Eight years on from the release of Lost Tapes Volume 1, Aeon has offered up the fifth instalment in the popular compilation series. Predictably, the quality threshold remains high throughout with standout moments aplenty. Check first the opening slab of spacey gorgeousness from rising star Alan Dixon - the intergalactic deep house/punchy electro/acid-flecked nu-disco fusion of 'Space Manoeuvres', before admiring the deep Italo-disco chug of Machinegewehr's 'Call The Shots' and the dark, throbbing, neon-lit dancefloor intensity of Past Futura's 'Viva La Discotique'. We'd also suggest checking out the clips of Alex Virgo's 'Clown Car', a freestyle and Hi-NRG-influenced nu-disco romp that's as bouncy and colourful as they come.
Veteran Irish producer Leopoldo Rosa aka Lerosa is back with a new one this week on local imprint Lunar Disko. The Trust EP features six terrific tracks all delivered in his singular style; it opens up with the experimental synth intro "Who Can You Trust', followed by the moody, almost John Carpenter-ish soundtrack vibe of "Revelations' and 'Reborn'. Elsewhere, he heads to Detroit on the sci-fi electro of "Condition 1" and the acidified computer funk of 'Slow Bear'.
For the second volume in the label's occasional Calypso Cult series, Multi Culti has snapped up two tracks apiece from "warriors of chug" (as they put it) Inigo Vontier and Thomass Jackson. Jackson steps up first, peppering a stretched out groove with trippy effects and hallucinatory electronics on the deliciously wonky 'Big Plastic Room', before opting for a bass-heavy, new beat-goes-to-the-moon vibe on the pleasingly out-there 'Slow Train'. Vontier instinctively pitches up the tempo and reaches for some ritualistic percussion sounds (think marimba melodies, oddball hand percussion and more) on the sparse psychedelic disco throb of 'Jungle Tungle', before reverting to 98 BPM on the psyobilin-doused weirdo dub of 'Hipocampos'. A brilliantly wayward EP all told.
Frenchman Pablo Bozzi is undoubtedly one of the leaders of EBM's next wave, known for his work as one half of Imperial Black Unit, and more recently with Phase Fatale as Soft Crash. However it's his solo work that's really piqued our interest of late, with tracks that are bringing back the sounds of Italo and new beat. His latest release here on Pinkman is a real showcase of this; across Street Reign's seven tracks there's the pitched-down rave breaks of the title track, the A Split Second influenced energy of "Overload" and the euphoric, slow motion replay of bonus track "Outrun". Street Reign is the definitive '80s throwback fantasy.
With releases on Balihu, Permanent Vacation, Rare Wiri, Eskimo and Nang, disco producer from the Canary Islands Ilya Santana is back on his beloved Astrolead Recordings with a scorching four set of disco heaters. Whether it's the dark and brooding Giallo energy of "Lost in Philadelphia" (Ilya Santana re-work) or the low slung classic funk attack of "Cryptonite" (Ilya Santana edit) he proves there's much within his sonic repertoire. Elsewhere, he takes you on a neon-lit night drive down the coast on the breezy "Geronimo" (extra instrumentation edit).
Those who are attuned to electronic music's left of centre sounds will already be aware of Rolando Simmons thanks to his releases on Analogical Force and Furthur Electronix. This cohort will also be enthralled by Simmons' latest long player for 030303 - a veritable treasure trove of left of centre electronic sound. It moves from the low-slung, bleep-laden "Natron" and the woozy, leftfield electro of "Dew" into the stop-start, glitchy rhythm of "Me+Doc Drunk In The Lair". Simmons also uses Human Touch as a platform to demonstrate his melodic flair; "Human Touch" is a seductive slice of catchy, blurry techno, while on "Star Field", he trips the light fantastic with an uplifting serving of cosmic, acid-fried electro.
