Identity Theft is the solo electronic music of Michael Buchanan, commencing in 2011 with the album Night Workers. Rooted in Düsseldorf-school electro with strong leanings towards the more abstract Krautrock origins of the genre, “Omnia Vanitas” presents the listener with a narrative arc moving beyond the ‘modern problems’ which previous Identity Theft work was concerned with (e.g. themes of surveillance and paranoia).
Unconscious, Italian recognised EBM producer, surprises with a sound turn in his latest album “Il Punto di Non Ritorno”, where he ventures into New Beat incorporating touches of dark trance that clearly refer to some of his roots in electronic music. The album showcases the artist’s evolution capacity and highlights his versatility and ability to explore new sounds without losing the EBM and industrial essence that characterizes and defines his previous works.
Bedroom Talks, hailing from Ukraine, is a gifted solo artist whose music, delves into an eclectic blend of genres including coldwave, darkwave, synthwave, post-punk with touches of EBM. “Call Me Malespero,” produced during Ukraine’s shelling, captures the essence of his art in a unique and moving way. It’s a powerful testament to human resilience and the ability to find beauty even in the darkest moments, evoking a range of emotions from pain and anger to palpable sweetness, all woven into poetic lyrics and enveloping melodies.
Dark Entries celebrates its 15th anniversary with legendary synth-punk deviants Crash Course in Science. Dale Feliciello, Mallory Yago, and Michael Zodorozny formed CCIS in 1979 after meeting at art school in Philadelphia. As a gesture born of equal parts punk irreverence and brute necessity, the band incorporated toy instruments and kitchen appliances into their aggressive, angular sound. Their anthems “Cardboard Lamb” and “Flying Turns” from 1981’s Signals From Pier Thirteen EP have been staples in adventurous DJ sets for over 40 years – yet some of their finest work is to be found on Near Marineland, a full-length LP recorded in 1981, but remained unreleased in its time. Near Marineland shows the band moving into more diverse and polished territory (although it’s still as abrasive as sandpaper). Tracks like “No More Hollow Doors” and “Jump Over Barrels” highlight CCIS’s singular knack for embedding infectiously monotone hooks in their stiff-yet-funky grooves. Elsewhere we see CCIS going fully unhinged, like on the searing “Someone Reads” or the demented “Pompeii Spared”, where a spray of honks is barely glued together by a frantic synthetic pulse. While this masterwork of malfunctioning analog electronics has surfaced on a few occasions – this first time stand alone remaster includes four never-before-released bonus tracks and includes a lyric sheet. Near Marineland is crucial listening for all devotees of synth-punk and minimal electronics.
Remember that period at the turn of the century when people were talking about Lounge, Exotica and Easy Listening? It was the so-called Cocktail Generation phenomenon, of which VIP 200, a quartet formed in Italy in 1999, was the ultimate expression as a band. The most important input came from the reissues and compilations of Italian soundtracks that debuted with great success at the time, and VIP 200’s interpretations of them were genuine, rustic and rich in atmospheres that led back precisely to music for the image. Their live shows, as well as their first and only record re-released for the first time on double gatefold vinyl by Cinedelic with many outtakes, alternated between danceable moments with fast rhythms such as shake, beat and soul funk, to more ethereal and psychedelic, to softer and more ironic ones. They loosely and spontaneously re-presented songs that before then no one had ever performed live with a band; 10 years later Calibro 35 would get there. Strong was the “fetishist” component that pushed them to research original instruments of the vintage, design, sound and atmosphere to be created. An iconographic record of the period, a must-have for those who lived through it and for those who want to understand its essence.
‘Musica E Computer’ is a momentous release from Slow Motion label head Fabrizio Mammarella and Rodion recorded in the legendary Marche Synth Museum (Museo Del Synth Marchigiano). A fully functional recording space that houses a fusion of several private collections of Italian electronic musical instruments gathered over the many years since their creation. The Marche region, being home to some of the most ground-breaking and foundational instruments, has created the likes of Crumar, Farfisa and Elka with innovative use from the likes of Tangerine Dream, Pink Floyd and Vangelis.
New self-released album from the Minimal Detroit Audio mainman, Terrence Dixon. Recorded at 3rd floor studios on the West side of Detroit.
