{"title":"Immersion","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"nanocluster-vol2","title":"Nanocluster Vol.2","description":"\u003cp\u003eNanocluster started as a bespoke one off pop up gig that turned into an album series. Built around Colin Newman from acclaimed UK post-punk band Wire and his partner in life and sound Malka Spigel from Minimal Compact with various guests, they define collaboration. Colin met Malka when he produced her band in 1985.The collaboration started there.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThey became a couple and created their own projects like the instrumental electronic duo Immersion in 1994 and Githead in 2004 - spaces where they both ‘feel really comfortable.’ Growing out of Immersion, Nanocluster was birthed as a series of one-off gigs at the Rosehill in their new hometown of Brighton in 2017 with an added cast of influential and cutting edge musicians. These were not ad hoc jams. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe songs had been written and rehearsed prior to each performance. This adventure led to a debut album, Nanocluster Vol 1, released in 2021 with Stereolab singer\/guitarist Laetitia Sadier, German post-rock duo Tarwater, electronic musician Ulrich Schnauss and experimental artist Robin Rimbaud (Scanner).\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eReleased again as double 10 inch with each collaboration taking up each disc, the new album Nanocluster Vol 2 has further developed this idea with a stark beauty that sounds like a future pop with sleek lines and unexpected great melodies.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDisc one is built around Thor Harris, the charismatic percussion player from Swans and many other projects, who they met and performed with at South By South West in Austin, Texas in 2023. Thor adds ideas, his tuned percussion instruments, clarinet and trumpet to the sessions.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDisc two is built around Cubzoa (Jack Wolter from the band Penelope Isles) who brings his musical craft, beguiling voice, guitar and much more. Meanwhile Matt Schulz from Holy Fuck plays drums across both combinations helping the resulting music become a third entity.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhat results is a true collaboration that, enhanced via Immersion’s production, merges its elements to develop a new harmony.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eKey to the process is Colin and Malka’s radio show for Slack City radio, ‘Swimming In Sound’ with its entertainingly diverse playlist that has widened their horizons. It’s also helped build relationships not only with these collaborators but also musicians like ambient country masters SUSS, with whom they plan an extended Nanocluster tour in the USA with in 2025 and Brighton via Falmouth’s “jangly pop punk” Holiday Ghosts with whom they will perform the next Nanocluster event in their home town, as well as many more in the pipeline.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Swim","offers":[{"title":"Black 10\"x2","offer_id":50430202544459,"sku":"2198692","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50430203101515,"sku":"2198693","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/119769df-97a1-4678-f1a8-73e1c5062aac_1b661994_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726845580"},{"product_id":"living-on-an-island","title":"Living on An Island","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe duo of \u003cstrong\u003eMalka Spigel\u003c\/strong\u003e of \u003cem\u003eMinimal Compact\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eColin Newman\u003c\/strong\u003e of \u003cem\u003eWire\u003c\/em\u003e, Immersion is a true collaboration, with no delineation between who plays what. Through the nineties Immersion released three acclaimed albums of expansive instrumental electronica.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eNow 17 years later they are back. Available as a 9 Track CD and 2 separately released 10” vinyl, Immersion’s new album of seductive instrumentals takes in a range of moods and energies. Though their sound is unmistakable, clearly the duo have evolved.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe pulsing and sliding analogue synths are still present but the most noticeable differences are the introduction of guitars into the mix and an increased sense of urgency to the compositions. This means it cannot be classified as ambient music. Although it does have its contemplative moments - such as the gently unfolding \"\u003cem\u003eSlow Light\u003c\/em\u003e\" - the majority of the album is powered by a strong sense of motion.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\"\u003cem\u003eNanocluster\u003c\/em\u003e\" is a tense, insistent composition. Like the score to some futuristic spy film, it demonstrates their skill at creating sound worlds alive with detail. The urgent forward propulsion of \"\u003cem\u003eOrganic Cities\u003c\/em\u003e\" weaves in shades of prime era Tangerine Dream.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe fact the album has been largely constructed using analogue instrumentation rather than digital definitely gives it a warmth and depth which sets it apart.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Swim","offers":[{"title":"10\"","offer_id":50494463115595,"sku":"1001904","price":8.