Jonsson & Alter – 2 [KM032]

December 12, 2013February 24, 2023 hipodromealbum, deep house, deep techno, henrik jonsson, joel alter, kontra musikLeave a comment

Having commenced 2013 with one long player in Andreas Tilliander’s TM404 project, Kontra Music signs off for the year with the second album from label regulars Jonsson & Alter. It’s a fine way to bookend another impressive calendar year for the Malmo-based label who have slipped out a bunch of killer twelves in-between as well as found the SKUM label with compatriots Skudge. The inspiration behind Henrik Jonsson and Joel Alter’s nonchalantly titled second album 2 apparently derives from the time Jonsson & Alter spent performing the previous album live and wanting to incorporate “heavier beats”. The result is a nine-track album that sees Jonsson & Alter produce a refined and matured follow up to their debut, while managing to maintain a raw and housey aesthetic.

Fishermen – Patterns And Paths [SKUDGEWLP001]

December 10, 2013February 17, 2025 hipodromealbum, fishermen, martin skogehall, skudge records, skudge white, techno, thomas jaldemarkLeave a comment

After their wonderful EP from a year ago, the Fishermen are ready to take you on a diving trip with their very first album, an accomplishment in itself With “Patterns and Paths”, Thomas Jaldemark (YTA) and Martin Skoggehall (MRSK, Smell The Flesh) have crafted a rather mesmerizing story of abstract and figurative tropes altogether, and eerie is probably the best word to describe the general mood of this, but hard and raw eeriness! The affair starts with “Green Horn”, a gentle foreplay setting the tone for an imminent journey into the lightless abysses. “Hope Is gone” further enhances the incoming grim turn of events in a coil-like fashion before “Serpents” makes our feet and hips take over our fear of the unknown. The trance has indeed begun and we’re soon entering a hidden warehouse rave cave of un-earthy shamanism, the unforgiving stomp of “Get None”. “Dyspnea” manages to find a path into deeper regions the groove shift towards a darker funk with “Lost Teeth”, a caribbean techno banger that’d wake any zombie in the making! “The Four Skulls” suddenly hints of a safer journey with healing percs and melancholic pads, but “Rise” soon shatters those false hopes with an evil lurking motoric groove. Then, you hit “Scurvy” where the pace slows down a little only to introduce the seductive side of this gloomy adventure, a challenge to you feet inducing lascivious moves. Keeping you in trance, “In Solitude” kind of combines both previous tracks strengths with an added Twin Peaks value. Now finally reaching the far bottom of the ocean, the mood gets even more claustrophobic with “Sunken Mosque”, the last stage of this trance before maybe getting back to the surface. Indeed, if “Torments” might let you catch a breath of air, it is filled with minerals, the world above has changed, and you might very well feel safer back under the water, a reverse mirror to Mike Ink’s old Gas project.

Peter Van Hoesen – Life Performance [TRESOR265]

December 10, 2013March 29, 2023 hipodromealbum, peter van hoesen, techno, time to express, tresor recordsLeave a comment

One year on from ‘Perceiver’, Peter Van Hoesen presents his first live album, documenting his performance during the Time To Express label night at Tresor on July 19th 2013. Armed with three synths, a drum machine, two iPads and some outboard effects, he covers a brace of new material woven with recent releases in typically disciplined and unrelenting PvH style, capturing his highly efficient energy transfer and breathless momentum in full effect and perhaps providing better context for his music than any studio album could.

Uku Kuut – Grand Hotel [PPU052]

December 9, 2013July 11, 2025 hipodromealbum, disco, funk, peoples potential unlimited, uku kuutLeave a comment

PPU providing yet again with 10 more selections from the archives of Estonian funk front man Uku Kuut. Grand Hotel is an instrumental journey from his days in the Soviet Union, Sweden, Los Angeles, Estonia. Including his very first home recording dating back to 1982, and a track that was recorded at Herbie Hancock’s personal studio. It’s a miracle these masters are still around after 30+ years of traveling from country to country. They finally find a safe place to rest.. Grand Hotel.

Chevel – Air Is Freedom [NON010]

December 7, 2013December 13, 2023 hipodromealbum, chevel, dario tronchin, non series, technoLeave a comment

Non Series has become one of the strongest and well respected labels if we speak about serious techno. For its 10th birthday the label comes up with the debut album by Chevel and delivers again more than only a handfull of tracks.

