Thursday, December 30, 2021
Wednesday, December 29, 2021
Sunday, December 26, 2021
Friday, December 24, 2021
Thursday, December 23, 2021
Subversive Territory - Umwelt (New Flesh)
Title: Subversive Territory
Artist: Umwelt
Label: New Flesh
Cat Number: NFLP01
Genre: Dystopian Ambient Soundtrack
1: Dysfonctional Existence
2: Curse Of Dimensionality
3: Lost Transmission
4: Subversive Territory
5: Approaching The Gate
6: Rising Entity
7: Machine Learning
8: Abandoned
9: Disobedient Planet
10: The Sound Of Dying Star
11: Sub Terra
12: Welcome To Ellittreb
From the bande dessinée inspired artwork by Yann Legendre, through to the theoretic imaginings, Umwelt has crafted a collection which, if it wasn’t recorded at Futuroscope, it should have been for maximum dystopian ramifications. And there’s a lot of it about right now, with current conditions providing the perfect foundation for the creation of such a parallel world. Suffice to say we’re dipping into the darkness here, with a variable frequency throbbing sub- bass and high end Captain Nemo organ excursions sandwiching a sonic interpretation of the 4th law of thermodynamics. It also goes back to the future, with a pervasive retro feel, some of which recalls Jean Michel Jarre and italo disco’s most memorable flourishes. Having said that, this collection doesn’t do anything but stay rooted in the darkest recesses of the retro future imagination without a fist pumper within earshot. And were it to be a continuous sound wave, it would be composed of minimal fluctuations on a foundation of science fiction misery. Which is nice.
Wednesday, December 22, 2021
Monday, December 20, 2021
Sunday, December 19, 2021
Saturday, December 18, 2021
Friday, December 17, 2021
Thursday, December 16, 2021
Wednesday, December 15, 2021
Monday, December 13, 2021
Etch EP - Bodhi (Soft Computing)
Title: Etch EP
Artist: Bodhi
Label: Soft Computing
Cat Number: SOFT022
Genre: Beats Into Oblivion
1: Etch
2: Jati
3: Xylette
Bodhi could have laid the foundations for ‘cocktail electro’ with ‘Etch’. The percussion drives the effect-swollen sound through an emotive hinterland which is coloured by traces of internal monologues and obliviousness. Both ‘Jati’ and ‘Xylette’ come from a similar place, but are heavier variants which use this depth of tone to leverage profound romantic evocations of the listener’s choice. They differ in tempo, with ‘Jati’ eliciting more depth of feeling due to its frictional drag, and ‘Xylette’ coming with the ravey breakbeat dopeness. Whatever the case, what Bodhi has fashioned here is a very specific take on the electronic dancefloor; one coloured by the summertime, nostalgia and losing yourself to the moment.
Osmosis - Lake Haze (Cultivated Electronics Ltd)
Title: Osmosis
Artist: Lake Haze
Label: Cultivated Electronics Ltd
Cat Number:
Genre: Electro
A1: Osmosis
A2: Sawshark
B1: Atlantic Modulation
B2: Adamastor
Lake Haze is yet another product of the Portuguese electronic renaissance and is a name which has cropped up on my various timelines regularly over the last couple of years. His hallmark seems to be the type of robust, floor-focussed electronica showcased on this release. Both ‘Osmosis’ and ‘Sawshack’ float the machine funk boat in an uptempo, sharp-edged electro direction, with ‘Atlantic Modulation’ being a more linear, banging, kick-propelled no-nonsense techno stomper. My personal fave is the dirty sounding ‘Adamastor’. Electro which comes embellished with dark gothic drama and has an ominous feel about it. Perfect for the Christmas disco then.
Sunday, December 12, 2021
ALFOS EBS 30 - Sean Johnston (11-12-2021)
Transcription follows:
EBS Clip
Walking In The Rain Grace Jones
I am the Desert (RSS Disco's Scirocco Mix) Guuse & Magic Jams
Things Get Done Tone Scientist
Lower The Anchor (Bontempi Dub Mix) Matthew Puffett
In Fields Memento
If It Were For Us (Benjamin Fröhlich s Balearic Dub Remix) Guuse & Magic Jams
Stevie R & Parisinos Lara
Fragment 2 - The First Picture (LTJ Experience Dub Mix) Kenneth Bager (feat. Julee Cruise)
loveja - Duncan Gray
Miss Gilda Younger Than Me
If It Were For Us (The Oddness Remix) Guuse & Magic Jams
Zillas On Acid A New Way Of Living
La Guardia de la Luz feat Chris Koehn - Amatista (LGDLL ESP Yacht Mix)
InFields AD (Each Other Remix)
Less is more for the track, you know Andreja Salpe
Lowlands Communication Duncan Gray
Anatolian_Weapons Melt
thatboytim - Who Knew?
