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viewing 1 To 14 of 14 items
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LP
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CNTRC 004LP
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The ambient/cross-genres label Concentric Records launches its first solo release as a special edition LP written and composed by the celebrated and influential techno/experimental producer Tobias. It is the first strictly-ambient solo album of Berlin's Tobias., aka Tobias Freund. Entitled Hall Ov Fame, the full-length album is a rare ambient journey into a sonic world that is full of narrative and cinematic imagination, blurring boundaries between perceived and staged reality, past and future memory. "I have movies in my head" describes Tobias Freund the source that inspired his new album to fill it with a fantastic life of its very own. Consequently, each of the eight tracks represents a scene out of a fictitious short film, some of them with a claustrophobic and tense atmosphere while others appear light and hopeful on the screen of imagination. What they have in common is an adventurous spirit that is inherent in and played out by three main characters: repetitive electronic and acoustic patterns, voices from far away and field recordings of obscured origin. All the episodes combined introduce this Hall Ov Fame as a psyche-cinematic event which resonates with "ambience in its natural shades" to evoke the whole range of sensations that make a proper, suspenseful mind movie.
Tobias. (Freund) is long established as an influential artist and has -- since the early 1990s -- been working as a professional producer, sound engineer, label owner and strictly live musician. The Berghain resident constantly keeps exploring the vast synth-driven techno, experimental and ambient territories on journeys in-between genres, both as a live act and on his countless releases. Besides his early solo projects (such as Pink Elln, Metazone or Phobia) he's also been collaborating with Dandy Jack (as Sieg Über Die Sonne), Ricardo Villalobos (as Odd Machine), Max Loderbauer (as NSI.), Valentina Berthelon (as Recent Arts) and AtomTM, to only name a few.
Hall Ov Fame follows a compilation in three parts that introduced Concentric Records' roster and exploratory sonic realm over the past year and half. Mastered by Tobias Freund. Lacquer Cut by Mike Grinser. Cover Image: TV Caption of Marcello Mastroianni in La Città delle Donne by Federico Fellini, 1980. Artwork by Blackbirds Inc. 180 gram vinyl with insert.
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12"
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OSTGUT 125EP
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On 1972, veteran producer and live musician Tobias Freund offers up four tracks of layered and meticulously-crafted techno using his extensive archives of tape recordings collected since childhood. Referencing a mix of profound political events in German history and esoteric meditation guides, the Berghain resident's warm, detailed sound edges beyond the floor toward brain-tingling home listening and wanderlust autobahn escapism. The EP begins with the titles track's buzzing synths panning rhythmically across the stereo field like a hypnotist's pocket watch, while a somber, sampled string melody pushes further into cosmic territory before concluding with a bi-lingual eulogy. "Schism" soars with a never-ending snare roll and sparse kicks -- an entire track floating on a break that never lands. On "The Wisdom Of No Escape", Freund combines soft, polyrhythmic bleeps with esoteric vocal samples on an inward path of hallucinogenic internal discovery. EP closer "Electric Storm" makes a turn for the ultra-stoned, with hats and writhing vocals disintegrating and reforming over a soft, round steady pulse. Overall, 1972 features a sound that Tobias. has honed for over 30 years, having initially made a name for himself mixing various pop hits in the '80s and '90s while simultaneously producing experimental electronics under various pseudonyms including Metazone, Phobia, Pink Elln, and Zoon. On his own Non Standard Productions imprint he has regularly collaborated with the likes of Max Loderbauer and Ricardo Villalobos and most recently with visual artist Valentina Berthelon as Recent Arts. His releases and lengthy live techno sets with AtomTM continue to set the bar high for improvised electronics.
