Merry X-Mas and Happy New-Year to all and more for 2017!

One more time 2016 was a busy year for Off!
With no less than 45 digital or physical releases ( see the page Latest Releases) from bands, solo artists or compilations and a new series called 'The Japanese Series', Off tried again to bring you the best of music from all over the world.
From confirmed artists to new entries, Off continues to search for exciting music.
2017 will mark the 10th anniversary of the label and in order to celebrate this, Off will bring you even more amazing artists and lots of presents when ordering cds, so be sure to stay tuned here!

Meanwhile, Off wishes to all of you known and unknown music lovers a fabulous end of the year and hope to see you coming even more next year!
Remember that without you, without buying the real cds or downloading them, there will be no more music!
So thank you again for your support!

As always, Off lets you enjoy the special X-Mas gift from Dorit Chrysler! Enjoy!

OJP016 : Robert Edwin / The Earth

Cover art Robert Edwin

OJP016 : Robert Edwin / The Earth

Robert Edwin (seeOCD008, ODG006 and ODG027) is back with an EP of 4 songs originally released as digital only bonus tracks on a compilation. Those are the last songs he composed back in 2014 before spending most of his time on pen drawings. 
They reflect his mood of the time and are much more relaxed, chill out and downtempo than his previous ones. 

After a lot of exhibitions, he started this year to create live drawings using as background music the tracks from this EP and from previous albums.

He intends to start producing music again in 2017, but this time as a duo with 蒼政涼子.

This is an example of his live drawings:

Digital release on the 9th of December 2016.

Track listing:

1: Pole Shift
2: Multi Aid
3: Cold Space
4: Morning Ocean

ODG060 : Amélie Nilles / Seed

ODG060 : Amélie Nilles / Seed

Amélie Nilles is a french composer based in Paris, working in the field of electroacoustic music.

Influenced by musique concrète and jazz, which she studied in conservatory as a singer and

drummer, she tries to mix her voice with sounds from the environment (field recording), in order to make the whole organic.

She's currently attending a Master's Degree program at the University Paris VIII. 

Her research focuses on the notion of space in electronic music.

Seed, her first EP, introduces you to her imaginary with an amazing reprise of Strange Fruit (made famous by singer Billie Holiday) and one of her own compositions.

Amélie Nilles

To Amélie's request, the album has been taken down. Nevertheless she's continuing her musical journey with new adventures.

ODX010 : Adriano Lanzi / El Topo - Lemurian - K-Mundi Live

 Covert art by A.L.

OBX010 : Adriano Lanzi / El Topo - Lemurian - K-muni Live

At last the three Adriano Lanzi projects in one compilation. 

This Italian Roma based guitarist is always looking for creativity and is always typically playing or composing with 2/3 bands at the same time when not involved in the creation of new music with different world musicians.

El Topo, released on Off back in 2008 (seeOCD006) is very close to the Chicago scene like Tortoise, but mixes real Italian genres like Ennio Moricone and folk. 

Lemurian, released on Off in 2013 (seeODG014) is an exercice of composing robotic songs with only one synth. 

K-Mundi, released in 2016 (seeOCD032) is musically more linked to the improvised electro acoustic genre with Geoff Leigh from Henry Cow fame as a guest musician! The track from CD3 is a live recording of a concert in Roma not on the album.

3 different projects united under the constant research of excellent music by this amazing musician: Signor Adriano Lanzi!

Original cover from El Topo by Kiekebiche

Original cover from Lemurian by Kiekebiche

Original cover from K-Mundi by økapi

Digital release on the 25th of November 2016.

