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505545 3688454
06 May 13
Review:
Tom Rowlands is the spectacle-wearing-half of the Chemical Brothers and he debuts his solo work on Erol Alkan's Phantasy Sound. Rowlands merges new school styles of throbbing and jacked-up house - replete with marching snares, curdling cow bells and cut vocals - with powerful stylings of EBM. Pitch that against a synthesiser that sounds like its being hung, drawn and quartered and you have Rowlands' title track "Through Me". Meanwhile, the chainsaw synth of "Nothing But Pleasure" dominates the track, which builds into a druggy drop made for party-harder dancers moshing like they were at a Rage Against The Machine or Justice concert - harking back to the days when French electro labels Institubes and Ed Banger ruled.
NONPLUSLP 004I
11 Mar 13
Played by: Paul Mac, Spec., Henderick Aka Thelonious Funk, Shadow Dancer, Alkalino, Juno Recommends Techno, Slam, Pablo Contraband (Disco Deviant), Simonlebon, Deetron, Menorah, Resident Advisor, Cosby (Car Crash Set), Larssen, Jt86, Eats Everything, Ibiza Sonica, Dapayk Solo
Review:
The Boddika-helmed Nonplus unveil Think & Change, the label's first compilation and what a way to mark such an event. Calling on a cast of the great and the good of contemporary techno and bass music, Think & Change arrives sporting some thirteen tracks, a statement of how far Nonplus has come since its emergence in 2009 as an outlet for the Autonomic family of artists, gradually mutating into a more wide ranging approach, with material from Actress, Kassem Mosse and Basic Soul Unit ensuring a reputation as one of the most respected labels in the bass music diaspora. The highlights on this compilation are many, but you should be checking Four Tet's contribution "For These Times" (easily his best, least fussy club track to date) "Bad Chicago" from Martyn, and Kassem Mosse's excellent "Broken Patterns".
CHURCH 002
26 Apr 13
Played by: Smutlee, S-File, Aka Tell (A.g.trio), Posthuman, Coco Cole, Allmostt, Rumah, Modern Math Recordings
Review:
Although it has only one release to its name - Happa's Beat Of The Drum - London club night turned record label Church is looking to be an imprint to keep close tabs on, especially on the strength of this second EP, from young London producer Rumah. Although his debut from last year demonstrated an atmospheric, syncopated style of bass music, "Stutter" shows a marked progression into swung techno styles, with a weighty track full of concrete rhythms and glassy synths; "Murmur" is similarly powerful, throwing acid flecks and sunken vocals into the mix. Meanwhile, Apes & Seb Wildblood offer their own take on "Stutter", tempering some of the original's more ferocious attributes with some subtle dub techno elements, while James Fox refixes "Murmur" into a slinky, mid-tempo house groover, whose swelling synths offer something considerably deeper.
PN 17
10 May 13
Played by: Paul Mac, Shadow Dancer, Juno Recommends Deep House, Juno Recommends Techno, Fredeverything, Enclave, Joseph Terruel, Forest Echo One, Joefarr
Review:
The ever-correct Prime Numbers series is still going strong, this time bringing together a thoroughly eclectic range of producers to lay down some solid club fodder. Adesse adopts the tenderest approach, bringing a soft African lilt to a subtle arrangement of light drums and poignant chords. Truss is certainly in no mood to chill on "Redbrook", going for a big room techno flavour that favours rigid beats, acid parps and epic swathes of organ. Massimo Di Lena is on a far more twitchy tip, with a snagging assortment of percussion and some woozy synths that leave one feeling wonderfully dizzy.
MINUSMIN 2
24 Apr 13
Played by: Juno Recommends Minimal/Tech House, Sean Danke, Resident Advisor, Timo Maas, Troy Pierce, Christian Smith, Ibiza Sonica, Art Department, DJ Hell, 2000 And One
Review:
Richie Hawtin's label has long been associated with the minimal sound, but this release frees itself from that sound. The title track is stripped back, but it serves up a new take on classic electro thanks to its shuffling 808s and woozy, reflective synths. Tale of Us return to a more conventional approach on "Discochord" but they still avoid hiccupping mnml sounds and the squelchy acid line is accompanied by atmospheric synths. Finally, "Lost City" is more grimy and nocturnal, but again the menacing 808s and reflective synths make it sound a million miles away from the label's trademark sound.
