Polaris Re-launches with ‘(Re)Birth in Spring’ EP

Polaris Re-launches with ‘(Re)Birth in Spring’ EP

11 June, 2008 | 10.57AM

• Written by: Amanda Connon-Unda
• Filed under: Music News: caspian rabone, polaris, secret weapon records

Caspian Rabone, the head of the Polaris Records in Toronto, Canada, has been hard at work since 1995 on a variety of music and art related activities.

The most recent and stellar release he has produced was released in May on Polaris, and is called ‘(Re)Birth in Spring’ EP.

With the feature track called ‘No More Frost’, evidently the album is all about new life after a dark winter, and it’s brimming with intention for the dance floor.

It’s no surprise that the topic is such, since in the last year Caspian has become a very happy father.

‘New Bulbs’ has a nice tracky sound, and is full of smooth bass, and percussive overtones.

The atmosphere is spacious and minimal at the same time.

You’ll hear rolling sounds and then a stab of mids at the mid-point in the song that resonate with the listener’s dark side.

‘Out of the Snow and Into the Rain’ sounds a bit like raindrops hitting the ground or window pane. 

‘Sparkles’ is more dubby, with a nice swinging introduction.

The breakdown in the middle of the track is a beat-free pause where one can sense that something more is hiding just around the corner.

Following this release, Caspian is set to have his track ‘The Plain Truth’ come out on Secret Weapon Records.

While Caspian has done plenty of work as a producer since 2000, in Toronto the techno scene had seen many event companies and labels become popular and only to fall into relative obscurity.

Now, however, after being dormant for three years, Caspian is re-launching the Polaris label.

He says, “The profile is very small at the moment, but we plan on releasing several tracks this year.

“And hopefully our olds fans will like what they hear as far as our new direction goes.”

Old and new fans alike can be proud of Polaris for its long history.

Caspian’s decade of work includes his first residency at La Grotta in Malta in 1995, starting Toronto’s first hard techno night @ Area 51 in 1997 and in 2005, joining the Blue Bookings roster of artists (along with techno heavy hitters: Marco Carola, Sven Vath, Chris Leibing, Speedy J, Steve Bug, and Adam Beyer).

As a label and event team, Polaris collaborated with many outfits incuding: DJ Glitch, Someoneelse, Format Recs., Restructured Records, Greg Gow, Jeff Cochran, Adam Winnick, ARA, Nice & Smooth, Final Flash, Play Records, and Tronic Treatment.

Polaris produced events such as ARMM (Anti-Racist-Music-Movement), warmUP, and CORE between 1999 to 2003.

Now in 2008, Caspian’s appreciation for a wider range of genres is evident in his newest productions.

His sounds are still techno, but they are also minimal, funky and housey, and there’s a warmer melodic component that has replaced the more brassic rhythms characteristic of his earlier work. 

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