Friday, August 28, 2020

Old Tight Selectah EP - Radioactive Man & Ben Pest (Asking For Trouble)

 



Title: Old Tight Selectah EP

Artist: Radioactive Man & Ben Pest

Label: Asking For Trouble

Cat Number: AFT007

Genre: Electro

 

A1: Old Tight

A2: Bar Tab

B1: You Bring It, We’ll Wing It

B2: Bracetings

 

This EP is the result of Radioactive Man and Ben Pest (OverworX) enjoying themselves in the studio in the form of spontaneously maxing out their hardware and any instrument to hand. There is a strong live feel to ‘Old Tight’, with its horns and drums, as well as an acid presence, something which also crops up on ‘Bar Tab’. ‘If You Bring It We’’ll Wing It’, is something that this pair couldn’t be accused of doing, and this dubby, slo mo track, along with the urgent electro of ‘Bracetings’ are the more interesting contributions to this EP.

Thursday, August 27, 2020

It's All Black - Fjordfunk (Tici Taci)

 


Title: It’s All Black

Artist: Fjordfunk

Label: Tici Taci

Cat Number: ticitaci064

Genre: Disco

 

1: It’s All Black

2: It’s All Black (Hardway Bros Meet Monkton Uptown)

 

Coming out as a CD single, ‘It’s All Black’ is a forceful piece of funk-fuelled psychedelia which, in its original form, is driven by a rubberoid bass, an eponymous spoken word intonation and a delicate, but vital, intermittent percussive knock. Its eleven minute length proves essential after around the half way mark when it loosens its shackles and soars, and then for the last three minutes or so, enters a world of cosmic abstraction. The ‘Hardway Bros Meet Monkton Uptown’ version is as its name suggests, a granular, dubbed out fuzzy fractal filled plough through the sonic undergrowth which, with its sweeping guitars and concave trajectory, complements the original wonderfully.

Tuesday, August 25, 2020

Dance Trax Vol. 29 - Tommy Holohan (Dance Trax)

 

Title: Dance Trax Vol. 29 

Artist: Tommy Holohan

Label: Dance Trax

Cat Number: DANCETRAX029

Genre: Breaks/Hardcore/Rave

 

 

A: BlueLemonade

B: NurseryRiddimz

 

A mad romp into toy town is this. Mr. Holohan expertly utilizes elastic beats over a manic drum and bass backdrop, all topped off with a piano tinkle lifted from the Observer’s Book of Spookiness on ‘Bluelemonade’, while ‘Nurseryriddimz’ is more bonkers still. It’s the sound of that little twat Gordon The Gopher trapped in Interstellar’s tesseract trying to get out, but being subdued by manic breakbeats. These two do what it says on the tin.

Family Of Waves - Crushed Soul (Dark Entries)

 




Title: Family Of Waves

Artist: Crushed Soul

Label: Dark Entries

Cat Number: DE-276

Genre: Techno Innit

 

1: Gravitational Field

2: Scaler Property

3: Family Of Waves

4: Diffusion Of Heat

 

Crushed Soul, aka Steffi, really comes correct with this release. It’s dark, brooding, industrial and, drawing much of its power from EBM fuelled dance floors of a few decades back, it’s a great journey into the days of future past, as well as being well ahead of today’s curve. I hope that sounds as ambiguous as it was meant to. Above all it’s proper techno. All of the tunee track,s are killers and, with the exception of the title track, employ a bollock trembling kick to guide them along a lateral line of lunacy. ‘Scaler Property’ puts me in mind of classic Suburban Knight, ‘Gravitational Field’ is similar, but denser and more humid. ‘Diffusion Of Heat’ has some lovely little licks in it that remind me of the Tom Tom Club, while ‘Family Of Waves’ is a dark, claustrophobic, tribal percolator. Not a note is wasted on this fine four tracker which is class from start to finish.




