Saturday, July 31, 2021
Friday, July 30, 2021
Thursday, July 29, 2021
Wednesday, July 28, 2021
Tuesday, July 27, 2021
Parkland EP - Mailer (Sine Language)
Title: Parkland EP
Artist: Mailer
Label: Sine Language Records
Cat Number: SINE014
Genre: Techno
1: Bus 11
2: Rokkaku Group
3: Miocene
4: Renmont
5: Vaultt
A new label to me and one that is pleasingly lo-fi, in look at least. And I’m not afraid to say that this is the aesthetic that drew me in. However, music cannot exist on looks alone, no matter how important the packaging might be, this isn’t Factory innit. In any case, this release stands on its own two feet quite comfortably, the output therein being a constantly oscillating collection of left field, melodic electronica, some of which is for dancing, and some not. Break beats occupying different areas of the spectrum are present and correct (‘Rokkaku Group’, ‘Bus 11’, ‘Renmont’). ‘Miocene’ never quite comes to the boil, but it’s interesting to listen to its undulations. While ‘Vaultt’ is somewhere between the break beat nether world and tense ambience. It’s a very interesting release with depth, range and drama and it gives me a sense of uncertainty, which is nice.
Monday, July 26, 2021
Terra 589 - Atrice (Ozelot)
Title: Terra 589
Artist: Atrice
Label: Ozelot
Cat Number: Ozelot 007
Genre: Breaks
1: Invertebrate
2: Amphibia
3: Chordata
4: Tetrapoda
5: Speedlink
With a track list that, for the most part reads like and evolutionary flow chart, Atrice gives us a release that shows off a range of breaks and a variety of beats. Whether by accident or design, what we have here could be marking faunal percussive development, or maybe no such thing. Whatever the case, the sounds assembled herein, no matter how conceptual, are consolidated by a symphonic foundation of sorts which offers cohesion when this may seem unlikely. There is also a solidity about the beats. All of the tracks except ‘Speedlink’, which brings things to a close in a skippy, ephemeral way, are characterised by a robust flexibility that wears off a little in ‘Tetrapoda’ having evolved with exponential grace up to that point.
Sunday, July 25, 2021
Saturday, July 24, 2021
Thursday, July 22, 2021
Flex Time - 96 Back (Local Action)
Title: Flex Time
Artist: 96 Back
Label: Local Action
Cat Number: LOC069
Genre: Future Abstract Beats
1: Coup de Grace feat. Cadence Weapon
2: Tired Angel
3: Note To Self
4: Plucks
5: Y I’m Here feat. Iceboy Violet
A game of two halves this. The vocal tracks are beat led and feature a rap from Cadence Weapon, and Iceboy Violet. Both of them slightly left field, with the latter a little more woozy and wayward than the former. ‘Plucks’ keeps the beats in the foreground and is an interesting amalgamation of hip hop tropes and the outer limits of frictional rave. Both ‘Tired Angel’ and ‘Note To Self’ feel like portals into another era. Using symphonic hauntology they depart from the present and dwindle into a parallel world which somehow doesn’t feel out of place set against the tougher, more self-perpetuating sound ecosystem occupied by the other compositions. There is plenty to occupy the imagination here, chief amongst which is trying to articulate it.
Wednesday, July 21, 2021
Cult Of Tau - Kill The Void (Dance Trax)
Title: Cult Of Tau
Artist: Kill The Void
Label: Dance Trax
Cat Number: DANCETRAXBB2
Genre: Trance/Techno
1:Cult Of Tao
2: Cult Of Tao (Assembler Code Remix)
3: Cosmopendium
4: Chariot Of Love
Kill The Void has gone on all out attack with this release, pausing for thought a little
with ‘Chariot Of Love’, which is a more or less beat less, but melancholic composition that is a welcome respite from the full on techno trance of ‘Cult Of Tau’ and ‘Cosmopendium’. Both of these tracks are raw exercises in big room dynamics, utilising classic psi-trance shifts and abnormally pungent breakdowns. Assembler Code renders the title track unrecognisable and injects the funk by way of electro, for which we must all be thankful.
