Crystal Maze’s return on Bio Rhythm. Three cosmic techno jams of the absolute highest order, crafted & molded after dark at the Crystal’s analog alchemist lab.
techno
45 ACP – Code 4 [FRQ002]
The 2nd reference for the Parisian based label. No Name Dropping here, just another side project of the man D.K. The house groove is served with rough percussion and and odd beats programming. Strictly for the freakz.
C.P.I. – Tunel / Proseco [HVN021]
Marc Pinol and Hugo Capablanca join forces to channel their shared love for Psychic TV, industrial music and New Beat through 2 murky club tunes.
Matt Tolfrey – Leftroom White 001 [JLW001]
Leftroom announce their Vinyl Only White series. The first release see’s the return of Geeeman and Mosca with their instrumental takes on Matt Tolfrey’s ‘The Truth’ and Sweatshop Boys’s ‘Wide World”.
Inigo Kennedy – Vaudeville [TOKEN043]
This fourth album from British techno veteran Inigo Kennedy – his first since 2010’s decidedly ambient September Pieces – has something of a “catch-all” feel. You see, Vaudeville refuses to stick to one sound, style or groove, instead referencing the many styles of techno and experimental electronic music that have inspired the popular producer over the course of his 18-year career. So, there are murky, IDM-inspired techno floorfillers (the melodious but faintly foreboding “Requiem”), early British psychedelic techno (“Plaintive”), dense, darkroom grooves (“Vallecula”), classic Yorkshire bleep and bass (“Petrichor”), Kompakt-ish organic techno (“Winter”), and spooky, droning ambience (“Narrative”).
Korrupt Data – Cryogene [PLE653671]
Planet E is debuting the so far unknown Korrupt Data with a three-track 12″. Entitled Cryogene – cryogenics being the study of the production and behaviour of materials at very low temperatures – the sounds here match such a description. The title-track is a highlight and it’s a great electro production made at a speedy house tempo that brims with all the Detroit goodness of an Interdimensional Transmission record. “Drifting Vessels” is a little more broken in rhythm and has that deep sea searching vibe of a chilled out Drexciya track, while “Shimmer” is a reflective, sombre, but also hopeful and cosmic piece of electronic music brilliance.
VA – The Unusual Suspects [AES018]
The 18th installment from Aesthetic Audio brings together four deep architects to form a collective that methodically articulates a symphony of sublime textures, lush chords and unique musical visions. Tracks by Keith Worthy, Miruga, Jose Rico and Michael Zucker.
Maxwell Church – Lab.our 04 [LBRM004]
LAB.OUR 04 sees the return of Torontos own Maxwell Church with 3 raw techno cuts. When not busy as one of the founders of Torontos techno night The Deep North, Max releases music as a solo artist and as one half of The Hermans. Doldruks driving rhythm is anchored by percolating synths and ever changing, melodic patterns. Faxnews is a dubby stomper with synth stabs and vocal snippets. Geosynchronus Orb shows us what acid sounds like on Saturn.
Binny – Nycthémère EP [CLFTREC006]
Inspired by the 90s Detroit scene, UK-based producer Binny delivers two weapons here, full of Millsian reminiscences, but still away from the hiss and swooshes. Both Destroyer & A Function Of Time stay to the essential elements, combinating hardness and soul masterfully. On the B side, Fundamental Interaction’s remix as well as Antigone’s reconstruction surprises with an unexpected u-turn. Frantic techno tracks.
VA – Queenstown Road [LDNWHT003]
The LDNWHT imprint hits its third release with a few sizable names brought into the fold for another various artists release, showcasing a diverse range of techno styles across the four tracks. Inigo Kennedy is up first with the melodic, undulating pulse of “Queenstown Road” before Antono De Anglelis gets into an eerie, loopy headspace on “Signals”. Oliver Deutschmann has a housier groove at play on “Downstairs”, although the mood stays icy and sparse so the beat can do the talking. Mirrorpress meanwhile rounds the EP off in killer style with crisp and hooky chord stabs that meet a dubby end without losing their impact.
Steffi & Dexter – Warme Hap [DOLLYDUBS004]
Labelboss Steffi hooking up with long-time buddy and musical boy wonder Dexter again. Over 15 years ago they started the Klakson label and the rest is history. Sounding more fresh than ever Steffi & Dexter deliver 3 razor sharp dancefloor bombs that will unite dancefloors worldwide. All the elements are there: aquatic electro arpeggio’s, jacking 808 beats, bouncing analogue strings and basslines, all topped off with that euphoric Detroit techno feel.
VA – Trust XV-I [TRUSTXVI]
First release in a three part vinyl series for Trust’s 15th anniversary. Exclusive tracks from VC-118A (Mohlao / Multicast Dynamics), Morphology’s Matti Turunen, Clatterbox and Lok44
Doom Asylum – Stress Techno [HOT038]
Dark raw pulsating acid techno that reminds a lot of old Acid Planet releases from the mid 90’s. 6 track ep on the US label Hot Recordings. Outsider techno realized via modular synth, drum machine, stress by Andrew Peterson of legendary NC noise duo Yohimbe, existing within a similar milieu as Frak and Unicorn Hard-On.
Matrixxman – XLR8R Podcast 345
Leigh Dickson – Knoe 3/1 [KNOE3/1]
Beautiful house, techno and electro in the deep aesthetic that we know for the For Those that Know label. First of 2 ep’s coming summer 2014 kicks off with Chimera; a soothing and warm electro cut with soft pads and twinkling lead lines. Aerobatics, originally released on Qube in 2002 slots onto the A2; it meanders into darker territory with saw tooth synth basses, squelchy acid and industrial break beats. Sketch Form on the B-side is a slow tempo house track with chunky distorted rhythms and percussive driven bassline, complemented neatly by swooping square pads and a delicate lead. The Closed Box rounds off the EP with its stripped electronic break beat and late night harmonies.
DJ TLR @ Cartel Kingsday Afterparty, Studio 80 (Amsterdam) 26.04.2014
VernoN – Watched By The Experts [APT007]
Previously responsible for some of the best work (and track titles) on the Dixon Avenue Basement Jams label, mystery man VernoN brings his distinct styles and capital N to the excellent Apartment label and delivers their first long player in the process. Allegedly based in Marseille and with a background in Belgium, there’s a degree of opacity to VernoN’s story that suggests it’s wiser to focus your attentions on his music, not his story. If he did spend time in Belgium, he clearly used it researching the country’s rich New Beat heritage, as it’s on display across Watched By The Experts. Six tracks deep, this new beat influences is mixed up with dabs of house, electro and techno with the results an album (of sorts) that will remain in the record box of many a DJ.
Delta Funktionen – D-Wave Two.1 [RAMX001]
Delta Funktionen with the first release on his own imprint. Four times 808 power combined with deep Moog basses. Riding a thin line between techno and house with a touch of electro.
Frak – Upset About Lance EP [TSAR002]
Following on from DJ Stingray’s 2013 Weaponized EP (TSAR001), Swedish vererans Frak Step up for TSAR002, delivering a record of analogue black acid magic.
Rawaat – Day Laborer EP [LT005]
Detroit young gun Rawaat finally steps up with his debut vinyl release for Lobster Theremin. Five journeyed tracks at the overlap between ambient, house, techno and beats with a good dose of left-field, tape-saturated aesthetic and a Huerco S. remix. Classic rave tropes, early Warp influences and psychedelic ambient composition elements are all throw into the pan. This is a wildly varied and startlingly accomplished EP.
The Hipodrome Of Music 