DiN - 10th Anniversary

In April 1999 Ian Boddy formed the DiN electronic music label and the first 3 releases were released simultaneously. Prior to this Boddy had established himself as one of Europe's best known melodic synth artists with a string of albums and concerts to his credit. He had also begun to colloborate with other musicians such as Andy Pickford, Ron Boots and Mark Shreeve (as ARC) and during the 90's was releasing his albums on his private Something Else Records label. By the mid-90's the electronic music scene was evolving rapidly into many different new forms of expression and Boddy felt that he wanted to expand his sonic palette and collaborate more extensively with other musicians from other genres of music. With this in mind he set about establishing DiN as a fresh new label that could not only release his own solo and collaborative projects but also showcase other musicians who he admired and felt had something important to contribute to the world of electronic music. Much care and attention to the design philosophy of the look of the label, the cover designs and to it's identity was spent in establishing DiN as a recognizable brand that would appeal to collectors of quality music over the years. Indeed all the releases on DiN are of a strictly limited edition with no on-going represses further enhancing it's collectability.

It is now April 2009 and the latest album Shade by Parallel Worlds has just been released as DiN32. During the intervening releases Boddy has produced 5 solo albums and collaborated on a further 13 with musicians from a diverse range of styles ( Markus Reuter, Nigel Mullaney (as Dub Atomica), Chris Carter (of Throbbing Gristle), Mark Shreeve (as ARC), Robert Rich & Bernhard Wöstheinrich. There have also been 11 releases by other artists - Protogonos, Centrozoon, Surface 10, Subsonic Experience, dbkaos, Tetsu Inoue, Radio Massacre International, Hoffmann-Hoock & Wöstheinrich and Parallel Worlds. As part of the "DiN plan" every tenth release is a sampler disc containing a continuous mix of tracks from the previous 9 releases and thus there have been 3 of these iNDEX compilations so far. In fact the first one iNDEX01 (DiN10) was featured on the cover of the June 2001 issue of the well respected music magazine The Wire and helped DiN establish an international reputation. These sampler albums also see the DiN graphic style change for the next batch of releases so an evolution of the DiN albums is easy to follow.

DiN has thus established itself as one of the most innovative, interesting UK electronic music labels over these past 10 years. One of Boddy's main aims was to allow DiN to act as a bridge between the analogue sound world of the early 70's synth pioneers and the digtial soundscapes of the more experimental modern exponents of electronic music. DiN continues to embrace new technologies and with the download revolution in full swing has established a sub-label DiNDDL (DiN digital download) to produce a series of download only albums that will run alongside it's regular CD releases. There have been 5 of these so far and furthermore these and all of the DiN catalogue are also available on iTunes, EMusic and MusicZeit. Undoubetdly these are challenging times for independent labels but by continuing to evolve and release high quality music DiN is looking forward with relish to the next 10 years.

In celebration of the 10th anniversary of DiN the first sampler disc iNDEX01 (DiN10) that was featured on the cover of The Wire magazine in May 2001 is presented as a free download (256kbps MP3). The CD features 15 tracks covering the DiN1 - 9 releases, many of which are now out of print. The continuous mix features the music of Ian Boddy, Markus Reuter, Protogonos, Dub Atomica, Chris Carter, Centrozoon, ARC, Surface 10 & Nigel Mullaney. To get this music please go to http://www.din.org.uk/news.html

Please send any 10th birthday wishes / comments / thoughts about DiN and it's music to din10@selse.demon.co.uk

Thankyou,

Ian Boddy

DiN32 - Shade by Parallel Worlds

Now available from the DiN web store @ $18.00 including worldwide shipping.

http://www.din.org.uk/shop.html

Shade is the studio album follow-up to Obsessive Surrealism (DiN26 - 2007) and is the fifth CD release by Parallel Worlds (the main musical project of Greek electronic musician Bakis Sirros).

