Re-issue of Drexciya’s 4th storm! Another seminal work of 6 Futuristic deep & Drexciyan Electro/Techno tracks. Hypothetical questions translated into music by the visionaries of contemporary electronic music. ”Music beamed through Dimensional Waves by Abstract Thought…” First released in 2003 on Kombination Research. Remastered from the original session tapes.
Tresor Records announce forthcoming special editions of its entire catalogue of Drexciya and related projects. 2022 marks the 20th anniversary of the passing of James Stinson and the releases of the Transllusion and Shifted Phases albums. In recognition, the rightsholders, their families, and the label have commissioned Detroit-based contemporary artist Matthew Angelo Harrison to re-conceptualize the covers of Tresor’s Drexciya-related catalogue. On November 11 are cominng ‘Harnessed The Storm’ and ‘Digital Tsunami’.
Tresor Records announce forthcoming special editions of its entire catalogue of Drexciya and related projects. 2022 marks the 20th anniversary of the passing of James Stinson and the releases of the Transllusion and Shifted Phases albums. In recognition, the rightsholders, their families, and the label have commissioned Detroit-based contemporary artist Matthew Angelo Harrison to re-conceptualize the covers of Tresor’s Drexciya-related catalogue. On November 11 are cominng ‘Harnessed The Storm’ and ‘Digital Tsunami’.
Tresor Records announce forthcoming special editions of its entire catalogue of Drexciya and related projects. 2022 marks the 20th anniversary of the passing of James Stinson and the releases of the Transllusion and Shifted Phases albums. In recognition, the rightsholders, their families, and the label have commissioned Detroit-based contemporary artist Matthew Angelo Harrison to re-conceptualize the covers of Tresor’s Drexciya-related catalogue. After the album release of ‘Neptune’s Lair’ in September, its companion 12″ ‘Hydro Doorways’ will be second in the series.
Tresor Records announce forthcoming special editions of its entire catalogue of Drexciya and related projects. 2022 marks the 20th anniversary of the passing of James Stinson and the releases of the Transllusion and Shifted Phases albums. In recognition, the rightsholders, their families, and the label have commissioned Detroit-based contemporary artist Matthew Angelo Harrison to re-conceptualize the covers of Tresor’s Drexciya-related catalogue. The series starts with Neptune’s Lair, first released in 1999.
After three years of experimentation in isolation, Dopplereffekt have emerged with Neurotelepathy, an oracular narrative of cerebral entanglement and advancement. The sleek mathematical models of 2017’s Cellular Automata have evolved into these synaptic interpretations, transferences and modifications, rejecting binary expectations to meditate on the possibilities and pitfalls of what’s to come. With their second LP and fifth release in total on Leisure System, the duo of Rudolf Klorzeiger and To-Nhan have themselves achieved a near-telepathic capacity for collaborative thought and mechanical construction. They continue to use live appearances to present experimental trials of theoretical models, and that effort is heard in the sizzle and swing of the percussive highlights here, programmed with a serious depth and wriggle that reflect both an extension of and return to form. The album’s core, a three-act movement of symphonic uncertainty and revelation, marks one of the pair’s most evocative compositions in a career full of them.
Hydrostatic Equilibrium EP is a reissue of the 2 tracks released by 30D Records from the Detroit artist Arpanet back in 2018 (cat# 30D-006), now presented together in a special limited edition single sided 12″ vinyl. The EP includes the original tracks Supernova Remnant and Main Sequence Star, being the only two tracks produced by Arpanet since 2006. Presented with a new artwork, designed by Arpanet himself, and this time on 30D Records sub label ExoPlanets, Hydrostatic Equilibrium EP becomes an instant collectors must have, especially after the quick sell out that followed the 2018 release and the numerous reissue requests received since then.
Keith Tucker and Gerald Donald of Dopplereffekt finally got together. The combination of these two musicians has created a bombardment of funk as only Keith Tucker and Dopplereffekt can bring. That unearthly eerie funk and strings from other worlds. That snappy intelligent funk that Detroit so heavily influenced and unleashed to the universe.
