On March 6th the revered sonic scientist Rob Ellis, aka Pinch, kicks off the action-packed 20th anniversary year of his influential Tectonic imprint, with a release created in collaboration with the AV artist and producer Lorem. ‘Red Rabbit’ started life as an hour-long audiovisual performance by the pair at 2024’s Lunchmeat Festival in Prague, and since evolved into this EP.
“Most of the music for the ‘Red Rabbit’ show was written by myself, with Lorem providing amazing imagery which is more like a proper animated film rather than simply visuals”, comments Pinch. “But since Lorem also makes amazing tunes, we decided to collaborate on pieces for parts of the show too. This EP showcases the collaborative tracks we made together; ‘Perdido’ and ‘Small Steps In The Dark’, as well as ‘The Rabbit Speaks’ and brand new one, ‘Fall True’, which we made after the festival happened just because we enjoyed collab’ing.”
“For the audio, we co-developed tracks that blend Rob’s signature sound and depth, with experimental layers and stutters I worked on, using digital sampling techniques, Machine Learning custom patches I design, as well as more traditional electric instruments”, adds Lorem. “Rob’s experience in crafting intricate soundscapes grounded the music, while my tools allowed us to experiment with morphing instruments, voices, and textures. ‘Red Rabbit’ is a surreal, dreamlike experience that blends elements of bass music with weird, psychedelic and oneiric elements. The moods shift between moments of suspense, introspection, and bursts of dynamic energy, almost dancefloor oriented.”
“The story of ‘Red Rabbit’ is situated within a narrative universe I’ve been developing since 2021, with the project ‘Distrust Everything’. The project revolves around M, a child in white pyjamas (a nod to Little Nemo), and the mysterious metaphorical Red Rabbit; a creature existing between the waking world and the dream realm”, explains Lorem. “The dialogue with Rob brought a unique perspective to the screenplay. He introduced me to a beautiful medieval poem about the Hare, which inspired the Rabbit Talk present in the EP. Also integral was his recollection of an old technique for learning how to engage in lucid dreaming, which involved visualising something impossible throughout the day, so it appears in an actual dream (in this case a red rabbit.)”
‘Red Rabbit’ EP tracklist:
‘Perdido’
‘Small Steps In The Dark’
‘Fall True’
‘Red Rabbit Speaks’
‘Red Rabbit’ EP by Pinch & Lorem Listen or Download here
Lorem is an individual/multiple identity working across sound and media by exploring states of consciousness and emotional datasets through visceral narrative AV experiences.
After several years of research in the field of Machine Learning for the arts, and having become a leading figure in this domain, Lorem has begun to expand the boundaries of their research, developing a unique sonic and visual language.
Lorem has collaborated with a wide range of artists and musicians, including Danny Elfman, Blixa Bargeld from Einturzende Neubaten, MAEID Bureau, Acre, Senyawa, Mario Klingemann and Silvia Costa.
For Pinch, ‘Red Rabbit’ is perhaps his most outré offering within a hefty body of already envelope-pushing work. It marks the latest in long line of collaborations with esteemed artists, which also includes Shackleton, Photek, Riko Dan, Adrian Sherwood, Mumdance, Kahn, Loefah and DJ Die.
The vehicle for much of Pinch’s work through the years has been Tectonic. Since founding the label in 2005, he’s released music from trailblazers like Shed, Fjaak, Skream, 2562, Scientist, Digital Mystikz, Joker, Addison Groove and Peverelist.
2025 promises a bumper schedule for the label, with a new Pinch album, EPs from Trim, Beatrice M. and 2562, plus a new Tectonic compilation, which showcases the label’s continued vitality at the vanguard of technoid bass weight.
Stay tuned at Futuristic Tracks of the Week selection and Listen to Pinch’s new music first
photo credit: Romana Kovacs
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