Changing Seasons - Octal Industries (Vertex)

Title: Changing Seasons

Artist: Octal Industries

Label: Vertex Recordings

Cat Number: VERTEX 002

Genre: Dub Techno

1: Robglet (ASC’s Grey Area Remix)

2: Another Day (G.R.I.T. Breathe Dub)

3: Borg Tekin (Mike Schommer’s 88 Beatdown)

4: Forever (Reconstructed By Octal Industries)

5: Another Day (Ohm’s Morning Glory)

If you’re after a glorious double pack that explores the many textures and veneers of the dub techno oeuvre, then this fine release on Verdant offshoot Vertex should be your guide. Jonas Thor Gudmundsson, aka

Octal industries is just one of a rich crop of Icelandic artists who have been pushing this sound for around twenty years now, continually honing their craft in the same way as their ancestors developed their saga telling skills during the middle ages. By and large however, the honours are in the hands of a range of remixers, with each bringing something new and vital to the table. Impossible to pick a favourite because they’re all ace; but the tidal wash of ASC’s ‘Grey Area Remix’ is something special, and doesn't seem overlong at around thirteen minutes. The G.R.I.T. ‘Breathe Dub’ is pure, metallic dub heaven, ‘Forever (Reconstructed By Octal Industries)’ is similar, but slightly slower and a little more intricate, while ‘Another Day (Ohm’s Morning Glory)’ is gossamer light dub bliss. Finally, Mike Schommer slows thing right down to a pace where beats become flecks on the horizon. Lovely stuff!

Nepotik - Uj Pa Gaz (Tici Taci)

Title: Nepotik 

Artist: Uj Pa Gaz 

Label: Tici Taci

Cat Number: tici taci 063

Genre: Euphoric Friction Disco

1: Chaga (feat. Freudenthal)

2: End Of M

3: Nepotik

4: Pundelic

5: On My Mind (feat. Heidenreich)

6: Tirana

7: HTAW

8: Mallorca (Isaac Albeniz)

Well what a breath of fresh air this is. Nothing ground breaking you understand, just a great groove from beginning to end. Uj Pa Gaz, aka Lindi Hoxha has crafted an album of upbeat, optimistic bliss which deserves to be setting speakers throbbing in the disco of your choice post COVID 19. Indeed, it’s tunes like this which have the capability to guide us all back on the straight and narrow. From the disco heaven of ‘Chaga’, the gauntlet is thrown down. ‘End Of M’, with its subtle build and the Moroderesque title track and its omnipresent vocoder. . . ‘HTAW’ (Homage To Andrew Weatherall), is a lovely bittersweet, guitar led triumph, and ‘Mallorca (Isaac Albeniz)’ ends the album on an ambient Balearic note. In between ‘Pundelic’, ‘On My Mind (feat. Heidenreich)’ and ‘Tirana’ twist the disco melons  to various degrees of intensity. Following hot on the heels of The Longchamps ‘Straight To Audio’, this sees Tici Taci consolidating their place as one of leftfield disco’s most important outposts.

Rave Hop - Luke Vibert (Hypercolour)

Title: Rave Hop

Artist: Luke Vibert

Label: Hypercolour

Cat Number: HYPELP017

Genre: Downtempo

1: Deep Tapes

2: Come Now

3: Hot Fingers

4: No Competition

5: Session

6: Styles

7: Attention

8: Brain Rush

9: Sikker Beats

10: All Night

11: Power Blast

12: Thru R Ears

13: Lover

14: Chill

15: Music

With this, his third album in as many months, Luke Vibert has distilled the essence of the lighter side of hip hop with the emphasis on the beats, breaks and samples rather than any cap poppin’ or stream of consciousness freestyling. As such it’s really rather accomplished. ‘Hot Fingers’ is an immediate highlight because of a very obvious deep house omnipresence, ‘Sikker Beats’ takes a slice of Prince and runs with it, while ‘Power Blast’, ‘Thru R Ears’, ‘Chill’ and ‘Music’ highlight a more futuristic, occasionally cacophonous approach. It’s always an interesting listen, but over the course of its length doesn't highlight as much versatility as his ‘Amen Andrews’ album, and often feels one step away from a mashup.