082367 0042237
03 May 13
Played by: Vision Collective, Jimpster, Adam B (Homegrown Music/Palooza), Alkalino, Juno Recommends Deep House, Marcus Marr, Djuma Soundsystem, Resident Advisor
Review:
Next month sees Freerange boss Jimpster return to the album game with Porchlight and Rocking Chairs, this release acts as a neat teaser for what to expect. Lead track "Rollergirl" pumps in arpeggio like a night drive scene from a '80s music video clip, while breathy male vocals whisper in the tracks background. It's a melodic piece fuelled by muted tension and soft aggression. Accompanying it is "Hold My Hand", a track featuring all the Jimpster trimmings; deep piano chords, spoken word vocals, chromatic synth loops and soft, yet thumpy drums.
BW 005B
26 May 13
Review:
In what might have seemed like an unlikely pairing at first, Kowton and Julio Bashmore join forces for a Bristolian crossover that yields the perfect kind of hybrid madness for these times. "Mirror Song" comes on with the gritty percussive dread that embodies Kowton's more recent output, while the more insistent house groove and catchy sample hooks show the poppier sensibilities Bashmore has brought to the table. "And What?" is less easy going, fraying and splintering into that broken snare snarl that could only come from Kowton, dodging any kind of melody in favour of industrial textures and morose bass stabs. For those needing a more linear kind of beat to work with, the "techno remix" of "Mirror Song" should fit the bill very nicely indeed.
FF 039
10 Jun 13
Review:
Edinburgh producer Hostage has no intention of losing the heat garnered from a host of important releases on labels like Herve's Deep Thrills and Black Butter. The newfound interest in the deeper side of things is kept up on "How We Go Down" which features buzzing low bass and tough house beats. "Keep Dark" is sultry speed garage, the sparse "Conscious" veers into 4 x 4 territory and ""Show Ya" wraps things up with a warped rave organ riff and some very late night UKF grooves.
DOLLYDUBS 2
18 Mar 13
Played by: Paul Mac, Sirmo, Santero, Scott Fell, Earl Grey, Nowakowski, Dusty / Jazz & Milk, Alkalino, Dairmount (Room With A View Recs), Roberto Rodriguez, Juno Recommends Techno, Tom (Shur-I-Kan) Szirtes, Commodore 69 (Hot N Heavy), Posthuman, Tom (Shur-I-Kan) Szirtes, Blind Prophet (South Fork Sound), Simonlebon, Resident Advisor, Tom Taylor, Ben Pearce
Review:
Ahead of a forthcoming new album for Brainfeeder, Martyn drops this killer induction into Steffi's recently established Dolly Dubs imprint. The offshoot launched in relatively low key fashion late last year, with Swedish producer Staffan Lindberg at the helm. The addition of Steffi's compatriot Martyn is however big news, with the three track Newspeak EP the Dutchman's first proper release since Hello Darkness, the single that bookended his album for Brainfeeder in March of last year. Long term devotees of the 3024 boss's output should be familiar with the sub heavy snap of the title track which featured on his Essential Mix for Radio 1 last Spring, whilst lead track "Oceania" is a rolling, broken treat.
BLKBTR 41
21 Apr 13
Played by: Juno Recommends Techno
Review:
From the label who gave us Gorgon City and Rudimental comes another exciting new act, DVWLX (or David Wilcox as he's known to the taxman). Taking the bass flavours of labels such as Pets and Dirtybird but dropping the tempo down a notch or two, "Not Another Love Song" oozes a classy sense of timelessness. "Get Out" is darker and deeper again with a lovely succession of reverberating, dubbed out textures; think 2020 Vision's early output and you're not far off. "Just Like That" takes us deeper again, nodding at formative progressive sounds while maintaining a slight cheekiness with cool VonStroke style diced vocal hits. As far as debut records go, this is near-on faultless.
COR 12102DIGITAL-X
11 Mar 13
Played by: Alexander Robotnick, Pete Tong, Joseph Capriati, Juno Recommends Minimal/Tech House, Florian Meindl, John Digweed, Carl Cox, Pan-Pot, Brisboys, Jay Lumen, Karotte, Tom Wax, Sharam , Umek, Green Velvet, Moby
Review:
Paganini drops a heavy, functional EP for Sven Vath's label. The title track sets the tone for the release, a dark, slamming affair characterised by heavy, concrete beats and hissing percussion. A similar approach applies on "Fire In My Arms", but here the central riff drones like a strike craft moving in to drop its deadly payload.
