Since first joining forces in 2014, hardware freak Parrish Smith and former punk activist Mark van de Maat (founder of Amsterdam’s admirable Knekelhuis label) have earned a reputation for delivering the kind of incendiary live shows that were once the preserve of British multi-media mavericks such as Cabaret Voltaire and Throbbing Gristle. Mutilating and manipulating their songs on the fly, Volition Immanent takes no prisoners in pursuit of artistic expression.
To celebrate New Flesh Records 20th release to date, French veteran DJ Umwelt returns to his own label with a new LP. Built like the soundtrack of a dystopian movie where main characters evolve in a hopeless future, Sci-Fi ‘Abandon In Place’ delivers no less than height cinematic masterpieces half-way between electro and ambient registers. From the menacing sirens of opener ‘Void Of Nothingness’ to the melancholic synths of closing ‘Galactic Wreck’, passing through the Blade Runnerish vision of ‘Celestial Matter’, this soulful album depicts nothing but the extinction of mankind in a ending world. Besides its terrific message, ‘Abandon In Place’ showcases the unlimited talent and incredible versatility of Umwelt, a mighty producer able to split from the most cutting edge music on New Flesh Records to a more radical, straight to the dancefloor approach on Rave Or Die. A gloomy journey through apocalyptic tones, slow yet deep basslines, industrial touches, cold and un- compromising emotions. Umwelt’s most forward thinking opus to date sum up in once sentence: “By the end of the day, all is dust”.
Over the last decade the work of Cosmin Nicolae has been a cresting force of forward thinking electronic music. His TRG alias formed the inaugurate release on the peerless Hessle Audio. In essence he forms an important part of the story of the cross pollination of UK bass’ music with techno and his hard work and craft has seen him maintain his fixture as a sought after talent, both producing and as a DJ. One element which always amplified his work beyond that of many other peers is Cosmin’s dedication to crafting interesting sound from scratch, a process which precedes his production and has it roots in home-brewed experimentation with instruments, electro-acoustic process and improvisation. With this debut release under his actual name, Opal Tapes has provided a space for Cosmin to have free reign to display another, looser and more experimental side of his repertoire. In many ways, an impossible album to classify, it feels as if it’s creating itself a points. The ideas therein are the genesis of so many fully functional’ songs but hearing them like this brings us so much closer to someone else’s mind and fingertips.
Camelot Arcade is the new triple LP from Ceephax Acid Crew on WeMe Records. 13 tracks of Camelot goodness with all the feeling and melodies we’ve come to expect from Ceephax and his collection of classic electronic hardware. The tracks range from the easy listening sound of Phraxby to the baroque dancefloor pump of Camelot Escalator, to the trap-esque cyber feel of Yodecahedron and the Detroit moodiness of The Green Night. Creon Happy and Trusthouse Forte have an upbeat classical feel (backed up of course by Ceephax’s favourite Roland drum machines.) While Path to the None and Shadowphax Part I&II are more dark in spirit. A lot of the tracks such as Life Started Tomorrow and The Great Greatsby were born randomly of quick jams with live keyboard playing and the album has an organic feel to it which a lot of the more formulaic electronic music lacks. All in all Camelot Arcade is a wonderful breath of fresh air and is sure to go down in history as one of Ceephax’s best.
Oscar Mulero presents: ‘Perfect Peace’. Don’t expect dancefloor burners here, this time the spanish techno master goes deep and low, exploring sonic textures, low BPM grooves and the intelligent side of electronic music. Melodies, pads, drones and grooves collide in this soulful collection, conceived to be listened as a soundtrack. Oscar is not new to this sounds, in his Grey Fades To Green or Muscle and Mind albums he showcased his abilities in this field as well as with his Av projects Biolive and Monochrome. A new step in Oscar Mulero’s ever growing career, showing his studio skills and music taste, far beyond his role as a fundamental techno dj.
DsorDNE (pronounced Disordine) is a project from Torino, Italy that evolved as group out of the electronic experimental post punk project Novostj in 1987. At the core of DsorDNE is Marco Milanesio, musical engineer and co-founder of the HAX record label, joined by a revolving cast of musicians. Their spectrum ranged from experimental to structured electro-poetry and Soundtrack like instrumental electronic music. In 1987 they released their first track on a split-single with The Legendary Pink Dots. Between 1987 and 1994 they released 6 full length albums, 3 split-EPs and appeared on various cassette compilations. Ã Un Sole (Itâs a Sun) was the groupâs only vinyl full length originally released in 1990 on HAX. Itâs 8 tracks of electro-beat poetry and experimentation recorded between July 1989 and January 1990 by Marco Milanesio (music) and Roberta Ongaro (vocals) with guests Claudio Burdese (guitar), Danilo Beltrame (guitar) and Cristiana Bauducco (vocals). The album is broken up into two distinct halves. Side A contains four chunks of hard hitting, percussive patterns and rushing bass sequences. Dark, moody female vocals force their monologues through the machinery in their native Italian tongue. The traditional song structure is carefully avoided by giving lyrics equal opportunities be they recited, half-sung, whispered or spoken. Side B displays moodier moments, less savage attacks and subtler sensuality, veering towards the more melodic and existential.
