Acid techno experiments from the Italo disco master with Alessandro Adriani extended rework of Technologies.
001.Features
Posthuman – Airwave Uranium [XK017]
Posthuman are London based cousins Josh Doherty and Rich Bevan. The pair have been pivotal in the recent resurgence of UK acid house via a steady stream of their own output, notorious I Love Acid club nights and their own imprint; Balkan Vinyl. It’s X-Kalay next and the duo have served up a pair of typically stripped back acid work outs. On the flip X-Kalay artist and up and coming acid wunderkid Lou Karsh reworks Airwave Uranium into a real 303 masterclass.
Identified Patient – Signals In Snake [DKMNTL-UFO9]
If heavy industry is a thing of the past, no-one told Identified Patient. For the past few years, he has been a one-man factory: by day, assembling component parts of acid, techno and all varieties of wave (dark, cold, minimal) on the production line; by night, a DJ dynamo pulsing with so much energy he could power a small city. His style is the kind of churning, lithe, fractured machine funk that could make Trent Reznor weep with envy – mean but clean, sinister and stomping but crucially, never overconfident or overblown. After two show-stopping performances at the parent festival last year, Signals In Snakes marks Identified Patient’s first Dekmantel release, for the technoid UFO sub-label.
The Bees – She’s A Witch [AAFS042]
Little-known trio The Bees put out only one full album, 1988’s She’s A Witch (Tikoloshi). Its six tracks all offer dancefloor-ready, distinctively South African grooves that show how bubblegum in the late 80s embraced house music. Produced by Steve Cooks, who would go on to work with heavyweights Senyaka, Spokes H and Umoja in the years that followed. Searing vocals and percussive synth basslines are best on ‘Hlabalaza’ (already a DJ favourite) and the title track, it lyrics telling the spooky tale of an evil woman who rules the night – ‘Tikoloshi’ being the mischievous creature of Zulu folklore (usually a man) who is still widely blamed for all manner of mysterious happenings in the middle of the night.
Il Bosco – Bare Hits From The Manctalo Diskotek [RL29]
Il Bosco is back at the controls ably assisted by The Bat & Flemming Dalum. Four Red Laser bangers ready for your local diskotek – Forgotten Euro dreams, euphoric Italo & boogie tinged pop-pretenders.
Kiwi – You Want Her Too / Peeling Oranges [PP018]
Alex ‘Kiwi’ Warren’s passion for music has been a fire that has long burned within. He now joins Edinburgh’s Paradise Palms for the latest installment of their highly regarded 7” series. “You Want Her To” is a playful, low slung stomper featuring a slowed-down House beat, pads and a catchy oddball chant from Warren himself. “Peeling Oranges” ups the NRG and uses an Italo-strength arpeggiated bassline to great effect, resulting in a peak time electronic Disco smash.
ROD – Brighten Up Bunny EP [AL026]
ROD is a new artist for Afterlife Recordings and ‘Brighten Up Bunny’ is another high-quality entry in Benny Rodrigues’ acclaimed discography. The EP’s title track opens the record with bright, uplifting synth notes and a weighty kick drum – Rodrigues’ fresh take on the Afterlife sound. Getting deeper and darker with ‘Welcome Back Mama’, ROD fuses razor-sharp claps and a punchy bassline to dazzling effect. ‘Melodi’ takes an eerie turn, burying the drums under metallic shimmers and disorientating reverberations. On the remix, FJAAK treat ‘Welcome Back Mama’ with a warehouse-ready pulse and sharpen its edges.
SSTROM – Drenched 9-12 [ROSTEN8.3]
SSTROM is back on Rosten with ‘Drenched’, 12 tracks for the floor, divided on 3 EPs, each to be released three weeks apart. SSTROM is the project of Hannes Stenstrom, once part of Swedish band Slagsmalsklubben, and one half of enigmatic techno duo SHXCXCHCXSH (SHX).
Orbe / Ocktawian – Split Series: Radar INE [ORBE009]
Spanish based record label ORBE reaches its ninth release. Label owner ORBE himself steps up again. together with label debutant Ocktawian. They deliver a split EP with deep techno trips.
Binh – Untitled [USRX]
As the end of Undersound’s event series in London is approaching, they present a special release by Binh to celebrate the last 7 years of parties in the capital. After many years of friendship and frequent guest appearances of the Berlin-based producer at Undersound, we present this special edition 2 tracker on 10” marbled vinyl.