Parallel Worlds employ a vast arsenal of both vintage and modern analogue modular synthesisers with extensive use of classic sequencing techniques to produce a sonic world that combines modern electronica and ambient music styles with the feel of retro electronic music. His attention to detail is astonishing and his careful sculpting of sounds and textures produce an organic, ever evolving atmosphere full of half glimpsed meanings and subdued emotions. The purely electronic rhythms and beats seem to have a life of their own and showcase a musician who is a virtuoso with these types of instruments that are the antithesis of the quick fix pick-a-preset mind set of much of todays society. Musically he likes to explore various states of mind, no doubt influenced by his medical background and this adds a tension and darkness to his compositions that are punctuated by disarmingly simple and wistful melodies.

With Shade Parallel Worlds show a musical maturity and command of sonic atmospherics that takes the music on a journey, moving through dreams and shades, aiming for the light.

There are 5 musical samples available to play @
http://www.din.org.uk/news.html

DiN31 - Slide by Ian Boddy

Now available from the DiN web store @ $18 inc worldwide postage.

http://www.din.org.uk/shop.html

Slide is the studio album follow-up to Elemental (DiN25) and is the sixteenth full solo CD release by DiN label boss Ian Boddy.

Although Boddy has a well known love of vintage analogue synths he's never made a big deal of whatever gear he's used on a particular project as it's always been the music on each release that has governed what audio tools he's employed. However Slide is dominated by the sound and playing techniques Boddy has coaxed from a new musical instrument he aquired in 2008. This is a modern analogue version of the keyboard employed by the Ondes Martenot (invented in the 1920's) which utilises a wire and ring pulley system sitting in front of a keyboard via which the player can smoothly glide between notes and create natural vibrato. Furthermore a rocker switch on the left of the keyboard allows for the natural and subtle control of the articulation of each note. This instrument breathes new life into playing a synthesiser and allows for an incredibly expressive performance. In combination with Boddy's large modular analogue synth a series of beautiful, expressive tones emerge that are arranged over nine pieces. Indeed analogue sounds dominate throughout the album lending a gorgeously lush, warm sound to the tracks. Musically the album is split between three beautifully expressive legato pieces and six up-tempo tracks which employ Boddy's trademark inventive rhythms with soaring, expressive synth voices.

Thus even after a musical career spanning 28 years Boddy still has the ability to discover new ways of expressing himself and producing an album that will delight and surprise with it's musical inventiveness.

Track listing & cover details + 6 MP3 edits on the DiN news page @ http://www.din.org.uk/news.html

MusicZeit : time for Music not Tunes

MusicZeit is a new music download site where the quality of audio is paramount. We want you to enjoy your music as the artist intended, concentrating on the quality of the audio with CD quality FLAC files & high quality MP3's in combination with high resolution artwork. Your purchased, downloaded music can thus be turned into a pro-quality physical product.

MusicZeit also allows artists & labels to run their own music download store. Free from any corporate branding you can upload your music / text / photos whenever you want. With our easy to use product / artist management systems you can feel connected to your on-line content knowing you can provide your customers with an unrivalled level of service & quality.

Listed below are some of the main benefits of the MusicZeit Download Platform.

For customers

Download / Burn / Print - have the album on your shelf, not just your hard drive

CD quality lossless downloads (FLAC), or
High quality MP3 (256K)
DRM free
High quality, printable artwork
Simple to navigate / search site
No adverts or other irrelevant clutter
Better than industry standard price / quality ratio
Easy to use "My Purchases" management
Lots of exclusive music
All legal with artists / labels getting paid

For labels / artists

The Download Platform with Extra Bandwidth

Create & manage your own download store with real time sales stats
High quality, DRM free, MP3 (256K) & CD quality lossless downloads (FLAC)
Edit your own 60 second preview samples, text & logos
Give your customers high quality, printable artwork
Link customers directly to your own store which you can choose to be branded or unbranded with the Music Zeit logo
Upload your files via FTP so you can control when you release your music
Choose your own prices (subject to recommended minimums)
Price your music in UK Pounds, Euros or US Dollars
You are paid 50% of selling price after deduction of relevant fees/taxes
All legal site reporting sales to MCPS

