For me the only way I can thank God for his ever-present creation is to offer him a new music impressed of a beauty which nobody had previously understood …. the music we play is one long prayer, a message coming from God.
~ Albert Ayler
[DBR-V049] NOM-RA | Coherence
Now we can approach traditional music in terms of its structure, aiming to pinpoint as many of its musical characteristics as we can, so that we can classify it, through analysis, correlation of derived facts, and so on and so forth. This is a valid approach, which has its place in the scheme of things. But apart from the fact it would be of real interest only to professional musicians, I have always thought its value was greatly over-rated.
For an analytical approach can give us, at best, only the anatomy and physiology of the music considered; it can tell us nothing about the informing life of the music, nothing about its essence, nothing of what it meant to its creators and why, and at the end we are left with the mere skeleton of what was a living art.
But we can also approach traditional music in terms of its function rather than its structure; its content, rather than its form; its purpose and meaningfulness, rather than its size and shape, always aiming to relate it to the tradition from which it sprang, and the day-to-day life of the people who gave it birth. At once we find ourselves facing a vast canvas, full of symbols; some of these are relatively easy to decipher; others are not so easy; still others appear to be weird hieroglyphs which may well defy all our efforts to fathom.
~ Fela Sowande
[DBR-V048] NOM-RA | Refraction
You can call this..like a reflection of what I call something that’s before anything begins existence. A song before its existence exists in the realm of potential, and the potential cannot be given, or rehearsed the potential has to be….found.
The thing is that to find the potential of anything… all these musicians have to be courageous, and humble enough not to want to flaunt their musical credentials. Sometimes you put on display things that you have learned in packages, and the packages are supposed to be consumed by applause, and sales. And there has to be an expectant with this package.
But.. if no one knows what is coming it’s gonna take as much courage for the audience to seek the unexpected as we (musicians) are in thinking we are finding it.
– Wayne Shorter
[DBR-V047] NOM-RA | Basis
When you fly to New York, sometimes they put you on hold and just go round and around in a holding pattern. Sometimes in a concert, i feel other spirits in a holding pattern that they want to land through my heart and through my fingers.
– Carlos Santana
[DBR-V046] NOM-RA | Rhythos
I believe that most of what was said of God was in reality said of that Spirit whose body is Earth.
~ George Russell
[DBR-V044] NOM-RA – Soliloquy EP
Do nothing for effect. Do it for truth.
~ Nadia Boulanger
Limited 3 of 3 Super VHS versions for those in need of accentuated analog repair…
[DBR-V035] AYBEE – COORDINATES EP
And Yet Still…The Rhythm uses us as archiver’s of the Notes. Transmissions of the boundless embedded in the seed only needing soil. The call, and response. My hope is this finds you, and your Love Ones well!
Uphold
A ^ *
[DBR-V034] AYBEE – REBIRTH EP
Intimacy is something the Artist moving in Truth cannot avoid. There is no objective separation from the creation. The toil of transmutation is the price of the ticket. True artistry involves “risk” that cannot be mitigated…
Music is not my career, hobby, or passion… it is my LIFE. It is as essential as oxygen. I have been blessed on this path and it is to that blessing i repay my debt with creation. The music will flow regardless of the external. That is the discipline. That is the mandate. I hope that you gain sustenance from this music. That it inspires you to hold high your Flame in the darkness…
Love Eternal
A ^*
[DBR-D031] o1o – Notes On Astro Liberation Theory Vol.1
AYBEE visits his o1o moniker again with Beats, Slap, Red Beans, and Comets…..
Emancipated Drums…
[NE 020] The Astral Walkers – Don’t Fear The Sound
After their first release on DEEPBLAK in 2017, Lars Bartkuhn and Aybee return as THE ASTRAL WALKERS with a brand new 12″, this time on the incomparable NEEDS (not wants) imprint. The two friends continue to break boundaries of nowadays often narrow minded dance music by using the broadest palette of musical ingredients they could possibly put together for their special studio session. DON’T FEAR THE SOUND comes in two different versions. While the ASTRAL STROLL is a spaced out groover featuring some of Aybee’s trademark rhythms and mysterious pads, the FULL EXPANSION explores in nearly 15 minutes what dance music is ideally about for the duo. A fearless journey that begins with esoteric waves of sound blending into futuristic jazzfunk worlds where the dancer can get truly lost. Elevating choirs, virtuous bass lines, sparkling guitars and lush pads altogether flow into a grand finale that can only be described as a true anthem and epic journey.
In times where one can repeatedly hear that music doesn’t really matter anymore, Aybee and Lars made a record to prove the opposite is true. DON’T FEAR THE SOUND is a sincere and bold statement by two pioneering producers and an invitation for the dancer to get lost in every note and moment of the music.
[DBR-V033] AYBEE – Future Reference EP
The “Future Reference EP” see’s Deepblak label head AYBEE pushing ever forward into the outliers of electronic rhythms. Always avoiding convention “The Future Reference EP” continues to expand on the producers affinity for forward thinking dance music rooted in soul expression.
[DBR-V032] Afrikan Sciences – Reciprocity EP
After shifting through a few different monikers the last year Deepblak Rhythm Czar Afrikan Sciences returns to form. Laced always with his elastic funk forward grooves the “Reciprocity” EP continues to build on his legacy. One that has consistently morphed diasporic rhythms into new colors. Creating new space on the dance-floor as well inside the mind. Four independent yet intertwined tracks all meant to make you oscillate inward outward.
Vinyl > https://www.juno.co.uk/products/afrikan-sciences-reciprocity-ep/659541-01/
Written and produced by Eric Porter.
Release date: February 5th, 2018
[DBR-V031] AYBEE and Lars Bartkuhn are The Astral Walkers – Passage EP
The Passage EP brings together two of the chief champions of far reaching sounds in AYBEE, and Lars Bartkuhn. Bartkuhn best known for his work with his iconic (NEEDS) imprint, and AYBEE for his boundary pushing ethos at (Deepblak). A project spawned of mutual love, and respect the two met at an impromptu jam performance at the Xjazz Fest where the seeds were planted for further collaboration. Committed to stretching out beyond tight parameters they sought to capture the spirit of the dance. As “The Astral Walkers” they set out to combine the fearless freedom of the Jazzfunk era with the endless possibilities within electronic music.
Release Date: October 2017
[DBR-V029] AYBEE – Man Over Machine EP
Limited Release EP from AYBEE leading into the “THE ODYSSEY” LP featuring “Man and Machine” on the A-Side, and 3 B-Side bonus tracks not on the album.
AYBEE – Man Over Machine from Deepblak on Vimeo.
Orion 70 – Book OF Rhythm 2 EP [DBR-V024B]
Part 2 to the “BOOK OF RHYTHM” Series.