Donato Dozzy – 12H [P036]

November 17, 2019November 15, 2019 hipodromealbum, ambient, donato dozzy, experimental, presto?Leave a comment

12H is a two hours long summa of the very best material produced for the eponymous sound installation, specifically designed by Donato for the Music Bridge – Armando Trovajoli in Rome under the curation of MAXXI Director Bartolomeo Pietromarchi. The original piece translated in music the architecture of the bridge and its surrounding life, layering samples and field recordings in the language Donato knows best: the repetition, rhythm and harmony of different building blocks. The work was originally reproduced by 24 speakers spread along the bridge colonnade, escorting the visitor through different musical places in their crossing. It now takes its final stereo form in this continuous mix version: a dense, enthralling flow akin to Tiber’s murky waters. The original installation was set up by sound engineer Giuseppe Tillieci / Neel, a frequent collaborator of Dozzy in the “Voices from the Lake” project, with Funktion One support.

O Yuki Conjugate – Into Dark Water [ERC080]

November 17, 2019November 15, 2019 hipodromealbum, ambient, andrew hulme, emotional rescue, emotional response recordings, experimental, final image, o yuki conjugate, re-release, reissue, roger horberryLeave a comment

Emotional Rescue reissue ‘Into Dark Water’, the second album from UK post-industrial ambient pioneers O Yuki Conjugate (OYC).
The willfully obscure OYC formed in Nottingham in 1982 and have had a sporadic career on the outskirts of musical culture ever since. Initially associated with the early 80s post-industrial scene OYC quietly forged their own brand of ambient music at a time when it was distinctly unfashionable to do so. ‘Into Dark Water’ was recorded in 1986 over four days in an eight-track garage studio in Nottingham. Produced and engineered by John Kaukis, the result was a blend of flutes, percussion, electronics and loops that focused their sound and became for many the definitive OYC album. Originally released in 1987 on the Leeds-based Final Image label, ‘Into Dark Water’ quickly sold out and has been highly sought after ever since. The re-issue, featuring a lovingly recreated sleeve, makes a vinyl version of this classic available again for the first time in over 30 years.

Years of Denial – Suicide Disco [VEYL012]

November 14, 2019October 9, 2024 hipodromealbum, barkosina hanusova, electro, industrial, jerome tcherneyan, new wave, synth wave, veyl, years of denialLeave a comment

Written and produced in a country house surrounded only by vast, empty landscapes and an endless sky, ‘Suicide Disco’ is the fruit of a 3-year long collaboration and Years of Denial’s debut LP for Veyl.
Urged to escape from crowded cities and information overload, the duo sharpened their sound and working process through isolation and introspection, crafting 11 songs filled to brim with enormous hooks, New Wave nostalgia and razor-sharp production details. Barkosina’s voice echoes and oscillates against Jerome’s snares, profound and wounded at once. Her expressionist narrative take us to unknown yet familiar places, amplified by dub delays and otherworldly reverbs. Each track tells a story based on the intensity of relationships, a touching and distorted invitation into intimacy and complicity.

Tornische – Interiorismo [CITI028]

November 14, 2019February 16, 2022 hipodromealbum, cititrax, hanna chamiarytskaya, julio tornero, minimal wave records, synth pop, tornischeLeave a comment

Cititrax presents a full length LP by a new duo called Tornische. Julio Tornero and Hanna Chamiarytskaya (aka Anneq) got together in Madrid after having met through mutual friends. Immediately, they bonded and found a musical chemistry between them. They went into the studio and began revisiting Julio’s unreleased archives, incorporating what he had already recorded years ago with fresh sounds and Neu Deutsche Welle style duets. The result is a modern, chaotic, take on 80s European new wave, 90s detroit electro, and contemporary indie pop. The energy level is always high, the melodies are catchy and the vocal delivery and lyrics futuristic, subversive, italo-disco / punk, and surreal.

Eye – Metamujer [KH026]

November 14, 2019November 15, 2019 hipodromealbum, eye, knekelhuis, laurene exposito, synth pop, synth waveLeave a comment

EYE is back. Metamujer marks the third installment on the Knekelhuis label and we’re extremely happy to release this document of another chapter in Laurène Exposito’s life. Recorded on various locations ranging from the Swiss mountains to the chalky coasts of Brittany, Metamujer is an 8-track ode to salty love and closeness to nature, a tribute to a modest lifestyle à la Henry David Thoreau. Far from being praise for self-sufficiency, this new LP is deeply influenced by Laurène’s environment. We can hear Korg MS-10 created synthetic waves (Sanatorium) and birds (Luscinia), but one can also catch her singing in Italian, one of 3 languages spoken in Switzerland. Still minimalist and yet more aesthetically diverse, her new sounds are on the edge of EBM and synth pop, between classic minimal wave tunes and rustic ballads on acid.

