Robin Wylie - What Is Zero (Ritual Poison)

 

Title: What Is Zero?

Artist: Robin Wylie

Label: Ritual Poison

Cat Number: RP011

Genre: Advanced Beat Dynamics

1: What Is Zero?

2: Pulse Track

3: Shadows In The Sunlight

4: Kid Dynamite

‘What Is Zero?’ is a difficult to pigeonhole release that, I’m happy to say, feels very natural. Demonstrating elaborate second nature beat comprehension. The title track is proto hardcore, albeit polished and very much in the present moment. ‘Pulse Track’ is all bleeps and elaborate, urgent percussion, in spite of which it bounces along purposefully and cleanly. ‘Shadows In The Sunlight’ is one of those that you dread having to explain. “Is this electro or breaks?” I’m veering much more towards the latter due to the its busy nature. However, there’s a case to be made for the former. Just don’t find yourself standing next to me when its being played. ‘Kid Dynamite’ definitely finds itself in the fragmented category though, leaning on acid, amongst other things, to plot a steady course through choppy, wonky waters. And that’s just about it. A release that is nothing if not versatile and very danceable, with portentousness, funk, yelping and a different beat for each occasion. All very satisfying if you ask me; which you didn’t. Thankfully.

Colin Dale - Abstrakt Dance Live - 25.04.2024 (Deep Tech, Acid House, El...

Track Of The Day: CTI - Dancing Ghosts (Doublevision)

Released on Cabaret Voltaire’s Doublevision, originally an outlet for video, but then the records followed (I had the VHS of ‘Johnny Yesno’.) ‘Dancing Ghosts’ is the work of CTI, aka Chris Carter, Cosey Fanni Tutti and John Lacey. And is a piece of music ahead of its time. I don’t know much about these things. However, it is apparently one of the first tracks to combine the Roland TR808 and TB303”. Of course we’re talking acid house well before it was a thing. And this is an astounding piece of work. A friction filled piece of slow, haunting dance music that must have really felt like the future to anyone lucky enough to have heard it at the time. Which I didn’t, and I’m surprised at that as I was a big Cabs fan and one of my best friends had bought everything by Throbbing Gristle. A deep, elemental piece of electronic music is this, in which so much that followed can be heard. Arguably, one of the most important and influential tracks ever made. Hyperbolic? Moi?

Kosh - Enslaved EP (Convergence)

 

Title: Enslaved

Artist: Kosh

Label: Convergence

Cat Number: CONV003

Genre: Breaks/Trance

1: Enslaved (Vox Mix)

2: Enslaved (Bonus Beats)

3: Supernova

4: Above & Beyond

5: Enslaved (Sorrow Mix) (Digi Only)

Having come into prominence on the back of electro & breaks on Casa Voyager, Kosh now seems to be going through some changes. The title track (Vox mix), still dabbles in this sound very effectively, the beats having a live feel, the vocals coming straight from some trippy prog rock improvisation. The hallmark are the keys though, which embellish and expand the foundation and remain a constant throughout all versions. The digital only ‘Sorrow Mix’  is notable in that it departs completely from the original into trancealvania. There are good and bad elements here, the bad being the plodding little riff that breaks the track up. The rest is ok. ‘Supernova’ uses a guitar loop that reminds me of ‘Prescription Every Night’, but in reality is pretty far away from it. It reaches a crescendo that is backed by a vocal that sounds like an aerobics teacher with a cold giving orders. ‘Above & Beyond’ is another track uses trance elements, more upfront this time, and feels like it wants to be at the forefront of a Goa revival. Having said that, it’s good; keeping itself in check and resisting the temptation to go full on Juno Reactor. So, along with the title track, probably my pick from always interesting and imaginative release.

Space Is The Place 140 - Deep Space Radio 04-27-2024

 

Ray La Soul · Space Is The Place 140 - Deep Space Radio 04-27-2024

Track Of The Day: Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here (Harvest)

This song, and the eponymously titled album, came out when I was gripped by commercial glam rock, my only musical lifeline at the time being ‘Top Of The Pops’. I didn’t know of a lyrical landscape beyond it, until 1977 and a massive paradigm shift. Pink Floyd and their ilk were, consequently, very much derided but they were never on my radar anyway. Something I always found curious was that they were a big scal favourite, and then I moved within that orbit and understood why. Great music transcends everything though innit. And having just watched ‘Have You Got It Yet’, and been totally entranced by it, I’ll be reviewing the situation going forward.

