Liquid Stranger
Encyclopedia
Martin Stääf aka Liquid Stranger, is a Swedish
-born electronic music
ian, described by Generation Bass
as ”the epitome of Transnational Dubstep
covering everything from Latin
, Asian, Eastern European and Jamaican
Dancehall
dubs.” Martin Stääf is known for his experimental approach to composition where he merges genres to create a unique style of music. Martin Woods of Chillbase describes Liquid Stranger's music as a “unique blend of Ambience
, Big Band
Jazz
, Dubstep and Psychedelica
drizzled over electronic Dub
Reggae
grooves.” Stääf lives in Scottsdale
, Arizona
.
on the Swedish
West Coast. He started playing the piano
and did classical piano concerts between the ages of 6-8. Stääf started experimenting with synthesizer
s in the mid 80s and abandoned the classical music world to spend the next 10 years producing his own material. Stääf states: ”I never thought about releasing any of my music until I was 17. Then, all of a sudden, it was time to get a job and I realized that there was nothing else I wanted to do at that time than making music.”
and rock
bands. During this time he also made a song for the Euro-Vision contest.
In 1997 Martin Stääf formed the outfit Necton together with Patrik Olsén, mainly focusing on progressive and psychedelic trance
. Necton released two full length albums, 6 vinyl EP
s, and were featured on numerous CD compilations. They were signed to Spirit Zone Recordings, Digital Structures and Spiral Trax. Necton toured extensively around the world between 1997-2003.
During this time, Martin Stääf released Nu Skool Breaks
on labels Ministry Of Sound
, Sound Of Habib, Muti Music, Random Recordings, Hope Recordings, and Muve Recordings under the alias Rhoca. Stääf also released funky Techno on Iboga
Records, Plusquam Records, and Nanobeat Records.
Liquid Stranger's creative output ranges from suggestive Ambient
soundscapes to movie scores, pop
, dub
, infernalia, drill n bass, and electronica
.
The first release under the name Liquid Stranger was the song Environmental Meltdown, featured on the compilation Global Psychedelic Chill Out - Compilation Vol. 4 by Spirit Zone Recordings.
When asked in an interview why he moved away from the trance scene, Stääf replied: ”I never really switched per se, I have always made tons of different types of music. During the time I toured with Necton, I produced various stuff like Ambient, Electro and Drill n bass.
What excites me is the fusing of genres. I have no fixed style that I stay with too long, I do not like boundaries.”
During the Candy Mind era, Martin Stääf and his brother started the duo Hectopascal. They released the full-length album Anywhere And Me on Kahvi records. The Ep's Pixels and Pixies, and Alive In Veddige were released on Candy Mind Records.
The song We Meet At Last appeared on the compilation Bliminal, and was licensed by Velcrow Ripper for the film Fierce Light – Where Spirit Meets Action, released in 2008.
This album saw Liquid Stranger moving significantly into heavier Dubstep and reggae influenced grooves. Vocalists Brother Culture, Danman, Deeyah
and Warrior Queen are featured on the album. Seb Taylor
from Kaya Project plays Steel Guitar
on the songs His Fully Automatic Wheelbarrow, and Dew Point.
Dub-connection wrote of the album ”the production varies and waves between a electro-dub chill-out and powerful tracks in the limit of drum and bass with a bit of stepper to spice the sound.” Morpheus Music wrote of the album ”The diverse roots of Liquid Stranger's sound sprawl across electro, ambient, grime, global, breaks and garage.” Sun Is Shining
wrote ”Some albums float your boat with one or two tracks becoming ingrained in your mind for days, weeks and even months. Once in a blue moon an album levitates that boat out of the water and into the clouds. LS’s long awaited second album is certainly filed in the latter category.”
songs, described by Music and Happy Life as "totally devastating dance-floor monsters." The album received high praise in the electronic music scene, with the song "Ripple" hitting number 1 on Beatport
's top download charts for an extended period of time.
