Arovane

Arovane is the recording name of German electronic music artist Uwe Zahn.

Biography

Zahn was born in Germany in 1965. He first began experimenting with rudimentary audio equipment and keyboards when he was 15. Over the years he continued experimenting and developing his sound, even learning to play the clarinet at one point. In the late 80s he was dealing increasingly with synthesizers and turntablism and deconstruction of hip hop beats. In 1989 Zahn began creating music with a collective of electronic musicians in Munich. This collective, known as S.A.M., was dedicated to creating live, free, electronic improvisational music and operated in Germany.

In 1991 Zahn built his own studio in Berlin and his initial works could be compared to a breakbeat influenced sound.

Throughout the 90s Zahn lived in Berlin and continued creating electronic music. After working for a radio station for a time he caught the attention of electronic music label Din. The late 90s saw his first 2 EPs Atol Scrap for Din and Tides for CCO which gained him a degree of notoriety and acclaim mainly in Germany and then throughout the world in the IDM, ambient, and electronic music scene. There was also a number of compilation appearances and collaborations released during this time. Since the productive early Arovane years of 1999 and 2000 there have been a collaboration with Phonem and one additional album release, Lilies, in 2004. It may be significant that the last track on that album is called "Goodbye Forever" – no further releases from Arovane has surfaced after the release of Lilies.

Although Arovane is somewhat well known among the "bedroom" techno and IDM communities, the music has not reached this level of success among mainstream pop culture.

Nedjev is a side project by Zahn.

The Arovane Sound

Arovane's sound can be characterized as ethereal, intellectually melodic, organic, warm and ambient yet technically involved with structured, often heavy, breakbeat and hip hop influenced beats. It is richly layered with synths and textured distortions and focuses more on generating a melancholy nostalgic feeling than 4-on-the-floor dance beats. The tempos are midrange and Arovane has been labeled as IDM by many.

Although the melodic richness remains intact, the resulting sound from the Arovane and Phonem collaboration Aer (Valid) is perhaps more robotic and cold than what could be considered typical Arovane and harkens back to some facets of Arovanes early works, such as Icol Diston.

Arovane can possibly be compared to a blend between the robotic glitch sound of early Autechre and the expansive open synth-laden fields of Boards of Canada. Zahn and his music are often referred to as being melodically advanced.

Tides LP

Tracks throughout Tides contain the gentle washing sounds of waves and tides and summer nights seamlessly comingling and modulating with arpeggieted-type synths and instruments backed with smooth distant organic and synthetic drums and basslines.

Discography

• Icol Diston (Din, 2002. A collection of early releases)
• Atol Scrap (Din, 2000)
• Tides (2000)
• AER (Valid) (Vertical Form, 2001. A collaboration with Phonem)
• Lilies (2004)

External links

• Official website
• Arovane discography @ Discogs.com
• allmusic page @allmusic.com