Berlin-based American Jon Hester presents some fierce-driving techno tracks on his latest release on Odd Even Records, with a clear Motor City influence.
Jon Hester – Continuum EP [ODDEVEN041]
001.Features
Josef Tumari – MAQOL98
Josef Tumari is an artist from the Sublimation collective from Tashkent, Uzbekistan. He produces a mix of breaks, electro and techno with oriental influences at times. MAQOL98 is his most substantial work up to now.
CEM3340 – Macchine LP [CRTSX010]
Curtis Electronix reaches its 10th drop presenting the second album from his owner and founder CEM3340, “Macchine”. The double 12” draws together 8 new tracks all made and recorded using only hardware. Spanning from pumped up machine-led cyber-funk beats, to darting powerful techno out-kilters, but always maintaining a stable focus on CEM3340 personal signature, it explores those ravines where techno and electro collide. ”Macchine” is pure dedication to the machines. With no compromise.
VA – Clear Memory 010 [CLEAR010]
Entering the two-digit era, Clear Memory presents this carefully curated compilation. Oscillating between Dark Acid Rain and L-Town-(Ultra)-Funk. Six surprises, six boxes of pandora, six welcoming arms, six uncanny offers.
Dissemblance – Centauresse LP [LIES195]
After her debut on Mannequin in 2019, Dissemblance now arrives on L.I.E.S. with her second full length of somber, cold wave and emotional bedroom pop infused songs. This time around we hear the Parisian artist add a new arsenal of instrumentation to her repertoire, incorporating live drumming and a wide array of synthetic instrumentation on top of her drum computers providing a backdrop to showcase her stark vocal performances throughout the album. Meticulously constructed, this record displays the full range of Dissemblance’s musical dynamics as she pulls the listener into her universe where dreams and reality tread a thin line, one blurring into the next with no beginning nor end. She expertly brings together a diverse group of styles and sounds from different areas of the electronic spectrum making them her own. An extremely unique and strong display of modern minimal synth pop that pulls equally from the past whilst propelling towards the future.
Blind Delon – La Métamorphose LP [VEYL038]
Veyl welcomes Blind Delon to the label with a new album, La Métamorphose. Founded in 2016 by Mathis Kolkoz, the band currently consists of Mathis Kolkoz (Vocals, Guitars), Coco Thiburs (Bass) and Thom Mayor (Synths, Guitars). Fueled by cold bass lines and synthesizers of yesteryear, French post-punk and black romanticism, Blind Delon shatters genres and styles to create an evolved strain of synthpunk that wears its influences proudly while mutating into something totally new. La Métamorphose represents a fresh direction – a heavy, post-metal sound that’s full of emotion and raw intensity. ‘Le Crépuscule’ opens the album with a hard hitting piece that commences the experience perfectly. Next up, the group kicks things into high gear with the speedy, heavy-synth play of ‘La Violence’ featuring vocals by Fivequestionmarks, followed by ‘La Mort’, a blackened post-punk cut featuring Curses. Label head Maenad Veyl makes a guest appearance on the fourth track, ‘L’Homme’, which drifts into deep experimental melancholy with a cinematic feel. Keeping with this mood is the powerful ‘L’Affront’ featuring The KVB, which descends further into darkness before resurrecting with the immense feelings of ‘Le Sarcasme’. Track seven, ‘La Noyade’, drills into the skull with growling vocals and menacing synths which bleed nicely into ‘La Foule’, slowing things back down with a subtle yet lingering sense of dread. French project Poison Point arrive on ‘L’Envie’ which moves guitars back to the forefront for a raucous ballad that sets up the final piece and title track, ‘La Métamorphose’, the glorious grand finale of an album teeming with emotion and begging to be played again and again.
Yvgoslavia – Vertebra [OR_DUB01]
Yugoslavia is a raw cold minimalist band from Murcia, Spain, and “Vertebra” is their debut on Catalan label Oráculo Records.
Deep Spectrum – Paraiso Fiscal [030EP026]
Mysterious Argentinian Deep Spectrum delivers an EP with synthpop and italo influenced music for the pool/porn movie set/dance floor/living room. Yes that’s right, this is universal music, suitable for all kinds of situations. Forever Free could be an instrumental b-side of a Soft Cell or Vicious Pink record while Para? so Fiscal (fiscal paradise) holds the middle ground between an 80s soundtrack and an underground italo jam. Punch Line on the flip is a smooth dance track where this talented new artist takes it to an even more sensual level. Fans of sleazy electronic futurism and early Legowelt should not sleep on this release!
Andy Romano – Every Time Feel Allright [BLOW11]
Cold Blow announce the 12-inch re-issue of Andy Romano’s sought-after Italo disco EP “Every Time Feel Allright”. The EP has been remastered by the legendary Ed DMX, with all-new artwork by Ed Cheverton. This was originally released by Cyberdance in 2010.
Ron Morelli – Heart Stopper [LIES200]
L.I.E.S. Records founder, Ron Morelli, makes a rare appearance on his own label with his eagerly anticipated double LP, “Heart Stopper”. Heart Stopper is undoubtedly the “dance” record that reaches back to the early days of his L.I.E.S. Records label where artists such as Delroy Edwards, Steve Summers, Traxx, and Svengalisghost all came together digging into the primitive, foundational sounds of original Chicago, New York, and Detroit House music putting it through a contemporary lens. Recorded between 2019-2022, this LP is the culmination of many years of Morelli honing his craft, from digging and studying old records, to focusing and sharpening his production techniques, the L.I.E.S. boss has delivered an album that is a testament of his true love and obsession of the genre, with “Heart Stopper” being the record to cement the now iconic L.I.E.S. legacy even further. In the often shapeshifting world of modern dance music, “Heart Stopper” is what a House record should be. Full of passion and unfiltered emotion, uplifting at moments, pensive at others; with raw, jakin’ drum programming, big basslines, and anthemic synths driving the release throughout.
