Secret Mixes and Fixes Vol 15 features The Fantasy, a 2 veteran Detroit DJ’s making their fantasy versions of untouchable songs.
disco
Gonno – The Noughties [BIS009]
The latest 12″ from Beats In Space Records features three tracks recorded between 2005 and 2009 courtesy of Tokyo’s humbly dynamic Gonno. A dynamic producer who is clearly not afraid to nest until crucial hatch time, Gonno flies the coop with a wingspan throwing psychedelic color at a sunburst sky. Blending a spectrum of musical influences from Primal Scream’s Screamadelica, to Basic Channel and personal touch points about the people (and animals) he’s met and the joy / sorrow they cause, Gonno’s productions blur the lines between art and life experience.
Selvagem – Amor [BISX003]
Selvagem is both the name of the DJ duo as well as the name of their monthly party in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Its a monthly sunset party that is considered one of the best in the city. They have hosted DJs such as Twitch from Optimo, Severino from Horse Meat Disco, Andy Blake from World Unknown and Paul Thomson, the drummer for Franz Ferdinand. They recently did a mix for Beats In Space that was 100% Brazilian music. From disco to funk, psychedelic, post-punk, electro and batucada. Its a mix of luscious rhythms, crazy translations and outer-world oddities that can provoke one’s inner savage. The three tracks on this EP were selected from this BIS mix.
Gerhard Heinz – Gerhard Heinz [369.012]
An album completely filled with unreleased music productions by Gerhard Heinz. Cosmic Disco, Minimal Synth, Electro,,, music from old porn and horror movies from the mid 70’s to early 80’s. What’s actually unbelievable is that while checking Gerhard Heinz’s audio archive a 12” Maxi Version of Hydrogen – Cheaters Theme which runs about 5 min. showed up. This is certainly one of the most wanted cosmic library tracks ever and will be also featured. The first 50 vinyl copies will include a CD safety copy with 6 more unreleased tracks (for example the disco tracks which is played at the pool party of ”Bloody Moon” aka ”Die Sge des Todes” by Jess Franko as 12” Maxi Single version which runs for more than 6 min).
De Dupe – Infinitestatemachine Guest Mix
VA – Supafrico Vol VI: The Sound Of Funky Africa [SF006]
Camp Supafrico return with the sixth edition of their highly acclaimed ‘Sound of Funky Africa’ series. Digging even deeper into the Afro-funk vaults, side A features the über-rare 1984 Shina Williams and His African Percussionists ‘Agboju Logun’. Grooving along for a massive eleven and a half minutes, this super-heavy Nigerian disco cut splices raw sounding horns with choirs and chants. Flip over for ‘Don’t Do It’ from Bongi Makeba, a mesmerising afro-funk workout with her powerful voice weaving in and out of the grooving bass and spaced-out sax. Last up is the sought-after ‘Mangous Ye’ from Black Soul. Originally the B-side of a 1976 release on tiny but top-quality NYC label Beam Junction, this Tom Moulton mixed slice of high-octane percussion-soaked afro-disco hit big on Italy’s Cosmic scene as well as the clubs of New York.
Massimiliano Pagliara & Jules Etienne present Egyptian Nipples – Back But Half [APERSONAL013]
Apersonal Music introduces a very special collaboration between Massimiliano Pagliara and Jules Etienne that goes by the name of Egyptian Nipples. The songs on “Back but Half EP” were originally composed and produced by Jules Etienne. Massi then proposed Jules to re-work them and add his additional production. The result is an ode to 80s inspired song writing, analogue grittiness and heavenly melodies.
