As the frost settles over sleepy landscapes and another successful year rounds to a close we present our yearly dose of shades to come with a nine track sampler featuring artists that will pepper the HD discog in the year to come. As with every DD sampler, we strive to introduce you to the artists and sounds we feel will be the defining projects of 2012. We couldn’t be happier with the range of emotive experiences chosen for this year’s sampler from avant-techno soundscapes to depth ridden house concoctions to the darkest waves of techno.

Discordian Dreaming 5

1. Wirik – 2050
2. John Walker – After the Storm
3. Vital – Trap Door
4. Ivan Dbri – Creme de’ Nuit
5. Daniel Allen – Weird Headspace
6. Driip – Lure
7. Allen MD – I Don’t Remember
8. Elevotion – Pitchbender
9. Smight – Empty Bottle

Purchase: http://www.beatport.com/release/discordian-dreaming-5/852524

Preview: http://soundcloud.com/harmonious-discord/discordian-dreaming-5-mixed-by

Wirik starts our compilation with a space techno deep dive into his trademark world of cinematic textures. Dub-Techno elements gives this selection a classic feel with a twist of new technology. John Walker returns to HD with chugging heater perfectly set for the dancefloors. This house burner is propelled by bumping bass and syncopated pads. Following in suit Vital shows off his house music skills. Vital first appeared on the label in our last release with a killer drum and bass rework of “So Fell the Orbit”. This contribution shows he is no one trick pony with a dance-floor destroyer called “Trap Door”. Retaining the deepness but adding a bit of classic techno propulsion Ivan Dbri showcases his rush hour remminent dancefloor tool with building tension and a beautiful resolve. A turn down darker corners transitions the listener into our next shade with works by Daniel Allen, DRK, Allen MD, and Driip. Mostly new comers to the label these three tracks all have an off centered vibe that wisps listeners out of their comfort zones and exposes the richest abscesses of the human psyche. This is a perfect taste of some of the dimmer flavors being showcased in the following year. Discordian veteran Elevotion brings his tom-driven powerhouse jams to the table with a heaping dose of face melting dance music. Rich with automation and character; “Pitchbender” will be a crate staple for touring jet setters. We close this years compilation with a living legend returning to HD. Smight was a heavy player in the progressive house scene cira 2004 with tracks and remixes featured on global mix cd’s and compilations alike. After a lengthy hiatus Smight is back with a new style that blends the best of both worlds.

As fall calms the nerves and prepares the hibernational music hoarders for a long cold spell of earphone engagement, Harmonious Discord gears up for its most promising winter to date. The first in this series comes to us from label founder and analog synthesizer addict Sean Anderson aka PointBender. Following the recent success with releases on Thoughtless and Blaq this space techno magician offers up a sharp dose of melody driven tech-house. Peppered with a cast of innovative techno savants, the so fell the orbit project offers a tale of space travel with stylish re-works by Noah Pred, KiloWatts, Symbio, and Vital.

