2845 is Gerard Hanson’s first full-length as Convextion in a decade. The new album is made up of seven characteristically spacy techno cuts, and is his first release with the Mojuba-affiliated a.r.t.less.
001.Features
Crotaphytus – Acanthosaura [FUR104]
Robert Witschakowski takes a break from rewiring the rules of electro with his prolific The Exaltics project to deliver the eerie soundtrack album, ‘Acanthosaura’. Working with Nico Jagiella – with whom he co-runs the Solar One label – the pair have created the soundtrack for a world of flickering shadows, dark ambient textures and ominous bass tones. It’s the first Crotaphytus release in six years and according to Witschakowski, a project stemming from his love of reptiles and movie soundtracks. Like previous Crotaphytus releases on Solar One, ‘Acanthosaura’ is a deeply atmospheric affair. With each track title a reference to different types of lizards, from the death-paced drums of Cyclura Cornuta” to the slow-motion ebm-disco groove of Xenosaurus Platyceps” and the murderous subs of Caiman Latirostris”. In between, the dark ambient passages of Conolophus Subcristatus” and Amblyrhynchus Cristatus” as well as nods to The Exaltics’ spaced out electro in Iguana Delicatissima”. However, Robert insists that the album remains true to the project’s ethos. Crotaphytus is always dark and haunting. The project has no rules and that gives us the total freedom to make everything with it. I make also different styles with The Exaltics, but I have a concrete vision every time. With Crotaphytus, we let it flow and see were we land at the end. For this album, we tried to create an atmosphere like you are in a deep jungle, chased by giant lizards. Ambient has really the power to transport feelings. I guess this is subliminal in us from watching films.”
Johannes Regnier – Hilbert Space [THC012]
The Healing Company re-release a highly sought original version of Johannes’ Regnier “Hilbert Space”, coming with two stunning remixes by Palms Trax and Massimiliano Pagliara.
Federico Leocata – Zunachst [CPU00100001]
Federico Leocata is an italian audio-visual artist who has exhibited in Athens, Thessaloniki and Catania. Later expanding his art into the field of sound based analysis of the human psyche. First discovered by Heinrich Mueller (Dopplereffekt, Drexciya), Federico released his first EP in 2010 for the Belgian imprint WeMè Records, attracting further interest from labels like Frustrated Funk and Last Known Trajectory. Zunächst vocals by Beta Evers.
Terence Fixmer – Beneath The Skin EP [OTON097]
There’s few names that have left their mark on electronic music throughout time like Terence Fixmer did. The French producer has been releasing music since 1993 and by combining the aesthetics of EBM, Electro and Industrial music with the rhythmics of Techno, Fixmer coined and occupied his very own musical niche as a producer and live act.
Alfredo Mazzilli – Nibiru [LNTHN005]
Label owner, Christian Gerlach recruited the young and very talented Alfredo Mazzilli, which already showed his skills with his latest releases on Edit Select Records or Planet Rhythm. In the EP, which is dedicated to the Babylonian gods, Alfredo takes us into worlds of sound that reminds us of a run through the jungle and arrivals at mighty temples.
Executive Slacks – Seams Ruff LP [DE128]
Executive Slacks began in the hot, humid summer of 1980 Philadelphia by Matt Marello, John Young and Albert Ganss, three bored, broke, anxious art students. Starting out with performance art in subways, they soon took their angst-ridden act to galleries and night clubs. The band found their moniker in a run-down bookstore after seeing an ad for men’s polyester pants. They pieced together sounds that captured the growing paranoia of an age predicted by Orwell and the growing inequalities of the 1980s. They excavated two cassettes that contained their earliest recorded material from 1980 and 1981. “Seams Ruff” is a 13 song compilation from these cassette collections plus a bonus flexi disc featuring a live performance on WXPN from 1980. The tracks were created with the use of heavily modified synthesizers and noisemakers, the broken innards of a grand piano, metal oil drums and a spray painted Harmony Rocket guitar. The Slacks drew their influences from contemporaries like Cabaret Voltaire and Tuxedomoon, as well as Disco and Dadaism. Dripping in nihilism, the song’s lyrics tackle the existential dread of the late 20th century and three of the songs are taken from “Mann ist Mann” a 1926 play by the German modernist author Bertolt Brecht. Executive Slacks’ unique brew of primitive electronics, harsh guitars and aggressive vocals inspired many bands like Ministry, Front 242 and Skinny Puppy.
