Next Libertine featuring Madrid talented artist Do Or Die who delivers a very interesting album with various shades of his style from techno to acid and italo-disco influenced tracks.
album
Muslimgauze – Return Of Black September [ARCHIVEFIFTYONE]
The excellent Black September, a continuous, five-part, 68-minute epic, is as formidably competent as ever, although more for the brooding, surreal nature of its soundworld than for its grooves, which here sound almost subsidiary. The soul samples and restlessly evolving minor-chord kaleidoscopes that unfold throughout the work is prima facie evidence of a musician on a roll. Boldly named after one of the most notorious Palestinian terrorist organizations, the group which carried out the Israeli Olympic athlete massacre in 1972, September matches it’s dark black artwork and design with equally doom-laden music (mastered as one track, despite the five separate song titles listed on the back).
VRIL – Bad Manners 4 [BM4]
Elevating dubbed out Techno album, comes in gatefold cover. Comming from VRIL on Marcel Dettmann’s label Bad Manners Records.
Florence – Analogue Expressions [DSR/EEVO001]
Delsin turns its attention to the archives of one of the great early pioneers of Dutch techno – Eevo Lute Muzique. The label was founded in 1991 by Wladimir Manshanden and Stefan Robbers (who was already recording seminal early techno records as Terrace for Djax-Up-Beats). Channeling the inspiration of the Detroit originators and mixing it up with their own synth pop and new wave influences, Manshanden and Robbers (adopting the Florence alias) forged a bold aesthetic with Eevo Lute, both musically and visually. This was an early iteration of techno as listening music, with an emphasis on expression and narrative over dancefloor functionality, helped in no small part by Manshanden’s striking poetry. This double set of remastered, reissued tracks gathers together the earliest Florence and Wladimir M. material, largely recorded between 1991 and 1994, across five discs – the definitive document of a treasured piece of Dutch techno history.
Cio D’Or – Fluidum III [SEM120]
Cio D’Or returns to Semantica with a new brand conceptual mini-LP. Self-styled “sound architect” and “music creator” Cio D’Or has been strangely quiet since releasing a ‘special edition’ of her “All In All” album back in 2016. Comeback EP “Fluidum III” is a fine collection of alien electronic workouts that sound like they were created via modular synthesis. What we get is six tracks built around watery sounds, swelling electronic motifs, spaced-out noises and occasional quirky rhythms. While some of the tracks – particularly “Climate” and “Celestial II” – boast deep but weighty kick-drum tracks in the techno tradition, for the most part the tracks are sparse, alien and devoid of dancefloor intent. The results are consistently alluring, albeit in a strange and spaced-out way.
Jake Schrock – Omnibus [MR-085]
Seven unreleased tracks meticulously chosen from the Schrock archive crossing and blending multiple genres from electro, wave, kosmiche and new age by Dallas analog synthesist Jake Schrock. With a literal arsenal of vintage equipment, Jake forges a wonderful, almost 80s soundtrack vibe with deep emotive washes and playful and gentle classic drum machine patterns and beats.
Nite Fields – A Voyeur Makes No Mark [LRR010]
Culminating in four years of recording sessions in Russia, Australia and Northern Ireland, ‘A Voyeur Makes No Mark’ is Nite Fields’ second LP. It’s the follow up to 2015’s ‘Depersonalisation’. If ‘Depersonalisation’ was an album of loss and self-destruction, ‘A Voyeur Makes No Mark’ embodies a self-possessed, buoyant, confrontational figure – though no less anguished with self and the world at large. More outward looking than the Nite Fields debut, and with a redefined aesthetic, themes of rebirth and redefinition carry throughout the album immortalised in principal songwriter and protagonist Danny Venzin’s delicate web of sound. Found within the 8-track LP are sounds rarely heard and even lesser played by the Western hemisphere. Utilising a sonic palette inspired by Venzin’s new surrounds whilst living in Moscow, a purposeful decision was made to incorporate local recording equipment and instrumentation. The results are stark yet richly atmospheric.
Alessandro Parisi – Ascensione Progressiva [MR-086]
Medical supports the frequencies and thoughts of Italian producer Alessandro Parisi as we embark on an exploratory voyage into the realms of (un)consciousness. Leave your burdens behind as he guides you through a visionary tour. Eight tracks of cerebral and dancefloor stimulation expanded over a deluxe double LP guaranteed to take you “there” and “back”. Emotive and propulsive storms amidst delicate symphonies await you. Lovers of unique and unclassifiable vibes of dark disco/soundtrack/trance/electrosynth should dive in. Beautiful full color gatefold double LP.
