There was a period of time, pre-COVID, when you couldn’t move for Derek Carr records, such was his prolificacy. Not only that, but the quality of his output was consistently top drawer. I could have chosen any one of his tracks released around this time, but upon randomly pulling ‘Distant Systems’ from my shelves, I settled upon the Gerry Anderson inspired ‘Terrahawk’. Which embodies most of what passes for a classic Carr production. Detroit inspired for sure, but owing just as much, if not more, to the emotive techno sound that emerged from The UK in the late 80s, early 90s. It’s a classic slice of dawn of time techno, the type of stuff that the early examples of mudskippers would have grooved to as they came ashore on Panthalassa. Carr’s output has tapered off over the last couple of years. However, his back catalogue should hold him in good stead for a while yet.
Friday, August 08, 2025
Thursday, August 07, 2025
Track Of The Day: Bjork - Human Behaviour (Underworld Mix) (One Little Indian)
This one takes me back, and has come around in a roundabout way. I’ve just come back from my holidays and, consequently, wasn’t abLe to go to watch Underworld play at Audley End, which is just down the road from me. A little bit gutted about that, however, it was the catalyst to unearth this piece of early nineties cosmic chug. Underworld definitely went out on a limb here, and the atypical approach compared to a lot of their output at the time has definitely paid dividends. This has aged very well indeed, having come out the year of my graduation, and highlights the vocal really well, the length of the track insuring that nothing overwhelms. It just drives on, blending cascading elements of dub with a languid percussive trajectory.
Wednesday, August 06, 2025
Friday, July 25, 2025
Thursday, July 24, 2025
Wednesday, July 23, 2025
Niklas Wandt - Mehr Phett (Viscera)
Title: Mehr Phett
Artist: Niklas Wandt
Label: Viscera Transmissions
Cat Number: Viscera Transmissions 003
Genre: Down The Wormhole
1: Mehr Phett
2: Feuerwerk der Rhythmen
3: Subcutaneous Dance
4: Mehr Phett (Eden Burns Remix)
A nice release this which, on first impressions could be trance, but then again may not be. The title track, described on its Bandcamp page as something that “evokes a coconut flavoured sunrise on a distant desert island”, feels a little too manic for that. I guess I can see what the thought process is here inasmuch as its definitely incantatory and liable to soundtrack the odd early morning human sacrifice. “It’s tribal Jim, but not as we know it.“ Going down a similar route, ‘ Feuerwerk der Rhythmen’ has a much heavier low end and feels like the soundtrack to a journey to the centre of the Earth, blending expansiveness and confinement in equal measure. ‘Subcutaneous Dance’ is a funky blast; the percussion, bass and strafing synths coalescing to platform a high level of intensity while the Eden Burns Remix of ‘Mehr Phett’ contrasts with the original being less full-bodied and more visibly layered. Certain secondary elements remain, but for the most part this a completely different track which, while lacking the drama of the original, makes up for it with minimal whimsy and invention.
