Wednesday, November 30, 2022
Playing Out?
Any one can play records can’t they? Having said that, who practices playing them? (A trite question, but one that I often reflect on.) Again and again, often using a variety of different media to reach their objective. And although I haven’t played out for a while, I continue to play in. The experience is, of course, very different. No less challenging in its own way. On the one hand, where there is spontaneity, there is discipline; where there is structure, there is anticipation. It is becoming more and more difficult to find the time to plan a mix to put up on my still free Soundcloud. I only ever have one up at a time, the others all migrate over to my Mixcloud account once they have been superseded. And there is always a feeling of personal pressure to have the one on Soundcloud just right. Perfection is not a prerequisite, as there will always be the odd creak or groan along the way. It’s only recently that I’ve considered buying a pair of studio monitors to replace what are hifi speakers in my set up. This I think will make a difference. At the beginning of the month I went to Good Times at The Junction in Cambridge. Good Times was a regular night out in Cambridge and ran once a month over a ten year period from the mid nineties at The Junction. The main residents being Patrizio Cavaliere and Paul Darking. I moved to Cambridge in September 2001, and managed to go to a couple of nights, but I was a little bit out of the loop at that time, still having a strong London connection and travelling back there regularly to go out. Anyway, myself and my better half went to what was a one off in aid of raising money for the East Anglian Air Ambulance. It was a great night out, however something I very quickly noticed was that the sound was terrible at times, and really hampered the efforts of the DJ playing at times. There was one particular example of the vibe being temporarily put on ice while what was obviously a relatively old disco record was mixed in between two more linear, tracky tunes. The sound completely dropped out for a while and left most people on the dance floor suddenly looking around for something else to do. This happened a few times while we were there, and we didn’t stay too late, having an important engagement in the capital the following day. Now when the sound isn’t as it should be, this can be due to a variety of circumstances: the venue and the equipment therein, the DJs lack of familiarity with the equipment and/or lack of practice, also the records themselves/ I have no idea what was to blame, but it happened a few times while we were there. It didn’t distract from any enjoyment and I have no idea if the situation was rectified later, but it was there. Good sound and the understanding of it is paramount to playing a cohesive, well-structured set. Anyone who thinks that any record can be played in sequence with another, and a mood maintained, clearly hasn’t ever tried doing it. The unintended (negative) consequences are massive hazards to be avoided. It’s obvious that in order to maintain momentum, tracks of a similar disposition have to be played together. If a change of course is required, it’s usually because there is a conscious decision to change the mood. A s a DJ of zero repute, something I took a long time to understand was the dynamic behind momentum and pitch. A drum sound in a precedent track needs something similar to supplement it, or there is an audible and visible loss of momentum. The best DJs are those who, in my opinion, manage to stitch a set together of apparently disparate elements and make it a cohesive flat mass. Off the top of my head I’m thinking Optimo, Sean Johnston, Jaye Ward, Ivan Smagghe, Manfredas, etc. Now my sweet spot is tickled by deep house/techno that has a groove and is layered for days. Admittedly the sound might not seem as challenging to engage with and to mix. To the untrained ear it can be pretty monotone. However, in the skilled hands of experts: Arpiar, Lutz, Richards, Masda, etc . . . the detail is absorbed into the larger whole and effortlessly assimilated. A lot of this group rely on extracting goodness from obscurity, and guard their sources and wares in order to remain exclusive. It shouldn’t really matter because they’re full timers and the likelihood of the amateur enthusiast coming up with similar results in their bedroom is very low indeed. You need skill to be a DJ and, further to points already mentioned, the mark of a really amazing one is somebody who can play a tune in such a way as to completely change the listener’s opinion about it. In other words, tunes previously derided, become credible. There’s also the ability to mix, sequence and programme in such a way as to completely change the identity of a track. Both of these aspects point both to great technical ability, as well as a heightened awareness of when to play something. The DJ who most often satisfies on all fronts here has to be Derrick Carter, someone who redrew the rule book and who I was a massive fan of (still am, but haven’t heard him play for years). Helena Hauff is another one, who if her recent RA interview is to be believed, has an almost preternatural ability to sniff out critical beats and eloquently stitch them together. My own approach is one of raw ability, technical know how and general familiarity with genres. In other words, I can mix to an extent, and base my knowledge of a particular genre in order to help me mix records together, some of which I might not have listened to all the way through. This approach can be haphazard, but it’s unpredictable and exciting. There’s the spontaneity. It’s not that difficult to plan a mix more thoroughly though, which is something I’ve recently come around to, overlaying specific parts of tracks, noting them down, and having others in mind that can be overlayed. My current set up is two 1210s and two XDJ-700s, which I currently use a USB with. I have yet to adapt to the vagaries of Rekordbox, but that is something I am about to try my hand at, and imagine that it will make life much easier and immediate. If only someone would do it for me though. I need to be bothered in order to have everything digitally categorised on my laptop. Having said that, I imagine my laptop won’t be able to store most of what I want to play, and I’m not paying for it.
