The phrase “Fire in the hole!!” is used as a warning that an explosive detonation in a confined space is imminent. Just so you know…
001.Features
Cron – Fragmented Identity [BKR001]
New imprint Bogen Konzept Recordings first release comes from Todd Sines under his Cron alias. Two previously released cuts from 1994 and two immaculate productions from 2017 coded and compiled by this well known artist.
Cli-N-Tel – 2030 [GC004]
Hailing from the first wave of American West Coast Electrofunk, Cli-N-Tel—a member of the legendary World Class Wreckin’Cru—released the song ”2030” on Unknown DJ’s label, Techno Hop, in 1986. More than 30 years later, it has become an essential of the genre and is now celebrated with this overdue rerelease. Along with the remastered original version, the German label, Ground Control, is proud to present a package of fresh remixes from renowned artists of the current international Electrofunk scene—including Sweden’s Blotnik Brothers; Dynamik Bass System out of Germany and dutchman DJ Overdose.
CeeOnic – The Sound In Your Ear [GC005]
German Electrofunk purist CeeOnic checks in with Ground Control. Originally released on the label of Miami Bass legend Debonaire, the two crisp and powerful productions perfectly catch the vibe of 1980s Electro classics taking it into the 21st century. The Sound In Your Ear and That’s My Fantasy, which is included as a new Extended 12” Mix, are CeeOnic’s overdue debut on vinyl.
Juan Atkins & Moritz Von Oswald present Borderland – Angles [TRESOR296]
Juan Atkins and Moritz von Oswald – the two vital proponents of Detroit-Berlin axis, return to the mothership following their 2016 full length effort Transport. Angles is the result of a new conversation between the founding father of electronic music and his German counterpart. The serene source of captivating musical ideas that is Borderland, keeps on flowing and vibrating with subtle energy. Two versions form here a new set of studio-refined sequences. Both parts of “Concave” are the ungraspable manifestation of the wild quietness in which the duo finds itself. Predicting at once, possible outcomes for the craft of electronic sound, while respecting their profound origins.
John Shima – Renegade EP [DWT001]
Brand new label out of London receiving transmissions from across the celestial sphere and translating them into beautiful techno for the good people of Planet Earth. Proud to report that the first transmission comes courtesy of the mighty John Shima. 4 beautifully melodic and timeless tracks with nods to the golden age of Detroit and UK Techno.
Julion De’ Angelo / Thomas Xu – Roots That Talk [SS069]
A strong debut on Sound Signature by young Detroit-based artists, Julion De’Angelo and Thomas Xu.
VA – Raw Raw #12 [RRR012]
Ukrainian techno stable Raw Raw has pushed the boat out on this 12th release, in the process delivering a double-pack full of tried-and-tested dancefloor movements. Amongst the eight tracks you’ll find numerous highlights, including the distorted drums and Drexciyan melodies of Sleeparvhive’s “Hide”, the kick-drum driven alien funk intensity of Eric Fletcher’s “Transcendent Wisdom”, and the energy-packed hypnotism of Joton’s “Diagram”, which comes on like Brown Album-era Orbital dragged kicking and screaming through Berghain at eight in the morning. Best of all, though, is the TB-303 driven techno psychedelia of Petter B’s “Isgrus”, which is almost capable of triggering vivid dancefloor hallucinations.
VA – An Introduction Part 3 [DIREC003]
With its festival, International Series, DJ Directory and Soundsystem: Dimensions has become a leading name in the underground. In only a mere six years of existence thus far, that’s quite impressive we must say! Now, they extend their influence with the start of a new label: Dimensions Recordings. It launches with a 12 track compilation across three separate discs. Where the first disc delved into the exotic and explored world music and soulful vibes, this edition features some cutting edge electronics from legends and new heroes of the scene alike. Electro heroes London Modular Alliance appear with their best impression of purist Detroit electro on “Crosstalk” while the A side also features the glacial dub techno tones of Upwellings’ “Soft Shadows”. On the flip, Fachwerk boss Mike Dehnert gives us the very Robert Hood sounding “Tokio”and Windy City legend Steven Tang aka Obsolete Music Technology appears with something harder than you’d usually expect from the man: on the gnarly analogue techno of “Comb Freq”.
Karen Gwyer – Rembo [DBALP003]
Karen Gwyer returns to cement her reputation as one of the most individual and daring voices in dance music with ‘Rembo’, her first full LP for Don’t Be Afraid. Reflecting the sheer energy of Gwyer’s improvised, undulating and unpredictable live shows, ‘Rembo’ captures Gwyer in her element as a techno producer not afraid to smudge both the physical and emotional edges of what we may have come to expect in the club.
HYV – HYV 002 [HYV002]
Tracks from Hyvinkää, Finland. Written by Juho Kahilainen and Tomi Kesäniemi. Both boring family men, middle-aged and middle-class. However, they’ve been here long enough to learn a trick or two. Nods to Detroit, nods to acid. A mid-tempo track Tape Loader sounds like a 909 trapped in swamp. Fast and jazzy R Train Funk pays a tribute to Detroit-legends with a decent 303-line to drink beer to. The Tower That Stands In The Woods is a dubby slow-down before Suomi 100 Acid celebrates Finland’s 100th anniversary with lyrics that deal with recession and the Finnish government’s fair deal to cut everyone’s wage.
