Hypnus Records is spacing it up with a beautiful, aquatic Ambient Techno immersion from Luigi Tozzi.
001.Features
Lake Haze – Somewhere Between Shadows EP [SNF004]
Goncalo Salgado aka Lake Haze with a four track EP on Shall Not Fade label, features dark synthy productions on the A side, with more club friendly acid cuts on the flip.
Omar-S – Desert Eagle [AOS902]
New Omar-S 12″ on his own FXHE Records. Side A, “Desert Eagle” is the type of melodic track that just makes you feel good, with floaty keys over a consistent bass line to keep the feet moving. On the flip is, “Cry Me A River” – a simple yet effective house track that relies on 909 drums, a dusty vocal sample, and strings to put you over the edge.
R Wong – Life Principles [TMPL003]
Temple’s third release presents R Wong’s debut EP influenced by acid trance and new age. A record for self reflection.
VA – First Chapter [VM001]
Vade Mecum is the latin for a handbook that is intended to be carried at all times. The new Bucharest based label, a sublabel from Stomping Grounds curated by Jay Bliss, aims for the same thing, putting together for the first release three tracks that trancend time and genres. Tracks by French producer Yakine and the Romanians Teluric and Suciu.
VA – Space Jammin EP [CRAY003]
Crayon Records with the third release, featuring some deep Deetroit techno by Mark Ambrose, Analog People and D’Funk.
Benales – Elements EP [SINO031]
Born in Normandy (France), and now based in Paris, Benales aka Benjamin Morales has been honing his craft since the end of the 90s. An avid record collector and enthusiast of Techno and House – his DJ sets and tracks combine the raw, dark and deep elements of these musical forms with a firm nod in the direction of Detroit. Now he brings his debut release, a 4 track EP, featuring raw, straight techno tools.
Steven Tang – Infintesimal [EMP017]
Surprisingly, this is Steven Tang’s first 12″ in some two years (under his own name), and marks his first appearance on Emphasis Recordings (an imprint he founded way back in 1998) since 2011. Happily, it was worth the wait, because Infintesimal is amongst the Chicagoan’s best worth to date. Heavily influenced by vintage Detroit techno, its’ four tracks take in rolling creepiness (“Approaching Theory”), shimmering blends of Larry Heard style deep house and Motor City futurism (“Escaping Thoughts”), deep and spacey dancefloor bliss (“Verged (Obsolete Mix)”), and retro-futurist techno sweatiness (the undulating chords and hissing cymbals of title track “Infintesimal”). In other words, it’s a fine EP packed full of floor-friendly gems.
Nick Anthony Simoncino – Isole Del Tramonto EP [VIBR004]
Vibraphone Records is releasing a record by the Italian DJ/producer, Nick Anthony Simoncino. For the production of this record, Isole Del Tramonto (Sunset Islands) Simoncino uses a selection of strictly old school analog synthesizers, and drum machines, which takes you on a charming magical journey through the Mediterranean Sea with pulsating minimal deep bass lines, oneiric harmonic textures, exotic tom tom patterns, hypnotic sexy and catchy grove beats. Isole Del Tramonto is a record that connects and combines the essential elements and spirit of deep house music along with providing its visionary future…
Billy Bogus feat. Kasillen – Svengali [PN045]
Pizzico Label head Billy Bogus is back on track, this time joined by Kasillen , mysterious producer and sound designer who comes from a hip hop and black music background, and is behind Italian pop projects. Bogus & Kasillen come up with two original tracks with the consistent help of a MPC 1000, blending old Italian horror soundtracks with dubby/cheesy analog sounds so to convey the sense of discomfort you feel while watching a thrilling Italian b-movie, but in a clubby way. The final punch comes from the acid psychedelia of a different version of the same track by In Flagranti and the 80’s space-like vibe of homeboy Ma Spaventi.
Hotel Lauer – Lauer & Lauer [EES021]
Electro and disco inspired modern club tracks with bubbling arpeggios, sizzling hi-hats and playful acid lines and tight percussion.
