ENV(itre) - okoy (BOLT044)
Review by Smallfish
It's that time of the month where Boltfish kindly send us a new album and it's yet another goodie. This time it comes from ENV(itre) who was previously found plying his musical wares on one of the Tandem series releases. A full 1 tracks here and it's a lovely, friendly and very nicely put together selection of the kind of purist electronica that we rather like here at the fish. Splendid rhythm programming that manages to run the full gamut of styles and tempos, along with a deft melodic touch to the chords and tones give us a glimpse into the musical world of this great artist. Fans of the other Boltfish releases will be absolutely charmed by this... much as we were. Lovely stuff.
ENV(itre) - okoy (BOLT044)
Review by Igloomag
12.31.07) Boltfish is becoming one of those labels that put out albums like you or I have hot dinners. Now if you're partial to a decent dinner, and at all discerning about your food intake, you won't be content with re-heating someone else's warmed up leftovers filched from the communal fridge. Sure, you might feel inclined to pinch a flatmate's recipe, even some of his/her ingredients to concoct your own version of a signature dish of theirs you've coveted, but you'd want to tweak it your way a bit. At the very least, even if you had it cooked for you, you'd want to add some seasonings or a special sauce to customise it. So, just as in life 'man ist was man isst' (You are what you eat - as the man Goethe pithily quoth) so in the contemporary electronic arts, you are, to a significant extent, what you tweak. To Be may have once been To Do (brought to you courtesy of J-P.S. Existentialism Inc.) but these days tweaking someone else's Doings can be enough to give a guy some Being. Otherwise you could end up anybody, which is almost as bad as being nobody. Which combination of reflection on Art's auteur/authenticity conundrum and pomo-babble brings us to ENV(itre) and whether his okoy is okay or so-so.
Now, as a child it seems Pole Miroslaw Majewski was fascinated by the 8-bit sounds of the Atari and C64, which led to his induction into the world of electronic music and the start of his own music production. Biog notes further inform us that "since then he has worked continuously on improving the knowledge and skills required to produce his distinctive sound, a development which he says is far from being complete." Now that last clause in the sentence stands as an almost poignant unknowingly eloquent sidenote to okoy. Why?
Well, while ENV(itre) has appeared on compilations on respected labels such as Neo Ouija and Databloem and Hydrogen Dukebox, remixing Metamatics and being remixed in turn by Lackluster, this collection betrays Majewski's insufficiencies as a frontline practitioner in the crowded kitchen of bedroom-beat geek-pop-tronica. No, it's not so much its maker's fixation with the likes of Warp, Rephlex, AI, Planet mu, Toytronic (hereinafter referred to as WRAPT), for, truth be told, he is not alone among the ranks of Boltfishers in being so in thrall. Well, it is that to an extent, but… the main point is that, unlike other artists with releases on Boltfish drawing on this post-electro post-ambient post-techno motion pool (cf. recent Boltfish works by ElectricWest and Btb, which provide idiosyncratic refreshes and personalised updates), it's a lack of creativity and imagination in how to recombine and reformulate existing resources that exposes ENV(itre) as a virtual copyist, or at best a mere workmanlike plodder - a replicator, a WRAPT fanboy whose fandom feels need for expression through a kind of passive engagement (as opposed to an active consumption).
So, what you get with okoy is is the usual parade of sad and dreamy melodic electronica and post-everything gestural beats - the ones that go tippy-tappy and skitter-skatter, but fail to matter, since they give the listener not so much the groinal-neural interconnect achieved by the best of ahem... Intelligent Dance Music (there, it's out, undressed!) as a kind of bloodless sub-cerebral frottage. And let's face it, this year has been one in which most IDM material has had all the vital tongue-bursting savour of last month's chewing gum left on the bedpost. Yet the likes of Hecq (see 0000 (Hymen)), Anders Ilar (see Ludwijka Extended (Shitkatapult)), and Proem (from whose Socially Inept period ENV(itre) has lifted much, filleting out in the process the rhythmic-timbral guts that distinguished that project) have shown that there is still life in the old dog, re-tooling The Then for The Now, making it less Has-been. But as long as ENV(itre) remains enmired in regurgitations of 90s ambient-techno and post-industrial electro-pop paradigms, his work will remain as un-compelling as it is irrelevant.
okoy is out now on Boltfish.