Patricia Kokett – Bizarr [KH028]
On this long-awaited debut album Patricia Kokett continues his transcendent explorations. Built around a trip to the annual Nine Emperor Gods festival on the island of Phuket, Thailand, Bizarr is the sonic end result of an immersion into Thai ritual culture. The festivities and rituals of this so-called Vegetarian festival, which aim to give health and wisdom back to the community, inspired this beautiful, ecstatic collage of music, self-illuminating Kokett in the process. In this narrative of 6 long, stretched out songs, he conjures up an electrifying sense of catharsis and transcendence. An insert gathering in-depth liner notes about the artistic vision, the travels and the concept behind Bizarr will accompany this release.
Sepehr – Shaytoon [DE-277]
Dark Entries welcomes back San Francisco based DJ and producer Sepehr Alimagham for his debut album ‘Shaytoon’. Drenched in nostalgia from his upbringing, ‘Shaytoon’ pays homage to 1970s Iranian albums that were on rotation throughout his youth. Eight tracks of twisted acid, left-of center electro, sludgy psychedelia, and things-you-can-maybe-call-techno are a few of the sonic elements found within. Regular listeners will find Sepehr’s signature perspiratory dance-floor vibe, but some songs also showcase a low-slung, cerebral approach. Sepehr’s unique sonic palette carves an interesting space in the dance music world by harnessing the spirit of his cultural ancestors. The artwork pays tribute to ‘70s Iranian pop and funk albums with bold Farsi calligraphy and portraits by Sahra Jajarmikhayat. In relation to the music, the album cover creates a dichotomy much like Throbbing Gristle’s ’20 Funk Jazz Greats’.
Atoloi – Papier d’Armenie [AURALTD004]
Aura Dinamica continues its exploration into hypnotic, wide angle Techno with a dense eight track missive from Italian producer Matteo Ghiringhelli’s new project Atoloi. In equal parts subdued & transcendental, the album pairs intricate, polyrhythmic drum work with carefully executed and gently undulating atmospheric motifs to generate a moving and immersive listening experience.
LF58 – Alterazione [AI-19]
Neel reveals debut collaborative album with Filippo Scorcucchi under their LF58 alias on Astral Industries. Alterazione presents a critical statement – distinguished by its technical execution and breathtaking artistry. The album itself is a cathedral of sound, each cavernous chamber an exploration of space and consciousness. Presented in four movements (one track per side), altogether they extend as a transportive experience of evolution for the listener. Iniziazione – a steady departure that unfurls like the opening of a portal; a process of molecular transfiguration commences. Panoramic landscapes begin to stretch wide, glistening with an exotic beauty, before the shamanic incantations of Rituale draws things deeper. Pulsating rotations push through the next phase of transformation, now drenched in hyperspace white-noise. The procedure continues through the quiet ethereal orbit of Metamorfosi, before finishing with the three-part Evocazione/Contatto/Risveglio; uplifting synth motifs drive forward with optimism, before fading back into the great expanse. Alterazione is both cerebral and meditative, and one cannot help but be pulled at the core by its potency.
Malcolm Strachan – About Time [HRLP004]
Scottish trumpeter Malcolm Strachan is a founder member of top UK funk/jazz-funk band The Haggis Horns as well as being one of the busiest session musicians in the UK today. After a professional career spanning 20 years, now he’s finally releasing his first solo album, aptly titled “About Time”, on Haggis Records and he’s going back to his original roots… Jazz. The album is a collection of original compositions, all written and arranged by Malcolm, which are firmly rooted in the classic acoustic modern jazz style typified by the great 60’s and 70’s recordings on the legendary Blue Note Records label. A nice variation of themes and tempos feature throughout the album. From full-on latin vibes to beautiful ballads, soul jazz grooves to cinematic soundtrack flavours, all woven together by a great group of experienced musicians.
Mowgan featuring Solo Sanou – Soya [MOW002]
Mow Records unveils its second album. A further exploration of label head Mowgan’s penchant for house music and authentic African sounds, ‘Soya’ features percussion and vocals from Solo Sanou, an artist whose roots lie in Burkina Faso – though he’s based in Toulouse, where the album was recorded. Comprised seven Afro house cuts that utilise organic instrumentation and Solo’s raw, emotive voice, the album is the second installment in a series of five long-players recorded by Mowgan in the space of a year. This new LP goes deep into the heart of Africa’s rich musical culture, delivering contagious rhythms, rousing atmospherics and a pure, organic, unadulterated sound that has been cultivated through electrifying jam sessions at Mowgan’s studio.
