Mr Kuldaboli hails from Reykjavík and brings with him the subtle sounds of his homeland on this new EP for Stilleben. It is an electro EP with a unique personality, one built on excellent basslines and with plenty of romantic electro overtones. ‘Baktus Theme Song’ with shiny chords and a pixelated bottom end over crunchy drums, then ‘Hlith VIth Hlith Helviti’ gets more dense and busy, with squelchy sounds and distorted vocals. ‘Skulagata’ is a more clean and sparse sound that voyages off into the future while glitchy mashing sounds and far-sighted chords play off against one another to great effect on ‘Sorry Meth Mig.’
Ten years ago, Acid Test began with a simple concept – each track the label released would make use of the Roland TB-303. Like a producer purposefully paring down their studio setup, or the continuous imperative within underground electronic music to reduce, this concept engendered creativity with the introduction of what seemed to be an aesthetic limit. However, the decade that followed, which now culminates in the triple-LP compilation Ten Years Of Acid Test, proves acid is limitless. That the Berlin-via-LA label would expand upon the classical conception of acid house and techno is no surprise considering the cast of characters that have come in fold over the past decade. Ten Years Of Acid Test gathers key material from the label’s extended family of acid acolytes. There’s that Vienna-via-LA maestro of sad, elegant acid Tin Man (Johannes Auvinen), whose “Afters Acid” is both a highlight within his prolific catalogue and a distillation of his symphonic approach to the 303. Detroit giants Erika and Marcellus Pittman, both of whom have released remixes on Acid Test, present their respective and singular Bass Line visions. Erika, the Interdimensional Transmissions lynchpin, crafts a dark, delicate take on broken techno on “Violet Fungus” while Pittman continues his cubist house explorations on “Unknown Species,” both tracks straying from typical acid lines in favor of the intricate textures achievable on the 303. This variation in approach applies to tempo as well. Irish-based master Lerosa, as well as Delsin affiliate VC-118A, delve into downtempo atmospherics. Meanwhile, Japanese deep techno virtuoso Wata Igarashi, SUED co-founder SW. (a regular on Acid Test’s leftfield sub-label Avenue 66) and Patricia (one-half of Acid Test act Ociya) use acid as a creative jumping-off point for complex melodic concepts. Wata layers an orchestra of synth-bliss drone overtop a squelchy bassline on “Ephemeral.” SW.’s “ChaIAnJAzzz” cycles through an array of dusted chords eventually landing in skewed, fuzzy rave nostalgia, anthemic chords held aloft by a wicked UK-flavour bass line. Patricia’s “Higher Still” explores dreamy, IDM-flavoured acid, cinematic synthlines counterbalanced by propulsive, squelching acid. Acid Test devotees will be thrilled at the return of various luminaries from the catalogue, including Achterbahn D’Amour, Skudge, AAAA, John Tejada and Donato Dozzy, whose memorable remix of Tin Man’s “Nonneo” from Acid Test 01 served as a kind of proof of concept for the label. There’s new blood too. San Francisco up-and-comer Sepehr makes his label debut with the excellent “Persian Acid Prince,” as does Andreas Tilliander’s beloved hardware techno project, TM404. Ten Years Of Acid Test is a valuable portrait of a group of artists linked by a dedication to innovation within acid, in line with the genre’s storied roots. Over ten years, Acid Test has gracefully made a case for the 303’s past, present and future, the story of acid continuing to unfurl in unpredictable, addictive patterns.
“Dead Beats 1” brings together new and returning artists to Death Decay Magic, featuring tracks by Daniel Holt, Happy707, Heidi Sabertooth, Hissarlik, Man 2.0, Stockholm Syndrome AU and label boss Black Light Smoke.
5 tracks of pure heat of various styles from members of The Black Lodge global family. A1 is entitled “Atmospheres” from the ever-talented Michigan producer JTC aka Tadd Mullinix [Bopside/Nation/Ghostly]. A2, entitled “Arreskni” comes from newer Chilean artists MU-GA, a track we released in digital format last year from their debut EP. Finishing off the A-side is Italian super-duo Sons Of Traders [SOT/Frigio/Black Lodge] aka Tans X Mike Tansella Jr. with the acidic cut “Indianapolis” also released last year by BL on tape and digitally from their first full length album entitled “Crollo Nervoso”. Side B blasts off with the early Chicago house inspired track “Passion” by prolific Dresden producer Sneaker [Uncanny Valley/Rat Life/Frigio]. Closing off the comp is a dirty warehouse banger/burner by e-spirit, a new alias from LA producer Delivery [LA Club Resource/Valcrond Video.