Thursday, August 20, 2020

Discogs Arousal 4 L'Albüm - Cédric Dekowski, Felix Reifenberg (Hardworksoftdrink)


 




Title: L'Albüm

Artist: Cédric Dekowski, Felix Reifenberg

Label: Hardworksoftdrink

Cat Number: HWSD010

Genre: Tech HouseBreakbeatElectroMinimalAbstract

 

A1: Ansiska

A2: Hotzefotze

B1: Track34

B2: Fingatoes

C1: Katushka

C2: The North

D1: Piersin

D2: Onson

E1: Macright

F1: Rondiana

F2: Tictactoe

 

Described as one of only a handful of albums from “The neo-minimal scene associated with Berlin’s Club Der Visionare and obscure vinyl . . .”, in a Resident Advisor review of it, ‘L'Albüm’ is a three disc set that aims to encompass a certain slant on a sound. Minimal offerings are usually limited to singles, presumably because the sound isn't as expansive as would be necessary to cover an album; that, or conceptually limited. (Of course this isn’t true. Ricardo Villalobos has proven it time and again. Maybe a lot of the artists just lack imagination?) Listening to this album it becomes clear that the genre is just a state of mind. There is a live feel to much of this: ‘Fingatoes’ and ‘The North’ and ‘Piersin’ for example, all exude a laid back jam vibe without straying too far out of their respective boxes.’Ansiska’, ‘Onson’, ‘Katushka’ and ‘Macright’ are a bit more complex and have hidden, murkier levels. Tictactoe’, ‘Rondiana’ and ‘Hotzefotze’ feel more minimal in the traditional sense, while ‘Track34’ is possibly the most individual track on the record. One thing this album isn't is disposable. It’s a grower, a keeper and multi dimensional.

 

Tuesday, August 18, 2020

Downforce - Sync 24 & Radioactive Man (Weapons Of Desire)


Title: Downforce

Artist: Sync 24 & Radioactive Man

Label: Weapons Of Desire

Cat Number: WOD014

Genre: Electro

 

A1: Downforce (Original)

A2: Downforce (Jensen Interceptor Remix)

 

First, let me start off by stating that I don't understand pressing a single sided disc with two tracks. Surely it’s better to put this pair over both sides and keep the grooves wider? The curse of the limited edition I suppose. In it’s favour, if the files are anything to go by, the sound quality hasn’t been affected. The original version of ‘Downforce’ is a wonderfully wonky, elasticated, minimal bass monster which, because of some well placed tempo changes, never gets boring. It’s infinitely preferable to Jenson Interceptor’s more ominously intended interpretation which sounds tinny and, compared to the original, feels a little insipid. 

Monday, August 17, 2020

Please Play Again - Detroit's Filthiest (Philthtrax)


Title: Please Play Again

Artist: Detroit’s Filthiest

Label: Philthtrax

Cat Number: PHLTRX XL003

Genre: Electro

 

A1: Skippers & Skrimps

A2: Groove Junkie

B1: Most Expensivest

B2: No Mo Talk

 

Occupying the funky entrails, somewhere between Cygnus’ sub-tropical, sweat-drenched urban panoramas and DJ Assault’s no nonsense rawness, this release from Detroit’s Filthiest spans a range of tempos and textures which makes it a versatile sonic morsel. The beats are upfront, as in ‘Groove Junkie’, or in the case of ‘Most Expensivest’ and ‘Skippers And Skrimps’ deliciously understated, but full of squelch and flange. These two tracks are quite similar to each other, with the former sounding like a toned down version of the latter. ‘No Mo Talk’ combines the best aspects of all the previous tracks into a harder-edged funk-fuelled fantasy and is the most accomplished piece on this release. 

Friday, August 14, 2020

Discogs Arousal 3 Mudshadow Propaganda - Prime Minister Of Doom (Planet Uterus)


Title: Mudshadow Propaganda

Artist: Prime Minister Of Doom

Label: Planet Uterus

Cat Number: PU1

Genre: Deep TechnoTribal House

 

01. Getting Things Started
02. Tribal Days Part II
03. Tribal Days Part III
04. The Vibe
05. Drumatise
06. Grand Finale
07. Deep In Your Heart
08. Truth Inside
09. Truth Inside Of Me (Skit)
10. The Wai

 

So I didn’t know about this record when it came out and only discovered it by hearing one of its tracks in a mix and joining the dots from there. It’s difficult not to use too many superlatives when describing it, but for me it’s a perfect blend of tribal and dub techno. Start with the two ‘Tribal Days’ tracks and ‘Drumatise’ and you’ll understand why. Each offers a respectively different slant on how to use percussion, but done in such a way that you’re left thinking that it’s exactly what you’d have done yourself in the same position. Nothing complex, just raw loops that are that little but more complex than what you’re normally used to. Plus they go on for ages, so make perfect mixing fodder. ‘The Vibe’ and ‘Deep In Your Heart’ mine a rich seam of abrasive, upfront dub techno which, with a pounding foundation, is dance floor ready. The latter’s vocal puts it squarely in cheeseless house territory, the type which both feels familiar, but also slightly disorientating. Acid makes an appearance on ‘The Truth Inside’ possibly the album’s most brilliantly subtle composition, while spoken word is what dominates ‘Truth Inside Of Me (Skit)’ and ‘The Wai’, a deep, mantra – like spiritual incantation of a track that never ends. Prime Minister Of Doom, aka Dj HealerDJ MetatronDr SunGolden BabyPrince Of DenmarkTraumprinz, is someone who seems to fart out classics in his dreams, but nobody should sleep on this masterwork.



