The expression of two years’ field recording on the Greek islands of Kalymnos and Lesbos — deep inside a network of caves, and in the teeth of torrential winter storms — with added strings, grand piano, live drumming and orchestral percussion, in its confluence of ‘modern classical, metallic drone, dark ambient, and fuzz’. Guided by Steve Reich, Mika Vainio and Henri Bergson, haunted and spurred by the refugee crisis.
‘A Pastime For Semi-Gods’ is an evidence to a new mythology, is the genesis of a collisions. Of waves to a statement on the static, extending in perpetual change. With this album, Ekman is describing the chaos of erotic imagery that is unbroken. On the border of mythology and science fiction. ‘A Pastime For Semi-Gods’ is Ekman’s fourth release on Bedouin Records and his album debut on the label.
Eleven, deft, darkly-lit, sometimes despairing soundscapes by the Osaka-based producer, for his third album. ‘The thoughts of a rebellious spirit are always accompanied by music,’ he says. Esto, existence.
Two compositions, scored for trio: Papyrus is excursive and melancholic, with giveaway distorted kicks; the flip is more hard-hitting and propulsive, with an industrial intensity lifted by simple piano motifs.
John Heckle is remarkably prolific, but still manages to maintain an impressively high quality threshold. On Tributes To A Sun God, he’s in a remarkably melodious mood. While opener “Alexandria” comes blessed with his usual tough analogue beats – not to mention the hissing cymbals of Detroit techno – its’ most endearing features are the drowsy pads and undulating melody lines. A similar approach can be found on the more acid-centric “Mesopatamia”, which pops and spits with dancefloor intent. A fine package is completed by handclap-heavy drum workout “Track 4”, and the Ambient House era electronics and sparse drum hits of “Track 2”.
Having previously kept his pet project Bintus on the Power Vacuum homestead, Milo Smee aligns with UAE label Bedouin for the superbly named Reincarnated Savage EP. While there can often be a slightly scary amount of distortion shaping out the Bintus sound, the lead track on the record is finely honed, pummelling electro of the highest order, albeit with plenty of unhinged noises zipping around in the mix. Fear not red-line lovers, for there’s still ample room for overloaded madness on the flipside by way of balancing out the release.
Elegies-in-waiting to the monotonous dread of exploitative labour, dosed with elliptical distortion, industrial noise and ear-crushing bass. Vexd veteran Roly Porter drops by with a sci-fi reinvention of Council Flat, trading in IFs mogadon footwork and megaton polyrhythms for a less apocalyptic, more introspective blend of modern classical, dark ambient and dirty stinking breakbeat.
The Bedouin imprint continues on with its quest for the sublime and exotic in modern techno and house music. Jamal Moss aka Hieroglyphic Being & The Truth Theory Trio delivers more of his signature dusty lo fi electronics but gets an industrial tinged stomp on with “Keep Your Mind Open” and it’s absolutely killer. On the flip is “That Is The Name Of The African God” which is an analogue jam that sounds more like the Hieroglyphic Being we know.
Hard techno advocate J Tijn is next up to supply Bedouin with a heavy hitting package of industrially charged techno entitled MOR. Lead track “Kanon VIP” best typifies that approach, a dense bassline throbs away unpredictably like an agitated wasp as Kuye lays down the drum machine pain. The title cut seems inspired by the Rotterdam school of sewer techno whilst “Shy” is anything but with Kuye going full speed ahead on the dirty synths and raw beats.
The Hipodrome Of Music 