Thursday, February 27, 2025
Wednesday, February 26, 2025
Monday, February 24, 2025
Sunday, February 23, 2025
Friday, February 21, 2025
Maria Amor & Shcuro - Intertwined (Paraiso)
Title: Intertwined
Artist: Maria Amor & Shcuro
Label: Paraiso
Cat Number: PARAISO015
Genre: Techno
A1: Waves Of Hope
A2: Hotspring Love
B1: Waves Of Hope (Fireground Remix)
B2: Hotspring Love (Black Rave Culture Remix)
Each of these compositions represent some sort of fusion. Of what I’m not quite sure, but they travel at such a speed and blend their disparate elements so inconspicuously that there is definitely some sort of respective chemical reaction at play. This is all gobbledygook for what basically passes as techno nowadays. However, this is carried off with a sense of panache and assurance. ‘Waves Of Hope’ has some vocal snippets to lift it above the realms of blandness. It’s remix goes down the heavy, grinding percussive route, gradually working towards the drama that enrobes its final minutes. ‘Hotspring Love’ like ‘Waves Of Love’, uses vocals to distinguish it from the masses and, as such, showing off its rave credentials really works. Black Rave Culture utilise a jungle template to drop it into the depths which, although taking the original’s fluidity away, really works well. Generally the production on this is a cut above. Which is nice.
London Modular Alliance - Holy Mantle EP (Private Parts)
Title: Holy Mantle EP
Artist: London Modular Alliance
Label: Private Parts
Cat Number: PRIVATEPARTSØ5
Genre: Techno/Electro
1: Holy Mantle
2: Walnut
3: Scuba
4: A155
Portentous grooves for a Thursday morning that kind of sum up global instability in a succinct sonic package? Go on then. And ‘Holy Mantle’ is such a track; seemingly blending electro, techno and “braindance” (I really don’t understand what “braindance” is, other than a hybrid umbrella term for groovy IDM) in one easy-to-digest episode. ‘Walnut’ is an dreamy sounding piece of electro. The type of track that the first mudskippers would have heard playing over their primeval heads as they made landfall millions of years ago. ‘Scuba’ sort of carries the vibe on a stage further, languishing in its depth and richness. Probably the stand out track for me from a very strong release. Which ends with ‘A155’, an electro take on machine malfunction. The soundtrack to anti-gravity and machines spinning out of control. Essential shizzle.
Thursday, February 20, 2025
Wednesday, February 19, 2025
Release Of The Day: i’m in love... by Andy Bell feat. Dot Allison and Michael Rother (Sonic Cathedral)
It's Justin Robertson's contributions that grab me the most. Great all round release though. And I am old enough to remember the original.
Tuesday, February 18, 2025
Monday, February 17, 2025
Sunday, February 16, 2025
Saturday, February 15, 2025
Thursday, February 13, 2025
Rusinaak - Distal Radius (Planet 9)
Title: Distal Radius
Artist: Rusinaak
Label: Planet 9
Cat Number:
Genre: Downtempo/Breaks/house
1: DR01
2: DR01 (nothingspecial Remix)
3: DR02
4: DR02 (Ryan Crosson Remix)
5: DR03
Three originals and two remixes, all of which stay reasonably close together as far as vibe is concerned. Having said that, there is still a departure in time where tempo is concerned. ‘DR01’ is ambient crossing over into downtempo, but its remix feels like its been given an adrenaline shot; the bass of which feels like there’s something holding it back and descends into a shadow of itself giving the track a feeling of emptiness. ‘DR02’ is a bolder statement, acid squelches ally with synth swathes and Murk – inspired keyboard stabs to coalesce around a jerky battery. This is ironed put to good effect by Ryan Crosson, whose remix crosses over into house territory and endows some fluidity. ‘DR03’ takes a leaf out of this book and, while it reverts back to breaks, feels less frictional and more oiled. Underpinning the whole release are a number of cornerstone motifs that shift and change their intensity to suit the mood, making this listening experience more of a linear one than feels likely.
