12.28.2011

Out with the Rabbit... In with the Dragon!

Update: The download has been disabled as of January 10, 2012, but streaming will be left available indefinitely. :)

Happy New Year!

Forget prophecies of destruction! For those of you who don't know, 2012 marks the Chinese Year of the Dragon (), a symbol of great success and new beginnings. In celebration of this auspicious year we would like to share a free download of one of our completely new and fresh tracks with you, our fans. The song, "Back-alley Lounge," is open to everyone from now until January 10, 2012. (Feel free to spread the love by forwarding the link to this blog post.)

Here's a streaming widget just to give you a taste...

Back-alley Lounge by massa takemoto

So what are you waiting for? Just click on the nengajo (New Year's card) below to start the download. And while you're at it, feel free to let us know what you'd like to see here on the Echolocation blog in the coming year by voting in the poll on the top right-hand corner of the page. 


Happy 2012, and thanks for your continuing support!

Peace and Love,
Massa & Tetsuroh

12.23.2011

Mix Fix: Chill 'M All Vol. 1 Promo Compilation 2011

It's been a long while, but Echolocation is excited to bring you a long-overdue Mix Fix!

This time we've got Chill 'M All, a sweet PodOmatic podcast from GROOVISSIMO.FM of Amsterdam. This mix is silky and intoxicating with just enough spice to keep you wanting more - just like  Christmas mulled wine. There's no playlist to provide information on the individual tracks, but we're sure you're going to enjoy this smooth and sexy hour and fifteen minutes of chilled, downtempo tunes.

Genre: Lounge Chill Out / Nu-jazz / Downtempo / Hip Hop / Eclectronica

12.16.2011

All I want for Christmas...

(by Massa Takemoto, intro by Lydia Takemoto)

Looking to pick up something special for that special someone at the last moment? Or want a few ideas for treating yourself this Christmas?

Finding a great gift for a music lover with a taste for the non-mainstream is never an easy task... And being married to a musician, I know this better than anyone. So to help me out this year, Massa has put together a list of five CDs he'd like to find stuffed in his stocking on the morning of December 25th, complete with his own mini-reviews highlighting what makes them so awesome. If he's lucky (and stays on good behavior), "Santa" just might bring him more than one.
-Lydia

"Dear Santa"

The problem is a lot of the albums I want are only available in MP3 format, and that makes it hard to choose the CDs I want. Also, I prefer to have a variety of albums from different genres, and to keep things new, ones by artists who aren't too big.

But in the end, it's down to these five.

Choice 1 
My Hidden Playground
by Mollono Bass
Label: Acker
Genre: Techno / Minimal House / Tech House

Usually, when I'm looking into this category, I can only find stuff that is either too catchy or too minimal. That's not really what I am looking for. I want something interesting. something innovative and stylish. I think this one's got the best of both worlds. Each track has influences from other genres and they're simple, yet each has a distinctive touch so you can recognize the track.




Choice 2
New Moon
by Almunia
Label: Claremont 56
Genre: Disco, Balearic

This is a very interesting album. Most of the elements are very organic with familiar elements: guitar riffs... the texture of the drum sounds, etc... However, the way this guy puts things together is very cool and very new. I absolutely love this album.




Choice 3
Medicine Show No. 7: High Jazz (Yesterday's New Quintet)
by Madlib
Label: Madlib Medicine Show
Genre: Electronic Jazz

Well, this guy's been around for long that I don't really need to say much about him, but I really like the texture of this album. It somehow reminds me of "On the Corner" and "Bitches Brew" by Miles Davis, but with a modern touch.




Choice 4
Luminal Remastered
by Sounds from the Ground
Label: Upstream Records
Genre: Downtempo

Spacey stuff with groove. It's not any of that cold medium stuff. The combination of lo-fi texture and spacy analog synth is very pleasant. "Stampede" (featuring Rachel Calladine) is my favorite track from this album.




Choice 5
The Jazz Thing
by Christian Prommer's Drumlesson/The Diningrooms
Label: Schema
Genre: Broken Beat / Nu Jazz / Nu Soul

This is definitely a "jazz thing." It takes you to the old black-and-white period, and would go nicely with some wine and a fire place. (But I prefer listening to this kind of album quietly and alone.) Cold winter night stuff. 





12.04.2011

Happy Holidays from Echolocation!

Happy Holidays!

Echolocation would like to thank all our fans for a terrific year, and we wish you good tidings. To celebrate the Holiday Season, we have a few specials this December, including a CD Baby Christmas Sale on digital downloads and a New Year Clearance special on our physical CD, Beauty in an Empty Glass.

Additionally, we'll again be offering a free track download via SoundCloud at the end of December, this time in celebration of 2012, the Chinese Year of the Dragon. Stay tuned for updates! 

