Month: April 2013
Jeroen Search – Slash Dot Dash Podcast 018
Alexander D’niel – Adapt Manchester Podcast 004
Alessandro Parisi – Draconia [LXRC012]
New album on Lux Rec. Alessandro Parisi recorded this album just with a Roland TR-707 and a Roland JX-3P. The heritage from his home in the northeast of Italy is clearly present in the music of Parisi. Back in the late seventies and early eighties Pordenone was an industrial city with a vivid underground post punk and wave scene. Cold weather electronics. Fog and darkness surrounds the place to this day and deeply pervades this record: the history of a city called Draconia. Who will do wrong shall not be forgiven.
In Trance 95 – Shapes In A New Geometry [MW043]
Minimal Wave announce the release of a cassette of new music by Greek legends In Trance 95. After last year’s successful Cities Of Steel And Neon album release, In Trance 95 came together once again and have been working diligently in the studio on all kinds of new material. Aside from their recent raved about shows in Europe, this cassette is a taste of what they have been up to at Airdawn Studio in Athens, Greece. Quite dark, industrial and sometimes experimental (with glimpses of smokey dance floor atmosphere), these tracks are stark, heavy and cold.
Q4U – Q1 (Deluxe Edition 1980-1983) [DE040]
Q4U was born the winter of 1980-1981 in Reykjavík, inspired by the British punk movement. It’s original members were Elínborg Halldórsdóttir (Ellý) (vocals), Berglind Garðarsdóttir (Linda) (vocals), Steinþór Stefánsson (guitar), Gunnþór Sigurðsson (bass), Helgi (drums) and Már (synthesizer). Helgi and Már soon left the band and Helgi was replaced by Kormákur Geirharðsson (Kommi) on the drums. By early 1982 they self-released a full length cassette, “Skaf Í Dag” and appeared in the documentary “Rokk í Reykjavík,” which showcased the Icelandic punk scene. This version of the band ended and only two members continued on. In the summer of 1982 Ellý and Gunnþór recruited Óðinn Guðbrandsson (guitar) and Árni Daníel (synthesizer) from the band Taugadeildin. Their drummer was replaced by a Roland TR-808 drum machine they named “Elísabet II”. signaling a change in the group’s sound toward synthesizer-driven post punk. In August 1983 Q4U reinstated Kormákur to record a final set of demos and then called it quits. This compilation collects 16 songs from 1980-1983. SIde A features the original six songs from the “Q1″ EP, plus 2 songs from the “Rokk í Reykjavík” soundtrack. Side B collects 4 demos from 1982 and 4 demos from 1983, all presented on vinyl for the first time ever. Q4U began with a stylish, aggressive punk image before experimenting with drum machines and synthesizers, which almost nobody did in Reykjavík at the time. The later sound had gothic leanings,often compared with Siouxsie and the Banshees and Xmal Deutschland. Their body of work is united by the powerful vocals of Ellý, who mostly sings in Icelandic about controversial, political experiences, much like Ari Up of The Slits.
Sandra Plays Electronics – Her Needs [MW042]
Minimal Wave label presents a 7” release of primitive D.I.Y. electronics by Sandra Plays Electronics, a project founded by Karl O’Connor (Regis) whilst he was a teenager living in Birmingham, England in the 1980s. O’Connor, mostly known for his pioneering work in the techno field (as Regis, Sandwell District, British Murder Boys, Ugandan Methods and various other entities) as well as his Downwards label, began playing and recording his own music when he was 16 years old. He collaborated with friends performing in short-lived bands such as Family Sex and also recorded on his own as Sandra Plays Electronics. He was heavily influenced by D.A.F., Liaisons Dangereuses, Cabaret Voltaire and Soft Cell, to name a few and would eventually collaborate with Robert Görl and also Chrislo Haas in the late 90s. The tracks we are presenting here are two versions of the same song, Her Needs, both recorded in Birmingham, England. The first was recorded in 1988 during soundcheck at the College of Food And Domestic Arts and the second was recorded in 1999 (from the Man Has Responsibilities session) at the Ice House. Pressed on heavy weight 70 gram ultra clear vinyl, the 7” is housed in a matte double sided printed foldover sleeve. Limited to 999 hand-numbered copies.
Traxx @ Night Flight | Planet 301, OT301 (Amsterdam) 29.03.2013
Ike Release – Dream Sequencer EP [MOSDEEP015]
Following on from his increasingly essential work as Innerspace Halflife, Ike Release steps out on his own for a new three tracker on MOS Deep that finds the Chicago producer in a bullish mood. Opener ‘Cosmic Supreme’ is a moody march across the surface of a planet far from here – typically raw, bobbling drums set the tone as a frazzled and drawn out synth line winds right through its core from start to finish. ‘Spells’ is backlit with an ethereal synthy glow as another thick analogue line takes the main focus of the track, all the while as nebulous percussion floats about like a cloud of dust in the background. Finally, ‘Westview’ is a little more propulsive, driven as it is by a lashing, rubberised bassline that sprays about freely, contained only by the itchy and more regimented hi-hats that slice up and down around it. Despite there being a sonic denseness to all three tracks here, a certain emotional gravitas always lurks with in: be it one of introspection or reflection, they are difficult to ignore.
