Harry Wills
Luxury Bedtime

Fourth part of the compilation celebrating the tenth anniversary of the Milanese record shop. This collection is entirely composed of previously unreleased music, exclusively produced for the occasion by many artists of great relevance in the worldwide musicscene, who supported the store over the last ten years. The artists who produced the music for this compilation are Egyptian Lover, Ellen Allien, Thomas Brinkmann, Neil Landstrumm, JD Twitch, Matias Aguayo, San Proper, Tolouse Low Trax, Jay Glass Dubs, Dj Marcelle, Jorge Velez, Tamburi Neri, Fabrizio Mammarella, Heith, Itinerant Dubs, Timeslip89, Kreggo and Intersezioni Ensemble.

Boredom, anxiety, painkillers and frustration make a heady mix for both reflection and action. For three weeks I stared out of the window of the tower block onto the tall brick towers of the old asylum chimneys. The past was a strange land suddenly out of reach, the present confusing and claustrophobic, the future something I could only visualise and idolise. From the balmy Autumn day of my release a light was switched on, buzzing urgently like a neon street lamp on my path. Life took on new vigour and meaning. Pleasures starkly illuminated, annoyances inconsequential. Old work was re-examined and appreciated. Machines treasured and connected. My basement filled with ever greater warmth and excitement. The toy towns of our inner minds are constructed of a million tiny building blocks of experience.There’s a freedom that comes from realising what might have been. Peace in reflection, and I take pleasure in the hum drum. Unhampered by trends, untethered to a scene, stripped back to essential carnal influences and desires.Who are we but the sum of our experience. ‘Everything Is Quite Now’ meanders through a reimagined landscape of personal history, releasing musical fragments to drift among soaring treetops, hollowed lakes and labyrinthine concrete structures, liberated from genre and form – alive at last. In these great expanses, light and dark are presented not as polar opposites, but as a limitless, unified whole. References to EBM and industrial techno manifest within the sporadic percussive framework whilst gauzy ambient backdrops form an entire world of their own, constructed from the gentle hiss of a looping tape, the booming caverns of a muffled kick, the vivid distortions of a crystalline synth. In the depths of a misty forest, warmth permeates, absorbing inside it all of the darkness, pain, romance and beauty from before.

When hearing this material today and realizing it was originally released in '96, one can't fail to acknowledge the timelessness of these sounds – clearly illustrating how ahead of their time these productions were. Ranging from 130 to 145 BPM this EP presents a solid study in synthetic rhythm and percussion layers masterfully juxtaposed with unidentifiable electronic noises and nuances. A trademark sound signature of their own. Unmistakeable Spiral Tribe from a special era in party culture brought back when we need it the most – forward the revolution.

Taking his place in the great Swiss electronic tradition - peopled by the likes of Carlos Peron, Boris Blank and Grauzone, to name just a few - the Swiss DJ and producer Walid reaches new heights with his highly anticipated proto-techno project "Child of the Waves". These 7 unreleased tracks could be the soundtrack of a B-movie thriller from the 80s. The compositions are full of imagery, using cinematic samples to stimulate the mind’s eye. He makes strong aesthetic moves, choosing to reinforce rather than attenuate the tension and intensity of his themes: the fear of the unknown, of getting lost and of loneliness; a rage for life and hedonism; and above all the darkness of the human psyche. For me, his music recalls the atmosphere I experienced in Zurich in the 80s, sometimes icy, withdrawn, even hostile, but also in the image of Walid himself: reserved, mysterious yet also generous. It's all in his music! Just when you think you are in familiar waters, you listen a little more and realise you very much are not. There's a je-ne-sais-quoi that makes things different and special in his compositions. They sit at the intersection of many genres and sound incredibly fresh to our ears. After several well-received releases under his various aliases, many of us in this milieu were impatiently waiting for him to strike again and confirm the potential already revealed in his previous productions. With this new release, this has been achieved! For me, he is undoubtedly one of the best-kept treasures in the Swiss vaults and an artist to be watched very closely in the coming years. Mike DMA (Brussels, 11 January 2021) CREDITS​: All music written, produced and mixed by Walid El Barbir in Zurich/Switzerland, 2017–2020. Mastered & cut by Stefan Betke at Scape Berlin. Brought to you by Crevette Distribution Brussels/Belgium. All artwork by Camifllage. Printed by Bichel at Chromodrome Brussels. Basic Moves would like to thank Mike, Camiel, Boudewijn, Deg, Ailsa, Joe, Jordan, Kim, Pim and Jakob. Keep buying records/Don’t stream your life away !!!