Back To Mine With Wandour

A self-described wanderer, Indonesian artist Wandour travels with a vintage field recorder and camera, documenting sounds and images that catch his attention. Environmental recordings are combined with obscure cassette loops and electronic instrumentation, then repeatedly processed through old tape decks and weathered equipment. Hiss, distortion and other imperfections are retained as part of the finished music rather than cleaned away. In an era when electronic music can increasingly be generated and perfected digitally, his new LP ‘Echoterrium’ makes a case for the opposite: music shaped by physical objects, accidents and traces of the places in which it was made. With the LP out now, DMCWorld goes Back To Mine with Wandour.

Trüby Trio — Prima Vera

“Prima Vera” was one of the first tracks that sent me down the rabbit hole of downtempo and electronica. The combination of jazz instrumentation and warm synth textures immediately caught me. I still remember hearing it first time on a 747 flying across the pacific. There was something about discovering that music while suspended between places that made it stay with me. I miss those moments when an airline’s entertainment selection could introduce you to something you might never have found yourself.

FC Kahuna — Hayling

“Hayling” still haunts my dreams, in the best possible way. It is a masterclass in making something feel calm and unsettling at the same time. The synths draw you into this suspended space, and the vocal seems to hover just beyond reach. I still get goosebumps when I hear it. There are tracks you remember fondly, and then there are tracks that can make you feel exactly what you felt the first time. This is one of those for me.

Bent — Magic Love

“Magic Love” takes me straight back to watching MTV’s dance music programmes. I remember it appearing regularly, and I loved that something so warm and unhurried could sit under the same “dance” umbrella as much more energetic electronic music. It helped me realise that a groove did not have to be forceful to stay in your head. Sometimes a gentle rhythm and the right melody could do just as much.

Fragile State — Every Day a Story

“Every Day a Story” was one of the first tracks that made me fall in love with the idea of combining airy, ambient textures with a broken-beat rhythm. It is such a perfect listen on a hazy, sunny day. The beat keeps you gently moving while the string textures let your thoughts drift somewhere else. I always imagine clouds passing overhead when I hear it, with nothing urgent enough to interrupt the moment.

Koop feat. Yukimi Nagano — Come to Me

When I first heard Koop, I assumed I was listening to a jazz band instead of electonica. “Come to Me” was the track that got me attached to them, and it still has that wonderful sense of musicians playing together in a room. But in reality, much of their apparently live jazz sound is constructed from carefully assembled samples.

Rae & Christian feat. Veba — Spellbound

I think I first heard “Spellbound” on one of those late-night compilation albums, possibly a Late Night Tales or Hôtel Costes collection, although I cannot remember which one. What I do remember is being hooked immediately. The flute is the detail that always stays with me. It gives the track this expansive, almost cinematic atmosphere without making it feel oversized.

Ian Pooley — Venasque

“Venasque” sits toward the more uptempo end of this selection, but it carries exactly the kind of relaxed energy I love. It has a touch of that filtered, French-style funk while keeping the groove light and fluid. It makes me want to move without breaking the spell of a chilled listening session. I have enormous respect for Ian Pooley’s ability to find that balance.

Sasha — Magnetic North

For me, Sasha’s Airdrawndagger is the best album for getting lost in the space between downtempo and electronica. “Magnetic North” is the track I return to most. The beat and synths are so hypnotic that I can put the album on repeat and lose track of how long I have been listening.

St Germain — Sure Thing

I used to play “Sure Thing” on repeat until I fell asleep. There is something about its guitar phrases and looping blues groove that helps my mind settle. It is infectious without feeling demanding, and relaxed without losing its pulse. I can listen closely to all the little details or simply let it run and drift along with it.

Mark Farina feat. Sean Hayes — Dream Machine

I collected Mark Farina’s Mushroom Jazz compilations from the first volume through to the seventh, so his approach to downtempo has been part of my listening life for a long time. “Dream Machine,” from his own Air Farina album, is a personal favourite. It has that perfect balance of restrained funk and easy movement. You can relax completely, but your head will still be nodding before you notice it.

‘Echoterrium’ is out now: https://wandour.bandcamp.com/album/echoterrium