Review: Sarah Story, a multifaceted talent known for her role as a broadcaster, DJ, producer, and songwriter, takes center stage with her latest single on Hypercolour. Through her influential Radio 1 'Future Dance' show, Story has been a key advocate for emerging talent and increased visibility for female and non-binary artists in the dance music scene. With this release, she delivers a dynamic showcase of her own skills, presenting a pair of pulsating and hypnotic club anthems that bang with classic warehouse force - a powerful contribution to the longstanding legacy of the UK label Hypercolour.
Review: With a background in running record stores, Jerome Hill is also the brains behind the Don't and Super Rhythm Trax labels and one of the UK's finest techno DJs. Hill brings all of these influences to bear on his debut album, Flow Mechanics. There are wild acid excursions on "Walk The Plank" and "The Doctor Will See You Now". On "Deafening Lull", he fuses noisy bass and ticking percussion with an irresistible electro swagger, while in contrast, "Afterlife" resounds to raucous break beats and a funk bassline. "Stax Had The Funk" and "More Chicken" sees Hill take Chicago jack as a starting point. He proceeds to integrate clanging rhythms and dark bass pulses with dreamy chords and trippy 303s - realised seamlessly by a proper underground hero.
Review: Following acclaimed releases on Dekmantel, Aus Music and Ninja Tune, Jack Hamill aka Space Dimension Controller is back this week with a fantastic new release of London's Hypercolour. The Cro2ma EP is a three-tracker featuring Detroit elements and bleepy bass that you've come to know and love from the Irish producer. From the contemplative electro of the title track, to the minimal hi-tech funk of "IG00158" and the deep, acid-tinged techno of "Highborne" which closes it out on an emotive tip - it's altogether highly accessible yet intricate in design.
Review: Ukrainian DJ & producer Roman Kurhan aka Monotronique follows up impressive efforts on Livity Sound, Banoffee Pies and Opal Tapes with a debut on Hypercolour. There's four tracks by the Kharkiv-based artist on the Uh Oooh EP, serving up modern electro beats in the face of the devastating effects of war on his city and country. We particularly enjoyed the bouncy martian breaks of "I Want That", the deep computer funk of "Magic Bliss" and the bass-heavy the title track with its Detroit sci-fi vibes.
Review: Ste Roberts is a key part of the Hypercolour operation. After a succession of records on his own Set imprint, he now makes a debut on the renowned UK label. The title track opens his account in mesmerising fashion, as frazzled tones unravel over a shuffling, swung rhythm. On "Victor's Mezcal", Roberts goes deeper, with a pulsating, throbbing groove and dense bass underpinning blips, tones and metallic groans. It sounds like a modern, slightly more menacing version of Eddie Richards' late 90s/early 00s vision for tech-house. Roberts then proceeds to bring the house down with the hoover sirens and rolling drums of "The Hiding Spot".
Review: A confirmed presence within the landscape of UK dance music for the best part of 15 years, Hypercolour has cultivated its own constellation of artists while becoming a port of call for those hitting their peak within pseudo-mainstream house music. It's Patterns compilation series has always offered rare cuts and remixes from its roster of artists and from the get go here a lesser known Zodiac impresses out of the blocks with a banging dub techno joint "GhostNet". Sebastian Mullaert & Boelja go hardcore Swedish bleeptronic in "Who Are You Really?" with FRAK also included with an old school and lo-fi 909 workout "Berga Magic". Roman Flugel hits a sweetspot as usual next to some lowly jackin tracks by London Modular Alliance, a vocal breakbeat number of classical drum and bass refrain by Mathew Herbert to some tongue cheek rave by Luke Vibert and much much more! Approved.
Review: Eliphino is a pseudonym for Tom Wrankmore, who has put put music under this guise on Secretsundaze and Meda Fury. He also released on Hypercolour back in 2013, and Maelstrom sees him make a timely re-appearance on the label. The title track is an unusual affair, with a swinging rhythm and glitchy percussion underpinning dreamy melodies. On "Bubbling Glass", the focus shifts to a more electro-based sound, with rolling 808s supporting fuzzy soundscapes, while on "Eddy", he raises the tempo to deliver a frenetic break beat track. Rounding off this distinctive release is the vocal-sampling broken beats of "One Day".
