Arovane

Berlin’s Uwe Zahn released his first tracks as the Arovane EP on Torsten Pröfrock’s Din label, which also released the first of German dub minimalist Stefan Betke’s work as Pole. Stylistically, Arovane’s early work hearkened back to the insular melodic electro of early Autechre, combining interesting, highly syncopated machine box rhythms with warm, delicate synth textures that evoked a gauzy, somewhat nostalgic mood contrasted by the sharpness of the rhythms. Indeed, while Autechre’s Amber had become a touchpoint of sorts for a whole new generation of laptop do-it-yourselfers whose music rarely rose above tribute, Zahn’s Arovane work was a legitimate extension of an aesthetic left largely unfinished, and was some of the most interesting and accomplished music of its kind. After the Arovane EP, two additional EPs for Din (Icol Diston, AMX) preceded the release of Arovane’s LP debut, Atol Scrap. Later that year, Tides appeared on City Centre Offices. After a collaborative release with Phonem and a compilation of 12″ material, Zahn returned to City Centre Offices for 2004′s Lilies. After an extended period of silence that approached a decade in length, Zahn reactivated Arovane with a flurry of releases that built upon his past. Collaborative full-lengths were carried out with Hior Chronik and Porya Hatami, and several solo albums and EPs appeared on labels like n5MD, Éter Editions, and Echocord. ~ Sean Cooper