Skudge Records presents a remix package from Marcel Dettmann and bubbling talent Answer Code Request aka Patrick Gräser.
Month: May 2012
Mechanisms Industries – Antikythera Mechanism Remixes [M1991]
Remix package on Spanish label Mechanisms Industries, including reworks by Oscar Mulero, Henning Baer, Subjected and Fanon Flowers.
Svreca – Vilna / Hagagatan [SEMANTICA033A]
Semantica drops a new release with Svreca’s two-tracker “Vilna/Hagagatan”. By title sounding like a tribute to the Baltic Sea region, its A-side features a galvanized treatment of “Vilna” by Orphx, an industrial-rooted collective knowing no mercy. This is honest techno with echoing thunder and distortion-coated bass, in Spanish-Canadian collaboration. Dark rhythm and noise exposure also in “Hagagatan”, which takes to the throat of a foundry with all exit doors blocked.
Johannes Volk – Cinematicpod 006
VA – Spargel Trax Volume 2 [SPARG002]
Don’t Be Afraid present Spargel Trax, a two part series of vinyl-only, colored, hand-stamped 12″s designed to celebrate the dual themes of great seasonal music and great seasonal Spargel. The second part includes tracks from James Duncan, Untitled-W, Freeman and Melvin Elephant 303.
ItaloJohnson – ItaloJohnson 5 [ITJ005]
The fifth release from the mysterious Italojohnson on the producer’s eponymous label breaks with the established mould in some respects, downsizing proceedings to a double A Side 10inch which comes replete with a hand stamped Italojohnson logo. The music however, is still resolutely focused on the signature Italojohnson sound both tracks untitled and demonstrated an uncanny mastery of solid basslines, sharp and well judged drumming, deft vocal edits and mind bending FX. The A Side adopts more of a DJ Tool poise, with its groove led by that swooping bass line whilst the flip shows Italojohnson equal ease for crafting a proper house track. There’s even an Italojohnson sticker for the real fans
Soul 223 – Almost Like It Used To Be [DSR-H002]
Second release on the new house music aligned Delsin series is coming from Soul 223 aka Steve Pickton. He has been producing melodic, Detroit inspired sounds since the mid 90s, most often as Stasis on labels like Peacefrog and Mo Wax.
A keen sense of melodic colour also characterises the four cuts that make up this EP, with the first, ‘Almost Like It Used To Be’ pairing radiant pads with a lolloping house beat and plenty of melted synth sounds. Next up, ‘Arties Mood’ slows to a Moodymann styled pace, layering percussive samples, keys and jazzy motifs onto of a lazy house beat to conjure a perfect sunny afternoon vibe. ‘Heartstrings’ is alive with the sound of the cosmos as it rolls on through organic sounding bongos, sharper claps and plenty of neon lines. Closing track ‘Essex’ has a gummy, gritty bottom end sweetened by more glistening melodies and key work, all the while chugging along at a most inviting deep house pace.
Ken Kojima – Obscure Business [CHIWAX004]
Marco Bernardi – The Burning Love Ensemble [ROYAL012]
Marco Bernardi is back on Clone Royal Oak with a beautiful three track ep! Tracks that are a nice blend of his roots in Glasgow and Detroit techno stirred into a nice personal outing that show his talents. The Ep features slowly building tracks that keep the tension high with Bernardi’s trademark melodies layered over basic house rhythms with a raw edge.
The Black Electro Orchestra – ElectroMusica Popular [TTHR-DR014]
New release by Tevo Howard under his The Black Electro Orchestra project, reinterpreting classic pop songs by Culture Club, Joe Jackson, Eurythmics, Depeche Mode and Madonna.
Flemming Dalum – Out Of This World
Veronica Vasicka – i-D Online Exclusive Mix
The Exaltics – Juno Plus Podcast 32
Delta Funktionen – Traces [93DSR]
After four years of techno EPs for Delsin and Ann Aimee, Niels Luinenburg aka Delta Funktionen has finished his debut full length, Traces. Though still very much couched in techno, the album sees the Dutchman explore plenty of new sonic territory, as he often does in his long ranging DJ sets. It’s adventurous, basically, and is an album that doesn’t loose itself in intricate sound design, but instead pairs a raw, machine made aesthetic with plenty of real human soul and palpable earthly emotion.
