Nomadic Kids Republic

bvdub is Brock Van Wey. He makes amazingly deep and soulful music. He lives in Shaoxing, China and is probably the kindest, most talented and beautiful soul walking the earth whose work has been one of the main inspirations to the nature and spirit of Home Normal and Nomadic Kids Republic. (And yes, Ian wrote this because Brock just hates to talk about himself!) If you are reading this and thinking, ‘that’s not enough information’, you might want to go here for a list of his releases and work: www.bvdub.org

Ekca Liena is the alias of Oxford born, Brighton based musician Daniel Mackenzie. Normally associated with the international ambient underground, Ekca Liena’s largely melancholic style also takes in shreds of heavy doomed guitars, celestial electronica, aggressive noise and ritualistic repetition and rhythm. The debut album Slow Music For Rapid Eye Movement (recently re-issued on Dead Pilot) was met with critical acclaim – a “quiet masterpiece of subtle texture and hidden power” – and was followed with a sequence of evolving releases. The near future will hear titles coming out on Small Doses, Entropy and another full length on Dead Pilot. Daniel has also created a self-released piano based album under his own name, entitled Teeth Sleep Under Winking Black Eyelid, and records and plays with improvised psyche-drone group Plurals.

Fugenn & The White Elephants is the solo project by the Japanese artist, Shuji Saito. Making dance music since 2004 as a DJ and artist under the name of “SOMA”, he represents a new generation of up and coming beatmakers in Japan right now. As a member of “Trench Warfare” (an underground party crew in Chiba), he regularly performs lives in Tokyo, Kyoto, Shiga and Nigata. In 2008, he changed his project name to “Fugenn & The White Elephants” and remixes with “Headphone Science”, “Koen Park” and more have been a success not only in Japan, but beyond as well. In April 2011, his 1st album was released on the famous Japanese electronica label “PROGRESSIVE FOrM”. He also recently participated in YMO’s tribute album “YMO REWAKE”. His long-awaited 2nd full album “Prays” is to be released on May 5, 2012 on PROGRESSIVE FOrM. His NKR debut ‘Archetype Zero’ is due out at the end of May, consisting of some of his earlier, harder work which Ian Hawgood (the curator of NKR) fell in love with when they first met back in the day.

Haruki is the pseudonym of composer/sonic artist Boris Snauwaert from Ghent, Belgium, who creates sonic environments through the precise, meditated amalgamation of a diverse variety of sounds, both musical and non-musical. In any given track Haruki combines any or all sound sources; field recordings, acoustic instruments, acoustic noises, found samples, sampled instruments and so on.

Erik Schoster is a computer musician from Wisconsin.

Ian Hawgood is the curator of the Nomadic Kids Republic, Home Normal and Tokyo Droning labels, a sound installation artist, musician and sound engineer. He currently spends the bulk of his time in his country home just outside Kasukabe, Saitama (Japan) with his wife and their pets, gardening, walking his dog, playing with music and picture machines, drinking tea and trying to catch the odd anime on tv when his wife is out. He has a minor (but worrying) obsession with Moomins, Studio Ghibli, straw hats, rewiring everything whether its working or not, old cameras and rambling. For more information, simply build a suitable super-hero sign, light it up and he may or may not answer in the next 10-15 years. Thank you.

juxta phona is one odd-balled brain child of producer jason corder – a man of many musical facets.  juxta phona is also an ongoing communal collaboration with many talented all-stars such as ian hawgood, matt yarington, morgan packard, gurun gurun, colin campbell, and a slew of other open minded cameos.  jason has spent years producing and collecting sounds under various monikers such as offthesky and color cassette – each exploring and focused within it’s own unique right.  for juxta phona, he tight-rope walks the lines between crafty beat action and washy melody tangled in touches of humor – as the man himself says “one shouldn’t every take one too seriously”.

jason began exploring music from a young age attempting to create textures and melodies via antique tracker software.  he is a self taught guitarist and enjoys experimenting with new production technique when he’s not performing his music live.  he is an avid collaborator and relentless producer who feels that sleep is best done when one is dead.

lefolk is audio/video artist Leif Folkvord of Grand Rapids, Michigan USA. The material he creates is influenced by a formal education in media arts filtered through the juxtaposition of experiences at his day(night) job as a pilot. He has self-released two full-length albums to date, “fluid start” (2008), “hidden sensor”(2009), and an e.p. “blankscape”(2010).

Since releasing a track on the RND_0.34873349921 compilation on the Pause_2 label in 2001, Maps and Diagrams has appeared on many well-repsected labels, such as: Static Caravan, Beko DSL, Fluid Audio, Time Released Sound, Chemical Tapes, Smallfish, Toytronic, Expanding Records and both Moamoo and Symbolic Interaction in Japan – to name but a few. Tim also appeared on the John Peel show amongst other radio broadcasts, both online and in the real world. Tim runs the Handstitched* label in the UK which specialises in bespoke, handmade packaging for the more electro-acoustic and drone-like elements of his work, he also co-runs the Cactus Island imprint with Steve Broca.

Naoto Taguchi, originally from Sapporo and currently living in Tokyo, is an audiovisual artist with a strong musical background (having played the piano since his early childhood) who is also interested in programming, photography, design in general and spinning records as a DJ and beatmaking. He locates himself between minimalist electronica, dubmatics and quirky experimental sound.

Nils Quak is a sound artist, writer & journalist living in Cologne, Germany. Under his own name as well as under various other monikers he releases music on labels such as Progressive Form, Kitty Yo, Distance Recordings, Audiobulb, Clothbound Recordings and many more.

offthesky is an ever evolving acoustic-ambient quilt created by denver, colorado artist jason corder. weilding instruments such as a vibraphone, guitar, piano, and various voices, mr. corder makes home-spun and spacious sound scapes of magestic proportion. he often collaborates with other open-minded individuals and is proud to have worked with sonic heroes such as darren mcclure, ian hawgood, pleq, ten and tracer, and more. he also creates short videos and loves spending time in the mountains staring intensely at the clouds.

polar M is the solo project of Masumi Muranaka who resides in Kyoto, Japan. His beautiful soundscapes are created mostly by electric guitar, and he is also a guitarist for musicians of various genres in Japan.

In 2010, he took part in the recording of Rimacona’s album and is a long-term collaborator and friend of Marihiko Hara. Apart from his own work being regularly played in local cafes, apparel shops, exhibitions and the like, he has also made a series of performances with contemporary improvised dance. Many of his works are used for short films and image arts which has led to a lot of collaborative work. Given that polar M majored in image arts and sciences, as well as working as an illustrator, this is perhaps not such a surprise. Despite his background in Japan, the polar M debut release on NKR (August 2011) will be Masumi’s first major solo release outside Japan.

Spheruleus is Lincolnshire, UK based sound-designer Harry Towell who also runs the Audio Gourmet label, which specialises in 15 minute ‘Tea-break’ EPs. His work as Spheruleus has seen him release through the likes of Under The Spire, Hibernate and Resting Bell as well as compilation appearances and occasional digital work through Audio Gourmet. His sound is inspired by decay, the countryside, the sea and the environment, incorporating sounds lifted from his ever expanding collection of musical instruments.

Studiocanoe is Temujin Doran, an audiovisual artist based in London. He likes to play piano, guitar and old toy instruments, and record interesting sounds whilst he is travelling. He is the brother of a genius.

The Green Kingdom is Michael Cottone, a graphic designer and sound artist based in Michigan. Interested in creating compositions which blur the lines between soundscape and structure while keeping a sharp focus on melody, his pieces are crafted using a variety of instruments, electronic sources, sampled textures and field recordings.