{"title":"Alva Noto","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCarsten Nicolai, known by his pseudonym *Alva Noto*, is a German artist and musician based in Berlin. Born in 1965 in Karl-Marx-Stadt, he belongs to a generation of artists who seamlessly blend music, art, and science. With a strong focus on reductionism, Nicolai pushes the boundaries of electronic music through his unique code of signs, acoustics, and visual symbols.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn 1994, Nicolai founded the label *NOTON* as a small imprint which gained momentum with the release of his record \"spin\" in 1996. This led to a collaboration with RasterMusic and eventually resulted in the merger of both labels into Raster-Noton by 1999. Currently working independently under NOTON since 2017, they have released Alva Noto's entire back catalogue and are planning future releases.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eNicolai's diverse musical projects include notable collaborations with *Ryuichi Sakamoto*, *Ryoji Ikeda (cyclo)*, *Blixa Bargeld*, and *Mika Vainio*. As Alva Noto, he has performed extensively across Europe, Asia, South America, and the US at prestigious venues such as the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City and Centre Pompidou in Paris. He also scored the music for Alejandro González Iñárritu’s film 'The Revenant', garner\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"hybrid-iii","title":"HYbr:ID III","description":"\u003cp\u003eFor an aesthetic of (dis)obedience. The impressions Richard Siegal and his company Ballet of Difference gathered on a trip to Japan in September 2022 now find their way into a full-length dance evening.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSiegal and his team had set off for Tokyo to learn the practice of Shuudan Koudou, also known as \"Japanese Precision Walking\". The strictly synchronised group choreographies are astonishing in their radical stringency and have become a secret YouTube hit, not least because of their peculiar subtle humour. Siegal recognises in the extreme disciplining of the bodies an analogy to the training practice of classical ballet.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn the mutual exchange of these movement cultures, questions are raised about individual and collective thinking, about personal decision-making power and social responsibility. For this extraordinary project, Richard Siegal has invited a special guest: Nazareth Panadero, long-time companion of Pina Bausch, who has long since become an icon of Wuppertal dance theatre and will be on stage with the BoD ensemble.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Noton","offers":[{"title":"Black LP","offer_id":50418457542987,"sku":"2199829","price":33.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50418457117003,"sku":"2199828","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/N0641_96a6b06f_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726741195"},{"product_id":"this-stolen-country-of-mine","title":"This Stolen Country of Mine","description":"\u003cp\u003eAlva Noto’s award winning score for the 2022 German documentary film \u003ci\u003eThis Stolen Country of Mine\u003c\/i\u003e directed by German filmmaker Marc Wiese features nineteen compositions to be released on Noton.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe documentary film explores the question of a state's sovereignty in the face of foreign powers. The film portrays Ecuadorian resistance fighters and journalists who oppose the sell-off of an extensive part of the country's resources to Chinese investors.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAlva Noto's music subtly accompanies the struggle of a mountain village, immersing us into the film’s narrative and pathos. Across nineteen compositions, the music exposes and holds back when the images and statements of the protagonists speak for themselves, reflecting the dark shadows and the glares of hope of communal resistance.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'Ritual Reprise' is the closing composition of Alva Noto's award-winning score for the 2022 German documentary film \u003ci\u003eThis Stolen Country\u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003eof Mine\u003c\/i\u003e. The piece merges minimal digital textures with emotional resonances, taking the listener to a sonic path filled with a serene tenor. The tone is set on the slow- burn haze of gloaming ambient-electronica scapes, compounding under a unified cinematic soundscape of warm digital ambiances and liquified electronics.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Noton","offers":[{"title":"LP","offer_id":50432418742603,"sku":"2028878","price":37.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/N0591_43efa6f6_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726868435"},{"product_id":"kinder-der-sonne","title":"Kinder der Sonne","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eKinder Der Sonne\u003c\/i\u003e is the title of the new album by Alva Noto featuring music composed for the score of the theater piece ‘Komplitzen' by Simon Stone.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe album title comes from Maxim Gorky's plays “Children of the Sun” written in the context of the 1905 Russian Revolution. Simon Stone wrote the new play for the Burgtheater ensemble, on the basis of this drama. Across fourteen compositions, Alva Noto’s 'Kinder Der Sonne' takes the listeners into a sonic journey of emotional tensions and release, reflecting the social upheavals of or days\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Noton","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":50486521102667,"sku":"2018603","price":15.