DMX Krew returns to Hypercolour with a new long player. ‘Spiral Dance’ comes stuffed with wonky and futuristic synth jams.Having honed a style that has endured over an illustrious career, DMX Krew continues to immerse his productions in luscious analogue electronica, touching on the many bases of electro, Detroit techno, synthpop and dreamwave. With previous albums for Rephlex, Permanent Vacation and Balkan Vinyl, amongst others, ‘Spiral Dance’ becomes the fifth album for Hypercolour, following on from 2021’s ‘Loose Gears’.
More about the world has changed than not in the decade since dance production dyad Frank & Tony, the project of house legends Francis Harris and Anthony Collins, released their last full-length record, 2014’s “You Go Girl”. Despite, or perhaps in spite of, this shifting landscape, house music has managed to stay fundamentally reliable (either a bug or its greatest feature, depending on who you ask). Where previously, Frank & Tony have been celebrated for their contemplative, studious approach to the genre, with 2024’s “Ethos”, the Brooklyn/Biarritz-based duo return amidst metastatic cultural upheaval to prove out those scholarly credentials — with an album that serves to remind listeners why dancefloors and liberatory politics consistently share the language of movements and revolutions.
That true beauty lies in the essentiality and meticulous combination of a few elements is sometimes not just a cliché. The delicate blend of Roland CR-78, acoustic guitar and dissonant organs that intertwine in ‘Open Windows’ is a vivid demonstration of this. It is these few elements, now distant and hinted at and now close and deafening, that paint the backdrop of melancholic nostalgia where laconic whispers move the listener within the paintings that bear the sonic signature of Human Figures, the project of Daniel Lewis known also as Daniel Holt. In the 8 canvases of Open Windows the folk tradition is repainted in a more contemporary guise: the sweet and sad litanies are alternated with fast and frenetic stornelli in which the combination of tradition and experimentation constitutes the stylistic signature. The open window through which the listener has the opportunity to look out in this album does not, however, give onto a natural external panorama. It projects into an inner world where introspection and silence are the only chance to grasp its sublime beauty.
Cold wave duo The KVB are back with their new album ‘Tremors’ on Invada Records. The KVB returns to the darker sound that embodied their earliest releases whilst retaining the infectious pop of their last album ‘Unity’. The band have dubbed their new album ‘dystopian pop’, and wrote it with the live show in mind; full of energy, hooks and dynamic moments. Writing the album between Manchester and Bristol, and recording alongside James Trevascus (Billy Nomates, RVG), the band have drawn on their own back catalogue and the music that inspired them at the very beginning of their artistic journey. The end result is the most complete album from The KVB to date, full of emotive impact and pop hooks presented in a uniquely shadowy atmosphere and with an idiosyncratic detachment that adds to the cinematic quality of their sound.
Morphology debut on the Belgian De:tuned label with the vibrant eight-track electro album ‘Fractures’. The Finnish duo, Matti Turunen and Michael Diekmann, lay down a versatile blend of cosmic string harmonies and powerful bass work-outs merged with techno and acid elements suitable for the floor, late night driving and home listening sessions. Skillfully produced electro science in their own signature style transports you into a darker realm.
META MOTO presents the fourth solo artist tape, “Counterfeit” by Disappearer, recorded and produced by Johan Skugge, half of Harlem Electronics. The album showcases a fluidity between electronic sounds and genres, characterised by a deliberate elusiveness. Oscillating between eerie atmospheres and funky beats, the artist constructs an enigmatic sonic landscape, evoking a sense of hiding in the shadows while emitting smoke screens. With its electrifying compositions, this album promises to captivate audiences with its bold electronic aesthetic.
Rekids presents ‘Nightdubbing’, the second album from Monty Luke. The Black Catalogue boss and former Planet-E label manager Monty Luke effortlessly traverses deep house and techno rife with bass-rattling low-end and experimental rhythms. It is no surprise, then, that the album is heavily inspired by ‘70s and mid-80s dub reggae, seeing Luke incorporate and modernise the genre’s iconic rhythms, spoken word poetry, and spacious bursts of harmony across the LP. Monty Luke spent ten formative years in Detroit, where the city’s unique musical spirit influenced him immensely. He has since distilled this experience into the music he has released. His raw, dub-infused sound comes with plenty of futuristic designs, and ‘Nightdubbing’ continues to push the boundaries of his music.
