Obliq Recordings

Multicast sure likes their squidge acid tracks…here is another Multicast-style acid track just in time for your commute.  Best if listening on the interstate/autobahn going fast at night; or in the safety of your recliner at home….of course at high volume! Enjoy!

This track was from a live set. The originating track was part of the aural “wall of noise” tracks called Rotation ][ where we lit up the sound system and chilled everyone with a wall of sound. However, one show we took it in a completely different direction…which is the beauty of incorporating impromptu playing with hardware at live gigs.

Hope you have your counter-surveillance equipment rockin’… Enjoy!

It is quite rare that Multicast would bring you any track under 3 minutes of length, but we have a couple of new “interludes” for you. This one is an outtake of a session that almost got lost in the ether…glad we were able to rescue it! Brings back the old Multicast western analog vibe. Enjoy!

Here’s a great new short track featuring Jeff on the Echoplex and Guitar and Dave making some synthetic noises. Enjoy!

Howdy. For those in rural Colorado you know the season is changing; we feel it too! We’ve released two new tracks and videos to commemorate the Equinox. Here is State. Enjoy!

Youtube:

Vimeo:

New video by Jeff on his recent sabbatical trip to Hawaii. Sit down, relax, put your feet in the imaginary surf and enjoy!

Youtube:

Vimeo:

Enjoy!

After most of the winter hiatus, Multicast is back! This time with a track to lull you into a trance…or simply to sleep! Sea-foam Green is about the seashore experience; I’m sure you’ve all been there and done that! Sitting on the shore listening to the waves unravels everything inside of you and brings out the relaxation in any of us. This track is a metaphor for this feeling…the lapping patterns of the waves making peaceful sea-foam.

Please don’t operate heavy machinery or drive while listening to this track. You’ve been warned!

In doing some cleaning of the Obliq vault I discovered a huge amount of cassette tapes and DATs of the early years; many pre-date Obliq Recordings.  I’ve been discovering that many DATs are no longer playing correctly and so I have my deck and borrowed two other decks from friends and have been able to get most into a modern format (WAV and MP3 for now).  Also, many cassettes are broken in one way or another; but nothing a little surgery can’t fix!

I have been also posting DJ mixes from the old Radio Station and Club days (starting in the late 80′s) as I get time over at davealex.com.  As I get time I’ll record more of these and likely make them available online (the easiest way for me to listen to them; so might as well share if anyone else may be interested too)!

Another great video by TheIDMMaster of our Freq Modif “Twilight” track from our berlin-based k2o records release.  Enjoy!

Back in “the day” when I was picking up analog gear like it was trash to the new “digital synth craze” I was able to procure this for $35 (it was DOA). I have purchased 2 CPU chips over the years but they were DOA as well. Finally, I ran across this new Turbo-CPU chip from Music Technologies Group. I have yet to install the MIDI part, but the SCI is working like new!

What a great piece of gear; I HIGHLY recommend MTG and appreciate his passion for keeping old synths alive!

Getting ready to replace the chip:

Before/After of the CPU:

The Pro One after it was 100% working!!!

Some cool etchings on the board! Anyone know what the bottom one says?

Here is a quick drone track I did immediately after it was working. The first time this machine has talked in at least 20 years!
Sequentialstein by davealex

Check out this great video with soundtrack by Ted Sturgeon and Nathan Wheeler.

Fever Dream from Citizen K on Vimeo.

From the archives, video by David Hartt. This track is a remix from Accelera Deck available on the original Multicast EP from 1998. This is a great video that was never complete until now. Deep from the Obliq vault we present to you this awesome video! Enjoy!

That’s for visiting. Obliq Recordings has been around since 1996 and we have many albums and compilations available on this site for you to freely download and enjoy! To help you out, if new to Obliq, Multicast is the flagship band with Replicast a more experimental outing. Freq Modif, Crix Madine and Ted Sturgeon are side projects of Multicast.

Free Tunes and Releases are in the Free Tunes menu available at the top of the website.

Try these releases for starters:
Multicast – Grrrr Video on Youtube

Multicast – Spirituality Through Technology Download MP3s or Stream Audio

Multicast – On the Backs of Soldiers (with Regis University Department of War History and Aurora History Museum)

Multicast’s Classic Album “Rural Sessions” Download MP3s or Stream Audio

Multicast’s limited edition record is currently on display at The Children’s Hospital Hamilton Gallery.  You can download and/or listen to record via these links:

Multicast – Bahian Coastal Hwy.  192 MP3s

Multicast – Bahian Coastal Hwy.  (high quality) 320 MP3s

Here is another Multicast release that is a cumulation of all our albums.