 

 



 


Wednesday, August 12, 2020

Chart August 2020

Stellarator Hyperway – Anthony Rother & Sync 24 (Cultivated Electronics)



Total Art Of Living Parts 1 & 2 – Iron Curtis (Hudd Traxx)



 

Day Of Reckoning – Templefield by Krk Degiorgio (Midnight Shift)



Esta Noche EP – Rodion & Alejandro Paz (Lumiere Noir Records)



The Last Cut Is The Deepest – Black Devil Disco Club (Lo Recordings)



Apron EP – Byron The Aquarius (Apron Records)



Strugglebus Vol. 1 – Hobie (Church)



Summer Riot lX Pt. 1 – V/A (Futureboogie)



Family Of Waves - Crushed Soul (Dark Entries)



Spirograph EP – Armec (Nebulae)

Tuesday, August 11, 2020

Selected Transmissions From The Pyramid - ADJ (For Those That Knoe)



Title: Selected Transmissions From The Pyramid

Artist: ADJ

Label: For Those That Knoe

Cat Number: knoe 10/1

Genre: Electro

 

1: Lark

2: Realignment

3: Monday Night Blues

4: Bomb Site

5: Welcome To The Future 2012

6: Spaceman

7: Welcome

8: Sub Aquatic Dialogue

 

This release is a compilation of sorts from an artist who I have fond memories of serving me many times at the long defunct IQ Records on Lexington Street Soho. ADJ, aka Andy Jaggers is someone who has flown under the radar for many, but over the last twenty five years or so has been an important player on the UK electro scene. This collection is also eponymously named after his record label and radio show, (as well as another Soho record shop that Andy founded. I read this somewhere. Any verification?) Anyway, on to the music, and it’s all very good indeed. Often moving towards bass heavy electro, there’s also a pervasive otherworldy, glitchy feel to these tracks. This is particularly evident on ‘Sub Aquatic Dialogue’ ‘Realignment’, ‘Sunday Night Blues’ and ‘Bomb Site’. ‘Lark’, which opens the album, is for my money the most accomplished track. It’s a classic mix of the portentous and the funky which together add beacoup gravitas. ‘Spaceman’ has a similar feel on account of its depth and sensurround sound, while ‘Welcome’ is a busy, acidically embellished piece of insect funk. A great double pack and one which hopefully brings the artist some much deserved recognition.

 

Friday, August 07, 2020

Dance Trax Vol. 28 - Nikk (Dance Trax)


Title: Dance Trax Vol. 28

Artist: Nikk

Label: Dance Trax

Cat Number: DANCETRAX028

Genre: High Energy Jacking Gear

 

1: Beyond The Measure

2: Beyond The Measure (Mark Broom Remix)

3: 100 Grams

4: Sluricane

 

The latest release from Unknown To The Unknown offshoot Dance Trax is another phreakish, Relief-style jacking jam. In its original form, ‘Beyond The Measure’ is an airy, big room orientated floor filler which soars on warehouse sweat thermals. Mark Broom’s remix uses riff lifted from a release the already mentioned seminal Chicago imprint. I know because I’ve got it somewhere. DJ Sneak perchance? Still excellent. ‘100 Grams’ is an elegant bottom heavy romp through tracky deep house undergrowth, while ‘Sluricane’ recalls elemental Trackhead Steve. It’s all good.

