by Juno Plus on 19.03.2010 at 10:13am
Only his third LP in an established career that spans nearly a decade and a half, Before We Say Goodbye is Irishman Donnacha Costello’s latest album that deals with the topic of techno in his own unique and beautiful way. Released on Steve Bug’s Berlin based label Poker Flat, the album proves that techno music can harbour the skill, emotion and diversity that is so often missing within it.
Much like his 2001 masterpiece Together Is the New Alone, this LP taps into an ambient texture, but builds it with techno rhythms and pulsations. By keeping his club sentiment at bay, Costello delivers a subtle album that flows with the kind of natural current that is often lost within techno productions. Weaving in and out of styles, up and down tempo ranges, the LP is expertly crafted to take you on a journey that ebbs and flows with purpose. From the deep and melancholic but groovy slow burners such as “Leaving Berlin” and “A Warm Embrace” that set the LP off, Costello moves into an old school mood on “It’s What We Do” before hitting his stride with the more up tempo offerings of “No-One Is Watching” and the onomatopoeic “Roll It Out.”
On the second half of the album he winds things down with tracks like “With Me Still,” “Stretching Time,” the mournfully melodic “The Tug” and the beautiful “Last Train Home” which finishes the LP off in aptly reflective mood. Such is the musicality of Before We Say Goodbye that it feels like an album crafted outside of techno and underground dance, but at the same time using the sounds and the flavours of the genre to redefine the way we view ambient techno in the UK.
Review: Tom Jones
Tags: Donnacha Costello, Minimal/Tech House, Poker Flat
Category: Music reviews | No Comments »
by Juno Plus on 19.03.2010 at 10:13am
Artist: Eva Be
Title: New Crack
Label: Best Works Germany
Genre: Minimal/Tech House
Format: Digital
Buy From: Juno Download
Andre Lodemann’s Best Works imprint launch their 2010 schedule with an expertly crafted three tracker from Berliner Eva Be. “New Crack” combines an electronic dub driven bass sound with classic old-school house influences in an EP that displays her undeniable production talents.
No novice to electronic music, Eva Be is building on the success of her “Trippin With Eva Be” EP in addition to her Moving Without Travelling long player which came out two years ago on Jazzanova’s Sonar Kollectiv. “New Crack” is the continuation of her sound as she moves further towards her reggae-dub influences.
The title track showcases her widely appealing sound in a funky and squelchy, electro-warped dub track. Melodic synth stabs pour out on top of funky bass, a 4/4 beat and a multitude of pads and claps. She keeps it deep, never letting the sound get too heavy and keeps a lighter feel with quirky sound samples. Dutchman Darko Esser delivers a more dramatic, crystalline twist with his more intricate remix. Toning down the energetic synths of the original, he creates a more ambient and atmospheric sound than Eva Be’s work, balancing the EP to perfection. Label boss Andre Lodemann is up next with his previously unreleased remix of Eva Be’s “She Walks Alone.” Taking the track into the sounds of deep house he reduces Pegah Ferydoni’s vocal to just the occasional exclamation of “so right and so wrong” and then adds a disco-dub glaze, giving the remix a real lounge feel.
The “New Crack” EP is a tight package of sophisticated house music from a producer that is very accomplished at showcasing the variety of her musical influences out in one track. We can only hope that another Eva Be release will be on its way soon.
Review: Tom Jones
Tags: Best Works, eva be, Minimal/Tech House
Category: Music reviews | No Comments »
by Juno Plus on 17.03.2010 at 10:23am
Artist: Martin Landsky
Title: Werkschau
Label: Poker Flat Germany
Genre: Minimal/Tech House
Format: Digital
Buy From: Juno Download
After recently releasing a teaser EP for Werkschau, the full album is finally here and ready to roll. German producer and DJ Landsky has been through many different styles in his time, but today he’s a firm favourite on the Poker Flat label, and this album acts as a compilation of all his best work so far.
