OK:KO – Syrtti [WJLP11]

March 3, 2019November 7, 2020 hipodromealbum, jazz, ok:ko, okko saastamoinen, we jazz recordsLeave a comment

OK:KO is a fresh quartet from Helsinki led by drummer Okko Saastamoinen. The band’s spiritual and searching sound is characterized by their highly personal musical language and genuine teamwork, honed by continuous touring in between the band’s 2017 debut and their second album “Syrtti”, released on Helsinki’s We Jazz Records. The OK:KO band sound has its origins on the spiritual pool of jazz, historically speaking, but the band brings forth a strong personal musical statement thanks to Okko Saastamoinen’s memorable compositions and each musician’s ability to bring their own vocabulary into the common musical language. Already a live favourite on the local scene, on “Syrtti” OK:KO shows that it’s not a band of mere promise any longer – they deliver in the here and now.

Bartosz Kruczynski & Poly Chain – Pulses [ITLINTL02]

March 2, 2019March 1, 2019 hipodromealbum, ambient, bartosz kruczynski, experimental, into the light records, poly chain, sasha zakrevskaLeave a comment

For the second instance in their international parallel series, Into The Light Records treat us with seven lush, rich and warm recordings by currently Warsaw-based producers Sasha Zakrevska (Poly Chain) and Bartosz Kruczynski. Soon after releasing their debut albums – Baltic Beat’ and ‘Music For Candy Shops’ – and realizing similar interests and traits in their solo music, Zakrevska and Kruczynski sketched out a plan for an album and live performance. The record is to a large extent fashioned after the show, with most of the tracks performed live and edited down. ’Pulses’ is a result of hours spent in studio with a minimal set-up of Prophet ’08, Moog Sub 37 and Korg Minilogue; The work present their mutual attraction to minimal synth, repetitive arpeggios and drone music. A perfect blend of poly-rhythmic patterns, ambient textures and beat-less acid moments by one of the most fresh and unique collaborations.

Klein Volk – Gulden Onversneden LP [KORTDAG001]

March 2, 2019March 3, 2019 hipodromealbum, ambient, experimental, klein volk, kort dagLeave a comment

‘Gulden Onversneden’ is the out-of-the-blue debut of Klein Volk, a cozy quatre-mains that used to brighten up birthdays and bedroom parties before it all got out of hand. The ten tracks of ‘Gulden Onversneden’ capture Klein Volk’s cherished naïveté during the drawling heatwave days of June 2018, when the world cup frenzy ravaged the streets, squares and minds of tiny Belgium – a brief window in time that diffracted everything unwaveringly into black, yellow and red.

Dark Star – Mix Tape 1989-1991 LP [DUBITO005]

February 28, 2019March 1, 2019 hipodromealbum, chainsaw, dark star, dub ito, industrial, post punk, synth wave, wolfgang reffertLeave a comment

Claudio Mate and Francesco Mazzocco introduce the 5th release of Dub-ito, a selection from Wolfgang Reffert’s project, from the end of the 80’s, Dark Star. ‘Mix Tape 1989 -1991’ is a exclusive collection of Dark Star past tapes works. Dark atmosphere influenced by Post Punk , EBM, Noise, Industrial, it’s Wolfgang’s trademark in over 30 years of career, which makes his debut on vinyl.

Stanislav Tolkachev – It Will Be Too Late Then [KRL012]

February 26, 2019February 25, 2019 hipodromealbum, krill music, stanislav tolkachev, technoLeave a comment

Stanislav Tolkachev is releasing a new double-LP through Krill Music called “It Will Be Too Late Then”. The Ukrainian techno artist says he made the album by assembling tracks recorded over a three-year period, and he notes somewhat cryptically, ”I think this record represents a phase.” As with most of Tolkachev’s releases, the album will feature his own visual art on the cover. He previously appeared on Krill Music with a track on a sampler 12-inch nearly two years ago. Krill Music, a Berlin-based label originally founded six years ago in Buenos Aires, is having it pressed in Argentina to support ”the growth of the Latin American vinyl industry.”

Efdemin – New Atlantis [OSTGUTLP031]

February 26, 2019February 25, 2019 hipodromealbum, ambient techno, efdemin, experimental, ostgut ton, phillip sollmann, technoLeave a comment

“New Atlantis” is the fourth full-length album by longtime Berghain resident Efdemin aka Phillip Sollmann. Long drawn to utopian musical traditions, Sollmann took inspiration for New Atlantis from Francis Bacon’s unfinished 17th century novel of the same name, which describes a fictional island devoted to social progress through the synthesis of art, science, technology and fashion. In the story, Bacon imagines futuristic ‘sound houses’, which contain musical instruments capable of recreating the entirety of the sounds of the universe; a 400-year-old prophesy of today’s digital sonic reality. Over eight tracks, “New Atlantis” oscillates between fast, kaleidoscopic techno, multilayered drones and acoustic instrumentation, fusing for the first time Sollmann’s deep dancefloor productions as Efdemin with his sound art and experimental music projects.