Tuesday, July 20, 2021
We Continue Part 1 - Kerrie (Cultivated Elecrtronics)
Title: We Continue Part 1
Artist: Kerrie
Label: Cultivated Electronics Ltd
Cat Number: CELTD06
Genre: Techno/Electro
A1: Heptapod K
A2: Droid Nation
B1: Swarm
B2: They Can’t Stop Us
I do like this. From the track titles to the music, Kerrie has more than succeeded in embracing techno’s overarching obsession with otherworldliness without the cliches and incorporating much passion. I’m immediately drawn to ‘Heptapod K’, just because of its ridiculous title (in a positive sense, you understand), and it doesn’t disappoint. There is wonderful dawn-of-time trancetastic digeridoo energy at play here. ‘Droid Nation’ is suitably menacing electro which grinds its way through a shattered landscape. ‘Swarm’, (a word that I’m sure UR have invoked at least once), has a menacing insect drone along its length, thankfully. And ‘They Can’t Stop Us’ is glistening, clean and subliminally stress-inducing. All wonderful and important stuff when trying to imagine the invasion of Earth by any variety of hostile life.
Monday, July 19, 2021
Sapphire Send - LAITR (Acroplane)
Title: Sapphire Send
Artist: LAITR
Label: Acroplane
Cat Number: ACR046
Genre: Beats and Breaks
1: Tend
2: Alephs
3: Zero Archive
4: Parsa
5: Ekerio
6: Sacrament
7; A Fire Derides
8: Raiene
9: Under Ether
10: Await
I am writing this review while trying to come to terms with a lack of sunshine in July. Hoping against hope that this will mean the summer stretches long into August. This album by LAITR, based in Madrid, but from Manchester seems, on paper, to be the perfect soundtrack for my almost certainly misplaced optimism. It’s a largely beat inspired collection of pieces which have a subliminal understanding with each other, and whose dense, sample-driven sound design unfurls levels of hidden meaning upon the listener. A lot of this wouldn’t be out of place in the golden age of trip hop, but there’s much more than meets the eye. The tracks spend their time burrowing their way into your inner consciousness, coming up for air with the chopped and flanged ‘A Fire Derides’, ‘Raiene’ and ‘Await’. The prevalent ambience is one of suffocating intensity though, which fluctuates throughout all of the compositions and makes listening to this collection an out of body experience.
Sunday, July 18, 2021
Saturday, July 17, 2021
Friday, July 16, 2021
Thursday, July 15, 2021
Wednesday, July 14, 2021
Unknown Structure EP - Plant 43 (Future Massive)
Title: Unknown Structure EP
Artist: Plant43
Label: Future Massive
Cat Number: 102Fm
Genre: Electro
A1. Hearts Beat In Silence
A2. Flickering Neon
A3. Unknown Structure
B1. Slowburn Storms
B2. Cloud Monolith
Plant43 is on quite a roll at the moment and seems to be able to churn out alien soundscapes with a flick of the wrist. So much so that I’m sure there will be his own licensed synth preset switches designed to do exactly that sooner rather than later. This latest offering continues the high standard set not only by his last few releases, which have been on his own eponymous imprint, but by his back catalogue generally. Emile Facey’s releases stand out from the crowd due to their depth, warmth, otherworldliness and funk, and the first three tracks on this release have these qualities in abundance. What’s more, it doesn’t seem to matter how often it’s done, in Mr Facey’s hands this sound continues to come up fresh time after time. The two tracks on the B side, however, go off this well worn path. B1 is a delicate excursion into the cosmic side of drum and bass, while B2 is a beatless composition which asserts its power on the back of some fiendishly scatty synth work.
The Fetid Swamp
The Fetid Swamp
So we’re finally getting back to normal, but it’ll never be the same again. Although I haven’t played much of an active part in anything resembling “a scene” for a while, I still feel part of it as a consequence of being passionate about the music and the culture. I’ve never made a living from it so don’t give a toss about the money, but many are financially invested in it. Some in the right way and some not. Trying to distinguish between those for whom it is a labour of love and those who see it as adding to their bank balance is difficult sometimes. Both are valid positions. No one should be expected to do this for free if they are putting the hours in and bringing joy to others. A labour of love can also pay if gone about the right way. Of course what has rubbed lots of people up the wrong way is the self-centred and mercenary position of those who have taken advantage of the selflessness of others to play parties over the last year or so in areas of the world where the rules are lax and allow for exploitation. The overriding context for what I’m trying to express an opinion on here is plague raves and those who have promoted and played them. The irony, (but we shouldn’t be surprised), is that those involved rarely need the money. While those who are being more considerate of others often do. As well as the DJs and promoters, there are also the party goers, the “international jet set” of rich kids and globe trotting flotsam who turn up at these events. This isn’t a cheap past time and reeks of privilege and disconnection. Things are rarely as black and white as this argument. However, those on the receiving end of it live in such a rarified bubble that there are problems with the message getting through.