Probably his most well-known tune, “1000 Miles”, gets an overhaul, appearing here as “2000 Miles”. It becomes a more pacey affair with more punch in the bottom end, and more squelchy synths on top, altogether bigger than the original. Elsewhere his mix of Detroit Grand Pubah’s “Surrender” is a real winner, layering the laconic spoken-word acapella over some deep and beautiful minimal grooves. There’s more funky action on his mix of SoopaFi’s “Talkin’ Large”, as well as some fresh percussion on the dubiously titled “Mission Upskirt”. But mostly though, Landsky lays on superior deep techno by the pound on Werkschau. “FM Safari” is a hypnotic and brain-melting delight, while “Monitor One” is a shape-shifting essential which could work in any number of DJ sets. Well worth getting up to date with Martin Landsky’s work so far.
Review: Oliver Keens
Tags: Martin Landsky, Minimal/Tech House, Poker Flat
Category: Music reviews | No Comments »
by Juno Plus on 04.03.2010 at 15:58pm
With musical genres and definitions continually crossing and evolving it’s hard to say what makes up a minimal mix these days, but Juno’s 32nd minimal podcast is a stripped down affair that wouldn’t sound out of place at any of the world’s hotspots…
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Juno Podcast, Minimal/Tech House
Category: Music news, Podcasts | No Comments »
by Juno Plus on 24.02.2010 at 13:58pm
Highly respected electronic act Booka Shade will release their fourth artist album this May on Get Physical Music and Co-Op, with a collab with Yello one of the drawcards.
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Booka Shade, Get Physical, MANDY, Minimal/Tech House
Category: Music news | No Comments »
by Juno Plus on 23.02.2010 at 10:20am
Artist: Confetti Bomb
Title: MDMemily
Label: Autoreply
Genre: Techno, Minimal House/Tech House
Format: 12″, Digital
Buy From: Juno Records, Juno Download
London-based deep techno producer Confetti Bomb drops this three track EP on his own Autoreply imprint. The fledgling label has already released material from some heavy house/techno artillery – Baby Ford, Jerome Sydenham and Ed Davenport to name a few.
We’re not sure if title track “MDMemily” is more suited to a peak time floor or an after hours hide-out – which probably means it will do just fine at both. It’s dark and spooky, with a metallic thud that commands your attention. This is followed by “Fladdermus”, which some light internet sleuthing revealed is Swedish for ‘bat’. Coming in with a slightly more subdued beat than “MDMemily”, this fits snugly into the category marked ‘slow burner’. And just went you’ve been lulled into submission, in comes a cavernous, echoing drop.
“Panic in Room 2”, we are reliably informed, is written with the sound system of a certain London clubbing institution in mind. It’s deep, brooding, dark and clunky – in other words, exactly what one wants to hear at stupid o’clock in Farringdon.
Review: Aaron Coultate
Tags: Autoreply, Confetti Bomb, Minimal/Tech House, Techno
Category: Music reviews | 1 Comment
by Juno Plus on 19.02.2010 at 11:48am
This week’s Juno Download minimal podcast features deep, dub and tribal grooves from the likes of Osborne, Mr C, Butch and Retrac.
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Juno Podcast, Minimal/Tech House
Category: Music news, Podcasts | No Comments »
by Juno Plus on 17.02.2010 at 10:11am
Our latest featured chart comes from Crosstown Rebels big cheese and acclaimed DJ/producer Damian Lazarus. The East End lad (he was born in Whitechapel) started his music career as a scribe for Dazed & Confused, interviewing everyone from Wyclef Jean to Gonzo from the Muppets. His debut album, Smoke The Monster Out, was released last year and rapturously received by critics, DJs and punters alike. The album’s third single “Diamond In The Dark“ is out now via Juno Records, with sterling remixes by Parisian trio dOP and Lazarus himself.
