The Lobster white label series finally gets back into gear with a sublime five-track scorcher from core London member Luke Palmer aka Ozel AB. After firing some deafening shots with last year’s Crimes EP – which burrowed deep into some seriously trippy and journey’d house, techno and acid -Valis sees Palmer develop those evolving arrangement ideas across five very different soundboards that bring his signature brain-fuzzed deepness, rubbery acid and dubbed-out sound design to the fore.
Plangent Records is back with the first various artists compilation and gathers long time friends, likeminded musicians and new talent on this 10 track release. 3 years after the last Recondite release on his own Plangent label this included works of Tin man, RNDM, Scuba, Dj Tennis, Monoloc and others. Plangent is establishing itself as platform for deep, low-key, melancholic electronic techno music with this big album release.
Electro kicks, raw textures, ominous choirs: L’ immaginario, Previsto’s opening track, ties a bound between Martelli’s two releases on Antinote, giving us one last glimpse at the uninhabited post-apocalyptic landscapes drawn in Menti Singole. However, this time Leonardo Martelli explores a more urban universe, as the use of rap samples on Negli abissi and Lo Schema suggests. Martelli exploits their aggressiveness in a way that somehow reminds us of minimalist rap tapes from Memphis. The third track’s title makes it even clearer: called Leggende Metropolitane, the song is a trip into the darkest blind alleys of the city, an invitation to wander among human wastes, driven by its light kick. La Luna, is the most contemplative moment of the album, offering us a meditative break before the nightmarish Il registro, Martelli’s brutal come-back to raw electro with a tune which depicts us a hellish engine room for expiating souls. Finally, the record concludes with Previsto, a haunted title track, filled with wailings that give us to contemplate a cruel vision of the urban misery we’re stuck in.
From scratchy ambience to dramatic slow tempo bpm cuts to melodic house tracks, 45 ACP shines on this ep showing his versatility and reinforcing his reputation for strong song writing and composition. Once again diverse enough for club or home listening, warm up or peak time…let the djs make the choice.
After inaugurating the ‘Opera’ sub-series of his Outis Music label with the ‘Omonimo’ double LP, Dino Sabatini has invited some choice allies to help define the vocabulary and expand the vision of the new imprint. The aforementioned album, which wove together Sabatini’s atmospheric conjuring skill with the piano flourishes of Antonello Salis, already exhibits the label’s commitment to dismantling the ‘either-or’ logic of contemporary genres by successfully merging a variety of supposedly irreconcilable styles, talents, and worldviews (e.g. both mythological and the technological perspectives). The follow-up EP, ‘Concentrica’, draws on the material from ‘Omonimo’ and delivers it into the hands of additional remixers in order to continue the Outis Opera voyage.
AvantRoots present Espectrum, a year-long effort to put together a compilation of the best dub techno. The compilation was carefully built with hypnotic, obscure, dense, and magical sounds with an eternal hook.
The Fantastic Planet EP sees Höppner collaborating with Japanese DJ and producer Gonno on three bouncy, club-enabled tracks, steeped in early 90s House and UK Electronica vibes.
Portray’s sound spectrum is diverse but always intimate, focussing on excitement, warmness and friendship. For the third release they bring 4 salty swirling posse jams from Jonas Palzer, Berni, Pablo Mateo and N.O.C.
Dominic’s initial Modaji releases garnered acclaim from luminaries such as Francois Kevorkian, Derrick May and Gilles Peterson and after 10 years away from releasing to concentrate on composing music for film and television, Jacobson returns to the studio to delve further into his deep house and ambient soundscapes. The first of two EP’s, Belle Epoque touches on a more cinematic approach to production and showcases a warmer, more expanded sound.
As part of the label’s mission to champion Dutch talent, Voyage Direct has always promoted new, up and coming, and little-known producers. Here the debut 12” from a mysterious young producer known only as Darling.
