Monday, June 20, 2022
They Come In Twos - Alonzo (Cultivated Electronics)
Title: They Come In Twos
Artist: Alonzo
Label: Cultivated Electronics
Cat Number: CE042
Genre: Electro
A1: Animal Control
A2: Cause & Effect
B1: They Come In Twos
B2: Magnetic
C1: Corner Of 11th
C2: Drunken Badger
D1: Unprofessional
D2: Zone D
Having first come across Alonzo via his ‘I’m A . . . ‘ release on WT, and then ‘003’ on Zement, I harboured more anticipation than is strictly normal for someone of my advanced years when discovering this release in my inbox. I’m not disappointed either, with my predilection for grungy, world out of balance beats being more than satisfied three tracks in. Vocoders feature heavily as well, and who cares if the lyrics can’t be made out. It’s all about the menace and threat, yeah? Mind you, nothing works independently. Those sinister spoken word emissions would be nothing without the multiple textures of electro that lift them to new, disorientating heights. There’s a healthy feeling of unease and disturbance aligned to an insatiable machine funk momentum that keeps this collection ticking over like a finely tuned instrument of chaos. Alonzo does like a flange, and this is used throughout the album, but nowhere more devastatingly than when it is combined with a screaming siren on ‘Drunken Badger’. The title track is notable for its coalescence of practically all of dissonant electro’s already mentioned hallmarks, and the collection is bookended by a couple of tunes that also employ oral dissonance sparingly, and multiple cluster bomb effects liberally across their respective synth infused landscapes. On the one hand there’s nothing strikingly new here, but the collection comes together beautifully as a sequential piece of work with momentum sustained. I just wish the tracks were each a little longer to maximise mixing potential.
Sunday, June 19, 2022
Saturday, June 18, 2022
Friday, June 17, 2022
Thursday, June 16, 2022
Down To The Ground - DJ Linus (Nordic Trax)
Title: Down To The Ground
Artist: DJ Linus
Label: Nordic Trax
Cat Number: NT117
Genre: Deep House
1: It’s All Good
2: It’s All Good (Dub Version)
3: Down To The Ground
4: Bavarian Stomper
I’ve still got my copy of ‘Who Stole The Soul’ by the artist still known as the one who makes me think of Peanuts. And this is his first release for what looks like ten years. It’s not bad either. ‘It’s All Good’ is an uplifting, funky vocal track that builds and more stamina than Mo Farah. The dub dispenses with the main vocal and brings the disco dissonance into sharper focus. ‘Down To The Ground’ is an understated, off key shuffler that remains largely in the sonic shadows, it’s a subtle exercise in restraint and has similar constituents to ‘It’s All Good’. The best has been saved until last though, with ‘Bavarian Stomper’ turning out to be a very capable piece of italo disco that’s crying out for a camp as fuck vocal. A good return to the fray from DJ Linus then.
Wednesday, June 15, 2022
Tuesday, June 14, 2022
Monday, June 13, 2022
Entheogen EP - Jabru (Of Unsound Mind)
Title: Entheogen EP
Artist: Jabru
Label: Of Unsound Mind
Cat Number: OFUNSOUNDMIND096
Genre: Break Beats, etc
1: Entheogen
2: Jem
3: Shelter
Well, this comes out swinging its bollocks from up on high. ‘Entheogen’ fairly bounces along on high octane batacuda beats. ‘Jem’ shows a lighter touch, using breaks and a dubbed-out vocal fug underpinned by a piano to enable much shape throwing. ‘Shelter’ is probably the most subtle of the three, with its organic, almost aquatic percussion supported by a pervasive low end that comes in and out of focus. The title track apparently references Capricorn’s ‘20HZ’, something which is noticeable in the percussion department, and the general tranced out ambience it deploys. And the whole EP is a vibe which is way greater than the sum of its very special parts.