Overtone Series - Shuffle Shack EP (Auto Shop)
Title: Shuffle Shack EP
Artist: Overtone Series
Label: Auto Shop
Cat Number: AS007
Genre: Deep House
1: Shuffle Shack
2: Standing Waves
3: Speak For Yourself
4: Honeycrisp
Well this is a nice surprise. Deep, Detroit vibes fornicate and produce an analogue offspring, the likes of which hasn’t been heard around these parts for a while. Apparently the tracks here are the result of some early lockdown sessions. Is that relevant? Not really. I can’t see how much isolation made a difference here, but what do I know? The quality is high though. There’s a pleasing fug that envelops the music and keeps it in check. Much was made of “outsider house” a few years back, without ever really knowing what it was. This could be its nadir. Even the horns, as in ‘Standing Waves’ sound good, which is saying something. Said track has a whiff of ‘In A Silent Way’ vibe wise. ‘Shuffle Shack’ also, minus the horns, with a little bit more oomph, and subtle keys. ‘Speak For Yourself’ hits the high notes in the shape of an elegant saunter through a disco cavern and reminds me of something from the ‘Super Discount’ series; while ‘Honeycrisp’ is a slower, downtempo workout with a pervasive wide screen glossy eighties feel. Every one a winner here. Smashing stuff!
Tuesday, November 29, 2022
DeFeKT/Rico Casazza - For The Floor Vol. 1 (Cultivated Electronics Ltd)
Title: DeFeKT/Rico Casazza
Artist: For The Floor Vol. 1
Label: Cultivated Electronics Ltd
Cat Number: CELTD012
Genre: Electro
A1: DeFeKT - Control Your Mind
A2: DeFeKT – Fear & Body
B1: Rico Casazza – Here Home Us
B2: Rico Casazza - Caldo
If you like your electro raw and a little bit gnarly, then this is a good double header. Everything by degree though. So it’s probably fair to say that Rico Casazza’s two tracks are a little smoother than DeFeKT’s, in view of their fluidity and flow. ‘Here Home Us’ rolls along and has a pleasing, low end siren wail in the background which tempers it somewhat. ‘Caldo’ is, by comparison. An exercise in suppressed power; a coiled spring that doesn’t quite let go, but threatens to, which is the best part. Big room stuff that’s not “big room” at all. ‘Control Your Mind’ by DeFeKT is dirty robotic funk of the best kind, and making me think of Dynamix ll in rainy suburban Suffolk can never be a bad thing. ‘Fear & Body’ is a little more restrained, but only inasmuch as its pace allows it to be. You can feel it straining at the leash all the way. Vocals are again used flatly and effectively (is there a better way to do this in electro?) and when the flanged white noise comes in, it’s game over. Four of the finest electro groovers right here folks. Get on ‘em!
Monday, November 28, 2022
QNTM CTRL - Smokehouse Shift (Oblivious Transfer)
Title: Smokehouse Shift
Artist: QNTM CTRL
Label: Oblivious Transfer
Cat Number: OBTRAN003
Genre: Abstract Dub Electro/D&B
A1: Smokehouse Shift
B1: Pulsar Forest
B2: Preacher
QNTM CTRL are, according to the press for this release, “the new Cultivated Electronics /Sync 24 born experimental collective!” Other words describe the music herein as “a King-Tubby-meets-Autechre trip through outer space and beyond.” Which I think is very apt. I’m listening to ‘Preacher’ first and I’m very much feeling the vibe in question. A pervasive dubbiness enveloping gossamer light drum and bass drenched in mind juice. ‘Pulsar Forest’ is similar, and runs with crystal sharp old school computer game squawks and the feeling that the universe is slowly grinding to a halt. ‘Smokehouse Shift’ perhaps soundtracks chemical breakdown best, and does feel like a cyborg has got controls of the mixing desk somewhere in a parallel trenchtown powered by quantum mechanics.
