UK electro pioneer & Breakin Records label boss Ed DMX contributes to the binary catalogue with 7 tracks of dystopian electro funk
album
Rodion G.A. – The Lost Tapes [STRUT111CD]
Strut, in conjunction with Ambassadors Reception and Future Nuggets, presents the first ever retrospective of fabled band Rodion G.A., one of Romania’s best kept musical secrets of the last 30 years. As a band, Rodion G.A. were a unique phenomenon in their homeland at the time, operating in their own universe during a prolific period of recording from 1978 to 1984 at a time of significant political repression under the Ceausescu regime. Bandleader, Rodion Ladislau Rosca, was an enigma. As half-Hungarian, half-Romanian, he lived near the border in Cluj, a city with a healthy music culture which had spawned important prog rock bands incuding Cromatic, Experimental Quintet and Semnal M. Despite the political conditions, a music scene existed in Romania, mainly within a network of festivals around the country and in seaside towns at restaurants and clubs.
From the start, Rodion was concerned with his own style of composition and set himself apart from the predominant rock sounds that dominated Romanian music during the late 60s. Technically and in his compositions, he was obsessed with every detail. His first sessions were recorded during 1969-1972 – simple, sparse and haunting pieces using reel to reel recorders, based around vocals, guitars and improvised drums. In 1975-6, Rosca formed Rodion G.A., the G.A. comprising band members Gicu Frca. and Adrian Cpraru. Rosca had amassed equipment and became a DIY tech wizard, improvising his own techniques of composing using reel to reels. Surrounded by three or four Tesla tape machines, he would record beats and guitar on one channel of the tape, then stop and add other instruments on the other a raw means of multi-tracking. He would use the other machines to add effects and delays on both instruments and vocals. Other tools in his armoury included an East German Vermona drum machine, a toy Casio VL Tone and a small Russian organ to which he added phaser, flanger and delay pedals. From the start, the band’s sound was incomparable to other contemporaries – dense electronic sounds, raw programmed rhythms, intricate arrangements, prog and classical touches.
Fast forward to 2012 when the myth of Rodion G.A. came to the attention of excellent Romanian production and DJ crew, Future Nuggets, a collective as dedicated to unearthing Romania’s musical past as they are forging new sounds steeped in the country’s traditions.
Eleven Pond – Assemblage [DE045]
The long lost sophomore album by Eleven Pond is finally out on Dark Entries. The band formed during the mid-80s in Rochester, NY, while attending art school, and were brought together by their shared love of 4AD and Factory Records. They released their debut LP “Bas Relief” in 1986, reisued in 2009. Before breaking up in October 1987, the band recorded eight songs that would sit in abandoned storage containers for over 25 years. “Assemblege” collects these multi-track recordings, which were originally made between March 1987 and July 1987. The lineup for this period was James Tabbi (vocals, acoustic guitar), Jeff Gallea (bass, drum programs, vocals, synthesizer), Jack Schaefer (electric guitar), Dan Brumley (sequences, samples, vocoder) and new member Tim Masick (electronic drums). “Assemblage” is a logical progression from “Bas Relief” and will satisfy listeners who were left wanting more. The songs are driven by strong melodic basslines, atmospheric synth washes, and textural guitars. James’ signature new wave vocals sound more British than American, recalling the best of New Order or Depeche Mode. Tim Masick’s drum programs add an electro element to Eleven Pond’s DIY sound. Their primary influences were Joy Division, Fad Gadget, and Echo and the Bunnymen, as well another obscure American college rock band, For Against.
Steve O’Sullivan – Bluetrain Retrospective [SUSH026]
For those that don’t know, Bluetrain was a sub label of the legendary Mosaic and was a true classic label from the 90’s where Steve released quality dub techno and house along with some fantastic collaborations with the likes of Ben Sims and Lee Grainge. The pack includes 10 Tracks in total. 2 Remastered versions, 4 exclusive mixes/edits and 4 new and unreleased tracks from Steve.
Funeraria Vergara – Despues De Un Dia Antes [DOM007L]
Having featured on the Non Plus Ultra 1980-1989 Vol.2 released by Domestica earlier this year, the distinct self styled ‘Necro-Pop’ of Funeraria Vergara is covered in greater detail by the Barcelona label with this lovingly presented retrospective of their demos and unreleased works. Covering a two year period from the early eighties, the eight track Despues De Un Dia Antes LP presents the young Burriana based Funeraria Vergara collective as a devilishly fun group dealing high octane synth pop with occultist overtones. Their one true hit “El Difunto” managed to find its way onto a 1984 cassette compilation of Spanish Wave and Punk called N-340 and features here along with a bunch of unreleased demos and a card insert detailing Funeraria Vergara’s curious rise to coin the Necro Pop crown.
