For the tenth instalment of Undersound Recordings we present a split EP from Dominic Dammer, under his MNVR and Omni Causa aliases. Dominic runs mindcolormusic, a collective active from 2010 releasing IDM and electro tinged music in tape and vinyl format and has been djing since the mid 90’s. The A side from MNVR presents a deeper approach with two emotional techno tracks whereas B side from Omni Causa takes a moodier turn with broken electro jams.
Three different takes from two different periods of time meet up in this acid focused 12”. The record features two Skudge originals from 2009, optimized into today’s standards. And also a classically trained Splice track, where a fierce drum patterngoes in parallel with the acidic bass line. A current take on a very classic machine.
Mechatronica drops another forceful electro release, this time with a diverse collection of new and familiar faces. The Moroccan Casa Voyager crew conducts the A-side in style, Kosh carefully manufacturing an expanding, fat and spacey electro drive while OCB laces old school electro flavours with breaks, acid and devastating groove. On the flip, harder and darker electro sounds evolve as decade-long French electro producer Jauzas The Shining drops a potent electro/acid track in ‘Machine’, followed by the relentless energy of Stella – a murky, ever-intensifying journey through electro, breaks and industrial soundscapes by French producer Ersatz Olfolks.
Carl Finlow’s Beckoned EP was the first EP on Craigie Knowes back in 2016, since then he’s seen a string of releases under various guises on some of the world’s most prolific electro labels. The Boolean EP is stacked with 5 UK electro tracks that embody a lifetime dedication the genre, untouchable technicality and superior sound design. This record is a trip through clouds of stellar dust with the power to rumble any dancefloor exposed to its radiation.
Djedjotronic Aka Jérémy Cottereau drops an icy 4 track Electro cut for CPU. There’s a clear Drexciyan influence here with plenty of dystopian drama but things are disrupted with the likes of ‘Tunnel’ serving up raw 4/4.
The debut record from Ectomorph that launched it all — the project, and the label Interdimensional Transmissions in 1995. This is the first time it has been repressed in over a decade, and it’s using the original masters complete with 3 lock grooves cut by Ron Murphy.
London based hardware specialist No Data Available joins the Null+Void family with a four track EP of rugged, playful and effective electro driven tracks for the rave – ending in a blissful introspective 7am moment with title track the night.
It has been quite some time since Sololust released something but he returns with fresh energy and a sound both familiar and with a new twist. His music has become less synth pop and more dance floor minded. Acid and elektro is the drill here, with some touches of techno. This five track EP features some crazy stuff which at times is reminiscent of Börft output.
TWINS (That Which Is Not Said) returns to Enfant Terrible. On the A-side you will find a synthpop / minimal elektro / cold wave tune with a metal beat reminiscent of John Foxx. The B-side features a harsh elektro piece. It is tense and uptight, could also have been fitting for a Gooiland Elektro release and should be a future dj favorite for sure.
Mirror Box is the solo analog synth project of Dallas musician Sean Kirkpatrick. Blending together elements of Giallo moodiness, dub texture, techno propulsion, a passing nod to your favorite wave music, and a flare for the kosmiche, Mirror Box’ debut release, Minimal Compliance EP, is a tour de force of the veteran musician’s exploration of a wide range of influences and experience.
South African disco release. The title track ‘Dance’, written by Belgian composer Frank Degrijse, was released by Night Force and became a hit throughout Europe in 1980. In South Africa the song was released with permission at a slower tempo (the original 45rpm was ‘officially’ slowed down to 33rpm). Added to this are four tracks by Music Team’s in-house production team the Tom Cats – including dub reworkings of recent Afrosynth releases ‘Burnin Beat’ and ‘Searchin’, here released as ‘Hot Stuff’ and ‘Search For Love’ respectively. Synth-heavy oddities ‘You Are My Fire’ and ‘Shake Shake’ make up the rest of the tracklist.