Coyote Live Bodega April '24

isitbalearic..? · Coyote Live Bodega April '24

20240406_XDB@UKW_Rostock

Rave Point · 20240406_XDB@UKW_Rostock

XDB @ Selectors Club @ Stilbrvch / Göttingen

 

XDB · XDB @ Selectors Club @ Stilbrvch / Göttingen

Track Of The Day: Giovani & Mosler - Untitled B (Giovani & Mosler)

Giovani & Mosler were Casey Hogan and Alexi Delano. And they adopted these monikers to issue a string of faceless releases at the peak of the tribal house explosion around the turn of the century. These tracks easily fit in with the west coast house sound put out by the likes of Siesta and Grayhound, but preserved an anonymity that still goes very much under the radar. This track is one of the best they made. A pacey, percussive twatter with dubby trace elements that layers vocal snatches and siren like noises alongside dramatic sonic swoops. Nicolas Lutz, or one of the Romanians plays it, and its value skyrockets overnight. It’s a banger.

Move D @TheLotRadio 04-16-2024

Budino (Sonic Dream) @TheLotRadio 04-23-2024

Call Super @TheLotRadio 04-22-2024

Detroit In Effect | The MUDD Show

Ocean Lam - P14 video podcast [Enthusiast Place, Thailand]

Voyage De Lux w/ Alex Downey - 27.03.24

 

1BTN · Voyage De Lux w/ Alex Downey - 27.03.24

Gratts ft. Mr. Beale - Submerge Me (Be Strong Be Free)

 

Title: Submerge Me

Artist: Gratts Ft. Mr Beale

Label: Be Strong Be Free

Cat Number: BSBF706

Genre: House

1: Submerge Me

2: Submerge Me (Gilb’r Remix)

An interesting release which reminds me of something that may have come out on the ‘Bossa Tres Jazz’ series around 20 years ago. And imagine my shock when Mr Beale isn’t an Albert Square stalwart, but a lady! All in all, ‘Submerge Me’ is a laid back, dreamy piece of work that combines layered synths and percussion upon which operate Mr Beale’s vocals. The elements combine precisely. However, well executed as it is, it’s taken to another level by Gilb’r’s remix. The dubby abstraction of which is a trip to get lost in.

Track Of The Day: It's A Fine Line - Edit Service 8 (I'm A Cliche)

A great edit that stretches the original out into infinity and beyond. Looping the originals symphonic backing and amplifying the detail in the process. ‘Edit Service 8’ is a magnificent rework of The Mighty Wah’s ‘The Story Of The Blues and because the source material is such a great piece of work, nothing much needs to be done. So, a reverential reimagining for the rave age innit. 

Pender Street Steppers & YU SU 020424

 

NTS Latest · Pender Street Steppers & YU SU 020424

Kerrie - Machine Alliance (Tresor)

 

Title: Machine Alliance 

Artist: Kerrie 

Label: Tresor

Cat Number: tresor370

Genre: Techno

1: Machine Alliance

2: Symbiosis

3: Technopoly Dream

4: Ode To The D

5: Replicants (Digital Bonus)

6: System & Structure (Digital Bonus)

7: Human In The Loop (Digital Bonus)

Kerrie’s ‘Machine Alliance’ kicks off with a title track that is invertebrate in origin and feels sinister in its reach. It also feels a little bit bogged down under its own weight. The kick a little laborious and at odds with the insectivorous riff over its top. The overall outcome one of frictional fusion. ‘Symbiosis’ is more lively and well-defined; an agile, mutating loop over a more spritely beat. ‘Technopoly Dream’ is a sub bass, stripped down drums and a repetitve spoken word sample, and ‘Ode To The D’, a slowed down, more abstract track, similar in tone to ‘Symbiosis’, but leaving more to the imagination. Of the digital bonus tracks, ‘Replicants’ makes use of break beats over a charred synth line and a threatening, growling low end. ‘System And Structure’ is a linear fluctuator and finally, ‘Human In The Loop’ a beat less, tonal, panoramic composition. This is a strong piece of work from Kerrie where she gets to properly flex her production skills, showing off a repertoire that spans the machine funk spectrum and putting her own stamp on her influences.

Track Of The Day: I Believe - Master Spirit (Utopia Records)

I recently came across this track, (which is almost as good a beginning as “Once upon a time”), rereleased on the Utopia Records label as part of an Interactive Test compilation, and remastered which has, to these ears at least, improved the composition. (The original sounds unnecessarily fast).  And it’s not a new release, coming out in 2022, the original in 1991. Labelled as ‘Italo house’, and much closer in spirit to Sueno Latino than ‘Ride On Time’, this timeless electronic piece dreamy Balaerica is a dense, hedonistic sunrise symphony that reeks of the tropics but is every bit as relevant in currently gloomy Suffolk. This is hypnotic, imaginative limitless stuff that has the power to transport and transcend, so perfect for listening to while doing the shopping.

