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Beard Man
Browse the latest digital releases on Beard Man
Played by: Fear-E
Review: The always consistent Mark Broom returns to his Beard Man label with this hard-hitting release. The title track is inspired by late 90s loop techno. Centred on a fast-paced, rolling groove and firing, pitch-bent percussion, it sees Broom layer in dramatic, surging chords. On "Central", he goes down a more visceral route. Led by a jittery rhythm and bleak synth stabs, it is redolent of Robert Hood's minimalism - an influence that bubbles to the surface on the track's cheese-wire percussion. The release contains two fine remixes. Gene Richards Jr's slamming, sample-heavy take on the title track is sure to approve to the house heads, while the dub take of "Tribe Vibes" delivers a lean, rolling version.
Played by: Juno Recommends Techno
Review: With Ben Sims' label and related sound firmly back in the spotlight, the main proponents of late 90s techno should not be forgotten. In addition to Mark Williams putting out music again, Mark Broom's Hardgroove 4 Life shines a light on his contribution. The title track - and Sims' version - are the sound at its very finest, comprising rolling hypnotic club grooves and impactful tribal drums. "You Got Me" sees Broom add a moody undercurrent to this sound thanks to the use of a visceral bass stab. But as he shows on the infectious, disco-filtered "Love Train", this is party music, designed to be played and enjoyed at maximum volume.
Played by: Danny Tenaglia
Review: The latest release on Mark Broom's label is a tough and powerful affair. The EP starts with "Armani's Ghost", where Absent fuses the distorted kicks of Chicago techno with phased chords. "Thin Leaves" boasts a similar backing, with the mysterious producer teasing out ticking percussion and rough kicks, while on "Another Track", Absent mines another influence, namely the industrial style of Surgeon mixed with Disko B-stye functionalism. "In The Gym" has echoes of the Jeff Mills classics like "Solid Sleep", as a synth riff is looped over a thumping drum sequence, while on "Anime", Absent opts for a slightly less upfront approach, albeit with some razor-sharp percussion to guide the jagged synths.
Review: Three original tracks and three accompanying remixes make this a great VFM package for techno lovers. 'No More' is an intense, claustrophobic, eyes-down kinda cut in its Original form before Mark Broom injects a serious dose of dark, 3am techno-funk. 'Dynamo' takes a turn for the fiercer with pounding 4/4s underpinning nagging, pulsing synths, while the Discrete Circuit & H4L is lighter on its feet and takes us into tech-house territory. And then finally 'Mutation' in its Original form is a tribal, percussive workout before Discrete Circuit & H4L give it similar treatment to the track before.
Played by: S-File
Review: UK techno veteran Mark Broom returns to his own label after a flurry of releases for Epm. Starting off with the title track, Broom relives the intensity of 90s techno tracks like Joey Beltram's "Forklift" as waves of electronic riffs build over a hammering rhythm. "Loop132" is also influenced by 90s techno, with the Beard Man boss delivering a firing, slightly distorted loop-y workout. "Haven" is different again, as Broom takes inspiration from Basic Channel and Chain Reaction's layered dub but underpinning it with tough kick. The release's diverse approach continues on Chicago producer Rondell Adams' dense and noisy take on "Loop132".
Played by: S-File
Played by: S-File
Review: Label owner Mark Broom returns to Beard Man doing what he is best at - tough but expertly put together club techno. The title track is a heavy, tribal affair and is not dissimilar to the loopy material Broom was making at the end of the 90s, albeit laced with insistent bleeps. "D282" is also redolent of that period, with an electronic bass underpinning Broom's rolling rhythm, while "Demanding" sees the Beard Man boss adding some surging chords to the equation. Don Williams from Artless maintains the 90s theme on his first reshape of "Demanding", with hyperactive jazz-synth stabs riding a restless, percussive rhythm. A heavier, more modern approach prevails on his second re-work.
Review: Mark Broom and some of his like-minded producers revisit the sound of the late 90s for the UK veteran's latest release. Broom himself impresses with "Loop 131"; like a hybrid of dirty Chicago ghetto and 90s Mills going down an organ-heavy wormhole, it's a killer piece of peak-time techno. Recent Beard Man signing Patrik Carrera keeps the sound dry and minimal for his take on the title track and in so doing straddles a fine line between repetition and musicality. The biggest surprise comes from GND owners Turbo Turbo. Grabbing "Dust" by the scruff of the neck they turn into a stadium-sized trance-techno pounder reminiscent of CJ Bolland.
