Ultradyne six tracker for the Pi Gao Movement imprint. Going from soulful dark electro tracks to more lighter excursions with Reincarnate bringing old Bitstream productions to mind.
001.Features
Dollkraut – Theme Of Fukoyama [TAPE004]
New Tape release by Amsterdam based Dollkraut. Heavy analogue, drummachine driven house tracks. Influenced by some classic Asian B-flick action, Dollkraut’s long awaited drummachine driven ‘Theme Of Fukoyama’, full of synthesizer layering takes you back into the mid eighties where machines took over. This mini OST to a non-exsistent movie ends with a collaboration together with Bernard Crochet who took care of the analogue synthesizer sequencing of the ‘End Titles’.
Ekman – Heimwee EP [SHIP022]
The mysterious Ekman, aka Roel Dijcks, has been gaining some deserved attention with his terse brand of Electro. With releases on the likes of Panzerkreuz, Solar One Music and Berceuse Heroique, Dijcks has rattled souls with his bare mechanics and cold-hearted sounds. Arctic blasts descend from the outset with his latest for Shipwrec. Frosted coils ensnaring clipped beats, roaming bass lines kept in check by tight drum patterns. Emotion is masked, feelings enveloped and embedded beneath those arrangements of aluminium and steel. Distress is never far from Ekman’s work. The flipside jangles with fear and retribution, respites elevating that initial unease into something outright sinister. Anxiety is effect. A brooding boil of ghosting reverb and sharpened percussion from the hooked hands of Ekman.
Emile Strunz & Iron Blu – EP [VIVOD005]
Ali Renault’s Vivod label drops its best disco assault yet: a darkside double header from Newcastle’s Emile Strunz and Intergalactic FM regular/Flight Recorder boss, Iron Blu. From his studio overlooking the North Sea, Strunz follows ace issues for Tusk Wax and World Unknown with a proper body-rockin’ chugger meshing mystic, orientalist synthlines with steely 111bpm Belgian New Beat rhythms on the front. Iron Blu complements this with a more sensuous, spaced-out flipside working like a medicated EBM groove or Pye Corner Audio’s darkwave panoramas.
Elitechnique – Intrusion II [CLSS009.1]
Intrusion II, the follow up of the magnificent Elitechnique EP of last year. Another 8 stunning tracks. Ranging from their own brand of disco to 70’s porn funk.
Big Ben Tribe – Tarzan Loves The Summer Nights [DE057]
Big Ben Tribe are a trio formed in Trieste, Italy in 1983, by Ricky Persi (bass), Stefano Previsti (computers and drum machine), Renato Posani (guitar & D.J). Their name is taken from the Disco Club ‘Big Ben’ in Trieste, the place where Renato Posani worked every night. ”Tarzan Loves The Summer Nights” was recorded in Milan in the Spring of 1983 and released on Gong Records in 1984. The band created their signature sound using a Mini Moog, Prophet 5, Korg Synthesizer, LinnDrum, Alembic Bass and Fender Stratocaster. Guest vocalist Clara Moroni softly sings about a romantic jungle dream adventure where she is living with the handsome and brave Tarzan. Strong LinnDrum percussion serves as a counterpoint to the infectious vocal melody and catchy synth hooks. The B-side features an instrumental version with extended breaks and dubbed out bass lines.
Black Merlin – New World Fantasy [COMMONTHREAD001]
Rude 66 – The Kill [BAP016]
It’s exactly 20 years ago since Rude 66 dropped his first record. Time to celebrate with this monster release on Bordello A Parigi. Killer vocoders, crushing beats and heavy dark arps.
Mario Moretti – Spaziotempo [BAP015]
Rampant crime and outta space violence! Mario Moretti strikes back with his long awaited Spaziotempo release. An amazing appetizer for his debut album coming later this year. Four heavy club bangers including a Franz Underwear remix.
