Ben Pest touches down with four lethal electro cuts, built to morph minds and move bodies.
acid
bRave: Maja Pa, Le Chocolat Noir & Ikonal @ Dekmantel Selectors 2022
Bill Converse – Take Parts EP [DE291]
Underground hero Bill Converse returns to Dark Entries with Take Parts, perhaps his most muscular and floor-focused work to date. Converse has honed his analog craft since the early days of the Midwest rave scene, absorbing lessons from luminaries like Claude Young and Traxx. His skill as a producer has been established with releases on labels such as Dark Entries, Fit Sound, and Obsolete Futures, and his prowess as a DJ has been witnessed on floors the world over. On Take Parts, Converse peels away the layers of acidic gauze that have characterized much of his work, revealing his sharp grasp of dancefloor dynamics and DJ functionality. While the 808’s, 909’s, and 303’s are on full display, Converse does not indulge in retro-fetishism; he channels the future forward impulse of the originary rave ethos.
Ole Mic Odd – Acid Booty II [SM008]
LA-based Ole Mic Odd makes a return to Source Material for second dose of booty acid beauty. The four tracks here have heaps of gnarly acid attitude and speed-wise are set to maximum twerk. All highly likely to keep your 3AM crowd rooted to the spot and away from any thoughts of heading off for the night bus or taxi rank, sure, but there’s another layer to this release beyond such functionalities.
Erik Eviston – Sickness [PHXS24]
PHXS24 is coming from Irish producer Erik Eviston. The release named Sickness is a mix of raw contemporary uncoversional industrial, EBM and Chicago acid house unleashing blasts of noise, expressing the sound beyond merely jacking your body.
Chino – Groove Podcast 352
VA – Spirits of The Black Lodge Vol. 4 [BL006]
The fourth collection of cuts from Various Artists of The Black Lodge multiverse. The first sound offering on side A comes from The Poetic Painter M of Nation Records. A2 comes from Chilean born sonic explorer Pablo R. Ruiz, who resides in the sacred lands of Detroit and has a number of releases on Portage Garage Sounds. The flip side begins with an acidic banger from Midwest producer/ engineer Grey People who has numerous releases on great labels such as Frigio Records, Valcrond Video, Public System Recordings, and others. B2 is an experimental mind-bender from Bay City, Michigan artist Fashion Flesh aka John Talaga, a true gear head who makes his own electronic equipment, oscillators, generators, sound toys, and modulators and has released on cult labels such as Unknown Precept and Fit Sound (Est. 83’Records), among others. The EP ends with a beautiful piece defying genres from Fauna53, a collective of electronic artists from Italy, headed by Asymmetrical who runs Raw Culture Records.
E.L.I. – Violence is Bliss EP [MRT011]
E.L.I. lands on MRT shores and pollutes them with all sort of filth. The label second last instalment takes us to Britain and it is one of the most aggressive so far. The distorted screams, the ultra darkness, the violent atmosphere it creates is tinted in black and white by the stroboscopic lights of underground clubs. A perfect mixture of relentless basslines and straightforward rhythmic patterns for the dancers with no cause, with no hope for tomorrow. Places made famous by death and disaster.
Data Theft – Data Theft [RAT20]
Since a couple of years there has been a lot of data transfer between the thief and the rat. After the first bytes got exchanged, it was clear they speak the same code: Communication on the basis of rhythmic structure! After some interferences and transmission drop-outs, we can finally announce the transfer is complete and will materialize in form of a 12“ vinyl record. Data Theft is a six piece strong selection of Rhythm Beat Master ship. It will be difficult to find more bang for the buck anywhere else. You can now own this magnum opus that is Rat Life Records 20th release.
VA – Acid Xplore Vol. 2 [LAZER002]
An acidic electro techno fusion going on here on the second outing on Lazer Records by the late great Microlith, Cignol, Sound Synthesis, Type 303 and Volth.
Ten Lardell – Anterspace 01 [ANTERSPACE01]
Hard driving Electro Acid Techno with a big nod to the heydays of 90’s techno by Ten Lardell.
audt98 – Ionic Bonds EP [DATO10]
Amersfoort based electro youngster audt98 makes his debut on Discos Atónicos with his EP ‘Ionic Bonds’. Three banging electro tracks that are gritty, hypnotic and dance floor ready in which he beautifully translates the ways of nature into music. Topping it off with a remix from electro veteran Fastgraph this is bound to be a ride.
VA – Nowhere 02 [NOWHERE002]
The second chapter of the Nowhere Series brings four forgotten dance floor bangers. First up is a dark and twisted acid track “Flashback” by Laurent Garnier, from 1997. “It Talks To Me” is proper Detroit techno, with it’s abstract stabs and moody strings, by Donnell Knox and released in 1995. On the flip are two forgotten gems. “Inferno” came out in 1993, a full on acid affair, with a massive break made by Dutchies Eric de Man, Frederick Borgesius, Heiko van Eindhoven, Kamil van der Wal and Saul Poolman. “Solartrek” by Roland Klinkenberg is closing the release. This track was picked up by I-F in 1995 for his Top Secret label.
Konerytmi – Sanaton EP [TELOMERE017]
Konerytmi is back for his final EP on the Telomere series. Here we have a six tracks mini LP, with a blend of breaks, electro, IDM and tech house, there’s something for all hours of the night.
Sound Synthesis – Orbital 104 [ORBITAL104]
VA – Everywhere Pt. 2 LP [PARTOUT0.02]
A year on from the first installment, French electro stable Partout are back with a second volume of Everywhere, introducing the world to more of their deep cover operators working their studios in pursuit of machine funk perfection. AV1 leads with some trippy acid goodness, while Binh Baggs has a techier intention. The Trots bring something ghoulish and nasty to the table with ‘Pelusa’, while Yate plays around with trancey tropes in a gnarly rave context. There’s bags of personality spilling out of these tracks, confirming Partout as a reliable destination for refreshing approaches to the electro-techno tradition.
Generali Minerali – Rocketman EP [RFR020]
Mike Tansella Jr. B2B Elena Sizova @ Sons Of Traders Release Showcase (Tbilisi) 10.09.2022
Tunik – 777 EP [FE076]
Furthur Electronix presents some fresh dance floor bombs from one of the most talented and uprising artists in the Barcelona Underground scene. Tunik, an Argentinian artist based in Barcelona, is still a relative newcomer, but his sound is well developed and shows rich inventions as this new mix of electro and techno proves. ’16Bits Underwater’ opens with crisp, snappy beats and coruscated acid lines, ‘Untitled Break 3 (Bleepy mix)’ has an old school feeling ‘Elektro 02’ is a dark and brain frying workout with superb drum programming before the closer wallows in a more introspective mood.
The Hipodrome Of Music 