DMX Krew – Generic Wizard [SHIP050]

Shipwrec is 50 releases old. No mean feat and to celebrate the dutch label is returning to one of its stalwarts, Ed Upton aka DMX Krew. For this very special 12″ the veteran audio alchemist conjures up five tracks of machine music magic. Squirming, acid soaked electro forms and melts in “Bush Baby Bug Eyes” before the shapeshifting “EQShift Trak.” “Language Reponse” goes up a gear, rhythms zipping along on a highway of bright bars as synth lines beam warmth. The flip skids into the corners for the chiptune freshness of “Irrational Momentum” before the wave funk wizardry of the title piece. Ed Upton cracking open the champagne for this Shipwrec milestone and once again proving his undeniable prowess behind the machines.

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DMX Krew – Generic Wizard [SHIP050]

Morphology / Silicon Scally – In-between [INNERSPACE001]

MORPHOLOGY/SILICON SCALLY - In Between

Classic late 90’s hi-tech electro tracks from Morphology and Silicon Scally aka Carl Finlow on the new Croatian Innerspace label.

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Morphology / Silicon Scally – In-between [INNERSPACE001]

Hypnobeat – Prototech [DE179]

Amongst those that keep track of these things, German trio Hyonobeat are considered proto-techno pioneers. While it’s not known whether Detroit’s Belleville Three were fans, you could argue that Hynobeat’s rhythm-focused approach pre-dated both techno and Chicago house. Thanks to this fine retrospective from Dark Entries, you can judge for yourself. The material included was all recorded between 1983 and 1986, with the wild, off-kilter polyrhythms and ragged TB-303 lines of “The Arumbeya Fetish”, mutant electro of “Kilian” and high-octane thrust of the decidedly out-there “Mission in Congo” standing out. Remarkably, Hypnobeat would chain together drum machines and bass synthesizers to create their tracks – a practice that would later become common during the acid house era.

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Hypnobeat – Prototech [DE179]

TYVYT|IYTYI – Platforms [PBD008​.​5]

TYVYT|IYTYI. A dusty tape of six tracks unearthed beneath the Pinkman Broken Dreams division. Nothing is known about this unnameable artist apart from his sound. A legion of hiss marches across the cassette, a blighted beat bites into lancing synthlines that bellow and writhe in their pitiful attempt to escape. Strings are left to howl in turmoil in tracks born out of a crude joke and wry smile. Mick Wills offers no condolences, the Stuttgart man lashing away any humanity with his embittered edit. Found in the pit, made for the pit.

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TYVYT|IYTYI – Platforms [PBD008​.​5]

Retrograde Youth – We’re Not Humans Anymore [PBD008]

RETROGRADE YOUTH - We're Not Humans Anymore

A new recruit has been drafted into the Broken Dreams ranks. Retrograde Youth, also known as Felipe Marin, takes up his position with four tracks of tooth and nail electronics. His style is ensconced in EBM, but trying to pin him down is near impossible. Guttural techno aches through the clang of metal and the rattle of rhythms, wave lances in with spiking synth lines as lost samples stalk. Music for scarred psyches that will leave hearts and minds raw.

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Retrograde Youth – We’re Not Humans Anymore [PBD008]

Roberto Auser- Color Of Your Soul [PNKMN021]

AUSER, Roberto - Color Of Your Soul

Four years after his excellent Eclipse 12″, Roberto Auser is back on a Rotterdam staple: Pinkman. Color Your Soul has adopted some, but not all, of its older brother’s attributes. Lumbering with menacing intent, the title piece leaves wreckage in its bruising wake. “Do You Want To Believe” is cut from the same deviant cloth. Grunting rhythms stomp on tortured strings, industrial shrieks cry beneath the boot of a raging beat. The closer, “Wake U Up”, has Auser toying with his victim. Steam hisses, acid lines bulge, pistons pound and sirens blare in this boiled work of brooding brutality.

