Greyland by Max Loderbauer

Max Loderbauer - Greyland EP
Cat. no.: Marionette06
Format: 12” Vinyl (180g) + Digital
Release date: November 2017

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This wonderful and immersive record sees Max Loderbauer's second ever solo release - his first being 'Transparenz' back in 2013. From the legendary Sun Electric, to the Moritz Von Oswald Trio, his Vilod collaboration with Ricardo Villalobos, Non Standard Institute, and more recently the Ambiq improvisational live act - little light has been shed on Loderbauer's solo work. It's about time to let that beam permeate through the slit and watch his beautiful waveforms unfold.

Growing up in a musical household - his father being a hobby musician and his mother an opera singer - It's no surprise that little Max started learning how to play the piano at the age of five. After dropping out of the university where he studied Sound Engineering, he began working as a sound technician and travelled to studios around Germany to service the machines and teach engineers how to use them. Through this, Loderbauer met his Sun Electric band mates - and the rest of the picture painted itself.

After listening to 'Transparenz' for the very first time - it was very apparent that this is the kind of music that would push the boundaries of the label. It was also impossible to think about approaching Loderbauer at the time - as the label was just starting out. After building the label's catalogue and the courage - I finally started seeking ways to get in touch with him. I knew that he was good friends with Mike Grinser - who has mastered and cut most of the Marionette releases.

One thing led to another and I met Max over a year ago at his studio in a Hangar in Tempelhof - it was one of the most memorable / surreal experiences. We listened to an album he had just completed with Jacek Sienkiewicz. I was truly blown away. I still remember everything about that night - the light shining through the window, the haze of smoke, the breeze, the little Italian restaurant by Templehof - and finally parting ways at the bus stop.

There was quite a bit of back and forth with this record - and it certainly takes the label into uncharted territory - subtle and toned down - much like the seemingly abstract yet vivid cover artwork by Jake Fried - it's a noticeable departure from the previous records - both sonically and visually - all while staying truest to Marionette !

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Honest Jon's
"Superb, expert neo-minimalism from the retiring Berliner — veteran of collaborations like Vilod (with Ricardo Villalobos), the Moritz Von Oswald Trio, NSI and Sun Electric — making a rare, treasurable solo foray. Six tracks ranging from oscillatory steppers to eerie hauntings. Beautifully sleeved, too."

The Wire - Issue 407
"Loderbauer morphs and shimmers through different states and rhythms - bleakly serene on "Heliopolis" or throbbing unease on "Undercurrent - and for something so subtle, it sounds pretty mighty."

Legendary collaborations like Vilod (with Ricardo Villalobos), the Moritz Von Oswald Trio, Non Standard Institute, Sun Electric, and the Ambiq ensemble have gained this unique artist the respect of the underground and avant garde scenes alike.