M1-Sessions is back with their third installment – “Luminous Stasis” by Dial 81. This EP is a journey through dance, ambient, and down tempo music. The storyline style track selection by DIAL.81 includes heavy instrumentals and atmospheric ambient. The 7 song E.P. features the divine vocal presence of Paul Randolph, unreleased reworks of Szymanski’s “Alley Cat” (retitled: “Any Time” + “Emit Yna”) and A Setting Sun’s “Sun Hammer Pounding” previous released digitally on Mood Gadget.
Having made a name for himself as a heavyweight dub, ambient and techno producer as Conforce, Versalife and Silent Harbour, Boris Bunnik is now branching out into label ownership with a close friend. The imprint will be called Transcendent, will be vinyl only and aims to focus on “deep and abstract mental sound excursions.” The first release is a four track EP from Hexagon, a producer who first appeared with a bonus 12″ that accompanied the release of Conforce’s Escapism album. Now stepping out on his own, the producer delves even deeper into the unknown, into a world of filmic soundscapes, evocative sonic imagery and spacious abstract worlds. Opener ‘Red Shift’ is ripe with intrigue and mystery, like the intrepid explorations of a spacecraft into the deeply unfamiliar whilst ‘Interference’ takes us into the bowls of a spaceship where robots seem to be spinning drills, computers bleep under their work load and all the while a thin and occult drone lingers in the background. ‘Fractional Wavelength’ is a nebulous world of more machine mechanics, this time glued together with a rubbery bass boom every so often, before ‘Permutation’ is the sound of an alien lab in full flow.. liquid drips, glassy tinkles and metallic sparks all send your mind into overdrive as you try to fill in a visual picture of this very real sonic world.
The second of Answer Code Request’s two 12″s for Marcel Dettmann’s MDR imprint sees three more rough techno cuts with 90s influences. A-side track “The Host” has echoes of Shed in its hypnotic metallic snares and looping, malfunctioning synth line. On the flip, the producer clearly indulges his tendencies for 90s IDM with “Thu”, a combination of ambient Aphex style melody and minimal D&B rhythms, while “Mikro” combines a heavily panned line of kosmische-style arpeggio, deep sub-bass and skittering breakbeats.
Although Patrick Graser has been producing since 2008, it’s as Answer Code Request that he’s arguably made the biggest impact. Now he finds himself on Marcel Dettmann’s MDR imprint for the first of two 12″s; A-side track “Main Mode” is perhaps a straighter cut than we’ve come to expect from the producer, as peak time chord stabs combine with a rolling 4/4 beat with subtle 90s breakbeat influences. On the flip, he takes things in a more experimental direction, as “Biokinetik” combines processed chopped up percussion with a sludgy bass that heaves under its own weight, and “Untitled” throws crisp 2-step snares together with ambient pads.
Giegling is back with a killer deep dusty techno release by the Prince Of Denmark Tracks that slowly rise above the layers of swampy dubby sounds and brighten up like a beautiful autumn morning. Gentle seductive sounds coming in a variation of soft colours.
Shifted makes a welcome return to Our Circular Sound. The four tracks EP don’t deviate from the established Our Circular Sound template, at times channeling the same intensity and single minded “heads down” momentum that ran through much of Crossed Paths, Shifted’s debut LP for Mote Evolver. “Chapter” sets the grainy tone, locked grooving from the off yet slowly introducing extra rhythmic wallop and minute textural details that keep its head well above mere DJ tool. “Feeding” provides some brief yet ominous respite before launching straight into late 90s Downwards functionalism of “Aun Weor” and “Unveiled”.
First release in a brand-new series of heavily textured, hypnotic and puristic techno by one of Holland’s veteran’s in this area of expertise. This twelve marks the official launch of the second alter ego from Nijmegen’s Darko Esser. You might call Tripeo the nemesis of his other project Onionboy. Where Onionboy is as eclectic as he can get, Tripeo is all about niches and purism. All trips are inward journeys through explicit sounddesigns, textures and rhythms.
ETG005 the ‘Revok Ep’ sees two new upfront original tracks from Chris, Dax and Gareth with the addition of an outstanding extended remix of ‘Revok’ from the mighty ‘Ø [Phase]’. This EP was heavily influenced from Gareth’s first visit to Berlin earlier this year in 2012 and also by the artist ‘Revok’ who had been putting up some amazing pieces on East London walls around the same time.
