PHOTO: CHRIS ALMEIDA
Mercury KX assembles new compilation honouring electronic music’s overlooked pioneers
London label Mercury KX has released Pioneers, a two-part compilation bringing together a new generation of composers, producers and sonic experimenters – including Hinako Omori and Laurel Halo – that pays tribute to the radical women and gender-expansive artists who helped shape electronic music.
The collection is split across two digital chapters released this spring. Side A released on 27 March and Side B drops today, with twelve new tracks responding to figures including Pauline Oliveros, Björk, Clara Rockmore, Grace Jones, Laurie Anderson, Suzanne Ciani, Delia Derbyshire, Wendy Carlos, Eartha Kitt, Éliane Radigue, Daphne Oram and Bauhaus theorist Gertrud Grunow.
Hinako Omori’s “You found the allotment (for Delia Derbyshire)”, is built from Moog synthesisers, granulated vocals and analogue tape; Kate Simko and Lara Somogyi turn to Wendy Carlos’ lesser‑known ambient work on “Analog Season”, processing harp recordings into microtonal drift.
Footwork producer Jlin contributes “Earth A God (for Eartha Kitt)”, and Laurel Halo offers “Les Sirènes (for Éliane Radigue)”, a study in sustained tone and psychoacoustic depth. The record closes with AFRODEUTSCHE’s “I See You (for Daphne Oram & Gertrud Grunow)”, created using the Mini Oramics system.
As the label – whose roster includes DJ ANNA, Ólafur Arnalds and Erland Cooper – explains: “These works do not simply honour the past: they extend its circuitry.”
Pioneers artwork
Pioneers tracklisting
A1 Arushi Jain: No Way Back (for Pauline Oliveros)
A2 Loraine James: On Time (for Bjork)
A3 Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith: Hand Movements (for Clara Rockmore)
A4 rRoxymore & Leila Adu: I Have Seen That Grace Before (for Grace Jones)
A5 Holland Andrews & yuniya edi kwon: Wind Bathing (for Laurie Anderson)
A6 TAAHLIAH: Starlight (for Suzanne Ciani)
B1 - Hinako Omori: You found the allotment (for Delia Derbyshire)
B2 - Kate Simko & Lara Somogyi: Analog Season (for Wendy Carlos)
B3 - JLin: Earth A God (for Eartha Kitt)
B4 - Laurel Halo: Les Sirènes (for Éliane Radigue)
B5 - AFRODEUTSCHE: I See you (for Daphne Oram & Gertrud Grunow)
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