This latest record seems to mark Kobosil’s first self-released record. “Head” is an intriguing opener, eschewing rhythms for simmering modular pulses, which grow into the seasick metallic clutter of “1018818”. More conventional techno fare can be found on the finely tuned acid minimalism fo “A15” and the artificial marching sounds of “polyheme”, but even these are pleasingly strange in the manner we’ve come to expect from Kobosil.
Iron Blu is a UK producer and broadcaster on the mighty Intergalactic FM. His production career has spanned krautrock/cosmic, post-punk, electrofunk to what he does today. Stepping aside from managing and A&R for Flight Recorder, Iron Blu releases his second offering for the label. “Science Probe Vessel” is 12 inches of jackbeat and Detroit techno. A1 is a dub-tinged organ driven 909 jack. A2 is a bass-heavy 909 jack cut through with glacial strings. B1 is heavy Detroit techno. B2 is a deep groovin’ house workout fused with wobbly seesawing strings.
Santos – Beat The Knuckles, Fiona Franklyn – Busted Up On Love, Ron Hardy – Sensation (unreleased mix 1).
Italian duo Life’s Track with raw, analogue house sounds that is physical as well as emotive. The first track here is ‘Stone’, a hurried house jam with raw and splintered hi hats racing over broken sounding drums as urgent synth stabs fill in the spaces left behind. It’s live sounding and loose, ghetto in texture and truly arresting in nature. The b-side starts with ‘Velocity’, another over-driven bit of house with non-stop claps chattering over slower, purposeful kick drums deep down below. Nagging synths slowly shape shift and draw you attention away from the physical percussion, making for a nice duality to the track. Lastly, ‘Invisible Symphony’ is a stripped back techno banger with heavy kicks, a great little hook at its heart and turbo charged synths slicing through it like lasers.
With prudent timing comes yet another artful release from Greece’s Nous contingent, this time courtesy of Manchester’s Moodcut who muses succinctly on the invisible overlap of Chicago and Detroit’s aural heritages. The Tame Cats EP delves deep into the industrial overtures of each with the melancholy sparseness of sound that characterizes the brutally beautiful aspects of man-machine-music.
Dave Huismans (A Made Up Sound) returns under his 2562 codename with the oneiric ambient/concrète dancefloor states of ‘The New Today’, his 4th solo album in this guise. Where its predecessor, ‘Air Jordan’, also for his When In Doubt label, took inspiration from the arid landscapes of the Middle East, ‘The New Today’ draws upon ideas sketched out whilst 2562 was in New York, late summer 2013, and was later finished at his home studio in Utrecht, The Netherlands. Rather than disco samples, as with his last LP ‘Fever’, he sources from and splices together an enviable library of European synth experiments, new age tapes, avant-garde, post punk, pop and long forgotten aces, offering an entirely different palette of textures and tones. Ambient is a keyword here, taking inspiration from the feeling of drift of utopian/dystopian novels, as much as the sublimation of electro-acoustic processes. Between the humid concrète drone sphere of ‘Arrival’ and the sweeping celestial space of closer ‘New Life’, there’s a keen sense of momentum through dreamy time and space, taking in the airborne melodies and syncopation of ‘Vibedoctor’ and ‘Utopia’ along with killer Afro-centric gyrations in ‘Terraforming’. Inarguably, it’s the the most diffuse yet cohesive and involving album in his celebrated cache.
After a few years away from the scene Modern Heads aka Dino Sabatini & Gianluca Meloni are back with a new 12” on Outis Music, called “Chapter II”. The second chapter of an adventure that began in 2001 in a basement in Rome.