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Chromatics, Crosstown Rebels, Damian Lazarus, Deniz Kurtel, Four Tet, Lee Jones, Minimal/Tech House, Mlle Caro
Category: Features & interviews | 1 Comment
by Juno Plus on 17.02.2010 at 09:27am
Artist: Ewan Pearson/Various
Title: We Are Proud Of Our Choices
Label: Kompakt
Genre: Minimal/Tech House
Format: CD
Buy From: Juno Records
Still buzzing from his much acclaimed fabric mix from a few years back, Ewan Pearson returns with a new compilation for Kompakt entitled “We Are Proud Of Our Choices”. Pearson has been DJing and producing music for over a decade and with his new mix he shows us his fondness for warm and melodic tech-house. Following in the tradition of earlier Kompakt mixes like “Smallville” from Tobias Thomas and DJ Koze’s “All People Is My Friends”, Pearson starts off with a lush pop sensibility – building slowly but deliberately with tracks by Gold Panda, A Ldric, and RMNVN, before he really starts to hit his stride with “Cirrus” by Lusine, and then he begins to up the tempo exponentially as the mix goes on.
After “Cirrus” has limbered everyone up for the dance floor, two great dark house tracks from obscure producers Wah Chu Ku and Yukihiro Fukotomi will no doubt fill the floor with shaking bodies. Other artists of note that’ll keep your booty shaking are Neville Watson, Gregor Tresher, Chris Fortier, and B.D.I. who all offer solid tracks, before Pearson begins to pull the 4/4 beat out of the equation for a cool down period at the end. The last two tracks are sexy, warm, and poppy, featuring female vocals, that suggest the party doesn’t have to end yet. An edit by Pearson of “Fortune” by emerging stars Little Dragon is the mix’s penultimate track, before closing with the Lali Punaesque “Blue Steel” by Bot’Ox.
Pearson seems uninterested in the trends of the moment and sticks proudly to his tech-house roots with “We Are Proud Of Our Choices” – and it proves a solid mix of dance friendly and warm beats, featuring unsung artists you’ll want to know more about after you’ve had a listen. Check it.
Review: Matt Leslie
Tags: Ewan Pearson, Kompakt, Minimal/Tech House
Category: Music reviews | No Comments »
by Juno Plus on 15.02.2010 at 10:04am
Artist: Josh Wink
Title: When a Banana Was a Banana Remixed and Peeled
Label: Ovum US
Genre: Minimal House/Tech House
Format: CD, Digital
Buy From: Juno Records, Juno Download
Josh Wink’s fourth artist album, “When A Banana Was Just A Banana” was one of dance music’s most acclaimed albums of last year. This year, the same label, Wink’s own Ovum imprint, are releasing a remix album that includes work from a selection of the most highly respected producers around today.
Such was the popularity of the album that the Philadelphia acid don started being asked about the potential for remixing certain tracks. By the time several of his high profile producer friends had picked out the individual tracks they wanted to rework, Wink realised that this could make its own release. He then enlisted the remix services of other DJ /producers that he respected himself to take on other tracks from his album.
The resulting selection of tracks, which includes edits from Radioslave, Slam, Nic Fanciulli, Jimpster, Chateau Flight, Matthias Tanzmann and Martin Buttrich showcases a variation of styles but makes a complete album when put together. Each of the top notch producers on this album has given their chosen track their own interpretation, making this collection as enthralling as it is impressive.
With impressive artwork designed by Parker Jacobs, this is the complete package. The limited edition vinyl even connect together to mark the fifteen years that Ovum has been around for. The release will also tie in with tour that celebrates the same milestone. More than just that though, this collection of remixes is so rounded and comprehensive that it is able to stand and shine as an album in itself, just like Wink’s original album.
