Category: Izmar

Artist: Izmar
Title: Secular EP
Label: Monotonik
Catalog #: mtk165
Release Date: 2006/05/14

Dutch artist Izmar has released multiple times on both Monotonik and Mono211 before, gaining a semifanatical following for his immensely mellow, immensely beautiful blend of electronics and Fila Brazilliastyle nu-chill, and we’re delighted to present some of the latest fruits of his labors, in the form of the ‘Secular EP’.

The whole kit and caboodle starts out with the predictably named ‘Opening’, which showcases the immensely natural-sounding jam that characterizes this EP – all slowly rotating keyboards and pitterpattering drums – the naturalism continues with ‘Funky Sitar’, which does what it says on the tin, thanks to Izmar’s inspired sitar playing jam.

Other highlights include the almost subdued Gilberto Gil skank of ‘My Bossa’, and the beautifully controlled glide of ‘Before Walking’, possibly the EP’s highlight, before ‘Blabla2a’ finishes things off with bells and a loping groove that reinforces why Izmar is one of the most fiercely adored Monotonik artists around.

Credits:
cover by Holly

Tracklist:
01 – Opening
02 – Funky Sitar
03 – My Bossa
04 – Before Walking
05 – Blabla2a

Artwork:
Front Cover

License:
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 Generic (CC BY-NC-ND 2.5)

Artist: Izmar
Title: Conscious EP
Label: Monotonik
Catalog #: mtk149
Release Date: 2005/07/10

Dutch-based artist Izmar has been releasing on Monotonik for a couple of years now, starting with his marvellous pair of ‘Aze’ albums, which shifted him way away from minimal techno roots into almost Fila Brazillia-style jazzelectronic territory. Now, we get a second follow-up EP, ‘Conscious’, which shifts his wonderful nu-chill in yet another direction, thanks to his unusual use of a sitar on top of his normal voice and live instrument cornucopia.

Thus, we start with ‘Walking’, a typically languid, wordless vocal-filled piece which sounds gorgeous even before the spiralling sitar solo comes in over the top, gently vibrating its way to ecstacy. Switching things up a little, ‘Ippe Oppe’ cuts in some scratching and sneaky samples inbetween some fading brass and progressive percussion. Finally, it’s all about ‘Weird Friend’, a fitting downtempo ending which kicks into a majestic sitar jam halfway through. We heart you, Izmar.

Credits:
cover by h0l

Tracklist:
01 – Walking
02 – Ippeoppe
03 – Weird Friend

Artwork:
Front Cover

License:
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 Generic (CC BY-NC-ND 2.5)

Artist: Izmar
Title: Stuff EP
Label: Monotonik
Catalog #: mtk135
Release Date: 2004/09/03

Although sometimes overlooked, due to their release on Monotonik’s lesser-known sublabel Mono211, the two albums we’ve put out so far by Dutch ex-techno producer Izmar are, everyone seems to agree, pretty damn special, twinning Fila Brazillia style grooves with gorgeous melodies. So, when we got a whole extra CD of material from him (to be dealt with soon!), plus a follow-up of this lovely four-track EP, we grinned happily and got on with the harrowing job of actually releasing it, starting with the last first.

Thus, we get the initial beauty of ‘I Just Wanted You’, all intro wistfulness, before ‘Ohmygod’ cranks up the atmosphere and the beautiful keyboard playing into an amazing, perfectly blended whole. Next up, ‘One Eight’ is all loping strides and cymbal crashes, sounding natural and strident and right, before ‘Piano5’ ends things off with a more insistent groove based around repeated chords and a metallic sheen. And if you overlooked Izmar before, then really, there’s no excuse now, is there?

Credits:
cover by Vimster

Tracklist:
01 – I Just Wanted You
02 – Ohmygod
03 – One Eight
04 – Piano5

Artwork:
Front Cover

License:
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)