Volume 6 of the sought-after series From Chicago To Detroit compiled by Jordan Fields. The A side kicks off with ‘Moonman’s Return’ and a full 12” version of ‘The Runner’ from Boo Williams. Side B features tracks from Steve Frisco, Morgan Alexander, Giles Dickerson.
Credit 00 delivers his debut album “Game Over”. After four EPs for Uncanny Valley the Leipzig based musician is now ready to let loose his electronic visions on full length. As everybody can confirm who saw him playing live or DJing, the head behind Uncanny Valley’s sub label Rat Life is a slave to the rhythm on a full-time basis. Obsessed with sound, he can’t stop pushing the buttons of his synthesizers and drum machines like someone torturing the controls of an Arcade machine. “Game Over” is an electronic love letter to the romantic fantasy worlds of classic video games and their bleepy and clonky sounds which used to be common also in repetitive electronic dance music.
Collecting tracks from the last six years, “Game Over” is also a passion project that channels all his influences. You can get a glimpse of the ingredients that make up his record collection. Whether it is Hip Hop,Techno, Electro Boogie, New Beat, Italo, Jungle, Reggae, House or Chill Out. Though, all those different sounds and styles do not tear this album apart. It’s a bit of a miracle that it feels so flawless for what happens between the appetizing “Level One” and the final track “The Last March”. Those beats on “Game Over” can be brutally effective like the fatalities in Mortal Kombat while the overlying sounds can be smooth like the lemmings’ animations in the eponymous Amiga game. Just listen to the title track. Or the instant hip shaker “Breakers Revenge” that comes with a little help from friends like Sara Stammburg on vocals and Max Rademann on Rhodes.
Without losing sight on the dance floor Credit 00 creates an electronic wonderland that delights dancers and connoisseurs at the same time. To top things off the wonderful artwork was created by Alexander Dorn a.k.a. Credit 00 himself.
“A long time ago, at a festival far, far away, the members of the legendary Borft trio Frak were just going to bed in their tent when something caught their attention. Now, this was well before Frak’s rise to international fame – in fact, this moment was Swedish music history in the making, because what they heard was someone playing a Frak tune. That someone turned out to be Kontra-Musik’s own Ulf Eriksson and once their paths had crossed, there was no turning back. Frak has since released five highly sought after records on Kontra-Musik and Kontra-Musik White Label. When it was time for a 10-year anniversary gathering in Ulf Eriksson’s private garden, Frak of course turned up together with other Kontra artists like TM404 and Rivet. For those present – we few, we happy few – this turned out to be one of the most magical summer nights in living memory. The Swedish word for porch is altan, and so, to honour this wonderful experience of the whole Kontra-Musik family coming together, Frak decided to name their brand new album Altan Gathering. Another great friend of Kontra, Henrik Jonsson aka Porn Sword Tobacco, made the album cover and we wouldn’t have it any other way. His aesthetic choice of tin foil is on point: Listening to Frak is a lot like biting into a fresh falafel wrap without first removing the aluminium foil holding the delicious mess together; it’s mouth-wateringly warm and moist but at the same time intensely harsh and tough to chew. This might seem like a far fetched analogy but if you’ve ever went partying in Kontra-Musik’s home town Malmo you’ll know the feeling. And if you’ve never been to Malmo, well do stop by someday. It seems, when the stars align, the gatherings here can be the stuff both legends and albums are made of.”
It’s astonishing to think that Frak’s Borft Records has now notched up three decades. The Swedish imprint remains as eccentric and essential as ever, as this label debut from inspired Norwegian oddball DJ Sotofett proves. By his standards, “Ol Pa Ibiza” and the stripped back “Ol Pa Klubb” are pretty straightforward, with the Sex Tags man laying ricocheting dub notes and percussion hits over a rock solid drum track and booming bassline. “Ol Pa SM-Art Bar” sees him channel the spirit of early British bleep techno and the darker end of Belgian new beat on a clandestine mid-tempo chugger, while “Drikkepause” is a quick-fire shot of ambience built around echoing bells. Finally, he heads for a dirty warehouse on the acid-laden, EBM informed sleaziness of “Nekta Ol Par City Club”.
Blue Hour is introducing a new collaborative project from Blue Hour & A-JX. The duo explore classic UK rooted sounds, breakbeats and cinematic atmospheres with the 3 track EP ‘Gaia’s Requiem’.
A year after his first release on the label, German deepsmith Sven Weisemann is back on Delsin with a sophomore effort entitled Separate Paths. Down for his moody outings on labels like Mojuba and Telrae, this new four track affair continues to mark out the man behind it as a master of atmosphere. Grooves floating in mid air and subtle melodies drift by like half remembered thoughts. Head music that also makes your body move. It may only be four tracks long, but this EP truly takes you on a journey somewhere far away from this world.
