Catalogue of Releases

FACT 09 FENNESZ - LIVE IN JAPAN

The Autofact release of Live In Japan by Christian Fennesz marks the album's debut on vinyl. Originally released in 2003 as a Japan-only CD (Headz/Touch), Live In Japan is perhaps the definitive live document of electronic-acoustic improvisation for our time. Hailed by many to be the "greatest laptop live show in music history" and counted among the albums of the year by The Wire in 2003, one would perhaps have to go back as far as Kraftwerk to find a live electronic performance as engaging, organic and inventive as Live In Japan. The LP consists of one sublimely beautiful and haunting 43-minute long track, recorded live at the Shibuya Nest, Tokyo in February of 2003. The performance takes us from the bright codeine pop of Endless Summer to the grand & stately melancholy of Venice, with familiar bits of coda and electronic soul hooks catching us as we stream through the lush, nearly symphonic drones and soundscapes which Fennesz has expertly composed to guide us through his musical legacy. This is that rare piece of music which affects both the ardent champion and the novice alike, moving and original, with not a single note wasted and nothing out of place. Guitar music? Laptop music? Post-modern electronic soul music? Fennesz music. Mastered directly to metal at Abbey Road Studios, London. Limited edition of 1,000 copies pressed on heavyweight black vinyl and housed in a deluxe spot printed sleeve. Featuring exclusive new artwork designed by Jon Wozencroft.

FACT 11 PHILIP JECK - SUITE: LIVE IN LIVERPOOL

FACT 12 SPIRE LIVE - FUNDAMENTALIS

Spire Live - Fundamentalis is a collection of live tracks recorded at various Spire events held throughout 2005 and 2006. Released in association with US label, Autofact, Touch presents a selection of tracks performed by the main performers of Spire: Fennesz | Philip Jeck | BJNilsen | Charles Matthews | Marcus Davidson. Improvised pieces from Fennesz, BJNilsen and Philip Jeck contrast with a performance by Charles Matthews of a scored composition by Italian composer Giacinto Scelsi, 'In Nomine Lucis', and Marcus Davidson's self-penned 'Standing Wave', which ends side two with a locked groove. Cut to preserve and enhance the bottom end frequencies, Fundamentalis is not merely a document; the tension between and within the individual pieces is palpable. Fennesz's set "...evokes the rolling centuries in all their pain and beauty, leaving us at once becalmed and energised, but never oppressed under the weight of time." Electronics breathe new life not only into the organ, but also into the setting. But successor does not mean replacement. Ultimately, it's the majestic sound of the organ, so steeped in centuries of tradition, that one remembers above all else.

Spire is one of the most innovative projects around, drawing on the full canon of organ works, from the very first annotation in the Robertsbridge Codex from the 14th Century, to max msp patches and software sampling... With two CD releases and 9 performances in cathedrals and churches throughout Europe, Spire remains a potent live force in harnessing the sounds of the ages.

FACT 15 BJNILSEN - THE SHORT NIGHT

Using location recordings, weather, birdsong and radio, BJNilsen continues to map and explore uncharted territory. A follower to 2005's Fade to White [Touch # TO:65], BJNilsen develops his work further, based on field recordings and electronics. This time he adds harsher yet clearer harmonies with musical elements to the compositions, creating a beautifully complex and detailed study. Recorded in 2006-7 with mostly analogue equipment, using up to 50 year-old tapemachines, filters and generators that end up being the soft cushion in these cold location recordings.

This album was released in 2007 in CD format on Touch

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