Philippe Petit is welcomed to Figure SPC with this dextrous and inventive four-track EP. Ranging from the Euro-beat infusions of ‘Body’, with its menacing electronic palpitations, to the stuttering syncopations of ‘The Truth’, the bouncing, addictive tooly vibe of ‘Lost Again’, or finally the tracky, introspective chord-journey of ‘In Between’, its a varied and versatile EP from the hard working activist.
Detroit’s Manuel Gonzalez on Berceuse again. Manuel hits the groove hard and soft in two Detroit techno joints. A-side, ‘Full Frontal’ comes for your booty at 138bpm inna old skool UR or Rob Hood style, layering the kicks with chirruping alien bleeps and discordant synth surges. B-side he links up with Ramon Ramirez for the much more personable ‘Blowout’ yielding dubbed-out kosmiche synth expressions anchored by a billowing B-line at 118bpm.
Dutch techno practitioner Steve Rachmad aka Sterac is back with a hot new track for Delsin. Originally released on a limited white label run earlier in summer, it now comes backed with remixes by Fachwerk’s Mike Dehnert, VRIL and US twosome Anthony Parasole & Phil Moffa.
Sam Shepherd has long been a master of the kind of ultra-deep, rolling, soft focus deep house that raises the spirits and soothes the soul. Even so, there’s something incredibly special about “Nuits Sonores”, the lead track from this EP. Based around a deep, tactile groove and blessed with rising synth solos, dancing acid lines and his usual fireside Rhodes antics, the track rises magnificently for 12 spellbinding minutes. As it progresses, further elements make their way into the mix, until it reaches the kind of organic deep house climax that makes even the grumpiest souls go weak at the knees. Flip for “Nectarines”, the kind of loose-limbed fusion of deep house sassiness, Detroit techno electronics and fluid jazz drumming at which Shepherd has always excelled.
Thirty three seminal Robert Hood productions: The M-Plant Mother lode has landed. Even if you’re well up to date on the Detroit legend’s storied career there’s no stopping the joy at what material has been included here – including – the best minimal techno production of all time: Monobox’s “Realm”. For something funkier there’s the “The Pace”, “The Greatest Dancer”, the all praising “We Magnify His Name” and “Monkey”. But wait: there’s more! “Alpha” and “The Family” from his Omega Man LP makes the cut as do the epic James Brown and Aretha Franklin samples from newer school Floorplan material “Baby Baby” and “Never Grow Old”. There’s also the legendary stuff like “Who Taught You Math” and “Minus” to “Protein Valve” and much, much more.
Intelligent communication. Since 1967, astronomers have been receiving and cataloging very precisely timed radio pulses coming from sources they call pulsars. They have long assumed these to be natural sources, exotic spinning stars that emit laser-like radio beams that sweep through space much like lighthouse signal sequences. Highly regular flashes and complex signal ordering are produced through intelligent modulation of their beam s intensity and direction of polarization. More significantly, through their seemingly purposeful geometrical alignments, pulsars appear to be conveying a coherent message. Are these beacons from an intelligent origin? And are they warning beacons to warn us against the next shockwave that comes of the active galactic nucleus ore want they attack us? It might be prudent to consider whether we are talking about friends or foes…..Mike Storm.
Returning to Cadenza Records after two previous singles (‘The Motorglider’ EP and ‘Precursors’ EP), Eduardo De La Calle drops ‘The Methodical Machines EP’. Eduardo flexes his unique sound design of minimal and soulful grooves. Heavily indebted to the classic sounds of the Detroit Techno visionaries, Eduardo has built up a solid reputation through his Analog Solutions label, and also through his film production career (check the electronic music documentary ‘Beatz’ for some insight). A staunch supporter of all things analogue, Eduardo manages to tease out some highly emotive and melancholic music from the machines.
The Hague based BAKK Records with a split EP by MGUN (Manuel Gonzales) and Halvtrak. Detroit local MGUN already proved to be one of the more talented new producers and this time delivers a true trunk full of funk. The laser sword synths whip through the big space of the roomy kicks and the snare hits the nail on the head, a guaranteed floor filler. Crossing the Atlantic towards Finland / Helsinki, Halvtrak shares a journey into his forming yet already signature sound. A smooth sailing analog track with trippy acid sounds – a perfect fit for both those during peak time as the early morning racers.
Strong Detroit influenced techno EP featuring remixes by Steven Tang, Stojche & Vidinovski. As the title suggests, “90 State” sounds like it was heavily influenced by vintage 808 State, and “Pacific State” in particular. The analogue-sounding beats, spine tingling electronics, melodies and wide-eyed chords all recall the rave-era classic.
