Please view the current releases below. Tracks can be streamed by clicking the track name or downloaded by clicking the arrow preceeding the track name. Alternatively, play the entire collection (including much unreleased material) by opening the jukebox.
| Gareth Dickson - Sampler |
|
11 May 2007 :: MP3
Gareth Dickson's release is one which is not bound by the standard sense of time. Comprised of nine melancholic tunes drifting at their own pace, gently unfolding in space, evoking images of winter and water, of fog and future (past).
There are residual echos of well established cult heros: Nick Drake, John Fahey or even Vashti Bunyan (with whom Gareth has been playing with as a part of her touring line-up, and successfully left the crowd absolutely enchanted after playing a seemingly impromtu performance during the Melbourne leg of her tour).
Where Dickson excels is with his unique use of the guitar as a sound making body. A glorious object in which to explore rich landscapes, the drone in song, and acoustic ambience. This is beautiful music, music in the act of levitation, a ghostly presence; almost tangible but never within reach.
"Technology" opens the set eschewing any overt use of the medium, instead, an uncanny sensibility is evoked as the narrator phrases "death is a breeze" amongst a haunting atmosphere of brooding tranquility. "Technology", a seemingly intrusive social construct reduced to a clouded thought, a stark atmosphere, breathtaking and bewildering. "Noon" again places the listener in a stark 'song' world whilst "Solina Sea" expands on the sonic suggestions in earlier tracks - a sonic anaesthetic, as warm as it is foreboding. It's not so far fetched to suggest that parts of this release formulates a music Brian Eno may have come up with if he had decided to make his classic 'ambient' records with a guitar.
Throughout this release one is exposed to a passing thought, captured and reconfigured as a mood. An audio figure which remains true to the form but one which taps into a new sound world, cross-wiring the sound of folk with the mood of a more ambient zone. A voice appears, faintly reciting words, simple words with poetic shifts in meaning. This is not, and let us make this clear, not just another psych, drone, folk record for the coolsie kids today. This is a breathtaking collection of songs, which present themselves as so much more.
:: 1.
Gareth Dickson - Technology
:: 2.
Gareth Dickson - Climbing
:: 3.
Gareth Dickson - Noon
:: 4.
Gareth Dickson - Solina Sea
:: 5.
Gareth Dickson - If I
:: 6.
Gareth Dickson - The Dance
:: 7.
Gareth Dickson - As You Lie
| spatial - Low and Feary EP |
|
05 Apr 2007 :: MP3
There is always something exciting about discovering new music, and that sensation is certainly present on listening to the Low and Feary EP. Tension mounts, with a feeling you are likely to be blown away at any moment. This is music for right here and right now, while other forms of electronica - most notebly drum and bass, are sounding old hat and repetitive, the Low and Feary EP captures your imagination and gives you the sense that a new chapter is well under way.
This EP offers the listener a variety of musical pleasures. Dynamite Skank is about a feeling of space and openness, flowing in a steady electronic stream. Urgency is not important here and though the tempo is restrained, the driving beat keeps pushing the listener on. A scattering of dubbed out beats mixed with a delightfully heavy, dark distorted voice sample make this track an essential experience.
This is Dubstep stripped down to the bare bones, intriguing and mesmerising, it builds a landscape in your mind. I find myself recalling records from the likes of The Bug, and Laurent Garnier who created a similar feeling of landscape and environment.
The mood changes with Artcore Steppa, beautifully haunting 100% pure dubstep goodness. When you think you have his record understood, it throws a curve ball, a two step garage beat comes out from hiding. I can't help but draw parallels to early Wookie. Then you are away, swept along, snippets of dirty bass snap away at you. Thoughts of a packed, sweaty club in East London spring to mind. Bodies hypnotized by the sound, this is serious stuff, not one for the faint hearted. Everything about this tune is so right, from the husky lush vocal that punctuates throughout, to the little breakdowns, and ever so dirty bassline.
With the rise of Dubstep, the importance of good music being released is vital for longevity. Acts like Skream, Benga, Kode 9, with a little help from Mary Anne Hobbs on her radio 1 shows have strived to educate us, now we must use this education wisely and seek out nuggets like this. Artcore Steppa is a must have track, it works on so many levels. It does not try and hide it's influences, dub and garage, which is wonderful, it takes you by the hand, and guides you with effortless ease through a new aural experience.
