Review: Installing a new set of artists into its roster is the Infine label with a remix EP of the Glassforms album that Bruce Brubaker & Max Cooper released last year. Headlined by the likes of Donato Dozzy and Laurel Halo, there's also a shorter edit of the album's epic halfway track "Two Pages", and additional to that there's the experimental noise version by Tehranian producer Tegh. Daniele Di Gregorio leads the way with Dozzy in a piano variation of "Two Pages" while Laurel Halo takes on the sustained chords and epic strings of the original album's closing track, "Opening". Get your more traditional version from the Glassforms edit.
Review: Following on from their reissue of his 1979 album, Visions of Dune, Infine has commissioned remixes of experimental artist Bernard Szajner's work. Irene Dresel turns in a chiming, droning version of "Gom Jabbar" from Dune, while UK duo Ghosting Season add wasp-sting acid lines and Middle Eastern call to prayer chants to "Zed". UK experimentalist Scanner favours an abstract take on "Rethinking Szajner", with wild jazzy signatures scattered over a broken down rhythm. Best of all though are the ambient interpretations of Szajner's work; Siavash Amini's take on "Shai Hulud" consists of layers of dreamy synths, while the Tyler Pope & Clara Moto remake of "Dune 2" is an irresistible, freeform ambient dub adventure.
Review: French electronic music maverick Erwan Castex aka Rone drops an LP for his native InFine imprint! This, as one would expect from Castex by now, is an excursion into the deepest depth of the synthesizer. There are both moments of total abstraction, such as on "(OO)" and "Ouija", and of sheer delicacy on the wonderful "Acid Reflux" or "Memory". The most impressive aspect of the album is Rone's technical ability, a freedom to express even the wildest of ideas into a concrete groove and sonic structure. Recommended.
Review: Perennial man-of-mystery Arandel returns with the belated follow-up to his acclaimed 2010 debut album In D, the title of which offered a cheeky nod to the work of Terry Riley and other American avant-garde composers. Like its predecessor, Solarispellis was composed entirely using his own instruments and analogue gear, with no MIDI, plug-ins or contemporary trickery. Flitting between unearthly ambience, bubbling themes for imaginary computer games and loose, high-minded tributes to American minimalism, it's a surprisingly wide-ranging set. While it's his love of modern classical music that inspired the more complex pieces, it's the electronic-only curiosities - like library music from another dimension - that impress the most.
Review: Regular contributor to Infine and man of many emotive moves in the world of continental house and techno, Danton Eeprom is back with another album that delves into his love of pop tropes and atmospheric dancefloor enchantment. From the synth-rich balladry of "Hungry For More" to the dazzling Detroit shimmer of "Occidental Damage" there are a lot of ideas and high production values going on throughout this LP, showing a producer at the top of his game and clearly having fun with the stories he tells in amidst some highly developed musicianship. The arch vocal turns may raise a few eyebrows, but it makes for a strong artistic statement that cuts through soundalike electronica in a flash.
Review: Istikaliya sees Aufgang rips up the arrangement rulebook. "Kyrie" sets the tone for the album, with a demure piano line veering unexpectedly into a slamming groove. A similar approach is audible on "Vertige", where hyperactive piano scale-playing suddenly lunges into tearing breakbeats that build dramatically. Most of the tracks on Istikaliya manage to strike a balance between these elements, but the most deranged has to be "Diego Maradonna". Like the unpredictable soccer genius that is named after, it swings unpredictably, from slinky, jazzy pianos into old school electro synth lines before ending up in tranced out climax, the finale to a weird and wonderful album.
Review: French brothers Mattieu and Damien Bregere show an almost schizophrenic approach to electronic music making on The Call. From the crashing drums, doomy vocals and dirgy guitars of "Madigan" and "Clunker" to the pulsing, bass-heavy groove of the title track, the album covers all bases. "Too Hard To Breathe" sees Spitzer recruit a kooky diva to their bassy adventure, while "Masbat" and "Vor" are based on irresistible chiming melodies. There's even some smart techno references, with the introspective "Sir Chester" recalling the unforgettable hooks of Carl Craig's "At Les". The Call is one of this year's most adventurous long players.
Review: Mexican producer Cubenx echoes pioneering countryman Murcof in creating dazzling electronica and affecting beats on this latest album, On Your Own Again. The Lone-esque tech-jumble of "Adrift At Sea", the icy and minimal "Lovebirds" and the deep, beatless Animal Collective-recalling "Mist Over The Lake" all stand out, but there's truly unique production and wide-eyed arrangements at every turn on this impressive release.
Review: Arandel sits somewhere on the boundary between electronic and classical music. Released on the always excellent In Fine imprint, his debut album In D is a richly textured exploration of these boundaries - the result being something that is equally applicable as headphone listening or club fodder. The music itself is entirely organic, with the producer (who has thus far managed to remain anonymous) exclusively using real instruments without the help of MIDI, samples or digital sounds. "In D#5" is a notable highlight, with delicate chimes and a nagging bassline that blows you away with its subtlety, while "In D#7" builds into a solid late night jam. Be sure to check out the bonus track "Overture" too, which brings the album to a moody, beatless close. This is one for fans of Four Tet, Pantha Du Prince, Steve Reid and Kieran Hebden.
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