techno
Hakim Murphy – Chiffre [MS0093]
Chiffre opens with “Tegal E”, boasting strong kicks, intricate percussion, fierce bass lines and a haunting synth lead which introduces the listener to Hakim’s deep cerebral textures, patterns, and rhythms. Up next, a remix of “Nabodani” by DJ Spider takes things to the next level with heartthrob kicks, jazzy percussion loops, and menacing soundscapes. Opening the B-side, we have Murdoc’s remix of “Vatitio”, a smooth rendition of the original featuring winding bass lines, unique synth pads and rhythmic pauses throughout the progression of the track. Concluding the release is the final track, titled “Gangsta Glide”; a strong composition returning us full-circle, back to Hakim’s dreamlike spheres of heightened reality.
Gunnar Haslam – LWE Podcast 186
Paul Du Lac – EPM Podcast #51
VA – L.I.E.S. Presents Music For Shut-Ins [LIES041]
A collection of hits, misses, new loves, and future head scratchers running the gamut from floor ready beat tracks (Legowelt) to post chill out room bleep-hop (Daywalker & CF) to industro-wave anti beat experimentation (Svengalisghost) with no restrictions or limitations. As with last year’s American Noise compilation, disc one revists prime cuts from the nearly 30 releases the label will have released by the end of 2013, while disc two compiles unreleased tracks exclusive to this cd. A document of the immediate energy surrounding these musicians here and now, maybe one can call it club music for people who hate going to the club? or simply “Music for Shut Ins.”
R-A-G – Life [LXRC015]
The road to Hell is paved in gold. One that guides to Disorder, Repression and eventually a last leap into OD. Yes, boy, this is Life. Unfair, menacing, dark and twisted, like the new EP from R-A-G out on Lux Rec. The Dutch trio presents its first release outside the M>O>S legacy and delivers three excessive tracks wandering on the fringes of the jacking zone, analog techno and wavy obscurity. Walk in, embrace Life. Hear it pulsates, disappear.
Nepal – Drift [SEQ009]
And here we are, just as promised, exploring the dark corners of Nick Lapien; the man otherwise known as Metropolis. This time around, he comes back with a pair of extended cuts that veer off into heretofore unexplored terrain, relishing in detail with a sharp focus on momentum and lyricism. ‘Glow’, the A side, uses a basic 2-note sine wave bass line and a 136 BPM kick as the backdrop for a 13+ minute descent into a thicket of static and clattering modular craftiness—a pathway into the unknown through auditory hypnosis. On the flip side, ‘Rebuild’, a milder 4/4 beauty, uses a soft bass riff for its duration as shuffling synth experimentation stretches the stereo field. A long trumpet solo by Mark Nieuwenhuis casts a soothing, mournful light into the piece. Immerse yourself into the sounds and let yourself be guided, let yourself be found.
Fishermen – Patterns And Paths [SKUDGEWLP001]
After their wonderful EP from a year ago, the Fishermen are ready to take you on a diving trip with their very first album, an accomplishment in itself With “Patterns and Paths”, Thomas Jaldemark (YTA) and Martin Skoggehall (MRSK, Smell The Flesh) have crafted a rather mesmerizing story of abstract and figurative tropes altogether, and eerie is probably the best word to describe the general mood of this, but hard and raw eeriness! The affair starts with “Green Horn”, a gentle foreplay setting the tone for an imminent journey into the lightless abysses. “Hope Is gone” further enhances the incoming grim turn of events in a coil-like fashion before “Serpents” makes our feet and hips take over our fear of the unknown. The trance has indeed begun and we’re soon entering a hidden warehouse rave cave of un-earthy shamanism, the unforgiving stomp of “Get None”. “Dyspnea” manages to find a path into deeper regions the groove shift towards a darker funk with “Lost Teeth”, a caribbean techno banger that’d wake any zombie in the making! “The Four Skulls” suddenly hints of a safer journey with healing percs and melancholic pads, but “Rise” soon shatters those false hopes with an evil lurking motoric groove. Then, you hit “Scurvy” where the pace slows down a little only to introduce the seductive side of this gloomy adventure, a challenge to you feet inducing lascivious moves. Keeping you in trance, “In Solitude” kind of combines both previous tracks strengths with an added Twin Peaks value. Now finally reaching the far bottom of the ocean, the mood gets even more claustrophobic with “Sunken Mosque”, the last stage of this trance before maybe getting back to the surface. Indeed, if “Torments” might let you catch a breath of air, it is filled with minerals, the world above has changed, and you might very well feel safer back under the water, a reverse mirror to Mike Ink’s old Gas project.
Ben Sims – Fabric 73 [FABRIC145]
Prolific, eclectic, and always evolving, Ben Sims’ name has been synonymous with quality techno for nearly two decades. His enviable career path mirrors the history of twenty years of popular music in the UK, drifting from hip-hop and reggae into the early days of pirate radio, the peak of acid house, and pummeling hardcore. Sims has always been a precocious listener – in his early teens he would DJ his school’s disco parties prior to gaining a reputation as an advanced talent on the rave and club circuit – and his experience is reflected in the timelessness of the selections on fabric 73. Beholden to no specific era or genre beyond the power of their pure transportive grooves, on fabric 73 Sims showcases the restlessly creative selections that continue to make him an essential and inspiring DJ for advanced techno listeners worldwide.
