September 2019 Chart

Everything Changed - 214 (Frustrated Funk)

I’m lapping up much of what both artist and label in question put out at the moment, all the better if transparent green vinyl plays a part. I realize this makes me sound superficial but who cares. This is a varied four tracker which does poignancy and aggression without batting an eyelid, giving a microcosmic glimpse of 214’s range in the process. ‘Voice Check’ is my personal pick.

 Tears/D.U.N.E. – S.O.N.S PRESENTS SYO (Nuagon Infinite Oceans)

I thought the last S.O.N.S. release was, to quote Alan Watts, “all retch and no vomit”. There’s a bit of that on ‘DUNE’, which threatens to take off but doesn’t quite make it. It’s all about dynamics I suppose. Play it loud enough and it’ll envelop any room. ‘Tears’ has more momentum and energy, and adds contrast. Both tracks fall into the “burgeoning trance” 

category and have an appropriate synthetic edge.

 The Dead Bears – Newworldaquarium (Delsin)

A triple purple vinyl rerelease of a record which first appeared back in 2007. I don’t have the original, which is seven tracks long. This recut, remastered version has eleven and is an understated masterpiece. Every composition has a part to play and contributes to a collection which is much more than the sum of its parts. Any more clichés necessary? I think not.

 Alienplatz EP - Life Sciences Division (Salt Mines)

This was released back in spring this year and immediately grabbed my attention by being bouncy as hell and funky beyond measure. There’s a breeziness to most of what goes on here, tempered with a sharp edged machine funk sensibility which straddles trance and deep house in a dawn of time netherworld. ‘Belvedere’ is more bass-conscious and takes the groove biscuit for me.

 Parallax EP – Opal Sunn (Touch From A Distance)

Almost a year old, this release on Nick Hoppner’s label would complement the Salt Mines release very well in a set. Think glossy pill music, glistening, shiny MDMA, all clean lines and depth without end. There’s a tranced out aesthetic at play here, which is 2019 speak because it’s about that time innit? Great release, of which ‘Aura’ is the track I prioritise.

 Heavy Glow EP – Andu Simion (Palinoia)

From early last year on Eric Cloutier’s label, I came across this a few months back, mainly because I heard ‘Gen Y All’ on mixes by John Osborn and Solas and this track, with it’s insistent but patient bass, was a highlight. The other three tunes are ace as well, and showcase a lightness of touch, as well as a groove comprehension steeped in dissonance.

 Enter The System EP – ES Q (Dolly)

One of my favourite labels which comes correct with four bassy, acidic wormholes. It’s also another one which has been around for a while, since early spring this year, but while having known of its existence all this time, I’d never bought it. Four percussive, driving tunes are what you get for your hard-earned sponds, with ‘Wintage Gear’ being my fave.

 Cobby & His Animals - Patrick Conway (Fusion Diagnostics)

Just found this in my mailbox the other week, after having been alerted to its existence by Patrick Conway, aka Hypercolour’s Jamie Russell. This is more varied than the ESP release, (which is reviewed here), and features two remixes, but it’s the originals I prefer, and the title track in particular, which is a relaxed piece of idm – inspired slow-motion cosmic techno, ideal for watching silent loops of the Nostromo gliding through space to.

 Chemistry Radio - Chevron (Shipwrec)

I normally avoid tracks with certain words in their titles, but ‘Aqua Bitch’ is a drunken, acidic, electro gem. ‘Dave Smith Dropped A Mitsi’ (didn’t we all?), also deserves a mention for obvious reasons, but it’s a different proposition, with its break beats sounding almost whimsical with their elastic backing. There is a range of moods and approaches here of which acid is the dominant motif, and which coalesce to produce a rave cross-section. Sort of an aural document which I would listen to much more at home, smoking a pipe and enjoying a small bottle of Lucozade, than out.