Confinement Diary 7 Use Your Imagination

 This is the last installment of Confinement Diary, as everybody seems to be behaving as if nothing strange has been going on since the middle of March. Well, we can’t go on like this forever, but the loosening up of lockdown has happened too quickly as far as I’m concerned. I suppose we’ll see any possible consequences of this over the next few months. Having said that, at time of writing, gyms, leisure centres and swimming pools are still to see action, while the reopening of clubs  seems as distant as the Kuiper Belt. Although I am concerned about this, it doesn’t affect me too much on a personal level. However, apart from the music nothing is happening out there, that’s unless you’re a techno Twitter voyeur with its penchant for cancel culture. This is something which really annoys me. I’m not a participant in any online debate unless I can bring something worthwhile to the table. I agree and disagree with plenty on social media, but no matter what fresh perspective is brought to the argument, you can always count on someone to rubbish it. I’m guessing that we’re reaching an apex of online activity regarding electronic music per se due to an absolute lack of activity in the mediums natural habitat. I suppose what is most unsettling at the moment is divided between a few related cultural aspects: when will it return? When it does, will it be normal? How long can I survive without my livelihood? Even if my livelihood returns, will I be able to devote the time to it I did before, or will I have to work in other areas just to keep my passion alive? Will the environment be more controlled, not just for health reasons, but will it be the excuse many governments and other legislative organisations need to impose more controls? Is this situation going to drive gatherings more underground? What about drugs? In the case of some governments being better prepared and more tolerant than others, will this lead to a whole new dimension to international clubbing, maybe more affordable out of necessity, or more expensive because of liberty taking? It’s all in the mind, but the fear is real. Will socializing be more valued in the future and not taken for granted? Will the perfect DJ set exist anywhere except inside the home? What is the appetite going to be like for going out and dancing again? Obviously I hope the same as before, but it’s going to be a depressing situation if it’s the same as before. There are plenty of reports in the media of raves going off. A few weeks back there was the inevitable sensationalist story of rape and stabbings at one such event. Not to downplay obviously awful events, but how many parties have gone on and nothing bad has happened? I have to say that I still think it’s far too early to get back into the swing of things, in my opinion we need to wait until a vaccine has been found. However, with a waffling libertarian government like ours, we may as well give up on that being condoned by the state. Of course it won't be directly opposed, just skated around until everyone’s dizzy with unnecessary, bewildering choice. I remember when I lived in France and one cultural difference I noticed was the way the French government, regardless of political affiliation, would assume that the general population were (as far as I was concerned) thick, and would tacitly tell them what to do and how to do it all the time. Don't these people have any common sense, I would think. Of course they do, but assuming that everyone does is a very dangerous game to play. The British preoccupation with health and safety in every aspect of waking life is a far worse exercise in patronizing. All the way through the COVID 19 episode, I’ve been wound up by the fact that our leadership is incapable of leading, ie: telling people what to do. It’s ironic that this seems to be frowned upon by the UK government, yet we have one of the most servile populations I can think of. While in France, they get told what to do as a matter of course, but they’ll riot for Nutella. Of course I digress, so back to the music. How does it all fit in? Well, it occupies another igneous layer entirely. It’s always there but you do have to look for it. If someone were stupid enough to come up to me and ask what I am thinking about? I’d have to say, at any given time: “Long, rolling, groove-driven mixes of minimal, machine-edged funk wrapped up in a messy, druggy ambience. At any given time I’m in a packed, sweaty warehouse were the volume is being cranked up and the crowd are lost in the music. There’s a synthetic feel to the sonic atmosphere, but it’s imbued with soul. I’m clocking the people around me, as well as the clothes, and all of this contributes to the general scenario. Who’s DJing? No idea, it’s all about the music, maaan . . . As long as they’re in it for the right reasons and know their stuff, then it could be anybody. However, there are some who I think are/were better at creating such an environment than others: Andy Weatherall (Gone, I know. But always with us), Terry Francis, ‘Evil’ Eddie Richards, Nathan Coles, Derrick Carter, Ricardo Villalobos, Derrick May, Rhadoo, Raresh, Zip, Craig Richards, Eric Cloutier, Jane Fitz, Theo Parrish, Dietroiter, Eli Verveine, Ze Salvador, Pedro Inspirescu, Alex Downey, IF, Ivan Smagghe, Nicolas Lutz, Rubsilent, Harri & Domenic, Stacey Pullen, Claude Young, Finn Johannsen, DJ Stingray, Objekt, Call Super, Ben UFO, Cosmo, Sean Johnson, Harvey, Aisha, and the shitloads I discover on a weekly basis on Soundcloud and Mixcloud. Mozghan, Solar, Magda, DJ Python, Bake, Z@p, Jensen Interceptor, Craigie Knowes, CCL, Eris Drew, adab, Lena Willikens, Vladimir Ivkovic, Russell E.L. Butler, Surgeon, Steffi, Jeff Mills, Helena Hauff, Echo Inspectors, Ciel, Daylomar, Mark Farina, Magda Bytnerowicz, Roger Gerressen, Janeret, Rick Hopkins, Andy Green, Andrew James Gustav, Gwenan, DJ TLR, Alienata, Barac, . . . . . However, in spite if all of this, I’m seeing lots of pessimism online at the moment, with some DJs and other scene members fearing that they’ll never see the inside of a nightclub again. It’s weird, but the further we move away from the initial lockdown, the more fraught the uncertainty seems to be. It wold be interesting to know if tis is a situation mirrored in all countries, not just The UK. Taking stock of the situation generally, yesterday I realised that since the last week of March, I’ve left my town no more than ten to fifteen times, and with each passing day normality seems as out of touch as ever. The decision to slap a new quarantine ban on those coming back from Spain smacks of overreaction, and it won't end there. I suspect countries that rely on British trade will be under the cosh more than others as we see a Brexit endgame being played out by stealth. Is this a conspiracy theory> Nope, just a theory. Hardly in the same league as what I have been subjected to over the past few months, on both the Internet and by real people who should know better. And living in a vacuum as I do, the music keeps on playing without a second thought as to the fate of its creators. That’s nt me by the way, I don't stop thinking about how people are going to come out of this mess. I guess we’re in the process of seeing just how much clubs and similar spaces really matter. They do, of course, which is why they will rise again, but not in the same forms or functions. I predict that the change, once it gets underway, will be a positive one by and large. The corporate element will disappear and it’ll be back to basics. A more egalitarian front will emerge because it has to. Another conspiracy is that this is the calculated death of art and expression, because how will it flourish in its own vacuum? I think the kids will be alright. Art favours adversity over comfort and compliance. It’s position is in opposition. There are different levels to this, and keeping it real has many interpretations, but I’m hopeful that we’re moving towards a more ingrained sense of community and togetherness in all aspects of life. It’s always been here, it’s never gone away. Music will be incorporated into other interests and a cross-cultural front will start to gain momentum. We can already see this in the way certain aspects of this scene better incorporate lifestyle choices than others. This is a chance, ironically, to break free of lots of commercial interests, not remain shackled by them.