Dark Entries have combined Bay Area Retrograde (BART) Volume 1 and 2 on a single CD. BART is Dark Entries compilation of underground music from San Francisco (and the greater Bay Area) made between 1978-1988. Towards the end of the 70s, San Francisco’s experimental music scene clashed with the aftermath of punk and gave birth to a vibrant underground. By the early to mid 80s the DIY music scene of the Bay Area was a hotbed for experimental and quirky new wave, post punk, and synthpop, quite similar to New York’s No Wave scene and Berlin’s Neue Deutsche Welle. This compilation connects the (transit) lines between these varied musical offerings and tells the secret story of eleven forgotten Bay Area bands. BART Volume 1 features a Korg-heavy assault from Danvilles utterly obscure Nominal State; two little-known left-field electronic dance gems from Batang Frisco and Quiet Room; Berkeleys answer to darkwave, Necropolis of Love; a synth-driven drama fest from drag performance troupe Wasp Women; quirky lo-fi gothic pop from one man band Distant Thunder; a gay Hi-NRG anthem delivered by Danny Boy and the Serious Party Gods; two lesser know gems from SF synth legends Voice Farm and Los Microwaves; and the futuristic pulsing synth-punk of Standard of Living and the Units. BART Volume 2 features slow, dystopian horror from pioneering industrial group Factrix; crushing, motorik noise from acid punks Chrome; amphetamine-driven synth punk from Red Asphalt; an early demo, never released on vinyl, from legendary post punk band Tuxedoomon; chilling atmospheric drone from Ki Di Me; leftfield new wave from Indoor Life featuring Patrick Cowley on synths; Los Microwaves more sinister side project Baby Buddha; gay drag icon Timmy Spence delivering an unknown camp classic, a pure instrumental electro-pop workout from Human Being Men; TR-808 fueled synth pop from Menlo Park duo Wonders of Science, and a poetic yet somber and haunting song from the mysterious Zru Vogue.
Skanfrom is Roger Semsroth, best known for his purist minimal techno project Sleeparchive. Skanfrom first appeared in the late-90s, releasing limited edition 7”s on his own A.D.S.R. label, part of a small movement of DIY labels influenced by the melodic, experimental electronica output of labels like Rephlex, Skam, and Warp. Skanfrom found a likeminded home in Suction Records, who were releasing records by Solvent and Lowfish with many of the same musical references. In 2002, Skanfrom released his debut album on Suction Records, ‘Hand Picked Fragments.’ A lot has changed since 2002, but in Skanfrom world, 2014 is very much the same. ‘Postcards’ is full of the same pure and melodic electro(pop) that made Skanfrom so special from the start.
Linea Beat is Slow Motion’s latest offshoot, focusing strictly on the whacked out sounds of mid-eighties electronic disco. Long term label partner Francisco has turned his drum machines up to 11 and set lazers stun on this jacking disco 12”. Side A sees Cosmo joining the fun bringing along with him the ghost of cult Italo favourites Fun Fun for a throbbing excursion into sunrise elettro. Hands will be in the air for this one for sure. On the flip side things are sleazy, breezy and pulsating with the swagger of Rimini in 1986
The ultra rare LP “Silence” by East Wall sees Fabrizio Chiari and Wilma Notari traverse through a variety of styles with a number of standout tracks.
Band of Fabrizio Chiari (ex keyboardist of Kirlian Camera) and produced by Charlie Mallozzi (already involved in Kirlian Camera), Angelo Bergamini collaborated to the 12″ Eyes Of Glass.
Martin Duvall is the music alter ego of all-round artist Martin C de Waal from Amsterdam. Produced by Topless and mixed and arranged by Spaventi D’Azzurro and Aroy Dee.
Swedish producer Sean Dixon once again contributes with his characteristic sound. Classic analogue synths and drum machines used in his very own way, with the result being three killer melodic and warm tracks, all with short vocal parts on top. Fellow swede Sankt Göran wraps things up with an excellent floor friendly remix of the title track Believe.
Dekmantel opens a one-sided window into the new album from two of the most unpredictable on the scene, Juju & Jordash.
Savage Grounds are CCO and Daniele Cosmo, co-owner of Lux Rec. A techno related outfit to explore a darker, noisier and more menacing sound. The EP has been realized by using only three machines. A Roland 808, a modular synthesizer and a Roland Space Echo. Every track has been recorded live with a minimum of post processing. Come over the fence and dance with the savages.