Eraser - DJ Richard (Flexxseal)

Introduced to the world through his once imperious White Material label, DJ Richard now makes himself heard in small doses on other imprints. Predominantly Dial over the last couple of years, and now on Christopher Joseph’s Flexxseal. ‘Eraser’ is an uncompromising, industrially-tinged listen, whose tunes each feel like dense dramatic undertakings, unctuous and frictional, eking out postmodern maximized muscular monograms of mood and melody. 

Warmwoods - EOD (bbbbbb)

Title: Warmwoods

Artist: EOD 

Label: bbbbbb

Cat Number: BBB013

Genre: Electro

A1: Warmwoods Mesh

A2: (Untitled) (w-R6)

B1: dog_bits

B2: The Battery Poles (Are Conic!)

B3: CQC

These tracks are almost fifteen years old, but like much of DJ Guy’s similar output, have aged very well. The tempo is, in the main, mid and melodically engaging with depth, exemplified by the title track and ‘The Battery Poles (Are Conic!)’. Both the intriguingly titled ‘dog bits’ and ‘(Untitled) (w-R6)’

 take things up a notch, combining skittish acid squirtles over an undulating bassline and sweeping strings to great effect, while ‘CQC’ layers similar motifs on top of the other but more deliberately. Uniting the diiferent elements of this release is an omnipresent, uncontrived moodiness which swings across these tracks like a rhythmic searchlight, while simultaneously allowing for an unpredictability to flourish.

Hell Is Other People EP - Neil Landstrumm (UTTU)

Title: Hell is Other People EP

Artist: Neil Landstrumm

Label: UTTU

Cat Number: UTTU097

Genre: Techno

1: Hell Is Other People (feat. Si Begg)

2: Aviemore

3: Jackshit

Certain electro motifs get me everyt time, and there’s nothing I like more than an other worldly vocoded voice deadpanning itself across the sonic stratosphere. This happens on the title track with pleasing regularity and, accompanied as it is with an equally deadpanned bass line, it makes for an engaging, and reassuringly extraterrestrial listen. ‘Aviemore’ has its bleep credentials intact, and there’s more than an LFO whiff about it, but its a little bit whimsical. ‘Jackshit’ feels like an elongated version of its predecessor, but with added depth and darkness. A very strong release which has an extra tune on the vinyl version.

Imaginary Lands 1: 9/9/19

Alle Kinder – John Beltran (Delsin)

Metal XR 993 Side B Trk2 – DJ Guy (Unthank)

Mind Drift – ARDB (Geodesic)

Liman – Vern (Lokomotiv)

Lucy’s – Anthony Naples (ANS)

Bring The Noise – Diego Krause (Unison Wax)

Realization – DJ Profile (End Recordings)

Protostar – Camelia (Fake Society)

I Believe I Need – Tofu Productions (Perlon)

Description – Anderson (Tresydos)

Exercise - Gettraum Hors Serie 002

Proton Beams – Skymaster (Offshoot)

Stereo Turtle – Robon Ordell (Hello? Repeat)

Mystical Wisp – Alphonse (Klasse Wrecks)

A Kaos – Stephan G & The Persuader (Svek)

Algorhythm – S. Moreira (Slow Life)

One  - The Exaltics (Clone West Coast Series)

Programmed Memories – Blotter Trax (Frustrated Funk)

Monolith – Bitstream (Vinyl Underground)

Phase Distortion – John Shima (Firescope)

ESP-Llll - Patrick Conway (ESP Institute)

Title: ESP-Llll

Artist: Patrick Conway

Label: ESP Institute

Cat Number: ESP-Llll

Genre: Breaks

A: Know The Future

B: Digital Warfare

Ominous titles these, so it’s no surprise that there’s an ominous intro to ‘Know The Future’. This is a good thing as well, as it paves the way for a very accomplished object lesson in deep, dramatic break beats. This is a track to get lost in, one with multiple levels which will work well at most points in a peak time set, but best open with it or save it for sunrise. ‘Digital Warfare’ feels like something from Robert Hood’s ‘Nighttime World’ blended with Burial. Again it’s a portentous piece of sonic stealth, managing to maintain a sweeping level of intensity from start to finish. This is apocalyptic stuff with swagger.

