Review: Released in memory of Andrew Weatheral, IWDG presents a collaboration between his brother Ian Weatheral and Duncan Gray that turns in a cover version of New Order's "In A Lonely Place". Turning in a deep and sidewinding track of pumping toms, treated guitars and electronic drums to the slightest touches of dub, it's given a remix three-way remix hook. Pushing harder at a post punk sentiment, the Hardway Bros Axis dub focus on the original's guitars and bassline, with David Holmes turning in something cooler and kissed by breathy vocals and that classic post-punk inspired touch. Keith Tenniswood adds a percussive rhythm track to his version in addition to setting off a buzz of electronic percolations and cosmic effects. A place for good company.
Review: Theus Mago's Duro label decides to look back on the last-half decade with glee in this Hard Five Retrospective bringing together a huge compilation to help remind us what life's gonna be like when we're allowed back on the dancefloor! Not just bells and whistles, Duro keeps its flavours deep with cuts from Rigopolar in the Jean Michel Jarre/coldwave vibes of "Espiral" matched by the heavy beats and juicy basslines of Max Jones's "Poche". Earlier on you'll find some rare Tyu jams - our pick being the Espacio remix to "Stephen Hawking" - next to a selection of choice Bufi cuts (we recommended the Mio remix), with Mago going deep himself in the groove-centric "Luna". Other dope jams include Bruha's 808-driven "Ladra", Sascha Funke's remix to Motel77 and Rina & Benji killer workout "Koshmaro".
Review: Since launching in the autumn of 2019, Gouranga Music has periodically offered up some of the most interesting and inventive nu-disco cuts around. Happily, we can confirm that this EP from Spanish scene stalwart James Rod more than lives up to the label's high standards, with the Golden Soul Records founder confidently flitting between intoxicating, Moroder-goes-Italo-disco drug-chug (mind-altering mid-tempo opener 'Die Herrschaft'); undulating, pitched-down, synth-heavy bubbliness (the even slower 'Licantropia', which includes some suitably tumbling and glassy-eyed guitar motifs); and driving, punk-funk influenced nu-disco/dub disco fusion (the dark and foreboding 'Saratoga').
Review: Boite Music squeeze a last one in for 2020 with a various artist EP taking in New York style new wave inspirations in AINZ's "The Saviour" next to the funkadelic industrial new disco hits of Manuel Costela's good times "Keep Me Burnin'". Lafrench Toast sends in a '70s inspired disco number of rich continental flair, allowing Sauco to cover a different kind landscape with a mesamptopian tipped "Nights Over Lebanon". Sortie, Ausgang, Sunrise at the Exit - you got there!
Review: After 12 years in the game, Spanish nu-disco stable have reached the 100-release milestone, and they're celebrating with an imaginatively titled compilation packing eight brand new tracks that have been handpicked by label boss Rayko. Obviously, with eight tracks from as many artists there's a fair degree of stylistic variety on offer, but the emphasis generally is on heavily electronic grooves - sometimes veering into Balearic/coffee table pastures, sometimes served with a darker, more leftfield twist. It's really more of a home listening album than a collection of club cuts, but for dancefloor purposes start with the contributions from Ilya Santana and Sauco...
Review: As we continue to celebrate the stream of releases Rotter's Golf Club have brought to us by The Woodleigh Research Facility we're endowed with three more cuts from Nina Walsh's unrivalled collaboration with Andrew Weatherall. Forever bent on their slight electro trip, the pair dial up a spooked computer in "Scattered Microworlds" next to "Moment Of Lucidity" which only emphasises the project's identity as some kind of solitary outpost conjuring up all kinds of telecommunication experiments somewhere in the southern hams of Devon country. With subtle post-punk and industrial themes weaved into the darker tones of "The Fallen", we rate this EP up there as the project's most exemplary yet.
Review: The Woodleigh Research Facility is the name adopted by Andrew Weatherall and Nina Walsh to channel the creative partnership that began a staggering 30 years ago, which, by and large, has found its ultimate release in 2020. Adding to a huge torrent of music that AW's legendary Rotter's Golf Club has released this year, Facility 4: A Walk With Bob & Bill Vol 2 sends in two uniquely badass, analogue to the core, and firing electro tracks and the one meandering, atmospheric and industrial techno number, "Poiesis". For the more cosmic and melody minded head to "I Hear The Sun", with the sweetest treat in this package the beatdown sparks and sizzling sonics of "Without Distraction". The real deal.
Review: Boite Music continues on its journey into the deepest recesses of left field dance music with this fine split release. Kabinett's "Shake" is led by an angular rhythm and features jagged guitar lines fused with muffled vocal snippets, sounding similar to DFA's back catalogue. On "Ice Breaker", Alex Aguayo explores a more electronic approach, and brings hollowed out drums and dramatic, sweeping strings to the fore, while Jason Core's "Pentimento" follows a similar path, as a pulsating bass is fused with epic hooks. In contrast to the overall theme of the release, Ivan Frabra's "Tokyo Beat" focuses on lighter disco influences with a throbbing bass married to light synths.
