One Electronica returns with a blinding 12” from Samaan, featuring knock-out remixes from The Exaltics & Phantom Planet Outlaws (feat. John Heckle & Mark Forshaw).
techno
Intergalactic Gary @ Panama Racing Club (Den Haag) 22.01.2015
Xosar – BOP004 [BOP004]
Synthesizer and drum machine obsessive Xosar (AKA producer Sheela Rahman) has enjoyed a productive few years, building a formidable reputation via releases on Rush Hour, L.I.E.S and Creme Organization. Here she delivers her first full-length for Opal Tapes’ occasional vinyl offshoot, Black Opal. It’s perhaps a little less colourful and synthesizer-heavy than previous excursions, instead focusing on dark, fuzzy, heavily percussive takes on acid house and techno. Of course, there are curious interludes – see the wonky industrial IDM of “Prophylaxis” and the beatless synth madness of “Gnome Circle” – but it’s the more floor-friendly excursions (and most profoundly the bleak and intense “Hades Gates”) that really stand out.
Taken – Terrorfish [SKUDGEX002]
A collaboration between Elias Landberg and Nihad Tule. They started this conceptual project in November 2014 with the goal of record and master a complete EP in one day. The resulting analog jams are pretty different from each other. The A-side ”Terrorfish” is reminiscent of simplistic acid rave tunes from the 90’s while the B-side ”Halcyon” is a dreamy ambient trip.
Lerosa – notsosilent 025
VA – Vanguard Sound Vol.05 [SS009]
Here is Volume Five in the Vanguard Sound Crews vinyl series! This time DJ Spider, Dakini9, Amir Alexander and Hakim Murphy step up to deliver pure mental techno and acid laced jack.
VA – VA01 [FARB011]
The Hungarian Farbwechsel’s first vinyl release has arrived, and it’s a real international effort featuring five artists from four countries on four tracks. Gazing through the Venetian blinds, it’s the label’s promising talent, Route 8 kicking it off with a vibing, 90s inspired house cut. Next up, Lumigraph and Patricia reset with a slow-churning, acid-flavoured techno. It’s the sort of track you would expect to be played on an endless loop in all coal mines 500m below ground level. On the back side, Farbwechsel’s founding father, S Olbricht gets in motion with the weirdly melodic. To close it off, it’s another label head, Basic House of Opal Tapes fame testing your stamina with the EP’s most direct, uptempo track.
Johannes Volk – Modular Expansion Podcast 044
Planetary Assault Systems – The Eyes Themselves [MOTE041]
Some new Planetary Assault Systems material from Mr Luke Slater is always a welcome sight and The Eyes Themselves finds the techno pioneer on suitably mind bending form. Issued naturally by his own Mote Evolver, this three track 12″ bristles with the sort of intense, physical energy that makes the music feel alive and somewhat alien with the title track a perfect embodiment. Across the six minutes, “The Eyes Themselves” develops from a dark throb into full blown techno psychedelia that possesses the ability to draw the more open minds into another dimension. Similar things could be said about “Strange Attractor” so we will draw your attention to the B side cut “Arc” where intensity is the predominant characteristic across the eight thrilling minutes.
Malin – Deorbital Descent [WNK005]
The Will & Ink label now hits release number 5 with an EP from Amsterdam and Paris based producer Malin Genie, that features two new cuts and a remix from Yaleesa Hall. With a keen sense of heritage but one eye on the future, here he serves up two more intense and floor focussed cuts. The first is ‘Deorbital Descent’, a turbo charged and hard hitting techno track with overdriven kicks, big daubs of synthy hook and a real sense of urgency. The claps are hard as you like, and the drums are no less menacing, so think peak time warehouse tackle and you’ll not be far wrong. Next up, ‘Agaric Fly’ is a much more stripped back and down low techno roller with hubby chords, groaning bass and rubbery kicks that seduce and hypnotise. The remix comes from Yaleesa Hall, who has released a solo EP on the label before now. The resulting track is a fulsome, scurrying techno affair with edgy stabs, hurried drums and a real sense of foreboding.
Regal – Monomyth [FIGURE063]
Regal is fully welcomed to Figure with his first EP. Showing off his ear for a twisted Acid line or two, Regal provides three tracks.The rising tension of ‘Monomyth’ is classic 90s acid, accented by the ear of a young man who is very much living in the present. Refined and tracky, Regal draws out every last drop of energy from a mere handful of well tuned ingredients, peaking his acid line sky high. The snaking, heads-down ‘Symbol’ fits very much with Figure’s 2014 manifesto – driving, precise modern techno, with clever arrangements that simple beg repeat listening and club play. The tweaking, after-hours vibes of ‘Pointillism’ continue this with a totally playable, bubbling minimalist killer.
