The light is at the end of the tunnel. The light is shining bright because of love. The love is the answer to the darkness + the remedy for the experience which might bring unclearness and letting drown in the metaphorical swamp which every single human has felt during the journey they are on. The EP by the Switzerland based mastermind Dan Piu is dedicated to the love and to the love only. The tracks that were produced from the artist’s creative inflow are from the year 1995 to our present days and are telling the story of hope and compassion.
Johannes Auvinen (Tin Man) and Max Ravitz (Patricia), two devotees in the cult of the TB-303, return to Acid Test with the Celestial Body Music series, a follow up to their 2020 LP Powers Of Ten. Recorded in Ravitz’s studio in Asheville, NC, Celestial Body Music once again showcases the pair’s penchant for raw yet emotive dance music. With Auvinen’s signature TB-303 programming and Ravitz’s typical melancholic flair, the duo’s styles merge seamlessly over the course of 8 tracks that harken back to the heyday of American techno and house. Following on from Powers of Ten, the pair continue to fix their eyes firmly on the stars, as Celestial Body Music’s song titles conjure visions of listening to Dance Mania 12”s on the ISS. With a tonal palette that features the well-trodden sounds of classic analog hardware like the TR-808, TR-909, TB-303, and SH-101, Ociya demonstrate their ability to breathe new life into these old instruments through thoughtful programming, arrangement, and mixing. This is made all the more significant when considering every song was recorded live to 2-track with no editing over the course of a few days. Sweet and savory both, the new material strikes a perfect balance between emotive sensibility and dance floor appeal.
Takuya Matsumoto’s tribute to the heydaze with four beautifully crafted tracks. Touching all the bases of influence from the early years of House Music. This EP takes us all the way back…
After appearing on Acid Test’s 10 Year Anniversary compilation Patricia, aka Max Ravitz, debuts an EP on the label with “Less Than 7”, a collection of tracks that sits squarely in the club-focused end of the label’s output.
DJ Steve’s third EP for Klasse Wrecks delves deeper into the sonic universe of the Sheffield producer’s arsenal, a slow but deliberate progression can be traced from the previous EPs. Whereas ‘Secret Touch’ and ‘Mainline’ ploughed a path made more by the lighthearted genres of UK Hardcore and Yorkshire Bleep, ‘Reality’ sinks lower into heady vibrations of psychedelia and heavy acid hallucinations. The producer again shows off his musical flair and control of his machine kingdom, every sound perfectly placed on the sound canvas. Classic 303 lines writhe under 101 basslines whilst 808 hihats shuffle over recognisable breakbeats, proving some things never go out of style.
Manchester based DJ and producer Marcus Paulson (aka Kid Machine) debuts on MOS Recordings. Kicking of with a typical Aroy Dee-approved sunrise jam on ‘No Go Zone’ before three slabs of jacking acid take over. Ticking all boxes from thumping Chicago house to gritty acid and emotive tear jerking strings this EP has all MOS characteristics from start to finish.
Lisbon’s purveyor of dance incantations Paraiso are back with an EP that packs a meeting of 3 legends of the local and global underground – a trio of fearless pioneers and cultural agitators from different eras. Yen Sung and Photonz have partnered up in 2020 to collaborate on new music and start a record label. Fast forward to today and this Paraiso EP is their third release, further exploring their mutual penchant for ethereal house music drenched in subtle but fiery grooves and acid basslines. Angolan-Portuguese producer DJ Satelite steps in for remix duties, adding his iconic deep afro house edge to a wonderful effect, all blissful motifs and broken percussive sonics.
Peter Raou’s work is deeply inspired by the hardware which he utilizes and most recently has drawn inspiration from the social culture of Leith and Scottish Slang in general. With his latest record ‘Cables Wynd House’ his sound spreads out and explores its absolute limits.
The genre re-defining chameleons of Hard Ton are back on Schrödinger’s Box with their own brand of style splitting acid house disco. Bigger is Better, a double EP album, has all the depravity and drama you would expect from these disruptors. “Waking Up The House” melts claps, cowbells and vocals over a molten melody. Bold stabbing keys are central to “The Right Thing”, lyrics spiralling skyward as a bitter acid line pulls the track down into the sweaty pit of the club. That TB303 goes into overdrive for the wonderfully demonic hedonism of “Bypass My Love.” Two-stepping jack is given a voice thanks to the breathy words of Josh Caffe as fanfare rains. The understated “Let Yourself Go” is a distant cousin of the bawdy and brutish “I Know A Bitch”, the heavy bass and cutting samples of the finale recalling the basement bruisers of Chicago.
Marco Erroi – from Common Series camp – returns on his own XXXV Edits project with the number 8. Acid and TB-303 on the A side, 90s reminiscences on the B side. Included collaborations with Italians Robert Crash and The Mechanical Man.
Fierce interdimensional acid tracks on the latest outing from the I.T. HQ in Detroit. Andy Toth casts a long shadow in the Detroit scene, from being co-founder of the Detroit Grand Pubahs to working as an engineer and mixer, he’s worked on so many records that you know but in his egoless way, didn’t know he was part of. Being the co-author of ”Sandwiches” took him around the world, but more importantly, it was the hold music for Mudgie’s, a legendary Detroit Deli run by another long-standing denizen of the Detroit underground, Greg Mudge. Greg Mudge was a true pillar of our techno community in Detroit, from showing us the venue for the first leaky roof No Way Back, to throwing his own events and supporting great people. One of those people was Andy Toth, who he was constantly pressuring to release his music, and this became a major theme of Greg Mudge’s memorial. When Greg suddenly passed last September, some friends came in to DJ his memorial like Derek Plaslaiko. When it was Andy Toth’s turn he played only his own productions and we were all just so blown away. Mudgie was always asking Andy ”what’s up with those tracks?” And this record is the answer, a testament to that thought, and to the deeply layered and detailed work of Andy Toth. Andy has created a uniquely dense Detroit Sci-Fi trip through sound, with elements of acid, electro, techno that result in an advanced and mature adventure in sound, reflecting his roots in the Detroit scene, but pushing it into new hypnotic futures, to boldly go where no one has gone before.
EYA Records continue to bring up some of the most inventive and forward-thinking Techno and Electro jams, this time welcoming back Berlin-based live performer and producer Otis. “Danger At The Tendo Dojo” EP is flawless, trippy and explorative. A unique journey into the artist’s mind through the rhythms and sounds of analog machines and synthesizers.
Basic and straight forward approach on old school House spread out between four tracks, all with a familiar pallett of traditional Rolandesque sounds. When the acid lurks the tracks presents themselfs at its best. Produced by NBI aka Nasty Boy Italy aka Nicola Penna.
The Hipodrome Of Music 