ENV(itre) Milieu Split - Tandem series 5 (BOLT032)
Review by leonardslair
Five compilations in and Boltfish's Tandem series has still yet to produce even an average record. Here they match up South Carolina resident Milieu with Polish-born ENV(itre). It doesn't take a wild guess to work out who Milieu's influences are. The spacey beats and eerie atmospheres are pure Boards Of Canada. Interestingly, the man behind the music, Brian Grainger, started making music after his parents' divorce, which probably goes some way to explaining the melancholic nature of these instrumentals. Meanwhile, ENV(itre) AKA Miroslaw Majewski composes his music entirely from edited sampled sounds. Majewski defies this self-imposed restriction by creating a quartet of sadness-infused melodies that actually fit in rather well with Milieu's oeuvre. The fine material here is only marred by the impression that the two acts are in a genre where there are so many other similar-sounding artists.
ENV(itre) Milieu Split - Tandem series 5 (BOLT032)
Review by Textura
"Milieu's exudes an understated ambient hip-hop vibe that merges woozy Boards of Canada-styled psychedelia with downtempo beats—the ideal soundtrack for making it through that groggy Sunday morning. Though the six tracks are all decent, the heavier plod of “Charcoal” makes a strong impression while the clusters of warm synth figures in “Schoolbells” sparkle effervescently. ENV(itre)'s evocative material offers a natural complement to Milieu's though Majewski's tracks occasionally veer into grimier territory. “Oaetometq,” for instance, comes closer to machine-oriented funk than hip-hop, with assorted clangs peppering its burbling funk rhythms. His four tracks show a wide range, as evidenced by the darkly dramatic “Salecareal” and the dreamy oasis “Loyr vacn.” "
ENV(itre) Milieu Split - Tandem series 5 (BOLT032)
Review by losingtoday
"A quite spiffing release all said and done that pairs together the contrasting aural worlds of South Carolina based Millieu and Polish born now Germany based env(itre). We can think of no better way to chill away the early hours of the day than to the silken milky sounds of Millieu or Brian Grainger as he’s better known to kith n kin. Seems Mr Grainger has been peppering the more clued in disciples of electronica for a fair few years now with releases appearing on both Infraction and U-cover. This split features five more slices of amorphous ambient delights from the Millieu locker. Misty eyed nostalgic test card melodies succulently threaded with spacey serenades that sound like they’ve escaped a child’s bedroom to idle away summer nights bathing beneath far flung lunar moons. Employing textures and a sound base more in common with those early electronic releases via Warp, Grainger carves out gentle on the ear morsels of shy like delicately dreamy ambient pop, ’Threw ourselves into the sun’ orbits some hitherto invisible plain, a chorus procession of redundant ice cream vans chime into the ether their trippy though vibrantly earthly montages whilst being orchestrated by a troop of Clangers who’ve taken a wrong turn home after a night on the sauce. The starry eyed ’Rain Metre’ - lone, enigmatic and majestic, this tear jerking nugget has you imagining the essence of Harold Faltermeyer being bottled into an ornamental snow globe and teleported across the cosmos while ’Saltwater’ sweetly seduces you with its lightly tip toeing lullaby-esque charm as though its just tumbled out from the nursery playroom of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. The cavernous sounding ’Charcoal’ provides the set with its most measured cut comprising intricately layered textures the childlike soothing melodies are replaced by a more robust mindset that mooches ominously amid noire-ish backdrops filtered by snaking beats and endowing throughout a heart wrenching unbound sense of deep regret to its matrix while the hypnotic lull of ’Schoolbells’ which neatly wraps the occasion is peppered with a subtle spectral sensuality that’ll simply floor you with irresistible delight. 26 year old Miroslaw Majewski or env(itre) as he’s better known to the electronica fraternity has been doodling in his workshop for nearly 10 years now having scored releases for Aphorism as well as appearances via Sutemos, Databloem and Neo Ouija while not forgetting to mention outings for the net label Tonatom where to date he’s released no fewer than three full lengths into the cyber community the latest just posted being ‘Weirdwire’ which we’ve just had a peak of and heartily recommend you snare yourself a copy to call your own. Majewski’s side of the split release features four tenderised slices of numbing ambience that opens with the dreamy ‘Salacareal’. More svelte starry eyed incantations from the whirly pop world of electronica, this lonesome sounding honey belies a deeply resonating Carpenter-esque widescreen spy / suspense thematic thread that’s lightly sugared by a sweetly seductive lunatic cortege of voiced keys that playfully pirouette and purr into the neon lit voids of night skies which sharply and superbly contrasts with the hollowed distant ache afforded by the sparsely shy eyed ‘Oaetometq’ itself cut and crafted to share the same oblique mindset as those early EU and latter career Lamdshipping releases. The glacial swathes of wave like monolithic sweeps that bathe the flawlessly lulling ‘Loyr Vacn’ - all the time braided by a wealth of spongy clicks and gently cantering keys - converge to comes across like an updated variant of the Home Services ’Shipping Forecast’ while best till last the beauty that unfolds throughout the duration of the lushly arresting ’Cipramil’ may well have many of you thinking that the Brontean elegance of FortDax had been usurped, recalibrated and impishly twiddled by the crafted handiwork of those lovable rogues d_rradio. A thoroughly recommended split release."