"Polyester" is more straightforward, as a rolling groove drops and builds again, powered by metallic drums. "Hot" sees Paganini revisit the approach on the title track with insistent vocal samples littered in the arrangement, while "Parallel" features a vocal snippet intoning "I'm stretched" over a belching acid line.
IV 42
25 Feb 13
BIS 006
30 Apr 13
Review:
The ever-interesting Eddie Ruscha returns with a new Secret Circuit full-length, the first on Tim Sweeney's excellent Beats In Space imprint. Given the usually vivid style of his psychedelic electronica, it's no surprise to find that Tactile Galactics is a mesmerizing trip from start to finish. Ruscha darts between kaleidoscopic space disco, wide-eyed shoegaze house, analogue psychedelia, touchy-feely ambience and intense, druggy Italo, somehow shoehorning 25 years of musical misadventure into 70 spellbinding minutes. It's bold, melodic, hypnotic, beautiful, blissful, intense, inspiring and exciting. Put simply, Tactile Galactics is a great album.
PN 20
17 May 13
Review:
Having made his debut on Prime Numbers earlier this year with his titular contribution to a split release alongside Truss and Massimo De Lena, Adesse is granted a full release with this all killer no filler Untitled Love EP. For someone who came to the fore with a version of Theo Parrish's "Sky Walking, it's unsurprising that the title track here has a rugged charm reminiscent of the outspoken Sound Signature boss - it's all about that thumping snare son! Meanwhile "Supernal" veers into deep steppers territory and contains some ingenious looping of a Laurie Anderson standard, whilst "Metachemistry" highlights Adesse's talent for loose, freeform arrangements.
BE 002
27 May 13
Review:
Pedestrian's work is sporadic and unpredictable to say the least and with only two releases having come out in the last two years, we really never know what to expect from this mysterious producer. He is, however, back on James Zabiela's Born Electric label and joined majestically by a healthy team of remixers who take care of his "Hoyle Road" track! We get the original, of course, a sweet and sultry deep house groover but Benjamin Damage and Doc Daneeka rapidly transform it into a hefty techno workout reminiscent of the Ostgut Ton sound. FaltyDL dusts the bass off and produces a heavier, dubbier house cut of the original, backed by some rather splendid synth work, whilst SpectraSoul take care of the d&b sway, giving us the track's vocals over some hyper-speed breakbeats and hard-hitting low-ends. Nice lil' package!
425064 4845581
17 May 13
MOTE 035D
20 May 13
Played by: Paul Mac, Joachim Spieth (Affin), Shadow Dancer, Juno Recommends Techno, Slam, Mark Knight, Resident Advisor, Forest Echo One, Green Velvet
Review:
Following Psyk's excellent label debut for Mote Evolver in the shape of Distane, the producer returns for another EP of robust, yet minimalistic techno. The title track is as tripped back as they come, utilising simply a stomping kick drum and metallic bell tones to create a devastating techno tool; "Surface" is similarly sparse, but trades earth shaking qualities for an idiosyncratic combination of irregular claps which are thrown into the mix alongside slender synth stabs. "Intern" meanwhile takes things on a funkier tip, where distant snare rolls and marimba-like tones combine to create a deceptively simple techno tool; it's a stark contrast to "Somewhere" which is significantly brighter in its approach, accenting Psyk's fierce rhythms and dub chords with a colourful cluster of house-inspired stabs.
HNHEP 036
30 May 13
VAULT 001LP
24 Apr 13
Review:
Zero confirms what this writer had long thought about Subjected: he inhabits a world where darkness reigns. Indeed, the tone on Zero is predominantly bleak; from the white noise of "M" and the slowed down, scraping rhythm of "Vx800" to the hammering drums and slamming rhythm of "Tool 1", the wild analogue yelps of "SD 1" and the searing bass and stepping rhythm of "Vault 101", the album is not designed to chill out at home to. But that doesn't mean it is throwaway or disposable, and alone the epic chord builds and sheet metal percussion of "Concept 3" is more powerful than a warehouse full of drone albums.
