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Optimo Music
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OM LP 26 D S 1
13 Apr 23
Ambient/Drone
13 Apr 23
Ambient/Drone
Review: Glaswegian outfit Pleasure Pool - a collaboration between producer/synth player Finn O'Hare, vocalist Andrew Robertson and a rotating cast of guest musicians from the local scene - delight in creating hard-to-pigeonhole music that combines club-friendly elements with live performance and nods to a wide variety of sonic styles. 'Love Without Illusion', their debut album, is an exemplary exploration of this approach, offering aural attractiveness and a string of highlights. Our picks of a very strong bunch include the slipped breakbeats, stirring synth-strings, New Jersey organ stabs and analogue bass of 'Modern Nature', the wayward electro-dub eccentricity of 'Sell Your Stuff (Dub)', the Balearic synth-pop colour of opener 'Open Hours' and the humid, immersive, sunrise-ready deep psychedelia of 'Love Without Illusion'.
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OM LP 24 D
09 Dec 22
Disco/Nu-Disco
09 Dec 22
Disco/Nu-Disco
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OM 52 D
11 Nov 22
Indie/Alternative
11 Nov 22
Indie/Alternative
Played by: Juno Recommends Experimental
Review: Stu Evans - the man behind the world renowned Green Door Studios - returns under the Sordid Sound System moniker with this impressive four-tracker for fellow Glaswegians Optimo Music. Whether it's on the tripped-out, balearic party vibes of "The Illusionist", the slo-mo tribal beats of "Falling Out Of Water" or the acid-laced dark disco of closing track "Last Orders", it's clear that the now California-based producer has found a new groove that is very much influenced by the west coast lifestyle on the Neon Noir EP.
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OM 50 D
10 Jun 22
Experimental/Electronic
10 Jun 22
Experimental/Electronic
Played by: Juno Recommends Experimental
Review: Rudolf Abramov is a duo based in Berlin that are said to have ticked all the right boxes for a release worthy on Optimo Music, with strong elements of post punk being one of the main facets so appealing about their sound. Losing Perspective features five diverse tracks: there's the low slung junkyard funk of "Agent Kink", some Kraftwerk-ish robot minimalism on "Fragments of a Marching Stone" and the alternative dub of "Last Soldier" being just some of its finest moments
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OM 48D
01 Apr 22
Experimental/Electronic
01 Apr 22
Experimental/Electronic
Review: Optimo Music Archiv is a new offshoot label for revisiting music JD Twitch has been a big fan of for a very long time. This first release takes a selection of Force Dimension favourites and reconfigures them as an extended EP reissue. Cited as the first EBM duo to spearhead what we now know as Belgian new beat, Feel The Tension comprises four bangers and the one, dazzling, B-side hit "200 FA" ( described by Optimo as a perfect and sought after piece of '90s rave era E-music). It's poppy lead track "Tension" comes in two forms, 'Red' with its gnarly bassline and 'Blue' with sweet synths, complimenting the gothic riffs in "Aqua 2000" and industrial neo-punk of "All Systems Out". This is Belgium.
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OMARCHIV 01D
04 Jun 21
Coldwave/Synth
04 Jun 21
Coldwave/Synth
Review: Originally released on legendary outsider label Staalplaat smack-bang in the middle of the '90s, sounds of the post industrial & ambient duo O Yuki Conjugate have been recalled once again, this time by Optimo Music. Until now the original Staalplaat 12" was a near impossible record to find, with Optimo giving its 2021 reissue a slightly reconfigured version. Cherry picking "Bismuth", "Carbon" and an original album version of "Sunchemical" itself, the album dusts off a time capsule of exotica, percussion and hand drumming music amid a stream evolving textures, subtle drones and other new age instrumentation. Bonus to this comes a timeless remix from Sheffield and Peacefrog producer Charles Webster!
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OM 46D
23 Apr 21
Balearic/Downtempo
23 Apr 21
Balearic/Downtempo
Played by: Juno Recommends Techno
Review: With a name for the ages, Isolating follows his recent remix of the Golden Filter with this dystopian record on Optimo. It starts with the stepping rhythm and noisy analogue riffs and howling vocal samples of "Protomartyr", a wayward take on techno. In a similar vein, "But Please" features gloomy sound scapes and a repetitive vocal unfolding over a stuttering rhythm. Isolating makes a move of sorts towards the dance floor on "Expatriotism", where the focus is on a low-slung EBM groove, while the release concludes with "Lesser Free", a comparatively serene affair featuring dreamy, neo-classical ambient textures.
