The Exaltics make their debut on Clone West Coast Series. This the first volume in a triptych of their stark, futuristic sound yet showing a more melancholic and introspective side this time. You can almost hear the longing for other places
The talented new artist Q-Chip delivers his first full EP release for Solar One Music’s “Elektronische Werke” series. Dark, intense tracks brew all over the two sides, demonstrating the Q-Chip vision of pure, futuristic electro music.
A few words by Steffen Bennemann: ”I was in loose contact with Aggelos (Dream Weapons) for a few years, watching him from a distant with great interest. In 2012, he sent me his debut LP on Inner Ear under his Fantastikoi Hxoi moniker and it quickly became my favourite album of the year. When I told him our plans for Holger he sent me some of his more electronic-leaning music. I was instantly captured by the driving, trippy kraut techno songs which show homage to the psychedelic sounds of the 60s and 70s while holding their own in the here and now. Exactly our cup of tea.”
Antinote is back to Cosmic. Beauregard rings the soundtrack music bell and comes right on time with five psych-prog-and-synth music tracks full of cult references.
Cititrax is honored to introduce Bruta Non Calculant, a new project by Alaxis Andreas G, the mastermind behind Le Syndicat Electronique and numerous other analog electronic, experimental and esoteric industrial folk projects of the past 20 years. Alaxis formed Bruta Non Calculant in 2006 along with his brother Victor-Yann (De Frontanel). Their debut album, World In A Tear, presents 10 tracks drenched in a dark european atmosphere complete with a sound fully formed and heroically executed. Themes of death, lust and unrequited love are all bound in this brown book-esque collection. The songs occupy their own space and communicate in their own language and as such almost seem to have the ability to alter time once the listener has succumbed to their discordant beauty. An unsurprisingly impressive comeback, Bruta Non Calculants debut album blends new wave elements with folkloric balladry impeccably, and approaches this with a modern sensibility. World In A Tear is an elegant collection of seductive songs. Vinyl pressed on white 160 gram housed in a matte full color printed sleeve.
What do an alien balancing on one of it’ s three legs, the RSA encryption algorithm, neuroscience and prehistoric musical instruments have in common? Design A Wave isn’t sure either but this is some music made while trying to find out.
Icy science courtesy of Towlie Von Der Rauchen’s burgeoning Kaften imprint: translating to ‘involuntary movements’, “Ofrivilliga Rorelser” lives up to its name with an angular groove, static analogue dynamics and an uncompromising distorted punk-funk vocal. Guaranteed to have you jittering and jerking in all manner of robotic fashions, it dances to the rawest, most visceral of classic electro heartbeats. Facit’s remix pushes us a little deeper into the 80s with a poignant air of new romance.
Exiting Morphology aka Matti Turunen, Michael Diekmann album with 8 stunning tracks in their signature style.
New release by Arcanoid one Tabernacle Records, presenting his exploratory take on techno and electro.
Next for Brokntoys is prolific producer of the underground UK Electro scene, Scape One. Kurt Baggaley has released on many electro labels over the years including SCSI-AV, Drivecom, Electrix and Cultivated Electronics. For this EP Scape One serves up 4 tracks of deep and murky electro and techno for the early morning and afterhours.
Next on the “The Crystal Issue” series is EXS a side project from Robert Witschakowski better known as The Exaltics. Authentic Soul Techno flows on this one sided clear blue vinyl edition. German Techno rooted in Detroit for those who know.
Medical Records presents it’s second contemporary artist release with Roladex. Using an arsenal of analog instruments, Roladex nostalgically borrows ideas from music of the past to carefully craft a unique brand of futuristic-mechanized pop, with an emphasis on songwriting and layered production. Weaving sparse, sequenced arpeggios into fuzzy bass and bubbly melodies to create a bed of sound where they layout a somehow bright melancholia. Part minimal synth-wave, part dream pop. The opening track “Anthem For The Micro-Age” sets the tone with dreamy atmospheric synth textures and interwoven male and female vocals. “Love Surgery” is chock full of pop hooks and synth leads interspersed with angular guitar accents. “Empty Streets” has an almost minimal John Bender bedroom aesthetic. Fans of early Wire (esp 154), Drinking Electricity, Fad Gadget and even noisy 90s shoegaze are sure to enjoy. Presented on high-quality 180gram heavyweight electric blue transparent vinyl and features a bonus LP insert with lyrics.
Krautrock and EBM inspired post-industrial techno. Next-level electronic music made by one of The Hague’s most original producers. Must have for fans of Unit Moebius Anonymous and Shitcluster.
Area Forty_One steps up for a full EP on Delsin. The Dutchman proves himself to be an elegant producer of electro that has a super future soul to it across the four tracks on offer. First up, ‘Nocturnal Passions Part I’ skips on snappy drums through an ethereal galaxy lit up with neon trails and twinkling lights. It’s a vastly spacious trak full of celestial vibes and expert production before ‘Reminiscence’ deals in more serene pads and glassy melodies and conjures the sense that you are lost floating in deep space without a rudder. It’s a beautiful place to be for the way it has no real drive or direction. Then, ‘Freefall’ trudges along some heavy, gloopy drums. All around are huge mirrors of melody that shine and reflect light back at you and leave you marvelling at their sheer scale and sereneness. Final track ‘Isolated Soul’ sure is aptly title, featuring sad synths, skipping beats and raining melodies that make you feel beautifully alone. There’s a menacing sense of tension pervading the whole track, too, that makes it all the more engaging
Mid-paced, fresh ‘n’ funky electro gear on this eight track EP from Swedish artist, Obergman. All very nicely produced while maintaining the quirky factor throughout which results in an EP that gels perfectly from start to finish and a respectable follow-up to the recnt DMX Krew release on Abstract Forms.
With a sprawling discography that can be traced as far back as 2005, the last few years have found the Providence-based noise artist Ren Schofield shifting his attention towards his Container guise with increasing vigour, delivering full-length albums for Spectrum Spools and I Just Live Here, as well as an acclaimed EP for Rabih Beainis much-lauded Morphine Records. With Liberation Technologies having already exhibited the fiercely confrontational style of BMB, and coaxed an EP of skewed electronics out of Vessel for Misery Is A Communicable Disease, the Adhesive is a natural fit for the imprints burgeoning canon. As uncompromising as youd expect, the four tracks on offer display the work of a producer working intuitively with the machines he surrounds himself with, a relentless pulse ever present at the core of these abrasive workouts.