Sunday, June 12, 2022
Saturday, June 11, 2022
Friday, June 10, 2022
Thursday, June 09, 2022
BRC Vol 2 - Black Rave Culture
Title: BRC 2
Artist: Black Rave Culture
Label: Self-Released
Cat Number:
Genre: Black Rave
01. NEVER LEFT
02. CEREBRAL ATROPHY
03. ACTIVATE
04. MOROCCAN MIST
05. SOMETHING ELSE
06. PAY ME
07. DEEP BREATHING
08. SUB POPPIN
09. DOPPLER
10. ISSA BOP
11. LONG DISTANCE DILEMMA (PRACTICE)
12. IN MY BIZNESS feat. Dreamcastmoe
13. PACE PLAN (BONUS TRACK)
Black Rave Culture are “DC natives, Amal, James Bangura, and Nativesun” and with this release seem to be documenting and creating their own interpretation of floor-focussed electronic music. And it’s nothing if not engaging and polyvalent. Non-genre specific but united under the rave umbrella, this is indeed a piece of work. Along its layered length there are certain elements that I’m struck by more than others: the drum and bass of ‘Deep Breathing’ and ‘Never Left’; the subtlety of ‘Long Distance Dilemma (Practice)’, and ‘Moroccan Mist’; the deep, dynamic techno of ‘Activate’; and the dialled down oasis of calm that is ‘In My Bizness feat. Dreamcastmoe’, a track that feels more at home being pumped out of a yacht’s sound system, moored off the Amalfi coast, than in a sweaty Washington rave den. Other tracks like ‘Cerebral Atrophy’ and ‘Sub Poppin’ sound like they’re in a state of exponential entropy, where being locked into their groove is a voyage into the unknown with no apparent end until the chaos prevails. A notable piece of work that displays great range, ‘BRC Vol. 2’ has class, depth, range and invention, and is an imaginative take on subliminal sonic dynamics.
Wednesday, June 08, 2022
Detroit Visions - Luke Hess (Rekids Special Projects)
Title: Detroit Visions
Artist: Luke Hess
Label: Rekids Special Projects
Cat Number: RSPX41
Genre: Techno
01: Two Prophets
02: The Way
03: Soul Purpose
04: Polymoon
I have a few records by Mr Hess in my collection, which does need some pruning. However, I won’t be getting rid of any of his bits. And it’s good to see that with this release he’s doing what I expect of him, making quality techno of a driving, dubby sensibility. All of the tracks here represent this approach pretty well, with perhaps ‘Polymoon’ feeling a little less fluid than the others. And ‘Two Prophets’ and ‘Soul Purpose’ being the most exemplary takes, the latter having a denser, deeper approach than the former’s more stripped-down, metallic groove. It’s a sound that no matter how often I hear it, and irrespective of the artist, always gets me going. ‘The Way’ fuses momentum, propulsion and space into a tunnel vision of dub, offering something less linear, but no less effective.
Tuesday, June 07, 2022
Eventide In Orbit - Manami (Viscera Transmissions)
Title: Eventide In Orbit
Artist: Manami
Label: Viscera Transmissions
Cat Number: VT001
Genre: Trance
1: Eventide In Orbit
2: Interaxial
3: Overture One
4: Overture One (Adam Pits’ Stomp Mix)
Trance is back! It’s been around for ever of course, and never truly went away. However, now it has returned as a fully-fledged noun and not just an insignificant adjective. Mind you, I never had a problem with the descriptive detail, it was the genre that often left me cold. There have been some excellent tracks over the years that fall into the category, but listening to a set composed of nothing else can leave one cold. So how does Manami do with ‘Eventide In Orbit’? Not bad. The title track evolves slowly to become a mature, elongated, electronic, hypnotic hymn, with shades of Goa. ‘Overture One’ shares similar characteristics, it’s less fluid melody slowed down to a frictional, tropical drag by Adam Pits. And as far as ‘Interaxial’ is concerned, it’s all out organised chaos. Pretty good effort all round on this one.
Monday, June 06, 2022
Sunday, June 05, 2022
Saturday, June 04, 2022
Friday, June 03, 2022
The Transcendental Deck Skills Of Alex Downey
I’ve never seen Alex play, but I listen to a lot of his sets and, while it would be good to have first hand experience of the skill and dexterity involved, I’m more than happy with what I’ve heard within the online medium. I regularly repost his mixes on here, as well as share them on social media and I’ve heard him referred to as the best there is from these here shores. This is a believable claim, and I’m sure that he would be more widely known and appreciated if he had the profile of a recording artist. He is “only” a DJ though; but what a DJ. I can only imagine how it must feel in the right environment when confronted by the machine funk smorgasbord at his fingertips. The sonic spectrum is explored, which means that one gives oneself up to a combination of breaks, electro, techno, idm and everything in between. On occasion there are life-changing moments when the music hits with such intensity that I’m constantly reminded of the bewildered looks on faces of Roma’s players as Liverpool gave them the runaround during the first leg of the 2018 Champions’ League semi final. The hypnotic sets I’ve had the pleasure to hear are built largely on a fusion of break beats and electro, the two becoming progressively denser and draped in atomic transcendentalism in constantly evolving peaks and troughs. This, however, doesn’t necessarily eschew a more traditional looped approach. His approach to DJing is as much about being caught in the sonic conflagration as anything else; and is a reminder that given the correct terms and conditions, we all have the potential to be in two places at once.