Andrea Noce aka Eva Geist is back with his second album to date, and what clearly makes for a magical companion to 2016’s comparatively murkier Aquator System cassette. Noce returns via Sascha Mambo’s Macadam Mambo imprint, unleashing a flurry of outsider sonics and no-wave vibes thanks to this new Desfan LP. The nine tracks glide with pace and style, ranging form the docile bleeps and pseudo beats of tunes like “Electronic Tribalism” to relatively more ‘dance-friendly’ tunes like “Prologo” or “Nigredo”. It’s hard to put our finger on what makes Noce’s music so singular, but it must have something to do with the artist’s fascination with the Levant – a distant yet perceptible vibe that seeps through all of these tunes.
“Das Heise Experiment 2″ marks the 6th album of The Exaltics. Lovely presented on double 10” vinyl with full cover artwork from non other than the mighty Godspill, who also designed the pre release of this album with an amazing looking shape picture disc. To hold things special the guys from Solar One Music put a full comic with the story of “Das Heise Experiment” in each record. The music ranges from dark experimental techno, electro, ambient and soundtrackish nightmares which goes perfect with the story of the comic. Also Gerald Donald collaborates with The Exaltics for one track , which is one of the highlights of the album. This music is nothing for the club its much more, a complete story to feel. Turn your headphones on and dive into the world of aliens, scientists and distant gallaxies.
A new colossal star rises in the twilight of funky soul jazz as Ernie Hawks aka Erno Haukkala releases his debut album ”Scorpio Man” on Timmion Records. The impressive trombonist/flutist, is known to hold no punches, when performing live in the ranks of The Soul Investigators. Here he delivers a fierce selection of S.O.U.L. and Cymande flavored instrumentals that also bring to mind some of the finest sample-fodder library music. The album’s name, ”Scorpio Man” might come from the stinging and slightly intimidating style Hawks handles the trombone slide, known to pierce the hearts and souls of the ladies in the front row during his live performances. On this album, Ernie rides to battle equipped only with the flute, but this does not mean we will be exposed to some smooth jazz snooze fest. Rather Ernie handles his instrument with muscular rawness at times and moody ambiance at others, sliding with ease into any groove that the extended Soul Investigators band lays down. ”Scorpio Man” is no one trick pony, and the listener will be shifted around from the exhilarating psych funk of ”Scorpio Walk” all the way to the airy moods of ”Street of Tears”. Take a chance with the Scorpio Man, his sting will give you a funky high much better than what they sell in the streets.
Strut and Art Yard present another exclusive from the vast catalogue of cosmic jazz pioneer Sun Ra: a previously unreleased radio session most likely recorded at the WXPN FM radio studios in Philadelphia, 1974-5. This newly discovered session features a new version of Ra’s earlier ‘Island In The Sun’, a romping, raucous rendition of ‘Unmask The Batman’ and the first studio recording of ‘I’ll Wait For You’ There is no bass player on the sessions and Ra’s left hand beats out a rhythmic bass pattern on the piano. All tracks are remastered directly from the original tapes. The album package features a newly commissioned painting by legendary Bristol urban artist Guy Denning and new sleeve notes by Paul Griffiths. Recently discovered in the Sun Ra archive, the recording forms part of a series of sessions that Ra and the Arkestra recorded for WXPN-FM between 1974 and 1980.
Answer Code Request returns with his sophomore album Gens on Ostgut Ton, entering darker but equally bass-heavy territory. Today the musical vision offered by Berghain resident Answer Code Request, real name Patrick Gräser, has proved far-sighted. While at first glance electronic music in 2018 seems increasingly balkanized, borders between genres have once again become fuzzier. Now, on his follow up LP Gens, Gräser looks beyond the bass euphoria of Code toward darker horizons and a desolate atmosphere befitting of current global circumstances. It’s electronic music free from genre constraints – one where a broad palette of broken rhythms, varying speeds, different colors and sound design draws listeners into a synthesized world of its own.
Original Soundtrack to ‘Summer’s Over’ (2017).