Out with the old, in with the new:

Echolocation is looking forward to the year of the Dragon, and we're keeping our fingers crossed for a new release. But before we can do that, we need to clear away some of our old inventory and save up for CD pressing expenses!

In other words, our 2011 physical album will be on sale at CD Baby until the end of the year: $7.99 $5.99

Christmas Special:

And since we're in a giving mood, we're also marking down all digital downloads through CD Baby until Christmas Day!
  • Full album: $5.50  → $2.99
  • Individual track downloads: $1.50$0.99

Peace and Love,
Tetsuroh & Massa

Echolocation News Digest for December, 2011

Compiled by Lydia Takemoto

Featured topics for December, 2011:
  • A few words to our fans
  • Massa's track, "Out after Curfew," now out on Red Carpet Lounge 2
  • Massa's EP, Final Wave, to be released by Geyser Recordings 

A few words to our fans

As they say, "no news is good news..." In other words, we've been so busy we haven't had time to write any updates lately. We sincerely apologize for the delay, but Echolocation currently has its hands full making some great tunes and other goodies for you, our fans. We currently have in the works:
  • a music video for one of our upcoming releases;
  • more great tunes in the works, many with new artistic collaborators.
Stay tuned for more news, as we'll be delivering updates on these projects as information becomes available. In the meantime, thanks again for all your patience. (Which we hope to reward soon!)

"Out after Curfew" now out on Red Carpet Lounge 2




As part of Peacelounge Recordings' compilation, Red Carpet Lounge Vol. 2, DJ Nova (Yiannis Dorakis) has included Massa's spunky, upbeat track "Out after Curfew" on this remarkable digital-only album. RCL 2 is available from a number of digital distribution channels, including iTunes.

Final Wave to be released through Geyser Recordings




Massa's latest EP, Final Wave, will be released on December 16, 2011 through Geyser Recordings. The five-track album is in digital format only, and will be available for download from various online distribution sites including iTunes, Amazon, Rhapsody, Napster, Beatport, and Juno Download.

Geyser is currently offering an immediate track download of your choice from the album to those who pre-order it from Bandcamp. For more details, check out Geyser's official page.

9.03.2011

Echolocation News Digest for September, 2011

compiled by Lydia Takemoto

Featured topics for September, 2011:
  • Special notice for September
  • Beauty in an Empty Glass on SomaFM's Sonic Universe
  • Special thanks for questionnaire participants

Special notice for September

We'd like to apologize for our lack of updates this past month, but as some of you might know from our Facebook and Twitter updates, Massa is in the middle of moving at the moment. (He also managed to sprain his back in the process, but we're pleased to report that he's doing much better now.) As such, updates will continue to be sparse until mid to late September. However,  Echolocation is still working strong on a few new projects, including one in the works with our friends at Peacelounge, and we hope to deliver some news on those soon.

In the meantime, for all of you who downloaded or got our CD through a source other than CDBaby, we've been thinking it unfair that you didn't have a chance to participate in the questionnaire-download campaign. As an alternative, we're extending the track giveaway to anyone who rates or reviews the album on Amazon, CDBaby, or other online distribution channel... Just send an email to info.echolocation@gmail.com and include the name of the site on which you posted a review, along with the handle/username under which you published it, and we will reply with a link to the download for our track, "Limelight."


Chillout with Sonic Universe on SomaFM, commercial-free, independent, alternative/undeground internet radioEcholocation on SomaFM's Sonic Universe

We're proud to note that our CD has been getting some good airplay SomaFM's Sonic Universe this past month, as DJ Nitya has put three of our tracks into his rotation. We'd like to extend our thanks and support to Sonic Universe and all of its listeners. We hope you enjoy the tunes!


Special Thanks

As of August 31, 2011, our questionnaire special free-track giveaway has expired. We'd like to thank all of you who have contributed by giving us your feedback, and hope you enjoyed your free download of "Limelight"!  

Your input is much appreciated, and we intend to act on as much of it as possible. For instance, some of you have indicated that it we should provide a link to our blog on the album cover. While it's too late to include it in the CD material itself, we've attached QR code stickers (as pictured to the right) to the shrink wrap on the CDs we have here in stock. Once our inventory already at CDBaby moves out, future shipments will include the stickered version. 

Of course, there is a lot more great advice, especially regarding the music, and we intend to take it all under consideration for our future releases. Thanks again, and we hope to continue receiving your feedback in the future.

Love and Peace,
Massa and Tetsuroh

8.06.2011

Mix Fix: TJ-KiD (The True Jazzchild) LATE NIGHT FUNKTION!

