HTRK – Psychic 9-5 Club [GI204]

April 4, 2014October 31, 2017 hipodromealbum, electro pop, ghostly international, hate rock, htrk, jonnine standish, nigel yangLeave a comment

Psychic 9-5 Club marks the beginning of a new chapter for HTRK. It’s an album that looks back on a time of sadness and struggle, and within that struggle they find hope and humour and love. It’s Jonnine Standish and Nigel Yang’s first album recorded entirely as a duo. Though the record is instantly recognizable as HTRK—Standish’s vocal delivery remains central to the band’s sound, while the productions are typically lean and dubby—they’ve found ample room for exploration within this framework. Of all the themes that run through Psychic 9-5 Club, love is the most central. The word is laced throughout the album in lyrics and titles—love as a distraction, loving yourself, loving others. Standish’s lyrics explore the complexities of sexuality and the body’s reaction to personal loss, though there’s room for wry humour—a constant through much of the best experimental Australian music of the past few decades.

Efdemin – Decay [DIALLP030]

April 3, 2014December 12, 2025 hipodromealbum, deep techno, dial records, efdemin, minimal techno, phillip sollmann, technoLeave a comment

Dial regular Efdemin returns with a third album of a respected career, with the autumnal theme of Decay inspired by the German producer’s three-month artist residency in Kyoto, Japan. Sollmann immersed himself in the local culture while in Kyoto, attending ceremonies with monks at temples and visiting local instrument makers. This results in a ten track set that canvasses the sort of poignant, introverted house music that’s characterized much of Phillip Sollmann’s work as Efdemin to date. There are however a few stylistic surprises along the way – the stripped back, jacking “Transducer” or the fusion of jazzy licks and noisy bursts of percussion that makes up the title track – but overall you’d be hard pushed to think of a better label to house Decay than Dial.

Mike Dehnert – Lichtbedingt [104DSR]

April 1, 2014March 20, 2024 hipodromealbum, delsin records, mike dehnert, technoLeave a comment

Three years after his last full-length album on Delsin, tireless techno producer Mike Dehnert is back with another one. The 104th release on Delsin, entitled Lichtbedingt, counts 12 tracks and is yet another subtle evolution away from the chord driven, functional sound he has championed before now. The album starts off with a suitably sombre intro that features cold, slowly shifting synths. They set an uneasy and moody tone before ‘Construction’ settles into a fat, swaggering. From there you get lost in broken, ruptured, malfunctioning bits of hardware that spit out random hi hats, bleeps and gurgles and then eventually get spat out the other side into a cantering bit of dubwise techno with paranoid vocal snippets. Moving along, the album throws plenty of diverse influences into the mix: ‘Movement’ is freaky and dynamic, skipping and pumping, ducking and diving through all sorts of occult synth sounds and shadowy vocal loops then ‘Single Action’ is like a sledge hammer groove run through with harmonic elements that glint and glisten like diamonds in the rough. Classic sounding Dehnert tracks like ‘ReRe’ remind us where this producer has come from, whilst the breezy house swagger of ‘Emlo’ show us where he might be headed. Key to this album and Dehnert’s output as a whole is, besides the killer grooves, the production: crisp and clean, full blooded and always outstanding, it makes his tracks leap out of the speakers and into minds, bodies and souls without relying on the usual tropes or same old cheap tricks.

Tobias – A Series Of Shocks [OSTGUTLP016]

March 31, 2014December 12, 2025 hipodromealbum, ostgut ton, techno, tobias, tobias freundLeave a comment

Second solo album from accomplished Berlin based producer Tobias Freund. Continuing his exploration into ‘non-standard’ electronic music, and expanding on the rich sound palette charted in his first LP, ‘Leaning Over Backwards’, this new chapter presents 10 versatile tracks taking us ever further into the purist, evolving sonic world of Tobias. ‘A Series of Shocks is Tobias’ is an impressive return to longtime home Ostgut Ton. Beginning with the beatless melodic pulse of the Steve Reich-influenced “Entire”, Freund works his way through a range of clandestine techno compositions, touching on claustrophobic acid and intense late night thump (“Testcard”, “Ya Po”), scratchy Chicago jack (“Instant”), deeper moods (“The Scheme of Things”) and, most thrillingly, early ’90s influenced intelligent techno. It’s in these moments – “If” and tactile ambient breaks of “Cursor Item Only” – that A Series of Shocks really flies.

