Review: Ellen Allien has commissioned remixes of tracks from her 2020 album, striking a balance between well-known and emerging names. Hadone aka J?r?my Bonnet delivers a thumping tribal take on "True Romantics", while on a deeper tip, there's upcoming Dutch producer Keith Carnal's version of "Walking In The Dark". Peppered with 303 lines, it features a wonderfully twisted vocal. Meanwhile, Matrixxman drops a jacking take on "I Can't See You", with acidic bleeps unraveling over tough kicks, while Allien has also tapped Lady Starlight for a take on "Hello Planet Earth". In the Lady Gaga collaborator's hands, it turns into a relentless, heads-down banger.
Review: This is the first in a three-part compilation series on Bpitch, named after Ellen Allien's party. This volume is an uncompromising collection that takes influence from 90s styles: Allien herself drops the buzzsaw, Heckmann-style "XTC", while Lady Starlight's mesmerising, acid-soaked "Re-15" occupies similar territory. On "Force Majeure" Introversion channels the energy of early Drumcode for a bombastic, drum-heavy workout and Nocow's "Let Em Fall" sounds like man update on DBX's minimalism, with a pared back, jacking rhythm paired with time-stretched vocal samples. Bpitch also deserves kudos for showcasing original techno innovators, and the he compilation includes DJ T-1000's pile-driving "Frequency Kill".
Review: The organisers behind German party The Third Room have responded to the coronavirus by setting up a label and tapping artists who played for them for the material on this split release. The proceeds from the sale of this EP will go to people who bought tickets for one of Third Room's cancelled events - a kind gesture. It's no surprise that the tracks on the compilation are reflective of the party's sound: Dax J and Obscure Shape & SHDW's contribution focuses on hard, fast acid; Inhalt der Nacht & Echoes of October drop the pile-driving "Beutezug" and even Ellen Allien's track is coated in ravey menace. The one exception to this approach is Hector Oaks's droning "Do You See The Light?"
Review: With a musical history that stretches all the way back to the early 90s, it's no surprise that Bpitch owner Ellen Allien has chosen to revisit the primal stomp of Chicago techno artists like Robert Armani and Mike Dearborn as inspiration for "True Romantics". Of course merely trying to copy a sound wouldn't be the veteran DJ/producer's style, and she covers this Djax-style tough rhythm with jittery, tranced out keys. There are no such niceties on "Hello"; instead of musical elements, Allien decides to drop a rough 303 line that runs riot over pounding kicks and a visceral rhythm.
Review: Berlin institution Watergate Records celebrates its 10 year birthday, with this special 50 track anthology of their favourite records. Over the last decade, the imprint has set a standard for captivating electronic music from across the house and techno spectrum, successfully mirroring the club's booking policy. Now up to over 60 releases including a remix of the Josh Wink classic "Higher State Of Consciousness" by residents Adana Twins, and the 26th installment in their acclaimed mix series by Danish legends Whomadewho - this compilation presents some of its most memorable cuts since its inception in 2008. Highlights come from: label staple Mathias Meyer - the Hanseatic hero presenting several tracks including "Love Letters From Sicily" with Ryan Davis, local legends Tiefschwarz on "Fire It Out" feat. Ruede Hagelstein, resident La Fleur getting remixed by Detroit legend Kenny Larkin on "Nightflow" and rising duo Adriatique's 7am remix of "The Spirit" by the ever impressive Butch (featuring Hohberg) amony many others.
Review: Bpitch owner Ellen Allien hands over tracks from her recent Alientronic artist album to be reworked. Apart from a new edit of "Love Distortion", which sees Allien remain focused on a pulsating groove, this is a collection of harder-edged interpretations. Terence Fixmer delivers a searing industrial take on "Distortion" which features noisy riffs, while on his version of the same track,
Introversion delivers a bruising, pummelling remix that has echoes of vintage Joey Beltram. Last but by no means least is the Regal remix of "Electronic Joy", which sees the fast-rising techno producer fuse merciless thunder claps with eerie vocal samples to create a dystopian masterpiece.
