Introduction
Artist: Various
Title / Release Page: Kaoson Kaj Kontrolo
Release Date: 2015 Sept 28
Genre: Electronic
License: CC BY-NC-SA
Media: MP3
Pricing: Free / Donation
Label: Breathe Compilations
Rating: ★★★★★★★
I can’t say that I was familiar with Breathe Compilations until rather recently, and I am starting to believe that is a shame. Releases like Kaoson Kaj Kontrolo are excellent examples of what a netlabel can be when the organizers are paying close attention to the quality of the material they are releasing.
Kaoson Kaj Kontrolo
It should be no surprise that this release grabbed my attention the moment it came on. Right off the bat Elypixa’s Natural my free took me to a place that sounded like a cross between Moby and Angelo Badalamenti circa the Twin Peaks Soundtrack. However, the Elypixa wasn’t imitating Twin Peaks instead the artist was inspired by the warmth of the tone, and worked their own magic with it.
The title of this release translates into Chaos and Control, and the release notes state:
The chaos and control, humans and machines, nature and civilization, immigrant and borderlines, freedom and domestication, privacy and geolocalization, music and sonic weapons.
The range of pieces on this release do contain a wide range of contrasting and even opposing styles. On DDO feat. Eddine Saïd – I wasn’t there there are vocals that are comparable to any jazzy, noir style music.
There are quite a few artists on this release that some will likely recognize from other netlabels: lezet, Elypixa, Nulix, Esoteric Sob, K.Smith, just to name a few. It’s great hear a range of artists that span the wilds of ambient, electronic, and into electronic pop music.
Conclusion
Long and short of this release is: I feel it would be a terrible thing for listeners of any type(s) of electronic music to miss this release. It has a wide range of styles, it has some excellent performers, and it is really well thought out and put together. But there is more to this release: all of the pieces have a feeling of having a soul. They aren’t just about the cold machines that make electronic music, it’s not about the precision that an artist can put into a work. No, it’s about making music on a level where the artist transcends the electronics, the artist isn’t lost in the work, they are the work. It’s one of those releases that is so strong you will want to listen to it again and again.