The Crane (Function/Inland remix) - (9:27) 194 BPM
Review: Nonplus began trawling through the Source Direct back-catalogue in early 2015, serving up essential reissues of acclaimed '90s jungle classics "Black Rose" and "Approach & Identify". Here, they revisit 1996 smasher "The Crane", where punchy jungle drums and Reese-influenced sub-bass come accompanied by woozy chords and creepy electronics. As with Nonplus's previous Source Direct reissues, the B-side boasts a contemporary remix. This time round, it's Brooklyn techno mavericks Inland & Function (Infrastructure New York, Ostgut Ton etc.) - whose careers began around the same time as Source Direct - delivering a radical but appropriately clandestine interpretation.
Review: The masked wonder returns after some time spent away with a new two track throwdown for Nonplus. After last year saw a pair of 12"s drop on Running Back, it's been a fairly quiet time in the world of Redshape, but he comes to Boddika's label with his surefire analogue intent intact, dropping a pair of assured club jams oozing with warmth and funk. "I Feel Like Riot" rumbles along on a crunchy set of percussion, around which wobbling LFOs of bass and plush synth hits spiral outwards in a fine Motor City tradition. "The Rift" meanwhile drops a slick set of conga-enhanced drum science with a different salvo of thick, throbbing melodic twists for the sleazy end of the dance.
Review: Unbelievable freshness from Source Direct - hard to believe then, that this track first surfaced in 1995. Nuanced with true early years darkness and run-through with the type of breaks most producers would sell their souls to recreate, it's a true honour to have the pleasure of feeling its vibes one more time. Thanks to Boddika's Nonplus label, "Approach & Identify" will reach a whole new level of fans, a lot of whom were far from existing during this tune's heyday. Don't miss the rework by Demdike Stare either - it's a vision in nightmare industrial minimalism.
Review: Israeli DJ/producer Shlomi Aber seems like a strange choice to release on Boddika's label, given his propsenity to release tribal tech-house on Be As One. However, as the title track so impressively demonstrates, Aber has moved into something much darker, meaner and ultimately more interesting. Opening with a mock-horror vocal sample, it moves into tough tribal beats and nagging percussion, supported by a malevolent, rolling bass. "Street Works" isn't quite as menacing, but Aber hammers out a tough rhythm; combined with a wailing siren riff and churning filters, it's about as far removed from his staple tech-house sound as one could imagine.
Review: Here's a pleasing blast from the past: a belated reissue of D&B duo Source Direct's 1996 cut "Black Rose" - an exercise in skittish, slack-tuned jungle rhythms, pitch-black chords and in-your-face drum edits. Issued by Boddika's Nonplus, the fine original is joined by a surprise 21st century rework from techno type Blawan. His version manages to capture the creepy spirit and rhythmic intensity of the original, replacing the duo's classic jungle breaks with a hypnotic, tribal-influenced 4/4 rhythm and adding some suitably foreboding church bells. While hugely different to the source material (sorry), Blawan's version is thoroughly in keeping with the spooky claustrophobia of the original.
Review: For all his innovation, Burial has historically shied away from delivering full-throttle, mind-altering club bangers. Certainly, we can't remember him serving up anything as rhythmically intense as the two dystopian techno slammers showcased on this EP. Both feature many of his usual sonic trademarks - oodles of vinyl crackle, end-of-days aural textures and creepy ambient electronics - but are underpinned by bombastic 4/4 beats rather than sparse, post-dubstep rhythms. "Pre-Dawn", a dense and incredibly intense affair, is the more energetic and instant of the two, though weirder and looser "Indoors", which contains some pitched-up rave-era vocal samples and woozy riffs amongst its highlights, is also very impressive.
Review: XY Play is Aber's follow up to Takeover, his 2015 debut release on Non Plus - and it sees the Israeli DJ/producer showcase two different albeit distinctive styles. On the the title track, a pulsing, acid-soaked groove prevails. Supported by doubled-up claps and ticking, incessant percussion, it's a modern, hard-edged interpretation of Chicago house. "Related Sources" is more typically Aber. The drums are dense and move with hypnotic force, as the Be As One boss lays down layer upon layer of dubby textures and frozen found sounds.Hopefully XY Play will serve to consolidate Aber's links with Boddika's label.