HD028 PointBender – So Fell the Orbit

1. Original

2. KiloWatts Anti-gravity Mix

3. Noah Pred’s Elliptical Dub

4. Noah Pred’s Gravity Colapse Mix

5. Symbio’s Lateral Dub

6. Vital Remix

Purchase: CLICK HERE

The original is a tom driven big-room invitation to orbit with thick cascading syncopated elements filling up the spectral field. The introduction of a pad progression and various assortments of FX flare propel this song into full blown musical composition complete with the introduction of a killer SAW bassline that permeates the earlobes. Noah Pred of Thoughtless Music provides a pair of remixes for the EP, giving it some marquee recognition. The “Elliptical Dub” remix is a dub study adhering to the formula of the original, focused more on refinement of sound and focus rather than re-invention. One thing that can be counted on with any music from Pred is that it will sound big, distinct, and clean. His mix of warped 303 bass lines and clicky minimal noise on this remix is a refined, sophisticated version of the original elements, fine tuned to perfection. The second remix, “Gravity Collapse”, rearranges the rhythmic elements for something more tribal, while dialing back the bass, allowing the melodic pieces from the previous dub version emerge. The sleepy vibe and relentless beats make this version the most dance floor appropriate on single that reaches far and wide, often times succeeding. Secondly, but by no means a selection to be glossed over is HD favorite KiloWatts. His remix offers a chunky slice of techno-influenced sci-fi dubstep. KiloWatts can work in many styles but seems to be most at home when he is channeling mother ship landings and A.I. takeovers into his music. On this remix, he doesn’t skimp on any of that, creating a total makeover of the original. Out of that re-imagining springs a lasting track that crosses many genres along the way. 530Techno front-man and thought provoking mentalist Symbio is introduced to the label via a stripped techno-roots remix. This Lateral Dub focuses on subversive elements of the original brought to the forefront and driven with tension to a dark industrial-earth resolve. A first for the HD label, we end our remix with the first ever Drum and Bass contribution to the label. Vital (A local Dallas,TX producer) has transformed the original into a vibe-rich, commercially consumable selection that shows the power the original elements have when showcased in a genre that defies limitation.

Amidst a flutter of promo emails we sift through on rotation, an abstractly focused artist came onto our radar with a keen sensibility for subversiveness and that off-center quality that has become the trademark of Harmonious Discord. His premiere project showcases a wide range of emotive experiments ranging from a dub-evolver like Archaic to monstrous club rumblers like Solitudine. All of which carry the concurrent theme of a dub-washed post-apocalyptic sunrise. Complimenting a superb set of original offerings are remixes from HD artists Patchen Preston and Henry Chow who take Ivan’s title track and up the energy level with a set of dance-conscious reworks.

Harmonious Discord 027 Ivan Dbri and Wirik – Archaic

1. Archaic

5. Solitudine

Purchase: http://www.beatport.com/release/archaic/439725

Our journey begins with melodic droplets doused in reverb and set in motion. Archaic is the slow, deliberate story of creation. Meaningful apexes and diversions wash over the soundscape while the overall repetition builds in intensity. Peppered with sizzling atmospheric orbiting confusion, we build to a steady syncopated rhythm that penetrates the outer membranes and vibrates your core. HD co-founder Patchen Preston delivers an up-beat re-work following the in bass-heavy nature of the original with some hip-prompting house percussion. Filled with motion, this revisit quickly begins its full force journey with reverbed pad stabs and tongue-in-cheek vocal sprinklings. The infectious bass is impossible to ignore as occasional pitch bends infuse a funk into this late night adventure. Hot off the tail of a killer contribution to last year’s Discordian Dreaming sampler is Texas native Henry Chow. Henry takes the highly cerebral original and put’s it into context with modern method to produce an off-center house creation perfect for introducing some evil elements into your sets. Dissonant vibe stabs and Linn-drum percussion accents give this remix a nod to the old while being prefaced to forge to future sound of house. Balaric Playa De Carmen changes gears with a highly contemplative and organic deep techno piece that utilizes skin-crawling acoustic samples to create a feeling of desolation like a word lost under a whisper. It is hard to not instantly feel the warmth created by the calming sounds and get lost in a daydream of wicked fantasies. Solitudine rounds out our experience with creepy, german-inspired techno tool. Solitudine fuses minimal music with a horizon of melody that hovers over the listener until unleashed in a moment of pure energy. It is these simple ideas that somehow penetrate and grow giving Ivan’s music a symbiotic quality and set the stage for him to quickly become a back pocket name for listeners that search beyond the dance-floor.

Harmonious Discord is proud to introduce the newest member of the HD family from the depths of rural Texas, Travis Cagle aka Plastic Pope.  Southern Texas is a mecca for offbeat psychedelic projects with a rich history of outdoor events and festivals.  It is during these events you can hear the entire spectrum of electronic and acoustic music represented and a clear, deep focus on it’s traditional dissonance.  It is this experimental landscape that first showcased the unique sounds of this quirk pioneer.  When we first heard his music it was clear he was drawing on a wide array of influences including techno, dub and house all complimented by sprinkles of funk and glitch.  We hope this is only one of many projects with the synthetic savior over the next few years.

