Lobster Theremin is back and rolling and bringing more snappy electro through the Theremin caverns with this indelible EP from Unfinished Portraits.
techno
Juanpablo @ Acido Royale, Winterthur (Switzerland) 16.12.2016
Timothy J. Fairplay – Where Is The Champion? [CHAR-LP01]
Charlois present “Where is the Champion?”, Timothy J. Fairplay’s first full length solo album. Twelve shifting, shuffling and shimmering tracks make up this debut. Cruising the highways and byways between proto-techno, horror disco and forlorn wave, Fairplay conjures up his creations from metal and smoke. Saturated snares, clipped claps and warbling chords are dusted with distortion. And this idea of distortion, manipulation and the blurred line is omnipresent. Innocent and sinister, cruel and playful, accepted boundaries are brazenly ignored as engines growl and synthlines soar.
Steinzeit – Wahrheit [MRT008]
Steinzeit concludes the MRT grey series. The duo is comprised of Hansruedi Schnriger, one half of Echo 106, and Bjorn Magnusson. They recorded these three tracks in a weekend’s time inside Magnusson studio, which is an abandoned factory in the middle of nowhere, in Switzerland, using bare concrete walls as an echo chamber. The pace is slow, atmosphere is bleak, tone is melancholic, drums are evil. It reflects how Switzerland feels in winter. Lonely, and this is true, like the name of the tracks.
Matrixxman – Sector II: Acid [DKMNTL045]
Matrixxman has been a Dekmantel regular for a couple of years now. The San Francisco producer continues to impress with a new triptych for Dekmantel Records. Over the course of three EP’s (Rhythm, Acid, Polyphony), Charles McCloud Duff displays his versatile and original take on house and techno. The concept of the triptych is to explore the range within the confines of a particular limitation.
Expropriation – #005 [VNL005]
For the fifth release Vanila goes Vanilla, this time with the debut EP from the Athenian artist Expropriation. ”Expropriate While U Can” and ”Poza Putana” are two long and slow trips, that perfectly fit in the current filthy mood of the greek capital.
VA – 10.VI [SEM010VI]
Sixth installment on the 10 years series featuring tracks by Vril, Iori, Eduardo de la Calle and a special collaboration from Andreas Tilliander and Svreca.
Kaelan – First Attitude EP [OWR008]
Overdraw is back this time with Kaelan. The artist in charge offering two original driving techno cuts with some remixes from P.E.A.R.L. and Fundamental Interaction.
VA – U/V [SUBREC01140]
Music from Le Chocolat Noir, Tryphème, Russell Alderton, Luke Eargoggle, BLΔCKMOON77 and Kimmo Rapatti for your emotional sorrows, choose for now,the energy transmission , take and congregate. The breakable experience of an unconventional trip, but not so modern as that.
VA – Emerald City [VR001.1]
Emerald City is the first release of Verdant Recordings, a new label to present carefully curated deep music across the electronic spectrum. On this EP are 3 highly respected producers from the UK; Leigh Dickson, John Shima and Plant43 (Emile Facey) and a 4th debut track from a disciple of the halcyon days of emotive music Mihail Petrovski. Musically this EP is all about deep techno; the exquisite sounds and characteristic style of each producer is unmistakeable. Emerald City was first released as limited edition of lathe cuts but interest in the project completely overwhelmed its availability.
Lost Trax – Reflections [EE0002]
Lost Trax drops the first release of 2017 on Subwax label “Emotions Electric”, 3 fiercesome Detroit tracks of the highest order.
Superstructure – R.S.I. Therapy Center [FREE DOWNLOAD]
Repetitive Strain Injury (R.S.I.): an injury caused by repetitive tasks, forceful exertions, vibrations, mechanical compression, or sustained or awkward positions. “RSI” is an umbrella term used to refer to several discrete conditions that can be both physical and psychological in nature. Also known as cumulative trauma disorders, repetitive stress injuries, repetitive motion injuries or disorders. The release consists of six tracks written, recorded and mixed by Josh Younggren from Minneapolis.
