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.
Marcus ‘Intalex’ Kaye marks his first notch as Trevino on the Hotflush bedpost with a plucky four-track EP, wearing all the stripes that an artist of his experience and versatility has earned. Kaye’s four-to-the-floor productions as Trevino have always possessed a latent sheen from the dynamic world of drum and bass where he first made his name. Here it’s evident in the impeccably balanced mix of lead track, ‘Slide Away’, where forlorn melody is driven as much by bass as it is by liquid chords. The tempo is upped on ‘Mosaic’ – a techno record that follows an uplifting path – and on Desecrate it’s in fifth gear with a bass line that rolls and grows and bangs and rolls. The high-speed, echo chamber dub of ‘Jungle Love’ rounds off an EP of notable range.
Matthew Styles is by no means prolific – just 12 releases in 10 years – but still manages to bring a distinctive touch to each production. In this instance, Styles’ first EP for Ostgut following an appearance on one of the Panorama Bar samplers, there’s a rough and bleary feel to each composition. This sensibility manifests itself in different ways; the title track is a stepping, broken beat affair laced with acid, while the contemplative “Wave 6” sounds like it was created by the Mike Huckaby-loved synth. The only out and out dance floor track, “Border”, is also notable thanks to its shimmering, sleek chords and rolling house beats.
Delroy Edwards has come a long way. 2012 marked his Introduction into the world of Dance Music via Ron Morelli’s Imprint LIES. After offering up essential dance floor singles like ‘4 Club Use Only’ and ‘Heart and Soul’ Edwards’ established himself as a producer with a unique touch and style. With a growing desire to control his own output and make a more significant statement, Delroy set off to start his own imprint, L.A. Club Resource. Creatively directing his own imprint became a platform for him and over the course of two years L.A.C.R. created one of the most palpable musical experiences in the field. The label released music in a range of styles from a span of generations, the only constant was the high output and stellar art direction. Many releases produced by the label head himself, Delroy’s production were lauded for their piercing simplicity, grace and attitude. In his first LP for the label, Edwards’ has arranged a sincerely personal moment. The 30-track effort marks a special moment in his growth blending current interests in punk and electronics into an outsider narrative like no other.
Roberto Auser is known for his wide range of sounds and releases on Viewlexx and his own Ausland label. Next to that he is part of Kaval (Vrystaete). Even though his releases until now go from italo disco inspired electro to exotica and dark jazz influenced electronics his production is always rather smooth. For Enfant Terrible he shows his raw and dirty side. “Faceless Future” is an old school minimal elektro record done with analogue synths with a real industrial and post-punk attitude.
Here is a new member to the Enfant Terrible family: Utroid. Behind this project goes the producer who was once known as Funxiun and BS-1. The biggest difference between Utroid and the former projects is that the music is less hectic as before. With Utroid the music moves into a more minimal direction while keeping the raw beats and rough vibe.
After crafting the deconstructed synth-pop of Soft Metals for the past 6 years, Portland OR – based synth artist Ian Hicks has resumed his solo output and has delved deeper into exploring the darker, weirder, more mutant alleys of his mind and studio. Inspired by the capricious winter of the Pacific Northwest, early industrial gear experiments, science fiction, horror and the explosion of the modular synthesizer scene in Portland, Ian presents VIY as his initial post-Soft Metals work. VIY is a snap shot of an ever-changing configuration of equipment, textures and moods captured with minimal processing and editing to preserve the original idea in the purest form.
Morah comes from Athens and his record on Lux Rec mirrors this magnificent, spendid, decadent, rotten and grimy metropolis. A long journey into the greek maze. Unsettling at times, not without fear or dismay. And those noises coming from a great distance away, are of fools, demented, lunatics. The release begins with “Around You, Around Me”, a sparse-but-energy packed fusion of wild acid lines, rising and falling, high register melodies, and sweaty, full-throttle drum machine hits. “Don’t Tear My Soul Apart” drops the tempo, but persists with the bold electronic riffs (it’s kind of like the original 1988 version of The KLF’s “What Time Is Love” after a session smoking crack), while standout “It’s Been A Long Time” whips off its shirt for a muscular dance around the altar of mid-80s EBM.
Conceptual beat-maker Nick Klein returns with ‘The Lonesome Dealer’ 12” for Alter. Four disparate, industrial-tinged tracks that demonstrate a rough-hewn synthesis of noise and techno, ‘The Lonesome Dealer’ is born from a geographically transient point in Klein’s life spent between Miami and NYC. Despite this, Klein has turned personal disruption around to make his most focussed statement yet as an artist.
The new Mannequin Records serie “Death Of The Machines” is launched with their own Alessandro Adriani first up. It features a banging Mick Wills edit of the unreleased ‘Crow’ backed by ‘White Swan’, hypnotsing, and truly psychedelic electro tune.
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.
Attic Laqs series continues with the owner of Gravite Records Bruno Sacco. His work starts with some grainy-noisey grooves in a danceable rhythm and pressurized synths. In the b-side Sacco turns into a nine minutes deep techno track ‘Imaginaria’. A dark corridor where different shades of pads get a conversation with an acidic chord in a lighted nocturnal way.
Lobster Theremin welcome back one of the original LT fam, with Imre Kiss taking the reigns for a full on raw-power white label. With two lucid and hazy releases for LT in his wake, plus an excellent contribution to the Proto Sites catalogue, Imre finally returns with a rough and overdriven in-the-dance EP of floor-crushing fire.
Private Persons share their first release packed with chilled, house-y beats by the mysterious Gazatech. “I’m Okay” is a twist of melancholic melodies and soothing beats. A dreamy, tranquilizing journey providing a soft soundtrack to a lazy late-night forest wander. Euphoric horns drift over tight snares and undulating low end, taking you on an elevated trip to the spiritual side of the cosmos.
The Hipodrome Of Music 