Author: hipodrome
Blondes – Blondes [RVNGNL012]
Blondes, the duo of Sam Haar and Zach Steinman, release their self-titled debut album for RVNG Intl. The release includes a 8 original tracks CD and a remix CD, featuring among others JD Twitch, John Roberts, Andy Stott and Traxx.
Native Underground – Close [UTS033]
Brooklyn duo Native Underground drop the first Under The Shade release of 2012. Remixes from Alphabet City, Ben Pearce and the production half of Native Underground, Son of Sound.
Black Devil Disco Club Presents Bernard Fevre / Yellow Peril Disco Group – Max Stroke / Bamboo Disco [FRESH007]
Black Devil Disco Club founder Bernard Fèvre blesses Fresh Up Records with the unreleased 1975 Moog gem Max Stroke. On a similar tip to his highly sought-after library LP The Strange World Of Bernard Fèvre this track combines a driving rhythm with pulsing Dr Who bass and soaring Moog melodies. Yellow Peril Disco Group bring us the yellow magic sounds of Bamboo Disco. Moroderish synth bass and disco drums from Japanese-born globetrotting artist Yuri Suzuki with synth and vocoder flourishes from Fresh Up founder Ed DMX.
Doris Norton – Raptus LP [BWR144]
Doris Norton, pioneer in the early electronic/computer music, began her musical career playing avant-garde and progressive music using synthesizers such as Roland System 700, Roland system 100M and Minimoog (Jacula, Antonius Rex). This is the 30th Anniversary edition, the Cd version contains a TV appearance of Doris Norton in 1981 playing Psychoraptus.
Central Unit – Loving Machinery [MNQ024]
Mannequin is really happy to present the 30th Anniversary Edition of the 12’’ EP ‘Loving Machinery” from Central Unit, the cult New Wave mitteleuropean band based in Bologna. Formed in 1981, they were among the first in Italy to manipulate synths, drum machines and other electronic devices to create atmospheric soundscapes. Central Unit published in March 1982, the 12’’ EP “Loving Machinery” with 4 tracks, including a cover of “What Use?” from Tuxedomoon.
Army Of God – Salvation [AOG001]
Brand new, mysterious label and production outfit The Army Of God are on the march. This debut release, “Salvation” is an yet unknown recording dating from somewhere in the 80’s. The recording comprises glorious, slow-mo and dark wave vibes with vocals chanting about apocalyptic religious visions like a sci-fi dark gospel theme. Salvation comes with a dub version as well as a sophisticated Spaventi D’Azzuro re-make on the flip.
The KVB – Into The Night [DN010]
Downwards continue to split the crowd with their riveting 10″ series, presenting this astonishing slab of motorik depression from The KVB. Klaus Von Barrel show here something darker, sexily narcotic and thrusting to their sound. ‘Into The Night’ is a case in point, with couldn’t-give-a-fu*k, glazed-eye vocals heard from behind a wall of Joy Division synths and a bruisingly muscular, meth-fuelled bassline. ‘Lost’ is perhaps more spacious, mixing everything tantalisingly out-of-reach, but with just enough abrasive guitar to gnash on. Again on ‘Hide & Wait’ the flanging, fire-and-ice-breathing guitar is upfront, while vocals are half-heard in the murk next to unrelenting drums Stephen Morris would be proud of. Includes 10″ x 10″ insert.
Karl O’Connor – White Savage Dance [DN006]
Karl O’Connor digs into his sizeable archives for White Savage Dance, collating several key moments of his early experiments with industrially charged post-punk which surfaced during the early years of Downwards existence but were actually recorded long before. Sandwell District fans will find much to appreciate in the corrosive, metallic sounds that permeate throughout, not least the Anglo- Germanic versions of “Here & Now” that open and close the A Side. The jerking, spasmodic cold wave nature of the latter is a personal favourite here at Juno HQ. The B Side provides further intrigue as both tracks here see O’Connor step behind the mic, delivering some Robert Smith style vocals in his typical Brummie brogue atop sinewy guitars and drums that sound as if they’ve been carved from the hollow battering of caustic tin pans.