Sunday, November 27, 2022
Saturday, November 26, 2022
Friday, November 25, 2022
Thursday, November 24, 2022
James Shinra - Surface EP (Analogue Force)
Title: Surface EP
Artist: James Shinra
Label: Analogical Force
Cat Number: AF044
Genre: Techno
1: Miluv
2: Circular
3: Ekko
4: Surface
James Shinra has one of the most distinctive electro voices, blending beats with emotive synth melodies to create arrangements that can sometimes seem generically at odds with themselves. This is evident in ‘Miluv’, which combines trance and electro to great effect. ‘Circular’ is a rolling builder that reminds me of the production of James Holden. Synth stabs and choral remnants combine with heightening drama over an ominous low end to take the listener on a wild flight of fancy. The feel is not new, but the combinations are unique and uplifting. ‘Ekko’ feels like a hypothetical electro ‘Air Frog’, the cherries on top being the echoing acidic touches and strategically used piano. ‘Surface’ leads in slowly and is the most understated tune here, breakbeats being given equal weight and picking up the slack on top of an underlying analogue warmth. Fab this.
Wednesday, November 23, 2022
Lord Of The Isles - Night Of The Endless Beyond (ESP Institute)
Title: Night Of The Endless Beyond
Artist: Lord Of The Isles
Label: ESP Institute
Cat Number: ESP108
Genre: Soundtrack To The Dawn Of Time
A1: Endless Beyond
A2: Isolarian
B1: Strato
B2: Together
C1: Night Lights
C2: Quadralogue
C3: Otherness
D1: Truth
D2: Wonder
D3: Postdrome
This, the ESP follow up album to 2016’s ‘in Waves’ and Lord Of The Isles’ 4th long player overall is a journey through the inky blackness of wherever you visualise. It’s a listening experience which shrugs off time as an abstract concern and evokes the beginning of intelligent life on this planet. It’s also a collection that will stand comparison with seminal pieces of work in the same vein: Boards Of Canada spring to mind, but there are others. The listening experience is both a complicated and straightforward one, as this is an album which is a totally immersive experience and a deeply personal one. It’s also full of positivity and optimism. In spite of its pervasive dark hues I detect no negativity within the grooves. The album pivots on ‘Strato’ and ‘Quadralogue’, which depart slightly from the organic ambience preceding and following them in order to jolt the listener into some sort of waking state. However, this is a temporary state of affairs, as the subsequent tracks pacify, and superimpose a state of sensory deprivation and slide once again into the ether. Before and after these lodestones the sense of narrative is anything but flat, with tracks like ‘Truth’ adding a sense of foreboding, and ‘Wonder’ the fluctuations of life coming into being. ‘Endless Beyond’ is an onomatopoeic, self-perpetuating chasm; ‘Together’ intermittently embraces the possibility of breathing but lacks the persistence that will emerge later on the evolutionary scale, and just when you thought an about turn wasn’t coming, ‘Night Lights’ charms and enchants with its warmth and affection. Pretty much perfect this.
Tuesday, November 22, 2022
Monday, November 21, 2022
Sunday, November 20, 2022
Saturday, November 19, 2022
Friday, November 18, 2022
Thursday, November 17, 2022
Carebears - IRENICSPC009 (Irenic)
Title: IRENICSPC009
Artist: Carebears
Label: Irenic
Cat Number: IRENICSPC009
Genre: Deep House
1: Auri
2: Ladybug
3: Tame
Roger Gerressen’s Irenic is my kind of dub techno. It has a bit of oophm and never strays too far into the murky waters of muddy ambience. I mean that’s alright and all, but I do like to give my feet a little stretch from time to time, while exercising my mind. And I feel that there is a perfect fusion going on in releases like this. It’s toe tapping stuff with intellect. I can often be seen throwing shapes in the confines of my vast oak panelled library while swigging a single malt plucked from an antique Da Vinci globe bar to this stuff. Anyways, what about the music? ‘Auri’ juxtaposes rattling hi-hats, rimshots and a surfeit of low end malarkey to finish with something devilishly funky. ‘Ladybug’ is a lighter, more airborn track that feels like dawn breaking over the Quantocks, and ‘Tame’ has more than a whiff of Dan Bell about it, with its rolling percussion and intermittent tempo. So, there’s that.
