For the tenth instalment of Undersound Recordings we present a split EP from Dominic Dammer, under his MNVR and Omni Causa aliases. Dominic runs mindcolormusic, a collective active from 2010 releasing IDM and electro tinged music in tape and vinyl format and has been djing since the mid 90’s. The A side from MNVR presents a deeper approach with two emotional techno tracks whereas B side from Omni Causa takes a moodier turn with broken electro jams.
Julian Perez on fire, Camina O Revienta EP features 2 pounding dance floor bombs and a nice laidback track for early mornings.
Waveform Transmission Vol.3 initially came out in 1994 on Tresor Records. The eight titles on the album marked a turning point for Jeff Mills. It indicates a transition from the straightforward sound he had created through the early 1990’s, into the different facets and sound pallet he will develop through the remainder of the decade. It is a significant piece within Jeff Mills’ masterwork.
Freerotation Records returns with another 12” featuring Freerotation residents and regulars. The theme for this release is live hardware techno and the A side features two cuts from Juju and Jordash’s live improvised set from Freerotation 2017, while the flip showcases two of Freerotation 2017’s live hardware acts, the evergreen Shawn Rudiman from Pittsburgh USA, and the recently revived North-Easterners Cubic Space Collective. Collectively these artists are some of the best live techno performers in the world today, with decades of experience behind them, and true dedication to their craft.
Outer Zone is the label from Glasgow’s La Cheetah Club and this is their second release, coming from Glasgow’s very own Modus, who himself is a resident at Edinburgh’s legendary techno night Substance. Refracted through the sound of Detroit’s second wave, Modus, steers ‘Triple M’ across a spectrum of discordant pulsations and contorting energies towards enthralment.
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.
The Hipodrome Of Music 