Introduction
echospace [detroit] owner Stephen Hitchell’s cv313 began life back in the mid nineties, with the first actual releases under the name not appearing until much later on the UK-based Fortune 8 label. Since then there have been numerous live performances, countless remixes and a bevy of singles, many hailed as classics of the dub techno genre, but one key element had not materialized over all these years: the debut album.
Until now. After going through hell and high water to record, master, lose, re-record and remaster, echospace [detroit] is finally poised to release [Dimensional Space], the debut album proper from cv313.
This series is dedicated to the rich history of cv313, the formidable back catalog of tracks Hitchell has racked up under the alias over the years, and ultimately the long journey to reach the closing point of this first chapter: [Dimensional Space].
Part one features an interview with Stephen Hitchell about the early days of cv313 together with reviews of both the Live and Live @ D.E.M.F. – After Party In 2008 discs.
Q & A with Stephen Hitchell
In Part One, Stephen Hitchell talks about the origins and development of cv313, and the live performances that formed the basis of the first album length release on CD: Live and Live @ D.E.M.F. – After Party in 2008.
It’s not unusual for artists to split their output between multiple projects and aliases these days, mysterious new monikers appearing to conceal the identity of the artist responsible. But what was the impetus behind the creation of cv313?
SH :: “cv313 was actually a project name conceived a long time ago, it was actually the title of a song I had done as Radius in 1995. I had a strong connection with analog circuitry and sequencing in this fashion, I’d use control voltage vs. standardized midi connections hens the name CV = control voltage. The “313” aspect in the title is in reference to the city of Detroit’s area code, in Chicago there was “312” in Detroit it was “313” we’ve always been sister cities if you will, esp. musically, feeding off of one another. When I was younger I played a lot of shows in Detroit and always had an affinity and strong connection to the sound, cv313 is a direct extension of that.”
When did cv313 as a project first come about and what sets it apart from other projects and pseudonyms?
SH :: “The idea was ignited back in 1995, but back then it didn’t really have purpose as I wasn’t keen on releasing music. I sent some demos to Orde & Stuart at Soma records in 1997 after meeting them in Chicago for a show my friend put on, and the content was actually under the alias cv313. I had sent a cassette in and still remember the response: ‘what???’ It was pretty funny, Dave was really cool with me though and asked to send the music on CD but I never did. The name always stuck with me though.
When we were looking at what was next after the “Vantage Isle” project I wanted to introduce a record based entirely on the music with little to no identity or connection to an artist – no promotions, no hyperbole – and that’s when the name became a reality. I remember giving my friend Mike Dearborn a demo when he was starting his label Majesty back in 1995 and he was like: ‘cv313? Why not 312? You’re from Chicago!’ I guess my musical roots ran deeper then my area code.”
How do you feel the cv313 sound has changed or evolved from those earliest works recorded between 1993-98 and the launch of the echospace [detroit] label in 2007?
SH :: “The sound and project itself has changed a lot from the earliest works (most of which were released on Lee Purkis’s fortune8 label in the UK), in that the influence of techno became less and less important. The main point of cv313 wasn’t so much in the sound itself but in the methods used to record it. If there was a greater amount of control voltage or c.v. control used within a song, and it had a more defined analog based structure, it fell under the cv313 pseudonym.
The first cv313 release on echospace [detroit] – Dimensional Space – was actually the result of a live recording done in the 90’s. It was one of the songs sent to Mike Schommer and Rod Modell when they were running the deepchord label. They loved it, but weren’t in a position to put it out.
As years went by and Rod and I became closer friends he influenced the project greatly and for the better. When echospace [detroit] took off and we were working a lot together, his vision played a key role in where the project was going and the ethos behind it. I remember recording the song back into my computer from DAT and sending Rod the file asking him his opinion. He wrote back and said it was amazing and sounded so familiar. I thought he would remember and knew in that moment it was time to put it out. Rod’s probably the only person I let influence my work in this way. I look up to him a lot and greatly respect his opinion.
As time went on the project took on new meaning. Collaborations were born and the project had an entirely new identity and purpose. What started off as an individual idea became a unique opportunity for a project without an identity; there’s something beautiful about exploration without expectation. The one major difference between cv313 and other projects is the concept: the undisclosed identity was important to Rod and I. The focus was always meant to be on the music not the artist.”
Did the technology used change over this period?
