Born in the European summer of 2018, Circle of Live is the work of Sebastian Mullaert, the beloved Swedish artist known for his cerebral techno soundscapes. Looking to take his sonic improvisations a little further, and recognizing the untapped beauty in the sounds that artists create in the comfort of their own studio environments, he wished to transfer this to the live environment. “We, as artists, can create our personal paradise to find a way to express ourselves, and then we go out on stage and it becomes separate to that. The idea came to create that also on stage,” Mullaert told Resident Advisor earlier this year. “I truly believe that if an artist feels comfortable on stage and they can relax into it, it helps the audience to do the same.”

Recruitment began soon thereafter. Calls were made to friends, and several—Âme (Live), Johanna Knutsson, Leafar Legov, etc.—signed up, and many more have joined. The Circle now comprises 19 artists, all identified and selected by Mullaert. The list, which now includes Peter Van Hoesen, Dorisburg, Steffi, and Neel, features artists from a diverse set of backgrounds and with different ways of expressing themselves, but what glues them together is an appreciation for spontaneity and improvisation.

On stage, Circle members jam in different constellations; Muallert curates a different lineup for each performance. Mullaert himself, the one constant, begins with some ambient soundscapes, before inviting the other artists to begin interacting as they wish; it’s an unhinged, freeform experience, unhindered by formal structure so as to allow both the performers and audience to explore the boundaries of electronic music improvisation in its raw beauty. These recordings, which can exceed eight hours, are then reviewed, and segments—those which best capture the essence of the project—are released through the record label of the same name, offering a snapshot into the weird and wonderful world of collaborative live performance.

Circle of Live club performances have quickly become a “must-see” in the electronic music community. These sets are reasonably frequent, remarkably so given the logistics of transporting such a large team and their hardware setups across the globe, and they’re also singular in their ability to stimulate your mind and body. In the past year alone, Circle of Live has performed at Freerotation (festival founder Steevio has been a member from day one), Portugal’s Waking Life, Mutek Montreal, and, of course, the legendary Movement Detroit. Mullaert and his team are also now working on a concert-show, Circle of Live: In Concert, having already performed at Berlin’s Funkhaus and Malmö Live. Completing the project is Circle of Live: In Dreams, a sleep concert series premiered at Intonal Festival 2019 and coming to ADE Amsterdam next week.

This week’s XLR8R podcast is a two-hour segment of Circle of Live’s jam at Movement Detroit 2019, which took place on a little pop up stage placed in the middle of the festival area. Alongside Mullaert were Amp Fiddler, Mathew Jonson, and Vril, for his first ever show.

“I love to start with ambient music, but here there was no opportunity to play music at low volume as sounds from the other stages were throbbing through the air. And there wasn’t much time to either contemplate or sync between us; we had to press start and go! Mathew [Jonson] picked a tempo—90bpm, I picked a key (G minor, what a surprise!), Vril picked a badass gangster groove, and Amp [Fiddler] just smiled, spread his love, and started to spread the chords from his synths. How the next four hours took form no one knows, but it was an amazing journey to be part of, and listening to the first two hours, that we are sharing with you now, brings back many warm smiles to my face. Be prepared for the most jam-y and Detroit-y Circle of Live jam so far!” — Sebastian Mullaert

Editor note: The podcast is available for stream only. The download is available exclusively for XLR8R+ members, where you can also download exclusive tracks from Mullaert, Vril, Amp Fiddler, and Mathew Jonson. In there too you’ll also find a ‘Live Essentials’ feature detailing the gear used in the jam. DOWNLOAD HERE.

XLR8R has now joined Mixcloud Select, meaning that to download the podcast you will need to subscribe to our Select channel. The move to Mixcloud Select will ensure that all the producers with music featured in our mixes get paid. You can read more about it here.