qd50 variant - while the universe sleeps - out now!

quiet details
4 days ago
3 min read

Hi friends - hope all good.

For the fiftieth release in the series, I’m thrilled to share an extended-length interpretation from a foundational figure in the electronic music world, the Detroit-based Stephen Hitchell, here as variant with while the universe sleeps.

Out now on digital and limited CD with long-form edition, six panel digipack and fine art print. Digital half-price until 12th June.

Listening Party tomorrow Thursday 4th June 19:00 UK time - hope you can be there - free to join and all welcome x

Describing the importance of Stephen’s contribution to electronic music is a huge task - born out of the visionary axis between Detroit, Chicago and Berlin, he built on structures laid by those before him to create a universe of vast depth and sonic beauty. Along with many collaborators, his label echospace [detroit] became a home for forward-thinking dub-spirited music.

This, and numerous releases on other labels, including the seminal The Coldest Season on Modern Love with regular partner Rod Modell, and ground-breaking live performances everywhere from Berghain to Movement, made Stephen indivisible from any conversation of the most important artists of our time.

Under the guise of variant, we might find Stephen at his deepest, as he puts it:

“to score the constellation of mystical events occurring in the depths of space”

With while the universe sleeps, he has achieved something remarkable. As with all the variant music, Stephen takes influence from the vast recesses of the cosmos, both imaginatively and sonically.

Drawing on NASA’s sound archive, “the vast echoes of space have been manipulated and resynthesized throughout the duration of this sonic experience.”

Through decades of dedication to his craft, Stephen has become a producer of almost unparalleled skill - all seen through the lens of formative years immersed in the inception and evolution of techno, house, ambient and countless detours.

All this is brought to bear on while the universe sleeps - a truly masterful deep-space voyage, eighty minutes submerged in cathartic waves of interstellar bliss.

Infinitely spacious - echoing chords and endlessly sustaining pads establish an emotional core, surrounded by highly-processed astral transmissions and organic analogue noise. Always underpinned by sub-bass reminiscent of the lowest frequencies emanating from the studios of Jamiaca, that are also of massive significance to Stephen’s work.

Huge thanks to Stephen, an incredible addition to the series.

The artwork was made as always influenced by the music and idea behind the album - originating from a photo from Stephen which was then captured with analogue photography and processed here at quiet details studios.

As usual, the album is presented on the physical edition, a custom six-panel digipack with a separate fine art print too.

The CD also has a special long-form continuous mix of the album, unique and representing the music in its purest form.

From Stephen:

written and produced by variant in ann arbor, mi. [2020-2025]

additional modular synthesis provided by antiquemodulations, detroit, mi. usa.

mixdown and premastering by alex gold. mastered by stephen hitchell in echospace.

thanks to: alex gold, chris federsen, gerard hanson, martin, richard, jimmy, kevin martin, rod modell, sam valenti, steve barker, tomoko and family at disk union and everyone around the world supporting this sonic art.

Credits:

Music by variant

Mastered by Stephen Hitchell in Echospace and Alex at quiet details studios

Artwork by quiet details in collaboration with Stephen Hitchell

Design by quiet details