Played by: S-File
Review: Anthony Cardinale is an American producer who has just launched this new side-project, Avision. It's clear that the long years spent frequenting and playing at underground clubs in the States has rubbed off on his production style and this EP is a rough, raw analogue ride. The title track sets the tone with its insistent rhythm and noisy drums, while "Stripped" is even rawer-sounding, as a clanging metallic bar bashes away against the backdrop of pumping drums and surging chords. "Dope Jazz" offers some respite - and showcases Cardinale's deeper sound - but it's only a temporary one and label boss Mark Broom drops an intense kick-drum heavy take on the title track.
Review: Carrera is the latest addition to Mark Broom's label and on Hovi, he demonstrates why he is the perfect fit. "Eik" is a tough, steely rhythm track that cruises at 125 bpm before exploding in a cacophony of searing riffs and doubled up claps. On the title track and "Lunge", Carrera opts for a different approach. Both arrangements resound to heavy kicks, gnarled percussion and head-melting acid tweaks. To welcome Carrera properly into the Beard Man fold, Broom has commissioned two remixes; the first, his own take on "Eik", resounds to spiky snares and a rolling rhythm, while on Discrete Circuit version of "Hovi", Carrera's acid riffs are underpinned by doubled up claps.
Review: Discrete Circuit impressed with his release last year on Delsin and he raises the bar further with this record on Mark Broom's label. The title track and the MB edit of "Incursion" are storming robotic funkers laced with acid-filled filters and both are undeniably effective. However, when Discrete Circuit takes his finger off the 'brute force' button, things start to get more interesting. "Divulge" is a robotic, analogue workout - the 303 lines are still audible though - that is redolent of minimal pioneers like DBX. Best of all though is "Old Kingdom", where dark chords, reminiscent of mid-90s Force Inc and early Ian Pooley churn menacingly against a hail of metallic percussion.
Played by: Detroit Grand Pubahs, Mark Broom, Juno Recommends Techno, JAK, Trevor Benz, Resident Advisor, Sven Vath
Review: The ever-versatile Mark Broom returns to his own label for a storming techno release. The title track revolves around a high-paced acid pulse, with the smart use of filters making it sound even more frazzled. Robert Hood repays the favour to Broom for appearing on his M-Plant label by delivering a heavy, visceral take on the title track, with the Detroit producer's signature metallic riffing and cast iron beats to the fore. Of a bigger surprise is Ben Long and Oliver Way's remix; although it's a high octane affair, the groove is pulsing and surprisingly fluid. Adding to this unexpected turn is Ben Long's 'late night' mix, where the veteran UK producer lays down a hypnotic, ambient pulse.
Played by: Paul Mac
Review: We're not too sure who the obscure Cotton Crown is exactly, but we're certainly very familiar with the legendary Mark Broom. He appears exclusively on this release banging out four well executed edits. Channelling the spirit of classic Robert Hood style minimalism, these four hypnotic and cyclical grooves are some of the most flattering and worthy tributes from one master producer to another. On "Purrfume 1" and "X6", respectively, they rely on nothing more than a furious kick, a hi-hat and synth stabs yet to marvellous effect. However "Purrfume 2" creates more atmosphere through its layers with its engaging melody, later making way for a James Ruskin style woodblock workout. Lastly "In Vitro" brings the tempo down suitably with its soaring pads and razor sharp synth leads guiding you to true dancefloor euphoria. Tip!
Played by: Paul Mac, S-File, SKREAM, Juno Recommends Techno, Marek Bois, Chris Liebing, Trevor Benz, Adam Beyer, Turbo Turbo, Victor Calderone
Review: UK techno veteran Broom is one of the most consistent producers in the game and on Neon, he delivers four killer dance floor tracks. Inspired in equal parts by the swirling, dub techno of Chain Reaction and the insistent, loopy techno of mid to late-90s Jeff Mills, the release starts with the steel-plate percussion and churning chord builds of "M19". Broom keeps his focus on that approach for "Energy", where doubled-up claps and clanging chords create an eerie but urgent sensibility, while the title track is a slightly less visceral affair thanks to the inclusion of a sleepy vocal sample amid the churning keys. Finally, "Involver" sees Broom focus his energies elsewhere, its acidic, grimy groove coming across like Steve Bicknell in a bad mood.
