Author: hipodrome
Crossover Network – In Disarray 050
Muslimgauze – Return Of Black September [ARCHIVEFIFTYONE]
The excellent Black September, a continuous, five-part, 68-minute epic, is as formidably competent as ever, although more for the brooding, surreal nature of its soundworld than for its grooves, which here sound almost subsidiary. The soul samples and restlessly evolving minor-chord kaleidoscopes that unfold throughout the work is prima facie evidence of a musician on a roll. Boldly named after one of the most notorious Palestinian terrorist organizations, the group which carried out the Israeli Olympic athlete massacre in 1972, September matches it’s dark black artwork and design with equally doom-laden music (mastered as one track, despite the five separate song titles listed on the back).
VRIL – Bad Manners 4 [BM4]
Elevating dubbed out Techno album, comes in gatefold cover. Comming from VRIL on Marcel Dettmann’s label Bad Manners Records.
Frankie Knuckles – It’s A Cold World / Bad Boy [TX151RED]
Another slice of essential Knuckles / Principle magic, here the duo’s love of Italo and Euro pop records seems to collide with Chicago’s darkened dance-floors and raw drum machines. Perfectly sleazy and insanely danceable, Jamie Principles voice was made for Frankie Knuckles pristine productions and their unique styles compliment each other endlessly. Both tracks featured on this 12″ take us into the subterranean night life of Frankie and Jamie’s world, a world of yearning, heart-break, love and acceptance. A huge pairing of tracks on their initial release and still to this day some 25+ years later, “It’s A Cold World / Bad Boy” was a total game changer, almost verging on pop but too “outsider” to gain the mainstream attention it so deserved, the record stands today as a true classic.
matteo. – POA001 [POA001]
Crossover Network – Abattoir of Dreams [RET009]
Late night escapades- Wandering endlessly through desolated city’s. Behind the dystopian area that favours the odd minds. We had to go under the ground. Nothing is left only an Abbatoir of Dreams. For Dark is the Suede That Mows Like a Harvest.
Freddy Fresh – 1996 [EAR028]
Freddy Fresh returns on Earwiggle to provides some choice material from the year 1996, remastered and ready for modern consumption. We start with the tunneling acid tour-de-force of ”Abraxas”, that first appeared on Freddy’s ”Analog Space Funk” album on Analog, followed by a similarly spaced out (yet previously unreleased) track of the same period, ”Aerial”. Originally released on Cari Lekebusch’s Hybrid label, ”Logical Grooves 1” is prototype supernatural techno on an almost morbid tip, while ”Barogue” is a classic Freddy Fresh cut to wrap up (fittingly taken from his ”Accidentally Classic” album on Harthouse), where weighty Mr. Fingers style chords play over an epic and deep-building exotic soundscape. ”1996” marks a special snapshot in time – when Freddy Fresh did ‘out there’ techno in a way that no-one else did, techno that we believe will always stand the test of time.
Florence – Analogue Expressions [DSR/EEVO001]
Delsin turns its attention to the archives of one of the great early pioneers of Dutch techno – Eevo Lute Muzique. The label was founded in 1991 by Wladimir Manshanden and Stefan Robbers (who was already recording seminal early techno records as Terrace for Djax-Up-Beats). Channeling the inspiration of the Detroit originators and mixing it up with their own synth pop and new wave influences, Manshanden and Robbers (adopting the Florence alias) forged a bold aesthetic with Eevo Lute, both musically and visually. This was an early iteration of techno as listening music, with an emphasis on expression and narrative over dancefloor functionality, helped in no small part by Manshanden’s striking poetry. This double set of remastered, reissued tracks gathers together the earliest Florence and Wladimir M. material, largely recorded between 1991 and 1994, across five discs – the definitive document of a treasured piece of Dutch techno history.
MSRG / Reedale Rise – Aquatic Experience [HE-01]
Welcome to Aquatic Experience on Electronic Leatherette sublabel Heretic Electro. Sonic studies of Drexciya still alive and continues in 2020. MSRG and Reedale Rise will dive you through aquatic technologies of modern electro music. Enjoy the experience and don’t forget to fill feedback forms after leaving your deprivation rooms.
5IVE – Planet Be Remix EP [THINNER003]
New Thinner Groove release including a Hashman Deejay remix for the 5ive track”Planet Be”. The undeniably cosmic and spacey deep house chug, with shimmering synth riffs and bubbly electronics cluster around a sparse, tribal-tinged groove.
Late Night Approach – The Naus Investigation [KL-NR4]
Late Night Approach is back on Klakson with 3 fast paced machine funk tracks.! The Italian duo is taking this EP up to a next level with their distinguished sound, a fresh blend of electro, IDM and UK goodness. Bonus on the A side is a slamming FastGraph remix.
