Acid house curmudgeons Killekill have unveiled Hyperfocus, Alex Cortex’s fifth EP for the Berlin label-conglomerate since he launched it in 2011 as one half of Bad Cop Bad Cop. Hyperfocus’ two originals blend acid house and gritty techno with Killekill’s ironic rave aesthetic, while a sleek-yet-beat-down Skudge remix muscles up the B-side for some extra eye candy.
Collaboration vinyl only release between Skudge Records and Kontra-Musik. It came to us some time ago that what Kontra-Musik and Skudge stood for had a lot in common, which is the reason for this SKUM entry. Uniting to showcase the Swedish techno underground is an act of faith in these times of extreme self focus. We want to tell the world that we believe not only in ourselves but also in this new wave of local artists, a pledge for the future. In the immemorial words of ABBA, when all is said and done, you still get epic throbbing stabby techno from Skudge, deep hectic madness from MRSK, classy lush slow mo acid from TM404 and cavernous acid house from the Frak camp, a testimony to the scene we so believe in!
Skudge surface once again with a double tracker containing some of their deepest joints yet. With Irie finally available on wax after the Nonplus 5th year celebration, the band plays with contrast, crafting a warm and yet sinister mental floor killer, while Faux ventures into more abstract melodies with one of their hardest drive ever.
First of a four-part series focusing on unreleased material from those close to the Indigo Aera label. Skudge with a special re-version of the intro they use often in their live setup. From the start this track keeps on building. Real tension for the dancefloor. On the B-side, Claude Young & Takasi Nakajima under their Different World alias with a real emotive hi tech soul techno track.
Nonplus imprint looks to Sweden for its next release, with one of Skudge’s rare appearances outside of their own imprint. Lead track “Fingers” is as simple as techno gets, as peak time chords filter through a strong 909 kick in a fashion reminiscent of Shed’s most effective Equalized moments. “Vessel” meanwhile is a more slow burning affair, building up its mechanistic arpeggio over swelling analogue pads and stray claps, combining classic Detroit sci-fi moods with a Berghain scale.
Skudge present a new release on their own label, featuring two tracks “Haste” and “Wonder Stories”.
Romanian Jay Bliss makes his debut on 20:20 Vision Recordings with ‘Pluto’, in his style sitting somewhere between house and techno, with strong Detroit roots. ‘Pluto’ it’s a smooth and crisp tech house roller that recalls classic 2020 releases gone. On the flip, Skudge gives their own take on ‘Pluto’, a different beast to the original, all stuttering percussion and menacing strings, a perfect counterbalance to the original version.
Next raw and dubby monster cuts by Savas Pascalidis on his own imprint Sweatshop. Including a Skudge remix.
Traut Muzik presents the first release by Santiago Naura aka Bleak called The Jupiter Theft EP , including a remix by Skudge. Bleak is kicking the board this year with his high quality productions which they have a very own style and sound.
Skudge Records presents a remix package from Marcel Dettmann and bubbling talent Answer Code Request aka Patrick Gräser.
Bristol’s Elastic Dreams present its third release introducing Sheffield based DJ / producer, Nyra. “Uno 10” is raw basement techno, shuffling along at a frantic rate and devilish energy. The thunderously low kick drum should bounce around most rave dungeons like a cannonball and the repeating synth shards and sizzling percussion keep you locked right down. Skudge provided a remix for this. Finally Nyra gets back on the controls for “So So Such” which is minimalist k-techno. Stripped back and rattling, with tight wood blocks and a nuclear throb resonating from within. This is a really strong, totally head-turning track for the very late hours and sure to get lots of kids scratching the heads and stumbling up to the decks salivating at the chops.
Dekmantel’s 5th Anniversary Series has so far been as finely curated and presented as you’d expect from the Dutch label, and this penultimate entry is no different with Skudge and San Proper introducing some dark techno business to proceedings. Swedish duo Skudge are on fine form with “Silent Running” delivering one of their subtly melodic productions that revolves grainily around one repeated and tweaked refrain. Given San Proper’s dedication to the label (he sports a Dekmantel tattoo after all) it’s little surprise the hirsute Amsterdam icon was asked to contribute and “Rattle (Station 2 Station)” is one of the best tracks on the series so far. A grinding, industrial beat mixes with dense vocals, synths, speech samples and plenty more. The end result is a perfect example of the kind of steamy, sweaty haze of late night damage that Mr Proper has made his own.
Karat delivers vinyl extracts from his last CD compilation Katapult Festival. Abstract techno by Skudge, Portable and Phillippe Cam.
The Hipodrome Of Music 