Thursday, August 06, 2020

Onderwereld EP - VA (Cultivated Elecronics)


Title: Onderwereld EP

Artist: V/A

Label: Cultivated Electronics

Cat Number: CELTD003

Genre: Electro

 

A1: Electrostress – Cosmox

A2: Easy – 543FF

B1: Three City Firm – Star-Kid, Gamma Intel & 543FF

B2: Three City Firm (543FF Remix) – Star-Kid, Gamma Intel & 543FF

 

This various artists’ release is conceptually Dutch and, more specifically, eponymously inspired by an old atomic bunker in The Hague which was an old HQ for Intergalactic FM, as well as a studio stronghold. The artists themselves are all major players on the Dutch electro scene, and the music herein veers towards the bottom heavy end of electro, but has enough about it to occupy the subtler regions also. Ranging from the polyvalent bass led ‘Electrostress’ from Cosmox, through to the astral leanings of ‘Three City Firm (543FF Remix)’ from Star-Kid, Gamma Intel & 543FF, this release traverses a range of frequencies and wavelengths, creating a self-perpetuating parallel cosmos which reaches its apex on ‘Easy’.

Tuesday, August 04, 2020

Helena Hauff & DJ Stingray at Dekmantel Festival 2016

FIBER Podcast 40 - Alex Downey


Brainwave - Steve Allman (EON Records)


Title: Brainwave

Artist: Steve Allman

Label: EON Records

Cat Number: EON003

Genre: Electro

 

A1: Brainwave

A2: Brainwave (Sync 24 Remix)

B1: Possessed

B2: Creator

 

Steve Allman is a resident at long running electro night Scand, and on this release he’s straight down to body popping dreamland as soon as the first bar drops. ‘Brainwave’ is a high velocity Detroit-derived track, which has the right amount of cosmic and sonic dissonance within its grooves to keep on the right side of unpredictability. Sync 24’s stripped down remix doesn’t deviate too far from the original, but plays on space to garner room to maneuver. Possessed’ and ‘Creator’, like the title track, are chock full of devilish detail, but are cleverly manipulated so as not to feel overcrowded. Good work sir!