Arovane's Icol Diston compilation on vinyl for the first time. Icol Diston, released in 2002 on DIN, comprised the three first EPs released by Uwe Zahn under his Arovane moniker. This expansive reissue sheds a new light on Zahn's first two outings as a producer on the I.O. and Icol Diston EPs on Torsten "T++" Pröfrock's legendary label as well as highlighting his radical inventiveness as a remixer with the two renditions of Pröfrock-produced material offered on AMX. Taken together, these musically complex and emotionally rich electronic compositions form the prologue to an artistic story like none other while also documenting a very specific era in cultural history. The energy running through Berlin and its boundaryless electronic music scene at the end of the 1990s is reflected by and refined through these eleven tracks. The Yamaha QY700 would become his sketchbook that allowed him to experiment with different patterns, creating polymetric figures out of discrete musical elements. Zahn's sessions, recorded live in stereo and straight to DAT, resulted in two very different EPs of original material. His debut I.O. showcases a playful and gentle, albeit dubby and at times moody aesthetic. The four tracks are exercises in sonic worldbuilding, creating vast spaces and filling them with a plethora of intertwining melodies and rhythms. Its successor Icol Diston drew on similar parameters, but painted a very different picture in terms of atmosphere and mood. The AMX EP features two remixes of tracks originally produced by Pröfrock under two different guises. "Außen vor" had been released under his Dynamo moniker and was reworked by Zahn after having been introduced to his label owner's Studio 440 sampler, sequencer and drum machine. With his remix of "No. 8," released under Pröfrock's tongue-in-cheek pseudonym Various Artists, Zahn followed a more radical approach which led him even deeper into dub territory. Widely different from the original version, it perfectly translated the spirit of this singular masterpiece into another stylistic idiom. The Icol Diston compilation is imbued with a forward-thinking spirit that remains exhilarating until today. It captures the sound of one unique artist, but also electronic music during that time more broadly. This is the sound of opening a new chapter, the willingness to venture into the unknown. Remaster and cut by Kassian Troyer at Dubplates & Mastering. Cover art by Jim Kühnel based on a photograph by Uwe Zahn. Die-cut sleeve; poly-lined inners; includes download code.
