“Electric Park Square” is Interstellar Funk’s debut EP on the Rush Hour label. The mystical six tracker takes you on an adventurous multidimensional journey. Part of a new breed of young Dutch producers and DJs, Interstellar Funk crafts magical melodies and textured tracks that look to the future whilst taking cues from the past.
Annie Hall taking a break from co-running Detroit Underground to make an appearance on like minded Sheffield label Central Processing Unit. Annie dedicates this E.P. to women in science (Marie Curie, Lise Meitner, Elizabeth Arden and Caroline Herschel) when tenured positions for women working in the field were extremely rare. Although the tracks appear to be straight from the science lab, don’t let that fool you as each track is brimming with laid back computer funk with subtle melodies that keep you hooked. Annie has deviated from her signature fractured beats and delivered an easy listening electro affair that’s equally at home on the dancefloor as it is chilling in high fidelity.
Another electro veteran back in the game. Finish producer Mesak (also known as the other half of the legendary group Mr Velcro Fastener) has been known for his high quality, advanced spheric electro. Bessemerbirne is a massive electro-industrial 4-tracker EP with a killer remix by fellow countryman Mono Junk.
Utrecht based Endfest delivered solid serving of the fat beef. Very fair four tracker full of freaked out melodies underlaid by juicy 808 drums, darkwave electro offered by promising Czech imprint Endless Illusion. First track on the A side “Seaside Suicide” sums it up pretty perfectly in one song. “Fading Trees” is rusty vintage electro-funk that ED DMX would appreciate. On the flip “Palladium” and its exotic synths emulate Middle Eastern music eloquently while sounding like legends Japanese Telecom, in a way. Finally “Skiphol” closes things out in style on this spacey and cosmic little journey track.
Alessandro Adriani has become a trusted source for all kinds of beyond-the-grave coldwave delights, from Maoupa Mazzochetti to The Neon Judgement. Aside from his work in releasing forgotten gems and up to the minute synth incantations, Adriani has also been quietly issuing out his own music as well. Primarily this has taken the shape of Newclear Waves, having surfaced on split tapes and 7″s on Mannequin as well as an album on Desire back in 2012. Under his own name, production has been less forthcoming, although Adriani did pop up on Nico Fidenco’s 2015 album Zombi Holocaust with a remix of the track “The Magic Is In The Process”. Now though it’s time for the Mannequin boss to delve back into the long player game with Montagne Trasparenti, which is scheduled to land on Monofonus Press in late March. Adriani in fact collaborated with Willie Burns as Interbrain and delivered a track to the IXTAB compilation on the Austin, Texas-based label last year, but now he returns with nine tracks that further expand on his own interpretation of ghoulish body music. According to the label, the album was recorded between Adriani’s native Rome and adopted Berlin, “in various years of travelling, composing, fighting with cables and machines.”
Lost Trax embody the idea of underground techno. The shadowy group, members unknown, began their music careers over 20 years ago. Output may be low, but quality is high; the style being no compromise techno brilliance. And that’s what’s on show here. Kick drums and squirming acid bars are at the core of “Faith”, a track where soaring strings shift and reshape. The chiselled claps and barbed bass of “Flatliner” follows, taking its cue from the heyday of Detroit. A watery world of analogue abstraction greets the listener on the flip, “Lost” being an atmospheric journey into to the squelching swamps of the TB303. Sniping beats introduce the lush tones of “Renderer.” Blurring the lines of electro and techno the track is an elegant end to an EP of deep and dense layers.
Layup is continuing with full-fledged vinyl release on his own imprint Endless Illusion. Opening new series on the label called “W” because of white labels. Whole series is going to be silkscreen on the covers and hand stamped inside.
Gavin Russom delivers four clairvoyant tracks for those who are willing to unravel them, don’t expect a happy end though. The first release of Lux Rec this year comes from the infamous enfant terrible, synthesizers maker, known for his obscure statements, Gavin Russom. The man needs no further introduction, he’s quite a presence, although a ghostly one. As in those urban myths his music reflects all that is haunting, secretive, unspoken.
