Avec cet album, j’ai souhaité rendre hommage à ces merveilleux créateurs que sont, entre autres, René Laloux, Jean Chalopin, Bernard Deyriès, Shuki Levy et évidemment Moebius dont j’ai appris la disparition alors que j’achevais l’écriture d’Heritage. Ayant une admiration profonde pour le travail de Jean Giraud, les accents mélancoliques du disque résonnent aujourd’hui pour moi d’une façon toute particulière…

Après avoir exploré la période de la Guerre Froide à travers Northern Council, mon travail a repris une dimension plus intime. Pourtant, je vois ce disque comme un voyage intemporel où les mélodies peuvent finalement refléter l’histoire de chacun.

L’édition vinyle collector est dès à présent disponible sur le store de Valerie avec une carte de téléchargement ainsi que les pré-commandes digitales exclusives sur Itunes!

When I was a child I drew a lot, feeding my imagination with cartoons and collections of illustrations borrowed from the library. Several months ago, while I was unpacking some boxes during a move, I came across one of my sketches from that time and, with it, a multitude of memories resurfaced. I realised then the fascination that works like ‘Starwatcher’ had exerted over me and how formative French Science Fiction had been in the way I compose music.

With this album, I wanted to pay tribute to those wonderful artists that include, among others, René Laloux, Jean Chalopin, Bernard Deyriès, Shuki Levy and obviously Moebius, whose recent death I learned of when I had finished writing ‘Heritage’. Having such profound admiration for the work of Jean Giraud makes the melancholic accents of the record resonate with me today in a very special way…

Since exploring the period of the Cold War with ‘Northern Council’, my work has taken on a more intimate dimension. Yet I see this record as a timeless journey; one where the melodies can ultimately reflect everyone’s story.

The limited white vinyl edition is already available (with a free download card inside) on Valerie’s store and exclusive digital pre-order starts today on Itunes!

College – Révélation (Hyboid Remix)

Pending a new EP from The Outrunners, I am pleased to announce that the two composers are also working parallel on some particularly interesting solo projects…Thus, PDLT, under the guise of Forgotten Illusions, introduces the Crystal Contour EP, available on Bandcamp since 02/04/13. We are also honoured to sign an exclusive selection for Valerie reminiscent of delicious 90’s techno.

Forgotten Illusions – Lost In The Data Flow Mix

Playlist:

01 – Tristar & Red Factor – Operation Stealth (Amiga cracktro)
02 – Vitalic – Repair Machine (Disco mix)
03 – Forgotten Illusions – Theme of Forgotten Illusions
04 – The Presets – Promises (Lifelike remix)
05 – Alden Tyrell & Fred Ventura – Don’t go
06 – Fun Fun – Give me your love
07 – Geinoh Yamashirogumi – Mutation
08 – Ken Ishii – Echo Exit
09 – Beroshima – Dee Bee Phunky
10 – Southsoniks – Ars Longa
11 – CoHabits – Dependency A2
12 – Gerd – Arkests Blaze
13 – Technasia – The Declamation
14 – Feraillus – Thank you for downloading

Bring on the 1st of February! Why? Well, because the whole team from our favourite radio station, Intergalactic FM, is arriving in Paris for one spectacular night in Batofar! Alden Tyrell live, along with the formidable mix of David Vunk, I-F and Casionova – this high-flying line-up promises to be an out-of-this-world melodic journey. To celebrate, Casionova has prepared, especially for our dear readers, a magnificent vinyl-mix-shaped tour of Murder Capital FM!

Casionova – Dutch Connection II Mix

Playlist:

01. PARALLAX CORPORATION – Slowflight/Runner
02. MARK DU MOSCH – Satical
03. THE HASBEENS – Make The World Go Away
04. MATZO & PAULI – Drama
05. MR PAULI – Satisfaction
06. DAVID VUNK – Disco Sysex
07. RUDE 66 – The 1000 Year Storm
08. LEGOWELT – Savage Land
09. MARK DU MOSCH – Salmiak
10. DAVID VUNK & BEN LA DESH – Turner
11. ELECTRICK DRAGON – Disco Tranzen
12. ALDEN TYRELL – Voyagers End

How to start the year? Maybe with a new mix from Professor Falken featuring a mix of both the classic and rare tracks that have made his blog unmissable since 2007! I will take this opportunity to also announce that he shall be introducing a new album entitled ‘The Curious Case of Wiedenfalsen’, to be released shortly on the excellent label, VCO Recordings. From our side, we’re actively preparing for the release of an album from Valerie’s own College; as well as welcoming new artists to our Composer Series…the first quarter will be rich in new developments. Looking forward to sharing them with you, I wish you a great 2013!