This week's Mix Fix focuses on Spain's TJ-KiD, voted one of the top Cloudcasters on MixCloud in 2010... This particular mix features a variety of urban lullabies and lounge beats to guide you deep into the night. Be sure to check out TJ-KiD's numerous other Cloudcasts on his MixCloud page!

Genre: Chill Out / Lounge / Downtempo / Trip Hop / Chilled Beats
Featured Artists: Bang Bang, Louis Vertigo, Paul Hunter, Gerardo Frisina, Folk Og Roevere, Mr Scruff, Miguel Migs, Snowboy, Martine Girault, The Mighty Bop, Mr. Scruff And Mark Rae, Sci Fi Select, Le Pample Mousse, The Halftones, Sabrina Malheiros, Fat John The Ample Soul Physician, Maga Bo, Fila Brazilia, Patricia Marx And 4 Hero, Madlib


8.03.2011

CD Review: Geyser - Atmosphere

by Lydia Takemoto
August 3, 2011

Atmosphere
Atmosphere
Geyser (Riad Michael)
Release Date: 12/29/2005
Label: Geyser Recordings
©2005 Geyser Recordings
In anticipation of the upcoming album Fifth, by Geyser (Riad Michael), Massa and I have recently obtained promo copies of this German musician's 2005 ambient-downtempo album, Atmosphere, and his more experimental work, Concrete. Having worked with Geyser before Massa is already well aware of his talent for producing beautiful tracks, but this one album - Atmosphere - personally caught my attention.

Just as the name suggests, Atmosphere is certainly a mood album, and it does an excellent job of combining the talents of a wide variety of collaborating artists around Geyser's core sounds. Starting off with a touch of world instruments and skilled use of dissonance in "Tek 1," the album sets off on a high-altitude course, reminiscent of the album's name. "Pass" is another great ambient track, this time featuring the angelic voice of Estel Hagdorn to produce a calm sound with a sense of lingering grief - like the fading, warm glow of dusk as the sky gives way to darkness, as depicted on the album cover. Moving down the line a bit, the uplifting lounge sound on "Anker" is well accompanied by the energetic sax of Boris Lange, whose kinetic melody kicks the mind into motion. Immediately following, we come to this author's personal favorite track, "Axon," aptly-named, as it combines a high bpm with surreal ambient sounds to create a sense of "calm" urgency - like when the mind-brain fires up an electrical storm and finds focus in chaotic tension just nanoseconds before sending the body into action.

Stay tuned for a review of Fifth in the near future.

Listen to Atmosphere:




Participating musicians (in addition to Geyser): Michael White (aka Yuniversal), Ayhan Doger, Estel Hagdorn, Daniel Michael, Virginia, Markus Schlösser, Boris Lange, Dön, Aimé & Ingmar Niecke

Atmosphere is available on Amazon, iTunes, and a variety of other online distribution channels around the web.

8.01.2011

Echolocation News Digest for August, 2011

compiled by Lydia Takemoto

Featured topics for August, 2011:
  • Echolocation makes it to CDBaby's Editor's Pick
  • Beauty in an Empty Glass to enter rotation on SomaFM's Sonic Universe
  • Free track giveaway until August 31

Echolocation makes it to CDBaby's Editor's Pick

It has come to our recent attention that our EP, Beauty in an Empty Glass has made it to the Editor's Pick on CDBaby.com. Moreover, it's now being listed as one of the top albums in the Electronic Genre, and we want to extend our deepest thanks to all of you who have purchased the album and supported us thus far!


Beauty in an Empty Glass to enter rotation on SomaFM's Sonic Universe

Chillout with Sonic Universe on SomaFM, commercial-free, independent, alternative/undeground internet radioWe just received word this morning that our CD has been received by SomaFM's Sonic Universe DJ, Nitya, and several of our songs should enter this week's rotation! So head on over to SomaFM and check it out if you have the chance... and if you have a little spare cash, don't forget to help them out a bit. Like many (if not most) listener-supported web radio stations, they depend on our donations to keep the beats rolling!


Free track until August 31 

Echolocation: Beauty in an Empty Glass
Until August 31, 2011, Echolocation will continue to offer everyone who gets the CD or digital download of Beauty in an Empty Glass from CD Baby the chance to give us feedback and get a free download. If you leave your e-mail address for us while checking out at CD Baby, we'll contact you on the following Monday with a link to our questionnaire, which asks for feedback regarding our album, blog, and our music in general. Persons who complete the questionnaire are provided with a link to a free download of one of our previously unreleased tracks, "limelight." (Be sure to check your spam folder or add info.echolocation@gmail.com to your contact list to ensure that you get the message!)

The questionnaire DOES NOT collect any personal or demographic info about you, the listener. It's just a way for our fans to give us feedback and help us understand how to spread the word about our music!

