Petrichor

Alex Smoke

The word Petrichor is derived from the Greek words 'petros', meaning stone and 'ichor' - the ethereal fluid that flows through the veins of immortal beings. In modern culture, it refers to the sweet smell that fills the air when it rains after a period of dryness, something which evokes memories of childhood summers for Glasgow based techno producer Simon Stokes.

It is this nostalgia for times gone by that fuels the production of his new Petrichor project, launched in 2013 on Soma Records. The music is typified not only by the warm, evolving sound that is dominated by melodies and field recordings as much as it is by rhythms, but also by the retrospective methods by which they were recorded. Moving back to his hardware roots for this project, Stokes utilises his arsenal of analogue and digital synthesisers, drum machines, tape echoes and effects to create a sound that is not only warm and innovative, but also familiar and classic.

Petrichor's live set is a form of art in itself, marrying together hardware and software to create and audio visual spectacle that marks the coming of age for this producer. See attached linked Youtube video for his live version of 'Mangata' - the title track from his latest album release on Soma.