#2mr

Fit of Body - “Rose Water (feat. Coco)

KEDR LIVANSKIY  “Ariadna” [Official Video]

Ciarra Black is an electronic music producer and DJ based in Brooklyn, New York. I’m pretty sure I met Ciarra for the first time at a Nothing Changes night at subterranean LES dive Home Sweet Home, but became a true fan after witnessing a raw and rugged performance at Berserktown II from her group Appetite, A duo with photographer and performance artist Jane Chardiet. An off-balance blender loaded to the brim with rugged electronics and machine rhythm, the Appetite EP is one of my favorite releases on Ascetic House to date. It’s woefully out of print (I had to beg for a copy and swear it would never end up on Discogs), but you can hear it all on Youtube - my fave track Anxiety is embedded below. (There’s an excellent Remix of this track by 2MR’s DUST as well.)

Ciarra is the co-founder of No-Tech with JR Nelson, a record label and events series, the latter formerly based at recently shuttered Williamsburg bar Over The Eight - but don't worry, it will be back soon. The label released two excellent titles in 2016, one of which is Threads by Speaking Parts, Alias of Philadelphia producer Dan Shields. Opening track Kaputt is anything but, a peppy acid workout with claps reverberating down from the stratosphere. Thin Air begins with a throb of bass, bulldozing through jungles of delicate modular sounds, setting the mood for the high-energy acid bath of Uninvited Guest. 

Speaking Parts - Threads by No-Tech

The other No-Tech release in 2016 was the album Pendulum, Ciarra Black’s debut album. I covered this release in Issue #19 of Love Injection, and will reprint some of my commentary here - “Contained is a solid opening track - waves of noise functioning as an aural palate cleanser while teasing what’s to come. Chemical Burn builds up (and knocks down) a series of loops that nicely compliment each other - snappy snares, waves of distorted bass, and breakdown heralded by a twinkly digital cowbell riff. The Door is also a sonic treat - analog rumbling with hazy, distorted riffs - there’s a noise in here that reminds me of classic OMD as well. Translation None starts off deceptively low-key with square waves but quickly layers on hissing steam and vamping industrial sounds, occasionally receding for crisp snare drum breaks. Axi Flux is the definite centerpiece - the entire album builds to these noisy synth lines and drum workouts highlit between walls of throbbing kick. Sudden Movement functions as a dubby comedown, showcasing the producer’s skills at restraint and minimalism.”

Ciarra Black - Pendulum by Ciarra Black

In 2017, Ciarra will see her first appearance on 12″ vinyl and more expertly selected releases on No-Tech.  You can see her at The Long Count Cycle’s Closed Circuit X on January 21, and as a part of the Duo Appetite, with Nick Klein and Samuel Kerridge at Sunnyvale, February 10th.

Series Of is now streaming on the Lives Through Magic Bandcamp.

Ece Era announces her debut album 'Bedside Tunes' on 2MR. Shares "Inner Feeling" single/video. #eceera @ece_era

Shedding years of conditioning to uncover our truest selves can be a lifelong journey. The behaviors and identity traits we adopt during our formative years become deeply ingrained, making the process of “finding yourself” fraught with challenges. With her debut album, Bedside Tunes, releasing on October 25 via Brooklyn-based indie label 2MR, electronic musician and filmmaker Ece Era (pronounced…