VA – Urbi et Orbi Vol. III [MR020]

The third chapter of the various artists compilation Urbi et Orbi on MinimalRome. The compilation includes 20 tracks by the likes of  Mick Wills, Elec Pt.1, Heinrich Dressel, Composite Profuse, Cestrian, The Exaltics, Ian Martin, Stellar Om Source or our god friend Transilmania.

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VA – Urbi et Orbi Vol. III [MR020]

GB – The Provider EP [DX002]

Superb interstellar electronic grooves from LA’s Gifted and Blessed. A-side is a loosely jazzed, freeform Techno number called ‘Provider’, nodding to Drexciya with a fluid, hardware driven sound close to those recent smarts from Aybee. Flipside features the flashier Electrofunk of ‘The Receiver’, coming again with the soul-flowing 313 signatures and an irresistible feel for wired, metallic grooves, while ‘We Can See You’ neatly balances nastier EBM flavours with damn sweet chords and a heavy dose of roughed-up machine funk.

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GB – The Provider EP [DX002]

Schedelvreter – Hunker (Tear Apart Tapes) [MW034]

Minimal Wave announce a limited edition hand-silkscreened 10” release of Schedelvreter aka Danny Bosten, originally recorded and released in 1985 on Tear Apart Tapes (NL). Danny tells the story of how he recorded these tracks: “I had been making these repetitive, pattern-based Das Ding songs and felt the need to do something a little different. Something more organic, with a narrative structure to it. Reading Shelley’s Frankenstein at the time, and looking at old accounts of Spanish explorers in the Americas, inspired me to make what I imagined as the soundtrack to an imaginary movie: bleak and desolate. I had a Crumar synth that was falling apart, and if you held down a chord and switched it off and then back on, the voltage would drop so the tones became individual blips that sounded like human voices. I made some massive drum sounds by layering noise, used leftover four-track additions in reverse, and included some drums I found on a tape my brother had given me. I just layered it all on the four-track and played along. It made a nice little package of about seven pieces, so I made up a name for it, “Schedelvreter,” which translates as something like “Skull Gobbler.” The tape was released in 1985, but only a few were made at the time.”

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Schedelvreter – Hunker (Tear Apart Tapes) [MW034]

Frank Alpine – Frank Alpine [VR0026LP]

Erupting from the seamy neon-lit wasteland of Los Angeles, California – Frank Alpine’s self-titled debut offers a darker, sleazier view of the current cold-wave resurgence. In fact this disc might have more in common with the shuddersome compositions of Chris & Cosey than it does with the contemporary Brooklyn indie set. There’s a no-wave grit to Alpine’s pained squeals, and over double-time electrical beats he eulogizes a city in decline. It’s hardly even ‘cold’ at all – the sound of Frank Alpine is soaked in sweat, booze and the remnants of a night out you’d rather forget.

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Frank Alpine – Frank Alpine [VR0026LP]

Hyboid – Where Androids Come To Die [AC005]

HYBOID - Where Androids Come To Die

”On a quest for his ancestral roots our hero suffers a CPU arrest. Unable to recover, certain death is only a matter of time.” On the fifth release of the  Astro Chicken Records from Germany, it’s no more ”Mr-Cosmic-nice-guy”, but psychedelic electro all the way! 7 track, mini-LP with custom made fold-out funeral card.

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Hyboid – Where Androids Come To Die [AC005]

Andy Blake – Cave Paintings 3 [CP003]

The third installment of Andy Blake’s Cave Paintings series. All the Cave Paintings releases are one-take analogue excursions constructed by machines and recorded live. 3x is a simple but dramatically effective warmly buzzing bassline is clambered all over by layers of interlocking pure analogue percussion. 3y heads into thus far uncharted territory. An evil, growling LFO driven bass underpins militaristic percussion that’s slammed hard into ancient spring reverbs and accompanied by the sound of synthesisers being choked to death.