PH 404
17 May 13
ECB 365JX
06 May 13
Review:
It's been nearly three years since we last heard from former 'next big thing' Rex The Dog (aka producer Jake Williams). His career has stuttered somewhat, following a string of well-regarded singles on Kompakt, Kitsune and Compuphonic. This, though, is an impressive return. While hardly groundbreaking stuff, there's something irresistible about the Moroder-on-pills groove and Jamie McDermott's spinetingling vocal (think Anthony Hegarty meets Sylvester meets Donna Summer). Yes, it sounds like a modern update of "I Feel Love", but its been lovingly rendered by Williams. It also sounds like a big hit in the making.
MT-03
21 May 13
Review:
The Stroboscopic Artefacts-affiliated artist drops a functional but memorable techno release. The title track is based on rasping drums, crashing snares and a siren riff that ploughs through the arrangement, getting more intense as it progresses. It sounds like an update of Luke Slater's remix of Joey Beltram's "Forklift", re-imagined at a less frenetic pace. By contrast, the Jonas Kopp and Dimi Angelis & Jeroen Search are less intense and are based on bleepy tones and pulsing basslines. Indeed, the only track that is comparable in intensity is the Developer remix of "The Fall Of The Empire Is Imminent", where the US producer copper-fastens atmospheric textures to stomping beats.
NONPLUS 022
11 Feb 13
Played by: Paul Mac, Nowakowski, Diplo, Juno Recommends Techno, Aka Tell (A.g.trio), Rivet, Trevor Benz, Cosby (Car Crash Set)
Review:
The first of two samplers heralding the forthcoming Nonplus label compilation Think and Change arrives bearing two heavy hitting tracks not to be found on the compilation proper. First up, Boddika & Joy Orbison's Sunklo hit "Mercy" gets the VIP treatment from Boddika; the result is a peak time tool which strips the original down to its barest components but still maintains the juggernaut-like quality of the original. It's joined by a fresh Kassem Mosse track in the form of "Broken Patterns", a typically tough production from the Bosse which combines and endlessly stomping 4/4 rhythm with cascading string plucks and rattling synth textures.
666017 259963
22 Apr 13
Review:
Tresor chalk up a whopping 260 releases with Sleeparchive's A Man Dies In The Street Part 1. Roger Semsroth has always constructed dense techno from minimal means: dusty white noise, a handful of bleeps, solid drums and simple sequences melded into new forms by heavy doses of repetition and austere atmospherics created from the waste products of cycling parts. Spooky bleeps only make up the even half of the EP, with "2" dinging endlessly like a quantised but malfunctioning train crossing, while "4" sees Semsroth inject more life into his short wrung tonal bursts. "1" and "3" however are the remit of ringing metrical's, with Sleeparchive seemingly paying homage to Regis' mid '90s style of hard and grubby techno, similar to "He/1" and "He/2".
OSMUK 028EP
22 Apr 13
Played by: Alert
Review:
Always open to teaming up with like-minded souls for their releases on Osiris, the ever-prolific Kryptic Minds are on the prowl once more, this time with the equally active Killawatt in tow. Kicking off with the brooding and short-lived "Swung Operations", it's business as usual in the Osiris camp with plenty of industrial clangs and booms meeting with punchy digital percussion. The bleak tones continue apace into "Reaching Through", even as some discernable melody comes pulsing through from a dub techno chord, but the beat does more than enough on its own, working a rapid kick and sizzling hat to deadly effect without ever going overboard. "Cunning Juncture" finds equal worth in the minimal approach, bringing a measured amount of techno influence into the dubstep framework with sterling results.
4LUX 013-03
31 May 13
CSDIGI 011
22 Apr 13
FW 029
06 May 13
Played by: Paul Mac, Pagalve, Juno Recommends Techno, Slam, Josh Wink, Dave Clarke, Submerge, Forest Echo One, Jt86, Modern Math Recordings
Review:
Having signalled his return to pounding techno on a rowdy Echochord release recently, Mike Dehnert ensures that rattling sensation in our eardrums remains with Placide, a four fingered assault on your senses through home stable Fachwerk. Apparently inspired by some spam email entitled "Give It To Me Raw!" Dehnert elected to record opening track "Drehimpuls" live in Paris for extra rawness, with suitable results; the track literally barrels through a thick wall of corrugated sonics. The remaining three tracks sound slightly cleaner in comparison, though the sheer sound design at play ensures the unpredictable serrated synth of "Charger" or booming warehouse groove of "Eigenzeit" prove just as memorable. Final track "Isolant" is undeniably funky too, trapping some lost female vocal deep beneath the mangled kicks and smacked out whistles.
