Artist: Ma Spaventi/Aroy Dee Title: Wrecking/Mr Floyd Label: M>O>S Deep Genre: Growling techno Format: 10"
There’s something strangely appealing about M>O>S Deep releasing music on a 10” record; the compact size and the neat packaging are complemented by the fact that each piece of music is so stripped down, raw and full of sub-bass that they can barely press it onto such a small and lovable piece of wax. And in keeping with releases from 2AM/FM and D’Marc Cantu, the tenth release for M>O>S Deep – a split EP with Ma Spaventi and label boss Aroy Dee – features two tracks packed with so much raw power that the grooves struggle to tie them down.
The record opens with Spaventi’s “Wrecking”, a stripped down track consisting almost solely of growling acid lines. The whole piece of music seemingly hangs on a menacing and aggressive 303 workout set at a snail’s pace and interspersed with crisp hi-hats and a kick drum soaked in reverb. It’s Spaventi’s use of texture that really keeps this jam moving. Random expulsions of noxious gas creep out from beneath this pounding, dance floor burner, transporting its listener deep into the core of the planet, where each new noise signals danger, and every step takes you deeper into a bubbling pit of black lava.
Aroy Dee provides balance with the flipside and his peculiarly titled “Mr Floyd”. In typical Dee style the track features an unending parade of blissed out pads, gentle textures and layer upon layer of deep house. It gently nudges you along, revealing more depth with each passing minute, allowing the full-bodied percussion to gently build the tension before it melts to nothing amongst his perpetually translucent synth work. The record is a great representation of the label itself, and really captures the two aesthetics that encompass M>O>S Deep; raw, rugged and outward-facing box jams, and touching, soulful and deeply introspective house music.
Artist: Hyetal Title: Searchlight Label: Black Acre Genre: Warbling, synth-laden electronica Format: 12", Digital
With all the dubstep-gone-house kerfuffle currently engulfing the UK scene, it’s very intriguing to observe the myriad reactions and interpretations to be found about the place. Of course the argument for many artists would be that they were never strictly dubstep, and true enough a lot of the purist producers (say, the DMZ crew or the likes of Distance) are still plying their trade without a hint of 4/4 touching their productions. Hyetal was certainly testing the limits of dubstep when he first emerged with his glossy, warbling synth-laden sound, and then last years Broadcast LP smacked the script out of context altogether.
After giving the release ample breathing room, Hyetal returns to revisit one of the album’s highlights, “Searchlight”. This new “Night Mix” of the track keeps the haunting, dramatic feel of the original intact. The melodies still overlap in a thick melee of broad brush strokes and subtle speckles, evoking twinkling, fantasy landscapes in the way that only Hyetal tracks can. However, the beat has been quite simply jacked up, with a solid 4/4 kick hammering away underneath and some rapid-fire hats ticking away overhead.
It’s a simple trick and it does the track no injustice whatsoever. The 80s soundtrack nature of Hyetal’s music remains, not least in the gargantuan snare hits; it’s just that the groove has switched up from a broken beat to a straight one. The “Let No Man Put Asunder” vocal hook also graduates from a fleeting moment to a repeating feature, humanising the otherwise otherworldly realms the track inhabits. It may be a canny move to “house-up” the track in the current climate, but it’s certainly done no harm.
Stay+ is summoned forth to deliver the remix, and his take packs a touch more wonky swagger to it in the stop-start groove of the intro. Once again the core swathes of melody are present, but everything melts into the background behind the nagging beat, before simmering down to a heavily reverbed breakdown that lets the vocal hook decay into infinity. The drop packs a synth that comes on a touch jarring, full of the kind of hype you find in trance records, but the surrounding elements smooth out this somewhat unwelcome surprise.
Really though it’s Hyetal’s own interpretation that deserves attention, adding a new dimension to the track compared to its album origins and placing it in a new kind of record bag where it could serve just as great a purpose. It could have been easy for him to chisel away and create something utterly different, but in this instance its good that he hasn’t.
Artist: Secret Circuit Title: Nebula Sphynx Label: Beats In Space Genre: Weapon Wielding Robotic Chimp Music Format: 12", Digital
Even in a place as densely populated with tastemakers as New York City, Tim Sweeney stands out. Through his immaculate weekly Beats In Space radio show, Sweeney has proved time and time again that he not only has the nose for a good tune, but he’s not afraid to search the stranger fringes of electronic music for inspiration. Given this impeccable track record, it was probably inevitable that he would turn his hand to running a label at some point. It was always likely, too, that the label would release bold and forthright music that doesn’t fit into any neat pigeonholes.
The first release on Beats In Space Records, the decidedly wonky, near cosmic synth-out Parfait Tirage by Paradis, certainly fits that remit. The same can be said of this second 12” on Sweeney’s fledgling imprint. Featuring two tracks by Laughing Light of Plenty man Edward Ruscha, Nebula Sphynx is a weirdly beguiling record that eschews the familiar and comfortable in favour of stranger, more alluring sounds.
