Echocord Denmark At Juno Download

Review: Deadbeat, aka producer Scott Monteith does a neat trick with this two-track release. The A-side "Vampire" is a beautifully layered Minimal tune that shows off Deadbeat's abilities as a producer to the max, using some beautiful ambient atmospherics to conjure up a unique dreamscape. The Vampire Dub on the other hand is a half-speed, 60bpm version of the original that not only captures the unique drum sounds of a bonafide 70's dub-plate, it also makes for an interesting set closer or great transition record too. Fans of minimal tech should be looking forward to getting their teeth stuck in.

Review: Kenneth Christiansen's Echocord imprint presents a tight package that includes two of the best tracks taken off Fluxion's Perfused album from earlier this year, plus a dynamic remix of the title track from Deadbeat.

Following several years on hiatus, Fluxion has returned with a flurry of releases since 2009. Perfused was Konstantinos Soublis' second album in as many years and cemented his reputation for making ice cool dub-techno. Gaining praise as a collection of his most varied and vibrant tracks to date, the album found a new buoyancy and reduction of shadowy textures within his sound. Now, Echochord revisit the album's sound in a concise package.

"Perfuse" is a gently rolling, dub-techno masterpiece. It is a slow and pulsating track where the sound patterns emerge steadily into one huge organic movement. The sub bass is as deep as you can possibly go and each synth stab arrives with might and vigour. The Jamaican styled dub reggae of "Wabbler" looks back to the early influences of dub in this more unassuming track. It is a live track, recorded in only one take but still contains the depth of texture that is always present in Fluxion's work. Finishing the package is Deadbeat's up-tempo version of "Perfuse". The Canadian delivers a driving charge of dub-techno that pushes a fluid groove to the forefront of the track. With some intelligent spatial arrangements, this is one for connoisseurs of either dub or techno.

Review: With releases on seminal dub techno imprints Chain Reaction and Echocord, Fluxion has long found himself entrenched within techno's dubbier folklore. Here Konstantinos Soublis presents a three track sampler of his forthcoming Traces LP, with the added bonus of Thomas Fehlmann's remix of "Desert Night". Fluxion enlists the teachings of the late Dennis Brown in "No Man Is An Island", pitching traditional dub reggae elements alongside dub techno sensibilities. The Chain Reaction stalwart then showcases his production prowess by eloquently symphonising the dubby and atmospheric mannerisms of "Desert Night" with an uber deep house groove, quite possibly sending Sven Weisemann scampering for his notebooks in the process. Throbbing wooden drums add weight to "Butiama" as chord stabs and synthesised horns shots rest upon subtle textures, lightly deepened by breathy pads and reverberating hats, proving once again that Echocord's elders have still got it.

Review: The influence of Basic Channel and Chain Reaction can be heard on Traces, but unlike most dub techno, it sounds increasingly faint. The closest relation to the chugging, scuffled sound pioneered during the early to mid-90s comes on "Eruption", where gasping percussion and driving, metronome drums provide the basis for soulful synth lines and well-measured drops. "Motion 3" sees Fluxion adopt a jazzier approach with the drums in the background and sensuous chords to the fore, while for much of "Motion 2", Fluxion is in ambient mode, with widescreen sounds eventually giving way to a lazy rhythm. The Morphosis take on "Eruption" creates even more distance to dub techno, with squaling drones and crashing drums providing an unhinged counterpoint.

Review: Those who've yet to check Konstantinos "Fluxion" Soublis' excellent Traces album are advised to give this third sampler EP a whirl. Like Soublis' previous work, these tracks inhabit the middle ground between claustrophobic dub techno, eyes-wide-shut ambience and understated electronica. "Memba" is the closest thing to a straightforward club track, though it comes smothered in the sort of stoned effects that make it impenetrable to those outside the dub techno sphere (it is, though, very good). Opener "Mood", in contrast, is almost blissful in its pursuit of quiet, sun-drenched solitude. "Burst Mode" sits somewhere in between, both unashamedly beautiful (particularly in the case of Convexion's spacious ambient remix) and hypnotically rhythmic.