Review: With releases on labels like Hotflush and Drumcode to their credit, Dense & Pika bring it back home with Amber: after all, Hypercolour was set up by Alex Jones, one half of the act. The title track focuses on dreamy hooks and blissed out vocal samples, before the pair's insistent, stepping beats kick in. It's atmospheric, but also tailor made for the dance floor. On "Hard Light", they opt for a somewhat different approach: here, the tempo is faster and the rhythm more percussive, but the pair leave enough room in the arrangement for cosmic laser stabs that sound like they were taken straight from a sci-fi thriller.
Review: Following up a couple of great releases for Matthew Herbert's Accidental Jnr, Sydney producer Cassius Select debuts on Hypercolour with a fresh batch of crooked beats and twisted rave experiments. From the jagged and angular dub of "They Shook", the moody knackered house jam "Loose Pursuit" or the brooding grey area groove of "Yut" which calls to mind the crossover experiments of London's Autonomic crew nearly a decade ago. This collection bass heavy and highly urbanised jams all feature a truly UK influence and make a welcome addition to the Hypercolour catalogue.
Review: Israeli tech house heroine Mor Elian continues on with her winning streak with another killer on Hypercolour, her second release for them since 2016's wicked Drum Vortex EP. The Fever A.M. co-head launches a terrific new missive in the form of Persona Non Grata: four servings of killer grooves for any occasion. From the dirty electro funk of the title track and "Xeric Zula" to the tunnelling acid express of "Dysmorphia" and the basic trance induction of "Feral Chime". These sonic weapons truly compliment the Los Angeles/Berlin based producer's great old-school influenced releases of late, on Radio Matrix and Delft.
Review: Stellar vocal cut here from Alphonse Rozel, who has had previous releases for Klasse Wrecks, Emotional Especial and Black Orpheus. Described by Hypercolour as 'spacey and dusty deepness' and that's pretty on point. Vocals are provided by one Rev Be, which Rozel utilises across these three versions. The deep bleep techno of "Better Weather" in its original version calls to mind the sounds of northern UK sounds from the early '90s, the trippy dub version - or Phazed version - is vaguely reminiscent of Derrick May's studio expriements around the same time with its funked up, flanged out and reversed elements galore. Finally is the more straight ahead and dancefloor friendly bounce of the Abyss version.
Review: Taraval aka Ryan Smith already has two releases to hie name onText, and in places on No Coast, you can hear why his work fits in so well on Four Tet's label. The most apparent example of this style is "Stan's Loon", where a busy percussive track plays host to a cacophony of electro-acoustic tones. It's off the wall, but still manages to maintain its sense of groove. A similar aesthetic is audible on "Kima Jima". Detuned tones and frequencies flit about over a swung rhythm. On other occasions however, the Californian artist goes down a tough techno route, evident on the creaking, noisy workout that is "Topaz's Way" and the droning, tunnelling title track.
Review: Yaleesa Hall teams with Oscillat Music owner Malin for an EP that draws heavily on classic techno tropes. "Artin" is a dense, chugging groove that draws on the cavernous dub chords of Basic Channel and Fachwerk's tight rhythms to create a dark track. On "Cahen", the pair opt for a more reflective sound; although the rhythm track is percussive, the chords are sub-aquatic and deeper. The Zenker Brothers do a fine job turning "Artin" into a tough, lean roller, but as the pared back, tracky rhythm and outer space sounds of "Brown" so eloquently demonstrates, this release is all about Hall and Malin's combined skills.
Review: Quickly! Hide the USB sticks: The Analogue Cops are here! Marieu and Lucretio are the Italian merchants of hardware focused underground house that have long been affiliated with vinyl only imprints: namely their own Restoration imprint. This will however be their second outing on British label Hypercolour following a run of well received EPs on Memento, Moondance and the Sabotage label. Here it's more of the quality that you have come to expect from this duo. Lucretio offers up two jams and our pick would have to be the super soulful deepness of "Give Out" with its familiar vocals over a dusty groove. Next up Marieu serves up a couple of wicked tracks also, and we were pretty keen on on "Xa Swing" because it reminded us of the funky, boompty and jackin' loops of early DJ Sneak: and that ain't a bad thing at all!
