Well, this is a marriage made in heaven. And thankfully realness is kept throughout. That means that this album does damage on multiple levels. It’s unashamedly floor-focused, delivering also on the esoteric electro sci-fi front. The track titles are testament to that. Fresh as a daisy, but carrying multiple transcendental electro tropes spread over its length, it’s executed in such a way as to make you feel that you’re hearing this for the first time. You’re not, but that’s hardly the point. Whiffs of Drexciyan fog on ‘3.26 Parallax Seconds’, the fragile frictional wanderings of ‘Microwave Photon’, the future primitive propulsive madness of ‘Encoder’, the sonic extremes of ‘Time Aperture’ the inevitable robot boogie of ‘Dimensional Shift’ and the ominous opening and closing of the machine-induced ambient bookends, ‘Temporal Matrix’ and ‘Closing Of The EPR Bridge’ are all highpoints of an album which is mercilessly free of unnecessary experimentation, but full of character and future funk.
The ‘Real Techno’ group was launched on Facebook recently. Almost immediately there was a charge reminiscent of a fire alarm going off in a lunatic asylum to post everything and anything that maters. No bad thing really. I’ve already discovered loads of new music I had no idea existed, only to be instantly deflated at the amount of money some of these releases are going for on Discogs. It’s interesting to see that the members of said group broadly fall into a few different categories. You’ve got your techno populists who, regardless of any apparent commercialization will post because it’s a tune and that’s all that matters. You’ve also got your proper techno purist nerds, who post obscure stuff that is in the process of either being rediscovered, reevaluated or discovered for the first time. Then you’ve got some who are pushing forms that aren’t techno in the hope that they can be embraced as such. Anyway, it’s all good and seems to be a welcoming place full of genuine enthusiasm for the music. Another one is ‘World Of Echoes’, which is a companion page to Francois K’s monthly radio show on Worldwide FM and is a more expansive group designed for music appreciation generally, but seems to be taking its cues from dance/disco and any other significant offshoot. A little bit up its arse, but again, an amazing place to discover new music, which is the most important thing.
Groups like these have been around ever since social media started, but during lockdown are playing an ever more important role and with the diminishing of record shops, are becoming the same forums for debate that those stores used to be. The big difference being that record shops used to be intimidating for lots of people wanting to get their point across. Nothing will ever replace the atmosphere of a good record shop, but the debate hasn’t been lost. Having said that debate wasn’t always on the cards. Recollections are still clear of numerous visits to Probe when Pete Burns was behind the counter all in black with his matching contact lenses in scaring scallies shitless. I’m sure I’ve repeated myself on these very pages, but these are formative memories and will never fade. Will the record shop ever be the force it was? Well, it still is in many parts of the world, but has massively diminished in numbers and isn’t as accessible to the masses as it once was. The social media groups are filling a void which is getting bigger by the month, and they are better than nothing. It’s just getting harder by the hour to post something new, unless it’s achingly obscure.
When electing to put a few words down, it’s gratifying that I’ve picked a no nonsense double header which could be equally at home played out at Wiggle or A Love From Outer Space. ‘Scam Pan’ is probably the track with the better ALFOS credentials, A chuggy builder which gradually reaches euphoric proportions, it’s a bass-propelled belter. ‘Murmurs’, on the other hand, is a deep space techy monster with more mass than a white dwarf. Absolute choons the pair of ‘em.
Genre-wise, this compilation is the sum total of all its parts. I have no idea what’s going on for the most part. However, I feel confident in asserting that whatever is represented isn’t standing still. Everything is in a constant state of flux. Beats are no sooner delivered, than mutated. Starting off at flatworm tempo, REQ’s ‘Robots’ feels like an elegy to Pre-Cambrian cybernetics. Ekoplekz and SDEM weigh in with similar somnolent, but heavier cuts. The livelier tunes take up the first half of the collection, the first six all indulging themselves in the percussive dark arts, with a bias towards break beat, that may or may not manifest itself in the realms of drum and bass. Etch is perhaps the most overt exponent of this. A great glimpse of the hardcore continuum in a modern context with a side order of abstraction.