Four years after their almighty collaboration on “Project STS-31 (Hubble Telescope Series Vol.3)”, Solar One Music’s cofounder Robert Witschakowski and half of Dopplereffekt duo Gerald Donald return with another cosmic album of their instantly recognizable trademark. Featuring ten detailed and luminous cuts of beautifully crafted emotional music, with deep narrative over tough machine groove, the opus takes you on a moody trip across craggy soundscapes made of abrasive tones, crossing the red line between tight-strapped melodic waves, subaquatic underground electro, and intricate structures. Expect nothing but stripped down layers mixed with chunky synthetic bass lines and stellar melodies over pounding 808 drums on this future classic tinted with nostalgia. Built as a journey through unknown territories, much anticipating “Dimensional Shifting” oscillates between moments of bravery on the dancefloor and moody sequences, keeping intact the aesthetic signature of the Jena-based electro emissary and the legend from Detroit.
Clone Classic Cuts reissue of the illustrious ‘Elecktroids’ one and only album from 1995. “Based in Flint, Michigan, USA the four young sons of an electrician welded together their debut album. This album, titled Elektroworld, is a personal tribute to the well known pioneers of the electro-disco-beat; Kraftwerk.”
Detroit electro legends Dopplereffekt return to Leisure System for their fourth release on the Berlin based imprint. Athanatos is named after the angel of the planet Mercury in ancient Greek mythology, but that isn’t so much the theme. Here the duo again explore subjects related to genetic conditions and chromosomal influences that define mortality across the EP’s five tracks. After the brooding sonic landscapes of the title track , it’s classic Mitchell & Nhan all the way on the majestic electronic funk of “Hayflick Limit” while devilishly enchanting slow burners like “Telomere” or “Mitosisin” lock you in with their hypnotic grasp. Raster-Noton founders Carsten Nicolai (who did the artwork) and Olaf Bender are said to have collaborated with the pair on this release.
This is the first time any of Heinrich Mueller’s highly sought after remodels/reworks have been compiled together. Many have been previously available only on limited releases and have patiently been awaiting discovery by a wider audience. These 9 specially selected examples embrace all facets of his approach. First up is the ultra smooth and minimal ‘Fadin’ Away’ by The Hacker from 2000, probably one of his most sublime and timeless creations. Then jump forward to 2011 when he serves up an infectious and sparse slice of robot funk for Albert van Abbe’s ‘NCS_0009121010’. By the time of Alek Stark’s ‘Halo 6’ (2014) he’s still got the dance-floor on his mind, but it’s located on an alien or perhaps underwater world in some dimension parallel to our own. In 2009 he works for the first time with fellow Drexciyan traveller DJ Stingray and delivers the hard edged but still quite delicate ‘Drone FX’. Jump to 2005 and he conjures the playfully disjointed ‘P.O.M. (Time Dilation Mix 2)’ for Duplex. In 2000, when he had a close relationship to the label, International DeeJay Gigolo, who were releasing Dopplereffekt and the first fruits of Der Zyklus, they commissioned him to make a series of groundbreaking mixes. On one of which he got to mesh his own futuristic vision with that of Stanley Kubrick on ‘Dave’ by Station Rose. The other closes this collection and is another of his most accessible works, with the best bassline, ‘What Use’ by the legendary ’70s San Francisco band, Tuxedomoon. In 2011 he also produced a darkly atmospheric and relentlessly mechanical interpretation of DJ Stingray’s ‘The Sadist’. In 2003, another of his best production efforts, again aimed off-squarely at yet another form of mutant dance floor, came out of a total revamp of an untitled track by The Advent. Fittingly this was originally included on Recreations, an album where artists were invited to do what Heinrich Mueller does best.
An astronomical conjunction has cropped up. Arpanet is back after a long interstellar hibernation and 30drop comes up with its particular vision of the abstract Elektro for the very first time. ‘Phases EP’ takes the primal Warp’s heritage blending hypnotic melodies with rhythmically complex patterns. Arpanet, which keeps the exquisiteness of its previous works for Rephlex, among other labels, gazes into the black profoundness of its own and unique universe. 30drop’s two cuts, ostensibly touched by the Aphex Twin spirit, are a spellbinding exercise of style. ‘Phases EP’ is experimental, atmospheric, rhythmic and, above all, flawless. This enthralling EP is presented in electric blue vinyl. A special shape for a very special alliance.
XOR Gate is the brainchild of Heinrich Mueller, one half of Drexciya and Dopplereffekt. In linguistic or electronic logic, the XOR Gate designates a device, digital or grammatical, which outputs a value only when two di ering inputs are fed into it. This can be summed up with the formula ‘one or the other but not neither, nor both.’ A conic section is a shape created as a plane intersects a cone. This can result in di erent figures such as a circle, an ellipse, a parabola or a hyperbola. Conic Sections is here composed of eight themes, or shapes, over which waveform and synthesis entirely merge with human emotions. The line is blurred. These eight themes are intertwined, forming one long musical string. The line is forever blurred.