Multicast – Spirituality Thru Technology.  192 MP3s

Multicast – Spirituality Thru Technology.  (high quality) 320 MP3s

Feel free to browse through our entire catalog clicking the “Free Tunes” link above.  Another great release is the On the Backs of Soldiers soundtrack to war verteran’s stories done in conjunction with the Regis Department of War History and the Aurora History Museum.

As an experiment uploading 1080i video to YouTube, I decided to add our track Rotation to the video. Nothing super exciting; just a nice Squall line that I chased with my son. Several were Tornado warned earlier in the evening; but we saw nothing too exciting other than cool structure. Figured Rotation would fit nicely. From Bahian Coastal Hwy album.

Obliq’s sister in crime, Cryptophonics Records, has a new multi-format release available for download and purchase, and of course online listening! These were from a epic one night session recording at the Wallstreet Compound. It was about time someone revamped and redefined Krautrock!

There are two very limited releases, a CDr and a Cassette. Yes, you heard that right; here at the Obliq headquarters we have been really going retro with cassettes! These will be available for purchase in our shop very soon! But in the meantime, here are the releases!

I am going through the Obliq archive and have uncovered a bunch of old mixtape cassettes from my DJ days at KUCB radio in Boulder (this is pre-Radio 1190, http://radio1190.org).  I forgot about a lot of these and am enjoying them in a digital format.  I figured others may be interested as well, so I have posted them to my blog.  I have over 100 tapes, most which are unlabelled (doh!), I’ll continue posting as I find interesting ones.

The first 4 are posted here:

Late 1993:  Hardcare & Acid:  http://davealex.com/?p=141

Jan 1995:  IDM/Techno:  http://davealex.com/?p=137

Sept 1993:  Acid/Techno:  http://davealex.com/?p=125

Dec 1994:  Detroit Techno:  http://davealex.com/?p=117

New release limited to 333 vinyl copies. Replicast includes Multicast members Jeff Holland and Dave Alexander; with Eric Allen from Apples in Stereo; free-jazz sax player Zach Shaw. Replicast is a loose collective appling the techniques and technology that Multicast has used for years.

The LP falls on the axis between Electronica, Free Jazz, and Psych-Folk. This melodic release explores new directions and will please Multicast fans who have appreciated the packaging and improvization in the past.

Check out samples of the news tracks on the Replicast Myspace site.

Available to order through obliq shop very soon, likely mid-spring. Check back soon or sign up for our mailing list to be notified.

Multicast will be guests of The Rude Awakening show on Radio 1190. We will be perfoming some pieces live and talking about the upcoming Communikey Electronic Music Festival occuring April 18-20, 2008. We will also be talking about the new Replicast album and all other things Obliq.

Multicast will be guests of The Rude Awakening show on Radio 1190. We will be perfoming some pieces live and talking about the upcoming Communikey Electronic Music Festival occuring April 18-20, 2008. We will also be talking about the new Replicast album and all other things Obliq.

Multicast Live/Interview on Radio 1190′s Rude Awakening April 8, 2008

The Aurora History Museum, the local band Multicast and the Regis University Center for the Study of the Military Experience have collaborated in the presentation of this on-of-a-kind audio tour. This “environment of sound” features oral histories and songs written especially for this exhibit.

Multicast/Obliq Recordings had a nice two hour showcase on KGNU.ORG’s Electronic Air. Hosted by Budda Bomb, Multicast played much of their new BCH album and also featured tracks from other projects and exclusive live and unreleased materials straight from the vault. Also included are interviews of band members.

