Lebanon Hanover ‎– Let Them Be Alien [FP024]

August 4, 2018December 25, 2018 hipodromealbum, cold wave, dark wave, fabrika records, lebanon hanover, post punk, synth pop, waveLeave a comment

It’s been almost six years since the release of the band’s critically-acclaimed debut album “The World Is Getting Colder”. Since then the half Brit-half German duo have established themselves as one of the most powerful and successful genre-defining acts throughout Europe, scoring 5 heart-throbbing albums and numerous performances all around the world, making them one of the most successful bands of the cold wave / minimal wave scene. Lebanon Hanover’s the 5th album “Let Them Be Alien” is available via Fabrika Records. Exploring the sonic and emotional range that the audience have learned to expect from Lebanon Hanover, “Let Them Be Alien” is built up in emotional vocals, liquid chords, dramatic keys, and distorted digital waves where the duo recalls the eerie clouds of industrial and goth 1980’s. The album depicts the dark honesty and profound feelings of two alienated personas with true romantic hearts yet feeling socially unrest. In each track, William and Larissa tell a different story which will sweep the audience through a deep, conscious, continual and wistful trip, and ultimately keep them anchored in feelings.

Helena Hauff – Qualm [ZEN253]

August 3, 2018August 3, 2018 hipodromeacid, album, electro, experimental, helena hauff, ninja tune, technoLeave a comment

Qualm has a duality that Helena Hauff enjoys – The German word translates as fumes or smoke, whilst the English meaning refers to an uneasy feeling of doubt, worry, or fear, especially about one’s own conduct. True to form, the record is unapologetically raw and finds Helena returning to her original modus operandi – jamming on her machines, trying to create something powerful without using too many instruments and layers. By design, the 12 tracks are raw, distorted and lo-fi, with Hauff peppering heavyweight, redlined drum machine beats – think wayward Chicago jack, laidback electro and nails techno – with a mixture of razor-sharp acid lines, moody industrial textures and drowsy chords. The clattering intensity of the album’s dancefloor moments is in sharp contrast to the creepy and evocative, soundtrack style electronic soundscapes showcased elsewhere on the album. These – ambient in ethos, but more experimental in tone – are frequently amongst the set’s most inspired moments.

Broken English Club – White Rats [LIES120]

August 1, 2018April 12, 2019 hipodromeacid, album, broken english club, industrial, l.i.e.s., long island electrical systems, oliver ho, technoLeave a comment

L.I.E.S. presents the first part of Broken English Club new album trilogy, White Rats. Following on from last years The English Beach, White Rats is described as, “a collection of caustic and absurd portraits of the human animal”. Oliver Ho continues to push his industrial influenced sound with metallic acid tracks, guitar noise/drone experiments and heavy synth wave once again with this nine track release. White Rats part 2 and 3 will surface in 2019.

The Conservatives – Terrorama [V007]

July 29, 2018March 25, 2019 hipodromealbum, ambient, electro, experimental, i-f, intergalactic gary, interr-ference, the conservatives, viewlexxLeave a comment

Olds friends I-F and Intergalactic Gary revisit old material from their longtime alias The Conservatives. Appearing first time on vinyl. The film tells the story of six mental cases, trying to get rid of society’s norms and values by kidnapping, a well-known TV host. Delivering the soundtrack, The Conservatives (I-F & Intergalatic Gary) are setting down the perfect mood for this cult classic.

Max Vincent – Beograd [DCM006]

July 26, 2018July 25, 2018 hipodromealbum, discom, max & intro, max vincent, minimal synth, new wave, synth popLeave a comment

One of the biggest sampling innovators and the pioneer of electronic music in Eastern Europe, Max Vincent initially played in Belgrade’s Max & Intro band. “Beograd” is a lost LP album which consists of 8 previously unreleased tracks made in period 1986-1999 which Max wanted to use in a single concept album. This is ultimately an intriguing album, dark, cloudy, with unpredictable solutions and transitions between rhythm, paths, synth textures, vocals and other layers. One of the records that every fan of the 80s electronic must have.

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Gavin Guthrie – The Totality [MR082]

July 24, 2018July 23, 2018 hipodromeacid, album, electro, gavin guthrie, medical records llc, synth waveLeave a comment

Medical Records present the 2nd full length album by Gavin Guthrie AKA TX Connect. Influenced by a diverse background of Italo, acid, horror soundtracks, industrial and EBM, Gavin crafts dance floor stompers using analog tools and tape. These 10 tracks could just as easily be the soundtrack to your next cerebral vacation.

