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.