Review: Since first bursting onto the scene back in 2011, The Cyclist (AKA Derry producer Andrew Morrison) has gone from making dusty, dystopian techno to delivering intriguing albums that defy easy categorization. He's at it again on Sapa Inca Delirium, his fourth full-length in total and first since 2014. Beginning with the dark, feverish ambience of "Go Back" and spiraling, acid-fired, tribal-tinged throb of "Inhale/Exhale", Morrison saunters between impressively atmospheric cuts that variously touch on drowsy early Krautrock ("Inti"), braindance style insanity ("Forest Surge"), Balearic broken beat ("Skateboarding in the Jungle", "When We All Break Down"), lo-fi soundscape jazz-house ("Sapa Inca Delirium") and drowsy downtempo beats ("Antiexist"). It's a gently trippy and imaginative fusion of sounds and styles that's not only expertly executed, but also extremely impressive.
Review: Since first pitching up on Hypercolour late last year, hardware fetishists London Modular Alliance has continued to deliver some of the most exciting electro around. Famously, the trio construct their cuts entirely using modular synthesizers, jamming live until they settle on a groove or riff to explore further. That guarantees that their machine funk sits somewhere between the pulsating hypnotism of classic Kraftwerk, the intergalactic moodiness of Drexciya and the harder-edged fodder popular in places like Rotterdam and the Hague. It goes without saying that this EP is packed with killer cuts from start to finish, something that makes picking highlights truly tricky. Really, all you need to know is that it's a must-have.
Review: Following a release on its sub-label, Nick Harris brings his A Sagittariun project to Hypercolour. The title track resounds to cinematic orchestral flourishes and moves rather skilfully from rolling break beats into dance floor friendly kicks. "The Pathway" offers no such musical distraction and centres on tough, insistent kicks, a succession of filtered breakdowns and splintered percussion. To mark his appearance on the label, Hypercolour have commissioned US producer Matrixxman to rework "The Pathway". Taking the tempo down, his version has a cavernous, spacious feel. The kicks feel like they are submerged, but Matrixxman keeps the dance floor focus thanks to the use of rickety percussion and wild horn stabs.
Review: London/Bristol based tech house institution celebrates a decade in the business. They've seen a few faces and phases, tech-wise or otherwise but at the end of the day remained consistent in their pursuit of quality grooves. Alex Jones and Jamie Russell present some great music here and there are many highlights. From electronica legends such as Warp's Luke Vibert, minimal house pioneer Matthew Herbert (with the deep and dusty microhouse of "Downgraded") as well as techno's one time enfant terrible Neil Landstrumm through to new favourites such as Swedish hypnotic techno hero Sebastian Mullaert (the tunnelling "Shadowed By I"), Italian hardware mavericks The Analogue Cops plus up and comers Yaleesa Hall x Malin Genie with the banging' "Buchan Trap". We applaud the label for their ability to keep on the pulse of the ever changing electronic music landscape and heres to another ten years.
Review: Famously, Guy Evans has been producing music since the early '90s, though it's only in the last few years that most of it has seen the light of day. Like his previous full-length, Unearthed Trax, sophomore album Concentric Rhythms is also made up of vintage tracks rescued from the archives. There's naturally much to enjoy, from the fuzzy, full-force Detroit techno assault of "Concentric Rhythm", and the glistening, intelligent techno melodiousness of "Through The Galaxy 93", to the balls-out acid onslaught of "Fresh Horizons" and intergalactic D&B madness of "Banzappa Dub". Happily, Hypercolour has also squeezed in "20 96", a 16-minute trip into the furthest parts of the techno galaxy.
Review: London's Hypercolour crew have now become synonymous with quality house and techno, and although they are originally rooted in the UK strain of the genres, recent years have brought along a whole new heap of styles and talent on their catalogue. First up, we should give credit to Axel Boman and the ridiculously hummable tech-house groove that is "Depression 01", followed supremely by a hard-hitting house banger in the name of "Lynn" by the unstoppable Dense & Pika. Other choice cuts on here include Kevin McPhee's nasty "CC-XXX-YY-NNNNN", Jimmy Edgar's sexier-than-ever "Hush", Lucretio's smooth "Vampire Killer", and...of screw it, it's all pretty damn killer. HOT.