“Das Heise Experiment 2″ marks the 6th album of The Exaltics. Lovely presented on double 10” vinyl with full cover artwork from non other than the mighty Godspill, who also designed the pre release of this album with an amazing looking shape picture disc. To hold things special the guys from Solar One Music put a full comic with the story of “Das Heise Experiment” in each record. The music ranges from dark experimental techno, electro, ambient and soundtrackish nightmares which goes perfect with the story of the comic. Also Gerald Donald collaborates with The Exaltics for one track , which is one of the highlights of the album. This music is nothing for the club its much more, a complete story to feel. Turn your headphones on and dive into the world of aliens, scientists and distant gallaxies.
It has been 4 years since I made the last ‘review of the year …’ or ‘best of … ‘ list and it was not planned for 2017, but looking back at last year somehow the music scene shifted in a good way. From the music point of view, I think we are living better times now, we can see a revival of the old school electro and acid house, afrobeat is still hot, EBM is going strong.
For those not schooled in Drexciyan history, Lab Rat XL was a short-lived alternative alias of the legendary Motor City electro duo. Mice or Cyborg, the project’s only release, originally appeared on Clone in 2003, just months after member James Stinson passed away. It remains a superb example of timeless, otherworldly electro and techno fusion, with Stinson’s penchant for ethereal melodies, atmospheric chords and fizzing drum machine rhythms – such a regular feature of his work with both Drexciya and the Other People Place – rightfully coming to the fore. Naturally, the inherent positivity of some of the tracks is counter-balanced by clandestine creepiness in others, making Mice or Cyborg a brilliantly balanced and hugely entertaining collection of cuts.
The Exaltics are back with new transmissions from their universe in form of the second part of “Das Heise Experiment”. The first part from 2013 on Abstract Acid will see his follow up end of 2017 on 2xLP inclusive a Comic book about the story of the Heise Experiment. This amazing looking shape picture disc, developed with the dutch artist Godspill aka Mehdi Rouchiche, is “The Prequel” release and sees The Exaltics in assault mode. Side A brings a stomper in typical exaltics style with deep strings and a pumping bassline like an alien invasion which is on course to earth. Side B begins with a cryptic alien speech signal transmitted direct from the universe whilst the second track is a collaboration track with non other than Dopplereffekt’s Rudolf Klorzeiger. Both artists together create a timeless electro voyage with sharp snares and fast running basslines and combine their both styles perfectly together. Every record comes with a download code for the release itself and 3 exclusive bonus tracks. This release is strictly limited to 500 copies. The outer contour of the picture is also the contour of the record and makes this release to something really special and to a high collectable item.
“Cellular Automata” is the new album from Dopplereffekt (Gerald Donald and Michaela To-Nhan Bertel), their first in ten years since 2007. Cellular Automata approaches mathematical growth and decay as an iterative process, with each data input considered individually relative to the overall model. The result represents one of the group’s boldest creative endeavors, defying expectations while remaining unmistakably Dopplereffekt. Cellular Automata is the third Dopplereffekt release to come via Berlin’s Leisure System label, following 2013’s “Tetrahymena” and 2014’s “Hypnagogia”.
Project STS-31-Spiralgalaxie (Hubble Telescope Series Vol.3) A clash of the Titans! Celebrating Solar One Music’s 40th release and 10th anniverary, this split LP sees two stars under various disguises, Heinrich Mueller (aka Der Zyklus and various other projects) and German producer Robert Witschakowski aka The Exaltics, back to back in a no return odyssey through the depths of the Galaxy. Expect nothing but contemplative and cosmic electro beats using original outer-space sounds from the Universe. Closing the Hubble telescope trilogy which brought to you Luxus Varta and more recently E.R.P. (respectively with the “Everything Is Nothing” and “Ancient Light” EP’s), trippy “Spiralgalaxie” will mark a new step in SOM’s History. As usual, the final chapter of the series dedicated solely to Hubble and all the great scientists and engineers at the NASA and ESA, comes with a beautiful cover print picture taken by the Space Telescope. CD comes with bonus tracks by Project STS-31, The Exaltics, Robert Heise and a extended alternate bonus Version of Der Zyklus – Ionospheric Delay.
The Hipodrome Of Music 