The title track itself sets the tone. While its quiet, bleeping opening melodies (very reminiscent of 020’s early-90s cut “Midnight In Europe”) suggest what follows will be ethereal rather than intense, it quickly changes mood. Razor-sharp, low register synthesizer arpeggios do battle with vintage drum machine beats, hypnotic melodies and the sort of spiraling electronic effects that sound like they’ve been beamed down from some far-off star. As it progresses, these melodies and effects take over, shepherding a robotic, brain-melting concoction towards a supernova-like climax. If the earth is ever overrun by robotic chimps wielding weapons fashioned from circuit boards and faux oak effect keyboards, we can expect more music like this.
Flipside “Parascopic Rope” takes a more measured – if equally out-there – approach. Laden with dub effects and apocalyptic electronic noises, it rises and falls like some kind of synthesized metallic tide. While its woozy synth melodies are reminiscent of Throbbing Gristle man Chris Carter (and specifically his thrilling Mondo-Beat album), the clanking, dubwise percussion and Radiophonic Workshop effects scream Emperor Machine. Yet this is no copy, and there’s an aggression and intoxicating oddness to the whole thing that gives “Parasitic Rope” a rougher, more spaced-out feel than even Andrew Meecham’s most wild compositions. This isn’t so much the music of robotic, circuit board-loving monkeys, but rather unlikely aliens made out of nails, vintage IBM computers and slippery green pus. If the BBC’s 21st century Doctor Who revival boasted music like this, the world would be a much better place.
Artist: Mondkopf Title: Ease Your Pain Label: In Paradisum Genre: Techno Format: 12", Digital
French producer Mondkopf (aka Paul Régimbeau) has always seemingly stood apart from the musical trends that surround him since his arrival in 2008 with The (Declaration of) Principles EP on the Fool House label run by members of key “first wave” mp3 blog Fluokids. On that release there were moments of thumping electro that sounded very much of that time, but he also revealed a talent for glitchier fare that lead people to draw comparisons with Modeselektor.
Across two albums Mondkopf’s music has developed markedly from this early release, with 2009’s Galaxy Of Nowhere a sprawling collection of downtrodden electronica and widescreen orchestral moments melded with crunched and processed beats that read like an undervalued homage to his childhood heroes such as Aphex Twin and Chris Clark. Intriguingly, his pertinently titled second album Rising Doom was an altogether darker experience linked wholly to the emphasis of his live set, embracing with real intensity the influence of abrasive forms of metal music. It made for an overwhelming and at times uneasy listen, but you have to give Régimbeau credit for such a heart wrenching approach to electronic music.
Around the time Rising Doom was released, the producer established a new club night at Parisian venue The Rex Club named In Paradisum, with the obvious aim of inviting producers and DJs with a similarly all encompassing approach to music. To date luminaries such as Oneohtrix Point Never, Perc, Inigo Kennedy, Sandwell District and Demdike Stare have all played. Playing alongside such names has clearly proved influential in the producer’s decision to start a label of the same name, with this first release including some suitably uncompromising material.
Lead track “Ease Your Pain” engulfs your senses from the off with vast waves of harsh reverb rising over stilted drums, sounding very much like Fuck Buttons experimenting in the studio in the midst of an acid trip. This intensity is offset somewhat by the gradual implementation of flickering melodic patterns, but the monolithic pressure throughout is a thrill and it’s little surprise to hear Surgeon’s response upon hearing was that he’s “glad that not everybody is making fucking dub techno these days”.
Alongside it “Fading Rainbow” provides welcome respite, unfurling as it does into a gentle bed of calming ambient streaks that get increasingly disturbed by creaking found sounds and glitchy textures that fizzle away in the track’s nether regions as a sense of foreboding menace comes to the fore. The release is finished off with a remix of the lead track from Canadian producer Jesse Somfay, who somehow realigns the grinding sonics of the source into a near nine minute production more suited to the darkest, raviest recesses of the dance floor without losing any of its abrasive charm.
Artist: Tessela Title: Channel/D Jane Label: Punch Drunk Genre: Snapping beats & MPC funk Format: 12", Digital
In one of those rare turn-outs for the books, this Punch Drunk release isn’t the first time that Tessela has seen the light of day. Where so many releases that get snapped up for the Bristol label come from producers who arrive seemingly from nowhere and go on to become ubiquitous, Tessela already made a sizable splash with his release for All City last year. However that is the sole release to have his unique stamp on it and many more murmurs are being made about what else is set to come from the Bath-based producer, but for now you can sink your teeth into this meaty two-tracker.
The primary feeling given off by “Channel” as it whips into life is one of chunkiness. The synths slam like weighty percussion, while the box-jam beats snap and crack with an MPC kind of funk that it’s hard to achieve through simple quantising. It may be that Tessela has a knack for working the beat grid but something live seems to be at work here, in the same way that Al Tourettes tracks pop and lock with b-boy rooted flair.
The sound space that Tessela occupies is certainly a brave one, as it neglects to pander to notions of mixability and consistency, darting around in impulsive flurries of snare rushes, madcap sampling and slowly mutating melodic phrases. On “D Jane” the lead-in holds back on a relatively steady groove (albeit populated by a delirium of samples), only to jerk into the main section on a completely different swing so as to pull your ass in the opposite direction.
While the dynamics of the tracks may not be ‘DJ-friendly’ per se, these slabs of electronic ruffness would slay just about any uptempo dance in an instant. Even listening to them in the cold light of day they inspire internal moments of pure ‘what-the-fuck’ery, so stark are the ideas. Production flair like this can only promise very exciting things for the future.
