Miles Spilsbury – Light Manoeuvres [ND012]

November 26, 2023November 27, 2023 hipodromealbum, carlos nino, jazz, milespilsbury, new dawn, rush hourLeave a comment

Debut album from UK jazz saxophonist and composer Miles Spilsbury, featuring Carlos Niño. ‘Light Manoeuvres’ is about warmth, generosity and openness. The music which would become Light Manoeuvres was sketched in fragments, but began to take shape in earnest during a period of living under the Marseille haze in the South of France. The specific character and opacity of the light in Marseille inspired the album title which imagines the movement of light passing over different subjects and spaces in intricate motion. Sand blows over from the Sahara on the Sirocco wind and is whipped up by the Mistral, the Marseille sky becomes golden and vapoured, then intermittently pastel blue. That image stuck while shaping this body of work, and became integral to the function of the compositions – which act as jumping off points for the players and myself, vehicles for improvisation and gateways to something else entirely.

Mary Greer Mudiku & Oneness of Juju – Black Love Alive Again [STRUT251D]

November 26, 2023November 24, 2023 hipodromealbum, black fire, funk, jazz, mary greer mudiku, oneness of juju, outernational, strut recordsLeave a comment

Strut presents a reissue of Mary Greer Mudiku & Oneness of Juju’s album “Black Love Alive Again”, first released on Back Fire Records.

Rude 66 – Conditioning Consciousness LP [BAP169]

November 21, 2023January 8, 2024 hipodromealbum, bordello a parigi, electro, experimental, rude 66, synth waveLeave a comment

For more than thirty years, Ruud Lekx has been corrupting hearts and minds with his unmistakable brand of synthesizer music. Under his Rude 66 mask, this titan of electronics returns to Bordello A Parigi with twelve darkened tracks for ‘Conditioning Consciousness’. Tempos glide low in the opening incantations. From the breathy murmurings of “Magick Angels’ Invocations”, the listener is brought into Rude’s world. Shauna Lekx’s signature vocoder lyrics and blackened subject matter are central tenets, as are hauntingly delicate melodies. “The Riddler In Me” is a deep psychological journey through cable and circuit, an unsettling monologue accompanied by liquid analogue lines. BPMs are allowed to rise for the shimmering warmth of “In Exile” and in the reverb soaked “The Chariot”. But these are the outliers. Across the collection, percussion drives without ever being a central force. Instead, the focus is the bewitching and brooding compositions. Take the drugged low slung groove of “The Talisman of Algol” or the loose modulations of “Le Sagittaire”, here the listener is brought into the heart of the machines and the musician. The curtain close, “The Five Swords Of Venus In Aquarius” gathers a spread of influences, bringing them together into one piece. Synth. Soundtrack. Strings. All culminate in this superb climax, a climax to an album that broaches the boundaries between terrifying and terrific.

Gifted & Blessed – Heard And Unheard LP [39156031]

November 19, 2023November 17, 2023 hipodromealbum, ambient, experimental, gabriel reyes-whittaker, gb, gifted & blessed, pias, stones throwLeave a comment

Gifted & Blessed returns with ‘Heard and Unheard’, an album that distills years of making music in a variety of styles and under different names into a singular statement. In addition to producing electronic music as Gifted & Blessed since the early 2000s, Gabriel Reyes-Whittaker has dabbled with many other aliases over the years: as Frankie Reyes, he explores his Puerto Rican heritage by playing Latin standards and originals on vintage keyboard instruments; as The Abstract Eye and The Reflektor, he creates dancefloor anthems with electronic hardware; and as GB and Julian Abelar, he’s released sample-based productions and techno adjacent dance music.

Electrodefender – Music Is Worth It LP

November 19, 2023November 16, 2023 hipodromealbum, ambient, electro, electrodefenderLeave a comment

Frankfurt am Main producer Electrodefender is back with his signature West Coast influenced electro. 15 tracks on his new release “Music Is Worth It”, serving up electro-funk and ambient journeys.