Sons Of Traders Records presents DJ Nephil’s side project “System Disorder” with this latest collection entitled “Random Report”. He is continuing the experimentation and sound research in the studio and in his artistic compositional form connected both to the machines and to his own vision. He is presenting here eight acid-electro variations on a more minimal theme around a sort of contemporary dark novel.
Underground electronic artist Gesloten Cirkel lands on Selvamancer. The Barcelona based DIY imprint with Dutch rave roots proudly welcomes him with an exciting new mini album ‘I Live In The Midwest’. It’s a true testament to his producing prowess and extensive musical diversity, and pushes the boundaries of industrial and shamanic sounding breaks, acid and the remarkable pounding electro he’s known for. The eight track affair immerses listeners into a mesmerizing blend of acidic body music, killer electro, and experimental interludes. It embodies a hate-love relationship with the machine, floating between hypnotic and industrial elements, showcasing Gesloten Cirkel’s ability to craft wonky rhythms and haunting melodies. With meticulous attention to detail, Gesloten Cirkel creates atmospheres that we know, love and need right now. He truly reaffirms his status as a visionary artist in todays electronic music scene giving us an exciting listening trip wandering through Gesloten Cirkel’s adventurous machine world.
Contrafact welcomes back Dutch icon and studio wizard, Orlando Voorn, who brings a fresh new sound with his second contribution to the label – a double vinyl album entitled ‘The Master 2’. On this long player we see Orlando delivering an album that flips the switch, moving through different shades of jazzy house, soulful funk, but still very much in Detroit zone. It’s an infectious mix of debonair soul and hi-tech jazzism injected with Voorn’s versatile palette of deep dynamics, next-level machine talk and otherworldly funk. Staying true to the velveteen house vibrations that’ve been the driving force to his seminal records through nearly three decades of mythology, Voorn drops a textbook sample of his lush and unhindered vision for innovative and soul inspiring music. This album rolls up its sleeves and pulls out a potent artillery of foot shuffling jazzy house beats, intricate drum work, and some bleached-out synths that will wash away all those the winter blues.
Dark Entries flashes back to the grimy streets of New York City circa 1982 to bring us an unreleased album from cult outfit Ike Yard. Comprised of Stuart Argabright, Michael Diekmann, Kenneth Compton, and Fred Szymanski, Ike Yard sits between the sinewy proto-body music of the Neue Deutsche Welle and the shattered grooves of their No Wave peers in New York. The band’s initial run was short but blinding. They released an EP for Les Disques du Crépuscule in 1981, which was followed by their legendary self-titled LP for Factory in 1982. They disbanded within a year, frustrated by the slow pace at which the industry was able to release their increasingly challenging music. 1982 features 10 tracks which likely would have become the band’s second LP – only four of these songs have previously seen release on 2006’s 1980-82 Collected via Acute Records. Following the release of Ike Yard, they continued down their tortured path of hybrid electro-acoustic music with an arsenal of now-classic analog instruments, including the Korg MS-20 and the Roland TR-808. Skittering rhythms teeter on the verge of collapse while seasick synth warbles threaten to push us overboard. Electronic washes devolve into waves of feedback. Sneering basslines threaten dancers to move, but how can the body obey? This is dangerous music, gliding along the brink.
Hypnotica Colectiva Records welcomes the English creator from Manchester Mark Wilkinson aka Kid Machine with ‘Terminal Phase’, an album of 12 songs on vinyl and 4 digital bonus tracks.
First official reissue of one of the most sampled Turkish records in 45 years, a psychedelic masterpiece from 1980. Recorded between Istanbul and Stockholm, it captures the era between Okay Temiz’s Don Cherry Trio touring and his own band Oriental Wind’s sensational debut. Mentioned distinctive elements have elevated the record to cult status among record collectors, sample enthusiasts, and diggers around the world. `Drummer of Two Worlds` is a star map of Okay Temiz’s musical worlds. Blending elements from the grand piano to his handmade drums, and from the amplified Berimbau to his cowbell array, weaving Turkish rhythms like 9/8 and 7/8 with the universality of 4/4, it presents a unique sound narrative that resonates with the dimensions of a well-traveled mind.
The Hipodrome Of Music 