Heinrich Dressel & Cestrian – Heinrich Dressel & Cestrian [CYBERDANCE014]
Heinrich Dressel from Minimal Rome and Ali Renault in his Cestrian guise team up to bring us the latest release on Cyber Dance Records, a split EP featuring 2 tracks from each of them. Side A is Heinrich Dressel’s half of the record and kicks off with ‘Out Of The Blue’, a deep throbbing monster of a jam full of psychedelic synths rumbling and pulsating beneath mesmerising electronic tones. His other track. ‘Thru The Fog’ ups the tempo and pushes the rock-solid analogue weightiness into a Chicago-esque jack classic that DJs won’t be able to resist. The Cestrian half of the record counter-balances Dressel’s moody analogue jams with 2 LSD-driven electro-monsters that evoke bleak but somehow lush visions of life in the modern world of concrete and machines. ‘Strong Face’ with its distinctive audio sampling and dystopian future vibes would surely be just the kind of electro JG Ballard would approve of, while ‘Methane Filter’ is a tweaked-out electro rocker that sounds like robotic paranoia distilled into soundwaves.
Omar-S – XLR8R Podcast 294
Hardway Bros – A/B Musique [TOB034]
Sean Johnston’s Hardway Bros aligns on the Throne Of Blood label with some rare original produce in the shape of A/B Musique, a killer 12″ brandishing some assistance from fellow Axis members Scott Fraser and Timothy J Fairplay. Eschewing the Balearic nature of previous Hardway Bros material, the title track is geared as homage to Belgian New Beat and hits the spot as soon as those hollow drums kick into gear. The aforementioned Mr Fairplay provides some punk funk swagger via intermittent guitar riffage and the vibe throughout is geared towards interplanetary love parties. On the flip, “Shorty” feels a bit darker, with tough multi layered drum breaks and fuzzy edged arpeggiated bass lines gradually teasing out a seemingly never ending fluctuating precession of delay laden acid lines and swirling hypnotic vocal smudges. Scott Fraser turns in a murky basement remix of “Shorty” which is tinged with a machine made melancholia that tastes decidedly Detroitian.
Albion – BIS Radio Show #674
Daniele Baldelli – Let’s Get Lost Vol.21 [LGL021]
Let’s Get Lost label’s 21st offering welcomes Italo Disco innovator Daniele Baldelli into the fold with an eight track, double 12″ cosmic transmission. Naturally given the length, Baldelli canvasses an array of styles, like the post punk and jazz fusion of “Dark Sax”, the pulsating future disco of “Teens & Teens” or the Studio 54 referencing “Portorico”. Baldelli also dips into some more down-tempo, ambient and darker italo stylings with “Tunnel”, while taking a Latin approach with “Conflitto Mexicano”.
Gramme – Gramme LP [GRAMMELP]
Gramme is the musically pioneering band that went missing in action sometime around 2000. Originally signed to Trevor Jackson’s Output label, the band emerged in the mid-nineties with a sound so out of step with the cultural milieu they found themselves swimming against the tide. Originally a five piece, the band formed around a shared love of the emotional melancholy now synonymous with Factory artists such as Joy Division, Section 25 and A Certain Ratio. Gramme were attracted by Manchester’s psycho disco of the early 80’s and NY’s subterranean proto punk-funk on 99 Records and bands like Liquid Liquid and ESG. The die was cast when, following a particularly intense Camden gig in 1996, the legendary DJ Nathan Gregory said the immortal words “ I love your band, but I dunno whether to dance or pogo?!”. The individuality of Gramme around ‘97 remains their lasting signature. Gramme 2012, now a streamlined four piece but equally as passionate and excited by the possibilities of their own music making. With three new 4 track E.P.s already on the shelves this year, reportedly selling out before the dust had time to settle. The next step is a 12 track long player scheduled for release in February on Tim ‘Love’ Lee’s Tummy Touch Records. The album represents about two and a half years of sporadic but intense writing, jamming, recording and editing and at least three complete fresh starts. The aim was finally to create something immediate and in the present but something that would also stand the test of time. It needed to work in the club, the car and the kitchen simultaneously.