Track listing:

1) CD1 : El Topo / Pigiama Psicoattivo

1: Tosca

2: Sonics

3: Seicento giri carico frontale

4: Pigiama psicoattivo

5: Telegraph Dakar

6: Scelsi

7: Errore meccanico 

8: Crew’n'c

9: Macinino

2) CD2 : Adriano Lanzi / You are never alone with the Lemurian Broadcasting Company

1: Gotcha

2: Fontana

3: Leibniz

4: Little Robot Waltz

5: Lemurian Broadcasting Company

6: Complicazioni tropicali, pt. 3

7: Amniotica  (A Philip K. Dick)

8: Dentro, un poco nervosamente

9: More Knobs to Twirl

10: Formaggio poco americano

11: Un'altra strada

3) CD3 : K-Mundi / Live in Roma

1: 28 marzo (feat. Geoff Leigh) - Live in Roma

OCD035 : Økapi & Aldo Kapi's Orchestra / Pardonne-moi, Olivier! (16 oiseaux pour Olivier Messiaen)

Cover art by økapi

OCD035 : Økapi & Aldo Kapi's Orchestra / Pardonne-moi, Olivier!  (16 oiseaux pour Olivier Messiaen)

The album is a plunderphonic parabola of the imaginary world, mystical and ornitological, of the French composer of the XX century, Olivier Messiaen. A sort of birds' catalogue, as Messiaen tried to do during his life.

As always, even in this case økapi composed a little sound-collagism opera, which includes a video development.

This is the soundtrack of this "movie".

For this A/V-project, økapi is co-working with the italian video-artist Simone Memé, part of the collective MoreTv-V.

Because of his dixit plunderphonic nature, and for the occasion, økapi involved Geoff Leigh (sax/flute) and Mike Cooper (guitar) into his phantomatic virtual orchestra.

Økapi is Filippo Paolini (see also OCD032 K-Mundi), an Italian turntablist and sample cutup artist. Filippo has recorded several solo albums, as well as recording in the duo Metaxu and with the trio Dogon. He has performed live for national Italian State radio broadcasts (RAI) with renowned avant-turntablist, Christian Marclay and collaborates with numerous international artists such as Mike Cooper, Geoff Leigh, Peter Brotzmann, Mike Patton, Matt Gustafson, Zu, Damo Suzuki, Andy EX, Kawabata Makoto, Metamkine…

ØKapi's album releases illustrate his unique and edgy use of turntables and computer beyond the hip-hop school of chopped up music, creating music that veers from orchestral to lounge with quirky experimental electronics that maintain a delicate and spacious sound throughout. Website: www.okapi.it.

Geoff Leigh (voice, soprano sax, flutes). Well known for his work in the 70's with Henry Cow,

Hatfield And The North, Slapp Happy etc., Leigh then went on to play world music, post-rock, free jazz, and electro-acoustic music. For several years he has collaborated with Faust, and his current projects include The Artaud Beats (Chris Cutler, John Greaves, and Yumi Hara), Jump For Joy (Cutler, Hara, and long-standing Faust members JH Peron and Zappi Diermaier), Warrior Squares (English electronica group), and guitarist Makoto Kawabata (Acid Mothers Temple). Since 2009 he has toured Japan four times (with The Artaud Beats), and has played on numerous occasions in England, France, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Scandinavia, the Baltic countries, and Russia.

Mike Cooper (guitar). Currently lives in rome/italy and for the past 50 years has been an

international traveller and musical explorer pushing the boundaries of his music and art.

He is an improviser working with music, film and video; visual and installation art as well as

composing and performing live music for classic and contemporary silent film screenings.

His full biography and extensive discography can be viewed on his website: www.cooparia.com.

Simone Memè is a Visual artist and Co-Founder of More*TV*v, a VJ and Video Artists Group, that works on Audio/video performances, mapping and VJing during DJ sets.

More*TV*v has collaborated with electronic DJs and Music Producers as well as with various live bands creating unique and original live performances.

Thanks to the group's passion for art films, animation and video vanguard they've created a new language with a strong empathy between the sound waves and the public.

As Co-founder of Aye Aye – Interactive Experiences, specialized in the production of interactive videos for museums, exhibitions and private clients, Memè also works on the design and the realization of interactive video contents.

The experience gained during live performances and a well trained ear, define his excellent

improvisation skills, which have led to numerous collaborations with theater companies.