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OMDD 027
08 May 20
Techno
08 May 20
Techno
Played by: Juno Recommends Techno
Review: Following on from his 2017 Lonely Planet long player, Optimo has teased a mini-album from Tornado Wallace. Focusing on the earth and its place in the cosmos, Midnight Mania is an expansive affair that starts off with the psychedelic, swampy title track, before moving into the blurred chants and dense drums of "Atoms". "Mundane Brain" is by contrast a deeper piece, with melodic chimes and rickety back beats prevailing, while he ups the tempo on "Png (Praise No Ghosts)", which resounds to a pulsating electronic groove, hollowed out break beats and mesmerising electronic melodies. This highly conceptual piece concludes with the rolling breaks and techno bleeps of "Jungle Dream".
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OMLP 17D
20 Mar 20
Techno
20 Mar 20
Techno
Review: Deep and exotic folk trips from the prevailing alias of Rena Rasouli, Venus Volcanism, whose traditional chants, bird songs and field recordings combine with shaded and evolving synths to deliver Optimo Music a most enchanted EP. Beats are few and far between here, if at all, allowing sustained chords and deep pulsations of bass to create emotively-moving atmospheres made all the more luminous by Rasouli's rich vocal passages, doubled down by progressive harmonies and nebulous undertones. With a heavy set of Greek inspirations, the artist lifts her sound from the depths of an enchanted terrain otherwise neverheard gaining us access to a deep-reaching bliss.
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OMWEAPON 2D
13 Mar 20
Ambient/Drone
13 Mar 20
Ambient/Drone
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OMDD 22
28 Feb 20
Experimental/Electronic
28 Feb 20
Experimental/Electronic
Review: Bergsonist aka Selwa Abd follows 2017's From Dualism To Monism long player with this collection of left of centre tracks. Drawing on her Eastern roots, Middle resounds to organic drum sounds. At times chaotic and dense, audible on the title track's clattering arrangement, in other instances club-friendly and direct - just check "Gaza Border Violence" or the electronic groove of "Otology" - it marks her out as an artist with a unique approach. In case you are in any doubt about Bergsonist's capabilities, on "Magnesium" she deconstructs beat down house and adds extra, textured layers that are nothing short of hypnotic.
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OMLP 16D
17 Jan 20
Techno
17 Jan 20
Techno
Played by: Kongisto
Review: JD Twitch's Optimo Music bring us an EP/mini-album from the Glasgow duo of Suzanne Rodden and Lewis Cook, formerly known as Happy Meals but currently sailing under the Free Love flag. Experimental electronic disco is the mood overall here: opener 'Inner Revolution' has elements of bleep, Italo and electro, 'Everyone' rocks the Balearic vibes, 'Out Of Body' reaches further into full-on ambience, 'Bones' is an Italo-acid fusion thang and 'Skin On Skin' recalls the punk-funk of late 70s New York, while 'Everywhere' brings the EP to a suitably wonked-out conclusion. More a home listening experience than a collection of floor-fillers, but worthy of investigation all the same.
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OM 43D
20 Sep 19
Disco/Nu-Disco
20 Sep 19
Disco/Nu-Disco
Various
Played by: Juno Recommends Techno
Review: If only all electronic music had such a sense of purpose. Weaponise is a compilation of contemporary tracks, conceived and curated by Kristina McCormick the host of the NTS radio show Diet Clinic. Like that broadcast outlet, this collection puts a focus on women producers, and it's a stellar affair. There's the slow-motion industrial of artists like Hanna Jones and Fantastic Twins; Maral's "Ey Nezanin" is a wild mix of a club techno and Middle Eastern motifs and C.a.r's "Frau" is an arty, vocal-led take on dance floor electro. Weaponise also features ethereal ambience from Penelope Trappes and Slime's reduced broken beats - if that isn't enough of an incentive, all sales proceeds go to London housing charity Focus E15.
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OMWEAPON 1D
08 Mar 19
Techno
08 Mar 19
Techno
Review: Australian-born DJ, producer and instrument maker Lia Mice began work on her sophomore set, "The Sampler As A Time Machine", following her relocation to London in 2015. Three years, numerous techno and electro club nights and countless hours spent reading books on time travel later, the album is finally complete. It's a rather fine set, all told, with Mice delivering off-kilter futurist tracks that sit somewhere between leftfield sci-fi synth-pop, metallic IDM, wonky synth-funk, bustling up-beat electro, weirdo ambient, contemporary new wave and meandering intergalactic techno. That Optimo Music has decided to release it isn't much of a surprise: it's full of the kind of inspired, stylish electronic oddities that have always appealed to boss man JD Twitch.
