Thursday, April 09, 2026

Link & E621 - Antacid (Jedi Knights Remix) (Eevolute/Warp)

 


Listening to this feels like the last thirty years have passed in the blink of an eye. Electro has been going through something of a renaissance in recent years. When this was made though, it was maybe fifteen years into its lifespan. And this, as now, didn’t sound dated at all, even if a lot of its building blocks had already been well-used within the fraternity. Anyway, this blend of handclaps, concave end, multiple uses of the “fresh`’ sample, and a vocoder, amongst many other things, show the way forward then just as they did then. A proper piece of break-dancing madness.

Wednesday, April 08, 2026

Track Of The Day: The Souls - Tonight (Craig Bratley Dub) (Magic Feet Recordings)

 


It’s the hottest day of the year so far (which wouldn’t take much). So, a day after armageddon didn’t happen here I am basking in West Suffolk in the low twenties and, instead of listening to sunshine music I’ve got that Melina Serser at Houghton 2025 mix on. I mean the while mix is proper ork music. Play loud, in the dark and swing lots of chains around. It’s an amazing mix though, taking chug to a much darker place. And this pops up somewhere near the beginning, about 20 minutes in I think. It’s the somnolent backing vocals that get me the most, as well as the relentless pounding towards the Eye Of Sauron fog horn. Outside the kids are playing in the park and people are having picnics, and I’m listening not this wondering what motivates those who make such weird shit.

Tuesday, April 07, 2026

Track Of The Day: John Beltran - Deluge (Peacefrog)

 


From the brilliant ‘Ten Days Of Blue’, which surfaced in the mid nineties, ‘Deluge’ really is an onomatopoeic track. And although the album is probably more defined as an ambient album more than anything else, it’s not really. The beats in this tune eventually give way to a dramatic, symphonic clash at the end, so there’s more than a bit of genre-bending going on. Above all this is a great piece of techno, and it’s sad that the label doesn’t hold it’s artists in high regard. This was posted almost ten years ago on the album’s Discogs release page.


”This Is John Beltran. This release is illegal. Peacefrog has ripped me and many others off for years. I've never been paid a cent. Now they must be in need of money or something. Don't give it to them. I released the LP on Band Camp for free yesterday and or for a donation to an animal shelter in Peacefrogs country. They have blocked that release with a copyright infringement letter. It's not about the money anymore. Now it's personal.”


Om Unit - Oracles (Local Action)


 

Title: Oracles

Artist: Om Unit

Label: Local Action

Cat Number: LOC 092

Genre: Breaks


1: Remember

2: Rustt

3: Ripples

4: Healing Tool

5: Survivor


The hook of ‘Remember’ sounds like it came straight out of the court of Henry Vlll. It’s some weird Tudor melody injected into a loose break beat context. There’s also the Enya - like vocals to consider as well. So you can probably appreciate the dynamics within which are being worked. From then on it’s probably correct to say that ‘Rustt’ and ‘Ripples’ are the heavier of the four tracks left. ‘Rustt’ has great definition. Every part feels distinct yet works in complete tandem with each other. It’s a bouncy, yet deep tune where the break beats often give way to space and time. ‘Ripples’ is heavier due to a grinding low end and god use of echo. It’s a tad more urgent, but this is kept in check by what sound like frantic hand claps. ‘Healing Tool’ deploys erratic beats over a more relaxed, therapeutic backdrop, and ‘Survivor’ feels like a clear fusion of more than one sphere of influence. I’m getting strong jazz vibes from it, as well as string led soul. The whole EP is a dynamic piece of work, built on a foundation of break beats, but defined by the myriad of flourishes that play across them.

DMX Krew @ Kiosk Radio 28.03.2026

 

Sun Ra Arkestra - When There Is No Sun (Curated By Ricardo Villalobos) (Omni Sound)

 


Title: When There Is No Sun

Artist: Sun Ra Arkestra

Label: Omni Sound 

Cat Number: 

