Norken returns with 2 tracks recorded for Subconcious Algorithms, mysterious new label that will be releasing music made by machines that have become aware have become emotional. The function of your subconscious mind is to store and retrieve data. These 2 tracks from Norken possess an awareness that take your mind back to the early 90’s but also into the future.
Midnight Drive presenta a long out of print and highly sought after NYC ambient techno classic – Code 6’s ‘Untitled’ EP from 1993. In the early 1990’s, Code 6 was a side project by Joey Beltram. This 4 track EP is a departure from the style Joey was most associated with during this time period, favouring a more ambient, breakbeat driven and esoteric aesthetic. Contained within is 4 wide-screen snapshots of sci-fi drenched emotion, a raw, melodic tour de force that leaves the listener wanting more. ‘Untitled EP’ is a truly original set of short but effective techno-vignettes that still captivate today in 2018.
DMK step up again with another impressive release, this time with John Shima who delivers the ‘Stealth EP’. After recent releases on Exalt and Firescope records, the quality continues across this EP, with four cuts of deep atmospheric techno.
In 2012, the Zenker brothers introduced a new series on their Ilian Tape imprint: The Bias Tapes. We are now into the third edition come 2018 and it’s a great one. Like the name may suggest, The Munich Edition features some heroes of the local scene such as Kareem El Morr: who delivers the dark side electro bass of “Eros 404”, likewise label boss Dario Z. (ft. Maurice P.) goes down the same toute on “CEJ”. Elsewhere, dubby and cyclical warehouse techno in the vein of G-Man can be heard on Konrad Wehrmeister’s “CWS” and usual suspects Marco & Stenny hammer the message home in typically bold fashion with the emotive “Imcon”.
After their first appearance on Curle via ‘naïf’, the mix compiled by Efdemin earlier this year, Aubrey & Simone Gatto now deliver their debut EP for the label.
D38 Authority is a new project born in late winter as a new form of expression of two different realities, so far but so close.
Basic Soul Unit, Johannes Volk, Late Night Approach and Luke Hess team up for the 2nd Various Artist EP on Dolly. Deep Detroit rooted quality techno.
Indebted to vintage electro and IDM, Annie Hall’s music is no throwback, always looking forward and moving dancefloors in the most unexpected ways. The Musar release includes 4 original cuts, plus a Mattheis remix.
Manchester’s Ourtime Music return with something of a electronic masterpiece After a 14 year hiatus, Salford’s elusive cosmic composer returns to his Sonic Insomniac guise with a debut LP of the finest underwater electro & crisply rendered electronica.
As Electronic Music knows no creative boundaries, Spiral Deluxe is clearly a profound and convincing example of what is possible in the times we live in today. Traditionally, they would be considered a musical quartet. Each of the 4 members contributing to make a special joint effort – the meeting of minds from different spectrums of the musical sphere, but if you move in closer to examine how each have modified the way they communicate in order to play with each other, its astonishing because it shows a entirely new platform on how collaborating can be from now on. A longtime vision of their drummer/percussionist and Jeff Mills – yes, that Jeff Mills! Before becoming the world renown and groundbreaking DJ, producer and artist he is recognized for, he was a drummer in his youth, which carried on up until he began DJing in the late 1970s. Since then, he had always carried idea to get back to his musical roots. This longtime dream began to surface a few years ago when Mills was bestowed a “white card” residency at the Museum du Le Louvre in Paris. It was there that he found the opportunity to form a band for one night and it opened the doors to a chance to materialize his dream. Since then, the formation has carefully evolved into one might describe as a “super band” – a group of highly skilled musicians, working together to reach a higher level of creativity. For example, although members are using electronic instruments, there is no MIDI syncing connection. Each plays their instrument un-attached as if any Jazz or Rock band would play together. Each having a vast amount of experience in live and studio projects, this release displays their wealth of skill and musical knowledge that comes from Jazz, Funk, Pop, Gospel, Detroit Techno and all forms of House Music. Yumiko Ohno – Keyboard, Gerald Mitchell – Keyboard, Kenji “Jino” Hino – Bass Guitar, Jeff Mills – Drums and Percussion.