Since its debut at the auditorium of Le Louvre in February 2014, ‘Man From Tomorrow’ has since been shown across the globe in cities such as London, Berlin, Milan, Tokyo and New York. Jeff Mills partnered up with French filmmaker Jacqueline Caux to create this feature film about him and his arresting perception of the future. With his spectacular poetic sound and Caux’s invasive cinematic imagery, this film is an extraordinary portrait of one of the most innovative DJs and producers in the world of electronic music.
Jeff Mills: “Understanding what Man From Tomorrow could possibly mean and say to others, we greatly discussed the ways of how we could go about materializing this in a manner that detaches the subject away from normality. We wanted to show what deep thoughts, dream escapes and unconventional expressions of our future could look, sound and feel like through ever-expanding and dimensional lens of Techno”.
The Israeli duo of Deep’a & Biri with Basement Cuts on Jaunt Records. Full of psychoactive tendencies and brimming with otherworldly sounds, it features the pair delving deep, displaying an obsessive eye for detail and unfurling an array of captivating sounds. Full of dreamy soundscapes and pulsating kicks, it plays out with some class. The Analogue Cops, the Italian duo of Lucretio and Marieu, delivers a fitting remix, full of the pair’s trademark funk with a dollop of ominous tidbits, slowly progressing into an acid-led monster.
Five reworks of Delano Smith’s recent output on Sushitech Records. Featuring the talents of Marcel Dettmann, Makam, Steve O’Sullivan, Oracy and the legendary Convextion.
Berlin-based Dutch DJ and producer Steffi returns with her second album Power Of Anonymity on Ostgut Ton, featuring laid-back, melodic cuts like ”Pip”, ”Fine Friend” and the break-heavy title track next to more straightforward, hypnotic dance floor pieces such as ”Selfhood”, ”Bag Of Crystals”, ”JBW25” and ”Bang For Your Buck”. Besides her solo instrumental productions, Steffi’s collaboration with longtime friends Dexter and Virginia on the uplifting, percussion- driven vocal track ”Treasure Seeking” is the icing on the cake. Just like ”Power Of Anonymity” as a single piece of music, the album itself lives on an industrial-resonating structure of 808s, crisp synth stabs, pulsing staccati and dark, percussive drumbeats. With her second album Steffi recalls classic, landmark Detroit Electro, while creating her very own modern, retro-futuristic sound.
Continue reading “Steffi – Power Of Anonymity [OSTGUTLP018]”
LA resident Natan H returns to Man Make Music with the Glen Park EP. 3 slabs of rounded, undulating deep house that will be warming up sunrise & daytime dancefloors across both sides of the pond.
Hailing from Rotterdam, The Netherlands, Dutch artist, Tapirus aka Charlton Ravenberg reemerges with new single on U.S. imprint, Emphasis. Enlightenment is an ethereal jacking track, taking inspiration from the Dutch and Detroit techno of yesteryear. Shuffling 707+808+909 drum sounds underneath melancholic synth pad. A string solo plays gingerly on top, sending the listener into deep space! Finishing off side A, is What Do You Recon, a bubbling, burbling acid track; twisting and warping minds on the dance floor. Had To Walk Away Girl, because sometimes you just have to. Its not about you! Dutch techno at its finest here. Acid bassline tweaking underneath solo synth line that meanders through the ebb and flow of your thoughts. Rounding out the single is Specific Epithet, which conjures up dark, wide spaces in the mind with its eerie synth solo and low synth bass stabs.
If one variation of confused blips and synths gurgles underpinned by a rock solid 909 beat by Robert Hood isn’t enough than indulge yourself in two. For this first chapter of the Moveable Parts EP series, Hood’s work here will please those after some more Monobox action as both “Untitled 1” and “Untitled 4” are discombobulated versions of each other. If you’re after a mutant version of the latter for the packed dancefloor however, Hood’s got you covered with “Untitled Sketch”.
Back when Dave Sumner relaunched his dormant Infrastructure New York label at the start of the year, vague allusions to some sort of planned retrospective were made as a means to tantalise and excite. With the label now fully up and running thanks to a series of great techno 12″s from Function, Campbell Irvine, Inland and a select reissue or two, it seems those plans for a retrospective are a lot firmer. Synewave Reissues Part I: 1995-97 is the first of two 12″s that will precede the release of the 28 track Recompiled: Various Works & Pseudonyms, 1995-2012 compilation in 2015 and draws from material Sumner committed to Damon Wild’s Synewave label. Both “F3” and “F4” are some of the earliest productions Sumner committed to tape as Function and are complemented by a new edit of “Shift F1” from his Infrastructure pardner Inland.
Pushmaster Discs presents a remix collection from Gerald Mitchell, Claude Young and Orlando Voorn.
The Hipodrome Of Music 