Nick Holder – Fruit Loops [FCE-07]
FRL Classic Edition is back in action with this gems of mid 90’s. Written and produced by Nick Holder on Definitive Recordings, here you can listen something unique that can smash every dancefloor.
Masarima – Freak Like U Remixes 1 [ROYAL048RE1]
The Italian proto-house bomb from Masarima on Clone Royal Oak gets a well deserved remix treatment. Originally produced by Mystic Jungle and Whodamanny, this one gets a work over by The Egyptian Lover who gets his freak on and delivers in his inimitable style. Pure west coast 808 electro funk bliss. Luca Luzano also comes correct with two remixes where he takes it another route on both. On the ‘Breakbeat Guy Remix’ the early 90s inspire him to a uk breakbeat version. And Karlos Moran joins him for the Tribal Workout Dub not unlike NY’s garage era.
Periferico – Red Line [USR025]
‘Red Line’ is a collection of four archival tracks by Periferico, a lesser-known alias of Italian producer Livio Fogli, noted for his activity in the 90s electronic music scene. Lovingly rescued from DAT and now released by Undersound, this is organically lo-fi acid trance to a T, blending charmingly undermixed elements with chimey progressions and tittilating builds.
VA – For Huwara [CM21]
On 26 February, hundreds of Israeli settlers went on a violent late-night rampage in Huwara and other villages in the northern West Bank, leaving one local resident dead and 100 others injured and the town ablaze. This compilation of music was put together in order to raise funds that can hopefully give some aid to the residents of Huwara, all of the proceeds Confused Machines make from digital sales will go directly to Physicians For Human Rights – Israel (PHRI) www.phr.org.il An NGO that works in the occupied Palestinian territory, promoting Palestinians’ right to health and providing direct medical and humanitarian assistance. The compilation hosts a roster of both local and international artists spanning a wide spectrum of leftfield electronic music. Acid, Drone, Noise, Downtempo, Techno, SoundCollage and more. All of these tracks are new and have not been heard before, many of them have been created with Huwara and Palestine in mind.
VA – Trust The Rust Vol.1 [KRI002]
Kri Records strike back with a cassette compilation under an appropriate name: Trust the Rust! Nasty electro cuts are served by LA-based Ole Mic Odd, Italian producer and the Gravitational Waves owner DJ Nephil, British veteran Chupacabras and Russian producer Larionov. The Electro part of the compilation is closed by the local Ljubljana legend operating as a DJ and Honest Work label owner, 198319831983. EBM-ish march is saluted by Black Dot, the duo of Christian Kroupa and Le Chocolat Noir. Christian has also joined forces with the Dallas and Science Cult native Aura Nox. NYC and wave EBM bangers are represented by R Gamble, Spinal is an up-and-coming producer from Chile having released a great EP on Pildoras Tapes, while Bianco Negativo from Marguerite Records wraps up the release.
Pluto Junkies – Contact [MIN305]
Following their 2021 debut on Mindri, Ernestas Sadau, Rapha & PRZ return to the Pinkman fold as Pluto Junkies with a 7 track mini-LP recorded at the furthest reaches of the solar system. After the swirling synths and cryptic messages on opener Launch, the record quickly descends into a frenzied supernova of metallic synths and propulsive drums. From the twitching Italo-informed techno of Astronaut Dolphine Detective to the frenetic speedball electro in Black Eye Galaxy Battle, this collection of hardware jams is straight up sonic fuel for sweat-drenched hours at wide eyed raves right around the galaxy. With the snarling acid riffs on Captain Blade and the punishing pulse in Cosmo Scooter Race, Pluto Junkies continue to ride the wave of manic energy from their first release, providing further soundtracks for only the most serious space travellers.
Filmmaker – Code Breakers [DISI002]
Colombian producer Faunes Efe aka Filmmaker has established himself as one of the most representative members of recent years in the EBM, Synth-wave and Electro realms. Filmmaker doesn’t disappoint when putting together new energetic and yet carefully crafted dense tunes. His spectrum within sound exploration gets tastefully wider as time goes by and his latest release on our imprint is a testament to that. Code Breakers is a 5-track EP of pleasantly grungy sounds with impactful bass lines and transcendent melodies infused in between.
VA – Our Own Algorithm Vol.2 [D91007]
Distrito 91 presents the second installment of its Various Artists compilation series; “Our Own Algorithm” VOL.2. Side A offers three highly dancefloor electro cuts with heavy basslines, killer drums and dreamy synth pads signed by Fabio Vinuesa, KafkaCtrl and Hoax Believers. Side B follows with the electro-funk vibe of “Telekkomunikation” and “Deep Sea” by DJ Unisex and Friedrich Ernst from Self Learning System Crew.
Kenny Hooper – Detroit Orbiter Vol.2 [ELY111]
Young Detroit-native Kenny Hooper steps up for his debut release on Elypsia Records with not one but three 12 inches full of prime Motor City techno and electro escapism. Titled ,,Detroit Orbiter Volume 1 – 3″, each EP features four tracks, showcasing Hooper’s brilliant personal take on classic Detroit sounds. The twelve tracks of the ,,Detroit Orbiter” trilogy signal the arrival of yet another Motor City talent ready to rake the world and dance floors by storm with his chunky and funkafied sonic fictions.
Fleck E.S.C. – Night Of The Notables [SCV08]
Franck Collin aka Fleck E.S.C. returns to Science Cult with a meticulously crafted EP full of precisely programmed drums, intricate bass patterns and IDM informed synth work weaving throughout.
The Hipodrome Of Music 