“Inversions” is the second release by Plural on Separate Skills Recordings. The new release by Dayton’s mastermind James Johnson is a clear statement to follow up with four powerful dance-floor oriented tracks. Again made up of driven metallic chords, Dub and Detroit Techno elements in the vein of the last release.
Semantica celebrates release #50 with this double A-side by Surgeon and labelhead Svreca, teaming up with Skirt. Dark techno from the off.
Dare & Haste delivers a tough peak-time package on Pareto Park, a razor sharp techno transmission from Birmingham via Barcelona. This huge 11 track release of dark and detuned, fist-pumping techno is manifestly modern but nods to Birmingham’s techno history. The remixes represent the city’s current techno events, the release includes Atomic Jam’s Chris Finke, plus artists who co-founded AUM with Dare&Haste, as well as the Resonance crew which includes previous Pareto Park contributor Jake Conlon. This is uncompromising and unpretentious warehouse techno.
Originally released in 1996, ”Impolite to Refuse” immediately inspired the future members of ICAN. It had that Detroit Techno soul with latinized bass and percussion; even before Knights of The Jaguar, Claude Young’s masterpiece had won us over. Also included on this release are two new versions of ”Impolite to Refuse”. Esteban Adame and Santiago Salazar did their homework to recreate the strings, bass and then added their own inspired twists for the ICAN Remake. Esteban Adame slows it down to 118 bpm for a latin funk jam on his Deep Mix.
Fachwerk boss and dubby techno don Mike Dehnert steps away from his usual home for a new EP on Delsin entitled ‘Umgangston’. ‘Andruck’ swings back and forth on a squelchy synth hook as tin foil hi hats cut up long thin pads. Knocking bell sounds add plenty of silvery colours to the dubby bass below, and it’s one of the more serene and beautiful Dehnert cuts of recent times. ‘Tracer’ is much sterner, with huge Basic Channel dub waves breaking beneath scratchy synths and acid bleeps. Fizzing and fine grain like warm white noise, it’s for those more intense dancefloor moments. ‘Refillable’ finds Mike in full on rave mode with filters twisting and turning and skewing synths into weird patterns as hi hat ringlets race between sandy claps and a tortured vocal yelps out every so often. Rushy and racy, it’s underpinned with a walloping kick drum where closer ‘Umgangston’ is about knife-edge intensity, cantering kick drums and wild, freeform synth lines.
The concept behind Raw Series is just a drum machine and a synth – pure analogue DJ-tools. This is thier second release.
Previously only available as part of his subscription 12” series ‘Mixed Fortunes’, these two 12”s heralds the first original material from Rory Phillips, following a 7 year run of well received remixes for the indie and dance elite. Named to reflect the stylistic range of the series, Mixed Fortunes channels the same spirit of musical adventure heard in both Phillips’s remix work and in his genre-hopping DJ sets, with tracks both by Phillips alone in his well stocked analogue studio as well as some undertaken with a range of top secret collaborators.
Shock is a passionate dance and pop group from the Bay Area, CA. “Heaven” is Shock’s debut single, which features a hypnotic house groove, a primal bass line, and shimmering guitar layers. Terri Loewenthal’s mysterious and seductive vocals are complemented by novel production from Dan Judd and the alluring guitar work of Michael Taras. Sleek and inviting, “Heaven” is laced with a romantic melancholy reminiscent of the classic disco and house eras. The “Heaven” 12″ features remixes by Shock’s friends: The Beat Broker, Hatchback, and Steve Moore. These versions perfectly compliment the original and expand the music into complete universal harmony.
Disco Bloodbath Recordings’ third release drops with synth-beat duo G&S (Nadia Ksaiba and Matt Waites) turning in ‘The Green Man’ EP featuring a remix from Capracara. The unmistakable punch of a Roland TR808 drives ‘The Green Man’ while jabbing tones add to the gritty foundation that slowly opens up into a stirring, electro-disco cut characterised by soaring strings and light chords. Capracara delivers a buoyant, skipping house take on ‘The Green Man’ which stays true to the originals vibe but toys with the energy playfully via some nifty arranging and subtle atmospherics. Finally, ‘Dirk Bogarde’ cuts an imposing yet bright figure. Cascading white noise, juddering toms and delayed crescendos all add to an already brilliantly melodic track that shows off countless influences.
Free Magic and JKriv team up again for the third release from the Brooklyn party and label, Discovery Recordings. These tracks capture the developing mood of a party – from the early night grooves to peak-hour proper house.