Seven Davis JR. – The Lost Tapes Vol. 1 [IZWID002]

March 30, 2014May 10, 2023 hipodromealbum, hip-hop, izwid, seven davis jr.Leave a comment

The Lost Tapes Vol. 1 draws together material spanning some twelve years of unreleased four and eight track recordings from Houston-born Seven Davis Jnr. “once lost in storage via a lengthy hiatus due to drug addiction and depression”. Plucked by Kutmah to appear on the Worldwide Family Vol 2 issued on Brownswood last year, Davis Jnr. has subsequently self released material via bandcamp, dropped a killer house focused 12? on Jay Simon’s Must Have Records and has a record with Funkineven on the way . Brandishing a rough and rugged mastery of drums and a truly soulful vocal, Seven Davis Jnr has the capacity to cover a broad range of styles (a cover version of Prince’s “Controversy” that can be found online is a notable highlight). This much is more than evident on the newly issued collection of works for IZWID, with the bugged out mutant soul of “Sorry” being a stand out track.

Video Look – Kall Lycka [FLEXI011]

March 27, 2014March 26, 2014 hipodromealbum, flexi wave, post punk, synth wave, video lookLeave a comment

Straight from the Gothenburg harbour comes Video Look. They were featured on flexi009 (Flexivåg), Fact mag 004 and has remixed Roladex, Love Surgery. 11 tracks of the finest working class synth-punk with harsh lyrics in Swedish.

:Codes – All The Tragic Heroines [FIR006]

March 27, 2014June 16, 2014 hipodrome:codes, album, cold wave, falco invernale records, minimal synthLeave a comment

After 10 years of existence, numerous live gigs and great contributions to various compilations (on such labels as Kommando 6, Enfant Terrible, La Forme Lente and Pneu to name a few), :codes has become such an evident part of the minimal synth / cold wave revival that it is hard to believe this is only their first album. Featuring Chris behind the machines and Najah (of Dolina) at the vocals, the French/Belgian duo crafts delicate synth jewels, dark as velvet and cold as ice.

Vril – Torus [FORUMII]

March 23, 2014March 13, 2023 hipodromealbum, ambient, deep techno, experimental, forum, giegling, industrial, vrilLeave a comment

Vril debut LP on Giegling sublabel Forum. After appearances on other labels like Semantica and Delsin, Vril has now returned home to Giegling to release Torus, a surprise eleven-track LP with track titles that seemingly combine HTML-speak with Roman numerals. Vril’s productions combine elements of booming dub techno with murky reflections of rave with his own patented and progressive synth sound. Torus sees Vril deliver more of this, but he’s also extended the remit on this album to include other elements of dance music, with what sounds like Clone-inspired (west coast) electro, Chicago house and flashes of Adam X-industrialisms.

Gemini – In Neutral [CGTX004]

March 16, 2014July 19, 2023 hipodromealbum, chicago house, chiwax, gemini, rawax, re-release, reissue, spencer kincyLeave a comment

3rd Part of the tribute to Spencer Kincy’s ‘Gemini Traxx’ series, bringing his legendary 1997 album fully remastered.

Psyche – Re-Membering Dwayne LP [DE061LP]

March 14, 2014September 17, 2019 hipodromealbum, dark entries records, darrin huss, dwayne goettel, industrial, post punk, psyche, stephen huss, synth popLeave a comment

At the end of 1981, brothers Darrin and Stephen Huss and schoolmate Dwayne Goettel performed for the first time as Psyche in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Their live show was a combination of horror and electronics that was completely unprecedented in Western Canada. Although Goettel and the Huss brothers parted ways before Psyche was to release any material, the masters containing Dwayne Goettel’s performances were preserved in the band’s vaults. Now, 19 years after Goettel’s untimely passing in 1995, Dark Entries records presents ”Re-Membering Dwayne”, the original Psyche-Dwayne Goettel sessions. All tracks were recorded and mixed on 4-track during a single day in March of 1983. Psyche’s early material is visceral and abrasive, a far cry from the sleek, dark synthpop they’d later become known for. Psyche disquietingly conflate the organic and the mechanical, calling into question the limits of the human form. Each LP includes a 12-page booklet with excerpts from Darrin Huss’ diary, unpublished photos of Psyche with Dwayne, and an essay by Darrin reflecting on Psyche’s past and the Goettel legacy as well as lyrics. This collection is a glimpse at the early Canadian industrial scene and the roots of Skinny Puppy. Go take a walk in the past with an ear for the future; you just might learn something.

