Issue #1: Abjekt Wave
New Release on New Sublabel
New Release & Sublabel
“Vineyard Beach” from Karl Jørgensen is out now in digital & cassette formats! This is the first release from Hel Audio’s new sublabel Abjekt Wave. “Vineyard Beach” is a collection of minimal wave music — 10 tracks of fast & gloomy synth music.
Available on Bandcamp (digital & cassette), Spotify, Apple Music, and various other streaming services. Check at the end of this newsletter for a handful of free download codes.
“Intro To Abjekt Wave” Mix
As mentioned above, Abjekt Wave is a new sublabel of Hel Audio. The focus of this sublabel will be dark synthesizer music — everything from the minimal wave of the first release, to electro, film/game music, dark ambient, proto-industrial, and even moody italo & synthwave.
Will all these sounds work together? Check it out for yourself in the “Intro To Abjekt Wave” mix here.
This is part of a new Hel Audio podcast, which will be updated occasionally with longer audio content. A direct link to the podcast RSS feed can be found here.
Catching Up With Hel Regulars
It’s been a while since a Hel update, so here’s an incomplete list on their releases elsewhere in the past couple years: Bobo released a second album (and a shirt), Andrew Aguilera (AKA Mooninite) released a tape of ambient music, UTA Trax released a demo tape, SIAK released a 2-track single, Soft Focus (1/2 of Metatag) released a couple albums, and Θ (Theta) has a bunch of new material you can check out on his website, as well as a new label Total Division.
Release Recommendation From SIAK:
“Photodementia” (AKA Fig.04c) by Photodementia (2013)
I can’t remember how I found this album but I absolutely had to have it the first time I heard it. There weren’t many copies made so I was excited when I found someone selling the 12’ on discogs. Sadly it never showed up. Years later a google search revealed that it was available on bandcamp! Happy day! This album demonstrates how you can make amazing electro music with one synth, one sequencer and a drum machine. This record is mysterious, raw, funky and fun start to finish.
— SIAK PHD (instagram)
BOBO Recommends:
Nelson Sullivan was a videographer who documented his life in the drag/club kid/downtown art scene in NYC from 1984-1989. He had just quit his day job with hopes of getting a TV show off the ground when he passed away of an apparent heart attack in his sleep at age 41. Sullivan's videos have been uploaded to youtube unedited, so while you see him interacting with his subjects from behind the camera and turning the camera on himself in a proto-vlog fashion, more often than not the footage has a pleasantly slow and atmospheric fly-on-the-wall quality and provides a time-travelesque look at 1980s New York.
Rupaul gives Nelson Sullivan a tour of his apartment at the Jane Hotel (it must be seen to be believed).
Keith Haring throws a New Year's Eve party at his art studio (Arthur Russell shows up for a few seconds).
Infamous Party Monster and eventual convicted murderer Michael Alig hosts an "outlaw party" at a two-story downtown McDonald's (at one point Alig is standing on a chair throwing burgers into a packed crowd of fully decked-out club kids).
DJ track recommendations from Andrew Aguilera:
Thomas Bangalter - Club Soda
Very easy to vibe to and a great way to warm up. It instantly sets the right tone with the sound of fizz followed by a nice groovy bass.
DJ Boneyard - That’s Right
I love this because it takes me to a very stripped down joyful human place that can only come from hearing a thudding bass and 4/4 style kick pattern.
Bale Defoe - Who Can
Simple chord and warmth coming from a distorted beat is something that will get me to keep listening always.
K. W. Griff. - Don’t Make
Some heavy Baltimore club music. A song that can definitely bring the house down. Just make sure to set it off at the right time and setting
Sound Stream - “Live” Goes On
I remember having a very visceral reaction to this song when I first heard it. The way chord stab is programmed and how the rest of the track fades in caused a minor neck injury for me.
— Andrew Aguilera (bandcamp / instagram)
Limited Merch Back In Stock
Some Hel physical releases & shirts (in limited sizes) are back in stock. Check out the selection on the Hel Audio Bandcamp.
Starter Track: “Gravity Crime”
_ _ _ _
--------------- KICK |X| | | | |X| |X|X| | |X| | | | | ---------------
--------------- SNARE | | | | |X| | | | | | | |X| | | | ---------------
--------------- CHH | | |X|X|X|X|X|X|X|X|X|X| |X| |X| ---------------
--------------- OHH |X|X| | | | | | | | | | |X| |X| | ---------------
--------------- CLAP | |X| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ---------------
--------------- PERC | | | | | | | | | | | |X| | | | | ---------------
___ ___ ___ ___
:SEQ: |G | |G | |G | |D | |F | |G |G |F |F |G | |
:OCT: | | |dn | | | | | | | | | | | |dn | |
Name & sequences generated by the Hel Master Terminal.
Thanks for your support!
Compiled by KJ
Reach out at hello@helaudio.org
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AW001 free download codes (redeem here):
f9e4-h5k2
m27h-erth
bv5h-3suv
wf8p-cle9
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