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"LP","offer_id":50486521266507,"sku":"2018604","price":34.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/CS933819-01A-BIG_6fa0939c_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727610718"},{"product_id":"xerrox-vol-4","title":"Xerrox Vol 4","description":"\u003cp\u003eAlva Noto returns to his much awaited Xerrox project with Vol. 4, the fourth installment of the five-piece intended series based on the concept of digital replication of source material. Using the process of copying as a basis, the Xerrox series deals with the manipulation of data by means of endless reproduction. Due to the inherent fallacy of the procedure involving the making of copies made from other copies, everyday’s sounds become so altered that they can be hardly associated with the source material. As a result, entirely new sounds are created: copies of originals become originals themselves.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eUnlike the previous Xerrox albums, whose starting point is a set of samples extracted from external sources and fragments of recordings, Vol. 4 compounds under a unified cinematic soundscape, warm chords, thrumming digital ambiences, liquified electronics, drones, and noise sustained by floods of strings. The tension between the organic warmth and static curves, broads tones into distant roars and electronic cascade of sounds.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhile Alva Noto's oeuvre is predominantly affiliated with pristine sound design, Xerrox holds more intimate gestures and emotional sensibility. This fourth volume shuns further from the conceptualism and orderliness of prior musical outputs, ranging from heart-warming elegies to mind-bending sci-fi projections in extrasolar territories.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Noton","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":50508359631179,"sku":"1093441","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/1ec02b97-47c5-4b19-ba9b-4a8a1df51c90_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727858168"},{"product_id":"xerrox-vol-5","title":"Xerrox Vol 5","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eXerrox Vol. 5 is\u003c\/i\u003e the final installment of Alva Noto’s Xerrox series.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor anyone who has been following the series since its inception in 2007, the concept of Xerrox no longer requires introduction. Originally, it aimed to create copies of images—both visual and acoustic—that are more memorable than the originals. The exploration of the relationship between the original and the copy, along with the invention of the copier, not only inspired the series name but also informed its underlying concept. In 2024, this series comes to an end, marking the culmination of a journey that began with the first recording in 2005\/2006. Over nearly two decades, the five albums in this series have accompanied the artist's evolving perspective and conceptual approach.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eInitially characterized by rawness and a conceptual focus on seeking resolution in white noise, the later works engage with themes of dissolution while shifting their emphasis toward acoustic particles. The copying process is now less visible through software manipulation; rather, it unfolds as the artist describes melodic and acoustic images that are then manipulated, copied, and transformed into new patterns during composition. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNicolai describes this evolution as a journey encompassing buildup, exploration, and resolution, drawing parallels to the Odyssey and the stories of Jules Verne, particularly those featuring Captain Nemo. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe conclusion of this album holds a sense of finality for the artist. “I aimed to create a whole cycle of tracks that frame both the beginning and the end,” Nicolai explains. “The motif of the journey continues, but this time, the story reaches a dissolution through a conceptual object that embarks on its own journey into infinity. The word “dissolution” (“Auflösung” in German) is a wonderful concept. On one hand, you can solve a riddle, on the other hand, a pill can completely dissolve in water. Here, I am deliberately describing the process of dissolution.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn crafting Volume 5, Nicolai has evolved his compositional process, eschewing samples in favor of original melodies. “This album probably took the longest to complete,” he reveals. “I first created melodic sketches, which became the foundation for the pieces. These recordings are created entirely from scratch. Based on these sketches, I constructed the process of copying, manipulating, and reshaping.” \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDrawing from his recent experiences working with film and larger ensembles, Nicolai's approach to composition reflects a growing influence of classical instrumentation. “This experience of working with acoustic classical instruments has flowed into the compositional process for \u003ci\u003eXerrox\u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003eVol. 5.