Another excellent soulful record on Fides. This new collaborative project by Z.I.P.P.O & Hiver contains four special cuts: Dub Techno, Electro, IDM inspired.
001.Features
Pearl River Sound – The Rave Synthesis [NYH83]
Italian producer Pearl River Sound has been crafting his unique blend of experimental electronics and banging acid for the last couple of years. On his debut tape for New York Haunted he drops 4 red hot tracks that will make your ears pop. Dancefloor acid with enough twists to keep you awake in the middle of the night.
Muzikalist – Rituals From The Past [FLR031]
Flight Recorder welcomes back this talented Russian producer for his third EP release consisting of five techno bangers.
Cignol – Hidden Galaxies [CC06]
Cignol fires up the blasters and sets a course for ‘Hidden Galaxies’ – a 303 fuelled electro trip into the outer reaches of the unknown universe. Delving through throbbing gristly bass lines, pounding, intricate ‘click clack’ drum programming and aquatic, electric cool.
Neil Landstrumm and The Horrorist – The Strange Self EP [DMX06]
Domina Trxxx welcomes two legends to the Family. Mr Neil Landtsrumm and The Horrorist. Their great collaboration comes around with an additional remix by Tobias Schmidt.
Volta Cab – Johnny 320 EP [FRV027]
Frigio is hooking up with Russian electronic explorer Volta Cab for a four tracker of shadowy disco darkness. Thick drum patterns are shot through with strobe as “Johnny 320” enters the room. Swaggering onto the floor, this greased thug means business. Samples mutter intent as grooves grind and twist their way into the late hours. Juanpablo lowers the lights for his remake. Rhythms richochet and basslines loom in this lewd and dramatic track, a piece born in the grit and sweat of the floor under a haze smoke. The lights are kept low for the flip. “Immortal Fix” spikes and spins, laser beam synthlines cut through rumbling chords with snares that do more than just bear teeth. Italy’s Hesperius Draco closes Johnny 320 with giallo horror grandeur. Beats and words are shrouded in lilting strings for this sinister curtain fall.
Trisomie 21 – Chapters IV [DE195]
Trisomie 21 is a post punk band formed in 1981 by Phillipe Lomprez (vocals, drums) and Hervé Lomprez (guitar, electronics), two brothers from Abscon, in the North of France. They began composing songs at the age of 16 while studying at school. Their music consists of lush soundscapes that do not easily fit into any one category. Lyrics are sung in English because in the north of France the duo sought to contradict the trend at the time for everything to be sung in French. Since 1983 they’ve recorded 15 albums and appeared on numerous compilations and remain active to this day. For their fourth album the Lomprez brothers spent September and October of 1985 recording nine new compositions. In January 1986 ‘Chapter IV, Le Je-ne-sais quoi et le presque-rien’ was released by PIAS sub-label Scarface. The title came from a 1957 book by French philosopher and musicologist Vladimir Jankélévitch. The songs on the album, including the emblematic The Last Song’, were captivating, original and without concession. This record further opened the door to new opportunities, and the band’s music spread further internationally. Sadly some of the songs had phase related problems and caused partial cancelation playing back monophonically, so the band remixed and re-recorded the songs and reissued them on CD only in 1987.
Powell – New Beta Vol 2 [DIAG041]
Powell loosens up and reaches out on the 2nd New Beta playground – a place to explore his more reflexive, emotive urges – with seven curious permutations that swerve from Æ-style abstraction to pointillist electro-acid and a brace of mutant diskotheek breakers. As with the first volume, he’s clearly still gassed off his new hardware, resulting in a nerve-jumping fizz and crack that sounds like he’s jamming with fingers directly in the jack ports, channelling his thoughts and feels practically unimpeded.
