Author: hipodrome
Echo 106 – Choco & Cherry [MATH070LP]
Echo 106 debuted with the well received Broken Hi-Hat Machine and returns with this masterful full length. He grabs influence from classic electro, Chicago house, Detroit tech and throws down a distinct sound and flavor true to his own. 17 tracks in total, and some beautiful pieces on there.
Hank Jackson – Deposit EP [MSN006]
Hank Jackson is from Southern California, but he calls Brooklyn home. This is his debute release for Mister Saturday Night, raw jacking and raging Chicago rooted techno tracks.
Hugh Mane – Spectra Sonics EP [RB041]
Made in the basement of an old tram station circa 1990 in a town that was probably London, Hugh Manes first and only release so far consists of hidden gems on a vintage DAT. “Back Life” is the name of this EP’s back bone. A reflexion about golden age deep house, early morning baby powder dreams or epiphanies on strawberry fields. “Hard To Finish If You’re Finish” and “My Midi Is A Mess” are the continuation of those visions, while “Fukdemdiscoidkids” via a Tuff City Kids edit is a rough and ready beat track.
Tase – Acido 13 [ACIDO013]
Nice bubbly submerged techno tracks of which the a-side leans towards soundscapes and the flip more into the deeper trippy techno realms.
Zach Lubin – Psycheframe [PA012]
Chicago techno artist Zach Lubin conjures magic on his first full-length album for the well-respected Parity label. Psycheframe is an ambitious collection of styles that cohesively brings together the various bits of Lubin’s diverse sound. The album also fits neatly into the Parity roster with its ongoing exploration into the more adventurous aspects of the techno genre. This release is difficult to pigeonhole as it restlessly covers new musical ground in the pursuit of something unique and lasting.
Hexagon – Blue Hour EP [TRSD002]
Having made a name for himself as a heavyweight ambient, electro and techno producer as Conforce and Versalife, Boris Bunnik is now ready to release his second release on his Transcendent imprint. The label started to expand his musical vision, and is focusing on deep and abstract mental sound excursions, also by future talents from the local scene in Holland. After stepping out of his own on the Red Shift EP, the producer delves even deeper into the unknown, into a world of filmic soundscapes, evocative sonic imagery and spacious abstract worlds. Forever keen to harness his studio technology, Bunnik comes up with a coherent but versatile mini-novel under his Hexagon moniker. Cold, but with a soul shimmering through the carefully crafted synthetic sounds.
VA – Elements EP [ESHU005]
ESHU Records returns with another various artists EP. 4 tracks by Aepiel, Hakimonu, Albert van Abbe & Counterpart, ranging from ambient to more straight forward techno.
Anno Stamm – My Peoples Head [MEA011]
Lars Stowe is mostly known for his work as Anstam, releasing his very own brand of avantgarde bassmusic and IDM-flavored intense electronic music on his own Anstam label and on Modeselektor’s 50Weapons imprint. His new Anno Stamm moniker sees him take on house and techno with the same eclectic and open-minded stance. On this new release for Meakusma, Stowe once again injects his tracks with fervour and eclecticism, breaking open their mould and giving them a sense of direction shaped into a relentless groove that slowly but surely opens up time and again. Here are four tracks that pay homage to Berlin’s techno roots. Just as much well-timed as ‘out of time’, these four tracks are underground slabs of raw but sophisticated, daftly funky techno power!
Mick Wills @ Holy Water, Prince Charles (Berlin) 28.06.2013
Aaron FIT Siegel – BIS Radio Show #687
Marcellus Pittman – BIS Radio Show #687
DJ Qu – K / D P – Keep It Deep Podcast 001
Perseus Traxx – Chiwax Podcast #1
Skudge live PA @ Berghain (Berlin) 20.07.2013
Mr. G – Retrospective [REKIDS012]
Illuminating compilation of trax from stalwart London producer Colin McBean, spanning a decade and half. The man himself talks of his “soulful, twisted low-end funk sound” and he’s right on the money: his productions have found fans in disparate factions of the underground, from the afterparty tech-house set to the UK bass upstarts, via the deeper house heads. Long before he began his association with Rekids, the label behind this compilation, G was rolling out gold on his own Phoenix G and labels like Defected, Duty Free, Shuffled, End, Tag and Careless, under such aliases as The Reaver, Mango Boy and Halcyon Daze. For this 21-track comp he’s selected his own highlights from this vast body of work, and it’s effectively the most potent cache of secret weapons that a DJ could hope to stumble upon this year. Of the Mr G-assigned cuts pay special heed to the bass-licked warehouse thump of ‘Hear Me Out’, the jazzwise tribalism of ‘Jet Black’, the priapic boogie-tech of ‘Shelter (Unreleased Version)’ and the headier Detroit stylings of ‘G’s Strings’, while the lockstep discoid bounce of The Reaver’s ‘Mmmm’ and Mango Boy’s sickly minimal, psychedelic ‘Potion’ also impress.
VA – Tape Sampler Series 01 [TSS001]
First release in the Sampler Series of Tape Records, a young quality label from Amsterdam. Featuring 4 lush techno tracks from various upcoming talents.
Mental Model – Bipolar EP [MNTLTRX301]
From the deepest and blackest moments to the highest emotion in a rush. Pure 808 and 303 inductions turn your stereo into a dark vacuum which soakes you into a state where you will find yourself distracted from reality. On the B side we let our passion for a good rave go
Neinzer – And Again [YUME001]
Fresh new UK label with two killer tracks that will turn some heads. Amazing piece of house music that is working like madd without using the standard cliche’s. A accomplishment by this young producer Neinzer in these days of ‘looking back’! Opening with a funked up track that goes somewhere between things we know from Shake and Recloose but comparing it to others isn’t doing the track any justice. Flip side cranks the tempo up and gives a mad techno piece with some sample trickery
Shxcxchcxsh – Strgths [AVNLP001]
The enigmatic SHXCXCHCXSH introduced their unique understanding of industrial-leaning techno to Avian with last year’s 12-inch Rjrjrffrjrj. Now Avian announce the Swedish duo’s first full-length album. STRGTHS features 7 scuffed, throbbing industrial tracks. Initiated by the drones of SLVRBBL, the openers’ atmospherics soon give way to the more direct, beat-driven LTTLWLF. RSRRCTN brings dubbier elements into play before leading into LVNGWTR’s searing melody and acidic dynamics. PCTSTSS accelerates up to the record’s zenith, before descending back into the darkness for the cold steel rhythms of WHTLGHT. Closer LLDTMPS evolves over the course of its near-12 minute running time to move from unsettling, disorienting tension to a warmer, contemplative climax.
