New Beat swagger meets EBM menace on the latest Kri release. New York based producer, DJ and Samo Records owner Facets channels the raw spirit of late ’80s New Beat and EBM into a modern club context with stripped-down rhythms and tense electronics lock. Four original tracks are bolstered with two heavyweight remixes courtesy of Marcello Giordani, the Italo Deviance maestro, and the iron-fisted British techno icon Broken English Club / Oliver Ho.
‘No Hope, No Fear’ is a new vinyl series in KRI Records’ catalogue, combining 4 artists and a nod to the legendary Slovenian band Borghesia and our apocalyptic times. Swedish duo Harlem Electronics is responsible for the meaty opening track ‘Versausage’, where minimal wave meets industrial funk. Fear side is rounded by American Kri family member Ole Mic Odd, returning with his signature haunting electro gloom. Hope side doesn’t necessarily offer hope but sure does help with escapism. Slovenian partner in crime 198319831983 gives an apt comment while twisting electro and EBM on ‘Trustno1’. The record finishes on a “high” note with the legendary Cute Heels ft. Duke MC Herton for peak-time club decadence.
We start presenting our favorite tracks from 2024. More or less in a chronological order we present here the ninth set of tracks.
We start presenting our favorite tracks from 2024. More or less in a chronological order we present here the fourth set of tracks.
Release No.10 features ‘Everyday EP’ the first solo record by Hayter of the Dog Balls and Westlake & Hayter fame. The record seamlessly transitions from 2000ish Gigolo vibes to Detroit electro-funk and wave anthems. The release is spiced with an acid power ballad of a remix by Hayter’s fellow Leipzig electro poet Credit 00.
We start presenting our favorite tracks from 2024. More or less in a chronological order we present here the third set of tracks.
Trust the Rust is back with a vengeance. The second compilation by Kri Records takes up where the previous one left off: rusty electro, occult wave, distorted acid and melancholic EBM. Alonzo opens the release with his signature 808 bass, Hayter pushes pitched-down vocals and filthy electro vibe further, while Chino delivers a diabolical ravey EBM banger. Serbian duo YusYus marches on with an authoritative synth anthem Masters Of The Future and Disco Morato finishes the A side with a hypnotic slow burner Ultime. B Side opens with a bang by Parand, followed by arctic electro mist crafted by System Disorder (aka Dj Nephil). Marco Segato smoothly blended electro and jungle with the track Subconscious, Zagreb collective Lab Personnel’s dark stomper might evoke fist pumps on the floor, while E.L.I.’s nostalgic piece Atonal Being rounds the release.
The Spy is on a mission for the 8th Kri release and it ends with a bang. Hhis signature sound keeps evolving by melting electro, EBM and wave into a hypnotising dystopian soundtrack. His Kri debut is named ‘Halt and Hack’ and it ranges from melancholic EBM-ish slow burners to mutated wave-meets-electro anthems, rounded with a nostalgic remix by the mighty Zement operator Kluentah.
LA-based producer Ole Mic Odd is back on the Slovenian label KRI with a full EP that crashes electro traditions into gloomy post-punk aesthetics. The result is six filthy tunes of menacing vocoders, murky pads and distorted acid that go from 2 AM clinched-teeth-madness to punishing slow burners that will bump a 64 Pontiac Lowrider.
The new Kri record goes back to the buzzing 1980s in Yugoslavia, where numerous art projects were testing the censorship and unity of the Communist Party. One such project was a punk and later post-punk/industrial band called O! Kult which took a hard stance against bureaucracy, technocracy and alienation. Their test was successful as it brought censorship and surveillance by the state and media authorities. The track and its mystical vibe have been reimagined by Silent Servant, Christian Kroupa (1/2 of Black Dot) and 198319831983, adding fresh EBM, electro and melancholic techno edge to the record.
The fifth Kri release was produced by a New York based producer Richard Gamble. Dream Sequence EP explores the boundaries between mutated Wave, Minimal Synth, and EBM in search of a perfect loop and the most epic melody. A dim and moisty atmosphere is often cut by a ray of light but you can’t be sure if it’s just a flashing strobe. Three original tracks command absolute attention on the dancefloor or on the sofa and are accompanied by a Violet Poison remix.
The fourth chapter of the Kri discography was conceived in the cold northern parts of Europe by a well-seasoned electro producer and Gravitational Waves label owner, Dj Nephil. Sharp electro-minimalism on the Horizon Rising EP is ranging from hypnotic and subtle to a punkish kick in the arse. Lush textures, bitter-sweet acid, and thick bass lines are looking past trends to create a lasting record. Adding extra weight to this polar electro voyage are remixes by two among our favorite producers, Alonzo and Univac.
The third KRI Records release features the infamous Italo Moderni label boss Adrian Marth joining forces with the Italian EBM master Diana Berti (Violet Poison) and it’s a belter. Warm and punchy analog beats are spiced with haunting melodies and sinister pads that will break even the toughest of ravers. Sturdy EBM-ish, dark italo and wave production is cushioned with Adrian’s mysterious vocals adding yet another layer to a diverse EP accompanied by two heavy-weight remixes by Chino & Chupacabras.
Kri Records strike back with a cassette compilation under an appropriate name: Trust the Rust! Nasty electro cuts are served by LA-based Ole Mic Odd, Italian producer and the Gravitational Waves owner DJ Nephil, British veteran Chupacabras and Russian producer Larionov. The Electro part of the compilation is closed by the local Ljubljana legend operating as a DJ and Honest Work label owner, 198319831983. EBM-ish march is saluted by Black Dot, the duo of Christian Kroupa and Le Chocolat Noir. Christian has also joined forces with the Dallas and Science Cult native Aura Nox. NYC and wave EBM bangers are represented by R Gamble, Spinal is an up-and-coming producer from Chile having released a great EP on Pildoras Tapes, while Bianco Negativo from Marguerite Records wraps up the release.
The Hipodrome Of Music 