Group A – Group A [MNQ117]
Berlin based Japanese industrial synth duo group A make their debut on Mannequin Records with a killer 3-tracks self titled EP. Tommi Tokyo (synth, drum machine, vocals) and Sayaka Botanic (violin, tapes and sampler) released 2 studio albums and 1 live album in Tokyo, before to move in Berlin in 2016. With their mixture of dark minimal synth, avant-noise, striking visuals and performance art, the duo still carries on the very breath of early industrial pioneers such as Throbbing Gristle, Die Form, Klinik, Cabaret Voltaire. The EP was recorded in Tommi’s bedroom and later mixed together with Mannequin Records head Alessandro Adriani in his own studio in Berlin.
Shakkatam – Change / Run [TAT022]
First release by a female ensemble from Rotterdam. Shakkatam is a collaboration between Miss Nixon and Jacqueline Fuijkschot. All tracks are recorded at the attic of the Falafular Modules HQ.
Valerie Dore – Get Closer Remixes [RBSSS2]
Numero due in the Super Sound Singles series on Running Back continues on the re-issue/update tip of inexpensive records. Big in the charts in 1985, the Italian queen of “romantic dance” made her second single “Get Closer” a clairvoyant poem about… errr… life and love: “when the world is running down – get closer”! Think stonewashed jeans, endless summers on Italian beaches, boats coming back to the shore. Remixed by fellow country men Tiger & Woods, “Get Closer” gets sandblasted into our modern times and the necessary treatment to be the peak- and night time hug fest, it’s always supposed to be. Add a run out tool by DJ Oyster and a gentle DJ-friendly edit by Gerd Janson of the original to the billboard.
Sellorekt / LA Dreams – Turbo Quest [TURBO02]
Following on from 2015’s ‘Dreamatic’ EP by FM Attack is the belated next chapter in Mothball’s ‘Turbo’ series, dedicated to the best in contemporary synthwave. Sellorekt / LA Dreams is one of the most prolific and consistent artists in the genre, with a musical oeuvre spanning more than 30 albums. This 6 track EP has been carefully selected to make a thematically cohesive and exhilarating listening experience with maximum replay value.
Ozo – Anambra [ISLE004]
Isle Of Jura go back to 1976 to resurrect ‘Anambra’, the jewel in the crown of Dub, Soul & Funk outfit Ozo. ‘Anambra’ is something of a classic, a unique song that’s slow, ritualistic and spiritual, mixing African & Nyabinghi drumming with a Buddhist Sanskrit mantra ‘Om Mani Padme Hum’. An alternate version ‘Anambra River’ appears for the first time on the same 12”.
Trisomie 21 – Wait & Dance LP [DE194]
Trisomie 21 is a post punk band formed in 1981 by Phillipe Lomprez (vocals, drums) and Hervé Lomprez (guitar, electronics), two brothers from Abscon, in the North of France. They began composing songs at the age of 16 while studying at school. Their music consists of lush soundscapes that do not easily fit into any one category. Lyrics are sung in English because in the north of France the duo sought to contradict the trend at the time for everything to be sung in French. Since 1983 they’ve recorded 15 albums and appeared on numerous compilations and remain active to this day.In Spring 1985 the group went back into the studio to record a new batch of songs. Trisomie 21’s notoriety had increased following two concerts in Belgium and the Brussels recording label Play It Again Sam decided to sign them. In September 1985 the 5-song mini-LP ‘Wait & Dance’ was released by PIAS sub-label Scarface. It contained the band’s first female guest vocals on two of the tracks. Sadly some of the songs had phase related problems and caused partial cancelation playing back monophonically, so the band remixed the songs and reissued them on CD only in 1987. We have added the 5 remixes as bonus tracks here presented for the first time ever on vinyl.
Trisomie 21 – Passions Divisées [DE193]
Trisomie 21 is a post punk band formed in 1981 by Phillipe Lomprez (vocals, drums) and Hervé Lomprez (guitar, electronics), two brothers from Abscon, in the North of France. They began composing songs at the age of 16 while studying at school. Their music consists of lush soundscapes that do not easily fit into any one category. Lyrics are sung in English because in the north of France the duo sought to contradict the trend at the time for everything to be sung in French. Since 1983 they’ve recorded 15 albums and appeared on numerous compilations and remain active to this day. After the success of the debut mini-LP the band returned to the studio and spent October 1983 to March 1984 recording their sophomore album. ‘Passions divisées’ was released by Stechak Products in October 1984. Pascal Tison was replaced by Laurent Dagnicourt on bass guitar. Featuring eight cold wave compositions including the instrumental funeral waltz La fête triste’. Songs cross genres, moving from post-punk to synthetic electronics.