50WEAPONS 027
17 May 13
Review:
In the shift from minimal to deep house there were always going to be winners and losers, and it sounds like Carsten Aermes aka Phon O ended up on the right side. On Schn33, there are echoes of his minimal past, as loose drums form the basis for the title track, but the German producer is in a different place thanks to the use of building chords, icy synth lines and the sweetest strings this side of Derrick May. "Go" is also indicative of his shift towards deeper climes, but the repetitive vocal sample intoning the track title, coupled with billowing chords mean it is a more tracky, toolish affair
DREF 017
13 May 13
DREF 016
01 Apr 13
Review:
Hard techno's Germanic beginnings may have given the genre it's unforgivingly industrial edge, but it soon spread across the globe faster than a HAARP electrical storm. Stepping up to the mantle with the likes of Presk and Blawan, Abstract Division have built a monolithic slab of near-impenetrable beats from their home in the Netherlands. It's as challenging as it is beguiling; the minimal sounds of "Collision" break through the colossal build and washed-out claps of "Comprehend", pulsing like the techno nights worth remembering. When the house revival begins to crumble, you know where we'll be.
BNR 102
04 Mar 13
Played by: Antony Dupont, Juno Recommends Techno, Josh Wink, Posthuman, Submerge, Deetron, Electrorites, Speedy J
STHLMLTD 027
23 Apr 13
3024020 D
19 Nov 12
Played by: Mark Archer, Shadow Dancer, Jamie Behan (Bastardo Electrico), Boriqua Tribez, Commodore 69 (Hot N Heavy), Cosby (Car Crash Set), Larssen, Ambivalent, DJ Hell
Review:
The adoption of a new name and a new sound by Marcus Intalex has been one of this year's success stories, with his rattling brand of warehouse appropriate techno under the Trevino moniker gracing labels as diverse as [Naked Lunch], Apple Pips and Craig Richards' The Nothing Special. With a forthcoming debut on Klockworks on the way, Trevino returns to Martyn's 3024, the label where this new name was first established. Then appearing on a split release with Instra:mental, Trevino comes through with a full release in Tactical Manoeuvre EP which brandishes three tracks that showcase the different styles and sounds of the producer. The murky warehouse vibes of the title track make it the Juno favourite here but all three productions here are clearly the work of a producer in a rich vein of form.
50WEAPONS 026
15 Mar 13
Review:
Rocking up to his regular home at 50 Weapons, Bambounou brings yet more of his playful, experimental bass music to bear with this rock solid three tracker. There's a great focus on wild, disorientating noises hammered into solid rhythms, whether it's the metallic swirls that slop around the insides of "Filled", or the jerky tap drips that inject the funk into "Brim". Aside from the spicy sounds, there's also plenty to hold onto, not least with the whopping great chord stabs that also inhabit "Brim". Having said that, "Boarder" is more intent on plunging you into a bizarre soundworld of bold VHS synth drones and snaking percussion that seems intent on dodging the groove at all costs.
EAUX 491
27 May 13
Review:
The enigmatic Rrose returns with the monolithic sounds of Waterfall Variations, the first Eaux transmission of 2013. Since debuting on the Sandwell District label in 2011 with the Primary Evidence EP, Rrose's Herculean brand of techno has offered a new take on the big room style. The Waterfall Variations EP sees Rrose return to "Waterfall", a track that featured on the 2011 Sandwell District classic Merchant Of Salt, offering an early, previously unreleased variation entitled "Waterfall (Birth)", as well as inviting Stroboscopic Artefacts boss Lucy to remix the original with brooding results. There's every chance "Waterfall (Birth)" will fill many of Europe's festival speakers this summer, while Lucy's remix is more suited to the club, toning down the flamboyance of Rrose's electrifying synths. "Shrouds" sees Rrose merge both the menace of his Sandwell District releases with gnashing spells of harsh electronic manipulations.
DISTORTEDLP 01
31 May 13
O-TON 062
28 Jan 13
Played by: Paul Mac, Pagalve, Joachim Spieth (Affin), Juno Recommends Techno, Pan-Pot, Deetron, Resident Advisor, Tom Dicicco
Review:
Machinedrum, Blawan, the collaborative Third Side project and new name Kobosil remix tracks from Barker & Baumecker's brilliant debut LP Transsektoral. Up first is Machinedrum, who replaces the broken beats of "No Body" with a bassy four-to-the- floor hum-drum, starry synths and a compatible resonance that successfully maintains Barker & Baumecker's previous garage vibe, and upstart Kobosil removes any melodious element from the original "Silo" and reworks the drums suitably for peak time Berghain action. Blawan's re-command of "Crows" sees ritualistic drums swagger clumsily in and out of time to orc war-horns that sound like they're rung in the midst of battle, while Third Side then turns "Schlang Bang" inside out by buckling down on a single looped-up sample. Sometimes remix additions can be a little underwhelming, this ain't one of them.
