Vertical Ascent

Description

The Berlin master stretching out in live, deep, driving excursions. At its heart a dream crossing of Basic Channel, Can and Larry Heard.

Through Basic Channel and Rhythm And Sound, Moritz von Oswald's collaborations with Mark Ernestus mapped out the grounds of a deep exchange between real-deal Jamaican dub and classic, Detroit-style techno.
The duo's accomplishment and influence are immense.

Now working with Max Loderbauer & Vladislav Delay 'Vertical Ascent' retraces various signatures of earlier styles: the fastidious density of sound, the massive bass and detailed upper registers (Ricardo Villalobos has called the album ('A frequency massage'), the stripped, stepping repetitiousness, the seriousness.

Vladislav Delay is a drummer and electronic musician from Finland — like von Oswald, trained in classical percussion (whilst the third member studied classical piano for twenty years) — who released a landmark album on Basic Channel's Chain Reaction imprint, before working with a diversity of artists (under pseudonyms like Luomo and Sistol), from Massive Attack to the Scissor Sisters. On Vertical Ascent he plays home-made metal percussion.

From Munich, Max Loderbauer was a partner in the ambient duo Sun Electric. Behind the scenes his work has ranged between Tresor and Can's Spoon Records. In 2004 he teamed up with Tobias Freund to form NSI (Non Standard Institut). On Vertical Ascent he plays synthesizers, alongside von Oswald, who also contributes Fender Rhodes and additional percussion.

Description

The fastidious density of sound, the massive bass and detailed upper registers (Ricardo Villalobos has called Vertical Ascent 'a frequency massage'), the stripped, stepping repetitiousness, the seriousness — all present and correct, these signatures of Moritz' work with Mark Ernestus as Basic Channel, Maurizio, and Rhythm And Sound.

The startling newness here stems from the qualities of live performance — the driving, clattering percussion in particular, and the loose, improvisatory approach — and the exploded palette of sounds, including a trace of steel drums, and something like a cuica. The Trio is Moritz alongside Vladislav Delay (whose early records were released on the Basic Channel imprint Chain Reaction) and Max Loderbauer (from NSI, on Sahko). At the heart of their epic excursions here is a dream crossing of classic Berlin techno, On-The-Corner Miles Davis, Larry Heard and Can, as at home with calypso as it is Stravinsky.