Terrence Dixon – Badge Of Honor [SFTDXLP001]

December 6, 2013December 22, 2017 hipodromealbum, detroit techno, minimal techno, surface records, terrence dixonLeave a comment

Badge of Honor pushing the envelope of techno with quirky, Detroit-infused abstractions that only the masterful Dixon could conjure up. Far removed from his Population One moniker, this is Terrence Dixon’s fourth LP in an illustrious 20-year career. The album hits us with raw, all-encompassing techno cuts alongside some choice left-field experiments (View From A Lighthouse, Radio Room and Light Years), cementing Terrence’s reputation as the free-form producer of choice, not unlike a modern day Sun Ra. From the P-Funk basslines and melodies of Operation Acoustic and Incoming, to the dark, undulating Mills-esque sound of The Atlantic, this is a release that seemingly covers all the bases. Over a year in the making and already doing the rounds with those in the know, Badge of Honor represents techno from a future age, conceptualised to go well beyond the surface…

Max & Mara – Less Ness [DE054]

December 3, 2013July 17, 2024 hipodromealbum, cold wave, dark entries records, electro, mara barenbaum, max & mara, max brotman, minimal synthLeave a comment

Dark Entires is excited to introduce the debut album “Less Ness” from contemporary Bay Area duo, Max and Mara. Their collaboration began in 2012. Max is based in Oakland and has been a part of various projects most notably Brotman and Short and his current solo work as Business Etiquette. Mara is based in San Francisco and is known for her solo work as Group Rhoda. On “Less Ness” they worked with a hardware set up: 808 and Elektron drum machine, Moog, MAM, and Sequential Circuits synth with splashes of Mono/Poly and collage elements, vocoder lines and dubbed out vocals. They step away from the the computer as much as possible and prefer that their ideas can be traced back to the tools so that a sense of physicality remains. They find inspiration from all kinds of far out sounds, most notably dub, industrial, and various drug culture tangents. Lyrically the songs revolve around topics such as escapism, looking though cultural windows, and character role development. Some songs are a bit more surrealist in content with elements of hard realism and critical commentary.

Figure Study – Figure Study [DE053]

December 3, 2013July 17, 2024 hipodromealbum, april chalpara, cold wave, dark entries records, figure study, minimal synth, nathan antolikLeave a comment

Dark Entries is proud to present the debut album by Figure Study, a contemporary band from New York. Figure Study is the Manhattan-based duo of Nathan Antolik and April Chalpara. For their debut self-titled album, Figure Study utilizes a carefully tailored set up of vintage analog synthesizers and drum machines. Figure Study creates a lush sound where haunting vocals echo over dark melodies that reflect an isolated and disintegrating world. Songs flux between dissonant dance numbers and more sparse, somber compositions, each carrying a sense of urgency and modernism. Figure Study’s sound includes influences from such early underground artists as Kirlian Camera, Nine Circles, and The Actor.

Ron Morelli – Spit [HOS407LP]

December 1, 2013October 9, 2017 hipodromealbum, experimental, hospital productions, industrial, ron morelli, technoLeave a comment

Given his stated role as curator at the head of the ‘non-stop’ LIES, it makes perfect sense that Ron Morelli would look elsewhere to issue his debut album. Gravitating towards the Hospital Productions label run by Dominick ‘Vatican Shadow’ Fernow makes equal sense given their shared appreciation of noise, ambient and industrial music. Apparently the first of three planned releases on Hospital from Morelli, it’s no little surprise that Spit arrives with much expectation. Spend some time with the eight tracks that make up the LP and you’ll begin to understand why Morelli has used such words as pressure, monotony and stress to describe the motivating emotions behind Spit. The corrugated growl of “Modern Paranoia” and the broken metallic rhythms of “Crack Microbes” are considered highlights!

Kerridge – A Fallen Empire [DNKLP001]

December 1, 2013December 13, 2019 hipodromealbum, downwards records, experimental, industrial, samuel kerridge, technoLeave a comment

First surfacing with an impressive debut EP for the Horizontal Ground label, it makes perfect sense that Berlin-based Samuel Kerridge should then gravitate towards Downwards to further expand on his own brand of industrial techno. You get feeling that the knowing sense of humour apparent in many of the titles to Kerridge productions appeals to someone like Downwards label boss Karl O’Connor. After several EPs for Downwards, Kerridge unveils his debut album A Fallen Empire which comes brandishing “7 pieces of sonic warfare” that lodge the producer ever deeper into the crawlspace between jagged industrial techno and white noise laden experimental sounds. B side behemoth “Death Is Upon Us” is a morbid highlight.

