Stop me if I've said this before. Or skip ahead a few paragraphs. Whatever.

After spending the last six years or so producing edition after edition of solipsistic NATION I finally figured out one of the important reasons I love electronic music so much and that reason is surprise and delight.

I'm surprised it took me so long to work that out because it's blindingly obvious—one of the first things they teach you in art—in fact, is surprise. It's playing with your expectations and revealing something new. That element of surprise may reveal something sacred or profane and, if done deftly, causes delight.

Pop used to do this. In a way, it's what made pop music pop. But pop music has been so colonized by corporatism that it's rare that something fresh and new escapes into the wild. Hip hop used to do the same but it followed quickly in pop's footsteps at a gallop. Electronic music has relatively remained immune to the constraints of pop music and is free to play fast and loose with our expectations of music, constantly mutating and adding each genre and sub genre of electronic music's sonic distinctiveness to it's own. Yes, that's a Star Trek reference.

Major labels are once again rediscovering that there's some cool shit happening in electronic music and seems content for the moment to deliver it to the masses in the form of EDM. I don't doubt that it will soon turn it's great, lidless eye (Lord of the Rings reference) to other genres of electronic music in it's never ending quest for the next new thing to make a buck off.

Today's label showcase on solipsistic NATION features select tracks from Naboa Music. There's a lot of breakcore in Naboa Music but that's just the framework to explore it's inner weirdness. So entrenched is Naboa Music in exploring these sonic territories that I don't think it's a label that could ever be tempted to embrace the dark side (Star Wars reference, and a rather forced one at that).

But seriously...

I'm always asking for labels to feature on future editions of solipsistic NATION and [tlr] made the case for Naboa Music. [tlr] has been on solipsistic NATION a number of times and his most recent album, Homunculus, was released on Naboa Music. When he suggested I do a feature on the label I listened because I trust [tlr]'s taste in music. And I was right to do so. Just listen to today's show and see! We'll also chat with Laskfar Vortok's Naoboa Music, cofounder. He's got a unique vision for what a music label can be.

Naboa Music is weird and wonderful and will take you in some very interesting places.

Join us again next week when we'll talk with Zite CEO Mark Johnson and recording artists Grouse, The Other Guy and DJ Food.

See you then!

1. Allen, I Hate Myself "Day Break Ground Score"
2. Interview with Laskfar Vortok, cofounder of Naboa Music
3. Autofuture "Mountain Revenge"
4. Naboa "Monopolar Pulse"
5. Beytah "Burning Villages"
6. Oxygenfad "Custom Firmware"
7. Eddie B. Rock "Dungeon Quest"
8. Psychedelic.Osmo "Kenta Cho Achieves Godhood"
9. Victor Vankmen "Walkman Spaced Reverb Dopeness (Feat. GDS)"
10. [tlr] "Magic Powers"
11. Syphilis Sauna "Comfort Zone (On Addiction)"
12. Naboa "Butcher Blossom 5"
13. Interview with Laskfar Vortok, cofounder of Naboa Music
14. Arson[EYE]-K "Thirty Puzzled Five Fidge"
15. Helium Ointment "Rubber Chicken"
16. EDN "2-1 Death Peak"
17. Genus Inkasso "Hurler's Pappy"
18. Laskfar Vortok "Marshal His Being To Culture"
19. Interview with Laskfar Vortok, cofounder of Naboa Music