great to listen when you’re on the run, but there are some serious dancefloor moments on there too.
8. Carmen Villain - Nutrition (Smalltown Supersound, oct 2024) | electronics/dubtechno
For close followers of the output from Carmen Villain (read: fanboys like me), the direction her newest EP takes is not a surprise. These new three ‘dub studies’ are indebted to her last LPs and are addictively good. ‘Nutrition’ could be an hour long and I would still wobble my head around.
9. Sarmung - Zendegi (Orizzonti Paralleli, apr 2024) | ambient/downtempo/electronica
No support on Bandcamp and only a handful of Discogs users who added this to their collection. I do really like this Sarmung record and have been playing the vinyl a lot at home.
10. ML - oneirec 03 (oneirec, nov 2024) | electronics/folk/collage
Releases from scene veteran ML are always accompanied by a small piece of proza that somehow always fits the mood of his albums. This soon to be released piece on young, but highly recommended label oneirec, sits somewhere between Inga Copeland, Tolouse Low Trax, and the ambient/electronics stuff on Music From Memory.
also new and recommended:
John Roberts - Swan (Brunette Editions, oct 2024) | electronics
Ike Zwanikken - Greed Gave Me A Lily (Theory Therapy, oct 2024) | ambient/electronics
Fan Club Orchestra - VL_Stay (12th Isle, nov 2024) | ambient/experimental
Alberta Balsam - One Way Trip to Gaia (Terra Atomika, oct 2024) | electro/pop/acid/IDM
Luke Sanger - Dew Point Harmonics (Balmat, sep 2024) | ambient
Precipitation & V. Kristoff - Zipair (Jungle Gym, oct 2024) | ambient, electronics
Pelican Daughters - it’s time my friend… (se Dessaisir, sep 2024) | ambient/electronics
Motýl - Noc (Detach, oct 2024) | ambient/noise/electronics
Elkan - Elkan (Nous’Klaer, sep 2024) | electronics/pop/ambient
E Ruscha V – Seeing Frequencies (Fourth Sounds, jul 2024) | ambient/experimental
Fumitake Tamura & Jason Kolàr - Ōki-sa (Dauw, sep 2024) | ambient/experimental
Robert Bergman - 3AM (Brew, oct 2024) | house
b. music that’s still very much worth your time
Most of the newsletters and music media I read are featuring recent releases and I thought it would be nice to point you towards older stuff as well.
1. Telesoniek Atelier - A Selection of Improvisations (1989-2017) (self-released, 2022) | ambient/electronics/synth
My 2022 album of the year and still criminally underrated if you ask me. Every time I dive into Chateauroux or Oberheim Impro I instantly get the chills - these melodies and progressions are just so beautiful. Wildly insane, but this is still available on vinyl so get it asap.
2. Amosphère - More Die of Heartbreak (33-33, 2021) | ambient/electronics
I’m eagerly awaiting more music from Amosphère since finding this beauty on the great 33-33 imprint. This album comes back basically every month to fill the void of new stuff.
3. Dan Nicholls - Mattering and Meaning (We Jazz, 2021) | electronics
Dan Nicholls' LP on We Jazz already saw the light of day back in 2021, but I only discovered it recently and it is beautiful music for those who like piano's go weird. I saw Dan perform live at Meakusma this summer too, which one of my summer highlights.
4. Blackwater - Navigation (Ethbo, 2021) | electronics/experimental/dub/jazz
When my first daughter was born, she used to like to sleep on this album - or at least that’s what I projected her to like. It’s not a stretch though to describe the music from this 2021-album as muffled inside-the-womb electronics that feel eerily home.
5. Africa Hitech - 93 Million Miles (Warp, oct 2011) | bass/footwork/electronics
Every time I play something from this classic, ‘younger’ people come at me with track-IDs. I usually feel old by explaining Mark Pritchard and Steve Spacek to them, but I do so gladly as they were guiding names for me, and should be for everyone.
c. the left-overs
As the ecosystem is bigger than music releases this part of the mailing focusses on dj-sets, new recordstores, articles you need to read or events that need to be attended. Occasiaonly it will also feature tips from friends of topo2.
A huge trip by Vivian Koch for the brilliant co:clear series
Grand dame of IDM Andrea Parker in the mix for NTS.
Tone Glow interviewing Jlin about her latest albums and the influence of US marching band culture
Muscut label boss Nikolaienko interview by Ghent’s Objects and Sounds
Den Bosch (🇳🇱) based FAQ Festival is planned for 8-11 November. It’s one of my favourite events in the Netherlands and this years hosts Alva Noto & Ensemble Modern, Christina Vantzou, De Schuurman, Keith Fullerton Whitman, Nèna, and Xiu Xiu a.o.
Music journalist Andrew Ryce started his Futureproofing newsletter last week, and it features a lot of good music.
Softi is someone you see popping up a lot, and it’s for the right reasons. Enjoyable mix of comfortable house and techno.
The outsiders series on Kiosk Radio is not talked about enough. Granted, I’ve done a mix there myself too, so it might sound a bit self-congratulatory - but the curation of crews is super well done. October alone stars Mr. Water Wet, Loma Doom, Hill Men, Kléo and Cristian Vogel. Huge tip for office days.
d. topo2 headlines
I’ve been working on topo2 for the better part of the last two years and finally sharing it with the world was quite the joy. Mostly because now I could finally start talking music in stead of websites, pressing plants, distributors, and setting up bandcamp and substack profiles.
1. The first release on the label is upsammy’s Strange Meridians album. Being a brilliant, singular mind in contemporary electronic music and a funny, authentic and dear friend - I couldn't be more happy to start this whole ordeal with releasing Thessa's music. Strange Meridians is a beautiful look into her artistic mind and I think her take on ambient is refreshing and, at least for me, highly addictive. The record will be available on a limited run of 180 gr. bio-vinyl and digitally.
2. I’m really happy topo2 is welcome to celebrate the release of the album on November 21 at murmur in Amsterdam. upsammy will play a special ambient live set with a lot of work from the album. Next to her, Sebastiano Carghini will take care of the second live show of the evening and Windu is in charge of music before and after the shows. First copies of the vinyl version of Strange Meridians will be on sale, next to a very, very limited editions of screen printed topo2 t-shirts. Tickets are 12,50 and are available here.