F.U.S.E. – Dimension Intrusion LP [WARPLP12R]

November 17, 2023November 16, 2023 hipodromealbum, f.u.s.e., minimal techno, plus 8, re-release, reissue, richie hawtin, warp recordsLeave a comment

‘Dimension Intrusion’ was the first full-length studio album by Richie Hawtin, who was 22 years old at the time and living in Windsor, Canada. It was first released in June 1993 under the F.U.S.E. name on Hawtin’s own Plus 8 Records imprint and again as the second release of Warp Records seminal ‘Artificial Intelligence’ series. The album compiled previously released F.U.S.E. EPs from Plus 8 complemented with new music specially recorded for this release. It would be a fundamental album for the young producer, who was experimenting with different themes and techniques to find his very own sound. Largely inspired by sci-fi movies he used a collection of synthesizers and drum machines, playing with their electronic yet warm sound effects and in turn discovering some of his favorite instruments.

Love In Cage – Trans-Reality [SEA023]

November 15, 2023November 14, 2023 hipodromealbum, cold wave, love in cage, meidosem records, post punk, synth waveLeave a comment

Third album from Rouen cold & arty band Love In Cage, between some cold synth electronic tracks, some post-punk anthems and a deep lynchian dark rock on the second half of the record. Perfect marriage of 80’s sound & contemporary music. A must have for wave & cold lovers.

Model Alpha – Perceptions [OBL05]

November 14, 2023November 14, 2023 hipodromealbum, chloe, experimental, jonathan fitoussi, julie freyri, model alpha, obliques, synth wave, transversales disquesLeave a comment

Jonathan Fitoussi & Julie Freyri are Model Alpha. 8 years on after their first album Dimensions, Perceptions is the duo’s second album and was entirely composed on analog synthesizers. Model Alpha is inspired by electronic artists such as Kraftwerk, Laurie Spiegel, Manuel Göttsching or early Detroit techno productions. An elegant blend of synthesizers and drum machines including remix by Chloé (Thévenin).

Anatolian Weapons – Teachings In Stone LP

November 13, 2023November 10, 2023 hipodromeaggelos baltas, album, anatolian weapons, experimental, house, technoLeave a comment

‘Teachings In Stone’ is a self released album by Greek producer Aggelos Baltas AKA Anatolian Weapons. It is available for download only on his bandcamp page. All tracks produced 2019 and remixed 2020.

Moritz von Oswald – Silencio LP [TRESOR339LP]

November 12, 2023November 9, 2023 hipodromealbum, ambient, electronics, experimental, moritz von oswald, tresor recordsLeave a comment

What are the differences and similarities between human and artificial sound, between oscillations generated by vocal cords and synthesizer voices, voltage amplified by speakers? On ‘Silencio’, his latest album for Tresor Records, Moritz von Oswald works with a 16-voice choir to explore this concept. Drawing from the ensemble works of long-standing inspirations Edgard Varèse, György Ligeti and Iannis Xenakis, von Oswald and Vocalconsort Berlin delve into the space between sounds, creating a deeply textured collection that shifts between light & ethereal and dark & dissonant. The vast dynamism of the human voice adds to the profound weight of electronics while offering up a rhythmic source and sonic noise palette unexplored in von Oswald’s repertoire. In Silencio, von Oswald dredges a dank murk, pulling clouds over a distant pulse. It hangs, ready to take on new forms.

Actress – LXXXVIII LP [ZEN295]

November 12, 2023November 9, 2023 hipodromeactress, album, ambient, darren cunningham, electronics, experimental, ninja tuneLeave a comment

‘LXXXVIII’ is the ninth Actress album to be created by Actress (Darren Cunningham) and the very first presentation of Actress’ voyage into luxury sonics. A lifetime in the making, ‘LXXXVIII’ is the culmination of 25 years’ honing mind-shorting, soul-igniting audio infusions for dance floors, rave dens, festivals, and concert halls. ‘LXXXVIII’ pays dividends to meditate on an instrumental facet of its creation: game theory. Indeed, deep strategic thinking – more readily associated with economics and chess than artistic practice – was fundamental to Actress’ process as ‘LXXXVIII’ was channelled into existence.

