Thursday, March 31, 2022
Accept No Substitute - Detroit's Filthiest (Casa Voyager)
Title: Accept No Substitute
Artist: Detroit’s Filthiest
Label: Casa Voyager
Cat Number: TWR10
Genre: Breaks Of Varying Rhythms And Intensity
A1: Perception Of Reality
A2: Hypnotized Musick
B1: Under My Spell
B2: Song For Sultan
There is a lightness of touch present throughout this release, noticeable on tracks 1, 2 and 3, whose drum and bass stylings are reinforced by an airy jazziness. This is summer’s day top down driving music, with the momentum in 1 and 2 further underlined by the endless unwinding of synth whistles. ‘Hypnotized Music’ is not quite as smooth, as it is occasionally broken up by some scratching. ‘Under My Spell’ signals a tempo glance to one side, with a more electro – inflected groove, with the hallmarks present in the other three tunes still present, subtly layered in the form of a ruminative bass, a stellar swirl and minimal vibes. Music for coasting, cruising or just watching ponds.
Wednesday, March 30, 2022
Emerging V/A - V/A (Cultivated Electronics Ltd)
Title: Emerging V/A
Artist: V/A
Label: Cultivated Electronics Ltd
Cat Number: CELTD09
Genre: Electro
A1: Anatta – IMOGEN
A2: Acute – Armes
B1: Electro Beats 1 – Sergey Timoshov
B2: Octro – Obzery
C1: Nightmare – Cyphon
C2: Valda – Khallian
D1: Weightless – Farack
D2: Creepin’ – Lindsay Green
This compilation on Cultivated Electronics Ltd aims to shine a light on some emerging names on the electro scene. Speaking as someone who doesn’t know their arse from their elbow as far as making music is concerned, but very much knows what floats his boat and refuses to grow old gracefully, I can say with some authority that this compilation is very good indeed. The tracks seem to have been ordered so that they peak in momentum with ‘Octro’, a nervous wreck of a tune, either side of which the beats fall away in various shades of intensity. ‘Electro Beats 1’ is a heavy, cushioned beat of a track, leading up to which are ‘Anatta’ and ‘Acute’ who register panic and portentousness respectively. ‘Nightmare’ is, in parts as disturbed as ‘Octro’, while ‘Valda’ is a slowed down space low ride. This slant feels further developed on the onomatopoeic piece ‘Creepin’’, before having been punctuated by the soaring synth funk of the similarly illustrativer ‘Weightless’. Overall this is a fine smorgasbord of new electro that showcases a range of styles which are united in both their subtlety and impact.
Tuesday, March 29, 2022
Barac And The Dense Viscosity Of The Darkside
I’m pretty shit at writing about DJs and their craft from a standing start. So, taking downloaded sets as reference points is going to be the main context for what follows. I listen to a lot of mixes, mainly because I don’t go out clubbing any more; (never say never though). And even if I did, certain DJs don’t come around too often. Of the better known Romanian DJs, Barac is that little bit different. And you may well ask how do I know? So, not only does he make sets of his freely available through his Soundcloud, he also plays the most interesting combinations and, in doing it his way, he has developed a signature sound which, even though it is incredibly energetic, fluid and funky, is also dark, disorientating, druggy and strangely cohesive. Tracks are draped over each other like large velvet curtains, expelling dust from the shock of impact, with no beginning or end. Certain calling cards are pervasive: linear, propulsive beats which hint at dub techno but are fuller and more complete. Dub techno is a genre that can have difficulty convincing others of its merits. What you are listening to in a Barac set is fashioned from a similar aesthetic, but brought into a sharper, floor-focussed sensibility. And even though this music is generally categorised as “minimalism” or “Romanian minimalism”, it’s anything but. Sure, one can definitely hear the influence of Villalobos, both as