NGLY live @ Odd Fantastic, Batofar (Paris) 12.02.2015
Gaja – Modern Passivity [OPSM001]
Berlin-based artist Gaja runs Ophism, a label oriented to raw industrial inspired techno. Modern urban and suburban views are composed by monotonous, repetitive sequences and simple elements, focused on the mechanical landscape of factories, warehouses and assembly lines. Concept behind could be the translation of the urban sprawl in music. Gaja provides full improvisation and finally the new protagonists are the machines: their cold steady rhythms, their screeching metallic noises, their symphony of inarticulate patterns.
Drvg Cvltvre – Telepathic Warfare [COSMOS003]
Drvg Cvltvre is now back with a full EP of his own on Dutch label COS_MOS. Since 2009, Vincent Koreman a.k.a. Drvg Cvltvre has been churning out his own acid, no wave and experimental house and now kicks off the new year in style with three more inventive offerings. ‘New Earth Army’ is a slow, heavyweight and coarse track with rattling chords, angry percussion and elastic drums that manages to be physical and tough yet groovy and playful at the same time. ‘We Have Become The Filth of the Universe’ is a big, fat, heavy wedge of slow motion techno with monstrous drums and wild acid lines all spraying about wildly for the duration. It’s a warehouse sized track that will reduce the ‘floor to a writhing mess and finally ‘Possessed’ is a sci-fi riddled track with lots of spacey synths, filtered analogue lines and paranoid sirens all making for a turbulent brew of dark and otherworldly energy.
Secret Studio – Grime Time [SCS002]
Secret Studio releases their second 12″ on SS Records, “Grime Time” with a remix by D-Wynn. SCS02 is a tough, dark, acid bassline track that rolls over slightly distorted 707 drums. A heavy kick fills the room with echo like tones coming from somewhere deep below the surface. D-Wynn’s remix brings the original to a classier place in time. Big throwback strings, original bassline work and classic House drums. For Donna Mash Up is inspired by a Secret Studio Dj set. Recreating a live mash up moment that rode Donna Summer’s “I Feel Love” over the dark acid bassline and drums of Grime Time.
Obsolete Music Technology LIVE @ Panorama Bar (Berlin) 31.05.2014
Debut live performance in Berlin, Germany. Recorded on May 31, 2014. All tracks written, produced & performed by Obsolete Music Technology (a.k.a. Steven Tang).
Marco Bernardi – Laffer Ep part 1 [BAR002.1]
Archetypal Detroit electro techno taken to the next level by Mr. Bernardi on Burek sub label Barba. Bernardi delivers a double album worth of ideas, spread among 2 releases. The first half of the release is very much in the robots-having-an-argument rather than the peaceful-cosmic-journey vein. The tracks feature abrupt changes, stabbing asymmetrical rhythms, multiple layers of sound and a darker moodier feel.
Cause & Effect Men – Schwarzgerat 0001 [DELFT007]
Two shadowy figures, Cause and Effect Men present a Pynchonian mystery-weapon with rolling, growling 303 and 909 machinations, tumbling to the edge of chaos. Comes with a remix from LA-4A.
VA – Dark Acid IV [CDR12012]
Glasgow’s Clan Destine Records present the fourth volume of the essential Dark Acid series. As you’d expect, the included material is as trippy, intense and left-of-centre as you’d expect. Canadian producer Khotin kicks things off with “Tsoi”, a deep, psychedelic acid shuffler that builds incessantly towards a breathless climax. Varg’s “Ultra Acid” takes things up further via ghetto-tech inspired beats and icy melodies, before Kid Who drops a twisted chunk of midtempo acid chug (the delightfully claustrophonic “Gap Related Injury”). Finally, Becoming Real’s Toby Ridler and Golden Teacher/General Ludd man Richard McMaster join forces for “Terminator”, as intense an acid track as you’re likely to find.
Slugbug – LIES 024.5 [LIES024.5]
Debut EP by Slugbug, with four tracks of dark electronic hybirds made for the open minded dj and club-goer. Somewhere between the blurred lines of new wave tinged beat tracks, off-kilter electro and psycho-house this record is made to make you work and the club sweat.
The Hipodrome Of Music 