Played by: Paul Mac, S-File, Shadow Dancer, Slam, Laylae, Trevor Benz, Ø [Phase], Abstract Division, Inigo Kennedy
Review: Thanks to his releases on Token and Power Vacuum, veteran UK producer Mark Broom is enjoying a renaissance. That come back continues with the mighty Afterlife release. Like the record on Power Vacuum, the title track is based on a simple premise; use stomping beats and a mangled, grainy bassline as a back drop for a wild, trancey synth line that gets more and more euphoric as it progresses. If that sounds too intense, fear not as Phase has delivered a killer remix. Understated and menacing, it pulses along until he lets loose with the most threatening chord sweeps since Dave Clarke's Red 2.
Review: Broom has making techno for twenty years, but as Silenced shows, he retains the golden touch for dropping killer club tracks. "Silenced 1" features heavy tribal beats and a Hoover bass belching through the speakers, accompanied by a searing acid line. The second instalment is even more visceral; it begins relatively sedately, with deep chords setting an atmospheric tone, but soon enough, ferocious, hissing hats and a churning filter increase the intensity levels. "Part 3" features more of the same bass pressure, this time motoring along to sick acid lines and heavy clicks. Finally, "Part 4" relies on bursts of white noise and a scuffling rhythm to drive home the message.
Review: If you're looking for serious Mills/Hood-inspired techno, then "Time" is for you. Over chiming bells and a complex metallic rhythm, Lighter Thief allows a deep, dramatic chord sequence to build, climax and then start all over again. Veteran UK producer Paul Mac follows a similar trajectory on his remix, but he also makes reference to a distinctly UK version of techno, as screeching riffs dive-bomb over a rolling, loopy groove. Chris Finke's version also makes a nod to the past, but in this instance it's back to the early 90s rave as euphoric, slightly detuned keys dominate a hissing percussive backing track.
Review: Beard Man started life as an outlet for Marc Broom's own releases and as this release under his Lighter Thief moniker demonstrates, the affable producer has been able to attract some of the other key UK techno players to his enterprise. In its original form, "Like Dat" is a rolling club techno groove, featuring soulful vocal samples and jarring riffs. It has an unmistakable old school feeling and recalls loop techno before it veered down a one-note cul de sac. Kirk Degiorgio delivers an awesomely trippy take that recalls the dark bleeps and dense beats of the New Religion label, while Ben Sims drops two peak-time rollers, powered by siren riffs, surging basslines and stomping beats.
Review: If there was a dedicated techno dictionary, there is no doubt that "Redial" would feature under the entry marked 'big room'. While Broom has made a wide range of electronic music over the years, his focus is now firmly set on putting out peak time tunes for cavernous clubs. The title track is an upfront jacking affair, with reverberating drums underpinning screeching sirens, walls of jarring effects and visceral claps. "Mist" is even more over the top, with a rolling rhythm and filtered metallic riffs leading to an insane crescendo. It may not have the subtlety of his A13 work, but it's certainly effective. Recommended.
Played by: Paul Mac, Mihalis Safras, Gary Beck, Detroit Grand Pubahs, Jamie Behan, F.AKISSI, LISS C., Distortion
Review: When he launched his Beard Man label, UK veteran Mark Broom decided to take ownership again of his releases. Now he's steering his music again and this time it's back to the old school. "48" is an inspired combination of modern white noise bursts and tribal drums that lead into a massive filtered breakdown, while "Fever" is reminiscent of the stab-heavy, acid-tinged techno Broom used to deliver with such aplomb for Pure Plastic. Best of all though is the title track: featuring the distorted beats of DJ Rush and Ben Sims' insistent discoy loops, it is both familiar and fresh.
Review: Given that two of UK techno's most experienced techno producers feature on "Night Nurse" you could be forgiven for thinking that it might turn into a lesson in dance floor intensity. However, while "Pigeon" is based on a solidly jacking rhythm augmented by firing hats and insistent, stabbing riffs, that only tells half the story. Midway through, it veers into a Chain Reaction-style chord sequence that subsequently morphs into a dreamy outro. It's the musical elements that Norman Nodge's remix centres on - the stomping backing helps too - while the title track isn't all sturm und drang either, its broken beats providing the basis for chilling strings and mysterious pads.
Review: Veteran UK producer Mark Broom proves once again that diversity is key to remaining relevant. While most of his peers have faded into obscurity at best, Broom's both versions of "Satellite" sound as fresh as the day that he first started fiddling with a sampler. Combining the old with the new, both versions are underpinned by contemporary-sounding dense beats and snappy percussion, but also feature panning, nagging acid lines that are reminiscent of vintage Plastikman. Broom also makes nods to the recent mnml explosion with hissing percussion descending into bursts of white noise - but he does it with such style that it sounds fresh. Here's to another 20 years.
