Up front and emotive tribal grooves feature on the next Blue Hour 12” as well as two ambient leaning works – forming a well balanced and mature sounding EP that nods towards the more string led/pad driven sound found on earlier releases in the series.
Detroit rooted techno tracks with morphing synths and layers of percussions and breakbeats designed for the dancefloor.
Time marches on with two Various Artist EPs to celebrate the 20th release on Lunar Disko Records. Eight tracks encompassing the modus operandi of the label since the beginnings… Part 1 features three Lunar Disko favourites in the form of John Heckle, 214, and VC-118A, alongside a label debut from upcoming Dublin producer Conan_ aka Conan O’ Donnell. Detroit influenced electro and techno on the A-side, while the B-side transports the listener into deeper electro soundscapes.
Boris Bunnik dons his Hexagon scuba gear before diving into electronic abstraction and aquatic electricity. Counter Utopia brings together three works of machine textures. “Cerebral Trauma” is submerged in a simmering liquor of smelted metal, molten melodies bubbling to the surface as ball bearings fizz and rattle. Industrial experimentation undercuts the entire EP. Soulful chords are stretched, contracted and contorted against the clean percussion lines of “Utopia.” Machines echo in the finale. Gears groan against a backdrop of soaring synths and pulsations in the depths of “Paranormal.”
Making his long awaited return to Salt Mines, Hymns produces a debut 12′ flecked with restrained breakbeats, off-kilter rhythms and glistening pads. Opener ‘Water Acid’ is an eerie amalgamation of aquatic electro and tense emotion, built for a fractured dancefloor deep in the arctic ring. A2 ‘Searching For The Real’ provides a brief moment of introspection, before B-side leader ‘Heinz Harald Frentzen’ crashes down and amplifies the intensity with sharp breaks and rapid, stark percussion. Closing the release, title track ‘Waves of Nothing’ showcases Hymns at his best, utilising lonely synths and equally mechanical and organic percussion to create a sentimental, vulnerable climax.
Lok44 and Dibek are /DL/MS/, dropping a malicious four-tracker as their joint TRUST debut. The haze hangs heavy as /DL/MS/ leave straight techno by the wayside, drilling deep underground into unexplored acid break deposits. ‘Rogue Intent’ shakes tectonic plates, colliding grinding breaks with fierce analogue instrumentation, and the fumes oozing from their boreholes are likely to set your head spinning.
2017 Remastered version of FR004 b/w additional track “Let’s Bang”, taken from the original 1997’s Cybonic In Effect EP. Parental Advisory Frustrated Funk straight from the 313.
Dark Entries presents a 4-song EP of songs by the Italo Disco duo. In 1985 Domenico Ricchini teamed up with Joe Garrasco, a DJ at Free Club a Super Dancing Discotheque in Braone, Italy. Their first composition together was another hit single for Joe Yellow, “I’m Your Lover” released in 1986. In Spring 1986 the duo began working on a new song for a yet unnamed side project. They spent a few days at 33 Studio in Milan and recorded “Love Sex For Sale” with Jimmy Mc Foy on vocals. This project was titled Garrasco’s and the single was released in 1986 on Fuori Di Testi. Unsatisfied with the mix, they booked a fresh session at Regson Studio in Milan to re-record the song. The result was re-naming the projecting Joe Garrasco & M.M. (for the band Marita – Marillena) and the song as “Action” released on Out Records in 1986.
M&G was the duo of Maurizio “Sangy” Sangineto and Mirko Galli from Vicenza, Italy. Sangy began his music career in 1979 with Italian disco group Firefly and recorded a solo album ”Steps” in 1980. Two years later he co-founded Italo-disco band The Creatures and synth-funk crossover act The Armed Gang. He met young DJ Mirko Galli at L’Altro Mondo Studios in Rimini. In 1986 the pair spent a few days at Sandy Dian’s Recording Studio working on what would become their sole 12” maxi single “When I Let You Down”/ “Boogie Tonight” released on Sensation Records.
If you’ve been digging the brilliant Ethiopiques series of compilations, which shine a light on the lesser-known Ethiopian music scene of the 1960s and ’70s, you’ll love this lavishly produced box set. Put together by series founder Francis Falceto, the box boasts fresh pressings of six impossible-to-find 7″ singles and a booklet containing extensive liner notes. The musical treats come thick and fast, quickly jumping between evocative Ethiopian jazz, unique fusions of rhythm and blues and traditional East African styles, Hammond-heavy groovers and exotic dancefloor workouts that defy easy categorization. Includes tracks from great Ethiopian artists like : Mulatu Astatke, Girma Beyene, Mahmoud Hamed, Getatchew Mekuria, Tilahun Gessesse.
