Author: hipodrome
Photonz – Nuit [DE257]
Photonz is the alias of Marco Rodrigues a DJ, producer and driving force of Lisbon’s underground scene. For little over a decade now, he’s been crafting his own deeply personal style of Portuguese house and techno. As a DJ, Photonz grew a reputation for deep crates and intensely euphoric sets and in 2017, together with Violet (co-founder at his Radio Quantica) and Lisbon’s own Rabbit Hole collective, he started the now infamous Mina parties – a monthly, sex-positive, queer and intersectional-feminist techno party aimed at using the dissociative potential of intense raving to create a temporary space of suspension away from patriarchal expectations. ‘Nuit’ is Photonz’s debut album and a simultaneous reference the Egyptian Goddess of the Stars or Night. Marco was really swept away by the concept of ‘freedom of form under the night sky’, the accepting embrace of Nuit. Ancestral, but also socially advanced and utopian; a deification of the night time. These ideas manifest themselves as eleven songs spread across two LPs that wax and wane like the moon. Photonz channels early techno, Drexciyan rhythms, balearic & atmospheric house; layering sounds, creating moments.
Pervocet – Acid Series Vol. 5 [IT043]
Deep tripping acid tracks on the new Interdimensional Transmissions. Pervocet is the brand name of the psychedelic music project from Patrick Russell and Jasen Loveland and is used to induce moderate to severe psychosis.
Ectomorph – Stark [IT002RE]
Essential electro-techno classic. This is the second record from Ectomorph and second record for the label Interdimensional Transmissions, from 1995. This is the first time it has been repressed in over a decade, and its been done using the original masters — coming from 2 wizards of Midwest Mastering. The A side was mastered by Mark Richardson at Metropolis (who later founded Prairie Cat Mastering) and the B side is complete with lock grooves cut by Ron Murphy. Manufactured in Detroit!
Franck Kartell – Science Fiction EP [BP007]
Deep space electro by French producer Franck Kartell. Known for his releases on labels such as “Bass Agenda Recordings”, “Transient Force” or “New Flesh”, just to name a few. This time he makes his debut on Between Places the sublabel of SolarOneMusic. Enjoy his journey into dreamy electro and sience fiction worlds.
VA – Strokes Of Industry [AH001]
Essential supplies of lethal dancefloor munition on the first release on Artificial Horizon label. Opening up the compilation is Antoni Maiovvi’s android lullaby ‘The Wolf Void’ followed by the pulsating analog rhythms of Das Ding’s epic (almost) 9- minute synthetic trip ‘Insect Apocalypse’. On the flip, Itako carries forward the sinister momentum leaving us in a dark state of hypnosis with its spectral synth and acid lines. Last but by no means least, Timothy J. Fairplay closes off the release in classic Fairplay style with an FX laden soundtrack for dystopian dreams that ascends to ethereal heights.
The bandcamp includes a free download of a Mick Wills cut for M Track.
Benoit B / Cándido – Dupla Rítmica EP [BR11]
Banlieue Records presents Dupla Rítmica EP. On the A-side, Banlieue’s own Benoit B delivers a track entitled 100%. It’s a 107 bpm affair, between pristine drum programming, a bassline at the forefront, oldschool textures a-plenty, stabs galore and some digital pan-pipes added for good measure. Here’s a compelling tune with a constant and tireless groove, like one of those obscure B-sides created several decades ago that still sounds forward-thinking. On the flipside, a track by Buenos Aires-based producer Cándido, who is here joining the dots between the sounds of classic European EBM and of US freestyle under a common latinx thread. With hard hitting percussion, pitched and gated drums, triggered samples, slapped FM bass and Spanish spoken word, this 115 bpm tune is a skilful and dance-inducing nod to oldschool vibes that haven’t lost their dance-inducing power.
Heap – Beat Nouveau EP [MTRONW005]
Vienna-based DJ and producer, Heap, lands on Mechatronica White with a radiant and hypnotic vision of forward thinking dance music, assisted by Gamma Intel’s menacing slow-burner on the flip.
Ruins – Marea / Tide: Sound & Image Research Volume One [MFM043]
Music From Memory’s latest release is a reissue of the lost Art record ‘Marea / Tide’ from Italian Wave duo Alessandro Pizzin and Piergiuseppe Ciranna also know as ‘Ruins’. Made to accompany and as a response to the works of painter ‘Luigi Viola’ the record was released limited to a run of 600 with original artworks by the painter included in the first 200 copies. A number of special showcases were performed at various galleries by the duo alongside Viola’s work, with records being available solely at those events. Due to poor management and disagreements with the label who produced the record, 300 copies were held for many years in storage and then in fact later even destroyed, the record disappearing almost without a trace. Finally now available again and with a bonus 7” including four beautiful unreleased tracks, the release is printed in colors true to the original work of Luigi Viola with insert.