747 – Paleo [AQR010]

July 22, 2018January 12, 2023 hipodrome747, acid, album, aquaregia records, ryan chan, technoLeave a comment

747’s Paleo is an essential acid collection of eight diverse tracks. Aquaregia’s first long playing release weaves through the different faces of acid on a time travelling trip through geological history. The journey begins with warm pads enveloping lush landscapes fringing the shallow. prehistoric seas where swarms of trilobites frenetically scurry. seeking to survive and evolve. Roiling subaquatic vulcanism rules the B side. a seeding ground for exotic crystals whose hexagonal points vie for space as the magma cools and the minerals speciate. We’re then taken further into the depths. where planispiral ammonoids swim in the pseudo-antigravity of the saline seas. And finally. closing out the excursion. we’re transported from ages past. through the fleeting present into the future. to a warming ocean with disrupted ecosystems and unpredictable currents. the effect of a morphing climate.

Dan Curtin – The Silicon Dawn [PF018]

July 21, 2018July 18, 2018 hipodromealbum, dan curtin, detroit techno, minimal techno, peacefrog records, re-release, reissueLeave a comment

Reissue of the legendary debut album “The Silicon Dawn” by the US producer Dan Curtin, which appeared in 1994 on Peacefrog. In the best Detroit-style, Curtin managed to set melodies and harmonic levels over complex percussion, which at that time in an innovative way broke the usual techno standard.

Aura (Aspiritual Emanation) – Spiritual Conection [DWAPS2003]

July 15, 2018August 30, 2023 hipodromeafrican, afrodisia, album, aura, funk, outernational, re-release, reissueLeave a comment

The unseen forces emitting out around ever being natures forces of destiny. Belief itself is God. AURA’s journey could be best described as a spiritual call to connect man and music. Each new day brought in new and more difficult problems. In the hardest of times Aura lost their original lead guitarist. Green-Bird real name Dannie Stewart – a Jamaican, humble, handsome, and talented to the bones. He was too nice to die. He was drowned in a river within the historical city of Benin. All friendly hearts cried and cried, a memory too sad to recollect. Aura’s journey sorrowly went along. Full of accedents, and frustration. We nearly crash-landed. Thanks to Sheila, for her love and courage. Uzo, a true frendship that inspired every-body in Aura. He solved so many problems. Gratitude is the only word of our choice. The Lawsons and the Shotade family also have their very noble thanks; they were nice and helpful. Many more thanks to the numerous friends and heart-felt appriciations to Mr. J. H. Booth – Decca’s new Director for his kindness and the entire staff that made this great 8 track maiden stereo album possible. A solid belief in ourselves has pushed this group to this point; Aura making an ”Astral Trip”. This is an album which is a sincere sweet fruit of determination, soulful enough to turn you loose into true life experiences of good music. All I owe you is love and appreciation.

Super Elcados – Togetherness Is Always A Good Venture: Tambourine Party Vol. 2 [MRBLP163]

July 15, 2018August 30, 2023 hipodromeafrican, afrobeat, album, disco, funk, jazz, mr bongo, outernational, re-release, reissue, super elcadosLeave a comment

Mr Bongo’s latest full-length reissue is something of a gem: the near impossible-to-find 1976 debut album from the Super Elcados. It first appeared on EMI Nigeria, though in recent years original copies have become more rare than the hen’s teeth and a coherent government policy on Brexit. Listening to this fine re-mastered reissue, it’s easy to see why the album is so beloved by African soul, funk and disco collectors. While it does boast a clutch of tracks that wear their Afrobeat influence with pride, the majority of the album is far more funk and soul-fired in tone. Throughout, the playing and production is spot on, with plenty of killer percussion breaks dotted throughout for good measure. Nigerian fire!

