Old School Chicago acid trax.
001.Features
Submersible Machines – Waypoints [PF009]
There seems to be something in the water when it comes to Texas and Electronics. One of the stand-out talents from that most Southern of Southern states is Submersible Machines. Waypoints builds on those early successes, with that delicateness of touch plain to hear. A renewed warmth enters. Tracks wash with a lush and textured sound. Sheer class spills from speakers. ‘Porthole’ illustrates from the needle-drop what you are in for. A tapestry of tones reveals incredibly emotive electronics. Tracks are sculpted with an awe-inspiring precision, from the wind-swept wonder of ‘Murmur’ to 303 echoed dreamscape of ‘The Searching.’ And it is a dreaminess that embodies this EP. Heartening notes and a deftness of style combine to bring beautiful and thought-provoking Techno to listeners. Absorbing bars pull you in, changes flow and ebb. But there are punchier moments, the toms and rhythmic pulses of ‘Abyssal Plains’ giving way to sweeping stings. The finale comes with ‘707 Dreams.’ A cerebral close of cascading keys and cushioned cymbals to wake you from absolute immersion.
HVL – Away From Everything We Know [OA002]
Organic Analogue Records returns to present its second release from Georgian producer HVL. Away From Everything We Know, is the perfect balance struck between a meditative state and playful electronic experimentation, for all its subtlety it’s an incredibly detailed piece of work that deals in myriad layers of tone and pulse. To bring a fresh perspective, LA-based artist Gabriel Reyes-Whittaker, perhaps better known for his Gifted & Blessed project, steps into The Reflektor guise to drop a plush remix of ”Away From Everything We Know”.
Weber – Zwei [HOLGER007]
On his second installment for Holger, Philipp Weber further expands the sounds and themes introduced on his debut Eins on Holger. Combining influences from early krautrock and minimal music to contemporary dance sounds.
Piero Piccioni – Colpo Rovente [BEAT067]
‘Colpo Rovente’ is one of the rarest soundtrack albums in the Italian film music history. This soundtrack stands out from the traditional period into the psychedelic era. Soft-spoken and suave cool jazz, along with hallucinogenic go-go sounds appears throughout the film and soundtrack. Dynamic big band tunes are stunningly matched with impossibly beautiful jazz funk scores infused with a touch of bossa nova.
Ma Spaventi – Viaggi [PN043]
Released by Pizzico for the first time in 2009 with the moniker “Erre”, Marco Antonio Spaventi was one of the most pleasant surprises about what an excellent techno producer can do with his beloved background: Italo disco. Influenced by soundtrack masters as Vangelis, John Carpenter and most of all Italian maestro’s like Nico Fidenco, Pino Donaggio, Francesco De Masi, and appearing in the sky like a laser beam in a post-atomic Bronx filmed by Enzo G. Castellari, the positive first album of MA Spaventi called “Viaggi” is landing. A real journey into obscure worlds, dirty streets, atomic sunsets, broken hearts and analog feelings, a blessing for your most romantic and cinematic essence. Could this folding full length fit the modern dance floors? Maybe It could be better for the outcast clubs of a near future: synths atmosphere are sweet and pressing at the same time, the melodies and beats fit together in a succession of deep emotions, the “tape” sounds old school and totally irresistible. Pizzico is proud to present MA Spaventi’s VIAGGI: nine exclusive tracks for a brand new album, invoking and evoking dusty Italo vibes, analog synths and written soundtracks for unwritten movies.
Violence Fm – Etoiles [CCC516]
Cosmic Club 16 in the house, and for this one Skylax have delved deep into the mystic universe of the ever enigmatic Violence FM with a four track EP quite simply out of this dimension… Etoiles EP is an inconceivable work of art from Violence FM that will leave listeners stargazing for more, not to mention an extraterrestrial remix of Chez Damier’s ‘El Fin Esta Cerca’ on the flip.
Black Booby – Sun Lab Export [BB008]
Black Booby is back on it with the Disco NoT Disco Summer release. First up on the A-side there’s ‘Sun Lab Export’ from Richard Rogers’ mystery partner, an edit of the super-unknown ‘Laxton Superb’ by Dutch 80’s electronic outfit Spectral Display. Next up is ‘I Need Somebody Raw’ a new take on disco’s campest hero Sylvester’s ‘I Need Somebody To Love Tonight’. Then moving on to the B-side, we have ‘Jungle Booby’ which is already attracting some underground heat, as this reworking of late 70s French disco group Kikrokos’ track ‘Jungle D.J.’ sees Rogers take the original’s intro for a long session on the dancefloor in its own right. Finally, ‘And She Walks’, a take on Kazino’s ‘Binary’, sees them revamp the original B-side (of Around My Dream) by highlighting its darker sonic sensibilities.
JP Enfant – Dreaming Backwards EP [LET001]
Sophisticated deep and athmospheric techno by Les Enfants Terribles. An extra fine release number one to start this fresh venture by Dutch dj/producer JP Enfant. These terrible kids all ready made name in their local scene and are now ready to step over the border.
VA – Indelible Expressions Part. II [APPIAN008]
After quite a wait Indelible Expression Part II has landed on Appian Sound. Warm early morning Techno from Swedens Evigt Mörker. Two hypnotic shuffling, shimmering live jams from Italian duo Hiver and French duo G-Prod. XDB finishes off with a punchy kick drum based groover. Timeless cuts of varying degrees of intensity to suit all intimate dancefloors.
