STM 083 - Demdike Stare

The mix was created by Sean Canty and Miles Whittaker, a British experimental electronic music duo who sculpt obscure masterworks under the Demdike Stare moniker (named after the most famous of the Pendle witches). They made a successful debut in 2009 with their enigmatic album "Symbiosis", and have continued to impress die-hard music lovers with their expressive sound collages. Remaining loyal to the prolific Modern Love record label, Demdike Stare has now released 5 critically acclaimed albums and numerous singles. Their occult soundtracks are based on gloomy ambiance, penetrating melodic cuts, and abyssal rhythm textures that are often enriched with fragments of world music. However, their 2013 "Testpressing" vinyl trilogy explores a much wider palette of sounds, ranging from jungle and deep house style beats to industrial and noise motives. Accompanied by Andy Votel's (Finders Keepers Records) symbolic artworks and suggestive visuals from retro horror or surrealistic movies, Demdike Stare maintains a well-balanced stylistic integrity. Their live shows are like unexplored narratives that always surprise with their improvised rhythmic and atmospheric lines, as well as their cinematic sense. Demdike Stare also curates Pre-Cert label. It's important to mention that Whittaker is one half of Pendle Coven (with Gary Howell) and also produces music under the MLZ, Suum Cuique, and Miles pseudonyms. His newest release, "Faint Hearted," is sure to make the Secret Thirteen best albums of the year list.

"Secret Thirteen Mix 083" is a captivating and robust audio compilation that connects 23 rediscovered eclectic records released between 1970 and 2013. The mix is thoroughly compiled, qualitatively developed, and constantly shifting and increasing, ensuring that it won't leave you indifferent. The concept of the Demdike Stare mix is based on researching and finding music that is relevant in the present but originates from any time in the last 40 years. It's inspiring to hear that Sean Canty and Miles Whittaker are sharing their lightly resonating musical discoveries in such a delicate and liberal manner, completely maintaining the fundamental temperament of Demdike Stare.

The mix includes refined intersections between accurate static pieces by notable composers such as Bernard Parmegiani, Pierre Henry, and Egisto Macchi, as well as improvisational masterworks by alternative multi-instrumentalists and bands such as Michel Redolfi, Fabio Fabor, Tony Williams Lifetime, and Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe, which amaze and inspire. Additionally, intermittently incorporated electronic dance music tracks by artists such as Experimental Audio Research, Oliverwho Factory, and Doctor Rockit enrich the surface of this mix with old-fashioned drum machine beat patterns and purified synthesizer chords.

The diverse mixture of works from different times and cultures gives this influential selection an enduring value, a joy of unpredictability, dynamism, and flexibility. This mix transports the listener into an intricate world of sounds and textures that are expertly interwoven, resulting in a dynamic and mesmerizing experience. The whole sustained architecture of this compilation mainly stands on frequently emerging authentic rhythms, rich instrumentation, intensively weaving and colliding forceful effects, and dense soundscapes. However, it is hard to define each part completely, as each part is unique and carries weighty micro sound particles and tones exposure. This mix requires good quality speakers and a comfortable environment to feel it completely and perceive its hypnotic convulsions, as well as the entire mysterious magnetism that gradually penetrates into one's unconsciousness after a few times of deep listening. Overall, Secret Thirteen Mix 083 is an awe-inspiring masterpiece that will leave a lasting impression on any true music connoisseur.

“Secret Thirteen Mix 083” is akin to an esoteric Adnan Coker abstract art painting, “Untitled”, where playful shapes, cosmic colors, and smooth shadows create a monumental formation in an immeasurable dimension. Coker presents simplicity of form, methodical geometry, and significance of celestial blackness in such a deliberate way that these unique elements and values in the blink of an eye turn into a universal language of the species. Demdike Stare's artistic selection indirectly reflects the painting's structural and ideological composition, demonstrating tradition, longevity, intelligence, mystery, and subtle minimalism. This solid contribution to the Secret Thirteen Mix series expands and strengthens Demdike Stare's identity and helps listeners anticipate Sean Canty and Miles Whittaker's future tendencies. It is a perfect example of how two strong personalities can merge their utopian ideas to create an extraordinary chef-d'oeuvre that mirrors their musical sophistication and solidity.