Økapi: Direction

Geoff Leight: voice, soprano sax, flutes

Mike Cooper: guitars

Aldo Kapi’s Orchestra:

Olivier Messiaen - Jon Appleton - Senking - David Berezan - Kyoka - Marc Tremblay - Aoki

Takamasa + Tujiko Noriko – Paul Dolden - Ryoji Ikeda - Mochipet – Elsa Justel - Circuit

Bent- Subjex - Mr. Ours & 4bstr4ck3r - Coh - Martin Leclerc - Herve Boghossian - Monty

Brigham bird sounds collection - Adrian Moore - Signal - Christian Bouchard - Anemone -

Kangding Ray - Louis Dufort - Hildur Gudnadóttir - Wolfgang Voigt - Marc Tremblay - Atom

Tm - The Three Suns - Åke Parmerud - Emptyset - Spontaneous Music Ensemble - Ivor

Darreg

Visuals: Simone Memè

Live at Cinema Palazzo:

Økapi - Memè - Pardonne-moi, Olivier! - Live performance per Circuiterie / Cinema Palazzo from Slap Press on Vimeo.


Økapi - Memè - Pardonne-moi Olivier! from Slap Press on Vimeo.

Digital release on the 18th of November 2016.

Physical release on the 17th of December 2016.

Track listing:

Amour humain

01 - A-Melospiza melodia

02 - B-Sturnus vulgaris

03 - C-Rallus limicola

04 - D-Setophaga virens

05 - E-Numenius americanus

Amour divin

06 - A-Pluvialis dominica

07 - B-Picoides pubescens

08 - C-Megascops kennicottili

09 - D-Pipilo erythrophthalmus

10 - E-Lagopus lagopus

Amour de la nature

11 - A-Lagopus muta

12 - B-Hylocichla mustelina

13 - C-Gavia stellata

14 - D-Catharus minimus

15 - E-Buteo platypterus

16 - F-Contopus cooperi

17 - Chant Dans Le Style De Mozart

Itunes, Spotify, etc.:

https://bfan.link/pardonnemoi-olivier

Cd: SOLD OUT

ODG057 : Byl Zamechen / It just got worse

Cover art by A.L.

ODG057 : Byl Zamechen / It just got worse.

Byl zamechen are from Ukraine. They started in 2010 as a less-more stoner rock band and released their first selftitled album in 2013 on the russian label Bad Road C.E.S.

In 2016, they released their second album "стало ещё только хуже" ("it just get worse") on the Ukrainian label Robustfellow Prods. 

They played live at numerous Ukrainian-Russian gigs and festivals.

It's hard to classify their genre but noisy psychedelic stoner with art/prog elements music suits them perfectly.

Original cover

The band

Byl Zamechen... — Stalo Yeshcho Tol'ko Khuzhe

by Jon Davies, Published 2016-08-19 in Expose.org

The warning label on the package says “lo-fi noise” and “stoner” — I swear somewhere there was a sticker that said “sludge” or something like that. I’m speaking metaphorically, of course, since this was a download and not a physical object. What this Ukrainian band does is a bit harder to pin down than the tags used on their Bandcamp page. There’s definitely an element of psych to it, with long-running riffs and trippy effects. Though in this case, the dominant effect is plain old distortion rather than endless echoes or phase shifting. Sometimes the noise takes on a droning quality something like a didjeridu, over which other parts are arrayed. As for the “lo-fi” label, I would say that while there’s a lot of distortion, it’s mostly distortion in the source material, not distortion from lo-fi recording techniques. In addition to guitar, bass, and drums, a couple of tracks feature saxophone, and there are bits of keyboard here and there, including some nice overdriven organ on “Shifroval.” This track consists of several sections of differing tempo, some of which are fairly fast, with “ba-ba” backing vocals like a twisted 60s go-go tune. Further drifting away from stoner rock, there is the track “V Odin Konets,” which is ten minutes of nearly formless meandering, with erratic percussion, chanting, and a freakout on what sounds like a wooden flute. On the whole, Byl Zamechen is noisier than a lot of psych bands coming out of the US, England, and Scandinavia, but nowhere near as abrasive as Hijokaidan. They’re adding a lot of varied elements into their sonic stew, many of which are nearly overwhelmed by the mass of fuzz coming out of the guitar amp. As it is, they’re producing some interesting music, but with a little sonic restraint, they could be doing something really special.

                                                            -------------------------

Feel the art, and the noise. 

