electro
Dopplereffekt – Cellular Automata [LSR020]
“Cellular Automata” is the new album from Dopplereffekt (Gerald Donald and Michaela To-Nhan Bertel), their first in ten years since 2007. Cellular Automata approaches mathematical growth and decay as an iterative process, with each data input considered individually relative to the overall model. The result represents one of the group’s boldest creative endeavors, defying expectations while remaining unmistakably Dopplereffekt. Cellular Automata is the third Dopplereffekt release to come via Berlin’s Leisure System label, following 2013’s “Tetrahymena” and 2014’s “Hypnagogia”.
Microlith – Subtle Variance [CPU00101011]
The recent passing of Rhys Celeste, the young producer behind the Microlith alias, adds extra poignancy to this posthumous EP. Given the tragic circumstances of his death, it’s hard not to hear a touch of melancholy amongst the yearning synthesizer melodies, fizzing electro beats and “braindance” style TB-303 work of “Acid in a Church”. It’s also true that the chord progressions and melodic structure of electro shuffler “Remember Members” are undeniably poignant, as are the outer-space electronics and sweeping synth-strings at the heart of “8oh8 Freight”. “Backwards”, an eyes-wide-shut chunk of 4/4-electro bliss, feels a little more positive, but is still laden with poignancy. Regardless of the connotations, Subtle Variance is a superb EP. Rest in peace, Rhys.
Jann – Murder People [PBD006]
Jann arrives on Pinkman with a soundtrack of breathless panic, an ode to a blighted world of diesel fumes and indifference. Rhythms are grizzly, gored and torn. Thick chords judder, revving like a clapped-out engine as metal slashes at savaged snares. Acid scorn is poured on this inhospitable world, amplified by the haze of distortion that clouds Jann’s hard and cold vision.
Odd Oswald – Bits Of Rage Mix (HNYPOT221)
Rings Around Saturn – UNTHANK011 [UNTHANK011]
A voyage into the outer reaches of immersive, ambient techno and electronics where boundaries are blurred between 80s bedroom boogie, Detroit electro, broken beat and Warp golden-era bleep. Based in Melbourne, Australia, Rory McPike has been putting out analogue and hardware-led sounds for a couple of years under both his techno and jungle orientated guise Dan White and Rings Around Saturn.
Khidja / Delusion Men – Strayed [PB004]
P-Balans is activating again all its current accomplices in order to reinforce the heretic electronic scene of Bucharest. A first collaboration of Khidja, masters of psychedelic depths, and Delusion Men (comprised of Holy Fix and Utopus), the reliable founding persons of Future Nuggets. All together delivering a smash techno-punk EP uplifted by an enchanting slowburner remix signed by Borusiade.
Neunaugen – Dazzling Tongue [KAFTEN009]
From the westcoast of Sweden Neunaugen gives you three funky-space-electro-acid tracks for the dancefloor. No chance to sit still when this is played.
Empfänger – Resan Till Plutonia [BF025]
Empfänger stay in the sewers like TMNT. Back with four tracks of their crackbrained EBM – DISKO.
VA – In The Dark Again 7 [DARK007]
The first release in 2017, from In The Dark Again, is the seventh Various Artists EP on my label for dark and trippy sounds. This time Ka§par, Lectromagnetique, Vault and Synkronized bring the noise.
Exhausted Modern – Hellenistic Thoughts [EIDE001]
Eidetic is a new project from the brokntoys camp, focusing on the deeper side of techno. To kick off the project, Eidetic welcomes Exhausted Modern – an alias from Layup, the co-founder of Endless Illusion, for a 4-track EP of grimy, grubby, eerie electronics suited for the early hours on the dance floor.
JASSS – Es Complicado [MNQ085]
Jasss returns with an instant-classic second single for Death Of The Machines. ‘Es Complicado’ is a percussive a-side driven track, a passionate industrial/futuristic wink to the past, while ‘No Chanche’ on the b side is opening a new path for her productions. The mind sick samples from the 1966 Bergman’s masterpiece ‘Persona’ leave the track – as the movie itself does – in a climax wrapped by a variety of interpretations, moving from tribal new beat rhythms and ending into an acid nightmare.
Privacy – Zero Value [KLAKSON026]
New school electro wunderkind Privacy makes his debut on Klakson with a dark four tracker that checks all the right boxes. The EP kicks off with “Four IO”, a haunting, spacey dubbed out acid roller with lush pads throughout. “U Can Tell” and “NCSC” are both specimens of the finest EBM tradition, re-interpreting the sound for 2017, while “Shove” on the B2 effortlessly transports us into deep, uptempo aquatic electro territory.