Artist: Adam Rivet Title: Amid The Roar Label: Kontra Musik Genre: Techno Format: 12", Digital
Rivet is yet another masked techno producer, but on record he has far more to say than his anonymous peers. Amid The Roar, his first release on Ulf Eriksson’s excellent Kontra label, sees him flirting with classic techno influences but also and more crucially, mapping out some new ideas. A dark, resonating bass that recalls Kevin Saunderson’s Resse project is the central element on “Metrist”. The key difference though is whereas the Saunderson project was oppressive and ominous, the bass on “Metrist” is jaunty, merging with insistent stabs and rasping percussion to create a lithe, DJ-friendly track.
It sounds like Kontra left the responsibility for techno clout to Marcel Fengler. The underlying rhythm on the Berghain resident’s remix of “Metrist” is pumping and dense, in places almost claustrophobic. Coupled with a wall of building synths that have the same gothic grandeur as the architecture in the Berlin club’s grandiose main room, it casts irresistibly menacing peak-time shadows.
But the track of greatest interest is “Sleepwalker”. There, Rivet forgoes the merciless 4/4 kick and instead crafts oaken off-beats as dense as a cathedral wall. To this solid base Rivet weaves in swirling synths and ghostly textures that loom in the background before disappearing as quickly as they emerged. It’s subtle, quirky and shows that there’s real substance and thought being put into this project. Long may he/she continue to nail it.
Artist: Spam Chop Title: Cuckup Label: Mimm Recordings Genre: Cartoony delirium Format: 12", Digital
As one of the hardest working men in the Nottingham music scene, Spam Chop has been doggedly plying his trade since before dubstep found itself a comfy place in the city, straddling a strain of bass-heavy house music with more in debt to the weirder end of minimal techno (think S-Max, Paradroid and Fym) than to garage. The times have finally caught up with the man also known as Lukas Cole, and perhaps this is his time to shine.
There’s no let up in the madness on this EP for the seemingly freshly minted Mimm label. “Cuckup” kicks things off with a subtle breakbeat rhythm and some interesting melodics. For a good couple of minutes everything sounds quite normal and then gradually the synths start acting up, as pitches get bent and releases get widened so that notes bleed into each other, resulting in that cartoony delirium that has always typified the Spam Chop sound. It does seem as though he’s more in control of this trickery now compared to when he was initially splurging out weirdness anyway he could.
“Frames” starts off on a surprisingly tracky note, as propulsive techno constructions loop over each other. Soon enough though the cheeky elements come into play, and you’re swept off on an odyssey of unusual sounds. “Blergz” meanwhile does lend itself to UK garage, with a deadly beat full of found sound attitude and a mean droning bassline. Once the drop comes though, it’s all-out fist-pumping action aplenty as the beats fall in line and the droning bass smartens up its act into a stupidly brilliant throb.
It’s easy to overlook just how complex and accomplished Mr. Chop’s productions are, as they wallop you round the face so overtly with their mischievous sense of fun. Many people try to keep things light-hearted and come off sounding light-weight. Spam Chop is one of the few exceptions to the rule.
Artist: Bintus Title: Corrosion Control Label: Power Vacuum Genre: Acid Format: 12", Digital
Good old acid house; that most hammered of styles in the dance music milieu never really goes away. While its popularity might wax and wane depending on other more contemporary trends, there’s always someone out there getting their hands on a 303 for the first time and twisting it out. At this point in time, acid is well and truly celebrated as the revival of analogue hardware and jacking Chicago house continues unabated, and as such there’s ever more studio bods getting nasty with the frequency and resonance dials.
Milo Smee is one such character who has finally found the chance to express his love of all things squelchy. As professed in his recent interview with Juno Plus, the man better known in his Chrome Hoof project has always loved the sound, but just never had a chance to explore it before. With this new Bintus project we can expect to hear plenty more raw, no-nonsense tracks coming in the future, and on the strength of this first instalment, it’s one to keep tabs on.
There’s two distinct paths being followed here. One is acid house, as ably demonstrated on “Corrosion Control”. Doing away with overblown notions such as intros and build ups, everything kicks off from the first bar as a strong kick n’ snare combo underpins a perfect example of how to get the most out of a 303. It’s a line that even Luke Vibert would be proud of, with the seven minute duration given over to slow but sure adaptations on that same refrain.
Perhaps more intriguing is the “Advanced Fuel” workout that strikes upon vintage electro as its raison d’être. The breakbeat is a simple one, but still the 303 rules the day. This time however there’s a little more fluctuation in the form of drop outs and additional synth work. Primarily though, this is still rough and ready floor crushing material of the highest calibre. In the textures and finish of both tracks, Smee has proved that it is still possible to stand out with your acid house tracks. While bringing his own talents to bear on the music, there’s an undeniable feeling of respect for the origins of the sound that emanates from the authenticity of the Bintus project. Some things you just can’t fake.
Artist: Model 500 Title: Control / The Messenger Label: R&S Genre: Electro Format: 12"
It’s a rare thing for electronic music producers to make impressive returns - think of recent re-appearances by Orbital or Future Sound of London - but this is different. Like Luke Slater’s decision to relaunch Planetary Assault Systems, Juan Atkins’s comeback as Model 500 serves as a reminder that when it comes to making music from another dimension, the Detroit native has few peers.
