Our Friday selection:
System 7 – Field Of Dreams (A Wave Records, AAW2CD724)
A Unique Double CD celebrating System 7’s relationship with Japan featuring Exclusive New Tracks, Remixes and Rarities
Pivotal and enduring international electronic music artists, System 7 return with a hommage to Japan on their new ‘Field Of Dreams’ double CD album. Continuing to push the frontiers of music, art, and technology. this project was created around a bespoke System 7 branded saké from the esteemed Aramasa brewery of Akita, Japan, which sold out immediately on its 2018 release.
Devoted sake connoisseurs for over twenty years having made extensive trips since they first traveled to Japan in 1994, System 7 created ‘Field Of Dreams’ by starting out playing a unique Live set to the sake as it was fermenting! The duo then wrote an inspired new track featuring elements blending traditional Akita folk songs and sounds sampled during the sake brewing process.
CD1 is a seamless blend of deep atmospheric tech beats and soundscapes across 11 tracks distinguished by their warmly distinctive psychedelic sound S7 head into tribal terrain on the opening title track ‘Field of Dreams’. Following on is a compilation of System 7 tracks personally selected by brewery head Yusuke Sato, and deftly mixed by System 7’s Steve Hillage. Encompassing all S7’s musical styles from the sleepy psychedelic ‘Love For The Phoenix’, to the brooding minimal tech of ‘PositiveNoise’ (Rising Mix) an Exclusive UK release and ‘Alphawave’ here in its Richie Hawtin classic; via the housey ’Chic Psychedelic’, and acidic tech workouts ‘Manic Shamanic’ & ‘On The Seventh Night’; rarities include ‘Ring of Fire’ (Volcaniq Mix) and the breakbeat infused ’Borobudur’ (The Art of Chill Mix).
CD2 features a selection of Remixes of ‘Field Of Dreams’ by well-known Japanese dance music artists and friends of System 7 including Ree.K, Artman, Ubar-Tmar, Funky Gong and Asteroidnos, encapsulating a multi-genre sound approach.
‘Field Of Dreams’ is accompanied by a video:
featuring beautiful & haunting images from Akita’s Aramasa brewery (best known for their collaboration with famed techno artist Richie Hawtin on his own Enter Saké project).
System 7’s relationship with Japan is an ongoing creative and spiritual journey linked by a continuing series of events, co-incidences and ongoing collaborations which includes:
– Performing Live at The World Festival of Sacred Music at Miyajima Island, Hiroshima in June 2001
– Collaborating with Rumiko Tezuka, the daughter of the late Osamu Tezuka, one of the founding fathers of Japanese manga,whose iconic graphic novel series ’Phoenix’ was the springboard for the S7 album and off-shoot singles ‘Space Bird’ and ‘Hinotori’ (‘Bird of Fire’) in 2007-08.
– Working with leading digital animation team Mood Magic whom have produced four striking videos including the System 7 original version of ‘Hinotori’, Gong’s ‘How To Stay Alive’, System 7’s 2011 single ‘PositiveNoise’, and Rovo’s full-band version of ‘Hinotori’.
– Being introduced to the Tenkawa Shrine, dedicated to Shinto goddess Benzaiten (an equivalent to the Hindu goddess Saraswati, goddess of music, arts and all that flows, including water). System 7 have twice had the honour of being invited to play their music as a “hono” (dedication).
– Collaborating with Japanese rock band Rovo to produce the Phoenix Rising album (released in 2013) and laying Live together on two collaborative tours in Japan and one in UK/Europe. Rovo’s figure-head and electric violinist Yuji Katsui also guested on Gong’s ‘2032’ album and the System 7 album ‘UP’.
– Steve Hillage also made guest appearance with the late synthesiser legend Tomita at the Free Dommune Festival in Tokyo in 2014.
– In 2018 System 7’s strong connection with Japan saw the release of a special System 7 branded saké from the esteemed Aramasa brewery of Akita.
SYSTEM 7’s Steve Hillage and Miquette Giraudy have had a strong influence on the birth of psychedelic dance music and it’s journey up to the present, forging a unique and bang up-to-date identity on the genre map, in a space where techno, progressive and trance meet – and with the added element of Steve’s highly specialised techno guitar.
The ’Field Of Dreams’ double CD albums is a powerful cross cultural collab and collection of System 7’s diverse sounds and grooves, including rare and unreleased material; a DJ mix of favourite System tracks and a Remix CD of ‘Field Od Dreams’ from contemporary Japanese artists. Released on A-Wave Records on October 2nd, and for CDs and all info on System 7 please contact Nicky Trax: nicky.trax@gmail.com Inst:phuturetraxofficial Tw: phuturetrax1
Tracklist: System 7 – Field Of Dreams (A Wave Records, AAW2CD724)
01. Field of Dreams
02. Love for the Phoenix (X-Port Version)
03. Positive Noise (Rising Mix)
04. Chic Psychedelic (X-Port Version)
05. Manik Shamanik (Live Version)
06. Hinotori
07. Alpha Wave (Plastikman Acid House Remix)
08. On the Seventh Night (Boom 2010 Remix)
09. Ring of Fire (Volcaniq Mix)
10. Rovo – Batis (System 7 Remix)
11. Borobudur (The Art of Chill Mix)
12. Field of Dreams (Funky Gong Remix)
13. Field of Dreams (Asteroidnos Remix)
14. Field of Dreams (Ree.K Remix)
15. Field of Dreams (Video edit)
16. Field of Dreams (Ubar Tmar Remix)
17. Field of Dreams (Artman Remix)
Buy release: Digital // CD
Listen on: YouTube
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