Three more post-Chicago transcendental machine funk sessions by the Africans… You can’t stop the prophet.
techno
VA – KHCC001 [KHCC001]
Knekelhuis presents a cassette featuring a selection of six industrial/EBM tracks from Beau Wanzer, Parrish Smith, Maekkot, Sige Bythos and Volition Immanent. The tapes are housed in a black library case clear front black back.
Smersh – Super Heavy Solid Waste [DE090]
Dark Entries returns to the New Jersey basement studio to unearth another compilation cassette recordings by Smersh titled Super Heavy Solid Waste. Smersh was the duo of Mike Mangino and Chris Shepard, who began making music together in the late 70s. They were uninterested in traditional notions of songwriting or live performance. Smershs sound is a lush hybrid of techno, industrial, dance, and experimental. Sometimes easy, sometime not. Most songs revolve around driving EBM style beats, intricate industrial noise manipulation and synth melodies. The Smersh sound has so many faces it doesn’t fall into any one category. For Super Heavy Solid Waste we have selected 8 songs, focusing on the harder, harsher, rhythmic side of Smersh’s vast discography.
Alexey Volkov – Issue No Seven [JG007]
Jealous God present Issue Number 7, the latest missive from Planete Rouge regular Alexey Volkov, and a record likely to cause bouts of overwhelming paranoia in listeners of a nervous disposition. There’s something undeniably uncomfortable about the horror-fixated electronics, dystopian textures and spine-chilling freestyle vocals of “A Snake Falling To Pieces”. The more upbeat and metallic “Never” is a little less bloodcurdling, with metallic hits clustered round a modular synthesizer groove. Perhaps the standout moment – though it’s an all-round excellent excursion – is flipside “Ruins”, which adeptly combines both approaches on an undulating, skin-crawling techno thruster.
J Tijn – MOR [BDN005]
Hard techno advocate J Tijn is next up to supply Bedouin with a heavy hitting package of industrially charged techno entitled MOR. Lead track “Kanon VIP” best typifies that approach, a dense bassline throbs away unpredictably like an agitated wasp as Kuye lays down the drum machine pain. The title cut seems inspired by the Rotterdam school of sewer techno whilst “Shy” is anything but with Kuye going full speed ahead on the dirty synths and raw beats.
Israel Vines – WWKD RMXD [TEETH002]
This is the second release on Eye Teeth, the new techno sublabel of Interdimensional Transmissions, a remix EP with interpretations direct from the peers of Israel Vines. Features an incredible peak time remix of “WWKD” from Silent Servant. It is followed by another powerful and surprisingly straight techno take on “WWKD” by the often more experimental and industrial Talker. The B Side features a version of “Relapse” by Eye Teeth founder and curator BMG. This is his first published remix created entirely on his modular.
Scarpa – Wilderness [FBLP003]
It was a remorseless hatred that enslaved a people many millennia ago in the captivity of those who worshiped the sun and the moon and the gods in the stars and of the earth and beneath the earth. In toil and despair the people were flogged and cursed by the searing whip, scorched by the flaming desert sun above and burned by the abrasive sand below their feet. In agony, they cried out for rescue from the malice-bred bondage of the kingdom. “How long?” While ridden with anguish, their captors became plagued with disease and death, and so the enslaved fled. Within a day, they reached the edge of a vast sea from which mountains grew blocking them in on both sides, and as they looked back in terror they witnessed their captor’s army quickly approaching. A watery death spread out before them while a spear-pierced death raced in from behind.
Yet their cries for help were not unheard… billowing clouds rolled in and a tower of fiery blaze appeared as manifestations of the theophanic Glory-Spirit protecting and separating the people from the approaching wrath. With no where to go, the great sea split apart, and before them a narrow path was unveiled through the voided waters for the people to pass through to their deliverance. The army rushed in after them only to be swallowed by the raging sea that had just brought life for those who had been enslaved, but now brought death to the death that had held them captive.
Life for the people of God is a pilgrim journey through an alien wilderness under the shadow of death. So it was in days long ago. So it is in ours.
Skudge – Hunted / Timing [SKUDGE008]
Korridor – Taotast [NE022]
Korridor returns to Northern Electronics with three cuts of ultra deep, twisted rhythms. Nothing for the motion sick.
Giorgio Gigli & Ness – Erosion EP [PRRUKBLK005]
The fifth installment of the Planet Rhythm Black series includes 3 buldging techno bits Giorgio Gigli and Ness. Leaning towards the more sinister side of techno this record contains everything from off beat rhythms to sinister early morning themes.