Lassigue Bendthaus – Matter [DE060LP]

March 14, 2014July 17, 2024 hipodromealbum, dark entries records, electro, german parade amoureuse, industrial, lassigue bendthaus, minimal synth, re-release, reissue, tobias freund, uwe schmidtLeave a comment

Lassigue Bendthaus is the electro-industrial project of Uwe Schmidt aka Atom or Seor Coconut from Germany. Uwe Schmidt began making music in the early 1980s, first playing drums, then switching to programming a drum computer after he had heard a Linn Drum on the radio. In 1986 he co-founded the cassette label N.G. Medien, on which his first musical work under the name Lassigue Bendthaus, ”The Engineer’s Love”, was released. Soon after, he started to work on what would become his first official record release, the album ”Matter”. The recordings and production began in 1986 and took almost 4 years, until the album finally came out in 1991 on the German Parade Amoureuse label. Musically somewhere between late ”Industrial” and ”Electronic Body Music”, yet already anticipating ”Acid” and ”Techno”, this production managed to cause quite a stir, due to its advanced production techniques. Songs pay strong homage to Kraftwerk, approaching the early industrial dance scene with a softer sequential approach than most of his contemporaries. ”Matter” is a hermetic reflection about the relationship between perception, nature, science, technology and labor. This reissue comprises the entire 1991 ”Matter” LP, as well a bonus 7” record containing 2 tracks never before released on vinyl.

Delroy Edwards – Teenage Tapes [RAVE005]

March 11, 2014November 10, 2017 hipodromealbum, delroy edwards, electronics, experimental, the death of raveLeave a comment

Continuing the current vogue for surprise albums issued with the minimum of fanfare we now have Teenage Tapes, a mini-LP from LIES artist Delroy Edwards consisting of production originating from his youth and more recent fare. Those expecting the grizzled ghetto house tools of Delroy’s output for Ron Morelli and his own LA Club Resources label will be disappointed, with this eight track release of untitled productions taking on more of an experimental note. Issued via The Death Of Rave label Teenage Tapes will appeal to fans of Minimal Wave, Diagonal or Gooiland Electro with the fare ranging from frazzled synth experiments to flexing primitive EBM brutalism and unsettling noise.

Bruta Non Calculant – World In A Tear [CITI012]

March 6, 2014July 19, 2023 hipodromealbum, bruta non calculant, cititrax, cold wave, electro, minimal wave records, synth waveLeave a comment

Cititrax is honored to introduce Bruta Non Calculant, a new project by Alaxis Andreas G, the mastermind behind Le Syndicat Electronique and numerous other analog electronic, experimental and esoteric industrial folk projects of the past 20 years. Alaxis formed Bruta Non Calculant in 2006 along with his brother Victor-Yann (De Frontanel). Their debut album, World In A Tear, presents 10 tracks drenched in a dark european atmosphere complete with a sound fully formed and heroically executed. Themes of death, lust and unrequited love are all bound in this brown book-esque collection. The songs occupy their own space and communicate in their own language and as such almost seem to have the ability to alter time once the listener has succumbed to their discordant beauty. An unsurprisingly impressive comeback, Bruta Non Calculants debut album blends new wave elements with folkloric balladry impeccably, and approaches this with a modern sensibility. World In A Tear is an elegant collection of seductive songs. Vinyl pressed on white 160 gram housed in a matte full color printed sleeve.

The Central Executives – A Walk in The Dark [CHANNEL035]

March 5, 2014March 4, 2014 hipodromealbum, disco, golf channel recordings, house, the central executivesLeave a comment

Those cheeky scamps at Golf Channel come through with a surprise here with A Walk In The Dark, the debut album from a mysterious group of individuals known only as The Central Executives. Concerted internet searching as to the exact identity of The Central Executives has proved fruitless, as have attempts to coerce the label for information. However given how extensive Phil South’s figurative rolodex is, not to mention the sheer breadth of talent that’s appeared on Golf Channel over the years, we are willing to wager there is some high profile disco talent behind The Central Executives. Certainly A Walk In The Dark is filled with loose limbed punk funk and supple house that’s quite aptly described by the label as “Sound Signature style machine jams, bare bones vocal led improvisations, discordant Arthur Russell moments & the distorted reflections of roots House that run to the very core of the big apple.”