Love and Peace,
Massa and Tetsuroh

7.29.2011

Mix Fix: Loungin'

In our last Mix Fix for July, we bring you "Loungin'" from Jazzcat. Perfect for an outdoor afternoon brunch or early evening sips on the porch, "Loungin'" features a selection of modern downtempo tracks with a touch of the traditional in this hour-long mix. Enjoy! 

Genre: Lounge / Downtempo / Chill Out
Featured Artists: Koop (Feat. Cecilia Stalin), A Reminiscent Drive, Doctor Rockit, Astor Piazzolla, Gotan Project, Thievery Corporation, King Kooba, Paul Hunter, Alex Gopher, St. Germain, Ralph Myerz And The Jack Herren Band, De Phazz, Jazzanova


7.22.2011

Mix Fix: Vista Rooftop mix

This week's Mix Fix features an hour and fifteen minutes of outdoor party grooves by UK DJ Jed104. Recorded at the Trafalgar Hotel, this mix is - in the words of it's maker - "designed to chill and sip a drink to in the sun." So kick back on the patio this weekend and enjoy our continuing outdoor venue theme.

Genre: Chillout & Lounge / Electronica / Disco Soul Rare Groove Funk / House Music
Featured Artists: Nightmares On Wax, Faze-O, Jettricks, Just Jack, Mujava, Millionyoung, Chaz Jankel, Flight Facilities, Niquid, Gwen Mcrae, Pnau, Marina & The Diamonds, Lbr & Daxman, Raw Dmx, Breakbot, Funky Dl, Zhane


7.15.2011

Mix Fix: Nasimi Beach Lounge

This week we continue our outdoor chill sessions with this smooth mix from Smokingroove, a collaboration of DJs jet-setting it back and forth from London and Dubai. Recorded live at Nasimi Beach in Dubai, this hour-and-fifteen-minute long mix has a touch of Latin flavor - perfect for a summer party out on the lawn or down on the shore. So what are you waiting for? Let the sound carry you away on the evening breeze...

Genre: Chilled House / Soulful House / Lounge-House / Latin House / Jazz House
Featured artists: Alankara & Jazzy, Kings Of Tomorrow, Sade (Groove Cocktail Mix), Gill Scott (Scott Wozniak Rmx), Mario Biondi (Dims Housing The Jazz Remix), Alankara & Jazzy D, Maw, Aaron Tesser (Dave Masoch Rmx)



7.08.2011

Mix Fix: Dmitry K - Terrace Deep House

As promised, we're continuing this month's theme of good outdoor tunes, this week with Dmitiry K's Terrace Deep House mix from Mixcloud. Although this mix was recorded during the winter of 2009, don't be fooled - this Russian-born DJ of London knows how to keep it hot, even in the snow! So for your weekend patio party, keep the groove going with this hour or so of deep house tunes.

Genre: Downtempo Chill Out / Deep House / Lounge / Chill Out / Afterhours
Matthias Vogt, Doomwork & Aliya Moore, Deep House Souldiers, Duran Y Garcia, David Durango, Cavalier, Terry Lee Brown Jnr., Falko Brocksieper, Matthias Vogt, Ronin, Pete Gust, Kresy & Handrus, Limos


7.03.2011

Echolocation News Digest for July, 2011

compiled by Lydia Niehaus Takemoto

Featured topics for July, 2011:
  • Early Morning Breaks, Vol 3 now on sale in Germany
  • Echolocation's "Frosted Glass" on DJ Nova's Monthly Top 20
  • Free track giveaway in exchange for feedback!

Early Morning Breaks,Vol 3 now on sale in Germany

We mentioned the upcoming release in last month's News Digest, and now we're happy to report that  peacelounge's chillout/downtempo compilation series, Early Morning Breaks Volume 3 is now available for download as of June 24, 2011. Featuring our track, "Frosted Glass," the double-CD album is available in Germany for the time being, and we expect it to be on shelves in other countries soon. We'll let you know as soon as it is!

(For all our German friends, you can get the CD on Amazon.de, or download the unedited tracks from Juno.)

In the meantime, you can stream our track right here!

Frosted Glass by massa takemoto

Echolocation's "Frosted Glass" on DJ Nova's Monthly Top 20

A special thanks to DJ Nova for including our most recent release on EMB Vol. 3 in his Monthly Top 20! (You may remember our first Mix Fix which featured this Greek DJ's Kappa Sessions Podcasts... He's recently uploaded a new mix, Casa Del Sol #18, so check it out!)