The key difference between Atkins’s return and Slater’s latest vision for PAS is that Control doesn’t sound that different to classic Model 500 material. Granted, the production sounds punchier and clearer, but this has perhaps more to do with the production tools than the song craft. Yet at the same time, Atkins is ploughing a furrow that he first explored almost 30 years ago, and it still sounds relevant and vital. Maybe contemporary music’s lack of a distinctive edge means that the approach that Atkins developed long ago still resonates, but irrespective of the explanation, “Control” connects on a number of levels, be it thanks to the wobbly bassline, deadpan robo vocal or combination of dreamy synths with niggling bleeps and blips. The same sense of adventure, that feeling that music could transport the listener to another place, still applies.
“The Messenger” is a typical Detroit techno groove, its shuffling, jerky rhythm playing host to a small universe worth of effects, tones and riffs, accentuated by sharper modern-day production techniques. It goes to show that Atkins’s magic touch is a powerful as ever.
Artist: Objekt Title: Cactus Label: Hessle Audio Genre: Sonic warfare Format: 12"
There’s a moment in Objekt’s track “Unglued”, self-released by the artist last year, where everything stops and a punishing bass rips through the mix. Musically it serves no purpose; its deployment is purely intended to create a physical response, and heard in the confines of Plastic People last year, it felt like a cruise missile had just flown through my ribcage.
It’s difficult not to use the language of warfare when describing Objekt’s tracks, given that they’re so akin to sonic weapons; when he’s not creating the kind of basslines that could make you vomit, he’s creating techno with all the militancy of Underground Resistance. His first two EPs displayed a production mastery which rightfully catapulted him into the premier league of dubstep/techno crossover producers, but there was a tendency for him to meander slightly (the 7-minute “Unglued” is a case in point). There are no such criticisms to be levelled here however: this 12” feels leaner and more focused, giving each side over to a distinct version of the two styles he takes the most from – dubstep and techno. “Cactus” is ostensibly the dubstep side; its wobbling bassline recalls Mala’s savage productions, tweaking the oscillators just enough to make the bass scream whilst keeping things tasteful, despite its unhinged metamorphosis into a raygun at the halfway point. Rhythmically, the percussion recalls 2562’s crushing broken-beat with a swing that’s undeniably UK influenced, given all the more punch with its reversed snares and reverb soaked percussion.
If “Cactus” is the record’s tactical nuclear missile, going for a blanket approach, then “Porcupine” is its focused aerial bombardment, with compressed kicks raining down their fury from above like laser guided missiles. Structurally it’s an inversion of “Cactus”; instead of all hell breaking loose at the mid point, it lets itself catch a breath, its maelstrom of pummelling beats easing off, giving way to a cloud of swimming chords with a diamond-like clarity with all the purity and focus of Jeff Mills’ best productions. DJ battle weapons these tracks may be, but when they’re this good, it’s hard to dismiss them.
Artist: Mike Parker Title: Pulse Trader Label: Prologue Genre: Pulsating techno Format: 12", Digital
A cynic could argue that Mike Parker is a one-trick pony, and some of the US producer’s DJ sets have a tendency to sound like one extended droning techno groove. On the evidence of Pulse Trader however, it is clear that Parker is really a classicist with his own signature approach. The title track is based on one of his tunneling grooves but the rhythm is grittier, harsher but also more earthy and tangible, and the tonal bleeps and blips are heavier and more oppressive. It sounds like Parker is sound-tracking a darker side to his personality, but whatever the explanation, the result is one of his most captivating tracks.
“Moisture Treatment 3” sees him revert to 90s techno. This writer has always felt that Parker’s work was inspired in parts by Richie Hawtin’s FUSE project and “Treatment” could be the logical successor to “Substance Abuse”, as its strident bassline surfaces and dives in intensity, accompanying frequency-shifting patterns. By contrast, “Cio’s Underwater” provides a deeper, more introspective take on the Parker template, with glassy percussive licks riding understated low end pulses. In the same way that the title track and “Moisture Treatment 3” portrayed Parker’s in intense mode, “Forward – The 5am Mix” captures him at his most mellow, a soundtrack of bubbling, undulating tones that takes the edge off the preceding menace.
Richard Brophy
Tracklisting:
Side 1
1. Pulse Trader
2. Moisture (Treatment 3)
Side 2
1. Cio’s Underwater Track
2. Forward (The 5am mix)
Artist: Andrés Title: New For U Label: La Vida Genre: Detroit beatdown and jazzual house Format: 12"
It’s pertinent that in a week the music world once again poignantly celebrates the far reaching influence of the sorely missed J Dilla, one of his friends elects to continue the legacy the Detroit producer left in the best way possible – with the foundation of a new label. When quizzed in a 2010 interview with La Familigia magazine what the most important lesson he learnt from Yancey was, Andrés responded with no small amount of emphasis, “listen to your records”, and this is something that has certainly rung true in everything the producer has released to date.
