Release Date: 1/13/23
In 2011 I fulfilled an artistic dream to release music through one of my most influential electronic artist Pete Namlook and his cult label Fax records, whom I’d been following/supporting passionately for almost 20 years.
In very early summer of 2011 I compiled a selection of tracks which I felt had a certain Fax aesthetic or influence yet had my own sonic feel, I nervously sent these to Pete.
He kindly messaged me and said he would listen within a few days, which he did. His response came something as a shock as he was really into the demo and wanted to release it within a month to wrap up his usual summer break.
Initially I was perhaps expecting that if he was to like it that he may suggest some additional changes like shorten some tracks or maybe such a track could benefit with another musical element or mix. Pete was ready to master the album straight away and I trusted his ears and impeccable taste that it was perfect as it was. I did not in anyway want to suggest that perhaps some additional time could be spent on one or two tracks incase I missed an opportunity to release on Fax records.
Pete and myself discussed some possible fitting titles, he had said that upon listening to it at first he felt it was like hearing a lost live recording that perhaps himself and Tetsu could have recorded yet it was something new also and it it felt like it was a glimpse of the past, the present and maybe the future of the Fax sound and as the twentieth anniversary was approaching this landed perfectly and Pete suggested “FAXology” and I sat with it for a day or two and it just seemed to fit with everything.
So, “FAXology” was released on Fax in June of 2011. it was my second full length CD album and it helped hugely with getting my name as an established Ambient/electronica artist.
Over the years I had contemplated a re-issue as original copies are rare and fetch collector prices on sites like Discogs etc. A version appeared on my 09-19 CD box set but it has not been available separately.
In 2020 I set up Before & After Silence Recordings and i had stated that I would reissue some albums “FAXology” was high on my list but in 2019 due to a violent thunderstorm my old laptop and connected hard drive suffered a catastrophic frying form lightning that struck the house.
I believed that all of the old project files were lost forever.
Cut to 2021 and during some renovations at the house I dug out an old box of cables and other old computer peripherals from my attic storage, in the bottom of the box there was a USB stick, curiously I plugged it in only to find a folder that read “Live sets” I opened it and there was pretty much all of the tracks from “FAXology” in a live session capacity.
Over the next few months I painstakingly reworked all of the tracks within Ableton to match the arrangements of the original CD but making some improvements to the overall mix, enhancing the stereo panning and movement, utilising individual effects for each channel as I now have a much more powerful Mac rather than using sends from two master effects channels. Some more subtle differences in the arrangements and use of filters etc.
Track four “Control Room” was always one I felt could have been expanded on, I like the original and its rather minimal feel but for the 2022 version I added some additional sparse sounds.
I still hold a huge lot of love for the original mix and master but wanted to give fans something a little more with this re-issue rather than just repressing it with the original wavs. I was fortunate to have Lorenzo Montana on mastering duties, Lorenzo whom is a brilliant solo artist but also worked close with Pete on the excellent Labyrinth series it felt right to have someone to sprinkle that final bit of sonic magic to this new mix of “FAXology”
Revisiting this album was a joy to rebuild and work on, I was careful to make the changes very subtle but hope that those who enjoy the original will find something new and enhanced that makes the listening experience all the more rewarding and also I hope that maybe a new audience will discover and enjoy it.
To Peter Kuhlmann I am eternally grateful.
Mick Chillage Dublin October 2022.
Tracks
- Approaching Antares [2022 Mix]
- X 202 [2022 Mix]
- Hyper Sleep [2022 Mix]
- Control Room [2022 Alt Version]
- Corot 9b [2022 Mix]
- Gamma Radiation [2022 Mix]
- Returning Home [2022 Mix]
- X 202 - 2022 Remix (Bonus track)
