Former Descent is the free spirited project by the mastermind behind Neurobit and Rioteer. With this project he blends in a very successful way minimalism and lo-fi electronics with tough rhythms. This while the melodic elements give the tracks just the right touches to draw you deeper into them harsh and playful and light and dark never went so well together before resulting in pure rave anthems.
Great collection of challenging and fine quality techno tracks by an excellent selection of artists: Fred P, Brendon Moeller, Mike Parker, Zadig, DJ Spider, Hakim Murphy and others.
Italian producer and sound designer Roberto Clementi joins the Kontra-Musik family. With the use of tape and field recordings and an array of analogue machinery Roberto has created an “all nighter”. The steady thumps and growling dubs of the title track ‘Diodes’ is the perfect welcome to a dark and smoky dance floor, and the sweeping synths and life sustaining open hihat of the last track, ‘Into’, is the perfect goodbye. Between the open and the close you have have the analogue grit and amplitude of ‘The Optimist’ for peak time purposes, as well as a refreshingly dizzy-making breath of fresh air from ’15 Years Later’.
Ben Sims presents ‘Theory Of Completion’ the final release on his label Theory. He unleashes four forward forward-thinking Techno cuts for 050.2, two of these receiving the remix treatment from Planetary Assault Systems and DVS1. On 050.3, Sims goes all out with a grip of dancefloor killers, backed by a stunning remix from none other than Surgeon.
Dystopian unveil their most comprehensive release yet, a 2×12″ featuring music from label regulars and newcomers Gotzkowsky, Ron Albrecht and Vril. Recondite opens the compilation with a straight-laced but dirty techno production. Don Williams throws down some pumping four-four beats, while Gotzkowsky and Alex.Do venture down a gurgling bleep hole of techno. Distant Echoes was responsible for the label’s release before this, and here the shady producer delivers more gloomy, industrial deepness. Vril lightens things up with his famous chords, although a little disorientating this time, while man of the moment Rodhad goes big with a synth line you’ll never forget. Ron Albrecht then completes the EP with a slab of Fachwerk-like techno, swapping funk for hard-nosed beats.
The second Radio Matrix comes by the mysterious Bodem in the form of ‘Het Sonisch Besluit’ (The Sonic Pact). Bodem serves us two extended electro, jacking cuts, which already destroyed some dancefloors across planet Earth…
Golden Pudel’s Helena Hauff and F#X charge a rampant 2nd session of gristly hardware roil as Black Sites for PAN. Relentlessly bloody-minded and primed for strobe-and-smoke-lit ‘floors, both sides give up some of the most damaged no wave/acid that we’ve heard all year. A-side: ‘Unit 2669′ locks lampin’ kicks and mind-swilling 303s to a rusted thumb piano/cowbell motif for 12 minutes of noxious, incessant club fuel in the mould of classic Bunker/Acid Planet bangers. B-side: ‘Mockba’ is a different kettle of radioactive, three-eyed fish, fxxking the beats off in favour of pulsing S.O.S. signals and waves of tarry black noise with a chaotic rhythmic agenda.
The first release on the San Francisco label Secret Studio Records, featuring a remix by D’Marc Cantu.
Two true acid burners from Alden Tyrell. Each track is accompanied by a remix – one from label boss LA-4A and a floor-storming jacker from Vin Sol.
Dutch label Shipwrec present their next release – a special one-sided pressing – by revered electro specialist Anthony Rother. A pure dancefloor fire that is part techno, part electro. ‘Balkonien’ is a broody affair from the off, with a supple, rubbery bed of kicks down low and a molten synth line up top. As things unfold, a nebulous network of celestial pads spiral about, the drums bounce more and lots of sinewy machine lines dance about and have you doing the same.
First ever reissue on Forbidden Planet features four tracks by The Mover, arguably one of the most influential yet underrated artists of the late 80s, early 90s. All tracks were originally released on Planet Core Productions (PCP) between 1991 and 1993.
Low lit mini album from Willie Burns & Florian Kupfer. Recorded together in Brooklyn, New York 2014.
Three is the number, Basement Toolz the titel. Once again Rat Life Records is taking Mickey on a night out to the sewer. Here are two tracks made by Credit 00 with a borrowed TR 909 drum machine. Side A is called Korg the Groove, as the title already reveals, it’s inspired by Aril Brikha’s classic Detroit Techno cut. On the Flip side you will find 909ish, one drum machine and one synthesizer, which is not much but all you need and more, plus there is extra noise on the clap to amplify your face slapping pleasure.
Marco Shuttle releasing his first solo album ‘Visione’ on his Eerie label. ‘Visione’ is a cohesive and compact work, which draws on Shuttle’s design background to unfold an audio narrative with a strong aesthetic approach. With a more abstract sound than his club-focused records, ‘Visione’ retains a cinematic scope while maintaining a common texture of sound throughout the tracks: the detailed productions were created with mainly analogue equipment with meticulously modulated oscillators, creating tracks that are by turns psychedelic, cosmic and sinister
The mysterious Grebenstein is the latest artist to grace Downwards. It starts with the searing drones and rumbling drums of “Acting Within Your Terms” before progressing into the utterly menacing tones of “No You Don’t” and “Principles of Trust”. The latter’s dark soundscapes are underpinned by crashing drums and it is this element that makes the final track, “That’s Where The Answer Was, In Your Body” so memorable, as bombastic kicks and percussive volleys underpin the air of gloom.
The Hipodrome Of Music 