Marco Faraone – Matter of Perspective [UNCAGE011]
Italian Techno Marco Faraone is back with an own release on his UNCAGE imprint. Next to his hard hitting new single, big remixes come from legends of the underground in Mark Broom, Efdemin and Mike Huckaby.
Sleeparchive – Archived 2 [ARCHIVEDroger 2]
Circling Vultures / Balance Angel – Mother of Abominations EP [BL003]
The Black Lodge presents “Mother of Abominations”, a split EP between Circling Vultures (Justin Aulis Long & Kenneth Zawacki) and Balance Angel (Bill Converse and Domokos) with a Kosmik edit.
Gamma Intel – Automatic Illusion [BT38MNC02]
Having debuted on the label with Drama in Decay, Gamma Intel returns after having become a regular fixture across European basements. His third outing sees the Rotterdam-based producer building on his previous output while incorporating an increasing wider palette of sounds. Automatic Illusion delivers his signature restrained and swaggering productions tapping into slow acid, breakbeat and electro.
Borusiade – Misfits of Broken Dreams [PBD20]
Borusiade’s ‘Misfits of Broken Dreams’ puts a futuristic twist on industrial electronics, fusing it with spaced out drones and detached, yet bold spoken word by the artist herself. Rugged tribal rhythms and rumbling bass complete the picture, and you’re left with an immersive ride leaving you somewhere inbetween fight-or-flight and gloomy despondency.
Olivia @ Dekmantel Festival 04.08.2019
VA – Squirrels On Acid [SOFWHITE002]
In the era of micro dosing, Squirrels On Film will provide you with a generous portion of the good stuff. Build your Acid House into an Acid Pleasure Fantasy Castle Extravaganza with the current selections from these various squirrels (on Acid). Solar’s “Unless You Have Wings Like a Bat” will conjure the ghosts of rave past for the séance, and all your funky friends have been invited. The Warehouse has drum machines in the red, and skeletons in the closet, all wearing smiley face masks and handing you gel tabs you probably shouldn’t take. Chris Mitchell hits next with “trks.” The dystopian dance party is on tonight. There’s no going back. You’re too far gone. The walls only appear to be shaking and breathing heavily like they’re dancing and you’re standing still. Sepehr jacks the tab further on “Servant’s Taunt” like the Criminal Justice Act had never been passed. It could be Miami Bass or a field in England but it’s a party, and everyone’s eyes are perfectly dilated. Bayview Acid Squirrels “Love Is The Slug” is pure phuture phantasy pleasuredome meltdown.
Pickled People – Pickled People [MC033]
Mint Condition is a record label focused on excavating the outer fringes of classic House and Techno. This 12″ is a rare diamond, another set of smooth and acidic jams from London 90’s potent tech-house underground, a rich and rewarding scene. Pickled People is the dynamic duo of Terry Francis & Jiten Acharya.
Versalife – Asimov’s Code [VIS316]
Versalife’s second release for 20/20 Vision sees Dutch producer Boris Bunnik aka Conforce return with another slab of signature electro. ‘Clandestine Development’ serves up dark tones and melodies layered within insistent electro beats and growling bass, that sounds huge on big room systems. ‘Aegis’ delivers a double dose of mechanical funk, played over atmospheric strings and auditory acid delights. On the B side ‘Lamba’ continues to impress with a moody laidback bass line holding the groove down over a solid rhythm & dystopian keys. Wrapping things up the title track ‘Asimov’s Code’ plays out like war drums from space pounding away after a blissful intro of building synths.
Plant43 – Red Horizon – Electric Eclectics Ghost Series [FUND018EE026]
Fundamental Records’ interesting electro music project called ”Electric Eclectics” comes with the additional ”Ghost Series”. Each record is a picture of the electro music released in the line that Fundamental Records has us accustomed, each sleeve silkscreen printed by hand in the same color of the vinyl record. Talk about the music itself is something that Fundamental Records try to avoid in each release, if you want to know why you only have to check the project Music for The Other People Place to understand this philosophy.
Kuldaboli – Heilastormur [STILLEBEN055]
Kuldaboli is part of the Stilleben family and has helped define its sound with his searing take on electro. This time around he dials back the crazy and offers up some more thoughtful and mysterious electro that kicks off with the bottom-wiggling boom bap and gurgling bassline of “Eolileg Mannvera”. Things slow down on the more eerie and unsettling “Kaldir Straumar” then its an all out computer game assault on “Lazer Tag” which is pristine digital perfection. “Where Are You” is a real floor wrecker and last of all alien life forms inhabit the haunting “Vakan Endalausa”.
The Hipodrome Of Music 