I’m was very much struck by some of Man Power’s recent Instagram posts:
“If you do a small party in The UK with good sound/nice people, and you think that booking me will help you fill it, then DM and I’ll come down and play for you based on whatever fair share will make it work for everyone (no minimum fee). Im bored of greedy DJs now.”
“That Brand This Party
- has a community
- friends go to see each other
- low priced
majority of income shared between all income shared fairly with
a few people everyone that’s involved
loads of hype, sometimes some amazing loads of amazing music
music sometimes some hype
“Some of us want to be consumers and some of us want to take part in a culture.
Both are valid choices, but some people may be understandably mistaken as to which one they’re actually doing.
We want to start doing something that is equitable and sustainable. Something which pushes a community agenda above a profit margin AND which actually represents an underground culture.
Your favourite cola is probably not underground, nor probably is any megastar that’s charging a fortune for advance tickets. It’s still fine to like either of them, but it’s best to know what you’re consuming and that “other colas are readily available”.
If your interests are geared towards the more exceptional, and you’ve ever felt a little bit different to the mainstream, then we’re making a regular space where we think you’ll feel at home.”
“We want to create a community not a customer base. We want to create something that is an affordable and fair exchange of value that looks after and nurtures talent within our region and which allows us to share exceptional musical voices from inside and outside of the North East, in a way that remains affordable and doesn’t perpetuate the ever growing 1% culture that has seen the corporatisation of club culture in a way that leads to over inflated egos being paid astronomical amounts at the expense of all other participants on both sides of the booth.
Being a community also involves being part of your local cultural and social landscape and trying to make it a better and fairer place as a whole.
We’re being lied to and told that bigger always means better. It doesn’t.
Famous doesn’t always mean good too. Mass entertainment is fine but it doesn’t need to be conflated with this special thing we have that was born behind closed doors in dark rooms.
Brands aren’t going anywhere anytime soon and you will still have plenty of options to see online celebrities DJ in a hangar / field / stadium (delete as applicable) that’s just not what we’re offering.
If you’re interested in being part of an ongoing counter culture for outsiders that welcomes people who are similarly different and differently similar then we think you will feel very welcome at what we’re going to be doing.
We intend to invest our time and effort in to nurturing the next generation of local talent. There’s a skill and outlook exchange between experienced and new DJs that benefits in both directions.
As we develop we’ll also be committing time and resources into programs which help develop skills, level privilege and lead to employment for people wanting to work within dance music.”
I have also been struck by the recent article in Resident Advisor, entitled:
“Is It Safe To Rave In Zanzibar?”
An article of great vapidity which sits on the hedge, in spite of highlighting the very real and ongoing problems Tanzania is facing as a result of the pandemic.
“Sabira and Manuela, who are from France and Canada respectively, relocated to Zanzibar in 2020. They host the party series Lost Tribe Zanzibar, which launched in January 2021. "We hadn't been to Zanzibar before but when we arrived, the white sands, the beaches and the vibe and the people is why we stayed," Sabira told RA. The pair, who have held five Lost Tribe Zanzibar events so far, explained the concept behind the parties. "We really want to keep this mixed culture of an African vibe and a European vibe," Sabira explained. "We really want to have something that is unique." When asked about the entry fee, both admitted that their tickets priced most locals out of their parties. The solution has been to offer entry in exchange for work. "We invite people and in exchange, maybe they work one hour at the bar," Manuela said. "We want their vibe also." As for safety protocols, Sabira and Manuela said they always have a first-aid kit on site and limit each party's capacity to 120 people. There was no mention of masks, temperature checks or proof of vaccination. The pair were instead keen to emphasise the importance of partying for people's mental health. "It's really important to respect other people's lives regarding Covid-19," Manuela explained, "and it's also a long, long pandemic."