ENV(itre) Milieu Split - Tandem series 5 (BOLT032)
Review by electronic desert
Two new debuts for Boltfish that goes by the name: Milieu and Env(itre). On what is the fifth instalment in the ongoing series of split releases aptly entitled “The Tandem Series”. The concept is simple enough, two artists co-habiting the same release.
Milieu contributes with five tracks saturated with early BOAC references and who can ever really be blamed for having that particular source of inspiration? Milieu’s part starts off with “Threw Ourselves Into The Sun” a lovely track with a healthy beat and a dose of nostalgia. “Rain Metre” progresses along the same line, slowly and well put together. ”Saltwater” strikes up a slightly more sinister atmosphere and has dry forward moving beats and interesting sounds, homage to BOAC of sorts. “Charcoal” is just so beautiful, with massive bass, echoing powerful beats, lovely melody all drenched in sprinkles of glitch and disturbing distortions it’s most definitely my favourite among Milieu’s tracks. Back on track in “Schoolbells” with straightforward beats ending this part of the debut release on Boltfish.
The other artist contributing to this split goes by the name of Env(itre) and sees the welcome return of a talented electronic musician. Env(itre)’s debut full-length album entitled “Teaktshramin” was reviewed here at ED some two years ago (2004) and was originally released in 2003 on a German label called Aphorism. The whereabouts of the Aphorism label are not known and it would seem to be another small label that subsumes to the harsh (economic) reality of independent micro music life. The four tracks by Env(itre) are all really good and they all dwell in a crisp and clear musical setting; containing healthy doses of beats, bas, structure fused with atmospheric elements cementing the feeling of enjoyment and very much a Boltfish affair. It’s Boltfish’s new breed on BOLT032 and you know you should investigate.
ENV(itre) Milieu Split - Tandem series 5 (BOLT032)
Review by smallfish
The duo of Milieu and ENV(itre) deliver a fine, fine selection of beautiful electronic music here. Split, once again, into 5 and 4 tracks respectively, each artist has a lovely grasp of mellow, downbeat Electronica with plenty of melody and nicely refined sense of rhythmic programming. From Milieu's slightly more breakbeat driven beats to the clicked-out and processed sounds of ENV(itra) it's clear these guys know what they're doing. A summery, chilled-out feeling pervades and, if you know what's good for you, you'll snap up this limited release if you've got any interest in great quality electronic music. Superb.
ENV(itre) - tattwa
Review by tokafi
Fantastic German net label Tonatom, one of the very first in the "business", is offering two new releases for your free download pleasure. First up is env(itre) with tattwa. Tattwas derive from Indian astrology and are said to be measures of the quality of time. Don't worry about that, though, 'cos you're time is definitely well spent with this short but mesmerising EP. Beats are dry and cut up in various ways, there's a lot of weird samples in there (like the creaking of an old door as a part of the rhythm) and quite a few tantalising melodies. Now we're really curious as to what to expect on Miro Majewskis (env(itre)'s real name) next full-lenght.
ENV(itre) - teaktshramin
Review by Intro
Ich will hier ja keinen Schrebergarten-Streit vom Zaun brechen. Aber die Electro-Schule ist groß en vogue bei all den HeimbastlerInnen da draußen, während die in den letzten Jahren so erfolgreiche Fraktion Indietronics immer öfter leer ausgeht. Ist es der Schritt raus aus dem Bandkontext hin zum solitären Musizieren oder der weg von Techno zurück zu mehr Emotion? Egal. Solange es so gelungen und berührend rüberkommt wie bei den vierzehn Stücken von Miroslav Slavemir Majewski aus Downtown Hessen, der als ENV(itre) sein Album-Debüt gibt, verzichten wir doch gerne auf fragiles Gitarrengeklimper und Befindlichkeitslyrik.