Cignol - Botnet (UTTU)
Title: Botnet
Artist: Cignol
Label: Unknown To The Unknown
Cat Number: UTTU171
Genre: Electro
1: Botnet
2: Fluid Nature
3: Suspicion
Cignol is, along with Plant 43 and Carl Finlow, a name that I know will do what it says on the tin. Some may say that this indicates a certain kind of predictability. This sits ok with me though, inasmuch as I can foresee the inherent quality and attention to detail. What little press is available for this release however, describes it as “ three tracks of uplifting, euphoric electro”, which was obviously written by someone who hadn’t listened to the release. Moody, emotive, dark and expansive maybe, with each track employing similar tonal shifts and sound pallets. There isn’t a lot of variety here. ‘Suspicion’ grinds where ‘Botnet’ and ‘Fluid Nature’ soar. However, a minimal approach across all three tracks, coupled with a patient use of space into which what feels like the same general sonic motifs are dropped serve to make this release three variations on the same theme, albeit an interesting one.
Wednesday, February 12, 2025
Tuesday, February 11, 2025
Monday, February 10, 2025
V/A -Next Wave Acid Punx Revamps (Eskimo Recordings)
Title: Next Wave Acid Punx Revamps
Artist: Various
Label: Eskimo Recordings
Cat Number: 541416668180D
Genre: Lost HI Energi Reworks
1: Deborah Sasson & MCL – (Carmen) Danger In Her Eyes (Curses Revamp)
2: Philadelphia Five – Not Leaving Without Jerri (Andi Revamp)
3: J.W.B. Hits The Beat – House Fatale (Curses Revamp)
4: Voyou – Houseman (Stockholm Syndrome AU Revamp)
Starting with ‘Deborah Sasson & MCL – (Carmen) Danger In Her Eyes (Curses Revamp)’, we have the results of a mid 80s collaboration between Deborah Sasson, an American opera singer, and German producers MCL (MicroChipLeague) which was, apparently, a European best seller. However, there’s no accounting for taste and I don’t think even the redoubtable Curses is capable of polishing this camp turd, good fun though it might be. J.W.B. Hits The Beat – House Fatale (Curses Revamp) sounds like a disco version of a Double D & Steinski release with a pervasive sprinkling of preacher. Much better, but that isn’t difficult. ‘Philadelphia Five – Not Leaving Without Jerri (Andi Revamp)’ is a more intense workout and is intermittently ok, occasionally hitting that sonic sweet spot. The best is saved until last though, with the driving synth monster ‘Voyou – Houseman (Stockholm Syndrome AU Revamp)’ with its “Germany Calling” overlay offering by far the most heads down transcendental experience. More miss than hit this one.
Saturday, February 08, 2025
John Peel - Complete Radio Show from 10 October 1979
Friday, February 07, 2025
Thursday, February 06, 2025
Wednesday, February 05, 2025
Tuesday, February 04, 2025
Q Lazzarus - Goodbye Horses (Dark Entries)
Title: Goodbye Horses
Artist: Q Lazzarus
Label: Dark Entries
Cat Number: DE-306
Genre: Cosmic
1: Goodbye Horses (Extended Mix)
2: Goodbye Horses (Instrumental)
3: Hellfire (Edit)
4: Summertime (Edit)
5: Goodbye Horses (Acapella)
It’s been a long time since I’ve watched ‘Silence Of The Lambs’. This is glaringly obvious due to my inability to recognise ‘Goodbye Horses’, a singular slab of what nowadays qualifies as transcendental chug business. Apparently it soundtracks “when Buffalo Bill changes into women’s clothing while drowning out his intended victim’s pleas with loud music.” It also features in Jonathan Demme’s ‘Married To The Mob’ and is the result of a collaboration between Q Lazzarus, aka Diane Luckey, and songwriter Bill Garvey. It’s absolutely amazing, which means that it’s an uphill battle for ‘Hellfire’ and ‘Summertime’ to come close to its anthemic magnificence. They make a good fist of it though; ‘Summertime’ being a reggae take on the Porgy & Bess standard, while ‘Hellfire’ sweeps cinematically through the sonic void and is “about the New York BDSM nightclub of the same name”. The stars of the show here though, are Luckey’s imperial vocal chords. And if ‘Goodbye Horses’ doesn’t get played at all the right discos this summer, then there’s no justice.
