released: 2003
cd
Label: Hymen
buy this record on itunes or emusic
tracklist:
1. peyote sol of halls
2. steer the stars
3. place cells
4. rekall
5. lazy lo
6. tripped reality
7. burning consciousness
8. the bullet in your hand
9. ubique
info:
substanz-t. electric opium. april2k3. cd. hymen records ¥729
guest musicians: fm einheit, mc sisco, uwe, mc ronin.
frankfurt's arne stevens and alex lange of substanz-t return after a 2-year span to release one of hymen records' most immediately accessible albums, electric opium.
all the traits you know and love about substanz-t are in-tact: down tempo beats, industrial funk rhythms, and precision soundscape creation. yet electric opium, substanz-t's 4th album, comes from a much shinier place than their 2001 release, the critically acclaimed tripped experiences. electric opium bursts forth with bright soul and a vibrant sound stewed in urban lounge dynamics - where you're as likely to get an earful of tight hip-hop rhymes as you are a hallucination inducing melody.
it would be easy to say that these changes stem from stevens and lange working with mc's sisco and ronin (who appears on megashira and panacea releases), as well as the legendary f. m. einheit of german noise guitar experimentalists einstuerzende neubauten. but that's not it at all; electric opium's the next generation of electronic sound to emerge from the new urban experience.
for alex lange, electric opium is just the next logical step in the substanz-t sound - which has been changing since the duo started together in 1991. “with our music we try to induce a psychogenic mood in the listener. especially with electric opium, we tried to create a relaxed opium-like feel.”
“electric opium is a snapshot of the last two years,” adds alex. the most striking aspect of electric opium is its ability to transcend genre, corralling elements of hip-hop, ambient, techno, and funky breaks to create a complete experience. electric opium begins with “peyote sol of halls,” a smoky trip-hop groove complete with fantastic organ work that's on par with anything by thievery corporation or tosca in the last two years, as well as some bang-up percussion work by f. m. einheit.
landing einheit for a guest spot was purely an accident, notes alex. “we just bumped into him in frankfurt, he was producing nihilismus de luxe for the theatre in frankfurt. we gave him a tripped experiences cd and invited him to a gig... after that we came together for a session.” the fruit of that session isn't limited to just one track, either. einheit brings his theremin expertise to bear over pulsing synth arpeggios on “steer the stars,” which runs heavy on the dubby techno vibe most commonly associated with monolake and basic channel artists, as well as oliver lieb projects like l.s.g. and if you're feeling funkstorung's latter-day hip-hop experiments, the hefty swagger of sisco's menacing vocal rumble on “place cells” will conjure up images of social decay and blade runner-esque desperation in the human condition.
as electric opium moves along, substanz-t continues to push the envelop with broken beats and a wicked vocal run by ronin on the provocative “burning consciousness,” taking jello's ambient hip-hop feel further into ambient dystopia. “the bullet in your hand” is pure mental excursion music that propels you into the epic final track, “ubique,” where f. m. einheit does dual duty on theremin and percussion to craft the soundtrack for a cratered, desolate landscape. for the devoted, there's a hidden track of blissful substanz-t sound that's well worth the search. put simply, electric opium is proof that substanz-t is the future of urban electronic sound.
interviews:
interview with valentine (mg/machinist/dj Commando labella) 6.6.03:
1)Should we consider "Electric Opium" as just a logical continuation of "Tripped Expiriences" sounds or there are absolutely new concept and another message behind new tracks of SUBSTANZ-T?
We think that the electric opium is a logical continuation and we would say an evolution of our sound. The new album is a snapshot of our work in the last two years. There is no specific message, our concept is that every listener has to find individualy what's behind the tracks.
2)Whith what sounds and beats did you want to experiment more intensively on new album? The rhythmic structures aren't based only on drum-n-bass and urban funk this time... it seemed to me that they became more "linear" at some place...
We don't know if the beats are more linear or straighter, but we were influenced by tripped jazzy house tunes and beats but we think that is not really obvious.
3)It seems that you really like hip-hop or vocals in this style? Do you see your tracks "Place Cells" and "Burning Consciosness" as modern hip-hop or you tried to get new hybryd style here?