VA – Various IV [030LP005]
The fourth various artists compilation album on Netherlands based 030303 Records. Splitradix has been given the honour to kick off with a wonderfully meandering acid epos, reminiscent of 808 State’s more obscure output, with a euphoric element entering about halfway. Zaphyd takes the energy level up a bit further with a strange dry beat driving the tune which is full of melodies trying to elbow each other to the side in the friendliest possible way… Side B opens with Star Flip by Holovr where a series of classic throbbing acid basslines are accompanied by an unsettling melody, not for the faint hearted! The Exaltics’ What If We Could is a haunting bubbly motherfucker of an acid track, not totally unlike Polygon Window’s Untitled, pure dark bliss… The C side then starts with a brilliantly bouncing contribution containing a beautiful melancholic theme by Piepiep, one of 030303’s co-founders. Argentina’s Nacho M Meyer is the mastermind behind Planeta, yet another dreamy cut full of Detroit-like melancholy. Zelfkant, the first contribution on the D side, is by Betonkust and feels like a classic Warp Artificial Intelligence armchair track with a touch of wave/electro. One of the best tracks on the comp then, is by Dirty Data, who delivers a track full of twisted breaks, hectic bleeps and eerie synths, mind blowing this one… Kramphaft is behind the final contribution to the compilation, again a sinister and dark one with haunting melodies spun out over unusual hard hitting electro breaks.
Luxus Varta – Colder [TRUST036]
VA – Pubblicazione 003 [458695.003]
The third release from the Pubblicazione series is out on the Italian label Hiroshima 45. Chernobyl 86. Windows 95. 80s EBM Mexican band Interface went digged, contacted, then re-edited by Sneaker Dj. The unique slow industrial marchs signed Raw Ambassador strike again. Rawmance: 3AM when the walls sweat. Addictive dance. Dutch master Das Ding hosted here with a progressive storm, rougher than ever.
Muscles & Hate – Untitled [HOLE02]
The second release from Bore Hole, St. Petersburg label associated with the now infamous Клуб (Kisloty Club). The release continues the label’s DIY philosophy with four trippy lo-fi cuts from an obscure Moscow artist, Muscles & Hate, who is also known as Synkronized, balancing different in genres and tempos ranging from 120 to 160 BPM.
Coldreams – Eyes / Morning Rain [CAM014]
This long time sought after french post-punk/coldwave/melancholic pop 7″ finally gets an official reissue, by Camisole Records. Coldreams was a french female fronted post-punk band hailing from Clermont-Ferrand.
VA – Incarn EP [ODD001]
This is the first release of ODDiscos, the newborn label representing Sao Paulos’ infamous ODD event series! The various arists release showcases the who’s who of the Brazilian electronic music scene.
Cardopusher – Flesh Impact EP [DD008]
The talented producer, Cardopusher joins the Dalmata Daniel roster. Venezuelan born and now Barcelona based Luis Garban has a career deeply rooted in the breakcore scene. Leaving his early sound behind he gravitated towards classic club genres like house and techno. His offering for Dalmata Daniel, the ”Flesh Impact” EP is a collection of his best Acid-EBM oriented jams backed by a stellar techno body remix from the German Schwefelgelb duo.
Milo Snaider – Hypnotic Connection 003 [HC003]
The third release of Hypnotic Connection is coming from a new musician from Barcelona named Milo Snaider. This release takes us to a cosmic and hypnotic trip by acid lines and arpregiated 90s vocals with groovy percussive pushes. The release is closed by an impressive EBM remix from Russian producer Larionov.
Sound Waves – I Wanna Feel The Music [SR1243]
Seminal NYC deep house sounds from the legendary Strictly Rhythm catalogue, this is some straight 1991 heat. ‘I Wanna Feel The Music’ / ‘Gotta Have You’ are 2 stone cold jams. Sound Waves is a crew made up of Andrew Richardson and Gijo Rosario, who crafted 2 slamming 12”s for Strictly in the very early 90’s. Both cuts ooze so much soul, and those unmistakable deep synth pads that wash over those tuff NYC drums with uplifting emotion. A true underground record that sounds like it could have easily dropped last week.
Camarade – Orwellian EP [DD-004]
Camarade release there first full EP on Duke’s Distribution. Dan Piu & Grant come together once more, but this time showcasing a completely fresh sound under a new moniker inspired by early IDM all while maintaining a clear grip on the dancefloor with deep atmospheric ambience and rhythms.
The Hipodrome Of Music 