Review: Following on from last year's collaborative long player with R?dh?d, Vril flies solo on this return visit to Delsin. United by deep sound design throughout, the long player shifts effortlessly between styles. From the cavernous dub techno of "Love Rollout" and the shimmering chords of "Boom To The Moon", to the gritty electro swagger of "Terraformink" and "Zukunftsstrasse", Animist is a flawlessly executed work. That's not to suggest that Vril has produced a work that is too glossy or stylised; "Unwelt" resounds to gritty percussion and drums, while the sub-bass tones of "Anomal Beta" bristles with a sense of menace that would be hard to find in a dub techno record.
Review: Those with a preference for the deeper end of techno and ambient will find much to love on Sub-Sonar. From the beautiful beatless opening track, "Looking Outside" to the evocative, dubbed out groove of "Liberate Truth", nthng's return to Delsin after a long hiatus is characterised by a tendency towards spaced out melodies and slow-paced tempos. On occasion, that approach changes - as is the case on the crisp break beats of "1, 2 Butterfly", but even this exception is punctuated by shimmering melodic hooks. Otherwise, as the dreamy, textured title track demonstrates, this is tailor made for fans of slow-burning atmospheric electronic music.
Review: Brendon Moeller has released before on the Ann Aimee offshoot, but this time he lands on the Delsin mothership with an EP that spans a range of styles. "Poly Mod" is a lively, abstract affair, with Moeller layering dubby chords over a tingling rhythm and a cavernous bass, while on "Route", he teases out a more understated version of this sound. The title track sees Moeller pivot towards the dance floor, with a groove that's powered by steely drums and swirling filters, while on "Refrigeration", he goes deeper, deploying a muddy bass to guide the listener through a nocturnal soundscape. The ticking percussion and repetitive tones of "Motor" and "Invocation For Station Q" round off this fine release.
Review: Continuing their permeance into contemporary techno culture Delsin Records outta Amsterdam bring together a refined selection of stalwarts and newcomer artists this annual compilation. Scour down the list and you'll find bonus numbers from the likes of Forest Drive West with his classic rhythmic style to headliners like BNJMN, Natural & Electronic.system and WAV, aka Wata Igarashi & Voiski! Intrigues include amethia recordings purge Varuna, all time classic John Beltran (in "Euphoric Dream Ocean") and cosmic broken beat experiments from Wladimir M (think Planet E and Evo Lute). Furthermore, find tracks from electro wizz CiM and go deeper into italian-style techno variations with VC-118A's "Crunch" and of course some OG electro from Delsin legend Versalife. To 2021 and beyond!
Review: For anyone with a passing interest in 90s European techno, Stefan Robbers' work as Florence is an essential project because while it was inspired by Detroit techno it is shot through with his unique perspectives. The Analogue Expressions reissue on Delsin shines a light on his benchmark Florence Eps for the Eevo Lute Muzique imprint. Ranging from mellow and mournful tracks like "It's In The Hands" and the utterly timeless 'The Vineyard' to the kind of insistent grooves so beloved of Robbers - check the snaking bass and swirling psychedelic synths on "Analogue Expressions" itself - to more hyperactive steely futurism as articulated on "Robotica", this is a truly stellar collection of electronic tracks that still shines brightly after three decades.
Review: The pairing of Antonio Giova and Valerio Gomez de Ayala have only a few releases under the Natural/Electronic System alias, and originally rose to prominence with their expansive, fluid DJ sets. They apply this approach for their debut record on Delsin; "Marea", with its undulating, stripped back groove and dreamy synths, inhabits the same space as XDB, while on "Rituale", they change tact with a stripped back, drum-heavy workout. On "Insecta", the pair picks up the pace for a more dance floor-focused but still deep groove, while this fine, far-reaching release concludes with the atmospheric broken beats of "Vespero".