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LP
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NSP 017LP
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Tobias. on Studios Works 1986-1988: "In 1985, I started working as a sound engineer in the famed Far Studios of German hit producer legend Frank Farian in Rosbach near Frankfurt, and there had an array of gear at my disposal that not many producers could afford, and know how to use in consequence. In the center a high-end Neve studio desk, but also the finest machines created by mythic brands like Linn, Kurzweil, Publison, or Quantec. Confronted with this considerable amount of opportunities on a daily basis, I soon decided to use what I was surrounded with for my own musical ideas, and started experimenting with it in my spare time. My perception of sounds quickly surpassed what I had known before. The equipment offered me many possibilities to position sounds within a song and I learnt how to compose by filling up all the places in between the speakers. There was not only left and right but near and far as well, and even up and down. My preferred perspective grew to be that of standing in front of the speakers, 'looking down' on a song from a slightly higher position. The material was recorded on analogue reel-to-reel audiotape, which I subsequently edited and deconstructed manually with a razor blade, an edit block and a roll of audio splicing tape." Second album of archival material, never released before.
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2LP
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OSTGUT 025LP
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Double LP version. Tobias. returns to Ostgut Ton with his third full length Eyes In The Center, expanding the musical narrative laid out by his Helium Sessions EP (OSTGUT 096EP, 2016). The Berghain resident keeps exploring the vast modular synth-driven techno, experimental, and ambient territories on a journey in-between genres. Tobias Freund is long established as an influential artist and has - since the early 1990s - been working as a professional producer, sound engineer, label owner, and strictly live musician. Besides his early solo projects (such as Pink Elln, Metazone, or Phobia) he's also been collaborating with Dandy Jack (as Sieg Über Die Sonne), Ricardo Villalobos (as Odd Machine), Max Loderbauer (as NSI.), Valentina Berthelon (as Recent Arts), and Atom TM, to name a few. In their entirety, the 12 songs on Eyes In The Center work as a raw, unpolished collage and evoke the spirit of (post) punk and the more experimental niches of electronic music. Think Chrome, Residents, and Throbbing Gristle - but not Kraftwerk. Or think The Human League, Yellow Magic Orchestra, and Der Plan, but think more in terms of musical attitudes and concepts rather than sound aesthetics. Even though Freund still owns the same Roland TR-808 he bought in the mid-1980s, his studio machine park has significantly evolved and got a lot more refined since. With all these machines at hand, Tobias. opted for limiting the gear used during the making of Eyes In The Center to avoid losing himself in possibilities. But it's all there: the slender, multi-layered, hypnotic club-ready techno cuts that dominate his live sets at Berghain and at clubs and festivals around the globe, leftfield jams that dodge clear stylistic classification, and the very atmospheric, intimate, and introverted ambient listening pieces. While Eyes In The Center as a whole can't be pinned down to a certain mood or sound, there is an underlying concept in reference to the idea of autopoiesis, meaning "self" and "creation, production", a system which reproduces and maintains itself. On Eyes In The Center, Tobias. expands his exploration of these ideas that already informed his work with Chilean visual artist Valentina Berthelon on their joint audio-visual project Recent Arts in 2016. Eyes In The Center stands in a long tradition of electronic music, scrutinizing the self while reaching out towards the unknown.
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CD
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OSTGUT 039CD
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Tobias. returns to Ostgut Ton with his third full length Eyes In The Center, expanding the musical narrative laid out by his Helium Sessions EP (OSTGUT 096EP, 2016). The Berghain resident keeps exploring the vast modular synth-driven techno, experimental, and ambient territories on a journey in-between genres. Tobias Freund is long established as an influential artist and has - since the early 1990s - been working as a professional producer, sound engineer, label owner, and strictly live musician. Besides his early solo projects (such as Pink Elln, Metazone, or Phobia) he's also been collaborating with Dandy Jack (as Sieg Über Die Sonne), Ricardo Villalobos (as Odd Machine), Max Loderbauer (as NSI.), Valentina Berthelon (as Recent Arts), and Atom TM, to name a few. In their entirety, the 12 songs on Eyes In The Center work as a raw, unpolished collage and evoke the spirit of (post) punk and the more experimental niches of electronic music. Think Chrome, Residents, and Throbbing Gristle - but not Kraftwerk. Or think The Human League, Yellow Magic Orchestra, and Der Plan, but think more in terms of musical attitudes and concepts rather than sound aesthetics. Even though Freund still owns the same Roland TR-808 he bought in the mid-1980s, his studio machine park has significantly evolved and got a lot more refined since. With all these machines at hand, Tobias. opted for limiting the gear used during the making of Eyes In The Center to avoid losing himself in possibilities. But it's all there: the slender, multi-layered, hypnotic club-ready techno cuts that dominate his live sets at Berghain and at clubs and festivals around the globe, leftfield jams that dodge clear stylistic classification, and the very atmospheric, intimate, and introverted ambient listening pieces. While Eyes In The Center as a whole can't be pinned down to a certain mood or sound, there is an underlying concept in reference to the idea of autopoiesis, meaning "self" and "creation, production", a system which reproduces and maintains itself. On Eyes In The Center, Tobias. expands his exploration of these ideas that already informed his work with Chilean visual artist Valentina Berthelon on their joint audio-visual project Recent Arts in 2016. Eyes In The Center stands in a long tradition of electronic music, scrutinizing the self while reaching out towards the unknown.
