Dutch Veteran Gerd’s return to Royal Oak. For the occasion he dusted of the classic gear and especially the Yamaha DX100. Four tracks from Planet F.M.D.X.
house
Benjamin Milz – Basic Motion [PLAYRJC042]
Ramona announces Benjamin Milz first full-grown EP. Being made by a Frankfurt kid with a mature sound signature, Basic Motions nods towards what once was and what could be one day.
Arno E. Mathieu – The Earth Project [SOL003]
Frenchman Arno Emilien Mathieu is the boss of Clima Records. On The Earth project, he shows us some really immersive and complex deep house arrangements such as on “Tears Of The Whales” which is just beaming with soul. On the flip “Terra” has that spiritual house vibe; with its mesmerising harpsichord melody and tribal rhythms, this one was absolutely sublime.
Ma Spaventi – Isola Sommersa [MOSLP4]
A year after his debut album “Viaggi”, Amsterdam based italian Marco Antonio Spaventi is back with another fine full length statement. Entitled “Isola Sommersa” and landing on M>O>S Recordings, it follows up after many great EPs on the label over the last five years. Spaventi has a passion for old school house but always brings it up to date. Using hardware tools like a natural extension of his body, he cooks up rugged grooves, nostalgic moods and smoky atmospheres that cocoon you in sound of its own. Long the way here, Spaventi dips his toes into various waters with equal success. There are spaced out and invitingly warm grooves such as the rubbery ‘Tape Noodles’, blissful ambient interludes like ‘Undisclosed’ and serene synth passages filled with retro future beauty such as the closer ‘Titanic Moments.’ Cuts like ‘Simple Mind’ prove this artist can conjure up genuine feelings of internal reflection as well as raw physical drum lines, and ‘Best Regards’ is a tantalisingly go slow bit of cosmic house that erupts into a fluid acid track. Though Chicago and Detroit are obvious reference points, Spaventi always develops his own ideas with a refreshing vibe. It makes for an album that is house at its heart, but also one that is ambitious, absorbing and widescreen in the way it is executed.
Snuffo – Live Free Or Die [DARK001LP]
Intergalactic Gary – Sounds of Sónar
VA – The GEHMilation : A Compilation For Andreas Gehm
Another compilation for Andreas Gehm. All proceeds go to Andreas to aid in a time of bad health. Features artists like Cosmic Force, Morphology, Faceless Mind, Iconic Black Suit, PL_anet, Resting Cell, Myoptik, DJ Kenny Mulligan, Sheffield Bleep, Pleb Acid Crew, Si Moore, Achim.Bloch., Juliane Wolf, Scott Robinson, Healthmaster Gehm, Mr. Myoplast Weakmassive, Qima Inudstries, Knights of The Acid Table, Cubistic Lockian, Lectromagnetique, Captain Gascid, hautille, Rusuden, OpziO, Thomas Ueber, Black Catcher, Mike Volt, T/Error, AL355|0, Robertiano Filigrano, D-Omen, Z1, Lectromagnetique, and g13ck.
Dj Nephil – The Creation EP [GRTW002]
Gravitational Waves forges ahead in what promises to be distinct form with the second release by the labels founder, the shadowy DJ Nephil. The EP features four moody stompers by this underground stalwart, with a remix from the phenomenally talented JASSS. All are for the roughest of venues, a foray into ominous soundscapes.
Chris Mitchell – Remnants [AC009]
Anunnaki Cartel is up next with another release from label co-owner Chris Mitchell. This is his follow up to the Din Gir Dialectic EP that was released last year. “Remnants” is a more introspective outing with a sobering feel. These are heady selections for a darker floor, and will satisfy those DJ’s who want to inject this into their sets.
VA – Shtum 010 [SHTUM010]
The first compilation on the Dresden based label shtum unites three label regulars and one newbie with four tracks suitable for rampant basements. “Motorcity Racers” has been on rotation for quite some time amongst the label heads and is the first sign from Poland’s Chino on shtum. It floats somewhere between dirty Detroit and the rough corners of the Netherlands. Leibniz delivers the “Real Life”, a relatively straight follow-up to his latest EP, while Jaures hit their drum machines like there is no tomorrow. Perm’s cut is all loopy and succeeds in creating an irresistible atmosphere with just a few elements.
Credit 00 – Tribal Rhythm Machine [UV037]
Credit 00 strikes back with four cuts between Jungle Funk and sublime Party bombs. “Tribal Rhythm Machine” starts off with subtle but effective drumming that works on the dance floor as much as it could be the soundtrack to your road trip to Utopia. Then there is “Curse Of The Medusa”, a pretty rumbling track that takes full advantage of its super-funky vocal samples and almost explosive percussion action. “Voodoo Soup” fishes in muddy waters with Credit 00’s distinctive drum work and tribal sounds from outer space. The final track “Snake Charmer” is building things up nice and steady. But when the hypnotizing synth melody breaks ground neither serpents nor dancers can resist. The artwork was created by Alexander Dorn a.k.a. Credit 00 himself.