On A Clear Day I Can See You Forever - Lindstrom (Smalltown Supersound)

Title: On A Clear Day I Can See You Forever 

Artist: Lindstrom

Label: Smalltown Supersound

Cat Number: STS346

Genre: Disco/House

1: On A Clear Day I Can See You Forever 

2: Really Deep Snow

3: Swing Low Sweet LFO

4: As If No One Is Here

The title track is a ten minute plus impressionistic saunter down the fjords. This is a tenuous link to Lindstrom’s nationality, but a worthy one I think. Beatless and cavernous, it’s a composition to get lost in and sound like Debussy on crack. ‘Really Deep Snow’ is equally evocative, but more urgent and with that gliding across the steppes feel. Both of the other tunes have more in common with ‘On A Clear Day . . .’ than ‘Really Deep Snow’, embracing a deconstructed abstraction  which is both amorphous and enveloping. 

Nuit - Photonz (Dark Entries)

Title: Nuit

Artist: Photonz

Label: Dark Entries

Cat Number: DE257

Genre: House

01: Xentra

02: Shifting Symbols

03: Ode To Nuit

04: Celestial Palace

05: Shakti

06: Nobody

07: Avalon

08: Lusting

09: Doomsday Dub

10: Brighter Tomorrows

11: Genesis

Photonz, aka Marco Rodrigues has built up a solid body of work since he started releasing in 2006, so it’s surprising that this is his first album. His brand of dark, mystical leaning house music is quite distinctive, managing the difficult trick of being uncompromising and flexible at the same time and this collection highlights this versatility. The album makes a strong start in the shape of the first three tracks, with both ‘Xentra’ and ‘Shifting Symbols’ trading blows in the surreal and offbeat frictional facets of funk and ‘Ode to Nuit’ evoking raw Detroit with more than a circumstantial whiff of Suburban Knight. Tracks like ‘Avalon’ and ‘Lusting’ are like coiled springs, and ‘Brighter Tomorrows’ combines deep house and a tranced out ambience to point a way forward, although it’s not clear exactly to where, it’s optimism all the more tempered by the dissonant, frenzied ‘Genesis’ which follows.

Yama Music 004 - Yama Music (Yama Music)

Title: Yama Music 004 

Artist: Yama Music

Label: Yama Music

Cat Number: YAMU 004

Genre: Minimal House

A: Acisaronno

B: Chinchilla Shuffle

This Yama Music double header is a minimal shuffler which preoccupies itself with trippy, skittish rhythms adorned around, in the case of ‘Acisaronno’, high end percussion, and a more linear low end with ‘Chinchilla Shuffle’. I always feel that I’m doing tunes like this a disservice listening to them on my computer, as the subtleties are rarely emphasized in the way they would be on a bigger system. Taking them for what they are though: ‘Acisarrano’ is the busier of the two and more interesting. There’s a lot going on and in manages to be compact and disorientating at the same time. ‘Chinchilla Shuffle’ is bland by comparison and lacks bulk. OK, but predictable.

Seafire - Bochum Welt (CPU)

Title: Seafire

Artist: Bochum Welt

Label: CPU

Cat Number: 01001111

Genre: IDM/Ambient

1: Color Me (Extended)

2: At Dawn

3: Southern England In Summer

4: Canyon Drive

5: THR (Dance Mix)

6: N Hayworth Ave

7: Color me (Mix 2)

8: Sentimental

9: Melodie d’Aout

10: Mavic 1

11: More Light

This transient collection lugubriously stirs the emotions and gently lays them to rest under layers of cold weather vibrations, only going up a gear on ‘THR (Dance Mix)’, ‘Melodie d’Aout’ and ’10 Mavic 1’. It finds its niche in a world were the Cocteau Twins have been shorn of guitar and are trying to make as many variants of the ‘Picture Box’ theme tune as they can. There is something very English about the music being made here: ‘At Dawn’ sonically echoes a location easy to imagine but difficult to convey. The same can be said for ‘Southern England In Summer’. The sequencing of the small, but concise compositions reminds me of The KLF’s ‘Chill Out’, but it’s an impression rather than a full-blown similarity. The placing of ‘Color Me (Mix 2)’ six tracks on from its original version is suggestive of an ambient set drawing the audience into its second phase, with the mood fluctuating, and becoming more urgent before burning out on a beach in the early morning.

