The depth and breadth of Documents of Different Reality is truly amazing. Cold Blow have done their homework and their research. This is a compilation of archaeological detail that brings to life the momentous machine music of the 1990s. In Spara’s own words, the collection connects “dots that people might have not connected before.”
Turning back the clock and digging into the crates to pay homage to the compilation
Back in the 1990s, the main means of communication for artists and labels happened in record stores. Afficionados and shop owners were the harbingers, acting as a go between for artists, labels and the audience. These gatekeepers would lead the bright eyed to the turntables and hand over a stack of vinyl. Coins jingled and sounds were exchanged. A keystone of finding new music was the compilation. Some imprints dedicated themselves to the format. Others used it to bridge geographical divides and knit together fellow analogue alchemists. Warp Records had Artificial Intelligence, Eevo Lute had Agenda, connections took hold. A glut of tapes filled bedrooms and car stereos as Detroit entered Berlin and Berlin arrived in Sheffield.
Cold Blow are turning back the clock and digging into the crates to pay homage to the compilation and the artists who defined a sound and a time. The project is daring and I caught up with Pete Spara of Cold Blow to give some insights into Documents of Different Reality.
For those who might not have come across Cold Blow, it’s a London/Helsinki based label with both founders hailing from Finland. Pete Spara, co-founder, describes Cold Blow as an imprint that aims to “release leftfield dance and electronic music often with a bit of a 90s vibe to it. Analog, quirky. Some new stuff, some anthologies, some re-issues, some compilations.”
Documents of Different Reality is the boldest outing to date, a “labour of love” that started in 2019 when Halvtrak sent “a demo in 2019 with the title “Documents of Different Reality.”” The title “planted a seed for a compilation” that harked back to those early days of IDM. However, there was a sense that most “newly recorded music” didn’t fit that “very specific sound so the project ended up on the shelf for many years.” But, “the idea was so compelling” that is was “resurrected…as a retrospective.” Although Halvtrak’s “namesake track didn’t end up on the compilation” his contribution is acknowledged…in the liner notes, and he recorded the promo mix for Juno Daily when the release dropped.
Technology and the passage of time permeate these Documents. When much of this music was released, there was an optimism of what machines would do for mankind and that we were collectively journeying to a better future. “I wanted people to think about the era when the music was recorded, and the present day, as two different realities. You can hear future-optimism in the music. What might those producers have imagined technology, artificial intelligence and everyday life would look like thirty years later, and how does that compare with the reality we inhabit now?”
To connect the original period with a contemporary interpretation of it ::
That hopefulness trills from the outset with a sublime example from the Netherlands. 2000 And One & Sandy Huner offer the spine-tingling “Eternal Life.” Nostalgic, yes, but also timeless, this is a beautiful example of ambient techno. Crystalline chords cascade, birdsong swoops above the understated double bass before a beat finally arrives to puncture the lush canopy. Humans are extended into machine in the refrain of “Life Forever” by Mind Control. A track conjured by Syzygy, Dominic Glenn, and Zendik, Justin MacKay, the Infinite Dreams mix first appeared on the UK’s Rumour Records in 1992. Lovingly restored, warm pads and strings are cooled by rasping rhythms as jazzy brass, echoing samples and twinkling notes orbit.
The compilation’s focus is on the artists and labels of Europe. Originally, there was a plan to span the continents in search of tracks, but the scope of the project was already quite daunting. “It’s often difficult to reach the artists. There were tracks on the shortlist where even the original label had completely lost contact with the producer.” Searching the East, Cold Blow attempted to track down a “great Japanese track” and hit a dead end with all those involved being “totally disconnected.” Yet, this is part of the story and part of the compilation. The realities have shifted and some have chosen the “refreshing” route of not being absorbed into the sprawling communication networks we now find ourselves rooted in.
Thankfully, there is an absolute treasure trove of tracks to choose from across Europe. LA Synthesis, superstars of noodling techno, have been drafted in for the blissfully bangin’ “Positive Negative.” A melody of stardust bends and shifts in a multitude of directions under the steady whomp of a kick. Iceland’s Thor pushes the tempo a little higher with “Break It.” Beat driven, this work melts minimal moments with electro grandeur as the sound of Detroit is reimagined. Methodical in structure, a slow and throbbing groove is peppered with sidesteps of elation. Unsung masters follow. Connective Zone released on A13 in the 1990s, alongside the likes of LA Synthesis and Stasis. More recently, the duo have returned with a number of self-released digital albums. “Electrons” surfaced in 2021 on their DAT Tapes collection. Recorded in 1993, the track is a soundtrack of a dawning future. Sci-fi streaked and immediately immersive, it is elegant and perfectly formed; a window into a seriously talented pair.
“The optimism of the 1990s might have been eclipsed by something very different, but in these tracks there remains a poignancy and human touch that still hold the seed of what our reality can be.” ~Robbie Geoghegan
Hidden amongst these gleaming gems of yesteryear is a contemporary addition. Barcelona based Permutation with “Atlas.” Spara remembers that “Dmitry & Edgar (Permutation) sent demos” when the compilation was being created. The “influence of the era” was immediate and their involvement allowed the collection “to connect the original period with a contemporary interpretation of it.” Reflective and ruminative, “Atlas” blends the aquatic elements of dub with the astral brightness that characterized the sounds showcased across Documents.
Arguably, the most recognisable name on the sleeve is Steve Pickton under his Stasis moniker. Taken from the Inspiration album, which came out on Peacefrog in 1995, “World Out Of Time” is low-slung future funk. From the rattle and rumble of the intro, Pickton takes the listener up and away into a deep and soulful trip. Nothing is overly elaborate, the sparse elements and musicianship combining in harmony. A past name, one that is now gaining more attention, closes. Simon Walley released a burst of music in the mid to late 1990s before receding from the scene. Under his CiM alias he continues to delight audiences with his fragile style of electronics. The piece chosen is “Lead Point” which came out in 1998 on Headspace Recordings. Almost floating, this light and subtle work sails above ruffled rhythms and is a glimpse into the wonderful music of this musician.
The depth and breadth of Documents of Different Reality is truly amazing. Cold Blow have done their homework and their research. This is a compilation of archaeological detail that brings to life the momentous machine music of the 1990s. In Spara’s own words, the collection connects “dots that people might have not connected before.” This “labour of love” is a testament to the artists and to Cold Blow. The optimism of the 1990s might have been eclipsed by something very different, but in these tracks there remains a poignancy and human touch that still hold the seed of what our reality can be.
Documents of Different Reality is available on Cold Blow. [Bandcamp]
