Review: Over the last couple of years Sauco has prioritized collaborative work with fellow Spaniard Manuel Costela, so it's good to see him returning to solo action via a first EP on Rare Wiri. There's much to enjoy on "The Wiri Tapes", from the hybrid boogie/nu-disco bounce of "Catch My Eye" - all D-Train style synth-bass, chiming mid-80s melodies, fizzing synth solos and clipped guitar riffs - to the dreamy mid-tempo warmth of closing cut "Get Off", another tactile number whose sustained chords, bubbly electronics and morning-fresh sounds are as sun-kissed as they come. Sandwiched in between you'll find the appropriately named "Cosmic Coin", a slow motion throb-job built around Italo-disco style arpeggio lines, swirling chords and drifting vocal samples.
Review: Ruled by Passion, Destroyed by Lust marks the fine debut of The Asphodells, Andrew Weatherall's latest collaboration with close friend and creative foil Timothy J Fairplay. Their compatibility shines through, taking their shared interests and inspirations and playfully tosses them together to create a stylish, coherent whole. The album displays its dark underbelly proudly, but there are more than enough shards of light to inspire those salivating after the bold melodies of Two Lone Swordsmen or the naive, child-like bagginess of Weatherall's Screamadelica era work. At times reminiscent of New Order and others cripplingly paranoia inducing, this ten track set concludes in sublime fashion with the duo's dreamy, cosmic disco-era cover of A.R. Kane's "A Love From Out Of Space".
Review: Andrew Weatherall's Covenanza full-length, released earlier this year, was rightly praised as an atmospheric, largely impressive fusion of the veteran producer's many disparate influences. For Consolamentum, he's handed over the parts to those album tracks to some of his favourite producers, giving them instructions to stamp their own distinctive styles on his cherished material. The results are naturally impressive, with Timothy J Fairplay, Justin Robertson, Emperor Machine, Red Axes, Scott Fraser and Heretic - a rising star whose productions have been getting major rotations at Lord Sabre's A Love From Outer Space parties - each delivering fine interpretations.
Review: For nigh on 10 years now Otto Kraanen's Bordello A Parigi label (and record shop) out of Amsterdam has cultivated itself into a go-to locale for some of the best in Italo, disco, synth and cosmically industrial wares from yesteryear and the contemporary retro-activists of today - people like Fred Ventura, Skatebard, Manhooker and Credit 00. The first EP for the label in 2020, following a debut album from The Steaming Jeans, is a various artist EP taking up a disco-inspired noir approach to Italo, electro and instrumental pop. Headlined by The Hacker with "Passion", expect slo-mo beats and subtle phase-action alongside the pumping arpeggios and harmonics in Armonics' "Universal Oneness", to the post punk synth of "Voironia" and the nostalgic tropes in Discobeton's "Leave Me Superficial".
Review: Out of Australia Andy Hart's Voyage label has been drawing up a new picture of exotic new age and electronic sounds since 2014 with a highlight of releases from Uluru, Albrecht La'Brooy, and most recently Rings Around Saturn. The label now introduces the sweet, sublime and subtle ambient sounds of newcomer Huerta in what could be considered a crowning release of the label so far. This superb debut album presents a swathe of sweet, twinkling synths and mellow undertones of warms pads and smooth leads that dive into an unknown world of wildlife flitted with sketches of house, breakbeats, percussion and tribalistic dub. Take a trip into the undergrowth a new age future music.
Kenkiliba (Center Of The Universe remix) - (5:29) 58 BPM
Rain Dance (CAIN remix) - (5:02) 121 BPM
Review: Up next on Fine Grains we play witness to a fantastic new project as they introduce the forward thinking sounds of Herman into the mix and blend. He unveils four weighty originals to begin with, firstly bringing forward the colourful percussive influence and groovy rhythmic journeys of 'Kenkiliba', followed by the high energy funky drum work of 'War' and pitch bending metallic throbs of 'Rain Dance'. The title track 'Maglamah' then deploys a wash of tribal energy before we jump into the remix sector, with Center Of The Universe firstly applying a retro refit to 'Kenkiliba', before CAIN smashes together an extremely rhythmic moogy overhaul of 'Rain Dance' to round the release off.
Disturbed By The Possibility Of Someone - (8:23) 86 BPM
Clocking A Moving Wave - (10:50) 100 BPM
All At One Point - (6:35) 160 BPM
Review: Lovefingers' ESP Institute delivers more delightfully oddball grooves, this time courtesy of Vactrol Park; a London based duo featuring Kyle Martin and Guido Zen. The latter having previously collaborated in Brain Machine and with Not Waving's Alessio Natalizia. The dark and trippy cosmic vibe of "Stars Quivering Slowly" sets the mood just nicely. "Disturbed By The Possibility Of Someone" is truly nefarious; its slow motion hypnotic groove quite possibly being the best example of what heroin house would sound like. On the flip is more of the same, but "All At One Point" is an epic imaginary soundtrack in which the protagonist rises up triumphantly to the light, returning from his or her near death experience. Epic stuff!
Review: Lovers of Move D & Benjamin Brunn will know it's been a long time coming since we've heard new material for the ambient house loving duo - no that we expected it! In this poetic display for Smallville it brings back haze, smells and memories from a time when we associated the label Smallville with STL's At Disconnected Moments and Songs From The Beehive, the duo's incredible second album. The pair's concept pushes even further into ambient pastures this time and you can expect baths of warm, think and heavy floating basslines being graced by waving pads, soft arpeggios and the pitter patter of spaced out, glitchy pops of percussion. Ambient house at its finest.