Review: This is Ellen Allien's eighth studio album, but she shows no signs of losing her edge, Right from the get-go on Alientronic, the listener is presented with the swirling ambiance of "Empathy", followed by the spiky electro of "MDMA". Fans of the Bpitch Control owner's heady techno will not be disappointed either, thanks to the inclusion of the frazzled "Bowie In Harmony" and "Love Distortion". "Electronic Joy" is also centered on the dance floor, but it sees Allien re-kindle her love of dense tribal techno, while "Free Society" revisits the glory years of German techno-trance. It serves to underline the fact that Allien's productions still have an edginess not tainted by the passage of time.
Review: Ellen Allien should need no introduction, the longstanding heroine of the Berlin scene for two decades as an acclaimed DJ who heads up the now legendary Bpitch Control imprint. Allien now introduces her new label UFO Inc. with this terrific inaugural effort that perfectly captures the energetic hardware sound of her new sound - which will be dedicated to a rough and raw approach to contemporary techno. Features the mentalist tunnel vision of the title track which will draw you deep into the vortex, followed by the powerful acid techno stomper "Korpermaschine" which adds to further tension and suspense - best enjoyed under the strobe light.
Review: Toolroom sets out an ambitious programme for its annual Miami trip. Patrick Topping gets the party started with the diva vocals and crowd cheers of "Be Sharp, Say Nowt", a true good-time house tune, while a more considered but no less infectious take on vocal house is audible on The 2 Bears' "London Are You There?" and Bicep's wonderful electro-synth-led "Metro". However, this compilation isn't limited to house music: the OC & Verde remix of Eli & Fur's "Around You" is frosty Euro trance at its most memorable and Dubspeeka's "Lyssa" is a gorgeous piece of dubbed out, dreamy techno. Miami won't know what hit it.
Review: The third set of remixes of tracks from Ellen Allien's Nost album feature an in impressive cast; first up is Detroit legend Alan Oldham. Known for his releases as DJ T-1000 and his iconic art for labels like Djax, this Motor City legend doesn't disappoint with his take on "Jack My Ass". Insistent, menacing chords swarm in over tough, dubby beats and driving percussion. It's not as intense as his DJ T-1000 work, but still packs a mighty punch. The Amotik take on "Mind Journey" ups the ante further with a slamming rhythm and wild tonal bleeps. In contrast, Eomac?s take on the same track is an eerie, slow motion affair, led by ghostly synths and rumbling drums, while on XDB's version of "Call Me", rolling house drums underpin sensuous vocals and spiralling acid lines.
Review: The third set of remixes of tracks from Ellen Allien's Nost album feature an in impressive cast; first up is Detroit legend Alan Oldham. Known for his releases as DJ T-1000 and his iconic art for labels like Djax, this Motor City legend doesn't disappoint with his take on "Jack My Ass". Insistent, menacing chords swarm in over tough, dubby beats and driving percussion. It's not as intense as his DJ T-1000 work, but still packs a mighty punch. The Amotik take on "Mind Journey" ups the ante further with a slamming rhythm and wild tonal bleeps. In contrast, Eomac?s take on the same track is an eerie, slow motion affair, led by ghostly synths and rumbling drums, while on XDB's version of "Call Me", rolling house drums underpin sensuous vocals and spiralling acid lines.
Review: Following the first set of remixes of tracks Ellen Allien's 2017 album - which featured Detroit luminary K.Hand amongst others - the Bpitch boss again casts her gaze wide and far. US producer Truncate delivers the loopy, big-room techno goods with his steely, percussive take on "Innocence", while Running Back boss Gerd Jansen turns "Call Me" into an early-90s themed hardcore meets house affair, its sirens wailing over raw break beats. FaltyDL is on hand to transform "Erdmond" into a spaced out, low-profile techno groove, replete with a command centre count down, while Raster Not on regular Kyoka goes for an frazzled, stepping take on "Call Me".