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12"
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OSTGUT 096EP
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Tobias. explores space and gasiform substances with his Helium Sessions on Ostgut Ton. "LAGEOS 1" sets the tone with meandering drones atop a gnawing synth pad and distorted flickering percussion. "Nucleon" comes with a more dubby, deep and throbbing feeling. "Helios" on the flip features epic noise textures with shimmering melodic synth leads and a multi-layered break-beat vibe, while "Spectrum V" closes with another dub cut, detailed synth explorations and alienated vocal bits.
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12"
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OSTGUT 080EP
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Following Tobias.'s second solo album on Ostgut Ton (A Series of Shocks, OSTGUT 030CD/016LP), this EP presents remixes of three of the album's tracks. Mathew Jonson & The Mole's remix of "If" spans the whole A-side, building an arc of suspense with gently rising percussion and hi-hats. "Cursor Item Only" acquires a new direction in the remix by Peter Van Hoesen, with a broken techno groove and absorbing bell structures in combination with intriguing effects. New face Blue Hour leads the mood of this EP towards peak time phase with a combination of classic 909 drums and a remarkable arrangement of the original sounds of "Blue Hour."
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2LP
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OSTGUT 016LP
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Double LP version. A Series of Shocks is the second solo album from accomplished Berlin-based producer Tobias Freund. Continuing his exploration into "non-standard" electronic music, and expanding on the rich sound palette charted in his first LP, Leaning Over Backwards (OSTGUT 018CD/009LP), this new chapter presents 10 versatile tracks taking us ever further into the purist, evolving sonic world of Tobias. A warm wash of synthetics begins it all with opener "Entire," a lush synthesizer sequence with additional contributions from NSI.'s Max Loderbauer, the track casually flaunts the sheer depth of sound and sense of space awaiting the listener. Varied, playfully contrasting moods then follow, with great finesse and an ever-present attention to detail. Freund's live shows, where the use of either the Roland TR-808 or TR-909 has become an integral part, have clearly played a role in the development of the Tobias. sound manifesto, and a large proportion of A Series of Shocks has the 4/4 structure at its heartbeat -- indeed, track two takes this as its namesake, in a submerged and tense exercise. Exceptions to that steady throb are also a joy to be found, with the frenetic techno syncopations of "Testcard" offering an early moment of broken-beat hypnosis, and the brash dub of "If" proving there are indeed complex systems at work. Reaching for more energetic zones, fans of classic Tobias. jams like "Street Knowledge" or "Dial" will be pleased to find several well-honed and on-target club tracks, like the textural "Instant," "He Said," or the more meditative, but no less visceral "Ya Po." Snaking, arpeggiated synth patterns are Freund's go-to tool to build paranoid, yet at once funky and complex moments of mystery. Repeat listening will reward the listener by unearthing even more subtleties beneath these undulating elements. For an album produced largely with machines, the end result is in fact anything but rigid; a multitude of dynamics breathe life into every track. Synth elements swim in tension, build and recede with grace, and intertwine themselves into oblivion. Warm, natural drums state their presence, but do not overpower, letting the sum of the parts create the power, rather than merely the kick alone. The resonant sting of "The Scheme of Things," matched with its smooth undertones, illustrates this perfectly. With clarity of sound and a conscious mind to allow each element its place, Tobias. has found a maturity and a true art in controlling the lively dance of the constituent parts. A master at the mix-down, everything gels; nothing is left in-concluded. This sense of togetherness continues until the very final bars of "Fast Null" leaving us in a suspended moment of wonder, and appreciation. What becomes apparent is that this album carries not only 61 and a half minutes of inventive contemporary electronic music, but also decades of experience, knowledge and passion for an artform that can only grow through the work of activists such as Tobias Freund.