Review: Dutch powerhouse Delsin bunkers down for another year with a choice selection of tracks taken from the label's marque artists, regulars and newcomers. The compilation showcases the label's tastemaking approach to embracing a somewhat unidentified strands of dub electro, a new and developing sound harnessed it seems by Delsin this year. Claro Intelcto slathers his track "Two Thousand" with more of the obscene basslines we love the British artist for (with a lighter alternative to be found on "Messages") while Conforce plays with pixelation and subtle subsonic electro pulses in "OI". Gunnar Haslam rivals Porter-Ricks-deepness in his track "Cacique De Poyais" while label boss Peel Seamus warms things up with Detroit-styled keys and synths to offset the deeper, melodic and shimmering dub of new talent His Master's Voice.
Review: Boris Bunnik slips back into his Conforce alias to continue his long-running association with Delsin. Indeed, Dawn Chorus is his fifth album for the label, and sees him deliver a range of tracks, all underpinned by the deep musicality that the project is associated with. "Void" and "Solstice" are robust electro numbers, underpinned by deep 808s, while on "Aphelion", a pulsating techno groove prevails. "Io" sees Bunnik revisit the 90s IDM sound as spiky beats provide the basis for spellbinding hooks, while "Marooned" sees the Dutch producer in darker form, weighed down by acrid acid lines and stripped back beats.
Review: Peel Seamus is the stage name for Delsin owner Marsel Van Der Wielen, and the label started back in 1996 with a cassette release from this project. Since then, Peel Seamus releases have been few and far between, so Susurro is a timely reminder of Marsel's talents. It is all the more remarkable given that these tracks were all recorded around 2000. On "Valve Pod" and "Absence In Reality", he delivers beautiful broken beat jams, while "Strawberry Hills" is a gloriously deep slice of techno soul and on "Head Over Heels" he drops a spine-tingling dance floor groove, lit up by the type of wide-eyed keys that prevailed on Derrick May records.
Review: Redshape follows last year's A Sole Game album with a return to Delsin, one of the main labels that has supported him over the years. This four-tracker has all of the German producer's signature sounds; "Android Malfunction" is a heads-down roller that resounds to eerie bleeps and doleful synths set to busy, rumbling drums. On both "Passengers" and "Bishop", he opts for a more understated approach: the drums are still tough and roll effortlessly, but the bass tones have that unmistakably melancholic Redshape tinge. Most impressive though is "A New Home", where Redshape weaves haunting melodies into a steely rhythm, making for an unforgettable deep techno piece.
The Fifth Planet (Forest Drive West remix) - (8:21) 123 BPM
The Fifth Planet (Evigt Morker remix) - (6:49) 123 BPM
Review: After a series of releases for Delsin, including their 2017 debut album, Robin Koek and Nick Lapien aka Artefakt get the remix treatment on the label. First up is an inspired choice, Forest Drive West, who turns the title track from their debut Delsin EP, The Fifth Planet, into a dreamy, droning stepper. Evigt Morker is tapped for a version of the same track and delivers a droning, rolling techno groove that stretches out to infinity and beyond. "Tapeloop", from their Kinship long player morphs into a dense, droning workout thanks to Polar Inertia's touch, while Valentino Mora brings the release to a reflective conclusion with a teased out, atmospheric take on "The Blue Hour".
Review: Delsin has scored a serious coup with The Beginning, Mike Golding's first EP in over a decade. One half of seminal deep techno act B12, Golding has played a pivotal role in electronic music's direction over the past quarter century. The Beginning shows that he retains his magic touch. "Game of Chance" is an abstract, stepping groove, led by eerie synths, while on "Source Codes", he edges back towards the dance floor to the sound of crashing snares, niggling bleeps and a wiry rhythm. While "Semaphores" sees him return to a more off-centre rhythm, it is shot through with atmospheric soundscapes, while "Boosenbender" pulses and throbs with all the nervous, electronic energy of early B12.