a DJ and an artist, during one of these sets, but apart from that, the sound has very little to do with the take on house/techno that gathered traction in the early part of the first decade of this century, more influenced by Brinkmann and Hawtin than anyone else. The idea that this is in any way similar, or influenced by ‘DE9: Closer To The Edit” is laughable. This is a “lived-in” sound dripping with carefully-filtered clutter, but still spacious enough to accommodate multiple layers of carefully choreographed dissonance. One of the things I like most about listening to mixes is the inevitable discovery of new tunes, and there are loads to identify here. However, not that many are recognised, and it’s interesting that those that are are usually the same ones again and again, with the vast majority remaining in the shadows. There’s a certain feeling of entitlement necessary when requesting an id directly; as in “id?” or “track id?”. If I’m the DJ in question monitoring my Soundcloud or Mixcloud page, I know that there’s no way I’m going to respond to any of these requests. Almost as bad is when complete strangers think that they’re on first name terms with you. This is quite common and maybe it’s my natural British reserve, but I don;t think so. It’s just common courtesy to be a little less direct, a bit more respectful, even on thee interwebs. In any case, such is the spiders web of labyrinthine mixing going on in one of these sets that it really isn’t easy to see where a lot of tracks begin and end. Sometimes there will be an abrupt halt, or a paradigm shift, but not often. For the most part the listener is caught up in a groove injected, relentless sonic fug that although engineered by the DJ in question, often takes on a life of its own.
The two most recent sets on Barac’s Soundcloud can be found here & here.
Wisteria - Shelley Parker (Hypercolour)
Title: Wisteria
Artist: Shelley Parker
Label: Hypercolour
Cat Number: HYPELP020
Genre: Hardcore Ambience
A1: Scrubs Lane
A2: Shimmer
B1: Coldstream
B2: Glisten
C1: Cage
C2: Deluge
D1: The Faun
D2: Deepfield Way
I’m a big fan of listening to albums in the order in which they were intended. This is generally a much more rewarding and cohesive experience than shuffling stuff. Randomness is cool and all, but can sound like broken syntax. Structure is, I think, one of the most important as aspects of Shelley Parker’s fine piece of work for Hypercolour. Named after everybody’s favourite climber, ‘Wisteria’ is a very connected collection that begins with the portentous ‘Scrubs Lane’ a tune that is vast in scope and where hardcore-inspired breakbeats play second fiddle to the music of the spheres. This approach evolves further on ‘Shimmer’ and ‘Coldstream’, only to pause for thought on ‘Glisten’ and ‘Cage’ where the breakbeats become more emphatic and muscular. ‘Deluge’ is a complete tempo change; it’s beating heart establishing a more direct route to sonic nirvana, all the while flanked by dissonant cacophony which remains weirdly incantational. The breakbeats return on both ‘The Faun’ and ‘Deepfield Way’, but altogether darker and more corrosive that before. In spite of it’s solid structure, this is a challenging listen from start to finish, but it’s a rewarding all-enveloping one.
Monday, March 28, 2022
Acid Rain - Troy Kurtz (Openers)
Title: Acid Rain
Artist: Troy Kurtz
Label: Openers
Cat Number: OPN026
Genre: Break Beats
01: Acid Rain
This is, for what it’s worth, a pretty good tune. The breaks are the dominant motif, but are not tired, as many more elements play their part. Commonly referred to as a “club track”, compositions such as this wear their hearts on their sleeves and you either get with it or you don’t. The “Acid” in the title is a little misleading as any 303 activity is relatively low key. Consequently, it’s anything but claustrophobic, with it’s energy and agility having a mesmerising effect the longer it unwinds.
