6 x CD in Boxset
Barcode: 0641871746156





The 'Outland' album series was a collaborative endeavour by the visionary US bassist-producer Bill Laswell and the late German musician Pete Namlook that pushed the boundaries of dark ambient and electronic music. Spanning five albums released over a thirteen year period from 1994, this new boxset serves as a testament to the creative synergy between the two masterminds.

At the time the duo joined forces, the New York-based Laswell was already a famous producer with a massive client list that included cutting-edge rock, pop, funk, jazz and electronic artists, but he had also founded the Axiom label in 1989 and been responsible for groundbreaking work in genres that included ambient, dub and world music. Namlook was recognised as a pioneering figure in the ambient techno scene, having founded the label FAX +49-69/450464 in his native Frankfurt in 1992.

'Outland' became a fusion of their individual musical sensibilities that resulted in a unique set of releases. At the heart of the series is an exploration of sound as a vehicle for emotion and contemplation, with Laswell's signature basslines and experimental soundscapes interweaving seamlessly with Namlook's ethereal textures and intricate sonic layering. Each album is characterised by a sense of expansiveness, taking listeners on a voyage through rarely charted sonic dimensions. All have the ability to evoke a wide range of emotions and have their own distinctive sonic palette, ranging from ambient tranquility to cosmic intensity.

'Outland' has endured as an influential touchstone, its impact felt not only in its captivating soundscapes but also in its invitation to engage in deep introspection and cosmic contemplation. With each album, the duo beckoned listeners to transcend the mundane and embark on a sonic voyage into the extraordinary, where sound becomes a conduit for spiritual and artistic expression.

The lavish matte-finish boxset opens to the 5 "Outland" albums in separate matte sleeves, with all-new designs, and all audio completely remastered.  This box also contains a new addition to the OUTLAND series - an album of dense, bass space drone by Bill Laswell, entitled "Blackland". The boxset also contains an exclusive card with an essay about the project written by BIll Laswell, July 2023.

Track listing:

CD1: BILL LASWELL & PETE NAMLOOK - Outland One: From The Earth To The Ceiling

1. Part 1 (4:59)
2. Part 2 (4:59)
3. Part 3 (5:02)
4. Part 4 (4:57)
5. Part 5 (4:59)
6. Part 6 (5:00)
7. Part 7 (5:00)
8. Part 8 (4:59)
9. Part 9 (5:00)
10. Part 10 (4:59)
11. Part 11 (5:00)
12. Part 12 (7:02)

CD2: BILL LASWELL & PETE NAMLOOK - Outland Two: African Virus (Electronic Sonata With A Cold Loved By Nature)

1. Part 1 (9:30)
2. Part 2 (9:28)
3. Part 3 (18:09)
4. Part 4 (5:48)
5. Part 5 (6:08)
6. Part 6 (10:15)

CD3: BILL LASWELL & PETE NAMLOOK - Outland Three

1. Definition Of Life (14:13)
2. The Question Of Containment (20:44)
3. Keeper Of The Purple Twilight (11:47)
4. DSTC (7:47)

CD4: BILL LASWELL & PETE NAMLOOK - Outland Four

1. The Old World (5:09)
2. East Meets West (2:57)
3. Our Small Blue World (4:52)
4. Bella Prime (4:55)
5. Physical Transformation (4:40)
6. African Dub (9:14)
7. East Leaves West (6:26)
8. DSPill (12:06)

CD5: BILL LASWELL & PETE NAMLOOK - Outland Five

1. Outland Exploration (10:44)
2. An Intelligent Force (6:34)
3. Object Approaching (8:51)
4. N-Dimensional (17:44)
5. The Origin (13:35)

CD6: BILL LASWELL - Outland Six: Blackland

1. Blackland (40:00)





REVIEWS:

"The music is heavily textured and multi-layered and ranging across electronica and drone; there is much here to captivate and enthral. There was a real synergy between the two and together music seemed to have no barriers with the Outland project... if you desire experimentation and music without limits then press play, dim the lights and float away on an ethereal journey into the darker edges of musical fantasy. The five albums have all been remastered and come in a flawless box that is almost too perfect to open... if you think you know everything about music then play this wonderful work and you will quickly realise that we walk the same path as some truly inspirational musicians and we need to be thankful that they have trail blazed for us" (Velvet Thunder).

"Late ambient techno pioneer Pete Namlook and New York producer/bassist extraordinaire Bill Laswell began their remarkable 'Outland' series of releases in 1994, racking up five albums in a thirteen-year period. They're all collected here, in the absolute motherlode of interstellar dark ambient music that explores the furthest reaches of the cosmos, and the depths of inner space. This is an epic voyage in the truest sense and the perfect utility for escapism and contemplation" (Norman Records)

"Quite a catch and a very pleasantly surprising one... As with many Namlook releases, there is a certain directness about the music, indicating that the music is one long session, a live-in-studio approach, with mixing and editing afterwards... Each album is a trip, and so is the whole five-plus hours of this. I played this for the first time in one row on a lazy Sunday, sipping tea after a long night... my living room is a sort of chill-out place today, as some of this music is clearly the intended soundtrack for such a place" (Vital Weekly).

"Met de hand op het hart kunnen we je zeggen dat deze reeks in de hoogste regionen van de wereldwijde dark ambientscene circuleert... beide heren slagen erin om heerlijk langzaam slepende, traag evoluerende en opbouwende, maar vooral ook intrigerende, filmische soundscapes te maken waarbij je pas na tien minuten te kampen krijgt met tribal beats, maar ook wordt ondergedompeld in bizarre, buitenaardse geluiden en vervormde klanken uit traditionele muziek... En waarbij Bill Laswell zoals vaak uitblinkt in het spaarzaam toevoegen van diepe baspulsen die een warme, penetrante cadans voorzien... Het wordt een vroege kerst dit jaar" (daMusic)

"Esplorano la materia ambient come solo agli autentici maestri del settore compete... Laswell abbraccia derive cosmiche che coprono distanze siderali, in cui frammenti di masse granitiche paiono sgretolarsi nel buio dello spazio... una magnifica occasione per recuperare nella miglior qualità audio possibile i cinque lavori originari, pezzi pregiati dell'ambient con la "A" maiuscola, letteralmente da avere per ogni sincero appassionato delle più audaci esplorazioni audio in chiave ambientale" (9/10, Darkroom)

"El trabajo llevado a cabo entre el estadounidense Bill Laswell y el fallecido compositor alemán Peter Namlook destaca por su tremenda introspección y una marcada genética experimental de corte oscuro... una increíble recopilación de todo el trabajo conjunto de estos dos paisajistas acústicos... Hablamos de música ideada para la contemplación y la reflexión intelectual, idónea para acompañar las sesiones de lectura... La edición física resulta verdaderamente apetitosa." (No Melody)