RTN019 - Boreal Network - Means Business

Means Business is a record that begins by looking directly into the heart of the corporate art aesthetic, using the fictitious Boreal Network organization itself as a lens through which to peer into a world of glistening office parks and freshly printed documents.

The first half of the record gleams with polish and bravado, promising high rates of return and prosperity. As the album progresses however, sounds and themes suggest a gritty, polluted reality lurking beyond the shining facade of industry. The latter portion of Means Business is pocked with distorted, dirty sounds and leering, noxious synths, as the proud image of Boreal Network steadily becomes completely choked out by smog and desolation. Artwork provided by the ever-brilliant Joe Bastardo at Future Forest Design.

 Get this awesome new release from Boreal Network as a free download!

RTN018 - Daylight Rain - Lazurite EP

Lazurite is the debut EP under project Naal's Daylight Rain pseudonym. From the very start we are introduced to dipping chords, pitching melodies and beautiful twinkles which are thematic throughout and appear to glide and phase patiently via perfectly dusted magnetic tape.

Daylight Rain somehow manages to squeeze in countless amounts of sound yet nothing overpowers, every little speck of vibration pays compliment to its audible neighbour with perfection. Emerald Jet highlights this with aplomb, every component finds its way into some kind of imaginary space with ease. Motion Fix could well have been the product of one of Lone's more summer haze-infused moments. The gorgeous Lake Discovered allows dreamlike echoes of funk and disco to sneak out from under the surface whilst Carpet Void's beats skitter to a backdrop of extremely soothing and breathy vocals. Rododendron completes the EP with a flourish, steadily brooding along before a spray of arpeggiated bleeps introduce themselves, circulating semi-chaotically and aptly summing up Daylight Rain's ability to seamlessly switch between and fuse the subtle with the energetic. A truly great listen.

Grab it here. (Completely free, as always!)

RTN017 - Trills - Blue Metabolic Sunrise

Jonathan Jindra returns to Retronym yet again, this time under his well-established Trills pseudonym. Blue Metabolic Sunrise displays shimmering beauty from start to finish. The first few tracks are trademark Trills, patient melodies crafted around deep kicks and echoing snares with a wall of beauteous twinkles and dischords with percussion that flickers between downtempo and chunky 808's.

Everything gradually melts into spiraling arpeggios and analogue machinery is forced to squeeze out it's most stunning of sounds - conjuring up the kind of imagery that would fit perfectly as an alternative soundtrack to something like Tarkovsky's Stalker. The closing track Flect is the ultimate swan song, a ten-minute long epic which condenses the massive array of shades and styles that Jindra has in his audio locker.

Blue Metabolic Sunrise is also available as an amazingly put-together digipak direct from Jonathan himself. Get the free digital release and find out more about the digipak here.

RTN016 - Island Near The Clouds - Influence EP

Moscow artist Island Near the Clouds drops his Retronym debut in the form of Influence EP, delivering an excellent showcase of choppy beatcraft, swirling soundscapes and well nuanced voices and other sample work which gradually and seamlessly pulls in and out of the distance.

INtC also pays direct homage to a few of his inspirators. Hills West's Skydreamer is placed into an echo chamber and blended with jilted Xhale beats, whilst Aphex Twin's understated classic Stone in Focus is given some patient treatment with steady percussion and subtle effects.

Influence EP ends on a beautiful note with Trying To Remember, the rotary synths and distant activity provide the capability to put you in a headphase.

Prepare to be influenced with this free download.

RTN015 - River Precinct - Moky Way

River Precinct is Texan artist Josh Wiggins. Delivering his debut release here on Retronym, Moky Way is sonic experimentation of the highest order. This EP clocks in at just 15 minutes, but with so many tangible layers to explore you'd be forgiven for being completely sucked in to a place where time becomes irrelevant.

Moky Way is inspired by Josh's childhood experiences at his grandparents' property, evoking the memories of a withered satellite dish that sat in their backyard field (as featured in the cover art). This EP is distant and brooding, reversed chords suck into a vacuum whilst delicate and subtle tweets creep out from within the depths of the atmosphere.

Now available for free download.