Umwelt – Superior Life Forms [MNSXLP001]

November 11, 2019December 10, 2019 hipodromealbum, electro, industrial, midnight shift, techno, umweltLeave a comment

Umwelt allies with Midnight Shift for the release of the mini-LP Superior Life Forms, featuring six devastating tracks on the vinyl release. Limited edition marbled vinyl with full printed pencil-drawn artwork on thick cover. Artwork by Aeropalmics

Sokratis Votskos Quartet – Sketching the Unknown [JMANLP116]

November 10, 2019November 28, 2019 hipodromealbum, jazz, jazzman records, sokratis votskosLeave a comment

Linking the ancient and the modern across time and space, the Sokratis Votskos Quartet presents ‘Sketching the Unknown’ – a modern jazz journey into the folk and modal music of ancient Greece. Playing rich original compositions, the Quartet draw freely on Greek and Balkan folk sources, jazz idioms, and the classical makams of the near East. Returning to ancient Greek modes such as Dorian, Phrygian and Lydian, a fresh perspective is brought to the modal style. ‘Sketching the Unknown’ links today’s jazz back to the ancient modes and microtonal folk music of Greece and the Near East. Deep modal jazz sounds from an ancient source.

Surprise Chef – All News Is Good News [COK004]

November 10, 2019October 15, 2021 hipodromealbum, college of knowledge records, funk, jazz, surprise chefLeave a comment

Surprise Chef is a 4-piece instrumental jazz-funk group from Melbourne, Australia. ‘The College Of Knowledge’ is their self-run label and ‘All News Is Good News’ album was recorded straight to tape in the band’s home studio.

MinaeMinae – Variante [HP015]

November 9, 2019November 7, 2019 hipodromealbum, experimental, human pitch, minaeminaeLeave a comment

Stuttgart, Germany based multimedia artist and producer MinaeMinae delivers his debut release of cosmic polyrhythmic explorations with Variante. Whether beamed in from the future or uncovered from the past, Variante calls to mind a place and time far from here and now. Synthetic mallets and anti-guitars comprise the record’s gritty foundation, while interlocking melodics and where’s-the-one rhythms tessellate a kaleidoscopic patchwork.

Giraffe – Desert Haze [MARIONETTE012]

November 9, 2019October 7, 2022 hipodromealbum, ambient, charly schöppner, experimental, giraffe, jurgen hall, marionette, sascha demandLeave a comment

Experimental trio Giraffe crystalize time on ‘Desert Haze’, their new LP on Marionette. Giraffe is the musical project of Sascha Demand (guitar), Jürgen Hall (keys), and Charly Schöppner (percussion). They have quite diverse musical backgrounds, though morphing into Giraffe they tower into one single composer. Their music is a critical statement, not in a political sense but rather an artistic one. Being mindful about what it means to create and how to position themselves as artists nowadays (without the constant hassle of being en vogue and short-lived trends) shaped their rather rare and stoic artistic stance. It is refreshingly honest to see their expression develop so naturally. On Desert Haze, they’ve created a vibrant and minimalistic tribal sound that feels inspired by the Saharan traditional music of the Tuareg, Jazz, and German psychedelic krautrock.

Rrose – Hymn to Moisture [EAUX1391]

November 9, 2019November 7, 2019 hipodromealbum, ambient techno, eaux, experimental, rrose, seth horvitzLeave a comment

“Hymn to Moisture” is Rrose’s first solo album, and it unfolds with the scrupulous care and patience that defines all of Rrose’s auditory experiments. The album explores embodiment in natural phenomena by playing with microtonal and unstable tunings, shifting overtones, and integrated modulations that make it difficult to separate tone from noise. Evoking wind, water, rock, and flesh, the album occupies multiple spaces simultaneously: abrasive and tranquil, propulsive and meditative, familiar and alien.