This is the debut album from The Long Champs, aka Lloyd Jones and, as such, it sort of defies easy categorization. That’s not to say it's the proverbial abstract bag of tricks, rather that the moods created, along with the deployed instrumentation render compartmentalization difficult. (The genres indicated above are nicked from other attempts at pigeonholing). Let’s just say that it is recognizably Tici Taci while being entirely of it’s own space and time. The chug is omnipresent, but the way it is conveyed makes for very interesting listening. Throughout the album the presence of guitars, resplendent within a fug of fuzz fracas is omnipresent. This leads to some magnificent mutations; ‘Nothing But Love’ represents a peak of sorts, with its multi-layered, dense washes of sound determining nothing but bringing the unexpected into sharper focus. ‘Invader’ is pure mirror ball magnificence, leaning towards an italo synthesized somnolence. The title track ends the collection on a wistful note which reminds me of peak Echo and The Bunnymen in tone and tenor. Just a passing thought I reckon. However, listening to this collection encourages that sort of perspective, and is encouraging in that, like all good music, it’s never going to repeat itself in exactly the same way.
A rough and ready trio, and all the better for it. These tracks came together spontaneously over a few days in a south Wales studio and show off a range of base sonic elements, tones and textures. The apparent result of a clash of styles involving modular hardware, DJ equipment and random objects lying around. ‘Drexler’ is a pulsing, brooding manifestation of techno prowess. Powerful and intense, but lovingly suppressed. ‘Human’ and ‘Petwo Jumper’ are spikier and more angular, embellished with tumult.
This album has to be heard in the right frame of mind because it’s not always an easy listen. ‘Untitled’ being a case in point, as a curtain-opener it’s a tough act to follow. This is not a result of it being wonderful in every way, rather being launched into its abrupt abrasion could be off putting regarding what is to follow. Patience is required is such a context, but things do settle down, and there are moments of beauty and fragility among the industrial dronescape. ‘Sereno’ is the albums brightest star, but the melancholic ‘Huis’, has a similar effect, but at a completely different level of intensity. It’s a really interesting piece of work that gets better with every listen, and with its whiff of ‘Voice Of America’ era Cabaret Voltaire, has great depth and sophistication.
It’s not straightforward on this occasionally jarring, but always interesting release, where discord and harmony exist side-by-side. As its name suggests, ‘Bassline Providerz 3’ doesn’t skimp on low-end dynamics. It’s no one trick pony though, presenting an intriguing percussive cornucopia. There is an improvised, quirky feel throughout the release, irrespective of the track. As a result, ‘Barking Shiba In Shibuya’ with its low-key, compelling, but unorthodox cadence is the most conventional tune here. ‘Doomsday Preppers’ is a blend of sparse, tight beats and a wobbling background bass, and ‘Dark Shark’ a synthesis of electric souk beats.
First I have to get something off my chest. I’m ashamed to say that I’d never owned a copy of this record before picking it up over the last few weeks. This is even more startling as I rate it to be one of the best techno 12” ever. ‘Nude Photo’ and ‘The Dance (Living Room mix)’ are of equal weight and their subtlety only adds to their power. ‘Move It (Only Mix)’ feels like a bit of an afterthought by comparison, but it still packs a punch and has a lovely, idiosyncratic synth line which dominates in spite of its reticence. ‘Strings Of Life’ is a lot of people’s Mayday pick, and is seen as his most seminal track, but I believe ‘Nude Photo’ and ‘The Dance’ are both more introspective and versatile. Less in your face, but all the better for it, influencing the bleep sound of Sheffield with its discordant perfectly placed wonk. Once heard, never forgotten.
