New label hailing from Tbilisi with the first release coming from a prolific melancholic Italian producer Giorgio Luceri under his 6D22 moniker with a mysterious acidic approach.
001.Features
Lerosa – Subcouture [IDLE040]
Idle Hands presents the first 12″ of 2017 from Lerosa, a four-tracker beamed across the Irish Sea to Bristol. The ‘Subcouture’ EP sees the esteemed producer operating at the intersection of dubby electro and deep house, taking in the sub-heavy frequencies Bristol is known for, whilst retaining an agile and sleek simplicity. ‘Maryelen’ is a tight, yet pastoral electro track where dreamy pads contrast against tough, cutting drum programming. ‘Line Bass’ is a tumbling and bouncy number, that doffs its cap to reggae disco and features vibrant synths peppering the mix. ‘Scruffy’ takes on a slower and more playful mood, featuring light licks of acid and off kilter keys. ‘Subcouture’ is a subtle dubbed out house cut with a hint of shuffle.
Circling Vultures – Circling Vultures EP [SCS006]
The latest offering from US-based imprint Secret Studio Records will arrive courtesy of Circling Vultures, a project fronted by Chicago natives Justin Long (Hugo Ball), and Ken Zawacki (Dar Embarks). Circling Vultures’ sound is rooted in the hedonistic Midwestern rave scene of the ’90s, formed over a long history traversing the hedonistic spaces of that time—it’s a hardware-driven sound with a DIY punk ethos.
Smackos – A Vampire Goes West [NW011]
Seven years after his last release as Smackos, music making machine Legowelt surprises us all with ‘A Vampire Goes West,’ a brand new and ever-experimental ambient album. It comes on his own Nightwind label and was made in total isolation on the North Sea coast last Christmas. As for the music, it is smudgy and cosmic; an “all out amateur spacejazz spiritual ambient eruption on smudgey cassettetape” that will take you far away from reality across 14 absorbing and atmospheric cuts. It includes some extra fun treats too: a fridge magnet and microzine with a map in ASCII art that has a quest attached to it which, if decoded, reveals a password that unlocks some secret and special prizes.
Jeff Mills – A Trip To The Moon [AXCD049]
The album is newly recorded sound track of the “A Trip To The Moon” film by Georges Melies in 1902. The Lobster Films in France has released a DVD of the same film with Jeff Mills’ sound tracks in November 2016. The famous silent film is only for 16 minutes or so but Mills has finished the entire tracks for this sound track album.
‘When Georges Méliès created Trip To The Moon in 1902, the world was just beginning to feel the tightening, yet exciting effects of another giant leap in modern civilization with the Industrial Age. It was a place in time that was transformable and in all dimensions of an evolutionary process: social, economic and political revolutions were buzzing. As man worked hard under the Sun, exposing his efforts and determination, it was the Moon that hatched his dreams. It was a time of realization and a time of romance’. – Jeff Mills
STL – Constructive: No Words Required [BOOGIE001]
Boogie Box, a bi-monthly party in the Middle East, launches its record label with an EP by STL aka Stephan Laubner. STL has crafted an unmistakeable sound that he has become so well known for, Deep and Dubby House and Techno. The a-side opens up with Hide & Seek, a 10-minute story filled with dub delays, weird soundscapes, and eerie pads, backed up by STL’s signature drums. If you are into Andy Stott, Deepchord and Rhythm & Sound, then this if for you. Perfect warm up material. On the flip-side is Haze & Kraze. Another long player by STL. This time, there is more drive to it. Leaning towards the darker side, the track is driven by Stephan’s loose drums’ programming, and muffled bassline, keeping the track moving and ever-changing.
Marcello Giombini – Computer Disco [MGLP101]
One of the greatest euro synthi-disco album of early 80’s finally reprint by Mondo Groove Records. Original released in 1982, “Computer Disco” is the most Kraftwerk-ian italian production. Marcello Giombini was a pioneer of early sequencers and in this cult LP produced cheesey cosmic synth pop a little bit italo disco oriented. Every fan of 70/80’s synthesizer music and electronic djs should put in his collection if they not already possess the extremely rare original edition.
VA – Equation I [EQ001]
Marvin and Guy’s Equation series has a deliciously simple premise. All the djs and producers around have one secret weapon to play at least. This series is the Equation who join together very special edits from very special artists. It will be out in three volumes in different colours.
Dazion – Don`t Get Me Wrong EP [SC006]
Young Dutch producer Cris Kuhlen releases his debut EP under the name Dazion, with 4 productions featuring the vocals of Ebu Gaye Mada and Ljubiša Arsenovic (Paya). Afro influenced grooves on A side cut “Be A Man” while the afro vocals continue on B side offering “Dancing In The future” but musically it is ’80s style Balearica, while”Rigola” is a lo-slung synhthpop ditty.