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OMLP 15D
09 Nov 18
Balearic/Downtempo
09 Nov 18
Balearic/Downtempo
Review: There are reissues and then there are reissues like Different Voices. The tracks on this EP were recorded by Robert Rental back in 1980 and lay for years unplayed and untouched in the possession of Rental's family. This material is given loving treatment by Optimo and shows a strikingly personal side to the deceased artist who mainly collaborated with Daniel Miller and Thomas Leer. In places, like on "Big Day", Rental veers close to off-kilter psychedelic pop, while on other occasions, he experiments with electronics and reverb to deliver the syncopated, hypno-groove of "Double Heart" and drops the slurred vocals and lo-fi guitars of "Before Closing Doors". It's an essential release for anyone with an interest in 80s DIY electronic music.
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OM RENTAL 01 D
28 Sep 18
Coldwave/Synth
28 Sep 18
Coldwave/Synth
Played by: Juno Recommends Downtempo
Review: Newcomer Feon up next on Optimo Music, with some some gorgeous and sunkissed balearica. The London based producer wrote these tracks in a brisk 10 day session, shortly after the experience of Ayahuasca ceremony - which is evidenced in the psychedelic sound of the first track. He has explained that the production involved his vocals being layered 30 times in different harmonies, then put through a space echo and you can sure hear it! This one was awesome. Then we have the trance inducing muscle disco of "Holland Fly By" with its super cosmic influences enough to propel your mind into the stratosphere. Finally there's something much more experimental on the solemn, breaks-driven tripper "Without Sound".
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OMD 11D
28 May 18
Balearic/Downtempo
28 May 18
Balearic/Downtempo
Review: Sex Judas, who carries the infamous name of Tore "Jazztobakk" Gjedrem, is perfectly suited to the Optimo Music aesthetic. Both visually and acoustically, the producer's vast pool of sonics mean that he is never sticking to one formula or sound, and that is surely bang on the way Optimo like to approach music. Go Down Judas is his debut LP, and while we've dubbed it as 'balearic', this is very much a complete work that spans many different genres and thoughts. There are sparse, beatless moments as well as more fast-paced, bass-driven dance numbers, but the man's vision remains constant throughout. In fact, we'd say it is the perfect balance of noise and symphony, all wrapped up in a post-modern club vibe that will undoubtedly strike more than a few chords...
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OM LP14D
18 May 18
Balearic/Downtempo
18 May 18
Balearic/Downtempo
Review: Irish tech house hero Phil Kieran has been throwing some curveballs at us in recent times, appearing with sunny house music on Hot Creations, some punky indie dance on L.A.'s Machine Ltd (with SONNS) and now some Afro tribal grooves that'd make even Daniele Baldelli stand up and notice - his new one for Optimo Music. With a name like "Polyrhythmic" it pretty much does what it says on the tin, but this trance inducing use of syncopated rhythm is definitely the most restrained of the bunch. "Polyrhthmical" and "Polyrhythmica" respectively go for some seriously intense latin carnivale rhythms - in particular the latter which is reminiscent of the Good Men or more directly the legendary Sergio Mendes.
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OMD 10D
23 Mar 18
Disco/Nu-Disco
23 Mar 18
Disco/Nu-Disco
Review: NYC's The Golden Filter, a duo made up of Penelope Trappes and Stephen Hindman, are naturally infused into the genetic code of Glasgow's Optimo imprint. Not to be confused with Golden Teacher, the pair also delve into the depths of dance music, merging the boundaries of house, techno and outernational. Their recent EP, End Of Times, is what has produced this latest outing, also on Optimo. Dub Of Times, as you can imagine, is a three-version offshoot that developes and evolves the title tune into some pretty killer territories, with the Golden Dub deploying a warm, driving bassline that's rich with a hedonistic euphoria all too often forgotten these days, and the Silver Dub ups the tempo, while the accapella does its duty with some fine voices and wondrous drones. Absolute magic.