Fernando Sanz has been steadfastly dedicated to the craft of beats and breaks, under the imprint Orbe Records, he has cultivated his own thriving techno community as artist and label head. Sanz forthcoming 3-track ‘Hohenheim’ EP for the Barcelona label, Lone Romantic, keeps the Orbe buzz rolling. ‘Hohenheim’ kicks the record into motion with the resounding thuds of a multilayered big-room kick while bright synths and sharp edged sci-fi machinery climb the walls in obscure and narcotic patterns. ‘Shimano’s Tribute’ is a study in the fundaments of techno that lull the listener with an extended 4X4 intro into a state of high mental absorption, just in time to drop the centre piece of the track, an eloquently ovular stutter sliced percussion sample. ‘Edelweiss’ sets the record on a outward course for somewhere between the hypnotic dance floor bliss of a pre-dawn Sunday morning and the impending angst beholden to glimpsing the dystopian sprawl of civilisation when flying out Monday morning.
Reedale Rise aka Simon Keat from Liverpool with Detroit-esque electro EP on Spæcial Recordings.
Reissue of the legendary debut album “The Silicon Dawn” by the US producer Dan Curtin, which appeared in 1994 on Peacefrog. In the best Detroit-style, Curtin managed to set melodies and harmonic levels over complex percussion, which at that time in an innovative way broke the usual techno standard.
Derek Carr on Russ Gabriel’s Ferox label with four trips through sublime machine soul. If you’ve listened to previous Derek Carr releases then you know what to expect – the beats flutter with thoughtful programming and the synths cartwheel through expressive patterns that speak to the same sci-fi fantasies that made B12 so iconic in the early 90s. There’s also space for a little subtle electro, as on the haunting ”Time Out,” bringing a touch of versatility to the record without breaking that shimmering vintage techno haze.
Metamrophic to present out first various artist compilation. This one features 3 up and coming artists, GOIZ, JEM, and Jacksonville, as well as one track from label head Dan Curtin. Of course the first compilation from Metamorphic had to be called Interstellar Groove Addictions, the unofficial slogan of the label since the beginning. These tracks are modern trips into the unknown, representing the mood of the label perfectly – fierce individuality, evolution in sound, and deeply felt emotional content.
After releasing HVL’s Away From Everything We Know 12” back in 2015, Organic Analogue welcome the Georgian producer back to present his long-awaited debut album. As a resident of the much-vaunted club BASSIANI, HVL conceived Ostati as a document of the sound of Tbilisi – centred on warm, outboard house and techno but with a noticeably understated mood. The club tracks take a pared down approach that favours space and meditation over bold brush strokes, but between the teeth-gnashing bite of ”Askinkila” or the rough and ready acid workout ”Continuum,” the sound is gutsy and dripping with character. Ostati spells out a space where dim lights and mysterious corners provide a playground for wild ideas to dart around in the dark. The overall atmosphere may appear subdued, but it’s merely a cover for the fiery spirit lurking underneath.”
Otis makes good on his long time friendship with the Partisan crew via four dazzling cuts of future-minded machine funk. From swinging techno to breakbeat and electro, all glued together by that 909 house vibe, the playful side of Otis’ unique sound masks an understated swagger that will rock the floor wherever it’s played.
London’s Frequencies Unknown present their maiden transmission ‘Intazonez’, a collection of fractured and futurist melodic machine experimentation with a human soul. Label operators Intareality give a 4 tracker that channels myriad influences while retaining a rare air of mystery and the essence of hazy studio encounters and programming sessions late into the night.
An astronomical conjunction has cropped up. Arpanet is back after a long interstellar hibernation and 30drop comes up with its particular vision of the abstract Elektro for the very first time. ‘Phases EP’ takes the primal Warp’s heritage blending hypnotic melodies with rhythmically complex patterns. Arpanet, which keeps the exquisiteness of its previous works for Rephlex, among other labels, gazes into the black profoundness of its own and unique universe. 30drop’s two cuts, ostensibly touched by the Aphex Twin spirit, are a spellbinding exercise of style. ‘Phases EP’ is experimental, atmospheric, rhythmic and, above all, flawless. This enthralling EP is presented in electric blue vinyl. A special shape for a very special alliance.
Dutch live-act and DJ duo Artefakt return to Delsin Records with an intricately produced three track release entitled ‘Falling Into The Light’. Artefakt began releasing music together in 2012 and now boast a discography spanning Field Records, Konstrukt and Deep Sound Channel, not to mention regular appearances on Delsin where their debut album entitled ‘Kinship’ dropped in 2017. Returning to Delsin, the pair’s next outing once again demonstrates their ever-evolving sound and is an exciting precursor for the launch of their own label later this year. Rolling drums open the release in ‘The Blue Hour’ as murky synths join hazy atmospherics, making way for ‘Weltformel’ with its racing syncopated percussion and ethereal pads that ebb and flow throughout the mix. Finally, ‘Falling Into The Light’ combines springy kicks with crystalline melodies, metallic elements and rattling effects to conclude a mesmerising release.
The Hipodrome Of Music 