Review: It seems as if 15 years have just flown by since Berlin institution Watergate first opened their doors at the base of the famous Oberbaumbrucke, overlooking the River Spree and where long queues run down the street every weekend to get into one of the best clubs in the world. To celebrate their journey over the last decade and a half, they have put together a special anniversary release of 25 new, exclusive and formerly unreleased tracks. Residents of the superclub all appear, such as Hamburg native Matthias Meyer who teams up with Ryan Davis on the evocative "Hope", famed local duo Tiefschwarz deliver the slow burning and moody tech house of "Control", Sweden's La Fleur (of Power Plant fame) delivers the acidic bump and shuffle of "Femton" and former Stattbad resident and Beste Modus boss Cinthie gets deep on the classic house sound of "Hatschi Hatschi" which has a whole heap of swing to it!
Review: Allien released Nost earlier this year, and it was one the Bpitch boss' best albums. Now she has drafted in a heavyweight roster of artists to remix tracks from it. First up is Emmanuel Top, who is enjoying a resurgence in popularity. The French producer's take on "Call Me" sees him drop a slamming, metallic rhythm and turn Allien's vocals into a mysterious alien signal. Rod's take on "Mind Journey" is more functional than esoteric, and revolves around a dense, percussive rhythm, while Detroit veteran K.Hand also gets to grips with "Call Me". She goes straight for the jugular, dropping punchy drums and a pulsating, acid-heavy bass. Skudge are the final remixers on this instalment, and their version of "Mind Journey" is different again, its skipping rhythm full of atmospheric textures.
Review: Nost is Ellen Allien's seventh studio album, and it's the first one since 2010's Dust to focus on the dance floor. As each track demonstrates, this is the place where the Berlin DJ really belongs. The album begins with the rolling groove, pitch-bent male vocal and eerie synths of "Mind Journey" and the queasy bass of "Innocence", before Allien opts for a more raw option, audible on the stab-heavy "Jack My Ass" and "Call Me", which unfolds to rolling sabres and air-raid sirens. Unlike some of her previous albums, there is no high concept on Nost - as the firing, building techno of "Mma" shows, it is simply a collection of killer club tracks.
Review: Ellen Fraatz must be one of the hardest-working women in dance music. She's been making music for 20 years, now, and there's little sign of the quality dropping. There's predictably much to admire on this brand new three-tracker, from the melancholic chords, impassioned vocal wails and electro-influenced grooves of opener "Butterfly", to the wonky, late night tech-house assault of "Come To Me", whose distorted synths and sludgy bottom-end are complimented by distinctly foreboding chords. Best of all, though, is "Freak The Night", a jaunty fusion of deep house, acid and tech-house complete with warm, woozy chords, shuffling rhythms and punchy electronics.
We Love - "End Of The Night" (David K Holy Key remix) - (7:17) 123 BPM
Aerea Negrot - "Macuto" - (6:26) 124 BPM
Review: As its title suggests, the latest compilation on Bpitch gives vent to the label's deeper side. It begins with Chaim's "Rain", where jazzy textures bubble to the surface over dubby beats. The track has an ethereal, almost subdued feeling to it and is in stark contrast to the raucous minimalism that Bpitch is sometimes associated with. This understated approach isn't confined to Chaim's contribution however; even more dance floor tracks like the pumping bass of Cormac's "The Present" are teeming with emotive undercurrents and Kassem Mosse's version of Ellen Alien's "Our Utopie" sees a series of chiming bells prevail over a pumping groove.
Review: Berlin has by turns been a minimal, dubstep and purist haven over the past decade, but the latest release from Ellen Alien hints at something dingier. Taking inspiration from the low-slung rhythms and tape hiss of L.I.E.S, the Bpitch boss contsructs a grungy, acid-caked groove on her own edit of "Free Nation". It's a similar tale on "Delta Zoo", where violent bass licks lurch under grainy riffs and crackling percussion. If Alien's edits represent Berlin's seedy side, then Thomas Muller's versions of both tracks imagines a modernist veision of the German capital. Booming drums and dramatic claps fuel this approach, but the murmuring vocals suggest something untoward still simmers beneath the surface.
