Lagowski – Storms [Fill-Lex Records]

We currently live in an era of overexploitation of information which, in the case of electronic music, affects the majority of releases that are published, as they go totally unnoticed due to the enormous supply that exists, however, those releases that are recovered decades after having been created or officially released, are especially revered by a large part of the public who yearn for new horizons to open up towards re-releases and the recovery of historical material.

The Valencian label Fill-Lex Records signs a double album by Andrew Lagowski, a British producer who has been active for more than 40 years, although the first work released as Lagowski dates from 1988. He later expanded his artistic activity on other fronts and under other aliases such as Legion, S.E.T.I., Clans of the Alphane Moon and Project Ghost, and was also a member of the cult band Nagamatzu. Lagowski’s early work focused on experimental and industrial music, with albums such as Legion’s «Nadir» and «Die Datenschleuder» showing his interest in exploring unconventional sound sources and production techniques.

In the early 1990s, Lagowski began to move towards a more techno sound, releasing an influential series of 12″ singles on the Chromium Industries label. This helped establish Lagowski as a key figure in the techno and electronic music scenes. His musical output has continued to evolve and expand over the years, with recent releases such as «Secrets of Numbers» and S.E.T.I.’s «Sleep Environments for Interplanetary Travel» showcasing his continued experimentation with sound and production techniques, however, we must return to his early days to discuss the album presented by Fill-Lex Records.

Teratology (named after the study of the causes and patterns of abnormal development) is a collection of hard, driving tunes that was originally self-released on CDR in 2003. The album is a collection of dark and atmospheric prototype and original techno tracks, featuring heavy use of synthesizers, samplers and digital effects, and its bleak and haunting soundscape reflects this theme.

‘Teratology’ is notable for its use of cutting-edge electronic production techniques at the time, such as convolution sample synthesis and time stretching (bear in mind that these tracks were recorded between 1989-1992). Lagowski’s use of unconventional sound sources and processing techniques helped to push the boundaries of electronic music and influenced many artists in the genre.

The album is also noteworthy for its integration of industrial and ambient music elements, which was not a common practice in techno at the time. This blending of genres and sounds helped to create a unique and innovative sonic landscape that has since become a hallmark of electronic music.

Understandably, ‘Teratology’ is a landmark album in the history of UK electronic music, representing a significant step forward in the evolution of techno and influencing many artists in the genre to explore new sonic territory. So it is a fitting testament that Fill-Lex Records have brought this study of warped recording methods back under the microscope, in the form of this double pressing, collecting the tunes together for the first time on vinyl.

Release date: April 24^th, 2023.