that his main influence comes from music from vintage computer games. In an interview with Chillbase, Stääf says that he does not listen to music all that much, except when he is on a concert. In the same interview Stääf explains that he gets inspiration from movie soundtracks, dreams, and everyday life.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
-born electronic music
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
ian, described by Generation Bass
Generation Bass
Generation Bass is a blog founded in February 2009 by Vincent Koreman . In May 2009, DJ Umb joined the blog. They are the co-owners & co-editors of the Generation Bass blog and Digital Music Label....
as ”the epitome of Transnational Dubstep
Dubstep
Dubstep is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in south London, England. Its overall sound has been described as "tightly coiled productions with overwhelming bass lines and reverberant drum patterns, clipped samples, and occasional vocals"....
covering everything from Latin
Latin American music
Latin American music, found within Central and South America, is a series of musical styles and genres that mixes influences from Spanish, African and indigenous sources, that has recently become very famous in the US.-Argentina:...
, Asian, Eastern European and Jamaican
Music of Jamaica
The music of Jamaica includes Jamaican folk music and many popular genres, such as mento, ska, rocksteady, reggae, dub music, dancehall, reggae fusion and related styles. Jamaica's music culture is a fusion of elements from the United States , Africa, and neighboring Caribbean islands such as...
Dancehall
Dancehall
Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s. In the mid-1980s, digital instrumentation became more prevalent, changing the sound considerably,...
dubs.” Martin Stääf is known for his experimental approach to composition where he merges genres to create a unique style of music. Martin Woods of Chillbase describes Liquid Stranger's music as a “unique blend of Ambience
Ambient music
Ambient music is a musical genre that focuses largely on the timbral characteristics of sounds, often organized or performed to evoke an "atmospheric", "visual" or "unobtrusive" quality.- History :...
, Big Band
Big band
A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...
Jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, Dubstep and Psychedelica
Psychedelic music
Psychedelic music covers a range of popular music styles and genres, which are inspired by or influenced by psychedelic culture and which attempt to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues-rock bands in the...
drizzled over electronic Dub
Dub music
Dub is a genre of music which grew out of reggae music in the 1960s, and is commonly considered a subgenre, though it has developed to extend beyond the scope of reggae...
Reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
grooves.” Stääf lives in Scottsdale
Scottsdale, Arizona
Scottsdale is a city in the eastern part of Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, adjacent to Phoenix. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2010 the population of the city was 217,385...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
.
Early Years
Martin Stääf was born 13 November 1978 in VarbergVarberg
Varberg is a locality and the seat of Varberg Municipality, Halland County, Sweden with 26,041 inhabitants in 2005.Varberg and all of Halland are well known for their 'typical west coast' sandy beaches. In Varberg the coast changes from wide sandy beaches to rocky terrain that continues north into...
on the Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
West Coast. He started playing the piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
and did classical piano concerts between the ages of 6-8. Stääf started experimenting with synthesizer
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
s in the mid 80s and abandoned the classical music world to spend the next 10 years producing his own material. Stääf states: ”I never thought about releasing any of my music until I was 17. Then, all of a sudden, it was time to get a job and I realized that there was nothing else I wanted to do at that time than making music.”
Early career: late 1990s
Martin Stääf worked in the commercial studio Bohus Sound Recordings 1997-1999 and engineered/produced various jazzJazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
and rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
bands. During this time he also made a song for the Euro-Vision contest.
In 1997 Martin Stääf formed the outfit Necton together with Patrik Olsén, mainly focusing on progressive and psychedelic trance
Psychedelic trance
Psychedelic trance, psytrance or just psy is a form of electronic music characterized by hypnotic arrangements of synthetic rhythms and complex layered melodies created by high tempo riffs. It appeared in the mainstream in 1995 as with reporting of the trend of Goa trance. The genre offers variety...
. Necton released two full length albums, 6 vinyl EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
s, and were featured on numerous CD compilations. They were signed to Spirit Zone Recordings, Digital Structures and Spiral Trax. Necton toured extensively around the world between 1997-2003.