Electronic Bodyguards - Pete Herbert Remix
Alessandro Sarsano feat-Yey stockholm dub rock and down mix
Juan To Tree - San Gorila
D.S.D. Keep on Moving
Azaria Path to Black Fade to Light
Duncan Gray a little celebration
Hold Me Emmet Read
D.S.D. Suntime
To The Maker Kimshies
Your Kiss Natasha Bai
Brother Brown Circulation
DJ ROCCA - Clean Air Pete Herbert Remix
Mountain Rising Sarkis Mikael
Oracle Alex Medina
Sweaty Betty Emmet Read
Trinidad Trouble Daniel T.
Pali Satty VRuno
Gimme Gimme (Pional Remix) DRAMA
House Music All Night Long (Hot Chip Remix) JARV IS...
Plan De Fuga Cobertizo
Poor Stranger B.o.T
A Berry Tale Nick Hanzo
For Them Each Other
Papilio Fabian Krooss
Day Out Of Time - Rising Tide
Disappear Into The Night Alinka
Hard Reset Konnekt
D.S.D. Beast from the East
Spangle Emmet Read
Fester Jason Merle
Rise (Mike Simonetti Remix) Conclave
The Kingdom Is Ours (Dj Edit) Vøsne
Atómico (Snake In Dub Version) Jungle Fire
Magnificent Seven - Yam Who? Extended Remix
Love Me Do Misiu
It's Over If We Run Out Of Love David Holmes
Fragment 1- ...and I Kept Hearing (Kenneth Bager dub mix 2008) Kenneth Bager
Saturday, December 11, 2021
Track Of The Day: My Favourite Things - John Coltrane
Dedicated to my dear friend Peter Pulford. Tragically taken from us too early yesterday.
Friday, December 10, 2021
Don't Let The Grubby Little Opportunists Get You Down EP - Fear E (Zone)
Title: Don't Let The Grubby Little Opportunists Get You Down EP
Artist: Fear E
Label: Zone
Cat Number: ZONE44
Genre: Techno
1: Farewell Swordsman
2: Once Upon A Time In Midland Street
3: Surreal
4: Lunatic Orchestra
Conceived as a tribute release in memory of Andrew Weatherall, ‘ Don't Let The Grubby Little Opportunists Get You Down’ is a surprising release, inasmuch as I was expecting something else. The great man’s more recent musical direction, taking ALFOS into account, as well as his own productions, was very difficult to pin down. However, what we have here is a quartet of very upfront techno embellished by wide acid brushstrokes, strident percussion and a jackin’ kick. As such it’s very well put together, with ‘Lunatic Orchestra’ and ‘Once Upon A Time In Midland Street’ exuding the most insect menace. On listening to this release in its entirety maybe I shouldn’t have been so surprised. Fear E has produced something which pays homage in his own singular way and, in doing so, has underlined his considerable competence as a machine funk technician.
Thursday, December 09, 2021
Planetary Spirit - Photonz (Naive)
Title: Planetary Spirit
Artist: Photonz
Label: Naive
Cat Number: NAIVE016
Genre: Techno
1: Planetary Spirit
2: Badagas
3: Circumference
4: Earth2
I do love a concept release, which is why the ancient idea of “Could planet Earth be considered a living being? And if so, could it be seen as the physical vessel of a planetary-level spiritual entity?” as posited in the Photonz press release for ‘Planetary Spirit’ makes such silly reading. Thankfully, we’re here for the music. And the title track, which apparently embodies the thinking behind said abstraction, kicks us off in fine style. It’s a wonderfully dramatic piece of big room techno, the type that Emperor Ming would make while starching the vast collars of his collection of silk shirts. Something sonic to occuoy the Eye of Sauron. ‘Badagas’ is, by comparison, an understated 5 minutes of hepped up Gamelan. ‘Circumference’ strays back into more scything beat territory, with a low-key, but busy low end dominated by buzz saw flourishes and ant-like detail. ‘Earth2’ goes deeper and more deliberate with a slowed-down excursion into the depths of subtle dissonance, and eloquently rounds off this varied package.
