The Pittsburgh Track Authority trio of Thomas Cox, Preslav Lefterov and Adam Ratana continue to flourish, here joining the Argot ranks. “Giza” and its B Side accompaniment demonstrate a charming flexibility to their collective production palette. “Giza” is a resplendent slice of 2-step, the swift rhythmic touches blessed by luminescent melodic patterns and rapid orchestral edits. Complementing this, the trio engage their love of electro with the squiggly subaqueous flex of “Crosstown Blvd”.
Roundabout Sounds’ ‘Mellow Drama EP’ features a pair of up & coming duo acts. Suburb from Hamburg and a pair of Greek artists known as Moshi Moshi. The remixers on this project are Tristen and the one and only Rick (TheGodson) Wilhite of 3 Chairs, Detroit.
Machines State Polymers is back with another ferocious mixture of techno-filtered, house power. Lucretio gives us his third release for the label and furthers his explorations into the relationship between machines and sounds. His improvisational and ultra-minimalistic approach to constructing techno, not to mention the strict reliance on analogue hardware, have created an inimitable flare and familiarity to his tracks. The A side kicks off with a pumping, bass-driven groove which subtly evolves to become a relentless house bomb; followed smoothly by the sharp, quick-firing sample technique for which Lucretio is so well known for, on the A2. Over on the flipside, a desolate female vocal is pushed forward by a murky, tape-hissed percussion which is rapidly engulfed into a frantic whirlpool of ghostly synths and crispy effects. Finally, “Your Name” switches things up and breaks down the more familiar 4/4 territories into a twisted, half-stepping monster, complete with Lucretio’s trademark drumming style – raw, sparse and crunchy.
In a fit of tunnel vision Buckfast afficionado Marco Bernardi drives his hooptie off a cliff and slides underwater for a deep rolling mondo house trip that oozes sub bass and sneakiness in a weird paradox of uplift & despair, and doesn’t come up for air until Tevo Howard adds some sunday morning percussive tea-bag flavor to it. Meanwhile on the Ocean floor that absolutely venomous J.T.C. remix wipes out everything and anything it comes across.
Simoncino returning to Mathematics, brings a solid release beginning with a spaced out soundscape & flows into “Dark Devotional Energies”, an eerie cut with killer drums like “The China Syndrome”. “Place Space This Galaxy” and “Easing The Cosmic Streets” take on the flip on this essential EP.
Debut from Roche on the Mathematics label leads off with “Sans Quimico”, an amazing tune with elements of deep house and Detroit techno. “LFTL Eternal” starts the flip with an obscure bangin track with crisp hats and a bubbling bassline. The title cut ends the EP with a chilled out deep 5am feel.
A new label curated by Little White Earbuds’ Editor-In-Chief and Stolen Kisses label owner, Steve Mizek, delivers its first release from American producer, Amir Alexander. Its four tracks reveal a startling rich and complete aesthetic inspired by the history of American house while avoiding merely emulating its forefathers. Alexander’s commanding melodies are carried on hard-bitten beats and often guided by deeply resonant bass lines beftting of this trained bassist.
Call Super is an outlet for hallucinatory club music. Swaying from the lean and muscular edges of techno, to the fractured palette of electronica and rough electro his productions share a tendency towards the live and informal. Now Call Super emerges with two tracks that comprise No Episode EP on New York’s Throne of Blood. Both tracks are then responded to, the former by Madteo, the latter by John Heckle. “No Fun” is a grinding bass-heavy groover rooted by its warehouse techno stomp and embellished with trippy melodic flourishes. Queens-based bass producer Madteo takes the original and recasts it in his singularly buggedout, broken and lo-fi style. “No Fool” is a storming dancefloor sureshot awash in noise and menace. For his relick, UK house upstart John Heckle amplifies the original’s halucinogenic circularity into a swirling monster of warped arpeggios and flying cymbals.
Thema presents the first up out of the 3 releases for the Re:Vision series, Steve Poindexter’s timeless classic “Computer Madness”. It’s hard to imagine that this was really created over 2 decades ago, and Thema made sure to find the right minds to revise this masterpiece. Function and Jerome Sydenham where chosen for this one.
New Brooklyn label Felte will be opening for business with the debut LP from doom-mongers ERAAS. ERAAS, aka Robert Toher and Austin Stawiarz, emerged last year from the remains of Noughties post-rockers Apse. The pair’s aim is purportedly to explore more occult territory than their previous gig allowed them. Fittingly, their self-titled debut – recorded in a “rambling, atmospheric mansion” in Massachusetts – is a gloomy affair, setting murky harmonies over the sort of percussion death-rattle you’d expect from a Vatican Shadow record.
Suzanne Ciani is a composer, recording artist, and pioneer in the field of electronic music. She is best loved for her fifteen albums of original music that feature her performances in a broad array of expressions: solo piano, piano with orchestra, piano with jazz ensemble and pure electronic. No matter the medium, Ciani’s music communicates the special intimacy, passion, and sensitivity that have become her trademark and prompted fans to buy over a million of her albums. The Seven Waves is Suzanne’s first album. She started recording it in 1979, finished it in 1981, and released it in Japan in 1982 on Atlantic Recordings.
This year has seen Tropic Of Cancer stealthily plot a successful course for total infiltration of our affections, with some well chosen releases laying down the foundations of expectation for the band’s much vaunted debut album, slated for release on Blackest Ever Black next year. This eminently collectable three track release for Belgian imprint Sleeperhold will no doubt jostle for first place with that wonderfully atmospheric 12″ on Mannequin and split HTRK release on Ghostly for best Tropic Of Cancer release of 2012. It’s “Children Of A Lesser God”, the final exquisite track that will floor most people, capturing Camella Lobo and company at their most powerful. Spartan drum machines and nerve tingling guitars form the backbone of this stunning seven minute track as Lobo’s undeniably plaintive delivery sinks ever deeper into the murky recesses.
Following on from the success of Delsin’s new house series, the Dutch label are branching out again with a new sideline in electronica. The first release comes from Venetian producer Seawash and comprises 6 tracks of dense and fuggy, otherworldly sounds. ‘Pantomime’ opens the EP awash with ethereal yet underwater sounding synths, light and dark contrast with rough and smooth and the effect is one of pure electronic escapism. ‘Revolution’ shows a lighter side to Seawash and comes over like a mature adult lullaby with harmonic bells dangle above scraping, skeletal percussion. ‘Free Alternatives’ closes out the first side with a stripped and downbeat air: lazy snares cut out a rhythm as more blissful harmonics drift by like feathery clouds. On the flip ‘Close (Vox)’ shimmers like reflections on a lake as an r&b vocal drifts between sun-kissed guitar licks. Slow and sexy without being overly saccharine, it’s more than lush. ‘Emeralds’ is initially more industrial and sounds like machines in torment before Seawash’s surely trademark watery smears dissipate the tension and transport you to a deep sea world once again. Closer ‘Little John’ stutters and skips along with only the slightest hint of a ticking hi hat immersed in oceans of aqueous echo and delay. Traces of garage lurk within, but like the EP overall, it’s a truly unique listening experience.
The Hipodrome Of Music 