	Electronic Air – 3/12/2005 – Hour #1
	Electronic Air – 3/12/2005 – Hour #2

MULTICAST returns in 2005, landing on the turntable with a new kool-aid laced tropical-flavored platter. BAHIAN COASTAL HWY explores the rain-slicked Brazilian jungles of the mind. This limited release was pressed on beautiful green-marbled vinyl and packaged inside clear, hand silk-screened sleeves. It was cut at Dubplates & Mastering in Berlin, resulting in an LP with deep bass, sparkling resonance and represent the trio’s most sophisticated sound to date. The LP opens with the title track “Bahian Coastal Hwy”, where Multicast explores latin electro-infused rhythms, interlaced with Multicasts trademark lush guitar melodies. This Trans-Brazilian Express is a fusion of ideas past and future. Its a syncopated trip. The subsonics of “Underdub” pulse with dub-wise beats and deep chords delayed beyond imagination. A bubble-bath of modular synthesis percolates throughout, while deep jazzy guitar sheds some sonic light bringing dark shapes into context. There is a cinematic quality to this release, and it shines best in the tracks “Arrival, “Departure” and “Rotation”, which explore themes of anticipation, longing, dread and hard-cold beauty. The choice college indie-radio track “The Only Thing I Adore” reveals Multicast’s sensibility in fusing pop and left-field electronics. Like morning sunlight through a window, warm and immersive counter-point music-box melodies weave between shimmering static and vocoded lyrics singing of love and admiration. Multicast’s approach to music is all about creating atmosphere and depth without cluttering the sound field. “Pucuna” explores this notion with intricate poly-rhythms and tribal syncopations. The incorporation of synthesized sounds of birds of the rainforest, electronic insects and formant vocalizations will paint a vivid picture in the listeners mind. “Ansico” rounds out the journey, winding sublime melodies, clockwerk rhythm’s, and lap-steel guitar around a 30 hz & below bassline. Multicast reaches new heights in terms of production, arrangement and song writing skills. It’s absolutely rich with emotion and detail and will reveal new things with each repeated listen.

Released in 2005 in a limited edition run of 400 Green marbled vinyl 12″.

Saturday February 14 Obliq Recordings project Freq Modif performed live at Wobble. Wobble is presented by the Lunar Lodge crew (partially Obliq Recordings) and Mother Earth Sound System. This was an amazing show at Fiske Planetarium in Boulder, Colorado.

Richard Devine (Warp/Schematic), Kit Clayton (~scape/Orthlorng Musork), Equulei (Dorje/Nobot Media), Ovni (Commtomm.com/Radiovalve.net/EBN/Nobot Media) all played and everyone had fantastic sets!

Freq Modif showed off new beta technology from Elektron Sweden. The show was entirely done with two MonoMachines and one MachineDrum.

Freq Modif Live @ Wobble 2-14-2004

while i’ve only just recently dropped this new and upcoming compilation in the cd-tray, i feel the need to mention this release as many of the artists featured on it have been actively involved in the idm-scene for quite a while. abstract electronics are brushed up against peculiar electro-elements, minimal beats, subtle rhythms with a focus on the experiments in sound-construction & de-construction that these artists do best.
–pietro (digital::nimbus)

Multicast – Ballerica (edit)

Obliq residents, Freq Modif present their debut release here with warm and fuzzy de-tuned oscillators that hail in a warmer and brighter season. “Larkspur” is a homage to the all-encompassing deep blue Colorado skies and the fresh smell of passing afternoon rain glittering on the wildflowers of the Larkspur meadows. Pure analog sequencing and triggering at its best harkening back to the synthesizer masters of the 1970′s but with the bounce of the kick drum and the sparkle of hi-hats of the 808. Truly a gem of an electronic piece.

The b-side “Interstates” gives you a synthetic taste of a night drive along on the Colorado autobahn. Traveling back and forth between studios on the high-speed corridor of I-25 inspired this amazing new track of psychedelic ambience and pulsating dub. The fresh smell of rain evaporating on pavement is splashed by the roar of passing trucks and freighters along the journey. The sound of locusts great the passing cars. Both tracks recorded at the Larkspur Facility.

Released in 2002 on 7″ red vinyl.  500 pressings with 88 reserved for the 4213 Box Set.

NOTE: HD download available on 4213 OBQ-09 release.

Since the Kanzleramt sub-label K2O got reactivated in May 2001 one year of consistent work and many diverse releases brought the label a very positive international feedback. No Space For Dogma celebrates some of the best previous moments on k2o, some exclusive and unreleased tracks as well as some parts of the forthcoming albums by Monophace and Kareem, one track from the debut 12inch by Diego Hostettler´s project Echelon Network and Jake Mandell´s DVD release.” Artists also include: Lazyfish/Mewark, PSI Performer, Clubsessel, Multicast, Tenecke, Lazyfish, Dennis Desantis, Apathism, Shapes & Forms.

Multicast – Foehn

Obliq newcomer Crix Madine blasts in from the north with this solid debut release. “Yori” is a poly-rhythmic sound experience where the percussion slips and slides along over dreamy and static-driven melody lines. Half-way thru the listener will find himself/herself engulfed in an “analogue bubblebath” of sublime synth lines and the metallic thunder of disjointed beats.
On the b-side, “Alpine Refuge” may invoke the imagination of overlooking deep alpine valleys and a vista of snow-capped peaks can be seen through the trees. It’s a seamless meld of organic electro-beauty, combining an almost left-field hip-hop aesthetic with melodic and crystalline bass-pads. The track is majestic in nature and leaves the listener with optimism. This seven inch release is not to be missed.