Emptyset – Demiurge [SUB010]

December 1, 2013November 29, 2013 hipodromealbum, emptyset, experimental, industrial, james ginzburg, paul purgas, subtext recordings, technoLeave a comment

James Ginzburg and Paul Purgas are getting crustier and more experimental with every passing year. Recur, their fourth full-length excursion, is decidedly fuzzy and discordant. Seemingly intent on pushing experimental electronics to its limits, the formerly Bristol-based duo serve up a challenging but rewarding set based almost entirely around half-rhythms, white noises, drones, feedback and hissing atmospherics. It’s spooky, intense stuff, all told, occasionally enlivened by sparse, pared-down concoctions that sound like a smacked out take on Autechre. But for all the bleak, out-there sounds, Recur is strangely involving, due in no small part to its immersive nature.

Esplendor Geometrico – Ultraphoon [GR2130CD]

December 1, 2013January 16, 2024 hipodromealbum, esplendor geometrico, experimental, geometrik records, industrial, technoLeave a comment

Recorded in Madrid and Rome during 2013, this is the new album by the influential electronic duo ranked as industrial music pioneers. Ultraphoon is a leap ahead as for production and sound quality, with a stunning and brutal outcome, richly detailed nonetheless. Rhythms, noises and processed voices from different sources come together in hypnotic –bordering on trance– soundscapes along the lines of previous releases such as Pulsión (2009) and Desarrollos Geométricos (2011). Most of the meticulous mastering process has been carried out by Francisco López, internationally renowned as one of the top sound art and experimental music personalities, giving a new twist to the usual Esplendor Geometrico sound.

John Heckle – Desolate Figures [TABR022]

November 26, 2013May 26, 2023 hipodromealbum, chicago, detroit, experimental, house, john heckle, tabernacle records, technoLeave a comment

Two years after his last full-length titled ‘Second Son’, which was out on Jamal Moss‘s Mathematics label, John Heckle has returned with his second album ‘Desolate Figures’ for Tabernacle Records. ‘Desolate Figures’ revolves around vintage-tinged Detroit techno, gritty Chicago house and experimental hybrids of the aforementioned genres, with the overall result sounding deliciously and uncompromisingly nasty. The album opens with a wonderfully warped slab of Detroitish techno in the form of ‘Blindman’s Bluff’, a track deeply rooted in spacey synth and string structures that gradually transforms into a superb dancefloor track. From that point on, Heckle continues to present his broad view on house and techno across a set of track that seem to stray away from pre-fabricated song patterns, instead drawing on more abstract and less rigid textures. This ethos gives the LP as a whole a very personal and organic touch, as if it were recorded in a single take while creativity and intuition were peaking. Tracks such as the emotive ‘Inhuman Nature’, ‘Something For Your Distorted Mind’, and the acid-driven, Legowelt-esque ‘Never With You’ are all examples of Heckle’s signature blend of flowing melodics and raspy rhythms, while the industrial and very minimal ‘Love-Lies’ and the nervously rattling ‘Crazy Metal’ add a dash of experimental flavors to the LP. Its diverse content and overall DIY-attitude turn ‘Desolate Figures’ in a somewhat unorthodox package, but if you don’t shy away from experimental house and techno (or if you’re just a fan of the Crème Organization and Tabernacle labels in general), then you simply can’t afford to miss out on this one.

Conforce – Kinetic Image [102DSR]

November 26, 2013November 8, 2022 hipodromealbum, ambient techno, boris bunnik, conforce, deep techno, delsin records, detroit, experimentalLeave a comment

Boris Bunnik has finished his third full-length album as Conforce. Entitled ‘Kinetic Image’, the ten-track album is the sound of Conforce producing without the dancefloor in mind. It’s the sound of him moving away from the past and into the present. The album has very much been designed to be heard in one sitting, as a complete experience that moves away from regimented 4/4 beats and into slower, more surreptitious tempos. The result is an all consuming sonic journey of intriguing and inspiring sounds that range from full on cerebral excursions into vast open spaces that throb invitingly (Scientific Trajectory) to underwater daydreams that suspend you deep in an ocean as various mycobacterial details float by. There’s also more industrial sounding fair that depicts a desolate warehouse in perennial decay (Semantic Field) and mysterious echo chambers that spread out all around you as celestial light beams and haunting melodic ripples gently float by as per the excellent Temporary Reversals.