East Wall – Silence [DE145]
East Wall was an Italian electronic dark wave band started by Fabrizio Chiari (ex keyboardist of Kirlian Camera) and Wilma Notari in 1982. After a series of demos and live performances, the duo recruited Angelo Bergamini of Kirlian Camera to help with arrangement and synthesizers. They released their debut single ‘Eyes Of Glass’ in 1985 which had huge success in Germany, leading to a deal with ZYX. By 1991 the band consisted of Fabrizio Chiari (Synthesizer, Electronics, Keyboards), Tiziana Wells (Vocals, Synthesizer) and Angelo Bergamini (Synthesizer, Piano, Arrangement). At the beginning of the year, they recorded their next batch of songs at Prominence Studio in Cremona and A Love Sound Studio in Piacenza. “Silence” was self released by the band in 1991. The lead track ‘Silence’ was a left-over song by Kirlian Camera recorded in 1985 with vocals by Simona Buja under the alias Lorenza Larini. It was recorded largely using a variety of now-classic Roland, Yamaha, and Oberheim synthesizers. The album displays East Wall’s maturity and unique aesthetics, with instrumental pieces reminiscent of Angelo Badalamenti’ Twin Peaks score. Tiziana Wells sings with pure emotion, hypnotic at times, upbeat and carefree at others. Frankie Teardrop (of the Wierd party and the Systems of Romance blog) describes this album as “possibly the closest thing to darkwave freestyle that exists.’ We decided to expand the album, releasing it as a deluxe double LP cut louder at 45 RPM. We have also included an unreleased extended version of ‘Ice Of Fire’ and the bonus track ‘Intro’, found on the DAT tapes Fabrizio Chiari sent us.
East Wall – Eyes Of Glas [DE144]
To accompany their re-release of East Wall’s superb 1991 debut album, Silence, Dark Entries has decided to put out the Italian band’s forgotten debut release, 1985 single “Eye of Glass”. Tending towards the darker end of the Italo-disco spectrum, but blessed with typically cheery synthesizer melodies and skewed female vocals, it’s a record that seems far more inspired by the earlier British new wave synth-pop movement than pleasing the clubs of Rome or Rimini. The vocal version is accompanied by a subtly different instrumental, which includes waves of warm synths and offers more prominence to the band’s bubbly electronics, throbbing arpeggio bassline, and delay-laden drum machine hits.
VA – Stilleben 046 [STIL046]
Stunning 6 track VA record with loads of funky and icey Electro from the scandinavian parts of the mind. From listening to the dancefloor feel free to discover the teamwork glued together from Sweden, Iceland, Finland, Germany & France…
Seldom Seen – Bringing Slide Back [FR037]
Santiago Salazar’s slide project is back, bringing them crazy sliding bounce jams to funk up dancefloors worldwide, gangsta style.
ITPDWIP – Eye Can See The Darkness (In The End Of The Tunnel) [LTWHT010]
Eye Can See The Darkness (In The End Of The Tunnel) is a shot of light in the dark cavern of a broken heart. Blinded By The Lights rips apart the heart-string orchestra rather than just pulling on the strings. A love ballad lost in the haze of the mid-summer, faded to blue and repackaged as a gentle and tender winter anthem. Sharing the A-side with the lucid dreaming of Jeremiah R on the drum-heavy remix. On the flip, I Am Not Him is a filter-squelching, bass-slapping meander into green haze territory, that finally erupts into a swagger of familiar Detroit-channeled drums and steady faded pads. Outernet grumbles up the black-hole cosmic radiation with an industrial-tinged number that plunges the depths of deep-space. Proper growling and clanging synths to add the right amount of raw, just at the end.
Eoism – Cellarworx EP [PDR001]
Pulse Drift Recordings, a new german Electro label, bringing you the sounds of Eoism with this fine 6-Track EP. All born out of genuine Live-Jamming, what we have here is a remarkable collection of straight, unpolished Electro music, ranging from laid-back tunes like ”The Last to know” to energetic Dancefloor-Blasters like ”The Wire” or ”Odyssey One” and everything in between.
Magnesii – Fata Oasa EP [RWT-4]
Magnesii delivers a playful blend of house, electro and tropicana for Raw Tools. The title track, ‘Fata Oasa’ is a melodic, lo-fi delight, full of exotic flavours, whilst ‘Building Ultrabot’ shifts to a different spectrum of sounds, with chunky basslines and heart-warming pads. On the flip side, ‘Euphoric 660’, is a haunting house jam with low-pitched vocal samples and sharp percussions. The B-side gets a special 909-led muscle boost by Antenna, known for his dark, but emotional sound.
Realitycheck – Untitled Love EP [UTTU070]
Unknown To The Unknown bring in the new year with Realitycheck’s debut EP for the label – 4 incredible spazzed out tech houz jamz for the deeper listener.
Marcello Napoletano presents Anthony Parasaula – The Damned Sounds Of Parasaula EP [MM011]
Marcello Napoletano mind must have been on a thin line between genius and madness when producing this sick EP. 5 nasty soulful tracks full of energy and FunKyNeSs. He definitvely continues to transport the old spirit of Moto Music.
A Bleak Reality – Inevitable Disaster [MRT007]
Russia is cold, dreary, almost inhuman, one has to comes to terms with this harsh place. A Bleak Reality comes from there, he found his own answers and reasons facing all adversities and miseries of life. Lux Rec collected these and made a record out of them. MRT007 is an inventory of ways to fall. Lower than low.
(SB)[51] – Tractatus IV [NYH60]
Weird, loud and doomy tracks by (SB)[51]. Some of the best and darkest stuff we have heard all year so we are proud to drop that in your lap on the verge of the new year. You are getting some hard hitting analogue sounding slabs of experimental techno with kicks as deep as the ocean.
The Hipodrome Of Music 