We love good vocals and if we meet a good vocalist we try to integrate this in our music. Our main concern is to develop our own individualy sound which is obviously be marked by the guestmusicans.
4)Do you link with SUBSTANZ-T minimalistic or rich visual aspect? Judging on CD-artwork (btw, very styled one) and atmosphere of music it's probably minimalistic, but considering complexity and multylayering of sounds it's definitely very diverse...
...you can compare this with nature and life, also based on minimalistic structures which evolves an almost endless complex form.
5)What new expirience did you get working on new CD? Among your guest-musicians were FM Einheit and Uwe Giegler. What can you say about these people and their input in SUBSTANZ_T music?
For us it is not new to work with guest-musicans (as you can see on the tripped experiences album). But with every new artist we work, it's a new experience for us and it brings us forward for our evolution as artists. fm-einheit is ex-member of "einstuerzende neubauten". Well, we think everybody knows him... ronin appears on megashira and panacea releases and of cause on our last album giegler appears on voiceheads and elektrasmus. He is also member of our frankfurt based tripbeat posse sisco (aka "tha highlander") is comming from new york now living in germany
6)How will you represent new tracks at live-concerts? Did you prepared new show?
Yes we prepared a new show with 7tracks of electric opium. You can imagine like a live re-editing or re-mixing of the tracks. They are reduced to their basic loops and will rebuild live with the help of hardwaresequencer, drummachine, sampler, filter and effects to a new complex track. Because of this every gig is completely different...
7)Are you romantic and sentimental people or well organized citizens? From where came the lounge, dreamy, relaxing harmonies in your music?
Well, we think our music is the mirrow of what we think and feel and at the moment we are apparently more in a romantic mood? We don't know...
8)Did you know anything new about your partner during recording of new CD?
Every time we learn something new about each other, although we knew us a long time...
9)What cd do you have loaded at the moment in your home stereo?
Arne: ennio morricone remix cd with rmxs from sofa surfers, terranova, apollo 440, dj dick (rockers hifi), de-phazz, thievery corporation and others.
Alex: air liquide: music is a virus
10)I think that your sound differs a lot from other Hymen bands (one exception is probably ARCHITECT) and in general from traditional idm/experimental ambient/future noir styles. How will you comment this? What are your musical roots?
Yes architect is one of our favourites on hymen. But almost every hymen release we like. Recently we didn't know what idm means *lol*... Puh, our roots? Beatles, beach boys and than kraftwerk, pink floyd (as we were kids)...
11)Why don't you make remixes for other bands? They must be very tasty as one you made for FRONT 242. Still nothing followed or i missed something?
Cool that you like that front242 rmx, although we didn't like the original track... Well in the last time nobody asked for, so we didn't produced a rmx. But perhaps somebody is interested?
12)Producing music is still a passion for you or it became a work?
Producing music is a hard work, but for us rather a passion, if not, substanz-t wouldn't exist anymore...
13)Thank you a lot for interview. My final question is: Will you go to watch "Matrix:Reload"? Who is your favorite character in this film?
Thank you for the questions. Of course we are going to whatch reloaded, as soon as possible. We are extremely since-fiction fans! Alex: In matrix trinity was the coolest character Arne: I was more impressed by the plot and the optics...
interview with :RITUAL: :
The title of your new cd 'Electric Opium' contains a kind of oxymoron, as we have two elements belonging to two different worlds: "opium" which symbolizes the natural world, and the adjective "electric", which summarizes the world of technology. The same opposition can be applied to your sound, which provokes altered psychic effects through the use of modern technology. What is the link between these two opposite concepts (nature and technology)?
Technology belongs to natural evolution, you can't devide this in our opinion. We were always interested of apparently opposite things like on sirius-b-kontakt the brighter and darker star of sirius, on intersolar the micro-macro cosmos...
1. 'Tripped Experiences' was a dreamy and nocturnal metropolitan trip, lightened only by blue light neon. The greatness of 'Electric Opium' is that it keeps the same vanishing attitude, adding a touch of "elusive concreteness", recognizable in a greater presence of human consciousness and in a larger use of "real instruments" such as guitar and traverso flute. It's like if man could control in one way the flowing frequencies. Do you agree?
