Cold Blow has once again dipped into Jason Adkins’ archives – this time to deliver a compilation of his turn-of-the-‘90s UK techno works as part of cult Bedford-based trio Liquid Son. Released in collaboration with fellow archival electronic music specialists Musique Pour La Danse, “Garden of Eden” gathers together tracks made and released by Liquid Son in 1991 and ’92, as well as a previously unheard demo version of the trio’s best-known track, ‘Tone Float’, which Adkins made in his bedroom way back in 1985. The compilation contains a string of sought-after gems that frequently blur the boundaries between Detroit techno, early UK bleep & bass, electro, EBM and the industrial funk of Cabaret Voltaire, while also boasting the kind of slick technical polish and musical depth so often missing from British club tracks of the period.
acid house
Sarayu – Pridi 303 [MR004]
Fresh from his recent contribution to the Harvest 001 compilation, label boss Sarayu offers up the fourth entry to his More Rice label, entitled ‘Pridi 303’ – four acidic cuts for
the dancefloor. Including a remix from Mr. Ho.
Jack Smooth – PH Scales 2 [FE049]
Jack Smooth AKA Ron Wells returns with more acid tracks for Furthur Electronix on the second PH Scales volume.
Dip Shim – Bergsgatan Tapes [GTD012]
Originally recorded to cassette, these five acidic tracks from Spanish-born producer and record store owner Dip Shim are a paean to his neighbourhood in Malmö, Sweden. The breadth of styles across the EP is impressive, taking in uplifting techno, mid-tempo electro, banging acid, and ambient, all created with classic analogue machines, suffused throughout with that warm tape sound and sweet sweet 303.
Freddy Fresh – Analog EP [AS-24]
R-A-G / Ma Spaventi – New Lives EP [MOS028]
Tracks from local boys R-A-G, (Aroy Dee, Ma Spaventi & G-String) and solo work from Ma Spaventi. Nostalgic to the bone- going deep on the Acid House, Italo and Chi-town flavours.
Lou Karsh – Lifeforms [XK021]
Lou Karsh returns on X-Kalay with his next effort “Lifeforms”, a finely crafted knack for electro, and the 303 in particular.
Bam Bam – Where’s Your Child? [BTL003]
“Back to Life” presents its third installment repressing one of the best acid tracks ever produced, a must have for any collector: Bam Bam “Where’s your child?”, originally released on Westbrook Records in 1988 and licensed by Desire Records in the same year. Chris Westbrook needs no introduction: he is the sole owner of legendary Westbrook Records, always linked to the acid scene.
30303 – Interstellar Rhythm [VWX003]
Atlanta artist 30303 debuts on Vault Wax with five cosmic, space-influenced live acid jams. The far-out journey begins with ethereal, spaced-out breaks and trips into darker, grittier techno turns.
The Analogue Cops present Protectorate – The Sea Sherrif [TP15]
Dona – Mindscapes [MNQ138]
Dona Aka Dj Plant Texture’s debut on Mannequin is the result of an effective true love for the early Chicago Acid and Jackbeat, mixed with textures of EBM and Cold Wave.
“Mindscapes”, featuring the haunted vocals of Aloth, represents a trip into states of consciousness and psychiatric diseases. Ispired by some reports describing America’s Mental health System during the latest 70’s, the EP is a blend of analog machines, forced to create the perfect jam session.
Phuture – Rise From Your Grave [SR1273WHITE]
Another classic jammer from 1992 lifted straight from the Strictly Rhythm vaults. Phuture aka acid House pioneers Spanky and DJ Pierre (with a little help from Roy Davis JR) turn in a driving, acidic monster in true Wild Pitch style. Probably the only record that begins with a sinister voice saying ‘This is cocaine speaking’ before diving head-long into one of the best anti-drug House records ever. Bubbling 303 basslines and cavernous handclaps combine with a funked out, dubbed out synth line that just doesn’t stop.
Intimacy – Across the Bridge [BQT002]
Outfitted with anthemic romps, tongue-in-cheek pastiches, and percussions that pivot from rolling adventures to rain hitting the windowpane, Intimacy’s ‘Across the Bridge’ marks the artist’s fifth release on vinyl and first release on Bouquet. A grab bag of fun, dancefloor-ready tracks written across 2019, the EP delivers his aesthetic of old computers, sci-fi movies, and science class educational videos configured into deep, spacey line-toting bedroom techno and melancholic house.
Mr. Ho + Mogwaa – Eui-Li EP [WRECKS030]
Klasse Wrecks co-boss and Hong Kong citizen Mr. Ho links up with South Korean and Seoul based producer Mogwaa over international waters for the ‘Eui-Li’ EP. Baile Funk drums mix with moody deepness on ‘Bail-E!’ whilst vivid and dreamy 909 electro is captured on ‘Hustler’s Billiard’, demented acid breaks on ‘Conquest’ and angry and distorted funk lets loose ‘DistFreestyle’. The four tracker makes for a varied and sonically diverse EP that conjures and distills the two producers various influences perfectly.
Soft Pioneer – Life Hack’z [CHILDELEVEN]
Summer 1987 – Data bits racing through your processor. Breaking into the cyber world and turning the world up side down. The dawn of the digital era has just begun and is core brain expands a hacking community that changes the C64 world. The soft pioneer, A lil teeange hacking dude blows up the complete scene by using their own hacking weapons and pointing them against themselves. The result is an angry freaked out conspircy to kill the soft pioneer. The hunt has just started..
Nail presents Sentipede – Eggs EP [ORN029]
The latest drop on Ornate sees Neil Tolliday’s Nail project metamorphose into Sentipede. His illustrious track record in UK house and techno has touched on all kinds of ventures since the DIY days, and now he’s presenting something very special indeed for Ornate. The vibe on these tracks is more taut and techy, with “313151” opening proceedings on a bubbling bed of acid before the rubbery monosynth jack of “44151” on the B side. Keeping things locked into this nervy strain of warehouse tackle, “3131154” finishes the record off with some even more audacious 303 lines that will dig right into your synapses and give ’em a twist, in the nicest possible way of course.
Louh – Moon Child [LESPOINTS016]
Louh returns with his second solo EP on Les Points. Expect 5 signature psychedelic acid cuts.
SJ Tequilla + Aaty presents SJTeknobuskers [WRECKS029]
Smooth acid injected edgy house cuts on this new Klasse Wrecks. For the last 3 years SJ Tequilla (Naota Matsuda) and Aaty Matoba have been a regular but hidden fixture in Berlin’s underground music scene. You may have caught them at their regular spot in a dark tunnel next to the sprawling Ostkreuz station in Kreuzberg, lucky to sneak a quick listen before the cops came in and shut things down yet again. Armed only with an electrical generator, a 606, 303 and various dub echo delay units the pair have slowly been refining their Teknobusker project into quite a special thing. Proving that creativity blooms best when using a limited set of tools, the SJ Teknobuskers music is gritty and dark but also retains an important sense of humour. WRECKS029 was recorded between the years 2018-2019 and does a deft job in capturing a flavour of the rhythms, tones and squelches that echoed down the tunnels during Berlin’s endless summers.
Posthuman – I Love Acid Twentyone [ILA021]
After a year away, I Love Acid returns and label bosses Posthuman deliver three tracks of slow, lush acid awash with Juno pads and clattering 707 beats.