Up front and emotive tribal grooves feature on the next Blue Hour 12” as well as two ambient leaning works – forming a well balanced and mature sounding EP that nods towards the more string led/pad driven sound found on earlier releases in the series.
Time marches on with two Various Artist EPs to celebrate the 20th release on Lunar Disko Records. Eight tracks encompassing the modus operandi of the label since the beginnings… Part 1 features three Lunar Disko favourites in the form of John Heckle, 214, and VC-118A, alongside a label debut from upcoming Dublin producer Conan_ aka Conan O’ Donnell. Detroit influenced electro and techno on the A-side, while the B-side transports the listener into deeper electro soundscapes.
Boris Bunnik dons his Hexagon scuba gear before diving into electronic abstraction and aquatic electricity. Counter Utopia brings together three works of machine textures. “Cerebral Trauma” is submerged in a simmering liquor of smelted metal, molten melodies bubbling to the surface as ball bearings fizz and rattle. Industrial experimentation undercuts the entire EP. Soulful chords are stretched, contracted and contorted against the clean percussion lines of “Utopia.” Machines echo in the finale. Gears groan against a backdrop of soaring synths and pulsations in the depths of “Paranormal.”
Lok44 and Dibek are /DL/MS/, dropping a malicious four-tracker as their joint TRUST debut. The haze hangs heavy as /DL/MS/ leave straight techno by the wayside, drilling deep underground into unexplored acid break deposits. ‘Rogue Intent’ shakes tectonic plates, colliding grinding breaks with fierce analogue instrumentation, and the fumes oozing from their boreholes are likely to set your head spinning.
Ben Sims’ Symbolism celebrates its 20th release with an 8 tracker featuring the first original Ben Sims material in the past few years. Launched in 1999, Symbolism was initially intended as side project of Sims’ Theory imprint but quickly developed in to a standout label itself with releases from Sims (as Aural Emote), Exos, Reeko and a split release with Function hitting home on the circuit. After a 9 year hiatus Symbolism was reactivated in in 2015 and has since dropped 12”s from the likes of Mike Gervais, D_Func, JC & Kastil and George Tounisidis, ‘Standing Before The Unknown’ is a heavy package from start to finish and takes in a number of tones while remaining firmly dancefloor focused. Paul Mac’s solo contribution ‘Off a Cliff’ kicks things off in typically pristine style while ‘Ishishish’, his collaboration with Sims, is a rougher, percussive affair that marks a fine return to the studio for Sims. Russia’s Rodion Stankevich makes two contrasting appearances; first with the abrassive ‘Umustgothruit’ and later with intricately layered and hypnotic ‘Any Questions Any Answers’. Joton also appears twice with his playfully tough ‘Fatum’ working nicely against the later night sonics of ‘Filia’. Minneapolis’ Mike Gervais returns to Symbolism with his most intense cut to date in ‘Crisis’ whilst Dutch producer Mike Storm debuts on the label with the strident ‘Confirmed Life’.
Surgeon has taken the techniques and inspiration from this live creative process and distilled them into these four tracks. ‘Convenience Trap’ follows on from the techniques learned in his ‘Bland Ambition’ release also on Dynamic Tension.
The third release of the vinyl only label Another Earth is upon us and it’s all about techno. Esther Duijn combines 2 acts together in a Split EP series which compliment each others sound. For this release Esther selected two notorious European techno producers she adores, Opuswerk and Lee Holman. On the A side Opuswerk delivers 2 deep driving techno tracks. RF Thruster basically expands from beginning to end. This constant propulsion has a deep impact on any dance floor. He drew inspiration from Jeff Mills and Planetary Assault Systems for this particular track. EmDrive starts with an atmospheric intro and morphs into one epic build up that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. On the flip side Lee Holman bangs 2 deep and firm techno grooves like there is no tomorrow. While Adaptive Optics is rough on the edges it does pay attention to small details which make the track very dynamic. Absorption Lines puts the emphasis on a warmer atmosphere.
Straight up raw techno from the Feel Music boss. For fans of his 11 51 26 41 2 EP from 2015 on Running Back. 2 of 3.
For a relatively new artist to release a double 12″ with zero filler on it is most impressive indeed, and that’s just what tape_hiss has done here on this, the 10th Love Note from Brooklyn. The first disc contains the EP’s deeper material, with tracks like Nasty Boy and Cognitive Dissonance getting filled to the brim with dark, foreboding basslines and anxious, dystopian melodies. Disc 2 finds tape_hiss flexing his muscles a bit more and going outside of what we’ve heard him do thus far; ie the rugged breakbeat funk of No Neck and Bad as Hell and the arpeggiated thunder and volatile percussion of Barely Trippin’.