Santiago – Western Vices LP [PS004]

February 25, 2019February 25, 2019 hipodromealbum, electro, industrial, private selection records, santiago, santiago leyba, technoLeave a comment

Private Selection’s first full length LP comes in blistering form from Santiago Leyba. Recorded in L.A. and his hometown of Albuquerque, New Mexico, the songs on ‘Western Vices’ are a reaction to some of the bleaker circumstances that exist in these places. Not unlike Santiago’s past work, this music reflects the paranoid and altered states that some people live in as a result of their surroundings. It lies in contrast to escapism and revels in dreadful realities to bring to life a highly rhythmic, woozy and disenchanted collection of tracks. The 12 songs are named after characters, landmarks and phrases associated with L.A. and Albuquerque, acting as reference points for the dialogue of sounds that hold them together. Santiago Leyba has been producing music as a solo artist and in collaborative affairs since 2010. Raised in New Mexico, he currently lives and works in New York City. Leyba has recorded and performed most recently as Santiago (Unknown Precept, Private Selection Records), Western Versions (Pastel Voids), and U.S. Hard (Pastel Voids, Blankstairs).

Jeremiah R – Far Away from Everything [VG008]

February 23, 2019February 21, 2019 hipodromealbum, detroit, electro, jeremiah r., techno, voodoo gold recordsLeave a comment

Jeremiah R is back again on Voodoo Gold with a collection of intergalactic machine funk tracks.

Yoshimi Ueno – Taiko No Uminari [STUDIOMULE14]

February 17, 2019February 15, 2019 hipodromealbum, jazz, johnny's disk record, mule musiq, re-release, reissue, studio mule, yoshimi uenoLeave a comment

Johnny’s Disk Record is an independent jazz label run by the owner of jazz cafe Kaiunbashi No Johnny located in Rikuzentakata city in Iwate prefecture, Japan. The legendary label released a string of albums of high quality but down-to-earth music, spanning from modern jazz, avant-garde jazz to left-field pop. This is the only solo record drummer Yoshimi Ueno released before passing.

Ruins – Occasional Visits [STREP-023]

February 13, 2019October 24, 2019 hipodromealbum, alessandro pizzin, electro, minimal synth, piergiuseppe ciranna, ruins, stroom, synth popLeave a comment

Stroom’s valentine special for 2019. ”Lovely” Electro / Wave from Venice, Italy (1981-1984).

Jonny Nash – Make A Wilderness [MFM037]

February 10, 2019October 22, 2020 hipodromealbum, ambient, experimental, jonny nash, music from memoryLeave a comment

‘This album was created over the course of 2017-2018 and is heavily influenced by descriptions of landscape and environment in the work of authors Shusaku Endo, J.G. Ballard and Cormac McCarthy. Fragments from a land that is a largely silent place. An ancient place. A non-place. A wilderness.’

Not Waving – Futuro (Music For The Waldorf Project) [ELP040]

February 10, 2019December 8, 2019 hipodromealbum, alessio natalizia, ambient, ecstatic recordings, electronics, experimental, not wavingLeave a comment

‘Futuro’ is Not Waving’s sublime synth/ambient soundtrack to one of the world’s most intense art/theatre experiences: Sean Rogg’s radical immersive artwork ‘The Waldorf Project’ – fusing choreography, spatial design, music and performance into a cohesive experience.

DYL – Sonder LP [PLOST002]

February 10, 2019January 7, 2020 hipodromealbum, ambient, aura jae, dyl, eduard costea, experimental, paradise lost recordings, romanianLeave a comment

“Sonder” is DYL’s second album, the first on vinyl and features 6 dark ambient tracks. This album is an open-ended story, which is edgy, dystopic and often disharmonic while progressing sonically throughout.

Robert Hood – Internal Empire [TRESOR27LP]

February 9, 2019May 5, 2026 hipodromealbum, detroit techno, minimal techno, re-release, reissue, robert hood, tresor recordsLeave a comment

Originally released in 1994, Tresor Records is proud to announce the reissue of Robert Hood’s ”Internal Empire”. A masterwork, then and now. ”Internal Empire” marks a point of transition for Robert Hood moving on from his previous collaborations within Underground Resistance. Robert Hood advanced uncovering the power of true minimalism. Deep soul through a simplicity that showed how much could be done with so little. The devastating rhythms of this album forge the unmatched spirit of this sound, influencing generations to come.