Peter Van Hoesen – Life Performance [TRESOR265]
One year on from ‘Perceiver’, Peter Van Hoesen presents his first live album, documenting his performance during the Time To Express label night at Tresor on July 19th 2013. Armed with three synths, a drum machine, two iPads and some outboard effects, he covers a brace of new material woven with recent releases in typically disciplined and unrelenting PvH style, capturing his highly efficient energy transfer and breathless momentum in full effect and perhaps providing better context for his music than any studio album could.
Synthek & Audiolouis – Reclaim Your City [NATCHLTD004]
The fourth Natch release present many ways to approach modern Techno. Ryc is an acid descent to the underground, driven to the depth by the darkest basslines whilst Raffaele Attanasio take off with a bangin’ remix really efficient on the dancefloor. Meddle shows the pure Natch style at its finest, which Mattias Fridell remix infect with a diverse and powerful rhythmic pattern.
Marco Bernardi – Creme Organization mix for ICE FM Paris
“This mix has turned out pretty Dutch sounding and is exactly where my head is at at the moment. I could have put up a tracklist together for it, however some are unreleased tracks of mine, some are future Creme/R-zone shit and others I have no idea what they are as they are either demos or up and coming white labels….plus shazam needs the business”. Marco Bernardi.
VA – 100DSR Compilation [100DSR]
17 years after first releasing a cassette EP from label boss Marsel van der Wielen under his Peel Seamus guise, Delsin has now hit the landmark category number of 100. Truth is, taking into account choice re-issues and specials such as the recent house series, there have already been scores more than 100 releases. Nevertheless, in that time the Dutch label has become synonymous with a wide range of timeless sounds from house to techno to dub to electronica, nurturing and championing some of the most respected names in the scene, all of which can now be enjoyed on 5 separate, various artist vinyl EPs or one impressive two disc compilation. Far from just a collection of tracks, the 100DSR compilation has been carefully curated to tell the tale of Delsin. Each record conveys a slightly different part of the story – be it house, techno, beats or electro – yet every one is tied together by the label’s own underlying sense of desolate melancholy. Across the five EPs and complete CD collection there are tracks from newbies and old favourites alike, including Sawlin and Delta Funktionen, John Beltran and Bleak, Redshape and Convextion, Gerry Read and Claro Intelecto.
Chevel – Air Is Freedom [NON010]
Non Series has become one of the strongest and well respected labels if we speak about serious techno. For its 10th birthday the label comes up with the debut album by Chevel and delivers again more than only a handfull of tracks.
VA – Halal Prepared Vol. 2 [BOE022]
Arriving back in the spring of 2010, the first edition of Halal Prepared from London label Boe Recordings featured Iron Curtis, KiNK and Ladzinski and has remained a 12″ the more considered selectors at Juno HQ keep in their record boxes. Primed by Boe as the onset of a new V/A series, it’s taken the label three years to decide on what artists to feature on this second volume, with a great online mix series of the same name available for those craving some Halal flavoured house. Smallville graduate Arnaldo calls shotgun here with the playfully named A side hogger “A Shop That Sells Everything But At Twice The Price” filled with the sort of texturally deepness that made his Blank Slate record from earlier this year such a popular 12″. Label boss Ben Boe deems the time right to surface with his first original production and “Low Rider” fits snugly in with the refined house aesthetic the under-rated Boe Recordings has developed over the course of it’s five years of releases. French producer Anaxander rounds out Vol 2. In fine style with the deep and dubby “Dance Et Cetera” showcasing his percussive chops.
P.E.A.R.L. – Order / Decay [FEX001]
Order / Decay is the first release of Falling Ethics, the Berlin based label managed by P.E.A.R.L.
VA – 100DSR/VAR4 [100DSR/VAR4]
The on-going celebration of Delsin reaching 100 releases continues here with the 4th in the series of 100DSR releases. Featuring key label friends Redshape, D5 and Area Forty_One, it’s another compelling package. First up is the famous masked one with a track specially made to celebrate the centenary. Fittingly it is entitled ‘100 (Classic Mix)’ and finds him in a doleful mood, layering sad synth motifs of a hubbub of nicely crushed drums and scurrying percussion. Sad but optimistic, uplifting but heavy-hearted, it’s a quintessential Redshape track that manages to be industrial and romantic at exactly the same time. Next up is D5, who has basically only ever released on Delsin since emerging in 2001. It’s be a few years since his last EP, but this new track makes the wait worth while: ‘Stem Cell’ is a light-footed, harmonically enriched bit of house that has large opens spaces glowing golden white as paddy kicks keep busy below. A blissful but purposeful track, the final offering comes from sometime Ann Aimee producer Area Forty_One, who offers the dynamic and juddering bit of deep techno that is ‘Supervoid’.
The Parallel – Distinction [GR002]
Granulart Recordings presents the second release, coming from one of the irish finest Dub & Detroit techno producers The Parallel. Strong EP with three tracks, a great mix of top dub techno with just the right amount of classic Detroit sound.
Simian Mobile Disco & Cosmin TRG – Surströmming [DELI011]
Following that excellent Bicep collaboration, Simian Mobile Disco join forces with Cosmin TRG for the latest release on their Delicacies label. On paper the two parties make logical collaborators thanks to their love of minimal textures and subtle melody, and in execution the results are a resounding success; “Surstromming” sees those rubbery acidic basslines SMD are famous for take a pulsating approach, throbbing its way through subtle dub chords and a robust 4/4 rhythm. “Sannakji” meanwhile is a considerably trippier affair, combining a taut arpeggio with well placed moments of ecstatic chord release. Two tracks sure to cause maximum warehouse devastation!
The Hipodrome Of Music 