For us its not important what equipment we use, analog or digital, computer generated sounds or handmade sounds... what we try is to express emotions, thoughts and atmosphere in an organic way...
2. In my opinion your new album is a process at the end of which we can perceive the first faint lights of a metropolitan dawn, full of a much more positive attitude (represented by birds singing), if compared to the past. What do you think of it? What happened during the years since 'Tripped Experiences'?
We think that electric opium is our brightest album. It is an evolution in the same direction we choose on the tripped experiences album. The birds represents the nature noise that disturbs us getting sleep after a long night trip.
3. The hidden track is a narcotic mix of sensual electronic and oriental taste. Why did you decide to put it as a ghost track?
This track is based like "lazy lo" on a livetrack, we used these sounds for both tracks. They inspired us for the titlename electric opium so it's a kind of title-track. It symbolizes a flashback.
4. On 'Electric Opium' you have worked with great guest musicians, such as Mc Ronin, Fm Einheit and Mc Sisco. Tell us about these experiences.
With every new artist we work, it's a new experience for us and it brings us forward for our evolution as artists. We gave all of them basic-loops / ideas of the tracks, they jammed on it and we tried to integrate theire styles and sounds. It was great fun...
5. The name of your project (which is a drug described in a novel by Phillip K. Dick), the titles of your releases and tracks, all refer to a particular semantic field. How would you define the universe of Substanz T?
Open minded, emotional, psychedelic, and like Phillip K. Dick we try to disintegrate the limits between reality and illusion...
6. I know you make a large use of analog equipment. What are the advantages and disadvantages of these tools?
Every tool has one or more unique sounds. We try to make use of the advantages. But this is of cause a matter of taste...
7. Some of your releases have been issued in 12'' vinyl. Why this choice?
Most of the dj's are using 12'' and of cause vinyl has a special sound which we like.
8. Your logo recalls the symbol of chaos. What does it really represent?
Interesting: we didn't know that the logo is a symbol of chaos... Our idea was to focus on our band-name, an organic substance. On our first release sirius-b-kontakt you can see a snake riding on a molecule and in the last years our designer Jozka Neduchal reduced it to this minimalistic form...
9. Your sound is influenced by uncatchable deep drum n' bass, lounge, downtempo, trip hop and nu jazz, which create a "tripped" imagery. I think your ability in painting visionary soundscapes can be compared to the one developed by more club oriented music style, such as psytrance. Could you confirm that?
Yes our sound/style is influenced by modern methods of production and interchange with friends from the dj and club-culture.
10. What do you think of the contemporary electronic/dnb/trip hop scene?
We love our Frankfurt based tripbeat posse (www.tripbeat.de) these acts (elektrasmus, voiceheads, zid and raddatz) are really great!
11. You pay great attention to the "visual aspect" of music: we can see that in your gigs, which include visual animations, in the particular style of your cd covers and on your web site, which contains an exciting "Audio Visual Mixer". Sounds and visions are strictly connected: if Substanz T were a painting, which artistic movement would it belong to?
Perhaps to the expressionism, surrealism and dadaism? But perhaps to none of them...
reviews:
starvox.net.
In a word, dazzling. Totally beyond genrefication. The music is exactly as the title says; electric opium. This makes a perfect chill out and get lost album, except for the vocal parts. I'm sort of like the Anti-Vocal when it comes to "gettin' outta my head" music. I don't like the direct presence of human beings unless it's indiscernible as such. So, that's the only complaint I have about this collection of otherwise excellent pieces. Substanz-T have made a name for themselves by making trippy, lazy, ambient funk type sounds. This collection continues that work, and with the guest appearance of "f.m. einhiet" on percussion, the fuzzy oozy trippin', melts over some tight, beautifully crisp beats. Standouts of the collection are the first song, "peyote sol of halls" which features some of the most lysergic organ work ever, the song "the bullet in your hand" which propels for seven shimmering minutes like a demon locomotive, right into the last and perhaps most truthful song regarding the opiate element of the music, called "ubique". Ubique is creepy and crawling and very like the glow and the itch, if you know what I mean. Sci-fi B-movies and opiates. Believe. Look for a hidden track of euphoric benediction. This one comes extremely highly recommended.
