01 December, 2005

On The Line EP


artist: Soulproof
title: On The Line EP
label: Fokuz
catalogue: FOKUZ020
format: 2x12" vinyl
date: 11/2005
country: Netherlands

info:
Soulproof is a up & coming producer from Hungary who is gaining international fame at high speed. He's also known as being part of Mindscape, who released various releases on DSCI4, Moving Shadow, Hospital, BSE & coming neuro labels Spawn and Habit. Their Soulproof alias is much more musical and extremely rolling . 4 tracks each with a different angle. 'On The Line' is a amen driven funk fueled roller with tight beats and a very well know catchy vocal that grabs your attention. The '1 In A Million' is a rolling deep spaced out tune, with crsipy beast, wicked atmospheres and more of a techy vibe all over. 'Shelter' reminds you of "the sound of cambridge" late nite jazz sounds with funky uplifting broken beats. Just straight up wicked music !!! Last but not least is 'My Love' by Soulproof & ICR .. a totally chilled out tune, for those who like it deep and trancy.

tracklist:
A. Soulproof - On The Line
B. Soulproof - One In A Million
C. Soulproof - Shelter
D. ICR & Soulproof - My Love

08 November, 2005

Interview for Norvegian webzine

http://www.soundscaping.net/features/31/soundscaping-exclusive-an-interview-with-icr