Earlier this year, Dekmantel announced the signing of Robert Hood for a new project titled Paradygm Shift. Over the course of three different EPs, which will eventually evolve into an album, the Detroit but now Alabama based legend presents Paradygm Shift. Hood: “The idea behind Paradygm Shift is similar to a shift in our focus. We can become so complacent, we are so comfortable with our surroundings, I think this is the time for electronic music to find a new mindset”. Volume II serves up two more killer techno floor bombs by the never disappointing originator. ‘Master Jack’ is a classy and deadly effective cut that gets its strength from a simple, yet biting stack of funky chords, while pulsating bass lines and rattling hats are holding it together. More fast-paced action can be found on ‘Magnet’, a no-nonsense, minimalist stomper you can store in your peak-time section. Refined techno action times two, but what did you expect.
Out Electronic Recordings introduces the second installment of Different Seasons various artists series. As the first volume, the record embraces melodic techno tracks and introduces new and old faces to the roster. On A side Attic Music boss Fabrizio Lapiana appears on Out-ER again offering ‘Square’, then the experienced DJ Luciano Esse offers ‘The Call’ following to his very first ‘The Green EP’ released on the Italian label back in 2012. Flipping the record over on B side and LaChriz’ comeback on Out-ER sees the debut of his moniker ‘Farron’ with the ethereal cut ‘Travelling Through Your Mind’ – while the newest artist on board Hydergine provides a dub techno journey opting for a swinging, fresh piece typical of his production imprint.
Known for his more elegant and subtle atmospheric techno music though, Conforce is never afraid of deviating from his safe zone. Sometimes a change of environment can bring new musical influences and shine new light on existing musical projects. There is a small narrative about this release. What happens when you place an island boy in an multicultural harbour metropolitan city? Stuff might get a little bit more rough edged from time to time. A transition from the serene tranquility of the islandic coasts to the impatient impulsiveness rush of the metropolitan city. Narrative Collapse EP contains music created though more impulsive machine jamming. Be ready to get a fix of Rotterdams real danger.
Solid mainstay Skudge has been pushing their unique mixture of house and techno for over half a decade now. In a new direction of becoming a sole producer for now, Skudge 009 is the first mark of this new direction.
The intertwined beat structures of ’Waveless’ on the A-side takes us to charted Skudge territory. The small modulations and the pushing groove has become a trademark. Flipping over to ’Motion’, a colder and haunting atmosphere binds this two tracker together, with a lot of focus and ambition for the future.
Second volume from the mysterious Go Music collective. Wicked evocative melodies and weird electronics.
Justin Van Der Volgen’s My Rules label is back with its second release of 2016: the Lee Douglas edit of Soulful Dynamics – Jungle People. Given the nod and approved by the band, this is the version you’ve heard and been looking for over the last few years. Now finally seeing a proper release after many requests. Douglas takes the original, teases out the arrangement and turns the psychedelic knob to 100.
Hailing from Mexico, Zombies In Miami are debuting on Bordello A Parigi with a pair of late night burners. ‘Turquoise’ is a sliding snaking piece of synthesizer sorcery. Crisp beats are draped in hazy harmonies, reverb soaked bars rising amongst soaring keys and echoed vocals for a work of true elation. ‘Hipodromo’ follows, and starts as it means to go out. Drums crash before a floor melting synthline is dropped. The swirl of the mirrorball takes over as this duo whisk you into the warm and melting sounds of strings, rich bass and climbing claps.
Honey Soundsystem releases ‘Cosmologist’, the latest offering from Robert Yang aka Bézier. ‘Cosmologist’ explores Robert’s personal universe with three tracks that connect his varied musical lineages. ‘Cosmos’, a celebration of the late 80s/early 90s KIIS FM universe, is built around an infectious freestyle hook that morphs into a seven minute tour of intersecting styles. ‘Ether’ begins as gothic night-driving electro, but breaks into fantasy-scapes inspired by Italo and 1980s Japanese anime theme songs. The final track, ‘d. Quelle’, clocks in at over 11 minutes, incorporating bebop jazz solos drawn from his early exposure to improvisation techniques by Charlie Parker, and Cannonball Adderley.
Oraculo Records announce a new release, “Tormento Part 1” from Synths Versus Me. After the sold out Synths Versus Me first album “Auferstehung”, they release the first part of their second album “Tormento” that have been divided in 2 parts on the vinyl edition in order to maintain the EP/Maxi sound in all the tracks.