Soul Out Of Time EP - Westcosat Goddess (Slam City Jams)

Title: Soul Out Of Time EP

Artist: Westcoast Goddess

Label: Slam City Jams

Cat Number: SCJ006

Genre: House

A1: Satisfaction & Clarity

A2: Soul Out Of Time (Loop Dreams)

B1 Open Heart

B2: In Search Of Darryl P

Westcoast Goddess is a he apparently. So we can only speculate regarding his choice of moniker, which is more mysterious than his music. The four tracks here were written and produced between 2002 and 2018 and are an “amazing analog take on house music”, which is shorthand for, hidden gems which aren’t so amazing after all. OK, maybe I’m being too harsh. However, saying something is “well produced” is often code for competent but dull. Which is what I think of this package. It’s euphoric at times, driving and dramatic, emotive and bittersweet. All of these adjectives are apt enough to describe the music therein, but you’ve heard it all before and ultimately you may find yourself nodding along to it, dancing as well; but it doesn’t leave it’s mark.

We Are The Future EP - Anthony Rother (Stranger In The Night)

We Are The Future EP

Artist: Anthony Rother

Label: Stranger In The Night

Cat Number: STR003

Genre: Electro

A1: We Are The Future

B1: Super Future Metropolis

B2: The Message

D1: We Are The Future (D-Cut)

D2: The Message (Space Mix)

I own one Anthony Rother record, but what a release. ‘Red Light District’ along with ‘Destroy Him My Robots’ are standards of the scene and put an image of Rother in my mind as someone who dabbles in the seedy and dystopian side of electro; a parallel matrix in which the machines have taken over with the consent of mankind. His tracks are full of hooks, often through significant and variable use of the vocoder, and they have great depth and drama as well. All of these elements coalesce best on ‘The Message’, but ‘We Are The Future’ and ‘Super Future Metropolis’ are able escorts, each combining momentum with melody and distinctive focal points using the vocoder and italo-inspired arpeggios. Lovely stuff.

Changes EP - ADT (R12 Records)

Title: Changes EP

Artist: ADT 

Label: R12 Records

Cat Number: R12002

Genre: Electro/Breaks

1: Departure For Peace

2: Escape From The News

3: Immaterial Meeting

4: Relief

The music is good, and characterized by an emotive dissonance which gains traction in certain tracks. Everything here feels familiar, but is toyed with in order to render new impressions. Both ‘Escape From The News’ and ‘Relief’ are confrontational break beat led barnstormers, while ‘Departure For Peace’ is more subtly representative of electro fragility. The opportunity for peak shape throwing is reached on ‘Immaterial Meeting’ which stamps its authority within the confines of a parallel cold war. It’s a many layered cake with occasional flourishes of melodic icing.

Habit Of Mind EP - Bud Burrows (Seventh Sign)

Title: Habit Of Mind EP 

Artist: Bud Burrows 

Label: Seventh Sign

Cat Number: 7RS031/A

Genre: Deep House

1: Masks

2: Aiken Drum

3: 161256

4: Oleano

Classic deep house, crisply produced and floor focused. There are obvious nods to Detroit all along its nicely weighted length. Individual pieces are characterized by simple, but effective breakdowns which don’t labour their points and remain flexible. The pace is reflective, and there is plenty of air within the beats to facilitate mix enhancement. ‘Oleano’ breaks free from the template a little, leaning towards electro, albeit of the more organic shade, and provides the most memorable moment on this assured release.