Anyhow, here's DJ Nova's pick for the month of June, 2011, as listed on his Facebook Page:

1. Blank & Jones/De-Phazz Mix – Pura Vida – Soundcolours
2. Echolocation – Frosted Glass – Peacelounge Promo
3. ClassicBeatz/Barbera Remix – Kampala Hustle – CD-R
4. AGQ – Lights Dimming – Cool D:Vision **
5. The Bas Lexter Ensample – Celias Baile – Deja-Tunes Promo
6. Captain Planet – Ningane – Bastard Jazz Promo
7. Makala – Makalambo – Lovemonk Promo
8. Channel Two/Deja-Move Downbeat Rework – Deux Vegas – Deja-Tunes Promo
9. Sudaka/Lounge Mix – Day One – Peacelounge Promo
10. Kidboy/Peruvian Mix – The Culture – Jazz & Milk Promo
11. Nossa Alma Canta – Bonecos Reis – Self Released Promo
12. 80’s Casuals – Mermaid – Cold Busted
13. Gecko Turner/Mudd 56 Remix – You Can't Own Me – Lovemonk Promo
14. Vision/Deja-Move Remix – Justify – Deja-Tunes Promo
15. Don Imuze – Grizzly Dub – Agogo Promo
16. Murat Tugsuz – Constantinople – Feng Shui
17. Florian Fai – Downtown Meditation – Clubland
18. Jap Jap – Morning Light Dream – MoRNiNG SuNTouCH ***
19. Atfunk/Downtempo Edit – Something About You – Timewarp
20. Kraak & Smaak – Call Up To Heaven – Cool D:Vision Promo

* FREE DOWNLOAD: http://classicbeatz.bandcamp.com/album/ntales-groove-remix-ep
** Taken from New York Fashion District 3
*** FREE DOWNLOAD: http://www.migrationsradio.com/worldwide/novaplanet/MoSuN07.rar

(tracks marked with * are unreleased)

EP OF THE MONTH JUNE 2011
Q-Burns Abstract Message – Balearic Chainsaw – Eighth Dimension*

ALBUM OF THE MONTH JUNE 2011
Juan De Dios & Stephen Kells – Unfamous Cuts – Nylon Promo

COMPILATION OF THE MONTH JUNE 2011

Free track giveaway in exchange for feedback! 

Echolocation: Beauty in an Empty Glass
Echolocation is now offering everyone who gets the CD or digital download of Beauty in an Empty Glass from CD Baby the chance to give us feedback and get a free download at the same time! If you leave your e-mail address for us while checking out at CD Baby, we'll contact you on the following Monday with a link to our questionnaire, which asks for feedback regarding our album, blog, and our music in general. Persons who complete the questionnaire are provided with a link to a free download of one of our previously unreleased tracks, "limelight."

The questionnaire DOES NOT collect any personal or demographic info about you, the listener. It's just a way for our fans to give us feedback and help us understand how to spread the word about our music! If you order the album but do not wish to complete the survey, just ignore the mail. We only ask once, so you won't be hassled with follow-ups or repeated requests!

Love and Peace,
Massa and Tetsuroh

7.02.2011

Mix Fix: Planet Lounge Vol. 4

This month, Mix Fix will focus on good outdoor tunes, selected for patio drinking parties, rooftop barbecues and the like...

So for the Fourth of July weekend, we bring you Jan Lang's Planet Lounge Vol. 4, from Fil-à-fil's Mixcloud page. With almost one hour of chillout lounge music, this week's Mix Fix is sure to set you in a summer mood. Check back next week for another outdoor party adventure!

Genre: Chillout & Lounge
Featured Artists: Call It Rasta, Get Another Girl, Shine, Naked Ground, Never Let Me Down, Originality, You Wish, Copacabana Soul, Satellites, Part Of The Mind, Mare, Kissing, La Rua Madueira

6.24.2011

Special News Release: Early Morning Breaks Vol. 3 now available!

EMB Vol. 3 cover art

We promised you an update, and here it is! Massa and Tetsuroh are excited to share the news with you that our track "Frosted Glass" is officially released on Early Morning Breaks Vol. 3 and is now available for download, along with the rest of the album, as of July 24. We just received our copy in the mail a few days ago and had the chance to preview it in its entirety... Massa has had it playing for the past two days, and we're absolutely nowhere near tired of hearing it.

The Nuts and Bolts

This double CD compilation album features tracks by various artists, including Chris Coco, Eddie Thoneick, Erick Morillo, Paul Kalkbrenner, Bent, Gregor Salto, and Wax Poetic featuring Norah Jones. Oh, and Echolocation, too. :D

And as a side note, both the physical album and the Juno download have advantages over one another. For instance, Juno features the full-length, unmixed tracks. This makes for extra listening time, but without the smoothly mixed transitions on the CDs. Additionally, there are some tracks that cannot be downloaded separately from the full album, but downloading the whole thing gives you two bonus continuous DJ Mixes that are not available with the CDs: Early Morning Breaks Vol 3 Session One and Session Two (about an hour and 15 minutes each of chilled listening pleasure).




