This 12″ accomplishes many things. It shows another side of To Pikap, a label that has been focused on ambient and electronica explorations. It also brings to light the sheer quality of electronic music coming out of Greece.
The future looks and sounds pretty bright
Greece, a little bit like my homeland of Ireland and adopted one of Spain, lies on the peripheries of Europe. This geographical marginalizing can creep into the psyche and leech into cultural perceptions. In spite of such isolation, Greece has quite a fertile electronic music scene. Part of said scene is To Pikap, a radio station, record store, label and hub for artists and music lovers alike. A number of local musicians have been rounded up for the Remember the Future compilation.
Of the six artists, only one is not from the Aegean. Serge Geyzel is a Russian artist with an impressive back catalogue. With releases on Adepta Editions, brokntoys and mindcolormusic, to name but a few, the Berlin-based musician serves up a moody piece of looming atmospherics bisected by fractured drums and noodling acid joy. Broken beats are a feature of the record as it celebrates the influences of 90s electronics and, in particular, the unbridled possibilities of new music within the rave sphere. Pera Sta Ori is another contributor with an impressive C.V. His brand of drum and bass electronica has been picked up by a host of imprints, including Furthur Electronix and Withhold, with a mezze of snare rolls and dreamy melodies delivered in the form of “Double Dribble.” Thessaloniki is the home of To Pikap and many of those featured on the 12”, including DJ Tsoug. His “Broken Dreams” of splintered percussion and throwback samples is an ode to late night, and early morning, debauchery. Another Thessaloniki resident is the acid obsessed DimDj. Never one to disappoint, at the heart of “Out Run” is his well-loved TB303 that he employs to hypnotic effect in this spiral of clap and squelch. Athens Computer Underground know DimDj well, having shared a cassette release with him on Anopolis Records (yes, of Lower Parts fame) and Won Ton Records. Their offering, “Trips, Slip and Broken Hips” is a perfect balance between ruffled rhythms, off-kilter knob jerking and silken chords. To close comes in the good natured chiptune form of “Tateesh Jump” by Tsev, a braindance meltdown stomper to close.
This 12″ accomplishes many things. It shows another side of To Pikap, a label that has been focused on ambient and electronica explorations. It also brings to light the sheer quality of electronic music coming out of Greece. Remember the future, and the future looks and sounds pretty bright.
Remember the Future is available on To Pikap. [Bandcamp]