Alopex EP - Nullptr (Fanzine)

Title: Alopex EP 

Artist: Nullptr

Label: Fanzine

Cat Number: FAN010

Genre: Electro

01: Alopex

02: CN2

03: GeneRec

04: Wake-Sleep

05: HEXQ

Eddie Symons, bookends 2019 with his second release of the year as Nullptr and, as with ‘Convergence’ back in February, we are treated to some variant shades of electro which are as good as anything out there in their breadth and simplicity. There is an understated funk present throughout this package, and the different tracks hang together very well, the pace fluctuating, the devil being in the detail. The creeping reptile menace of ‘GeneRec’ is my personal fave of a well-balanced EP which adds up to more than the sum of its parts.

Ishkur's Guide to Electronic Music

Here

Time to throw Down EP - Dawl (Craigie Knowes)

Title: Time to Throw Down EP

Artist: Dawl

Label: Craigie Knowes

Cat Number: CKNOWEP19

Genre: Modern Realisation of Rave Cross-Pollination

1: Let’s Go

2: Drop It

3: Heavyweight

4: Overdub

Everything you need and more. The pervasive Dawl debuts on Craigie Knowes with four high octane post rave tunes which stretch break beats to new limits and add a glossy sheen to the proceedings. This type of purloining reminds me of ‘The Fifth Element’, which shamelessly cherry picked so much from contemporary space sci-fi it was beyond a joke. There is one important difference though: ‘The Fifth Element’ is derivative crap, while ‘Time to Throw Down’ breaks new ground with its uninhibited glance across the trenches of acidic cross-pollination. The production is tighter than a pair of Peter Sagan’s shorts which results in a fullness of sound and the feeling that you’re riding on the crest of the hardcore continuum.

Everybody In The Place

Not late to this at all, but only back from holiday last night so embedded for posterity now. Most of you who take the time to look at this blog will have probably already seen this masterwork. It's appeal lies in its simplicity. The clarity with which Dellar joins the dots between club culture and social upheaval is effortless, and the format is original and inspiring.

Plastic Entertainment - Alfie (Outer Zone)

Title: Plastic Entertainment

Artist: Alfie

Label: Outer Zone

Cat Number: OUZ03

Genre: Techno

A1: Coasting

A2: Jaded Dream

B1: Return to Planet E

B2: The Escapist

An alias of The Burrell Connection; Alfie releases on La Cheetah Club’s in house label and manages to create a temporal autonomous zone within which a heady, dense concoction of incantatory electronica resides. This is a smashing EP, full of variety and depth. There are so many tones and textures overlaid within each track that it feels futile to go into detail on each. So I’ll summarise by saying that this is one of the best releases I’ve heard all year. From the dense, otherworldy vibes of ‘Coasting’, to the break beat casbar ambience of ‘The Escapist’, interrupted by the bottom heavy urgent electro of ‘Jaded Dreams’ and ‘Return to Planet E’ (s) fleet-footed solar sleight of hand, this is bang on the money. 

Permanently On The Cusp

I want to write something about not going out anymore. This is something I have done before, and probably will again. It’s not a comment on being an old fart and having made a conscious decision not to engage, rather something which I suppose has been fallen into with the option of climbing out at any time. What could make this happen is a reconfigurement of the clubbing experience to suit me. I would imagine we are all after something to suit our individual needs, while being realistic enough to acknowledge that individually we are not both the centre of the universe and simultaneously having to search for sonic solace to suit ourselves. Clubs reinvent themselves all the time, but are often culturally constricted depending on where they are located. As well as this, the DJ is a person who while being derided for not being a proper musician and consequently often much lower on the evolutionary scale, works his/her arse off, doesn’t lead a normal life, is constantly on show and judged, all of which can lead to depression and low self-esteem. The pressure to be perfect and to constantly rock parties is immense. Promoters can be shifty being on the breadline is a lot closer than a lot of people realize. 