Ben Penn – Spare Hobby [ST004]
Old Coroner – Inside Us LP [W03]
Terrific 12inch purple vinyl and as Waste Editions crew are really into emotive and personal sounds ,on this occasion this new release ‘Inside us’ by Old Coroner can’t be otherwise. We can’t talk about a trend since the producer from Barcelona Victor Safont ,who is the man behind this project ,started producing synthwave music in 2003. Yes siree! Powerful beats ,dark textures and touching melodies which are perfect for a diabolic dance floor or a meeting at a lodge.
Robotiko Rejekto – Rejekto [OT030]
Optimo Trax 30 celebrates a double 30 year anniversary: the original release date of Rejekto’ and 30 years since Twitch started dj’ing. In 1987, Twitch, who wasn’t known as Twitch yet, picked up a copy of Rejekto’ at Glasgow’s then numero uno import shop, 23rd Precinct. Shortly after that he got his first ever dj gig and played Rejekto’ in his first ever dj set. Nobody danced to it. He kept playing it and still nobody danced to it. Eventually he gave up playing it, but never stopped loving it. A few years ago he felt the time was right to try playing it again, and this time, people danced to it. In fact, people loved it and would ask about it and shriek in delight when they heard it. From Germany, written and produced by Ra-Hen and Talla 2XLC, Robotiko Reject’s Rejekto’ was the inaugural release on the Techno Drome International label. With a powerful and seductive vocal sung in Romanian it has latterly been categorised as EBM/Techno but at the time didn’t really fit into any convenient genre. Twitch called it electrobeat.
Roy Comanchero – Mick [WE003]
A one sided italo-balearic bomb from Japan via Roy Comanchero with a fantastic ‘Wedding Dub’ remix of ‘Mick’ by non other than Eddie C. Hands in the air, feet on the floor and lasers going who knows where… A chuggy electronic re-rub by one of Berlin’s disco masters.
L’Avenir – Soir [CBR012]
L’Avenir is the cold synth side project of veteran electronic musician and sound artist Jason Sloan. Known throughout the space and ambient music scenes for his contemplative electronic soundscape work for over a decade; Sloan founded L’Avenir as a side project in 2012 to explore his long time love of synthpop and minimal wave music created purely from analog and vintage equipment.
Casino Shanghai – Film [MEC009]
Casino Shanghai was a “techno-pop” band started in the mid-80s in Mexico City. They released their debut and only album “Film” in December of 1985. An album considered today as cult status. Casino Shanghai were part of a great cultural change in Mexico and its music scene. The band made various controversial appearances on TV when a band without a drummer or guitarist was unheard of. All members had been in different notorious bands in the local scene. Ulalume was the lead singer of The Casuals (Punk-New Wave) and DenseUndergrowth (Avant-garde). Carlos Robledo and Walter Schmidt were part of Size (Post-punk) and have been playing together for many years in Decibel (Experimental). Humberto Alvarez played with MCC (Prog Rock) and is currently a well-known musician and multi-instrumentist. Before the band split-up they recorded two last songs in 1986, “Le Tombeau d’ Edgar Poe” and “L’Action Minimal”, as part of an unreleased solo EP for Ulalume. “Film” has been restored and remastered for this new edition including all original tracks plus two bonus: “Le Tombeau d’ Edgar Poe (Haunted Version)” and “Cuerpos Huecos” (Spanish version of “Hollow Bodies” available only on a promotional 7?).
Negative Response – Oblique Angles [MR073]
Hand-picked selection of tracks by UK’s Negative Response in this initial limited run of 300 discs. Negative Response is a DIY minimal synth project that formed in 1980. They self-released 3 cassettes from 1981-1983 as well as playing a number of gigs from 82-85. The tracks embody a very melancholy atmosphere reinforced by their arsenal of early electronic analogue equipment. This collection will certainly appeal to fans of early bedroom synth artists such as John Bender and other DIY home recording moguls of the era.
Marker – Marker [MR072]
On his debut full-length album as Marker, New Orleans artist Mike Wilkinson eschews traditional pop catharsis for total submersion into a blue, luminous tunnel. Guitar, bass, and Wilkinson’s voice are all treated through a variety of outboard and software effects, gently blurring into one another. Written and recorded between 2012 and 2015, the songs distill themes of isolation and connection, unreliable memory, identity, and the problem of infinite introspection and its relationship with reality. Filled with surprise melodic turns and evocative, vaporous production, “Marker” is an immersive work of otherworldly pop, encouraging its listeners to retreat inside themselves.
Circa Tapes – Love & Venom [MR069]
Third full length album by Circa Tapes (solo project of Adam Killing of Kill Memory Crash). Following excellent previous releases on Romance Moderne and DKA, this third album displays the evolution of Killing’s spot on ability to masterfully blend dark early 80s synth, industrial and cold wave into a completely new entity. Much heavier and wonderfully darker, this LP will appeal to fans of classics like Skinny Puppy, as well as cutting edge EBM contemporaries such as Broken English Club, Boy Harsher and other cold wave / industrial hybrids.
The Hipodrome Of Music 