Review: One of the first labels to release Gunnar Haslam's material back in 2014, Delsin deserves praise for being so quick to tune in to his left of centre talent. This relationship continues now with Cacique De Poyais. The title track is a sparse, tripped out affair that unravels over the course of 13 minutes, its tonal bleeps and sequences twisting and turning in a seductive manner. "Port Sommeil" adopts a similar approach and applies it to the dance floor, with a glitchy, detuned groove underpinning the warbling frequency shifts. Rounding off this idiosyncratic release is "Azote Du Guano", where Haslam ups the pace and puts a focus on chiming bells.
Review: Samuel Van Dijk aka VC-118A follows 2016's Shift Register with another effortless, elegantly executed artist album. Moving from the frazzled dub techno of "Tide" - a sound more commonly associated with his Mohlao alias - into sleek electro jams such as "Pcb" and "Dither" and eerie ambient passages like "Metric Spaces", the Dutch producer's third long player shows that he is one of modern electronic music's most versatile producers. While most of Inside adheres to an understated sensibility, there is also a playful undercurrent here, audible on the stepping rhythm and frazzled acid of "Fm", while "Hiss" ranks among his most dance floor friendly techno output.
Review: Delsin has put out some great reissues in recent years - including benchmark work by Lost Tax and VC-118A - but their latest reissue project is the most impressive one yet. Repeat was a collaboration between Mark Broom and Ed and Andy from The Black Dog and Repeats was their sole artist album, released in 1995. Given the calibre of the artists involved in this project, it is no surprise that it veers in tone and sound from the IDM of "End Up" and "G-Thing" to the beats-y "Tuesday's Hot Hit" and "Lilt A" - always a thing with Broom - into beautiful Detroit techno tracks, such as the hyper speed "Hurrican Felix" and the break beats of "Drifting Sounds". Repeats is an essential release for any electronic music fan.
Review: Delsin has been a purveyor of deep electronic music for the best part of two decades - and as this compilation demonstrates, 2018 was no exception. It moves in sound from re-issued electro classics by Lost Trax and VC-118A - the latter's chilling string-led "Sepia" is particularly beautiful - into Yagya's brittle deep house/techno and the gentle dub techno of Vril. Even on the more uptempo tracks, such as the throbbing acid of Artefakt's "Falling Into The Light" and the robotic, clanging rhythms of Yan Cook's "Dead Satellite", there is a subtlety and depth of sound absent in most labels' identities. Here's to another twenty years.
Review: Originally released on cassette on Giegling last year, Anima Mundi, Vril's second artist album, now gets a full release. Tracks like the expansive, rolling "Statera Rerum" and the more low-tempo but equally seductive "Haus" guarantee that Mundi is a dub techno lover's dream. However, it would be wrong to assume that this is all that Vril is capable of. "Manium", "Ilojum" and "Riese" are glacial ambient tracks that shimmer effervescently, while the title track and "Infinitum Eternis Anime" are pitched somewhere between these spectrums, their stop-start rhythms and dubbed out sound scapes showing that when it comes to atmospheric electronic music, few modern artists can rival Vril.
Review: Rigning originally appeared back in 2009 on Sending Orbs, but now gets a full re-release on Dutch institution Delsin. The work of the Icelandic producer Yagya, it's a serene, chilled out affair that sits somewhere between ambient and dub techno. "Rigning Einn" is a breathy sound scape, while "Fjorir resounds to the hiss and hum of static noise. The second piece ("Tvo") and "Sex" both move into a laid back, dubbed out groove, and while " Brju" sees Yagya pick up the pace, the same cinematic sensibilities remain. It's an evocative, dreamy release that puts most of the ambient / dub techno scene to shame with its understated beauty.
Review: Yagya, AKA Icelandic sound designer and producer Aolsteinn Guodundsson, has little time for singles. He released his fourth album in a decade, The Impossible Decay of My Heart. While good, it pales in comparison with 2006's Will I Dream Through The Process, which here gets a deserved re-release. In turns crackly, other-worldly, dreamy, ethereal and touchy-feely, it sees Guodunsson lay down a series of ambient, drone and dub-techno soundscapes variously influenced by Rhythm & Sound, Brian Eno, LaBradford, Philip Glass and, in the comforting hypnotism of "Their Blood Is Black & Yellow", Steve Reich.
