Review: Monty Luke's Nightdubbing project on Rekids was designed to showcase the Black Catalogue boss's deep love of dub-infused house and techno. This 13-track album combines previously unheard cuts with nine tracks previously showcased across a pair of EPs of the same name. It's a fantastic set all told, with highlights including the smacked-out electro-dub headiness of opener '40 Acres and a Terrabyte', the extra-percussive deep dub-house hypnotism of 'Bob Molly', the after-hours friendly minimalism of 'Star Storms', the Detroit-goes-dub techno pulse of 'New World/Old Future', the classic dub techno warmth of 'Dark Paradise', and the dub-wise deep house dreaminess of 'Avantgarde Dancehall'. Throw in a handful of tidy ambient and digital dub tracks, and you have a genuinely superb long-player.
Review: Ed Upton has long been one of British dance music's most prolific producers, with his latest album on Hypercolour - the typically vibrant Spiral Dance - marking his 24th full-length excursion as DMX Krew since 1996. Its' 13 tracks are typically vivid, inventive and entertaining, with the Bedford-born producer rushing between intergalactic electro ('Always Hats'), sub-heavy UK techno futurism (the bleep-influenced 'Bathtime Bobby'), house-tempo dancefloor IDM ('Spiral Dance'), Spacetime Continuum style ambient techno (the chill-out room friendly 'Back To '92'), synth-laden analogue cheeriness ('Is This Normal'), heady beat-free soundscapes ('Hammer Slowly Forming'), early Autechre style electronica ('Ankle Grinder') and sweaty acid house ('FM Assembly').
Review: Volume 7 in the series but for once we can't really say "you should know what to expect by now" because what this compilation really goes to show is just what an eclectic and diverse camp the long-running Manchester label has become, with tracks on 'Paper Cuts #7' ranging from the near-ambient Balearica of Aniso Tropics' opener 'Apricot Memorex' to the self-explanatory synth-y stylings of La Guardia de la Luz's 'Trance Aleman de los 90s' via the uptempo strut of Jahn Solo's 'Disco'. So all we can really do is point you in the direction of some standout cuts, which for this reviewer would include D.S.D's luscious 'Just Can't Stop' and Benny Pitcher's 'Transatlantic Motion', which is like a little musical nod to the days when Paper comps were called 'Splinter'.
Review: Following last year's Half Full release, Hurdslenk returns to Hardgroove. Outside gets off to an exciting start thanks to "Futures". Centred on a throbbing bass and steely hi hats, this pulsating peak-time track is sure to stand out from the crowd. "Jugular" is more visceral. With a dense rhythm at is core, it sees Hurdslenk weave in layers of rasping percussion and intense filters. "Collect" marks a departure for the Hardgroove sound. Its stripped back, jacking sound sounds like Hurdslenk's take on early 00s minimal house. It's only a brief divergence though. "False Pretence" is led by a frenetic rolling groove, while the use of dramatic chords and a stuttering vocal sample will set it apart from most hard-edged techno.
Review: Next up on Binary Cells is Klint with this hard-hitting release. The pounding, industrial rhythm of "Atlas" gets Son Heros off to an intense start. There is no let-up on "Mental 89", where Klint drops a dense, banging track. While the title track integrates trancey riffs with robust tribal drums, it is still primed for the dance floor. On "Supervision", Klint continues this approach as a surging bass ripples its way through a looped groove. There are some exceptions to the prevailing intensity: "Requiem RK" is a heads-down ebm workout, while "Cinq Sections" is a dub-influenced track, but one that still packs quite a punch.
Return Of The Luddites - "Scream Into The Darkness" - (4:52) 139 BPM
Review: Laurent Garnier and Scan X's label does a great job in showcasing emerging and established talent, and this split release is no exception. The brilliantly named Return Of The Luddites deliver the raw electro-techno of "Scream Into The Darkness". In stark contrast, Detroit techno-inspired tracks also loom large, courtesy of Skatman's string-filled "Tribute To A Dancefloor" and Squal G's more ominous "Waiting 4U". Mirroring Garnier's own wide-ranging tastes, the release also features the call and response hip-hop/drum'n'bass crossover of Joaquim Plossu, Salem Focus and Phoebe Train's "Theory Of The Tide". Taking the tempo down, Yes Basketball's "Next" is a slowed down, bugged out beatsy track.
Review: The Sneaker Social Club crew continues to impress with every new drop they deliver, this time diving further into their more garage-centric roots as they welcome House of Black Lanterns inside for four fiery creations. Opening up with 'Back To Back Special', a murky, sublow bubbler jam-packed with nostalgic drum chops and unique bass design, followed by the more brightened chord progressions of 'Out To The Private Number' and moog-driven subs slides of 'Slew', again, combining old school with originality in real style. Finally, 'Summon Like This' gives us a spacey roller to close things off, focussing on bone-chilling transitions and moody synth sweeps, rounding this project off with a serious buzz.
Review: Acid house in sound but punk in nature, the title of Paranoid London's new album is a reference to "the cavalcade of c***s we find ourselves surrounded by". However, while there is despair there is also hope, and this long player is testament to the power of underground music. Arseholes...also demonstrates the importance of collaboration. Bobby Gillespie croons his way through the gentle tones of "People (Ah Yeah)". At the other end of the sonic spectrum, Joe Love and DJ Genesis feature on the gnarly, 303-led grooves of "Love One Self" and "Up Is Down" respectively. Somewhere between these polar opposites sits the evocative Chicago house sound of "Start To Fade" with Josh Caffe and Mutado Pintado's sonorous vocals on the pulsating "The Motion". Paranoid London proves yet again that when confronted by a***holes, music really is the only answer.
Review: Alexander Johansson and Mattias Fridell follow their debut on Blueprint from earlier this year with another killer release. Between them, they have decades of experience making techno - and this really shines through on Marvatten. "Distansminut" resounds to acrid 303s and a wiry, angular rhythm that is as insistent as it is repetitive. "Bidevind" is a harder track, with the pair dropping concrete weight kicks and powerful, filtered builds. "Sejnfall" is in a similar vein: it sees powerful tones set to heavy drums. Rounding off the release is "Styrfart". Shifting style to embrace atmospheric Detroit chords, the track is powered by a steam-rolling rhythm.
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