Caution: may have narcotic effect.
reviewed by Goat
premonition.
ceux qui avaient apprécié il y a deux ans le très bon ''tripped experience'' de substanz-t peuvent se réjouir, le duo de frankfurt formé par arne stevens et alex lange vient en effet de sortir un quatrième album au titre évocateur de ''electric opium'', une production une nouvelle fois des plus accessible pour le label hymen. au rang des nouveautés, on compte la participation des mc's ronin et cisco (ayant déjà collaboré avec les formations megashira et panacea) ainsi que celle de f.m einheit, percussionniste de einstürzende neubauten qui pose sa patte sur quelques morceaux (peyote sol of halls, steer the stars, tripped reality et ubique). plus serein et plus lumineux que son prédécesseur, ''electric opium'' reste malgré tout dans le même esprit puisqu'on y retrouve les mêmes paysages électroniques spleenés et urbains, faits pêle-mêle d'électro, d'ambient, de dub et de trip-hop. si les phrasés rap des morceaux place cells et burning consciounsess pourront en laisser septique plus d'un (les plus mauvaises langues pourront penser au malheureux mélange rap-électro de stromkern), ''electric opium'' reste dans son ensemble un bon album d'électro soft et planante à ranger entre deux disques de funkstörung et boards of canada. (renaud martin)
De-Bug
substanz-t, das sind arne stevens und alex lange, die hier auf ihrem neuen album zunächst mal die gästeliste auspacken. mit dabei: fm einheit (percussion, theremin), sisco und ronin am mikro und uwe giegler an der gitarre. vielleicht liege ich völlig falsch, aber ich glaube mich zu erinnern, das substanz-t mal drum and bass war. das ist lange her. ''electric opium'' lebt von extrem deepen atmosphären, feingliedrigen beats, die gerne auch ziehen und zerren, dichten raps und jazzigen jams, die allesamt mehr nach dubbigem hochhaus klingen als nach peinlichen kellern und einer offenkundigen liebe zu nuskool. laufen lassen. rollen lassen. keine angst haben, mal den hall aufzudrehen oder fast schon trancige stabs mit einzubauen. einfach machen. wunderbar rund und gelungen. früher nannte man das wohl downtempo, heute...tja. killer. (thaddi)
wreck this mess
ce disque est sans doute la référence la plus atypique d'hymen, sous-division du bruyant label ant-zen. il y certes des breakbeats mais sans le côté épileptique et noisy de venetian snares par exemple. ici les mélodies l'emportent et la rythmique est contenue sur une modalité down-tempo. c'est une réalisation qui présente de multiples facettes mais qui reste difficilement définissable : ni drum-n-bass, ni trance tribale (fm einheit apporte son concours aux percus et theremin !), ni hip hop (en dépit des ''lyrics'' de sisco et ronin sur deux titres), ni ambient malgré un dérapage indus en guise de conclusion... cet album développe un univers très particulier, rythmé et fluide, lumineux et harmonieux (ld)
medienkonverter
nach zwei jahren pause steht nun endlich das vierte album ''electric opium'' von substanz-t ins haus. arne stevens und alex lange basteln bereits seit 1992 an elektronischen sounds und haben sich in insiderkreisen einen guten ruf erarbeitet. ihr gefühl für atmosphäre und musikalische impressionen konnten sie bereits bei zahlreichen theatermusiken unter beweis stellen. ''electric opium'' ist eine mischung aus trip hop, trance und ambient mit eindrucksvoll rundem sound. obwohl die songs meist äußerst ruhig und harmonisch klingen, ist der anspruch des albums doch sehr hoch gesteckt. schließlich konnte man neben ronin, sisco und uwe giegler auch fm einheit von den einstürzenden neubauten als gastmusiker gewinnen, auch wenn dieses zusammentreffen einem glücklichen zufall zuzuschreiben ist. doch trotz der hochkarätigen besetzung ist ''electric opium'' ein sehr eingängiges album, das mit schönen melodien unterlegt mit trip-hop-beats zum träumen oder einfach nur zum genießen einlädt. vielleicht trägt dazu auch das von fm einheit gespielte theremin bei, das man heute nur noch recht selten zu hören bekommt. ein gewisser überraschungseffekt stellt sich bei dem song ''place cells'' ein, denn der hier dargebotene hip-hop-gesang von sisco kommt doch etwas unerwartet, auch wenn der song gut in das albumkonzept passt. durch seine scheinbare leichtigkeit ist ''electric opium'' der perfekte start in den sommer. was könnte in dieser jahreszeit schöneres geben als unbeschwerte und gute musik... (veit)