Zwischen Breakbeats und Synthieflächen lässt sich doch auch Melancholie galore reinpacken. Zum flotten Tanzknaller oder zur IDM-Hymne ist es stets nur ein kleiner Sprung, und das Türchen zum Song wird gleichzeitig auch noch offen gehalten. Das beweist ENV(itre) – unterstützt von Sängerin Morbid Monja – z. B. mit dem bittersüßen, verträumten ›A Breath‹. Wie der Titel des Albums schon verrät, hegt Majewski eine Vorliebe für Zungen brechende Tracktitel. ›Q Boonp‹ oder ›Avril Afhec‹ heißen die dann, und entsprechend verspielt klingen sie natürlich auch. In drolligen Arabesken winden sich Melodien und bunte Soundbausteinchen um die Kanten der Beats herum, dass es eine Freude ist. Hätte ich irgendeine Ahnung von Fußball, würde ich vielleicht sagen: 1:0 für Electro.
ENV(itre) - objeqt
Review by Moderne klangkunst
Man muss nur das erste Stück hören, um zu erkennen, mit was für einem Kaliber man es hier zu tun hat. Was für Sounds! Was für ein Programming! Da ist ein kleines Genie am Werke, namentlich Miro Majewski aus Eschwege. Das erste Stück „objeqt“ strotzt nur so vor Energie; hier geht es mächtig zur Sache. Wenn es in Electro-Stücken zirpt, zischt, knackt und stampft, ist das meistens entweder brachiale Noise- oder filigrane Clicks’n’Cuts-Ästehtik. Hier aber ist es fordernder, sehr gewitzt programmierter, lebendig brausender, dabei aber mystisch spannender Electro, wie man ihn in solch einer Stärke und Präsenz nur selten zu hören kriegt. Im Stück „a poem without words“ bleibt einem aufgrund der ausgetüftelten, klanglich raffinierten Rhythmik die Spucke weg. Das ist nicht einfach bloß Gefrickel, das ist handwerkliche Feinarbeit. Wie in allen seinen Stücken, verknüpft auch hier Majewski geschickt vertrackte Rhythmen mit breiten Ambient-Klangflächen. Warme Kirchenorgel, rhythmisches Piano und wieder diese clevere Perkussion machen auch „phano pi“ zu einem kleinen Highlight, wenngleich alle Tracks im Schatten des ersten Stücks liegen, das so leicht nicht zu toppen ist.
ENV(itre) - teaktshramin
Review by de-bug
Aus Hessen kommt dieses Debut des IDM-Labels aus Dortmund mit einem Album von 14 kurzen, sympathischen, leicht orchestralen Tracks mit knarzigen Breaks, hymnisch schwelgenden Szenerien und klingelnd melancholischen Stimmungen. Nicht wirklich ein überraschender Sound aber etwas, das immer wieder weihnachtliche Elektronikastimmung verbreitet. Je vertrackter das in den Effekten wird, desto mehr gefällt es mir eigentlich auch, wie z.B. auf dem schon fast psychedelisch auseinanderfallenden "Do The Gew" oder dem sehr albernen "Brummedo and Surje". Stellenweise etwas klassisch aber schön.
ENV(itre) - teaktshramin
Review by signal zero
Un peu de fraîcheur mélodique dans vos paniers pour ce début 2004. Tantôt joyeuse, tantôt mélancolique, cette première sortie du label Aphorism records est une belle entrée en matière.
Certaines sonorités m’ont rappelé des souvenirs éteints d’une période noisy-pop (Slowdive...).
"A breath", morceau chanté (un peu à la Dead Hollywood Stars) pénètre instantanément en concentré de bonheur auditif.
Passées les mélodies joyeuses et le minimalisme synthétique, les ambiances plus pesantes refont leur apparition comme dans Fillit.
Quelques morceaux passent et l’on oublie les pâtes sur le feu. La déconstruction est progressive, légère composante d’une descente vers un chaos étouffé.
Velcq Calling nous embarque finalement dans le vaisseau spatial qui nous éloigne de notre terre déchue et nous tire la larme à l’oeil.