Money talks and with it artistic dilution often follows. So it may seem contradictory that while I acknowledge the fact that everyone has to earn a decent wage and not be burdened by the wolf at the door, I feel it beyond me to pay what I regard as over the odds to go to clubs and festivals. Without wanting to sound like an old arse, but knowing that I do, it really was “better in my day” as far as these devil’s dumplings of entertainment are concerned. Even though I would love to go again, I couldn’t pay the price for most festival tickets knowing that the same amount of money would pay for an all-inclusive city break in the European location of my choice. There are a few exceptions, but maybe for next year now: Gilles Peterson’s Worldwide Festival in Sete, and Andy Weatherall’s Covenanza in Carcassonne. Both pricey, inasmuch as you have to get to the south of France for each, but much less stressful to prepare for: no ear to the phone for intractable amounts of time only to be told you haven’t got a ticket, no feeding numerous corporate interests, etc . . . Once there I would expect the level of intensity to be bespoke and the level of intimacy high for the occasion. This fits in nicely with the Weatherall and Sean Johnston helmed ‘A Love From Outer Space’ whose ethos is:

“The tempo of the tracks played never exceeds 122bpm, to create “An oasis of slowness in a world of increasing velocity”.

The Worldwide Festival is a bit less leftfield than this, but any event whose partners are culturally connected to the area where the festival takes place, as well as jazz, and who don’t seem to be opportunistic are fine by me. Like Covenanza the festival is divided between live music and DJ sets and covers a wide range of bases, and like Covenanza the setting is everything. In each case the locality is actively promoted, through food, drink and other cultural characteristics: Mr. Weatherall has an interest in the history of the Cathars and if you’re there for the weekend, a trip to see the ruins of their forts shouldn’t be missed.

I’m all for getting as far away from an experience that treats you like cattle as possible. Is this getting old? Probably; of course you never feel you’re being exploited too much when you’re younger, in spite of being herded around in uncomfortable spaces with barely room to breath. I’m also a big fan of daytime clubbing: why does this always have to happen at night? It’s easy to say that in The UK we don’t have the climate for it, but I’m not really on about being outdoors. Anywhere will do within reason; it doesn’t even have to be all about dancing. Listening bars are wonderful. I remember going to Amsterdam in the early eighties and being struck by the emphasis on music in the coffeshops. Most, if not all of those I visited had turntables, (not a pair of Technics mind, rather a normal belt drive with accompanying rack hi-fi system), accompanying a large stack of vinyl and cassettes. The last thing you wanted to do was dance in these establishments; getting baked being the modus operandi. It made an impression though, and is one of those sonic snapshots I carry with me to this day, endlessly hypothesizing regarding what might have been, and maybe could still be. I’ve never been one of those people who says that my DJing career got off the ground when I was barely into double figures courtesy of playing Man Parrish by accident when I was 9. There’s no need to talk about it at all, it’s simply another layer of life.  A slab of sound that is pervasive, all day every day. I play music every day at home, but not always in the way I want to. It’s mostly on the computer on itunes;  that much maligned piece of software which has never been an issue for me. I have a pair of 1210s, as well as a NAD pre and power amp, Yamaha cassette player and radio. All of these components have been with me for more than the last twenty years. Well cared for, they are my most prized possessions, yet I don’t use them as much as I should. I think that this is out of a sense of care and love. I don’t want to run them into the ground. I’d be lost without them and I want them around forever. Once I’m back from holiday I will finally invest in some CDJs, try to get rid of quite a bit of vinyl and concentrate on being more bespoke. I’m in awe of the technically proficient and plan to be the same.

And finally, how difficult is it to get rid of records? I have a few I’d like to see the back of, and am looking to start selling on Discogs once I get back from my holiday, but the hassle of doing this, coupled with the likely trickle, rather than torrent, of stuff from my house, makes me want to cut my losses and give them all away. I have a lot of good stuff and am not looking for amazing prices, a little bit of pocket money would be nice. I’m also regularly hearing about what a pain in the arse some of the customers can be. This seems to be a thing with Discogs; maybe it’s manifest nerdiness in the form of fastidiousness. The Chinese rebuilt most of Shanghai quicker than my procrastinating over this. 

