Tel Aviv based two man project TV.OUT has been making a name for themselves these last years putting on impressive live sets, djing around the world, and running their Paralaxx imprint releasing various strains of rugged, well informed electronic music. On their debut for L.I.E.S. we get a smoking three tracker spanning styles that would not seem out of the place being played on the West Coast of Den Hague in the late-90s.
Svengalisghost captured here in his most true form, the live setting. This recording comes direct from the board during his performance on French television in 2015 and harnesses the maniacal energy of his live set in perfect form. What may be the Chicago born artist’s darkest and most plodding recording to date, this is the definintion of deconstructed death-industrial, foward thinking and freeform yet totally focused and razor sharp, plodding drums over open wire electronics and zodiac killer vocals hitting you from all angles. This is sound of evil personified.
Following up his self titled 12 inch earlier this year Austin, Texas based Shane English continues in his path exploring the deep and bizarre edges of the American DIY electronic world. Over these eight tracks we get English’s wide spanning take on the music touching upon elements of industrial on “Invasion Threat” darker ambient with opening track “Sanctuary” and even hints of Stinson on “Bilocation Drift”. English’s signature sparse and melancholic tone is present throughout again using minimal percussion and voice to glue it all together in a haunting fashion. Another engaging listen direct from the depths of the American underbelly.
Prolific and understated musician Shane English delivers a follow up 12 inch for L.I.E.S. after his powerful ”General Dimensions” LP from 2016. Once again the Austin based artist taps into the outer edges of the electronic world falling in a grey area somewhere between Muslimgauze, creeped tribal electronics or the tense beat experiments on Seico Corp Recordings. his is downed tree split open wire music, live to the touch.. free form open ended recorded music from one of the most interesting and best kept secrets in American electronics these days. Unending tension with every turn, this is not a record to miss.
Parrish Smith has quietly been making a name for himself over these last years with releases on Knekelhuis and Contort Yourself as well as with his projects Volition Immanent and Sige Bythos. We see him appear on L.I.E.S. in a strong fashion through four varied dense tracks. From slowbeat EBM to Belgium klang to classic Den Hague crushers this ep forges its own path taking these cues and putting Smith’s unqiue spin on them. Heavy yet still possessing groove and hypnotic rhythm, damage will ensue if used correctly. Fresh stuff from this up and coming talent.
Techno veteran Adam-X dons his ADMX-71 moniker with three tracks of subterranean, cyborb, body music influenced slow grinding techno. Tense, textured, and ready to explode all three tracks explore the dark present and future we are heading towards, with track titles like Nuclear Hysterics and Dire Situation the music goes hand in hand with the modern day chaos unfolding daily. Properly heavy and dense there is still air letting the tracks breathe and develop as they slowly boil over scorching everything in their path.
British techno veteran Oliver Ho has released some fine material as Broken English Club since debuting the alias back in 2014. The English Beach, Ho’s second BEC full-length and first for L.I.E.S, is the audio equivalent of a trip to a run-down North Sea coastal resort on a wet Wednesday in November. Full of end-of-days electronics, stripped-back industrial techno, moody minimal wave shufflers and bubbly EBM workouts, it’s as authentic a tribute to early ’80s electronic experimentalism as you’re likely to hear all year. Highlights include the Nitzer Ebb style bounce of “Pylon”, the foreboding, desolate electronica of “Rust Ballad”, the angry electro moodiness of “Carrion” and the rolling, organ-laden autumnal bliss of “The English Beach”.
Device Control is Jake Reif’s new solo production outlet which draws equally from the pools of early Wax Trax and Medusa’s with the hybrid pit jack of early Farris or Rush. Machine made yet with a soul, all four cuts are for the true hyper jackers on the floor, tested and recomended. Born in New York and spending his formative years in the mid-West, Jake Reif has served time amongst some of the best, producing alongside both Mystic Bill as well as Reade Truth; releasing well recieved 12s on Rong Music and a break out remix on Snuff Trax in recent years. Back in the day you could catch Jake clocking hours working at Sonic Groove Records among a motley crew of heavy hitters whilst honing his talents.