axess code
substanz t, le retour, et après tripped experiences, ils nous livrent un electric opium... autant dire que les références aux psychotropes sont multiples chez ces gars-là, et finalement à écouter leur musique ce n'est pas si surprenant. une étiquette collerait à merveille à ces productions : '' electronica psychédélique ''. dans la droite lignée des expériences trippées susmentionnées, le groupe mélange allègrement hip-hop, ambient, dub, electronica, mais aussi des bribes de drum'n'bass, de jazz, de psychédélisme 70s, d'abstraction, le tout dans une atmosphère à la fois cotonneuse, froide et onirique. par exemple, steer the stars mélange adroitement rythmique jungle pépère et sonorités peu entendues depuis le rock psyché, place celle développe le rap stratosphérique, lazy lo embrasse la cause du jazz-electro-dub, et ubique nous entraîne vers d'inquiétantes abysses où un rythme en déconstruction dispute la partie à de bien étranges sirènes, le tout dans une eau franchement cinématographique. substanz t est de ces groupes qui ne pourront jamais briguer un gros succès commercial, et ceci pour cause de singularité trop ésotérique. néanmoins, ils méritent une renommée de créateurs (du genre justement qui s'acquiert parmi les initiés) car ils distillent une musique prenante et déroutante, apte à vous ensorceler tout en douceur pour vous emmener planer dans une dimension parallèle.
neural.it
ritornano da francoforte arne stevens ed alex lange, substanz-t, al loro quarto album in poco più di dodici anni di attività, conservando a grandi linee quei tratti musicali che li hanno finora contraddistinti, muovendosi ancora fra i generi con ritmi industrial funk e downtempo, utilizzando alla bisogna le strutture tipiche dell'hip hop o trasversali melodie, in un fascinoso concentrato di suoni quanto mai accessibile alle sperimentali latitudini della hymen records. immaginativi ma allo stesso tempo concreti si passa dalle ambientazioni cinemascopiche e trip hop di 'peyote sol of halls' alle sonorità appena più 'techno' e ambientali di 'steer the star', per approdare poi in 'place cells' ad una vocalità inquieta e ben condita di broken beat. si sovrappongono groove e tappeti sinuosi, con attenzione alle atmosfere e gusto nei trattamenti, escursioni mentali che hanno come substrato emozioni ed influssi metropolitani non esenti da ammonimenti ('burning consciousness'). si chiude in bellezza con 'ubique' (seconda velata citazione da philip dick) con theremin ed effetti da lande desolate. suoni fortemente futuribili, elettronici e urbani, sostanza non amorfa senza controindicazione alcuna. (aurelio cianciotta)
industrialnation
substanz-t astound more with each album. while intersolar throbbed darkly on the wave of trance in 1997, tripped experiences was one of 2001's most outstanding hip-hop drum 'n bass monsters. electric opium now sees them return in polished, downtempo form. urban lounge electronica distilled and fused with languid groove and semi-retro 70's sound, including organ and theremin. the latter owes to f.m. einheit's involvement of einstürzende neubauten fame, who also contributed extensive percussion work. repeating their appearance from the predecessing album, vocal duties by mc ronin and sisco once again produce the most memorable tracks. i wish substanz-t would do a complete album of hip hop electronics. that would be killer. and in keeping with the trend of incorporating acoustic instruments into electronics, they also feature concert guitar play on one track, processing it into a layered, dreamy soundtrack piece. the whole