Suzanne Ciani & Jonathan Fitoussi – Golden Apples Of The Sun LP [OBL06]

November 12, 2023November 9, 2023 hipodromealbum, ambient, electronics, experimental, jonathan fitoussi, obliques, suzanne ciani, transversales disquesLeave a comment

Obliques and Atmospheric present their new album “Golden Apples of the Sun”. It is the result of close cooperation between Suzanne Ciani and Jonathan Fitoussi. The American electronic music pioneer has joined the French composer to sign a four-hand album around mythical synthesizers like Buchla, Moog and Ems. Mainly recorded in California, facing the Pacific Ocean, the white sound of synthesizers mixes constantly with the sound of the waves and wind. The music generated is directly blended with the surrounding elements of nature. It is both organic and live, hypnotic and rhythmical, powerful and dreamlike.

Felipe Gordon – Psychedelic Melancholia LP [HD16]

November 11, 2023November 9, 2023 hipodromealbum, felipe gordon, hip dozer, hip-hop, house, jazzLeave a comment

Felipe Gordon presents ‘Psychedelic Melancholia.’ With his new album, the praised Bogotá phenomenon producer shares the melancholy of a period of his life and the emotions that come with it. Through eleven tracks punctuated by collaborations with the finest artists on today’s lo-fi scene, including Saib and Made In M, among others, Felipe Gordon introduces a new sound while maintaining jazz as the primary influence. Drawing from hip-hop, boom bap history, and the transcendental energy of Indian music, ‘Psychedelic Melancholia’ showcases his eagerness to explore diverse genres. Creating its own hypnotic, infectious sound, enter the colorful world of ‘Psychedelic Melancholia.’

Cosmica Bandida – Lagrimas Saladas LP [TERRAM007]

November 10, 2023November 8, 2023 hipodromealbum, cosmica bandida, cumbia, disco, experimental, grischerr, heap, hektisch sprengen djs, jacques satre, kobermann, lipelis, los pulpitos, ma spaventi, outernational, terra magica, volta cabLeave a comment

Cosmica Bandida’s debut studio album “Lagrimas Saladas” is an amalgam of sounds influenced by the diverse backgrounds of the members, who find themselves in Munich a city where the leftovers of cosmic music and 70s disco meet cumbia and tropical vampirism. Dark cumbia and psychedelic music collide with the moods of space disco in an album that engages the body. On the flip side, a group of eight remixers has united to deliver remixes for all the Club enthusiasts out there. Lipelis sets vinyl lovers on fire with his Dubby Disco Remix of “Salsa Bandida”, while MaSpaventi, Volta Cab, Los Pulpitos, and Hektisch Sprengen DJs bring their soulful and dubby trip-hop torch songs to the release. Prepare yourself for Grischerr & Heap’s glitchy and deconstructed industrial reggaeton remix of “Pájaro del desierto”, along with a powerful deconstructed club beatdown by Kobermann. Jacques Satre’s psychedelic stupdep remix adds the perfect finishing touch to the package.

Roger Gerressen – The First Android Church Of Claude Shannon LP [CHXIV07]

November 9, 2023November 9, 2023 hipodromealbum, breaks, chapelle xiv music, electro, roger gerressenLeave a comment

Elevating the paradigms of electronic music, Chapelle XIV Music unveils “The First Android Church Of Claude Shannon,” an immersive LP from Yoyaku household Roger Gerressen. Bathed in the aesthetic allure of retro-futurism and the imaginative dimensions of classic sci-fi cinema, this opus synthesizes the arcane with the avant-garde in a masterful tapestry of sound. Comprising six intricately crafted tracks, the album serves as an auditory odyssey that transcends the borders of genre. Whether enveloped in the nebulous ambience of a discerning DJ set or fueling introspective home listening marathons, these compositions resonate with an arresting quality that’s evocative yet profoundly innovative. Within the multi-dimensional soundscapes of this album, listeners find a harmonious blend of homage and innovation. Drawing inspiration from Claude Shannon—the mathematical genius and pioneering mind behind modern digital circuit design theory—”The First Android Church Of Claude Shannon” stands as a testament to the synthesis of past and future. With Roger Gerressen at the helm, the boundaries of electronic music are redefined, creating an aural experience that is both cerebral and soul-stirring, beckoning the listener into an uncharted territory of sonic exploration.