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Qualia EP - Morphology (Exalt Records)

Title: Qualia EP

Artist: Morphology

Label: Exalt Records

Cat Number: Exalt005

Genre: Electro

A1: Qualia

A2: Flatlands

B1: Qualia (John Shima Remix)

B2: Qualia (Steven Rutter Remix)

Exalt Records are on a roll right now and it’s not difficult to see why when records like this one effortlessly lubricate the momentum. The title track is paraded in three quite different versions: the original is an exemplary piece of stripped down cosmic electro adorned with a lustrous synth swathian backdrop. John Shima’s remix pushes this element to the fore, and is electro  more mellow as a result. Steven Rutter’s, on the other hand, goes down a more down tempo/beatless route, while retaining the original’s scope. ‘Flatlands’ is a more organic electro take, as well as a more reflective one. 

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Cyber Attack EP - Cyberdine Systems Corp. (Soft Computing)

Title: Cyber Attack EP

Artist: Cyberdine Systems Corp.

Label: Soft Computing

Cat Number: SOFT012

Genre: Electro

1: Cyber Attack

2: Klonk

3: Funktion Generator

4: Re-install

5: Funktion Generator (Perko/Solid Blake Remix)

The result of some time well spent in the lab by DJ Haus and Alex Jann, The ‘Cyber Attack’ EP lines up its machine funk ducks, fires and scores a direct hit. The title track is the most direct composition here; it’s jittery, a little bit disorientated and has an essential robot voice barking “cyber” when necessary. The rest of the EP is nicely understated though; with the two versions of ‘Funktion Generator’ being good examples of the type of electro that makes you float as much as jack. And both ‘Re-install’ and ‘Klonk’ showing a corresponding, full-bodied depth of production, which gives this release added range and volume.

Baía Stamina - Luar Domatrix (Discos Extendes)

Title: Baía Stamina

Artist: Luar Domatrix

Label: Discos Extendes

Cat Number: DE003

Genre: Not Really Sure

1: Bo Teias

2: Take

3: Bo Teias (Gen Ludd Disco Problem Remix)

4: Outra face

5: Heavven

The disconnected feel that listening to this release gives me fits perfectly with the incredibly humid weather I’m being smitten with at the moment. I’m as flat as a pancake, so abstractions and spontaneity are all the rage right now. This release doesn’t move in a straight line most of the time, and when it does, on ‘Outra Face’ for example, it’s through a fog of aural hydraulics. The fog and dust are pervasive across its length, effecting a depth and transcendence which is deftly manipulated to suit the timbre of the track. ‘Bo Teias’ starts off like a carnival on crack; and, like ‘Take’ it’s a song from under the floorboards with disparate sound coming in and out of focus. And if this release has one distinguishing characteristic, it’s an ability to draw cohesion from chaos.

July 2020 Chart

Down – Disordered Rhythm Metronomy (Perlon)

 As One – Astral Travel (Psionic)

 Diving In EP – Sound Synthesis (Space Shepherd)

In Omelas – Miris (Vessel)

Evoked Potentials (3/3) – E.R.P. (Semantica)

Downforce - Sync 24 & Radioactive Man (Weapons Of Desire)

Selected Transmissions From The Pyramid - ADJ (For Those That Knoe)

Brainwave - Steve Allman (EON Records)

Changing Seasons - Octal Industries (Vertex)

Termination Shock – Scape One

So I normally write a few words to accompany each release in my chart, but this month, and in the future, I'm going to start including a lot of releases that I plan to review. The exceptions to this are the records I've bought, plus the Scape One release, which is an oldie, but it's this weekend's give away from his Bandcamp. I will be making a purchase from it right now.