Review: Wolski has a number of albums to his credit, but this release on Boddika's Nonplus is one that is more likely to win him recognition. On the title track, he channels the spirit of Basic Channel but also Pole's glitchy, 'found sound' approach to craft an expansive but effective techno stepper. "Moment by Moment" is more abstract - although a common bond is the dubby bass - as sound scapes and frequencies fizzle and hiss throughout the arrangement, while on "Polar Day", he drops the tempo to create an atmospheric, hollowed out groove. Wolski is nothing if not inventive and the final track, "Unfinished Transaction", sees him drop an eerie but layered rhythmic stepper.
Review: Inland's collaboration last year with Function on the relaunched Infrastructure label was an esoteric affair, but this solo effort is far more direct. Unlike Odeon, it sees the author, Ed Davenport, lay down a series of storming techno tracks, each one more intense than the last. "Dromolaxia" starts off with rigid drums which support snare rolls and steely percussion, while the title track's chiming chords are underpinned by harsh percussive blasts and eerie bleeps. On "Overpass", there is no musical element at all, with distorted kicks and jarring riffs prevailing. Only the swirling ambience of the final track, "Expedition", hints at Inland's recent esoteric release.
Review: Spanish producer Eduardo de la Calle gets criticism for sampling other artists' work, but on this release for Nonplus, he proves himself to be a master at crafting deep, hypnotic techno. "The King Pariksit" sets the tone with its spooky synths and otherworldly drones calling out like a spirit from another dimension. The impossible to pronounce "Sudha Nityananda Parivara Vaisnava" and the slightly less complex titled "The Sudama Song" see de la Calle return to the dance floor. The former is a tripped out dub techno track, while the latter sees him veer into a deeper, bleepy direction. Rounding out the release is "Sri Sri Ragendra DAS", where de la Calle delivers churning chords and spellbinding chimes that is every bit as forceful as it is subtle.
Review: After a series of release on Nonplus this year, label owner Boddika delivers a moody techno EP. The title track resounds to tough drums and snappy percussion, which act as a backdrop for moody soundscapes. "Croak" sees Boddika move towards a more intense iteration of this sound, with a dense, tonal bass providing the undercurrent for a sleek rhythm and more mysterious textures. The skeletal, stepping rhythm of "808 (Hacked)" is not too dissimilar from the type of hypnotic techno that Sandwell District used to produce, while on "Metal Forest", the Nonplus boss focuses again on a more linear approach, one that is supported by layered percussion and eerie filters.
Review: With releases on Clone Jack for Daze, Unknown to the Unknown and Ultramajic, it was only a matter of time before Vin Sol would make an appearance on Boddika's Non Plus. This five tracker is every bit as grimy, visceral and stripped back as his previous releases.The title track features a low-slung rhythm providing the basis for detuned riffs and cold bleeps, while "Red Alert" takes a different, more atmospheric approach thanks to its pitch-bent vocals and chiming bells. If there is one common theme on this release it's Vin Sol's love of acid; this manifests itself on the slowed down jungle breaks of "In Effect" and the tweaked 303s of "808 Trash Pile", while even the ferocious analogue techno of "Sky Pager" has an acid undercurrent
Review: Italian producer Somne is a relative newcomer on the scene, and he's making quite the splash landing on the always-reliable Nonplus imprint and offering up a fulsome five-track EP by way of announcing himself. His sound is a neat fit on Boddika's label, laden in the kind of modernist, atmospheric techno touches that have infected many a track on the label. "Millennium" itself is a patient, brooding workout, while "Treppendorf" moves with a graceful yet kinked groove as it cuts through thick swathes of synth. There's fractious rhythm at play throughout the EP, while the pads and leads come on in warm, analogue tones, hitting upon a fertile spring of danceable electronica and sounding very promising for the future.
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