E.R.P. – Afterimage [FFLP001]
Convextion man Gerard Hanson may have been releasing spacey and atmospheric electro E.Ps as E.R.P. since 1996, but “Afterimage” is still the project’s first full-length outing. It is, of course, superb. Few can make this kind of deep, emotive and melodious electro quite as well as Hanson, and “Afterimage” arguably includes some of his finest material in this style. Highlights include the bustling rhythms, lilting chords and bubbly electronics of “Overcast”, the deep, slow and poignant bliss of “Wishing Still”, the deep space dancefloor shuffle of “Remembrance”, the crystalline melodies and hard-hitting drums of “Noetic” and the ultra-dreamy rhythmic ambient closing cut “Forlorn”. It is, though, all utterly beguiling.
VA – The Orbitants [FU-ME008]
The Orbitants run into galaxy exploring the unknown. Space ambient track from the electro soldier The Exaltics, explores the parallel worlds with his iconic sound. The electro duo Faceless Mind, straight outta North Europe kicked it with ‘Viggen Formations’: heavy bassline, highly evocative and hypnotic synth. Follow up the B1. Keep on going with the well-crafted formula DJ Vietnam and Haterparisi. Generated arpeggios by modular square-waves with syncopated beats reminding their techno background tells the experience of an alien abduction. Discover the raw surfaces of the B side which feels both organic and apocalyptic. ‘Intergalacid’ by Umwelt, a mix of acid-rave and electro to create some high impact sonic weaponry.
Jensen Interceptor – Activated EP [BP005]
The “Between Places” Saga continues. This time with non other than powerman Jensen Interceptor. 5 tracks of icy electro which definitely burn down every dancefloor. Including a special collab with “Das Muster” from Germany.
VA – DM003 [DM003]
DM003 is a compilation featuring tracks from Omar Santis & Pistol Pete, Keita Sano, Dj Aakmael and Shampoo. Ranging from moody house trax to mystical acid and bitter sweet electro.
Grant – The Long Game EP [SITU-111]
Marlon Hoffstadt – Law Of Attraction Part One [MT-004]
Marlon Hoffstadt drops a two part EP of original material titled ‘Law Of Attraction’ on Midnight Themes series. For ‘Part One’, he delivers four bold tracks, building bridges between classic sounds and a distinct knack for melodies. It’s uplifting techno for a hopeful future and these killer cuts are ready and waiting to hit the dancefloors.
Marco Shuttle – Kuboraum _ Ritmi, Ambientazioni, Polifonie
Sam McQueen – Sephoria EP [DSR/X18]
Sam McQueen’s 2004 EP Sephoria is next up to get the Delsin remaster, recut and reissue treatment. Across six cuts here -two of which have new titles- the little known producer mixes up. There is serene ambient landscaping on the ‘Inception’ and the beatless ‘Graduated Frequencies’, which resonates with exquisitely melancholic synths, then ‘Simple Pleasure’ is a celestial world of wiry synths and warm solar winds and 14 days has pillow drum programming and soft focus chords that sooth the soul. ‘Yemia’ is another symphony of chattery drum hits, meaningful chords and real astral techno beauty and ‘Outer Drive’ closes down the epic space voyage with delicate melodies and melancholic synths that encourage you to lay back and gaze into a starry night sky.
Convextion – R-CNVX1 [ARTLESSVEXTRE1]
The release of any new Gerard Hanson record is a cause for celebration. It marks the long-serving producer’s first solo Convextion release since 2016 and contains two killer cuts. The un-titled A-side is particularly impressive, with Hanson wrapping immersive, delay-laden electronics and sumptuous deep space chords around a bustling, dub-fired Motor City techno groove. Even by his standards, it’s superb. Over on side B, he’s back in atmospheric deep techno mode, offering up a poignant and melancholic affair that’s as deep, spacey and emotional as anything he’s ever done before.
Valentino Mora – Transmagnetic [SPAZIO016]
Spazio Disponibile welcomes Valentino Mora for a new EP featuring four tracks of rhythmic exploration. Boss of the IDO label and known for his atmospheric deep techno sets, he brings a richly infused palette to his music. The four tracks on ‘Transmagnetic’ are steep in moody atmospheres, with exquisite sound design colouring in the grooves which range from dark and eerie to more subtly uplifting and enlightened. Icy synths, abstract motifs and a sense of paranoia and tension characterise each one, with barely-there drums all working to sink you into a trance.
