Since his first releases in the late 1990s, he’s always made music that bears a resemblance to his peers while being wholly unique.
Evolving synth arrangements
Of the remaining artists who arose from the Berlin underground scene few have been as consistent in their sound as Uwe Zahn aka Arovane. Arovane’s music has always been characterized by an ambient, melancholic tone. Rarely does a sharp edge appear in his music where ambience and melody are often interchanged. This was true on his earliest releases as much as more recent works. Since his first releases in the late 1990s, he’s always made music that bears a resemblance to his peers while being wholly unique.
Icol Diston (DIN) is a compilation of earlier EP’s. The tracks are all clearly Arovane, showing that out of the gate he’d mastered a particular sound and style. Classic tracks like “i.o,” “torn,” and the title track are classics; a mixture of ambience, minimal drums, and whispered synth beds. “yua;e” bears a passing resemblance to some of Autechre’s work until the melody comes in and you know it’s Arovane working a strong beat under his evolving synth arrangements. “icol vern” might be the most challenging Arovane track with detuned synths and the bleat and screech of manipulated samples. “nacranth” works into a breakbeat semblance with an almost arpeggiated lead. This is a highly recommended collection of early works by a master of the genre.
Icol Diston — 2023 Remaster is available on Keplar. [Bandcamp]