Track Of The Day: Fred P - Dance Of Rhythms (Syncrophone)

From the excellent eponymously titled recent Syncrophone release, ‘Dance Of Rhythms’ is a ten minute Fred P tour de force. The premise is simple. A long, deep voyage into the shape throwing netherworld, where the lines between deep house, techno and trance blur to such an extent that you’re really not sure whether they’re nouns or adjectives anymore. Possibly more importantly though is the soul that runs through this music. This is the type of track that is on Fred P’s mind when he gets up in the morning, and goes to bed at some ungodly hour. And even though the premise may be simple, the execution certainly isn’t. After all, surely, if anyone could make a track like this, they would.

Recorded at Houghton - Bobby. (2023)

 

https://soundcloud.com/houghton-festival/recorded-at-houghton-bobby-2023?si=99ef38944a5f4f18991adb3fed661387&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

Recorded at Houghton - Ivan Smagghe (2023)

Houghton Festival · Recorded at Houghton - Ivan Smagghe (2023)

Track Of The Day: Synaptic Voyager - Electric Ocean (Frame Of Mind)

From the excellent ‘Disconnect To Reconnect’ release that emerged recently, this elegant piece of emotive techno puts one in mind of the cream of UK late 80s to early 90s machine funk. A time when the Detroit influence, while tangible, was bent into something else altogether. Deeper than deep and funkier than funk, the growling bass, taking its cues from Reese, thrust into the foreground and driven forward by break beats so subtle that, due to the other sonic adornment you don’t really notice them. Operating in that meridian between the dawn of time and the first mudskippers, the whole EP is just as good, so it was difficult to find a fave; and you get extended versions if you go digital. Which is nice.

Barac Shamandrum Sessions 1 & 2

 

Barac · Barac - Shamandrum Session 001

Barac · Barac - Shamandrum Session 002

Track Of The Day: Moor - Vago (Parallel 9 remix) (Irenic)

This release, on Roger Gerressen’s excellent Irenic, came out a few months ago and the track here is a Steve Rachmad remix of ‘Vago’, the original of which is also present and also brilliant. On another day I could have featured the original so, even though the slightly bouncier remix takes that honour, I feel the original should get an honourable mention. This track is everything I have always liked about techno; deep; doesn’t get carried away with itself; full of soul; all the right noises in all the right places. You know what’s just around the corner and feel comforted by it. This may sound like it’s predictable, but I think not. There’s plenty to get excited about within these grooves, and it’s definitely one of Rachmad’s more memorable outings of recent years.

Rodion & Mammarella Musica E Computer (Slow Motion)

 

Title: Musica E Computer

Artist: Rodion & Mammarella

Label: Slow Motion

Cat Number: SLOMO052

Genre: Cosmic 

01: Iris

02: A Corrente Alternata

03: Un Segnale Di Speranza

04: Accelerazione

05: La Domenica Del Villaggio

06: Errore Di Calcolo

07: La Memoria Del Sistemi

08: Una Nuova Era

Well this is something. A release “recorded in the legendary Marche Synth Museum (Museo Del Synth Marchigiano). A fully functional recording space that houses a fusion of several private collections of Italian electronic musical instruments gathered over the many years since their creation.” There’s more to say about this, but I think that’s enough about the sheer electronic geekiness at work here. Without such attention to detail where would we be? At sea in a storm of blandness is my guess. And while it’s difficult to single out any particular track for specific praise (they’re all on the money), context is everything. I do like ‘ Accelerazione’, which sounds like it has been spawned from the best Italian futurist tradition, and ‘Errore Di Calcolo’ whose vocodered vocal sounds like it’s repeating “easy gel” at the top of the track. And, there’s a futurist train noise coming through intermittently, putting me in mind of Ivo Panaggi’s ‘Speeding Train (Treno in corsa)’. ‘Iris’ opens the package up in an abstract fashion, merging a harp with jungle sounds and evoking more painting in the process. However, this time its the naive stylings of Henri Rousseau than the forward looking futurism. ‘La Memoria Del Sistemi’ is a soaring synth masterpiece, with a throbbing low end solid enough to take anything on top of it which, in this case, are all manner of space sounds. This is equalled by ‘Un Segnale Di Speranza’, an arpeggiated,  italo chimera composed of a disparate dance dichotomy that coalesces in the most harmonious way. All in all, if this release proves anything it’s that the synth nerds will inherit the Earth, and  it’s never too late to be a part of that.

