Italian producer DayVentura presents on his bandcamp a name-your-price remix for Effetto Joule – Robespierre, a modern basement vision of this dark and emotional masterpiece.
DimDJ makes a welcome return on Gated for a second EP of acid-inflected hardware tracks, showcasing a range of sounds, from mid-tempo arpeggiated opener ‘Next On Next’, followed by the faster Detroit electro-influenced ‘The Path’, and low-end bothering ‘Cashe’ on the A side. The B leads with the rather lovely ’10th Of May’, which in our book is basically a summer-soaked Balearic house track, followed by the experimental acid techno of ‘Crash’, before ‘Ampi 00 Pattern’ winds down the EP in pensive ambient style.
Windy City – which is of course the colloquial name for Chicago, the US house hotbed – serves up a pair of dazzling minimal acid excursion, with a bit of Italo aesthetic, for NYC. ‘Acid Wash’ is laced with 303 lines and has jacked-up broken beats, silvery percussion and plenty of cosmic charm to get floors rocking. On the flip, ‘Acid Dry’ then strips things back to some loopy snares and roaming pads, all with another crisp electro rhythm down low.
Legowelt brings his legendary sound to the still-emerging Portuguese label, All Nice Records, launched in early 2024. Following their initial Chicago House-inspired releases, the label now shifts its focus to the vibrant Dutch West Coast scene. ‘Netherworld Sonomosis’ is a captivating and melodic electro EP that showcases Danny’s passion for his craft and his unique production style. This versatile four-track release is perfect for spinning at any hour of the night, inviting listeners to immerse themselves in its dreamy soundscapes.
Innershades comes with a follow up on his Clone Jack For Daze debut from 2019 with his buddy Betonkust. This time he digs in the local history from his homebase Belgium. The country that brought us the New Beat craze which had its breeding grounds in club’s such as Boccaccio. A venue which used to be one of the prime locations in the Benelux to hear the latest House and Techno releases in ’89,’90 and ’91. All the fresh new sounds from Chicago, Detroit, the big New York labels and producers, Early UK rave and of course the local producers from the Benelux. This Homage EP brings a collection of tracks drenched in bleepy acid lines, topped with choir pads and slightly detuned slowly phased chords and dominant mixed bass sections. Energetic tracks that capture the spirit of those days with a contemporary touch from Innershades. Tracks that fit perfectly to the Clone Jack For Daze series inspired by these early days, where people danced for daze on all these energetic and futuristic sounds from the underground.
Jeroen Böhm with his new project Occurred Error on Non Stop Rhythm.
Non Stop Rhythm presents a new release from Mystery Friend, a producer from Buenos Aires. His search and musical selection delves into the origins of House music, reviving the nostalgia of the club sound of the 80’s and early 90’s, but maintaining that youthful freshness of the new generation.
Humphrey Aniakor started Duomo Sounds after a trip to Milan. The idea was to produce a new sound for the emerging generation. A sleek funky but refined, Nigerian disco sound. This compilation captures all of that intention with a broad array of artists. The music is sometimes sung in local Nigerian languages and sometimes in English but always with an African Accent. Modern grooves for an African market. After several months spent hanging out at studios in Los Angeles and New York, observing the musicians, producers and engineers at work. He went to nightclubs to study what kind of sonic textures made the crowd move. And when he felt he had gotten the hang of it, he returned to Nigeria to set up his record label. A label that would showcase the au courant, cosmopolitan face of the Nigeria’s emerging young generation. That would encompass the boundlessness of imagination, focus, persistence and craftsmanship. That would deliver music that touched the soul.
Tokyo based Mystica Tribe is an electronic producer and melodica player who blends his own unique ‘Far Eastern’ dub style reggae with techno. He heads up his own label but has also dropped heat on the likes of The Hague’s SD and here brings the heat to a vital new 7” on Jamie McCue’s Moon Garden. ‘Rising Tide Dub’ has lush harmonica leads and oodles of echo and reverb that sinks you in deep to the cavernous bass. ‘Current Swell Dub’ then steps it back to an even more silky and liquid rhythm with dainty chords and gentle dynamic drums. Both these cuts are heady and soulful in equal measure.
Four killer Detroit inspired techno and electro tracks anthems from Die Gestalten, the multiplicitous moniker behind whomever it is that also operates the long-serving German label of the same name. Panther Schallplatten promise no repress, and yet also no “games, faces or bling bling”, offering a tempting tradeoff between limitation and candour. ‘Unsere Waffen’ and ‘Kaltland’ establish versatility enough on the A-side alone, the former track serving an acid aperitif backed up by joggling chord cuts and blooming arps, the latter following on via a nouvelle cuisine “heater” on ice; twinkly cubes inside a sonic seafood chiller, and steamup windowpane breaths in the surround mix. The B-side is a comparative voider , ‘Das Universum’ working in huge hooverish synths and the surprise ‘Vorort’ erring nervous breakdance tool.
