Mysterious, melodic and dark – Portuguese can-do-no-wrong-er Lake Haze is back, adding to his impressive catalogue a four-tracker EP named ‘Coordinates Of A Decaying World’ for Lisbon’s ever-attentive Paraiso.
MOM017 is here. It is the first non-electronic release on Modern Obscure Music and it
comes from Catalan Pop-Rock band Univers. The EP contains two unreleased tracks from
their former LP session and three strong electronic remixes on the B Side. The first comes from the Portugese native based in The Hague, Lake Haze, the second comes from MOM label boss Pedro Vian and the final remix is by the mysterious M.T. Formula.
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.
Acid Avengers return. On the A-side, Portuguese producer Lake Haze delivers three techno cuts for the floor, all composed with a brutal acid line. On the B-side, Swedish producer Celldöd returns with three electro and techno tunes for those who like the cold groove of northern Europe. Sometimes ravey, sometimes martial, sometimes funky, here is a new split EP with six raw bangers.
“Suburban Tales 1 was born as a VA dedicated to push local talents: it was our intimate dedication to Milan, the city which raised us, made us know each other, forged our sound. Before this worldwide emergency we were already planning the sequel, but this peculiar situation drove us to extend it both to Italian and international friends and affiliates. A powerful project was born to finance the “Fondo San Giuseppe”, a fund instituted by Comune di Milano, to support the people who lost their job during this struggle which sees Milan as one of the cities that had been hit most by the virus. We will devolve the entire revenue to this association.”
“Here’s a free compilation to celebrate our 20th birthday, which fittingly falls right in the middle of the biggest crises the world has faced this century. This is not a retrospective, in times like these it important to look to the future. It features exclusive tracks by label mainstays and some up and coming artists from the West Coast and beyond. Up to you to figure out which is which.”
Get on board 5 new space alchemists for the next level of “The Orbitants”! The “Panic Side” (Side A) refers to a synthetic melody transition from the beatless Heinrich Dressel’s intro, to the mystical drama “Source Reality”, a utopistic abstract-composition by Galaxian, who serving his anarchic vision of electronic music. Falling into the wicked flash born from Foreign Sequence’s Oberheim. Entering to the “Black Side” (Sibe B), the virus infected the system: it’s the Lake Haze electro hit! Spooky pads triggering the edgy arpeggio, body of the track. Jensen Interceptor provides yet another one of his tipycal alien incursion with a cruel-core on a beat techno influenced.
Next up on Creme Organizaiton is Lake Haze. The Hague based Portuguese artist is a regular on this label having put out four EPs in the last two years. He’s an esteemed talent with a blistering sound that fuses futuristic techno and electro into storytelling dancefloor dynamite. Space Reservoirs kicks off this EP with slow but heavy drum work, acid twitches and spooky cosmic echoes. The Observer picks up the pace with quick and slick kicks from the streets of Detroit overlaid with ripping electro basslines and deep space atmospherics. Unexplored Oceanic Territory is expansive electro with busted drums and echoing pads that add real scale before more acid finishes things off with real rawness. Prototype is dark and heavy, with another searing baseline and crisp metallic hits, then Into The Unknown is a blissed out electro roller with dreamy pads and twinkling keys melting into the cosmos. It closes out another essential EP from this timeless producer.
After debuting on UTTU back in 2013 Lake Haze returns to the fold with 2 epic 90s Goa-Inspired-House-Jams for the freaks. Backed with an incredible bleep n bass remix from DJ Boring.
Next up Creme Organization is a return by regular artist Lake Haze. Following his Natural Insight EP earlier in the year comes Intergalactic Communicationz, four more fresh tracks of acid, techno and electro that is brilliantly evocative. At The Gates ov Futron is a turbulent lack track with zipping acid and a cacophony of percussion that is visceral as well as cinematic. Drexciyan Aquarium is, as the name suggest, an aqueous electro track that slithers and slides through an expansive underwater world. Poseidon’s Dream then offers a more rugged electro groove that is backed by heavenly pads and a real sense of loss in the synths. Last of all, Intergalactic Communication closes out this far travelling and intergalactic EP with a sci-fi deep house track that is filled with light, 909s and a sense that the end of the world is coming.
Goncalo Salgado aka Lake Haze with a four track EP on Shall Not Fade label, features dark synthy productions on the A side, with more club friendly acid cuts on the flip.
Creme Organization look to Portugal’s fast rising Lake Haze for a new three track EP. Solar Flames opens the release with a grand sense of sadness. Vast kicks pound below as eerie pads make for an unsettling atmosphere. When a slitting acid line comes in, the 909 pings really kick into action and the track takes off. Sinister Strike is just that, a driving and dark track with elastic bass and ravey stabs that make for physical listening. Lastly, Geisterbahnhofe is a broken beat affair that is rueful and zoned out. Full of sombre, reflective open spaces and distant electro stylings, it rounds out a varied and vital EP.
Creme Organization turn to the mysterious IVVVO and Lisbon producer Lake Haze for a new single that comes backed with a remix from label regular Legowelt. The single ‘#1’ is a hard hitting but fuzzy, misty and hugely spacious house track with deep jacking drums, haunting synths spiralling all around and freaky voices buried deep within. Hugely atmospheric and lovably imperfect, it then gets remixed by Legowelt. His version of the track flips it on its head, strips back some of the white noise fuzz and reimagines it as a driving techno cut with impish chords, retro arps and high pressure stabs. It’s a peak time bomb and ensures that this release is a high impact one indeed.
The Hipodrome Of Music 