Track Of The Day: Ohm & Kvadrant - Precious Little Diamond (Levon Vincent Remix) (Kontakt)

A very recent release for a change. This remix by Levon Vincent gets me all nostalgic because it’s a real return to form. Having said that, I haven’t been keeping much of an eye on his recent output, so maybe he never really stopped making tracks like this. And what is “this”? Well, it’s a minimal, tracky stomper which is heavy in all the right places. Hearkening back to the likes of that immortal double header ‘Invisible Bitchslap’ and ‘Woman Is The Devil’, hos take on ‘Precious Little Diamond’ is a little bit quicker, but still manages to showcase his signature approach; ie: one that blends dub techno and a scything groove. Also, whether by accident or design, his tracks have always reminded me of Octave One, which can only be a good thing.

Track Of The Day: Herbie Hancock - Speak Like a Child (Blue Note)

A composition that can cause the soul to sublimate in submission and, along with ‘Maiden Voyage’, a perfect title track. This album finds Herbie Hancock on serious form, each inflection of his piano crystallizing a moment like a sound supernova. It’s difficult to think of a more relaxing, evocative piece of music; a transcendental force of aural bliss.

Outline.47: Mick Wills

 

outline festival · outline.47 Mick Wills

Track Of The Day: Dopplereffekt - Voice Activated (Dataphysix Engineering)

Originally appearing on the ‘Infophysix’ release on Dataphysix Engineering back in 1996, ‘Voice Activated’ is a typically retro in flavour, but also of a parallel future that, back then, was possibly not as portentous as what we find ourselves living in now. Gerald Donald’s world feels like one where the serious is subverted by the absurd, the two colliding in order to feed off each other in an abstract symbiosis. The three Dataophysix releases came together on the ‘Gesamtkunstwerk’ compilation on Int. DJ Gigolos, which is being rereleased imminently, (not for the first time), on Clone Classic Cuts. Essential stuff!

PARAMIDA | The MUDD Show

Sugar Free & Fonte | The MUDD Show

Yoyaku instore session with Octal Industries

Hamish Cole | The MUDD Show

Petre Inspirescu @ SUPER DOMMUNE, Tokyo (02.11.2023)

Robert Hood - Alpha Key EP (M-Plant)

 

Title: Alpha Key EP

Artist: Robert Hood

Label: M-Plant

Cat Number: MPM46

Genre: Techno

1: Alpha Key

2: Future Remedy

3: Pathetic

4: Outsider

It’s always with a sense of trepidation that I write about music from one of the grand masters. I would hope the reasons are obvious, so I’ll leave it at that. Suffice to say Robert Hood has been there and done that but, if you’re still out there making music I would hope that you’ve always got something to prove. Techno is, in my opinion,  a genre that has to a large extent stagnated, also has something to prove. Does it still have any subtlety, or is it all just steam hammers and kicks. Of course that’s only one facet. It’s a pretty broad church and accommodates much. And on this release, by and large, Rob Hood seems to be going for the relentless, steam hammer approach. Only ‘Future Remedy’, with its  arpeggiated, melodic barrel organ on crack approach reminds me of the golden days of M-Plant. However, that’s no bad thing. Because even though those were great times, they can’t be replicated ad nauseam. I believe it is the best track here though, with ‘Alpha Key’ being the best of the rest. It’s a relentless twat of a track, but comes correct with the funk, using a steel drum like beat that rattles over the top, aided and abetted by minor percussive elements, to drive itself skyward. Both ‘Pathetic’ and ‘Outsider’ share similar characteristics; the former being denser and like hacking through a rain forest with a blunt machete, and the latter the soundtrack to riding an epileptic antelope across the Serengeti.

Track Of The Day: Moodymann - Misled (KDJ)

Stuck for what to post, I pulled a record off the shelves and it happened to be this one. And I chose this side rather than the longer, untitled track on the A side because for me it summarises Moodymann as well as any other tune he’s produced. It’s a low end throbber with minimal participation from each disparate musical element. A shuffle set to music in which Moody’s throat undulations, (I imagine it’s him), become an instrument at one with the fluctuating vibrations. The sample of ‘Freddy’s Dead’ at the end has a spectral quality, and emphasises the ephemeral aspect, not just of the music, but of the notion of listening to it being a vital part of life’s wallpaper. This is house music extending its normal reach, distilled to its very essence.

