Another electro veteran back in the game. Finish producer Mesak (also known as the other half of the legendary group Mr Velcro Fastener) has been known for his high quality, advanced spheric electro. Bessemerbirne is a massive electro-industrial 4-tracker EP with a killer remix by fellow countryman Mono Junk.
Utrecht based Endfest delivered solid serving of the fat beef. Very fair four tracker full of freaked out melodies underlaid by juicy 808 drums, darkwave electro offered by promising Czech imprint Endless Illusion. First track on the A side “Seaside Suicide” sums it up pretty perfectly in one song. “Fading Trees” is rusty vintage electro-funk that ED DMX would appreciate. On the flip “Palladium” and its exotic synths emulate Middle Eastern music eloquently while sounding like legends Japanese Telecom, in a way. Finally “Skiphol” closes things out in style on this spacey and cosmic little journey track.
Semantica Records marks 10 years with a worldwide tour and a 10 release series in 2016. Semantica 10.I features tracks from Donato Dozzy, Mod21, Stanislav Tolkachev and Skirt in a 4 track EP.
Brendon Moeller dons the notorious Echologist moniker again for some superbly executed dub techno experiments and finds a rather fitting home on Kenneth Christiansen’s Echocord imprint. The slo-mo, sci-fi dub of “Bent” is so vivid and smoked out that you can almost hear the lighter going off in the background; some serious darkside bass therapy on this one. “Repeat Rate” is more straight ahead on this stomping yet hypnotic techno track with some immaculate dub chords. Finally on “Good Vibrations” he works those resonators and dub delays like a true master in a wonderful exercise in restraint that’s perfect to build the vibe or equally transition out of the peak time with style.
‘All in all’ getting a special treatment from Milton Bradley, Electric Indigo & Monolake, Mike Parker and Svreca.
Alessandro Adriani has become a trusted source for all kinds of beyond-the-grave coldwave delights, from Maoupa Mazzochetti to The Neon Judgement. Aside from his work in releasing forgotten gems and up to the minute synth incantations, Adriani has also been quietly issuing out his own music as well. Primarily this has taken the shape of Newclear Waves, having surfaced on split tapes and 7″s on Mannequin as well as an album on Desire back in 2012. Under his own name, production has been less forthcoming, although Adriani did pop up on Nico Fidenco’s 2015 album Zombi Holocaust with a remix of the track “The Magic Is In The Process”. Now though it’s time for the Mannequin boss to delve back into the long player game with Montagne Trasparenti, which is scheduled to land on Monofonus Press in late March. Adriani in fact collaborated with Willie Burns as Interbrain and delivered a track to the IXTAB compilation on the Austin, Texas-based label last year, but now he returns with nine tracks that further expand on his own interpretation of ghoulish body music. According to the label, the album was recorded between Adriani’s native Rome and adopted Berlin, “in various years of travelling, composing, fighting with cables and machines.”
Two generations of Italian music history come together on this split 7inch. Milan meets Rome, Fred Ventura meets Alessandro Adriani. For this occasion Adriani and Ventura covered the 1982 evergreen ‘Changing’ by Bill Bruce. The perfect combination to pay homage to this monumental piece of music. On the flip side Fred’s early 80’s new wave band State Of Art got the remix treatment by Alessandro’s moniker Newclear Waves. Another unique match of these two key figures preserving the 80’s underground sound of Italy.
Conceived to offer dance-floor friendly techno music, created to conceptually unite rhythm and mathematical theories, Rhythmath is back with his third release taking inspiration from the well-known mathematical Fibonacci sequence. Rhythmath #003 is set represents the audible base of the aforementioned sequence through three swinging, functional but versatile techno tracks appearing onto the usual mathematically-related artwork.
Never one to sit still, core Delsin artist Conforce is back with a brand new EP on his most regular label. North To South Part 1 is the first EP in a two-party story featuring four fresh cuts, it is another deep exploration of musical subtlety and rich sonic design that comes tied to some of the Dutchman’s more propulsive drum work.
J.C. with part 2 of his Rebellion of the Overman project dropping some physical techno tracks that will work the body and mind/ J.C. communicating through his machines and laying down solid grooves and effective machine rhythms topped by vulnerable contrasting synths.
Heavily 313 influenced tracks from Mattia Trani for honorary Detroiter Orlando Voorn’s Nighttripper Records. Comes with excellent remixes by Juan Atkins and DJ Stingray.
Anopolis are a collective of four Thessaloniki based producers (Dimitris Evagelopoulos aka DimDJ, Drum Machinee, Lowjac, Oldman Talkin’) coming together for their second release on Lower Parts. Three tracks of electro acid tinged techno with some serious drum machine tinkering. Also comes backed with an incredible Hieroglyphic Being remix.
Lost Trax embody the idea of underground techno. The shadowy group, members unknown, began their music careers over 20 years ago. Output may be low, but quality is high; the style being no compromise techno brilliance. And that’s what’s on show here. Kick drums and squirming acid bars are at the core of “Faith”, a track where soaring strings shift and reshape. The chiselled claps and barbed bass of “Flatliner” follows, taking its cue from the heyday of Detroit. A watery world of analogue abstraction greets the listener on the flip, “Lost” being an atmospheric journey into to the squelching swamps of the TB303. Sniping beats introduce the lush tones of “Renderer.” Blurring the lines of electro and techno the track is an elegant end to an EP of deep and dense layers.
Layup is continuing with full-fledged vinyl release on his own imprint Endless Illusion. Opening new series on the label called “W” because of white labels. Whole series is going to be silkscreen on the covers and hand stamped inside.
Boo William’s “Mortal Trance” remixed by Ricardo Miranda, Jordan Field and Boo Williams himself.
With Noblesse Oblige you find yourself among the aristocracy of the mind and body. A gathering of artists with a different heartbeat and mindset. Fitting the Gooiland Elektro spirit as they operate far away from contemporary music standards. In this case this means sweaty EBM, dark techno and industrial acid.
Gavin Russom delivers four clairvoyant tracks for those who are willing to unravel them, don’t expect a happy end though. The first release of Lux Rec this year comes from the infamous enfant terrible, synthesizers maker, known for his obscure statements, Gavin Russom. The man needs no further introduction, he’s quite a presence, although a ghostly one. As in those urban myths his music reflects all that is haunting, secretive, unspoken.
I Love Acid reaches number nine, with Barcelona native Cardopusher at the helm. Four dirty acid jams aimed straight at the floor.
Florian Meyer back on Berceuse Heroique, with ten minutes of gamelan psychedelia, subtly and tensely minimalist as Terrence Dixon at his best. On the flip, Dresvn takes more of a beeline to Detroit, fuelled by submerged classics like UR’s Coinochime — cosmic, but deadly and unsettling. (‘Gammel’ means ‘junk’, in German. Maybe Magellan the explorer permeates that title, too, going round in circles in the East Indies, giddy and gammy below decks, amidst his trophy exotica.)
The Hipodrome Of Music 