Soundscaping exclusive: An interview with ICR


ICR - Zoltan Gal
First and foremost, the personal details. Who is the guy behind ICR and what’s his background?
The guy behind ICR is Zoltan Gal, a 23 year-old single lad who lives with his parents and younger brother in a small town in Hungary. He studied information technology but works in the local community center. If you want to find out more about him, listen and read his Diary. (ICR’s seminal Public Diary album )
...and how did you get your artist name "ICR"?
After I got my first PC around 1997 my friend gave me a floppy with a program on it called Impulse Tracker. I started making rave and hardcore stuff and it was very obvious to use The ImpulseCreator as a producer name. One year later I stucked into jungle and drum & bass and started a website also known as The ImpulseCreator on my own but later as more and more people joined to the magazine I felt it was necessary to separate these two things so I just cut my name to ICR. I also made a couple early tracks as Filled Vapidity (a bit more harder dnb than my usual), Zahadum (experimental) and Ill Kid (hip hop) but was all in the tracker era so it’s not important. By the way my AIM is eatsayair which is how you would pronounce ICR if you were hungarian. :)
What are your music influences and how did you get into music-making?
I grew up on music television with all kind of pop music, then I focused on electronic dance music watching Maydays and Love Parades. My alternatives to get to know about the basics of the underground electronic scene were very limited so I havent really heard any drum & bass until I caught a german satellite radio station called Evo-Sonic. That was around 1997-98. I still have some tapes recorded, mixes from Bassface Sascha and others. I really enjoyed this new music so I started to dig deeper and a few months later I decided to start a webzine focusing on jungle. It was a long-term learning curve which led to the development of the country’s most respected dnb website and to the birth of an up and coming producer.
What are your creative influences, your music is innovative, energetic, dancefloor-oriented but also great for home listening. How do you set about writing your tunes?
Firstly I’m really happy you said its dancefloor-oriented, ‘cause usually I get criticism about it which I can accept as I’m not a party-goer. Writing tunes comes from a personal motivation for me. I never thought I want to make a big tune to smash the dancefloor or to sign it to a big label. I just try to express my feelings and drum & bass has such a wide choice of sounds to show happiness, sadness and every other emotion. So I wouldn’t say I have a certain influence or muse, I just want to make sincere music whether it is good or bad.
Your music spans several styles but often include an element of drum & bass as the main theme. Any thoughts on the drum & bass genre of today and where you see it going?
Referring to my previous answer… The best thing I like in drum & bass is variety. You can hear many kinds of music – like jazz, soul, funk, techno, dub, reggae, electronica, hip hop – specially filtered thru a common denominator that you can never get bored with. It’s almost fiteen years old and the subgenres are cycling every year so everybody can find his taste. But at the same time these styles are getting segregated and separated from each other – in terms of labels, producers, djs, and audience too – which I dont like. I think there should be room for everyone, ‘cause I think there are good and bad tunes in every subgenres. As for the distribution, I’m really curious to see how the new formats – digital downloads and cd’s – can get a bigger piece of the cake. Some labels and producers have to be on the peripheria without vinyl distribution so that could change the situation (but I doubt it would happen sooner than later).
ICR - Zoltan Gal - 2
Music aside, what else does Zoltan get up to in his busy life? (share some of your interests with us, please :))
Besides producing I spend a lot of my free time with music anyway – running our website, drumandbass.hu for the sixth year, sometimes also writing for printed magazines. So its natural that I’m a bit addicted to the Internet too. But as for interests besides music, I would say I like movies a lot, also comic books, sci-fi stories, and basketball. But my life isn’t busy at all so maybe I should do more freetime activities and producing less, haha.
Back in early 2005, you’d so far had only a few releases on Orgone, Basswerk, GLO, an ASC remix of your tune on Offshore and your free album "The Public Diary" released. Less than a year later, you’ve appeared in numbers on several prolific labels such as Covert Operations, Nerve, Fokuz, Nookie’s Strictly Digital, Exegene and many more plus you’ve got lots slated for release in the time to come. How do you feel about your change in "stature" and your rise on the scene?
I wish I could see this change but it’s not how it goes I think. I can’t see that logical progression which you can expect to have after you released on such labels as Breakbeat Science, Good Looking or Offshore. It’s really hard to find labels (and distributors!) these days to release drum & bass music with no bassline and no DJ-friendly buildup (irony). So I’m happy I got the chance to release limited vinyls and digital downloads, but without properly distributed 12"s how could I rise on the scene? Maybe with some of my forthcoming stuff I will do that next year!
"Daytrip", your first album release on cd/vinyl format, and Covert Operations’ debut album. How did the album come about and how do you feel about producing the first album for yourself and at the same time making Cov Ops’ debut on the LP format?