The deep house maestro Alton Miller turns out supremely designed sounds as this one on Mister Bear evidences. ‘Afrika Alright’ opens with smoky, soulful vocals and lovely flute melodies next to wispy synth explorations, ‘Dub Afrika’ pads it out with some extra pillowy low ends, then ‘Hang On’ brings some bright xylophone melodies and jumbled percussion to a more Afro tinged house shuffler. Last of all is ‘Super Hero’ with its whimsical synth leads and interesting sound designs adding rich detail to a dusty deep house groove.
Damon Wild steps up to Synewave with The Mood Machine, a thrilling exploration of some sleek and stylish techno. ‘Make Believe’ opens with a dancing line of hi-hats over pulsing sonar-like blips and driving bass. It’s a future take on Detroit techno that leads into the mystic sounds of swirling pads of ‘Reflection’. ‘Elevate’ slows things down with a more moody blend of pads and glitchy beats over rolling drums and ‘Starliner’ then melts theming with intricately woven layers of sheet metal snares and linear kicks. All four of these are timeless and high-quality techno tools.
Opposing rising colder days but in line with greyed-out skies, Metamorphism EP by Swedish producer Dold pays tribute to nature’s brutal, subterranean forces where winter solstice causes the world to look paused and asleep. Four tracks that emerge from minimalistic elements to genuine narration full of drive and energy, showcasing Dold’s unique, dynamic handwriting in composition once again.
Four techno tracks by Andrew Red Hand from Romanian released on Diffuse Reality Records.
Warm Up Records are celebrating 100 releases and who better can put the celebration at the proper level than the label boss and curator Oscar Mulero. In a solid career spanning across more than 30 years, Oscar Mulero has developed his own signature in the global techno scene. These 22 songs are the culmination of a personal sonic journey and makes the seventh full album in his discography. Oscar explores the most scientific side of techno, where abstraction and alien sounds collide with precise rhythms and ultra mental arrangements, diving deep into sound design and studio mixing techniques.
Mike Inzinger trades with a wide array of sounds, intersecting Ambient, Techno, Electro, House and Acid elements. The upcoming 4-track EP “Final Report” nods to Netherlands’ west coast electro bents, varying from surreal 808-driven groovy acidic realms to immersive atmospheric, spaced-out pads and repetitive percussive wanders
Detroit’s stalwart Kyle Hall is back on Apnea Records with “Crimson Clouds,” his second release for the label following the acclaimed “Cosmic Touch.” This acid-infused record is a tribute to Detroit’s electronic legacy, drawing inspiration from the 90s sound of labels like Matrix and Underground Resistance, all while injecting Hall’s unmistakable modern flair. Tracks like “Acid Tea” showcase Hall’s acid-driven approach, delivering a dancefloor twister that’s pure bliss. Meanwhile, “Nimbus” stands out with its syncopated rhythms and soulful synth lines, and “Told Them Before” brings raw, head-spinning techno energy to the forefront. With “Crimson Clouds,” Kyle Hall delivers another essential record that bridges classic Detroit sounds with his unique modern twist.
Lost Control 2097 present the follow up to last years debut Hydro-Trip Vol. 1 EP from Berlin based producer Black Eyes. Hydro-Trip Vol. 2 is a mixture of warm rugged soulful house drawing inspirations from the oceans wildly flowing life. A combination of subterranean chord rawness, crunchy drum workouts, sleazy basement vox and a very dope remix from Detroit myth-like producer ‘Walt J’ round off an EP constructed for the real deep house katz. As per usual, scuba gear is heavily encouraged.
ReKaB drops a strong four-track EP, rooted firmly in the Detroit sound with a nod to the soulful techno styles that shaped the UK underground in the 90s. This is his second EP for Cologne’s YORE Records. The production, as always, is spot on—sharp, detailed, and endlessly listenable. While the tracks carry the weight of tradition, they’re not stuck in it. There’s a fresh, forward-facing energy here that keeps things exciting.
Just in time for Christmas we present a 2024 retrospective with “musical gifts” discovered on bandcamp. The music here is shared for free download / pay-what you want from artists and label we admire.
Continue reading “2024 Giveaways”
The Hipodrome Of Music 