Kassem Mosse – Workshop 019 [WORKSHOP019]

March 4, 2014November 3, 2022 hipodromealbum, gunnar wendel, house, kassem mosse, techno, workshop recordsLeave a comment

Strong release with advanced abstract house tracks. Exceptional killer leftfield House trips in true Kassem Mosse style.

Echologist – Storming Heaven [PRGLP005]

February 22, 2014February 24, 2014 hipodromealbum, brendon moeller, echologist, prologue, technoLeave a comment

Beat Pharmacy man Brendon Moeller delivers his fourth full-length, his first since 2011. In typical fashion, there’s a twisted, druggy intensity to the music, which flits between psychedelic electronica (see opener “The Frequency of Love” and vaguely tropical “Stepping Out”), tough, acid-tinged techno beatscapes (“Guilty Pleasure”), dub-influenced sludge (the excellent title track), and dubstep-influenced industrial spookiness (“Deep Fried”). For all the murkiness on display, there are moments of startling beauty and almost alarming clarity, with the samba shuffle and sun-flecked melodies of “Tricks of the Shade”, and picturesque, humid “Lost” standing out.

Donato Dozzy & Nuel – The Aquaplano Sessions [SP033]

February 16, 2014May 18, 2018 hipodromealbum, ambient techno, aquaplano, deep techno, donato dozzy, manuel fogliata, minimal techno, nuel, spectrum spoolsLeave a comment

When the Aquaplano records were first released in 2008 and 2009 they were distinctly out of step with the way techno appeared to be heading. The minimal detour was reaching its logical endpoint, and producers were returning to the 1990s for inspiration, with Berghain and Sandwell District at the vanguard of a new techno movement. What the Aquaplano sessions shared in common were slower BPMs and finding inspiration in the 1990s, but there they parted ways. The influences these Italians were drawing on were rather different, returning to tribal rhythms and ambient textures to sketch out a much more heady, psychedelic form of techno. The results were a perfect balance of hypnotic beats and swirling atmosphere geared for a broken-in dancefloor or the hazy afterhours. Across these two records Dozzy and Nuel would go a long way towards creating the template for a brand of deep, atmospheric techno that has become much more prominent in the years since. And while many have sought to imitate this sound, few – if any – have matched what first emerged from the Aquaplano sessions. After only being available in a very limited run, it is fitting that the sonic blueprints provided by Dozzy and Nuel are now available again – and much more widely – at a time when their influence is as strong as it has ever been.

The Games – Circus Minimus [ANNA050]

February 15, 2014August 17, 2023 hipodromealbum, anna logue, synth pop, synth wave, the gamesLeave a comment

The Games truly were visionaries and pioneers. They never got the credit they deserved because they were not in the right place at the right time and lacked the contacts good management could have provided. This album is a must for all synth-pop enthusiasts and lovers of quality pop anthems. It earns its place as an historical masterpiece when you consider the dates when these songs were released and the timeless relevance of the songs to the world today.

Os Ovni – Let’s Leave Reality [SC002]

February 15, 2014February 13, 2014 hipodromealbum, minimal synth, os ovni, something cold, synth popLeave a comment

“‘Let’s Leave Reality,” the debut LP from Florida’s intergalactic synth duo, Os Ovni. Let’s Leave Reality features eight tracks of experimental electronic pop lost in time and space. The psychedelic harmonies and colliding layers of synths paint a vision of a future that isn’t so much bleak as it is paranoid. Hyper-paced drum machines buzz under the shimmering structure of the synths. Logan and Omebi’s vocals stir in perfect harmony glazed with lost celluloid inspired visions.

DJ 3000 – Besa [MTCD009]

February 12, 2014February 29, 2024 hipodromealbum, detroit, dj 3000, franki juncaj, motech, technoLeave a comment

DJ 3000 releases his fourth artist album ‘Besa’ on his own Motech label. Born and raised in the Detroit enclave of Hamtramck, DJ 3000 (aka Franki Juncaj) was inundated with both the sights and sounds of his neighborhood, a highly ethnic area of Detroit, as well as with the influence of the music of his parent’s native Albania. This diverse collection of influence has molded the current make-up of both DJ 3000 and the vision and direction of the sound that he is producing. ‘Besa’ expands his sound even further with a depth of electronic styles that collage to make his most cohesive work to date.Juncaj discovered the rich history of Detroit techno by going straight to the source.