Our First Impression

While they're both catchy, Vol 3 is a bit smoother than its predecessor, Vol. 2, which had songs with more progression. It's (obviously) a lot longer than 2 as well, but - despite it's length - has a smooth, long-mix feeling with subtle changes to take you on a cool, relaxed ride without wearing you out... And kudos to Peacelounge for releasing this compilation in July - it's a great summer chillout album.

Expect to see another Insider Review sometime in the coming months, where we'll spotlight some of the upcoming, lesser-known talent to be found here. In the meantime, check out this promo video for EMB Vol 3 from Planet Radio.

6.17.2011

Mix Fix: DJ Thrift

Licensed to Chill Vol. 2

This week on Mix Fix we're happy to bring you nearly one hour of chilled tunes from DJ Thrift of Buffalo, NY. Licensed to Chill Vol. 2 features 15 uplifting lounge tracks -- great sounds for getting psyched up for a night on the town, or for playing at a Saturday-night, at-home, chill-out lounge party. Just beware of the Ninjas.

Genre: Chillout / Trip Hop / Lounge / Ninja Tune / Acid Jazz
Featured Artists: Amon Tobin, Hexastatic, Fragile State, Dj Krush, Dj Cam, The Herbaliser, Soulive, Thievery Corporation, Massive Attack, Up Bustle And Out, Mr Scruff, Guardner, Tosca, Blue States

6.11.2011

Mix Fix: Celia FELIX

Luxury in the Living Room

For great Sunday afternoon or rainy day relaxation, curl up with a book and chill out with Clelia Felix's Luxury Lounge podcast on Mixcloud. This French musician/composer/songwriter creates mixes for sceen.fm, a German Internet podcast station, which we also recommend checking out. This particular Cloudcast features exactly one hour of chillout music for your lazy living room needs.

Genre: Chillout / Balearic / Lounge / Luxury Lounge / Chilled Beats
Featured Artists: Bliss, Clelia Felix, Christophe Goze, Afterlife, Blank & Jones, Delirium Feat. Sarah Mclachlan, Omaya, Goloka, Partial, Mystic Diversions, Future Sound Of London

6.03.2011

Mix Fix: Raph Schouten

Summer Twilight

To get you revved up for the coming summer switchover, this weekend we invite you to join us in enjoying some of the relaxed lounge tunes brought to you by Raph Schouten, from the Netherlands. In this 14-track Cloudcast, Lounge Sessions Vol. 2, Raph delivers over one hour of cool lounge tunes that mix in well with the mood of a setting or rising sun.

Genre: Lounge / Chillout / Summer / Nujazz / Sensual
Featured artists: Sven Van Hees; Enigmatic; Air; Bombay Dub Orchestra (Remix by Thievery Corp.); Dj Lemark; Dalminjo (Remix by Deep Bossa); Joe Cuba Sextet; Namara, Lounge Generation; Espresso El Lago; Merge Of Equals; Smoke City; Aqua Bassino; Classen Collective; Soul Bossa Trio (Jazzanova Mix)

6.01.2011

Echolocation News Digest for June, 2011

compiled by Lydia Niehaus Takemoto

Featured topics for June, 2011:
  • Upcoming Release on Early Morning Breaks, Vol 3
  • Thank-you letter from Massa and Tetsuroh
  • Continuing call for Reviews/Ratings

    Upcoming Release on Early Morning Breaks,Vol 3

    We're proud to announce our second appearance in peacelounge's chillout/downtempo compilation series, Early Morning Breaks Volume 3. Due for release on June 24, this album features our track, "Frosted Glass," and will be available for digital purchase through most major online distribution sites like Amazon.com and iTunes. 

    (Stay tuned for more information on physical CD distribution.)

    CD Track list and  info:

    CD 1
    01. Alison Degbe & Alex B. Smoove - early morning breaks intro
    02. Darwin & Backwall feat. Emelie Wallin - Good Morning Stockholm (Ozgur Can Remix)
    03. Empresarios - Siesta
    04. Jean Honeymoon - Bang Bang (Lazy Hammock Chillout Mix)
    05. Wax Poetic - Angels feat. Norah Jones
    06. Bent - Exercise 4
    07. Boulevard - On My Own (Sleepless Nights Mix)
    08. Loopaland feat. C. C. - At Sunset (Beach House Mix)
    09. Tereza - Everybody’s Got To Learn Sometime
    10. Fritz Kalkbrenner - Wingman
    11. Erick Morillo & Eddie Thoneick ft. S. Taylor - Live Your Life (Eddie Thoneick’s Chill Out Mix)
    12. Keramick & Lobo - Answers
    13. Sudaka - Day One (Lounge Mix)
    14. Squib - I Love This Music
    15. Gregor Salto and Florian T - Horizonte (GS Cape Sunset Mix)
    16. Therese - Shed My Skin (Radio Edit)
    17. Echolocation - Frosted Glass
    18. Hans HiScore feat. Lisa - Weak