album is one long trip-hop journey into echoing hallucinations and melodious desolation with a high-tech feel, so clean it seems surgical. a subdued, urban atmosphere reminds me of the organic loops in to rococo rot's more ambient work, slightly fuzzy and warm, yet distinctly electronic. another track seems to have lifted the sounds straight from the alien contact melody in spielberg's close encounters of the third kind and spliced them with metallic reverberations and jazzy drums. the album-spanning dubby synthetic pulse and manipulated band echo effects propel all moods and style shifts and render everything laid-back and addictive like a good basic channel record. i keep hitting repeat to defeat the intrusion of silence into the relaxed lull with melodies still lingering in my head. everything is perfect. what a great, great album. (till)
''goon''
eine reise zurück an vertraute orte ist immer auch ein wenig heimkehr. im bewusstsein des längst vergessenen, vor jahren hinterlassenen. nostalgie könnte man nennen, was a. stevens und a. lange auf 'electric opium' in die venen fließen lassen. direktschaltung in süße erinnerungen an die raren ed2000-nächte auf dem damals noch grandiosen sender kissfm, als uns wöchentlich wunderschöne zwei stunden voll elegischer und tanzbarer, experimenteller und schwebender - doch immer hirnmassierender - elektronischer musik zwischen ambient, electronica und tripbeats durch den äther in die synapsen floss. ein bisschen the orb und sabres of paradise, banco de gaia und intermix. doch viel zu eigen. denn anstelle ein rein plagiates und zudem fremdes familienalbum zu durchblättern, besinnen sich substanz-t nur zurück und schwelgen in erinnerungen, welche unweigerlich durch ereignisse der zwischenzeit bemalt wurden. und wie ein roter faden jeglicher geschichte treffen sie wiederholte einen guten alten freund auf vergangenheitsvisite. an percussion und theremin gesellt sich ex-einstürzende-neubauten fm einheit und gibt der weite holpernd-federnden rhythmus, der im finalen titel 'ubique' assoziativ in das halbleben aus philip k. dicks ubik eintaucht, dem dortsein zwischen den realitäten - im festen glauben an die wirklichkeit in gewundenen köpfen. einer gemeinsam erzählten erinnerung gleich. (jens pacholsky)
ver sacrum
a due anni di distanza dalla loro ultima uscita discografica, intitolata tripped experiences, tornano i substanz-t di arne stevens e alex lange. nella biografia del gruppo si legge che electric opium è da considerarsi uno degli album più accessibili pubblicati dalla hymen records, ed in effetti credo che la sua miscela di ambient, techno, funky e hip-hop possa risultare ''appetibile'' per molte tipologie di ascoltatori. in questo lavoro troverete musica raffinata ma allo stesso tempo dal taglio molto moderno, che magari lascerà un po' perplesso chi abitualmente ascolta cose più ''estreme'' (che tra l'altro sono anche quelle più frequentemente recensite da noi di ver sacrum), ma che di certo susciterà interesse in coloro che hanno la curiosità di conoscere un po' tutto ciò che il panorama dell'odierna elettronica ci offre. tra i brani presenti nell'album citeri in particolar modo ''tripped reality'' e ''burning consciousness'', che riescono a coniugare perfettamente rarefatte sonorità ambient con ritmiche funk/industrial, ma anche ''place cells'' (la terza traccia), che è invece contraddistinta da influenze hip-hop e in un certo senso rappresenta un episodio a sé all'interno di questo cd. da notare che, per la realizzazione di electric opium, i substanz-t si sono avvalsi della collaborazione di vocalist come mc ronin e mc sisco (quest'ultimo in particolare appare proprio nella già citata ''place cells''), ma anche di un personaggio come f.m. einheit degli einstürzende neubauten, che compare alle percussioni in ben quattro dei nove brani del cd. un lavoro dalle molte sfaccettature quindi, che segna un capitolo importante nella storia della band di francoforte. web: http://www.substanz-t.com/. (grendel)