When I finished The Public Diary free album I sent it to a couple guys I know and James (ASC) was one of them. He really loved it but at that time he couldn’t put it out. Two months later he came up with the idea of a Covert Operations album with new material but the same way I did with Diary. It was only 2 months after I made my album so first I was a bit sceptic if I can make a new one so soon but since I had a bunch of tracks (3 of them already signed to the label) it was easy to put these together creating a nice story inserting some interludes. It’s not as personal and deep like I did with Diary but I’m very happy for it and that I made the first full length d&b album at Covert Operations. Also its the first d&b LP ever released by a hungarian producer so I guess I should be in the Guiness now. I only wish there would be a lot more people to buy it unless Cov Ops seem to be unable to put out more artist albums which would be a shame.
You run a community website for the Hungarian drum & bass scene. How has running the website helped your own career?
It definitely helps. During the years I’ve learned a lot about drum & bass and writing articles and doing interviews helps you to get in touch with labels and producers too. If you can see things not just from the producer point of view that makes you much more capable.
Do you play at events and what’s your best/strangest memory? Hungary is a bit peripheral to the major countries for DJ work (UK, US, Germany, France, Japan, etc). Depending on where you’ve played, how do you feel it’s affected your career?
Hehe, my favourite question. No I’m not DJing at all, never tried it. But it seems every producer has to be a DJ as well to promote his own stuff properly. I know that would help a lot to open some doors – also I already got some booking enquires – but I don’t think I will ever step behind the decks.
What is moving in Hungary at the moment? What do you think of the scene and how it’s evolved?
It’s getting bigger and better every year. We have internationally acclaimed producers, not just SKC, Chris Su, Tactile or Mindscape, but relatively new guys like Soulproof, Jade & Matt-U and Spinline also recently got big label signings. I think it has great potential, for example I’ve just discovered a new talent I?ve never heard of. Look out for the man Snaper, he makes the craziest, twisted beats in Hungary.
(btw, you can listen to the forthcoming hungarian tracks here)
The party life is also very intense and I would say busy. I’ve just counted it and this year has been about 100 internationally big name DJs played at Budapest (and in a few regional cities) so that makes about 2 big d&b parties every week. Our website is also promoting events and we’ve hosted Influx UK, Seba, Zero Tolerance, Big Bud, Macc, Kasra, TC1, Craggz & Parallel Forces, Equinox and 0=0 only this year.
What does the future hold for ICR? Any more collaborations, a second album in the works already (second in terms of releases on cd or vinyl format)?
As for collaborations maybe me and Matt-U of Soulproof put something together but we haven?t made anything since the stuff from our free album Soulshine. Currently there’s a soulful liquid tune in the works with hungarian DJ called Mentalien. But personally I would like to slow down a bit as I produced almost 40 tracks this year and fortunately I managed to sign a few of them. I have three singles coming out within weeks on Nerve (Fill The Sky/Skanner), Fokuz (My Love with Soulproof) and Fokuz Limited (It Could Have Been Me with Soulproof). I’ll kick off the next year with two heavier tracks on new US label Flatline Audio ‘Back 2 Front/Razor Blade Runner’ as cat no 003 (distributed by the good people of Nu Urban). I have forthcoming bits on Strictly Digital, Flatline, Thermal, Vibez, Synaptic Plastic and Red Mist – to be announced. I’m planning a new album as a follow up to The Public Diary with unreleased older music from me totally twisted out. It’s just an idea yet but look out for this non drum & bass journey next year. And maybe you’ll dont have to buy a ticket ;)
Any current or all-time top ten listings you’d share with us?
I never thought how hard this question can be when I asked it…
My all-time drum & bass top ten
  1. Journey Into Drum & Bass Vol 2 CD
    One of the first d&b CDs I have with so many seminal moments.
  2. Goldie – Mother
    I know its not an easy piece of music but one of the greatest for me musically.
  3. Klute – Lie, Cheat & Steal CD
    Everything from Klute is emotionally top class, one of my ideal of producers
  4. Pieter K – Everything All The Time
    Probably the most underrated artist around, love his album.
  5. Adam F feat. Tracy Horn – The Tree Knows Everything
    One of the deepest vocal tracks I know. Also need to mention Circles.
  6. Sci-Clone – Everywhere I Go (remix)
    The best thing that happened with jazz and drum & bass.
  7. 4 Hero – Two Pages
    Soul in every sound.
  8. Ed Rush & Optical – Wormhole
    Some new neurofunk heads should listen to it again and again carefully.
  9. Dom & Roland (featuring Shanie) – Chained On Two Sides
    The master of darkness and deepness
  10. Polar – Inside The Plot
    Hard to pick only one Polar as I love all his music. He’s very wise. And the list could go on…
Any last words to our readers? :)
Just want to thank you for the opportunity and for your interest! If you want to learn more check out my website ICR’s artist website
We cannot recommend ICR’s albums highly enough, both the free Public Diary album (which you’ll find the URL to further up in the interview) as well as his debut album on Covert Operations.
That and other ICR tunes may be purchased from Technological Groove online record shop .
Look out for more tunes by this talented producer in 2006 and also featuring on the forthcoming subscription series from Covert Operations and Testflight Recordings.