Thread – Conningham EP [REACH001]
New UK based imprint aiming to bring you atmospheric and emotional treats that toe the line between bass heavy, electro leaning, house & techno and everything in between. The label’s first outing comes from the duo Thread.
Exhausted Modern – Habitat EP [MID009]
The ninth release on Midligh brings to light Exhausted Modern, the new alias from Layup, the co-founder of Endless Illusion.
Zeta Reticula – EP 6 [ELECTRIX010]
Umek continues his Zeta Reticula series for Billy Nasty’s Electrix with ‘EP 6’. The bass-quaking ‘Reticulum’ opens the EP and the release instantly sparkles and explodes into electrofunk action, followed by ‘Solar Analogs’, like a ticking time bomb. ‘Rotating Protostellar Cloud’ heads up the B-side with its more Moroder / Kraftwerk era sound that’s epic and melodious, before ‘Circumstellar Debris Disk’ completes the quartet, with a flurrying filmatic soundscape approach.
System Olympia – Dusk & Dreamland [SLOMO030]
New year, new start and a long overdue introduction of some female sensibilities into the Slow Motion stable. System Olympia hails from Calabria and was formerly part of London based Royalty. You know the drill by now, tear jerking synths, chest crushing bass and that indefinable slow-motion disco swagger that we have made all our own.
Helena Hauff – A Tape [DE149]
Dark Entries present ‘A Tape’, a double LP of early work by Helena Hauff. ‘A Tape’ is a compilation of Helena’s earliest recordings from 2011 and 2014, originally released on limited cassette by Handmade Birds in 2015. Clocking in at over 50 minutes, this collection spans Hauff’s musical universe, from jacking acid-techno to krautish zone-outs and scuzzy feedback interludes. It’s tempting to consider it Helena’s debut album, but she views these tracks as mostly forgotten sketches left on the cutting room floor. It a gripping collection of deep, sinister analog synth sequences, industrial dissonance, and heavy percussion. Her equipment set up was a Roland Alpha Juno 2, Juno 60, TB-303, TR-707 and TR-808. Both of the discs end with Hauff stepping outside of the intentionally stiff, robotic rhythms, instead showing her skill at crafting less conventional electronic sounds.
Credit 00 – Game Over [UVLP005]
Credit 00 delivers his debut album “Game Over”. After four EPs for Uncanny Valley the Leipzig based musician is now ready to let loose his electronic visions on full length. As everybody can confirm who saw him playing live or DJing, the head behind Uncanny Valley’s sub label Rat Life is a slave to the rhythm on a full-time basis. Obsessed with sound, he can’t stop pushing the buttons of his synthesizers and drum machines like someone torturing the controls of an Arcade machine. “Game Over” is an electronic love letter to the romantic fantasy worlds of classic video games and their bleepy and clonky sounds which used to be common also in repetitive electronic dance music.
Collecting tracks from the last six years, “Game Over” is also a passion project that channels all his influences. You can get a glimpse of the ingredients that make up his record collection. Whether it is Hip Hop,Techno, Electro Boogie, New Beat, Italo, Jungle, Reggae, House or Chill Out. Though, all those different sounds and styles do not tear this album apart. It’s a bit of a miracle that it feels so flawless for what happens between the appetizing “Level One” and the final track “The Last March”. Those beats on “Game Over” can be brutally effective like the fatalities in Mortal Kombat while the overlying sounds can be smooth like the lemmings’ animations in the eponymous Amiga game. Just listen to the title track. Or the instant hip shaker “Breakers Revenge” that comes with a little help from friends like Sara Stammburg on vocals and Max Rademann on Rhodes.
Without losing sight on the dance floor Credit 00 creates an electronic wonderland that delights dancers and connoisseurs at the same time. To top things off the wonderful artwork was created by Alexander Dorn a.k.a. Credit 00 himself.
Shahara-ja – I’m An Arabian Knight [LER1007]
The history of dance music is littered with one-hit wonders. The mysterious Sahara-Ja, whose one and only 12″ appeared on Australian label Central Station back in 1989, is a perfect example. Since slipping out in limited quantities 18 years ago, the Egyptian Lover-does-’80s soul cut “I’m An Arabian Knight” has become something of an in-demand record amongst collectors. This timely reissue contains all four versions included on the original ’89 release, including a tasty instrumental and the must-heavy Funky Arabian Mix. This sublime version puts more emphasis on the producer’s killer electro rhythm, dreamy chords, and cascading, Persian style synthesizer melodies.
The Hipodrome Of Music 