The final lines of sewer sender

sewer sender continues, despite its end, to be an expression; an expression of friendship, of emotion and of music. The final chapter of this “novella” may have come to a close, but the sounds that were crafted by the contributors will continue into the infinite.

An expression of friendship, of emotion and of music

“The wizard had grown weary, the pressure and machinations of his earthly presence had worn him down.”

Every record label has its own unique story. How it was started and who set it up. What style will be followed, why. And, when will it end. Speaking with sewer sender co-founder, Martinou, the above press release quotation reads like the unexpected ending of a “novella.” The writers are the members of the label: K Bobrov, Alice Bas and Nokato Nomer (aka Eletun Selona.)

Set up in 2014, sewer sender was a platform for the likeminded group to release their music. Bordering the peripheries between ambient, industrial and dub techno, Martinou brought out his Needless / Procedure to inaugurate the imprint. The following year, the shadowy figure of Nokato Nomer delivered the metallic echoes and aquatic streams of Entennant.

An internal rhythm was organised. Year on year, these subterranean dwellers would come to the surface with a musical offering. 2016, Martinou’s Deep Sea Seated Concrete Solid. The collection of eight tracks ranges between intimate percussion and warm melodies to colder currents as the influences of house and techno intersect. 2017 brought the first appearance of Eletun Selona. Ruminative and understated, the two works on Sirma Soalate from the co-founder are delicate and immersive with Segv’s two remixes adding ballast and concrete to the foundational textures.

2020 saw nearly all record labels tell the same tale. As the world ground to a halt with COVID, pressing plants closed and record shops were shuttered. sewer sender managed one EP in this tumultuous time, Tenness by Maeteriet. Murky and organic, the four tracks float between abstract to haunting and almost menacing.

From his sewer sender beginnings, Martinou developed and honed his repertoire. Sounds became softer, unctuous pads and earthy tones thrived as compositions grew in their melodic breadth and depth; a range and style his friend and co-founder Eletun Selona explored in Sirma Soalate. Nous Klaer noticed and in 2021 Rift was released, three years later Chiral was the Swede’s second album on the influential dutch imprint. A head of steam was being built. 12”s followed on the likes of Faux Pas, Mule Musiq, and Turbo with more in the pipeline.

It appeared the tale of sewer sender had been told. Eletun Selona continued to punctuate with digital material. However, the physical label had become dormant and the founders were finding new narratives.

“The wizard had grown weary, the pressure and machinations of his earthly presence had worn him down.”

The weary wizard had one more story to tell ::

2025 and Eletun Selona reemerges with Infinita Series, a double LP collection. The weary wizard had one more story to tell. However, the real man behind the mysterious figure would not be there to hear it. In the last months of 2024, Eletun Selona, the human behind the music, passed away. The album is a posthumous collection and tribute from sewer sender and friends.

The collection opens with the ambient reflection of “Sayaan” and sets the overall musical tone for the album. Across the works, rhythmic patterns provide a support structure from which swirls of melody grow. Electric chirps float above “Livia” while strings penetrate the hiss and thump “Ins” and “Limoas.” As is the case with Sirma Soalate, there is a delicateness to the pieces. The fragility of the arcing lines of “Dimersa” are tethered by a ghostly hi-hats and an acid thread. Tracks swell. “Samlad” aches with modular bellows, a steady kick keeping time as spectral forms slip through the mist. The digital release has more material, such as the uplifting “Umes” and the absorbing brilliance of “Experimada.” Yet, the physical vinyl closes with arguably the most carefree piece. 303 undercurrents warm the groove of “Sans” before broken beats dawn above breathy bars. An expression of joy.

sewer sender continues, despite its end, to be an expression; an expression of friendship, of emotion and of music. The final chapter of this “novella” may have come to a close, but the sounds that were crafted by the contributors will continue into the infinite.

“He takes one last breath before his being bursts into stars that swirl upward and disperse into the night sky, leaving nothing but his cape on the earthen floor…”

Infinita Series is available on sewer sender. [Bandcamp]