Kyle Hall – From Joy [WO018K]

December 13, 2015August 23, 2022 hipodromealbum, detroit house, kyle hall, wild oatsLeave a comment

Wild Oats presents the triple LP entitled From Joy by Kyle Hall. The title is derived from the idea of finding a way to live life in a state of presence; detaching oneself from the mental, self imposed narratives echoed by society’s traditions and judgement. We as people tend to be at our most honest and present in our childhood, so in some ways From Joy serves as a mechanism and reminder to return to one’s youthful energetic state. The 8- track album, all produced before 2010, is a homage to where Kyle lived at the time in his father’s basement on the westside of Detroit on Joy Rd.

Spatial Relation – Beyond The Zero [PM011]

December 10, 2015July 29, 2019 hipodromealbum, minimal synth, peripheral minimal, spatial relation, synth popLeave a comment

Peripheral Minimal presents Beyond the Zero, the debut album by Brooklyn-based duo Spatial Relation. The eight songs that make up Beyond the Zero were produced, recorded, and mixed in the band’s home studio from 2012 to 2014. With influences ranging from 1980s minimal synth to Skam-styled IDM, Spatial Relation’s music draws equally from the early pop work of Depeche Mode and the later electro sounds of Dopplereffekt. Emphasizing hard beats, thick basslines, and hypnotic arpeggios, the minimalist arrangements onBeyond the Zero are geared for maximum effect. Created with a carefully chosen selection of analog electronic instruments, the album pairs the overtly synthetic sounds of hardware with human vocal experimentation.

Petre Inspirescu – Vin Ploile [MULEMUSIQ192]

December 6, 2015May 26, 2023 hipodromealbum, ambient, experimental, mule musiq, petre inspirescu, radu dumitru bodiu, romanianLeave a comment

Romanian minimal techno hero Petre Inspirescu releases a solo album on Japan’s Mule Musiq and what a moment in a brilliant career thus far. This guy is a true innovator and many are curious to hear what kind of journey into the deep and bizarre he can take us on. Starting out with the exotic bongo meditation of “Delir 1” and the breathtaking immersive ambience of “Delir 2” or the sinister and unsettling “Lumiere” things start to develop more movement later. Such as: on the deep hypnotic vibes of “Delir 4” or “Delir 6” which feature sombre string arrangements, emotive piano passages and some of the most expressive and restrained drums and percussion performances. All nine suspenseful compositions seduce with a deep melodic sensibility, harmonic adventures and an overall rhythmic ambiance of freshness and laidback enthusiasm. Together they represent a challenging auditory experience that will resonate in your mind long after the music has finished.

Deepchord – Ultraviolet Music [SOMACD111]

December 6, 2015February 8, 2018 hipodromealbum, ambient techno, deepchord, dub techno, rod modell, soma recordsLeave a comment

Given his prolific nature, fresh material from Rod Modell under the Deepchord guise is not news. There is, though, something rather special and extra-ordinary about Ultraviolet Music, an expansive, double-disc full length for Soma, which the Detroit-based producer has described as “hallucinogenic”. Taking dub techno as his blueprint, Modell delivers an impressive collection of hypnotic, out-there moments that also take influence from ambient, Detroit techno, deep house, and the kind of fuzzy, beguiling sonic textures guaranteed to flip your lid. While many of Modell’s albums feature epic, 20-minute plus workouts, here he quickly shuffles between shorter moments whilst retaining a deliciously dubby dancefloor pulse.

Basic Soul Unit – Under The Same Sky [DKMNTL028]

December 4, 2015February 7, 2018 hipodromealbum, basic soul unit, dekmantel records, house, stuart li, technoLeave a comment

Stuart Li, better known as Basic Soul Unit, brings his rugged house to the Dekmantel imprint for the very first time, serving up this finely crafted follow-up to his 2012 debut album. Delivering ten Detroit and Chicago-inspired house tracks of the finest calibre, Li’s offset and grubby bruk drums are a constant nod to the dance floor, while his melodies lean towards an unparalleled industrial edged emotion. From the LFO-like synth-line and crunchy jack of ‘Fate In Hand’, to the Levon Vincent-esque techno shuffle ‘n mutter of ‘Landlocked’ and the Morphosis-gone-wild style of ‘Unwavered’, on the to the dark subbass welt of ‘The Rift Between’ and the relentless floor destroyer ‘Temptress’: ‘Under The Same Sky’ sets the bar fly high for raw yet extremely original house music.

