Review: It's over 25 years since Baby Ford decamped to the studio with, alternately, Mark Broom and the late Ian 'Eon' Loveday to re-examine the depths and possibilities of collaborative underground techno. The result, as we now know, was a giant step forward into a new sound, with a new label, Ifach, that would go on to define the blueprint for a more minimal sound it would take others a decade emulate. Monolense, four bittersweet, emotional, stripped bare explorations of techno has long been sought-after, commanding high prices on the secondhand market, and is finally getting a re-release. This is not just a moment in time, but a bookmark in UK techno history.
Review: The Lobster Theremin team have an almost ingenious ear for unearthing the unusual yet palpable within their catalogue, a theme they once again find themselves subscribed to as Bloomfeld unleashes this outstanding 'Larp OS' LP drop, exploring the vast swathes of the unknown regions surrounding electronic music production. From the almost post-bashment style arrangements of 'Need More Sky' to the icey percussive flutters of 'Osmosis' and euphoric, techno-inspired arrangements of 'Where Were U Rly Born', we find ourselves being thrown left, right and centre with this outstanding collection. Our highlights would include the super swingy synthetics of 'Bad Idea', which really does send us down a wonky avenue indeed, next to the post-dubstep style arrangement of 'QR vs PIN', which again packs a mega punch.