Lost Trax – Hidden Agenda [TABR018]
Pepe Bradock – Lifting Weights [ASD021]
Acid Test’s first release of 2013 features two acid tracks from the French professor Pepe Bradock (his first release outside of his own Atavisme imprint in 10 years). Lifting Weights / Mujeres Nerviosas Recorded in LA, assembled in Paris.
VA – Introduction [AC001]
Anunnaki Cartel is the newly launched sub label of Amir Alexander’s Vanguard Sound operation and this first release sets the bar high; Alexander himself features alongside cuts from Joey Anderson and Chris Mitchell. The latter producer leads the way with “Illuminescent Invasion” a relentlessly rewarding concoction of fierce snares, deviant saw tooth synths and almost criminal abuse of the 303. Amir Alexander is growing into a personal favourite of the Juno review team and “Ostinato” demonstrates why in abundance. It’s a direct and druggy assault on your sensibilities based around discordant square synths and a undeniably funk heavy groove. Things get even weirder on the flip as Joey Anderson drops the kind of off-kilter, off the grid house production where all the elements appear to be pulling in separate directions but somehow combine for a unique cohesive groove. Mitchell and Alexander join forces to close this excellent 12″ with the cosmic techno of “Dark Memories” which has got the best snare sound since “Set It Off”.
Robert Hood – Slam Radio 026
Sleeparchive – A Man Dies In The Street Pt.1 [TRESOR260]
After spending five years stealthy developing the project through a series of bi-annual and hand- stamped set of releases, eked via his eponymous imprint, in 2011 Sleeparchive joined Tresor with ‘Ronan Point’— an EP of tracks constructed directly from material from Semsroth’s live set. Now comes more fresh works from the master of haunting, compelling minimalism in this first instalment of a two-part EP for the label.
Contakt – Nobody Else [IH004]
The latest offering from San Francisco’s Icee Hot label finds the young imprint officially welcoming another artist to its gradually expanding roster, the Michigan-reared, New York-based producerContakt. Particularly on “Nobody Else,” Contakt’s flair for big-room melody remains intact, but he takes notes from classic KMS, filling out the song’s cresting synths with a full-bodied bassline, a hooky vocal sample and a sturdy rhythmic underpinning. “Tessera 04” goes deeper, channeling Maurizio while delving headlong into a dense cloud of synths and maintaining a steady sense of forward momentum. Remixes by Ghosts on Tape and Robert Hood.
Zadig – Interview With A Mad Man [CRF005]
Zadig back on Construct Re-form, telling us about forgotten cities, deep and dark oceans, insane planets and outer space machines… a trip to Arkham asylum.
Mike Dehnert – Roulement EP [ECHOC023]
The new release on Echocord Colour comes from Mike Dehnert, featuring 2 powerfull Techno-Tracks, typical stripped down Mike Dehnert sound, perfect for the peak time dancefloor. The remix comes from Mike’s colleague Sascha Rydell, a monster flowding powerfull track.
DJ Overdose – Bizarro World 2LP [CRECLP001]
The bomb that should have dropped way back when. After a career spanning almost two decades DJ Overdose debuts on Creme with his first full length album, upon which we remark with carefully considered understatement: ‘A veritable tour de resistance in film noir electronics, Bizarro World is a dank and dark alley made flesh. Overdose’s heavy soulful beats and soundscapes snatch your dreams right from under you like a shadowy kleptomaniac, masterfully pairing melancholy and ennui with fear and voyeuristic tiger-lurking-in-the-bushes paranoia. So lock up your future plans or you might very well find yourself without any’. For those who don’t know, DJ Overdose is one of the OG’s of the La Haya underground, one half of Novamen and the other half of The Hasbeens with classic and sought after releases on Bunker, Viewlexx, Murder Capital, Clone and Strange Life to name a few. In his spare time he doubles as a hand model for Bruce Willis.
CN – Voyages [CPU00000010]
Norway’s CN aka Stian Gjevik delivers 4 cuts of spatial analogue electro. Overflowing with uber-melodic synthesizers along with CN’s complete mastery of the drum machine, Voyages is Detroit influenced braindance at its best.
Legowelt – Elementz of Houz music (Actress Mixes) [CJFD016R]
Clone Jack For Daze presents two remixes from Actress for “Elementz Of Houz Music”a track taken from Legowelt’s Paranormal Soul album.
The Hipodrome Of Music 