Cucina Povera – Tyyni [LSSN067]
Tyyni is the third album by Finnish-born sound artist and musician Cucina Povera aka Maria Rossi. The second album recorded using a more studio-based scenario – as opposed to last year’s Zoom, a collection of in-situ, spontaneous recordings – Tyyni feels like a slowly unfurling mediation on the clash between nature and mechanical living, a rumination on the complexities of modern life that begin to unveil more about the inner landscape of the artist as it progresses. A Finnish word referring to still, serene weather, the title belies a new note of turmoil in Cucina Povera’s soundworld. Tyyni represents a more detailed focus on the sculpting of sounds that curl around Rossi’s hymnal vocal performances. It’s a more adventurous work than Rossi’s previous output that goes further into noise elements and vocal abstraction while maintaining the balance and ecclesiastical ecstasy of her debut Hilja.
Legowelt – Tips For Life [NW023] FREE DOWNLOAD
Recorded at the North Sea Institute for the Overmind in Scheveningen Holland.
“Yesterday I released a free/pay-what-you-want album on Bandcamp called TIPS FOR LIFE to hopefully brighten your days up a bit. Its Nightwind Records NW023 and its got 12 tracks on it ranging from Slowjam Memphis Rapbeats to Poldertechno and everything in between” – Legowelt
Aural Indifference – The Sound of Indifference [MW071]
Minimal Wave presents The Sound of Indifference, a rare cassette released in 1981 by Aural Indifference. Aural Indifference was a post-punk studio collective from Sydney, Australia. The two principal members were Brian Spencer Hall (the M Squared in house producer) and Kevin Purdy. The cassette album, The Sound of Indifference, was released in 1981, featuring tracks such as “Theme”, “Park, and “Man Am I Progressive”. Their sound ranges from minimal synth, to post-punk to quirky guitar-driven electronic folk music, some of it resembling John Maus. “Theme” appeared as the closing track on The Minimal Wave Tapes: Volume Two compilation and “The Park” appeared on The Bedroom Tapes compilation.
Sleeparchive – Trust [TRESOR316]
Throughout his career, Roger Semsroth has followed a deep intuition for experimentation in sound, wrapping club music around eerie microtonal motifs and industrial sensibilities. This new work for Tresor takes a step forward, as the first true techno album from Sleeparchive, where his previous LPs have exhibited themselves more conceptually, or under di erent names and his Nord Vest label. Semsroth has been active in electronic music since the late 90s. He received initial attention first for his electro productions under the alias Skanfrom and the 80s minimal synth inspired Television Set. These projects echoed his love for these sounds, which the East Berliner had steadily immersed himself with after the end of the GDR. Upon hearing the bleeps of Mika Vainio and Plastikman, he began to engage with his strain of techno. Over the last decade, he has focused on his Sleeparchive alias, which dates back to 2004. Alongside close friend DJ Pete, he performs live techno as TR-101. His relationship with Tresor began in 2011, first releasing the Ronan Point EP and following up with the crucial A Man Dies In The Street series in 2013. With this new album, Sleeparchive’s impact on the techno sound is ever more relevant. Awaking in constant locomotion, locked-in, unrelenting and dry. Sleeparchive’s churning loops etch visions of tight minimalism at times densely frenetic and others serenely galactic. This predilection continues throughout the four sides on the album, eschewing conventional arrangement styles with gradual probabilistic change. Tracks such as ‘Needle’ and ‘Peccant’ o er up precise, sinewy techno. ‘Leave’ recalls the Detroit sound of Terrence Dixon, with its cascading synth tones and droning atmospheres. The album closes with a di erent version of ‘Trust’ to that found on last year’s Revised Recordings EP released on Tresor, with its now-familiar nerve-inducing pizzicato strings even more at the fore with its mechanic delivery.
D.K. – The Goddess Is Dancing [GMV05]
Pivotal Parisian producer Dang-Khoa Chau aka D.K. pays sublime tribute to ancient Vietnamese spirit possession ritual, Hau Dong, on a fresh first vinyl edition of his 2019 cassette for Good Morning Tapes. ‘Goddess Is Dancing’ is a 40 minute trip that revolves around a handful of pieces of lilting, thmelodic percussion and aqueous atmosphere expressing D.K.’s imaginary interpretation of music used in Vietnamese ritual music. It unfolds as a ceremony in five parts honouring the mystical goddesses of Forest, Water and Heaven, with music both relaxing and energising in a way that’s intended to aid dancers’ transmogrification from human vessels into spirited beings.
Versalife – Manifold [VIS320]
Following two well received releases on 20/20 Vision – ‘Machine Life’ & ‘Asimov’s Code’ Versalife returns to the label with his latest album ‘Manifold’ serving up futuristic electro with signature emotive synth work to trigger the imagination. The Dutch producer Boris Bunnik aka Conforce continues his dystopian journey with auditory echoes of a cosmic abyss. Peppered with moody tones, deep bass lines and robotic funk, ‘Manifold’ navigates the future landscape in true Versalife fashion.