Review: Tom Jones
Tags: Chateau Flight, Jimpster, Josh Wink, Matthias Tanzmann, Minimal/Tech House, Nic Fanciulli, Ovum, Radioslave, Slam
Category: Music reviews | No Comments »
by Juno Plus on 12.02.2010 at 15:12pm
Artist: M.A.N.D.Y vs Booka Shade
Title: Donut
Label: Living The Dream
Genre: Minimal House/Tech House
Format: 12″, Digital
Buy From: Juno Records, Juno Download ** Get the Gui Boratto remix FREE here**
After the incredible success of Body Language and other hook-up’s in the past, German duo Booka Shade once again team up with labelmates M.A.N.D.Y on “Donut”, and include a slew of ace and diverse remixes to whet your appetite.
The original keeps their winning combination of deep tech sounds with slightly funkier beats, and it’s clear that Donut is going to get a lot of play over the coming months. On the remix front, Southampton born prodigy James Talk takes the original’s distinctive lead sound and bends it into a whole new set of ways while adding some expansive textures and extra percussion.
Brazilian producer Gui Boratto keeps things driving and minimal, whilst also adding some classic keyboard flourishes that add to the funkiness of the track. Upcoming remixer Ben Hoo also delivers a strong mix, that holds the main signature riff back and drops it in the most perfect way.
Mad Decent signing Boy 8-Bit as always does some serious damage, remaking the track in his own hypnotic and intense way by taking a tiny fragment and delaying it into something Steve Reich would be proud of. Meanwhile, in a different genre altogether, Logistics cranks up the bpm’s for a D&B mix. The man responsible for the slamming Jungle Music on Hospital turns in a banger as expected. A great range of mixes overall for what’s bound to be another big tune.
Review: Oliver Keens
Tags: M.A.N.D.Y vs Booka Shade, Minimal/Tech House
Category: Music reviews | No Comments »
by Juno Plus on 09.02.2010 at 11:43am
Our latest featured chart comes from Marino Berardi, whose new release on Room With A View is nothing short of epic – an 11 minute track which is a must hear for fans of dub techno and inventive deep house. Having previously had releases on Francois Kevorkian’s Wave label and Josh Wink’s Ovum, as well as steady collaborations with Phil Dairmount over 2009, Marino has gone it alone with devastating effect. We collared him for a few words on his top tunes for the month…
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Deep house, Marino Berardi, Minimal/Tech House
Category: Features & interviews | No Comments »
by Juno Plus on 09.02.2010 at 11:06am
Artist: Compiled and recomposed by And.id
Title: Mobilee Back To Back Vol. 4
Label: Mobilee
Genre: Tech-House, Jazz
Format: CD and Digital
Buy From: Juno Records, Juno Download
Ever since Mobilee Records burst onto the scene in 2005, it quickly entrenched itself as the solid benchmark label for deep, driving, hypnotic tech grooves. Similar to how techno fans for the last decade anxiously await the annual Kompakt Total compilations, Mobilee’s Back to Back compilations and DJ-mix series have already attained such status and anticipation with its consistency and mind-busting originality.
Musical phenom and jazz aficionado, And.id (Andreas Dimitriadis) compiled and recomposed Back to Back’s fourth installment. Disc 1 contains choice cuts from the Mobilee class of 2009 including label stalwarts Anja Schneider (co-founder of Mobilee), and GummiHz, along with seasoned producer but Mobilee newbie, Dan Curtin. Newcomer to watch, Hector’s thumping groover “Got Fringe” is here as well as Pan-Pot’s eerie “Confronted” – quite possibly the tech track of 2009.
The real kicker is disc 2, a mind trip of its own, consisting of jazz interpretations of classic Mobilee tracks as arranged and performed by And.id and B.A.N.D- a group of studio musicians and graduates from the renowned Berklee College of Music. And.id manages to creatively push the envelope by re-inventing early anthems such Sebo K’s “Horizons”, and Anja Schneider and Sebo K’s “Rancho Relaxo”. One of the highlights has to be And.id’s remaking of his own track, “First Talk” with its opening pounding kick drum that punctuates into an all-out percussive affair as the piano, bass and brass jump in and out of your ear.