Droids – Star Peace [MJJ392LP]

February 5, 2019February 4, 2019 hipodromealbum, disco, droids, electro, italo-disco, klimt, re-release, reissue, yves hayatLeave a comment

The first and the only album by Droids, “Star Peace” is a fascinating music exploration of the outer space conceived by the brilliant mind of one of the protagonists of the French disco scene, Yves Hayat. “Star Peace” came out – years ahead of its time – in 1979, and it’s a magisterial blend of groovy, funky, and electrojazz sounds mixed with an old-school analogue touch. A cosmic disco gem featuring the proto-techno essential, ‘Shanti Dance’, the space synth classic “(Do You Have) The Force”, and the album’s killer piece, “Tchoung Fou”.

Alpha Stone – Stereophonic Pop Art Music [HNALP002]

February 3, 2019July 21, 2023 hipodromealbum, alpha stone, bomp! records, hoga nord rekords, pete bain, psych rock, psychedelicLeave a comment

Pete ‘Bassman’ Bain, one of the founding members of the UK cult psych rock band Spacemen 3, formed Alpha Stone after Spacemen 3 and his other band The Darkside split up in the mid-nineties. In 1996 the band recorded the album ‘Stereophonic Pop Art Music’ and it was released on Bomp! Records on Compact Disc. The album hasn’t had a ‘proper’ vinyl release until now, 2018, when Hoga Nord Rekords continues their collaboration with Pete Bassman by releasing the album. You can clearly hear that Pete Bassman was the driving force behind Alpha Stone; fuzz, synthesiser -sweeps, programmed drums and processed vocals are the cornerstones in Alpha Stone’s sound. Raga-like mantras, heard in Farmer C, lies track to track with more percussion driven grooves and psychedelic pop oriented songs. The album’s sound has obviously survived the 20+ years shelved in obscurity and proves the ‘Drugby’ sound still vital! It’s always hard to sum up a bands particular sound in a few words, but you could say that if you put guitar and bass, synthesisers, a drum machine, and Julian Copes record collection in the hands of an alien, you’ve got Alpha Stone.

Akofa Akoussah – Akofa Akoussah [MRBLP174]

February 2, 2019August 30, 2023 hipodromeafrican, akofa akoussah, album, funk, mr bongo, outernational, re-release, reissue, sonafric, soulLeave a comment

Rich, deep, percussive soulful folk album from master Togolese singer, Akofa Akoussah. The album moves through uptempo afro-folk-funk on ‘Tango’ to deep ballads of ‘Ramer Sans Rame’ and ‘I Tcho Tchass’ and lighter moments on ‘G Blem Di’ and ‘Mitso Aseye’. Akofa’s exceptional songs and soaring vocals are decorated with percussion, guitar lines, subtle backing vocals and horns to create a unique, rich sonic. The album was recorded for release by French label Sonafric in 1976.

Mikron – Severance [CPU01000110]

February 1, 2019February 16, 2023 hipodromeacid, album, ambient, central processing unit, electro, mikronLeave a comment

Mikron return to CPU with their second album ‘Severance’. The Corcoran brothers refine their critically acclaimed sound which has evolved to be more haunting than the last release. This album is a nostalgic affair with synthetic landscapes washing over you, before propelling you into the distant future. The ambient moments draw parallels with Boards of Canada, Burial and Selected Ambient Works Vol. 2.

Tzusing – A Name Out Of Place Collected [LIES115]

January 31, 2019April 12, 2019 hipodromealbum, electro, industrial, l.i.e.s., long island electrical systems, techno, tzusingLeave a comment

Triple 12″ retrospective compilation of Tzusing’s first three now out of print EPs on L.I.E.S. spanning 2014-2016. These were the precursor to his celebrated debut LP – they’ve now re-cut and pressed in the United States. Available in limited quantities featuring classics 4 Floors of Whores, 1976, and Face of Electric, among others. Modern “World Industrial” music for the clubs.

Martina Lussi – Diffusion Is A Force [LTNC016]

January 27, 2019January 23, 2019 hipodromealbum, ambient, experimental, latency recordings, martina lussiLeave a comment

Martina Lussi’s second album fuses together disparate sound sources with a disorienting quality that reflects the modern climate of dispersion and distraction. The Lucerne, Switzerland- based sound artist released her debut album ‘Selected Ambient’ on Hallow Ground in 2017, and now comes to Latency with a bold new set of themes and processes. The range of tools at her disposal spans field recordings, processed instrumentation, synthesised elements and snatches of human expression. The guitar is a recurring figure, subjected to a variety of treatments from heavy, sustained distortion to clean, pealing notes. Elsewhere the sound of sports crowds and choral singing merge, and patient beds of drones and noise melt into the sounds of industry and mechanics. The track titles manifest as a compositional game of deception complete with innuendos, empty phrases and claims – flirtations with perfume names and ironic assertions. From the volatile geopolitical climate to the changing nature of music consumption in the face of streaming and digital access, ‘Diffusion is a Force’ is a reflection on fractured times where familiar modes and models change their meaning with the ever-quickening pace of communication.