Cosby – Hands Together [SILK052]
American bass lifer Will Creason aka Cosby has a storied history in various electronic micro-scenes, with hands in an an array of labels and modes, but he first cropped up on our radar back in early ’11 with his “Sangria” demo, an entrancing anthem of sultry, Sound Stream-y nu groove magic that we immediately burned and spun out in several time zones. Inspired equally by NY garage and Baltimore club music, he patiently pieced together the rest of his SILK debut EP from sessions in Seattle and D.C. and the results reveal a colorful cutaway of classic club energies: dubbed vocal workouts, confused house, funky footloose FX, jacking party acid, woozy filtered disco edits, etc. Hands Together casts a wide net and is all the better for it, dragging up a fun, freaky mishmash of time-warped dance forms from the bottom of the body-music world-brain.
James Booth – Reunion [SILK053]
Memory-taper James Booth trickled through his teen years in Manchester tracking melancholia house shadows and overcast bedroom bangers on a home-rigged dictaphone/Tascam arrangement, and though he’s since upgraded his studio assemblage the essential agenda remains unchanged. “Reunion” is his debut, documenting ten of his choicest Northern isolation reveries, a Polaroid-hued tube-ride-turned-rhythm-odyssey through 150 shades of grey, from the nocturnal ice-house jazz of “End Tipsy” to the foggy, 5 AM club deja vu, “Seeing Voices.” An alternately hushed and hypnotized journey to the end of the night, in search of pleasures known and unknown.
Echo 106 – Choco & Cherry [MATH070LP]
Echo 106 debuted with the well received Broken Hi-Hat Machine and returns with this masterful full length. He grabs influence from classic electro, Chicago house, Detroit tech and throws down a distinct sound and flavor true to his own. 17 tracks in total, and some beautiful pieces on there.
Zach Lubin – Psycheframe [PA012]
Chicago techno artist Zach Lubin conjures magic on his first full-length album for the well-respected Parity label. Psycheframe is an ambitious collection of styles that cohesively brings together the various bits of Lubin’s diverse sound. The album also fits neatly into the Parity roster with its ongoing exploration into the more adventurous aspects of the techno genre. This release is difficult to pigeonhole as it restlessly covers new musical ground in the pursuit of something unique and lasting.
Mr. G – Retrospective [REKIDS012]
Illuminating compilation of trax from stalwart London producer Colin McBean, spanning a decade and half. The man himself talks of his “soulful, twisted low-end funk sound” and he’s right on the money: his productions have found fans in disparate factions of the underground, from the afterparty tech-house set to the UK bass upstarts, via the deeper house heads. Long before he began his association with Rekids, the label behind this compilation, G was rolling out gold on his own Phoenix G and labels like Defected, Duty Free, Shuffled, End, Tag and Careless, under such aliases as The Reaver, Mango Boy and Halcyon Daze. For this 21-track comp he’s selected his own highlights from this vast body of work, and it’s effectively the most potent cache of secret weapons that a DJ could hope to stumble upon this year. Of the Mr G-assigned cuts pay special heed to the bass-licked warehouse thump of ‘Hear Me Out’, the jazzwise tribalism of ‘Jet Black’, the priapic boogie-tech of ‘Shelter (Unreleased Version)’ and the headier Detroit stylings of ‘G’s Strings’, while the lockstep discoid bounce of The Reaver’s ‘Mmmm’ and Mango Boy’s sickly minimal, psychedelic ‘Potion’ also impress.
Shxcxchcxsh – Strgths [AVNLP001]
The enigmatic SHXCXCHCXSH introduced their unique understanding of industrial-leaning techno to Avian with last year’s 12-inch Rjrjrffrjrj. Now Avian announce the Swedish duo’s first full-length album. STRGTHS features 7 scuffed, throbbing industrial tracks. Initiated by the drones of SLVRBBL, the openers’ atmospherics soon give way to the more direct, beat-driven LTTLWLF. RSRRCTN brings dubbier elements into play before leading into LVNGWTR’s searing melody and acidic dynamics. PCTSTSS accelerates up to the record’s zenith, before descending back into the darkness for the cold steel rhythms of WHTLGHT. Closer LLDTMPS evolves over the course of its near-12 minute running time to move from unsettling, disorienting tension to a warmer, contemplative climax.