    CD 2
    01. Unit Blue - Estamos Esperando (Chill Mix)
    02. Purple Avenue - Love And Sex And Magic
    03. Deep Dive Corp. - Wider
    04. Alex B. Groove feat. Alison Degbe - You Make Me (Alex B. Smoove’s Sundown Remix)
    05. Paul Kalkbrenner - Plätscher
    06. Sinan Mercenk - I Wanna Go Dancing
    07. Flight Facilities - Crave You feat. Giselle
    08. Mr. Kato & Bee - Scantily Dressed
    09. Chris Coco - Summer Sun
    10. Monodeluxe - Devotion
    11. M8ykeys & Buck Precious feat. Saba Tewelde - This Woman’s Work
    12. Philipp Ort - Paris Nights (Inxec & Matt Tolfrey Remix)
    13. Ping meets Chris Ahrens - Left
    14. Quicksand - Quicksand
    15. Tom Tom Club - Love To Love You Baby (Tom Novy & The Gran’ Flow Mix)
    16. m.age.project - It All Comes feat. manoo
    17. Levitation feat. Cathy Battistessa - More Than Ever People

    Compiled by Mark Hartmann & Christian Arndt
    Mastered & Mixed by Mick von Oppen
    Photography by www.geturshot.com
    Model: Jasmin Hoetjes


    Thank-you Letter from Massa and Tetsuroh

    Dear Loyal Fans,

    Self-released EP for $5
    from CDBaby's Sale bin.
    We’d like to thank everyone for following us here on Blogger, and we hope you're enjoying our posts! It has been one month since we created this site to keep you updated on cool stuff emerging in our genre, and we hope to have your continued readership and support.

    Also, we hope you liked our free download of "Midnight Swim" on SoundCloud. We ended the download period on May 31st, but you can continue to stream the song on Massa's SoundCloud page. Also, we'll be posting it here for streaming so you can listen as you browse around our other posts.

    Thanks for your support!

    Love and Peace,
    Massa Takemoto and Tetsuroh Konishi (Echolocation)

    Midnight Swim by massa takemoto


    Continuing Call for Reviews/Ratings

    We'd like you to know that Echolocation is still seeking reviews and feedback from our listeners regarding Beauty in an Empty Glass. If you've obtained the album, please leave a short comment or rating on one of the various distribution sites  (Amazon, iTunes, etc.) to let everyone know what you think of our stuff. And remember to be honest!

    Thanks!!
    Massa and Tetsuroh

    5.27.2011

    Mix Fix: Chilled Excursions with Angelica

    Table for two, please...

    This week's favorite, Chilled Excursions, is a weekly podcast by former on-air personality, Angelica, from San Antonio, TX. More on the jazz side compared to most of our other picks, this Cloudcast features one and a half hours of relaxed lounge music. Great music to go with a gourmet dinner at home on a Saturday evening/night.

    Genre: Chillout / Lounge
    Featured artists: Farid (Second Sky Remix) [Feat. Sarah Vertino], Cane Garden, Speakers, Sunset Session Group, Soho Lounge Feat. Dea Li, Mira Flores, The Chiller, Alpha X, The Sura Quintet, Polished Chrome, Anori, Klan Stein, Newton, Caia, Numaro (Afterlife Remix), Jelly & Fish, Celestial View

    Edit: The following mix has since been removed from MixCloud. We apologize for any inconvenience, and encourage readers to check out Angelica's page for more great podcasts.

    5.24.2011

    Insider Review: Early Morning Breaks Vol. 2

    With Echolocation's second appearance on the Early Morning Breaks series just on the horizon, Massa and Tetsuroh have decided to revisit and give their own take on this 17-track compilation, which includes Echolocation's track "In the Dark."

    Early Morning Breaks Vol. 02
    EMB Vol 2 cover art
    Released in September of 2010 by Peacelounge Records, this compilation album features some fairly established artists in the chill/downtempo/house genres, most notably Lazy Hammock, Chris Coco, Polished Chrome, and Poloroid, alongside some lesser-known, upcoming artists. Naturally, we need not go into details on the big names; many people will readily recognize the remix of Poloroid's "So Damn Beautiful," made popular by its appearance in the TV series Nip/Tuck. Instead, we intend to focus on the overall flow of the album, and perhaps spotlight some of the more obscure talent that can be found on it to deliver to you some cool artists who deserve a good listen. 