During this time, Martin Stääf released Nu Skool Breaks
Nu skool breaks
Nu skool breaks is a term used to describe a sub-genre of breakbeat. The sub-genre is usually characterized by its darker and heavier bass lines that are normally dominant throughout the track...
on labels Ministry Of Sound
Ministry of Sound
Ministry of Sound London, commonly referred to as simply Ministry of Sound or MoS, is a nightclub based in London, United Kingdom and an associated record label. It was ranked fourth in the 2010 DJ Magazine top 100 clubs poll 2010. As well as the nightclub in London, there is another in Egypt and...
, Sound Of Habib, Muti Music, Random Recordings, Hope Recordings, and Muve Recordings under the alias Rhoca. Stääf also released funky Techno on Iboga
Iboga
Tabernanthe iboga or Iboga is a perennial rainforest shrub and hallucinogen, native to western Central Africa. Iboga stimulates the central nervous system when taken in small doses and induces visions in larger doses. In parts of Africa where the plant grows the bark of the root is chewed for...
Records, Plusquam Records, and Nanobeat Records.
The Liquid Stranger Project: 2003–2009
Martin Stääf launched the Liquid Stranger project in 2003. His intention was to have one alias that would encompass all his musical output. Consequently, he has produced a wide variety of music under the name Liquid Stranger. At first, Stääf's plan was to keep his identity a secret. He never did interviews or showed his face on stage. Stääf states: ”After a while it became quite tricky. in fact, Interchill finally ruined this idea by writing my name on the record sleeves.”Liquid Stranger's creative output ranges from suggestive Ambient
Ambient music
Ambient music is a musical genre that focuses largely on the timbral characteristics of sounds, often organized or performed to evoke an "atmospheric", "visual" or "unobtrusive" quality.- History :...
soundscapes to movie scores, pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
, dub
Dub music
Dub is a genre of music which grew out of reggae music in the 1960s, and is commonly considered a subgenre, though it has developed to extend beyond the scope of reggae...
, infernalia, drill n bass, and electronica
Electronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
.
The first release under the name Liquid Stranger was the song Environmental Meltdown, featured on the compilation Global Psychedelic Chill Out - Compilation Vol. 4 by Spirit Zone Recordings.
When asked in an interview why he moved away from the trance scene, Stääf replied: ”I never really switched per se, I have always made tons of different types of music. During the time I toured with Necton, I produced various stuff like Ambient, Electro and Drill n bass.
What excites me is the fusing of genres. I have no fixed style that I stay with too long, I do not like boundaries.”
Subnatura collective
In 2003, Martin Stääf founded the musical collective Subnatura together with Marckus Andersson. Subnatura released 12 digital Ep's and were featured on net label Monotonik and the video DVD Collectanea: First Course, released by Escapi Music.Candy Mind Records
In 2004, Martin Stääf founded the record label Candy Mind Records together with his brother Jens Stääf. Candy Mind Records released 33 digital Ep's, and one full-length CD release from Dorothy's Magic Bag.During the Candy Mind era, Martin Stääf and his brother started the duo Hectopascal. They released the full-length album Anywhere And Me on Kahvi records. The Ep's Pixels and Pixies, and Alive In Veddige were released on Candy Mind Records.
Interchill Records
In 2005, Stääf got signed to Canadian label Interchill Records. The song Political Finga was featured on Earth Octave Lounge Vol. 2, and received high praise from the dub community. The song Liquid Stranger On The Run appeared on the compilation Dissolving Clouds and got frequent plays on underground radio. Rick Anderson of Allmusic wrote about Liquid Stranger “As someone who has previously worked in progressive rock, punk, techno, breakbeat, and IDM genres, Staaf brings a certain sophistication to his Interchill-style dubtronica, and there is lots to hear for those who take the trouble to listen closely: the brass and orchestral samples bubbling beneath the surface of the gently churning dub of Liquid Stranger on the Run.”The song We Meet At Last appeared on the compilation Bliminal, and was licensed by Velcrow Ripper for the film Fierce Light – Where Spirit Meets Action, released in 2008.