DeepChord – Kana Broadcast 022
Duplex – Below The Photic Zone [HCS993]
The second offering on HCS from the mighty Rotterdam based duo. Again Duplex drop bombs with their signature state of the art inner city techno. Clearly playing with their love for the motorcity but always pushing the boundaries of what we like to call harbour city soul. 3 tracks ranging from beautiful deep electro to floor killing techno tracks.
STL & Djorvin Clain – Beats of Spirit [SSV002]
STL and Djorvin Clain are featured on the second vinyl outing by Silent Season Records from Canada. 3 Thick and moody techno/house hybrids that are limited to 300 color vinyl copies, coming in 100% recycled sleeve jackets
Zum Goldenen Schwarm – Die Wolke [STAUB005]
Giegling records opens 2012 with a release on their Staub sub label delivering some amazing advanced techno tracks. Exciting tracks that roll somewhere between the classic berlin dusty and dubby techno sound and a deeper poetical industrial vibe.
Fluxion – Traces [ECHOCORDCD011]
Second album by Fluxion on Echocord. The sounds, influences and aesthetic of his actual travels, expectation-journey-destination, alongside the music influences deriving from them. Through his prism those sounds, pictures, travels, emotions left traces of new directions, of future journeys to take. Fluxion captured the “Motion” in his travels with a different feeling each time. On “No man Is An Island” with the unreleased Dennis Brown vocal version, an influential song, with a clear message.”Desert nights” a kind of desert rock meeting dub on a road movie. “Stations”, a place between destinations always a felling of something promising, “Butiama” an actual place, where variations and consistency in rhythm is within people’s DNA, “Migration” a new start, a promising start.
Shawn O’Sullivan – Untitled [WT009]
Shawn O’Sullivan brings us the latest release on WT. Classic early IDM meets rawer 90’s analogue techno with a little bit of acid and industrial sprinkled in. Shawn takes synths, drummachines, a sequencer and some effects and records one take on a stereo track.
S Crosbie – Dark Arts #01 [DA001]
‘Mid Blue’ is a soundtrack for the darkest corner of the warehouse. The square bass grabs you from the first bar and combines with cosmic sweeps to drag you down deep before the toms come in to add that all-important funk factor. ‘Broken Space’ is a beautifully playful track. The stuttering beat, organic percussion and melodic touches merge with the darkest of strings to create a sound rooted in classic electronica but belonging firmly in the present. ‘Restraint’ is a burst of heavyweight electroid futurism – rock-solid beats and alien sounds from god-knows which galaxy combine with a razor-sharp cymbal attack. Handle with care. ‘Red_Dust2’ is a huge, rolling tech-house rhythm, mixing the warmth of the motor city with the cold machine funk found this side of the pond.
Decoside – Reload Vol. 3 [ECLIPSELTD003]
Decoside delights us with a 12 “containing two tracks inspired by the legacy of the dub techno pioneers but focusing on the evolution of the genre! Reload 5 is a massive floorkiller based on tribal rhythms that moves on dub chords and ethereal pads, all powered by a fat kick drum! definitely groundbreaking! On the other hand we have Disorder much softer and atmospheric track with all the typical dub techno elements on the inside. The release is completed with an emotional version of Disorder remixed by Fluxion.
DJ Jus-Ed – Endurance [UQCD044]
Following numerous mix CDs, singles and doublepack vinyl EPs in 2011, jus-Ed begins 2012 with a typically impressive collection of soft-focus deep house with a rugged, floor-friendly edge. As ever, there’s a high musical content (see the haunting acid bass and twinkling pianos of “Confused Passion”), alongside rougher cuts that explore the darker recesses of early morning deep house. Take, for example, the dreamy synths and ice-cold acid of “Trip To Hamburg” or liquid atmospherics of “Mr Pete’s Cribby”. Like the rest of Endurance, they’re inspirationally melodic without losing dancefloor focus.
Brother G – Raw Box EP [RAWAX006]
New release on Rawax by Brother G. Cool jacking house track with a raw edge and a little retro touch.
Madteo – ReCast [MEA007]
Meakusma presents “ReCast”, an essential collection of previously released and unreleased tracks by Madteo, re-interpreted and remixed by Anthony Shake Shakir, Marcellus Pittman and Kassem Mosse.