Harmonious Discord 026 Plastic Pope – Qukq

1. Skunk Drunk

2. Qukq

3. Qukq (JDN Remix)

4. Qukq (Vegenaut Remix)

5. Cancion de Calle

As a child, Plastic Pope suffered from an affliction known as This-Catchy-Beat-Is-Stuck-In-My-Head-Arrghh-itis, causing obnoxious hand drumming, idiotic public head bobbing, and fitful insomnia, leading to develope a love for quirky baselines and chunky rhythms that inspire both the brain and body to dance. A stint in Detroit found him playing with a 303 clone and a drum machine, and Plastic Pope was born. His tunes mix his penchant for glitchy funk with a healthy respect for his acid house roots. His latest single for the Harmonious Discord label starts with “Skunk Drunk” featuring inebriated synth accents and off center FX placement leading into a jam session of Latin drum elements and glitched-out automation. “Qukq” increases the energy with a proper techno drum workout and sub-bass interplay. Offering up a smooth west coast interpretation is HD artist JDN. This rework focuses on subtle elements of the original with a supreme focus on swing and depth. Back in the rotation is Vegenaut with a spiced up space-funk rehash that provides a pleasant deep bass revisit. Plastic Pope wraps up the single with a stutter-pop latin-influenced track mixing elements of techno and breakbeat titled “Cancion de Calle.”

Grey Music Project (or more commonly known as just Grey) is no stranger to the Harmonious Discord imprint; nor are they to the electronic music landscape with a 10 year discography on musical outlets like Guidance, Fair Park, and Blunted Funk. Grey was the fuel the fired the creation of Harmonious Discord and included two of the labels founders Sean Anderson and Eric Reeves. In the early 2000’s Eric and Sean would travel between Houston and Dallas to vanish inside a studio and cram as much creative writing into a single weekend as possible. After a brief hiatus, the last 4 years they have shifted focus on their solo projects; Sean’s “PointBender” project brought a new edgy techno sound to his already stable house foundation and Eric’s “Litex” moniker is a solid outlet for bass driven dance gems.

Forgotten Frequencies is a collection of tunes from the vault that were slated for many years for vinyl release and because of shifts in technologies never saw the light of day. We felt we couldn’t keep these tunes a secret any longer and are excited about their new home on Harmonious Discord.

Harmonious Discord 025 Grey – Forgotten Frequencies
1. Grey Music Project featuring Adam Pickrell – Owls

5. Grey Music Project – Bittersnack (Chakaharta’s Half-Moon Weekend Edit)

Purchase: www.beatport.com/labels/harmonious_discord

Owls is a lush float down the quite current of melting droplets of melody. The mood is introduced by a full pad takeover and a slow key whisper. As intensity and substance builds the keys begin telling a story with the masterful Adam Pickrell (White Lotus Society) at the controls. Motion pushes this deep/jazzy into a seductive cacophony of beauty and technology. We begin to arrive at the deep end of the selection with converging melody breathes that swirl and combine to create a soundscape that is full of life. Fellow founder Brad Denton chooses to take this melody monster and tame it in a bass heavy, guitar-driven tech house re-work. Brad has for years been an HD secret weapon and we are glad to introduce him to the label via one of our favorite remixes. Comfort begins in an odd fashion with gated alien conversations, stabby synths, and occasional pin-ball textures. The resolution comes in with the addition of pleasant pad washes, but is quickly broken with mounting synthesizer interplay. This selection then takes off into warzone of pleasant and harsh accents that move and rotate as they change their shades. Theory in Motion gives us a break from the melody driven ep with a dubby tech house mover with subversive bass and haunting leads. This dub workout is perfect for the early night excursion into techno weirdness. Lastly, we leave you with one of our favorite remixes of a Grey Music Project track that came out on a self release back in 2008 but didn’t include a masterful re-work by JD Northrupp aka Chahaharta. JD’s productions are always hard to put into words but his halfmoon rework will leave any dance floor in disarray.

