Improvisation

Improvisation on the dance floor within the strict confines of house and techno is something left to the imagination of the DJ, not the recording artist. The conservative confines of genres which have rarely progressed tangibly for the last twenty five years are not the correct spaces within which to experiment, at least not overtly. “Self indulgent” is a convenient label to hang on a DJ who plays for him/herself, and straying into more interior surroundings is always likely to heighten such accusations.

For some reason I’m thinking of Harvey’s Resident Advisor podcast from a few years ago which, I suppose, is an exercise in rampant eclecticism rather than improvisation. (Check it above, and the comments here). That’s generally the way forward I suppose. Another DJ whom I’ve been listening to a lot, from the comfort of my bedroom I hasten to add, I have yet to make it over to LA or indeed, haven’t been out for a long while closer to home, is Lovefingers.  Categorising these chaps is as dangerous as it gets; Lovefingers seems to play a selection of music that is, on the one hand a motley mix of styles but is, on the other, as Californian as it’s possible to be. Not because the music in questions comes from there but because of its overall vibe.

More impressions and random thoughts soon. In the meantime, keep it locked.

The KLF Are Back

Silence - East Wall (Dark Entries)

Title: Silence

Artist: East Wall

Label: Dark Entries

Cat Number: DE145

Genre: Dark/Cold Wave

1: Intro

2: Silence

3: Ice of Fire

4: Twenty Five Sunsets Before Dawn

5: Blue

6: Angelo

7: Privacy

8: Twenty Seven

Evocative, sweeping, grandiose and wistful, ‘Silence’ doesn’t disappoint, but isn’t perfect either. East Wall made their name with ‘Eyes of Glass’ and this collection proves that they were no one-trick pony. The italo influence isn’t always evident, but on tracks like ‘Ice of Fire’ (which resembles Geslotem Cirkle’s ‘Submit X’ in parts) it comes to the fore. There is the occasional whiff of cheese throughout, but this is generally ok and expected. . .However, ‘Twenty Five Sunsets  . . .’ does disappear up its own arse somewhat, and the melancholic earache that ‘Angelo’ delivers is to be avoided. The title track is universal in scope and plays to cold/dark wave strengths, and there are signs of disco futurism in ‘Privacy’ and ‘Twenty Seven’. So, it’s generally a satisfying listen, but sometimes sets the teeth on edge.

Eyes of Glass - East Wall (Dark Entries)

Title: Eyes of Glass

Artist: East Wall

Label: Dark Entries

Cat Number: DE144

Genre: Italo

1: Eyes of Glass (Vocal)

2: Eyes of Glass (Instrumental)

It’s hardly superpowered, having being melded from more melancholic material; but ‘Eyes of Glass’ has its italo credentials in spades, largely down to a mournful vocal somewhere on the outskirts of comprehension and one of the all time great synth lines of the age. The plodding beat, however, does just as much to distinguish it, and adds emphasis to a masterly cold wave/italo combo. An excellent record which is , hopefully, pressed accordingly. (Reviewing on mp3s here).

Helden Platz - Kirlian Camera (Dark Entries)

Title: Helden Platz

Artist: Kirlian Camera

Label: Dark Entries

Cat Number: DE143

Genre: Cold Wave

1: Helden Platz

2: Helden Platz (7” version)

3: Burial

Striking the right balance between solemnity and dynamism, this takes me back to a time of dodgy haircuts, the cold war and unemployment, even if it was released in 1987 and I experienced those things in their purest forms a few years earlier. It is a strain of music that I’ve always had a soft spot for, but would have had to have been an eighties techno goth to fully appreciate. The throbbing bass, the echoing drums, the mournful vocals and the transistor spoken word. It’s all here and as fresh as ever. I'm just off for a walk through snowy Vienna. I might be some time.

Life Is A Distraction

Well it is. So much crap going on and I’m afraid that like a lot of people, particularly at this time of the year my instinct is to be apathetic and withdraw. More to the point though, my decks and other stuff will be getting dusted off and put through their paces once more from some time towards the end of this week, as work at Chateau Corey has almost finished, and space will once more be realigned in my favour.  I have been stocking up, so have a backlog of stuff to play and get my head around. I suppose one of the most satisfying aspects of buying new music is the anticipation of actually playing it, which is something I haven’t done for a while, but the feeling of trepidation and excitement is almost making up for this. One bright spot on the local horizon is the appearance of Motherchip Connection, a night which sprung up in Cambridge towards the end of November, had another outing earlier this month, and will take shape once more in March next year. Electro is the name of the game here, of what category I’m not sure though. I suppose I should listen to a mix they’ve done to get an idea. I suppose I’ll trundle along when the time comes. The latest video they’ve put up on their Facebook page is promising, even if it’s only 15 seconds long. If there’s one form of music, let alone electronic, which has stood the test of time and managed to constantly be of it’s time, it’s electro.  Like all forms of music though, it’s a walking contradiction. How can something so forward looking and futuristic sounding still sound the same as it did when it was born? Of course there have been evolutions in sound, recording techniques are better than they were, and so on; but electro, like techno, like house hasn’t tangibly developed it’s sonic template since it was conceived. This isn’t an issue for me personally, I like familiarity, but it’s a situation that I constantly mull over and ponder. It seems to be the case that instead of evolution within specific types, more sub genres are born in response to stasis, each one sprinkling an essence of what distinguishes them while cherry picking enough recognizable motifs, sometimes bent out of shape, to offer the listener assurance.

How will 2017 shape up as far as electronic music is concerned? Don’t expect anything groundbreakingly original. What we already have will be added too, like extra coats of Danish oil on a very absorbent wooden worktop. Solidity will be further stabilized, deep house will spread its tentacles even wider to incorporate practically anything mood setting, particularly without vocals. Tech house’s reputation will be rescued and once more it’ll be anything that can be played together which sounds good to the correct crowd, while simultaneously being able to consciously distance itself from the Beatport generation, which is already well on the wane. Breakbeats will be big, but not the over aggressive ones. Those tempered by the demands of the groove more likely. Finally, electro will definitely realize a lot more of its potential, and hit its stride.