Very early production by Vince Lawrence, only beats here
album
Aroy Dee – Sketches [MOSLP002]
After more than a decade of releasing raw and emotional house music, Dutch producer and architect Aroy Dee is about to drop his debut album on his own M>O>S label. The man has established himself as someone who creates misty analogue music that nods to a Chicago heyday at the same time as coming imbued with plenty of its own deep emotions, mystic melodies and jacking beats. His M>O>S label has become a go-to outlet for fans of no nonsense house and that tradition continues on this full-length album. Incidentally, M>O>S stands for Muziek Over Steden – Dutch for ‘music about cities’ – because Dee has a close tie to buildings: during the day he works as an architect so has an unrivalled grasp of space, structure and urban environments that surely translates into his well built house music, and more specifically into this debut album. Made with the same hardware that defines the rest of his discography, including his first synth, the Poly 800, which he bought from his friend NWAQ, Sketches is a truly idiosyncratic project.
“For me, my musical output and development feels like an on going history of my life. In this perspective I worked steadily over the last two years on my first full-length album, Sketches. It’s a very personal document, not intended to make anybody happy but myself, which is why it has taken so long. It’s like a diary or ghost-script written about a part of my life and my fascinations, honoring my biggest musical inspirations.”
Psyk – Time Foundation [MOTELP002]
After two succesful EP releases on the label, Psyk aka Manuel Anós is back on Mote-Evolver inaugurating his first full-length album effort. “Time Foundation” proves to be an outstanding collection that shows the full spectrum of Psyk’s sound and the range of skills as he expands and explores different depths and moods. Keeping the energy level constant at the peak, there’s no downtime in “Time Foundation”. And while 10 sharp-cut tracks are all armed with clean, streamlined groove and impressive sound design therefore may soundincredibly slick and effortless, once you listened closely – and they will demand your attention – that kind of breezing through swift force is only the byproduct of Psyk’s high caliber production ability to map out meticulous structures with a great detail.
Sumerian Fleet – Just Pressure [DE068]
Sumerian Fleet aka Alden Tyrell and Mr Pauli with vocalist Zarkoff. Their debut eponymous EP was released on Clones West Coast series in 2010 and the Sturm Bricht Los EP came out in 2012 on the Creme Eclipse branch of Creme Organization. Sumerian Fleet is ready to release their first full length album Just Pressure all new material recorded between 2013 and 2014 as well as a remixed version of the title track from the Sturm Bricht Los EP. Just Pressure contains 80s Dark Wave/EBM inspired tracks with an industrial tinge. Citing inspiration from Fad Gadget, Front 242, Bauhaus and Sisters of Mercy, Sumerian Fleet deliver 9 songs of vintage dark electro. Their sound brings to mind rough 80s/90s Industrial dance with a Gothic tinge and a touch of bass guitar as the lead instrument. The band utilizes vintage analog gear like the Linn Drum, Roland TR-808, MiniMoog, Korg MS-20, and Roland Jupiter 8 . All songs were recorded at Mr Paulis studio in Den Haag and Alden Tyrells studio in Rotterdam. The album has been mastered for vinyl at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley by George Horn. Each LP is packaged in a custom-made jacket by our in-house designer Eloise Leigh, incorporating Mesopotamian pyramids and occult symbols, offset printed with gold ink at Stumptown Printers in Portland.
Black Narcissus – Varla [WEME313.15]
The mysterious project by Jodey Kendrick who has released his first pure electro double album with Drexciya influences. Without compromise. Brut, Faster, Sexy like Varla.
DMX Krew – Shape Shifting Shaman [SHIPLP001]
For its first album project, Shipwrec is to release a new full-length album from pioneering electronic producer DMX Krew entitled “Shape Shifting Shaman” with colourful artwork by Doppeldenk. Ed DMX is best known for releasing six albums on Aphex Twin’s Rephlex Records and for spanning styles from breakbeat to techno to electro. He has already released two EPs on the four-year-old Dutch label Shipwrec and now returns with a full-length opus that proves, more than twenty years after first emerging, that few people are as sonically inventive as him. Of the album, DMX Krew says “I feel like these tracks are more original and have a stronger feeling of my personality in them. When I finished each of these tracks I had a happy feeling that I had done something true to myself and something that represents my best”. Reporting that he is always making and releasing music but tends to save back his best tracks for a full length project, Shape Shifting Shaman is just that – a collection of all killer material with great cover design and excellent mastering.