SH :: “The technology is always changing and evolving, and with cv313 the primary focus has always been on the technology. With this project in particular there have been a few “essentials” in the production process, but always making room for current technologies in the productions. The one aspect that’s always consistent is the use of analog circuitry. One of my college room mates (he was in the Electrical Engineering program) and I developed some interesting DIY filters and circuit bends, etc. that were used greatly during many of the recordings. “Beyond The Clouds” in particular was unique in the sound development process. It was recorded and looped for weeks on end, taking various phrases and moments captured and literally taping them together, in some cases re-synthesizing various parts to create something entirely new.”
Why did you decide to make Live a Japan-only release initially?
SH :: “At the time there was a lot of buzz over the cv313 project, and to this day the Dimensional Space 12″ is the highest selling release on the label. At the time this came out, echospace [detroit] had a religious vinyl following in Japan and this release in particular had a strong following. My friend at the distribution company there asked if I would be interesting in compiling a CD for release in Japan. I was honored there was so much interest and excitement over the project and his request just happened to coincide with a show I was playing at Smartbar with Claude VonStroke in Chicago.”
What can you remember about the Smart Bar gig itself?
SH :: “That night was great! I remember Chicago house legend DJ Pierre standing behind me dancing – he was so excited to see someone performing a practically all analog set. Barclay (Claude VonStroke) I knew from working in distribution and had a friendship with, he was even out on the floor dancing! The vibe was great. Thankfully my friend had his minidisk recorder and captured the whole set on a mini-cd. I listened to it a few times after he gave it to me and decided it might be a good fit for this proposed release in Japan. I didn’t have expectations and when it ended up in many albums of the year list, I was shocked and flattered at the same time.”
You’ve been to a number of them, particularly with Rod as Deepchord presents Echospace. How would you describe the D.E.M.F. generally? Also, what about it would you tell people to convince them to attend?
SH :: “I love D.E.M.F.! Personally I think it’s one of the best music festivals in the world and I’ve been to many. They’ve always been professional, organized, with great sound and good vibes. There’s something very special about a city endorsing a festival featuring a sound it helped create, there’s something magical about that. There’s nothing more heart-touching than knowing how many people have been inspired by this music and then having a place to celebrate this love together. Well, it’s simply beautiful.”
How has the D.E.M.F/Movement festival changed over the years?
SH :: “I’ve been to virtually every DEMF since its inception, but there’s something very special about the first year it happened. It seemed like an illusion, there’s no way this was actually going to happen. I think Carl Craig was probably surprised himself at how many people came to attend, it was magic! Basic Channel live – Do I need to say more?
Another highlight moment for me: 2002, Rod Modell and Mike Schommer take the stage with a few friends playing drums and live bass, fog machine, minimal lights, an abstract video synced to the music, the mood, the vibe, the groove… that was art. We’ve had the good fortune of playing the festival in a few settings, from the main stage to the underground, and personally I dig the old school warehouse vibe of the underground. It felt like I was reliving my early 90’s rave days.
Last year echospace [detroit] hosted the Ghost In The Sound official Movement afterparty. We aired the Silent World film in a dingy, beat-up warehouse in an old factory in Detroit, piled in 50,000 watts of sound, bass bins and argon lasers. It felt like I was 16 again – pure nostalgia. Sometimes the magic is in the memories; orchestrating an event gives you the opportunity to paint a feeling and illustrate a moment, share a vision. That’s the beauty of DEMF, many of the after shows are even more inviting than the festival itself. I’ve played DEMF under a variety of aliases over the years in the afterparty circuit and it’s always been magic. My only complaint is it’s never as good as the first time!”
cv313 :: Live
Track Listing
- Subtraktive [Live Mix]
- Grand Bend [cv313 Live Mix]
- Space [Live Mix]
- Sonorous [Midst Of Something Beautiful Live Mix]
- A World Apart
- Evening Sky [cv313 Live Mix]
- Grand Bend [cv13 Edit]
- Lost Sequence
- Spatialdimension [cv313 Live Mix]
Live was the fourth full length CD release to appear on echospace [detroit], neatly following up on the success of Intrusion’s The Seduction of Silence in early 2009. Distributed by design as a Japan-only release, it initially flew under the radar due to its limited availability, but happily a batch was later made available at various outlets internationally. Better still for those unable to obtain a physical copy, the complete album can now be legitimately downloaded in a variety of digital formats at the newly founded echospace [detroit] Bandcamp site.
Though this is technically an edited recording of a live set at Chicago’s Smart Bar in 2008, it is fully mixed into an unbroken session, and if the album hadn’t been given a name that alluded to its live nature you’d probably never know.