01 November, 2005

It Could Have Been Me / One In A Million

artist: ICR / ICR & Soulproof
title: It Could Have Been Me / One In A Million (remix)
label: Strictly Digital
catalogue: SD188, SD189
format: digital download
date: 11/2005
country: UK

Mark J / Cable - Remote Viewing / Sleep Diver (Remix)


artist: Mark J / Cable
title: Remote Viewing / Sleep Driver
label: Covert Operations
catalogue: COV018
format: 12" vinyl
date: 11/2005
country: USA

info:

Series 3 brings another three future classics from label head ASC: Forcefield, Zero Sequence, and Cohesion. Also returning in this series, ICR presents you with two uncut beauties from his debut Covert Operations album Daytrip. Mav, a producer who is a fixture of Covert Operations, offers you The Curse and Chasm (with Implex). We also welcome to the fray Motion & Implex! Finally, Mark J's Remote Viewing and Cable's Sleep Diver see the light of day (or light of pressing, so to speak), with Hungarian wunderkind ICR's remix of Sleep Diver rounding things off.

tracklist:
A. Mark J - Remote Viewing
AA1. Cable - Sleep Diver
AA2. Cable - Sleep Diver (ICR Remix)

ICR / Motion - Fast & Furious / Primavera / Mescaline


artist: ICR / Motion
title: Fast & Furious / Primavera / Mescaline
label: Covert Operations
catalogue: COV016
format: 12" vinyl
date: 11/2005
country: USA

info:

Series 3 brings another three future classics from label head ASC: Forcefield, Zero Sequence, and Cohesion. Also returning in this series, ICR presents you with two uncut beauties from his debut Covert Operations album Daytrip. Mav, a producer who is a fixture of Covert Operations, offers you The Curse and Chasm (with Implex). We also welcome to the fray Motion & Implex! Finally, Mark J's Remote Viewing and Cable's Sleep Diver see the light of day (or light of pressing, so to speak), with Hungarian wunderkind ICR's remix of Sleep Diver rounding things off.

tracklist:
A1. ICR - Fast & Furious
A2. ICR - Primavera
AA. Motion - Mescaline



01 October, 2005

Shinumade Tatakau / Even When Your Shadow Leaves You


artist: ICR
title: Shinumade Tatakau / Even When Your Shadow Leaves You
label: Exegene
catalogue: XGN022
format: free download
date: 10/2005
country: UK

XGN022 comes from a man who's well known for his solid production and atmospheric creations on labels such as Covert Operations, Nerve, Offshore, Breakbeat Science and Orgone. ICR delivers two drum soaked tracks, both with the crisp breaks, deep pads and subtle melodies which are often found in his sound.

Shinumade Tatakau, the A side to this release features a well executed Japanese/Samurai vibe with the subtle percussion flowing amongst the sharp, intense drumwork. Diligent pads and hard edged string phrases drift in and out , polishing off a flowing assailment of Shaolin beats.

The flipside Even When Your Shadow Leaves You has a more solemn touch to it. Soft, floaty pads are accompanied by a melange of blips and bells. Some clean, flowing breaks join in with the warm bass finishing off this smooth abstracted track.

ICR & Matt-U - Soulshine (tracks from the trash)

Both hungarian ICR and Matt-U started producing in Reason around 2002 after a few years of tracking. They co-operated on several tunes developing their skills and collecting experiences of producing. This album of unreleased material shows how their style changed over these years from trance influenced atmospheric dnb to soulful liquid.

01 Drop (intro) - 1:34 (2004) excerpt from ICR feat. Matt-U 'Drop Everything'
02 Matt-U - Blue (ICR remix) - 5:42 (2003) originally slated for Orion's New Deep 2 mix, but unfortunately it never happened. anyway props to John!
03 ICR & Matt-U - Shellfish - 6:47 (2003) "really nice track, some nice cosmic touches inside the piece" - LTJ Bukem
04 Matt-U - Blue - 6:34 (2003)
05 ICR - Slingblade (Matt U remix) - 6:22 (2003) different version subtitled 'Dream' available on The Public Diary album
06 Matt-U & ICR - Deserted - 6:16 (2003)
07 Matt-U & ICR - Starfish - 6:15 (2003)
08 Matt-U & ICR - We're All Monkeys - 5:42 (2002)
09 ICR & Matt-U - Soulshine - 6:29 (2002) our first collaboration ever, and we still love this vibe!
bonus tracks:
10 ICR - Change Inside - 6:24 (2004) Appears courtesy of Offshore Recordings. the remix made by ASC has been signed in one day for Offshore! released on OSR011, Nov 2004
11 ICR - Strong Enough VIP - 6:28 (2003) original version is compiled by hungarian Freee Magazin cover CD in issue May 2003. this VIP version is originally made for Test Flight Recordings

http://www.drumandbass.hu/icr/soulshine/

20 September, 2005

Bartók Eszter & Caramel bootlegs

Hungary's most popular televison singer contest "Megasztár" artists bootlegged in d&b - "Elefántdal" remix championed by DJ Palotai, aired so many times at Radio Cafe, and played in the actual TV show background set during a commercial break.