Eidetic welcomes Kovyazin D & Moralez for the 2nd release of the series. Based in Moscow & Saint Petersburg; Dmitry Kovyazin & Alexandr Moralez between them have released on respected labels such M.O.S, Chiwax, New Flesh & International Deejay Gigolo. The Night Watch brings the two of them together for the first time for an intergalactic rollercoaster ride, swerving between jacking techno and starry eyed electro.
Pinball machine streets. Teen Age Future. Molotov Cocktails. Terminal electric voices. Unimaginable disaster.
Joining the Unknown Precept forces are C.G.I. Records’ label head Matthew Weiner teaming up with Christopher Daresta as Pyramid Club. Being known for their T.W.I.N.S. and Anticipation solo activities, Cyclic Obsession comes as the debut re-lease of the four-handed formation taking its name from the eponymous venue which helped define the counterculture and queer sound of lower Manhattan in the late 70’s. Recorded in their stronghold of Atlanta following a handful of tracks released via the jointly-operated D.K.A. Records, it shows the duo taking over primitive body music in its most physical and psychedelic dimension. Thick as a brick bass lines for the basement turmoil — reflecting the hazy vortex smoldering out of an ill-lighted nightclub. Think of spasmodic synth-driven tunes interspersed by convulsive vocals and throbbing snares, in which one could see the whites of the dancers’ eyes right before the lights turn back on.
M_Step’s roots go back to the heyday of Vienna’s Cheap Records, and the echoes of that label’s seminal style can still be heard on his TRUST debut: Stone-cold electro funk meets the kind of low-slung basslines and laid-back jazz chords that the Viennese producer, DJ, and (double) bassist contributed to classic releases of 550 Rondy, Pulsinger & Tunakan, Sluts ‘n’ Strings & 909, and even Kruder & Dorfmeister remixing Madonna. Fourth release in the ‘Covert Systems’ series.
And who exactly would we be to turn down the legend that is Neil Landstrumm? Expert craftsman delivers five relentless tracks of spooktacular wrongness. Acid casualty sex dungeon weapons, lunacy and blutmuzik for greasy nights inside long closed Italian nightclubs, where Dr Pretorius is the host and there is a kidnapped swamp monster melting in a corner. 100% Bangers all night long. It is our immense pleasure to welcome Neil into our deranged little world and let him tear us a new space hole.
Echoplex is synonym of guarantee. He is back giving us a groundbreaking Timeless Peace of Wax. The most intriguing records you will encounter in this life are the records who had insights about you, that you didn’t know about yourself.
First Collaborative Ep from the Ownlife Chronicles. The mind behind Semantica Records, Svreca, joining forces with the label owner, Leiras. Another four tracker shaping the cyclical, repetitive and deep sound characteristic from the series.
Oscar’s Blood is Peter Van Hoesen’s tenth solo EP for his own Time To Express label. It features four new tracks, composed and refined in the producer’s Berlin studio and properly tested during several shows in late 2016 and early 2017. Both Oscar’s Blood and Circumference 12 feature Van Hoesen’s take on driving and hypnotic techno. He applies a different approach to Unit Prep and Theoretical Terminal. Both compositions take their cue from subtle yet vibrant percussive patterns, extending into blissful atmospheres.
Straight up raw techno from the Feel Music boss. For fans of his 11 51 26 41 2 EP from 2015 on Running Back. 1 of 3.
Robin De Wolf is a man of many talents (and identities). Almost two years ago, he co-produced a groundbreaking debut EP, as one half of SHIN. At the moment, he’s making a name for himself as ‘Phara’ with uncompromising hard techno on labels such as Black Sun and Stockholm LTD. And now he delivered us three solid tracks under his new alter ego ‘Robert D’. While ‘Un Ni Yo is a house track with a wavy sound and affective synths, the second A-sided track ‘Dommel’ is a banger that begins with a smooth intro that changes over into hard kicks and raw bass chords. On the B-side, you can find a more melancholic uptempo track that goes by the name of White’s Wisdom. Interstellar Funk’ tops it all off with a remix of ‘Un Ni Yo’ that combines the wavy sound of the original with synth-heavy electronics.
The Hipodrome Of Music 