Review: Efdemin's 2008 mix CD on Curle, Carry On - Pretend We're Not In The Room showed that he was as adept and inventive behind the decks as he was in the studio. A decade later, the same holds true for the follow-up mix, Naif, but this time the boundaries are more blurred. Consisting of 29 unreleased tracks - 10 from the German producer himself and 19 from like-minded artists - the selection runs the gamut, from the hazy, abstract tones of WaWuWe's "Beams" and DIN's noisy "Glide", into hypnotic dance floor techno such as "Laveline", Efdemin's bleep-y collaboration with Konrad Springer, the glorious mid-tempo minimal roller "Watte" - recorded as Sollmann & Gurtler and then 'versioned' by Efdemin and expansive dub tracks from Pom Pom and Marco Shuttle.
Review: Agents of Time are one of Europe's most highly rated techno acts; they have released on Maceo Plex and Jennifer Cardini's labels, have launched their own label and are in-demand live performers. Now they debut on Curle with a potent big room affair. "20 Seconds to Mars" is a tranced out big room number, led by soaring hooks, while at the other end of the spectrum, the Italian pair delivers "Polarized". Led by tight claps and grimy acid squiggles, it's a raw, gritty affair, but still highly effective. However, it's on the title track where they really shine; its combination of shimmering, spine-tingling chords and soaring bass make it the kind of track that will be played by the underground and mainstream artists.
Review: Philip McGarva aka Microworld isn't exactly prolific and has only put out 3 records in the past 20 years. It seems that he is going through an especially productive patch at the moment and Signals follows Orange Sun from earlier this year also released on Curle. A similar approach underpins this latest record. "Smile" is a master class in deep techno; led by chiming bells and raw claps it sees McGarva deliver a serene composition. On the title track the mood is markedly different; a wiry high-paced funk bass and jazzy drums underpin a descent into the kind of warm chord climax last heard on vintage Dave Angel.
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.