If that weren’t enough, the original versions of the “jazzified” tracks are also included on disc 2 to remind us how far the techno mould has been reshaped. Also included is a free digital download code for an exclusive live mix produced by And.id featuring unreleased tracks and edits. Next year’s Back to Back vol.5 has its work cut out now that the bar has been raised a couple of (jazz) octaves higher by this release.
Review: Steve Phillips
Tags: Jazz, Minimal/Tech House, Mobilee
Category: Music reviews | No Comments »
by Juno Plus on 04.02.2010 at 14:58pm
Artist: Various
Title: Soma Compilation 2010
Label: Soma
Genre: Techno, Minimal House/Tech House
Format: CD, Digital
Buy From: Juno Records, Juno Download
Glaswegian techno imprint Soma had a stomping 2009. In addition to The Black Dog’s critically acclaimed album and the success of both Slam and Silicone Soul, Soma also had contributions on the label from Joris Voorn, Samuel L. Session and Itamar Sagi. Judging by the wealth of talent on this compilation, 2010 looks set to be a continuation of their superb work.
Established in 1991, Soma has been instrumental in Scotland’s techno scene, pushing the likes of Slam, Funk D’Void and Silicone Soul on their way to the international stars that they have become. Still today, they manage to remain ahead of the game and their 2010 compilation showcases this in emphatic style.
This edition of their annual label compilation both looks back at their last year and then also on into the future. Joris Voorn and D’Julz are both on remixing duty for Slam tracks. Voorn takes on the label bosses’ “Ghost Song” whereas D’Julz’s dub of the classic “Positive Education” finds its way into the middle of the mix. Other established artists come in the form of Christian Prommer, The Black Dog and Funk D’Void. In keeping with their ethos of pushing up and coming talent, the highly touted Gary Beck and Harvey McKay both make an appearance before the compilation is closed by a remix courtesy of Warp’s Autechre.
Soma has always released well selected, relevant and forward thinking compilations. Their 2010 bumper edition is no different. It not only celebrates their superb 2009, but also goes some way to showing us what we can expect for the forthcoming year. Dancefloor here we come!
Review: Tom Jones
Tags: Minimal/Tech House, Soma, Techno
Category: Music reviews | No Comments »
by Juno Plus on 01.02.2010 at 10:42am
The Juno minimal podcast celebrates its 30th – and to mark the occasion we’ve enlisted the help of our friend Markus Homm to mix this edition.
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Markus Homm, Minimal/Tech House
Category: Music news, Podcasts | 1 Comment
by Juno Plus on 28.01.2010 at 14:21pm
Artist: Exercise One
Title: Several Things At Once
Label: Wagon Repair
Genre: Minimal/Tech House
Format: 12″, Digital
Buy From: Juno Records, Juno Download
Named after a Joy Division song, Berlin duo Exercise One have honed their sound over the years, to the appreciation of minimal fans and followers of the more sophisticated end of techno. Marco Freivogel and Ingo Gansera released their first album, In Cars We Rust, on Anja Schneider’s Mobilee label, and it came as a fresh and distinctive treat. Those skills thankfully spill over onto this new EP, out on Canadian label Wagon Repair.
The title track is definitely pacey, with trademark tight kicks and splashy hats getting overtaken by a slow-release synthline that becomes addictive after a while. It’s definitely bouncy and big enough to work in DJ sets of a lot of differing styles, not just those on a Richie Hawtin tip.
“Breeze” offers a nice change of style though, reminiscent of the band that gave them their name with a solemn, stuttering vibe driven with chiming ride cymbals. “Colony” also has an engaging and slightly haunting mood, breaking down to a hypnotic sea of filtered-down keys at one point. “Prowl” is just as interesting, an ambient sidestep away from simple 4/4 beats. “Twin” is a more pulsing, driving techno tune with an absorbing bassline and some heart-stopping filter crescendos to boot.
