Ofog EP - Tilliander (Echocord)

Title: Ofog EP

Artist: Tilliander

Label: Echocord

Cat Number: ECHOCORD073

Genre: Techno

1: Storet

2: Oliveros

3: Risset

Dub techno takes on many forms, most of them dull as ditchwater, but releases on Echocord normally strike a competent balance between chin stroking and throwing shapes. This release by Tilliander keeps the bpms at a serviceable level while dwelling in a shadowy netherworld of synthetic neuroses. ‘Risset’ stands out, due to its engagement with echo and reggae, Oliveros for its chiasmic, unhurried, almost Asiatic overtones and ‘Storet’ for giving yet another layer to the tried and tested Basic Channel-influenced soundscape. All good, but rather antiseptic.

The P Connection - Niro (Boards)

Title: The P Connection

Artist: Niro

Label: Boards

Cat Number: SPMB011

Genre: Deep House

1: Fill The Colours With Soen

2: Train of Vicissitudes

3: Reminiscence

Right from the first few notes, you can see why Fred P thought this would be a good fit for his label. The deep house seam doesn’t have much left in it, and a release like this is largely preaching to the converted, but it’s a potent message in the right hands, and Mr. P is a curator of some renown, so the quality control is strong in this one. It’s left up to ‘Reminiscence to go out on a limb, and Iit succeeds, its self-contained randomness making a real impression. Both other tracks are pretty strong too, with ‘Fill The Colours With Soen’ the more energetic accompaniement to ‘Train Of Vicissitudes’ parallax lope.

Source EP - Idealist (Echocord)

Title: Source EP

Artist: Idealist

Label: Echocord

Cat Number: ECHOCORD072

Genre: Techno

1: Flow

2: Nucleus

3: Accumbens

There’s not a lot on first listen to gush about on this release, but if you want three meat and potatoes dubby beasts to guide you through life’s more trying times, then you should give this release serious consideration. You’ve heard it all before but that doesn’t matter when it’s this well executed. ‘Flow’ is the standout here, sounding like a more aquatic version of ‘Wax 10001 B’, it does everything you want of it. ‘Nucleus’ has a grandiose, confident lilt to its bass-heavy plod, while ‘Accumbens’ rounds things off by refusing to go out on a limb. Familiarity doesn’t always breed contempt.

& Ark Pit Spector - Masomenos (Welcome To Masomenos)

Title: & Ark/Pit Spector

Artist: Masomenos

Label: Welcome To Masomenos

Cat Number: WTM042

Genre: House

1: Les Acolytes Anonyms feat. Ark

2: OK Carole feat. Ark

3: Au Haut Eau feat. Ark

4: Totoloto feat. Pit Spector

A polyvalent crew straight out of French France, Masomenos team up with Ark and Pit Spector for an EP that brings the guests’ influences to the table, while not letting them take over proceedings. ‘Les Acolytes Anonymes’, however, is recognizably clipped and concise Ark, but the other two tracks he features in are more fluid, particularly ‘Au Haut Eau’; ‘OK Carole’ being a somnolent sound wave by comparison. Pit Spector’s contribution is the funkiest thing here, a lively, tropically driven piece of percussive minimalism which rounds off this throwback feeling release.

February 2017 Mix

Track 1 – Convextion (Acido)

Ravel Through Space & Time – Jeremiah R (Bakk)

That Was Just A Dream – S Moreira (Slow Life)

Feelings (Route 8 Late Night Dub) – Spacial Zone (Linga Sharira)

Buchla Market – Barem & Lyonel Bauchet (Moment)

The Jackal Pt 2 – Sleep D (Butter Sessions)

Renewal – Henrik Bergqvist (Aniara )

The Labyrinth Of Feynman – Zadig (Syncrophone)

Spadet – Jark Prongo (Pssst)

Timelaps – Octal Industries vs Ohm (Thule)

Re-b1tch – Moxxx (Yoshi)

Catman’s Going To Get You – Marco Bernardi (Brokntoys)

Miami Nights – 214 (Frustrated Funk)

Crawling (Stojche’s Linear Dub) – BLD (BLD Tape Recordings)

Space Jammin – Mark Ambrose & Analogue People (Crayon)

Anopolis 15 (The Hieroglyphic Being Experience Remix) – Anopolis (Lower Parts)

Beyond The Dance (Mr Fingers Dark Mix) – Simoncino (L.I.E.S.)