http://www.drumandbass.hu/icr/elefant/

01 September, 2005

Want My Love / Always & Forever / Blue Fairy

artist: ICR
title: Want My Love / Always & Forever / Blue Fairy
label: Strictly Digital
catalogue: SD136, SD137, SD138
format: digital download
date: 09/2005
country: UK

01 July, 2005

Daytrip


artist: ICR
title: Daytrip
label: Covert Operations
catalogue: COVCD001
format: CD
date: 07/2005
country: USA

info:
Covert Operations have several full length artist albums lined up, the first of which is "Daytrip" by the incredibly prolific ICR, whom you my also know from his releases on Offshore, Nerve, Good Looking, Basswerk, and his forthcoming 12" on Covert Operations Vinyl Subscription Series 2. Covering a vast range of styles and sounds, "Daytrip" is going to be an LP you'll be talking about and listening to for years to come. There's 14 tracks (including interludes) that span 74 minutes of aural pleasure. This is gonna be a CD only release, with vinyl versions of a handful of the tracks available on the vinyl subscriptions we're offering! This is unrelated to the vinyl subscription scheme, which we are still take orders for. We have these CD's in hand, ready to ship immediately. Remember, you can only buy it directly from us! buy it now!

tracklist:

01. Before Noon (Insert)
02. Drab Somedays
03. Frames Of Mind
04. Gaps
05. Dusk (Insert)
06. Dislike
07. Alcora
08. Fast & Furious
09. Dawn (Insert)
10. Uprise
11. New Day
12. Shining Down On Me
13. Noon (Insert)
14. Primavera

01 June, 2005

Words remixes

artist: ICR
title: Words (ICR remix) / Words (Lowbrow remix)
label: Nerve
catalogue: NERVEBP003
format: digital download
date: 06/2005
country: UK


Ritkán esik szó internetes megjelenésről a "Füles" rovat keretein belül, de úgy érzem, hogy e virtuális 12 inch-es mellet nem szabad szó nélkül elmenni. Főleg, hogy egyik hazai büszkeségünk, ICR release-éről van szó.

ICR-nek ez már nem az első Nerve kiadós megjelenése, hiszen a mostani 'Words' remixek előtt ugyanitt jött ki az eredeti verzió is az 'Arcadia'-val, szintén "Beatport exclusive" formában. Az egyik átdolgozásért maga a szerző a felelős, aki az Original mix-hez képest jócskán felturbózta szerzeményét. A Words 2005 remix gyönyörű zongorafutamokkal és pad-ekkel indít. Ez a felemelő hangulat egészen az első kiállás végéig el is tart, mely után sokkal szigorúbb, technoid elemekkel variáló, jellegzetes "icrzúzda" hallható. Tovább hallgatva, bő egy perc után azon veszi észre magát az ember, hogy a pokol mély bugyrai után újra a bárányfelhők közt lebeg - elérkeztünk a második kiállásig. Itt viszont már a drop előtt beúszik a komor szinti téma, majd az utolsó percben újra a fellegekben érezhetjük magunkat. Mesterien van váltogatva a két hangulat, észrevétlenül csúsztat át atmoszférikusból technoidba, majd vissza. Univerzális zene, sok fajta szettbe passzol.

A másik átirat elkövetője Lowbrow, akiről azon kívül, hogy skót származású, nem sokat tudni. Engem speciel D-Bridge utóbbi munkáira emlékeztet ez a remix, bár lehet, hogy egyedül maradok ezzel a véleményemmel. Mindenesetre a zene nagyon mély, nagyon minimál, és ha valaki egyszer ráérez az ízére, sokadik hallgatás után sem fogja megunni. A dobképlet egy teljesen egyszerű 2step, viszont nagyon szépen szól. Hiába, egy ilyen lecsupaszított track esetében ügyelni kell a részletekre. A bassline szintén dicséretet érdemel, ezen kívül az eredeti verzióból importált effektek is ügyesen lettek felhasználva. A legszebb talán mégis a vokál és a néhány akkordnyi zongora a kiállásban, ami némileg elüt a kissé technos vonaltól. Viszont így nem válik unalmassá ez a feldolgozás sem.

