Thursday, May 09, 2024
Various - 030313 (Tresor)
Title: 030313
Artist: Various
Label: Tresor
Cat Number: TRESOR360
Genre: Techno/Electro
1: Model 500 – I.D.L.E.
2: Ectomorph – Searching (Live At Globus)
3: AMX – Your Body
4: DJ Stingray 313 – Dynamic Instability
5: JakoJako – Metal Goat
6: Erik Jabari – Screamore
This release is a fusion of Berlin and Detroit, brought about by Carhartt & Tresor to highlight the output of their home towns. Opening with a “lost” track from Juan Atkins, ‘I.D.L.E.’ is an agile piece of electro distinguished by its synth swirls and vocals. It’s pretty good. As is ‘Searching (Live At Globus)’ from Ectomorph. Another electro offering but one that seems to be in a state of breakdown and decay compared to its predecessor. ‘Your Body’ by AMX is all angular stabs and flanges pushed along by a deadpan spoken word. ‘Dynamic Instability’ is a track that could only have been made by DJ Stingray. Ratcheting up the bpms but still infectiously funky, his sound is unique but it does sound like it was produced in an abattoir. The artists representing Berlin stay within the techno domain with ‘Metal Goat’ by JakoJako sounding like wind chimes on crack, and Erik Jabari’s ‘Screamore’ a concave undulation of a track that defty rides the machine funk wobbleboard. All in all a really strong release in which all tracks are infinitely useful and, mostly, imaginative and original.
Track Of The Day: Candido - Jingo (Original 12" Mix) (Salsoul)
‘Jingo’ is one of the, if not the, most memorable hook(s) in all of dance music and, as it was released back in the budding stage, it’s a proper testament to longevity and quality. Which isn’t surprising when you consider that Candido was a pioneer of Afro-Cuban jazz and the creator of the multiple percussion set up. ‘Jingo’ is perhaps his best known tune outside of jazz circles and this version highlights his conga playing and is a simultaneously languid and energetic piece of Afro Cuban disco that crosses over effortlessly and is maybe responsible for more bad backs and funny muscle mix ups from superannuated shape throwing than most other tunes.
Wednesday, May 08, 2024
Sunday, May 05, 2024
Track Of The Day: What Time Is Love? (KLF Communications)
This was one of the most played tracks at the orbital raves, the few I went to almost used it as punctuation. It didn’t seem to matter who was playing, the unmistakeable riff would come pounding through the speakers intermittently as the accompaniment to the wanderings of rudderless ravers with bewilderment in their eyes. Incredibly influential and a tune that I still have in my head every day.
Friday, May 03, 2024
Track Of The Day: Derek Carr - Nite Drive (Part 3) (Trident Recordings)
There’s something very banal about tracks that intone repetitive lyrics that shine the spotlight in them. And such is the case with this piece of sleazy electro brilliance from Derek Carr. “Night drive, city streets, techno music, techno beats.” That’s about the size of it, and wonderfully effective it is too. I remember an interview with Andrew Weatherall were he remarked, in reference to The Hydronaut vs Morgan Geist’s ‘Deep In The Feeling’ that the eponymous spoken sample, no matter how cheesy, was necessary in order to set the mood, or something like that. That track opened his 1996 Essential Mix, and is a deep banger. This piece of understated machine funk boogie is very much in the same vein. Conjuring up a hot and humid ambience as it gets bumped in your very own metaphorical low rider.
Thursday, May 02, 2024
Track Of The Day: Sandals - Nothing (Hard Hands Ritual) (FFRR)
Well this is a surprise. The mind does play tricks on you from time to time and for whatever reason I wake up with this in my head. A forgotten chugtastic gem years ahead of its time fusing The Sandals, with Leftfield in the year they released ‘Song Of Life’. (Leftfield had already produced The Sandals debut 'A Profound Gas’.) The great thing about Leftfield is that they need revisiting, something I’m happy to to with almost anyone. When looking through their back catalogue it really feels like I’m hearing a lot of their output for the first time. It sounds different and fresh. This dub is one such piece. Absolutely brilliant stoned immaculate, atmospheric plodding which straddles trip hop before it was a thing, and enlightened disco. Come on feel the vibes.
Tuesday, April 30, 2024
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.
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?
Monday, April 29, 2024
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.
Sunday, April 28, 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.
Saturday, April 27, 2024
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.
Friday, April 26, 2024
Wednesday, April 24, 2024
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.
Tuesday, April 23, 2024
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.
Monday, April 22, 2024
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.
Friday, April 19, 2024
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.
Thursday, April 18, 2024
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
Wednesday, April 17, 2024
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.
Tuesday, April 16, 2024
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.
Monday, April 15, 2024
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.
Sunday, April 14, 2024
Track Of The Day: Herbie Hancock - Speak Like a Child (Blue Note)
Saturday, April 13, 2024
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!
Wednesday, April 10, 2024
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.