Charles Manier – American Manier [BOP004]

December 2, 2015June 24, 2019 hipodromealbum, bopside records, charles manier, experimental, industrial, jtc, tadd mullinixLeave a comment

Tadd Mullinix returns to the lesser spotted Charles Manier avatar for the second album release on his Bopside label, and the first under this guise following releases for Nation and Ghostly. The resulting 11 track album is mostly new material with a lineage of inspiration that can be traced back decades, from box banging EBM club trax to spectral beatless excursions. Drawing influence from a variety of sources but still a cohesive, engaging listen – ‘American Manier ‘ is destined to become a future underground classic.

Chris Alexander – Music For Murder [GDLP003]

December 2, 2015March 15, 2018 hipodromealbum, chris alexander, experimental, giallo disco records, horror disco, industrialLeave a comment

Journalist turned producer Chris Alexander is something of a hive-mind of information when it comes to obscure horror film music, so it’s perhaps unsurprising that his new album sounds like a pitch-perfect tribute to synthesizer-heavy, Italian “Giallo” soundtracks, and the horror-disco style perfected by John Carpenter. It’s made up of tracks Alexander wrote and released – usually via obscure, CD-R only labels – over the last decade. More importantly, Murder Music is actually rather good, with Alexander offering a perfect balance between clandestine synthesizer motifs, panicked beats, clanking industrial textures, hypnotic guitar lines, and chords that seem to creep up from behind.

Delta Funktionen – Wasteland [RAM-X-CD01]

December 1, 2015November 9, 2023 hipodromealbum, delta funktionen, electro, niels luinenburg, radio matrix, technoLeave a comment

Delta Funktionen presents the compilation cd of the Wasteland Chapters. Spread over 4 EP’s, from which the first two have been released on Rado Matrix in June 2015 and the other two in September and October 2015, it tells the story about an intergalactic journey towards the planet Wasteland, somewhere deep into the Andromeda Galaxy.

Candido – Dancin’ & Prancin’ [SA8520]

November 30, 2015August 30, 2023 hipodromealbum, candido, candido camero guerra, caribbean, disco, funk, outernational, re-release, reissue, salsoul recordsLeave a comment

Candido Cameron was a Cuban percussion maestro who had played with luminaries such as Dizzy Gillespie, Buddy Rich and Count Basie throughout his illustrious musical career which started in 1952. Fast forward to 1979 and Candido finds himself caught up in the Disco boom that had engulfed his adopted New York City. Feeling he could add his trademark quick-fire Conga and Bongo playing to Disco’s straight 4 x 4 syncopated rhythm he cut some records with legendary NYC label Salsoul. The fruits of this partnership were 2 full length LP’s and a handful of 12″ singles that changed the face of underground Disco. The first of these two LP’s made for Salsoul was the truly epic “Dancin’ & Prancin” containing the all time classic “Jingo” which has been sampled, edited, re-configured and coveted by too many names to mention! It’s a killer funky Disco version of master Nigerian drummer Olatunji’s 1969 percussion suite of the same name, Salsoul style. The LP also contains one of the deepest Disco records of all time; “Thousand Finger Man” a testament to Candido’s percussion prowess and a spacey, beautiful voyage that has left more than an indelible mark on modern House music, often being cited as a huge influence by artists such as Masters At Work and more.

Napoleon Cherry – Walk Alone [MFM007]

November 30, 2015October 8, 2021 hipodromealbum, disco, funk, house, music from memory, napoleon cherryLeave a comment

CHERRY, Napoleon - Walk Alone

Napoleon Cherry is perhaps not the unknown name that Music From Memory excels at celebrating but the Philadelphian musician’s releases are certainly suitably hard to find. This career retrospective offers a mix of impossible-to-find tracks, many from his deliciously rare 1990 debut full-length, and previously unheard cuts. It portrays Cherry as a master of warm, evocative, Balearic soul and lo-fi synthesizer funk, whose analogue-rich releases were always out-of-step with the musical trends developing around him. Crucially, all 10 of these tracks are superb, making Walk Alone yet another essential Music From Memory purchase.