The article concludes with this paragraph:
“So is it safe to rave in Zanzibar? Bomani is increasingly conflicted. "The question is: how do we all do better in a situation like this? I don't know, it's tough."
Which kind of sums up the lack of backbone and position this piece has. No doubt RA think it’s for the individual to make up their own mind, but I call it a lack of direction and leadership. Something that we’ve become used to in The UK over the last year or so and designed to facilitate an abdication of responsibility if it all goes tits up. No wonder they don’t allow comments any more. No doubt the glibbest piece of writing I’ve yet seen on that site, which is becoming less relevant by the minute.
Man Power & RA: compare and contrast
Tuesday, July 13, 2021
Hello Death - Malcolm Pardon (The New Black)
Title: Hello Death
Artist: Malcolm Pardon
Label: The New Black
Cat Number: TNB001
Genre: Ambient Piano
1: Beneath The Surface
2: The Blindspot
3: A Descent
4: Blood In Water
5: Unsettled Beginnings
6: April 13th
7: End Less Theory
8: Silent Rumble
An aptly titled album, particularly if you’re the type of England fan who finds defeat, and life, hard to take then morning after losing the Euros to Italy. Thankfully that’s not me. However, I can still find plenty to ponder while listening to this excellent record by Malcom Pardon. ‘Hello Death’ is a reflection on mortality, and is a piano led collection of minimal compositions which are very evocative and cinematic. The repetition is beguiling and the simplicity enchanting. Although if I felt more qualified to comment at length I would, it’s enough for me to say that this is music which does what it says on the tin. It’s charm is its naivety. And far from being a depressing listen, it uplifts and inspires, so I feel a lot better about last night now.
Monday, July 12, 2021
Primavera 707 EP - Gensi (Futureboogie)
Title: Primavera 707
Artist: Gensi
Label: FutureBoogie
Cat Number: FBR081
Genre: House
1: Primavera 707
2: Primavera 707 (Decius Remix)
3: Humble Brush
4: The Great Body Buzz
5: Primavera 707 (Instrumental)
6: Primavera 707 (Decius Dub Mix)
The original and remix of the title track couldn’t be more different. The former a cosmic-tinged piece of spangly disco, the latter a percussive, tribal workout complete with a demon-invoking chant which is unrecognisable from the more subtle vocal of the original. Horses for courses and both very playable. The ‘Decius Dub Mix’ is a version of the original, rather than the remix, and takes things in a subtly abstract direction without great departure. The other two tunes, ‘Humble Brush’ and ‘The Great Body Buzz’ each employ varying degrees of acidic dissonance, with the former being a minimal, driving workout and the latter coming from a similar direction but using break beats as the frame on which to drape its transcendental cape.
Sunday, July 11, 2021
Saturday, July 10, 2021
Friday, July 09, 2021
Thursday, July 08, 2021
Opalescent EP - Maniqin (Wulf)
Title: Opalescent EP
Artist: Maniqin
Label: Wulf Records
Cat Number: WULF014
Genre: Deep House
1: Don’t Stand Still
2: Slapper
3: Slide6
4: Angry Jam
5: Bump
6: Iridescence
Definitely hot weather music this, and as I’m writing the mercury is approaching 29 degrees, so most appropriate. It has a little bit of edge the deeper and trackier it goes, with ‘Bump’, ‘Angry Jam’, ‘Slide6’ and ‘Slapper’ all falling into this category. ‘Don’t Stand Still’ reminds me of prancing goats. I just can’t get that image out of my head while listening to it. ‘Iridescence’ is house with a synthetic early eighties vibe, the sort of high analog quintessence that puts you in mind of ‘Miami Vice’. It’s a mainly functional house Ep with some nice flourishes which could do more to distinguish themselves.