Orlando Voorn – Diligence Pt.2 [ABPLP002]

November 8, 2019November 8, 2019 hipodromeabove board projects, album, baruka, complex, detroit techno, fix, infiniti, mute, orlando voorn, the ghetto brothersLeave a comment

Dutch Techno master Orlando Voorn has opened up his archive for the first of what will be an ongoing artist focused series brought to you by new imprint Above Board Projects. The compilation will be spread across 2 double 12″ volumes and will feature tracks from many of Voorn’s pseudonyms including; Fix, Baruka, The Ghetto Brothers, Mute & many more. Part 2 opens with the minimalistic bladerunner Techno of Voorn & Juan Atkins’ Infiniti classic ‘Game One’, a true modern classic, also featured is the rolling, paranoia inducing late night groove of ‘Dream World’ from one of Voorn’s more obscure projects Complex, all showcasing a wide variety of styles and sounds. Flawless selections from the early 90’s sitting alongside later productions only go to show how diverse and talented an artist Voorn is and how fresh and vital his music still is today. An essential collection for any serious techno lover.

Solitary Dancer – Rites Of Passage [PPLP01]

November 3, 2019February 19, 2020 hipodromealbum, ambient, experimental, private possessions, solitary dancer, synth waveLeave a comment

‘Rites Of Passage’ traditionally refer to rituals distinguishing movements from one period of life to the next. Solitary Dancer’s debut LP evokes a retrospective of these experiences, organized into four acts: coming into being, detachment, liminality, and re-incorporation of the self. This narrative calls for a self-exploration of moral corruption, loss of innocence, social rebellion, and societal disillusionment.

Conforce – Dawn Chorus [140DSR]

November 3, 2019November 3, 2019 hipodromealbum, ambient techno, boris bunnik, conforce, deep techno, delsin recordsLeave a comment

Boris Bunnik aka Conforce returns to Delsin for his fifth album on the label. Across eight tracks he delivers a wide range of styles yet keeps the ethereal and textural aesthetic of his sound recognizable at all points. His atmospheric approach combined with razor sharp percussion and intricately programmed synths make “Dawn Chorus” one of his most adventurous albums to date. Flirting with his Versalife moniker at times, this album leans to his experimental works, strongly optimized for dance floors using his unique sounddesign skills and unstoppable drift to reinvent himself.

Planetary Assault Systems – Plantae [OSTGUT123]

November 2, 2019November 3, 2019 hipodromealbum, luke slater, minimal techno, ostgut ton, planetary assault systemsLeave a comment

As Planetary Assault Systems, Luke Slater is an innovator of psychedelic mindfuck techno. Across a lengthy catalogue that stretches back into the 90s, the music’s bleepy, polyrhythmic loops are as recognizable as they are genre-defining. Plantae is Slater’s first release as PAS on Ostgut Ton since Arc Angel (2016) and covers the spectrum of PAS’s different strains while remaining grounded in Slater’s uncanny funk and knack for developing oblique melodies and rhythms over longer stretches. Deepness and hypnosis come as much through duration as sound design. For Slater, Plantae is made for Berghain, where he is a long-standing resident. In his own words: “I’m sure it’s no surprise that when it comes to putting together a release on Ostgut Ton, PAS takes on its more mind-altering, otherworldly quality by natural cause, quietly reflecting the dark sweaty nights and days at the club; at the point, the common neural coupling, of us all together. PAS has been part of Berghain and Berghain part of PAS for a long time.

Turquoise Days – Further Strategies [MW072]

November 1, 2019February 16, 2022 hipodromealbum, david le breton, luciano brambilla, minimal wave records, synth pop, synth wave, turquoise daysLeave a comment

Minimal Wave presents a full length double album entitled “Further Strategies” by synthpop band Turquoise Days. Hailing from Jersey, Channel Islands, Turquoise Days was formed in 1981 by Luciano Brambilla and David Le Breton shortly after meeting at a nightclub in St Ouens called Waves. They used Roland synthesizers and drum machines, as well Yamaha synthesizers and Fender guitars along with tape effects and vocals. Throughout the 1980s, they self-released many cassettes, as well as the renowned masterpiece Grey Skies / Blurred 7” single. They were selected for the Radio Luxembourg song contest in 1985 and received press for their releases and appearance there. Their music can be described as melodic, emotive new wave. The music featured here includes the songs from the long sold out Alternative Strategies release from 2009, remastered, along with a a collection of previously unreleased material.