Boris Bunnik is no stranger in the world of electronic music. Fauxpas Musik welcomes him for a new project called Severnaya. Originally hailing from the Island of Terschelling. the most Northern and remote part of the Netherlands he now made a piece of music dedicated to this special place. Severnaya means north in Russian and refers to the bright frozen landscapes of the northern archipels. Boris often plays with the influences and elements of ambient in his music. If we have to believe the man himself. Polar Skies is his most personal sound trajectory to come from his mind. Drum programming is scarce and what remains is a lush and profound listening experience floating on scapes and melodies. Things sound spacious and life is at ease in these melancholic compositions. Crispy crackling percussions and icey pads place you in the midst of a resonant arctic landscape. The tracks were composed over a couple of years (2015-2017) in a more contemplative mindset.
Danny Wolfers AKA Legowelt AKA the maestro Franz Falckenhaus presents the next Giallo Disco. The obscure, previously CDR only side project Franz Falckenhaus has stood out for many of us as one of Mr Wolfer’s most accomplished works. Full on VHS grained Cold War paranoia. Like if Fulci directed a Bond movie starring Udo Keir and Edwige Fenech. Shades of Fabio Frizzi, Minimal Synth and Aphex Twin, all combine for this cinematic masterpiece. Culled from the three CDs originally released on Strange Life Records, it is with immense pride that we provide this collection for the first time on vinyl, lovingly remastered with exceptional new art by the one and only Eric A. Lee.
For the first time since 2016, Jamal Moss has pitched up on Soul Jazz with a typically eccentric and mind-altering full-length excursion. As you’d expect, The Red Room is another triumph – an inspirational collection of otherworldly and melodious cuts that effortlessly combine elements from Moss’s many major inspirations. One minute, you’re wigging out to his jacking, piano-heavy fusion of gospel house and synth-jazz (“The Seduction Syndrome”), the next he’s laying down a chunk of deep space ambient with Terry Riley synthesizer cycles (“Awake and Energize”).
The Amazon Club is back on Voodoo Gold Records with a 10 track release. Loaded with their signature, hazy tropical funk and disco rhythms, this follow-up from their last years debut will take you back on a trip to the sultry hideout of our worlds greatest paradise.
One of the most pivotal figures in the history of Malian music is Sorry Bamba. His work spans five decades and his music bridges the gap between Mali’s cultural traditions and new the music which arose from the musical cross overs which occurred in Mali’s post-Colonial period. Bamba was born in 1938 in Mopti. This is dissected by both the Niger and Bani rivers and known for its rich cultural diversity. Bamba’s father was a distinguished veteran of Emperor Samory Toure’s military and a nobleman in Malian society; however, this meant young Sorry was forbidden to make music, as under the nation’s caste system, music was an art form reserved for the Griots. At the age of 10, Sorry’s parents died and in traumatic times that followed the young teen found solace in music. He first taught himself to play am African six-holed flute. As he progressed he began to absorbed the rich tapestry of music of his surroundings; traditional Malian music, highlife from Ghana, local accordion master Toumani Toure, European singers and musicians. In 1957 Sorry formed his first band, Group Goumbe, named after a popular Ivory Coast dance style. In 1960 Mali gained independence from France, Bamba and his group benefited from a new openness toward local music on the state-run radio network Radio Mali. Sorry then went on to form two award-winning, further collectives Bani Jazz and later the Kanaga Orchestra. They fused Latin jazz, Western R&B, Psychedelic and funk, and traditional Malian styles made them a favourite in Mali and beyond.
Steve Parker’ continues to raise awareness off what he can do in the scene. This ”Interplanetary Dust LP” is another example of what he is capable of. A 2×12” containing 8 powerful tracks that fits right into the resume of our widely ranged techno collection.
Seven years ago, Unbalance created his own label as a base for his musical ideas; a platform to play around with the conception of what ”techno” is and would be alongside his own creative progression. Come to present day and the label is now at its ninth release, reaching a point where the line of accumulated experiences must be drawn in the sand — and the experiences of previous projects and releases lead to venerable conclusion. Enter Ten, an album of internalized strife that was created during a period of big changes in the artist’s life. Between enduring personal experiences, his creative output veering between his straightforward club eccentricities and subdural sensibilities; Unbalance cultivates a symbiotic link between sounds played and sounds portrayed — whilst paying tribute to the essence of groove, vibration and the hypnotic unknown that exists to balance the scales. This album will be the final point in the label’s journey into the depths of multifaceted techno music.
Body Music LP produced by a man who needs little introduction. Thomas P. Heckmann has flexed his prowess across all shades of electronic music, but it’s his contributions to EBM-techno, acid, industrial, and experimental that has earned him his notoriety. Heckmann has utilised 30 years worth of acquired knowledge to create a hard-hitting album which bears all the grit he is known for – harmonising analogue and digital wares to create an utterly immersive 14 track album.
The Hipodrome Of Music 