format:cd mix compilation
release date: January 2006
Spanning 70 minutes and 27 tracks, Context’s new mix CD,"Unravelled," showcases six years and 16 adventurous releases, many of which have only been available on vinyl until now. The mix features Cali-techno heroes Sutekh (founder of Context), Safety Scissors, Twerk, Kit Clayton, and Dave Aju as well as international talents Portable (South Africa/UK), Ben Nevile (Canada), Murcof (Mexico), Klunder (Australia), and Wang Inc. (Italy).
“Unravelled” works the myriad of production techniques and cultural references unique to each Context artist into a gripping, beat-driven narrative. Shifting from the spacious, orchestral soundscapes of Murcof to the silky dub-house gymnastics of Ben Nevile, and from the razor-sharp, algorithmically crafted techno of Twerk to the African-inflected rhythms of Portable, “Unravelled” draws out the signature sounds and styles found in Context’s repertoire. Known for their inventiveness and attention to detail, Context artists make use of the most advanced digital techniques without sacrificing the funk. With this mix, Sutekh traces a common line between these artists, providing a much-needed retrospective of one of America's most bold and experimental techno labels.
Founded in 1999 by Seth Horvitz aka Sutekh, the San Francisco-based Context label has remained a platform for music that presents the listener more musical questions than answers. Many of Context’s debut artists—such as Safety Scissors, Portable, and Murcof, have gone on to record critically acclaimed full-length albums on labels including Plug Research, ~scape, and the Leaf Label.
reviews/articles:
East Bay Express (USA)
XLR8R (top 10 office picks, January 20) (USA)
almostcool.org (USA)
Failme.net (UK)
Groove.de (Germany)
Raveline.de (Germany)
Musiques & Cultures Digitales (France)
disc-jockey.it (Italy)
Jay Culture (Italy)
Gaz-Eta (Poland)
Tracklisting (track number, original release number, artist, title):
01 14 dave aju 'limbo'
02 10b murcof 'vs twerk'
03 11 twerk 'motala'
04 07 portable 'adhesive'
05 08 ben nevile 'awshashen'
06 05 suite k 'baby i want'
07 14 dave aju 'lost evangelist'
08 13 wang inc 'wood, water, and fire' (remix)
09 02 twerk 'spam'
10 03 sutekh 'warm rod'
01 safety scissors 'rubber stamp' (kit clayton remix)
11 16 sutekh 'rhapsody on a theme by paganini'
09 murcof 'mir'
12 04 sutekh 'toy piano' (matmos remix)
09 murcof 'marmol'
13 05 suite k 'd'z'
14 04 twerk 'relative funcitons' (timeblind remix)
15 10b wang inc. 'vs kit clayton'
16 02 twerk 'friend from below'
06 portable 'curve'
17 10a kit clayton 'vs murcof'
18 15 wang inc. 'downhill, billy'
19 08 portable 'portal'
20 06 kit clayton 'homonym cask'
21 08 ben nevile 'tip'
22 12 klunder 'i never want to see that fork again (!)'
23 16 sutekh 'rhapsody pathetique in d minor'
24 10a portable 'vs sutekh'
25 10a twerk 'vs portable'
26 06 sutekh 'until'
27 14 dave aju 'like love'