The final track Low and Feary is short but ever so sweet, a slow marauding beast. Heavily drenched in all things Dub, it rumbles with a deep, deep bassline. Spatial's love of the Dub sound is ever present on this track and throughout the EP, and as his name suggests, his detailed use of sonic space is superb, interwoven with an underlying brooding tension. Again there is a strong feeling of environment and atmosphere with this track, a rugged, lawless landscape. Spatial has stamped his mark, and although some of his musical influences are clear, they do not hinder this production, and he manages to bring something extra to all three recordings.
Spatial has started something very exciting with Low and Feary, the overall effect leaves you with extremely curious to hear what's coming next.. I for one will be eagerly awaiting.
:: 1.
Spatial - Dynamite Skank
:: 2.
Spatial - Artcore Steppa
:: 3.
Spatial - Low and Feary
| Sepia Hours - Linear Smooth Changes |
|
13 Sep 2006 :: MP3
The first release on Polymorphic for established netlabel artist Sepia Hours is a collection of sketchbook narratives that cohere into a pure sonic experience of the finest kind.
Linear Smooth Changes is an organically evolving work that avoids comfortable or obvious terrain whilst still being an accessible listen. The interplay of recorded sound and percussive electronics remind of Four Tet but where Hebdens' work is largely underpinned by structured Hip Hop or Jazz rhythms, Biset leaves the drumming looser leaving the tracks in a more abstract form.
The naivety and playfulness in this rhythm is overlayed by softly spoken / barely sung lyrics amidst an ensemble of subtlety shifting sinusoidal tones and delicate guitar phrases. Child-like toned percussion permeates throughout whilst recorded ambient sounds add to the organic feel. The playful pastoral phrases recall Icelandic favourites Múm.
This beautiful recording is clearly human creation and not synthetic or machine music despite it's utilisation of technology and the blasts of digital embellishment.
:: 1.
Sepia Hours - Outdoor
:: 2.
Sepia Hours - Less damage
:: 3.
Sepia Hours - Silent confusion
:: 4.
Sepia Hours - Slow walking
:: 5.
Sepia Hours - To Forget How To Tell About Things
| Hyperlanguage - Hyperlanguage preview |
|
30 Aug 2006 :: MP3
Preamble
This preview release of Hyperlanguage acts a precursor to the improvised sound installation at this years Netaudio 06 festival. It aims to give the listener an aural context for the project whilst introducing the fundamental themes of investigation with which the participating artists are concerned.
Hyperlanguage
Working from a point that accepts that all languages are already there…every
permutation already exists…
Working from a point that accepts that languages evolve and mutate..everything
has to be discovered…absorbed and understood…
The three artists that currently comprise this collaborative network have constructed
a live incarnation of an exploratory work based upon the concept of a hypothetical
“Hyperlanguage”, a hybrid language consisting of part human, part
machine syntax manifested through contemporary technology.
Hyperlanguage was formulated as an ongoing experimental test bed – a laboratory
of sorts – a formal analysis and exploration of human language fused with
digital technology. The future of humankind is inextricably linked with high
technology, and a sentient electronic collective is emerging from today’s
ever- expanding panoply of telecommunications networks. Perhaps Hyperlanguage
is an outgrowth of our relationship with technology, high speed communication
via rapid transit systems, a language born of the information age?
What we present here is best explained as a synthesis of ideas and experiments
in the form of a three way “conversation” between three artists
interacting with [and through] three [or more] machines. The results presented
here are unrehearsed, unpredictable, and unknown, and are therefore not readily
categorisable as “art”, “music”, or “entertainment”
as such, but perhaps a collision and collapsing of all three… a parallel
universe in which sounds, voices, and digital information slide within each
other to become manifestations of a shadowy realm, fluctuating somewhere between
the organic, the technological, and the cultural.
Hyperlanguage is the simultaneous rapport between three audio artists, and the
gradual evolution over a given period of time of a real –time digital
communication.
We hope to explore language [through sound] in various states, the point of
departure is in initiating human vocalisations and digital structures, and derailing
them, moving them to a point where once fused, a hybrid language emerges of
its own volition over the course of the presentation. The end result is yet
to be known..it is not quantifiable..it is boundary-less, without a defined
end or beginning. Once digitised, language is released from it’s human
origins, and can transform itself into a multitude of possibilities, it becomes
a fluid system unimpeded by any physical or conceptual limits..this is where
the true work of Hyperlanguage begins…
There will be further presentations of the Hyperlanguage project in live and
recorded formats. Visit our blog/website frequently for updates and further
information .
