(July 2009) With only a handful of releases to its name and an MO that revolves around secrecy and limiting its distribution channels and number of CD’s made, Shoreless Recordings is quickly becoming one of the most talked-about names in dub techno. While most limited-run labels usually wallow in obscurity, Shoreless is able to sell its cruelly limited albums (sometimes to only 110 copies) within days, if not hours, from its three UK and Europe distributors. The reason, this label is so popular, of course, lies with the music. Ever since its first release, Selected Moments I, flew under everyone’s radar back in 2008, news of the labels startlingly consistent quality has spread by word of mouth among dub techno fans. It was fortuitous, then, that I bought one of the 220 extant copies of Selected Moments II on a whim during the few precious hours it was for sale online.
If Selected Moments I was a statement of purpose for the label, Selected Moments II is a deeper, more dynamic restatement of the label’s goal to bring listeners the best in dank, subterranean dub techno. Ambient seems to be the overarching theme here, representing a self-assured step forward from Selected Moments I. From the beginning moments of “Motion” by Brendon Moeller (easily the best of the compilation), it is clear that the album is indeed darker and hazier than its predecessor. The track passes like a deep sea submarine, slowly sliding past the ears with glacial chord changes, filtered water sounds, and sonar bleeps reminiscent of Shinichi Atobe.
Burgeoning dub techno star Quantec offers a track here, “Resurface,” which is a slow, disjointed jam that sounds like Intrusion on barbiturates. Languorous washes and vinyl crackle carry the song until halfway through, when a muffled bass kick and soft hi-hat clicks show up. Bvdub’s “Only The Willow Remains” peacefully glides by like a cold wind on the surface of a glacier; “Distance Radiance II Edit” by Relapxych.0 serves as its twin – more subdued, and trapped underneath the same block of ice. Martin Schulte’s evocative album closer “Grey & Cold” sounds like an ambient Porter Ricks track straight from the Chain Reaction canon. There’s something vaguely aquatic about it, like an oxygen-deprived descent from sea level into increasingly dark waters. Deepchord remains an immediate point of reference for some tracks, most notably “Drive” by Faith Tuter and “Cpiralex Clouds” by Severence.
Basic Channel never licensed their recordings to any label save their own, and part of their success in influencing techno was the availability of their records. All nine of the seminal Basic Channel records are still in print, allowing anyone to purchase the entire catalog for a very reasonable price. Shoreless releases, on the other hand, go out of print so quickly that buying them second-hand means paying upwards of $50. With the absence of any opportunity to buy mp3’s from Shoreless, it remains to be seen whether or not the label will be able to become truly influential in the increasingly derivative world of dub techno. Shoreless is also going to have to further distance itself from the Deepchord sound if it wants to be truly great. Regardless, Selected Moments II represents what could be an exciting new chapter in dub techno, and the label deserves every bit of the attention it’s getting.
Selected Moments II is out now on Shoreless.