Naturally at the helm for the first release on his own La Vida imprint, Andrés continues to plough a path between the mid tempo beatdown and housier fare on New For U, the three tracks every bit as essential as his most recent output on Mahogani. The influence of Dilla and Dixon Jnr is apparent throughout, though Andrés very much has his own sound, be it the infectious snap of percussion or the subtle and inventive usage of samples, and it’s all wrapped up in his obvious love for exploring and playing music – something which is apparent to anyone who tunes into his regular webcasts.
The title track is a gloriously ripe combination of these aforementioned elements, as drums caked with thick dust intertwine with a gorgeous array of strings, soft vocals and warm chiming chords. Everything is chopped with deftness into a rhythmic template aimed towards the heavens. It’s hard not to get caught up in such a simple yet devastatingly effective track arranged in a manner that keeps your attention throughout.
Alongside it “Drama Around The Corner” makes for one of Andrés’ trademark neck snapping beatdown moments and is testament to his statement regarding what Dilla taught him. The level of percussive detail that’s apparent when you concentrate fully can only be the work of a man who knows his record collection inside out and it’s complemented by the hazy sampledelica of expertly teased out vocal embellishments and jazzual horns.
It makes for a charming almost brief interlude to the B Side magic of “Jazz Dance” which sounds like the track Dani Plessow dreams about making every night. The stripped down arrangement of bumping drums, low reaching double bass and swift keys occupies most of the B Side and yet feels like it could reach deep into infinity without losing any of its charm.
Artist: Claro Intelecto Title: Second Blood Label: Delsin Genre: Techno Format: 12", Digital
Jeff Mills said nearly a decade ago that techno is being made for an aging audience. Regardless of whether this is true or not, what happens when the artists themselves start to get older – can they maintain their relevance? In the case of Mark ‘Claro Intelecto’ Stewart, the answer to this conundrum is simple; go back to your roots.
The Manchester producer may have settled down, but creatively, SecondBlood shows that he’s as dynamic as ever. “Heart” marks a return to the first Claro Intelecto album, Neurofibro or the more understated sections of its successor, Metanarrative, with an atmospheric, ambient soundtrack gently unfolding, populated by muffled, half-heard vocals. The title track sees Stewart pick up the pace, but although the underlying bassline has a dark, resonating edge to it, the tempo is sluggish and the chords flutter about in a way that suggests the producer is seeking to tease out new directions for his sub-heavy techno.
“Voyeurism” has no such ambitions, but sounds all the better for it; like the best tracks from the Warehouse Sessions series, its bass plays the central role, a fathomic, all-encompassing series of tones that steers the plaintive melodies on an irresistibly evocative path. Sometimes to stay ahead of the curve, you first need to take a few steps back.
Artist: Nightjars Title: Nocturnal Label: Vae Victis Genre: A 12" of two sides Format: 12"
Vae Victis made quite a splash with their first release, pairing The Analogue Cops with Blawan to spark off some gritty and very ‘of-the-moment’ dancefloor smashers. After that canny signing, their follow-up sees apparent newcomer(s) Nightjars taking the reins but still maintaining the philosophy of analogue processes and hybrid styles. The concept is further crystalised here with two distinct sides to the record; one features tracks run through grainy equipment for that must-have rawness, and the other contains two tracks lovingly perfected in a plush studio.
Starting with the ‘raw’ side, “Thing Movin On” steps and shudders in a sparse fashion, using very little percussion besides a kick and rimshot playing against a looped synth refrain and a purposefully distorted vocal sample. It’s a dreamy broken beat track at heart, and its simplicity makes it alluring, but the militant production method Nightjars have forced upon themselves seems a little forced at the expense of the track. If the elements could be lifted out of the ill-rendered murk they wallow in, the track would be far stronger for it. “Heavy” however fares far better with some nasty processing, as a mean acidic bassline rubs up against razor sharp hats in belting fashion. Once again the simple approach has been employed, with the barest of elements feeding into the kind of rave track that soundtracked many an edgy warehouse back in the day.
After all the dirt of the ‘raw’ side, the more melancholic material in Nightjars’ repertoire has been wisely saved for the ‘clean’ side, starting with the plush finish of “Left People”. The drum patterns maintain the stripped back ethos, but in this instance a gently delayed melody rings out in a never-ending loop of repetition that seems to come from the Terry Riley school of composition. It’s a neat concept, although it does come off a little dull in the lack of variation, possibly due to limitations imposed by the hardware approach.
After that ambiguous exercise, “Everynight” positively shines for its focus and dynamics. While there’s no greater complexity at work in the music, the pace and flow of the track feels far more engaging, not least when the vintage garage-house bassline comes in. The same twirling synths abound, but everything sits more comfortably in the mix, making for a nostalgic treat of broken goodness. While the determination in their studio practice is admirable, at times Nightjars seem to have limited themselves before they really know how to get the most out of the analogue way. However when the ideas and the processes intertwine more happily, the results make for some very worthy tracks.
Artist: John Swing Title: Relative 07 Label: Relative Genre: Dusty house Format: 12"
The concept of making raw, mostly analogue house music in 2012 is an intriguing one. It’s well documented that the distinctive sound of early Chicago and Detroit records came not from production trickery or sleight of hand, but from equipment being used on a trial and error basis; the results, in the right hands, were futuristic, loose and deliciously appealing.