Stephen Falken – January 2013 Mix

Playlist:

01 – Wendy Carlos – The shining
02 – Scott Vladimir Licina – The congregation gathers
03 – Joe Hisaishi – Kusare umi ni te
04 – Vangelis – Blade runner blues
05 – Zoot woman – Nobody knows
06 – Tangerine Dream – Le parc – LA
07 – Kan3da – Experiment 8
08 – Kraftwerk – It’s more fun to compute
09 – The Hacker – Sequenced life
10 – Wolfram – Thing called love (Legowelt remix)
11 – X1999 – Prototype 07
12 – Jupiter Black – We like moroder
13 – Stereolab – Silver sands
14 – The Electronic Moog Orchestra – Cantina band
15 – Shuki levy – Penny’s theme
16 – FR David – Stay
17 – Joseph Koo – A better tomorrow theme

Delayscape is a Danish artist who already has several digital Eps and a double compilation entitled “Morse Disco” on the brilliant German label, Anna Logue Records. His compositions are a subtle blend of tight melodies and techno minimalism. Before finding a forthcoming release on our coming Composer Series division, he accepted Valerie’s invitation and treats us exclusively to this delightful little selection.

Delayscape – Valerie Mix

Playlist:

01 – Last Day Of Spring (from the Morse Disco album, Anna Logue Records)
02 – Timeslip (from Pheno Sleep EP, Elpa)
03 – Mars Control (from the Morse Disco album, Anna Logue Records)
04 – 097 (unreleased)
05 – MMP 2 (from Moments, Men and Places EP, Elpa)
06 – Clean Tale (from Moments, Men and Places EP, Elpa)
07 – Cutting Edges (from AutoPhon EP, Swishcotheque)
08 – HGW (from the Morse Disco album, Anna Logue Records)
09 – Onetwenty (from the Morse Disco album, Anna Logue Records)
10 – Ortofon (from AutoPhon EP, Swishcotheque)
11 – 110 (unreleased)

The 13th edition of Utopiales, Nantes’ International Festival of Science Fiction, opens next week – an unmissable event for all the dreamers of the Grand Ouest and the artists of our movement who use this genre of cinema as a wonderful source of inspiration. So Valerie would like to wish them the best for their 13th edition and encourages you particularly to check out the opening night appearance by Jeff Mills, co-founder (with Mad Mike) of the legendary Detroit Undergound Resistance label. The maverick of electronic music will present a piece called The Trip, an experiment that combines his compositions with cosmic visuals…

Jeff Mills – Solarized

I am pleased to announce that the new College album should be out by the end of the year! To tide you over until then I have prepared a small and very personal selection of tracks. Included is music from films iconic to me such as Werner Herzog’s ‘Aguirre, the Wrath of God‘ and Steve de Jarnatt’s ‘Miracle Mile‘ – the soundtracks to which have the eternal magic power to evoke these marvellous moments of cinema…

College – The Magical Words Mix

Playlist:

01 – Popol Vuh – Aguirre I
02 – Creatures – Inspiration
03 – Linear Movement – The Linear Way
04 – Sternrekorder – 3statt4
05 – Ray Lynch – The Oh Of Pleasure
06 – Komarken Electronics – Basic Function
07 – Lo-Lo – Olimpiadi 3211.6.
08 – S.C.D – Poly 800-7
09 – Vladimir Cosma – La Danse Des Pirates
10 – Tangerine Dream – Running Out of Time
11 – Jackson Browne – Somebody’s Baby

From his headquarters in Leipzig, our friend, the talented Sternrekorder has prepared a brand new mixtape of his latest favourite melodies. Through this delightful cosmic journey, one may of course recognize some classics but also discover rare and even brand new songs! His album ‘Weissensee’ is still available on the Astro Chicken Records label.