Sunday, March 27, 2022
Abstract Expression When Playing Records In A Structured Way
From my mind to yours. Technology is what keeps things interesting as far as playing records is concerned, is it not? The layering and punctuation of the machines in order to edit and effectively remix on the fly is something that all DJs should aspire to. Otherwise where’s the artistry, the craft? There must be more to this lark than simply playing one record after another with, if you’re lucky, enough sequencing skill to make the connections inconspicuous. Having said that, it’s really not that important, depending on the audience and the aim. The quest for seamless perfection and, at the same time, showing off, is eternal. Letting the music speak for itself isn’t always at the top of everyone’s priorities. It’s probably just as cliched to say that if the track is good enough in the first place, why arse about with it? This isn’t necessarily wrong, but unless something is being added it’s unnecessary. I think it’s more acceptable the further back you go, and the more antiquated your equipment is. The analogue age invited this sort of interpretation because of its tactile nature. It’s all about pushing buttons nowadays though, and that obviously means that there is a certain distance between DJ and music. And then you’ve got EQing. Unless records have been badly produced their often extreme manipulation doesn’t really add anything. That doesn’t mean it’s always wrong though. In the hands of a master the ability to stretch, drop in and out and overlay can change a tune the listener is indifferent to into a sonic bomb. However, I don’t want what I am waffling on about to be confused with mixing. A skill that nonplusses a lot of modern DJs. It should be to playing other people’s records as drawing is to painting. Unless a good foundation of beatmatching and coordination can be proven, then sync buttons should be off limits. Similarly, playlists should be banned until the DJ can prove that they are able to instinctively select the correct record from a huge pile, in the dark and wearing boxing gloves. This would, consequently, manifest a sixth sense. That instinctive ability to choose the correct track for the occasion or moment by simply reaching into the void and inexplicably laying hands on it. Knowledge like this isn’t acquired by accident. It’s the cumulative result of years spent in record shops, as well as (more so nowadays) being permanently plugged in to the sonic realms of cyberspace. Maybe I’m only coming out with all of this because I don’t really engage much with digital DJing beyond a rudimentary level. I understand its general concepts but lack the patience to engage too deeply. Maybe this will change. Vinyl for me will always be important, but it hasn’t been vital for a long time. Moreover, I think vinyl only labels are doing everyone a disservice and don’t see hos there is any more mileage in them. Not only are there backlogs at pressing plants, but they are now longer environmentally sustainable. So vinyl, a weapon of nostalgia; a prop of misplaced authenticity; a dance music staple . . . but paradoxically because of its tactility and street credibility. The message is more important than the medium, and there is room for both creativity and reverence.
Saturday, March 26, 2022
Friday, March 25, 2022
Thursday, March 24, 2022
Ideal Fix - Luxus Varta (In Abstracto)
Title: Ideal Fix
Artist: Luxus Varta
Label: In Abstracto
Cat Number: IA03
Genre: Odd Wave
1: Genesis
2: Pop Scam
3: Body Care
4: Opium Star
5: Cria Cuervos
According to the press release for this record, Luxus Varta is a “mysterious French producer”. Well, there must be something in the air across the Channel, because having just listened to Letherique’s new magnum opus, I’m left wondering is a name, redolent with synthetic sleaze, a prerequisite to make melancholic dark electronica. This is the third, (annual early spring), release on Mr Varta’s label, (see other reviews here and here) and on this release he eschews the more electro leaning stylings he has deployed thus far in favour of more slowed-down cold wave, (at least I think that’s what it is). The five tracks here scream dislocation, dissolution and dystopia, as if it’s a good thing. And who knows, maybe that’s where we’re all heading? ‘Pop Scam’ is my favourite tune here, as it manages to eloquently combine a sense of sonic entropy with an uncertain state of mind. ‘Cria Cuervos’ on the other hand, sound like distilled cold turkey. Not a bad thing by any stretch of the imagination. The shorter the better.