Boo Williams – The Boo Williams Explosion [CS004]
The next release on Contemporary Scarecrow comes from Chicago house legend Boo Williams. This double pack features 8 tracks of quality Chicago house to complete another solid release on this rising Australian label.
RedRedRed – Pattern Completition [DE069]
Dark Entries introduce the debut album by RedRedRed, a contemporary artist from San Francisco, Michael Wood. “Pattern Completion” was originally planned as a 4 song cassette EP that was only released digitally. The A side features remixed and remastered versions of the tracks from the EP. The B side consists of four unreleased tracks, two of which are instrumental. The material on “Pattern Completion” is strongly influenced by Michael’s former live/work studio space in the Bayview District of San Francisco, an area surrounded by recycling facilities and water treatment plants. The songs reflect this industrial atmosphere, stacking treated rhythm box patterns, quivering synthesizers, and mechanical vocals. “Pattern Completion” develops the strain of futuristic, mutant industrial pioneered by San Francisco groups like Tuxedomoon and Factrix, with RedRedRedadding his own brand of damaged angular rhythms.
Halvtrak – Dust Under Bridges (Appendix I/II) [DBA013X]
“Shortly after the Dust Under Bridges ep was released, Henri sent us nine tracks which he had previously recorded to tape, not thinking that they were worthy of release. On the contrary, these are nine tracks of beautiful, brooding, leftfield house and techno, and we decided immediately that they ought to be available to the public, and that they formed a perfect appendage to Halvtrak’s debut 12″ release, Dust Under Bridges, written, as they were, during the same period.”
Manuel Tur – Es Cub [FRLP033]
Spontaneity, simplicity and playfulness, combined with the warmth and solitude of an Ibizan hideaway, not to mention the cold, industrial minimalism of Manuels Ruhr Valley Essen roots all make for an interesting fusion on Es Cub. Take opener Ara Anam for example, we could just as easily be on the Space Terrace as we could at Panarama Bar. Tracks such as Werk and Flux combine hints of clipped minimalism with the driving, analogue synth sounds of say Ame or Baikal whilst About To Fall and El Soplo contain both depth and a certain majestic beauty gained from the simple, stripped back, rolling beats and flowing pads. Far from being the throwaway sketches that Manuel modestly implies, we hear strong melodic motifs and hooky samples appearing throughout the entire LP which brings a unique identity to each track as well as adding a cohesive gel to Es Cub.
Sascha Dive – Dark Shadow [DVR024LP]
That Dope Loop Pinning down Sascha Dive as Cocoons deephouse wunderkind wouldn’t really hit the nail on the head however it isn’t far from truth. Compared to most other artists of this genre he can for sure be classified as a young gun but there is no soundproof for his age in his music at all. Sascha Dive’s music is loaded with a respectful amount of taste and house history you would normally find in the productions and DJ-sets of artists who started in the early 90s. And this is not unwanted: Dive admires and follows the big names of house and deep house and his musical efforts to pay respect to them brought him on par with his legends! So it’s no wonder that Sascha Dive productions found their way to top notch labels like Tsuba, Freebase, Deep Labs (Balance US) or Raum…Musik. Not to forget his release for Ornaments and the Moodyman remix for ‘Deepest America”. Having in mind where Dive started with his first album ‘Restless Nights’ and what he achieved until he received remix-honours from Mister Kenny Dixon Jr. one could think Sascha Dive scored all goals he wanted to score. However the journey didn’t stop here: Being a Cocoon artist and having played for some of the major Cocoon nights in Ibiza and around the globe Dive incorporated a decent amount of electronic soul and after-hour-madness to his music over the last years. He even admits that his current productions and DJ-sets are definitely influenced by current techno- and techno-house artists and this special feeling this music adds to a party.
Abdulla Rashim – Unanimity [NE010]
Defeating apathy by creating his own world, Abdulla Rashims music thinks before it speaks. Untangled energy and drive breathes life into the rigid rhythmic structures, where the wild, almost primal, core illuminates the heartfelt and soulful layers within in his music. This musical contradiction between thought and letting go, acts as the base foundation in Abdulla Rashim’s music. As a celebration and as a aural development, Abdulla Rashim releases his ‘Unanimity’ LP on Northern Electronics.
