Let’s get one thing out of the way right off the bat. Don’t be put off by the exotic characters, you can simply pronounce трип as “Trip.” It’s the name of Russian DJ/producer Nina Kraviz’s label, which is about to unleash its first-ever 12″ release.
The artist chosen for this milestone is Icelandic techno threat Bjarki, and the record’s fanciful-sounding title, Arthur and Intergalactic Whales, is nearly as evocative as the music it contains. Even in the space of just two tracks, “I Wanna Go Bang” and “Orange Juice Man,” Bjarki manages to convey a wide range of musical personalities. One cut is all about the beat, and the other is an atmospheric piece drifting through different textures. The net effect is one that falls perfectly in line with Kraviz’s previously stated goal for the label to represent the “trippier, acidic side of electronic music.”
The artwork by Tombo contributes to that feeling significantly as well. The vocal sample on “I Wanna Go Bang,” containing the title phrase, put the artist in mind of Arthur Russell’s song “Go Bang” and from there he free-associated his way into some cosmically stirring imagery. Kraviz sums it up by saying, “He came up with two beautiful whales and some really psychedelic drawings: I thought they looked like they were Arthur and intergalactic whales.”
Who can argue with that? Find out for yourself on July 15.