A glimpse into the world of Miasmah
» Published by trym on May 25, 2008
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Label: Miasmah
The debut release with catalogue number “63”.
May 2006 saw a compilation from a relatively unknown label called Miasmah released. To anyone unknowing of the fabulous world of netlabels and the resource-crammed internet archive, the compilation dubbed Silva had the catalogue number MIACD001, but looking deeper into the background of this label operating out of Oslo, Norway, you could find a catalogue of no less than 62 releases, dating back to 1999. These releases featured artists like Supine, Opiate, Krii (aka Resound), Jules Marsen, Paavoharju, Helios and Xhale (aka Svarte Greiner) to name a few, some already in the process of becoming established names on other labels and other soon to be picked up and discovered for their talents. Little surprise was it then to foresee the future of something big in the making, and definitely the natural next step to launch the Miasmah label for physical releases. First out was thus the Silva compilation, like a teaser of the gems that were to follow, where the up and coming names of contemporary electronica once again contributed with exciting material, simply looking back at the list leaves your mouth watering… Julien Neto (ed. long-standing personal favourite of this editor!), Yasume (Helios and Logreybeam collaboration), Gultskra Artikler, Martin Juhls, Ryan Teague, Greg Haines, Jasper TX and Deaf Center/Svarte Greiner themselves. Now one and half years later, half of these artists have already released seminal albums on Miasmah to widespread, critical acclaim, or have future releases lined up in store. The others have released on Type Records, and the two labels’ profiles go together like hand in glove in the past.
Following on from the Silva compilation came a surprising album, Encre’s extended composition and a study of horns and strings on the somewhat romantic and breathy symphony of Plexus II. See our recent Soundspot for an in-depth look back at this release. Next from Miasmah came two ground-breaking releases that pushed Miasmah from obscurity and confined to the corner of Norway into the world scene and a household name in anyone’s collection of electronica, if they had any sense of taste. One album Slumber Tids bore the signature of Greg Haines, an extremely talented Englishman trained in classical music and with a grasp for composing highly evocative songs, based around his very skilled mastery of the cello set to other lovely electronics and not the least forgetting that aria-like, angelic vocals by Norwegian vocalist Kristin Evensen Giæver. Following on from Encre, Miasmah’s profile was beginning to shape up, cinematic and vast soundscapes, atmospheric and emotional, both lingering and in suspense, and following in the footsteps of those seminal albums Deaf Center and Svarte Greiner already had released themselves.
Hot on the heels of Greg Haines’ record that left you reeling and breathless, came the fourth album Daydreaming and although it must be cliché to mention Frasier, Supersonics, the home of grunge, etc. when speaking of Seattle, it would not surprise me that if you have an interest in electronica you will from now on first think of the somewhat artistic name of Rafael Anton Irisarri. Images of windswept, rainy streets, perfectly suited for the opening of a classic film noir or more aptly associating these sounds with Bladerunner, you at once feel at ease when listening to Irisarri’s Daydreaming album. Over the course of seven songs, Irisarri takes the listener on a journey into a world of minimalistic songs with a strong tinge of solemnity, but also coloured by a daydreaming atmosphere like the album title suggests. Irisarri treats the piano masterfully and the melodies feel very personal and intense, the serene melodies complemented by a shimmering layer of fuzzy electronic washes and other samples. “A Wither” stands forth as a personal favourite, beginning with a low, rumbling bassline and scraping samples, suddenly relieved by Irisarri delivering a heartfelt and simple piano melody progressing at a tempo which allows each individual piano chord to linger on and evolve. As those shimmering synth washes build up as a backdrop to the ongoing piano lead, you cannot help but feel gripped by the emotional piece, and naturally relating this to the music of Helios/Goldmund and Deaf Center in how these artists too also have focused on the piano and studying all its characteristics when tinged by electronics.
Soon after Irisarri, Miasmah would release their first album by fellow Norwegian, Tommy Janssen aka Elegi, who previously had recorded music on Beatservice in the duo known as Cordion. Summarising Elegi’s album, “Sistereis”, one needs to know a bit of background information on Tommy and his fascination with diving and ship wrecks, because the album is in short a beautiful and melancholic ode to ship wrecks, lovely yet dark, with slow-treading electronic melodies and a vast array of samples, creaking floorboards, sounds of the ocean and simply put, a beautiful venture into the new and strangely named genre of acoustic doom. Quiet piano chords linger on as dramatic drones repeat and creaking sounds of ships make up very enigmatic and mysterious themes, flavoured with somber and eerie, bleak landscapes to instil a feeling of grim horror or desolation.
As we reach our final album in our journey through the catalogues of Miasmah, we find the sixth album bearing the title “Kasha Iz Topora”, signed by none other than the Russian, Moscov-based jack of all trades known as Gultskra Artikler aka. Alexey Devyanin. This release on Miasmah sees the label part temporarily from their established music profile, but one which still feels right, and it is fun, an avant-garde hybrid of Russian folk and electronica. I think it’s nearly best to let Devyanin summarise his music himself..
“Gultskra’s music is always the unique mixture of brutal and honest vibes of mysterious Siberian soul and hi-tech technologies, some unpredictable electro-acoustical and avant-garde instrumental movements and precision electronical manipulations, strange field recordings.”
There is no reason to doubt for a second on this album, it is an explosion of energy and creativity, one which is common to expect from Gultskra Artikler, but his peers are few and far between in the music scene, so when he treats listeners to musical treats like this, we should feel lucky to be acquainted with the music of Gultskra.
For more information on all these artists and the Miasmah label, see any of the links below:
Miasmah official website
Miasmah netlabel mp3 archive
Encre official website
Encre @ myspace
Greg Haines official website
Greg Haines @ myspace
Rafael Anton Irisarri @ myspace
Gultskra Artikler offical website
Gultskra Artikler @ myspace
Lastly, we conclude this feature of Miasmah with some lovely music as featured in this music video of Rafael Anton Irisarri’s emotive “Fractal”. Stay tuned for a review of Polish Jacaszek’s “Treni” album on Miasmah coming up soon.