\u003c\/i\u003e Certain instruments are designed with potential orchestral translation in mind.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe sonic atmosphere of \u003ci\u003eXerrox Vol. 5\u003c\/i\u003e is one of profound dissolution. “I wasn’t initially interested in strong, emotional melodic aspects,” Nicolai shares, “but I realized that the fragment plays a central role.” This shift leads to an emotionally charged experience, imbued with melancholy and the bittersweet essence of farewell. The passing of Ryuichi Sakamoto, an admirer of the series, has further deepened the album’s emotional resonance.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“\u003ci\u003eXerrox Vol. 5\u003c\/i\u003e has a lot to do with farewell,” the artist explains. \"Not only the farewell to the series itself, which I’ve nurtured for almost two decades, but also there have been many farewells to people who were close to me. I believe these people are recognizable in the music. It’s a very emotional, personal album.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eListeners can expect a visual dimension to the music, though Nicolai intentionally leaves this open to interpretation. “I prefer to allow the music to evoke personal experiences and images rather than dictate a specific narrative,” he states. The result is a layered listening experience that invites tenderness and introspection\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Noton","offers":[{"title":"Black LPx2","offer_id":50520853217611,"sku":"2226435","price":32.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50520851775819,"sku":"2226434","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/N0621_31bc0175_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727986861"},{"product_id":"hybrid-vol-2","title":"HYbr:ID II","description":"\u003cp\u003eBuilding upon the captivating blend of immersive dub and electronica from the first\ninstallment, \u003ci\u003eHYbr:ID Vol. 2\u003c\/i\u003e takes the listener on a journey into the realm of intricately\nmanipulated digital production. These ten compositions delve into infinity, drawing\ninspiration from resonance and elasticity, concepts rooted in Minkowski's four-\ndimensional spacetime model. Throughout the album, Carsten Nicolai summons\nprecise rhythmic pajerns that gracefully hover, reminiscent of celestial bodies\norbiting in perfect cosmic unison. The sonic landscape gradually unfolds with somber\nand brooding tones, incorporating spacious sound design, ethereal atmospheres, and\ncascading metallic percussions. These elements are delicately craoed with artistic\nfinesse, set against a backdrop of expansive dub textures.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAt times, the music takes unforeseen turns, as melancholic chords skijer and\nmeander through a digital haze, evoking an atmosphere of introspection and\nemotion. The ten compositions are accompanied by graphic notations informed by\nthe album’s sonic and acoustic codes.\n\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Noton","offers":[{"title":"Black LPx2","offer_id":50527515246923,"sku":"2053146","price":34.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50527518687563,"sku":"2053148","price":16.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/alva-noto-hybrid-ii_e8251a0e_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1728054582"},{"product_id":"xerrox-vol-1","title":"Xerrox Vol.1","description":"\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cem\u003eXerrox Vol. 1\u003c\/em\u003e is the third studio album by German electronic artist Alva Noto. It was released in 2007 as part of the ongoing Xerrox pentalogy, based on the concept of digital replication of source material.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eUsing the process of copying as a basis, the Xerrox series deals with the manipulation of data through endless reproduction. Due to the inherent fallacy of making copies from other copies, everyday sounds become so altered that they are hardly associated with their source material. As a result, entirely new sounds are created: copies of originals become originals themselves.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTogether with Christoph Brünggel, Nicolai designed a \"sample transformer\" that takes audio fragments and manipulates them beyond recognition. In this process of taking something familiar and defamiliarizing it, samples from obvious sources-advertising jingles, airport tones, telephone hold music, and film soundtracks-were used and altered, resulting in sounds totally unlike their original source. The result is a series of haunting, intricately realised pieces that recontextualise Nicolai's \"glitches and bass\" sound into extended, cinematic, organic, and almost orchestral works.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Noton","offers":[{"title":"2LP - Black","offer_id":56517119213899,"sku":"R0730-0336","price":34.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":56517119246667,"sku":"R0730-7470","price":16.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/N0651.jpg?v=1771022448"},{"product_id":"xerrox-vol-2","title":"Xerrox Vol.2","description":"\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cem\u003eXerrox Vol. 2\u003c\/em\u003e is the sixth studio album, released in 2009 by German electronic artist Alva Noto. It is the second installment of the Xerrox penthalogy, based on the concept of digital replication of source material.