Thursday, June 02, 2022
Wednesday, June 01, 2022
Tuesday, May 31, 2022
Monday, May 30, 2022
Rebuild EP - Ballet Mechanique (EPMmusic)
Title: Rebuild EP
Artist: Ballet Mechanique
Label: EPMmusic
Cat Number: EPM98
Genre: Techno
1: Rebuild
2: Echo Catcher
3: Share The Feeling
4: Big Hearts
Bit late with this one, but don’t know how it slipped under my radar as Ballet Mechanique have been in my sights for a while now thanks to their recent reissues on Delsin. This is new stuff though, the first for a long time, and it’s good to hear that it doesn’t stray from the melodic, Detroit and IDM inspired stuff that came out on Eevolute when such things where still finding their feet. The title track is a sweeping piece of space-age grandiosity that would embellish any imaginative set. This is an ambience that infuses the entire package, with varying degrees of intensity. ‘Share The Feeling’ keeps up a similar momentum, while both ‘Echo Catcher’ and ‘Big Hearts’ use break beats as melodic undulation, easing off the gas as they do. The tracks are 50% optimistic energy with the other 50% more introspective. Which is nice.
Sunday, May 29, 2022
Saturday, May 28, 2022
Friday, May 27, 2022
Thursday, May 26, 2022
Basic Instinct - Session Victim (Rhythm International)
Title: Basic Instinct
Artist: Session Victim
Label: Rhythm International
Cat Number: RS053
Genre: Deep House
1: Trying To Make It Home
2: In And Out
3: Orbits Of Dust
4: AM Continental
5: SFC (Hommage Mix)
“Jazz house? Nice . . .” I hear you say. You’ve also got to have the moves though. The descent into abstraction and self-indulgence has to be kept at bay or we’re dealing with something else entirely. There’s none of that here though, because this release delivers on wide screen, big sound system panoramic storytelling ambience. Each track has pace, precision and versatility. ‘Trying To Make It Home’ has vocals concisely used, and is probably the “peak track” here However, the instrumentation dominates, as it does on every other tune herein. Atmosphere is the watchword, with the compositions never overstretching themselves, but building patiently until an explosion or crescendo doesn’t come; they’ve been happening all along due to the thoughtful insertion of evocative riffs, undulating embellishment and melodic shift. These tracks all stand out on their own and should also be liberally used to bulk up the mix. They’ll make anything sound better.
Wednesday, May 25, 2022
One Four Five Lemma - Nicki Nair (Island F)
Title: One Four Five/Lemma
Artist: Nicki Nair
Label: Island F
Cat Number: ISLANDF1
Genre: Tracky Minimalism
01: One Four Five
02: Lemma
03: XXX
My first impressions are that these tunes are the aural equivalent of the proverbial deconstructed dessert. Disparate elements are cohesively deployed within a minimalist soundscape that is so spacial that there’s nowhere to hide. The beats are let loose and attack with the force of a tightly coiled spring. There are various tempos on show here, but the omnipresent one feels like a shade of highly strung electro that dovetails effortlessly with house. Revolving around the taut percussion, we have vocal stabs/samples which function as instrumental punctuation, marking time in the margins as well as catalysing beats. There’s an awful lot going on here, distilled into a fine polyrhythmic essence, which is nice.
Tuesday, May 24, 2022
Monday, May 23, 2022
Thursday, May 19, 2022
Pneuma - Mugwump (Subfield/K7!)
Title: Pneuma
Artist: Mugwump
Label: Subfield/K7!
