The road to Hell is paved in gold. One that guides to Disorder, Repression and eventually a last leap into OD. Yes, boy, this is Life. Unfair, menacing, dark and twisted, like the new EP from R-A-G out on Lux Rec. The Dutch trio presents its first release outside the M>O>S legacy and delivers three excessive tracks wandering on the fringes of the jacking zone, analog techno and wavy obscurity. Walk in, embrace Life. Hear it pulsates, disappear.
Formed of Italian producer Ma Spaventi and Dutchman G-String aka Gijs Poortman, whose releases for the likes of M>O>S and Echovolt have provided some of Holland’s most interesting deep techno output, Crystal Maze arrive on aDepth Audio with their debut album, Enter The Maze. With only two 12? releases to their name, a full album of Crsytal Maze material is an ambitious statement from the pair, but one that sees Spaventi and Poortman continue to develop the Crystal Maze sound which has been characterised a decidedly dark edged manipulation of analogue techno. Across ten tracks the duo display a wide variety of sounds and influences; “Slow Swirl” sounds like Drexciya taken down to a lumbering, mid-tempo groove, “Indian Tape” combines rubbery, ghetto house textures with swelling deep house chords, “Mirrors Chamber” comes across like the sub aquatic dub techno of Porter Ricks, while “Dr Claw” creates a low slung, warped vision of Detroit techno’s first wave. An ambitious album, yes – but one that more than succeeds.
Ma Spaventi’s Revolver, Most Excellent Unlimited’s inaugural release, is something of a Swiss army knife for DJs planning to venture into the wilderness. There’s a melancholic, mid-tempo house number, “The Sick Tape Dealer,”that’s lit with a crystalline glow. There’s “Slowmo,” a loping openerthat suffuses an andante house groove in queasy Giallocore tones. “Revolver,” the record’s fastest cut, balances strapping snares andinsistent open hi-hats with dreamy chords; it sits on the fence between placid and acid, just the thing for tipping the night intofull gear. And the slow-motion tearjerker “La Valle Delle Lacrime”comes in two versions — one with a skeletal drum machine and a beatless edit that revels in the simplicity of his analog synths. Luxuriating in ringing fifths with just a hint of Theremin-likewarble, it’s an unusually sturdy example of ethereal ambient techno. On remix duties, the prolific Mark E delivers a deep, atmospheric, slow burner.
R-A-G is MOS boss Aroy Dee in partnership with Marco Spaventi and G String. Together they make frayed and analogue house music that joins the dots between 80s Chicago and the modern day. This new EP does just that once more, opening with the dense sci-fi stomper that is Vacuum. With coarse synths and plenty of sonic scuzz it fires your every synapse. On the flip side, Plenum (Outer Mix) is a beat less ambient affair with lost synths ringing out in vast chambers of fine grain sound, before the Inner Mix slowly courses on raw kick drums. Whole ecosystems of synths spiral around like galaxies in the distance to make for truly filmic deep house listening.
Marco Antonio Spaventi returns on MOS with two tracks. ‘Insanity’ is a mad melange of fizzing electronics, ticking cowbells and swirling atmospheres all pinned to a chugging deep house beat. Raw drum fills and squelchy modulated synth sounds fill nearly every gap, taking you to a place as intense you could imagine for the duration. On the flip, Spaventi’s lo-fi aesthetic gets even more fucked up as he delves deep into the recess of house music with ‘The Jungle’. Crunchy hits, echoing hi hats and a tightly coiled melody all race along next to each other with a slapping drum combination keeping energy levels up down below. Raw and brash yet totally beguiling, it might be some of his best work yet on the ever excellent MOS Deep.
The deepest techno act from Amsterdam with their deepest works so far. In three haunting and hypnotic analog techno jams Spaventi & G-string show us the beauty of darkness. Not sure which spirit possesed them that night but it was a nasty one! With their sparse 909 percussion and eerie synths they deliver techno how it once was intended: funky yet moody, seductive yet alienating… The Bio Rhythm continues.
This release marks the beginning of a fruitful and exciting new partnership between secretsundaze’s James Priestley & Marco Spaventi. Secretsundaze fuses 128 BPM house and techno with elements of UK bass, while taking cues from Cajmere and Chicago. ‘Baia 2012’ refers to the late 70s Cosmic scene in and around Rimini, particularly Baia Degli Angeli where Daniele Baldelli was resident. At the time, a patchwork of styles was being presented in a wild but coherent way. This unusual and organic sounding offering is backed by a Fela Kuti percussion loop, a massive bassline from a Prophet 5 synthesizer, original drum machine work, vintage synths and varied jazz riff samples. An unexpected Larry Heard inspired breakdown and searing sax line steps it up a notch and takes the track to a whole new level. If the Baia scene were still in full swing, this production would be the perfect audio representation of its evolution.
MOS Deep presents Black Rain EP, the return to the label for R-A-G aka Aroy himself, G-String and Marco Spaventi. Opening with ‘Fog’ the deep vibe is set immediately. Crispy snares, a chugging groove and plenty of eerie sonics swirl around into something with a keen sense of foreboding. The titular track then gets all Chicago with its busy claps and nagging synth lines. The mood is a sombre one for those creepy back room sets and the analogue machinery used to make it gives a trademark warm and fuzzy feel to proceedings. The EP closes with a reprise of ‘Black Rain’. This beat-less rework deals in ambient synthscapes that drag you into their fold and never let you go.
To celebrate his MOS Deep sub label reaching its tenth release, boss man Aroy Dee has teamed up in the studio with Doctor Spaventi for the label’s next release. Marco Spaventi’s “Wrecking” is a blisteringly raw house construction with ripping synth lines, delicate hi-hats and slow, crawling kick drums building up to an incendiary, Chicago referencing peak where pinging cow bells shooting in all directions. On the flip, Aroy builds in layers. His “Mr Floyd” is all muted synth growls, clattering percussion and blissful pads. It’s a tortured deep house track that challenges you before really soothing you, but once the inner beauty is revealed; it really has you under an enchanting spell.
Amsterdam-based duo Crystal Maze have produced the ultimate mix of Detroit techno, Chicago house and electro. Chicago Skyway delivers aDepth audio’s hottest, jackin’ remix, seriously influenced by the original analogue sound of Chicago house.
M>O>S Deep presents the 2nd EP by this new Amsterdam underground jacking crew, consisting of M>O>S label boss Aroy Dee, G-String and Marco Spaventi. Five times house beauty & energy!
Four rough tracks by this new Amsterdam underground jacking crew, consisting of MOS label boss Aroy Dee, G-String, known from the infamous Intergalactic FM and Amsterdam’s best kept production secret known as Marco Spaventi! Four times pure old school house beauty & energy!
The Hipodrome Of Music 