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Freeplay: Draumar Um Kalt Sumar (Sutemos012)
By Joshua Smith
jsmit293@mscd.edu

Various Artists Draumar Um Kalt Sumar (Sutemos012) (Sutemos, 2006)

Since its inception, Lithuania’s Sutemos netlabel has consistently released thoughtful and compelling electronic music. Their newest offering, Draumar Um Kalt Sumar, is no exception.

What has allowed Sutemos to stand out from the crowd in the overflowing netlabel scene is their ability to offer something more than a zip file filled with MP3s. Each release is accompanied by a gallery of visual art inspired by the music, created by a multitude of artists. This brings fans closer to the feeling of purchasing a CD, taking it home and poring over the cover art. For many this is an exciting part of the music purchase that is all but absent in the world of netlabels and MP3 filesharing.

Draumar Um Kalt Sumar, the twelfth release on Sutemos, continues the tradition of high quality releases packaged with interesting and emotional artwork. The name of the compilation translates to Dreams About Cold Summer. With this theme in mind, they have gathered together tracks by 14 musicians and seven visual artists to build an exceptionally enjoyable compilation of music, and as the name suggests, the album offers a wonderfully cold counterbalance to the hot Denver summer.

Featuring a mixture of songs from lesser-known artists, as well as established names in the world of experimental electronic music, Draumar Um Kalt Sumar is accessible to both those familiar with and new to the sounds of melodic, emotional electronic music. The beauty of this style is in its ability to be both an all-immersive listening experience and the background soundtrack to daily life.

Stand-out tracks on this release include a special live version of British duo Isan’s song “First Date/Jumble Sale,” which originally appeared on their Morr Music album Meet Next Life. The minimalist, wobbling percussion and warm, sweeping synth tones that comprise this version act as a perfect representation of soft rain storms cooling off the earth in the heat of summer, fitting it perfectly into the theme of this release. Another particularly inspiring track is the Unit 21 remix of Tisanes “Sibuiya Station.” A driving, dreamy and danceable techno track, “Sibuiya Station” winds slowly through the mind, with beats buoyed to the surface on cloud-like washes of pure, hissing tone, making for an entrancing listening experience.

Draumar Um Kalt Sumar stands as both a perfect introduction to one of the Internet’s most impressive netlabels, and as a wonderful piece of music to help while away the hot days of summer in style.

Download V/A : Draumar Um Kalt Sumar (Sutemos012) at http://www.sutemos.net/en/