VA – Snow Robots Volume 4 [SUNCTION043]
Formed in 1997, and inaugurated that year with a split 12” from newcomers and label founders, Solvent and Lowfish, this year Suction Records celebrates it’s 20th anniversary with the reintroduction of their famed Snow Robots series of compilations. While originally started as a North American answer to UK electronix labels like Rephlex, Skam and Warp Records, a sound that is still a staple of the current Suction Records catalog, Suction’s sound has also swerved into new territories, reflecting our love of dark ‘80s electronic music synthpop, EBM, and beyond…. Snow Robots Volume 4 features an international array of artists, from Suction Records mainstays like Digital Poodle, June, Celldöd, and Ceramic Hello (with their much sought after 1982 vocoder anthem), to label favourites appearing on Suction Records for the first time: Beau Wanzer, Morah, and one of Skanfrom/Sleeparchive’s lesser known aliases, Civil Defence Programme.
Blind Delon – Edouard Remixes EP [OR36]
Blind Delon debuted back in 2016 with Edouard EP. After a sold out and a lot of love and great acceptance of specialized press the french duo presents 4 new remixes of the main track Edouard signed by Kareem, Synths Versus Me, I Hate Models and Violet Poison.
Damon Wild – Cosmic Path [INF024]
Damon Wild and David Sumner (aka Function’s) relationship dates back to 1991 at Lord Michael’s Future Shock, Limelight, New York City – when Damon was running Experimental Records via Northcott Productions. At the time, he first saw something in Dave and added him to Brand X, a record pool run by Moneypenny. But their bond is based around a period 5 years later when Dave had an apartment above Rogue Music at 251 West 30th Street in Midtown, Manhattan. It was during this time Damon developed him as a Synewave artist and released his first EP as Function in the Fall of 1996 – catalog number; SW-24. Falling in and out of contact over the years, across continents, the two have somehow remained on the same cosmic path. So it’s not a coincidence that now Damon has turned to Dave to release his first album in 13 years. This is where those paths cross again…21 years later, this Fall, Dave will release Cosmic Path on Infrastructure. The cosmic connection.
Population One – Hippnotic Culture Remixed [RHM026]
Population One, also known as Terrence Dixon, offered a first remix of his mysterious, minimal Detroit track ‘Rush Hour’ for the celebration of the label’s 10th anniversary and now blesses us with new takes on five ‘Hippnotic Culture’ album tracks. Five dazzling remixes of Population One’s ‘Hippnotic Culture’ 2LP by the Detroit minimalist himself. Kicking off with a 20th Anniversary Mix of ‘Rush Hour’, the track that inspired our company name.
Jeroen Search – Endless Circles [FIGURE092]
After solemnly closing out the SPC-series in 2016, Jeroen Search hands in his second EP of the year for Figure. Carrying his signature style, these tunes embody the live-recording feel he is known for, perfectly executed and arranged in clean-cut layers. Both tracks on the A-side feature big and beefy beats, their generous sub-range creating ample space for the juxtaposing elements to effectively slice through, whether it be the penetrating bleeps of ‘Deduced’ or the piercing rides on ‘Interval’. Things get bumpy on the flip when the rugged but undeniable groove of ‘Steady Pulse’ firmly stands its ground against repeated onslaughts of flailing percussion. The jolty rhythms and tinkling loops of ‘Endless Circles’ may seem like it being the odd one out, but unexpectedly merge into an intricate mesh of sounds, making for a most memorable closer to this jam-packed EP.
The Hipodrome Of Music 