Years of Denial’s ‘Suicide Disco Vol. 2’ album is receiving a well-deserved remix treatment from some of the dearest and most important artists in their circle. Featuring The Hacker, NEVER & Maenad Veyl, Phase Fatale, Kris Baha, Velvet May, Codex Empire, Geistform & Years of Denial’s very own Supreme Low, some of the most influential figures in the genre are offering their unique takes on their favorite tracks from the album.
Avidya continues with EP#3, offering tracks, tools and meanderings from a coterie of individuals whose relationship is phylogenetic, presenting their music for dancefloors. Tracks from 53X, Odopt, Remotif and a collaborative remix by Full Circle (Alexis Le Tan and Joakim project) & Khris Baha of N-Tropic (Alexis in youth)
Next Wave Acid Punx DEUX is the second compilation for Eskimo Recordings compiled and curated by Berlin-based Musician and DJ Luca Venezia, aka Curses, to explore the darker side of club music. Spread across 3CDs and three 2LPs Next Wave Acid Punx DEUX features a mammoth 49 tracks that join the dots between early industrial pioneers Throbbing Gristle, EBM legends like Nitzer Ebb and the post-punk experiments of people like Malcolm McLaren and Big Audio Dynamite with some of the most exciting artists around today, such as Boy Harsher, Nuovo Testamento and Years of Denial. Where the first Next Wave Acid Punx compilation was a personal journey for Luca, a lockdown inspired exploration of his record collection to find the thread that ran through the music that had soundtracked much of his life, DEUX is a celebration of that music let loose on the world, the thrill of music performed live, the smoke and strobe filled clubs you’ll hear it in and the artists you’ll find on those stages.
Oráculo Records joins forces with Wrong Era to release the vinyl debut of the Lithuanian young act Ton Globiter. In between techno, ebm and new beat, his sound is fresh and overwhelming, ready to fire up any dance floor. It includes remixes by Kris Baha and Synths Versus Me to complete a ballistic weapon EP.
Russian producer Rambal Cochet aka Volta Cab, an artist very much influenced by Goa Trance brings three new tracks with a sound that captivates us to that time, adding New Beat and EBM waves close to ‘Valencia Sound’ and its legendary ‘Ruta Destroy’. The record includes an absolute banger: a Kris Baha remix to burn the dancefloor, as usual.
2020 was a tough year for almost everyone and definitely a year to forget for our scene. Events and gigs canceled, venues closed, artists lacking a way to earn a decent living and club culture facing a threat like never before.
In the midst of these events were several people / organizations who tried to ease the pain, offering out some comfort by releasing music to people for free or by pay as you want download. This was always done, but this year I noticed that more and more artists are doing this.
Here is a selection of albums and compilations I came across this year and that I think is worth mentioning again.
Kris Baha returns to his imprint Power Station since ‘Mind Your Head’ in 2016 with 4 mutant industrial cuts ready for a dancefloor of 1.‘Behave’ begins with a hypnotic sequence guiding the listener through the piece as sonic sirens screech from the cavernous dystopian wastelands of 2020.
New instant classic by Aphonia, side project of Inhalt from Dark Entires fam., who join the Wrong Era-ship with eleven minutes of chills and goosebumps. Rolling through the depths to the surface, this is the sound of your wildest trips. Not italo, not cosmic, not deep: we’re not putting a label on this one. ? A remix from Kris Baha showing his flair for a downtempo industrial jam. Another by head-honcho Franz Scala adds his famous running Italian Dance brush.
”AngstLust is a project of Kris Baha and Niklas Wandt merging their influences of early electronics into one hell of a sonic ride.”
Los Angeles-based Inhalt assemble a strikingly unique selection of eight producers across generations styles and musical backgrounds to remix and simulate Inhalt’s 2018 Commerce EP. On a backdrop of EBM, techno, electro, industrial and more these new remixes vigorously intensify Inhalt’s examination of neo-liberal capitalism and identity. Through this process a new alluring narrative of the tensions of 2020 is born.
Arnaud Rebotini started to give away free tracks on his soundcloud page a month ago in his “Quarantine” series. Since then he release 8 EP with tracks by himself and remixes from producers from all around the world. “To (Wo)Men On The Assembly Line”, the last EP of the series, is including an original and 6 remixes from David Carretta, Djedjotronic, Jensen Interceptor & Kris Baha, Max Durante and Perel.
“We are now in our last week of strict confinement. So I’m going to interrupt this weekly EP series but with the eight title, I want to pay tribute to the women and men who have allowed the country to continue to operate during this period. But also to all those who will resume their work in factories, in the construction, food processing and services that will boost the economy, often in jobs that are poorly regarded and low paid but so essential to the functioning of our society.’
“Whilst the world is on pause, we thought it be a good idea to showcase some works that have been moving us months before the lockdown kicked in. We wanted to share and replicate the same amount of electric vibrational emotions it initially had on us upon first listening to them, so the best way we could describe that feeling was by calling this VA series, Currents I. In this compilation theres some faces you know from the Power Station roster intersected with some soon to be Power Station release inductees, once this mess clears up obviously.”
The Amsterdam based booking agency, Voyage Select, is launching it’s label. The first release is a digital compilation released on bandcamp and includes 14 tracks by artists from the agency’s rooster. Cover photo by Interstellar Funk, graphic design by Dazion. 100% of the profit will be divided equally among the artists.
Mondowski makes his full label debut on Snap Crackle & Pop with an electro inspired turn. Dancefloor orientated lead track Sholay finds a mesmerizing path somewhere between extroverted 80’s electro and celebratory spiritual transcendence and gets the remix treatment from Kris Baha who subverts the original by turning the electro backbone up to 11. The EP’s B-side, Negative Space, voyages into darker electro territories with Kraftwerkesque synths, rolling pads and a motorik bassline, all of which provides the launchpad for Multiple Man to turn out a pitch black EBM banger.
Emotional welcomes Kris Baha with ‘Barely Alive’, his first 12″ for Especial. Remixes start with Timothy J Fairplay who laces his trademark echoplexxed wash for a cold wave mover. Next, prodigy Job Sifre builds on his acclaimed debuts with a remodel that goes straight to ‘that’ basement, mixing his love of electro, new wave and industrial. To close, the legend of Das Ding creates a re-alternate remix, fusing his unique fuzz with Baha’s ode for a brittle finale.
The Hipodrome Of Music 