Far out trip as collaborative effort from Beatrice Dillon and Kassem Mosse. Dillon Wendel is a place for the two respected artists to explore soundscapes, aesthetics and synthesis in pastures aeons away from the dancefloors they’re most familiar with. Both compositions weighing in over 15 minutes, they’re experiences which challenge form and convention; “Pulse” ripples with its namesake, a texture that buzzes and drones in endless waves while “High” mutates a warmer, grainer tone with dizzying effect.
Since launching the project in 2014, Barcelona-based 30drop has been releasing on End of Dayz, Detroit Underground and of course the 30drop label which has also seen appearances by Der Zyklus, Population One, The Black Dog, Sterac and Trolley Route (Oscar Mulero). Now, the Spaniard announces his album “The Time of Cruel Miracles” which includes 12 original tracks and 4 remixes by Substance, Architectural, Rivet and Zero Mass (30drop + Geistform).
Jeroen Search, delivered four cuts of sci-fi techno for Spanish label Warm-Up Recordings. Starting with the direct “Frontal Lobe”, which boasts alien pulses, crispy hi hats and rides, and white noise galore. “Presentism” takes us paradoxically to the future: its synth bleeps, 909 classic beats and a lot of delay make it the perfect mixing tool. “Time Loop” is a journey into robotic landscapes, with a high pitched sequence, the usual Roland drum artillery and the funkiness and rawness of the early Chicago days. Rounding off the release, “Inward Force” paces down the beat, adds dreamy frequencies, resonant bubbles and an enormous tom on a spacey and floaty vibe.
The Clarity EP signifies the return of Dutch techno heavyweight Jeroen Search to Dynamic Reflection. The result is a powerful four track EP, that clearly demonstrates Jeroen’s unique and personal approach to contemporary techno; Skilfully build grooves fused together with funky stabs, form a unique, recognisable and inimitable “Search-blend”. Proving once more Jeroen Search is an undisputed master of true machine funk.
Luke Hess is back on Echocord Colour with a 3-track bomb, super powerfull dubby spaced out Techno with the typical Luke Hess feeling, deep and melodic.
London’s EarToGround reaches its sentinel twentieth release with more bespoke, forward thinking Techno and happily welcomes on board another Italian artist, Nico Campanella aka Kaelan. In addition, the release also includes dynamic remix work by Kessell.
For the first release in 2017, Echovolt draws from the Canadian continent to bring an EPfrom mysterious producer from the west coast. An inventory of thoughtful cuts bringing dubby motifs, early Italian house elements, and moody synth-work. A diverse expansive 12″ presented with an all around deep, straight to tape sound quality.
Jamie Paton, one half of the duo Cage and Aviary has in interviews expressed his thoughts about if ‘Slouchy techno’ can be viewed as an own genre. The answer lies in this 7” – ‘Telefuture / Blind Summit’ – released on Hoga Nord Rekords, on which the label above is highly appropriate to sum up the sound. The tracks contain elements from your techno favorites dating three decades back, but the tempo and the production creates a slouchy (in the words most positive sense) feeling clearly influenced by the slow motion house of Cage and Aviary.
The history of dance music is littered with one-hit wonders. The mysterious Sahara-Ja, whose one and only 12″ appeared on Australian label Central Station back in 1989, is a perfect example. Since slipping out in limited quantities 18 years ago, the Egyptian Lover-does-’80s soul cut “I’m An Arabian Knight” has become something of an in-demand record amongst collectors. This timely reissue contains all four versions included on the original ’89 release, including a tasty instrumental and the must-heavy Funky Arabian Mix. This sublime version puts more emphasis on the producer’s killer electro rhythm, dreamy chords, and cascading, Persian style synthesizer melodies.
Volume 5 of From Chicago To Detroit compiled by Jordan Fields, who starts off with ”You Make Me Feel” sounding very Detroit. Nastyboy goes Italo with ”All Night Long”. The B side introduces fresh cuts by Midnight Music Club, Kaizo and Maxi Aubert all getting Jordan’s edit treatment.
Inspired and positivie vibrations from the DJ, producer and label head, Reggie Dokes from Detroit City.
It would be fair to say that Black Jazz Consortium man Fred P is a reliable source of atmospheric, immaculately produced deep house and techno. We can’t think of a duff release to date. Certainly, this first 12″ for Secretsundaze is full of playable treats. Opener “6AM” uses tribal-influenced drum rhythms, mutilated vocal samples and moody electronics to create a dark and hypnotic early morning mood, while “Herb” is a perfect fusion of trippy broken house rhythms, hazy minor key refrains and weighty dub bass. Arguably best of all, though, is “Mile High”, a superbly emotional deep house epic full of crystalline chord progressions, sweeping synth-strings and immaculately programmed percussion. Killer deep techno tracks by the never disappointing Fred P.
The Hipodrome Of Music 