Dj Feedback:
Benoit C “pretty nice”
ThugFucker “Niceeee. Reminds me of some of the jazzy UR stuff.. wicked.”
Orde Meikle “nice EP – will try out thanx”
Noah Pred “Loving Theory in Motion Dub”
Russell Deeks “Lovely deep vibes, Owls reminds me of classic west coast jazz-funk in places”
Omid 16B “4/5”
Jamie Topham “Owls is good, but Comfort & Theory In Motion cuts sound equally good.”
Diz Washington “Dope for the early evening!!”
Laurent N “Nice Deep & House Release. Original tracks are good. I will play them for sure. SUPPORT !!!”
Aruba “Very cool EP. Esp liking Owls.”
Tim Thalr “Downloading for BLN.FM radio, Berlin.”
Distant People “funky groove, like the keys and the owl sample ! BC denton dub is tight, thanks”
Zaint “Im liking both “Theory In Motion” & “Bittersnack” Thanks guys!”
DJ Naz “This is really excellent. All the tracks have a wonderful warm feel to them. The first track Owls is very elegant, super catchy base and that melody that runs all the way through it is really incredible. The dub version I especially like, the beat is more potent and the percusiion is a very nice addition, the base they used here is also excellent. Putting bits of the drums through that sharp reverb I also liked…very dubby with a great sense of space. Comfort again carries on in the same line as the first two minus the melody, however it is still very pleasant without being too interesting. Theory in motion unfortunately is a bit samey and not a lot happens, its saving grace is good drums with some nice technical touches at times. Bittersnack slow entrance is great, I love the long intro and the progression is very good with instruments coming in layers, nice keys keep it bright enough, very nice but the first two tracks are the definate stand outs on this EP.”
Rob Pearson “Theory in motion is ok for more laid back sets”
Da Funk “comfort is nice!”
Jon Delerious “Owls is my fav here – Cheers! Jon D”
Presslaboys “Whole Release is Interesting”

Press:
Kiss FM “just .. that twist..!! nicE”
Galaxy Digital Radio “Amazing music, production skills are sublime.”
Urbnet “1 the deep goes well with the soulful tickling of the keys, not sure about the transition into the acidy sounds though otherwise i’d be on this 2 the sporadic nature of the beats with the percussion is nice, the soothing keys are great, a little too much going on though otherwise i’d be on this 3 the funky swagger and the deep vibe reels me in here! 4 the deep house vibe seems to be overshadowed by a quirky tech house ominous sound, not sure if i dig it 5 this is a great playful experiment for the floor or even the chilled rooms.”
Freaks Radio Show “Such a great ep. Owls is my favorite one. Full support”
Diamonds of Dance Music “Great stuff! Thanks”
Ibiza Sonica Radio “nice releasae! love the originals!”
Rodon FM95 “Amazing EP. Emotional deep adventures with jazzy and techno influences on ‘’Owls’’ original is a magic moment on the EP. Techy BC Denton Dub on the same title reminds me fave F Communications releases, ‘’Comfort’s’’ deep chords is so chilled, Chakaharta’s Half Moon Weekend Remix on ‘’Bittersnack’’ is a night weapon and ‘’Theory In Motion’’ that follows a deep dub motion is enjoyable.”
Deep South Audio Blog “smooth sexy beats … just the sort of sound i like in my late night radio sets … great vibez and i’ll be supporting a few of the tunes for sure”
Dancefloor Mayhem Blog “Really like Owls original and BC Denton Dub. Great deep house.”

