detroit
VA – 100DSR Compilation [100DSR]
17 years after first releasing a cassette EP from label boss Marsel van der Wielen under his Peel Seamus guise, Delsin has now hit the landmark category number of 100. Truth is, taking into account choice re-issues and specials such as the recent house series, there have already been scores more than 100 releases. Nevertheless, in that time the Dutch label has become synonymous with a wide range of timeless sounds from house to techno to dub to electronica, nurturing and championing some of the most respected names in the scene, all of which can now be enjoyed on 5 separate, various artist vinyl EPs or one impressive two disc compilation. Far from just a collection of tracks, the 100DSR compilation has been carefully curated to tell the tale of Delsin. Each record conveys a slightly different part of the story – be it house, techno, beats or electro – yet every one is tied together by the label’s own underlying sense of desolate melancholy. Across the five EPs and complete CD collection there are tracks from newbies and old favourites alike, including Sawlin and Delta Funktionen, John Beltran and Bleak, Redshape and Convextion, Gerry Read and Claro Intelecto.
VA – Halal Prepared Vol. 2 [BOE022]
Arriving back in the spring of 2010, the first edition of Halal Prepared from London label Boe Recordings featured Iron Curtis, KiNK and Ladzinski and has remained a 12″ the more considered selectors at Juno HQ keep in their record boxes. Primed by Boe as the onset of a new V/A series, it’s taken the label three years to decide on what artists to feature on this second volume, with a great online mix series of the same name available for those craving some Halal flavoured house. Smallville graduate Arnaldo calls shotgun here with the playfully named A side hogger “A Shop That Sells Everything But At Twice The Price” filled with the sort of texturally deepness that made his Blank Slate record from earlier this year such a popular 12″. Label boss Ben Boe deems the time right to surface with his first original production and “Low Rider” fits snugly in with the refined house aesthetic the under-rated Boe Recordings has developed over the course of it’s five years of releases. French producer Anaxander rounds out Vol 2. In fine style with the deep and dubby “Dance Et Cetera” showcasing his percussive chops.
P.E.A.R.L. – Order / Decay [FEX001]
Order / Decay is the first release of Falling Ethics, the Berlin based label managed by P.E.A.R.L.
VA – 100DSR/VAR4 [100DSR/VAR4]
The on-going celebration of Delsin reaching 100 releases continues here with the 4th in the series of 100DSR releases. Featuring key label friends Redshape, D5 and Area Forty_One, it’s another compelling package. First up is the famous masked one with a track specially made to celebrate the centenary. Fittingly it is entitled ‘100 (Classic Mix)’ and finds him in a doleful mood, layering sad synth motifs of a hubbub of nicely crushed drums and scurrying percussion. Sad but optimistic, uplifting but heavy-hearted, it’s a quintessential Redshape track that manages to be industrial and romantic at exactly the same time. Next up is D5, who has basically only ever released on Delsin since emerging in 2001. It’s be a few years since his last EP, but this new track makes the wait worth while: ‘Stem Cell’ is a light-footed, harmonically enriched bit of house that has large opens spaces glowing golden white as paddy kicks keep busy below. A blissful but purposeful track, the final offering comes from sometime Ann Aimee producer Area Forty_One, who offers the dynamic and juddering bit of deep techno that is ‘Supervoid’.
The Parallel – Distinction [GR002]
Granulart Recordings presents the second release, coming from one of the irish finest Dub & Detroit techno producers The Parallel. Strong EP with three tracks, a great mix of top dub techno with just the right amount of classic Detroit sound.
Mike Huckaby – Keep It Deep Podcast 005
John Heckle – Desolate Figures [TABR022]
Two years after his last full-length titled ‘Second Son’, which was out on Jamal Moss‘s Mathematics label, John Heckle has returned with his second album ‘Desolate Figures’ for Tabernacle Records. ‘Desolate Figures’ revolves around vintage-tinged Detroit techno, gritty Chicago house and experimental hybrids of the aforementioned genres, with the overall result sounding deliciously and uncompromisingly nasty. The album opens with a wonderfully warped slab of Detroitish techno in the form of ‘Blindman’s Bluff’, a track deeply rooted in spacey synth and string structures that gradually transforms into a superb dancefloor track. From that point on, Heckle continues to present his broad view on house and techno across a set of track that seem to stray away from pre-fabricated song patterns, instead drawing on more abstract and less rigid textures. This ethos gives the LP as a whole a very personal and organic touch, as if it were recorded in a single take while creativity and intuition were peaking. Tracks such as the emotive ‘Inhuman Nature’, ‘Something For Your Distorted Mind’, and the acid-driven, Legowelt-esque ‘Never With You’ are all examples of Heckle’s signature blend of flowing melodics and raspy rhythms, while the industrial and very minimal ‘Love-Lies’ and the nervously rattling ‘Crazy Metal’ add a dash of experimental flavors to the LP. Its diverse content and overall DIY-attitude turn ‘Desolate Figures’ in a somewhat unorthodox package, but if you don’t shy away from experimental house and techno (or if you’re just a fan of the Crème Organization and Tabernacle labels in general), then you simply can’t afford to miss out on this one.