Not having much of a point of reference for this release by Flug 8, I listened and was transported. Like the soundtrack to an open sky, the compositions exponentially build until they occupy the vacant space only to be swept away in advance of another auditory colonization. It’s an album that does feeling and mood beautifully, inasmuch as the listener just has to colour in the various sonic panels in order to elicit an emotive charge. Guitars are lazily plucked but their drones last forever, tempting the imagination into respiratory motion. Listening to the album from start to finish is an incredibly meditative, reverberatory experience whose impact is gradually felt, and lingers log after.
2: Yding (Bluetrain aka Steve O’Sullivan Special Edition Dub)
Elevated Part 2:
1: Ejer
2: Ejer (Mike Schommer Detroit Mix)
As far as dub techno is concerned, I’m definitely in the crowd that prefers body, groove and inherent danceability above all. Atmospherics should come as standard. This double header is a rerelease of two tracks that first saw the light of day in 2017, backed by two remixes. Both ‘Yding’ and ‘Ejer’ are rolling dub monsters, but ‘Yding’ particularly has a spring in its step, while ‘Ejer’ emphasizes an ominous dark clouds on the horizon vibe. Mike Schommer’s ‘Detroit Mix’ is all metronomic kick and spiky synth and the very definition of stripped down. Steve O’Sullivan’s ‘Special Edition Dub’ meanwhile, is a flexible, energetic jaunt across the dub stratosphere, with pads to comfort, and a range of effects so subtle that you pick up something new every time you listen. Essential stuff!
This does what it says on the tin. ‘Break It Down VIP’ is a deconstructed tease. The vocal sample and a synth swirl (as swirly as it gets) are all the listener has, apart from an abruptly inserted rave siren and stuttering percussion half way, which quietly fades from proximity. ‘Feel Me’ floats the idea that rudimentariness is the path worth taking with a full bodied drone march adorned by various auditory glimpses. Shorn of much, except for swing and sentiment, this could be the musical equivalent of infinite density.
This release balances portentousness and funk very well. Electro is the dominant motif, but there is evidence of other interplanetary forms as well. ‘Out Of Time’ shows great dexterity with breakbeats, ‘Damaged’ intensifies the experience. ‘Cyborg’ ‘Trust In The Shadows’ and ‘First Contact’ each show something a little different, being heavy, melancholic and driving respectively. That being said, these elements cross pollinate each other and, in doing so, contribute to a release which doesn’t waste a beat. Lovely stuff!
This release flew under my radar when it came out, but as soon as I found out about it I made sure I snapped it up. Like other releases on the same label, it sort of defies categorisation, but there are whiffs of many sub-genres floating around in its primordial soup. Breaks, rave, and hardcore are the dominant motifs, but there’s so much more always going on amongst these poetic grooves.
Three Pair – Au Pair (Au Pair)
A deep, dubby release with swing. The grooves unravel amidst a full-bodied backing where percussion and bass dominate. Functional, but beyond the sum of its parts as everything is done just right. Trippy and with some well-placed disembodied voices.
Evolution EP – Heerd (Moulinet)
More bass propelled goodness, this time from Romania. Hypnotic stuff that exists on levels within and without. Less is more with this release which has funk in spades whilst remaining resoutle deep.
Interlinked EP – IA Project (Rora)
Similar to the previous two releases, this EP is the soundtrack to some deep space exploration somewhere on the other side of The Kuiper Belt. There’s a cleanliness to these tracks which elevates them above the usual suspects. MDMA clarity.
Fantasy In Space – Lakur (Joule Imprint)
Very obviously influenced by Janeret, which is no bad thing. Lovely, shimmering techy tracks which glide through the alleys of your mind.
Tone Dropout Vol. 9 – V/A (Tone Dropout)
A six tracker of typically acidic/breaks/rave infused house music. All releases on this label have tried to do something similar by cramming as many rave characteristics into one slab of vinyl as possible. Well, they’ve managed it once again. If you only buy one record this month, get this piece of versatile vinyl.
Targeted Individuals - Sansibar (Darknet)
I know nothing about Sansibar, but this release has made me want to find out more. This is precision cut electro par excellence. Full-bodied and full of funk. It’s impossible not to body pop while listening to this.
