Clone Records online / Rotterdam, Netherlands
Rush Hour Records online / Amsterdam, Netherlands
Hardwax online / Berlin, Germany
Fatplastics online / Jena, Germany
Wordandsound online / Hamburg, Germany
Deejay.de online / Germany
HHV Records online / Germany
Juno Records online / UK
Redeye Records online / UK
Technique Records online / Shibuya, Japan
Naminohana records online / Japan
K-Records online / Putte, Belgium
Wax Museum Melbourne, Australia
The Record Store Sydney, Australia
Planet Books Perth, Australia
78 Records Perth, Australia
Fat Shan Records Perth, Australia

For your chance to win, email competitions@theaureview.com with the subject line SOFIE LOIZOU. Make sure to include your full name, a contact number, address and that you send from the email address you use most often.

Competition closes December 16th at noon. Good luck!

Equilibrium Design tells the story of creating the artwork for Sofie Loizou’s forthcoming 10″ vinyl EP “Aphoria Horizonte”.

The artwork for ‘Aphoria Horizonte’ was cultivated in conversation with Sofie Loizou and was inspired by her music making narratives and stunning artistic presence. Two of Equilibrium Design’s team, Bec Paton and Dena Taiebat, worked collaboratively to create a unique visual language using photography, collage and digital image-making techniques.

Immersing ourselves in the music and engaging with the inspiration for each piece, we reflected a moodboard to Sofie to elicit ‘sparks’ for us to act on. Her responses led us to a collage approach and helped us with the tone for the artwork. Although initially surprised and slightly self-conscious about the idea of bringing Sofie herself into the artwork, our shoot with Sofie was a playful and fun session.

Each side of the EP sleeve represents a side of the record. Side A’s ‘Saturday Night Blues’ was written in response to waiting all night for a lover—slightly worried, due to the storm, and melancholy, due to an unfulfilled night… ‘With on eye open’ and the shards of rain and fragmented thoughts reflected in the collage approach, the image shows a pensive Sofie.

Side B’s ‘Aphoria Horizonte’ was inspired by the shifting colours and dreamlike immersion that Sofie had recently experienced in Berlin. Through photographic collage, we literally allowed Sofie to weave the colours, shapes and textures visually, just as she had done sonically.

We hope this artwork allows admirers of Sofie’s work to have new insights into this exceptional artist and connect with her music in new ways. We also hope other musicians will allow us the honor of working visually with their music too.

In 2011 Sofie Loizou packed up her tools of the trade; arriving in Berlin just as the grey skies parted. Embedded in Berlin’s creative scene, she spent the summer and autumn in her mobile studio enticing warm, organic sounds and curious samples, drenched in the rich overtones of dusty old synths.

RNV002 will be released 30th November 2012 and distributed by Clone Records, Rotterdam. Pre-order coming soon!

International Pre-Orders Via Clone: http://clone.nl/item25497.html
Australia & NZ Pre-orders Via Bandcamp: http://radicalnature.bandcamp.com/
Release Date: Friday 30th November 2012

Title: Aphoria Horizonte
Artist: Sofie Loizou
Side A – Saturday Night Blues Side B – Aphoria Horizonte
Format: 10″ Limited Vinyl
Label: Radical Nature
Cat: #RNV002

Radical Nature Records is proud to present the second in a series of 10” vinyl releases – Aphoria Horizonte by Sofie Loizou.

Following the success of Radical Nature’s previous release, a collaboration between Sofie Loizou & bvdub, Sofie packed up her tools of the trade; arriving in Berlin just as the grey skies parted. Embedded in Berlin’s creative scene, she spent the summer and autumn in her well-travelled studio enticing warm, organic sounds and curious samples, drenched in the rich overtones of dusty old synths.

“Aphoria Horizonte” is an emotionally sublime duet. Saturday Night Blues depicts subtle hues emanating from the shadows of a lost weekend. Shuffling beats and deep bass will warm up any darkly lit space.

Complimenting this is the title track, Aphoria Horizonte; a psychedelic mantra incorporating broken rhythms and dreamy melodic noise; overwhelming the senses and taking you soaring into another dimension.

Presented in beautiful full-colour cover art, created and designed by Bec Paton & Dena Taiebat from Sydney’s Equilibrium design and mastered at Berlin’s infamous Dubplates & Mastering. This release will be sure to pique the interest of electronic music collectors worldwide!

SOFIE LOIZOU

A vibrant new face staking out her turf in the underground electronic scene and beyond, Sofie Loizou brings together beautifully nuanced electronics with a polished live presence. A classically trained musician, composer, producer and media artist, her many talents are complimented by a tireless studio work ethic and a finely tuned political sensibility.

Sofie’s unique vision already earned her a place in the Red Bull Music Academy, as well performances alongside electronic maestros like Martyn, The Gaslamp Killer, Flying Lotus, Harmonic 313, Kode 9 and many more. She’s also been embraced by some of Australia’s finest electronic connoisseur events, including St Jerome’s Laneway Festival and Peats Ridge Festival.

This year Sofie stepped up into the international spotlight including a spot on the lineup for Croatia’s renowned Outlook Festival, one of Europe’s leading events for bass music and culture. Key Australian performances include Stereosonic in Sydney and Space is the Place Sydney and Canberra events supporting Teebs from the Brainfeeder label.

With a slew of early vinyl singles already under her belt as a member of Southern Outpost, Sofie’s first release on Radical Nature in 2010, Millions, garnered her rave reviews from online tastemakers like Resident Advisor. A beautifully restrained piece of music that’s a perfect reflection of Sofie’s subtle charms, Millions is a sign of many wonderful things to come, further evidenced by the quality of her upcoming EP, “Aphoria Horizonte” out November 30th on Radical Nature; a restrained musical beauty destined to endure.

In June 2012 Australian imprint Sub Continental Dub released her debut EP under the mysterious Anomie alias titled Forward Backward. This release saw Sofie flirting with a more bass-heavy, dancefloor-ready approach.

Radical Nature Records now has a bandcamp site!
To celebrate we are giving away a free track by Sofie Loizou (or name yr price if you are feeling generous)

RNV001 – Millions EP is now available at the following stockists:

Clone Records online / Rotterdam, Netherlands
Juno Records online
Phonica Recordsonline
Rush Hour Records Amsterdam, Netherlands
Smallfish London, UK
Wax Museum Melbourne, Australia
Northside Records Melbourne, Australia
Planet Books Perth, Australia

you can also order it via the Release page

Some copies of the Millions EP were secretly bestowed with a beautiful A4 interactive sticker. Only the first 150 records sold will have one. The artwork was created by Bec Paton at Equilibrium Design

RN001 was mastered at Dubplates and Mastering by Christoph Grote-Beverborg. I was lucky enough to be able to be present for the session.

Hello world. We are Radical Nature. This is a record label borne out of a desire to be independent, to create elegant product that mirrors the beauty of the music. We get by as best we can because making music doesn’t always mean making money. We don’t accept demos but we do accept your feedback. Radical Nature could not have been possible without the support of the fine people at Southern Outpost and Datadisk Records. To be independent is the key to creative freedom.