Ian Martin – Clairvoyant [27DIAM]

September 11, 2016May 10, 2023 hipodromealbum, ambient, diametric music, drone, experimental, ian martinLeave a comment

Known for his diverse releases on labels such as Bunker, Panzerkreuz, Further or Shimmering Moods Ian Martin has developed his very unique own brand of electronic music. To categorize his music is difficult which adds an immense appeal to his approch on his releases. Clairvoyant is no exception to this. It is an uplifting and beautiful album based around three of Ian’s favourite synthesizers: Waldorf Microwave I, Ensoniq ESQ-1 and Korg M1. Ian describes this album as an emotional collection of tracks with a lot of fantasy.

Zandvoort & Uilenbal – Geruis Uit Somberdorp [NW010]

September 11, 2016May 2, 2020 hipodromealbum, ambient, danny wolfers, drone, experimental, jimi hellinga, nightwind records, zandvoort & uilenbalLeave a comment

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Geruis Uit Somberdorp’ (Rustlings from Somberville) is a concert for Harmonium, Mixtur Trautonium & Synthesizer, originally commissioned for the dutch classical Concertzender broadcast corporation in early 2016. Zandvoort & Uilenbal are Danny Wolfers and Jimi Hellinga.

Crotaphytus – Acanthosaura [FUR104]

August 23, 2016March 26, 2018 hipodromealbum, ambient, crotaphytus, electro, experimental, further records, nico jagiella, robert witschakowski, technoLeave a comment

Robert Witschakowski takes a break from rewiring the rules of electro with his prolific The Exaltics project to deliver the eerie soundtrack album, ‘Acanthosaura’. Working with Nico Jagiella – with whom he co-runs the Solar One label – the pair have created the soundtrack for a world of flickering shadows, dark ambient textures and ominous bass tones. It’s the first Crotaphytus release in six years and according to Witschakowski, a project stemming from his love of reptiles and movie soundtracks. Like previous Crotaphytus releases on Solar One, ‘Acanthosaura’ is a deeply atmospheric affair. With each track title a reference to different types of lizards, from the death-paced drums of Cyclura Cornuta” to the slow-motion ebm-disco groove of Xenosaurus Platyceps” and the murderous subs of Caiman Latirostris”. In between, the dark ambient passages of Conolophus Subcristatus” and Amblyrhynchus Cristatus” as well as nods to The Exaltics’ spaced out electro in Iguana Delicatissima”. However, Robert insists that the album remains true to the project’s ethos. Crotaphytus is always dark and haunting. The project has no rules and that gives us the total freedom to make everything with it. I make also different styles with The Exaltics, but I have a concrete vision every time. With Crotaphytus, we let it flow and see were we land at the end. For this album, we tried to create an atmosphere like you are in a deep jungle, chased by giant lizards. Ambient has really the power to transport feelings. I guess this is subliminal in us from watching films.”

VC-118A – Shift Register [TABR036]

August 14, 2016January 26, 2024 hipodromealbum, ambient, electro, experimental, samuel van dijk, tabernacle records, vc-118aLeave a comment

Over the last few years, Dutch electronic misfit VC-118A has delivered a number of killer EPs and 12″ singles, each packed with sharp-edged electro, spacey techno, and industrial-strength analogue house. Shift Regsiter is his second full-length excursion and offers an expansive and hugely atmospheric journey through his trademark sound. Naturally, there’s much to admire across the 14 tracks, from the woozy, spaced-out electro-dub of “Input Mode” and the sparkling IDM of “Serial Data Transmission”, to the ultra-deep throb of “Radiation Curve”, and the hard-wired dancefloor bounce of the Drexciya-like “Apex”.

Human Rays – A Tension [FUR105]

August 14, 2016September 20, 2017 hipodromeambient, drone, further records, human rays, robin smeds mattilaLeave a comment