Tim Deluxe – Tim Deluxe Orchestrates: The Radicle [SRNYC019]

November 29, 2015June 3, 2019 hipodromealbum, deep house, jazz, strictly rhythm, tim deluxeLeave a comment

The Radicle album bu Tim Deluxe released on Strictly Rhythm label has a decidedly soulful, blues-y feel. Tim took his time and immersed himself completely into the record, surrounding himself with some of the best contemporary jazz musicians around, including Jim Mullen (guitar), Rod Youngs and Enzo Zirilli (drums), Pete Wareham (sax), Jay Phelps (trumpet), John Donaldson (piano) and Ben Hazleton (bass). he Radicle is a nine track sonic adventure with ideas bursting from every kick and lick. There’s even a cover of the Miles Davis classic ‘So What!’ which bends the trumpet classic into new forms while ‘Shanti’ explores a more mysticial, Indian vibe with a sax solo John Coltrane would be proud of. There are no synthesizers or electronics on the record: in some respects, it’s also a reaction against the electronic world.

Hieroglyphic Being & J.I.T.U. Ahn-Sahm-Buhl – We Are Not The First [RVNGNL033]

November 29, 2015November 17, 2017 hipodromealbum, experimental, hieroglyphic being, j.i.t.u. ahn-sahm-buhl, jamal moss, jazz, rvng intl.Leave a comment

For those who maintain the more mutable dance music is, the deeper its impact on human evolution, RVNG Intl. presents ‘We Are Not The First’, an epic conducted and deconstructed by Chicago artist Hieroglyphic Being and the JITU Ahn-Sahm-Bul. ‘We Are Not The First’ combines the musical forces of Marshall Allen, Daniel Carter, Greg Fox, Shelley Hirsch, Shahzad Ismaily, Elliott Levin, Jamal Moss, Rafael Sanchez, and Ben Vida in deep dialogue with each other and humans’ hidden sonic history. Tracked as different personale patterns over a week of studio sessions in Brooklyn, said syntax translates into mesmerizing sound forms as the ensemble excavates sonic folklore and ancient music, employing spiritual-jazz’s welfare and health as an agency for balance. An album with an active brain, ‘We Are Not The First’ aspires to reprogram the mind, to transcend our expectations through bugged-out percussion, modular mayhem, flurries of free improvisation, and voices carrying through the air. Hieroglyphic Being & JITU Ahn-Sahm-Bul develop consciousness from primordial ooze. As in listening, the ooze intones an echo of our deep past, rendering the present ever focused. ‘We Are Not The First’ is an 11-part epic and each track is a movement therein that testifies: an ensemble’s vitality lives in its collectivity. When we ask the ooze, the ooze articulates: ‘We Are Not The First’.

Broken English Club – Suburban Hunting [CITI018]

November 26, 2015May 24, 2023 hipodromealbum, broken english club, cititrax, dark wave, industrial, minimal wave records, oliver ho, post punk, raudiveLeave a comment

Minimal Wave sublabel Cititrax announce a full length album by artist Broken English Club. Oliver Ho (also known for his Raudive alias) expands upon the themes in his earlier output. Now though, he is presenting Broken English Club as the multifaceted project that it is. He fearlessly exposes a range of emotion through varying sound, texture and song structure. The result is a manifestation of his influences (post punk, noise, techno, grindcore) melded into his own unique vision and culminating in an album that sounds absolutely massive, both on and off the dance floor.

Kirlian Camera – Eclipse [NTNO7871]

November 26, 2015March 24, 2023 hipodromealbum, angelo bergamini, charlie mallozzi, dark wave, experimental, john fryer, kirlian camera, mauro montacchini, norton north, re-release, reissue, rose rosse records, synth pop, synth waveLeave a comment

Norton North presents a collection of deluxe re-releases by Kirlian Camera: after 26 years the best-seller album Eclipse is again available on vinyl with the original tracklist and artwork. This record is one of the most representative albums of the 80’s, with his icy and pop style at the same time, a monumental classic for the synthpop and electronic scene, but also darkwave and experimental (the title-track “Eclipse” is a real classic for each underground club worldwide). Original released by Rose Rosse Records.

Mecánica Popular – Que Sucede Con El Tiempo? [VCR009]

November 26, 2015August 2, 2021 hipodromealbum, dead-cert home entertainment, experimental, industrial, la mecanica popular, post punkLeave a comment

MECANICA POPULAR - Que Sucede Con El Tiempo?