Review: Oliver Keens
Tags: Exercise One, Minimal/Tech House, Wagon Repair
Category: Music reviews | No Comments »
by Juno Plus on 27.01.2010 at 14:27pm
Artist: Seth Troxler, Matthew Dear, Lee Curtiss and Ryan Crosson
Title: Document Part 1
Label: Spectral Sound
Genre: Minimal/Tech House
Format: 12″
Buy From: Juno Records
From Spectral (Ghostly International’s arguably more interesting and definitely more danceable sub-label) comes the first part in a series of ‘Document’ releases consisting of their most infamous stars Seth Troxler, Matthew Dear, Lee Curtiss and Ryan Crosson.
Being the imprint’s all-round charmers and most well-loved American producers, charismatic duo Troxler and Dear had released the much lauded single “Hurt” back in 2009 to a receptive crowd having featured in Konrad Black’s Watergate mix and DJ charts all over.
Martinez’s remix of it is no surprise, but adding rhythmic hi-hats and cheery beats to the shuffles and eerie lyrics for most will be a treat compared to his previous downplayed ‘Dark Soul dub’ of the track.
However, equally dark and subdued is “Life Lessons” by Detroit’s Curtiss, with lows featuring a rumbling kick and bassline and highs built with claps and wandering vocals. Ryan Crosson, who made his name on Wagon Repair and M-nus, brings a whirring builder of energetic percs and a groove-heavy bassline on his “Don’t Look Further”.
Review: Flora Wong
Tags: Lee Curtiss, Matthew Dear, Minimal/Tech House, Ryan Crosson, Seth Troxler, Spectral Sound
Category: Music reviews | No Comments »
by Juno Plus on 26.01.2010 at 16:21pm
Artist: Telefon Tel Aviv
Title: Immolate Yourself
Label: BPitch Control
Genre: Minimal/Tech House
Format: 12″, Digital
Buy From: Juno Records, Juno Download
Primarily releasing on Hefty Records and BPitch Control, Chicago-based Telefon Tel Aviv also had a track in the first Ghostly compilation which probably indicates a bit about what he sounds like.
Blending electronica with almost Mars Volta-esque experimental elements and emotive vocal points in a past catalogue of three albums (and one remix album), Joshua Eustis has, since the tragic death of one half of the production team in 2009, been working alone.
“Immolate Yourself” from Telefon’s third full-length album via BPitch has undergone a series of remixes from Berlin’s best. Ben Klock shapes the track into a mechanic techno beast with swirling pads and an almost slow-soca rhythm before BPitch’s Sascha Funke moves the vocals to create a subtle and eerily romantic piece with delicate synthy layers.
Thomas Muller’s heavy guitar riffs and rumbling sub-bass gives the track a darker turn and Miss Fitz aka Maayan Nidam on Raum and Freak n’ Chic, offers a slice of demure ethnic-tinged techno (also featured on Wolf + Lamb podcasts), breaking up the drums with an off-beat rhythm and layering the vocals to round off the package.
Review: Flora Wong
Tags: Ben Klock, BPitch Control, Minimal/Tech House, Telefon Tel Aviv
Category: Music reviews | No Comments »
by Juno Plus on 25.01.2010 at 16:18pm
Aksel Schaufler – aka German producer Superpitcher – will release his sophomore studio album on May 17, via Kompakt Records.
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Kompakt, Minimal/Tech House, Superpitcher
Category: Music news | No Comments »
by Juno Plus on 22.01.2010 at 13:51pm
Back in December, Plus 8 and Juno teamed up to ask fans to create a DJ mix of their favorite Plus 8 classic tracks to celebrate the label’s milestone 100th release.
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Baril, Lauderbach, Minimal/Tech House, Pan Pot, Plus 8, Richie Hawtin
Category: Music news | 4 Comments