Cat Number: SF020
Genre: Dark Chug
1: A Priori
2: Bewilder Me (Extended)
3: Breakout (Extended)
4: Kaleidescopin (Extended)
5: Cleverest (Extended)
6: Informer Headlock
7: I Don’t Understand You (Instrumental)
8: Man Walks Off Earth (Extended)
9: Locomotive (Extended)
10: Mugwump vs Ceeys Brueder
11: Bewilder Me (Extended Instrudub)
12: Breakout (Extended Instrudub)
13: Cleverest (Extended Instrudub)
One thing that listening to this album from start to finish has taught me is that I can listen to a deadpan vocal delivery over and over without getting fed up. Those vocals, coming courtesy of Mugwump, serve to crystallise an ambience of omnipresent sleaze. The only track that Swingout Sister became known for, ‘Breakout’, sees action as a single form this collection and, in the process, is transformed from a summery, optimistic anthem to a dark, dank, heads down stomp into the dark realms of uncertainty and doom. And that’s what’s irresistible about this whole album. Insistent melancholia and its associated gravitas is lifted from the void in order to facilitate dancing and losing onseself to the moment. The vocals do take a sideways step occasionally, as on ‘Cleverest’; and don’t feature at all on the fastest paced track here, ‘Informer Headlock’, and the one track which you could imagine being played as the sun comes up, ‘Mugwump vs Ceeys Brueder’. They are at their remorseless best, however, on tracks like ‘ Kaleidescopin’ which for me distils the essence of this work down to a concentrated sound bomb. It’s no surprise at all that the late Mr Weatherall used to play Mugwump’s tracks all the time, and they continue to get exposure at the club nights he was heavily involved with like ‘A Love From Out Of Space’. When the sonic stars align, as they also do on ‘A Priori’ and ‘Bewilder Me’ the chug is strong, shapes will be thrown and discs will be slipped. And that’s really all that matters.
Wednesday, May 18, 2022
Tuesday, May 17, 2022
Monday, May 16, 2022
Sunday, May 15, 2022
Saturday, May 14, 2022
Friday, May 13, 2022
Thursday, May 12, 2022
Insanely Alive - Wolfgang Tillmanns (Fragile)
Title: Insanely Alive
Artist: Wolfgang Tillmanns
Label: Fragile
Cat Number: Fragike013
Genre: Poptastic
1: Insanely Alive (Pet Shop Boys Radio Edit)
2: Insanely Alive (Pet Shop Boys Maxi Mix)
3: Insanely Alive (Total Freedom & Sami Bahar’s Spooky Curse/Special Blessing Mix)
4: Insanely Alive (Original)
As is obvious from the track listing, this is a remix package with the original having been included for chaps like me as a point of reference. Such as it is, a vocal which is beatless, minimally adorned by a keyboard and sounding like the Lithuanian entry at Eurovision, a rerub was a good idea. The PSB Maxi Mix adds some bollocks and sounds like the Pet Shop Boys, with the vocal sounding better at the quicker tempo. Still sounds like Eurovision though. The Total Freedom, etc mix feels like it was made by a travelling circus troupe and also sounds like a Eurovision entry, but one of those more abstract ones that needs ridiculous stage dynamics to carry it off.
Wednesday, May 11, 2022
Low Poly life - Dogpatrol ~(777 Recordings)
Title: Low Poly life
Artist: Dogpatrol
Label: 777 Recordings
Cat Number: 777_25
Genre: Deconstructed Hardcore/Beats
1: Came Back From Hell And I Feel Good
2: Safari Simulator
3: The Deep Valley Of Self Neglect
4: Usingmyquirk
5: Granular Memory Experience
It’s tempting to say that some of the tracks here defy categorisation, but that wouldn’t be true as when we get down to brass tacks it’s really all about whether you like it or not. There are whispers of many things here, not all of them cohesive, but the chaos feels organised. ‘The Deep Valley Of Self Neglect’ stands out for this reason. It’s a monolithic, grandiose techno stomp adorned with doom-laden sound design. ‘Safari Simulator’ is similarly structured, but emphasises funk and optimism. Both ‘Usingmyquirk’ and ‘Granular Memory Experience’ seem to have taken the theory of the 3rd law of thermodynaics to heart in their mutual descent into chaos, whereas ‘Came Back From Hell And I Feel Good’ opens the package with a swirling, nebulous break beat infused jazz – inflected primal soup. Interesting, in a very good way.