Wednesday, November 16, 2022
Client 03 - Sense Combiner EP (Cultivated Electronics)
Title: Sense Combiner EP
Artist: Clent_03
Label: Cultivated Electronics
Cat Number: CE044
Genre: Electro
1: Sense Combiner
2: Morality Corruption Splice Pointer
3: Counterfactual Interaction History with Sync 24
4: You Have Been Notified
Client_03 “is the testbed” is just about all I can glean from the online presence of the artist in question, which is as it should be with electro I feel. There’s a lot to be said for anonymity within this genre, and Client_03 is just taking on the idea of The Man Machine in order to further perpetuate the romance of a higher plane of technology. “You are conditioned to think that humans are the only things worth emulating” is one of the lines from an interview incorporated with this release to further convey the concept of the pervasive funk android. Thankfully this is played out on this release, the specifics of which are conveyed within the track titles, each one having a conceptual function. ‘Sense Combiner’ kicks things off in fine style: the beats are inflective, playing put across a seismic, stellar backdrop. This is an approach that continues throughout the release, whose syncopation exponentially expands. The devil’s in the detail and it’s the minor touches in ‘Morality Corruption Splice Pointer’ that elevate it. ‘ Counterfactual Interaction History’, the collaboration with Sync 24, is a more deliberate exercise in beat redux; the percussion feeling denser and more loaded as it forges ahead on its road to nowhere. Moreover, the sound is further hollowed out and polished on ‘You Have Been Notified’, which serves as a sharp, skeletal beat facsimile.
Tuesday, November 15, 2022
Monday, November 14, 2022
Sunday, November 13, 2022
Saturday, November 12, 2022
ALFOS EBS36 - Sean Johnston (11-11-2022)
Whisper Lazy H
Bad Blues
Mercury Carrara
PGR047_Priorat_-_Eingestate_(Original_Mix)
PGR047_Priorat_-_Trans-Siberian_Dance_(Original_Mix)
S&C - Drug Of A Nation
I Would If I Could Daniel Avery
PGR047_Priorat_-_Neu_(Original_Mix)
The Ghost (W. H. Lung Remix) - Master v1 220929 HLK 16441
Simmer (Instrumental) Mount Palomar
Glances - Sun Dapple Glances
Rob Zile - Remember To Stay In Touch (Pete Herbert Remix)
Alex Virgo - Harry's Freaking Out (TS24 Master)
ORGANIC Moritz
Sci-Fi Guru Balam
Water Moves Slowly (Umfang Remix) Barbie Bertisch
We're Still Here DC Salas
Fizzy (Felix Dickinson Remix) ASHRR
Jack Butters - Shake It Up (Mr BC Remix)
James_Rod_&_Aleito_-_Raum_909_(Original_Mix)
The Tower (feat. Davide Ross) Eva Geist
Nullnacht Aroma von Troisdorf
Central South Acid Party Yobs
Marshall Brill - Thessalonians
Bottin featuring Lucio Dalla - Lunedì Cinema (Dub Mix by Leo Mas & Fabrice, Bottin)
One Hitter FaltyDL
Nils Kamerun Aroma von Troisdorf
Clockwork [Daniele Baldelli Remix] Antenna!
Turkish Kebab Jesus & Genius
Boy Division - The Disco With No Name
Guardian (Original Mix) Marching Machines
Happy House (Mark E Remix of Matthew Dear vs Audion Remix) The Juan Maclean
In Satù Tù Sebastien Tex
Richard_Seaborne_-_Is_This_Acid-_(Original_Mix)
Vamos Eliezer
All Together (Original Mix) DJ Ino & MC Johnny Def
Ya Mahla Feat Wael Alkak Acid Arab
I Neva Seen (Original Mix) Galcher Lustwerk
Trench PINTO.