Indio – Inca EP [DSR/X17]
Indio was a short lived but influential trio of John Beltran, Sam McQueen and Seth Taylor. They released an album and three EPs of hi tech ambient techno on Derrick May’s Transmat and the Rhythmic Tech label between 1999 and 2010. Here, three tracks from their self titled 2003 EP and one that was released on Styrax get put together, remastered and recut for the next Delsin reissue. Opener ‘Winter Long’ is classy techno cut that looks into the future. A symphony or gorgeous strings lights up the backdrop as scintillating drums dance and shimmery in the foreground. A Detroit sense of melody adds colour and ensures utter timelessness. ‘Blue Fantasy’ is another track that show off the power of machines to make music that touches your soul with its gorgeous strong stabs and masterful drum programming, and ‘Inca’ then slips more into a house groove, with busy, shuffling drums driving along beneath acidic twitches and broad, heavenly pads. It’s slick, urgent and compelling and ‘Nolita’ closes things with more delicate dancing machines, rueful synth work and rubber bass. It’s archetypal Detroit techno that sounds as good and forward facing now as it ever did.
Waveguide – Quod EP [ARTLESS2179]
Over the years, Ken Sumitani has released a decent amount of rather good music, primarily under the Stereociti and Mono Village aliases. This, though, marks his debut under a new alter ego: Waveguide. As debuts go, it’s something of a triumph, too, serving up four essential, tried-and-tested cuts. There are two high-octane, electro-influenced offerings: the sun-bright, funk-fueled melodic bliss of “Lemma” and the heavier, raw-sounding “Tightrope”, whose skittish beats are offset by some delightfully deep melodies and even deeper chords. You’ll find some similarly smooth and hypnotic chords on the brilliant deep techno dubbiness of EP opener “Quod”, while “Cubic Root” sees the Japanese producer successfully wrap restless synth loops around a mildly trippy, Motor City influenced rhythm track.
Stef Mendesidis – Valley Of Machines [KLOCKWORKS23]
Ben Klock introduces Greek-grown, Moscow-based artist Stef Mendesidis for the next Klockworks release. Mendesidis delivers 3 original tracks utilising solely analogue gear to produce soundscapes inspired by cinematic scenes.
Anthony Linell – Sculpting Energy [NE56]
Anthony Linell’s latest suite of tracks cruise and drift with their head up. With a dizzy palette of terse and winding melodies, ‘Sculpting Energy’ feels like another new avenue for Linell on his unbreakable run of EPs. Drone surveillance-style patterns remain intact this time around, hinting at the unmistakable frozen planes of his previous works, yet with the opening track there’s the smack of bustling heat, as its title ‘Therme’ alludes to. The EP’s closing piece, ‘Vision of the Imminence’, presents a familiar sullen theme. Perhaps the measure of his latest work’s difference is in the modulating barbed wire-percussion and birdsong- synths that wrap the track’s cold core?
Zozo @ Dekmantel Selectors 26.08.2018
Afrobot – 10AM [10AM]
Afrobot cuts up four wavy 80’s tracks for darker times! A1 is a sleazy minimal wave banger of Ensemble Pittoresque, recorded in The Hague in ’84, now tripled in duration! After that we continue our trip from France to New York ending in the UK on the B-side. First track is a mix of a 7” b-side and a wrong speeder and a slowly pounding track with a twist is the one to finish with.
The Revolving Eyes – The Nature And The Metal EP [MOD006]
Over the last decade, few have amassed as fine a catalogue of revivalist Italo-disco, EBM and synth-wave cuts than The Revolving Eyes. It’s because of this that each new release from the Belgian duo is worth a listen. Predictably, there’s plenty of dark and clandestine fodder to be found on The Nature And The Metal, their first release of 2018. Highlights include the foreboding horror chords, psychedelic acid lines and metronomic throb of “Beautiful Sadness”, the rising orchestration and clicking drum machine hits of “Monotrance” and the ragged and distorted, acid-EBM fusion of the titanium-clad “Ritual Serenade”. The title track, which closes the EP, is alo sublime: a clanking industrial workout smothered in far-sighted, futurist techno synths.
616 – Amor Amor Amor EP [SSL-007.1]
Posthuman – The Snake Bites Twice [CKNOWEP13]
Blistering rave and acid by the notorious Posthuman duo – taking it up a notch or two on the energy meter when compared with their slomo-acid approach to many of their preceding records.
The Hipodrome Of Music 