Crystal Maze’s return on Bio Rhythm. Three cosmic techno jams of the absolute highest order, crafted & molded after dark at the Crystal’s analog alchemist lab.
g-string
Aroy Dee & G-String @ These Guys Kingsday, NSDSM Treehouse (Amsterdam) 26.04.2014
Crystal Maze – Black Orchid EP [EVR014]
Cultured Greek outlet Echovolt serves up its second EP of the year and this one comes from Amsterdam techno pair Crystal Maze aka G-String and Marco Antonio Spaventi. ‘Black Orchid EP’ contains two slow techno jams that go deep and long plus a shorter kind of otherworldly beat less sound design. There are times that the production places plenty of focus on melody and other moments that terrified synth sounds conjure an uneasy sense of terror that then turns into trippy, loopy techno rhythms. There’s plenty of warmth, atmosphere and invention in all three tunes here, and together they make the ideal combination for both club use and heady listening.
Crystal Maze Live @ Prologue Label Night, Planet Rose (Nijmegen) 26.10.2013
R-A-G – Life [LXRC015]
The road to Hell is paved in gold. One that guides to Disorder, Repression and eventually a last leap into OD. Yes, boy, this is Life. Unfair, menacing, dark and twisted, like the new EP from R-A-G out on Lux Rec. The Dutch trio presents its first release outside the M>O>S legacy and delivers three excessive tracks wandering on the fringes of the jacking zone, analog techno and wavy obscurity. Walk in, embrace Life. Hear it pulsates, disappear.
Crystal Maze – Enter the Maze LP [ADEPTH010]
Formed of Italian producer Ma Spaventi and Dutchman G-String aka Gijs Poortman, whose releases for the likes of M>O>S and Echovolt have provided some of Holland’s most interesting deep techno output, Crystal Maze arrive on aDepth Audio with their debut album, Enter The Maze. With only two 12? releases to their name, a full album of Crsytal Maze material is an ambitious statement from the pair, but one that sees Spaventi and Poortman continue to develop the Crystal Maze sound which has been characterised a decidedly dark edged manipulation of analogue techno. Across ten tracks the duo display a wide variety of sounds and influences; “Slow Swirl” sounds like Drexciya taken down to a lumbering, mid-tempo groove, “Indian Tape” combines rubbery, ghetto house textures with swelling deep house chords, “Mirrors Chamber” comes across like the sub aquatic dub techno of Porter Ricks, while “Dr Claw” creates a low slung, warped vision of Detroit techno’s first wave. An ambitious album, yes – but one that more than succeeds.
R-A-G interview
R-A-G – SNTWN Podcast 081
R-A-G – Vacuum [MOSDEEP016]
R-A-G is MOS boss Aroy Dee in partnership with Marco Spaventi and G String. Together they make frayed and analogue house music that joins the dots between 80s Chicago and the modern day. This new EP does just that once more, opening with the dense sci-fi stomper that is Vacuum. With coarse synths and plenty of sonic scuzz it fires your every synapse. On the flip side, Plenum (Outer Mix) is a beat less ambient affair with lost synths ringing out in vast chambers of fine grain sound, before the Inner Mix slowly courses on raw kick drums. Whole ecosystems of synths spiral around like galaxies in the distance to make for truly filmic deep house listening.
G String – Slabs 172
G String – MOS Deep Essentials Vol.1
G-String – Burial Grounds EP [EVR008]
Echovolt notch up their 8th release with a fine offering by R-A-G and Crystal Maze member, G-String. G-String delivers two delicately rough dance music delights, effortlessly marrying tripped out emotive ambience to the essence of jack. The 12” is topped off with a wonderfully blurred out remix of ‘Ghoul’ by D’Marc Cantu!
Crystal Maze – Dissolve EP [RHYTHM004]
The deepest techno act from Amsterdam with their deepest works so far. In three haunting and hypnotic analog techno jams Spaventi & G-string show us the beauty of darkness. Not sure which spirit possesed them that night but it was a nasty one! With their sparse 909 percussion and eerie synths they deliver techno how it once was intended: funky yet moody, seductive yet alienating… The Bio Rhythm continues.
R-A-G – Black Rain EP [MOSDEEP011]
MOS Deep presents Black Rain EP, the return to the label for R-A-G aka Aroy himself, G-String and Marco Spaventi. Opening with ‘Fog’ the deep vibe is set immediately. Crispy snares, a chugging groove and plenty of eerie sonics swirl around into something with a keen sense of foreboding. The titular track then gets all Chicago with its busy claps and nagging synth lines. The mood is a sombre one for those creepy back room sets and the analogue machinery used to make it gives a trademark warm and fuzzy feel to proceedings. The EP closes with a reprise of ‘Black Rain’. This beat-less rework deals in ambient synthscapes that drag you into their fold and never let you go.
Crystal Maze – Crystal Maze EP [aDEPTH006]
Amsterdam-based duo Crystal Maze have produced the ultimate mix of Detroit techno, Chicago house and electro. Chicago Skyway delivers aDepth audio’s hottest, jackin’ remix, seriously influenced by the original analogue sound of Chicago house.
R-A-G – Rage EP [MOS_DEEP_006]
M>O>S Deep presents the 2nd EP by this new Amsterdam underground jacking crew, consisting of M>O>S label boss Aroy Dee, G-String and Marco Spaventi. Five times house beauty & energy!
G-String – Melt Down Mix
R-A-G – Beyond [MOSDEEP002]
Four rough tracks by this new Amsterdam underground jacking crew, consisting of MOS label boss Aroy Dee, G-String, known from the infamous Intergalactic FM and Amsterdam’s best kept production secret known as Marco Spaventi! Four times pure old school house beauty & energy!
The Hipodrome Of Music 