Ellen Allien - "The Kiss" (Jesse Perez remix) - (6:59) 120 BPM
Mr Statik - "Irresistible" - (6:29) 119 BPM
DJ Red - "Eyes Are Blind" - (7:23) 127 BPM
Douglas Greed - "This Time" (feat Kuss - RAW mix) - (6:50) 120 BPM
Snuff Crew - "Bass!" - (5:45) 124 BPM
Viadrina - "Lost Soul" - (7:04) 124 BPM
Camea - "Black Sparrow" - (7:56) 123 BPM
Silvie Loto - "Solstice" - (7:24) 120 BPM
Safety Scissors - "My Best Ideas" - (5:40) 120 BPM
Review: Listening to this compilation, it's clear that 2013 was a banner year for Ellen Allien's label. No longer so focused on stripped back techno - although the hissing noise and dark bass tones of Camea's "Black Sparrow" provide some connection to Bpitch's back catalogue - Best Of focuses on the area where pop and electronic music meet. The tumbling drums and plaintive vocals on Eating Snow's "Siamese Twins By Choice" could be early period Sting (that's a compliment by the way), while Dillon's "This Silence Kills" is a beautifully fragile serving of ethereal electronic pop. Bpitch can still rock the house when required, as the nasty acid of Snuff Crew's "Bass" demonstrates, but the real highlights of Best of 2013 are the label's leftfield excursions.
Review: Like her last album, The Kiss sees Ellen Allien explore an alternate route than the skewed, rough and ready minimalism she made her name with. Indeed, "The Kiss (Extended Version)" deploys an old school Chicago bassline with mysterious synths and a jacking rhythm. "Need" is less memorable, but Allien has the good sense to draft in Redshape for remix duties. The masked producer drops sweeping synths and a powerful, pulsing bass to lend the track some extra menace. Bpitch has also commissioned German duo Snuff Crew to rework "The Kiss" and they don't disappoint, using playful cowbells, mournful strings and a powerful, pulsing bass to create an unforgettable retro-style remix.
Review: This latest album by Bpitch Control boss Allien is a long way from the label's minimal, sometimes trancey roots. It sounds like the author has grown up musically, and LISm flows through a series of mood pieces. Although this special edition divides the whole 45 minute piece into discrete chunks, this writer listened to the work as one continuous track, and this is how it works best. Beginning with what could be the sound of demented monkeys wittering away, it moves into jangly guitars and blissed out vocals, before a series of isolationist bleeps kick in. From there it moves from late night jazzy sax, dense drones before kicking back into deep, ethereal electronics. It's a major artistic triumph for Allien.
Review: This latest album by Bpitch boss Allien is a long way from the label's minimal, sometimes trancey roots. It sounds like the author has grown up musically, and LISm flows through a series of mood pieces. This writer listened to the work as one continuous track, and this is how it works best. Beginning with what could be the sound of demented monkeys wittering away, it moves into jangly guitars and blissed out vocals, before a series of isolationist bleeps kick in. From there it moves from late night jazzy sax, dense drones before kicking back into deep, ethereal electronics. It's a major artistic triumph for Allien.
Review: "Big Claps" is a typical Ellen Allien workout, featuring a quirky, juddering rhythm, sexy string stabs and neat claps. It has that unmistakable but intangibly playful feeling that the Berliner brings to most of her productions. "Take Me Out" is an entirely different proposition. Bpitch has had a long affiliation with electro - not electro house - from the crunk-fuelled energy of Modeselektor's early releases to the presence of bassy tones in Allien's own dance floor focused grooves. But "Out" marks a departure, with shuffling 808s underpinning the label boss' ice maiden vocals and the dreamy pads that they come encased in.
Review: The calibre of contributors to this remix album is a sign of the high regard that Bpitch boss Ellen Allien is held in. Aux 88 depart from their trademark electro sound for a tight, stabby techno take on "Ever", while Bodycode brings his eerie organ sound to the spacey "Dream", straddling this seemingly disparate mixture with snappy percussion. Meanwhile, Kassem Mosse delivers a beautiful, chiming bell and breathy vocal-laden take on "Our Utopie". There are also some fine left of centre versions, like Tim Hecker's organic ambient version of "Sun the Rain", John Roberts's gradually unravelling, tripped out melodic interpretation of "Should We Go Home", and the piece de resistance, the Ripperton take on "My Tree", which progresses from dense drums and foreboding trance riffs into soaring electro bass and epic indie guitars.