Equally well established is the fact that scores of producers have been trying to replicate that hallowed “raw” sound with decidedly varying degrees of success ever since. Debates over the relative merits of software vs hardware are tiresome, ill-informed to say the least and not worth covering here; it’s much more fun to bask in the talent of modern day torchbearers who bring the DIY ethos to modern dancefloors.
The most pertinent examples to these ears include Andy Blake’s growling, one-take techno jams for his Cave Paintings imprint, as well as Marcello Napoletano’s rattling excursions which smother primal Mediterranean passion on top of jacking Chicago beats. Then there’s Windy City native Jamal Moss, whose reliably left-of-centre output on Mathematics carries elegant, distant echoes of the more functional house sound his city is known for wrapped up in his own sense of mysticism.
There’s a new, younger breed of producers too, operating on labels like Rawax, Analogue Solutions (whatever you may think of Eduardo De La Calle’s edits-not-edits) and, most notably, the mysterious collective who produce under the elusive LiveJam, Relative, Restoration and Appointment clutch of imprints. Their purist, vinyl-only approach borders on militant (Ben UFO’s attempts to license a Livejam track for last year’s Rinse FM mix were politely declined due to the fact it would be available on CD format) but therein lies the charm; heads down, no compromise. Central to this stable has been the work of one John Swing, whose productions sound like they’ve been made in a dank basement consisting of a bunch of drum machines and dusty blues records ripe for sampling.
His latest missive, Relative 007, is comprised of four tracks. “Clint’s Theme” opens with doubled-up claps, beefy kicks and a filtered bassline – the basic elements of pure, visceral body music – before a heavily treated piano refrain is brought in, toyed with and subsequently dispensed. Then the vocals – seemingly intoning the words “wounded, I am” – enter, before the kick returns with just that little bit more bite and the hats with a touch more skip. “Wear And Tear” is rougher still, with heavily distorted hats of the Shake Shakir variety and a looped up funk bassline. On the flipside, “Funky Thoughts” is a loop house cut buried under a bed of distortion and crunchy hats, while “Slightly Jacking” is probably the funkiest of the lot; a simple but delicious one note bassline forms the rhythmic, hip shaking thrust with subtle vocal snippets adding a wholly intoxicating element of sleaze.
Artist: Maxmillion Dunbar Title: Polo (versions) Label: Live At Robert Johnson Genre: Dreamscape house Format: 12", Digital
Maryland-based producer Andrew Field-Pickering seems to exist in a gloriously technicolour world of his own. Ever since he dropped his first Maxmillion Dunbar single – the synths and abstract hip-hop jam “Outrageous Soulz” – back in 2008, he’s turned his hand to numerous musical styles without ever seeming to quite fit in with any of them. 2011 debut album Cool Water (one of several releases on Ramp Recordings) saw him flit between off-kilter downtempo synthscapes, dub-laden 80s drum workouts, shimmering house-not-house and the sort of wonky beatscapes preferred by Glasgow’s Numbers crowd. While it was something of a mixed bag – both in terms of quality and production styles – almost every track was characterised by vivid, pin-sharp synths and gorgeous, head-soothing melodies. While he’d not found his niche, he was already cultivating an impressing sonic palette.
As the year wore on, he began to refine his sound. Crucially, he also began applying his love of texture, melody and atmosphere to house – though it wasn’t like any kind of house you’d heard before – via both his own productions and those as one half of the Beautiful Swimmers alongside Ari Goldman. The solo Max Tracks For World Peace EP, featuring a trio of Elysian compositions with a genuine dancefloor pulse, confirmed his arrival as a producer with genuine talent. Suddenly, he was making music that not only ticked the right boxes, but also sounded fantastic to boot.
The stand out track from that EP was a rainbow-tinted fusion of old-world ambience, contemporary deep house and shimmering, synth-wave goodness called “Polo”. Although superb, it seemed to be rather overlooked at the time, perhaps because its kaleidoscopic melodies, spacious grooves and eyes-wide-shut feel didn’t quite fit in with contemporary dancefloor values. Pleasingly, Live At Robert Johnson have decided to give it a much-deserved single release, with two brand new versions for Dunbar fans to drool over.
And drool you will. Field-Pickering has provided a brand new extended version, with stretches out the six-minute original into ten minutes of crystalline gorgeousness. Sounding not unlike an unlikely cover version of “Sueno Latino” by Pal Joey, The Orb (circa Adventures Beyond The Ultraworld) and original Nu Groover Lamont Booker/LB Bad, it gorgeously ebbs and flows, slowly shuffling towards the dancefloor and then back the sofa in one easy movement. It’s a sublime piece of electronic music, and worth every second of its 10-minute duration.
Arto Mwambe man Phillip Lauer – a Live At Robert Johnson regular whose debut album will drop on Running Back later this spring – provides the remix. It’s a smart choice from the LARJ camp, because Lauer is no stranger to melodic, soundscape deep house. His remix keeps many of Field-Pickering’s original elements, carefully placing them over a synth-heavy, retro deep house groove. He adds some wonderful new melodic elements of his own, too. The resultant swirling synth-house bubbler sounds not unlike early Bobby Konders and LB Bad given a 21st century makeover; an enticing proposition for anyone who enjoys the more musically ambitious and sophisticated end of deep house.
