"[KOMFORT.LABOR] PRESENTS ~SCAPE" & "STAEDTIZISM 2"

Here we have a digipacked pair of ~scape label related various artistsdiscs. Both feature many of the usual suspects (and several lesserknown ones) who labor in the labs where electronic, jazz and dub musicscollide and coagulate.
"Komfort" is a 58 minute mixer by Stefan Betke, aka Pole and head of~scape, for WMF Records. Betke doesn't transform everyone into Polewith his mix, but he does seem to dull down much of the sharp edgeswith an odd murkiness, as well as weaving in barely discernible tracesof a Nils Oekland string melody throughout. Lazily progressing throughalmost indiscriminate glitch-click and bass by the likes of VladislavDelay, Kit Clayton and Process, it slowly builds a head of steam upinto the echo chamber house of Maus & Stolle. The mid-section ofFarben, Dr. Rockit and Cinematic Orchestra mellows things out againwith some diffusive pads and slow motion jazz rhythm. Flanger continuesthe jazz tip with erratic beats and keys, gradually simmering down intothe sax augmented deep dub of The Private Lightning Six. Pole's owndigi-dub "Rondell 2" comes leaping out of the speakers, almost as ifBetke intended for his own composition to overshadow all the others. Asolo performance on a stringed instrument of some sort by Oekland wrapsit all up, oddly enough, and oddly enough, it works. But altogether,despite the talent involved and effective track selection, something isstill lacking. Clarity perhaps.
On the other hand, "Staedtizism 2" resonates with digital precision.And same as the first volume, this one has only a few artists actuallyfrom the label's roster - Jan Jelinek, Burnt Friedman & The Nu DubPlayers and Kit Clayton - along with System, John Tejada, Process,Nolte, Bus, Beige, Sad Rockets, Headset and Low Res. While there'sstill some glitch, it seems to no longer be as in vogue these days asthese tracks refer more to easy listening jazz and dub, electronicallyof course. Jelinek's "The Village Vanguard" churns through microscopicbits of old jazz records while Headset's "Dustmite" uses passages ofsquawking horn. The liquid keys of Nolte's "21st Century SchizoidMan.." remind me of the jazzy runs in Coil's "The Snow". Tejada's "AWorld So Wide" is bright and airy, coupling easy going bass and cleanguitar melodies. Bus' "Tamed Lion" and Friedman's "Xyz (Our Version)"dip furthest into the dub end of the spectrum while Clayton's "PaintingBetween Numbers" is probably the most experimental, looping andlayering electric piano notes into oblivion. Though all these artistsare of a similar mindset, they also remain on separate if not paralleltrajectories.

 

samples:

• Burnt Friedman & the Nu Dub Players - XYZ (Our Version)
• Cinematic Orchestra - Continuum
• The Private Lightning Six - Baby FM
• Headset - Dustmite