Human Rays – Stockholm, Sweden producer Robin Smeds Mattila—says that the music on A Tension was made during nocturnal sessions in a studio full of mostly cheap analog and digital gear, all in one take. “I kind of let the mood guide me and just go with it,” he says. The result is a gripping fourtrack´suite of emotionally charged minimal ambient that was created quickly but sounds like it was rigorously sweated over for many weeks. After a handful of releases that explored noisy, quasiindustrial techno, Mattila here deviates into a more abstract, melancholy mode with A Tension. His creative process involves experimenting “to see how far I can push a sound with a pretty lofi setup. Improvisation and limitations are part of the thing that makes it interesting.” This approach yields riveting dividends right from the start on A Tension. On “Condensity,” the sparse pinging and distant, muted beats commingle with what sounds like rough wind or waves, hinting at the Arctic vibes that Biosphere conjured on Substrata. It’s at once chill and chilling, tranquil and unsettling. “Between The Hours” places spindly, woody beats beneath a dramatic sweep of synthetic strings, ebbing and flowing like Fripp & Eno’s monumental “An Index Of Metals.” “Neverendless” might be even more redolent of the North Pole than “Condensity,” its severely minimal isolationist ambience suggesting Mick Harris’ nonemorecold Lull or Thomas Köner’s Permafrost. On “Manual Litany I,” Mattila takes what sounds like a sentimental synth melody and smears it into a mantra of compelling drudgery. He notes that the track draws inspiration from William Basinski, who’s famous for his series of profoundly poignant Disintegration Loops albums.

Space Dimension Controller – Orange Melamine [ZEN231]

July 31, 2016March 17, 2022 hipodromealbum, ambient, electronics, experimental, jack hamill, ninja tune, space dimension controllerLeave a comment

While Jack Hamill’s Space Dimension Controller project is best known for mixing colourful electrofunk synths with intergalactic ambient, techno and hypnotic house influences, his earliest musical output trod a slightly different path. His long forgotten, digital-only debut album, 2009’s Unidentified Flying Oscillator, explored IDM and woozy electronica, and it’s these styles that come to the fore on Orange Melamine. Like that debut album, this set – his first for Ninja Tune – was recorded in his bedroom, aged 18, with a collection of “cheap, lo-fi” and “battered” kit. It largely takes its’ cues from the likes of Boards of Canada and ambient-era Aphex Twin, but retains that distinctive vibe and attention to detail that’s always marked out Hamill’s work. vinyl / CD

Floating Points – Kuiper [FP002]

July 31, 2016July 29, 2016 hipodromeambient, experimental, floating points, jazz, pluto, sam shepherdLeave a comment

Sam Shepherd drops a surprise 12” still riding the wave of his impeccable, all-conquering 2015 LP, Elaenia. ‘Kuiper’ that was written after the producer started touring with his live band (Leo Taylor, Alex Reeve and Susumu Mukai), and is “completely different” each time it’s played. Here we have a new version, a riotous, stargazing 18-minute version recorded by the band at 8am. Flipside the B, ‘For Marmish Part II’, meanwhile, is an early demo version of the same track on Elaenia that includes Shepherd flexing his vocals.

Repeated Viewing – Street Force (Soundtrack) [GDLP005]

July 26, 2016March 15, 2018 hipodromealan sinclair, album, ambient, electro, giallo disco records, horror disco, minimal synth, repeated viewing, soundtrackLeave a comment

Repeated Viewing’s soundtrack to the “not totally sure if it’s real or not” film of the same name slinks out of your speakers as if Badalamenti and Goblin had made sweet regretful love one night and created a baby so dark and brooding, only the ‘Trv Synth Fr33ks’ would take it in and raise it like wolves. Following the story of one man’s revenge across 1982 New York, this is Death Wish if we lived in some kind of alternative universe where Lucio Fulci had directed it instead of Michael Winner. From Ballads to Disco to Minimal Synth, “Street Force” is a masterpiece of faux soundtrack bliss and definitely not to be missed.

Legowelt – Dekmantel Podcast 078

July 17, 2016July 18, 2016 hipodromeambient, danny wolfers, deep house, deep techno, dekmantel festival, dekmantel records, legowelt, podcastLeave a comment

Vakula – Cyclicality Between Procyon And Gomeisa [DKMNTL040]

July 17, 2016May 13, 2025 hipodromealbum, ambient, dekmantel records, experimental, soundtrack, vakulaLeave a comment

Vakula has been a Dekmantel label member ever since the very early days. The Ukraine based producer now drops his album Cyclicality Between Procyon And Gomeisa on the label. ‘This album is about cycles, repetition and interaction’, says Vakula, whose Cyclicality between Procyon and Gomeisa is the third of a series of albums and reflects a dashing experimental record that evokes the endless and captivating potential of electronic music. It creates a mesmerizing journey through various music genres, exhibiting a singular sonic experience, whilst he works through a process of improvisation and refinement. Once again the mastermind proves to be capable of creating complex, yet diverse musical pieces beyond genres and trends. The result: an audio adaptation of his fascinating mind. ‘There are two parallel processes that come together in my work: me writing music and working on the sound I want to achieve, and the energy from outside that flows and transforms into thoughts, correlations, and actions.’ The track titles relate to the source of Vakula’s inspiration and connect the dots between his obsession for the vastness of our universe and electronic music. ”To wonder about the universe and to dig into mythology and scientific research discovering at least some of its secrets is what keeps me endlessly motivated as a producer.”