Sternrekorder – Heimweh Mixtape 2012

Playlist:

01 – M83 – Fountains (2011)
02 – Au Revoir Simone – Another Likely Story (2009)
03 – Paula – Als Es Passierte (Andreas Dorau Remix) (2000)
04 – Elmulab – Microprocessor (1980)
05 – Autumn – Synthesize (1981)
06 – Kati Kovács – Kérdés Önmagamhoz (A Question To Myself) (1980)
07 – Alden Tyrell – Love Explosion 05 (2006)
08 – Autumn – Night in June (1981/2011)
09 – Maison Vague – Synthpop’s Alive (2011)
10 – Bal Paré – Palais D’Amour (1985)
11 – Rational Youth – Saturdays In Silesia (1982)
12 – Moderne – Indicatif (1980)
13 – Tesla Boy – Rebecca (2010)
14 – Sternrekorder – Heimweh (2012 – unreleased)
15 – Tesla Boy – Spirit Of The Night (2009)

It was through the latest selection of Professor Falken that I discovered the work of Egyptology. Intrigued by their mesmerising sound, I went out and bought their album ‘The Skies‘ and what a wonderful surprise it was! Naturally one thinks of François de Roubaix or Jean Michel Jarre but their creations transcend these references to open the doors to a unique melodic universe. I’d like to thank Olivier and Stéphane, the project members who responded to my invitation and prepared a selection, especially for Valerie, that continues this musical adventure. Also note that Egyptology will be playing at the Maroquinerie in Paris on the 22nd September!

EGYPTOLOGY – The Sescosem Mix

Playlist:

SESCOSEM + CS80 intro
Desmond Leslie “The Stranger’s Quest”
Claudio Rocchi “Oh Lyra”
Howard Shore “Assassins in the Barn”
Haruomi Hosono “Cosmic Surfin (Pacific Version)”
Jean-Jacques Perrey “In First Orbit”
Michael Stearns “Toto, I’ve A Feeling We’re Not in Kansas Anymore!”
Kerry Beaumont “Rubber Balls”
Claudio Rocchi “Oscillando”
Kraftwerk “Metropolis”
Mark Shreeve “Icon”
Raymond Scott “Backwards Overload”
Piero Umiliani “Arabian Synth”
Joe Meek “Glob Waterfall”
Vangelis “Soil Festivities Movement 2″
David Munrow “The Vortex”
Saeko Suzuki “S-8 TO T-8″
Eric Siday “exc. from Sounds of Now Vol.1″
John Baker “Jazz Advert”
Ennio Morricone “Un Uomo Nello Spazio”

On the 23rd of June, Stephen Falken will perform both a live set and a DJ set in Vienna in an exceptional event organized by Club Fairlight. To mark this event, he prepared a superlative little podcast that you can find at the end of this post.
And in other great news: College, Anoraak and Electric Youth‘s North American leg of ”The Drive Tour“ has been confirmed and will take place from July 20 to August 17 with no fewer than 24 dates across the USA!

Stephen Falken – Mission In Vienna

Playlist:

LFO – Good night Vienna
MR VELCRO FASTENER – Silent Running
PRINCIPLES OF GEOMETRY – Akeshore
X99 – Had to be Killed
D’ARCANGELO – Shipwreck
DMX KREW – I’m all alone
DOPPLEREFFEKT – Infophysix
COLLEGE – Susan waiting
EGYPTOLOGY – The skies
LEGOWELT – Visions fade
JAPANESE TELECOM – Virtual origami
ORIENT EXPRESS – En route a Vienna
ALDEN TYRELL – Odessa theme
IF – Space invaders are smoking grass

——————————————————————————-
THE DRIVE TOUR  feat College, Anoraak & Electric Youth
——————————————————————————-

07/20 Brooklyn @ Music Hall Of Williamsburg
07/21 Washington @ DC 9
07/22 Boston @ Brighton Music Hall
07/23 Philadelphia @ Union Transfer
07/25 Montreal @ Corona Theater
07/26 Toronto @ Wrong Bar
07/27 Detroit @ Pike Room
07/28 Chicago @ Lincoln Hall
07/29 Minneapolis @ Triple Rock Social Club
08/01 Vancouver @ Electric Owl
08/02 Seattle @ Chop Suey
08/03 Portland @ Branx
08/04 San Francisco @ Rickshaw Stop
08/05 Los Angeles @ Echoplex
08/06 San Diego @ Casbah
08/07 Tucson @ Club Congress
08/09 El Paso @ Garden Bar
08/10 Dallas @ Prophet Bar
08/11 Austin @ Red 7
08/12 New Orleans @ One Eyed Jacks
08/14 Miami @ Grand Central
08/15 Orlando @ Social
08/16 Atlanta @ Terminal West
08/17 Chapel Hill @ Local 506