Traxx @ The Black Lodge (Los Angeles) 08.02.2019
long island electrical systems
VA – Eminent Domain [LIES125]
Massive 22 track compilation spanning three vinyl lps and one 45 showcasing a wide scope of subterranean American electronics. This is just a small look into the the massive contemporary underbelly of odd-ball sonic bottom dwellers making noise across the 50 states. These tranmissions come from remote government outposts, booming overcrowded metropolis’, outskirts of America’s South and even the long forgotten muck and sleaze of Northeastern suburbia. This America in its glory, a nasty place rife with tension and division, ready to boil over into complete chaos at any given moment and these are artists that walk amongst it. Absorbing it all and spitting it out, moments of clarity and tranqilty go head to head with dramatic clashes, attempting to make sense of it all or simply to isolate oneself and escape this morbid world. A definitive sonic document of modern life in a nation on the decline.
Delroy Edwards – Wagon Wheels [LIES129]
Delroy Edwards follows up his smashing ”Aftershock” LP from 2018 with a new six track EP of pure old school 80s style Chicago House. While many may have moved on, Delroy Edwards steers the course, carrying the torch like not many cannot do, as he executes stripped down 808 beat tracks with a Gherkin bounce to perfection. Sounding like cuts from a lost WBMX tape, this timeless six tracker is sure to get the all house fiends mouths watering. Think of the primitive styles of Virgo meets Harvey Harris meets Saunders and you’re on the right path.
Ron Morelli @ The Body Factory (Los Angeles) 15.12.2018
Tzusing – A Name Out Of Place Collected [LIES115]
Triple 12″ retrospective compilation of Tzusing’s first three now out of print EPs on L.I.E.S. spanning 2014-2016. These were the precursor to his celebrated debut LP – they’ve now re-cut and pressed in the United States. Available in limited quantities featuring classics 4 Floors of Whores, 1976, and Face of Electric, among others. Modern “World Industrial” music for the clubs.
Ron Morelli – FACT mix 685
Broken English Club – White Rats [LIES120]
L.I.E.S. presents the first part of Broken English Club new album trilogy, White Rats. Following on from last years The English Beach, White Rats is described as, “a collection of caustic and absurd portraits of the human animal”. Oliver Ho continues to push his industrial influenced sound with metallic acid tracks, guitar noise/drone experiments and heavy synth wave once again with this nine track release. White Rats part 2 and 3 will surface in 2019.
Delroy Edwards – Aftershock [LIES110]
In the tradition of classic Chicago beat track records, Delroy Edwards comes on LIES with a 14 song double LP of stripped down drum track madness. This is straight up Saturday night WBMX mixs how material. Sparse rhythms, fat fm basslines, catchy melodies and even some italo arpeggios are the order here, all 100 percent tailor made for the working DJ. Standing strong on their own or to be layered and slammed in and out the mix, these are true to form old school cuts falling in line with the great tradition of dance music’s past which is all too often lost in the wind these days.
TV.OUT – Further [LIES107]
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 – TV Live [LIES104]
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.
S. English – Eris [LIES102]
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.
S. English – S. English [LIES101]
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.
Ron Morelli – GeezerMix 011
Parrish Smith – Esplendor [LIES095]
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.
ADMX-71 – Melted Fuel [LIES097]
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.
Broken English Club – The English Beach [LIES094]
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 – Most People [LIES031.5]
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.
S. English – General Dimensions [LIES087]
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.
Nick Klein – Tourism Industry [LIES089]
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.
Ngly – Cities Of Ilusion [LIES079]
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.
The Hipodrome Of Music 