Si_Comm
2006
:: 1.
Hyperlanguage - Utterance
:: 2.
Hyperlanguage - N-Spaces_-_Verbomotor-2702
:: 3.
Hyperlanguage - N-Spaces_-_Verbomotor-2703
:: 4.
Hyperlanguage - N-Spaces_-_Verbomotor-2706
:: 5.
Hyperlanguage - N-Spaces_-_Verbomotor-2709
:: 6.
Hyperlanguage - S.E.T.I_-_Atmosphere_Processing
| Level - Shalan |
|
16 Aug 2006 :: MP3
Polymorphic is proud to unveil a new full-length album from B.G. Nichols, aka Level.
His Level project provides a natural counterpoint to his work as Si_Comm and allows him to explore the more textural, ambient style of his music - where Si_Comm deconstructs, Level reconstructs and adds layers of organic sound into the mix.
Shalan is a natural successor to both Cycla and Shimmer and features a similar theme of melancholy, beauty and desolation. As a companion to both it shares a similar palette of sounds, yet retains its own distinguishing features.
Deep swathes of ambience play out across the tracks with background sounds providing a subtly rhythmic base for the chords and textures to work their magic.
There’s a lightness and fragility to the music that echoes the fractured nature of day-to-day life in the modern world. This feeling of loneliness is something that most people listening to the music will identify with in some way – particularly the isolationists amongst us.
That Nichols is inviting us along on such a personal sounding and introspective musical adventure is a privilege and an honour.
With ‘Aramaia’, Level sets out the framework for the album by delivering one of the saddest and most beautiful tracks you’re liable to hear. Mournful guitar sounds and a desperately sublime underlying drone ensure that you’ll be emotionally involved from the moment you begin listening.
From there each track delivers a deep meditation on subtle sound manipulation and the art of engaging people through tone and texture.
Cala Mesca’ bears a resemblance to Cycla’s ‘Aler Besc’ and could conceivably be considered as a follow-up; ‘Shalan’ itself is constructed of muted ranges of drone with chiming, funereal bell sounds arranged across them; ‘Shehade’ showcases the wonderful piano tracks that surface on this album with an epic feeling of magnitude and an expansive use of reverb and delay; Finally ‘Arque’ delivers a gentle, thoughtful and classically inclined sound which, once again, utilises live piano playing and hi-frequency sounds.
As ever with Level’s music this work should be experienced without interruption. To break it up into tracks is to fundamentally dismember something which hangs together so beautifully and so delicately.
Shalan proves, once again, that Level is a force to be reckoned with.
Enjoy.
:: 1.
Level - Aramaia
:: 2.
Level - Fronde
:: 3.
Level - Nostre / Cala Mesca
:: 4.
Level - Shalan
:: 5.
Level - Shehade
:: 6.
Level - Frisque
:: 7.
Level - Arque
| Various Artists - Polymorphic Sampler 20060126 |
|
22 Feb 2006 :: CDR
This short run CDR was produced to promote the Polymorphic label at Level's "Cycla" launch party at the Smallfish record store in London. We gave out copies on the night, left a bunch to be given away over the counter and sent some off to various interested parties and friends on the web and in the media. The feedback has been extremely positive with the CDR due to feature in the March charts over at the Garden Of Earthly Delights and being given some airplay over at Radioactive FM. If you'd like a copy for review for your web site, mag etc then drop us a line and we'll see if we can dig you one out. You can preview the tracks by clicking the links below.
:: 1. HAL - In Static Motion
:: 2. Level - Frond
:: 3. Grounded Circle - When I am With You
:: 4. The Impossible Flower - The_Mumps#1
:: 5. Sintieron - En Bonne Fortune
:: 6. HAL - The Causal Loop
:: 7. Remote_ - Reveal
| Grounded Circle - Incoherent |
|
21 Jan 2006 :: MP3
Polymorphic Music has something of a reputation for covering and supporting the more minimal end of the electronic sphere of music. True, but not exclusively so. The website aims to expose music of a varied and interesting nature and that’s why the Grounded Circle comes to you with a full recommendation.
‘Incoherent’ is a 3-track EP that is anything but. It wears its heart on its sleeve and is a full-bodied and engaging piece of work through and through.
