This legendary Italo Disco song was first released exactly 40 years ago. On this occasion, ZYX releases a strictly limited edition colored vinyl with an exclusive remix by Flemming Dalum.
Koto – Chinese Revenge [MAXI107512]
001.Features
Genetic Factor – In Deadly Wet Dreams [AD016]
Artificial Dance announces the full archival compilation of work by Richard Zeilstra A.K.A. Genetic Factor. Recorded in different parts of the world, at different times – we hope this will give the world a glimmer of the mind of Genetic Factor. A mind that has been behind a variety of very influential operations during the years; including a string of radio programmes (Radionome & Spleen a.o.), working at Boudisque and running Barcelona’s first compact disc store. The songs featured are not an attempt of making a coherent ‘album’ but much more trials of interpretation of his world into ‘music’. His strong believe in non-musicianship makes it more thrilling than conventional musics, yet these recordings are not result of amateurism – they form a consistent reality of what excites him. Take a dive in the realm of the Genetic Factor…
A Split Second – Flesh [DR013]
Official 2022 Reissue. A Split Second’s cult coldwave EP Flesh was dropped back in 1986 on Antler Records. The band of Marc Heyndrickx, and Peter Bonne (aka Chrismar Chayell) only formed a year earlier but his debut single made a huge impact and has become a real classic of the EBM and wave world ever since. Numerous albums followed well into the 90s but rarely did the pair ever top this – the jerking rhythms, ravey electronics and retro-future chords all resonating as much with audiences now as they did back then.
Minimal Compact – Statik Dancin [FTN010]
Fortuna Records presents a post-punk shuffler from 1981, by Tel-Aviv-Brussels band Minimal Compact. The 12” includes an unreleased instrumental version plus a spaced-out extended dub mix by the living legend, Mad Professor.
Midori Takada – You Who Are Leaving To Nirvana [WRWTFWW061]
WRWTFWW Records and MEG Museum (Geneva) announce a new full length album by celebrated Japanese percussionist Midori Takada (Through The Looking Glass), in collaboration with Buddhist monks belonging to the Samgha group of the Shingon school of Koya-san, led by Reverend Syuukoh Ikawa. “You Who are Leaving to Nirvana” is a majestic work combining a suite of six Buddhist liturgical chants and a musical creation by Midori Takada. After supervising the recording of the Buddhist chants, Midori Takada added her own compositions, with subtle layers of percussion and the melodies of her beloved marimba, giving full life to the sacred texts.
Tasos Stamou – Balkan Express [AKULP1038]
Contrarily to the rest of Tasos Stamou’s experimental discography, the musician’s latest album “Balkan Express” has a more obscure electro-folk approach. It consists of seven pieces, all recorded with seven different vintage electric keyboards from Stamou’s own collection, blended with oriental acoustic solos. Since Stamou grew up in the Balkans in the ‘80s, he wanted to pay homage to the essence of the sound of the era that unintentionally shaped a whole culture. It was when these inexpensive, available-to-all electronic keyboards with synth sounds and drum machines replaced traditional Balkan folk music ensembles. The acoustic instruments solos and melodies of the album were influenced by local traditions and the heritage of the Ottoman music. “Balkan Express” is meant to be a time capsule taking the listener to the folk-wave retro-Balkan subculture.
Levon Vincent – Silent Cities [NS46]
Levon Vincent returns with his fourth full-length studio album “Silent Cities” a striking departure from his previous records. This, his first release experimenting with the cassette format, Silent Cities is a kind of mixtape through more private moods and personal pitches (literally given Levon’s non-standard tunings). While Levon has always produced dance floor jams with the intention of raising people’s heart rates, Silent Cities began with 72 bpm: his average resting heart rate, and the concept of tuning the music he was making to his own body rather than increasing anything. This brought the tempos down to 72 bpm or even half of that, at 36bpm. Programming the record during the empty cityscape of Berlin lockdowns, this is the first time Levon’s created an album for the home stereo or for headphone listening whilst navigating through a city. A mixtape specialist in his youth; he was always wanted to play with the cassette format. The results are sure to delight any listener, with the ever-present ambient, krautrock, shoegaze, hip-hop and electro influences coming to the foreground on this work.
Versalife – Night Time Activities LP [CWCS006LP]
The original Versalife tryptich on Clone West Coast Series. “Night Time Activities” is taking us down deep into the night. Versalife is creating a setting with sounds radiating the midnight atmosphere that reflects the twin peak-esque life on a almost deserted windy Dutch coastal island where the clouds rush through the dark night time skies projecting all variations of grey and black on the mystifying dunes. Futuristic electro techno tracks with emotive synth work created with exploratory imagination. Dark, sinister and intense!
Barking – S/T [BT66]
After first touching base with brokntoys on the compilation “A Call Too Close”, released in the Spring of 2021, Gareth Psaltis returns to the London based label with his project Barking, this time with a 7 tracks self-titled EP merging dubbed-out electro and menacing downtempo.