Review: The first Echocord release of 2013 sees Metal deliver a diverse EP for the Danish label. "Parre Work" is a stab-heavy groove built on robust, metallic drums, while "Retro" is, as its name suggests, an old school techno affair. Taking its inspiration from bleep techno, its grainy bass wobbles and lunges all over the place. However, Metal doesn't lose sight of his staple sound and "Until It's Over" is reminiscent of his mid-noughties work and should melt even the purest techno hearts. Underscored by tight claps, a melodic groove builds and builds, its arcing, trancey melody recalling the glory days of Kompakt.

Review: Denis Bog makes the transition from the relatively obscure Baum label to underground staple Echochord. Like the rest of the Danish outlet's releases, the overall mood here is evocative and introspective, but Bog belies the notion that the dub/ambient end of techno is incapable of providing unsettling sounds. Drawing more on Biosphere's legacy than Basic Channel's back catalogue, Bog presents "Minus & Plus" against a backdrop of tight, rolling drums and prowling chords. "Demoon" is less eerie, and it finds Bog in a mood approaching playfulness, as slow motion grooves underpin an undulating groove and the kind of wistful dub shanty sounds that's audibly inspired by Tikiman and Rhythm & Sound. It only proves to be a brief respite from the prevailing mood however; Hot Flush artist Sigha's take on "Minus & Plus" reverts to the sense of menace found on the original, while pushing it towards the dancefloor. A sinister, panning rhythm is the centrepiece, but the cold, almost detached percussive twists and sinister bleeps make this an unusual, eerie pleasure. Approach this release with caution and you'll have a great time.

Review: Man of many aliases (Conforce, K2vx, Mi-24, Vernon Facility, Versalife) Boris Bunnik launches another pseudonym, Silent Harbour, with an album of quiet atmospherics on Denmark's bastion of all things deep and ambient, Echochord. While his more familiar Conforce work is bluntly rhythmical and formidably dancefloor focused, Silent Harbour is an altogether more out-there beast. Blessed with his usual keen ear for atmospherics, much of the material sits somewhere between sparse ambience, hypnotic dub techno and glitchy IDM. It makes for an enjoyable and rewarding listen, as Bunnik flits between bubbling mood pieces of "Profundal Zone", smacked-out soundscapes such as "Saltwater Intrusion" the and icy introspection that characterizes "Movement".

Review: Kenneth Christiansen's label celebrates its tenth year in business without any fuss or the whiff of the understated marketing campaigns that underpin some of Echocord's peers. Indeed, it is reasonable to say that the key to the Danish imprint's longevity has been to focus on the deeper, dubbier side of techno, without worrying too much about what all around them are doing. Put simply, Echocord was releasing textured techno for the head and the floor before and after it was trendy to do so. Unsurprisingly, the Echocord Jubilee Compilation manages to capture these two spheres. It opens with the ethereal, wistful "Tides" by Fluxion, which slides into the shantying "My Safe Harbour" by Quantec. By the time that Deadbeat's contribution appears, the tempo has gradually gone up thanks to the Canadian's trademark tribal drums and Onmutu Mechanicks's contribution turns the mood slightly more menacing as "Calyx" marches to the beat of metallic drums and teems with foreboding chords. This being Echocord however, reflective and evocative sensibilities are never too far away, and Luke Hess's "Kratos", although based on clipped drums, boasts breathy, shimmering melodies. Christiansen also proves that he has a keen ear for potential crossover tracks, and Intrusion/Echospace producer Stephen Hitchell's "Fox Convextion", with its pulsing bassline and uplifting hooks, could propel this label into the spotlight that so many lesser, hype-driven labels occupy.

Review: Under his XDB guise, Kosta Athanassiadis has been responsible for killer dubby techno and deep house releases on Sistrum and Metrolux. The fact that he's releasing on Echocord suggests that he is keen to highlight the dub side of his productions, but the opposite is true. The title track is a deep, dreamy affair, with XDB deploying a squelching, throbbing bass with devastating effect. Meanwhile, "Blakpin" is more sombre and showcases his esoteric side, as ghostly analogue synths and eerie horns wind their way through a shuffling groove. Finally, Sven Weismann scatters rattling percussion over brittle beats for his understated yet individualistic take on "Apari".