Richie Hawtin gives Sonar Festival a glimpse of his new album as Plastikman, the first in over 10 years, which will be digitally released on 10th June, just two days before its only performance worldwide.
“EX" is the eagerly anticipated new album from Plastikman - the project with which Richie Hawtin gained worldwide recognition in the 1990s. The album was recorded live at the Guggenheim Museum in New York and will be presented live and exclusively at Sónar by Day with the show "Objekt” on Thursday 12th June. The date at Sónar will be Plastikman's only live show in 2014 and new tracks will be presented at the Barcelona festival, pushing the boundaries of techno, offering a synchronicity of art and sound, a place for electronica that’s both cinematic and thought-provoking. Listen to an excerpt here..
Richie Hawtin explains, “I knew that Raf was a long time Plastikman fan so by accepting his offer to perform at the Dior event at the Guggenheim I knew I’d set myself up to a huge challenge. Although Raf was happy to have the already complete Plastikman Live 1.5 show, I locked myself away in a series of intense studio sessions and quickly recorded enough new material for the performance and realized I might also have enough for a complete new album. The music came out of me effortlessly as I was very inspired by the opportunity to play in this beautiful architectural space renowned more for art than music. The location also allowed me to step far away from the dancefloor, giving me a huge amount of freedom to EXplore any sonic ideas that I had. Art, music, architecture, painting, sculpture – these mediums are supposed to live together.”
EX is released digitally on 10 June and on vinyl, CD and limited edition SubPac bundle on 14 July. In addition to the vinyl, CD and digital releases, Plastikman has teamed up with SubPac to create a Limited Edition Premium Bundle. The album will be presented on vinyl, with a signed certificate of authenticity and a custom Plastikman edition of the SubPac S1. SubPac is a unique portable bass system that allows an immersive music experience. When you’re using the SubPac, the powerful bass and sub-bass frequencies – the sensations you usually only get in a club situation – are reproduced meaning you can actually FEEL the music.
Richie Hawtin explains, “By introducing the physical dimension of sound, the SubPac creates a direct connection between the fan and the music in its purest form, allowing a deeper appreciation for the music we all love. As with all Plastikman albums, there is a lot of sonic information in the lower frequency range, that make the SubPac a perfect listening accompaniment in order to fully appreciate the experience.”
The Plastikman show (which extends the closing time at Sónar on Thursday 12th until 11 pm) arrives in Barcelona with a special adaptation for SonarVillage, with a spectacular specially constructed LED obelisk. On the next day, Friday 13th June, Hawtin will be performing at Sónar once again - this time with one of his high-precision technological sets at SonarClub (Sónar by Night).
Plastikman (Worldwide Exclusive) Thursday 12 June. 9:50pm to 11pm SonarVillage, Sónar by Day
Richie Hawtin Friday 13 June. 3.45am to 5.15am SonarClub, Sónar by Night