Lè Travo – Erring And Errant [DE056]
Lè Travo is the brainchild of Patrick Bollen from Tienen, Belgium. As a teenager in the early 1980s, Patrick would visit ”DeAtelier”, the infamous coldwave/gothic club in Leuven. He would be inspired by Joy Division and other Factory releases, The Danse Society and Cocteau Twins. He gathered a some session musicians and a female backup vocalist. Eventually Patrick bought a Greengate DE-3 sampler, using the brains of an Apple 2E with a keyboard bolted onto it. He crafted loops made from a deconstructed upright piano, hitting the strings directly with a drum stick. Lè Travo made their first appearance on a split LP with Fred A in 1984. ”Erring and Errant” is their debut 7 song LP originally released in 1985. For the reissue 3 bonus songs from the split LP have been added. The songs are coldwave in the vein of Weimar Gesang, Opera Multi Steel, and Clan of Xymox. Guitar, bass and sample interplay with piano and synthesizers with dark and forbidding crescendos in the fast numbers, and elegaic melancholy in the slow tracks. The vocals are delivered with a sense of urgency, while the lyrics are inspired by avant-garde movements such as futurism and constructivism, as well as science fiction and existentialism.
Victrola – Maritime Tatami [DE055]
A special series called Dark Entries Editions, dedicated to 12” singles made for the dance floor. The first release in this series is Victrola, the duo of Antonio ”Eze” Cuscin and Carlo Smeriglio from Italy. The band formed in Messina, but later relocated to Florence to join the rich musical scene there with Neon, Pankow, Alexander Robotnick and Diaframma. Beginning as a 4-piece combo (two guitarists, bassist, drummer) in 1979, they slimmed down to a synthesizer and guitar-based duo a few years later.
Visiona et Dopplereffekt – Die Reizen [TRAJECTORY1017]
Collaboration between the fresh and immensely talented Visiona and the mighty Dopplereffekt. ‘Die Reisen’, encapsulating what you will soon recognize to be the distinctly warm and engulfing sound that is Visonia, here morphing with Dopplereffekt’s unmistakable, deadly bass arpeggio and subterranean stratospheres utterly amazing. Flip over to the AA side and witness Visonia with two markedly different styles. ‘Antarctic Love’ is an emotive piece of electronic music and ‘Impossible Romance’ a fresh, new-wave inspired.
Neud Photo – OmnicroM [KJ013]
Neud Photo returns with another cool ep with soma abstract minimal wave, electronix rooted in the 80’s.
VA – I Am Enfant Terrible [ETX]
This new compilation is created to celebrate the 10 years of activity of Enfant Terrible. ”I Am Enfant Terrible” makes clear the traditions ET has been working in but at the same time is an album with the broad spectrum of sounds they are interested in. From indie pop to new wave to minimal synth and from noise to elektro and IDM and ambient, from poppy to experimental to dance music. This is what Enfant Terrible is…
John Daly – Solar Sailing [1TRACK010]
John Daly returns, using the solar pressure from stars to push large ultra-thin mirrors to high speeds. This is backed up with the extra aquatic Deep Mix, and as always on One Track Records, a Rhythm Section for your mixing pleasure.
Rick Wade – Hustler’s Lullaby [USJS002]
2nd release from the Unknown Season label comes from Detroit’s Rick wade, delivering three warm tracks with strong jazzfunk leanings.
Goitia Deitz – Dream Meridian [CMM0011]
Goitia Deitz are a mysterious duo from Brooklyn, New York. Behind the pairs shrouded persona are two DJs and producers that have been collaborating as Goitia Deitz for the past several years. Their recorded experiments in minimal electronics hint towards an extensive record collection and a shared bonding over their love of Krautrock, Kosmische, Italo, Techno and House. Noting is preplanned or written.
Moniker – Billy D [CCS083]
The machines definitely rule the roost in the world of Moniker aka Kenneth Scott & Emilio Orlandi, but unlike so much of the current obsession with analogue noise and the lo-fi aesthetic, Scott and Orlandi instead coax heartfelt emotion and hand-crafted grooves from an array of beat boxes and synthesisers without making any self-conscious moves to demonstrate how ʻun- digitalʼ they are. Instead, the music takes priority, coming forth in soothing waves of harmonious chords, captivating leads and understated drums that speak…
J.A.N. – The Weather EP [DG10006]
When J.A.N. got introduced to house music, he quickly felt drawn to the warm, deep sounds of the Detroit house scene. He describes his fusion style as B-Boy House.
Aiken – Eternal Dreamer [EVENT006]
Aiken, known for his releases on Semantica, with some darker advanced techno tracks and ambient pieces.