Ireen Amnes @ HÖR (Berlin) 07.07.2022
Tony Price – IBM Contra LP [LIES177]
Prolific and often nomadic label boss, producer, and studio engineer, Tony Price (Maximum Exposure) has been making a name for himself over these last years, as he’s lurked in the shadows while moving from city to city around the world, leaving a unique and wide-spanning musical mark in his wake. On his 14 track IBM-CONTRA LP, Price conjures up a wild melange of free jazz and high speed electro funk next that sits next to dusty ambient, street tough house, and even Bill Conti-esque dark alley rainy street jams featuring saxophone work from Alex Zhang Hungtai and Colin Fisher. The album is unmistakably Tony at his best, as he weaves in and out of these genres making them make sense next to each other. Whether it’s providing a shady saxophone driven backdrop for the next inevitable worldwide bio-warfare crisis or tapping into the roots of stripped down classic electro and house for the floor, this is the artist at peak creativity flexing his skills.
Sarmiento – El Absurdo [DISI001]
For its first release, Colombian label Disidencia Records welcomes Sarmiento with his EP “El Absurdo”. Four tracks that navigate through the realms of electro, techno, EBM and breaks. 100% synthesiser sounds blending powerful beats with brief Spanish lyrics that question some of the reality of South-American society and its politics. This and all future Disidencia releases contain not only music but also a dedicated visual piece by different street-artists and muralists.
The Paradox – Live At Montreux Jazz Festival LP [AX108]
Techno legend Jeff Mills and keyboard wizard Jean-Phi Dary embark on a live musical trip, documenting their most recent performance at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland – and encapsulating their mission to fuse techno and jazz. In the past Jeff has spoken of the need to “take a few steps back and try and assess what has been done, and what might need to be approached to be able to go forward.” Jeff’s reassessment manifests as jazz-hno, film music-hno, conceptechno… anything to happily build of the mad range of influences he’s drawn on over the years. Paradox: Live at Montreux is the result. Jeff Mills – electronics; Jean-Phi Dary – piano, Fender Rhodes, synthesizer; Zaf Zapha – electric/upright bass.
Voiski – The End Of Fiction EP [150DSR]
Delsin marks its milestone 150th release in a rainstorm of gorgeous arps with a full EP from Voiski. For Luc Kheradmand it’s a return to the label which carried his 2020 collaboration with Wata Igarashi and where he issued early single Breaths Written Outside Gloom. For Delsin it’s the perfect way to sum up different dimensions of the label’s identity – richly melodic, machine-powered and yet distinct from any illusion of a typical ‘Delsin sound’.
VIL – Above Below [PARAISO008]
Lisbon’s Paraiso bring their A&R a-game once again with a stellar EP by one of the city’s most beloved techno DJs – VIL – and a chef’s kiss remix by the one and only queen of twisted dance, EDND from Algarve.
Tecwaa – Elysian On Moon Lake [HNRLP028]
Höga Nord Rekords kindly welcomes Tecwaa back to the label, following up his last full length-album “Beyond the Altai” with “Elysian on Moon Lake”. He is still exploring the intersections between house, electro, techno and dub and once again he manages to harness the analogue electronics in his machines to produce modern psychedelia. “Elysian On Moon Lake” is rawer, less airy and not as sparkling as his last album. This is a tighter, and slightly darker experience than Tecwaa’s previous work, maybe caused by being in quarantine for extensive time during production, letting some of the dreaminess aside for the harsher reality in a pandemic world. Still, you get a mind-altering experience in a lot of tracks since the album starts off in a lighter tone than how it later develops. Switching from the A- to the B-side works as a rite of passage going from dusk to night; the sun rays through the blinders are replaced by neon light dancing on the walls and ceiling.
Members Only – The Worst Edits Vol. 2 [MO18]
The new Members Only 12” returns with more face melting & wall sweating psychedelic New Wave edits. The Worst Edits Vol 2 includes the 4 tracks “I Wanna Luv U Dirty”, “Perversion”, “Oh Oh Oh Ya” & ”Take It From The Top” originally recorded from 1999-2001. Real Chicago business.
FAXE – Time For Changes EP [BAP171]
Bordello A Parigi announces the reissue of this italo club classic on 12″ vinyl. Written by Goomy aka Duke Lake aka Antonio Gabelli and produced by Alessandro Zanni and Stefano Cundari for the legendary Memory Records imprint back in 1983. This action-packed-track was one of those few italo disco productions that made it to the US airwaves with radio play on stations like WBMX.
The Jaffa Kid – Second Frequencies EP [GTD019]
The Jaffa Kid goes deep with his second EP for Gated, appropriately titled “Second Frequencies”. Kicking off with the beatless but driving “Phased For Days”, the EP has a kind of relentless hypnotism to it, with “Trinian”‘s almost 7 minutes of spaced out electro. Flip to the B and the acid comes to the fore, with “War On Words” and its addictive 303 line pulsing over the Kid’s signature pads. “Tangential” throws in some breaks under gritty acid, and Not The Way rounds out the EP with a truly poignant melodic beatdown.
Thomas Cox – 9371 EP [QED01]
Long time deep head Thomas Cox debuts his new label Q.E.D. Recordings with his first solo release. Sounding like these house jams were composed and then stashed at the bottom of the Monogahela River, this three tracker drips with the rusted out grime Pittsburgh was notorious for in its pre-gentrification era.
The Hipodrome Of Music 