Sascha Borchardt has been taking techno to territories untouched and unknown with his releases under the moniker of Monoloc. Whilst cutting his teeth on Dystopian, Soma and Scuba’s Hotflush imprint, the German producer has decided to start-up his own label, Unterland.
Borchardt’s goal with the label is one that is focused on the synchronicity of sounds and artwork. His inaugural release is a collaborative release named ‘Storyline‘ featuring himself and Beauty Of Inconsequenz. It contains eight tracks that are based heavily on field recordings – with resonant voices far gone, demure 2-step vibes and a pinch of dub techno.
Between all that and his intentions to release three more EPs this year alone, it would be safe to say he’s on the right track. To commemorate the label’s inauguration, he spoke to us about the label’s inception, his collaborators and how he came up with his latest podcast for our sister mix series, Newtype Rhythms. His mix starts at 41 minutes in, with resident Sheepshead stirring it up first-hand.
Interview by Mitch Strashnov
"The label is still electronic but not strictly techno, and with it I try to allow myself to present my own interpretations and other artists I want to support - expect the unexpected."
Congratulations on the launch of your Unterland label as well as your inaugural record on it. It’s a refreshing, rapturous set of tunes that are a change from what people might expect from your previous releases. What inspired you to start up the label?
Thank you – it feels good to finally hold this first physical Unterland release in my hands; it’s important for me to create a space for music that is different from a straightforward, techno-centric club sound. The label is still electronic but not strictly techno, and with it I try to allow myself to present my own interpretations and other artists I want to support – expect the unexpected.
The inaugural release is entitled ‘Storyline’; and it evokes an atmosphere of consequential ambiguity, perhaps letting listeners fill in the blanks within the story you’re evoking. How important is the sense of narrative what you’re creating musically with this label – and do you feel like narrative has always been part of your creative toolbox in previous releases?
The name “Storyline” is definitely deliberate; every EP or album on Unterland will be built like a story. It’ll have a classical narrative structure, an introduction, a main part and finally, a conclusion. But the beauty of stories is that they always leave room for interpretation and what is nicer than stimulating the imagination or triggering memories of the listener. So if listeners get to fill in the blanks in the story for themselves, I have them right where I want them.
Within the Storyline EP lies some evocative ambient textures, lush pads, melancholic vocals and swung drum hits. It’s intriguing to see you take a collaboration to places that your previous releases haven’t gone as of yet. What were some sonic inspirations that you touched upon with this EP?
This EP is experimental, minimal and atmospheric with dramatic influences and noisy sounds – I think the best way to imagine it would be to think of it as music for a film or series.
What can listeners expect with forthcoming Unterland releases?
For all Unterland releases a harmonious interaction of sound and artwork; I also want the sound to be in the foreground and focus less on the status of the artist. The artwork will come from Salar Kheradpejouh who is not just a longtime companion, but with a keen vision and photographer that always seems to meet my ideas and visual aesthetic.
Three more releases will come out in 2018 and for Unterland 02, an EP is in the works with tracks from myself on the A-Side and tracks by Jonas Landwehr on the B-side. I’m very excited to share more info on it when the time comes!
Finally, tell us about this mix you’ve made for Newtype Rhythms.
I worked on this mix in the studio and it’s been a long time coming. In the past I’ve mostly shared club-oriented recordings, so I’m super happy to have made more of a “absorb and listen” kind-of mix and include so many non-club tracks in it.
Storyline EP is out now, order a copy from Juno.
TRACKLIST
00:00-41:10 – Mixed by Sheepshead
01. Nocow – Libbi
02. Hodge – Blood Moon
03. Beneath – Special Offer
04. Boddika & Joy Orbison – More Maim
05. Lanark Artefax – Touch Absence (Intimidating Stillness Mix)
06. Pearson Sound – Indelible
07. Untold – Just For You (Roska Remix)
08. Vin Sol – Trac
09. Trevino – After The Rain
10. Robert Hood – Solid Thought
11. Perc – Foto Real
41:11 – END – Mixed by Monoloc
01. Beauty of Inconsequenz – Track38
02. Recondite – Am Sonntag
03. Shlomi Aber – Installer
04. Nocow – Troubles Will Be Miles Away
05. Ruhig – Nadir
06. Nocow – Hecton’s Light
07. Par Grindvik – Wall to Wall
08. Steve Parker – Cloud M29
09. Anstam – Names
10. Antemeridian – Tuesday AM
11. Rodhäd – Withheld Walk
12. Ricardo Garduno – Scream On Mute Mode
13. Varg – Ultra Acid
14. Coldgeist – Provoke
15. Monoloc & Beauty of Inconsequenz – Flowing
Discover more about Monoloc on Inverted Audio.
MonolocSheepsheadCLRHotflush RecordingsSomaUnterlandElectronicTechno