Entity (netlabel)

Entity is a netlabel specialising in experimental electronic music. The label was established in 2003 by Belgian musicians Jan Robbe and Nico de Gols, working under the monikers UndaCova and Kaebin Yield, respectively. Formed from the remnants of the now defunct dark ambient/noise netlabel Tinnitus, Entity has since expanded its repertoire to include many different genres,^[1] and has released music by artists from all over the world. In 2005 Gols parted ways with Entity, leaving Robbe as the sole label manager. Entity is a nonprofit netlabel that distributes its releases for free under Creative Commons licenses,^[2] hosted by file repositories Archive.org and Scene.org.

Notable in the label's catalogue are releases by Robbe himself, who goes under the names Atomhead, Erratic and UndaCova;^[3] Entity-born collaborative groups xE Phalanx and Idle Sunder, Hecq, Xanopticon, Hangars Liquides-owner La Peste, Zavoloka, Subskan, Sytrjv, Cisfinitum, and many others. Entity celebrated its 40th release with Tetroid 2012; a game and electronic music compilation. It has been described as a "psychedelic Tetris clone (with references to Mr. Driller and Arkanoid as well), featuring 21 music artists. It is meant to bring experimental electronic music closer to the people."^[4] Entity marked its 50th release with a follow-up compilation entitled Vortex, which was acclaimed by one journalist as the "singular apogee of Entity's artistic vision".^[5] It was played on Mary Anne Hobbs' Radio 1's Experimental Show, which often features Entity artists Barbarix and Herd.

In 2004 a micropayments system was implemented, allowing listeners to donate directly to the artists, as well as help finance server costs and future physical releases. The following year "micro-releases" were introduced; short EPs which can be purchased through paypal for a nominal fee. So far three releases have been distributed this way.

Entity is commonly associated with the terms "flashcore" and "cybercore", which are used to describe an acousmatic form of highly-complex hardcore techno.^[6] Considered a leading proponent of the style,^[7] Entity has released albums by flashcore artists such as Atomhead/UndaCova, Kaebin Yield and Sedarka.

Artists

Catalogue

Note: other labels' discographies presented in this catalogue include:

• Tinnitus (TNS); a netlabel founded in 2002 by Nico de Gols, which is the precursor to Entity.^[8] Its primary focus was on power electronics, noise, abstract industrial and musique concrète. Breakcore and speedcore were also explored in its first and final compilation, Digital Insanity Compilation v1.0, featuring artists such as Ed Flis and Pr0metheus burning. Tinnitus closed in 2003 when the illegal server that hosted it was shut down. The "lost" Tinnitus releases have since been re-uploaded by the cyber-organization Scene.org.^[9]

References

External links

• Official site
• The main Entity Portal
• Entity at Last.fm
• Entity Group at Last.fm
• Entity at Discogs
• Entity at Myspace