TOB 034
13 May 13
Review:
Sean Johnston's Hardway Bros aligns on the Throne Of Blood label with some rare original produce in the shape of A/B Musique, a killer single brandishing some assistance from fellow Axis members Scott Fraser and Timothy J Fairplay. Eschewing the Balearic nature of previous Hardway Bros material, the title track is geared as homage to Belgian New Beat and hits the spot as soon as those hollow drums kick into gear. The aforementioned Mr Fairplay provides some punk funk swagger via intermittent guitar riffage and the vibe throughout is geared towards interplanetary love parties. On the virtual flip, "Shorty" feels a bit darker, with tough multi layered drum breaks and fuzzy edged arpeggiated bass lines gradually teasing out a seemingly never ending fluctuating precession of delay laden acid lines and swirling hypnotic vocal smudges. Scott Fraser turns in a murky basement remix of "Shorty" which is tinged with a machine made melancholia that tastes decidedly Detroitian.
TOKEN 29D
29 Apr 13
Review:
Belgian label Token dip their toes in the reissue game with this reissue of a Mark Broom cut from 2002. Originally released through the Coda offshoot of James Ruskin's Blue Print, "Two" apparently highest amongst Token boss Kr!z's personal favourite Mark Broom productions and the track still sounds immense some eleven years on. A classic example of Broom at his most relentlessly thumping, "Two" is given some contemporary context with a Syntax remix whose spacious textures and brushed syncopation offer a more serene accompaniment.
MOSDEEP 015
06 May 13
Review:
Ike Release returns to Holland's MOS Deep under his own alias, and with it comes a gorgeous three-tracker filled with enough analogue grit to have you crunching away on those low-bit drum shots. "Cosmic Supreme" is so gritty in substance that it literally feels like house soundtrack to Blade Runner, bringing forth one monster of a bassline and some squelching, rave-fuelled synth jerks. "Spells" is similarly sublime, but this time uses acid as the main ingredient of the cocktail, while "Westview" takes care of the deepness, where its aqueous chords glide frantically across time and space only to leave one with a warm, longing feeling of more music from Ike. Recommended.
BEK 015
28 May 13
Review:
Those who had Gary Beck down as a big room-minimal artist will probably get a shock when they hear Rascal. The title track is a slamming rhythmic affair, pounding and streamlined but also welling up to take in a series of churning chord sequences. It's a reminder that Beck is a diverse artist, something that becomes more apparent on "Video Siren"; there, a driving rhythm and stomping beats underpin a pitched down vocal loop that intones the track title, getting more and more hypnotic as it progresses. It's a million miles away from the fx-laden white noise bombast of big room mnml.
TEVO HOWARD feat RICK HOWARD
RHYTHM 005
08 Apr 13
Review:
The father and son team Rick and Tevo Howard has dropped some joint classics in recent years and it's nice to see them back together on wax courtesy of the Bio Rhythm label. Overseen by Paul Du Lac, the Dutch imprint demonstrated impressive form in its short life to date, calling on Jamal Moss, Albert Van Abbe and Crystal Maze for some excellent releases. The House Room EP has Rick and Tevo dropping an original cut that brings back the warm feeling of those early Beautiful Granville releases, whilst Du Lac gets the chance to show off his own production prowess across two remixes with the latter Acid Dub a real jack hammering joy.