“Traces is about my long time research into electronic music. It covers tracks that make reference to my favourite subgenres within electronic music: techno, house, electro and (Italo)-disco. There was no specific idea behind it because the album contains tracks made over a long time. Some are 3 years old, others were made this year, but in the end I think it sounds like a coherent piece of work.”
Made using a mixture of drum machines, FM and digital synthesizers, various bits of hardware and digital FX units, the whole thing was sequenced in Ableton with plenty of sample use to finish it off. From the atmospheric openings of blissful electro joint “Frozen Land” through the sultry and searching acid of “Enter” and on to more forceful cuts like “Redemption”, this is an album for listening to as much as it is for dancing. Mood driven landscapes like “Onkalo” prove that, but you’ll have to check it out for yourself to get a real appreciation of the story Delta Funktionen is telling.
Mike Dehnert – Fachwerk 25 [FW025LP01]
Mike Dehnert marks a quarter century of releases on his own label with Fachwerk 25, a full-length album comprised of 13 tracks. This new album sees Mike experimenting somewhat. Away from the dubbed out, functional and raw techno funk of his usual output, Fachwerk 25 shows some concession to the album format, with more mysterious tracks of ambient buried amongst bits of acid, rave and plenty of unhinged sound design. After the dystopian and scene-setting intro, there’s the chugging house and nagging synths of ‘Fraction’ that are both dark and beautiful at the same time. From there, there’s slowed, melancholic dub in the form of ‘Modulat” and the beat-less, underwater sounding ‘Courant’ with its icy pads and wide lateral spread. The title track is more what you’d expect of Dehnert, with well-swung kicks and grainy synth chords rolling along like basement techno should, before the squelchy industrial madness of ‘Grundform’ breaks the stride of the album once again, taking you off to a different place entirely. The second half is just as varied and unpredictable, ranging from raucous peak time stuff to more nuanced and cerebral fair that always manages to bares the hallmarks of Fachwerk: quality, invention and unpredictability.
Paul du Lac – Child’s Play [CJFD012]
Three new and raw box tracks by Paul du Lac, who seems to be pushing his minimalistic jackin’ sound palette even further. We have the fierce and autistic-tantristic dirtyness of ‘Tantra Master’, the Dance Mania flavoured funk of ‘Childs Play’, and the deep strings of the bassline-driven ‘Spaces Below’, a classic Chicago-inspired piece of work that seems to come from deep within.
Max D – Orgies of The Hemp Eaters [FT013]
Future Times presents a new Max D 12″, with a remix by Terekke! Max is back from the jungles of “Polo”, and he’s shed some of the atmosphere to make two cuts in full precision mode. “Orgies Of The Hemp Eaters” swings between Sakamoto romanticism and classic bass euphoria while the drums almost snap the track apart. Terekke steps in next with his “Can’t Get Enuff Mix” and punishes with a smudged version. B-side “Slick” streamlines the flow into a taut, intricate frenzy – a meditation on melody and the pure bliss of machines.
LHAS INC – Will You Dance With Me [CY009]
Strong track from L.H.A.S. Inc. (Jamie Read and Felix Dickinson). Analogue synths and vintage drum machines rock along with an infectious old school style reminiscent of the early sounds coming from Chicago and New York in the late 80’s early 90’s. On the B side Phoreski delivers a remix that takes the track to another level, darker haunting synths and a robo vocal asking, ‘Do you like the way you feel, will you dance with me’.
VA – I’m Starting To Feel Okay Vol 5 Part 1 [ENDLESSFLIGHT044]
The first single cut from upcoming mule musiq compilation “I’m Starting To Feel Okay Vol 5”. A side, Juju & Jordash with a very unique psychedelic techno stuff, Move D on A2 and DJ Sprinkles on B side are first available on vinyl.
VA – Donato Dozzy & Hieroglyphic Being Reworks [REDOSE001]
Ra.H & Dynamo Dreesen get reworked by Donato Dozzy, Madteo & Sensational by Hieroglyphic Being.
The Hipodrome Of Music 