Review: There's no doubt that 90s UK techno is popular again - just look at Discogs prices for confirmation of the renewed interest in this form. But what do those revered acts sound like now? The exhaustive 2016 compilation, Brainbox, did much to shine a light on those artists' current trajectory and this follow up remix package also does a fine job. The Black Dog deliver an atmospheric ambient take on Scanner's "Eros", while on Future Sound of London's "Monolith", a somewhat bleaker, dystopian take on ambience is audible. That said, classic UK techno also had a place on the dance floor; Kirk Degiorgio's tunneling take of B12's "World's End" - remixed under his Future/Past name - and Mark Broom's skeletal electro version of the same track show that nearly 25 years later, that this remains the case.
The Future Sound Of London - "Obollis" - (4:44) 87 BPM
PFM - "Aspirations" - (9:09) 85 BPM
Aµ Ziq - "Lilt N'Vectif" - (4:08) 89 BPM
Review: Most box-set releases tend to focus on reissues and re-releases, but on Brainbox De:tuned opts for a different approach. The compilation features artists who defined European techno and electronica's golden age during the 90s, but the Belgian label has commissioned new or unreleased material from these acts. Fans of that era will be thrilled by B12's moody electro, the raw, analogue warmth of John Beltran's "Nineteen Eighty Nine" and the resonating bass-y techno of In:Sync's "Crack in the World". While not every track impresses - Move D's contribution sounds tepid - there are enough jaw-dropping piece of music on this compilation, witness the autumnal majesty of as One's "Where Did He Go & Why" to make Brainbox an essential release.
Review: Robin Rimbaud's Scanner project is an underrated alias among the ambient and drone circles. To us, the dude is an important to the scene as the likes of Tim Hecker and co. and, given the amount of material he's put out across an endless sea of labels, we think he deserves a lot of credit and praise. He returns to the lo-fi Bette imprint, and with him he brings four pieces of "Vex"; "Vex Flow" is an echoing, reverberated mass of spectral electronics that give the impression of deep mist, "Vex Drift" touches upon more glitchy territories with its extremely subtle use of distortion, and "Vex In Venice" opens this sonic landscape further thanks to the help of more tranquil sound waves. Moody, subtle, and utterly sublime.
Review: Robin Rimbaud aka Scanner has been travelling the intergalactic pathways of music for over twenty years. Pathways which have taken him across the full spectrum: jazz, musique concrete, electronica, and everything in between. Electronic Garden is a fascinating and ultra rare chance to hear the man's live sounds in action. Recorded at an outdoor event in Dresden, Germany, this recording truly display's Scanner's abilities and musical variety. It's a sweet, effervescent blend of electronics, lo-fi and downtempo sounds. Recommended.
We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners who may combine it with other information that you've provided to them or that they've collected from your use of their services.