Fred P – Sound Destination [SPMBLP002]

July 17, 2016July 25, 2019 hipodromealbum, ambient, deep house, experimental, fred p, fred peterkin, soul people boards, soul people musicLeave a comment

Sound Destination is a project that crosses genre to find its own space. Soundscapes, downtempo, ambient, and house music all find a place in this aesthetically complete project. There’s a simmering, hovering quality about the whole album, as a pastoral ease settles over the listener. The record flows like a vague narrative, a non-specific sort-of journey album, a meditative jazz-house trip. Fred Peterkin shows yet another perspective of his expression. bursting out of the style-box, to draw you in to his own dimension.

Leonardo Martelli – Previsto [ATN029]

July 10, 2016February 7, 2018 hipodromealbum, ambient, antinote recordings, electro, experimental, leonardo martelliLeave a comment

Electro kicks, raw textures, ominous choirs: L’ immaginario, Previsto’s opening track, ties a bound between Martelli’s two releases on Antinote, giving us one last glimpse at the uninhabited post-apocalyptic landscapes drawn in Menti Singole. However, this time Leonardo Martelli explores a more urban universe, as the use of rap samples on Negli abissi and Lo Schema suggests. Martelli exploits their aggressiveness in a way that somehow reminds us of minimalist rap tapes from Memphis. The third track’s title makes it even clearer: called Leggende Metropolitane, the song is a trip into the darkest blind alleys of the city, an invitation to wander among human wastes, driven by its light kick. La Luna, is the most contemplative moment of the album, offering us a meditative break before the nightmarish Il registro, Martelli’s brutal come-back to raw electro with a tune which depicts us a hellish engine room for expiating souls. Finally, the record concludes with Previsto, a haunted title track, filled with wailings that give us to contemplate a cruel vision of the urban misery we’re stuck in.

45 ACP – Graveyard Shift [LIES083]

July 10, 2016March 20, 2019 hipodrome45 acp, ambient, d.k., dang khoa chau, experimental, l.i.e.s., long island electrical systemsLeave a comment

From scratchy ambience to dramatic slow tempo bpm cuts to melodic house tracks, 45 ACP shines on this ep showing his versatility and reinforcing his reputation for strong song writing and composition. Once again diverse enough for club or home listening, warm up or peak time…let the djs make the choice.

Modaji – Belle Epoque [UTA002]

July 9, 2016October 1, 2020 hipodromeambient, deep house, dominic jacobson, modaji, utopia recordsLeave a comment

MODAJI - Belle Epoque

Dominic’s initial Modaji releases garnered acclaim from luminaries such as Francois Kevorkian, Derrick May and Gilles Peterson and after 10 years away from releasing to concentrate on composing music for film and television, Jacobson returns to the studio to delve further into his deep house and ambient soundscapes. The first of two EP’s, Belle Epoque touches on a more cinematic approach to production and showcases a warmer, more expanded sound.

Huerco S – For Those Of You Who Have Never (& Also Those Who Have) [PRB018]

June 26, 2016January 9, 2019 hipodromealbum, ambient, experimental, huerco s, proibitoLeave a comment

Proibito presents “For Those Of You Who Have Never (And Also Those Who Have)”, an album by Huerco S. Nine of the densest ambient and meditative music pieces since the dawn of music!! Sounds both extremely of this time, and of no time whatsoever. Monolithic and stark but extremely warm, intensely personal, and for every one in every which way.

