Mythological echoes and lush atmospheres form Simone Bauer’s “Arcadia” EP, which concludes with a blooming, psychedelic remix from Refracted. Following a long-running series of events and podcasts, Sure Thing inaugurates their new label with a heartfelt love letter to introspective techno and self-discovery on the dance floor.
Mukatsuku struck gold again on this latest first time on a “45” issue. It boasts a couple of lesser-known jazz-funk fusion jams which originally featured on Argentine musician Jorge Navarro’s 1977 album “Navarro Con Polenta”, an LP that has never been issued outside of South America. A-side “Funk Yourself” is a bustling, high-octane jazz-funk Hammond licks and spiralling horns jumping above a Blaxploitation style backing track. “Repartamos El Funky” is a more laid back but no less musically intricate affair, with a variety of high-grade electric piano and guitar solos riding seemingly endless jazz style drum solos and rubbery bass. Juno hand-numbered copies come in exclusive sleeves and this 45 not be repressed. DJ Support comes from Ge-ology, Dom Servini, DJ Food,The Allergies,45LIVE.net ,Dr Bob Jones and more
Kanot is Jesper Jarold and Anton Kolbe. With the help of Lindha Kallerdahl’s expressive vocals, Jarold and Kolbe weave an eclectic yet durable sonic textile. Call it music for psychadelic hiking, primitive dance beats or speculative folk music – most of all, it is unrestrained music, for the smartest and the dumbest kid in the classroom. In the dense, and at the same time airy production, some drums anchor themselves steadily into the ground while others lash out like reverberating rhythmic gunshots. The tones from Jesper’s guitar and fretless bass float like leaves on the Drangme Chhu River, at times almost drowning in effects only to resurface in surprising and skillfully chiseled melodies that could play forever.
Tuskegee Music is back with more essential music, this time from venerated American producer D’Marc Cantu. He’s serving up raw-edged, uncompromising sounds as usual. Opener ‘Beat The Move’ is an urgent, high tech piece of slick and supple acid house with 303 undulations, dark vocal loops and the sort of hammering drums that get the club locked right in. The sublime ‘In The Forest’ is a tripped out bit of restless electro with skittish hits and rueful pads that gets right to your heart. Last of all is the militant, marching ‘A Narrow Connection’ which closes things out with crisp kicks and scintillating sheet metal drums that straighten your back and get you stomping.
For COS_MOS’s next trick they serve up a special 12” that features a brand new single from M>O>S super group R-A-G, also known as Ma Spaventi, Aroy Dee and G-String. It comes backed with a re-release of one of the key tracks of the previously released Crystal Maze album on aDepth Audio. A fierce and full 45rpm re-cut of ‘Dr Claw’ that has been a secret weapon of Aroy Dee for many years. It’s a raw cosmic adventure, with warm solar winds blowing over prickly drums. Twisted bass and knotted pads wrap round the groove as a detuned lead synth heads into a Legowelt-ish future. ‘Larry Venom’, stirs things up with a deconstructed, off kilter mix of beeps and drones with marching drums adding to the feeling that this is a robot party in meltdown.
Into The Deep brings Modex for this 2019 space excursion. The Berlin based rising talent’s sound signature can’t leave anyone indifferent. Fasten your seat belt and enjoy this fast-paced interstellar ride where melodies, drone acid lines & percussive drum patterns create a deep, powerful yet emotive sound for the late night dancefloor hours.
Almost two years on from the release of his brilliant “The Sound of Mercury Rising” compilation, DJ Harvey returns with another brilliant selection of tracks he’s championed at Pikes in Ibiza. As with its predecessor, volume two offers a giddy skip through the dustier corners of his notoriously eclectic and off-kilter record selection. Along the way, he offers up chiming, synth-heavy Balearic classics (Mandy Smith, Hugh Mane), weirdo European disco (Marta Acuna), evocative electronic soundscapes (System Olympia), blue-eyed synth-pop (Pamela Nivens), drum machine-powered Middle Eastern madness (Switchdance’s sublime “Arabian Ride”) and a swathe of tasty contemporary cuts (the jaunty jazz-funk of Midlife, Das Komplex’s ace “Slap”, Nu Guinea’s splendid “Je Vulesse” and Peaking Lights remix of Land of Light being the highlights).
