Review: And here we are with the second batches of remixes from Carl Craig and Francesco Tristano's Versus series and, with a duo like that as a line-up, things are surely looking like they're on the up and up! The Infine imprint have collated a serious collection of remixers, starting with the mighty tech don Henrik Schwarz, who lands a majestic remix of "The Melody", backed up by Ishmael Ensemble's more abstract, jazzed-out version. Abul Mogard's rework of "At Les" unleashes a stupendous landscape of noisy drones for the most experimental ears, while Secret of Elements' remix of "Desire" is a placid, cooling vortex of subtle house, and Siavish Amini's ambient mix of "Sandstorms" unleashes a potent wave of euphoria into the airwaves. Lovely stuff.
Review: Techno pioneer Carl Craig's new album features eight tracks from his back catalogue re-composed in collaboration with classical musicians such as Francesco Tristano and the Les Siecles orchestra conducted by Francois-Xavier Roth. Originally released on the 2004 EP Just Another Day, this revised version of the anthemic "Sandstorms" will be featured on the new album entitled Versus. "Sandstorms" (VCO Update) is a nice modern revision of the track for modern dancefloors in all its seductive and slow burning glory.
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: It's been a fair old while since the last full-length from French techno pioneer Olivier "Oxia" Raymond; in fact, his only previous album was released eight years ago, way back in 2004. Tides Of Mind bears little resemblance to that set, which bristled with aggressive electronic intent. Instead, Raymond delivers at set that borrows as much from deep house and Germanic minimalism as traditional techno. Of course, there's the odd trip into skewed downtempo pop territory (see the dreamy Mesparrow collaboration "Travelling Fast") and some deviation from the 4/4 template - see "Sway" - but for the most part Raymond keeps the vibe deep, melodic and surprisingly soulful.
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