Light-years
| light-years | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2021 |
| Founder | Caterina Barbieri |
| Distributor(s) | !K7 Music (DE) |
| Genre | |
| Country of origin | Italy |
| Location | Berlin, Germanay |
| Official website | l-years |
light-years is an independent record label, founded by Italian composer and musician Caterina Barbieri in Milan in 2021 and now based in Berlin, Germany. It is dedicated to experimental and electronic music[1].
Their catalog features albums by Caterina Barbieri, Marta De Pascalis, Abul Mogard, Grand River and Ludwig Wandinger.
History
[edit]The label debuted with the single release of “Knot of Spirit” by Caterina Barbieri, featuring vocals by American artist Lyra Pramuk[2]. Throughout 2021, light-years organized a series of showcase events at prominent festivals such as Berlin Atonal and Nextones[3]. These performances featured Caterina Barbieri alongside a rotating lineup of collaborators, including Lyra Pramuk, Bendik Giske, Nkisi, and visual artist MFO[4]. The events highlighted dynamic, collaborative sets, blending experimental electronic soundscapes with live improvisation and immersive visuals.
“Spirit Exit” by Caterina Barbieri was the first full-length album released by the light-years label on July 8, 2022[5]. Recorded during the early months of the 2020 lockdown in Milan, the album marks an evolution in Barbieri’s solo work, incorporating strings, guitar, and vocals alongside her signature synthesizers. Critics noted that “Spirit Exit” features a more condensed and focused sound compared to her previous albums, a quality attributed to its production in the intimate setting of her home studio[6].
In 2023, three years after the original release date on Editions Mego, light-years reissues the record “Ecstatic Computation” by Caterina Barbieri, which originally, in 2019, received excellent reviews from international critics[7][8][9].
In June 2023 light-years released “Myuthafoo” by Caterina Barbieri. Written around the same time as “Ecstatic Computation”, “Myuthafoo” serves as a companion to her 2019 release[10]. One critic describe the album as an invite “to explore strange worlds through modular synthesisers”[11].
In November 2023 light-years released the album “Sky Flesh” by Italian musician and sound designer Marta De Pascalis. Composed with just one instrument, the polyphonic synthesizer Yamaha CS-60, the album has been described as a “new imaginative navigation in an introspective universe, made of synthetic vapors that have their roots in a pioneering past in which electronics paved the way towards the depths of the cosmos.”[12]. It has received positive reviews[13][14][15].
In June 2024, light-years released “In uno spazio immenso”, the first collaborative album by Dutch-Italian composer and sound designer Grand River and Italian composer and producer Abul Mogard. Blending ambient, drone, and cinematic elements, the album explores themes of vastness and introspection. Through slow-building compositions featuring analog synthesizers, immersive drones, and field recordings, Grand River and Abul Mogard create an expansive soundscape that invites deep reflection. The release received positive reviews from music outlets such as Resident Advisor[16].
In October 2024 light-years released “Is Peace Wild?”, the new album by German producer, drummer and visual artist Ludwig Wandinger. This work has been described by a critic as “a fairytale suite of achingly dreamy electronic nocturnes”[17].
References
[edit]- ^ "light-years". Retrieved 19 November 2024.
- ^ Eede, Christian. "Caterina Barbieri And Lyra Pramuk Team Up For New Track". Retrieved 19 November 2024.
- ^ "Nextones Festival 2021: Caterina Barbieri presents light-years". Retrieved 19 November 2024.
- ^ "light-years Events". Retrieved 19 November 2024.
- ^ "Caterina Barbieri, Ruben Spini and Iacopo Carapelli illuminate 'Broken Melody' visual". Retrieved 19 November 2024.
- ^ Greene, Linnie. "Spirit Exit review". Retrieved 19 November 2024.
- ^ "RA 2019's Best Albums". Retrieved 19 November 2024.
- ^ "Quietus Albums Of The Year 2019". Retrieved 19 November 2024.
- ^ "The Wire's Top Releases of 2019". Retrieved 19 November 2024.
- ^ "Myuthafoo review". Retrieved 19 November 2024.
- ^ Zangerl, Micheal. "Caterina Barbieri's music is also a way of dealing with the death wish". Retrieved 19 November 2024.
- ^ Trotta, Peppe. "MARTA DE PASCALIS, Sky Flesh". Retrieved 19 November 2024.
- ^ Trotta, Peppe. "MARTA DE PASCALIS, Sky Flesh". Retrieved 19 November 2024.
- ^ Leonardi, Pietro. "Marta De Pascalis Sky Flesh". Retrieved 19 November 2024.
- ^ Mario, Ariano. "Marta De Pascalis - Sky Flesh". Retrieved 19 November 2024.
- ^ Ivry, Henry. "Grand River and Abul Mogard - In Uno Spazio Immenso". Retrieved 19 November 2024.
- ^ "Ludwig Wandinger- Is Peace Wild?". Retrieved 19 November 2024.