Zwischenfall – Sandy Eyes [DE134]
Zwischenfall formed in Belgium in 1982 with Michael Sass (synths), Martin Urban (bass/vocals) and Stephan Kraemer (guitar/drums). They were united by their interest in combining electronic and traditional instruments, which developed the basis for 1982 demo recordings. By chance Patrick Codenys of the Belgian electro pioneers Front 242, heard two songs and decided to record a 4-song EP. The “Heute” EP was released in 1983 after a week of recording in Front 242’s private studio under the direction of sound-whiz Daniel B. In 1984 Martin Urban left the band and was replaced by vocalist Iben Larssen and bassist Thomas Kürsten. They recorded their second 12” single, “Sandy Eyes”, which contained a remake of their song “Fluct”, sung in the English this time. Some fairly revolutionary techniques were used, including the introduction of sampling (with an Emulator I and Ensoniq Mirage), and ‘gated reverb’, in which the sound of a large reverb room was processed through a Yamaha CS15’s envelope follower. This record was originally released in 1984 on both Les Disques du Crépuscule and Fuzz Dance, packaged in three different covers. The reissue EP features two bonus tracks from the 1984 recording sessions previously unreleased on vinyl: the saxophone drenched instrumental “Polar Magazine” and street beat dance track “Sacred Time”.
The Pool – Dance It Down/Jamaica Running [DE130]
Patrick Keel is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer, and performer. The Pool was his solo project, the sum of fifteen years of experience in live bands, studios, and home recording. Patrick was heavily influenced by the radio of the early and mid 1960’s in Dallas. The British bands and Black soul of the era gave him a distinct style, and shaped his musical attitude. The New Wave/Punk/D.I.Y. attitudes of the late 1970s inspired him to express himself in a new way. 1980 saw the release of “Pool One,” a sixty minute home-produced cassette. “Pool Two” followed in 1981, which received much praise and little distribution. In 1982 he released a 5-song self-titled vinyl EP of tight, skeletal, synthetic dance music. In 1983, “Dance It Down/Jamaica Running” 12” EP was released on Moment Productions. Based on response from D.J.’s in New York and the Bronx, Patrick went back in the studio and remixed two songs from the self-titled EP for rapping, scratching and break dancing. “Jamaica Resting” was sped-up, extended, and reconfigured as “Jamaica Running”. The whirlpool synth-strut of “Dance It Down” came out of the studio as “Dance In Dub”, with a heavier kick and extended dub outro. These spacious versions were optimal for DJ play, slotting regularly in sets at hip clubs like Danceteria. For this reissue we’ve added two bonus European remixes from the 1984 12” of “Dance It Down/Jamaica Running”, released on Nunk records from Belgium. Both songs employ the use of a Boss DR-55, Korg MS-20, Korg PolySix, and a Prophet 5, and were mixed on a 16- track Ampex recorder. The Pool’s spartan, self-assured songs are experiments you can dance to
Ron Trent – Fon Space Project [MAP004]
Chi-town house legend Ron Trent goes from strength to strength with this fourth release on his very own Music and Power imprint. Two deep house instrumentals coming to you from outer space.
John Daly – Mainline [IZU002]
Davis – Ewer EP [ITF003]
Steve Murphy – Blood Cake 909 [HOTSHIT026]
Roche – Building A Place Of Surrender [MATH092]
Africans With Mainframe – Faces Of Africa Pt. II [MATH091]
Africans With Mainframes return with ”Faces Of Africa Pt. II” in the series of Deep House and Acid Chicago sounds. Think Guidance or Large records from the mid-90’s.
Five O’Clock Traffic – Distorted by Fantasy [BORFT136]
VA – Knowes Universal Broadcast (Seg.1) [CKNOWEP002]
Route 8 / S.Olbricht – Selected Works [GFEP002]
Madrid’s Go! Finger takes the vinyl path again launching some selected tracks from one of their most notable cassette releases to date: Route 8 and S. Olbricht’s “Ste Pwri Tmod – Selected Works”, Budapest’s Farbwechsel duo’s early efforts together on Go! Finger. This EP includes S.P.T. Ballacid’s original live recorded tracks “Don’t Miss Us Florida” & “King County Metro Transit” plus their respective Route 8 & S. Olbricht remixes. Amazing raw analog deep jam cuts.
DJ Wey – Song For Masahiro [BANK004]
This up and coming producer is already a legend amongst the crew of techno freaks in Brooklyn. With previous releases on local imprint Lovers Rock, and releases slated for Proibito and Exotic Dance under the the aliases DJ Python and DJ Xanax, DJ Wey aka Brian Pinyero has contributed a massive 12” to Entro Senestre’s BANK Records.
M. Rav – Common Purpose [LIES088]
Max Ravitz has made a name for himself with his hazed dance not dance productions over these last couple of years appearing on a handful of different labels under a handful of different monikers. Here on the 15 track, ”Common Purpose” cd we get Ravitz in all of his different forms as he teams up with numerous artists from his local Brooklyn scene and beyond, serving up unheard cuts from numerous recording sessions done over the last years. Through the record we hear the producer’s versatility from tripped out downtempo vibes, to mid-paced acid, to high bpm dust burners, as Ravitz and Co. explore almost all possible avenues while in the studio. Collaborators include Huerco S., Jahiliyya Fields, NGLY, Terekke, Bookworms, Cloudface, and Josephine.
The Hipodrome Of Music 