Potent Mutagen – Scape One
Scape One has tons of releases on his Bandcamp, and at the moment he’s giving loads of them away free/name your price. Come to think of it, he always has. This was first released nine years ago, and again in 2016 (according to the blurb). No matter; it’s as fresh today as anything else around, and is a great introduction to a producer who is always on fire.
The Season Series – John Beltran (Delsin)
I’ve just bought this off the Delsin website. This is beautiful, fragile enigmatic stuff from John Beltran, whose employment of abstraction in search of the perfect melody always yields interesting, singular results.
P – Prince De Takicardie (Cartulis Music)
Just came across this one. A jacking, rolling, bassy quartet that reminds me a little of the much sought after Moxx release on Yoshi, ‘Waves’. Glitchy, funky and deep with a hint of foreboding. It’s going to be big.
As we ease ourselves into the summer months, music like this is going to feel more relevant, regardless of when it has been released. It’s an optimistic four tracker, and there’s break beats in there, although not everything relies on their presence. ‘Nowhere But Here’, ‘Cosmic Spring’ and ‘Missing You’ do though. The former is a pacey expansive romp, while the two other tracks, although not as lively, draw on similar, tropes to wrap themselves into your consciousness. ‘Delay Talk’ is my favourite tune, reminding me a little of FSOL’S ‘Pulse State’ in tempo and mood.
Ribe, aka Alberto Pascual, has a discography stretching back a dozen years or so, but his alias Ribe, hasn’t been as prolific; notching up five releases since 2014. This album, his first in any guise, for Boddika’s Nonplus, is an accomplished collection of dense, analogue techno which, across its fourteen tracks, manages to deliver a concise summary of tonal machine funk which is as austere as it comes. Each track is a stripped-down, minimal missive, some of which sounds like it is being beamed from the outer reaches of the universe, while some feels more earthbound and physical. One such track is ‘The Certainty Of Uncertain’, which elevates melody above the pervasive, insistent drone of most of the rest of this album. In its vinyl form its only four tracks long, which leads me to think that although it's a competent enough collection, it's a compilation more than an album, and one that, over the course of its length, is a little bit wearing.
I first became aware of Ze Salvador when he mixed the fourth installment of Steve O’Sullivan’s peerless Mosaic series. Since then I’ve been a big fan. All of this in spite of never having visited Portugal to catch him in the flesh. This is something I’d like to put right as soon as this virus subsides and we’ve got a vaccine. Until then, we’ve got social distancing and the Internet, which isn’t great for everything, but is unbeatable for finding new music and stumbling across talented DJs. Ze plays music the way I would like to play it myself: deep, druggy, messy and groovy. With that in mind I got in touch with him to chew the fat, and managed to cadge a mix. Thanks for taking the time Ze.
You live in Lisbon, which has recently had a raised profile. How would you describe the music you play, and how does it fit in to the city’s soundtrack?
Since I came to live in Lisbon in 2007, I have lived through the changes the city has gone through. It has become an international hub for lots of interesting people - and that has a huge impact on the diversity of electronic music fans. It is a bohemian city by nature, lots of fun, great culture, art and food, beautiful people, pretty safe and easy to get around. Also, the climate is great and has an incredible light. It is a place that inspires me every day. I mostly play house and techno and the feedback I have had over these years is very positive. I’m very happy with that.
I am currently a resident DJ and programmer at the 5A Club in Lisbon, and have been since it’s opening two years ago.
I play regularly at Lux Frágil, which is one of the best clubs ever and I also play very frequently in other clubs, regular parties and festivals throughout the country.
I host a regular radio show on Collect Radio called Lost Tapes and I also play on the Jardim Sonoro radio show on Vodafone Fm.
What is the most important milestone in your career?
It is difficult to highlight just one moment. But the fact that after 27 years I can still do what I love and have public acceptance is perhaps the most important.
Have you ever produced? If not, why not?
