Elementi EP is a full music experience into space and alchemy. “Terra Acqua” is a very calm and relaxing opening track full of percussion and rhythm letting the listener explore the inner places while “Fuoco Acqua” closes the EP as a dark tribal hypnotic hymn.
Savas Pascalidis delivered 4 tracks timeless techno for his 1st EP on Children Of Tomorrow called Right On For The Darkness. A mix between deep techno tracks and more darker techno but always with a proper groove.
Voiski heads East making his debut on the CCCP sub-label. We are treated to classic Voiski material here- all the elements he excelled at on his previous efforts all present-massive drum programming, huge basslines and epic builds carry the songs along. 100 percent guaranteed club approved and essential for any Voiski fan.
The anonymous entity CHPTR derived from undefined controlled sequences progressing into endless alienated narratives, all live recorded and captured on the eponymous label, CHPTR.
It’s time for the third owner of Taapion Records to make it on the spaceship. For the fifth release but mainly his first EP, AWB presents two original tracks both remixed by young producers well known on the label PVNV and Shlomo.
Drei of Zehn comes with original tracks by Function and Substance as well as Len Faki remixing L.B.Dub Corp.
Samo ‘DJ’ Forsberg continues his assault on 2016 with this killer TTT 12″ as Four Legs alongside Skudge overlord Elias Landberg. This Four Legs stuff finds Forsberg and Landberg partaking in some no-nonsense, heads down machine funk. That’s the flavour for opening cut “Aguirre” whilst title track “Clarky Cat” (Chris Morris reference anyone?) finds the Swedish duo veering off into deeper, psychedelic territory. “Shark” is as marauding as the sea creature it takes its name from, whilst “Clearwater Bay” ends on a more serene note.
J.C. aka Jose Cabrera is launching his own new label, Cabrera. This 1st release that includes a strong remix by Jonas Kopp will be the starting point of an adventurous fresh new Techno label that is promising to reach for the dark corners of the dancefloors.
Two original techno tracks aimed straight at the floor plus a big remix version by Efdemin in his well known fine style.
UK heavyweight Tim “Love” Lee meets FIT Siegel for the ultra trippy, dubbed out odyssey “Living Is Serious Business.” On the flip, Carl Craig’s mix strips down the groove taking us into darker territory.
Eduardo De La Calle returns to Cadenza with the ‘Anima Animus’ single, coupling two tracks of refined techno for your listening pleasure. Taking inspiration from the psychologist/philosopher Carl Jung’s concept of anima and animus (and do take the time to explore this), Eduardo marries arpeggiated synths and melodic chords with a soft kick and tantalizing hats, producing a slick piece of reflective techno that’s alive with melody and groove. On ‘North Pole’, we get more of the signature ‘De La Calle’ sound; subaquatic bass and searing, melancholic strings play out over a steady mechanical beat, nodding its head not only to the Detroit masters but also to the European New Wave sounds that influenced the Motor City artists in the first instance.
Jamal Moss AKA Hieroglyphic Being with the Gherkin inspired treats. Combining tracks from CDR releases, of the same name, that were circulating at the end of 2015.
Benedikt Frey crafts a musical aesthetic that might only be seen in its true form from a birds-eye view—a whole greater than the sum of its parts. His playful indifference to genre specifics and pre-prescribed instrumentation or production techniques makes for a loose and refreshing collection of work, and this debut for the ESP Institute, The Lobbyist, serves up an incongruous three tracks so bewildering and narcotic we’re already impatiently fiending for more.
”A dim light in the room. Dancing drapes of nylons and satin, the pungent smell of naphthalene in aunt’s old closets. She, powerful but still romantic, was sharpening the tools for the poor destitute. The distant sound of barking dogs, a lost farmhouse in Chianti. The beginning of a dance of sex and death, winged vicious presences, blood and flesh. In the passing she found her fulfilment”.
Two sides of the Chicago boy Jon Doppler. Two of the tracks is pure Deep Electric housemusic. While the other two has a more free-style feeling but in space of course.
Chris Carrier delivers a box of steaming fresh hot techno jams with the latest release from his trusty Adult Only sub-label, Sound Carrier. The sounds here are a little more entrenched in the techno sound ethic. ‘Cosmic Road’ is the first of four that take us on a journey out into space, the final frontier… As the name suggests, we’re propelled up into the stars, encouraged to let go of our Earth-bound outlook and travel far away beyond Saturn’s rings. Smooth pads form a cosmic choir with bright flecks of synth, dancing around a jaunty bassline. Amazing. ‘Space Nation’ then strips things back, coming through with that minimal vibe. The rhythm is steppy, chugging along with mysterious intent. On the other side we take ‘Refuge On Earth’ with a 303-led trip back to our home planet. Here we are comforted by the familiar sound of that Roland machine, while the percussion slaps and claps away like the firecracker sound of a machine gun. Last up, ‘Holidays On Mars’ drifts in with an bright, optimistic feeling permeating throughout.
Chupacabras and Brother Y join forces to form the debut vinyl release from Tutamen. Brooklyn resident and elusive production talent Chupacabras offers up two machine-powered cosmic cuts, expanding upon the territory explored with his contributions to the Tutamen tape series and last years EP for Go Finger. The as-yet unknown Brother Y makes a first appearance with two hypnotic numbers on the B- side.
Creme Organization look to Portugal’s fast rising Lake Haze for a new three track EP. Solar Flames opens the release with a grand sense of sadness. Vast kicks pound below as eerie pads make for an unsettling atmosphere. When a slitting acid line comes in, the 909 pings really kick into action and the track takes off. Sinister Strike is just that, a driving and dark track with elastic bass and ravey stabs that make for physical listening. Lastly, Geisterbahnhofe is a broken beat affair that is rueful and zoned out. Full of sombre, reflective open spaces and distant electro stylings, it rounds out a varied and vital EP.
The R-Zone series excels at raw, inventive, off kilter club music from a range of mysterious artists. That fine tradition continues once more here with another four cuts of inventive music that takes cues from techno, IDM, acid and house. Lumidei is all wonky drums and out of time hits and is a brilliantly weird cut full of spacious atmospherics. Mynheer is built on a bed of broken beats, knocking hits and metallic textures that all tumble and fall around loosely and invitingly.
The Hipodrome Of Music 