Megérdemelt volna ez a release egy fekete korongot is, ötös. Meghallgatható, és megvásárolható Beatporton.

09 February, 2005

Showcase mix by Paul Reset

"Well, I've been hearing ICR's work for quite a while now - and IMO he's one of the best producers around in dnb at the mo - effortlessly covering each little sub genre of dnb effortlessly - from liquid rollers to deep n dark bizness right up to hard as ya like smashers…so I decided to put this mix together to showcase some of his work - with his blessing of course…check it out if you get a mo - and let us know what you think."

tracklist:

"Two Steps Backwards"
"Whales of August"
"Every End"
"All Your Secrets"
"Heartbroken"
"Roundabout"
"Pointless"
"Hold It Down"
"Snowdrop (rmx)"
"Second Chances"
"Magic Man"
"Dislike" (set for release on Covert Operations)
"Fill The Sky"

mp3 is removed, reupload soon

07 January, 2005

New Day / Dislike / Uprise


artist: ICR
title: New Day / Dislike / Uprise
label: Covert Operations
catalogue: COV012
format: 12" vinyl
date: 07/2005
country: USA

info:
ICR is the latest artist we welcome to our roster and he offers us 3 seminal pieces from his forthcoming CD album, Daytrip. New Day is all about the summer vibe, with is catchy pads and sultry vocal. The warm bassline just confirms the tracks appeal even more. You'll be singing this one in the shower for some time to come! Dislike is an opposite to New Day, with it's space age theme and cold keys and Gattaca samples, this is one to inject some mood into the mix. Finally, Uprise shows ICR's versatile skills as a produer as he injects downtempo interludes into the drum & bass soundscape. You have to hear it to believe it.

tracklist:
A. New Day
AA1. Dislike
AA2. Uprise



01 January, 2005

The Public Diary of Zoltan Gal aged 22 and 2/3

Words from Zoltan to the sounds of ICR. Does it make any sense?
Once I had a tune named ASPD which stads for anti-social personality disorder. It was four years ago so it's not a new thing.

What are diaries and sounds for?
Its pretty the same. To express your thoughts and feelings, to create something out of nothing. A little bit of a verification that you are exist, you are alive and there's something in you that you can share.

Why now? What is the concept?
On the one hand I felt I have so many tunes - about 70 in the last two years - that I could not release in any form but wanted to make them public. What's the point of making songs only for yourself? On the other hand I felt strongly about letting this all out in the hope of leaving things behind can help starting new things. The only concept is to be sincere, to make a personal collection of sounds whether there is anyone who likes it or not.
All the original tunes are specially edited and/or remixed for this particular project (except Untrue remix, Keynote and Roundabout) as it is reflected in the titles. It's not only diverse drum & bass, but there's a little breakbeat (Break The Sky), downtempo (Hopelyhen, Words v050123), a bit of electronica (Useless) and leftfield too (Switchboard To Your Soul, Mindframe). All slightly passed as a whole story. Check the personal notes according each track at drumandbass.hu/icr/diary

tracklist:
01 I'm A Fool
02 Unture (ICR "Wants You" Mix) [original by Soulproof]
03 Slingblade (Dream)
04 Stumbling Hungarian 7000 Miles From The Caribbean (Daydream)
05 Keynote
06 Useless
07 Break The Sky
08 Let It Snow / Hopelyhen
09 Close By
10 Switchboard To Your Soul
11 Roundabout
12 Where The Lions Weep
13 Mindframe
14 One Step Forward
15 Words v050123
16 Guide To The Last Sea
17 World Dissapears

Absolutely loved it. Some amazing interludes and fresh pieces and the way it gels together kind of reminded me of my own work and how I do stuff.
(ASC, Covert Operations)

No nonstop beats, many melodic soundscapes, easy BPM-switches. Timeless stuff. Now I listen to it the third time. Good flow from the beginning to end.
(Lightwood, Santorin)

http://www.drumandbass.hu/icr/diary/