Released in early 2003 on yellow 7″ vinyl. 500 pressings with 88 included in the 4213 Box Set.

NOTE:  HD download available in the 4213 OBQ-09 release.

Ted’s motto: “Spirituality Through Technology…” The forces of good and evil cancel each other out and heave a sigh of relief that we’re all here to enjoy another day. Listening to the A-side’s “Green Sequence (Frost Mix)” one discovers there is always something new to explore, and here, Multicast’s science-aficionado Ted Sturgeon discovers just what happens when the sound of hip-hop and psychedelic ambience collide. A new genre of Gregorian Modernism ripples through our cortex, courtesy of the Frost Laboratory’s manipulation of the original track, recorded at Facility Minor.
Too much science fiction as a kid said his high-school adviser, but look where it’s gotten him… “Echowurld” kicks off the B-side. The field recordings underlying this Matrix come from placing mics 30 feet apart on the Mimbres River in New Mexico one whispy moonlight night. The Mimbres Valley was once the home of a graphically advanced American Indian culture. In this track you can feel the spirits rising up from the dead to avenge their grave-plundering desecration by pot hunters. On nights like these, who needs a drum machine?

The original version of “Green Sequence” finishes off the B-side. Here we find a track making guitars safe for electronic music again. Psychedelic-acid-electro-analog-blues, indeed! A homage to the psychedelic blues of fractured genius Peter Green AND the movie “Andromeda Strain”, all in one concise little construction! Begin the countdown… another genre bender that puts the Tedster spin on sequential indie-tronics.

Released in 2002 on 7″ green vinyl.  500 produced, 88 of which were included in the 4213 Box Sets.

NOTE:  HD download available on 4213 release OBQ-09.

The A-side presents “La Honda (Live at SinFest 2000)”, showing Multicast’s improvisational prowess as taken from their NYC debut at the SiN Festival 2000. The interplay of three distinct voices interlocked with beautiful and shimmering melodies makes the run-of-the-mill electronic duo run and scatter for cover behind their lap-tops. Compare this track with the original studio recording found on last year’s “Rural Sessions” release and see for your selves.

The B-side contains a remix by the other Obliq mad scientist Crix Madine of the original “La Honda” recording. This lo-fi bastard out of the Multicast camp shows an early incarnation of what would become a “Rural Sessions” staple. “Crix Madine’s Glik Glok Mix” sounds like the inner-workings of an analog clock ticking away, producing waves of electro-static like a Tesla coil. Here we have another genre-blender soon to be dubbed Psychedelic Electro-funk.

Released in 2002 as part of the 4213 series.  500 blue 7″ vinyls released.  88 of these were available in the 4213 Box Set.

NOTE:  HD 320kbps download available with OBQ-09 4213 release.

From the rural outposts of Colorado return Obliq Recording artists’ Multicast with a long awaited new release-this time a full-length endeavor. The Multicast boys have been in the studio for almost a year now recording “Rural Sessions” and the word around the Obliq office is it was well worth the wait. This is a 74-minute excursion into expansive soundscapes, head-nodding rhythms, counter melodies and spot-on improvisational electronics. “Rural Sessions” takes a rather refreshing approach to leftfield electronic music, doing away with glitch based DSP programming and falls more into territories of improvisation and session based recording, incorporating DIY analog sound sources with digital synthesis. This should surely please listeners familiar with sounds close encounters of the musical variety like contemporary electronic artists and labels such as Suction, L’uisine, Eno, Nonplace Urban Fields (or Bernt Friedmann), Tortoise, and City-Centre-Offices; but Multicast ups the ante bringing melody back to the fore like a modern Global Communication in the wrestling-ring smacking down Boards of Canada.

These are album-centric tracks and much in league of previous Multicast EP’s. “Phosphene” kicks off the album with full-on epic strings and a spectrum of synthesized noises akin to the crackling of a Geiger counter. “Mr. Hz (Takes a Jazz Break)” is an improvisational piece containing atmospheric guitar work sparked by sci-fi beats that transition into a dark and dubby bass excursion. Originally appearing on the debut Obliq Recordings compilation, “Tropicalda” returns re-mixed and mastered with vibrant and warm existential ambience. Ballerica completes the puzzle with the missing corner pieces from your brothers record collection, by answering the question “What do surf-music, Kraftwerk and Tangerine Dream have in common besides driving on the Autobahn?” The track “La Honda” employs chromatic and disjointed beats that sound like wet jolts of electricity amplified through the lead pipes of the kitchen sink with beautiful shimmering guitar. “Way Station” explores imaginary airport terminal-like spaces with a backdrop of serene ambience and non-discernable intercom simulations. “Calisto (Solar Sailor)”, originally appearing on last year’s ultra limited 8 inch floppy disk release, is now properly included here in context of complete works from Multicast. Exclusive to the CD only and never before released, the original 24-minute version of “Laura” finishes off this album, which will undoubtedly please Multicast listeners. The 2xLP version contains a different, never before released atmospheric reprise of “Laura” not contained on the CD.

