Florian Meyer back on Berceuse Heroique, with ten minutes of gamelan psychedelia, subtly and tensely minimalist as Terrence Dixon at his best. On the flip, Dresvn takes more of a beeline to Detroit, fuelled by submerged classics like UR’s Coinochime — cosmic, but deadly and unsettling. (‘Gammel’ means ‘junk’, in German. Maybe Magellan the explorer permeates that title, too, going round in circles in the East Indies, giddy and gammy below decks, amidst his trophy exotica.)
DUM Records are dipping into the label boss’s production archives for the next one: it is a reissue that features tracks from a number of classic Mono Junk releases. Two came on Trope Records, one in 1995 and one in 1993, and the last pair of cuts come from 1996 when they were released on Plug Research. Arguably some of the influential Finnish producer’s finest work, all of the tracks here emphasize how long he is operating on the top of his game already.
Gary Gritness AKA Slikk Tim lands on Hypercolour with The Sugar Cane Chronicles Vol. 1. He displays a deft hand of producing futuristic funk sounds. A spot on blend of raw drum programming and blissfull jazz funk riffs, “Preachin Some Tight Game” sets the EP’s tone just right with its infectious melodies and cruising groove. Darker 1980’s soundtrack vibes are explored on “Stayin’ Strong Hand’ with its thick analogue atmosphere, whilst the laid back and freestyle vibes of Working Girls’ demands to be played in the Cadillac with the top down. EP closer, “Fly Shit”, continues with the tranquil melodies and G-Funk factor.
Portable with his first release on Rhythm Cult. ‘Reeva Numbers’ is a dusky production complete with ethereal organ chords, offbeat stabs and subtle melodies. Next, ‘Only Human’ draws from the sound of the producer’s Bodycode moniker, implementing more dancefloor-focused aesthetics with the help of shuffling rhythms, deep vocal moans and heady keys. Concluding the release, ‘Moving, Trains And You’ is the most minimal number of the package with rolling percussion, soaring pads and a heightening suspense.
The latest 12″ on Kitjen comes with super solid 004-to-the-floor vibes by Suzanne Kraft from LA.
Solarism is the result of a common fascination for landscapes and a passion for contemplation. For the second release Solarism welcomes Franck Roger. On A1 Franck brings a real fusion of Cosmics and classic Deep House vibes, remembering his first love with electronic music but definitely oriented to his nowaday modern vision of sounds. The melodic groove of the calimbas percussions drives you till the heart of the track and his swinging drum, to never let you go and brings you up in a neverending hypnotic mind dance. On B1, Arno E. Mathieu version push the hypnotic vibe of “Tiger in The Hood” using the original arpegiator theme, and brings the track to a deep techno level for a textured and anthemic experience. Ponctuated by a strings hit appearence and supported by a non stop heavy bass-line, the track progression brings us till a melodic synth conclusion true to Arno fusionned style…
Parkway label returns, taking a first step into the year with a sound that’s skipping winter and spring and squares its silk synth focus on the summer. This time round it’s Trey Risque whose “A Night With The Boys” features an instantly catchy hook worthy of Yazoo which is given more weight by the detailed counter melodies and riffs that fill all the right playful spaces around Nikki’s Kathy Diamond style delivery. For a leerier night out with the chaps, head for the Trail Of Destruction Dub.
Leonid and Jose Rico team up as Cygnuss and drop a double 12″ on Freebeat. This stunner of a double pack spans ambient melodic structures, burning acid lines, noisey electro and bashing house tracks.
Amir makes his triumphant return to Argot with an exceptional and strange EP, across three arresting new tracks. The Butterfly is a seductive record. Its supple grooves and unique textures are ear-catching whether or not you notice the twisted lyrics of “Butterfly (The Monarch)” or the read into titles like “Many False Prophets”. Yet close observers are rewarded with bread crumbs that bring Alexander’s perspective into focus
Given the sprawl and epic that was the recent Principe Del Norte album from Prins Thomas, it is no surprise Smalltown Supersound have opted to think big for this subsequent remix 12″ series. Hieroglyphic Being kicks matters off with a pair of remixes of “D”, whose original 14 minutes made for one of the highlights of the album. In the hands of Jamal Moss, the track doesn’t transform into the corrosive monster you might expect though little of the original remains intact. The accompanying Beat Rework buries PT’s original krauty melodics deep below a killer barrage of drums and is our favourite of the two HB versions.
Bookworms drops cut after cut on his debut album Xenophobe. This double LP delivers 7 tracks showcasing some of his best material to date, and after listening to the title track we know Xenophobe is not going to be an average 12′. U-More is a slow and steady pulse of head nodding thump, while Illusion Flip is a hazy, bass driven track hidden behind waves of noise and warm melody. On the flip side, Showering is pure techno guided by an evolving modular loop built for the floor. Nik Dawson has no boundaries when it comes to making beats.
Brutaz unleash their first three tracker coming from Jules Venturini, a continental expat supposedly having ties with a famous nunmetal band and a certain secondhand record shop. Shameless melodies joined with a darker, churning grooves, pushed to the edge of with a gentle dose of distortion.
ITW003 MANIFESTO There is an audience to our drama. Like the hero of a dream, he works for us, in our behalf. there is an Strange world that waits and watches. And an Ancient dread of non – existence. ISTHEWAY 003 will be released in the spring and remixed by the legend Jamal Moss aka Hieroglyphic Being. He considers himself a child of many. Growing up in 1980s Chicago, he was a child of the city’s loft party heyday, pulled into the club scene by the grooves of Ron Hardy and Derrick Carter and kept there by the manic acid of Adonis and Steve Pointdexter. His key influence, though, is Sun Ra; the Afrofuturist jazz pioneer whose cosmic philosophies have permeated his own production work. For Moss, club space and headspace have merged into one. His releases and the catalog of his label Mathematics Recordings have a cult following worldwide, but it didn’t happen overnight: with a DIY ethic and all-consuming passion, he’s been pounding the streets of Chicago as a foot soldier for House Music since the edge of the early 1990s.
The mysterious but widely acclaimed R-Zone series roll on to a 15th EP now with a new four track release that is as essential as ever. Opener ‘Hired Gun’ is a tough and raw concoction with coarse, snappy snares, rough drum pings and lots of abrasive texture all making for a physical listening experience. ‘Midwinter’ is a deeper and more emotive jam with warm pads dampening down icy hi hats and busy synth work. It is fresh and original and sounds like little else, then ‘Captive’ gets all deep and space-y with smeared pads and slick metallic hits tied together with a molten acid line. Lastly, ‘Exile’ is five blissful and beautiful minutes of atmospheric, intergalactic electronic sounds that really take you to another place.
Conforce alias Vernon Felicity with his first Delft EP, heavy with Detroit leanings and acid crackles.
Channeling Soul, DiscoFunk and old school House vibes straight from Fly By Night Music’s own boss Lorenzo, White Rabbit Recordings’ head Giovanni Damico and label mainstays Riccio and Mayo Soulomon, we have something for everyone.
Vivod move into their next series of releases with Portuguese maestro Photonz at the helm. A 4 tracker of dark house that effortlessly slip into the label catalogue entitled Lotus Wheel On My Orion. Beautiful packaging again this time with full printed sleeve.
Old school drum programming on this versatile EP ranging from proto house vibes to wave and avantgarde electonix.
The Hipodrome Of Music 