ENV(itre) - teaktshramin
Review by lefantastique
"Electronica léchée pour imaginaire glacé". Tel pourrait être le slogan de ce premier album du groupe ENV(itre) qui lorgne manifestement vers le clan Warp.
Aux confins de l’hommage ou du co-pillage, se pose à nouveau l’éternelle question: faut-il à tout prix viser l’originalité au risque de n’être que superficiel ou oser afficher une filiation et s’inspirer des meilleurs au risque de ne rien apporter de neuf ?
Teaktshramin semble affirmer que le dilemme n’est pas résolu et nous porte à croire, pour cette fois, que la copie ne vaut certes pas l’original mais n’en est pas moins tout à fait prometteuse.
En définitive: Autechre du pauvre, peut-être, album plaisant, certainement...
ENV(itre) - teaktshramin
Review by releasemagazine
Could make some ENVious
• ENV[itre] (aka Miroslav Slavomir Majewski); one of the latest electronic artists to come out of Germany, has produced what must be seen as one of those few albums
you could file alongside classic Aphex Twins albums "I Care Because You Do" and "Richard D James". The album "Teaktshramin" is the first ever long-playing release
on the new Aphorism label, which promises to be a label artist lovers of off-the-wall and wacky music should keep their eyes and ears open for.
The album is on general release as we speak, and is a must for those who like their music; filled with acid tinges, clever machine and sample manipulation, drill and bass beats. Although relatively unknown outside his native Hessen, Germany (apart from single track releases on Neoouija and Databloem compilations, and a remix of Metamatics on Hydrogen Dukebox), this talent doesn't look like it will be contained much longer. /Mike Whyte
ENV(itre) - objeqt
Review by sutemos
I present to you a new face which has started his first steps into the market of e-music. Env(itre) is a 24 years old Miroslaw Slavomir Majewski. He was born in Poland but he lives in Germany from his very childhood. The fame to this artist was brought by taking part in two massive compilations: Rewired In My Minor, which was compiled by the founder of Neo Ouija label - Metamatics. A hit of calmness Blue Moon Rising by Env(itre) could be found there. The beat is gone. Only crackle and background of purely Arovane style. Fine calmness with the shade of psychodelics. Next was more colourful Atodeq that was included into traditional compilation of Neo Ouija - Cottage Industries 2. It was the most impressive track among all . The first thing you notice is an original solution for the beat line - it smashes your brain massively and remains in your memory for a long time. So this collaboration of Env(itre) and Lee Norri (Metamatics) is much promising and we will probably see this artist on Neo Ouija some day.
A virtual single of (Env)itre Objeqt just came out. It is his second release on Tonatom net label already. His debut one called Landscapewithsunlightandshadows was released in the beginning of 2003. I think it was even better than the second one. Same year a real album of Miroslaw called Teaktshramin came out. Those who have heard this artist before will hear him sounding traditionally. Except Objeqt - the title song - it is something fresh. Firstly, because of the drive and irrational rhythms. A vision of drum&bass of the year 2004. A big contrast between the tracks and the name of the single tells us that this it is the main accent of the album. And it has served its purpose. Seyclear - the mood has changed by 180 degrees. Angularity and abstraction are gone. Sweet background is all that left. Pure, clean and delicately sterile. Very beautiful. Blue Elvion is very sweet and homey synthetic lounge. Although you might have heard something like this before (let's say in the vinyl of Christian Kleine) but this fact does not influence the quality and the beauty of the track. A slow, slow dance. Hoelwaq is one the most jolly. A endlessly big smile all through the face. Summer like, fresh, sincere. You can hear 8bit sound in the background that Miroslaw loves very much. Anyway, the main line is made of simple and very clear idm. One disadvantage: it ends up very suddenly. It lacks 3 minutes. Very strange.
I think that this is not the last time you hear about this artist but the lack of originality might not let him to become more famous. We had enough of his style music couple of years ago. So he has to try searching for different formulas of music and interpretations. That is what I wish to him.
ENV(itre) - okoy (BOLT044)
Review by Vital weekly
On Boltfish another brand of new names. Sometimes I wonder if they are all real, or just one person with a split personality disorder....
ENV(itre) is perhaps more of the same, with marginal differences. Eleven tracks, somewhat more forceable beats and more cosmic synthesizer lines. Great music to work to, but if you zoom in on the pieces you will see that the differences between the pieces is really small and that is a bit of a problem I think. Music that is here to entertain the listener, rather than that it demands a lot of attention. Nice though.