Joey Beltram 1991 timeless classic is back on vinyl, originally released on Nu Groove. This reissue from brand new imprint Orange Wedge hears the original in fully-remastered glory, charting the proto-bleep tones of a trio of quizzical ‘Quad’ tunes. These B-side tracks are very nicely intro’ed by ‘C.O.D.E.S.’, a trance track which seems to revel quite well in the wonder of cyberspace, lilting between two chords in permanent alternation.
Placid aka Paul Wise is the leading light behind ‘We’re Going Deep’ – an online community and record label, born out of a lifelong affair with the many shades of electronic rhythm and an obsession for collecting records since 1988. For the label’s 3rd “Solo Series” edition Paul welcomes the talents and tantalising touch of one of the UK’s finest doyens of deep: ‘D5’. Offering up a trio of superlative sounding machine soul cuts for the next release. An artist who lives and breathes the mantra of less is more when it comes to his work, in large part his much prized output has only ever been released courtesy of Delsin.
J.S.Zeiter is one of those alluringly mysterious artists whose music keeps on drawing us in. Here they kick off the new Maastricht based label Mosae with a serious of deep techno bubblers. There are archetypal dub chords rippling their way over a sublime techno rhythm on opener ‘Sentinel’ while things remain just as war, cavernous and cuddly on the widescreen dub techno delight that is ‘Inflection.’ It all comes to a heady end with ‘Horizon’ which will have you taxing off into the distance lost in your own thoughts.
Roi’s newest EP is titled ‘Pasture’, a play on words combining both past & future. The project draws influence from old school Detroit techno but with a ‘modern’ & ‘futuristic’ approach applied to it. The project is filled with bouncing & groovy tunes that are ready to shake the dance-floor.
Collaborations is a new series curated by Artefakt on their own imprint De Stijl. Inviting friends and likeminded artists for extended studio improvisations crafting an EP based on live sessions. First guest is Claudio PRC, a close friend and familiar face in the deep techno scene. Both artists reside in Berlin and share a dedicated passion for atmospheric and immersive ambient and techno. Collaborations I features four jams combining the unmistakable strengths of both artists, resulting in a well varied pack of emotive techno with room for experiment.
This release is coming exactly 3 years after Gëinst ARTS, Accents Records and Inerit discussed about a new place where they could converge musically and artistically. A place to propose spontaneous and borderless music by avoiding any kind of standardization. This place is now called ITAE and this is the first release. ITAE001 is a first great demonstration of the esthetic that ITAE wants to share and develop over time.
John Shima makes his debut for Rawax with “Parallels EP”, featuring four deep Detroit techno tracks.
Aroy Dee with a first solo EP on his own M>O>S Recordings in years. Four emotive, atmospheric deep house efforts. Joined by his R-A-G peers Spaventi and G-String on track 3 for the special spiral galaxy blend.
Following on from the 2020 release of ‘On A Nimbus’, Priori returns with his second album ‘Your Own Power’ on NAFF – the label he co-founded alongside Ex-Terrestrial. ‘Your Own Power’ was produced between April and July of 2020, with the lockdown allowing Priori to spend more time in the studio exploring new instruments and wiring the equipment in new inspiring ways. Like a lot of people, the isolation and change of pace got him back into more contemplative styles of music like shoegaze and ambient, which had a big impact on how the album was recorded. The only collaboration on the album is ‘The Tower’ which was recorded with Ex-Terrestrial in Montreal and highlights the contemplative quality that defines the album.
Marco Shuttle’s third album, Cobalt Desert Oasis, features a varied collection of music recorded across a two year period. Often traveling to remote destinations, Marco would come back to Berlin with field recordings, images, and other inspirations to process in his studio and turn into sound. The theme of the journey turns into a something more abstract than a travel diary, where environmental sounds blend in with modular synthesis, drum machines, effects and analog oscillators resulting in a cinematic listening experience where psychedelia, ritualism, and mysticism weave together in a sort of alien soundscape – that as the title of the album suggests, is reminiscent of a parallel utopian world. The album is rich in complex rhythmics, and more than in any of his previous work, has strong acoustic elements. Amongst other percussion instruments, Marco used the Tombak, a traditional Persian hand drum capable of reaching a very wide range of frequencies – from deep round subby toms, to high pitched sharp rimshots, throughout the record. Marco Shuttle is certainly not new to these sort of elements, but in Cobalt Desert Oasis he brings the environmental element of his sound into the forefront in a way that takes the listener into a hazy expanse where it is sometimes difficult to distinguish the machine elements from the natural – and where the music almost becomes a visual experience, which relates to Marco’s own photography used throughout the cover and insert images.
Sure Thing welcomes two new additions to the label with a long-distance collaboration between Seattle’s Archivist and Berlin’s Claudio PRC. Two original productions from Archivist recall dense, billowing fog and the gentle shimmer of waves, each re-imagined through Claudio PRC’s exacting lens into novel forms that spiral with steady, monolithic intent. Brought together, an expansive double vision, an exploration of the compelling nature of movement and air each within the other.
Something Records lifts off ‘Lost in Musik’ by STL aka Stephan Laubner. On 17 tracks and an extended playing-time, this double vinyl comes in complete album feel, multifarious variations, and in STL’s full tonal trademark fit. STL attends the brains & ears in his magic discrete way with an unstoppable bucket-raining flow of fresh sounds, catching rhythms and aspirating music, like no one else usually does. An album to blow your minds, shake your bodies and touch your souls.
Long awaited reissue of Connective Zone’s Qwerty EP. Originally released in 2002 on Emoticon, the deep electronica sister label of Headspace Recordings. Connective Zone, aka Lincoln-based duo Graham Sims and Simon Button, have been making their unique brand of deep techno for many years. Warm strings, thick chords, multi-layered synth melodies and crisp beats are the order of the day, with influences coming from early Detroit techno and ‘artificial intelligence’ era UK electronics. All four tracks pack a soulful punch, drawing from the past but allowing their individual sound to shine through. Rhythmically they range from straight-up 4/4 beats to more syncopated patterns, and are sure to find favour with more adventurous DJs as well as home listeners.
Vade Mecum returns with yet another amazing release by Matt & Mark Thibideau. This record is dedicated to Mike Huckaby and his love for the Waldorf Wave synthesizer.
Polyverse is the new debut album of the very exciting and fresh sounding Kosmogonik from Bucharest, Romania. Nine driving and atmospheric tracks that vibrate all the way from heavyweight techno to cosmic ambient.
Ebi was a pseudonym used by Susumu Yokota who was a Japanese techno and ambient composer, producer and house music DJ. Transmigration presents now a one double LP of 2 previously re-issued EPs by the Japanese artist. This is Susumu Yokota’s vision of techno – house, lovingly collected in collaboration with Space Teddy and the Yokota family.
Kizen Records presents a 4-tracks EP written & produced by Tom Huthwohl aka BLNDR, inspired by the majestic landscape and the atmosphere of Santiago de Chile.
The Hipodrome Of Music 