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.
For the first in a series of reinterpretations of material from Linkwood’s superb Expressions album, Firecracker Recordings has turned to deep house veterans Ghosts of the Sky (AKA Chicagodeep and Taelue), and fast-rising machine abusers Nummer. The latter trot off on an aquatic techno tip, turning the becalmed and melancholic “Love Lost” into a techno-tempo stroll through vintage Carl Craig chords, sweaty machine percussion, and yearning melodies. There’s a warmer and heavier, if surprisingly stripped back, feel to Ghosts of the Sky’s version of “Object”, with spluttering electronics and sumptuous chords stretching out over a rich synth bassline and hissing, cymbal-heavy groove.
Three new tracks, and the third in a row of releases for the prolific Mr. Fingas. Backed up by fellow Firecracker, Linkwood, this originally came out as a limited 50 copy run release early this year and sold out within minutes. Fingas kicks off proceedings with “Untyltled” – a record that could only come out of the Firecracker camp. Taking inspiration from Detroit and Chicago but giving it that distinctly Firecracker sound – heavy on the keyboard motifs, high fidelity, musically accomplished and well produced. Meandering bleepy melodies contrast with gliding synthlines and a ravey, M1-type bassline. The movement between sections is seamless and will take people on an intoxicating musical journey. Linkwood steps up on side B, “Secret Value” has mysterious, seductive key changes and atmospheres; 16 bar acid sections building up and dropping into lush, blessed-out micro-solos of synthesized flute and exquisite pads. A sonic buffet served to perfection. Finally we get one of Firecrackers trademark interludes, “Minus 616” is a beautifully crafted, neo-classical piano piece. Reverberated into the distance, the piano playing is skillful and emotive and the strange outboard effect it’s processed through gives it that otherworldly, tripped-out vibe.
New release on Firecracker Recordings sublabel Shevchenko by Vakula, with three cuts dusted, dubbed and pushed to the limits of abstraction yet still in the realms of house and techno.
Lord Of The Isles throws a curveball and gives us the third installment in the Unthank series. Synth sketches, floating ambience and warehouse tracks, taken from a hard drive that time forgot. A journey of whiskey, analogue electronics, Scottish landscapes, nostalgia and underground parties. As usual, there will be only one press with silk-screened artwork from House Of Traps.
Linkwood returns home to the Firecracker fold with a monumental EP for sister label Shevchenko. Containing three beautiful and timeless pieces of house music, the release also precedes the producer’s long awaited LP on Firecracker early in 2012.
Two killer dub versions of ‘Mass X’ from Fudge Fingas. Vakula turns the original tropical cut into a brain-melting, dark warehouse soundtrack. Meanwhile, Juju & Jordash slow things down and get lost in a shimmering bass odyssey.
The third release by Vakula on Shevchenko. Intense dub pressure on the A-side with an epic Bergheim-style percussive techno track on the flip that weighs in at over 13 mins. Pure, analogue, undulating house music.
Vakula weighs in once again with the raw, untouchable and emotional warehouse music. Detroit and Chicago serve as only reference points, Ukraine acts as the surreal catalyst.
New Firecracker 10″. Gavin Sutherland aka Fudge Fingas is the man behind the seventh installment in the cult series, with A-Side cut “What Works” showing a move towards moody, shuffling Detroit house. Remix duties are handed to Vakula and he turns in a memorable, highly atmospheric remix of “What Works”, before another Fudge original, the chiming sea of calm that is “Mass X”, rounds off an essential release.
The second Unthank release by Vakula delivering some nice deep tracks on the Firecracker sub label. A strong contrast to the debut Unthank EP from Bakey Ustl, this 3 tracker contains influences as diverse as Aphex Twin, Claro Intellecto or even DBX.
First release on the new Firecracker Sub-label Unthank. Phat funk loaded house tracks on a1 and b1 with dusty sample aesthetics and fierce grooves.
The Hipodrome Of Music 