The Invisible Conquest
The first full-length Liquid Stranger album, The Invisible Conquest, was released by Interchill Records in 2007. A bass-heavy album with melodic bass lines, percussive grooves, tribal accents and minimal psychedelic overlays. The Invisible Conquest received high ratings and praise from critics. Properly Chilled wrote of the album ”Liquid Stranger's sound has the grandeur of its peers without building an humongous ego. . .we give this record two thumbs way up and a standing ovation”, and Raves.com described it as ”A taste of the experimental, a chunk of tribal, all wrapped around a root of dub excellence. . .dub vibes that shoot right through to the middle of your gut.” Morpeus Music describes the music of Liquid Stranger as ”Bass driven atmospheric chillout. Liquid Stranger creates mostly instrumental montages with strong rhythmic content.”The Intergalactic Slapstick
The second full-length Liquid Stranger album was released by Interchill Records in 2009.This album saw Liquid Stranger moving significantly into heavier Dubstep and reggae influenced grooves. Vocalists Brother Culture, Danman, Deeyah
Deeyah
Deeyah , born August 7, 1977 in Oslo, Norway, is a Norwegian singer,music producer, composer, film maker and human rights activist of Punjabi/Pashtun descent. She adopted the name Deeyah in 2002...
and Warrior Queen are featured on the album. Seb Taylor
Seb Taylor
Sebastian James Taylor is a composer & producer based in London, UK. He is a core member of the world music duo Angel Tears.Most widely known for his electronic music projects, Shakta, Digitalis, and Kaya Project which cover styles as diverse as Breakbeat, World Music, PsyTrance & more Orchestral...
from Kaya Project plays Steel Guitar
Steel guitar
Steel guitar is a type of guitar or the method of playing the instrument. Developed in Hawaii in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a steel guitar is usually positioned horizontally; strings are plucked with one hand, while the other hand changes the pitch of one or more strings with the use...
on the songs His Fully Automatic Wheelbarrow, and Dew Point.
Dub-connection wrote of the album ”the production varies and waves between a electro-dub chill-out and powerful tracks in the limit of drum and bass with a bit of stepper to spice the sound.” Morpheus Music wrote of the album ”The diverse roots of Liquid Stranger's sound sprawl across electro, ambient, grime, global, breaks and garage.” Sun Is Shining
Sun is Shining
"Sun Is Shining" is a song by Bob Marley & The Wailers first appearing on the Lee Perry-produced album Soul Revolution in 1971, and then on African Herbsman in 1973. Marley later re-recorded the song for his 1978 album Kaya. In 1999 a reggae fusion remix by "Bob Marley vs. Funkstar De Luxe" reached...
wrote ”Some albums float your boat with one or two tracks becoming ingrained in your mind for days, weeks and even months. Once in a blue moon an album levitates that boat out of the water and into the clouds. LS’s long awaited second album is certainly filed in the latter category.”
The Private Riot
The third full-length Liquid Stranger album was released on Rottun Recordings in 2010. This album features 10 dark and energetic DubstepDubstep
Dubstep is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in south London, England. Its overall sound has been described as "tightly coiled productions with overwhelming bass lines and reverberant drum patterns, clipped samples, and occasional vocals"....
songs, described by Music and Happy Life as "totally devastating dance-floor monsters." The album received high praise in the electronic music scene, with the song "Ripple" hitting number 1 on Beatport
Beatport
Beatport is an online music store specializing in electronic dance music and culture. Beatport is a privately held company owned and operated by Beatport LLC and based in Denver, Colorado.-History:...
's top download charts for an extended period of time.