Rhadoo @ SUPER DOMMUNE, Tokyo (04.04.2024)

Rotared. 03mix | Ivan Smagghe

Rotared. · Rotared. 03mix | Ivan Smagghe

Ivan Smagghe B2b Craig Richards - Recorded at fabric: Andrew Weatherall 60 (06/04/23)

fabric · Ivan Smagghe B2b Craig Richards - Recorded at fabric: Andrew Weatherall 60 (06/04/23)

Manfredas - Recorded at fabric: Andrew Weatherall 60 (06/04/23)

fabric · Manfredas - Recorded at fabric: Andrew Weatherall 60 (06/04/23)

Fiona Maguire - Recorded at fabric: Andrew Weatherall 60 (06/04/23)

fabric · Fiona Maguire - Recorded at fabric: Andrew Weatherall 60 (06/04/23)

Dave Congreve - Recorded at fabric: Andrew Weatherall 60 (06/04/23)

fabric · Dave Congreve - Recorded at fabric: Andrew Weatherall 60 (06/04/23)

Sean Johnston - Recorded at fabric: Andrew Weatherall 60 (06/04/23)

fabric · Sean Johnston - Recorded at fabric: Andrew Weatherall 60 (06/04/23)

Miss Kittin - Recorded at fabric: Andrew Weatherall 60 (06/04/23)

fabric · Miss Kittin - Recorded at fabric: Andrew Weatherall 60 (06/04/23)

Daniel Avery - Recorded at fabric: Andrew Weatherall 60 (06/04/23)

fabric · Daniel Avery - Recorded at fabric: Andrew Weatherall 60 (06/04/23)

Fantastic Twins - Recorded at fabric: Andrew Weatherall 60 (06/04/23)

 

fabric · Fantastic Twins - Recorded at fabric: Andrew Weatherall 60 (06/04/23)

Track Of The Day: Gary Clail And Tackhead - Hard Left (On U-Sound)

The late, great Keith Leblanc and Gary Clail together on the same record. Having said that, I’d be lying if I said I knew what either of them were doing exactly. Keith Le Blanc is drumming, presumably, although he is listed as a “performer” on Discogs. Clail’s role is even more nebulous; this release preceding his more defined vocal tracks such as ‘Beef’ and ‘Human Nature’ with the On U-Sound Soundsystem. The heaviness of this stuff, and its funk have a direct connection to The Pop Group and Mark Stewart. And it’s that which is most striking about this tune, which almost crosses over into electro territory, but remains out on its own due to the dense, industrial and strangely harmonic din it produces.

Nocta Numerica Mix #70 / Vladimir Ivkovic

Nocta Numerica · Nocta Numerica Mix #70 / Vladimir Ivkovic

Trommel.190 - Praslea

 

trommel · Trommel.190 - Praslea

Yoyaku instore session with Ohm

Track Of The Day: Autechre - Lowride (Warp)

One of Autechre’s more conventional tracks, ‘Lowride’ is a slo mo g-funk track that heavily samples Miles Davis’ ‘The Doo-Bop Song’, taking it to another dimension in the process. It also feels like “evidence of music that the duo could have made if they wanted to but went all weird instead.” Which is perfectly understandable. Why should/shouldn’t they? As well as this, it has the unnerving characteristic of sounding very much like Kool & The Gang’s ‘Summer Madness’. Which it’s not.

 

 

Om Unit - Fragments (Om Unit Self-Released)

 

Title: Fragments

Artist: Om Unit

Label: Om Unit Self-Released

Cat Number: 

Genre: Dub Fluctuations

1: Snagged

2: Citrus

3: Moonglade

4: Entity

5: Citrus (Mr Ho Remix)

6: Amber (Pt. 1)

7: Hard Skin

8: Side Quest

This latest selection from Om Unit is a collection of odds and ends which are hardly scraps at all, but fully fledged vignettes unified in their depth and alternation. From start to finish, the break beats undulate in harmony with each other, the order of the tracks playing a part. ‘Snagged’ gets the experience off to a determined start, and is the tune that most closely resembles anything approaching anything vaguely 4/4 and uptempo. (I hesitate to call it fully-fledged techno, but you can if you want). It’s got a nice housey underlay which while toning things down, funks them up simultaneously. The two versions of ‘Citrus’ explore varying breaks tempos, with the remix embellishing the beats with the 303. Both ‘Moonglade’ and ‘Amber (Pt. 1)’, veer into drum and bass (or is it jungle?), while ‘Hard Skin’ and ‘Entity’ adopt a more atmospheric approach, slowing the tempo down to a tribal throb, a hum time stretched to a longer extent on ‘Side Quest’. A very unified mixed bag of codified, emotive mood setters that has the power to elevate any setting; from the metaphysical mindset to shopping in the supermarket. Tried and tested situations that always benefit from such window dressing.