Tuesday, May 10, 2022
Slowrush EP - Wiles (Batrachian)
Title: Slowrush EP
Artist: Wiles
Label: Batrachian
Cat Number: BTR005
Genre: Break Beats
1: Too Real Eyez
2: Bientam
3: Slowrush
4: Echolab (Wiles Remix) – MOY
This is a varied and atmospheric release straight out of Bristol courtesy of Jack Wiles. The three original numbers herein are each underpinned by break beats which run the percussive gamut. The title track is perhaps the deepest of the three, with the breaks in subtle mode, sound effects from the outer limits and a breakdown to reduce those of a sensitive nature to tears. ‘Bientam’ goes harder, but inly insomuch as drum and bass can while not completely breaking the mold, and ‘Too Real Eyez’ combines breaks with the type of bleepy, decaying acid I like listening to while experiencing the Doppler Effect. The package is topped off by a remix of a MOY tune originally issued on Emotec which turns and flanges percussion inside out while keeping it strangely coherent enough to make it sound like the soundtrack to distant galaxy exploration. A fine release, which does more than it says on the tin.
Monday, May 09, 2022
Base Control EP - Gravitational Effect (Reposition)
Title: Base Control EP
Artist: Gravitational Effect
Label: Reposition Records
Cat Number: RP003
Genre: Electro
A1: Forbidden Planet
A2: Unknown Frontier
B1: Base Control
B2: Base Control (Radioactive Man Remix)
I love a bit of spaced out electro me. The genre has an endless capacity to reinvent itself within the same mould, spinning time worn templates better than Alastair Campbell and ensuring fascination. Gravitational Effect is based in Liège, the home of Standard, RFC and birthplace of Georges Simenon. Whether he is thinking of his city’s cultural and sporting heritage as he makes his body popping beats is unclear. What is obvious to the electro-receptive ear though, is the quality of this release. There’s a definite retro feel throughout, as if we’re privy to some sort of strung out Afrika Bambaataa - inspired northern European funk renaissance. All the original version hit hard and mix up squelch elementals in the form of bass, vocal samples and side on syncopation. Radioactive Man’s remix remains true to the spirit of the EP, adding subtle sonic details in the form of miniscule synth flourishes and dubbed out delectables. It’s a great release from someone with their finger on the machine funk pulse and I want to roll out my mat and do a headspin or two, just to see if I can.
Sunday, May 08, 2022
Friday, May 06, 2022
Thursday, May 05, 2022
Funky Pigeon EP - Craig & Ryan (Sounds Good)
Title: Funky Pigeon EP
Artist: Craig & Ryan
Label: Sounds Good
Cat Number: SGS002
Genre: House
1: Funky Pigeon Dance
2: Skelter
3: Try
Nothing complicated going on here, just three house cuts distilled to their bare, elemental essences. A mixture of sound, samples and throb: which are all the same thing really, depending on which way you view it. Actually, don’t bother. Music like this isn’t made to be overthought. It just “is”. If I have to pick a favourite, it’s going to be ‘Skelter’, with it’s bouncing bass and Italian house piano. ‘Try’, with it’s filters and undulations is also devilishly effective, and ‘Funky Pigeon Dance’ rolls out the low end red carpet in such an inviting way that you’re left with no choice but to throw shapes. It’s all good.
Wednesday, May 04, 2022
Sense - Z.I.P.P.O (VOITAX)
Title: Sense
Artist: Z.I.P.P.O
Label: VOITAX
Cat Number: VOI030
Genre: IDM/Techno/Breaks
A1: Aquarius
A2: Sense
A3: There Is No Light
B1: Esq
B2: F17th
This is a piece of work which journeys across a spectrum of beats while underpinning them with an atmospheric foundation, the likes of which have become more abundant over the previous couple of years. There seems to be a burgeoning trend in this approach. It reminds me of 96 Back’s output, there’s room for both melancholia and whimsy on the same tracks, but no two sound the same because of fluctuating beats. Maybe it can ll be traced beck to Aphex Twin? This is always an engaging listen, which ranges from the heavy: ‘Sense’ through to the gossamer ‘F17th’. In between there are other twitches and glitches; ‘There Is No Light’ and ‘Esq’ are a peak of sorts, the latter’s busy, but cohesive drum and bass played off to great effect against the former’s equally deep gloominess. In this context, ‘Aquarius’ is a deliberate scene setter, with its broken beats, deadpan synth swirls and dawn of time swamp squelches. One to listen to holding a glass of the strong stuff and smoking a fat one while society collapses.