Influences
Martin Stääf mentioned in an interview on BBC radioBBC Radio
BBC Radio is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927. For a history of BBC radio prior to 1927 see British Broadcasting Company...
that his main influence comes from music from vintage computer games. In an interview with Chillbase, Stääf says that he does not listen to music all that much, except when he is on a concert. In the same interview Stääf explains that he gets inspiration from movie soundtracks, dreams, and everyday life.
Albums
- Anywhere And Me (2005)
- The Invisible Conquest (2007)
- The Intergalactic Slapstick (2009)
- The Private Riot (2010)
- Mechanoid Meltdown (2010)
- The Arcane Terrain (2011)
- The Renegade Crusade (2012) | Not Released
Singles
- It Came From The Dessert (2003)
- Subsonic Soil (2004)
- Pixies And Pixels (2004)
- Dead Or Alive (2005)
- Spores (2005)
- Alive In Veddige (2005)
- Banana(Electro)Split (2006)
- Monster (2009)
- Steel Trap (2009)
Tracks appear on
- Collectanea First Course - "Impossible Mission" (2003)
- Global Psychedelic Chill Out Vol. 4 - "Environmental Meltdown" (2003)
- Subnatural Soundscapes Vol I - "From The Sky" (2003)
- Purple Pollen - "Bismarch" (2004)
- Some Candy Before Christmas - "Ginger Bread Juice" (2004)
- Sound Of Subnatura - "Onda Ögat" (2004)
- Burning Chocolate - " Den Infekterade Terminalen" (2005)
- Dissolving Clouds - "Liquid Stranger On The Run" (2005)
- Earth Octave Lounge Vol. 2 - "Political Finga" (2005)
- Promotion CD 2005 - "Velour, Bleck" (2005)
- Electromeister 1.0 - "Smeartest" (2006)
- Masters Of The Green Insects - "Jakten På Guldpokalerna" (2006)
- New World Dub 01 - "Political Finga" (2006)
- A Beginning Of An End - "I And I" (2007)
- Bliminal - "We Meet At Last" (2007)
- Amenorea Dubs (Volume 01) - "Zenmaniax" (2008)
- One Dub - "Welcome To My Culvert" (2009)
- dimmSummer presents: Nu Asian SoundZ - "Hexed and Perplexed featuring Deeyah" (2010)
- dimmSummer presents: SUBcontinentalBASS - "Fist of Fury" (2011)
Remixes
- "Slem - Denri (Liquid Stranger Remix)" 2004)
- "Dorothy's Magic Bag - Ghostmachine (Liquid Stranger Laxative Remix)" (2004)
- "Hectopascal - Svälj Din Saliv (Liquid Stranger Remix)" (2004)
- "Goto80 - Wombatman (Liquid Stranger's Duplomix)(2005)"
- "Bruno Ferrari - Jean Gabin (Liquid Stranger's Duplomix)" (2005)
- "Dorothy's Magic Bag - Monster (Liquid Stranger Remix)" (2006)
- "Bombay Dub Orchestra - Journey (Liquid Stranger's Sliptrip Edit)" (2009)
- "Goto80 - Breakfast (Liquid Stranger's Gourmet Mixture)" (2009)
- "Specialist & Tru Skool - Dhaaru Pee Ke (Liquid Stranger Remix)" (2010)
- "Love Avalanche - Less Corruption (Liquid Stranger Remix)"(2010)
- "El Diablo - Devil in the Machine (Liquid Stranger Remix)"(2011)
Releases on
- Adversion Recordings
- Amenorea
- Bleep Street
- Candy Mind Records
- Escapi
- Flexible
- High Chai Recordings
- Interchill Records
- Kahvi Collective
- Monotonik
- Rottun Recordings
- Six Degrees
- Sonic Walker
- Spirit Zone Recordings
- Subnatura
- System Recordings
External links
- Official Facebook page.
- Liquid Stranger discography at DiscogsDiscogsDiscogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. The Discogs servers, currently hosted under the domain name discogs.com, are owned by Zink Media, Inc., and are...
. - Liquid Stranger artist page at MyspaceMyspaceMyspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
.