Svengalisghost makes his eagerly anticipated return to wax after spending the better part of last year, crushing gigs throughout Europe with his high impact live set. On this slab we get four tracks of industrial strength machine electronics put through the filter of the Chicago native….equal parts EBM and dare we say half time techno. This EP drives and hits hard as only the energy king knows how.
Paris veteran DJ Deep joins the L.I.E.S. roster with a new three track EP paying homage to the days of old when house and techno were a fresh and exciting music revolution. This EP perfectly balances the sounds and energy of the past with renewed vibrance and resurgence of what’s happening now in Paris.
To remain in biblical territory “The last shall come first”. Such is also the case with the 3rd in the Creme Valley of Shadows series which will come out before part 1 & 2. So yeah this 3rd installment is a collaboration with NYC’s by way of Paris L.I.E.S. Records. Six tracks by Legowelt, Randomer, Simoncino, Innershades, Ron Morelli and Wilie Burns.
Gunnar Haslam returns to LIES records for his second album, Mirrors and Copulation. Following a slew of 12″ releases this year, Gunnar delves deep into his darkest palettes for a return to his patient, haunted soundscapes that shrouded his debut LP, Mimesiak. Across eight tracks of ambient techno both brooding and tumultuous, Gunnar Haslam unravels a narrative on overpopulation and its potential environmental ramifications inspired by the Borges quote the album title references. “Meter By Me, Sybil” cascades arpeggios through a thick fog that never leaves Mirrors. “Ajapajapam Version” cuts through with a sluggish 3/4 strut and nauseated 303 bassline, but the rest of the A side is fully enveloped by the Gunnar’s peerless recreation of the wet ambience of a ghostly rainforest. “Cloud Castle Lake” offers an uptempo cut buoyed by a blasted kick drum and frenetic 606 workout. Still enshrouded, “Cloud Castle Lake” further explores Gunnar’s sonic terrain with the force of a freaked dancefloor’s momentum, much like the album finale, “In Argo Teurano”, which blasts forth from the mist with a weathered adventurer’s grit.
Dan Physics came up in the ranks of the early 90s Midwest & NYC dance underground, when record shops still existed and the club scene was still diverse and vibrant. Working at Sonic Groove Records alongside Adam-X and Frankie Bones, through the years Dan had gained an encyclopedic knowledge of house, techno, industrial music and many genres in between. What we have here is a document from his past recording archives which demonstrates his studio expertise and is an impressive take of high bpm, yet melodic techno.
Steve Summers makes his debut on the shady Russian Torrent Versions imprint with a massive three tracker. Melodic, melancholy, and jackin this dusty platter will get you into the zone and is a welcome return of Mr. Summers to the floor. Heavy, rockin and rugged.
While industrial and EBM seem to be words buzzing around the media today, not too many artists associated with these words seem to be truly delivering. Tzusing, who resides in Shanghai has been a student of the game through the years, and has strived to execute his take on these sounds and does so with shining results. This four track ep is a testament to him transforming the metal beat into a sound of his own and running wild without limits.
Three more from Karlist who brings it down a notch showing other sides of his production… but then the harsh techno assault continues.
Terekke once again delivering low key yet powerful, haze inducing productions. On this record he moves through various worlds, sometimes uplifting, sometimes nodding out – maybe even entering into the darker ambient side of the spectrum.
The impressively prolific Nick Anthony Simoncino returns to L.I.E.S, some two years on from his last outing for Ron Morelli’s acclaimed imprint. Simoncino rarely strays from his tried-and-tested blueprint – think vintage synths, crusty drum machines, and tracks influenced by classic Chicago house, proto-house, acid and Detroit techno – and Able Dance is no different. Its expansive melodies, sweaty rhythms, spacious chords and darting electronics are, though, particularly appealing. The heady positivity of “Io Rhythm” is probably our pick, though the spooky atmosphere and bongo-laden groove of “Able Dance” is similarly impressive. Despite its’ ghostly nature, it still feels strangely exotic.