American experimental musican Shane English continues in a long tradition of outsider electronics as he’s been humbly prolific in his output though the years involving himself in numerous recording projects. Collaborating with Jonah Lange in their group Corporate Park as well as an ongoing collab with Beau Wanzer (seeing a release last year under the CP/BW name), English now commits his second full length solo offering to vinyl in the form of the General Dimensions lp.Sparse machine driven electronics dominate the recording providing a back drop for the occasional pulsating rhythm, metallic clank or floating obscured vocal. While it is a dark and sparse affair there is a quiet downtrodden beauty throughout giving the recording a sense of uncertain serenity in an almost shoegazey way. Highly recommended for those into early electronics.
Four tracks showcasing a wide range of production styles, each effective in their own right. From side-chained jack to peak red drum work outs to computer based minimalist bit destruction this ep proves to be a crushing statement from an artist coming into his own. US import price.
The Argentinian based NGLY had seemingly appeared out of thin air landing on the Brooklyn based L.I.E.S. label in 2014 with an untitled four track white label ep. On this ep, the unsuspecting track “Speechless Tape” ended up becoming a cult hit with select djs in the scene (I-F, Mick Wills, Intergalactic Gary…) eventually leading to it being voted as Intergalactic FM’s #1 track of the year in 2014. On the heels of his successful debut Rudolfo could have stayed the path and produced an easily digestable follow up dance record or two, instead he chose to take his time and reflect. Sitting back in the studio tweaking his live act, recording endlessly, transforming and refining his sound. In the end we get his debut eight track lp, Cities of Illusion, a record that walks a fine line between many of the original strains of the electronic realm. The elements are all there to be picked apart, to be used, to be abused, thrown against the wall smashed to bits…played in the club or on the late night mix shows, it’s magic you heard in the past and crave in the present. To say the music on the lp is one thing or another is an injustice…it pays reverence while at the same time turns a corner; held together by a loose yet cohesive thread. It is a full presentation that is unafraid to challenge or confuse, with no concern for genre imposed limitations.
Insane hyper hybrid combo of wave/house/techno by Murray CY of Glasgow. The CY stands for Contort Yourself’ the label he runs which bridges the gaps between lost sounds of the past and contemprary noise makers, this ep displaying the producers take on the sound perfectly. All four tracks move in their own way from mid-tempo heaviness to more peak time fare. This is the rough back alley stuff you’ve been warned about! US pressing, import price.
Max Ravitz has made a name for himself with his hazed dance not dance productions over these last couple of years appearing on a handful of different labels under a handful of different monikers. Here on the 15 track, ”Common Purpose” cd we get Ravitz in all of his different forms as he teams up with numerous artists from his local Brooklyn scene and beyond, serving up unheard cuts from numerous recording sessions done over the last years. Through the record we hear the producer’s versatility from tripped out downtempo vibes, to mid-paced acid, to high bpm dust burners, as Ravitz and Co. explore almost all possible avenues while in the studio. Collaborators include Huerco S., Jahiliyya Fields, NGLY, Terekke, Bookworms, Cloudface, and Josephine.
Amsterdam based Faster Action surfaces on L.I.E.S. with a fresh two track 12 inch. Stated as ”DJ Tools for the DJs” this is what we get here, with the a-side sounding like an late-80s industrial strength 909 driven EBM cut, while the b-side goes strong with a metallic beat track perfect for the adventurous working DJ.
Greg Beato is back on L.I.E.S. and back in top form with this massive 5 tracker. Beato demonstrates his versatility as a producer throughout as we seem him move from melodic house, to electro, to tweaker DJ Rush style psycho beat tracks.
From scratchy ambience to dramatic slow tempo bpm cuts to melodic house tracks, 45 ACP shines on this ep showing his versatility and reinforcing his reputation for strong song writing and composition. Once again diverse enough for club or home listening, warm up or peak time…let the djs make the choice.
Chicago veterans Justin Long and Ken Zawacki debut their Circling Vultures project on L.I.E.S. with three tracks of jackin’ mid-Western techno.
The Hipodrome Of Music 