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CD
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OSTGUT 030CD
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A Series of Shocks is the second solo album from accomplished Berlin-based producer Tobias Freund. Continuing his exploration into "non-standard" electronic music, and expanding on the rich sound palette charted in his first LP, Leaning Over Backwards (OSTGUT 018CD/009LP), this new chapter presents 10 versatile tracks taking us ever further into the purist, evolving sonic world of Tobias. A warm wash of synthetics begins it all with opener "Entire," a lush synthesizer sequence with additional contributions from NSI.'s Max Loderbauer, the track casually flaunts the sheer depth of sound and sense of space awaiting the listener. Varied, playfully contrasting moods then follow, with great finesse and an ever-present attention to detail. Freund's live shows, where the use of either the Roland TR-808 or TR-909 has become an integral part, have clearly played a role in the development of the Tobias. sound manifesto, and a large proportion of A Series of Shocks has the 4/4 structure at its heartbeat -- indeed, track two takes this as its namesake, in a submerged and tense exercise. Exceptions to that steady throb are also a joy to be found, with the frenetic techno syncopations of "Testcard" offering an early moment of broken-beat hypnosis, and later excursions into breaks like the euphoric "Cursor Item Only" or the brash dub of "If" prove there are indeed complex systems at work. Reaching for more energetic zones, fans of classic Tobias. jams like "Street Knowledge" or "Dial" will be pleased to find several well-honed and on-target club tracks, like the textural "Instant," "He Said," or the more meditative, but no less visceral "Ya Po." Snaking, arpeggiated synth patterns are Freund's go-to tool to build paranoid, yet at once funky and complex moments of mystery. Repeat listening will reward the listener by unearthing even more subtleties beneath these undulating elements. For an album produced largely with machines, the end result is in fact anything but rigid; a multitude of dynamics breathe life into every track. Synth elements swim in tension, build and recede with grace, and intertwine themselves into oblivion. Warm, natural drums state their presence, but do not overpower, letting the sum of the parts create the power, rather than merely the kick alone. The resonant sting of "The Scheme of Things," matched with its smooth undertones, illustrates this perfectly. With clarity of sound and a conscious mind to allow each element its place, Tobias. has found a maturity and a true art in controlling the lively dance of the constituent parts. A master at the mix-down, everything gels; nothing is left in-concluded. This sense of togetherness continues until the very final bars of "Fast Null" leaving us in a suspended moment of wonder, and appreciation. What becomes apparent is that this album carries not only 61 and a half minutes of inventive contemporary electronic music, but also decades of experience, knowledge and passion for an artform that can only grow through the work of activists such as Tobias Freund.
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12"
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OSTGUT 057EP
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Following his debut album Leaning Over Backwards (OSTGUT 018CD/009LP) in 2011, Tobias. returns with this mighty 12". "Freeze" is a darkly shining jewel that scoops its hypnotic energy from a rolling synth sequence. Above it all opens a wide space traversed by enigmatic pads and occasional signals pointing towards psychedelic realms. "Perfect Sense" has a similar tractive force, but turns the inward-looking, dark mood of the A-side into a subtly euphoric, outgoing direction that makes perfect sense at just the right moment.
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12"
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UTON 001EP
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Ostgut Ton launches a sub-label that will feature remixes of tracks that have been released on the mother-label Ostgut Ton. Unterton will also release other Ostgut Ton-related or befriended artists and one-off projects. The releases are presented as stamped white labels with track details only. Tobias. starts the remix series with two tracks from his album Leaning Over Backwards (OSTGUT 018CD/009LP). Efdemin remixes the title-track and Ricardo Villalobos and Max Loderbauer give "Girts" the remix treatment.