Boy Harsher – Country Girl Uncut LP [NUDE012LP]

November 1, 2019December 20, 2019 hipodromealbum, boy harsher, electro, minimal synth, nude club records, synth pop, synth waveLeave a comment

Self-styled “minimal synth duo” Boy Harsher has released some fine music over the last few years, though little quite as on-point and majestic as 2018’s “Country Girl” EP. Here they offer up a new-look “uncut” edition of the stylish set, which expands the original four-track set via a quartet of previously unreleased recordings from the same period. You’ll find the original EP – complete with the throbbing but picturesque “Motion” and dreamy “Country Girl” – on side A, with the bonus material on the flip. Of these, we’re particularly enjoying the gentle pulse of “Underwater”, and the “Please” era Pet Shop Boys flex of “Send Me A Vision” and “Westerners”.

Photonz – Nuit [DE257]

October 30, 2019October 29, 2019 hipodromealbum, dark entries records, house, marco rodrigues, photonz, technoLeave a comment

Photonz is the alias of Marco Rodrigues a DJ, producer and driving force of Lisbon’s underground scene. For little over a decade now, he’s been crafting his own deeply personal style of Portuguese house and techno. As a DJ, Photonz grew a reputation for deep crates and intensely euphoric sets and in 2017, together with Violet (co-founder at his Radio Quantica) and Lisbon’s own Rabbit Hole collective, he started the now infamous Mina parties – a monthly, sex-positive, queer and intersectional-feminist techno party aimed at using the dissociative potential of intense raving to create a temporary space of suspension away from patriarchal expectations. ‘Nuit’ is Photonz’s debut album and a simultaneous reference the Egyptian Goddess of the Stars or Night. Marco was really swept away by the concept of ‘freedom of form under the night sky’, the accepting embrace of Nuit. Ancestral, but also socially advanced and utopian; a deification of the night time. These ideas manifest themselves as eleven songs spread across two LPs that wax and wane like the moon. Photonz channels early techno, Drexciyan rhythms, balearic & atmospheric house; layering sounds, creating moments.

Ruins – Marea / Tide: Sound & Image Research Volume One [MFM043]

October 27, 2019October 22, 2020 hipodromealbum, alessandro pizzin, ambient, exerimental, music from memory, piergiuseppe ciranna, re-release, reissue, ruins, synth waveLeave a comment

Music From Memory’s latest release is a reissue of the lost Art record ‘Marea / Tide’ from Italian Wave duo Alessandro Pizzin and Piergiuseppe Ciranna also know as ‘Ruins’. Made to accompany and as a response to the works of painter ‘Luigi Viola’ the record was released limited to a run of 600 with original artworks by the painter included in the first 200 copies. A number of special showcases were performed at various galleries by the duo alongside Viola’s work, with records being available solely at those events. Due to poor management and disagreements with the label who produced the record, 300 copies were held for many years in storage and then in fact later even destroyed, the record disappearing almost without a trace. Finally now available again and with a bonus 7” including four beautiful unreleased tracks, the release is printed in colors true to the original work of Luigi Viola with insert.

Orlando Voorn – Diligence Pt.1 [ABPLP001]

October 21, 2019October 21, 2019 hipodromeabove board projects, album, baruka, complex, detroit techno, fix, format, mute, orlando voorn, techno, the ghetto brothers, the living roomLeave a comment

Dutch Techno master Orlando Voorn has opened up his archive for the first of what will be an ongoing artist focused series brought to you by new imprint Above Board Projects. The compilation will be spread across 2 double 12″ volumes and will feature tracks from many of Voorn’s pseudonyms including; Fix, Baruka, The Ghetto Brothers, Mute & many more. This is the first of a 2-part archival collection entitled ‘Diligence’. Each track featured on the compilation has been carefully selected and programmed in conjunction with Orlando Voorn and the Above Board Projects team. Voorn has an extremely long and storied career in making music and is severely underrated as a producer. His DJ skills are, of course, legendary, with him winning the prestigious DMC mixing championships in 1986 in his native Holland and making a career as one of the country’s leading Hip-Hop DJ’s. As a producer he has long been linked to numerous legendary producers and releases, counting labels such as Fragile, Metroplex and more as homes for his output. His association and collaborations with Detroit have been the stuff of legend since day one and some of the music contained within these compilations celebrate that while showcasing some of the more overlooked tracks from the man’s more than extensive catalogue. Part 1 includes some serious rarities and some straight up, futurist Techno heat, take the majestic technoid melodies of comp opener ‘Diligent’ from one of Voorn’s most well loved alias’ FIX for example, completely worlds apart from the jacking and sparse Funk of Baruka’s killer ‘Technision’. Flawless selections from the early 90’s sitting alongside later productions only go to show how diverse and talented an artist Voorn is and how fresh and vital his music still is today. An essential collection for any serious techno lover.