NORKEN - Our Memories Of Winter (White Vinyl)

Nearly two decades after it was first released, Norken's sleek cult classic album 'Our Memories Of Winter' is being reissued on vinyl viaHydrogen Dukebox on 6th December 2024.With its unique sonic blueprint of early 2000s electronica, 'Our Memories Of Winter' is a record that is at once both deeply reminiscentof a particular era and place, yet remains a timeless invocation of Norken's idiosyncratic palette of minimal, techno, house and BritishIDM.This vinyl reissue presents all 12 tracks from the original release, with the inclusion of 'Df23' and 'Flirt' making this the first time that'Our Memories Of Winter' is available on vinyl with the complete album tracklisting.Norken is one of the many pseudonyms of Lee Norris, a producer who is considered by those in the know as one of the unsung heroesof UK electronica. With a slew of releases throughout the years as Man-Q-Neon, Nacht Plank, Norken, Tone Language and Metamatics,this reissue shines a light on his soulful, immersive output under the Norken name.As Norris explains, "The release of 'Our Memories Of Winter' has a nostalgic, warm feeling for me. I made his album in a garden shedwith a wood burner, an Atari computer and a few synths in the depths of an English winter. I still had the thought process of makingemotional style techno that would warm any soul on a cold day."First released in 2005, 'Our Memories Of Winter' carries the echoes of electronic luminaries such as the Detroit ambient techno of JohnBeltran, through to the immersive atmospherics of Biosphere and the innovative IDM of fellow British outfits Autechre and The Black Dog. Yet as Norken, Norris retains a distinctive musical voice that has continued to deepen in stature over the years since the album'sinitial release.Opening with the brief intro cut 'Fern 2', the album slides into the dreamlike groove of 'Memories', where rich, resonant chords wraparound cool, galactic-sounding synths and a compelling bass undertow.On 'It Might Have Been Rain', that signature bass texture again propels a luxuriant mid-tempo rhythm, while Norken layers in hypnoticwashes of string-like synths, gentle electronic pulses and the brief murmur of a vocal, across seven-plus immersive minutes.Vocal textures, often subtly looped and distorted, also add a distinctive depth and personality to tracks like 'Eastern Soul' and 'Here'.Throughout the album, there's a feeling of intricate microcosms unfurling, as Norken coaxes a myriad of contemplative moods andemotions from his machines.Whether shaping the smooth, lulling ambient gauze of 'Ty Canol', or letting the kaleidoscopic, dancefloor-leaning drive of 'Audic Strable'loose like a coiled spring, 'Our Memories Of Winter' presents the singular voice of an artist whose innovative contribution to UK electronicmusic has only become heightened with the passing of time

Vinyl release of Norken - Our Memories Of Winter (White Vinyl). Released through HYDROGEN DUKEBOX and available on 2LP.