Exertion VA II reaches far and wide to compile the forward thinking sounds of 6 great producers touching on the experimental but functional pocket of electro, bass and breaks for LKR’s eighth release.
/DL/MS/ – Thyme [FR049]
/DL/MS/ are Daniel Lodig aka Lok44 and Martin Sovinz aka Dibek, two of Vienna’s electro elite and they are back on Frustrated Funk. Thyme listens to MIDI Voice Messages on a single channel. You can read and set the channel during device startup. The MIDI channel is persistently stored in the device’s memory.
Leite Dos Santos – Exoteric EP [USR014]
Undersound Recordings opens the new decade with an electro EP from Leite Dos Santos, alias of an unknown producer. This EP fuses old and new school electro vibes, all tied together by emotional melodies and undertones. The record opens with two broken tracks: ‘Codex Alexandrinus’, a classy track with the highest pace of the EP and the dreamier ‘Texto Sagrado’. On the flipside, the producer switches to a 4/4 formula with ‘Tanakh’ and ‘A Cidade Santa’, closing the EP with melancholic pads over arpeggiated saw basslines.
Danny Wolfers – The Land Is Entranced With Peace [NW021TAPE]
Nightwind records is Legowelt’s own recordlabel releasing cassettes, cd’s, digital, graphic novels, zines and vinyl LP’s since 2014. A spiritual – but more advanced and freaked out – successor to the defunct Strange Life records that ran from 2004 to 2010. The music on this tape was recorded on 21 October 2017 during a live soundtrack performance for Werner Herzog’s 1972 Fata Morgana film at the LAB111 cinema in Amsterdam. A few months later the tracks were cut loose, edited and put on tape. With the visual content vanished from sight only a few fragmentary voiceovers remain that remind us of the movie. Rearranged as hypnotic samples they give the listener some sparse poetical guidance in the metaphysicial porridge that is this cassettetape.
Cosmin TRG – Protection 1 [PTC-1]
Protection is a new label established by Japanese artist Haruka, which seeks to explore the spaces where techno and experimental sounds merge, and club tools blur with home listening. Here this aim is achieved with precision and care by Romanian producer and DJ Cosmin TRG. The EP is distinguished by its intricate production and focused exploration, with each track finding a distinct balance between intensity and power. This record represents an impressive addition to Cosmin TRG’s discography, and a very fitting start for Haruka’s new label.
Frank Hatchett – Body Shots [MOCR003]
Frank Hatchett was a legendary dance instructor and originator of VOP. VOP is not an abbreviation but, as he himself puts it: “VOP is a style”. It’s used to flavour the choreography and to communicate and translate emotions to the audience. The record produced by Don Alan Tipton is a wonderful complement of said VOP style. It features 11 tracks made for dancing that are produced and arranged in a moving and funky fashion.
Kamazu – Korobela [AFS043]
New anthology on Afrosynth Records brings together six songs by South African disco star Kamazu, spanning his career from 1986 to 1997: two of his biggest hits, ‘Korobela’ and ‘Indaba Kabani’, two more obscure songs from his catalogue, ‘Victim’ and ‘Why’, and two tracks from his kwaito comeback, ‘Mjukeit’ and ‘Atikatareni’.
VA – Innate 003 [INN8003]
Bristol-based dancefloor futurists Innate return with a third multi-artist EP – shot through with melody, warmth and soul. A quartet of timeless-sounding tracks full of stargazing sounds, undulating acid lines, far-sighted electronics and crackling beats. Tracks by Perseus Traxx, Ewan Jansen, Reedale Rise and label co-founder Owain K.
Lisière Collectif – LSR No. 04 [LSR004]
The Lisiere Collectif trio returns on their own label with LSR No. 04 EP, a collection of three original tracks, genuine worked for different moments of a clubnight.
Romanian Artists to Watch in 2020
The last few years were quite good for the electronic music world and again in 2019 there was a lot a quality music coming out and revitalization of electro, broken beat, new beat and EBM continued. Looking at the situation locally, unfortunately 2019 feels like a step back for the Romanian scene after three years of growth and development. The three pillars of the Romanian electronic music are the same Borusiade, Cosmin TRG and Khidja and very little besides them.
VA – Worst Greatest Hits Vol. 1 [WORST004]
Worst Records heat back with a greatest hits compilation. Tracks from the like of A Strange Wedding, Beesmunt Soundsystem, Black Seed, Itako, Gil.Barte and others.
Kovyazin D – Red Line EP [S108-002]
System 108 introduces its second vinyl record from resident Kovyazin D. The Belgian New Beat spirit, mystical Acid House and EBM, fat and metal basslines, punchy rhythms and jack percussions – all this perfectly reflects the content of the record and conveys the atmosphere of the second dance floor by System 108 events. Adding to this combination a remix from Cardopusher we get a guaranteed dancefloor killer release.
Alonzo – ZMNT 003 [ZMNT003]
The next strike on Zement will be by Alonzo who released on Kraftjerkz and W.T. Records. No discription needed. Six 808 bass music tracks straight from the bottom.
Gino Soccio – Remember / Dream On [GRWB-1207]
Groovin Recordings break the ice in 2020 with the reissue of these Gino Soccio italo-disco classics.
Adrian Marth – Martians World [IM001]
Adrian Marth, based in Barcelona, comes through with his new debut EP Marthians World by Italo Moderni own imprint. His italo is infused in electro tracks that are bound with their vibrancy to make any listener dance, with a killer bassline and super spacial synths. Including remixes by the great Baldo, Antoni Maiovvi and Mufti.
Etbonz – Dark Leader [DL006]
Portland’s Etbonz is once again making waves through his brand of cybernetic machine funk, this time on Dark Leader. The A side consists of Etbonz’s deliciously dark and epic electro disco take on the theme from 1984’s The Terminator. “The Future Is Not Set” transports you through time and space on a mission to save the future of humankind. Side B kicks off with “Magic By Human Minds” a robotic workout with a heavy psychedelic, broken beat feel. The final track “Melt FM” finds its footing as industrial techno then takes a quick detour into the realm of electro and finally morphing into dreamy ethereal house. The perfect track for changing up the vibe.
Gamma Intel @ Mechatronica x Sameheads 20.12.2019
illektrolab – Paranoid Android [BT39]
Arizona-based Jason McCracken makes his debut on brokntoys after a string of lauded EPs culminating in 2019’s Heavy Hitter. On ‘Paranoid Android’, the producer delivers 4 of his trademark bass-driven electro tracks, relentless machine music for the peak time hours.
Marius Georgescu @ Red Light Radio x Control Club Bucharest 15.06.2019
Cosmin TRG – Fractal Poetry MIX 03
The Hipodrome Of Music 