Gerhard Heinz – Gerhard Heinz [369.012]
An album completely filled with unreleased music productions by Gerhard Heinz. Cosmic Disco, Minimal Synth, Electro,,, music from old porn and horror movies from the mid 70’s to early 80’s. What’s actually unbelievable is that while checking Gerhard Heinz’s audio archive a 12” Maxi Version of Hydrogen – Cheaters Theme which runs about 5 min. showed up. This is certainly one of the most wanted cosmic library tracks ever and will be also featured. The first 50 vinyl copies will include a CD safety copy with 6 more unreleased tracks (for example the disco tracks which is played at the pool party of ”Bloody Moon” aka ”Die Sge des Todes” by Jess Franko as 12” Maxi Single version which runs for more than 6 min).
The Cult Of Dom Keller – The Cult Of Dom Keller [MNQ037]
Mannequin label is releasing the long awaited debut LP by Nottingham’s finest purveyors of psychedelic noise, The Cult Of Dom Keller. Partially compiled from re-mastered and reworked versions of tracks previously included in the band’s self-released series of EPs, this new incarnation of The Cult Of Dom Keller’s sounds also features three unreleased recordings. This is the absolute first time that these recordings become available on vinyl, a format that perfectly complements the band’s meticulously textured and carnal sound. A collection of fuzzily enrapturing and lysergically tinged compositions with an electronically infused backbone, the band’s debut might appear as a slight deviation from Mannequin’s traditional aesthetics. We have no doubt though that our connoisseur audience will appreciate the novelty and will instantly fall for these stupefying songs.
Crystal Soda Cream – Escape From Vienna [TWR009]
“After a self-titled debut EP in March (through which the band demonstrated potential yet), Crystal Soda Cream has released their first full-length album which is called “Escape from Vienna”. Consisting of Theresa Adamski (drums, synths), Philipp Forthuber (guitar, vocals) and Sebastian Ploier (bass), the Austrian trio proposes an intense journey across the shady corners of mind. Philipp’s voice, dissonant and dynamic, going insanely from breathy to harsh tones, guides this exploration of claustrophobic and melodramatic soundscapes. Rooted in Post-Punk and tinged with early New Wave sounds, their music is elegantly decadent, with the forseeable dose of uprooting and introspection, but also enough compelling and varied.”
Giorgio Luceri – Voices In My Head [MATH069LP]
After his “Eernamente EP” on Mathematics, Giorgio Luceri returns with an amazing debut full length album. Combining classical keys with the old and new sounds of electronic music, he creates an atmosphere perfect for dark club floors, open air festivals, and afterhours. Ten track album with a nice versatile collection of tracks.
Audio Atlas – Window 2 The World [MATH068LP]
Audio atlas with some deeper and trippy acid and techno tracks on Mathematics. Sometimes remeniscent of the early Fnac/Fcom days, sometimes going towards a early Chicago vibe. Nice one!
Marcel Fengler – Fokus [OSTGUTCD027]
Berghain resident Marcel Fengler has enjoyed a long and productive relationship with the club’s label Ostgut Ton, putting out his first 12″ on the imprint – the shuffling carnival techno of “Playground” – way back in 2007. Despite this pedigree, Fokus is his debut album. It is, in many ways, like an extended love letter to electronic music, and techno in particular. Across the album’s 11 tracks, Fengler turns his hand to atmospheric ambience (“Distant Episode”, “High Falls”, the dreamy “Break Through” and Pete Namlook-ish “Liquid Torso”), eyes-wide-shut Detroitisms (the pleasingly melodic “Jaz”), basement-bothering early morning fare (the paranoid “Sky Pushing”) and, of course, balls-out techno wonkiness (“Dejavu” and the impressively robust “The Stampede”).
The Exaltics – The Great Escape [PANZERKREUZ1011]
Barely escaping the latest ‘Treuhand’ terror of the ex-Weimar Republic, ex-Third Reich and ex-DDR territory, ‘The Exaltics’ finally comes with His fourth and heaviest piece of ‘Zwangsarbeit’ so far within the realm of the Bunker/Panzerkreuz corpus, as this is true black ritual acid and darkcore industrial techno to the max! oh, by the way, did I already mention the war?
Hiele – Hiele [EKSTER001]
The first release of Belgian producer Roman Hiele. This album consists of 7 electronic tracks that represent the kick off for the Ekster label. Rattling 808s, brain bend synth lines and sideways grooves.
Ugly Drums – Saturn Memories [QUINTESSE034]
It’s from the man with a great feeling for raw beats and deep sounds! Its from the man who pretends to be ugly, but we all know: ugly is beautiful! Its the debut album of Ugly Drums called Saturn Memories. Eight tracks of pure deep raw bliss with a slight TP feel feat. collaborations with Lady Blacktronika and a remix of Pablo Valentino.
The Hipodrome Of Music 