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/2000x2000bb_87fc120b-48ef-4cce-a702-b942738987cd.jpg?v=1755519789"},{"product_id":"sleepless-1","title":"Sleepless","description":"\u003cp\u003eImmersion are Malka Spigel and Colin Newman. Although best known for their work with, respectively, Minimal Compact and Wire, the duo’s work as Immersion provides an outlet for their ongoing fascination in crafting enthralling, unique musical soundscapes. \u003ci\u003eSleepless\u003c\/i\u003e is Immersion’s latest album, a suite of ten distinctive, unpredictable instrumentals that effortlessly encapsulate a range of emotions and energies. \u003ci\u003eSleepless\u003c\/i\u003e is at once a logical development from A\u003ci\u003enalogue Creatures\u003c\/i\u003e and a huge leap forwards. Although the influence of German krautrock pioneers like Tangerine Dream and Popal Vuh is still detectable, Immersion have evolved their own far more personal sound. Their amalgam of fascinating textures and limpid melodies gives their compositions an irresistible appeal. While warmly percolating analogue synths remain at the heart of Immersion’s sound, \u003ci\u003eSleepless\u003c\/i\u003e finds their sonic palette broadened to encompass guitars, drums and bass. There’s a guest appearance from Matt Schulz of Holy Fuck, too, and a collaboration with Gil Luz and Asi Weitz of EBM band Hexenschuss. For a duo who once titled an album Low Impact, this is most definitely Immersion in high-impact mode.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Swim","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":50497765769547,"sku":"1035916","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"LP","offer_id":50497766129995,"sku":"1035917","price":19.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/3160a6a3-a49f-49eb-aea1-9dde95b7b48d_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727732196"},{"product_id":"wtf","title":"WTF??","description":"\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eWhat the fuck?? What the fucking fuck?? It’s the only realistic response to these dark, divisive and dangerous times. How do you react? How do you feel? How do you soundtrack? Immersion is the project of post punk musical architects Colin Newman (Wire) and Malka Spigel (Minimal Compact) and Matt Schulz (Holy Fuck, Savak and Lake Ruth). Since the pandemic, Immersion has been mainly working on their Nanocluster collaborations, but they have now re-engaged with the core project after a UK and USA tour gave them a shot of musical urgency and lyrical immediacy. If the Nanocluster project is about collaboration, then Immersion in 2025 is a response to where humanity finds itself in the second decade of the 21st century. It reacts to not only that relentless rhetoric of these times but also how we as humans should respond. Music is the message, the medium, the massage and the moment.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eThis song collection manages to combine the unease with hope, minimally hypnotic songwriting with taut melodies and inventiveness with groove. The lead off track  “Use It Don’t Lose It” which they describe as ‘An expression of us both together, saying the same thing for ourselves \u0026amp; for others. The words are so direct they need no explanation. Anyone could join in with the chanting!’\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"swim~","offers":[{"title":"LP - Black","offer_id":53199357411659,"sku":"R9473-1131","price":22.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":53199357444427,"sku":"R9473-8812","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/Immersion-WTF.jpg?v=1755521190"},{"product_id":"what-is-lost-will-return","title":"What Is Lost Will Return","description":"\u003cp\u003eDefining the moment in sound and vision, Immersion are a snapshot of ‘the now’. Through constant reinvention, they have honed their sound into a startling present that references their past but refuses to live in it.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis perfect synthesis of their styles boldly creates a brave new world for core couple Colin Newman and Malka Spigel, along with satellite musicians Matt Schulz (Holy F*ck), whose drumming strongly features on many tracks, and Ed Chivers (AK\/DK), who makes a guest appearance drumming on ‘Breaking Free, Diversity, Evolution’.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eWhat Is Lost Will Return\u003c\/em\u003e is the second ‘pure’ Immersion release in as many years and heralds their third UK tour since 2024. It follows 2025’s acclaimed WTF??, with the title reflecting the fact you can only say “What The F*ck??” so many times before looking beyond to see what endures.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith \u003cem\u003eWhat Is Lost Will Return\u003c\/em\u003e, the ever-productive ‘life and art partner’ duo present a reflective album of modular moods and stripped-down electronic psychedelia, leavened by a clipped guitar that you can nonetheless dance to, defying these chaotic times. It perfectly captures the yin and yang of the moment – or as Colin and Malka explain, “The emotion we feel the album invokes is a poignant mixture of joy and melancholy.”\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Swim","offers":[{"title":"LP - Black","offer_id":57818118586699,"sku":"R4287-9788","price":23.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":57818118619467,"sku":"R4287-3351","price":13.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/Immersion-WhatIsLostWillReturnjpg.jpg?v=1783683311"}],"url":"https:\/\/shop.roughtrade.com\/collections\/immersion.oembed","provider":"Rough Trade","version":"1.0","type":"link"}