Moustache Records invites Kendal, a French producer based in Toulouse . His 4 tracker hits Manifesto EP bring us a dystopian italo vibe from the past, present and the Nofuture where the flesh merging with the machine. The A1 track called: Ultimo It’s a tale about a world where jesus turns the water into proseco and the preacher jams on his 707 to bring new believers into italo disco church. A2: Profondo rosso: Humanity as gone. One spaceship drifts into space seeking the new promised land. Maybe this big red planet with its lush jungle. B1 Giallo Inferno: She put on her favourite blue velvet dress and her red lipstick. She’s alone in the mansion. Black leather gloves is hidding in the dark B2 Corpo Meccanico: When Deckard chasing some fuckin renegade replicant over Los Angeles 2019 that what it turn up loud on his radio. Perfect OST for cyborg’s killing spree.
Mr Disc Organization presents the limited transparent yellow vinyl reissue of this italo classic from Sun La Shan.
Hypnotic Connection invites on board ЯTRA, a St. Petersburg musician who released on Enfant Terrible and Electro Music Coalition, with his superb jams that carry the mind into outer space, allowing you to feel the strain of overload when you go into orbit. Absolute bangers for gloomy dance floors, coupled with a leisurely remix from Muzikalist.
New Cultivated Electronics sub label with a limited run vinyl only. The first release comes from Dutch artist Ekman, featuring 4 tracks of spooky oddball electronics on hand stamped white label wax.
“Surfing on the crest of a whirlwind year, Animistic Beliefs are releasing their 8- track debut album Mindset:Reset on the inimitable SolarOneMusic. The duo has utilized their bespoke setup and expansive list of influences to create a contemporary electro record”.
Classy Italian label Where We Met unveil a new signing on their seventh release, which also marks the mysterious ReKaB’s debut. His skills belie that newbie status, because this is atmospheric techno with emotional and musical depth. “2019” is a real highlight with its twitchy synths and breezy electro grooves making for a pensive vibe before things cut loose on warm and rubbery house jam “The Hassle”. The ambient synths that colour these tracks is what make them standout, and closer “Self-Destruct” is a prime example of that. “Music Makes It Better” is a title we can all relate to, and in the case of this track, it sure is a beautiful place to be.
Assembler Code & Jensen Interceptor are one of electro’s most devastating duos right now. Mechatronica welcome them for four more hard hitting jams after their “Vapour Waves” EP on this label got plenty of people talking. These are tunes with an old school feel that will blow up your bass bins and tear apart your tweeters with their mix of low end heaviness and bright melodic patterns. Superbly urgent drum programming sweeps you off your feet and races you through astral skies on “Noise Theory”, “Otherwise” has a raggedy-ass broken beat and “Day 1” has a blistering bassline of the highest order.
Derailleur announces new vinyl label Decade Box, acting as a sonic time capsule, the imprint will present the music honed by the producer over the last 10 years. Hydraulic Performer EP is the first in a series of releases to share the fruits of his dedication to machine made music. The release sets the tone for the label series, showing off two different sides of Derailleur’s production styles. Title track Hydraulic Performer is a raw and cutting rave-primed electro track. Radioactive Man is called up for remix duties, upping the ante with his precision drum programming and unique sonic trademark. Device One rounds up the EP, a wonky, jacking cut warmed up by stepping synths.
After three years hiatus, Exploration Records is back with 4 track EP from Johannes Volk. The title track is a long upbuilding peak time smasher with strong reminiscences of early Detroit Techno. A2 delivering raw and dirty machine madness with a subtle bleep funk around stomping drums. The flip side comes with 2 driving Dub Techno tracks, filled with heavy bass, emotional soundscapes and an complex sound architecture.
Falling Ethics are back providing fresh wax in the hands of two proper experts on studio duties: label owner P.E.A.R.L. sharing this extended EP with Pole Group’s and Warm Up records head, Oscar Mulero.
The Hipodrome Of Music 