The Malag EP

October 16, 2015 In Uncategorized

Harmonious Thelonious

cat. mea010

release 12" + digital

release date May 2013

mastering Rashad Becker

distribution Clone

artist page

Harmonious Thelonious

[bandcamp width=100% height=307 album=1510528311 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=63b2cc artwork=none]

Stefan Schwander has been releasing his heavily processed and sequenced take on African music and American minimalism under his Harmonious Thelonious moniker since 2008. His new EP on meakusma is only the second one on a non-German label. On two tracks, Schwander takes his trademark rhythmically and melodically repetitive sound into straightforward Techno territory, although some heavy phasing gives the raw power and stoic repetition of these tracks an ambientish, post-club feel. Two other tracks further develop his typically eclectic and informed sound, playing live organ on one of them, displaying a jittery and jumpy rhythmic style that looks for a groove that until now did not exist. Jesse Hackett, a.k.a. Elmore Judd and Rowan Park, delivers a remix that takes the original firmly into 'My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts' territory, giving melody and rhythm a more open sense of space, and layering it with vocal samples to further add to a sense of Funk alienation. This is serious and exhilarating music!

reviews

Excellent tripping percussive Electronica/Techno hybrid cuts w/ outernational influences

www.hardwax.com

Stefan Schwander’s brilliant Harmonious Thelonious project shakes down four tracks of rugged, Afro-rhythmic techno backed with a pop-wise Elmore Judd & Rowan Park remix. A-side absolutely has us with its swirling reversed loops, viscous bass rumble and shuffled percussion, while ‘The Grasshopper Was teh Witness comes off like Oscar Mulero meets Konono No.1. Elmore Judd’s remix eases the groove off the kicks for a more melodic sweetness topped with his vocodered vox and plangent savannah winds beside the bumping distorto groove ‘Don’t Lose Your Head’ and the title track’s swaggering brunt.

www.boomkat.com

Wunderschöne Platte. Auf einem ganz eigenen Trip. Übereinander geschobene Sequenzen in einer verführerischen Dichte, perkussive Monster aus dem Detroit-Urwald, die angezerrt euphorisierenden Sounds der letzten Releases von Schwander unter diesem Namen finden sich hier ebenso wie die eigenwillige Polyrhythmik, aber der Funk ist hier etwas zurückhaltender, vergeistigter, und man hat bei den Tracks ständig das Gefühl, dass sie einen eher quer durch die Minimalismen und den Krautaspekt, die afrikanischen Anleihen und das Beharren auf diesen einen weit in der Zukunft liegenden Punkt auf etwas hinführen wollen, das sie selbst noch nicht mal ganz im Blick haben. 4 grosse Stücke und ein sehr gelungener Remix von Elmore Judd & Rowan Park.

Bleed