Brasilian Producer Apoena kicks off 2024 in style for Hudd Traxx. “Pure Feeling” opens up proceedings in a deep and hypnotic style. “Rico Balanço” follows in a similar vain oozing with raw Berlin vibes, which is where Apoena currently resides. The B side features “In between The Beat” and the title track “Mystic” which are melodic trippy groovers for early hour vibes.
Sao Paulo’s Rafael Cancian steps up with 2 brilliant edits on Hot Pot. ”Heaven” takes up the A-side, a cosmic disco groover for midtempo dance floor ecstasy. Over to the B-side, ”Nigeriac” is a syncopated Afro Funk Rock joint for those rare groove moments.
There is some serious electro talent on this new EP from Fanzine, starting with Carl Finlow. His machines are in fine fettle once more as crisp, kicking electro rhythms are overlaid with bright, silvery, pixelated melodic fireworks on the sublime ‘Organoiods’. Hoax Believers get more gritty with the sheet metal snares and in-your-face arps of ‘Short Circuit’ while Sound Synthesis offers something moody and unsettling on their ‘Vertex43’. Univac will make your eyes water with the abrasive textures of ‘H Beat.’
Cultivated Electronics starts off its 2024 release schedule with an all electro family affair from father and son duo The Advent and Zein Ferreira. “Elektronically Minded EP” is the first of two releases scheduled on the label from them this year. For this first instalment the pair turn in two tracks of expertly crafted production that pays homage to the history of the genre with their own modern twist. The A side’s “Basic Channeling” is given remix treatment from Robert Witchoski a.k.a. The Exaltics who steps up the gears with a 4/4-esqe rework in his signature style. To close out the EP, remix duty stays in the family with a rework of “Syncopated”, a track that features on the next EP, nephew of Cisco and cousin of Zein, Torai, who shows that high end electro production definitely runs in the veins of the Ferreira family.
This edition of the continuing Squirrels On Film saga comes by way of a very special Mystery Squirrel who goes way back in the crew. A dear friend since the 1990’s San Francisco rave heydays, E-Male is a notoriously hard working, prolific human, having put in time across the globe from Detroit to Berlin. This release features cosmic electro & dark industrial incantations.
After almost 6 years of silence since ‘Akelarre’, Synths Versus Me, the personal musical project of Nico Cabanas, co-founder of Oráculo Records alongside the young Italian promise India Nardone. Recorded analogically in just 2 months, fluctuates in a futuristic way between different kinds of unusual dark sub styles such as industrial noise, proto- tribal, synthpunk or krautwork, and, of course, among other dance-oriented such as EBM, new beat, synthwave, electro/breakbeat or trance.
Savage Grounds is the synthpunk and minimal synth swiss project of LUX REC head Daniele Cosmo among Florin Büchel and the mesmerizing Kleio Thomaïdes (part of Bound by Endogamy as well). Separation Shock represents the last record by the trio before the temporary hiatus they have decided to start. You could expect the classical, raw, and minimalistic sound that defines one of the best acts in the genre coming from central Europe. Pure analog synth madness with the always-evoking and hypnotic vocals of Kleio.
After 10 years of silence, Regimen Galáctico Totalitario is the new release of the Mexican producer Dellarge, reknown as well for his experimental noise project I.N.R.I. (Indústria Nacional del Ruido Infinito). In this mini-album, Dellarge presents his vision of nowadays evolution of EBM towards a futuristic blend of breakbeat, industrial, and electro creating the perfect soundtrack for a futuristic apocalypse.
Innershades revisits his take on electro on the “Explorer EP”. His minimalistic take on dancefloor melody and drums is combined with electro’s energy and brilliance. And even though it’s clear he’s taken notes of this style of music since its materialisation in the early eighties, this record might be most indebted to the sounds coming out of Detroit, the Dutch West Coast and the ocean in between.
LDI Records present V, the latest EP from Dutch electro artist Versalife (aka Boris Bunnik aka Conforce). This four-track EP features Versalife’s signature blend of classic and experimental electro. V showcases his amazing production skills, with detailed drum patterns, hypnotic bass and lush pads. This EP is an exciting journey where Versalife keeps pushing the boundaries of electronic music, while staying true to his roots.
Bulgarian dark mastermind Petar Tassev Manasyt is an artist who couldn’t care less about trends or hype, and whose main driving forces authenticate passion for this genre. Some of his tunes resemble future horror movie soundtrack, others a visit to a mental clinic, but most sound like what hostile aliens would listen to while attacking Earth. Now he returns with “Zero Plauge” on Specimen Records.
E-Bony and La Mverte on Lonewolf number 15, serving up a sublime heavy club-ready techno and futuristic soundscapes EP.
Paranoid London, the electronic band of Gerardo Delgado and Quinn Whalley, has become synonymous with stripping acid house back down to its basics, rescuing the sound from smiley faces, rave, and sugary excess while paying respects to its gay, black, American roots. Performing mainly live with hardware only, often with vocal guests, as well as unique hybrid DJ sets, the duo has established a tongue in cheek, grumpy punk sound and attitude without taking it too seriously. Their new long-player “Arseholes, Liars, and Electronic Pioneers” refers to the cavalcade of c***s we find ourselves surrounded by. Our only respite being the joy that musical geniuses bring. As expected, PL has recruited a bunch of special guests on vocals including Primal Scream’s Bobby Gillespie, US house veteran Monica “DJ Genesis” Lockett, the novo-New Romantic/gothic, Jennifer Touch, and Joe Love, from Fat Dog, Brixton’s current ones-to-watch. As well, previous collaborators Josh Caffe and Mutado Pintado return for new recordings.
Rawax welcomes Mark Ambrose to the artist family with “Cat Groove” which came out originally on Mark’s own label called Crayon as first release in 1997.
Colombian producer Felipe Gordon returns to the Razor-N-Tape catalog for his 3rd EP. It’s a signature FG affair, from start to finish with deep jazz house chuggers like Homage to Bossa and Flutes of Gold, to the wistful and mysterious energy of Beside Me and the arpeggiated synth stomper Acid Party at Santa Barbara.
The Hipodrome Of Music 