Review: At times, it really does feel as if DMX Krew must make tune sin his sleep; wherever we look, we find a new EP or album form the man, and all of the highest calibre, too! This time, the long-haired UK techno soldier lands on the ever-excellent Hypercolour with a hefty nine-tracker made up of eerie, slithering techno and cinematic electro. The opener "Spiritual Encounter" is almost enough in term of quality - check those Drexciyan waves - and the res of this beauty develops in similar fashion, from the gorgeous strings od "Bombay Mix", to the grizzly synth-led beats of "Daylight Saving", and the heavy, Detroit style of "Computational Paradigm Shift". Class, through and through.
Review: Luke Vibert donned the Kerrier District moniker last year on the tremendous Kerrier District 4 album on Hypercolour, and here are the remixes. He's done alright; look at who he's got on board. First there's the Ricardo Villalobos & Max Loderbauer remix of "Sexspurt", which is long and as liquid and tripped out as you'd imagine. Bulgarian hardware maverick delivers the goods always on his funky, fierce and soulful rendition of "Techno Disco", it's quite brilliant actually. Finally the now legendary Rene Pavlowitz dons the Head High alter ego for a slamming warehouse rave makeover of "Come On Kerrier".
Review: There's something quite insurmountable about the Hypercolour back catalogue, stretching as it does through vast swathes of quality house and techno material back to 2006. Thankfully the good folk at the label have consolidated some more of the finest gems off those releases and bundled them together for a one-hit fix of high quality gear that sits left of centre. Whether it's Space Dimension Controller remixing Luke Vibert or Rolando tackling A Sagittariun, the tones are rich and diverse on all fifteen tunes, without a single dip in the quality. Our pick would be the angular delights of JoeFarr's "Trapington" with its squashed soul in amongst rough and tumble drum science.
Review: Following a couple of releases on the Hype_Ltd offshoot under the Analogue Cops guise, Restoration Records founders Lucretio and Marieu get a chance to put out some solo tracks on Hypercolour. Lucretio steps up first, kicking off with the bass-heavy, 8-bit deep house swing of "Vampire Killers", before once again reaching for the cheap-sounding synths and hustling rhythms on "Shinobi World". Marieu opts for a tougher, all-encompassing sound on the boompty-influenced "Corona", all thumping beats, speaker-bothering bass and occasional vocal samples. He continues on this theme with "McGraw", which sounds like a tribute to the Dixie Jazz-sampling madness of one-time classic regulars Mike Dixon and Greenskeepers.
Review: After releasing Luke Vibert's acid-heavy Ridmik set, Hypercolour boss Jamie Russell asked the Cornishman if he had any disco-flavoured Kerrier District material knocking about. He answered in the affirmative, and 4, Vibert's first full-length under the alias for a decade, was born. Although the project was initially inspired by Black Devil Disco Club's warped electronic disco (and, presumably, the smoother grooves of Metro Area), a decade on Vibert's approach is noticeably different. While the fluid synths, undulating disco basslines and cheery grooves remain in place, the intoxicating depth of the original has been replaced by a cheekiness more readily associated with Vibert's Wagon Christ pseudonym. It is, then, a different beast than previous Kerrier District outings, but no less entertaining.
Review: As the title of his latest release suggests, mystery man (or woman) A Sagittariun has been around for a while. It's no surprise then that this release, like the rest of his catalogue, draws on older sources for inspiration. "3--4-3" is constructed from clipped drums, a shuffling rhythm and features the kind of wide-eyed, jazz-tinged keys that you'd associate with classic Prescription releases. Rolando's version of the track features this melodic element, albeit underpinned by a tough, linear rhythm and splintered percussion, while label boss Alex Jones' version is all about a splurging, noisy bass and a low-slung rhythm. The best track on the release however is "Delta House", a slower groove full of demented jazz squalls and a woman moaning ecstatically.
Review: Oh my, it's number six in the Patterns series for London's Hypercolour! The previous compilations have all been absolute gold, blending house and bass-heavy clusterbombs like there's no tomorrow, so we're pretty psyched about this latest affair. There's plenty of exciting from all over the sphere on this one, namely some new appearances from Analogue Cop Lucretio and his lovely and soulful "Do It Forever" track; an absolutely cracking house-electro hybrid by Marco Bernardi in the form of "Japanese Firecracker", and a whole load of other bangers by the likes of West Norwood Cassette Library, Canada's Kevin McPhee, Luke Vibert and even Smallville's Christopher Rau! Essential comp vibes!
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