Black Merlin – Salute To The Light [NJ005]
A self-confessed fascination with 80s Music and film scores from the same era..George Thompson has an ability to approach music with a strong visual aesthetic which is a common theme in his work, first apparent in his role as part of the duo “Spectral Empire”, alongside Kyle Martin. Spectral Empire caught our ear many years ago. with their sound that evoking a world of abandoned battleships, psychedelic fog and possession by dark forces through a maze of industrial beats, metallic drones and heavy baselines. A trip to Dusseldorf in 2009 saw Thompson connect with the cities’ currently vibrant electronic scene, with artists such as Kriedler, Der Rauber und der Prinz, Music Cargo and Toulouse Low Trax inspiring Thompson to continue his sonic explorations and push him forwards as a solo artist, under the “Black Merlin” moniker. As “Black Merlin”, the brooding, dark, cinematic elements remain, juxtaposed by Thompson’s obsession with late-80’s FM Synthesis and expansive production of artist such as Trevor Horn and Blancmange. Black Merlin’s first solo release was on Andrew Weatherall’s vinyl-only label Bird Scarer in late 2012.
Roberto Auser – Eclipse [PNKMN002]
The second EP on the dutch imprint Pinkman comes from Roberto Auser, bringing a varied EP with his unique westcoast sound. First up is the outer space dance track ‘Never Say Never Again’, remixed by Dutch techno pioneer Mark du Mosch on the flip. The final track ‘Eclipse’ brings us back to his native country Ausland, a tribal battle track for all the weekend warriors out there.
Bande Apartment – Rita, Kate & You Too [APT042]
TR One’s Dean Feeney and Eddie Reynolds call on compatriot and singer-songwriter David Kitt to inaugurate the Band Apartment project with this two track release for the Apartment label, fusing disco, P-funk and italo-rock. From it’s back-beat beginnings, the 80s film referencing “Lubricating Rita” builds into an anthemic disco monster of crazy synths, humming vocoders, roaring guitars and a well produced bassline reminiscent of Breakwater’s powerful “Release The Beast” (later famously sampled for Daft Punks “Robot Rock”). “Katie’s Girth” is a little more tropical – a Talking Heads tropical – mixed with wild streaks of disco strings, horns and sultry vocal breaths.
Rory Phillips – Mixed Fortunes #4 [MIXEDFORTUNES004]
Rory Phillips has cooked up another installment of the Mixed Fortune series, this time with “Tunnel Vision”, its thick, arpeggiated bassline, disco flex and 80s pop touches making it a truly beautiful boogie-slanted electro monster. There’s a special surprise too: the man goes head to head with Night Slugs man L-Vis 1990 for “Silicon Island”, a house chugger with some serious 80s vibes in there – Korg Polys all round!
Factory Aire – B.O.Y. [SHK006]
Shaddock’s sixth outing features the young talented L.A. based artist Jeremy Berman aka Factory Aire, including remixes by two longtime companions DJ Stingray and Atom™ as well as the ominous Auxon.nThe original title – B.O.Y is an epic-futuristic track, rich in complexity and varied melodic levels subtley playing with heavy, stomping beats. DJ Stingray delivers a stunning rework with his unique, fast paced blend blurring the borders between Jungle, Electro and Bass Music while Atom™, returns to his old Acid House heights dropping a 120 bpm house killer. Auxon’s high-energy rerub puts a more modern touch to this disco-spacey crusade adding some vital sparks of trance.
Todd Modes / Bobby Dolo – M1 SSSNS #4 [M1SESN104]
M1 Sessions #4 features the men behind the scenes of M1 Sessions. Bobby Dolo and Todd Modes have been working together for years as DJ’s, Producers, and loft party hosts. Todd brings his own brand of sexy, deep house with a warm, late night vibe. Dolo’s side offers a samba-ish chop up of Dr. buzzard’s Sunshowers, and a disco edit of tropically groovy proportions.”
Umberto – Confrontations [NNF270LP]
Halloween is early this year……fantasy soundtracking returns with his third official full-length, two years after the badass psychodrama of Prophecy of the Black Widow. What instantly distinguishes this new album from the previous two is its ominous, slow-burn compositional model, building its evil temple brick by brick, basking in the tension of each new chiming, Carpenteresque synth line or monkish doom Om for multiple measures before stirring the next substance into the cauldron. This elegant sense of patience gives the tracks a more oozing, operatic aura; these confrontations aren’t hostile showdowns in the woods but the creeping dread of alien-nation body snatchers infiltrating the populace. Death comes slipping.
The Hipodrome Of Music 