I Get Deep (Roland Leesker's Come Into Our House Rework Rework) Roland Clark
Inner Dubb Freestyle Man
Cosmovision (Hoochie Coochie Papa Remix) Ludviq & Poulper
Sanctuary Dub
First Time (Shubostar Remix) Joe Lewandowski
Surge (Dear Humans & Sarkis Mikael Remix) Nuran
War On The Bullshit Revive Ashley Beedle
TV Eyes - Movin' Yourself (A Non Sense Zapping Mix) (Original)
Arthur Russell - In The Light Of The Miracle (Mandar Edit)
Falling Up 2013 Remaster Carl Craig
Open Door Losoul
The Dassy Slide (Extended Version) Bruise
After the Storm (Gene Tellem Remix) Barbie Bertisch
Cosmic Paella Azo & DJ Lovepills
Sweat PINTO.
Strobe Dancer Duncan Forbes
Brass Tacks Bruise
U Can Stop (Shonky's Indiana Shonk Remix) Sonotheque
Transformation (Der Dritte Raum Remix) Transform
Heartbeat (Original Mix) Martin Solveig, Africanism
Happiness (M Mayer Remix) Superpitcher
Coochie (Club Version) KÉDU CARLÖ
Ban The Disco (Drum Tool) Art Of Tones VS Chatobaron
Windows (Original Mix) Sil
Paper Charms (Original Mix) Luca Morris, Mozzy Rekorder
Game From The Planet Onhcet (Original Mix) Hole In One
Waterfall (Original Mix) Bicep
Smoove Smokebelch/Leader Of A New Age Faith eLBee BaD
Phil Kieran & Green Velvet Enjoy The Day (Hardway Bros Meet Monkton Downtown Remix)
Friday, November 11, 2022
Thursday, November 10, 2022
Helena Hauff - Living With Ladybirds (Fabric Originals)
Title: Living With Ladybirds
Artist: Helena Hauff
Label: Fabric Originals
Cat Number: FRO003
Genre: Techno
1: Jonas
2: Your Turn To Fly
3: Touching Plastic
4: Pinch
As might be expected from a Helena Hauff production, this takes no prisoners. It’s far from heavy handed though, and maintains an undercurrent of mystique. ‘pinch’ is a crackling techno geiger counter of a tune, sharp around the edges and punching into infinity. ‘Touching Plastic’ feels a little more tempered, as if it’s passed through a beat pacifier on its way to being certified ready for action. Both of these tracks are relentless in a way that doesn’t feel formulaic. ‘Jonas’’ is a funkier tune by virtue of its fluctuating, occasionally jarring synth stabs, and ‘Your Turn To Fly’ throbs throughout; using Detroit-inspired synth stabs which feel rendered through the looking glass. There’s a brooding solemnity about the whole release that engenders reflection as a necessary rite of passage before euphoria. Which is nice.
Wednesday, November 09, 2022
Matt Gunn - Disko Drohne Remixes (Paisley Dark Records)
Title: Disko Drohne Remixes
Artist: Matt Gunn
Label: Paisley Dark Records
Cat Number:
Genre: Psychedelic Schaffel
1: Disko Drohne (Pete Bones Remix)
2: Disko Drohne (Chad Jackson Reverse Brother Remix)
3: Lost In The Drohne (Mr BC Remix)
4: Lost In The Drohne (1040’s Broken Compass Remix)
5: Disko Drohne (A Space Age Freak Out Remix)
6: Disko Drohne (Bedford Falls Players Remix)
7: Lost In The Drohne (Rude Audio Remix)
8: Disko Drohne (Tin Gun’s 12 Inch Piece)
9: Disko Drohne (Jay-Son Dark Dub Mix)
10: Disko Drohne (Matt Gunn’s Swarped Mix)
What’s really important if an entire remix package is to be purchased is the individuality of the interpretations. If they stand on their own then they render the original irrelevant, in the nicest possible way. Not to say that it loses its importance, rather that it ceases to be a reference point. Such is the case with Matt Gunn’s ‘Disko Drohne Remixes’. Certain unifying features remain, such as the repetition of the word “disco” and general feel of 120bpm of thereabouts. That’s the case for the ‘Disko Drohne’ remixes anyway. The ‘ A Space Age Freak Out Remix’ has good momentum and oozes energy and confidence; Pete Bones’ Remix is one of the funkiest takes, with nice syncopation aligned to an effective low end; the ‘Bedford Falls Players Remix’ is possibly the most minimal take, and bridges the gap between the two tracks, bringing the magnificent fuzz to the fore; ‘ Tin Gun’s 12 Inch Piece’ is perhaps the most traditionally disco-flavoured of the lot; ‘Matt Gunn’s Swarped Mix’ is an intricate take, full of minor elements which coalesce to produce what may have happened had Augustus Pablo taken some acid; and Chad Jackson’s ‘Reverse Brother Remix’ combines rhythm and space to culminate in an unholy collision of euphoric skanking. Those of ‘Lost In The Drohne’, Mr BC’s remix, the ‘Rude Audio Remix ‘and ‘1040’s Broken Compass Remix’ are slowed down, dubbed out excusions. To a lesser or greater extent, with Mr BC’s taking the vibe down the deepest route. Phew! Miss this one at your peril.