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Roberto Auser- Color Of Your Soul [PNKMN021]

Ben Sims – Gamma Ray Subway EP [DRH055]

Four techno banging tracks by UK Legend Ben Sims, on the A side Rippin & Skippin is this relentless Jackin heavy Techno jam. Gamma Ray Subway is a Funky Hypnotic and repetitive jam that can somehow be pictured in a Jeff Mills set, while on the B side it’s Acid attack. The Stalker is a darky heavy monster, while Acid OD is a dope and raw Acid jam.

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Ben Sims – Gamma Ray Subway EP [DRH055]

John Frusciante presents Trickfinger – Trickfinger II [ATLP007]

FRUSCIANTE, John aka TRICKFINGER - Trickfinger II

The Trickfinger project was recorded 10 years ago with no intention of being released at the time, made purely for discovery and learning experience. ‘In my opinion, making music with no intention of releasing it is the best thing a musician can do for his own development in this day and age. The Trickfinger LP was made in that mindset, and it was the beginning of a new musical life for me. When I hear it, it sounds like I am opening up doorways to new worlds, and I never have had that feeling listening to music I made for the purpose of releasing it and selling it.’

vinyl / CD

John Frusciante presents Trickfinger – Trickfinger II [ATLP007]

Daniel Araya / Marcos Cabral – Split 02 [ENDILL011]

The second release in Endless Illusion’s series of Split EPs comes from Marcos Cabral & Daniel Araya and features two tracks from each artist. New York’s Cabral is known for his experimental IDM and techno on labels like L.I.E.S. while Daniel Araya has recently released an album of acid, techno and industrial on the Classicworks label. Araya’s ‘We Almost Lost Detroit’ is first and is a truly haunted deep techno cut with sparse acid undulations and a real sense of manic in the rasping synth lines. Softer pads in the background only add to the spooky nature of the track. ‘Ghost Bass’ is the other Araya cut and this one is more up on its toes, with mid tempo kicks down low and wonky chords up top. It’s a mind melting tune that trips deep into the night. ‘Live At The Egg’ is Cabral’s first effort and is a lonely and icy techno track that is supple and seductive in its long lines and paddy drums. After getting you into a state of hypnosis, some freaky vocal sounds only add to the unsettling nature of it all later on. ‘Cuts & Bruises’ rounds things out in squelchy and depraved techno territory. Muted acid stabs are off in the distance as swampy drums suck you in from the front. It’s a brilliantly odd tune that close out a fine EP.

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Daniel Araya / Marcos Cabral – Split 02 [ENDILL011]

Fallbeil – Rolling Dutch [VV027]

FALLBEIL - Rolling Dutch

Here comes the the Hamburg based duo Fallbeil with two brilliantly aggressive tracks filling each side with mutated acid face melt. With numerous scary records on Return To Disorder, New York Haunted, and Mannequin, among other labels, these maniacs have been burning a path of over carnage the last two years and this release signals they have no intention of softening up. They aren’t going limp. They can go all night in hell, hell with a lower-case H.

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Fallbeil – Rolling Dutch [VV027]

Villa Åbo – Straight Forward Acid & Low Bit Swing [BORFT150]

“Feeling numb from all the electronic dancemusic coming out?, moaning about how its become a bit samey, or are you just tired of your shitster friends saying its not like in the 90’s anymore. This record will shut everyone in the room up. A1 is a deeply psychotic acid death march into confusion, so minimal and primitive (kick, snare, acidsquelch) it will challenge every beard and armpit and might even hypnotize the dj to the point he cannot mix in the next one. A2 is a straight up Commodore 64 SID track with mongoloid data elephants tooting over a wobbly and tarded electroish beat. B1 is a dystopic dreamy rave stomper, starting out kinda datacuddly but gets more and more serious, with choirs of fable mooers taking you into that virtual bad trip you need. b2 continues as expected with more c64 SID madness, so snary I cant even determine if its in 115 or 230bpm. But it leaves you with the feeling your ears and mind just been wrestled, smacked and poked at, and thats the point. This is no record for the safing chickenshit DJ.”

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Villa Åbo – Straight Forward Acid & Low Bit Swing [BORFT150]