Track Of The Day: Slaughter - Black Uhuru (Mango)
This track, the dub version of 'Emotional Slaughter' from the album 'Chill Out' is one of countless many which feature the inimitable bass playing of Robbie Shakespeare. Why this track? Well, apart from the Grace Jones albums, 'The Dub Factor' was the first piece of work featuring him that popped into my head, and everyone's going on about the Grace Jones ones aren't they. When I was hanging out in various friend's bedrooms, and my own, throughout the eighties, Sly and Robbie probably featured on more tracks than anyone else. Their sound was ubiquitous and after looking at albums to see if they featured on the credits I wondered if they ever slept. Robbie's death, along with that of Richard H. Kirk, more than marks the end of an era. Two incredibly influential musicians who never hogged the limelight, were quietly prolific and whose impact is incalculable. Track of the day is sorted for the next week I think.
Wednesday, December 08, 2021
Regenerate - Monobox (M-Plant)
Title: Regenerate
Artist: Monobox
Label: M-Plant
Cat Number: M.PM040
Genre: Techno
A1: Rise
A2: Blackwater Canal
B1: Wargames
B2: Angel City
C1: Exoplanet
D1: Drydock
D2: Regenerate
Monobox has been a sporadic Robert Hood alias since 1996, with three M-Plant releases, and album in 2003 on Logistic, and a brief resurfacing in 2014 to celebrate M-Plant’s 20th anniversary. And from the first beat of this album you wish there had been more. The sound is now sharper and slicker, and this is important. Because even though this album continues the minimalist approach pioneered by Hood almost thirty years ago, more advanced production technology has brought it bouncing and funking into the roaring twenties. Of course it’s not as raw as it might have been back then, a little polished even. It’s still wears the techno trousers though. Hood’s production is without question one of the most distinctive in techno, from his early excursions into symphonic minimalism, right up to his gospel-inflected anthems and while I’m not suggesting he’s necessarily an easy name to pull out of the hat during a blind listening test, the collection we have here does more than enough to further consolidate his status as an essential machine funk preacher in a recording career spanning almost thirty years, give or take. ‘Exoplanet’ is everything I like about Hood, with knobs on. The medium-paced patient kick adorned with a minimum of fuss in the form of several electronically textured rhythm patterns. ‘Angel City’ proves that there’s still life in re-evaluating the techno fairground barrel organ approach for a new age. ‘Wargames’ is ominous, chin-stroking headspace techno, to be listened to while plotting the overthrow of your enemies drinking a glass of the hard stuff in a dimly lit study. ‘Regenerate’ is where you come for your intricate insect menace, a prerequisite of the best techno. Hood is at the peak of his powers on this wonderful piece of work, so let’s hope that Monobox becomes more of a going concern.
Tuesday, December 07, 2021
Zusammenkunft & Wandrach - Tag & Wandrach (Burial Soil)
Title: Zusammenkunft Aus Der Ferne
Artist: Tag & Wandrach
Label: Burial Soil
Cat Number: BUR010
Genre: Electro/Techno
1: Zusammenkunft (Original Mix)
2: Zusammenkunft (Legowelt Remix)
3: Zusammenkunft (Maelstrom Remix)
4: Aus Der Ferne (Original Mix)
5: Aus Der Ferne (Ravn Jonassen Remix)
This is an impressive release. The original of ‘Zusammenkunft’ is a pacey bit of electro with bittersweet, gothic overtones. The type that Siouxsie and the Banshees would have made had they adopted Adidas as their couturier of choice. Legowelt takes a more rigid, banging route which, with the always welcome addition of a vocoder somewhere in the mix feels like an Esher painting set to music. The Maelstrom mix adds yet another dimension. That of a loping stomp that draws on concave effects and an imaginative use of space to drive it. ‘Aus Der Ferne’ is perhaps the most interesting track here and tonally has some similarities to ‘ Zusammenkunft’, but is very much its own boss and feels like a night drive into oblivion. The remix toughens it up and moulds it into an electro monster very much in the Anthony Rother vein. All in all, a lovely piece of work.
