As part of M-Plant’s 20th Anniversary, it’s the perfect time for Robert Hood to re-visit one of his other decisive monikers, Monobox. The deep and melodious tones of ‘Film’ are beautifully offset by the tougher machine groove of ‘Rectangle’, with both tracks conveying the hypnotic minimalist approach of Hood’s otherworldly Monobox sound.
Horizontal Ground sub-label Naked Index introduces a new name from Columbia: Astronomical Telegram. The grungy feel of Regis’ early work can be heard throughout the entire EP, meaning this will appeal to the staunch techno heads. Higher frequencies seem to be a defining difference between “Optical Observation V1” and “Optical Observation V2”, with the latter really jamming its foot on the pedal when it comes to the harsher sonics and frenetic percussion. “Tool Part 2” by and large does away with those pesky hi-hats and lays down a heavy groove of gruelling techno.
Manuel Gonzales aka MGUN, steps up to the plate for Fit Sound with an EP that is equal parts diverse, epic and raw. From the basement techno of “Wide Eye”, to the scuffling acidic “Debit, and finally onto the melodic/ melancholic sound of “M.S.C.”, Essential music from the underground for the underground.
Strong sounds from the Sly Fox Records camp. ‘Corn Dogs’ is their compilation 12′ released for the 2013 Movement festival in Detroit.
It is claimed that Three is the perfect number. Many fields of human thought have reasoned concerning this number: Religion, Literature, Philosophy. It’s an easy number to reach but difficult to cross. Once you cross the Three everything takes other forms. It’s a pass, there are those who will perish and those who stops and observe. Some believe that their work is finished there. But there are also those who consider it the closest point to the sky and the stars and draw the strength to continue their work.
Spain’s A Harmless Deed label announce the release of its first artist album. DJ and producer DJ F, who up to now has also produced a sleek brand of airy dub techno and house on labels like Frigio and Semantica, drawing on everything from lo-fi Detroit techno to vintage electro.
Leigh’s second part in his chapter on For Those That Knoe starts with the blissful house moods of Cresnet. A punchy kick and modulated bassline provide a weighty bottom end, complementing lush pads, sweeping FX, percussive stabs and ethereal strings. Ion is a track that is hard to pigeonhole, Leigh casts all preconceptions aside by creating a grooving piece of dance music that sounds as forward thinking today as I would have when it was written. At One on the flip is a little burst of funk with snappy beats and crisp percussion a fuzzy bassline. Closing out the EP is a previously unheard and unreleased extended version of the timeless electro classic, Praise. Keeping all the elements of the original, this uncovered version has a new beat intro and longer arrangement.
Nebulous ambient electro. This isn’t a time-lapse,’ he said, breathlessly. ‘This is time…collapsed.’ His eyes glazed over for a moment as he retreated deep inside himself. ‘Don’t you see’ He exclaimed, wild-eyed, looking as though possessed by some silent anomaly of his own making. ‘Don’t you see what this means.
Launch of a new record label hailing from Warsaw. First one is drexciyan-inspired, subtle crafted underwater trip from a man called Ever Moving.
French producer Voiski returns to L.I.E.S. with another 12 inch of his diverse and refreshing style of techno. Spanning across the board we get epic dramatic builds, post shuffle headnodders and floor crushing sub-bass grooves over these three tracks. Guaranteed to cause major damage wherever and whenever this record is played.
Planet E is debuting the so far unknown Korrupt Data with a three-track 12″. Entitled Cryogene – cryogenics being the study of the production and behaviour of materials at very low temperatures – the sounds here match such a description. The title-track is a highlight and it’s a great electro production made at a speedy house tempo that brims with all the Detroit goodness of an Interdimensional Transmission record. “Drifting Vessels” is a little more broken in rhythm and has that deep sea searching vibe of a chilled out Drexciya track, while “Shimmer” is a reflective, sombre, but also hopeful and cosmic piece of electronic music brilliance.
Secretsundaze fave Youandewan (AKA producer Ewan Smith) forged his reputation by delivering house and techno cuts that defied easy categorization. Over the years, he’s variously released robust analogue jams, woozy deep house and wonky late night tech-house. There’s plenty of that variety on this first EP for Will Saul’s Aus imprint. The four tracks variously touch on sparse, soul-flecked deepness (“FM Jam”, which is also impressively remixed by the ever reliable Andres), spaced-out acid (the relentless 303s and late night textures of “Tino”), and Mr Fingers-influenced analogue deep house (the excellent “Alright Son”).
The 18th installment from Aesthetic Audio brings together four deep architects to form a collective that methodically articulates a symphony of sublime textures, lush chords and unique musical visions. Tracks by Keith Worthy, Miruga, Jose Rico and Michael Zucker.
LAB.OUR 04 sees the return of Torontos own Maxwell Church with 3 raw techno cuts. When not busy as one of the founders of Torontos techno night The Deep North, Max releases music as a solo artist and as one half of The Hermans. Doldruks driving rhythm is anchored by percolating synths and ever changing, melodic patterns. Faxnews is a dubby stomper with synth stabs and vocal snippets. Geosynchronus Orb shows us what acid sounds like on Saturn.
Labelboss Steffi hooking up with long-time buddy and musical boy wonder Dexter again. Over 15 years ago they started the Klakson label and the rest is history. Sounding more fresh than ever Steffi & Dexter deliver 3 razor sharp dancefloor bombs that will unite dancefloors worldwide. All the elements are there: aquatic electro arpeggio’s, jacking 808 beats, bouncing analogue strings and basslines, all topped off with that euphoric Detroit techno feel.
Beautiful house, techno and electro in the deep aesthetic that we know for the For Those that Know label. First of 2 ep’s coming summer 2014 kicks off with Chimera; a soothing and warm electro cut with soft pads and twinkling lead lines. Aerobatics, originally released on Qube in 2002 slots onto the A2; it meanders into darker territory with saw tooth synth basses, squelchy acid and industrial break beats. Sketch Form on the B-side is a slow tempo house track with chunky distorted rhythms and percussive driven bassline, complemented neatly by swooping square pads and a delicate lead. The Closed Box rounds off the EP with its stripped electronic break beat and late night harmonies.
Long time colleagues David Sumner (aka Function) and Ed Davenport (aka Inland) have teamed up to relaunch Sumner’s esteemed imprint, Infrastructure. They kick things off with a collaboration under the guise Function/Inland with this new EP, Odeon/Rhyl.
The Monkey Bar has proved to have no boundaries music-wise. This composition of tracks pictures a state of mind, a bridge between the past and the future. A selection made by producers that can speak with the heart, the mind and the soul. The Primates #01 is a great techno EP with tracks by Eduardo De La Calle, Hinode, 333 aka Alfonso & Diego Gamez and a Marco Shuttle remix.
The Hipodrome Of Music 