Gary Gritness AKA Slikk Tim lands on Hypercolour with The Sugar Cane Chronicles Vol. 1. He displays a deft hand of producing futuristic funk sounds. A spot on blend of raw drum programming and blissfull jazz funk riffs, “Preachin Some Tight Game” sets the EP’s tone just right with its infectious melodies and cruising groove. Darker 1980’s soundtrack vibes are explored on “Stayin’ Strong Hand’ with its thick analogue atmosphere, whilst the laid back and freestyle vibes of Working Girls’ demands to be played in the Cadillac with the top down. EP closer, “Fly Shit”, continues with the tranquil melodies and G-Funk factor.
Originally released by Legowelt’s Strange Life on a CD-r back in 2007, Mons Testaceum was the debut album from MinimalRome co-founder Heinrich Dressel and the onset of a trilogy dedicated to Monte Testaccio, an artificial mound in Rome composed almost entirely of ‘testae’, fragments of broken amphorae dating from the time of the Roman Empire. Notable for the prominent usage of Elka Synthex, a legendary Roman synthesizer, Mons Testaceum remains a wonderful curio of the Dressel discography and fans of the Italian’s work will delight at the chance to own it on vinyl thanks to MNQ!
An Atlantic crossover brings together Detroit’s Stingray313 and Glasgow’s Galaxian for a very special 12″. More collaboration than split, the EP sees each artist fly solo as well as combining their admirable analogue abilities. Pressures are high from the outset, Galaxian twists and teases patterns in the reverbing reverence of “Storm Coming.” BPMs surge as the two merge for the cold “NU-1000.” Lilting notes ghost between rasping rhythms. And it is around such racing drums that warmth flows, as in the meandering softness of “Graphene.” Beats don’t abate as Stingray takes the helm for the blistering bass of “Dopant.”
“An anachronism is a chronological inconsistency in some arrangement, especially a juxtaposition of person(s), events, objects, or customs from different periods of time. The most common type of anachronism is an object misplaced in time, but it may be a verbal expression, a technology, a philosophical idea, a musical style, a material/textile, a plant or animal, a custom or anything else associated with a particular period in time so that it is incorrect to place it outside its proper temporal domain”. Frustrated Funk welcomes Heinz Kammler’s Teleportation Process Detected While In Progress [ITPDWIP] project to it’s roster.
Brilliant atmospheric works from Vertical67. Four tracks of spaced out and emotive electronics.
”Terror of the Universe” is Hyboid´s third long player on his label Astro Chicken. Blending influences from 70s Kraut and Cosmic music with 80s Synth Pop and Soundtracks from Movies, TV Shows and Video Games, Hyboid creates his very own out-of-time style. Recorded entirely with vintage synthesizers and vintage effects, ”Terrör of the Üniverse” is a high-voltage Space Opera!
Minimal Wave presents an album of long lost tracks by Dutch electronic music pioneer Das Ding, entitled “Missing Tapes”. Danny Bosten formed Das Ding as a solo project in the early 1980s and released his music and friends’ music via his own cassette label called Tear Apart Tapes. At the time, he was studying graphic design at art school, and in turn he ended up designing the artwork, cassette-sleeves and illustrations for the label himself. Meanwhile, he recorded his own music as Das Ding. Powerful dark electro, he made several addictive and danceable tracks which later become Minimal Wave hits. Danny made all his music in his bedroom which essentially turned into a small recording studio. He went on to release many of his own tapes and also played some live gigs. Old tapes were uncovered around 2010, and Minimal Wave released a remastered version of “H.S.T.A.” and select other tracks. A wave of renewed interest followed the record’s release and soon people were in touch to propose live shows. Twenty years later, and after some deliberation, Das Ding was reincarnated under its old moniker but now with a revised line-up and a working set-up that reflected inevitable technological change. Recently, Danny came across further tape archives from those early days. And from the batch, we selected our favorites to present to you in vinyl release form.
Momentform is the musical project of Ianis Lallemand, a multitalented artist from Paris. After three cassettes and two twelve inches, Momentform has landed on the Electronic Emergencies platform. “Lapse” is a four track 12 inch that is best described as a dark and melodic piece of neo synth wave. The sound is unmistakably analogue. The atmosphere is emotionally charged, haunting and dreamy.
Following the recent release of So Low, a compilation of early ‘80s synth, industrial and cold wave classics and undiscovered gems curated by Optimo’s JD Twitch aka Keith McIvor, The Vinyl Factory are set to release specially commissioned remixes of two tracks on the 16-track compilation by rising UK producer Powell and Hamburg’s Helena Hauff.
The Hipodrome Of Music 