Review: It's hard to believe that the music on Belongings is almost a quarter of a century old. Released on 2000 & One's own 100% Pure label back in 1994, these tracks have held up extremely well to the passage of time. "It Belongs to Me" is a glorious, melodic roller that features dreamy, mournful synths underpinned by tough kicks, while on the "Reprise" version, the Dutch producer puts a focus on the original's glorious musical elements over a slower groove. "Crystal" is in a similar vein, with robust break beats underpinning 2000 & One's melodic outpourings, while on "Bowed", he returns to the dance floor with a wiry, bubbling rhythm track. Delsin, which also recently re-released the first two Lost Trax EPs, deserves kudos for this excellent reissue.
Review: Shaun Baron-Carvais aka Shlomo follows up the first volume of In Absentia from last year with this second instalment, The Taapion Records owner draws on Delsin's heritage of deep techno for the title track, with mysterious synths cascading airily over a nagging rhythm. On "Tbilisian Cure", he changes direction and increases the tempo to deliver a rolling, drum-heavy affair, while "Lali" marks a more radical shift, as he navigates a path that traverses dreamy ambient and Asian motifs. However, the focus of this EP is mainly on the dance floor, and the Tommy Four Seven version of "Lali", with its punishing broken beats, pushes it back towards techno.
Review: For those who follow the work of British IDM legend Claro Intelecto, the last few years have been frustrating, to say the least. It's been five years since his last album, and three since he released a single. Exhilarator, his fifth full-length, is certainly well over-due. Predictably the ong anticipated full length is also rather good. As usual, it offers a superb balance of dark and intoxicating electro, tuneful intelligent techno, bubbly IDM, glitchy post-ambient soundscapes, deep and bass-heavy techno shufflers and clanking, off kilter experimentation from the Autehcre school of electronica. It's atmospheric, impeccably produced and stuffed full of highlights. In other words, it's another great Claro Intelecto album.
Harnessed Life In Programmed Form - (6:33) 122 BPM
Autonomously Surpassed - (6:24) 123 BPM
Review: Inspired by the harbour and industrial city scapes of his home town of Rotterdam, Autonomous is Boris Bunnik aka Conforce's most austere album yet. "Tidal Gateway" and "Fauna Of Estuaries" set the tone for the release with their ticking, disconnected percussion, dark bass and menacing sonic undercurrents. "Inland Current" sees the Dutch producer take influence from Norwegian pioneer Biosphere, creating a dark ambient sound scape, while on "ECCV Quay", Bunnik displays a somewhat lighter side as a chugging rhythm is fused with hissing electronic textures. There is also some dance floor techno on Autonomous, courtesy of the deep grooving "Harnessed Life In Programmed Form", but in the main, it focuses on the bleak, machine whirr of industrial automation.
Review: Nthng has just released his debut album on Lobster Theremin, but that hasn't affected his productivity as he debuts on Delsin. Like his long player, Gaia shows that he is adept at covering a range of styles. "Oralage" is a lean, linear affair, led by ticking, steely percussion and tough drums. It's atypical for the Dutch label, but soon afterwards, the Amsterdam producer moves into more familiar dreamy ambience on the expansive "A Souls Search". The most impressive track is "Gaia" itself: revolving around a chugging groove, dense, metallic drums and cavernous sound effects, it feels like Nthng has effortlessly reinvented the Basic Channel dub techno blueprint.
