ASC Vinyl & CDs

Review: ASC returns with a deeply emotive album on Past Inside the Present, showcasing a new chapter in his musical journey. Known for his versatility across electronic and drum & bass genres, James Clements channels introspection and healing in Loss. Quiet bird calls and field recordings intertwine with ASC's expertly crafted synths, creating a therapeutic sonic landscape. Each track evokes a range of emotions, from melancholy to hope, acceptance to sorrow. Loss invites listeners to embark on a poignant journey, where ASC's mastery shines through in every moment. It's a captivating and beautiful testament to the power of music as a form of self-expression and healing.

Review: Covert operator ASC continues his astral travels for his current series of intergalactic breakbeat explorations with 'Star Cluster'. Following 'Isometric Projection' and 'Cause & Effect', this EP once again reaches to the heavens for its essence and rolls out with shimmering, emotional charm and more than its fair share of heavy drum punches. The dreamy vocal calls and slamming breaks of 'Solyaris' and the tightly coiled spring groove of 'Oblivion' are both major highs on this trip.

Review: Samurai sign out of 2023 with this stunning expedition from longstanding craftsman ASC. One of the deepest to do it, here on 'House Of Leaves' he whips up a beguiling sense of atmosphere as we gradually ramp up the intensity from the tense and stretched out title track opener to the savage cymbal slaps of the finale 'Exploration #4'. In between we find our souls soothed by the relentless drumfunk of 'The Navidson Record' and our brains shattered by the cosmic turbo zaps of 'The 5 1/2 Minute Hallway'. Far out.

Review: James Clements continues his explorations into the depths of the grey zone as ASC with The Farthest Reaches double pack on Auxiliary. Samurai Music's Presha has excitedly called these four tracks "a definitive musical statement from one of the most important electronic musicians of our era," and who are we to argue with him? Making full usage of the format and available space, this is ASC in exploratory mode across a quartet of deep ten minute plus productions that have it all; sound design, atmosphere, groove, bass weight. To simply call these epic is selling The Farthest Reaches short!

Review: Instra:mental's Nonplus imprint are set to unleash US based producer ASC's debut album, Nothing Is Certain next month but first deliver a three track taster of this highly anticipated LP. "Phobos" sets industrial noises and sparse, dramatic tones as its backdrop but entwines electronic grooves and micro samples over the top to create his unusual but wholly captivating sound. "Oort Cloud" drops out into some cosmic, downtempo atmospheres of weightless space before "Matter of Time" explores wind-like sounds and melodies, deep oceans of bass and his intriguing use of Oriental sounding percussion. Once listen to this will have you holding your breath for July's LP.

Review: Another Interstellar Transmission incoming! ASC and Aural Imbalance reunite once again on Spatial with this sublime four track atmospheric jungle adventure - 'The Other Side'. Four cuts deep, across the release the two old friends take us on a gently dynamic tip from deep ambient d&b ('Continuum') to full-on militant drumfunk ('Distant Orbit') by way of dreamy jazzy breakbeat ('Cold Front') and cosmic, hypnotic steppery ('Depth Perception') The result speak for themselves.

Review: Past Inside the Present's 'Pulse' series is an investigation into ambient tech and beat-driven ambient sounds. Who better for the job on this second edition than master craftsmen ASC and Joachim Spieth? ASC opens up with 'Tidal Disruption Event', an understated, underwater rhythm with jittery percussive patterns and bright shards of melodic light piercing through the mix as more coarse soundwaves break over the top. Spieth's 'Subtle' is just as artful and delicate a mix of persuasive rhythm and melodic beauty. A classy Nitechord remix closes out this fascinating EP.