Citi Express – Living For The City [AFS055]

October 29, 2023October 26, 2023 hipodromeafrobeat, afrosynth records, album, citieExpress, house, on record, re-release, reissue, ron friedmanLeave a comment

Cover versions of international songs have long thrived in South Africa’s music industry. Often unable to license the original tracks (until the early 90s the result of an international boycott of the country) labels instead hired producers and session artists to re-record them for the local market. Early house music in South Africa was no different. When Ron ‘Robot’ Friedman, former bass player for local rockers Rabbitt, was winding down his label On Record in the early 90s, he reached out for new inspiration as the popularity of ‘bubblegum’ disco waned. For one of the label’s final releases he hired young DJ/producer Quentin Foster, obsessed with the new soulful house sound coming out of the US, to take the reins on a studio project dubbed Citi Express. The result offers a glimpse into those early days of house, a uniquely South African take on a global sound that still resonates today — reissued for the first time on Afrosynth Records.

Starlight – Starlight [AFS054]

October 29, 2023October 26, 2023 hipodromeafrican, afrobeat, afrosynth records, album, disco, emil zoghby, john galanakis, re-release, reissue, starlightLeave a comment

South African production duo of Emil Zoghby and John Galanakis were responsible for a string of high-quality disco singles in the early 80s, typically cover versions of international hits — Klein & MBO’s ‘The Big Apple’, Sly & the Family Stone’s ‘Family Affair’ & David Joseph’s ‘You Can’t Hide (Your Love From Me)’ — backed with their own compositions. When Starlight hit the market with an album in 1983, it featured only one cover, the local hit ‘Picnic’, along with five of the duo’s original compositions, including their similarly styled response, ‘Picnicing’, which replaces the original’s sax with spaced-out synth stabs. Then there’s ‘Jah Jah Love’, an ecstatic disco sermon of dancefloor dynamite weighing in at over eight and a half minutes. Other tracks on this landmark album — ‘Let’s Go Dancing (Boogie Boogie)’, ‘Keep On Moving’ and an eponymous instrumental — offer a similar fusion of classic disco with newer Italo and proto-house influences: machine music with a human touch. Remastered from the original master tapes and reissued for the first time, Starlight is available on vinyl and digital platforms, 40 years after its initial release, via Afrosynth Records.

Dario Zenker – Reflection LP [ITLP17]

October 24, 2023October 23, 2023 hipodromealbum, dario zenker, ilian tape, technoLeave a comment

Ilian Tape co-founder Dario Zenker has consistently served up some of the label’s best releases and now he goes long on this double album, Reflection. He calls it “a Reflection through wild times channeled into 63 minutes of machine funk” and we call it 12 tracks of devastating techno on both an emotional and physical level. His tracks often fix with wispy synth lines that bring subtle light to the dusty drums and muggy atmospheres and on the likes of ‘Da Conducter’ he offers up thumping house with grainy lo-fi pads and muffled leads that hook you in deep. The vast rhythmic variation and switch-up in tempos and moods throughout this album is what keeps it so fresh.

Fasme – Bloom LP [AF051LP]

October 23, 2023December 13, 2023 hipodromeacid, album, analogical force, fasme, idm, tom ferreiraLeave a comment

Nantes-based Tom Ferreira (Fasme) joins Analogical Force with his first and highly anticipated album titled ‘Bloom’. Well known in underground circles for an impressive live PA, Tom delivery 9-tracks (recorded live) where he deploys his entire arsenal of analog synths. ‘Bloom’ immerses us in a 303-powered world, crunchy machine drums with big emotive melodies, rushing piano motifs and swirling chords.

Philipp Otterbach – Correct Me If I Am Incorrectly You LP [OFFEN028]

October 22, 2023October 20, 2023 hipodromealbum, ambient, electronics, experimental, offen music, philipp otterbachLeave a comment

Berlin based Philipp Otterbach debuts on Offen with a seven tracks album, “Correct Me If I Am Incorrectly You”. Post-music phantasmagoria for the world in which the past became more unpredictable than the future. Deconstructed entertainment for hopeless romantics and testament to Otterbach’s unique artistic language.