Romansoff – Wrath Of Zeus EP [CR1290]
Raw Tools label boss and Bucharest based producer Romansoff is making his debut on Creme Organization in 2016. His Wrath of Zeus EP features four tracks of the sort of frayed and authentic house music that the label is known for around the world. Romansoff mostly releases on his own label but has also served up plenty of rawness on Machine Records, Mork and Bitter Moon. Bundle of Acid is the opener and is a heavy but mystic track with grainy claps and plodding drums undermining bubbling synths. It’s crunchy and spooky and really comes alive with some squiggly acid lines. The title track is more stripped back and trippy, with corrugated drums and nervy chords trapping you in a suspenseful groove before Who You Gunna Call is another rough hewn analogue monster that manges to take you down into some cavernous underworld at the same time as offering up some angelic emotions. Lastly, She Owns The Game is the most melodic of the lot, with a far sighted ripple of keys, spaced out atmospheres and muttered vocal lines all making for something that is truly from another world.
Uabos – A Point Of View [BM006]
Matteo Pepe aka Uabos returns to Bitter Moon. Building on his first outing, A Point of View opens with the warming 303 grooves of “A Point of View.” Clean beats and lush notes weave in this playful house encounter. Those same crisp rhythms are present in the funk filled “Groove Is A Mystery” before slow burning beauty of “Piano Fights”, a track that will simply ignite anything it comes in contact with. Bright and energetic, “Semen Without Touch” ends the EP, shimmering bars and playful twists wind together for a colourful close.
Andreas Gehm – Yellow Flower [BM005]
Andreas Gehm is known for his fierce, unapologetic acid style. But the Cologne man does have a more mellow side, a smoother side, and that’s what this three tracker is. Of course, smooth Gehm still has some rough edges. “Yellow Flowers” combines thick pads, skittering beats, warming samples and frigid bars in an intoxicating brew. Malice and menace rear their ashen faces for the evil machinations of “Late At Night”, muffled vocals and sharpened snares glinting in the streetlights. Safety arrives in the form of the aptly titled “Less Violence.” Rhythms are still rough edged, melodies still have an underhanded element. Yet there is a subdued humanity in the sweetened strings, emotion coming to a head as the needle runs out.
Dam-Funk – DJ Kicks [K7332LP]
A lot of folks feel like they know DaM-FunK, he is laid-back, affable and personable but to truly get the guy, I mean really understand him, is to know a deep love of music like no other. A more suitable reflection of this is his contribution to the beloved DJ-Kicks series. A snapshot into the mind of the pioneer of Modern-Funk music…get to know the man behind the shades. For fans of George Clinton, Madlib, Theo Parrish, Flying Lotus…
Andreas Gehm – Boxx [MNSX005]
Andreas Gehm aka Elec Pt. 1 serves up a 4-track blitzkrieg EP for the Midnight Shift X series.
Africans with Mainframes – K.M.T. [SJRD333]
Jamal Moss, aka Hieroglyphic Being, returns this time under the alias Africans with Mainframes. With fellow Chicagoan Noleian Reusse they have been releasing music under the name Africans with Mainframes for over 15 years now. The K.M.T. LP is the debut album from the group, a collage of apocalyptic Chicago acid meets industrial and transcendental post-house machine funk. Both intense and unique, the album of forward-thinking, experimental, boundary-pushing Afro-futurist electronic music shows why Hieroglyphic Being is regarded as one of the most serious purveyors of experimental electronic music today.
Dreams – Off The Grid EP [US011]
For their first release of 2016 Nous Disques takes up where they last left off with another impeccably crafted release, courtesy of the L.A. based Jesse Pimenta’s work under the Dreams aligns, who serves up 5 tracks of gritty goodness on his ‘Off the Grid’ EP. The project kicks off with ‘Chain’, a hissy, analogue, Detroit-scented monster before moving seamlessly into the more stripped down and minimal ‘Voyeur’, closing out side one ‘Red Veil’ glides in mellifluously, immediately reminiscent of Stacey Pullen’s trailblazing forays into that space between house and techno. Over on the flip the title track leads with a jubilantly squelchy tribute to Chicago before the fittingly titled ‘Night Cap’ closes out the EP with a woozy, slo-mo skitter through eerily sparse electronica.
Sordid Sound System – Lux Exterior [INVINC008]
The record begins with the motorik hypno drama of The Baron, followed by the post punk dub psych of Scratch and then the sprawling widescreen Technicolor of the title track. The B-side opens on the floor of a cosmic discotheque with Der Mond and then works its way through the minimalist -voodoo swamp funk of I Walk On Splintered Gilders before closing with the unhinged synth dancehall styling’s of Keep Your Head.
Gemini Brothers – Lost Babylon [NIGHTNOISE001]
Debut release from Amsterdam based label, Night Noise. The original from Romanians Gemini Brothers is an Eastern flavored, chugging slo mo cut. In Flagranti ups the tempo and adds a darker disco edge, Moscoman offers a slower dystopian version flavored with analog synths, and Daniel Kyo turns in a darkly spartan Italo-esque remix.
The Hipodrome Of Music 