Wednesday, March 23, 2022
White Cells - Stelios Vassiloudis (Balance Music)
Title: White Cells
Artist: Stelios Vassiloudis
Label: Balance Music
Cat Number: BALANCE003EP2
Genre: Downtempo/Ambient/Techno
1: White Cells
2: White Cells (Yui Ondera Remix)
3: White Cells (John Dalagelis Remix)
‘White Cells’ is, in its original form a piece of melodic downtempo, almost trip hop (remember that?) which sounds like it should soundtrack an Alan Watts Youtube video. It has a bittersweet atmosphere and occasionally utilizes spoken word which sounds like it’s been filched from a radio broadcast. Yui Ondera’s interpretation takes us into the realm of the beatless, with water and windchimes being dominant features. This approach is fliped on its head by John Dalagelis, whose version combines a thudding kick, a soaring synth and a slightly overbearing acid squelch. Although we have three very different versions here, it’s the original I feel has the most meat on its bones. The remixes feel like they’re trying too hard, or not hard enough.
Monday, March 21, 2022
Emergence Full Condition - Letherique (Bella Ursa)
Title: Emergence Full Collection
Artist: Letherique
Label: Bella Ursa
Cat Number: BUR-003D
Genre: Interplanetary Electronic Symphonies
1: Elevation (Formica Farris Remix)
2: Ethereal Pong (Lloyd Stellar Remix)
3: Ursa Minor (DoOmDalk Tremix)
4: Elevation (Daidal Remix)
5: Vale Mae Ursa (Nocto Remix)
6: Emergence (Moldav Remix)
7: Rite d’Illumination (Klus Daba Remix)
8: Delevation
9: Lady Marasm (SE30 Remix)
10: Praise The Octopus (VF089 Remix)
11: Ursa Minor (Ppaulus Remix)
12: Ethereal Pong (BNDT72 Remix)
13: Turning The Page (Ostalgie Remix)
14: Elevation (Cinder Remix)
An absolute mammoth package this, from the man like sex robot for hire Letherique. Well, it’s mesmerising stuff. Starting off with a Formica Farris remix, (s&m partner in crime?), who gets this remix package off by aiming a sonic a kick squarely in the groin, twisting the message home aided by analogue electronic beats from a bygone age updated for the ears of contemporary kids. There is a lot of orchestrated, ominously tinged electronica. ‘Vale Mae Ursa (Nocto Remix)’ offers a brief respite, with its surging beats, but these are also tempered and operate under a cloud of control. ‘Praise The Octopus (VF089 Remix)’ is a respiratory, quirky journey into the benefits of cephalopod worship. ‘Lady Marasm (SE30 Remix)’ contains a whiff of Morricone. There is so much to take in here, and my track list, which I nicked from Bandcamp, only covers half of what I was sent, as original versions accompany remixes. What can be said for sure however, is that this is a real trip and sounds like the cross-pollinated offspring of Moroder, Jarre, Tangerine Dream and Goblin, with added drugs for good measure.
Sunday, March 20, 2022
Saturday, March 19, 2022
Friday, March 18, 2022
Thursday, March 17, 2022
Horizon EP - Pelifics (Full Pupp)
Title: Horizon EP
Artist: Pelifics
Label: Full Pupp
Cat Number: FP076
Genre: Disco Heaven
1: Horizon
2: Aereo
3: Horizon (Prins Thomas Remix)
4: Barchetta
“Discoid bangers” aptly describes what this package is about. Pelifics, aka Eirik, Full Pupp’s inhouse enginer, who is clearly more than just a knob twiddler, keeps things simple and, by extension, euphoric with this trio of aforementioned “bangers”. Bongos, bittersweet melodies and soaring synths combine to keep things together. There’s a bittersweet aura hanging over the beats that feels even ore poignant when you’re listening to this walking through the pissing rain. It’s ‘Horizon’ that evokes the greatest inner response, with its uplifting keys and fragile but thrusting trajectory. Prins Thomas adds acid and jet propulsion, emphasising these elements over the original’s mainframe, the result of which is the soundtrack to the voyage through a psychedelic black hole.
