Our first installment of the Universus series, is a four part compilation brought to you by Circuitree Records to highlight some of our favorite producers’ works. The 4 part series includes tracks from internationally recognized producers like Luke Vibert, Jimmy Edgar, Take, Caural, Dimlite, AK Kids (Akira Kiteshi), as well as Jacque Polynice, Kentsoundz, Sleepover, Panther God, and more. Featuring stunning artwork by Kent Hernandez of Madeira Projects, Universus is a veritable force of nature!

Universus Vol. 1 starts off with a Misel Quinto (Dimlite) track “Im Halbhohen Gras” remixed by Caural, whose releases over the last decade have been a huge inspiration, not only to us, but the entire “Beat Scene.” The track bristles with layer upon layer of beautiful rhodes, sawtooth bass, and subtle electronics. The drums fly around the stereo image, full of cymbals, rides, and hats, as if Elvin Jones came to the studio for an visit inter-dimensional visit. This is one for the jazz heads, and glitch hoppers alike. An ornate instrumental full of beautiful chord changes and subtly shifting rhythms with plenty of bass to boot.

The second track is “Generation Gap” by the red hot Take. The jazzy vocal sample begs us to ask the question, does Take provide a generational gap through his tunes? Always having made overtly melodic, richly layered tunes that don’t completely subvert convention, while remaining fresh and innovative, the answer has to be yes. This is a song you could play for your parents, and they would “get” it. The rhythms glide along, they groove, the bass has a steady pulse and the synths wrap you in their their majestic wings. It’s a Sunday afternoon jam that works in the club too. A throwback, to the future.

“Rat Race” is another smooth joint by Peripheral. The rhythms trickle in, announcing their presence gradually without taking our focus too far off the morphing synth pads and underwater leads. The vibe is aquatic, brimming with prickly starfish and chameleonic eels. Peripheral exposes his influences, namely Prefuse and Flying Lotus, while offering us something new too. When the vocal snippet comes in one is hooked and will catch themselves humming this one for days after first listen. Memorable track indeed!


The fourth and final track is by Sun Room Generator and titled “Abduction.” Sun Room consists of three members: Omar Jon Ajluni, Stephen Kemsley, and Nicholas C. Raftis III. They form like voltron to give you something akin to what Pink Floyd might have done if they were in their twenties and used today’s technology to capture their ideas. They bring the best of western and eastern harmony to the now, with a mastery of electronics, sound design, and synthesis, and “Abduction” is their masterwork reflective of this approach. The song builds gradually, beautiful flowing synths and delicate electronic percussion weaving in and out of an array of string instruments. A minute or so in, we hear the sounds of a train approaching the station, and when it takes off again, so does the song, building to a powerful climax, followed by what the listener might experience as the actual moment of abduction, when the machine elves come to visit!

Caural- A pioneer in the beat scene. He’s a multi instrumentalist and producer hailing from Chicago, his music started to gain attention around the same time that Prefuse 73 first made his mark. Zachary Mastoon’s highly detailed works range from 8 bit video game ballads that are somehow reminiscent of a balmy summer day with a 90’s boom bap aesthetic to modal jazz jams precisely edited and engineered to be like mini film scores. He’s released on Mush,

Misel Quinto: The Dadaist alter ego of the one and only Dimlite, Dmitri Grimm, has made a name for himself doing off the wall experimental hip hop which ranges from soulful and glitchy and broken and comedic. He’s released on Sonar Kollectiv, Eat Concrete, and soon to be, the mighty Stones Throw. Hard to classify, his music will always exist in a wilderness of his own making, measurably isolated from the music of his closest peers

Take: Gaining serious steam over the years, Tom Wilson, has more than paid his dues, having made a collossal in both L.A. and abroad over the past ten years. He’s remixed or been remixed by Flying Lotus, Shigeto, Tokimonsta and more, and is on to his 12th record, having signed with the juggernaut, beat label, Alpha Pup. A big part of the beat scene going down in L.A. and centered around the Low End Theory / Brainfeeder events, Take’s productions are next level without pandering to the trends of the moment. Championed on various influential radio programs by tastemakers such as Mary Anne Hobbs, Benji B, Giles Peterson, and more, his time has come. Be sure to check out his track “Under Your Skirt” featured on our last compilation, Silicon Graffiti.

Peripheral: A rising star out of Asheville and bandleader to hometown heroes, Somni Suite, Peripheral has recently played at the illustrious Moogfest 2010, as well as opened for Panther God at the Planetariumix Release Party. His smooth beats, rich melodies, and rhythmic ingenuity make him a force to be reckoned with. Check for his collabos with Miranda Rae and a new ep due on Circuitree later this year.

Sun Room Generator: A mysterious group that chases the infinite spiral of perfection. Now honing their debut masterpiece, we can expect great things from this group. Sun Room is what Pink Floyd would be doing today, fusing the rich melodic history of classical music with world music and pure math. Consisting of three childhood friends, they are Stephen Kemsley, Omar Jon Ajluni, and Nicholas C. Raftis III (aka 000 / Axiom Crux). A psychedelic supergroup, unlike anything our generation has ever seen, umm...errr, we mean, heard.