The set opens with the acclaimed “Subtraktive,” one of the great slow burning builders at which cv313 excels. Appearing here specifically as a live version, this was nevertheless the first time the track appeared on CD. The rolling thunderclaps and deep wells of reverb that characterize the track are ever-present as usual, slowly building across focus fifteen minutes until the propulsive beats kick in – a perfectly paced opening to an album firmly devoted to enthralling a live audience.
Things pick up further when the first of two mixes of Deepchord’s classic “Grand Bend” arrives. Credited simply as “cv313 dub” on the sleeve notes, but now known to be “Grand Bend (Cv313 Live Mix),” it’s based on the “Cv313 Reshape” that appeared on the original Grand Bend double 12″ released in 2007, itself bearing more than a passing resemblance to “Sunset” on Deepchord presents Echospace’s classic The Coldest Season.
“Space” first appeared as the flip side to “Dimensional” (which itself appears on the bonus ‘Live @ D.E.M.F. – After Party in 2008’ disc) on the two track twelve inch, Dimensional Space and, as one of the earliest releases on echospace [detroit] was a new template for the earlier cv313 material. This leads into “Sonorous [Midst Of Something Beautiful]” that originally appeared on Fortune 8, a smudged and smeary mix of dub, hissing static and the merest trace elements of an eroded and fading pad the likes of which could be found on many an IDM record in the early 2000’s.
There’s a signature cv313 live moment following the snare-heavy thunk of “A World Apart” as the set dips into Soultek territory with a pumping Chicago house version of the floor-filling “Groove Control” (the original of which can also now be found digitally on the Reflective compilation available via the Bandcamp site). This sequence is then tied up neatly by the “Grand Bend [cv313 Edit],” a live edit of the “cv313 dub,” paring the track back to it’s bare dub essentials and firing them through a rippling echo chamber.
One of the most compelling reasons to pick up Live, however, is the previously unreleased “Lost Sequence,” which remains exclusive to this release (appearing again at the front of the additional D.E.M.F. disc) to this day. For just shy of fifteen minutes, delicate jets of rainbow pattern static spray shimmering, amber pads while a propulsive beat, congas and crisp hi-hats pepper the sound stage. It’s worth picking up Live for this track alone. And the set is closed finally with a live version of “Spatialdimension” featuring clattering, rolling congas and drums from The Howard Street Rhythm Section.
To this day Live remains one of the most varied and accessible entries in the echospace [detroit] full-length canon, sporting a host of classics and remixes in unique live versions that make it a must have for collectors and a superb jumping-off point for new recruits. This gets the highest possible recommendation.
cv313 :: Live @ D.E.M.F. – After Party In 2008
For the more dedicated echospace [detroit] and dub techno devotees, a limited number of the Live sets were distributed in a special run available via Disk Union in Japan with a bonus disc, this time a recording of a live set at a D.E.M.F. afterparty in 2008. Unlike the main feature, this accompanying disc has been included as a single continuous track, and to make matters more confusing, the track listing printed on the disc itself and within the accompanying OBI strip is actually incorrect.
Both discs are effective two sides of the same coin, sharing a number of tracks (sometimes in slightly different versions) but re-ordering them for a different pace and experience to fit the gig in question. Live @ D.E.M.F. – After Party in 2008 starts out with a deeper, mellower tone than the main attraction. Opening with the once again exclusive “Lost Sequence” the set follows up with “Dimensionsal” and a sequence of tracks I’ve yet to identify, building nicely with much choppier, more lively mixing, through glitch and inter-cutting of tracks.
This is also a far more unpredictable ride, particularly when the set collapses into a skank-heavy dub session beginning with the horns of “De Lions Den” by Lo-fi Sound System (a full version of which is available on vinyl via the short-lived Intrusion sub-label) and followed by Intrusion’s “Kingston’s Burning Dub,” originally exclusive but now available as a bonus track on the digital and newly remastered 2014 2xCD release of The Seduction Of Silence.
This particular disc is most highly regarded, however, for the final twenty-minute stretch, which turns out to be a live version of “Standing Still [Reduced].” Later released on the Standing Still 12″ and set to reappear shortly in beautifully remastered form on the Altering Illusions Chapter 1: cv313″ 2xCD set, this is a track that lovers of “Subtraktive” and “Beyond The Clouds” will hoover up. Slow burning bursts of static, supple sub-bass and blooming pads abound, culminating in a heady, woozy padded wall of soft, hypnotic sound.
Currently still unavailable outside of the 2xCD set, Live @ D.E.M.F. – After Party in 2008 makes for a worthy alternative experience to the main live disc and is definitely worth tracking down. Perhaps it will one day surface on the label’s own Bandcamp site.