Following on from the Pasteur Lappe compilation ”African Funk Experimentals” LP, we are really pleased to be re-visiting Pasteur with a repress of his second album from 1979, ”Na Man Pass Man”. The story begins in the 60s with a charming 19 year old Nicolas ”Pasteur” Lappe becoming a sensation on Radio Adele in Douala, Cameroun. He goes on to become the editor of the Douala Gazette newspaper and become friends with other African music stars such as Tala AM, J Moboule and Fela Kuti. He also works tirelessly promoting new and upcoming local Cameroonian talent. After moving to Paris, a stint in journalism school and publishing a book of poems ”Chansons Negres” he finally settles into a new life of music in Paris. His second album ”Na Man Pass Man” is made in 1979 with the backing band and production collective called the Zulu Gang, which include Douglas Mbida (who went on to release several top flight albums himself) and Jacob Desvariaux (who went on to form Kassav). The album is full of diverse sounds; from driving funk, sweeping disco grooves, syrupy ballads, reggae, Jackson-five-esque pop to finger-lickin’ soul. At its core though is the custom ”Sekele” groove… a movement to encompass the dance, grooves and vibes from his native Douala.
Ben Sims’ Symbolism celebrates its 20th release with an 8 tracker featuring the first original Ben Sims material in the past few years. Launched in 1999, Symbolism was initially intended as side project of Sims’ Theory imprint but quickly developed in to a standout label itself with releases from Sims (as Aural Emote), Exos, Reeko and a split release with Function hitting home on the circuit. After a 9 year hiatus Symbolism was reactivated in in 2015 and has since dropped 12”s from the likes of Mike Gervais, D_Func, JC & Kastil and George Tounisidis, ‘Standing Before The Unknown’ is a heavy package from start to finish and takes in a number of tones while remaining firmly dancefloor focused. Paul Mac’s solo contribution ‘Off a Cliff’ kicks things off in typically pristine style while ‘Ishishish’, his collaboration with Sims, is a rougher, percussive affair that marks a fine return to the studio for Sims. Russia’s Rodion Stankevich makes two contrasting appearances; first with the abrassive ‘Umustgothruit’ and later with intricately layered and hypnotic ‘Any Questions Any Answers’. Joton also appears twice with his playfully tough ‘Fatum’ working nicely against the later night sonics of ‘Filia’. Minneapolis’ Mike Gervais returns to Symbolism with his most intense cut to date in ‘Crisis’ whilst Dutch producer Mike Storm debuts on the label with the strident ‘Confirmed Life’.
Surgeon has taken the techniques and inspiration from this live creative process and distilled them into these four tracks. ‘Convenience Trap’ follows on from the techniques learned in his ‘Bland Ambition’ release also on Dynamic Tension.
The third release of the vinyl only label Another Earth is upon us and it’s all about techno. Esther Duijn combines 2 acts together in a Split EP series which compliment each others sound. For this release Esther selected two notorious European techno producers she adores, Opuswerk and Lee Holman. On the A side Opuswerk delivers 2 deep driving techno tracks. RF Thruster basically expands from beginning to end. This constant propulsion has a deep impact on any dance floor. He drew inspiration from Jeff Mills and Planetary Assault Systems for this particular track. EmDrive starts with an atmospheric intro and morphs into one epic build up that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. On the flip side Lee Holman bangs 2 deep and firm techno grooves like there is no tomorrow. While Adaptive Optics is rough on the edges it does pay attention to small details which make the track very dynamic. Absorption Lines puts the emphasis on a warmer atmosphere.
Straight up raw techno from the Feel Music boss. For fans of his 11 51 26 41 2 EP from 2015 on Running Back. 2 of 3.
The Fifth EP on FireScope Records, the new sub label of the legendary B12 Records, welcomes Mr John Shima. The EP entitled Elements Unknown, is pure techno for laying back in a dark room and floating away, highly detailed layers of electronic sounds interweaved together to create emotion.
Spiral Deluxe is a band led by Jeff Mills. Initially formed for the performances in Japan (Tokyo/Kobe) and released “Kobe Sessions” EP (AX070) last year, they gathered again in October 2016 for European tour, when they named themselves as Spiral Deluxe. This record is live recordings from that tour and will be our 2nd series of “Axis Audiophile Series” with HD sound.
Dust On Common’ from Led Er Est (Sam De La osa, Shawn O’Sullivan and Owen Hutchinson) was originally released in 2009 by the seminal Brooklyn based record label Wierd Records. The band’s first full-length release showed the three piece clearly breaking out of the minimal synth underground they have been a vitally integral part of since its inception in Brooklyn to create an undeniably contemporary set of highly crafted and restrained, icily psychedelic pop songs.
Synths Versus Me is back with their new album ‘Sex/Body/Touch’. This new album is the longest and more ambitious work they had produced to date, including up to 14 new tracks where find their usual eclectic amalgam of dance oriented darky styles; from EBM to synth pop, passing by electro beats, pure coldwave, italo disco or classical synthwave. All tracks has been recorded using only analog synthesizers captured on a external recorder without make use of daw digital conversions, excepting on the final process of digital mastering.
Camisole Records celebrates its 10th release with the reissue of ‘Electronic’, first Benoit Hutin’s LP. This promo album only send to radio and TV in 1980 is now regarded as one of the best Cosmic Library LP of this period. From the disco tinged of Test and Spot to the ambient and kosmische landscapes of Spectre or Synchronisme you can easily see why. The 5 original tracks are completed by 4 edits made by italo australian master Hysteric, Britanny edit wizard Shelter and Camisole boss Atton.
The Hipodrome Of Music 