In Æternam Vale – Pink Flamingos [DM3D013]

June 12, 2016May 19, 2022 hipodromealbum, ambient, dement3d records, experimental, in aeternam vale, laurent prot, synth wave, technoLeave a comment

In Æternam Vale, long the best-kept secret of the french synth punk scene, has been revealed many times now. This is about writing a new chapter of that 33+ years story, that begun in Lyon in 1983 as a band, whose leader Laurent Prot – an electronics pioneer and maniac – took over as a solo act since 1985. This new album explores another side of ‘IAV’, that echoes how Laurent sounds now – a ferocious take on techno, post-punk rhythmic elements and drone soundscapes, planted with unrestrained improvisation, and getting closure with a song time after time. This record is not a compilation of tracks that would stick to a particular time period or subgenre. On the contrary ; there is a definite common thread, that had been found while losing oneself in the intensity of his spectacular live performances lately. Being carried away by his drone improvisations and smothering bass bins, and hearing him play his music, both old and new, there is a singular feeling of both freedom and transcendence that emanates from his music. Some of his lives have lead audiences to become completely silent, and taken away by hypnosis, some other have caused a riot, leading the audience to ultimate excitement. IAV stands for a whole-hearted involvement in the making of his music, and despite the cold and electronic textures, there is a sense of intimacy that we’ve tried to reflect through the choice of the closing song “La Pluie”.

Convextion – Acido 22 [ACIDO022]

June 12, 2016November 6, 2023 hipodromeacido records, ambient, convextion, eleectro, gerard hansonLeave a comment

Haunting soundscapes w/ blend of vintage Electronics & retro-futuristic Techno Ambient from Convextion.

Vester Koza – OTR [HTH061]

June 12, 2016December 13, 2017 hipodromeambient, electronics, experimental, houndstooth, vester kozaLeave a comment

Almost a year after his last outing, London-based Vester Koza is making a welcome return to the fray with a new EP entitled OTR. Featuring four atmospheric cuts, for the first time it finds him step away from his own Maslo label to join Houndstooth. Fusing elements of dub, ambient and IDM into moody sound worlds with you right at the centre, he has a subtle but seductive touch that has always marked him out. An on-going interest in security, technology and privacy characterizes his work, as does a passion for the vintage and modern gear he uses when producing. All of that is evident here in his most cerebral and conceptual release yet.

Der Zyklus – Renormalon [WEME31312]

May 20, 2016October 31, 2017 hipodromealbum, ambient, der zyklus, detroit, electro, elena sizova, gerald donald, heinrich mueller, olga karelkina, weme records, weme313Leave a comment

Renormalon is a collaborative effort between Elena Sizova, Heinrich Mueller: music data and Dr Olga Karelkina: visual data + encoding. Its purpose technically is to visually and sonically communicate the renormalon physics principle. Each composition is separate component of the theory representing a particular phenomenon in the realm of quantum uncertainty. The observer is to be immersed conceptually and hopefully will experience discrete states of energy which is integral in atomic behavior.

Occult Orientated Crime – Just A Clown On Crack [DKMNTL036]

May 15, 2016June 12, 2024 hipodromealbum, ambient, danny wolfers, dekmantel records, experimental, legowelt, occult orientated crimeLeave a comment

Dekmantel presents Danny Wolfers a.k.a. Legowelt’s ambient project Occult Orientated Crime. It’s for the first time ever that this moniker of the prolific Dutchman will have a physical release. Wolfers: “The OOC sound is an accumulation of twenty years of musical training and research and what effect it has on the brain. Simply put it’s electronic ambient music, which is more advanced compared to the music I’m creating with my Smackos alias. OOC is deeper and more melodic, less loose and vague but perhaps more intense. It can bring the listener into a completely different state of mind, you can almost call it ritualistic neuroscience music.” The six tracks are recorded around the same time, using coherent recording techniques. “Let’s say I was in a flow, or something like that. But I rather think it’s the music itself that gives it a distinctive sound: the way the music was composed, the notes and the sound palette. I haven’t used any sharp sounds for example, but everything is very round so your brains will soak it up as something smooth.” Apart from the track ‘Just a Clown On Crack’, the release lacks kick drums. “Most or nearly all music from PC doesn’t have a beat because it is often unnecessary, it distracts from the melody or what should be processed in the mind of the listener. The melodies, sounds and structure itself are enough to bring the listener into a certain mindset: a beat there would almost sound cheap, tacky. ‘Just a Clown On Crack’ has a trip-/hip-hop feel to it and was craving for a beat. It’s also the last track of the album and, in a rather fluent way, brings the listener back to the misery and tragedy of the normal, everyday world. It’s like returning from the OCC dimension with a soft landing.”