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Andy Blake – Cave Paintings 3 [CP003]

Morphology – Information Paradox EP [CE009]

New release on  Cultivated Electronics by the Electro flavour of the moment Morphology. The EP kicks off with the title track ”Information Paradox” a solid, smooth, straight up electro jam with punchy 808 kicks and snares, crisp 606 hats, tight percussion and a minimal quirky bass line over layered with signature Morphology strings. “Escape Velocity” heads into more a 4/4 electro groove, a territory not really explored by Morphology to date. Super spooky pads and stabs float over a rolling groove and staccato bass making this a real dance floor treat!! On the flip label head Sync 24 takes to remix duty on ”Information Paradox”. This mix picks up the pace of the original and moves into darker grounds with a pulsating bass line, hypnotic arpeggio, spacey keys and eerie pads. The EP is rounded off with ”Tangent Spaces” a beautiful, deep piece perfect for the start the night or after hours chilling. Smooth rolling beats, lush chords and dreamy piano keys make this the perfect end to the EP.

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Morphology – Information Paradox EP [CE009]

Ali Renault – Ali Renault [CYBERDANCE011]

One of the UK’s most endearing electro stalwarts presents his debut solo album after nearly ten years of operations. All that experience has been funnelled into his eponymous LP, a sexy, melancholic crush of Italo, Electro, Synth-pop and disco bearing vocals from none other than Fred “The Voice Of Italo” Ventura and Marika Gauci of Hotel Motel. Marika opens the account on a Freestylin’ Electro ace ‘Snowdrift’, while ‘Mont Chaberton’ is pure Euro-synth romance, and the likes of ‘Zombie Raffle’ and ‘Pagan Run’ put his sleazy spin on fat-bottomed slow disco. ‘Fade Away’ features a typically cool vocal from Fred Ventura on some kinda savant-electro-boogie rhythm, but we’d have to say our favourite is the humid Italo/EBM throbber ‘Flies a Kungan’. Lovers of phat, raw, analog electro need to check this album instantly.

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Ali Renault – Ali Renault [CYBERDANCE011]

VA – Strange Tales From The Future Vol.3 [SOM017]

Solar One Music is back with their “Strange Tales From The Future” Series. Featuring the great artists Luke Eargoggle/Johan Inkinen, Kan3da, Oestral and Weltwirtschaft. Intense stuff for your journey to deep space!

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VA – Strange Tales From The Future Vol.3 [SOM017]

Gendroid – Back To The Past EP [SAUR007]

Ukrainian producer Gendroid has managed to travel to the past. He projected his body (and his soul as well) in the early 80s, for capture what happened in the Hip Hop/Electro scene, when Roland TR-808 and Oberheim DMX were the “hearts” of syncopated rhythms of breakdance. Gendroid is walking on the streets of LA, with a big radio on the shoulder, and he is starting acrobatic dance on the tracks of his EP. Vocoder, scratches, break rhythms and a lot of basses are the main ingredients. When the show is at the end, the time machine is turn on again to push the time traveler until the age of dinosaurs.

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Gendroid – Back To The Past EP [SAUR007]

DMX Krew – Cosmic Awakening EP [SHIP010]

UK electro pioneer & Breakin’ labelboss Ed DMX participates in the Shipwrec adventure by delivering 6 killer tracks on this “Cosmic Awakening EP”. From Drexciyan electro to cosmic downtempo synth-driven funkyness to faster acidic driven basslines & uptempo braindance food!

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DMX Krew – Cosmic Awakening EP [SHIP010]

Factory Floor – Two Different Ways [DFA2318]

Pure electro pop inspired tracks that go further then just doing retro 80′ electro cuts. Pulsing synth lines with a touch of the NY disco punk, mixed with some housier bits and stirred up..

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Factory Floor – Two Different Ways [DFA2318]

Lost Trax / The Connection Machine – Lost Connection [TABR007]

One the first Mini LP on Tabernacle Records, the mysterious sounds of Lost Trax and The Connection Machine combine to yield a collection of hypnotic tracks. Touching on inner hopes and fears, their mark is felt long after the music has ended.

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Lost Trax / The Connection Machine – Lost Connection [TABR007]