“It’s all techno to me” is a phrase that can often be heard when Harmonious Discord recording artist Brad Dale is asked about the current state of electronic music. Brad is a master of many mediums with projects in major films, commercials, and his work with renowned folk-electronic hybrid band Ishi which are all in addition his edgy techno/house productions under Molecule. As if this wasn’t enough to keep this full time sonic mangler busy he also has a highly anticipated project called “Echo Conscious” being release later this year that showcases his dub techno roots. With all these avenues of expression one thing will most certainly remain consistent and that is a drive to push the boundaries and blur the lines. We launch into 2011 with this very special offering from a single celled producer that is known to shake lots of electrons with some amazing reworks by KiloWatts, Vegenaut, and PointBender that are guaranteed to wake the dead.

Harmonious Discord 024 Molecule – Recordar a los Muertos  **OUT Feb. 17th**

1. Recordar a los Muertos

5. Return the Lion

Purchase: www.beatport.com/labels/harmonious_discord

Recordar a los Muertos (Remember the dead) is a journey down the dark hallways of the mind with creepy organic accents at every turn. Molecule’s original mix showcases a work with building tension and complexity as off key musical artifacts collide with brain bending synthesis. This selection is perfect to creep the dance floor into experimental territory deep into the night. Lifting the souls to the sky, KiloWatts returns to the label to offer up a story of transcendence to the ethereal plains. In normal KiloWatt’s fashion his pieces take the listener through a multi-leveled experience. From an early subtle groove, rise of cacophonous interplay, to a blissful melody resolution this rework covers every sonic crevice. As the resonating bass frequencies begin to build the track takes on a twisted groove that rips through the sonic horizon and compels our bodies to dance in remembrance. PointBender’s dissonance dance mix offers us a deeper cadence driven interpretation with spectral piano whispers and lethargic horn swells. After a spooky break in the beat tension, a FM mangled arpeggio helps transform the saxophone accents into a modulated mess. Hot off his 2010 releases, Vegenaut is no stranger to the odder areas of electronic music. His remix features his signature glitched out percussion with some digital sighs and warped melody sequences. Brad’s second selection is a beefed up percussive ride with lots of similar horn and woodwind swells. This time instead of heading deep into cerebral territory, Return the Lion provides plenty instinctive rhythm to awaken your hypnotic tribal tendencies.

This very well received dub inspired album from Vegenaut which is now available free for download.

http://vegenaut.bandcamp.com/

“a melodic smattering of subdued beats and downtempo synthetic funk, courtesy of vegenaut. bonus track included with full album purchase (6 tracks total, 45+minutes of vegemusic!)”

As the frost solidifies on leaves and the sky turns that old familiar shade of grey we welcome our 4th installment of the Discordian Dreaming Sampler Series. Every year Harmonious Discord aims to shed light on several under the radar artists that you can expect to see setting the tone for the following year. This year is no exception with a holiday cornucopia of beats and soundscapes that are sure to challenge your musical resolve and open your nostrils to the smell of sweet innovation. This year we sprinkle a little old and a little new with tracks from Harmonious Discord staples like Vegenaut, KiloWatt’s, Elevotion, and Monad as well as newcomers Henry Chow and EZT.