Review: Following his appearance on Ann Aimee, Sawlin aka Ronny Scholz makes the transition to the mother label, Delsin. For fans of the Dutch imprint, Sawlin may seem like an odd choice, but Motion Keeper finds him in less full-on form than usual. The title track is his version of a deep house track, full of atmospheric, dubbed out textures, vocal snippets and a rumbling, bass-heavy backing groove. "Endless Supplier" sees him revert to tougher techno, as razor sharp percussion and dark stabs come together to create a sense of menace. However, it it is only a temporary distraction from Sawlin's deeper mission, and "Wired Evening" resounds to woozy chords and a stepping rhythm.
The Invariants - "Ritzy" (feat Elkan) - (6:53) 123 BPM
ShlAmmo - "The Quest" - (6:00) 120 BPM
Gunnar Haslam - "Kerallel" - (8:54) 123 BPM
Review: Despite being operational for almost two decades, Delsin has a higher hit rate than nearly any other techno label. This is audible on Cameron 10, an eight-track compilation from the Dutch imprint. The Invariants deliver deep, atmospheric techno for the floor on "Ritzy", while Artefakt's contribution, "Anemic Cinema", is a reflective broken beat affair. Delsin has coaxed a track form Claro Intelecto, who delivers the bass-heavy but mysterious electro of "Hurt". Newcomers also get a platform, with Sentomea dropping the slow-burning dub house of "Ease of Life" and Shlomo impressing on "The Quest", a tunnelling techno groove that also features hushed angel chants. If that wasn't enough Giegling's Vril and Gunnar Haslam complete the package with bleep-laden and lo-fi tracks respectively.
Review: It's been 20 years since Metamatics man Lee Norris made his debut with the Southern Soul EP. He's gone in a multitude of different directions since then - think IDM, electro, electro and abstract ambient - but the EP remains something of an unheralded classic. Here, Delsin have given it the reissue treatment, serving up remastered versions of all three tracks. There's much to enjoy, from the ultra-deep, ambient house influenced bliss of "Southern Soul" (think Mr YT crossed with bleep techno style electronica), to the yearning dreaminess of leisurely, Detroit-influenced deep house closer "Shifting Towards". The track squeezed in between, the dub-fuelled techno positivity of "More Frequencies", is equally as impressive.
Review: As the title of Redshape's latest release suggests, the material contained therein was recorded during two of his live shows. Typically, the man in the red mask's performance is fluid and freeform by nature, but "London" illustrates that he has also instilled some discipline into his sets. It is more functional than usual and revolves around a driving, heads-down rhythm, firing hi-hats and a murky, grainy bass. By contrast, "Paris" is more sophisticated; while Redshape's powerful drums and cavernous sub-bass provide the backdrop, the track recorded in the French capital is full of mysterious synth flourishes - and adds some elegance to his catalogue.
Review: Like the debut release in this series, the second instalment of North to South sees Boris Bunnik explore heavy, industrial-leaning arrangements. The dreamy soundscapes that dominated the early iterations of Conforce are largely absent, replaced by the murky textures and tough, dub-fuelled kicks of "TKY". "Reverse" sees the Dutch producer veer into an even harder style, with dense drums and droning sound scapes prevailing. "P.O.D" has flashes of the Conforce of old both in its musical leaning and lithe rhythm, but his new-found love of nighttime sounds dominates. This is evident on the closing track, "Similar Twinkling Lights", where sparkling hooks vie for the listener's attention as a nocturnal bass churns away in the background.
Review: Tom Dicicco has already built a quietly impressive discography - think releases on Off Minor, The Corner and his own Run Out Run - so it's little surprise to see him appearing on Delsin. The Shadows & Tears EP is typical of his textured, spacey, evocative techno sound, and contains a quartet of impressive outings. The British producer kicks things off with "Extracting The Error", a beautifully melancholic slab of tactile techno. "Morph Cycle" is a darker and more percussively intense affair, a stylistic trait continued on the warped electronics, hissing cymbals and distorted analogue drums of "A Prayer For Jupiter". Finally, he combines abstract electronics, fuzzy textures and rolling, intergalactic melodies on the impressive "Fallen Spaces".
