out now: Diamond Version - CI [Mute]

Artist:
Diamond Version

Title:
CI

Label:
Mute | p*dis

Cat#:
STUMMDV1

Release Date:
02nd June 2014

Format:
CD, CD (Japan Edition), 2xCD (Rough Trade Edition), LP & digital

Tracklist:
01)
The Blank Action
[feat. Leslie Winer]

02)
Access To Excellence

03)
Turn On Tomorrow
(CI)

04)
Feel The Freedom
[feat. Kyoka]

05)
Raising The Bar

06)
Were You There?
[feat. Neil Tennant]

07)
Operate At Your Optimum
[feat. Atsuhiro Ito]

08)
Science For A Better Life
(CI)

09)
Connecting People

10)
Make.Believe
(CI)

Tracklist Japan Edition:
01)
The Blank Action
[feat. Leslie Winer]

02)
Access To Excellence

03)
Turn On Tomorrow
(CI)

04)
Feel The Freedom
[feat. Kyoka]

05)
Raising The Bar

06)
Were You There?
[feat. Neil Tennant]

07)
Operate At Your Optimum
[feat. Atsuhiro Ito]

08)
Science For A Better Life
(CI)

09)
Connecting People

10)
Make.Believe
(CI)

10)
Live Young
(CI)

12)
Shift The Future
(For “No Nukes” Festival)

Tracklist Rough Trade Bonus CD-R:
CD2-01)
Empowering Change

CD2-02)
Forever New Frontiers

CD2-03)
Shift The Future

CD2-04)
Sense Of Urgency

CD2-05)
Live Young

CD2-06)
Get Yours
(Remix)

The remix is the Martin Gore Remix.

Press Info (English):
Diamond Version announce details of their debut album release, CI, out on Mute on 2 June 2014.

The first single from the album features Neil Tennant from Pet Shop Boys and is a collaborative take on the old gospel hymn, ‘Were You There?’ – [see below]

Diamond Version’s debut album pairs blistering electronic rhythms, deconstructed techno and dread static with clipped slogans borrowed from advertising and marketing, in both lyrics and track titles such as ‘Science For A Better Life’, ‘Access To Excellence’ and ‘Raising The Bar’.

CI (which stands for Corporate Identity), follows on from a series of five 12″ singles released through Mute, and is the culmination of nearly three years of hard work which began when Raster-Noton and Mute both curated the 2011 Short Circuit Festival of electronic music at the Roundhouse in Camden, London. “It started with the Roundhouse,” recall Diamond Version. “Daniel [Miller, Mute founder] has always been interested in what we do. We shared ideas and experiences, and then it was very clear that we should do something together.”

This the collaborative project between two of the most groundbreaking, experimental and visionary creators in modern music and, although Olaf Bender and Carsten Nicolai have worked closely together since founding Raster-Noton in 1996, it wasn’t until they formed Diamond Version that they started working together as a duo.

For the debut album, Diamond Version came up with an unusual list of possible vocal collaborators. “We tried to find unpredictable vocalist collaborations – something that you would not think of in the first place, so it didn’t feel streamlined. We wanted to break a certain kind of logic.”. As well as Neil Tennant of Pet Shops Boys, guest vocalists on the album include musician and poet Leslie Winer and Kyoka – a Raster-Noton recording artist.

After a triumphant return to Sonar last year (documented by The Creators Project), a series of dates with Depeche Mode, and a headline show at London’s Village Underground Diamond Version debut their audio-visual live performance on a series of dates.

Press Info (German):
Diamond Version heißt die Kollaboration zweier radikalexperimenteller Soundvisionäre, den Machern des 1996 gegründeten Raster-Noton Labels, namentlich Olaf Bender und Carsten Nicolai. Trotz ihres langen gemeinsamen Weges, dauerte es doch bis zur Gründung von Diamond Version, um beide schließlich in einem Projekt zu vereinen.

Die erste Auskopplung des Albums ist „Where You There?“, ein afroamerikanischer Gospel aus dem 19. Jahrhundert, den Diamond Version gemeinsam mit Neil Tennant von den Pet Shop Boys eingespielt respektive gesungen haben [siehe unten].

Diamond Versions Debütalbum verschränkt dunkel glühende Rhythmen, dekonstruierten Techno und ein bedrohliches Grundrauschen mit zur Kenntlichkeit gebrachten Slogans aus der Welt der Werbung und des Marketings, sowohl textlich als auch in de Titeln wie „Science For A Better Life“, „Access To Excellence“ und „Raising The Bar“.

CI (vulgo: Corporate Identity), folgt der Veröffentlichung einer Reihe von fünf 12-Inch-Singles (ebenfalls auf Mute) und ist gewissermaßen der Kulminationspunkt dreier Jahre harter Arbeit, die begann als Raster Noton und Mute gemeinsam das Programm des Roundhouse in London für das Short Circuit Festival of electronic music 2011 kuratierten.

Für ihr Album erdachten Diamond Version eine recht ausgefallene Liste möglicher Gäste: „Wir versuchten, möglichst ungewöhnliche Vokalisten einzuladen, Stimmen, mit denen man nicht rechnen würde, um die Sache nicht zu stromlinienförmig zu gestalten. Wir wollten dieser speziellen Logik entkommen.“ Neben Neil Tennant gehören nun nicht zuletzt Leslie Winer und Kyoka zu den Gästen dieses Werks.

Nach umjubelten audiovisuellen Performances, unter anderem beim letztjährigen Sonar (dokumentiert von The Creators Project), einer Reihe von Shows im Vorprogramm von Depeche Mode und einer Headliner Show im Londoner Village Underground, schicken sich Diamond Version an, erneut auf Tour zu gehen.

Listen:
“Were You There?”

more soon