Finality EP - The Hidden Figure (Exalt)

Title: Finality EP

Artist: The Hidden Figure

Label: Exalt Records

Cat Number: Exalt Records Special Edition 02

Genre: Electro/Acid/Breaks

A1: Oxendales Acid

A2: Conformation Bias

B1: Helvetios

B2: Stolen Tears

I purchased the Hidden Figure’s previous outing on Exalt, a deliciously delicate 7” called ‘Silhouettes’ which definitely made its mark. Fast forward to now and we have this more comprehensive release. It’s more upfront as well and dominated by acid. All the tracks except have a strong 303 presence which is skillfully deployed in order to drive each track in question from mere functionality to something approaching electro nirvana. ‘Stolen Tears’ breaks with tradition in being a more reflective, emotive piece in contrast to the rest of the EP, which is pacier and more visceral. ‘Conformation Bias’ highlights breakbeats, while both ‘Oxendales Acid’ and ‘Helvetios’ set the control for the heart of the linear acid beat. Lovely stuff.

Thanks For Coming - Detroit Grand Pubahs (Engineroom)

Title: Thanks For Coming

Artist: Detroit Grand Pubahs

Label: Engineroom

Cat Number: ER09

Genre: Funk Psychedelia/Techno

1: Thanks For Coming (Original)

2: Thanks For Coming (Techmarine Bottom Feeders Call Of The Sirens Remix)

3: Thanks For Coming (The Advent Remix)

4: Thanks For Coming (Steve Bug Remix)

The original release came out in 2008, a time which seems like a distant memory further underlined by the fact that I’m currently watching Euro 2008 reruns on TV. Anyway, the original is a slow-mo piece of Funkadelic/Parliament inspired stream of consciousness stoned sleaze which has novelty value but little else. Out of the remixes, both The Advent and Steve Bug turn in competent enough stomping reworks with the subtler machinations of the Poker Flat boss man showing more invention. I imagine one reason for this rerelease was the inclusion of Techmarine Bottom Feeders’ contribution, in which there is no trace of the original at all. It’s ok, but the whole package is a bit meh. 

Figures Pt 1 & 2 - Philipp Priebe (Stolar)

Title: Figures Pt.1 & 2

Artist: Philipp Priebe

Label: Stolar

Cat Number: ST0002/004

Genre: Deep House

1: To The Dawn

2: Silhouette

3: The Sky Accelerates

4: Beau Rivage

With ‘Figures Pt. 1 & 2’, Philipp Priebe has made the type of utilitarian deep house EP that will fit all moods, times and places. It’s a clever thing to be capable of and, o matter what they tell you, it’s not easy. Part 1 is the first two tracks, which are chiasmic, tranquil and panoramic. The type of deep house/techno crossover that always fills a void. The titles are self-explanatory and the music onomatopoeic. Part 2 is just as danceable, but less driving. It’s music to watch flowers bloom and the day break. It’s lightly more abstract by virtue of a grainier approach to production, but no less emphatic. All four tracks are wonderful examples of  a type of deep house expressionism which, in the hands of a good producer, still sounds fresh and vital.

Defining Circles EP - Miles Atmospheric (Bedrock)

Title: Defining Circles EP  

Artist: Miles Atmospheric

Label: Bedrock

Cat Number: BEDDIGI1163

Genre: Deep House

1: Andromeda

2: Orbis Alius

3: Sensor

If you’re after mind – bending deep house with momentum, then few do it better than Miles Sagnia. Straddling the machine funk divide, where the sonic nether regions blur, this chap’s output is second to none amongst those who like mesmeric, mind-melding music designed to open the doors of dance floor perception. This debut three tracker for John Digweed’s Bedrock highlights everything good about Mr. Atmospheric’s production. Built on strong foundations, the percussive backbone supports a wide variety of capacious, flamboyance, with ‘Andromeda’ and ‘Sensor’ scoring particularly well in this department. ‘Orbis Alius’ is the most heads down no-nonsense mindless boogie track here, and , accompanied as it is with grandiose synth swathes, it’s irresistible.