Throne Of Blood US At Juno Download

Review: If you'd had US producer Brendon Moeller down as a dub techno artist, then you're in for a surprise The title track does feature Moeller's robust beats and heavy rhythms, but it's the melancholic synth musings and tearing bass that remove it from the echo chamber cliches. "In A Trance In France" also pushes Moeller into a different direction; there, rolling drums and muffled vocals combine with swirling, ethereal melodies to create a deep techno/house hybrid. Moeller has more surprises: on "Hootin & Tootin", he combines jazzy sax squalls with waves of moody synths, while "Comet" sees him effortlessly fuse clipped beats with sensuous strings.

Review: Rare amongst the bloggerati for retaining a passion and knowledge of electronic music that sits far beyond whatever lands in their inbox, Feel My Bicep's in house production duo Bicep continue to demonstrate a flourishing penchant for all things house - once again delivering an expert EP for the Throne Of Blood label. Cunningly titled EP2, Messrs Ferguson and McBrair adopts a suitably smooth analogue poise on opening gambit "Silk" with sparse 808 excursions allowing the acid tinged rhythms the focus of attention they deserve. "Purple Sweat" slows proceedings down somewhat, with a thick gloopy bass line that gradually accrues a menacing tone amidst a cascading shower of textural light and percussion. Revealing a taste for pastry, "Choux" is perhaps the most accomplished production here, with a rough low end thrust primed for the warehouses offset by searching chord washes and gently bubbling acid before all vacate to make space for a simply gorgeous piano refrain. It's a complement to their productions that the accompanying, tightly wound refix of "Silk" from veteran producer Mark Verbos does in no way overshadow proceedings.

Review: The long-serving New York DJ has a proven track record behind the decks - but will he shine in the studio? The answer is an unequivocal yes. "Electric Light" is a classy take on dub techno, its liquid arrangement allowing a glassy chord sequence to flow over a humming bassline. It's no wonder that Brendon Moeller has been tasked with remixing it and he does this job with aplomb. Moeller's dub version adds a more blissed out feeling thanks to his use of chiming sounds, while the 'reshape' sees him deliver a spacey but driving version. By contrast, the title track is a tweaky acid affair with ghostly synths striving to be heard over the gurgling 303. Once again Throne of Blood have chosen the remixer perfectly, with Roman Flugel dropping a dance floor version punctuated by a nagging bass and tonal blips and bleeps.

Review: The latest release on this great little US label mixes and matches styles in a refreshingly non self-conscious manner. The title track starts off with plaintive piano keys which are quickly joined by dainty, 'intelligent techno' style melodies. A humming bass holds these elements together and, after a few false starts, it moves into a dance floor groove. "Delirium" turns out to be just as unpredictable. Based on a heavy bass and rattling break beats, it progresses into shuffling drum patterns, which provide the basis for light synths and a jazzy key sequence that wouldn't sound out of place on an Ian O'Brien record.

Review: Brooklyn-based duo Populette are getting increasingly hard to pin down. On this second release for the mighty Throne of Blood imprint, they hover somewhere between vintage deep house, shiny nu-disco and melody-driven analogue dreaminess. The title track is particularly intoxicating but especially difficult to place. It is, though, rather wonderful in its own way. "Hello Darkness" offers more analogue squelch and percussive swing amongst the classic house sound, but it still doesn't fit into any neat pigeonhole. The remixes are equally as puzzling - in the most thrilling of ways - with Clement Mayer's Deformhaus remix of "Hello Darkness" offering a clanking, minimal wave-meets-deep house odyssey.