Wednesday, March 16, 2022
Hidden ft Igor Cavalera - Dense & Pika (Kneaded Pains)
Title: Hidden feat. Igor Cavalera (Function remix)
Artist: Dense & Pika
Label: Kneaded Pains
Cat Number: KP115
Genre: Techno
1: Hidden feat. Igor Cavalera (Function remix)
Following on from Levon Vincent’s remix remix of ‘Honey’, Dense & Pika have enrolled the services of another New York techno titan in Function to remix ‘Hidden’. Suffice to say they have chosen well. Mr. Dave Sumner has a pedigree second to none and on this remix shows why. It’s a rolling, tribal acid tinged monster from the outer limits and shows that, in the hands of a master, there’s life in the old dog yet. What I particularly like about this track is its ability to transmit its rich, dense sound across what, in most cases, has come to be a predictable foundation. The percussion is subtle, and undulates on a frequency barely audible to the human ear. Atop of this are some of the most cosmic acid tingle I’ve head in recent times. This track isn’t long enough.
Tuesday, March 15, 2022
A Holiday In Beta Centauri - Mark Hand & Neil Iceton (Innate)
Title: A Holiday in Beta Centauri
Artist: Mark Hand & Neil Iceton
Label: Innate
Cat Number: INNATE005
Genre: Deep House/Techno
1: Binary System
2: Arps In Hyperspace
3: Rigil JA
4: Beyond The Nebula (Holiday In Beta Centauri)
With track titles like these, you know you’re on a one way journey to hyperspace before you play them. “Buy the ticket, take the ride” as Hunter S. Thompson said, and who would have argued with him, full of drugs and gun in hand? We may be continually stepping into cliched realms when listening to electronic music which elicits panoramic stellar visualisations, but there’s something to be said for a genre that, no matter how often you utilize it, keeps you coming back for more in the knowledge that fresh discoveries are always to be made. Such is the overriding feeling when listening to this release. An affinity to UR is mulled over in the press release and, when listening to tracks like ‘Arps In Hyperspace’ and ‘Rigil JA’ in particular, you can see why. Both are wonderfully realised pieces of energetic, Detroit-inspired accompaniments to deep space exploration. ‘Beyond The Nebula (Holiday In Beta Centauri)’ is also u there, but eschews the more soaring, linear approach in favour of going down the electro route. ‘Binary System’ feels like the most complete track here, and the one which truly showcases the artists’ capabilities. Here any obvious influences are distilled into a less recognisable version of themselves and, embellished with a singular vitality and ambience, bring everything on this excellent release together.
Monday, March 14, 2022
Sunday, March 13, 2022
Saturday, March 12, 2022
Thursday, March 10, 2022
Night Terror - Jason Burns (Planet 9)
Title: Night Terror
Artist: Jason Burns
Label: Planet 9
Cat Number: P9001
Genre: Techno
1: Acid 19
2: Crystal Canyon
3: Night Control
4: Night Terror
5: Night Terror (Lauren Flax Remix)
When you’ve got a fusion of acid, breaks and electro, that’s techno. AmIright? So, I’m feeling electro as the dominant force in this release, and very good it is too. ‘Acid 19’, as its name suggests, comes as an oven ready piece of very well orchestrated 303 magic, but it is built on solid break dance friendly foundations. Both ‘Crystal Canyon’ and ‘Night Control’ are masterful evocations of deep, emotive electro, with the former’s richer sound countered by the more spacious ambience of the latter. ‘Night Terror’ is an edgier, spikier track that uses a chopped and flanged vocal to great effect. However, in the hands of Lauren Flax it becomes a schizoid, minimal vignette with whiffs of Dan Bell.