Full color packaging is presented in both formats. The first 500 vinyl pressings come in translucent smoked amber and smoked green. Second edition was 1,000 150 gram double vinyl. 1,000 CDs were gatefold. Released in 2001.

First of 2 CDs of remixes. “PSI Performer is Anthony Rother’s alter ego for experimental electronics, gets back to his roots on K2o records. About 30 remixers coming from different fields of electronic music rebuilt the PSI Performer original album in their very own ways. On five 12″ parts and two separate CD´s you can find some of the best and most innovative artists in electronic music. CD 1 includes the 14 best mixes of the first three remix EP´s + one CD exclusive mix by Calla. The line-up of this remix series sounds like a who is who in electronic music and is the perfect listening pleasure for all lovers of advanced electronics.” Remixes on this volume include: Multicast, Sender Berlin, Miss Dinky, Gimmik, Alexander Kowalski, Ovuca, John Tejada, Solvent, Calla, Wechsel Garland, Jake Mandell, Plod & Flowing (Thomas Fehlman).

PSI Performer – 1999 (Multicast Remix)

Multicast was informed that Thaddi Hermann had placed a review of their EP1 in the German magazine De-Bug. Trying desperately to translate the German review into English, Multicast piped the text through a natural language converter on the web. Although not fully translated, the review got Mutlicast motivated to write a track. Multicast took this pseudo-translated review and fed it to a text-to-speech converter on the web. With additional vocoder-ization and added hydraulic beats, Sympathen was born. A side note, Multicast still has no clue what “Sympathen” translates to in English! The flip side is a melodic disjunct beat groove that is best described as only Calisto (Solar Sailor). The 7″ release comes in unique packaging within an 8″ floppy diskette.

Released in 2000 in limited edition 8″ Retro Floppy Diskette packaging.  Hand numbered to 400 7″ vinyl records.

The long awaited compilation from Pitchcadet and aii Records. Featuring tracks from : V/VM (exclusive), Funkstorung (from “breakart” ep), Michael Fakesch (from “marion” cd), Datathief (from yunx/datathief split 12″), Multicast (exclusive), M-Tec (exclusive), Accelera Deck (exclusive), Yunx (from pitchcadet cdr), WoodenSpoon (exclusive), Max Tundra (exclusive), & Commercial (exclusive).

Multicast – Foehn

This was a promo that was released in 1999 to promote Multicast’s first EP and the Iron Feather Journal #17 EP.  By popular demand we have added this release for listening and download.  Enjoy the bonus tracks not on the original EPs!

In a collaboration between Iron Feather Journal and Obliq Recordings this joint release is a 3 track Multicast EP and 40+ page Journal. The journal is packed pull of music information including exclusive interviews with Obliq Recordings, Atom Heart, Robert Anton Wilson, plus others! Interesting articles including the Hacking for Y2K guide, fiction from Mandrake Press, DIY Lawnmover Generator and many more. The Multicast EP includes an exclusive remix of Equivii by m-tec of Pitchcadet Records.

Released in 1999, 1,000 10″ records with Iron Feather Journal #17 magazine included.  Limited number on gray vinyl. 

Features 4 tracks including an exclusive remix from Amber Industries International Records artist Accelera Deck. Covers were hand numbered and silk-screened on various colored paper stock. Also released was a video to Hall of the Inverted Mushrooms.

Released in 1998 in a hand silk screened limited edition run of 500 12″.

“Experimental ambient electro.” Compilation of Obliq Recordings artists with guests from Radiovalve.com and Application Specific Records. The CDs were individually numbered with hand silk screened, glow in the dark covers.

Released in 1998.  Limited Edition 500 Hand Crafted CDs. 

This original Multicast demo from 1995-6 was issued in three iterations (with different tracks spanning the releases) all of which tracks are included in this web-only release. Some of these tracks were released on other future releases; but some have been locked in the archive and are only now again seeing daylight!

There have been a lot of requests from our fans to re-release this album and we never wanted to do it with a physical release; but it seems appropriate to release this digitally.

To our fans…Thanks for all your support over the years!  Originally 50 CDr copies made.