Canadian techno legend Richie Hawtin has sparsely revisited his beloved Plastikman project over the years, most recently dropping the "Slinky" single in 2010. This year, at long last, the artist is set to return with a new live album.
Called EX, the live record marks Hawtin's first Plastikman full-length since 2003's Closer. Comprised of brand new material, the album was recorded at New York's Guggenheim at the request of Dior's artistic director Raf Simmons.
Hawtin said in a statement:
I knew that Raf was a long time Plastikman fan so by accepting his offer to perform at the Dior event at the Guggenheim I knew I'd set myself up to a huge challenge. Although Raf was happy to have the already complete Plastikman Live 1.5 show, I locked myself away in a series of intense studio sessions and quickly recorded enough new material for the performance and realized I might also have enough for a complete new album. The music came out of me effortlessly as I was very inspired by the opportunity to play in this beautiful architectural space renowned more for art than music. The location also allowed me to step far away from the dancefloor, giving me a huge amount of freedom to EXplore any sonic ideas that I had. Art, music, architecture, painting, sculpture — these mediums are supposed to live together.
Mute will release EX digitally on June 10. Then, on July 14, the album will be available on vinyl, CD and as a limited-edition SubPac bundle. Incredibly, the bundle includes the SubPac S1 bass system that one wears like a backpack.
"By introducing the physical dimension of sound, the SubPac creates a direct connection between the fan and the music in its purest form, allowing a deeper appreciation for the music we all love," Hawtin said. "As with all Plastikman albums, there is a lot of sonic information in the lower frequency range, that make the SubPac a perfect listening accompaniment in order to fully appreciate the experience."
For more information on the SubPac, go here.
Check out the tracklisting for EX below along with a two-and-a-half-minute trailer for the release.
EX:
1. EXposed
2. EXtend
3. EXpand
4. EXtrude
5. EXplore
6. EXpire
7. EXhale
Called EX, the live record marks Hawtin's first Plastikman full-length since 2003's Closer. Comprised of brand new material, the album was recorded at New York's Guggenheim at the request of Dior's artistic director Raf Simmons.
Hawtin said in a statement:
I knew that Raf was a long time Plastikman fan so by accepting his offer to perform at the Dior event at the Guggenheim I knew I'd set myself up to a huge challenge. Although Raf was happy to have the already complete Plastikman Live 1.5 show, I locked myself away in a series of intense studio sessions and quickly recorded enough new material for the performance and realized I might also have enough for a complete new album. The music came out of me effortlessly as I was very inspired by the opportunity to play in this beautiful architectural space renowned more for art than music. The location also allowed me to step far away from the dancefloor, giving me a huge amount of freedom to EXplore any sonic ideas that I had. Art, music, architecture, painting, sculpture — these mediums are supposed to live together.
Mute will release EX digitally on June 10. Then, on July 14, the album will be available on vinyl, CD and as a limited-edition SubPac bundle. Incredibly, the bundle includes the SubPac S1 bass system that one wears like a backpack.
"By introducing the physical dimension of sound, the SubPac creates a direct connection between the fan and the music in its purest form, allowing a deeper appreciation for the music we all love," Hawtin said. "As with all Plastikman albums, there is a lot of sonic information in the lower frequency range, that make the SubPac a perfect listening accompaniment in order to fully appreciate the experience."
For more information on the SubPac, go here.
Check out the tracklisting for EX below along with a two-and-a-half-minute trailer for the release.
EX:
1. EXposed
2. EXtend
3. EXpand
4. EXtrude
5. EXplore
6. EXpire
7. EXhale