With Arc Angel, Planetary Assault Systems departs to new musical frontiers by focussing on melody, but staying rooted in the purist values of techno that Slater shaped over his decades- and generations-spanning career. Techno album of the highest order.
Birth Of Frequency is back on Pole Group. Two original tracks of scientific and complex techno, plus two remixes by Oscar Mulero and Zadig. “The Spelling” is a multi-layered sequenced anthem made of countless synth sounds, a punchy kick and an hypnotic arrangement, for those heady moments on the dance floor. Paris techno founder Zadig remakes “The Spelling”. He adds hypnotising, devastating drum machines and makes the synth line grow and disappear wisely. “Gate” returns to medium tempos, fattens the sound and goes for a deeper discourse. A construction tool for clubby action. Oscar Mulero remakes “Gate” by twisting it completely, adding random step sequences and harmonies, giving the kick a secondary role, and focusing on the essence of the groove.
Donato Dozzy and Neel’s Spazio Disponibile keeps up the pressure here with a fine fourth EP of 2016, this time from Mike Parker. The label – which also has a party of the same name in Rome attached to it – deals in heady techno, so the Geophone label owner and New York artist Parker is a perfect fit with his always deep offerings.
Strong limited, blue colored and handnumbered run. A&S aka Dimi Angelis and Jeroen Search are back on their own imprint. High quality organic spaced out techno at its best.
Hyperbolic Paths is simultaneously deep and bleepy, accented by hi-hats in syncopation. The tom-heavy Suborbital Trajectories carries a serious groove, layered with lively melodic elements and an occasional unexpected statement cymbal crash. A haunting and hypnotic number, Inclination swells and increases in intensity, rolling on after its breakdown with a playful kick-clap interaction. Eccentricity is a spacious, dubby closing track with reverb-soaked ornamental splashes.
‘Temporary Insanity Remixes’ is a 12” featuring the redefinitions of the two original productions of Detroit veteran Terrence Dixon, turned upside down by three of the most groundbreaking electronic music artists as Voiski, Pangaea and Cosmin TRG, appearing alongside label head Simone Gatto. OUT022 operates as a modern take of old school sounds, an hybrid union of all melodic techno sub forms – these remixes keep the mental locked groove material of Dixon’s tracks, adding emotionally irradiating patterns and each producer’s typical paths.
Rawax is proud to present Ron Maney aka DJ Skull on his own Chiwax series called The DJ Skull Saga. This platform will present Ron’s classic releases from the past and his present works. The series is starting with the 1993 classic “Stomping Grounds” which came originally out on the dutch Djax Up label.
Orbis with a slipt EP. On A-side Binny is ramping it up, once again. “Resistance” & “Infinite Ratio” has a brilliant hypnotic tension to it. Simply Binny, UK tension building up and excellent for playing 3 decks. Excellent DJ tools. On the B-side, the veteran Lee Holman takes it to the raw side of analogue techno with two no-nonsense raw material, the way Lee likes to build up his tracks. Straight forward. No compromises. Plain old good techno.
Another split is on the way of the Suburban Avenue team. This is the turn of two young and talented producers coming from the new school, both nostalgic of the Techno of the origins: Birth of Frequency and Mike Storm. A side is entrusted to the refined hands of the French producer, A1 No Wonder” is a brilliant and direct techno track inspired by British school of the nineties. A2 The fugitive” is deeper and hypnotic. The precious B Side is made by the Dutch producer Mike Storm, both tracks B1 The one we know” and B2 Into Formation” are minimalistic and represent some old school spaced out Techno trips. Retro-Futuristic affairs continue.
Label owner, Christian Gerlach recruited the young and very talented Alfredo Mazzilli, which already showed his skills with his latest releases on Edit Select Records or Planet Rhythm. In the EP, which is dedicated to the Babylonian gods, Alfredo takes us into worlds of sound that reminds us of a run through the jungle and arrivals at mighty temples.
Dozzy and Neel’s label Spazio Disponibile serves up a third release, with the latest one coming from Italian Marco Shuttle. The techno stylist and Eerie boss serves up three tracks that continue to mark out his heady and hypnotic aesthetic.
Irish techno imprint and podcast series line up mysterious artist ‘Pineal Navigation’ for their 3rd 12″. Four stomping techno tracks made with the dance-floor in mind.
Earlier this year, Dekmantel announced the signing of Robert Hood for a new project titled Paradygm Shift. Over the course of three different EPs, which will eventually evolve into an album, the Detroit but now Alabama based legend presents Paradygm Shift. Hood: “The idea behind Paradygm Shift is similar to a shift in our focus. We can become so complacent, we are so comfortable with our surroundings, I think this is the time for electronic music to find a new mindset”. Volume II serves up two more killer techno floor bombs by the never disappointing originator. ‘Master Jack’ is a classy and deadly effective cut that gets its strength from a simple, yet biting stack of funky chords, while pulsating bass lines and rattling hats are holding it together. More fast-paced action can be found on ‘Magnet’, a no-nonsense, minimalist stomper you can store in your peak-time section. Refined techno action times two, but what did you expect.
A dark space in time absorbs whatever is on its way; without a sign of sensitivity nor compassion and on behalf of its own continuity, the Free Fall Galaxy is a threat to all which it surrounds. Beyond our ability as humans to distinguish or analyse galaxies, the Free Fall Galaxy does not retain any kind of order in its nature. Devouring and moving in unexpected orbits, all that is known is that it endlessly consumes without becoming larger in mass nor in size. Other than that, everything is yet to be discovered. We must conjecture that this Galaxy holds many keys to unsolved speculations regarding space, time and our own existence.
The new Analog Solutions 018 presents a various artists, by Kristina and ORBE, that combine an EP with a personal character, full of floating arrangements and inherently techno flavor, but sophisticatedly Dub. It seems that the label Analog Solutions will take refuge next references on collaborations lauching a series of various artists so better to be alert.
The first installment of 12inch EP from Jeff Mills’ new solo LP, Free Fall Galaxy, the ninth chapter of his ”science-fiction story” Sleeper Wakes, and first since 2014’s Emerging Crystal Universe.
Hypnus Records is spacing it up with a beautiful, aquatic Ambient Techno immersion from Luigi Tozzi.
More than any other UK techno producer, Luke Slater has remained at the cutting edge. This is partly due to his ability to make forward-thinking music, but as this new series demonstrates, he also possesses an uncanny knack for pairing off with other inspired artists. “Gated” is vintage PAS material from the 90s, its distorted rhythm lent a housey bias here thanks to Ben Sims’ superb remix. It’s hard to believe that “Dungeon”, available here in its original format, dates back to 1997, as its bleepy, tunneling groove and its ‘swarm of bee’ hums make for exactly the kind of hypnotic sounds that many modern producers try – and fail – to emulate. Completing this excellent release is a dry, tribal version of “Dunegon” by O [Phase] from Token.
Nasty Temper welcomes back Kole Leijen aka DJ Surgeles for his second release on the label, brings you into a space travel with a deep and hypnotic techno. Also featuring on the release is Spanish producer Tadeo who is a long standing figure head of Spain’s vibrant Techno scene.