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2LP
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OSTGUT 009LP
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2LP version. Tobias Freund's debut album for Ostgut Ton also serves as the album introduction to his Tobias. moniker, giving a fascinating and profound insight into his special world of music and sound science. Being a part of the music business since 1980, you could easily fill books with his works and creations. Formerly based in Frankfurt am Main and now happily living in Berlin, Tobias. started his quest in sound as a synth avant-gardist with a Korg MS20, worked a day job as a studio engineer (i.a. Milli Vanilli and today for Aerea Negrot, Nina Kraviz and Heartthrob, amongst others), remixed, released as Pink Elln and with projects such as Sieg Über Die Sonne and NSI (with Max Loderbauer) and runs his own label Non Standard Productions. On this album, Tobias. renounces the ubiquitous dictate of computer synchronization. Degraded to a plain recording device, the computer makes way for the classic drum machines Roland TR 808 and a Korg Mini Pops. Known for having a life of their own, their unpredictability wins over standardized convenience. Tobias.' sound gets recompensed with dynamics and an agility that doesn't lack attention to detail, accuracy and thoughtfulness. Rooted in jam sessions with just beats and efx units, the moods and music on Leaning Over Backwards range from unswerving club tracks to occasional ambient or drone-like atmospheres or meet up as hybrids. Take "The Key," for instance -- produced in Santiago by Tobias. and his long-standing colleague Uwe Schmidt (Atom TM), you can hear splintered beats and gloomy pads expanding into Drexciyan depths. It all comes full circle with "Now I Know." Equally fantastic and fey, Tobias. makes use of Aerea Negrot's (Hercules & Love Affair) remarkable voice, turning the closing track into a longing piece of Blade Runner pop music. Leaning Over Backwards bewitches with its nonconformity and almost frightening idiosyncrasy. Tobias. creates a style of techno that is far away from steamroller kick drums and the rules of functionalism -- this is techno as a perpetual motion machine.
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CD
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OSTGUT 018CD
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Tobias Freund's debut album for Ostgut Ton also serves as the album introduction to his Tobias. moniker, giving a fascinating and profound insight into his special world of music and sound science. Being a part of the music business since 1980, you could easily fill books with his works and creations. Formerly based in Frankfurt am Main and now happily living in Berlin, Tobias. started his quest in sound as a synth avant-gardist with a Korg MS20, worked a day job as a studio engineer (i.a. Milli Vanilli and today for Aerea Negrot, Nina Kraviz and Heartthrob, amongst others), remixed, released as Pink Elln and with projects such as Sieg Über Die Sonne and NSI (with Max Loderbauer) and runs his own label Non Standard Productions. On this album, Tobias. renounces the ubiquitous dictate of computer synchronization. Degraded to a plain recording device, the computer makes way for the classic drum machines Roland TR 808 and a Korg Mini Pops. Known for having a life of their own, their unpredictability wins over standardized convenience. Tobias.' sound gets recompensed with dynamics and an agility that doesn't lack attention to detail, accuracy and thoughtfulness. Rooted in jam sessions with just beats and efx units, the moods and music on Leaning Over Backwards range from unswerving club tracks to occasional ambient or drone-like atmospheres or meet up as hybrids. Take "The Key," for instance -- produced in Santiago by Tobias. and his long-standing colleague Uwe Schmidt (Atom TM), you can hear splintered beats and gloomy pads expanding into Drexciyan depths. It all comes full circle with "Now I Know." Equally fantastic and fey, Tobias. makes use of Aerea Negrot's (Hercules & Love Affair) remarkable voice, turning the closing track into a longing piece of Blade Runner pop music. Leaning Over Backwards bewitches with its nonconformity and almost frightening idiosyncrasy. Tobias. creates a style of techno that is far away from steamroller kick drums and the rules of functionalism -- this is techno as a perpetual motion machine.
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12"
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WAG 040EP
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Wagon Repair presents an EP from Berlin resident Tobias Freund, a founding contributor to NSI, Sieg Uber Die Sonne, Pink Elln and Odd Machine. "I Can't Fight The Feeling" is forged for the floor with pulsing keys and a deep bass throb. "Beat Study One" boasts a filthy synth bass line, and "Go" is just as dark, with chilling synth and a tight cymbal loop. "Beat Study Two" features a tight percussive loop that morphs against stuttering electronic tones.
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viewing 1 To 14 of 14 items
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