Strong release with advanced abstract house tracks. Exceptional killer leftfield House trips in true Kassem Mosse style.
techno
Romansoff – Raw Tools 4 [RWT004]
Ondo Fudd – Coup D’Etat [TTT017]
Following on from his releases on Fabric’s Houndstooth label, Call Super takes his contemporary take on low-slung, lo-fi referencing techno to The Trilogy Tapes, dropping this three track EP under the Ondo Fudd moniker. Hinting at the deeper influences of the Workshop stable together with swirling lysergic synths that provide some welcome melodic relief from the thick, crunchy rhythms. Title track ‘Coup D’Etat’ has the sprightly synths of early Detroit techno allied to clattering metallic percussion and ghostly voices. ‘Harbour’ reflects retro electro back at us through a dust-covered mirror. ‘There Will Be A Time’ reimagines a rainforest populated by robot birds and mechanical creatures.
Amir Alexander – LWE Podcast 195
Willie Burns – Woo Right EP [UTTU038]
Unknown To The Unknown present a new 4 track club EP from New York Outsider House luminary Willie Burns. By day a swimming instructor & record buyer at the world famous thrift store The Thing. By night he can be found in his studio in Greenpoint surrounded by a collection of analogue hardware that make up his alias Speculator, Black Deer & of course his SP1200 aided Willie Burns. Having released numerous EPs on some of the coolest labels on the planet: L.I.E.S, The Trilogy Tapes, Rush Hour & Crme Organisation hes turned in 4 spectacular hazy low slung house jams for Unknown To The Unknown.
Bobby O’Donell – Epsilon [SWX002]
Bobby O’Donnell delivers the second EP on his own Strobewax label which he co-runs with Annie Errez. Stirring various influences from both across the pond and the UK this EP sits perfectly between deep house and techno.
Perseus Traxx – Badornament Podcast #02
Hardware Hustlerz – Stack It Up EP [SYNCRO020]
New release on Syncrophone Recordings by Hardware Hustlerz aka Hakim Murphy (Sypnasis) & Specter (Sound Signature).
Planetary Assault System – Future Modular EP [MOTE038]
Mote Evolver kicks off 2014 with Future Modular EP from Luke Slater’s Planetary Assault Systems alias, presenting sharp-as-ever fresh sound of P.A.S. that has enticed the audience as long as the mighty ‘Systems’ have existed. Never a stranger to a forward thinking sound aesthetic and with a title like ‘Future Modular’, P.A.S. packs the EP with 4 tracks (with digital-only ‘Subtracted Mix’ of the title track) that spark with Futurism and tightly channel the energy at the tip of the boiling point.
Max_M / Fabrizio Lapiana – 1001 [M_RECLTD1001]
Driven by the inherently political nature of techno, M_Rec Ltd. launches a new series of 10” vinyl editions aimed exclusively at showcasing quality techno tracks. As straightforward black label 10” records, with the tracks info etched on vinyl, these releases offer Max_M and his label the opportunity to quickly distribute new exciting productions to dedicated djs and vinyl lovers. On this very first release, label owner Max_M and Attic Music founder Fabrizio Lapiana explore the dark corners of techno with two hypnotic cuts. Stirring away from the techno-tool formula, these tracks are fully formed narratives, journeys that seem to pay tribute to the vinyl format itself, meant to be played in their entirety.
Coldgeist – Artefacts [WCR004]
Weekend Circuit starts the New Year by welcoming French born, Berlin based Coldgeist. ‘Artefacts’ marks the UK imprint’s 4th release in what is becoming an increasingly impressive first year for the label, also welcoming Modularz label head Developer – delivering 2 trademark remixes of the title track.
Stefan Vincent – Cynosure EP [ART016]
After his highly acclaimed debut for the Balans label Stefan Vincent has been getting attention and plays from luminaries such as Jeff Mills, Laurent Garnier and ART owner Kirk Degiorgio. ART have wasted no time in securing Stefan’s next release – a storming 3 tracker ranging from deep, modern acidic techno of Cynosure to the wide Mills-esque soundscapes of Paranal One and Two.
Karlist – Russian Torrent Versions 6 [CCCP006]
Blistering uptempo techno tracks for the floor from this previously unknown artist. Sure to resonate with the freaks and drug heads.
Rolando – LWE Podcast 194
XDB – Ganivon EP [DOLLY017]
XDB returns on Dolly with the ‘Ganivon’ EP, the follow-up of his excellent ‘Recago’ ep from 2011. XDB is once again delivering the goods, with 3 top-notch contemporary techno tracks filled with his trademark hypnotic melodies, lush strings and solid groovin beats. Favourite is ‘Tonik’ with its classic Detroit-feel and special atmosphere. Berlin/Berghain based Answer Code Request is doing the remix job for ‘Ganivon’, resulting in an effective techno bomb which perfectly combines industrial techno elements with the Dolly feel. ‘Recago’ might have been hard to surpass, but XDB might just have done it.
Stephen Brown – Illuminance EP [ARTLESS2191]
Stephen Brown is an institution when it comes to cutting-edge Detroit Techno made in Europe. He has always been on top of the game since almost two decades and knows how to convince with his trademark hi-tech soul. His new release called Illuminace EP marks the return of Mojuba sublabel a.r.t.less and brings two killer tunes from the vaults of the Realtime label boss, while the a-side with SD1 aims clearly at the dancefloors of our beloved underground clubs, the b-side with Free & Easy comes along with a great portion of compelling emotions and funk.
D_FUNC. – Revalism [SCRD005]
Alexander Kowalski under his new alias D_FUNC., with two dark techno tracks on Suicide Circus Records.
DJ Deep – Cuts [DRHC001]
Jacking techno tools by the boss! Quote Dj Deep: ‘Here are some tracks I have been working on recently. I hope you maybe will find some of them usefull!’ … we sure do! These will stay in dj-bags for a long time…
Crystal Maze – Black Orchid EP [EVR014]
Cultured Greek outlet Echovolt serves up its second EP of the year and this one comes from Amsterdam techno pair Crystal Maze aka G-String and Marco Antonio Spaventi. ‘Black Orchid EP’ contains two slow techno jams that go deep and long plus a shorter kind of otherworldly beat less sound design. There are times that the production places plenty of focus on melody and other moments that terrified synth sounds conjure an uneasy sense of terror that then turns into trippy, loopy techno rhythms. There’s plenty of warmth, atmosphere and invention in all three tunes here, and together they make the ideal combination for both club use and heady listening.
VA – Alphabet Soul [INMR004]
Anderson is doffing his curatorial cap with the latest release on his own Inimeg Recordings label entitled Exchange Place presents Alphabet Soul. Productions from Anderson bookend the record and in between DJ QU and Nicuri offer some strong representation for the esteemed Strength Music camp. Lead track “She Is Afraid” finds Anderson working once more with Ebony Ugo, whose treated vocals complement the bugged out house backing perfectly. “Alphabet Soul” from DJ QU could almost be a Pangaea production whilst “Navigation 8th Density” finds Nicuri combining taut techno rhythmics with an underlying cosmic sense of light. If you enjoyed Anderson’s late 2013 Dekmantel dalliance you will most certainly dig final track “Linguistic Command”.
The Hipodrome Of Music 