Conforce – Kinetic Image [102DSR]
Boris Bunnik has finished his third full-length album as Conforce. Entitled ‘Kinetic Image’, the ten-track album is the sound of Conforce producing without the dancefloor in mind. It’s the sound of him moving away from the past and into the present. The album has very much been designed to be heard in one sitting, as a complete experience that moves away from regimented 4/4 beats and into slower, more surreptitious tempos. The result is an all consuming sonic journey of intriguing and inspiring sounds that range from full on cerebral excursions into vast open spaces that throb invitingly (Scientific Trajectory) to underwater daydreams that suspend you deep in an ocean as various mycobacterial details float by. There’s also more industrial sounding fair that depicts a desolate warehouse in perennial decay (Semantic Field) and mysterious echo chambers that spread out all around you as celestial light beams and haunting melodic ripples gently float by as per the excellent Temporary Reversals.
VA – Alternativ 01 [WRR030]
Shortly after his debut vinyl album in late October, Patrik Skoog comes with another techno track on his own label We Are Records, accompanied by three new favorites on the scene. Tapirus aka Charlton lives in Rotterdam is first. R_L out of Hong Kong contributes to the Ep with his “Chaotic Bliss”, a forceful track drenched in reverb, echoing metal throbs and resonating lustful timbres. Atimpuri finishes off the Ep with his lush track “So Edo”, we have been secretly making people dance to this one for a little while now and are excited to finally have this pressed on vinyl.
Floorplan – Phobia [MPM017]
MPM17 comprises two brand new Floorplan tracks, Phobia and Glory B plus a remix of album cut ‘Higher!’ by Ben Sims. The opener, ‘Phobia’ is a driving, funk-fuelled track. An unrelenting looped jam that immediately sets the tone for another stunning M-Plant release. Solid peak time techno tracks.
Mr. G – VFM EP [PG048]
Mr.G is returning with a mint 4 tracker for the heads. 4 acey analog anthems with that authentic Mr.G. sound. Rich basses and excellent placed vocal cuts that allign with open hats perfectly.
Adam Marshall – Chord Tracking [KUJI001]
Adam Marshall’s original mix takes Chicago drums while chord stabs morph and evolve in a tough, organic style on this 11-minute journey. On the flip side we have a Mike Shannon Remix.
Steve O’Sullivan – Reconstructed [SUSH028]
Sushitech with a remix pack for Steve Steve O’Sullivan. Remixes by Mike Huckaby, Delano Smith, Rhauder, Exos and Thor.
FunkinEven / The Abstract Eye – Egypt / Reflexes [EGLO030]
New split EP on Eglo Record featuring FunkinEven and The Abstract Eye aka GB. Acidic, spaced out, atmospheric House trips.
Sync 24 – Life Scenes EP [ELECTRIX003]
Electrix label comes with a release from Sync 24 aka Phil Bolland, comprising two new cuts from the Cultivated Electronics / Scand man, alongside remixes from The Exaltics, Carl Finlow and Fleck E.S.C. Immediately setting the tone, Sync 24 delivers some classic old school Electro flair on his original tracks, with ‘This Life’ featuring dark vocals and a moodily melodic synth line, while ‘Night Scenes’ has a melancholy emotion sweeping over the cutting beats and deep bass.
Theo Parrish – Long Walk In The Sun / Strawberry Dragon [SS050]
New 2 track EP from Theo Parrish on his own Sound Signature. Slow-burning funk and rapid Jazz-tinged numbers on this monumental two-tracker.
Omar S – Nelson County [AOS123]
Detroits finest is back with some ultra cool tracks… title track grabs back to the classic unpolished house sound, where the other two tracks sound rawer as if Unit Moebius was jamming with Omar S in the Dystopia basement! Jacking drum machine driven cuts.
A Sagittariun – Dream Ritual [EDREAMSLP001]
The shadowy UK techno artist, A Sagittariun, releases his debut album this November, to coincide with the Sagittarius zodiac period. “Dream Ritual” comes off the back of a steady stream of well received EPs from ‘The Archer’ on his own Elastic Dreams label, releases that have captured the imaginations of the electronic community for their depth and diversity, where old techno breaks collide with Detroit techno aesthetics, ambient dub sits alongside industrially charged electro, and many more sound palettes inbetween. “Dream Ritual” continues this journey through moods and tempos, each track sprinkled with this stargazing quality. Opening track “Sundial” sets the tone, the percussive elements teasing in and out of a melodious, thick analogue cloud. “Dream Ritual” represents the versatility of A Sagittariun, and presents a collection of music for the listening experience as opposed to a dancefloor record, hopefully following the lineage of some of the classic techno and electronic albums that have paved the way and most definitely influenced A Sagittariun on this record.
Voiski – Iai Movement [LIES036]
A gem of the Parisian underground electronic music world for those who know, Voiski hits us with three tracks of high bpm techno. The b-side hits hard with the epic “From Sea to Sea” a monstrously beautiful building track that does all the right things in the right places just when you want them to happen.
The Hipodrome Of Music 