Artist: Madteo Title: Bugler Gold Pt.1 Label: Hinge Finger Genre: Detroit beatdown filtered through the lens of Amber-era Autechre Format: 12"
Many may have been surprised to hear that the first release on Joy Orbison and Will Bankhead’s new Hinge Finger imprint was going to be from Workshop associate Madteo, given Orbison’s recent forays into more abrasive territory with Boddika. However Orbison and Bankhead have had a longstanding admiration for the German imprint, with Kassem Mosse being chosen in 2010 to remix Braiden for Orbison’s Doldrums imprint, and a cassette mix from Mosse being released through Bankhead’s Trilogy Tapes imprint.
Madteo’s beats have always hung a little looser than those of his Workshop labelmates, and it’s an approach he also takes with track composition, with BPMs and moods varying wildly throughout the EP. On “Bugler Gold” for instance, a languorous bassline drips between a barely-there kickdrum; it couldn’t be more different than “Biz R Us (Whore Powers Resolution)” which follows it, a clunking rhythmic machine that maintains a thunderous forward momentum despite its sharper edges being coated in a soporific blanket of Chloroformed cotton wool.
The B-Side is another totally different proposition: “Scream Seq”, with its library music arpeggio and odd melodies has the feel of a 70s US public information film soundtrack. Its relatively bright tones are a stark contrast to what is arguably the most dancefloor friendly track on the EP, “Xtra Loose Change (2010 refix)”, though even this is weighed down with beats that feel like they’re being dragged through mud. It’s the sort of relentlessly deep house that is held together with little more than rhythm and pure atmosphere, each percussive micro-element perfectly balanced with a bassline which is almost beyond the limit of human hearing. But although there’s little ostensibly holding these disparate tracks together, stylistically the EP oozes the foggy atmosphere of Amber-era Autechre, filtered through the lens of Detroit beatdown, a mood reflected perfectly in the stunning Bankhead designed sleeve, featuring a sinister photo and mosaic frame rendered in grainy slate gray.
Given Orbison and Bankhead’s shared love for Workshop it’s hard not to approach this record with that label in mind. Are the pair attempting to create a British homage to the label? Obviously one release is not enough to tell, but if future releases are this strong, and see the pair engage in some shrewd A&R moves outside of the Workshop stable, Hinge Finger could well be a worthy rival to its throne.
Scott Wilson
Tracklisting:
1. Bugler Gold
2. Biz R Us (Whore Powers Resolution)
3. Scream Seq
4. Xtra Loose Change (2010 refix)
Artist: James Mason Title: Nightgruv Label: Rush Hour Genre: Proto House Format: 12", Digital
James Mason has never been the most celebrated of electro and boogie musicians. Possibly best known as part of Prelude-signed electro/hip-hop/synth-disco crew Wuf Ticket (makers of the brilliantly silly “Ya Mama”), Mason released just one solo album, 1977’s disco era Rhythm of Life, before finding greater acclaim with his synthesizer/rap crew. Yet two of his productions, previously unreleased at the time of their creation, have recently gone on to become “proto-house” classics.
According to Mason’s sleeve notes on the belated 1996 release of “Nightgruv” and “I Want Your Love”, he recorded them both in 1984 in a bid to secure a contract to make a new album. They were turned down and sat gathering dust for 12 years before finding a home on Mighty Fine Records (and later reissue specialists Soul Brother Records). Since then, both – and in particular, the better-known “I Want Your Love” – have earned a reputation amongst boogie, garage and disco-heads as two pioneering works. It’s perhaps fitting, then, that Rush Hour have decided to give them another re-release.
It’s perhaps “Nightgruv” that is the most startling of the two tracks. Based around the sort of heavy 808-kick that would later form the backbone of Chicago’s house movement, it slowly builds via waves of ear-tingling keyboard melodies and a bassline that comes straight out of the Mr Fingers/Nu Groove handbook. Except, of course, it was made years before both rose to prominence. Looking back, it’s sad to think that such a far-sighted piece of music – one that basically offered a blueprint for deep house – was turned down. Mason also claims that it was merely a demo and he always meant to re-record it. If anything, that makes the two versions included here – one of which is a previously unreleased extended edit – even more astonishing.
“I Want Your Love” is similarly impressive, but for a host of different reasons. An 11-minute epic that slowly builds towards a near-orgasmic crescendo, it offers a touchy-feely, piano-laden take on the boogie slow jam that still sounds years ahead of its time. Grandiose vocals, pianos and cosmic synth lines ride a killer slow groove comprised of shuffling live/drum machine beats (an imaginative combination) and two basslines; a subtle, walking electric bass figure and a squidgy, proto-acid synth line. Put it all together, and you have something that’s nothing less than sublime. By the time the urgent guitars come in and the track hurries itself towards its thrilling conclusion, you’ll be lost in its heady charms. It’s unlikely that Mason’s other musical endeavours will be remembered in 20 years time, but these two tracks most certainly will.
Artist: Xosar Title: Ghosthaus EP Label: Rush Hour Genre: House Format: Red 12", Digital
Having released her first record on L.I.E.S this month, we now see Xosar’s second EP, Ghosthaus, on Rush Hour Recordings. The record features two tracks, and includes two remixes from Mr Danny Wolfers under his Legowelt moniker. They’ve been playing gigs together in Europe and the U.S. recently, and their sounds complement each other well. The Ghosthaus EP remains true to its namesake, guiding you through an exploration of deathly sounds – fear lurking around every corner, the chance of escape unlikely.