VA – Snare Tapes 001 [SNTPS001]
Module Werk kicks off proceedings with ‘On The Verge’, one of two tracks by the elusive Russian. Warm, yet brutal sound design underpins ascending chords, whilst percussion leaps in and out of the track to complement its narrative, before an acid-esque line, leads the way. A2 sees Drummond’s next outing on vinyl, with ‘Concentric Rinds’. Here the versatile producers track is centred around a bass line that has dynamic range from the playful to the wonderfully aggressive. Embedded underneath is a sonic remit that is as nostalgic sounding, as it is forward thinking. The second offering from Module Werk has more of a direct approach than his A1 track. A straight up acid line gets thrown around the track, while snares and kick drums dance directly with it. It’s tension never wavers. The B2 side is by Leeds and Mint Club resident Bobby O’Donnell. His track ‘Repartition’ is circled around a warm bass line while stabs, synths and hi pitched melodies happily jostle with each other throughout the track.
The Angel Race – Ghetto Sketches [MATH087]
Second EP on Mathematics from Jamal Moss aka Hieroglyphic Being and Deviere ”Ghetto Sketches EP” is an experimental fusion of Jazz/Deep House/Black Noise Art Rebellion that will invoke mental incantations of fever.
Circling Vultures – Circling Vultures [LIES030.5]
Chicago veterans Justin Long and Ken Zawacki debut their Circling Vultures project on L.I.E.S. with three tracks of jackin’ mid-Western techno.
Gerd – Planet F.M.D.X. pt. 1 [ROYAL034]
Dutch Veteran Gerd’s return to Royal Oak. For the occasion he dusted of the classic gear and especially the Yamaha DX100. Four tracks from Planet F.M.D.X.
In Æternam Vale – Pink Flamingos [DM3D013]
In Æternam Vale, long the best-kept secret of the french synth punk scene, has been revealed many times now. This is about writing a new chapter of that 33+ years story, that begun in Lyon in 1983 as a band, whose leader Laurent Prot – an electronics pioneer and maniac – took over as a solo act since 1985. This new album explores another side of ‘IAV’, that echoes how Laurent sounds now – a ferocious take on techno, post-punk rhythmic elements and drone soundscapes, planted with unrestrained improvisation, and getting closure with a song time after time. This record is not a compilation of tracks that would stick to a particular time period or subgenre. On the contrary ; there is a definite common thread, that had been found while losing oneself in the intensity of his spectacular live performances lately. Being carried away by his drone improvisations and smothering bass bins, and hearing him play his music, both old and new, there is a singular feeling of both freedom and transcendence that emanates from his music. Some of his lives have lead audiences to become completely silent, and taken away by hypnosis, some other have caused a riot, leading the audience to ultimate excitement. IAV stands for a whole-hearted involvement in the making of his music, and despite the cold and electronic textures, there is a sense of intimacy that we’ve tried to reflect through the choice of the closing song “La Pluie”.
SHXCXCHCXSH – SsSsSsSsSsSsSsSsSsSsSsSsSsSsSs [AVNLP003]
The Swedish Techno experimentalists SHXCXCHCXSH return to AVIAN with ‘’SsSsSsSsSsSsSsSsSsSsSsSsSsSsSs’’ album. This album is wedded to the Avian aesthetic : monochromatic & wrought with tension. It’s powerfully dynamic and thoroughly organic in execution. An unbound, rolling matrix of white noise & wrought iron percussion, replete with disembodied choirs that pan uncomfortably in and out of the sonic hinterland.
Convextion – Acido 22 [ACIDO022]
Haunting soundscapes w/ blend of vintage Electronics & retro-futuristic Techno Ambient from Convextion.
Vester Koza – OTR [HTH061]
Almost a year after his last outing, London-based Vester Koza is making a welcome return to the fray with a new EP entitled OTR. Featuring four atmospheric cuts, for the first time it finds him step away from his own Maslo label to join Houndstooth. Fusing elements of dub, ambient and IDM into moody sound worlds with you right at the centre, he has a subtle but seductive touch that has always marked him out. An on-going interest in security, technology and privacy characterizes his work, as does a passion for the vintage and modern gear he uses when producing. All of that is evident here in his most cerebral and conceptual release yet.
Will Lister – Phantom EP [PHONICA016]
Phonica is a budding young talent by the name of Will Lister. ‘The Phantom EP’ is his production debut. The title track opens up the EP with heavily reverbed pads, echoed claps, crunchy percussion and repetitive synth stabs that all work together to create spaced-out atmosphere that’s full of twist and turns. Flipping over to the B-side, ‘After The Light’ picks up the pace with a driving high-hat rhythm and full-bodied kicks that underpin warm piano keys and smooth synth lines. ‘Agency’ closes proceedings by turning up the intensity to full with a masterclass in building tension.
The Hipodrome Of Music 