Sunday, December 05, 2021
Saturday, December 04, 2021
Friday, December 03, 2021
Thursday, December 02, 2021
Gain Of Function - Dustin Zahn (Rekids)
Title: Gain Of Function
Artist: Dustin Zahn
Label: Rekids
Cat Number: REKIDS192
Genre: Techno
A1: Tell Me About Paradise
A2: Tangie Groove
B1: Lucid Dreams
B2: Smoking In Silence
C1: Crimson Cheeks
C2; Days Like These
D1: Shark Rodeo ft. Jeremy Black
D2: Next Level Looseness
I imagine that trying to make a techno album which sounds and feels original is one of the hardest jobs on music at the moment. Where do you go on once you’re out of the loop? “Forged from a series of live jams with two drum machines and two synths”, this collection is as robust and as varied as anything you’re likely to hear operating within the traditional techno template with a subtle undercurrent of funky freshness. Tracks like ‘Crimson Cheeks’ and ‘Tangie Groove’ deploy vocal samples masterfully, and ‘Next Level Looseness’ is an off-kilter way of bowing out, the breaks sounding like they have been derived from organic matter in a state of heightened stress. ‘Days Like These’ and ‘Smoking In Silence’ are obviously taking their cues from the golden age of Detroit minimalism, with the latter embellished by a subtle vocal sample, more melodic and in the shape of the track than those mentioned earlier. ‘Tell Me About Paradise’ is a suitably ominous opener which gathers pace, expanding and contracting like a machine funk concertina, while ‘Shark Rodeo ft. Jeremy Black’ is a suitably unhinged loopfest which does the barrel organ on crack genre no harm at all. It’s synthetically-derived, like the best of its genre, and otherworldly enough to provide DJs with their requisite layers of insect menace for whatever purpose they may want to deploy it.
Wednesday, December 01, 2021
Tuesday, November 30, 2021
Neka Neka Remixed - Ex Ponto (General Purpose)
Title: Neka Neka Remixed
Artist: Ex Ponto
Label: General Purpose
Cat Number: GP005
Genre: Discoidance
A1: The Middle Path (Tolouse Low Trax Version)
A2: Ex Ponto (General Purpose Version)
B1: 20/44 (Sacha Mambo Version)
B2: Stuck In Oberon (Berkay Mete Version)
Well, what a pleasant throwback this is. I’m saying this while listening to ‘The Middle Path (Tolouse Low Trax Version)’ which is a presentation on international gestures with the backing of a fuggy tribal dirge reminiscent of that employed by 23 Skidoo throughout ‘7 Songs’. ‘Ex Ponto (General Purpose Version)’ is a low key piece of acid chug underpinned by a kick, a mysterious vocal sample and organic percussive rubbings. It mixes the ominous with the funky and, as such, is perfectly balanced. ‘20/44 (Sacha Mambo Version)’ is an uplifting piece of electronic folk which recalls many a disembodied moment from rave’s sacred sunrise, while ‘Stuck In Oberon (Berkay Mete Version)’ is a literal Turkish delight; full of eastern promise and much more than the sum of its parts. All in all, this is a fantastically diverse and profound release which ends the year on a high and will be a hard one to follow, no matter who tries.
Monday, November 29, 2021
Saturday, November 27, 2021
Friday, November 26, 2021
Always A Work In Progress
Autumn, when the air turns damp and everything feels like the inside of a Nigel Slater book. My decks are living life in reverse. Having been mothballed during some renovation work, they are eagerly waiting to emerge, atlas moth – like, from their metaphorical cocoons and to spread their wings once more. And it’s at times like this, after a prolonged break, that one begins to think of a possible new direction where playing other people’s music is concerned. Having been at this end of the scale for most of my life, I like to think that I know a thing or two about playing music. But do I? What qualifications does one need? What technique? The turntable is an instrument but whatever comes out of it is determined by more than one factor. I am conspicuously arsed about this too. Not just anyone can play a record and sequence a set. Also it’s been said many times before that watching a DJ play is irrelevant, you should be dancing. Dancing is great innit, but what if you don’t want to and you’d prefer to watch the DJ play? (Recently saw a fatuous Twitter thread where a DJ was bemoaning other DJs dancing behind the decks. What’s better, having a good time or moodiness? And what’s the correct way to enjoy yourself?) Doesn’t he/she deserve as much attention as someone playing a musical instrument? I daresay the answer to this will be largely “no” as there is a general misconception that DJing is not a drain on any sort of talent. Being a DJ is a polyvalent venture. Playing whatever you want, albeit within reason, is every bit as interesting as playing a musical instrument. I never found the idea of being in a band that attractive, even though I regret not learning an instrument (there’s still time). Interminable practice sessions of the same songs over and over again . . . never found it appealing. Like a lot of kids I doubt I considered the hard work involved in making it at any level. Far better to construct a set and a mood honed from years of playing music on various media in various closed spaces (mostly) to appreciative captive audiences. Subtlety is the key, and patience. The Romanians and their ilk go for the long game, which means rhythm and restraint. It’s not all about banger after banger thank god, and mood building is as effective in the