The first release from Christian Prommer’s new Drumlesson album Drumlesson Zwei takes the Munich-based DJ and producer’s inspired fusion of techno and jazz, digital and analogue, to a new level of excellence. The Munich-based collective creates electro-organic cover versions of Knights of Jaguar, the legendary techno classic by DJ Rolando and Underground Resistance’s Mad Mike Banks and Groove La Chord by the Stockholm-based Aril Brikha.
Another edition of Soma’s annual compilation series, this time featuring previously unreleased contributions from Slam and Gary Beck, with further cuts from Let’s Go Outside, Funk D’Void, Sian and Joris Voorn. Quite unexpectedly, Autechre are involved too, supplying a remix of The Black Dog’s ‘Tunnels OV Set’. Getting first dibs, Itamar Sagi’s ‘One Million Oaks’ ushers in the album with a fine piece of tech-house production spurred on by driving chord stabs so restrained that they seem to imply a melody more than actually deliver one. Further into the sequence and Soma bosses Slam take on a solid remix of Samuel L. Session’s ‘Can You Relate’ with neatly evolving drum patterns underlined by flurrying synths and modulating, drone-like sustains. Other highlights include the minimal opus ‘Jelle’, by super-group Mihalis Safras, Mark Broom and Jelle Kuipers and Ripperton’s great remix of Silicone Soul’s ‘Dust Ballad II’, featuring haunting vocals, big Detroit-style strings and great, in-depth drum production. A good, strong selection all-round.
The Hipodrome Of Music 