Ekman – Kronkel [SHIP066]
Ekman is no stranger to Shipwrec. With three EPs and an album, the dutchman’s brand of fire and brimstone has seared a serious impression on the Nijmegen imprint. The fourth 12″ comes with a marked difference. That burning smouldering intensity that has characterised the acid soaked electro and stained techno of past records is present, however it is now sheathed. Beats are still sharp edged, as in “Verdraaide Logica”, yet keys have softened and taken on an introspection. “Kronkel” is cast in a similar mould. From a fearsome kick blooms an incredibly layered and thoughtful track where melodies bob and weave while rhythms rail. Even amidst the sinister sidling synthlines of “Anker Punten”, with its piercing and punishing percussion, there are understated pads to mellow. The glass and steel of “Vast/Los” ends the EP. Angular lines permeate the piece, reflection and refractions arc and bend in this science fiction finale. Depth mixed devilment from start to finish.
Die Gestalten – Widerstand [DIEGESTALTEN004]
Bandcamp To Waive Its Fees on 1st of May
“A few Fridays ago, we waived our revenue share to help artists and labels impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. The Bandcamp community went above and beyond, spending $4.3 million on music and merch in just 24 hours. It was an inspiring day, and we heard many requests to do it again, so we’re going to do exactly that (and a bit more).
We’ll announce the details of this initiative to everyone next Monday, but we wanted to give our artists and labels a heads up that the first step is coming soon: on Friday, May 1st, we’re going to waive our revenue share again. Stay tuned for more information next week, and be sure to check out our new Bandcamp Artist Guide for recommendations that will help you maximize your sales on May 1st and beyond.”
In addition to this Bandcamp announced they will waive their revenue share also an June 5 and July 3. So, in the first Friday from the next three months.
Go and support your favorite music!
L.F.T. – Suburban Mix 171
VA – Phormix – Mass Disorder [FREE DOWNLOAD]
Free download compilation from Athenian outfit Phormix; including tracks by Anatolian Weapons, Baz Reznik, Celldod, DJ Loser, Fragedis, Morah, Outermost, Penelope’s Fiance, Unhuman and many more.
No Moon – Set Phases To Stun [XK020]
No Moon is back on X-Kalay. A lot has changed in the three years since his debut on the label but Fred’s ability to turn in forward thinking and original electro definitely has not. This latest effort is the work of an exciting producer on the rise. Opening the A side “CPU Limit 99” is full of jungley skittish breaks, acid bass and off kilter rhythms. By the time we hear the voice of Agent Smith creeping out in the first break we could be forgiven for casting our minds back to Metalheadz circa 2002. Next up, “Aoe_Rushin” is the pick of the bunch for us and continues The Matrix theme, albeit less explicitly, via a full on bonkers trip of searing acid, razor sharp drums and smashed up vocals. On the flip Adam Pits switches up “Aoe_Rushin” into a pacey 4×4 club joint utilising some expansive arrangement and lovely speed garage-esque bass. Closing things out, title track “Set Phasers to Stun” winds things back and rounds up with a deep and meditative cut of melodic electro.
Obergman – Pyroclastic Flo [STILLEBEN057]
Ola Bergman returns on Luke Eargoggle’s excellent Stilleben label. The four tracks he’s delivered are as strong as you’d expect, with the veteran Swedish producer choosing to flit between cuts built around druggy, Italo-disco style arpeggio basslines, and more electro-framed workouts. Such is the quality of material on show that picking highlights is tough, though we’re particularly enjoying the gently intergalactic positivity of basement chugger “Fibonacci Horizon”, the Drexciya-influenced outer-space electro weightiness of “Olympus Mons” and the hazy “Pyroclastic Flow”, where lilting, “Selected Ambient Works” style chords and melodies ride a muscular, all-action dark Italo groove.
Luke Slater – Berghain Fünfzehn [OSTGUT127]
Berghain Fünfzehn sees Luke Slater creating new compositions from the Ostgut Ton back catalogue, chopping, looping tweaking and deploying sounds into a mix that is both a playful retrospective of the label and future-facing vision for mixing and dance music. On April 17, seven exclusive tracks from the Berghain Fünfzehn DJ mix will be released on two 12”s and for streaming/digital download. De- and reconstructing the Ostgut Ton discography, Slater’s vision encompasses not only sampling but live electronics and improvisation, resulting in a broad spectrum of heady and liminal dance music: from ultra stripped-back mindfuck techno, vocals and blasts of distortion to breakbeat excursions, minimalistic acid, and rave polyrhythms. In other words: the arc of the label through Slater’s singular hallucinatory prism.
The Hipodrome Of Music 