Wednesday, March 09, 2022
SNKRX009 - Hooverian Blur (Sneaker Social Club)
Title: SNKRX009
Artist: Hooverian Blur
Label: Sneaker Social Club
Cat Number: SNKRX009
Genre: Hardcore
1: Square Jazz
2: Sirens
3: Old Gold (Low End Activist Park End Refix)
4: Old Gold (Monopolypella Mix)
“Bleep-Tek twisted originals”, eh. Sounds like some new-fangled space toffee. The kindly old man whose motives have recently become twisted out of shape, proffers sonic sweets to the unsuspecting youths. And these don’t come with soft centres. ‘Square Jazz’ is a great piece of drum and bass that is mellow, but durable and, thanks to a throbbing bass for days, has the stamina to stay the course and make 7 minutes feel like the blink of an eye. ‘Sirens’ is more rugged, with sharper, combative edges.It comes from a similar place though, and also feels like it’s well capable of expanding its own private universe whenever it wants. The two remixes of ‘Old Gold’ are quite similar, and, compared to the two originals, go out on an abstract limb. The ‘ Low End Activist Park End Refix’ sounds like the collapse into chaos and disorder we’ve thought could be our ultimate fate since the beginning of time. The ‘Monopolypella Mix’ continues the research into the third law of thermodynamics, becoming an entropic, aural soundscape in the process.
Tuesday, March 08, 2022
Fang Man EP - Neil Landstrumm (Discs Of The World)
Title: Fang Man EP
Artist: Neil Landstrumm
Label: Discs Of The World
Cat Number: DW004
Genre: Hardcore
A1: 80 Clicks Of Your Hand
A2: Cash Crew
B1: Desperate
B2: Eskva
Did hardcore ever go away? I love asking these annoying rhetorical questions in reviews. I suppose the obvious answer is no. However, having kept a relatively low profile for what seems like forever, its sideways shift from out of the shadows has come at a time when, for whatever reason, it sounds crazy stupid fresh (as they say). Neil Landstrumm, no stranger to the uncompromising side of things, has come up with a release that shifts the momentum from wild oblivion to nuance, as much as could be expected within the genre. The first two tracks on this release are syncopated excursions into the parallel netherworld that is normally soundtracked much more manically, but here relies on left field friction to create a twisted mirror image of stateside electro g funk. The second two tracks are a little less restrained, but still come tempered with a subtlety that, however much it is regarded, manages to propel this harmonious filth into the upper echelons of sonic invention.
Monday, March 07, 2022
Taid - Alex Jones (Hypercolour)
Title: Taid
Artist: Alex Jones
Label: Hypercolour
Cat Number: HYPE093
Genre: Groove
1: Taid
2: Artichoke
There’s no doubt that on this release Alex Jones is trying to do something a little different. On ‘Taid’ ,the ambience is relaxed while the bpm count remains around your standard housey doings. The vocal which is strategically deployed is an off-kilter touch that doesn’t outstay it’s welcome. ‘Artichoke’, (that most underused of vegetables), goes down a similar route but is more uplifting within its pervasive melancholia. Clutching at straws in order to draw comparison with something sends me heading towards the idea that if early Massive Attack decided to make house, this is what it might have sounded like.
Sunday, March 06, 2022
Saturday, March 05, 2022
Friday, March 04, 2022
Thursday, March 03, 2022
Honey feat. Matthew Dear (Levon Vincent remix) - Dense & Pika (Kneaded Pains)
Title: Honey feat. Matthew Dear (Levon Vincent remix)
Artist: Dense & Pika
Label: Kneaded Pains
Cat Number: KP113
Genre: Techno
1: Honey feat. Matthew Dear (Levon Vincent remix)
Now this is very good, and it’s so simple. It’s all about clarity, depth/ layers and odd noises. If you’re like me and you inhabit the house Kuiper Belt, where it merges with techno but stays on the right side of funky, then this is for you. I haven’t listened to much of Levon Vincent’s work over the last few years, but if this is indicative of what he’s putting out then it’s all buy on site. A kick unites a throbbing, pervasive machine fart, a repetitive shrill whistle ,which sounds like a rabid cricket, cymbals, handclaps and razor sharp synth stabs. Thee’s no doubt more, but it doesn’t matter. This is a minimal call to dance floor arms that should have then passing out at peak time. Utterly, tribally bewitching.