I am mostly a DJ and I am very demanding both in the music selection and with what I want to communicate. This also applies to my way of looking at production. Before living in Lisbon I collaborated with a friend but we only produced tracks and edits to play ourselves. It was just for fun. I still prefer the sessions as a DJ and to search and dig for the “perfect” record.
How important is it to produce a flawless mix?
It's very important. In my view, there are a few factors that define a good mix. Above all, the musical selection. Then the relationship of the tracks to one another, and the evolution and coherence of the narrative. But all of this only makes sense with creativity and some risk. I believe this balance requires time and a lot of experience. It is a delicate balance that I always try to achieve in everything I do. And of course, the audience - I always aim to provide something special.
How many records do you have?A lot of DJs are downsizing their collections. Is this something you have done or would consider doing, and why?
Curiously, that is exactly what I am doing. Two years ago I started to clean up my collection and also bought old records for one reason or another. If I had not sold any records, I would surely have more than 10,000. Right now I have between 3500 and 4000. But I will try to reduce it even more. I think a collection of 2000/2500 records, of the genres I need to work with, is more than enough. Of course, there are some records that I will never sell. Ever!
In a typical set, what is the percentage of new music that you play? ie: just released or yet to be released.
The musical selection is always different depending on the context. I use new, old and some unreleased music. Maybe 70% old, 25% new and 5% unreleased. Playing live is always easier, although after all these years I always feel a bit nervous depending on the place and what is happening. I really enjoy playing all night - to start when the clubs open and feel how the energy evolves from the beginning. This allows me to play various genres throughout the session, which, for me, is very rewarding.
What are the differences between recording a mix and playing live?
Recording is totally different. In the case of recording at home or alone, the lack of a club environment makes room for more thoughtful reflection on what I want to do and that can sometimes be limiting, even more so when you have a lot to play in such a short time. For me it is more interesting to play live - where everything happens naturally. The symbiotic relation that a DJ can create with the audience is unmatched. We feed off each other!
Where do you stand on the vinyl vs digital debate, and why does it even exist?
Each DJ plays with the format they feel more comfortable. I have no problem with digital and I use some unreleased tracks that I get in advance, but I definitely prefer vinyl.
What do you think the repercussions of the Covid-19 crisis will be? How long will it take for things to get back to normal, and will it be necessary to redefine the context for house/techno, etc, in the possible long-term absence of clubs?
Honestly, I don't know when it will be possible to return to normal. Or whatever the “new normal” means. Sadly some clubs and other spaces, depending on the circumstances, may have to close.
There will probably be other types of parties and it may be necessary to adapt to the new reality. Maybe smaller and more intimate parties will come back. I think we could try opening some spaces with all the rules that the governments and health institutions recommend, but without the alarmism and fear that the media is pushing on a daily basis. I really hope that we can party again very soon.
Which Portuguese based labels do you check, and do you have any involvement with any of them?
In 2014 I started the Carpet & Snares Records store and label with João Maria and Jorge Caiado, who already owned Assemble Music and Groovement, respectively. I collaborated in all Carpet & Snares events and I continued to play and collaborate in some of the Assemble Music parties. Before that I was also resident DJ for the Bloop Recordings parties.
How important are record shops now? Do you think that this has been diminished recently, and what is this scene like in Lisbon and Portugal generally?
There are a few more excellent DJ’s in Portugal but these are the ones I like the most.
In the case of internationals I would name Raresh, Nicolas Lutz, Jane Fitz, Julietta, Sonja Moonear, Zip, Margaret Dygas and lastly Craig Richards who is perhaps the most complete DJ I have ever heard.
Could you describe the mix you have produced to accompany this interview?
For this session I chose, between new and old, records that I like the most at this time. I tried to be as elegant as possible. It’s a mix to be heard at home, in the car, day, night, on the beach or even when reading this interview.
Hope you enjoy it!
What are your current top five releases?
From 50 - Sleep D & Albrecht La’Brooy (Butter Sessions)
