pdqb is an extraterrestrial entity that appears to have infected Sascha Dornhöfer and is using him to create music for the Synaptic Cliffs label. Dornhöfer knows nothing about it. He wakes up with no memory of the night, only to find completed tracks in Ableton Live and records (apparently listened to by pdqb) scattered around his turntable.
On 26 June, pdqb is set to release the 17-track double album Der Transiente Zeuge on Synaptic Cliffs, featuring 13 original tracks and four remixes, including reworks by Egyptian Lover and Felix Da Housecat.
The album is built around the concept of a ‘Transient Witness’, a synthetic entity documenting unrealised events and alternate possibilities through sound. ‘Basslines emerge from parallel selves,’ as a release note puts it. ‘Rhythms arrive from decisions never taken. Melodies flicker briefly before dissolving into static. It is dense, immersive and deliberately disorientating without ever losing its physical dancefloor energy.’ You can pre-save the album here.
Ahead of the album’s release, the following ten tracks/records were found by Dornhöfer after pdqb’s latest visit. For this week’s #MyRecordBag, he kindly reveals why these records are in his collection.
Severed Heads – Dead Eyes Opened
“Dark, hypnotic, unsettling, and somehow still incredibly danceable. It still sounds unlike anything else, decades after its release. Ironically, nobody seems less impressed by Dead Eyes Opened than Severed Heads founder Tom Ellard himself.”
Paradroid – Capacitive Accelerometer Design
“Maximilian Wendling’s signature brand of detailed, slightly crazy microfunk, this time channelled into electro.”
Clock DVA – Voice Recognition Test
“A cold and futuristic vision of human-machine interaction. It feels less like science fiction and more like documentary today. Brilliant cover artwork.”
Eon – Phaze Test
“Raw electro-funk with enough low end to make your speakers walk across the room. Great engraving in the dead wax: THE BEAST MUST DIE!!”
Sem – Area 5
“Quite possibly my favourite electro track of all time; The Final Frontier will not be pleased. Unfortunately, I didn’t know at the time that the PVC sleeve the record came in would eventually damage the vinyl.”
Cygnus – Robotech
“Phillip Washington is one of the most gifted electro producers out there. No matter the release, the combination of funk, atmosphere, and imagination is almost always on another level.”
Si Begg – Another Place
“The title says it all. For five and a half minutes, you’re somewhere else entirely.”
Shiver – Subsonic Soundscape
“For something so deliberately old-school, it has aged exceptionally well.”
Artificial Material – Modern Logistics
“I remain unconvinced that any human was involved in the creation of this track.”
Chris & Cosey – Driving Blind
“One of those rare tracks that feels both intimate and mechanical at the same time. Pure ice-cold sexiness!”
Thanks to pdqb – and Sascha – for the selections. pdqb – Der Transiente Zeuge is released on 26 June.
About Post Author