Next up on Bicep’s Feel My Bicep imprint is a fresh single from fellow Irishman Cromby, featuring two remixes from Electro stalwart DeFeKT and the ever-dependable Shanti Celeste. Cromby slots neatly into the FMB catalogue with Retribution – a single that draws from his experience spent on the floor and behind the booth at clubs in Berlin, with it’s stirring chords and frazzled drums. DeFeKT’s offers up a buoyant, 808-heavy take on the original while Shanti’s ‘Chill’ mix omits the kicks in favour of her signature sunny synth tones.
Dan Piu is releasing his first full album with unreleased tracks since 1999. A collection of beautiful Chicago & Detroit sounding pieces that he created throughout the last centuries.
Andrew Red Hand finally joins the Lobster main family. He takes you deep into the night with haunting synth lines, deep chicago grooves and proper drum machine battery on his latest effort for the LT UNDR sublabel.
Up next on Phonica White is Brooklyn based artist Justin Cudmore. ‘Twisted Love’ gets straight to the point, with firm and strong percussion joined to a fickle acid bass line. In addition to this, Justin weaves in some House-flavoured vocals to keep you hooked until the end of the track. A certified floor-filler of a track. On the flip is ‘About to Burst’, a track that starts with a powerful kick drum and grows with new emerging elements; punchy hi-hats coming and going in key moments and a simple keyboard arpeggio that added to an Acid bass line catches you instantly.
Adam X returns to his imprint Sonic Groove with his first album in four years, a 56 minute excursion into EBM and Cyberdelic Industrial Techno titled “Recon Mission”. The mission begins with beat driven hypnotic electronics that invoke paranormal illusions of Easter island mythology and Bermuda Triangle disappearances. Climbing forward the album crosses the line into harder industrial territories, conjuring visions of New York City’s dystopian past and CIA shadow government experiments. Adam has survived the ups and downs of the industry while continually raising the bar for production value and sound design.
Following a superb start last year with his edits of Mike Storm, Ben Sims’ Symbolism imprint returns with it’s second ultra-limited drop featuring Biemsix, Scott Franka, Stef Mendesidis and Raul Alvarez. Deep, hypnotic techno for the ‘floor.
Marking its ten-year anniversary Dynamic Reflection is set to release Continuum, a collection of five uniquely intertwined EP’s. The special series commemorates the label’s roots, evolution and establishment and honors its residents and friends. The Continuum-series will feature twenty exclusive tracks. The EP’s Sonos, Magno Hyacinthum, Fluctus, Luna Frigus and Terra Nova are planned as part of Continuum. Collectively they become the articulation of a decade of techno. Featuring tracks from Donato Dozzy & Mike Parker, Abstract Division, Deepbass & Ness and Ben Buitendijk, Fluctus represents the third planet in the Continuum-constellation, consisting of five exclusive releases in celebration on the 10th anniversary of Dynamic Reflection.
In the seventh EP to come out on his own imprint, label head Dimi Angelis serves up four tracks, each distinctively ANGLS: bare and unassuming music. Opening track “Live Chat Events” leaves little space for actual conversation and immediately hits home with some thorough techno that reminisces of a bygone rave era which refuses to be forgotten. Follow-up “Index” continues that feel but switches things up by delving off the deep, ever so slightly distorted synth end. On the flipside Angelis allows subtle percussion movements to do the talking in “Lotus”. Proper and powerful on its own, equally useful as a tool. “Cosmodrome” closes down #007 and is the most introvert of the four with a unique, submerged sounding pattern that gradually builds and falls. An EP that will fit and improve any collection.
Epic, brilliantly curated two hour collection of new and exclusive material celebrating iDEAL Recordings’ (1998-2018) 20th anniversary featuring JASSS, Stephen O’Malley, Jim O’Rourke (an epic 17 minute trance-enducer – honestly worthy of its own LP), Ectoplasm Girls, Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe, Prurient, Puce Mary and many others…
The Hipodrome Of Music 