Their lo-fi credentials are occasionally a little harsh on the ears as the VUs creep close to the red, but then again some space cadets like their guitar-bass-drums hot, and it adds to the sense that B-Z are always teetering on the edge of exploding into overload and aren’t too afraid to go there either. Khleb has a rich and powerful voice, his singing flowing with a stentorian tone. His intonation frequently calls to mind the plainsong of Orthodox monks as he declaims with rising passion over the ultra-heavy rhythm section of Lv at the bass controls and Amorth on drums. There’s plenty of melodic lines tinkled out on an electric piano and/or organ or delivered with the carefree acoustic strums of Amon Düül, but the trio also know how to let rip, hard, fast and with a raucous purpose, sparks and shards flying until B-Z relent and drop back down into a slumbering sludgy throb or a cursive swarm of resonant feedback. 

freq.org.uk

                                                            ---------------------------

Imagine if Iron Butterfly was in the same room as Brian Eno and got the re-write the music for the Clockwork Orange Soundtrack from 1971, the result could very well be this album. 

http://rothnroll.blogspot.be/2016

Digital release on the 11th of November 2016.

Track listing:

1: Orbits

2: Encrypted

3: At one end

4: They

5: Kosmos

And in Bandcamp:

ODG058 : Clara Engel / When the Spell Breaks - Selections

Cover art by Clara Engel 

ODG058 : Clara Engel / When The Spell Breaks - Selections

Based in Toronto, Canada, Clara Engel is an independent, multi-faceted artist and musician. 

She has independently recorded and released eleven albums, and has collaborated with musicians and artists from the UK, Germany, Brazil, Canada, Turkey, Iran, and the US. 

Engel's music has been played on Italian National Radio, as well as BBC Radio 2, making it onto Tom Robinson's show "BBC Introducing" on several occasions. 

Her music has been described as "folk noir," "minimalist holy blues from another galaxy," and "sung poetry." 

Her voice and guitar stylings place her singularly on the genre-map, somewhere between avant-garde torch singer and gothic-blues artist. Her influences span genres and media, amongst them are Vasko Popa, Virginia Woolf, Theodore Roethke, Jim Jarmusch, Arvo Part, Meredith Monk, Robert Johnson, Gillian Welch, and Jacques Brel, Captain Beefheart, Robbie Basho, Gillian Welch, The Staples Singers.

Clara Engel, pic by Fiaz Farrelli

It has been a chalenge to try to introduce Clara's songs and albums as just a selection as she has so many different beautiful songs but we finally settle on one soundtrack, one single and a remix.

This should give you good examples of Clara's creativity and encourage you to visit her Bandcamp site here!

Digital release on the 4th of November 2016.

Track listing:

1: The Road

2: The Shed

3: The Lake

4: The Forest

5: When the Spell Breaks 

6: A Little Slander, a Little Lace

7: What’s the Damage

8: Sea Lions (Harnes Kretzer Remix)

OCD031 : Dim Lighting / Your Miniature Motion

OCD031 / Dim Lighting / Your Miniature Motion

In the midst of a bone-crushing Chicago winter, 2013, guitarist Andrew Trim (see also ODG009 and OCD028) and drummer Devin Drobka performed for the very first time as Dim Lighting. Working as the opening act on a bill with several jazz groups, the pair played a set of spontaneous compositions based entirely on song titles that were chosen by the small but attentive audience that had braved the weather and huddle up at a Logan Square dive bar. By mashing together a variety of musical approaches that night, a vision of a small ensemble was born - one that fed on the energy of group interplay and an open-minded approach to improvisation within a broad sonic universe. 

Almost four years later, the group has reached a new cohesion. Bassist Kurt Schweitz joined the group after the first performance and  Trim and Drobka have been composing melody driven music that   they have been m ining from a wide range of musical inspirations - a love of everything from jazz to african music, indie rock, folk, Americana and experimental music.   They performed regularly in 2013 and released a well-received self-produced live album in 2014. 

Your Miniature Motion, the group's first studio album, showcases their most developed work to date. Slowly churning rock rhythms are balanced on the edge of a cliff, whispers of erie melody brushed on a canvas of night, and dark waves of distortion slowly effervesce towards light. Pushing the boundaries even further now, the trio effortlessly moves in and out of time, posing unanswerable questions or seeking their own haven of clarity in the sound they generate around themselves.  