Skyhealer EP - Miles Atmospheric (Firescope)

Title: Sky Healer EP

Artist: Miles Atmospheric

Label: Firescope

Cat Number: FS020

Genre: Lush

A1: Exoplanetology

A2: Our Future

B1: Waters of Life

B2: See the Light

Firescope’s latest release fuses it with one of the UK underground’s unsung heroes. Miles Sagnia has been making emotively charged deep house for some time now so releasing on Steven Rutter’s label must have been an obvious course of action. This quadruple header presents the listener with a delicately modulated selection of blissed-out beats, each of which highlights Sagnia’s skill in the department of aural architectural mind bending. The tunes here range from the twinkly ambience of ‘Our Future’ to the surging, interstellar journey which is ‘Exoplanetology’. In between ‘Waters of Life’ and ‘See the Light’ respectively evoke primeval and metropolitan transcendental worlds, whose symmetry, while not always obvious, feels natural here.

Spasm, Turbulence - Maelstrom (C-Know -Evil)

Title: Spasm/Turbulence

Artist: Maelstrom

Label: C-Know-Evil

Cat Number: EVIL002

Genre: Techno/Electro

1: Spasm

2: Turbulence

‘Spasm’ is a throb of suppressed power from beginning to end. It bides its time, safe in the knowledge of its ability to wreak dance floor destruction whenever it pleases. ‘Turbulence’ burns a little more slowly but peaks more intensely. Both tracks are nicely rough around the edges, not in the sense of any lack of completion, more of a calculated one of disciplined dissonance. Maelstrom, aka  Joan-Mael Peneau, knows his onions and has crafted two tracks for Craigie Knowes sub-label which are both snapshot soundtracks to a fast-forwarded third law of thermodynamics.

Chart: 7/19

Hallo Androiden – John Beltran (Delsin)

Available on pink vinyl from Delsin’s shop, which is always a good reason to have stuff like this sent to your door instead of buying it at the shop.This is proficient, classy stuff from Beltran, which strikes a nice balance between beats and immersive ambience. You won’t splash around too much in the floatation tank to this collection.

Mind Drift EP – ARDB (Geodesic)

Cracking stuff. The title track stands out but is well-supported by a trio which contribute almost equally to an EP which is a cosmic techno/electro breath of fresh air. Reedale Rise remixes ‘Inversion’ without overshadowing the original.

Bring the Noise – Diego Krause (Unison Wax)

I’m glad I finally discovered Diego Krause, but sad it’s taken this long as he makes tunes which I love. On the face of it these are low slung groove monsters with syncopation in spades . . . and that’s about all really. So many do this type of thing but they come out hollow in the process. Not Mr. Krause, who on checking his back catalogue, has been conducting object lessons in MDMA funk for some time now.

Description EP – Anderson (Tresydos)

I hadn’t heard of Anderson before this release, but am happy to say that now I have, I’m impressed. ‘Description’ sounds warm, dense and would mix in very well with something off ‘Bring the Noise’. Great drums throughout means that there is always a recognizable foundation around which the bass can wind. A little bit whimsical too, which is nice.

Soa – Tofu Productions (Perlon)

Fumiya Tanaka and Thomas Melchior make up Tofu Productions and together they have come up with  a double header which, while it does take a predictable Perlon path, is off-kilter and eccentric enough to keep things interesting. There’s a reassuring thump in ‘I Believe I Need’ and a nice off key organ in ‘SOA’ which absorb and give body when needed.

A Glimpse Beyond EP – V/A (Fake Society)

I was led here by Camelia, whose spacey journeys I find most agreeable. This seems to be Fake Society’s signature sonic footprint, and it’s great to have records like this to wash the  more minimal, and sometimes one-dimensional tracks in the mix. Lizz, Sublee and Los Bastoneros also feature.