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OMTGF LTD 001 D
08 Dec 17
Balearic/Downtempo
08 Dec 17
Balearic/Downtempo
Review: American-Aussie alliance The Golden Filter are back on Optimo Music again with more modular synth based post-punk inflected electronics. This follows up an impressive solo album by singer Penelope Trappes a few months ago. The London based duo (by way of New York City) claim that they are quite agnostic and unreligious, but there are some Buddhist vibes associated with their music - in the way that it is mindful and aware of impermanence. Beginning with the sultry slo-mo Italo of "End Of Times" while the deep and brooding electro jam "Serenity" is offset by a charming progressive house style chord progression. The 10 minutes epic "Heart Control" is a right thriller: this deep acid exercise in mood lighting is beatless for the most part but when the groove hits: it does it with great impact. Finally the slow burning retro sleaze of "Darkness Falls" has the same charm of Heartbeat era Chris & Cosey or their legendary CTI material.
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OM 40 D
10 Nov 17
Balearic/Downtempo
10 Nov 17
Balearic/Downtempo
Review: More post punk inspired electronics courtesy of the Optimo Music camp by Fantastic Twins: the project of Julienne Dessagne - who some of you may know as one half of genre-bending outfit Saschienne with husband: the Berlin stalwart Sascha Funke. Following up her impressive debut (The New You EP) on Superpitcher & Rebolledo's Hippie Dance imprint, Dessagne unleashes a full length effort here which spans classical, avant garde and baroque influences while merging with the Cologne style of indie dance sensibilities. She'll help you delve deep into the exotic such as on tracks like "Construire Un Igloo" or "Bataille", then to get weird on the hypnotic "Ivres De Fatigue", while the evocative and bittersweet closer "Tableu Final" is just lovely. All in all a cohesive effort that transcends musical boundaries to interesting effect.
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OM LP 12 D
20 Oct 17
Balearic/Downtempo
20 Oct 17
Balearic/Downtempo
Review: Presenting the new solo album from Aussie singer Penelope Trappes, who many may know as the one half of New York City duo The Golden Filter. In 2016, Trappes rented out a small piano studio in East London for the year and set out to write an introspective ambient album. Inspired by the likes of This Mortal Coil and Scott Walker, she limited the instrumentation to an acoustic piano and effects, which left spaces between where she could expose a lot of emotional vulnerabilities about herself and those she held close. Writing lullabies about being a mother in a dystopian world, with pensive words about swimming against the tide as a female artist in the current musical landscape, she felt free to divulge untold truths that she had never felt comfortable talking about within her music before. For Trappes, this was a truly liberating and empowering process and it certainly is all on display on this marvellous opus.
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OMLP 11D
16 Jun 17
Balearic/Downtempo
16 Jun 17
Balearic/Downtempo
Played by: Lurid Music
Review: Glasgow based composer Iona Fortune presents her debut release inspired by Eastern philosophy and said to be the first in an eight album series exploring the symbols of the I Ching, Her music is influenced by oriental sounds and features a palette of instruments that includes the Guzheng, Gamelan and Synthi AKS. The overall effect is a singular and beguiling sound that loosely fits in with Jon Hassell's Fourth World concept. Fortune also contributed a track to Optimo Music's new Fourth World compilation entitled Miracle Steps earlier in 2017. The initial vinyl edition will come on a trans lucid pressing with inside sleeve and original artwork by the artist.
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OM LP 10 D
26 May 17
Balearic/Downtempo
26 May 17
Balearic/Downtempo
Review: We've been waiting on this pearl for quite some time. Optimo frontman JD Twitch steps out his more usual, disco-tinged house affairs and lands on some next level dub for the heads. As a project, Lo Kindre kind of reminds us Jah Wobble at his best, without the added pinky frills, and completed by a fine layer of dark industrialism. "Torment Of One" and "Mardi, Ennui" are both cold, brooding digital steppers backed by some sci-fi lion vibes, while "Wisdom Teeth Dub" and "Distant Dreams" branch out a little further into the electronic sphere. What a fine release - warmly recommended!
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OM 37D
28 Apr 17
Experimental/Electronic
28 Apr 17
Experimental/Electronic
Various
Review: Since Optimo Music founder JD Twitch is a walking encyclopedia of weird and wonderful music from around the globe, it's unsurprising that the label's occasional compilations are little less than essential. Miracle Steps: Music From The Fourth World - named in honour of John Hassell's description of ambient music - is another must-have from the Glaswegian stable. Featuring music made over the last three decades, it draws together trippy new age, droning experimentalism, electro-acoustic soundscapes, meandering synthesizer workouts, tropical-tinged bliss, and even the odd bit of spiritual jazz (Larry Chernicoff's wild "Woodstock"). In other words, it's the kind of ambient compilation you'd expect from someone who takes a widescreen approach to music, and who laughs in the face of genre pigeonholing.
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OMLP 09D
14 Apr 17
Ambient/Drone
14 Apr 17
Ambient/Drone