Frawl – Ep1 [KRISTIANA001]
The first release on Kristina Records, featuring four tracks by Frawl aka Cian Frawley. Nice deep, meancholic house tracks with fragile melodies and a lovely flow.
Spirit Of The Black 808 – Invasion Of The Black Bass [SOTCSB801]
For the first reference, Sounds of The City welcomes the mysterious Spirit Of The Black 808. Invasion Of The Black Bass it’s warm in every way and infectious. Both tracks share the same chords grid, one could be a re-interpretation of the other. Both are very warm and melodic. Frenzy In Firenze on the other side demonstrates SB8’s skills for groovy tools and more DJ oriented tunes.
Arnaldo – Your Favourite Colour Is Green Yet You Dress In Black [SMALLVILLE042]
Arnaldo drops his first EP for Smallville for three years. This is a wonderfully fluid delight, with all three tracks offering a near perfect balance of lolloping grooves, glassy-eyed melodies and eyes-shut chords. A-side “Moving On” sets the tone, layering dreamy pads and cascading melodies atop a shuffling groove. He gets a little more forthright on the cymbal-heavy deep house pump of “Never Used To Be Better”, before calming things down with the heavenly throb, woozy spoken vocal samples and cyclical melodies of “Million Mile Love”.
Function – Berghain 07
Civil Duty – Civil Duty [COR012]
The Corner presents Beau Wanzer and Shawn O’Sullivan with their Civil Duty self titled hard hitting album, not for the faint at heart.
Steve O’Sullivan – Interchangeable Patterns Part II [SUSH034]
This record sees O’Sullivan inject a little more flavour than what was heard on the Interchangeable Patterns Part 1 release, and he kicks it off with a linear A1 cut that sounds like a reduced Sandwell District production boiled down to suite both the house and techno listener. The A-side’s second track pitches rapid tonal bleeps against phased out percussive snaps, while the B1 delves into deeper, Detroit inspired techno. B2 cut stays in Detroit, while adding some tribal elements to mark an EP that may be the first transmission of change in O’Sullivan’s trademark Mosaic and Bluetrain sound.
VA – Ground Fault Interrupt Vol 1 (Part 2) [WCR007-2]
Weekend Circuit releases its first V/A series, Ground-Fault-Interrupt. Spread over 2 parts, the record’s eight tracks further showcase what the label has been become known for, a highly-focussed, well-contemplated brand with music to match. The second part includes tracks by Sleeparchive, Alderaan, P.E.A.R.L. and Coldgeist.
L/F/D/M – Psychopaths Eating Jelly [CGI010]
Laid down with authority by L/F/D/M are four no nonsense cuts blasting fresh air into that perennially en vogue phenomenon known as acid house. Opener ”Spare Ribs, No Napkin” is meaty and greasy with abandon, as rude and distorted as it is irresistibly syncopated. ”Cutting Fingers” contrasts with a slow burn with a deep kick anchoring shifting rhythms and unsettlingly hypnotic riffs. Flip this treasure over and get pummeled by the rolling stomp of ”Heavy Clouds with its massive 808s and just-off-the-nose acid cycles. Closing things out is the bright paranoid jack of ippos In Slumber” with its muted chords adding freaky color to steady and heady 707/303 workout that charms and overpowers with an electric stink that lingers long after the needle has reached the lead-out groove.
Severed Heads – Big Saints Reward (1988-1990 Dubs) [OT015]
Optimo Trax 015 sees label boss JD Twitch indulge his love of cult Australian DIY act Severed Heads with a trio of dub version culled from the B-sides of their 1980s 12″ output. Titled quite artfully Big Saints Reward (1987 – 90 dubs), perennial Twitch favourite “Greater Reward” features prominently with the Dub version accompanied by an all new “Piano Power Edit” from the Optimo man which takes full advantage of the glorious keys that characterise the track. Complementing these, the B-side houses “Big Car (Crash dub)” and “All Saints Day (Saints Dub Day)” which add further credence to the notion Severed Heads are one of the most important acts in the formation of club music as we know it today.
Albion – Albion [RSR009]
Albion is back with a 6 track EP of delightful cosmotropical disco edits. In true Rotating Souls tradition only the freshest cuts make it to the table. Bursting out the A1 like a chrome clad sapce pimp, “Veni Vidi Voodoo” blasts psychedelic synths all over the shop before exploding into a crazy cosmic disco funk number. Somewhere between an obscure 1970s italian space opera and a sleazy blaxploitation jam. Next up, “Turning On” sees the vocoder in full effect as Albion turns out a percussive Italo disco chugger perfect for the pitch black warehouse. A3 ‘Mind Confusion’: outdoorsy psychedelic festival synth disco sounds. As we saunter over to the B-side, “Nightliner” gets properly cosmic with some totally galactic jazz-funk leanings. If you need some funky guitars, moog melodies, sweet strings, and tropical sounds in your set, throw this one on. “Shangri La” beams us down from the stars to the sun and fun of Miami thanks to a true electro disco stomp. Rocking Balearo-Beach style guitars and funky synth solos, this is undoubtedly one for the synth funk freaks. Last but not least, “All We Need Is Each Other” is a catchy vocal number which seems to blend the infectious guitar part from Barrabas’ “Woman” with another breezy Euro-pop gem for all out Balearic dancefloor destruction.