Tuesday, November 08, 2022
Captain Attractive - Captain Attractive Edits (Drum Chums)
Title: Captain Attractive Edits
Artist: Captain Attractive
Label: Drum Chums
Cat Number:
Genre: Percussive Syncopated Nonchalance
1: It’s More Fun 2 Make Love
2: Memories
3: Dreamer
4: Ghana Do It
This release is so slow and funky that even if you’re now the proud owner of a mobility scooter I’m sure you’ll be able to dance to it. There’s a couple of long workouts; ‘It’s More Fun 2 Make Love’ and ‘Dreamer’ facing off against two, for the most part, instrumental vignettes. ‘Ghana Do It’ is a shuffling, flanged loop, while ‘Memories’ is something similar, but is more uplifting due to its horn, vocal combo. ‘It’s More Fun 2 Make Love’ is an elongated affair, full of sex noises and overtones of quintessential blaxploitation. ‘Dreamer’ has the feel of a drunkard trying to navigate the simplest route from A to B, reaching sporadic safe havens, and then continuing. It’s an interesting journey that assumes a variety of forms and deftly uses a vocal to elevate its ambience. Eddie C is the brains behind a release whose power lies in its subtlety and understatement, except for the sex noises.
Monday, November 07, 2022
Beyond The Struttosphere - Astral Riders (Gouranga Music)
Title: Astral Riders
Artist: Beyond The Struttosphere
Label: Gouranga Music
Cat Number: GRNGA 13
Genre: Mind Bending Disco Doings
1: Astral Riders
2: Canyon Grit
3: Set Lasers To Stun
4: Astral Riders (Rigopolar Remix)
5: Astral Riders (Juve Remix)
6: Canyon Grit (Tempo De Maldad Remix)
7: Set Lasers To Stun (Rebolledo Remix)
As I’m writing this, there is a pervasive smell of school dinners in the air.. I have no idea where it’s coming from, but the music paying in the background, existing on another layer of consciousness, feels as if it’s pumping through a time portal. The occasional dinginess of everyday life permeated by insight on how a certain slant on dance floor dynamics is rendering others obsolete. Not all, for sure, but quite a bit. And the blueprint, that of slightly slower beats, combined with an eclectic approach that sucks anything and everything in, along with a dose of live instrumentation (which isn’t always the case, but feels like it qjuite often), is going back to the future in order to reinvent itself for the present. The three original tracks here all have this mindset: ‘Set Lasers To Stun’ is a pulsing monster embellished by guitar solos and a heightened spacial awareness. ‘Canyon Grit’ uses similar elements but is denser packing its layered elements closer together. ‘Astral Riders’ is possibly the most dramatic of the three, and is the soundtrack to a lost spaghetti western conceived in the loins of italo. The two remixes of ‘Astral Riders’ emphasise different aspects of the track: the Rigopolar Remix turns it into a measure trance monster and that of Juve a funkier excursion. ‘Canyon Grit (Tempo De Maldad Remix)’ extrapolates what it already has in order to explore strange, new worlds while Rebolledo’s Remix of ‘Set Lasers To Stun’ is all about the guitar.