Review: During the first stages of lockdown in Berlin, Luca Venezia AKA Curses decided to make some music inspired by years spent as a dedicated teenage raver. It's these tunes that feature on The Future is Waiting, his first release under the alternative Venice Arms alias. We're particularly fond of title track 'The Future is Waiting', a throbbing chunk of rolling electro wrapped in twinkling pianos, rave style stabs and pulsating, machine-gun bass, though the NYC freestyle inspired late night bounce of 'Fearless Love' and rushing, glassy-eyed 'Vortex (Feel The Love)' also impress. Venezia naturally dons his more familiar Curses alias to remix 'The Future is Waiting', re-imagining the track as a jangly, guitar-laden chunk of '80s synth-pop nostalgia.
Our Last Night (feat Mironas - radio edit) - (3:22) 62 BPM
Review: Petros Manganaris is one in a clutch of artists pushing their way to the top through the Innervisions label, with his Echonomist project highlighted in recent times next to the likes of Nandu, Mike Steva and Aera. Having released the six-track Virtuality EP to acclaim last year the Greek artist swiftly backs it up with Night Versions. With emphasis on the techno and synth pop inspired "Our Last Night" (with additional Radio Edit) it brings with it a sound that combines contemporary German pop held together by indie and electro - thik Digitalism. On the flip you'll find "Different Versions Of Your Love" that sees a jungle rhythm set to progressive sounds of trance, new wave and UK bass.
Review: Fresh from much-loved outings on Freerange and, most recently, Isolate, Dergman deep house duo Clavis (AKA Manuel Tur and Adrian Hoffmann) make their bow on Compost Disco. The fact that it's appearing on the long-serving Munich label's disco-focused offshoot is a clue what to expect. Confirmation comes quick and fast via opener 'Rocket Dial', an arpeggio-driven workout that adds sustained, spacey-sounding synth chords and trippy acid lines to an Italo-influenced, arpeggiated groove. They switch focus on 'Aviaco', gazing lovingly towards the sun whilst delivering a mid-tempo Balearic disco soundscape that once again boasts some mind-mangling TB-303 style motifs. Finally, closing cut 'Green Steel' is another sparkling, all-action tribute to the throbbing synthesizers and lo-fi machine drums of electro-disco.
Review: Andrew Weatherall's Covenanza full-length, released earlier this year, was rightly praised as an atmospheric, largely impressive fusion of the veteran producer's many disparate influences. For Consolamentum, he's handed over the parts to those album tracks to some of his favourite producers, giving them instructions to stamp their own distinctive styles on his cherished material. The results are naturally impressive, with Timothy J Fairplay, Justin Robertson, Emperor Machine, Red Axes, Scott Fraser and Heretic - a rising star whose productions have been getting major rotations at Lord Sabre's A Love From Outer Space parties - each delivering fine interpretations.
Review: The Eclectics label introduces Oh! 35 minutes of disco-fied heat supplied by the likes of Ibiza-based Italian producer Luca Averna and legendary British veteran Chris Coco. Their original mix of the title track brings a soft and subtle yet deeply penetrating Baeleric acid vibe next to the spacey and laid back groove number "There Is No Planet B". With remix support coming from The Very Polish Cut-Outs / Transatlantyk artist Jazxing in his phased-out night life version, The Veteran Delinquents (Joe's Bakery and Passport to Paradise stalwart Craig Christon along with producer Tim Hutton) give it their own star sailing mix. Handed the keys to the original too is Eclectics regular James Bright with perhaps the best version of them all!
Review: Released by Belgian label La Musique Fait La Force, this extensive compilation designed to complement Jozef Deville's documentary The Sound Of Belgium includes nascent and trailblazing productions from the likes of Klaus Schulze, Front 242, Neon Judgement, Lords of Acid and CJ Bolland, while other notable classics include Joey Beltram's "Energy Flash", Outlander's "The Vamp" and Emmanuel Top's "Acid Phase". In total, it features 60 tracks of new beat, industrial and rave music from '80s Belgium, rendering it a defining compilation for the curious and interested to the more hardcore EBM enthusiast.
Review: Keeping up with appearances Boite Music introduces a new VA projecting a sound that takes in slow-mo acid, electro and proto-techno sounds by Mexico's Alex Aguayo's next to the atmospheric, percussive and rhythm heavy "Sumo" by Alberto Melloni. Manuel Costela looks to the stars and New York for inspiration in the Nord-electronics of his track "Cosmos", with a dusty, beatdown and funkfied highlight coming out of Daniel Monaco & Ricardo Ruben post-punk, new wave session, "Italorama". Prepare for landing.
Review: Music For Dreams continues to offer-up rather good remixes of tracks from Belgian quartet Rheinzand's 2020 debut album. The latest cut to get the rework treatment is previous single 'Blind', a saucer-eyed fusion of chugging synth-pop haziness and revivalist rave riffs. Gerd Janson steps up to provide the tweaks, first delivering a 'Dance Remix' that adds lo-fi bleep melodies, starry chords and other mid-80s stylistic tweaks to a bolder, Italo-disco style bassline and unfussy machine drums. It sounds like an update on the Bobby 'O' Orlando sound, which is no bad thing. He explores this angle further on the accompanying dub, which also boasts some soaring synth synths and a genuinely rush-inducing vibe.