    But first, a look at the big picture... To get a taste of the whole thing, we've provided the following SoundCloud stream to tickle your ears. (If you wish to skip the intro, go to 0:22 on the time bar.)

    1 White Rabbit Learns To Fly - Early Morning Breaks Intro; 2 Chris Coco - My Beach House; 3 Lazy Hammock - Island Lover; 4 Deep Dive Corp. - Fired Up (feat. Michele Adamson); 5 Mikis Theodorakis, Francesco Diaz - On The Road; 6 Fil-à-Fil - Just An Illusion; 7 Eddie Thoneick & Andy P - Love Under Pressure (Chill Out Mix); 8 Poloroid - So Damn Beautiful (Chris Coco Remix); 9 Polished Chrome - First Experience; 10 Lusine - Twilight; 11 Clyb Foster featuring Sibel Köse - I Don't Want To Make A Mistake; 12 Larse - Family Affair; 13 DAO - Anna; 14 Out Of Sight - Comfort (Afterlife Remix); 15 Fat Beat Sound System feat. Hosni - Late Downtown (Accu Rmx); 16 Echolocation - In The Dark; 17 Dilek Taskin - Breeze of summer


    The Whole Shebang

    We'd like to mention how impressed we were with the way this album was compiled. After looking into the various artists that appear on Early Morning Breaks 2, it's apparent that each musician is doing a totally different thing in the world of electronic-based music. And even though we must admit that we liked some more than others, the tracks have been carefully selected and organized in such a way that they complement each other well and stand out better than when listened to individually. 

    In fact, the album itself does a good job of telling a story. Like the flow of a daydream, it captures the essence of stream-of-consciousness. Complete with its own "emotional ups and downs," this compilation takes the listener on a mental journey from sunny to gloomy, from morning to night, from city to nature, and then back again.


    Featured Artists

    And so in picking through the pieces of that daydream, it's time to focus on a couple of tracks that Echolocation was particularly impressed by. For this edition of Insider Review, Massa and Tetsuroh each picked out several songs they each thought stood out on the album, and then compared their lists. Surprisingly, there was virtually no overlap, save for one song; we assume this is partly due to slightly differing tastes, but it also seems to reinforce our conclusion that the CD is very well compiled! In this circumstance, Massa and Tetsuroh have each given a description for one track of their choosing.

    Massa's pick: Deep Dive Corp. "Fired Up"

    This German group, which has been around since 1999, may be familiar to many hardcore fans of the chillout genre. Nevertheless, they certainly deserve more attention. To date, they have released six albums, have appeared on numerous compilations, and are unique within the genre for regularly playing out at live gigs using their own special hardware. So here's what Massa has to say about "Fired Up":

    "Exotic with catchy vocals over house beats, I would say this is not one of those typical loud dance tunes. You can sit back and chill out with this track, but it's still "danceable" - very stylish. When I listen to this track, I can almost imagine a promo video, or one of those movie scenes where the main character is driving in the fog and looking back at what went wrong...

    "Good for a rainy day listening session, this track sounds simple and catchy but when you listen to it carefully, you notice that it's actually edited in a very sophisticated way."
    -Massa

    (A sample of this track can also be heard at 1:29 on the teaser mix above.)

    Tetsuroh's pick: Dilek "Breeze of Summer"

    "Dilek means WISH."

    That's about all the biographical information listed out there on this sexy-voiced vocalist, other than that she's based out of Germany. Dilek Taskin collaborates with quite a few other artists in various genres across the electro-harmonic spectrum, though, and appears often in tracks by Massivedrum. Let's here more from Tetsuroh regarding "Breeze of Summer":

    "The burning sunlight of the afternoon has disappeared, and now you turn to peer at the moon through a glass of red wine. Playing in the sand which brushes against your parched skin, you slake your lips with the wine. A dry wind gently strokes your burnt cheeks like a sunburst, while an exotic scent floats in on the gentle ocean breeze.

    "...That's the image this song conjures in my mind.

    "A great track with a cool and simple arrangement, Dilek's dark, breathy voice reminds me of the lingering sense of playfulness at the end of a fun night. Each and every element - the androgynous harmony, the rhythm and bass, the pad synth, and a voice like deep-red wine - melts together beautifully in this simple, well-orchestrated track."
    -Tetsuroh

    (A sample of this track can also be heard at 6:25 on the teaser mix above.)

    Of course, these are just our opinions, and we encourage you to give the album a listen and formulate your own. In the meantime, we'll keep you updated with more information on the coming release of the double-disc Volume 3 of Early Morning Breaks as it comes in.