Programmed Memories – Blotter Trax (Frustrated Funk)

A nom de plume of Magda and TB Arthur, I don’t know why but I’m surprised to see their output released on this label. On listening to this I’m immediately struck by a resemblance to Louderbach/Troy Pierce. It’s certainly a bit of a departure for Frustrated Funk. It has menace though, and that’s an important quality.

The Orbitants 2 – V/A (FU ME)

A various artists release on red vinyl featuring, amongst others, Heinrich Dressel, Jensen Interceptor and Galaxian. Dressel does ambient, but for everyone else it’s a bit more uptempo. A lot of bases are covered here, with Lake Haze’s Lovecraft influenced ‘System Glitch’ being my favourite.

Time Heals All Wounds – George Earnest/Der Opium Queen (Echovolt)

A subtly varied three tracker, with ‘Ultralush’ standing out as an abstract floor filler, the type that envelops the dance and endows it with a dream-like ambience. ‘Rainy Day’ is an onomatopoeic stroll on wet pavement while ‘Time Heals All Wounds’ does something similar but at a more joyful tempo. This is a clever release.

Fall of the Humanoids – Dawl & Sween (Klasse Wrecks)

I like Dawl a lot, which also means that I must like Sween too, as he is a long-time collaborator. This EP, which follows up last year’s ‘Rise . . .’ is again a very competent blend of electro, techno, bleep and beats with the all important pervasive rave ingredient thrown in. Ominously funky.

Eli Verveine

Storming mix from Switzerland's finest. The highest compliment I can pay this is that it would go off at Wiggle. If you want a taste of what tech house used to be before it became bastardised, check it out.

Synthase - Biochip (CPU)

Title: Synthase

Artist: Biochip

Label: CPU

Cat Number: CPU01001110

Genre: Electro/Techno

1: M.O.

2: Simulated Events

3: Frame Shift

4: Doctor Effect

5: Acid Billy

6: Tone Forest

7: Information Superhighway

8: Dusty Dossier

A debut release, recorded live you say? Well colour me interested; particularly if its being released on a label which gets it right to such an extent that the very action of doing so can now be regarded as conceptual. The little snippets of information that I have been able to garner thus far have all told me the same thing, that this is a release which reeks of early Aphex and Autechre. Well, even though I was around at the time and have a reasonable recollection of said stuff, I’m ignoring it all and going in eyes wide shut. Listened point to point this release is a very gratifying linear experience. Everything is swathed in aural Vaseline, eschewing precise definition and focus. The melancholia is strong, but not overwhelming and there is just the right amount of restraint. That is until we get to ‘Acid Billy’, which feels bizarrely out of place. Having said that, as it introduces the second side of the vinyl release it does herald a game of two halves, with ‘Tone Forest’, ‘information Superhighway’, and ‘Dusty Dossier’ adding extra syncopated support. That’s not to say the first four tracks lack energy, but there is a vibe departure after ‘Doctor Effect’, which I like very much. I like this release a lot, and its making me think about things I don’t normally think about, which has to be good.

Raised By Snakes (Razormaid Remix) - Telex

Strings of Love - Fabio Monesi (Craigie Knowes)

Title: Strings of Love 

Artist:  Fabio Monesi 

Label: Craigie Knowes

Cat Number: CKNOWEP18

Genre: Techno

A1: Strings of Love

A2: Pancho Returns

B1: Flanger City

B2: The Raw Theory

Founder of Wilson Records Fabio Monesi debuts on Craigie Knowes with a four tracker, which sees him spread himself thinly like a polyvalent sonic veneer. There are shades of ‘Sweet Dreams’ in the title track’s riff, and with ‘Pancho Returns’ the vibe is definitely a retro one, shifting between arpeggiated italo fanfare and wistful melancholia. ‘Flanger City’ is a radical departure in style and intensity, relying on breaks and an undulating techno hoover to cause maximum damage, while ‘The Raw Theory’ is a Detroit-inflected jaunt into the fluctuating aural undergrowth.