John Coltrane – Both Directions At Once : The Lost Album [6749301]

July 15, 2018July 13, 2018 hipodromealbum, impulse records, jazz, john coltraneLeave a comment

On March 6, 1963, Coltrane and his Classic Quartet—including double bassist Jimmy Garrison, drummer Elvin Jones, and pianist McCoy Tyner—entered Van Gelder Studio in New Jersey and recorded a session that was lost for decades after its master tape was destroyed by Impulse Records to cut down on storage space. The seven tracks making up this album survived as a copy Coltrane gave to his wife. The standard issue of the album includes one recording of each track and expanded deluxe editions include multiple takes, including several of the title track from Impressions. The source tape was formerly in the possession of Coltrane’s first wife Juanita Naima. Van Gelder made a separate copy of Coltrane’s sessions for the saxophonist to listen at home. After the Guernsey’s auction house announced plans to sell Coltrane related artefacts in 2005, the record company intervened to prevent the sale of the tapes and acquired them. Coltrane’s son Ravi and studio executive Ken Druker assembled the final album with liner notes written by Sonny Rollins.

Donato Dozzy – Filo Loves The Acid [TRESOR303]

July 14, 2018July 13, 2018 hipodromeacid, album, donato dozzy, techno, tresor recordsLeave a comment

For its 303rd release, Tresor Records present a commissioned work by Donato Dozzy. The Rome based production maestro and DJ extraordinaire Donato Dozzy is unanimously considered as an illustrious leading light in all techno artforms. Along his long career and extensive discography, Dozzy has proven to use his instruments most interesting ways, always re-inventing his music, always presenting new approaches to both the deeper and the more rhythmic forms of electronic music. It was self-evident to Tresor Records to enroll Donato Dozzy’s talents for this assignment, a nod to the seminal Roland TB-303 bass synthesizer. The result is a relentless collection of radical, propulsive and bleeding-heart acid tracks. Donato Dozzy wishes to dedicate this work to his lifelong friend Filo.

Zmatsutsi – Hookep Up [MMLP1001]

July 13, 2018March 15, 2021 hipodromealbum, disco, heidi armitage, joe gill, macadam mambo, minimal synth, sacha mambo, synth pop, tim hutton, zmatsutsiLeave a comment

Discover the sex-appeal of Leeds with the trio Joe Gill, Heidi Armitage and Tim Hutton aka Zmatsutsi. They deliver on this mini-LP a mixture of s’mazing slow beats tracks, a bit like Rimini was meeting Dusseldorf in a Golf VR6. ‘Hooked Up’ is a hazy and psychedelic trip into druggy, slo-mo disco territory. Built around head-nodding drum machine rhythms, undulating arpeggio lines, trippy synthesizer motifs and breathy, poetic spoken word vocals, it’s a hugely atmospheric and enjoyable affair. There are occasional forays into more boogie-inspired territory, but even these outings tend towards the throbbing, pulsating and hypnotic. Of course, we expect little less from the inspired Macadam Mambo label, but we were still surprised by the dizzyingly high quality threshold throughout.

ENA – Bridge [FIELD027]

July 8, 2018July 7, 2018 hipodromealbum, ambient, ena, experimental, field records, yu asaedaLeave a comment

Dutch label Field Records is back with another special album project, this time from Japanese producer ENA aka Yu Asaeda. Bridge is an introspective soundtrack for a documentary also called Bridge – out this Spring – which is about the Dejima bridge, a reconstructed symbol of the Dutch-Japanese trading history in Nagasaki, Japan. The album finds the producer stepping outside of his usual remit of dark ambient and experimental music, and instead comprises ten shorter tracks that touch on abstract and rhythmic sounds that define the essence of Japanese culture. Although he has worked with the director before, this is ENA’s first Original Sound Track and finds him freely inspired by the movie and heading in exciting and unknown directions. Hugely atmospheric throughout, there is hypnotic repetition of sounds, strange audio design and a mixture of melancholic moods with more dreamy synths. Sometimes gloopy rhythms gently ripple beneath soothing harmonies and at others times a micro-rhythm appears through the constantly shifting and evolving found sound loops. It’s a compelling and unusual album that seamlessly mixes human emotions with a mechanical sense of industry.

Trux – Untitled [OFFICE13]

July 8, 2018July 7, 2018 hipodromealbum, ambient, experimental, lowtec, o$vmv$m, office recordings, truxLeave a comment

Trux’ second EP on Berlin based record label Office is a bow to the many outstanding moments in the history of Ambient music. Allusions to Brian Eno are just as recognisable as to the charming concepts of Pop Ambient or Clicks & Cuts. It’s between these poles that the four tracks on the a-side oscillate and manage to capture the listener with vibrant and diverse soundscapes. The flip side sees Trux drop a stunning melodic breakbeat tune besides remixes by Workshop’s premier Techno chef Lowtec as well as a freestyle Electronica version by O$VMV$M. The much loved Super Quiet tops the record artwork off with another remarkable example of his casual and airy black and white photography.