groove-led minimal scene as anywhere else. However, the minimal aesthetic nowadays is anything but, with bass thankfully playing a bigger part. It’s when it gets too gossamer clicky that it becomes boring. This was the case the first time around. In the first wave of this much-maligned configuration a lot of what was released was rightly slated for lacking variety and funk. I think it’s fair to say though that this has changed a lot in recent years and it’s only the reputation of the DJs that stereotypes them; not the music they play. These chaps are not the only people to play long sets however. A shift slower and you have Sean Johnston whose A Love From Out Of Space (ALFOS) EBS sets have sustained many a space cadet through lockdown and beyond. The ALFOS aesthetic is wonderfully suited to the patient approach, allowing a linear funk to unfold layer upon layer courtesy of an eclectic philosophy that allows anything within reason, as long as it doesn’t exceed 122bpm. It’s often a source of conflict to me that I like all of the music discussed thus far equally, but they are poles apart sonically. The pantheon of electronic music is large, and I like it all, give or take some stuff. Having said that, I wouldn’t play it all, and find the act of creating a vibe with whatever music there might be to hand more difficult than it’s cracked up to be. It’s not beyond me by any stretch, but it’s much maligned and trivialized by those not in the know. It isn’t a case of playing records together of course. It’s paying the right records in the correct order within a certain space and time. Some tracks sound better in certain circumstances than others. I run a lot, but don’t always listen to music. When I do though, it’s never ambient. If what I’m listening to doesn’t match my pace then what’s the point. This is not a mindset limited to exercise, it is transposed to every aspect of conscious life. What fits the bill shopping in the supermarket may not when running a 5k. The nights are drawing in and listening to music while running in the evening can be dangerous. You can leave yourself open to all sorts of tomfoolery. I don’t like it. Too many opportunities to exercise the accident prone side of your character. This is why soundtracking your walk is better. I’ve just started listening to the last instalment of Eric Cloutier’s ‘The Arsonist And The Architect’ mix series. Every one of the is a belter and made even better by the little imperfections left in the recordings. The most recent one, ‘Fulcrum’ is all tribal techno loops and is a masterclass of blends, volume control and audio trepanning. So this art never ceases to amaze and intrigue me. I just wish I could find the time to engage with it more.
Thursday, November 25, 2021
Wednesday, November 24, 2021
Tuesday, November 23, 2021
Monday, November 22, 2021
The Mirage Remixed Pt. 3 - Sonarpilot (Sonarpilot Audio)
Title: The Mirage Remixed Pt. 3
Artist: Sonarpilot
Label: Sonarpilot Audio
Cat Number: SAMP9
Genre: Dub Techno
1: Cathedral (Echologist Reshape)
2: Imperium (Brendon Moeller Dub)
3: Cathedral (Brendon Moeller Ambient Dub)
What we have here is trio of tones and textures courtesy of Brendon Moeller Rather like three small, perfectly formed cupcakes, these are baked to perfection and veneered with only the finest dub icing, each offering descending in intensity and grandiosity compared to what went before. That doesn’t mean that ‘Cathedral (Brendon Moeller Ambient Dub)’ has been reduced to the size of a sonic pea, compared to the Jersey Royal that is ‘Cathedral (Brendon Moeller Ambient Dub)’, and the aubergine-sized ‘Cathedral (Echologist Reshape)’. Rather that their audiomotive emphasis becomes less urgent depending on their respective contexts. Each track creates its own panoramic soundscape however: with the intense, chilly, bottomless blast of track 1, giving way to the frictional western-influenced melody of 2, while the beatless ambience of 3 feels like ‘Ladies & Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space”, if you know what I mean.
Sunday, November 21, 2021
Saturday, November 20, 2021
Friday, November 19, 2021
Thursday, November 18, 2021
Stalk, Leaf & Bloom - Deadbeat & OM Unit (Midnight Shift)
Title: Stalk, Leaf & Bloom
Artist: Deadbeat & Om Unit
Label: Midnight Shift
Cat Number: MNSXLP002
Genre: Dub Techno
A: Root
B: Stalk
C: Leaf
D: Bloom
It’s dub techno Jim, but not quite as we know it. With an emphasis very much on the dub, which is distinguished by its technological engagement, this double pack plumbs the depths in a methodical and forensic way. There is a pervasive roots ambience to the release. However, it becomes more interesting when it ventures outside this zone into more a more synthetic environment. The use of the 303 on ‘Stalk’ is restrained and profound which even the abstracted flute warbling over the top can’t displace. ‘Leaf’ is very much the same. A meditative journey which locks your brain into a journey along the lateral line of your subconscious. ‘Root’ and ‘Bloom’ play with more conventional roots and dub tropes, the former being more conventional in that respect than the latter. What the brain is compelled to do when listening to these compositions is to scrutinise every detail and imagine new meaning in them. Something that isn’t easy to achieve, but because of the way disparate elements amalgamate, feels natural and a pleasure.
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