Wednesday, July 07, 2021
The Unknown Evil - Evil Fred (UTTU)
Title: The Unknown Evil EP
Artist: Evil Fred
Label: Unknown To The Unknown
Cat Number: UTTU112
Genre: Rave Techno With Inflections
1: You (Original Mix)
2: You (Work It)
3: The Evil Dance
4: The Evil Trance
One of the finest and most recognisable producers working in techno today, Rene Pawlowitz is Evil Fred. What this guise brings to the table as opposed to his others is unclear. What is though, is that this is rave techno of a standard that others can only match in their wildest dreams. No one is better at capturing the intensity and corresponding subtlety of hardcore in a house shell. If there was ever someone for whom letting the music talk is a maxim, then this it’s him. Both versions of ‘You’ are brilliantly realised pieces of warehouse rave with a gloss that seems of this time, but strangely also of then. ‘(Work It)’ is the more stripped down, punchier one of the pair. ‘The Evil Dance’ is a disfunctional, off beat jerkathon, in contrast to ‘The Evil Trance’ which is a smooth, linear sub-aquatic Fantastic Voyage down the listeners lateral line. He makes it look easy, but it’s not.
Tuesday, July 06, 2021
Aurora - Letherique (Bella Ursa Recordings)
Title: Aurora
Artist: Letherique
Label: Bella Ursa Recordings
Cat Number: BUR005
Genre: Conceptual Post Apocalyptic Beats
1: Under The Bombs
2: The Last Seagull On Earth
3: A Tatons
4: Radioactive Sunrise
5: Flesh Eaters
6: Zombie Mambo
7: Glow In The Dust
8: La Comedie
9: Nether Boulevard
10: Goodbye Old World
Bella Ursa is a label straight outta Strasbourg in France, and helmed by Letherique who, as well as being behind this album, could be a sex robot. In this context however, he/she/it is at the cosmic controls of an abstract mothership, traversing the outer limits of the post apocalyptic imagination. It’s an entertaining experience, which uses eighties – tinged synth grandiosity as a backdrop for its symphonic and dramatic leanings. Heavy on mood and dejection, it often gets the beats out, as in ‘Under The Bombs’ ‘A Tatons’, ‘Zombie Mambo’, Glow In The Dust’, ‘La Comedie’ and ‘Nether Boulevard’, while tracks, like ‘The Last Seagull On Earth’ , ‘Radioactive Sunrise’ and ‘Flesh Eaters’ sound like big room rock opera. By the time you’ve reached the somnolent ambience of ‘Goodbye Old World’, you’ve reached the end of a road littered with anti utopian symbolism with a satirical underbelly.
Monday, July 05, 2021
M-Technology - Dip Shim (SNC Records)
Title: M-Technology
Artist: Dip Shim
Label: SNC Records
Cat Number: SNC005
Genre: Electro
A1: M-Funk
A2: M-Technology ft. Somoah
B1: Ättestupa
B2: Yard Stalkers
According to the press release for this record: “Madrid, Malmø, Motor City – the places that influenced the sound behind the pure Electro EP, ‘M- Technology’. The fifth SNC Recs release fuses elements from very different cities from all around the world. Well, you have to start somewhere I suppose. Anyway, without getting all forensic, this is an EP that showcases a reasonable variety of cyber sound that is dynamic and energetic. Both ‘M-Funk’ and ‘M-Technology ft. Somoah’ bring the funk, the former a minimal stellar journey, the latter featuring some nice vocoder in the “I can’t be arsed tradition” of letting the words do the talking. ‘Ättestupa’ and ‘ Yard Stalkers’ are a little more frenetic, and come embellished with high end frolics and bass respectively. It’s all good and a grower.
Sunday, July 04, 2021
Saturday, July 03, 2021
Friday, July 02, 2021
Thursday, July 01, 2021
The Future Has A Silver Lining 3 - D'Marc Cantu & Danny Passarella (Passarella Records)
Title: The Future Has A Silver Lining 3
Artist: D'Marc Cantu & Danny Passarella
Label: Passarella Records
Cat Number: PASS011
Genre: Techno
1. Recognizably Invisible
2. Un-Searchable
3. Void
4. Without Shape
‘The Future Has A Silver Lining’ is,as can be seen, into its third instalment. I suppose this must mean that D'Marc Cantu & Danny Passarella are optimists. It’s not like the music transmits that though. This is mostly dark, funky stuff with the power to make the dancer see demons. ‘Void’ and ‘Without Shape’ are two such examples. Plucked from the sweaty rooms of house and techno’s conception and remoulded as tribal composites to evoke manic shape throwing. ‘ Recognizably Invisible’ is a brilliant piece of relentless body shock techno, and ‘Un-Searchable’ a post-industrial reimagining of the ghosts of manufacturing. Fascinating, compelling and unsettling, just as it should be.