The opening track, ‘Minimal Meaning’ is a friendly way to begin the proceedings and after an initially frenetic and percussive intro soon settles into the kind of rhythmic and melodic Electronica that labels such as Toytronic and Expanding have become extremely well respected for.
A chirpy, sine-wave based lead sound provides a fittingly lively, yet still melancholic melody that sits atop gently changing chords and a surprisingly funky beat that’s half break / half Electro-orientated.
Settling into a groove it flows and moves effortlessly throughout with a couple of more scrunched up breaks and drops to add some spice.
The second track, ‘When I’m With You’ initially adopts a different style with a scratchy guitar lick during the intro leading you to believe this could easily be a purely organic track. The electronics soon work their way into the mix with a gentle chord and a light and spacious piano-style melody. The rhythm is a far crunchier affair and has elements of the kind of DSP / processed beats of a Skam release but with a less deliberately awkward feel. Organ chords in the background give it a human touch and there are some earthy hisses and hums going on in there as well. It’s a subtle track that never becomes overpowering and manages to retain a nicely low-key feel.
The last track of the EP ‘You Will Never Be Alone’ is, perhaps, the strongest and for me is definitely a case of saving the best for last and although it’s the shortest track, I think it has the strongest personality.
A soothing combination of piano, organ and reversed synth and keyboard sounds. In fact, the main tone is reminiscent of Seefeel, although the rhythm is more overt and processed than that particular band.
I love the fact that Grounded Circle feel absolutely happy to insert moments of obscurity into their tracks and I love the fact that they never sound forced… there’s always a reason for putting it there even if it’s not 100% apparent on the first listen. The more time you give this EP the more you’ll find yourself going back to it and that’s one of the main reasons it’s on the Polymorphic site – its longevity is very appealing indeed.
:: 1.
Grounded Circle - Minimal Meaning (part 2)
| The Impossible Flower - Each Year Of Our Lives |
|
07 Nov 2005 :: MP3
Andrew Daly and Gareth Dickson have joined forces to maximise the potential of their organically based sound with a subtle range of electronic manipulation which is a style we've seen an awful lot of recently. So, one tends to wonder what it is, exactly, that sets this apart from other similar releases.
It's really rather simple when you spend any length of time listening to the work. There's a grace and beauty that touches everything they do that smacks of artists who are completely at home with the equipment they use and the way they use it.
Guitars, samplers and effects are the bones of the sounds on offer here and they combine to make reversed notes and melodies, deep textures and swathes of noise, both passive and aggressive.
From the very first note of 'Each Year Of Our Lives' you can hear the time these guys have spent constructing aching layers of melancholic sound. A gentle guitar riff opens and a tinkling melody of reverb-laced notes opens out before you. The feeling is one of coherent improvisation and there's clearly an element of this in the music. Whilst a simple bass note underpins everything, a series of lightly played musical elements plays over the top to create an atmosphere that's as gentle as it is textured. Haunting layers of effects are brushed lightly over the surface to give added depth and it's hard not to be drawn in.
The second of the untitled tracks is, initially at least, more overtly musical and has some clear folk leanings, albeit with a more spacious air. After a lovely beginning of crisp, shining guitars a more processed sound creeps into the mix with those effects once again playing their part in making this dense without being heavy. A reversed percussion sound plays throughout the latter half of the track and even though it's based on an abstract rhythm it absolutely holds everything together, keeping the guitar playing in check.
Finishing with the third track the sense of melancholy becomes even stronger. I’d compare it to the work of Greg Davis or Keiichi Sugimoto (of Minamo and Fourcolor fame) and that’s certainly never a criticism. It has several things in common with the aforementioned; a sense of delicate melody, deft use of reverb to create an almost spiritual feel, yet with an earthy undertone that’s not quite world music and not quite folk but somewhere in between. I almost felt like there was a Hi-Life influence to the guitar playing a couple of times, but that might just have been me!
Taking a simple guitar sound and keeping the interest of the listener can often be hard – The Impossible Flower do it with ease.
:: 1.
The Impossible Flower - Untitled #1
| HAL - The Raw Deal EP |
|
11 Jul 2005 :: MP3
In stark contrast to the last couple of Polymorphic releases we find HAL returning with some straight up minimal Techno and dancefloor material. Solid production and some slick arrangements ensure the groove is kept pumping throughout the majority of the release
'Playin the Game' is built around a rolling bassline and some tight drum programming punctuated by stimulating sound design in the form of digital debris that slices through the soundfield.
