Coppice Halifax - Q Trax (2017)

From Coppice Halifax's inception in 2006, a thread of melodicism has run through the albums and EPs somewhat inescapably. Despite CH's topical obsessions with texture, density and atmosphere, certain compositions have emerged which (much like Milieu recordings) are designed for comfort listening, recalling sounds and shapes from the electronic music of years past. Influences such as Artificial Intelligence-era Warp Records, early Aphex and Autechre and Rephlex releases like Cylobian Sunset, Desktop Robotics, Wasted Sunday and Expert Knob Twiddlers - they all come flooding in like colorful waves of sound that pulse and emanate from drum machines and synthesizers. These interests provided the template for Q Trax, music created solely for purposes like reading in bed at night, driving with a loved one or going on photograph-taking jaunts during certain seasons. Albums like Milkwhite Plastic Galaxy Maker and Sno Dreem, and also the forthcoming Pink Acre / Plastic Acre cassettes, touch extensively on these themes, but until now, many of the earlier tracks that begat this sound have remained hidden, lost, out of print or unnoticed. Q Trax attempts to assemble a definitive set of these early recordings, with a remastering job from The Analog Botanist that hopes to spruce up old spaces since filled with dust and detritus and brighten the colorful palette once again.

Contained here are all of the tracks from the Lush Q Trax splits (volumes 1, 2, 3 and 3.1) with Foamek, as well as material from the early Nettles and Honeysoil EPs, a track from the Casio Commander split EP and a track from a Metanoia Media compilation. They have been carefully remastered from their original recordings, although some tracks were never initially recorded very well, so please forgive any unintended roughness in spots.