Polar Inertia – Kinematic Optics EP [DM3D011]
French men-of-mystery Polar Inertia describe themselves as a “blurry techno entity”. They’re at their shape-shifting best on Kinematic Optics, a double vinyl excursion that contains their first original material since 2012. They set their stall out with the foreboding, cinematic ambience of the title track (built, incidentally, around an extensive spoken word vocal), before delivering an epic chunk of rolling industrial techno (“Floating Away Fire”). There’s a mournful, melancholic feel to the deep techno throbber “Vertical Ice”, while “Hell Frozen Over” is fittingly dark and murky. The second 12″ contains a recording of previous live performance “Can We See Well Enough To Move On?” in its entirety, with droning textures and glacial electronics guaranteeing a spine-chilling mood.
Redspecs – Absent EP [DRH049]
Deeply Rooted’s new version continues with a 4 tracks EP by Redspecs aka Roman Poncet. Fierce techno tracks from the vital Parisian techno scene. The EP starts with the dark and haunting vibe of 1309S, followed up by Absent: a great Techno groover that builds and builds. On the B side Atanol develops a relentless groove while Interstellaire is more hypnotic.
Aroy Dee – Basement Tapes #3
Mark Forshaw – Peer Pressure EP [SCN008]
Liverpool label Scenery Records continues to shine a light on local talent by next turning to Mark Forshaw for a new four track EP. Remixing is the singular Autodidakt Records boss Daniel Andréasson and once again the release showcases a gloopy, analogue heavy house and techno sounds with influences of acid and beyond.
Invincible Scum – Ztaur [ZTAUR]
Invincible Scum are here to save you from our once certain fate. A bounty of golden acid and precious gems lies before you. HEAR the mystical 303 weave it’s tales of yonder and FEEL the pounding of the electronic drum deep in your soul….seize the moment and celebrate this day for it is ours! ZTAUR is the fourth of 12 releases from Z O D I A C 4 4. One for each sign of the stars and then Z O D I A C 4 4 is forever dead and gone.
Nathan Melja – A.C.I. [BOPW003]
First spotted on Mister Saturday Night in 2014, Nathan Melja delivers here a thumpin’ techno 12” on Black Opal.
Life’s Track – Smell Of Sanctity [BOPW002]
Five tracks-worth of low-down heavy funky sound by Life’s Track on this new 12” EP. Smell of Sanctity bounces along powerfully with thick, irresistible beats that sound like they are kept on a short leash.
Amir Alexander – Love & Fear! [AC007]
“A recontextualized hybridization of that which is familiar to create the foreign….
Using classic Chicago, Detroit and New York as a reference, I sought to explore new sonic possibilities while limiting myself to the classic machines and sounds of the era that inspired me to dedicate my life to this art-form.
Revivalism was not my intent. Perhaps neo-futurism if any ism’s must be assigned. That, and a strict code of minimalism. I aspire to use time, space, and absence, as well rhythm and sound, all in equal measure to create suggestive music (pun intended). Defined as much by what is not there as by what is. Music for travel. For Dance. For Contemplation. In a club among hundreds, or at home in bed.
An album. Along player. A fantastical voyage through the soul and mind via abstract, minimalist etudes exploring the range of emotions that are joined to a particular year in my life. Using as few elements as possible to create the most emotive material I could, these studies are recorded documentation of one student’s pursuits to master the craft of creating raw, yet elegant. Rich and sonorous, yet stripped down modern electronic music. For the club, at home, and everywhere between. Modern music for modern living.
I hope to contribute to the progression of the form and create excitement in the next generation so that some of them will also be inspired to expressively create and add on to the culture. Peace”
John Heckle – Wet Noises [MNSX003]
The secret to John Heckle’s impressive productivity is probably his admirable commitment to jamming with analogue hardware. Certainly, there’s a loose, all-action immediacy to this outing on Midnight Shift. Tinged by acid throughout, and with more than a few nods to both Detroit futurism and vintage British “intelligent techno” (most obvious on the early Orbital style, stargazing shuffle of closer “Frozen Planet”). The title track itself is particularly potent, offering a surging combination of stomping techno drums and intoxicating acid lines, while the bleaker “Alpha Deux” sounds like the musical foretelling of some kind of post-apocalyptic future.
Roger 23 – Future Jack Programs To Respond (Section 1 & 2) [RHYTHM013.1]
First release in a series of two by the bad boy from Saarbruecken, Roger 23, bringing 3 crystal clear future jackers and deep & deeper techno tracks.
The Hipodrome Of Music 