Review: Kilumi is an album that Kenyan DJ/producer Coco Em started writing during the height of the pandemic in 2020, and explores elements of different sounds that kept her going throughout this difficult time. These studio experiments resulted in 70 ideas, each one reflecting a different shade of her musical style, which then further developed into this wonderful collection of seven tracks for Paris/Berlin-based imprint InFine. Starting with the smokey atmosphere of the deep and ethereal opening cut "Pace", be hypnotised by the sublime polyrhythms of "Yi Ingi" and an equally immersive and entrancing arrangement underpins a powerful message by vocalist Sisian on "Land (Black) First". This is followed by the sensual and evocative "Mbeni" featuring Janice Iche's breathtaking vocal delivery.
Review: La Fraicheur is a resident DJ at Berlin club Wilde Renate and brings a suitably tripped out aesthetic to Prophecy. This is audible on the sped-up chatter and experimental tones of "Renegade" and also on the late night ambient of "Morgan La Nuit". It's no surprise that this sensibility also permeates La Fraicheur's dance floor moments. The moody bass and assured swagger of the club-primed "Tirana" and the irresistibly moody "Gone" both resound to an otherworldliness, while adding to the albums out-there sensibility are the stream of consciousness vocals that accompany the warbling acid of "The Movements" and "The New Is Not Born Yet".
Review: Almeeva is the nom de plume of Parisian Gregory Hoepffner, a guy who, like many French electronic artists of the last 20 years, has a real thing for widescreen '80s teen romance - equal parts Shoegaze and New Order (think M83). The Oblite EP boasts five tracks, all of which feature brooding electronic undulation, like on the Black Strobe-esque overheating Fairlights of "Again" or the malfunctioning Terminator techno-in-a-church of "Dissolver". There's even a remarkable Smiths cover, "There Is A Light", which sounds like it was produced by the Art Of Noise for an alternative John Hughes movie. Totally rad.
Review: Hard-working experimental dubstep types Downliners Sekt are masters of the deep, woozy, claustrophobic groove. This third full length - their first for acclaimed French imprint Infine - is jam-packed with such moments of smoky goodness, all soft-focus rhythms, dubwise chords and long-drawn out pads. It's intoxicating, all right, and evokes hazy memories of sitting in smoke-filled rooms early in the morning, feeling strangely in tune with the bubbling, off-kilter rhythms seeping from the speakers. Highlights are pleasingly plentiful, from the jumpy dreaminess of "This American Life" and vintage Hyperdub deepness of "Eiger Dreams", to the cascading pianos and field recordings of "Junior High" and tough, dancefloor-focused "Once Mercurial".
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.
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