We open with the title track, as droning synthesizers slowly take you across the River Styx. Waves gently lap the side of your crumbling rowboat, as the ferryman rows in time with the cavernous claps interjecting this mournful funeral process. Delicate key-work builds yet another layer as the beat slowly marches towards the underworld. The half-time structure and house tempo adds tons of space and Xosar fills every inch of it with dread. Muted and subtle synths slowly undulate beneath a suffocating beat, making the crossing of this river, and the entry into the after-life, both horrendously unnerving and strangely uplifting.
This track introduces the record perfectly, and sets the listener up for everything that is set to come. If “Ghosthaus” acts as an introduction, then Legowelt’s reworking works perfectly as the first chapter. The remix is a feature length version of the original, utilising a sound that is typically Wolfers– warm, interesting and unique. The core synth progression has been lifted almost untouched, but the track is transformed by a four-four beat pattern and some sharp, purring pads driving the rhythm.
The remix slots perfectly on top of the original by maintaining a continuation of the same musical themes. It takes you deeper into the underworld and leaves your heart racing alongside the layered drum patterns and intimidating keys. The breakdown is also phenomenal, suddenly hanging its listener out to dry on a cold plane of science-fiction synthesisers, before firmly thrusting them back into a sombre death march.
The B-Side opens with Xosar’s “Rainy Day Juno Jam” and is the only track that breaks the circle of dread on the rest of the EP. On first listen it seems completely out of place, but on further examination you come to realise that it gives balance to the entire record. Far from being catapulted towards death, “Rainy Day Juno Jam” gently pulls you back into the light. Sparkling, lively and angelic synth-lines build on top of one another, while heavenly voices – trapped in a temporal void – call out through a stripped down rhythm.
A few singular cowbells are randomly dotted throughout, adding a beautiful touch which every so often adds a new layer to an already impressive piece of music. This track appears to be an attempt to give “Ghosthaus” an opposing argument; the synth structure and rhythmical swing all remaining reminiscent of the first track on the record, but executed in such a way as to flood the darkness with a multitude of light. Legowelt closes out our journey, and as ever, takes the essence of “Rainy Day Juno Jam” and channels it through his own aesthetic. Relentless hi-hats, a forward marching, muted kick drum and the ghost of a snare hit are all that makes up the beat.
He turns the keys on their head, a mirror opposite of the original, drawing its listener back into ambivalent fear. Wolfers manages to retain some of the light, letting it linger in the air while simultaneously maintaining the record’s darkest elements. The clue to Ghosthaus is in the title; it’s the decomposed and rotting body of house, taking you deep into a murky underworld and leaving the spectral demons of Chicago’s past, present and future lingering in your mind.
Frank Mitchell
Tracklisting:
1. Ghosthaus
2. Ghosthaus (Legowelt remix)
3. Rainy Day Juno Jam
4. Rainy Day Juno Jam (Legowelt remix)
Artist: Basic Soul Unit Title: Northern Heights Label: Other Heights Genre: Techno Format: 12"
Stuart Li has been doggedly hammering away on his studio set up for many moons now, quietly issuing forth his own vision for jacking house dynamics married to emotional depth. Based in Toronto, the artist has managed to operate relatively under the radar with his Basic Soul Unit alias, a name so seemingly non specific as to evade the memory the first few times you hear it. However the profile of Canada’s second city is steadily rising, with the likes of Art Department, Kevin McPhee and Egyptrixx all drawing attention to the sprawling metropolis of East Canada.
Now Belgian label Other Heights are issuing forth this selection of jams that continue the Basic Soul Unit mission, bringing a rough, Detroit-indebted method to play on two original tracks. The beguiling aspect of BSU is that, despite his influences being wholly apparent, his music manages to charm in a way that is utterly unique.
“Come On” starts fairly innocuously, with one of those tell-tale off beat snares that Mr. Li favours in his tracks, steadily bleeding into a pad n’ piano kind of deep house jam. So far, so standard, but late into the third minute a nasty, chunky bass synth comes in from nowhere to completely jar the steady workout. When additional harmonising strings get thrown in to accentuate this sudden switch up, the drama harks back to the first time Martin Buttrich’s “Full Clip” got blasted out by Carl Craig. It comes on like big-room theatrics played out in an intimate setting, and perfectly typifies why Li manages to bring something of himself to a well-worn avenue in house music.
On the flip “Growing Pains” is more immediately distinctive, with a naughty little bassline and beautifully filtered Juno synth work jamming away in a loose but considered fashion. There’s an acid heart beating away at the centre of this laid back jam, not least in the mid–section where the almost jazzy keys chafe against the arpeggio tricked out like a 303. That duality makes for another exemplary reason why a classically rooted sound can still be delivered in fresh ways. Siberian producer Unbroken Dub gets the opportunity to remix both original tracks and smooths them out into an easily digestible haze of dubby treatment and linear beats, creating tracky, late night grooves that will please those who have followed his contributions to the vinyl-only Rawax series with a hawkish eye.
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