'750 Hurts' interupts the flow and explores slightly imperfect waveforms and subtle EQ changes to devasting effect. Then it's back in the fast lane with 'Pushed' which is a unashamed nod to Detroit minimalism with it's simple programming and clean production utilised to maximum effect. As the track progresses and builds it's focus and rhythm shift, ending in an entirely different place altogether...
'Ate Bit Byte' is environmentally friendly Techno, rhythms and drums programmed from the leftover remnants of vocal inflections, coaxed into a swingin, dirty arrangement with a laidback housey feel. Lastly we go deep underground with the cavernous sound of 'Magma'. The track marches to an old school Techno beat which feels like the listener is trapped inside a bassbin, encompassed by a pulsing and warming heartbeat.
Well, things started off lighthearted ;) LOUD VOLUME REQUIRED !!
:: 1.
HAL - Playing the Game
:: 2.
HAL - 750 Hurts
:: 3.
HAL - Pushed
:: 4.
HAL - Ate Bit Bite
:: 5.
HAL - Magma
:: 6.
HAL - Every good story..
| Level - Shimmer |
|
23 Jan 2005 :: MP3
Level returns with some exclusive material in a very similar vein to his preliminary Polymorphic release (now preview only). The tone is still ultra minimal but this excursion includes guest guitarist Tariq Hussain who provides contrasting interplay to offset the simple structures by coaxing picked timbres and occasionally complex fret runs from his instrument.
These elements combine and dissolve to invoke an in depth sonic experience of the finest kind. Enjoy !
:: 1.
Level - Skimming
:: 2.
Level - Frond
:: 3.
Level - Chiasm
:: 4.
Level - Kula
:: 5.
Level - Lande
:: 6.
Level - Bonus1
:: 7.
Level - Bonus2
| Sintieron - The Illusory of the Imagined Unreal |
|
22 Jan 2005 :: MP3
An wonderous ep of beautifully deft sonic manipulations.
The mood of the recordings is very organic with acoustic instruments and samples providing the food for the various processors to dine on. Interestingly, this was all achieved without a computer in sight!
:: 1.
Sintieron - Quiet minds in Paraguay
:: 2.
Sintieron - En bonne fortune
:: 3.
Sintieron - Bastards of the Universe
:: 4.
Sintieron - When your world is full of paper clips and pens
| Level - Cycla |
|
19 Dec 2004 :: MP3
Cycla is the first release from Polymorphic newcomer Level.
The atmospheric sound is beautifully restrained exposing fractured melodies and shards of piano that cohere and dissipate within the sound field.
The music within this release is composed using an iterative cycle of processing utilising Level's own source material as a sonic sculpture. Gradually, all the formal elements are stripped away and re-composited until only the residual remnants of the original structures remain.
10/01/05 - Please note that this release has now secured a commercial deal via the revered Japanese minimalist label Spekk. The record should be available in the late Spring so if you enjoyed the Level sound please show support and make a purchase from Spekk directly. A selection of full previews are available (stream only) so you can still check out some of the tracks if you haven't heard them yet. Level has kindly promised us some alternate exclusive material soon so watch this space !
:: 1. Level - Sensit
:: 2. Level - Colimn
:: 3. Level - Desagn
:: 4. Level - Resinn
:: 5. Level - Aler Besc
:: 6. Level - Formen
:: 7. Level - Ferna
| HAL - Polymorphic Sampler March 2003 |
|
01 Mar 2003 :: CDR
A cross section of tracks bringing HALs diverse output to the fore. Coarse fractured beats, dissonant soundscapes, subtle suggestive patterns and pop sensibilities...its all here!
:: 1.
HAL - Clatterbot
:: 2.
HAL - Shapeshifter
:: 3.
HAL - PowerOfSuggestion
:: 4.
HAL - StartPointReference
:: 5.
HAL - Phoneme
:: 6.
HAL - Subversive Movement
:: 7.
HAL - 020105
:: 8.
HAL - All Rise
| HAL - Organisms |
|
01 Mar 2002 :: CDR
Organisims was the first officical release on polymorphic. A four track EP of dense sonic excursions.
:: 1.
HAL - Time-lapse
:: 2.
HAL - Evolt-cyclic-contort
:: 3.
HAL - Deep within
:: 4.
HAL - 92 02