Randomer aka Rohan Walder on the Russian Torrent Versions. Of the three productions, lead cut “Side Crack Lung” is the one the more adventurous selectors will gravitate towards, with a complement of vocal samples and degraded synth lines getting racketed around the channels by a tunnelling gutter techno rhythm. “Fun In The Sun” is pure screwface techno whilst the delicate sounding “Odd” ends matters on a suitably strange note.
With L.I.E.S. 50th official release, London’s Randomer appears as the first British artist to release on the label with his ‘Residents’ EP. On this EP we get three out there diverse tracks with the title cut being a moody rhythmic, heads down yet upbeat percussion driven affair. ‘Jakobs Dream’ steps into the abstract tweaked out techno world, while ‘Huh’ which fills the entire b-side is a massive massive electro cut for the floor.
Italian, Domenico Crisci debuts on L.I.E.S. with four tracks of intense stomping warehouse techno. Straight to the point, grinding metal on metal machine music that will turn out the club. For those into the heavier, gnarlier and darker vibes.
Cold summer drop on the limited black series from Florian Kupfer. Heavy jackin floor tracks, mellowed dubs, and some strange nod to a 90s rapper. Essential club gear. This one will not last.
Adam-X should need no introduction as he and his brother, Frankie Bones, pioneered techno in a post-disco, pre-Guiliani, New York City through the late-eighties and onwards past the nineties with countless productions under their belts and throwing renegade parties throughout the 5 boroughs. Their record store Sonic Groove served as a hub for purchasing cutting edge electronic music from across the globe and was a meeting point for likeminded freaks throughout the city. Fast foward to 2014, New York City is a shell of what it once was, people have come and gone with the corporate infastructure having eaten its way through any and all subculture. No stranger to change Adam-X has adapted and explored numerous shapes and forms in his electronic music career from X-Crash, to Traversable Wormhole, to his ADMX-71 moniker, on this record, which he uses for more experimental and industrial productions. Througout the three tracks on this record, we get a subdubed yet extremely tense vibe as the carefully composed sounds push and pull against each other slowly trudging to the next destination. Subtle changes throughout, these tracks present a unique take on the traditional EBM sound which upon every listen one will discover something new. Highly recommended for those into the darker territories.
French producer Voiski returns to L.I.E.S. with another 12 inch of his diverse and refreshing style of techno. Spanning across the board we get epic dramatic builds, post shuffle headnodders and floor crushing sub-bass grooves over these three tracks. Guaranteed to cause major damage wherever and whenever this record is played.
Deutsche trio killing it on a new LIES BLK. Sandro Stebnitz, Manito Rotschild, and Dieter Flegel met in the late-nineties in Oldenburg Germany while working on the loading dock of the Leifheit Housewares shipping division. Through their monotonous days of shrink wrapping ovens and loading palettes of stainless steel cookware onto tractor trailers, the trio would often relay tall tales to each other simply to pass the time. One such delusional fantasy was that the trio would one day ditch their warehouse jobs and start a band not unlike their mutual hero, Gary Numan. Their fantasy became somewhat of a reality when Dieter gained access to various pieces of musical equipment when his uncle Hans came upon a sudden and untimely death. Unphased by this tragic event, Dieter rallied up his small group and hit the garage, practicing and recording every evening in hopes of making it, just like Gary did. Here we have on record, the only document of their time in the makeshift studio, a 15 minute electronic jam simply titled “Sketch 1”.
Person of Interest, highly sought after and could be lurking in the shady corners under Brooklyn’s JMZ line. On his L.I.E.S. debut we get soupy remnants of what could be called garage house, pieces of high octane techno, and one slow burning grisled tooth number to close this three track EP out. A strong showing and undoubtedly one to keep your eyes on.
The Hipodrome Of Music 