Harmonious Discord 023 Discordian Dreaming 4
1. EZT – Lil Sh0p

6. KiloWatts – Goldfish

Our journey starts with a big whiff of un-natural gas as Tom Carlile (EZT) takes us to the waiting room from hell. Laden with dissonant rings, odd placed anomalies, and giggle gas vocals this selection is sure to leave you un-balanced. Following suit and keeping it extra-terrestrial comes a track by mid-west meandering mind Monad (Don Tinsley). This orbiting chugger blasts out of the gate with loads of great rotating melodies and bubbling points of presence. Deep chords and robotic bass add to the orbit and propel this piece into an optimal selection for late night space exploration. Keeping it deep but taking it down to a warm sun kissed stratosphere comes a selection by Houston native Henry Chow. Broken Glasses is a tech-house smooth ride with lots of motion, between the drummy glitches and the building melodic insanity there is a ton of great elements to be enjoyed on this one. The addition of a warm Juno 106 pad and droplets of syncopated Rhodes propel the song into a swung cadence that begs the feet for movement. It is no secret that we are fond of our next artist, 2010 saw multiple selection from the vegetable explorer and his newest creation represents the next evolution of style from this techno think tank. Huasdorff Dimensions supplies us with loads of Vegenaut’s trademark glitch but showcases a deep dance floor motive not present in his earlier works. As we work towards the songs that move, shake, and introduce us to a little more techno edginess it was important to include Discordian Dreaming veteran Elevotion who has a history of providing us with great dance-floor ammunition. Microphage bangs the drum to an off-beat, with signature evil synth interplay and effects that permeate your skull. Lastly, we couldn’t let another year go by without releasing a tune that has been on the HD shelves since 2003. KiloWatt’s “Goldfish” was a gem we could no longer keep from the world and a testament that his music is timeless. This year’s discordian installment offers a taste of sounds to come and a reminder that we often need look no further than our backyard for groundbreaking talent.

Like a finely mixed cocktail, it is often hard to blend just the right amount of natural flavors with the proper amount of synthetic punch.  For a mixture of all types of textures natural and ethereal, we look no further than bay area producer and long standing label member Chakaharta (J.D. Northrup).

The Chakaharta project first appeared on deep house imprint Fair Park recordings in 2002 and quickly gained an underground following especially in the UK house scene where the warm tech house sound was being brought to the forefront of the club culture.  Shortly after that we featured an amazing tripped out tech journey from J.D. on our fourth Harmonious Discord release “Cactus Girl”.  The tripped out tones and meditative vocals quickly gained mindshare with connoisseurs of all things deep and remixes by Rithma and Kilowatts made this selection a hot item for forward thinking jockeys.

Always hungry for more, we pushed J.D. for a collection of musical pieces that could fully showcase his sound and in 2008 we received “The Plant”; a collection of house, tech house, minimal, and downtempo all with the patented mixture of mind bending synth interplay and obscure hand drumming and chanting.

To prove the Chakaharta project is no “one trick pony” we are ecstatic to announce our 22^nd release featuring our west coast connection with a triage of killer selections.

Harmonious Discord 022 – Chakaharta “Wake Up Tech”

1. Alembe’

2. Superbroken

3. Superbroken (PointBender’s SuperBender mix)

4. Superbroken (Gift Culture’s Psytech mix)

5. Jazzstab

Listen: http://soundcloud.com/harmonious-discord/sets/harmonious-discord-022-chakaharta-wake-up-tech-ep

Purchase: http://beatport.com/s/r1bmRt

1. Doober – Pattern Connexion – Soundcloud DL
2. High Fashion – A Little More Time (Spiritcatcher Rework) – Soundcloud DL
3. Justin Martin – Get Low – Dirtybird
4. Amyn – Moonbird – Mothership
5. Snuff Crew – Control – International Deejay Gigolo
6. Acidulant – Acid Snake – Pinkpube
7. Elevotion – Discordian Recordian – Unreleased
8. Renee Kuppens – Star Drumz – Sneakerz MUZIK
9. Voodeux – The Paranormal (Maetrik rmx) – Mothership
10. Patchen – A Pale Blue Dot (North Texas Defection Mix) – Harmonious Discord
11. Ishi – Pastel Lights (Pointbender Flikr Affair Mix) – Harmonious Discord
12. Vegenaut – Herding Rocks – Harmonious Discord
13. Nathan Fake – Charlie’s House – Border Community
14. Voodeux – Skeleton Key – Mothership
15. Lutzenkirchen – Ghost Me – Great Stuff
16. John Tejada – Torque – Palette
17. Elevotion – Cheezy 80′s Luv Song – Deepness Recordings
18. Kilowatts – Exit the Laugh – Harmonious Discord