Dead-Cert label have unearthed and reissued this curious record from Mecanica Popular. Originally coming out of Madrid back in 1984 and now available for consumption by a new generation. Because of its relative obscurity it’s difficult to say whether this has been influential or not but these guys were certainly ahead of the curve in many ways and were absorbing influences from great sources, remoulding them into their own vision of electronic music. ‘¿Qué Sucede Con El Tiempo?’ is a diverse and vibrant collection of tracks.

Bryce Hackford – Behind [MEA017]

November 22, 2015April 17, 2025 hipodromealbum, ambient, bryce hackford, experimental, meakusmaLeave a comment

Artist, producer and DJ Bryce Hackford presents the nine-track album Behind, his second full length since 2013’s Fair, and his first for Meakusma. Behind is an expansive collection for Hackford, who draws from experimental, process-oriented composition techniques to create sensorially engaging dance music. An ethos of presence, enrichment and dissociation pervades Behind – by stripping away the constructed-ness of so much dance music, Hackford allows himself to produce music that is as much a joy to create as it is to share. An ambassador of “ecstatic states” as he calls them, Hackford’s music suggests heightened temporal zones may be ubiquitous if you allow them to be. Behind is a proposition of such ecstatic states, its music pulsing vitally at opposite ends of the BPM spectrum. Distinctly unmotivated by polemic dialogues around dance music, Behind seeks a more soluble musical space for unmitigated engagement. It is music inspired by transitions, no less vital before sunset as it is after the curtain call.

Silent Harbour – Hinterland [DSCLP001]

November 22, 2015November 8, 2022 hipodromealbum, ambient techno, boris bunnik, deep sound channel, deep techno, shipwrec records, silent harbourLeave a comment

Once again the dutchman from the north Boris Bunnik (who actually resides in Rotterdam now, but that aside) is showcasing his magic fingers, this time on Shipwrec’s deep techno offshoot Deep Sound Channel. ‘Hinterland’ is a topnotch ice-cold but heartwarming submarine electro/techno album with distant hints of IDM, in other words the perfect soundtrack for the long midwinter nights to come.

Recondite – Placid [ATLP006]

November 22, 2015November 2, 2021 hipodromeabsurd recordings, acid, acid test, album, ambient techno, lorenz brunner, recondite, tale of usLeave a comment

Recondite aka Lorenz Brunner is back, this time partaking in some wild experiments with acid, on behalf of California’s Acid Test imprint. Beginning with the ultra-deep and reductionist “Compel” which is reminiscent of early Plastikman, he then launches into the funky R&B tempo of “Pass Up” and the sombre and emotional tones of “Undulate” which gets the first four to the floor beat going. Life & Death label mates Tale Of Us join Brunner on the stunningly soulful “Sequenze” while “Subdue” presents his darkest side on the album. Later on “Ley” gets a peak time level stomp on, in fine acidic style. While Brunner has most definitely found his stride, leading to current mass appeal, he certainly proves he still has underground credentials on this fine effort.

Luxus Varta – Everything Is Nothing [SOM037]

November 16, 2015October 17, 2022 hipodromealbum, electro, emeric di paolo, hubble telescope series, luxus varta, paris the black fu, solar one musicLeave a comment

Killer deep space electro techno on Solar One Music. Feeling inspired by the journey into space, Solar One Music has been working hard to create their own Hubble Telescope Series, which captures the feeling of space exploration through different experimental dance-floor tracks. As a homage to the Hubble Telescope and all the great scientists and engineers at the NASA and ESA and each part of the series comes with a cover print picture taken by the Hubble Telescope. Featured for the first part of the series, is the talented artist Emeric Di Paolo aka Luxus Varta including a stellar collab with Detroit Grand Pubahs main man: Paris the Black FU. A superb spacey, atmospheric sound bed with a incomparable, hypnotic voice from Paris The Black FU.

Move – Move [MNQ074]

November 13, 2015July 17, 2019 hipodromealbum, cold wave, mannequin records, move, new wave, post punkLeave a comment

Long sought after by collectors and originally released in 1986 by a small independent label, the sound of this stellar full length is driven by sharp post-punk guitars, tribal rhythms and ghostly synthesizers, following the UK cold wave and post-punk tradition. A forgotten classic, strongly recommended for fans of Joy Division, New Order, Section 25, Killing Joke, Bauhaus, Gang Of Four.