Jimmy Edgar’s Ultramajic to Release Archival Recordings from Electro Artist Ashtar Lavanda
'Ashtar Lavanda' will land on February 9.
Jimmy Edgar‘s Ultramajic will release a new EP featuring late-’90s electro tracks from an unknown Detroit artist named Ashtar Lavanda.
The story behind is the release is as follows: in 2014, Ultramajic’s Jimmy Edgar received information about an East Detroit storage unit auction containing vintage recording equipment and historical items of Detroit techno descent. “We were only able to take a one-minute peak at the dark and dusty unit before the bid; it was clear there were at least 1000 vinyl records and some miscellaneous recording equipment,” the label explains.
Ultramajic came into the possession of over 100 DAT and 1/4” reel tapes. One box contained meticulously dated tapes from 1995 -1998 with sharpie inscription “ASHTAR LAVANDA.” Having searched online to no avail, the label then sought to identify the producer behind the material and to learn how the music was never released.
After nearly two years, they managed to connect with Ashtar Lavanda, who had made the tapes while sharing lesser-known analog studios that catered to electronic music artists during the late ’90s. Studio time was expensive so the tracks had to be recorded same day. He resides in Detroit to this day and currently works in the medical industry.
“With this release and upcoming archives of his music, he will be known as one of the true pioneers in late ’90s Detroit Electro alongside artists such as AUX88, Ectomorph, Dopplereffekt, and Drexciya,” the label explains.
Ashtar Lavanda will land on February 9.