Dim Lighting is Andrew Trim - Guitar, Kurt Schweitz - Bass, Devin Drobka - Drums. 

Your Miniature Motion was recorded in one day with no overdubs at Howl Street Recordings in Milwaukee, WI. Compositions were written by Andrew Trim and Devin Drobka. 

Press:

This introspective trio, led by Chicago guitarist Andrew Trim, celebrates the release of a live album recorded at Constellation last fall by returning to the scene of the crime. The other two members, Milwaukee drummer Devin Drobka and local bassist Kurt Schweitz, have a precise, easygoing rapport; they generally play with restraint, opting for slow grooves that allow Trim’s warm, vibrato-rich tone to resonate with the woody bass lines and fill the space between cymbal splashes. “Cowboy Song” conjures the ambience of an Ennio Morricone spaghetti-western score, except played by a young Bill Frisell; “Nimo” pushes into the red with a brisk, churning tempo and rock-flavored distortion, then eases back out with focused deliberation. I wish Dim Lighting would depart more often from its customary somnambulant pace, but the trio’s patient approach is undeniably luxurious. — Peter Margasak, Chicago Reader

 Andrew Trim

 Devin Drobka

Kurt Schweitz

Digital and physical release on the 28th of October 2016.

Track listing:

1: Your Miniature Motion

2: Man Coal

3: Tributaries

4: Face: Fate

5: I’ll Change the Be in a World to See

6: Donmai!

7: Early Morning Train Platform Blues

And in Bandcamp:

Price

World shipping €12,00 EUR

OJP015 : Kazunori Okuno / Lotus

OJP015 : Kazunori Okuno / Lotus

Kazunori Okuno is one of the most prolific electroacoustician in Japan. 

Born in 1980, he learned classical music and electro-acoustic music in the Osaka College of Music, the Osaka University of Arts and the Osaka University of Arts graduate school. He made the opening performance music of Paris Photo2008 and the music of Art Hong Kong 2010, both for the opening ceremony.

In 2000, he also participated in the Darmstadt summer course.

He has composed a lot of different music for videos art.

Okuno san at work

Digital release on the 7th of October 2016.

Track listing:

1) Lotus - 1 track of 50minutes!

OCD033 : Baby Fire / Gold

Cover art by Alice Smith

OCD033 : Baby Fire / Gold

Diabolita (songwriter, guitar, loops, vocals & theremin) started Baby Fire as a solo project. 

After having played as a duo with Cha or Alinovsky (both on drums) for a few years, she met  

in the summer of 2015, Isabel Rocher (drums & backing vocals) & Gaby Séguin (bass, loops & backing vocals) who since then form the new rhythm section and are responsible for many song arrangements on the new record.

Gold, Baby Fire’s third album (see OCD018 The Red Robe, second album), was produced, mixed and mastered by Pierre Vervloesem (dEUS, Madensuyu, Flat Earth Society, etc.) who also added guitars and mellotron on some titles, and recorded at Studio Six in Brussels by Gaethan Dehoux.

Baby Fire's influences are eclectic. Diabolita - who is also a member of von Stroheim - is a fan of the Riotgrrrl movement and of bands such as Swans, Chelsea Wolfe, The God Machine and 16 Horsepower.

Isabel and Gaby are fans of alternative rock as well as jazz.

The CD sleeve was designed by British artist Alice Smith.

Diabolita (aka Dominique Van Cappellen-Waldock) has collaborated on a full album with Eugene Robinson under the name Las Vegas (see OCD024). She also worked with Doug Scharin (Codeine, June of 44...) and Joe Goldring (Swans, Enablers...). She is currently working on a new project called HVEDA with ALWNTR from belgian sludge band OMSQ.

Reviews in French: here and here and in Flemish: here.

Isabel, Diabolita & Gaby

and a video of 'Burning Body':




Digital and physical release on the 30th of September 2016.

Track listing:

1.Burning Body, Burning Bed

2.Let It Die

3.Brussels

4.Tiger Heart

5.Gold

6.Lovers

7.You, Forever

8.Liver

9.How Do I Love Thee?

10.The Salamander

11. Depletion of Melancholy

And on Bandcamp:

Price

World shipping €12,00 EUR