The 303’s Third Pattern contains even more acid and acidic techno masterpieces from Unknown Artists. Although minimalistic when quickly checked, these tracks contain immense depth when given a proper listen and you know a proper soundsystem will reveal all these so important details for sure.
Cosmic disturbances cause emotions to run free throughout the local system on Cignol’s acid-laced Craigie Knowes debut. ”Misaligned Logic” is shaped in Cignol’s signature electro sound across the 4-track EP.
A short visit to the Indochinese Peninsula at the wrong time of the global pandemic breakout, led Ian Richter to over a year and a half of living in Vietnam, and to a deep love affair with the Vietnamese folk religion. Ian was intrigued to find a place drenched in culture and mysticism existing hand in hand with hyper capitalism (yet officially committed to socialism). Over the course of the last 18 month Ian recorded, mentally and physically, the sounds of his encounters and experiences. From daily life, through industrial and natural landscapes, to ancient and modern dance, forging foreign with familiar, mysticism with science, and claustrophobia with liberation.
Summer 2021 sees the fourth in the Frigio All Stars series hitting all respectable shelves. Jack Carel opens the 12” with the acid burning grunge of “Fuck This Shit” followed by Sons of Traders with the chugging 4/4 nastiness of “A for All.” A trippy, dark industrial streak runs in the snares and swagger of Rambal Cochet’s “Doomsday Scenario Interface” and in the powerful introspection of Daniel Holt’s “The Recluse.” Neud Photo arrives on Frigio with a menacing debut, “The Split” which pierces a haze of smoke in this late-night floor-filler. Honored Matres who appeared on the first volume of these series, returns with the blackest of the compilation. Machine gun percussion close the 12” with Chris Mitchell offering the chopped and gnawed “Alsina”.
20/20 Vision present the debut release from Manchester based artists Armec. The Caged EP hits the ground running – with a record that spans heavy club-ready electro and futuristic soundscapes. Complete with a remix from German acid connoisseurs Hardfloor.
Bunker returns with the third volume of Rogue Frequencies. Selected from Mike Hellboii’s archives, a whole set of predominantly heavy ’80’s-and-’90’s-Bruxelles-and-UK-styled electro-wave-synth-poppin’ EBM and other ever-tragically ‘New Romantic’ techno ‘massive-rave-and-lonely-dance floor classics.
South African born, London based producer Kai van Dongen appears with a four tracker on Cyberdome, spanning lo-fi electro, gabber-influenced techno and Detroit acid.
The new digital exclusive Squirrels On Film release is from Floridian squirrel funk master Chris Mitchell, four potent doses of lysergic cyber boogie for putting bodies in motion.
Sound Synthesis is Keith Farrugia, an electronic music producer form Malta whose vision of electro takes you into the future. This time out he lands on Orbital Mechanics with four fierce cuts of starting with the slapping electro funk of ‘I Am Machine’ and moving on to the more intense paranoias of ‘Nexus Of Dark Energy.’
Pure energy shines through the latest Dalmata Daniel compilation, where all producers gathered together for a good cause. Lockdowns and social distancing practices are slowly easing up in the luckier half of the world, yet local producers and clubs are still facing a hard ongoing period of no live shows with a non-existing club culture. As a result, web-based platforms are more important than ever. The Lahmacun community radio is an integral part of our Budapest scene, as they provide a remarkable online platform not only to musicians and DJs, but to local broadcasters, hosts and music enthusiasts alike. Keeping up the spirit, Lahmacun radio is eager to promote and celebrate music from the local Hungarian scene and from passionate labels, collectives and communities, be it anywhere in the world. This 20-track fundraising compilation is therefore dedicated to Lahmacun radio. It is presented by 10 local and 10 international producers, hailing from the Netherlands, United Kingdom, Greece and Israel. All of us worked and participated in this compilation to help the operation of this very important platform. All income we receive from sales of this V/A goes to support their work.
Krakow’s duo Olivia and Chino join Pinkman with their live project Radiation 30376. Both belonging to the generation that has seen decay turn into liberation, together they tint raw industrial soundscapes with the feelings of freedom and nostalgia. Their debut ep Arka consists of 4 uncompromised electro mutants, rich with the atmosphere of the 90s and the sound design of the future.
This September Nocta Numerica will release its twentieth record. In the meantime, to mark the occasion and look back on the past six years, they released the compilation “Twenty Moons – Nocta Numerica In 20 Tracks”, 20 tracks that represent the identity of the label: 19 of them are from past Nocta Numerica releases and one is exclusively taken from Zobol’s upcoming EP.
The Hipodrome Of Music 