Patrick Cowley – School Daze [DE052]

November 22, 2013November 10, 2017 hipodromealbum, dark entries records, electronics, honey soundsystem, italo-disco, patrick cowley, post punkLeave a comment

11 track album by Patrick Cowley. Perhaps one of the most revolutionary and influential people in the cannon of disco music, Cowley created his own brand of Hi-NRG dance music coined The San Francisco Sound. By the mid-70ies, Patricks synthesizer skills landed him a job composing and producing songs for disco superstar Sylvester such as You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real), Dance Disco Heat and Stars. This helped Patrick obtain more work as a remixer and producer. Of particular note was his 18-minute long remix of Donna Summers I Feel Love. By 1981 Patrick released a string of dance 12inch singles, like Menergy and Megatron Man, creating the soundtrack for a generation. Prior to his passing on November 12, 1982, he recorded two more Hi-NRG hits, Do You Wanna Funk for Sylvester and Right On Target for Paul Parker. In 1981 Patrick was contacted by John Coletti, owner of famed gay porn company Fox Studio in Los Angeles. John had heard about Patricks music from the legendary Sylvester and proposed he write music for his films. Patrick jumped on this offer and sent reels of his college compositions from the 70s to John in LA. Coletti then used a variable speed oscillator to adjust the pitch and speed of Patricks songs in-sync with the film scene. School Daze is a collection of Cowleys instrumental songs recorded between 1973 and 1981 found in the Fox Studio vaults. Influenced by Tomita, Wendy Carlos and Giorgio Moroder, Patrick forged an electronic sound from his collection of synthesizers, modified guitars and self-constructed equipment. The listener enters a world of dark forbidden vices, introspective and reflective of Patricks time spent in the bathhouses of San Francisco. The songs on School Daze range from sparse prototechno to high octane funk to somber post-punk to musique concrete, revealing the depth of Cowleys unique talent.

DMX Krew – Micro Life [AFS016]

November 19, 2013March 19, 2019 hipodromeabstract forms, album, dmx krew, ed dmx, edward upton, electroLeave a comment

Ed Upton aka DMX Krew debuts on Abstract Forms, showing us just what can be done with a collection of vintage synths, impeccable programming skills and a heavy dose of talent. ‘Micro Life’ is a jam packed EP of eight tracks which venture on the quirky side of the electro genre. This modernist take on a classic style delivers a wonderful sense of melody, refreshing arrangements and innate funk.

Das Muster – Durchleuchtung [SOM026]

November 19, 2013September 9, 2021 hipodromealbum, das muster, electro, marcus mumm, solar one musicLeave a comment

MUSTER, Das - Durchleuchtung

Solar One Music is back with Marcus Mumm’s project Das Muster. After 2 albums for Transient Force, now he delivers this full length masterpiece for SOM. Minimalistic, ice cold and robotic electro music at its best.

Cuthead – Everlasting Sunday [UV019]

November 16, 2013May 10, 2023 hipodromealbum, cuthead, deep house, hip-hop, uncanny valley1 Comment

Cuthead returns with the long awaited follow-up to his “Brother EP”. His new record “Everlasting Sunday” surely fulfils some dreams as it is packed with no less than nine tracks. Three catchy House tunes on the A-Side and six Hip-Hop-jams on the B-side make for a very extended EP or a mini-album. Right at the beginning we start with the sample-heavy “Maputo Jam”, a tune in classical Cuthead-manner with its irresistible drumming full of stumbling blocks and layers of sweet synth-melodies. “Nautic Walking” is a straighter House track with a guitar line and clapping samples but that bass line quickly reminds you whom you’re listening to. “Minerals” starts off pretty deeply before evolving from a jazzy House affair into an almost orchestral tune with opulent strings. The flipside is an extensive expression of Cuthead’s inexhaustible love for Hip-Hop. There is feel-good material like “Everlasting Sunday” and “Deep Shadows” as well as banging joints like “Calculator Watch” with all the typical Cuthead-trademarks: sick bass work, stammering drumming and imaginative sampling.

Daniela La Luz – Based On Electricity LP [RAWAX001LP]

November 15, 2013July 19, 2023 hipodromealbum, daniela la luz, deep house, rawaxLeave a comment

Rawax presents the long awaited album full from Berlin based producer Daniela La Luz, featuring 12 elegant deep house tracks.

Hieroglyphic Being – A Synthetic Love Life: +++10 Love [MATHSPLUS010]

November 14, 2013November 2, 2022 hipodromealbum, chicago, hieroglyphic being, house, jamal moss, mathematics plus, mathematics recordings, technoLeave a comment

“A Synthetic Love Life” is an 8 track “compilation of experimental tunes & sonic art in retrospect from 1996-2013”. Mathematics label boss/founder Jamal Moss releases some of his more challenging tunes on the Mathematics Plus side label. Limited pressing, hand stamped with printed insert.