OS03 REFRACTOR VA: Inside The Forest
In the third release the label (OS03), we embark on a direct journey to the musical heart of Refractor: the annual gathering held in a forest on the outskirts of Madrid to celebrate dancing under the sun and stars for 24 uninterrupted hours.
With four tracks that encapsulate the sound of different mental states you may experience firsthand on this expedition, we begin with label manager Jan Swam's track. He introduces us to ancestral sounds featuring a flute played by himself, gradually accompanied by a penetrating bassline and synth, along with various elements spread across the stereo field. All of this leads to an unexpected finale. Next, we delve into the track by French artist based in Seoul, Pyramid Of Knowledge aka K.O.P. 32, who has crafted a perfect progression of sounds to immerse us in a trance towards the depths of the subconscious. The intensity builds up gradually until reaching its peak in the final moments.
On the other side, we welcome back our beloved Digitalis, responsible for the label's first release. This time, he presents a lost gem from '97 never before released, transporting us directly to the UK rave scene. Get ready to feel the unleashed pulse of the English artist who left an indelible mark on psychedelic music. Finally, we venture into the last chapter where Tadan pilots an interdimensional ship towards the hidden face of a moon that orbits a planet beyond the solar system. Close your eyes to appreciate the depth of the atmospheres and textures, intertwined with a constant rhythmic line that will guide us to the final moments of the record.
Available on Bandcamp ︎︎︎
OS02 - POSITIVE RECREATIONAL SOUNDSYSTEM - P.R.S
Another blast from the past. Organic Signs' second reference comes from a white label record found in Jan Swam's collection. Positive Recreational Soundsystem is another aka for A Positive Life (Stefan Pierlejewski & Liam Farrell). Under this name, they only release one EP, back in 1996. There are 2 original tracks and a remix we added to close the generational circle.
The considered king of analogue synthesizers Oberheim Matrix 12 is the base of this PRS EP. Side A - Son of The Rising House - is a 10 mins entrancing musical journey that will transport us to the optimism and joy of a sunrise in the free parties of the mid 90's, which were still resisting to enter the capitalist rules of the clubs. Side B1 - Encoded - features an FM oscillator from the Matrix 12, embarking us on a darker version of the rave, with modulated sounds closer to goa trance. Finally, the B2 - remix by Jan Swam - shows us a modern take on the A-side, using the original samples sent by Stefan and others from the legendary Yamaha RM1X. It is an 8 minutes rework in which he pays great respect to the original one, separating it into a first part with breakbeat rhythms and a second part with 4x4.
Pre-order available on Bandcamp ︎︎︎
OS01 DIGITALIS - SOMA JUNKIES
The first release from Organic Signs, a hybrid platform and record label that operates from Barcelona and Madrid, with Jan Swam as Label Manager.
This is a reissue originally released in 1998, by an artist who knew how to go beyond the sounds of the golden age of rave, to reach a unique style. Kaya Project, Shakta, Somaton or Hibernation are some of the akas that Seb Taylor has used throughout his career to leave us an unprecedented musical legacy.
Four tracks that go from trance, DnB, trip-hop and breakbeat. Telepresence has a controlled rolling bass, excellent use of breakbeats and chugging flanged riffs.
Pure psychedelic trance vibes. Continues wit the drop in bpms of The Improvable Voyage, along with an original trip hop sounds with flanged riffs (again). We turn to side B1 to meet Soma Junkie, a track with a psychedelic breakbeatness lines with very creative drum fills; and we finish with Dr Sembei, a mix between psychedelia and drum and bass, to leave a goo taste in your mouth.