Mono Junk – Halo [DUM038]
Raw minimal techno specialist Mono Junk is back with a selection of new material on his own DUM Records. Having pioneered key techno sounds as far back as 1990, more than 20 years later the influential Finnish artist is still on top of his game. Up first is Halo, nine minutes of edgy techno with a nervy lead synth snaking around in paranoid fashion. Rolling drums set a direct groove in motion below and the whole thing will be brilliantly hypnotic on the dance floor. Halo 2 is a hallucinogenic bit of ambient with celestial drones and icy synth prickles making for a tense interlude, then Musta Peili is all fucked up and scuzzy, study and disrupted. Sounding like a slowed-down techno track heard though a freezing snow blizzard, it is masterfully textured. Farewell closes out the EP with an intergalactic bit of glassy melodic techno that will have you up on your toes.
Cosimo Damiano – Our Better Selves [UNTO003]
UN.T.O.’s fifth release comes from Cosimo Damiano who delivers a brooding four tracker that leans heavily upon synth melodies and hardcore stylings. The result is an essential experimental techno EP that works just as well at home as it does in the club.
Fallbeil – The Healer [MNQ095]
The Hamburg based duo Fallbeil debuts on Death Of The Machines. Tune in on the incredible electro/acid razor ‘The Healer’, also available in the B side with a distorted and industrial version by Innsyter aka Fernando Seixlack. The 707-electro-driven extra B side track ‘Voice of Thunder’ is completing the pack.
Ian Martin – Sea Of Visions [RHYTHM019]
Black magic emo-electro by the dark lord. Follow the path of the left-hand. Limited to 200 copies, silk-screened sleeve.
Black Merlin – Phase One [PBD005]
Pinkman stoke the furnaces of despair, fuelling them with Black Merlin. Conveyor belts grunt out resentment, cold chords curl, synthlines sneer and pallid percussion punctuates. Noise echoes above, hammered clanks exploding into shards. Below the work continues, sweat smeared stains and hissing airless gasps. In the end, all is swallowed; gulped into the gaping assembly line.
Arkitect – Dither EP [PS002]
First record from the co-founder of Private Selection Records. Mixture of heavy chicago house percussion and distorted wave techno.
2AM/FM / JTC – Dope Jams NYC Vol 1: 2005-2012 Addendum #1 [DJ581]
Two floor-smashing highlights from the gnarliest corner of the Spectral Sound library get a welcome reissue on the first limited addendum 12” to the Dope Jams NYC Volume 1: 2005-2012 compilation. Tripping back to 2005/4 on a raw, machine funk flex, Dope Jams track back over Todd Mullinix’s earlier chapters with two immense slabs of future tech. First up, his 2AM/FM project with D’Marc Cantu with “Poison Dart” a gritty late night Berlin lazer-fest. It’s followed by the wily, unpredictable data charges on “Bizarre Carnival” on which you can almost hear the machines hissing in meltdown. This is what flashbacks were invented for.
Lake People – Break The Pattern [UV041]
Lake People, the man with a knack for aural subtleties, is spot-on with his first EP for Uncanny Valley. Over the course of four tracks he showcases a quiet different approach compared to the sophisticated House music the Leipzig based artist released on labels like Permanent Vacation or Connaisseur Recordings. On “Break the Pattern” he relies heavily on the good old Boom Tschak-paradigm of Electro, without completely giving up his trademark sound. “Level Msk” combines staccato-type chords with a stuttering beat that stick in your mind. The acidic “September Futuristic” with its stoic drumming has almost a Krautrock feel to it. On the flipside, the playful “Chords In Chorus” feels like an early contender for this year’s summer anthem with chords and acid lines from heaven. The EP closes with “Pull Off”, a perfect example for Lake People’s ability to compose tracks with an emotional depth.