Sons Of Melancholia – Beauty Is Imperfection [20DIAM]
A new artist in the Diametric roster is delivering his debut album as Sons of Melancholia. Being a long time contributing artist in the techno scene, David Nizet, better known as Ozka, has put his heart and soul into this album. It is an album of sheer beauty and pure emotions and will enchant you with its honesty and rawness in places. The music is a mixture of harsh metallic percussive elements, abrasive sounds and breathtaking moody strings and pads. The clash of these elements makes this album so special and we at diametric. HQ believe that this will indeed become a classic electronic music album. For fans of early Autechre and 90s IDM music such as Beaumont Hannant, Stasis, Likemind and B12 but also with a nod to nowadays artists such as Vatican Shadow for example.
Roberto Donati – Mangiati Vivi! [SEM85006]
Analogue Audio Association – Helmpflicht [PLACID015]
Boris Divider – Deflector / Atractor [FR004]
Man/machine magician Boris Divider unleashes his fourth album. Continuing his explorations and escapades into the darkest, iciest realms of electronic music, Deflector/Atractor is perhaps his most extensive collection to date as we’re treated to shimmering ambient bliss (“Particle”) to dreamy, skippy, robot-charming fracturism (“Mikrowelt”) via his more classic, straight up funky electro (“Deflector”). Yet another bold march into the coded unknown for both Boris and Fundamentals, this can’t be slept on.
Protect-U – Free USA [FT022]
“Free USA” is the first full-length album by Protect-U, the Washington, DC-based duo of Aaron Leitko and Future Times Records co-founder Mike Petillo. On their two Future Times EPs – Double Rainbow and World Music – Leitko and Petillo poured layers of ambient drift onto nearly-steady house foundations, creating long and propulsive zone-outs. On Free USA, Protect-U doesn’t depart from this sound as much as they launch further and further out with it, specifically in the rhythm section, which pivots and lurches into unexpected places throughout the LP. Melodically, automation and humanity combine with dizzying, psychedelic grace, making the sound design sparkle with cool precision. From the bright, super-soaked opening track ”Needs” to the boxed-in drum clunk and iced-out coda of ”Down the Tubes,” Free USA showcases Protect-U’s constantly mutating strand of electronic music.
Afefe Iku – Order of Direction [YSD062]
Beautiful electronix on the latest installment from the label’s mystery man takes us out of the jungle and into the mountains, where syncopated analog rhythms dance beside electric melodies surrounding a caravan of textures and reflection. Including a collaboration with Osunlade.
Larry Heard – Alien [ML9009]
One of Larry Heard’s most under-rated albums finally remastered and available as full vinyl release for the first time! Known for his classic early house releases Larry Heard’s productions always hinted at deepest outer space, but his 1996 Alien album was his first actual science-fiction record. It’s almost as polished as the most mainstream dance production, but just as sublime as any Detroit producer. Heard’s house roots often show themselves, while the chords and shimmering production make this an album almost on par with Heard’s mid-’80s peak. The project was a recording & sound-development experiment that was mostly constructed around a Korg O1/W workstation keyboard that was left at Larry’s studio to check out by Victor melodious myles Houston along with some of the staples of his studio, including the Roland d550 and Oberheim Matrix 1000. Mr Fingers magic touch can be heard all over the album, and this showcases the incredible musical talents of the man, who’s name by now cant be left out from any hall of fame when you’re talking music innovators from the last century.
Ron Morelli – Periscope Blues [HOS405]
The LIES bossman delivers the third chapter in his ongoing series of electronic concoctions for Vatican Shadow’s ever-brooding Hospital Productions. Whereas Spit was an LP which wasn’t sure whether it stood in the techno realm or the noise pool, Periscope Blues is firmly grounded in Morelli’s most experimental frame of mind. It feels like a continuation of one concept over 30 minutes, a testament to his obvious passion for beatless, chest-pounding hardware experimentation. Comprised of eight tracks, Periscope Blues is the culmination of a mission gone wrong. Music for the stranded, the lost, those backed into a corner with nowhere to go, or maybe a reflection of sad individuals panicking on a tropical vacation gone awry. Somber yet very tense drifting off radar machine electronics that feel like a blistering sun beating down on decaying beach remains as time crawls on. That or the equivalent to working the grill summers at Jones Beach and stealing from the register just to get a little more.
The Hipodrome Of Music 