Magic In Threes – Return Of [KU050]

July 7, 2018July 5, 2018 hipodromealbum, funk, g.e.d. soul records, jazz, king underground, magic in threes, psychedelic, re-release, reissueLeave a comment

Originally released in 2015 on cassette by G.E.D. Soul Records. Now for the first time on 12″ LP vinyl on King Underground. The album is a collection of delightfully smoked out, library inspired instrumentals. Following in the footsteps of their highly enjoyable 2011 debut. ”Return Of” combines many shades of many moods into a tight record that finds a nice balance between strange hype arrangements and super chill ”couch-lock” inducing slow jams. It embarks on a cinematic soul journey from the opening note, through the interlude, straight to the closing credits.

Kamal Keila – Muslims & Christians [HABIBI008]

July 7, 2018August 30, 2023 hipodromeafrican, album, arabic, funk, habibi funk, jazz, kamal keila, outernationalLeave a comment

Songs about the unity of Sudan, peace between Muslims and Christians and the fate of war orphans, backed by grooves equally taking influence from Arabic sounds, American funk as well as neighboring Ethiopia. Habibi Funk serves up an album of previously unreleased material by veteran performer Kamal Keila. The music contained on the album comes from two reel-to-reel tapes of session recordings made by Keila and his band for Sudanese radio in 1992, though many of the songs and arrangements date back to the 1970s. During his ’70s peak, Keila was often described locally as “Sudan’s answer to James Brown or Fela Kuti”. Although the influence of both is present on both tracks, you’ll also hear Sudanese blues, fifties-style R&B, hazy funk influenced by the Ethiopian music scene and sweet, horn-heavy, breakbeat-powered sing-alongs.

Kyriakos Sfetsas – Greek Fusion Orchestra Vol. 1 [TBLP022]

July 7, 2018October 4, 2018 hipodromealbum, greek fusion orchestra, jazz, kyriakos sfetsas, teranga beatLeave a comment

Sfetsas formed Greek Fusion Orchestra in 1976, in order to accomplish an ambition dating back to his 1960’s Avant-garde period in Paris: to create a piece of work that would expand the boundaries of Greek traditional music. The result is a Progressive-Jazz Fusion masterpiece comprising complex and intriguing compositions, and performed by Athens’ best musicians of the day. The recordings on this album, forming only a small part of his overall body of work with GFO, are previously unreleased. The music was recorded Stereo on Reel Tape and with high standards for the time, with the current mastering process highlighting even more the quality of the recordings. The result is a truly impressive and pure audiophile album.

HVL – Ostati [OA008]

July 5, 2018December 17, 2021 hipodromealbum, deep techno, detroit techno, hvl, organic analogue recordsLeave a comment

After releasing HVL’s Away From Everything We Know 12” back in 2015, Organic Analogue welcome the Georgian producer back to present his long-awaited debut album. As a resident of the much-vaunted club BASSIANI, HVL conceived Ostati as a document of the sound of Tbilisi – centred on warm, outboard house and techno but with a noticeably understated mood. The club tracks take a pared down approach that favours space and meditation over bold brush strokes, but between the teeth-gnashing bite of ”Askinkila” or the rough and ready acid workout ”Continuum,” the sound is gutsy and dripping with character. Ostati spells out a space where dim lights and mysterious corners provide a playground for wild ideas to dart around in the dark. The overall atmosphere may appear subdued, but it’s merely a cover for the fiery spirit lurking underneath.”

CEM3340 – Perfect Stranger LP [LOP05]

July 2, 2018June 4, 2025 hipodromealbum, cem3340, christian lisco, electro, lunar orbiter programLeave a comment

CEM3340 is back on Lunar Orbiter Program withi his first LP. Following up a couple of great EPs on Lunar Orbiter Program back in 2017, the mysterious and shadowy CEM3340 is back with his debut LP for the London based imprint. Expect yet more of their proper underground electro from a Drexciyan point of view, on the Perfect Stranger LP: from the dirty future funk of “Story Of An Egyptian Man”, the steely EBM/industrial influence on “Tormented Man” or “Jammin’ in the Dark” or just straight up-in-your face electro breaks like on the killer “I Can’t Get Wrong”.