Web: www.musiczeit.com
Email: info@musiczeit.com

DiN is launching a new sub-label : DDL ( DiN DownLoad ) available exclusively on the new DiN download store @ http://www.downloadplatform.com/din/
Between 2000 and 2006 Ian Boddy performed three shows at the Gatherings concert series in Philadelphia, USA. After these evening performances Boddy then transferred his gear to play in the early hours on the Star's End radio show. Hosted by Chuck van Zyl this ambient music show has been broadcasting for over 30 years.

Boddy utilised this oppurtunity to play sets of music of a darker, more experimental nature. Unreleased until now these three performances are the inaugral releases on the new DiN download label, DDL.

DiNDDL01 - Ian Boddy - The Final Question
Star's End performance 7th May 2000
The Final Question starts with a computer voice reading text from an amazing section of The New Atlantis by Sir Francis Bacon that, whilst published in 1627 seems to foretell of the astonishing things that can be achieved in a modern day recording environment. Following this are some really ethereal spacey atmospheres interspersed with the gentler, calmer Earthbound. The set is finished off with an awesome string/choral orchestration based around The Unanswered Question by Charles Ives.

DiNDDL02 - Ian Boddy - Three Dreams
Star's End performance 21st March 2004.
Three Dreams starts with the track Trapped in Black that alternates very dark, spooky atmospheres with heavenly choirs. Referencing sound elements from the DiN releases Box of Secrets, Caged, Outpost & Aurora it is actually a live version of a piece Boddy was commissioned to score for the Maltese artist Norbert Francis Attard.
Summer Lawn Daze features the sounds of summer in your typical British garden but transmuted into a strange surreal world half-way between sleep & consciousness.
The last track The Final Breath is a tapestry of deep space atmospheres that forms the initial gestation of what was later to be crafted into the epic piece Rapture that concludes the latest ARC album, Fracture.

DiNDDL03 - Ian Boddy - The Mechanics of a Thought
Star's End performance 1st October 2006.

The Mechanics of a Thought is a more upbeat performance than the previous two Star's End shows. This may have had something to do with the fact that a small invited audience was present in the new studio at the station and supplied Boddy with pizza and some nice Belgium beer before hand!
After an initially dark, spacey intro Out There storms into a thrilling Moog sequencer trip. In Here has a lower key rhythmic section overlaid with some looped Fender Rhodes playing and sounds like a lost track from Elemental. The final, long title track is a slow meandering atmosphere using state of the art digital synth manipulations in an organic, highly textured soundscape.

All 3 albums are available exclusively from the DiN download store @ http://www.downloadplatform.com/din/
They are available in 256kbps MP3 or lossless FLAC formats and have full hi-res downloadable artwork.

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www.musiczeit.com
http://www.musiczeit.com
New download store has an ever increasing catalogue of music downloadable in either high quality MP3 or lossless FLAC format. As well as the entire DiN / Ian Boddy catalogues several DiN artists now have releases on this excellent site :
Nigel Mullany aka Best Before & Johnny & The Bull
centrozoon - lovefield & angel liquor
Protogonos - Air T3m & Inretrospection
rmi - republic & zabriskie point
Redshift - Ether & Downtime ( both remastered)
Robert Rich - Echo of Small Things / Calling Down the Sky / Trances & Drones & Somnium (remastered)
Bernhard Wöstheinrich aka Bernhard - Live in Düsseldorf & Down on Earth
Markus Reuter - Containment & Taster.
Markus Reuter & Robert Rich - Eleven Questions
Klaus Hoffmann-Hoock aka Cosmic Hoffmann - Space Gems & Beyond the Galaxy

Many of these releases are exclusive to MusicZeit and there is an ever increasing rosta of artists/labels on this excellent site including the latest Tangerine Dream album Madcap's Flaming Duty.