PRESSSURE 007
23 Apr 13
STK 001
29 Apr 13
O-TON 066
27 May 13
Review:
Ostgut Ton keep their fires of 2013 well stoked with a new EP from Detroit luminary Edinburgh's most illustrious techno import Rolando who first appeared on the famed German imprint and nightclub with the rare white label 12? 5 To 8 released in late 2010. The D & N's EP marks another release in what's becoming an increasingly impressive year for Ostgut Ton, with a Function LP, Panorama Bar mix from Steffi and numerous 12"s already released. Rolando brings the heat across three tracks that are primed with the sinister funk Detroit-inspired drum sequences tailored made for the residential DJ sets of Herr Dettmann and Fengler
BEDER 01CD
10 Jun 13
Played by: John Digweed
Review:
French producer Antoine Husson's album as Electric Rescue seems like an unusual choice for John Digweed's Bedrock label. That said, Sonic Architecture does have some connection to the British DJ's dance floor selections, both past and present. "Unaggressive Complexity" could be an update on the break beat of Hybrid that Digweed championed - albeit with an evil Hoover riff at its centre - while the trippy vocal samples and insane tonal blips of the minimal house groover "Deode" is more in keeping with the Bedrock chief's current playlists. Sonic Architecture is more than dance floor tracks however, and the angelic melodies and glitchy sounds of "Dope" and the jingly guitar riffs and careering electronic bassline of "Airy Field" show that Husson has become a serious album artist.
DCCD 06
12 Dec 11
Played by: Carl Falk, Maxx, Bigboss, Juno Recommends Techno, Future Beat Alliance, Gary Beck, Hannah Wild, Stefano Infusino, F.akissi, Jason Fernandes, Sergio Marini, Heron, Oliver Klein, Harvey Mckay, Spektre, Rumah
Review:
It's hard to believe that Sweden's Drumcode has been going since 1996, but Adam Beyer's imprint celebrates its fifteenth birthday this year, and as part of the celebrations the label have released this essential 28-track compilation. Instead of looking to the past, as is usually customary with this kind of collection, 15 Years of Drumcode focuses on the newest work of the label's current roster alongside new material from some well known names from the label's past and special contributions from some bonafide techno legends. Highlights come in the form of Slam's powerhouse "Temperance", and the percolating, acid tinged textures of Jesper Dahlback's "No Control", the pulsating robo-techno of Patrick Seich's "Structure", and the dubby atmospherics of Mauro Picotto & Riccardo Ferri's "Asteroids".
SA 017
29 Apr 13
Review:
Kangding Ray continues his gradual ascendance through the Stroboscopic Artefacts ranks with the Tempered Inmid EP, the Raster Noton regular's first full release for Lucy's label. The producer, real name David Letellier, first appeared in Stroboscopic colours last year with a contribution to the digital only Monad series and has since appeared on a split release, laid down two tracks for the Stellate series and remix Dadub. So the chance to see the Frenchman explore his sound palette in a more expansive release for SA is exciting, and the four tracks on Tempered Inmid represent a further definition of Ray's futuristic and classically informed style of techno-meets-electronica. If you can imagine the fuzzy edged electronica of Clark mixed with Surgeon's precision club tools and brushed with the childlike tones of Aphex Twin then Tempered Inmid will certainly appeal.
JSPCD-K1014
26 Apr 13
RINSE 026D
03 Jun 13
Played by: Shadow Dancer
Review:
Canadian techy house maestro HRDVSION (pronounced 'Hardvision', obviously) has always been interested in the experimental side of dance music. Not content with simply learning the tricks of the trade, he admits often that he prefers to constantly try for more difficult, more intriguing ways to approach his sound. This four tracker opens up the listener to his way of thinking in much more detail than a single track could. Sure he aims for the dancefloor, but can't electronic music be a bit deeper, more artistic than that? The acid-trip synths on "Apocalypse6" and the hard techy influences on "Feel You're Fading" make this a buy on sight.
AVN 008-9
08 Apr 13
Review:
Expert attention to detail across all visual and sonic elements is present and correct once again on this sick release from the Avian nest with label co-founder Shifted at the helm. Originally spread across two 12"s for the physical release, The Cold Light is presented in its entirety across this digital EP. "Cold Light Sektor A" is all about the contrast between elements as the near incandescent lightness of those dubby chords battles with the growing weight of Shifted's sludgy rhythmic arrangements, while "Sektor B" opts to burrow down a plinking locked groove making it a perfect DJ tool. The swarm like "Sektor C" meanwhile is a repetitious and mind numbing groove of techno, deviating only slightly in variance throughout the track's entirety; "Sector D" turns up the freeze in a production which can be likened to a subdued Mike Parker - whom Shifted remixed recently - as cold Sandwell-style bleeps flutter and hum under Shifted's now trademark four to the floor style.
BAL 006D
05 Oct 12
MMM 6
03 May 13
TR 13
19 May 08
DC 97
13 Aug 12 |