Genre: All Over The Place


01. Underground Resistance - When Angels Speak featuring Saul Williams 5:24
02. She Spells Doom - Somebody Else’s Idea featuring Sun Ra Arkestra (SHE Spells Doom Remix) 5.17
03. Chez Damier & Ben Vedren - The Three Dimensions of Air featuring Anthony Joseph (H2H Kora Mix) 6.12
04. Calibre - Chopin featuring Sun Ra Arkestra (Calibre Remix ) 8.29
05. Ricardo Villalobos - I have Forgotten featuring Tara Middleton (Ricardo Villalobos Earlier than Late Remix 2) 10.23
06. Chez Damier & Ben Vedren- The Endless Realm featuring Tunde Adebimpe (H2H Mix) 6:20
07. Underground Resistance – The Outer Darkness featuring Saul Williams 5:07
08. A Guy Called Gerald - Message to Black Youth featuring Mahogany L.Browne (Gerald Rework) 3.15
09. She Spells Doom - Portrait of the Living Sky featuring Sun Ra Arkestra (SHE Spells Doom Remix) 5.34
10. Ricardo Villalobos - I Have Forgotten featuring Tara Middleton (Ricardo Villalobos Earlier than Late Remix 1) 11.55
11. Baris K – Somebody Else’s Idea featuring Abiodun Oyewole 6:34
12. Calibre - Chopin featuring Sun Ra Arkestra (Calibre Ambient Remix) 6.22


Not being your well-rounded Sun Ra scholar, I see no relevance in reviewing this release as a comparison to the original material. I first became aware in Sun Ra in the early 1980s. However, in spite of that passage of time, I’ve never really listened to him. And I think that’s the situation for a lot of people. Sun Ra remains an enigma. Someone who we’ve heard of but never dipped our toes into. An interesting element to stimulate conversation when it might be flagging. “Oh, have you ever heard Sun Ra, he’s really out there”. Anyway, whatever the case, this Ricardo Villalobos compilation is a lot more cohesive than anything Sun Ra himself ever produced. And although I guess that also means it’s a lot more conservative as well, there’s a lot of variety within the general structure. Standouts for me are ‘Chez Damier & Ben Vedren- The Endless Realm featuring Tunde Adebimpe (H2H Mix)’, a full-bodied keys led house shuffler; ‘Underground Resistance – The Outer Darkness featuring Saul Williams’ spoken word alongside some sharp minimal syncopation; ‘Baris K – Somebody Else’s Idea featuring Abiodun Oyewole’, a respiratory-inspired sounding remix which melds percussion and disembodied voices into a chug-friendly stomper; and finally the other Chez Damier contribution, which blends a subtle kora with Anthony Joseph’s clear and concise proclaiming ‘The Three Dimensions of Air featuring Anthony Joseph (H2H Kora Mix)’.

Monday, April 06, 2026

Track Of The Day: The Future Sound Of London - Flak (Virgin)



I played all of ‘Lifeforms’ before. It was a lovely morning and this weekend has been the first time this year that we’ve been a blue to have coffee in the garden without putting a coat on. Anyway, I was able to hear some bits better than others over the outside ambience, and the melody that floats over the top of this really stood out. Sort of like an electro flute over primitive, tribal percussion. One of those melodies that takes one back to a pastoral prehistory and always makes me think of the many raves and outdoor parties I went to in the middle of nowhere. The sun slowly coming up and illuminating everything and everyone. Also something that, no matter how silly it sounds, feels quantifiably of this place.

Sunday, April 05, 2026

Track Of The Day: Boogie Down Productions - South Bronx (B-Boy Records)

 



Before I got into house, etc, I was really into hip-hop, and when I moved down to London, Elephant & Castle, in June 1987, I had just started seriously buying it. Of course I can’t remember the name of the shop, but it was a small one off Walworth Rd., much closer to the Camberwell end than the Elephant one. There were record shops on every street corner back then, or so it seemed. Anyway, this particular one was mostly US imports I think, and it had a small, but perfectly formed hip-hop section. I’d heard that Scott Le Rock had recently been murdered in New York, but wasn’t that familiar with his music, so I bought ‘Criminal Minded’ on sight and found out all about the beef between the Bronx and Queens. I’ve still got this record within a few metres of me, but I doubt I’d find it in five minutes. I saw BDP live at The Town & Country club a couple of years later and it was one of the best hip-hop Gigs I ever went to. Better than EPMD mumbling and miming their album.


Friday, April 03, 2026

Track Of The Day: Sloth & Dormant - Yellow Cake (Thrive)

 


Posted as ‘Yellow Cake’ on Youtube, but as ‘Bush Life’ on a recent Instagram post on the real_tech_house account, I’m not too sure what to put. However ‘Bush Life’ on Pete’s Bandcamp comes up as a different tune. I could look for it downstairs, but would probably be incommunicado for the rest of the day. Anyways, this is a great piece of hypnotic, driving, druggy, groovy music. Everything was pitched up in those days so, in the spirit of some recent posts I’m going to say that I’d pitch it down. Not by much, but just enough to make it sound funkier and more lubricated. Another piece of magic from Mr. Hurst which has aged well.