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAs with the first Xerrox album, the starting point is a set of samples culled from external sources. This time, snippets and recordings from Sunn O))) collaborator Stephen O'Malley and composer Michael Nyman \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eare featured, as is an excerpt from the 2004 Insen tour with Ryuichi Sakamoto.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWhile Alva Noto's oeuvre is predominantly affiliated with pristine sound design, the Xerrox series holds more intimate gestures and emotional sensibility. This volume moves further from the conceptualism and \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eorderliness of prior musical outputs, ranging from heart-warming elegies to mind-bending sci-fi projections in extrasolar territories. This remastered version will be reissued on Noton in 2026\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Noton","offers":[{"title":"2LP - Black","offer_id":56517134549323,"sku":"R2420-4666","price":34.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"CD","offer_id":56517134582091,"sku":"R2420-5060","price":16.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/N0661.jpg?v=1771022504"},{"product_id":"xerrox-vol-3","title":"Xerrox Vol.3","description":"\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cem\u003eXerrox Vol. 3 \u003c\/em\u003eis the eighth solo studio album by German electronic artist Alva Noto, released in 2015 as part of the ongoing Xerrox penthalogy, which began with\u003cem\u003e Xerrox Vol. 1\u003c\/em\u003e (2007) and \u003cem\u003eXerrox Vol. 2 \u003c\/em\u003e(2009).\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eInspired by formative influences such as Andrei Tarkovsky's 1971 film Solaris, La Isla Misteriosa y el Capitán Nemo by Juan Antonio Bardem, and Henri Colpi, Carsten Nicolai exchanges austerity for cinematographic lushness in the remarkably widescreen third volume of his Xerrox series.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIn line with the series' focus on \"using the process of copying as a basis,\" the eleven compositions of this volume can be heard as copies of memories, exploring emotional data patterns that are reflected as melodic vectors and noise. This remastered version will be reissued on Noton in 2026.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Noton","offers":[{"title":"2LP - Black","offer_id":56517182423371,"sku":"R1892-4214","price":34.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"CD","offer_id":56517182456139,"sku":"R1892-0412","price":16.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/N0671.jpg?v=1771022787"},{"product_id":"wave-weave-sono-obi","title":"Wave Weave - Sono Obi","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eWave Weave – Sono Obi\u003c\/em\u003e is the original soundtrack by Alva Noto, composed for a film by Carsten Nicolai.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe project emerged from a collaboration with a 12th-generation kimono textile manufacturer in Kyoto, Japan. At its core, the work explores the translation of sound into textile form: sonograms of musical compositions serve as the basis for woven structures, connecting acoustic frequency patterns with traditional weaving techniques.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlongside the original soundtrack, the release includes an alternative soundtrack version and a photographic documentation featuring sonograms, soundtrack visualizations, and film stills.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Noton","offers":[{"title":"LP - Picture Disc","offer_id":56675306209611,"sku":"R4813-3240","price":47.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/N0732.jpg?v=1772474687"},{"product_id":"xerrox-vol-1-5","title":"Xerrox Vol.1-5","description":"\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePioneering in his approach to digital sound and its materiality, Alva Noto (Carsten Nicolai) began his ongoing exploration of sampling, degradation and recontextualisation with the Xerrox series in 2007. Over the years, the project has evolved into one of the most distinctive bodies of work in contemporary electronic music, situated between minimalism, experimental sound art and digital abstraction.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAcross five albums,\u003cem\u003e Xerrox Vol.1\u003c\/em\u003e (2007),\u003cem\u003e Xerrox Vol.2\u003c\/em\u003e (2009), \u003cem\u003eXerrox Vol.3 \u003c\/em\u003e(2015), \u003cem\u003eXerrox Vol.4 \u003c\/em\u003e(2020), and \u003cem\u003eXerrox Vol.5 \u003c\/em\u003e(2024), Nicolai's method evolves from sample-based work toward original composition as he deconstructs and reassembles source material into precise, sculpted sound worlds that are at once minimal and emotive.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRemastered in collaboration with Bo Kondren of Calyx Mastering, the Xerrox recordings of Volumes 1, 2, and 3 are made available alongside Volumes 4 and 5 on vinyl and CD under the title 'reMASTER', presented in a beautifully designed box featuring original artwork by Carsten Nicolai.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Noton","offers":[{"title":"5LP - Black","offer_id":56813217317195,"sku":"R6508-8380","price":209.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"5CD","offer_id":56813217349963,"sku":"R6508-2521","price":174.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/N0602.jpg?v=1773679452"}],"url":"https:\/\/shop.roughtrade.com\/collections\/alva-noto.oembed","provider":"Rough Trade","version":"1.0","type":"link"}