Review: It's not that long since Boris Bunnik dropped his most recent Conforce full-length, but already the man of many pseudonyms is donning the alias again. Predictably, North To South Part 1 is full of the kind of shimmering, melodious, futurist treats that sit somewhere between classic Detroit techno and mid '90s British intelligent techno. All four tracks are superb, making picking highlights somewhat tricky. Today, we're particularly enjoying the icy pulse of the B12-ish "Syncronized" and the classic Transmat flex of "Eclipse", but tomorrow that could change. Opener "Dark Days" - all rich, intergalactic chords, snappy snares and stargazing intent - is arguably the best of the lot.
Review: Having recently debuted on Black Venison with a much-admired EP, Route 8 man Gergely Szilveszter Horvath brings his Q3A project to Delsin. As with that previous excursion, Space Chamber is a decidedly intergalactic affair, with the producer fusing elements associated with Detroit techno and deep house on a quartet of inspired, head-in-the-clouds workouts. There's naturally much to admire, from the evocative chords, pulsating beats and rich bass of "Track 1", and breakbeat-driven, rave-era Intelligent Techno of "Track 2", to the dreamy pads, nagging acid lines and crispy, snare-heavy beats of "Track 3". Best of all, though, is "Track 4", a shuffling, deep space electro cut with distinct hints of Drexciya amongst the alien chords, bleep melodies and woozy bass.
Review: Throughout the noughties, UK producer John Harvey delivered sporadic bursts of Detroit-influenced, atmospheric techno brilliance on Delsin under the D5 moniker. Here, the long-running Dutch techno imprint looks back on Harvey's often-overlooked career, gathering together a scintillating range of classic, lost and forgotten gems over a sumptuously packaged triple-pack. What shines through most is Harvey's effortless grasp of mood and melody, with each spacey, heart-aching composition coming smothered in classic Motor City melodies, supernova chords and glistening electronics. Whether heading for the dancefloor via hypnotic, rolling groovers, or showcasing his love of IDM and ambient techno for those feeling the post-club sofa vibe, Harvey rarely got it wrong. An essential purchase.
Review: Earlier this year, early '90s intelligent techno pioneers B12 returned to action with a surprise single on Soma. Now a solo project from original member Steve Rutter, the B12 comeback gathers pace with a follow-up for Delsin. Happily, Orbiting Souls is every bit as enchanting as the records Rutter and then partner Michael Golding released on Warp some 20 years ago. Deep, melodious, spacey, musically complex and effortlessly attractive, the five tracks variously touch on electro ("Nautilus Horizon"), spaced-out machine funk ("It's My Blood"), classic Ambient House ("Two Stories"), downtempo IDM-jazz (the brilliant "Nothing"), and Aphex Twin style ambient-meets-techno madness ("Universal Alignment"). In other words, it's ace.
Review: Bnjmn rose to prominence as a house producer, but this mini-album for Delsin sees him straying further down an experimental path than before. "P-Tr" is a cold, glacial bleep techno cut, while "Womb" sees him lay down a linear, heads-down groove. Elsewhere, he departs from the dance floor as he displays eloquently on the noisy tones of "1987" and the tranced out, classical melodies of "Oder". But Bnjmn remains a dance floor producer at heart and nowhere is this more audible on "Microgravity". A rumbling, gritty workout, it connects his house heritage with his experimental techno present.
Review: Since making his debut back in 2008, Voiski has showcased his trademark brand of techno on the likes of L.I.E.S, Syncrophone and I/Y. Clearly, the backroom boys at Delsin have been impressed with his progress, and here offer him a label debut. He begins with the moody, jammed-out hustle of "Downhearted Holidays", before combining the spacey ideology of Detroit futurism and the ragged pulse of Chicago acid on the standout "Galaxy Call". On the flip, the Frenchman impressively strips back his sound to a bass-heavy, bleep-laden throb on the unsettling "Mathematical Park", before indulging in some Ron Morelli style weird-and-wild techno darkness on the suitably apocalyptic "Answer Silently".
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