De Ambassade have dropped the ‘De’ and are now known as Ambassade. Optimo Music will be releasing their second album in 2023. Ahead of that is this glorious 2 track 12” featuring music that took our breath away when we first heard it. Both tracks are exclusive to this release.
Soft Crash is the collaborative project of two Italo Body Music trailblazers: BITE founder – Phase Fatale, and one of the label’s protagonists – Pablo Bozzi. United by a mutual passion for a particular melancholic yet sensual approach, and a sound that combines influences of synthwave, EBM, Italo and techno, the two have proved themselves to be a perfect match with ‘Spritzkrieg’ (2020) – their first EP on BITE. This time, Soft Crash present their first long player ‘Your Last Everything’. The album further expands the Italo Body Music palette into electro, acid house, bleep, hi-nrg, and IDM. Each of the eight tracks on the LP sounds layered and intricate, with a variety of interactions between different technical elements and intertwining melodies that reference high production methods from the 80s and 90s turned contemporary. The album centers itself around themes of dystopian cyberpunk and surreal cinematics. It looks to invoke emotion in cold and mechanical elements, making it feel like an organic new chapter in the duo’s ongoing exploration of the relationship between technology and the body.
Nation’s sublabel Kode presents a new project between Chicago’s visionary Traxx and Athens, Greece June Records label mates Tsampikos Fronas & Trenton Chase as External/Internal…a new wave electrabeat collaboration. This 1st 12” showcases 2 tracks with different energy and emotions drawing musical influence from the early 80s pre-proto sounds of alternative and progressive chemistry and also offbeat rhythms that creates tension of feelings in character and musical arrangements with vocals sung on both productions from Trenton Chase.
After his appearance on Frigio Allstars Vol 3, Scannoir (also half member of the amazing GOTT project) delivers his first full length EP with “Through My Silence”. Emotive and raw, the style pursued blurs the lines between synth wave, EBM and techno.
Waste Editions is back with a new compilation called 429 and once more, 4 new and colorful tracks were carefully chosen by the Andalusian label. The E.P is intentionally made up of four creative and admired artists. Besides and as is becoming the custom, these four diverse tracks are full of catchy melodies, touching arpeggios and powerful beats. Conscientiously, there is harmony between the four artists, Vortice Mortale, Imiafan, Asymetric80 and Undo & Casiowaves and without a doubt this compilation can show anyone no interest in trends and bet on music that the label loves and respects.
Medical Records releases the first full LP by Dutch cosmic explorers Staatseinde. Formed in 2006, Staatseinde have released a multitude of cassettes, singles as well as a CDR album in 2012. ”Fehlerlinie” represents the culmination of a very productive couple of years including stellar performances at the streaming IFM Fest, the release of compelling collaboration tapes and other releases. Though impossible to confine to a single genre or style, their music can be described as a captivating fusion of electro-pop, electro-clash and robotic punk/wave. Each and every track carefully chosen for this LP is a dancefloor ripper.
Flood’s new release on “Kein Rauch Ohne Feuer” provides a sinister soundtrack to Romeo’s descent into darkness. Flood makes use of a sound palette inspired by Italo Body Music including heavy drums, rough arpeggios and eery pads. Subtle, wavy vocal bits add to the structure and let both “Romeo” and “Sacrifice” grow into catchy yet functional club tracks. On the B-side, Greek producer Alpha Sect gives the title track a new spin and – while slowing down a bit – easily shakes the Capulets’ crypt with his interpretation.
A tale of paramount love for machines and the inextinguishable power of subjugation that lies in these button-studded boxes teeming with cabled bowels that feel so intimidating to the uninitiated, Italo Brutalo’s longed-for debut album “Heartware” is a 12-track voyage across 25 years of intense synth collecting, fiddling, composing and endless loving for audio synthesis and the art of how robots make human bodies jack. Throughout the twelve cuts that compose “Heartware”, a feeling of retro-gazing, candidly playful glee prevails.
New double album self released by Columbian artist Filmmaker on his bandcamp.
Continue reading “Filmmaker – Latent Alters”
Skelesys with a 4 tracks EP on Oráculo Records. All tracks have been specially remastered for long cut vinyl by Daniel Hallhuber at Young and Cold Studios (Germany).
Cologne OG Grischerr has graced Neubau with an EP full of brutally honest analogue downtempo madness. As the title Perspektivwechsel suggests, the three-track release guides you to a different sonic perspective – in the most positive sense.
Ever since he made his first trip to Japan to DJ, Optimo Music founder JD Twitch has been bewitched by Japanese music, and particularly the vibrant, imaginative, and often far-sighted sounds which emerged from the island nation during the 1980s. Now he’s put years of digging in Japanese record shops to good use on Polyphonic Cosmos, the latest release on his compilation-focused Cease & Desist imprint. Eight years in the making, Polyphonic Cosmos provides an endlessly entertaining musical snapshot of Japanese music of the early-to-mid ‘80s with all of the open-minded eclecticism and sonic twists that you would expect from the Glasgow-based DJ.
The Hipodrome Of Music 