With his debut album prepped for November release, A Sagittariun drops a taster of things to come, in the form of the ‘Across The Celestial Sphere’ EP. ‘Clusters’ rolls out another dusty breakbeat in perhaps his most dancefloor-centric offering yet. ‘Fire Sign’ is a warm and jazzy slice of techno, whilst ‘The DNA Of Life’ is a moody, industrial electro joint…
Having launched Off Minor Recordings with some of his own refined solo material under the Cry Baby J moniker, Jordan Czamanski adopts a more archival tone for the label’s second release, digging into the unreleased early nineties works of Move D. Recorded at his KM20 Studio in hometown Heidelberg (hence the name) The KM20 Tapes feel all too appropriate for contemporary analysis, drawing on a smudged and improvised approach to analogue electronics. The rugged drawn out acid of “Ovi Riese” in particular bangs the box in a degraded manner that is most pleasing. Excitingly, this is the first of an irregular series of archival material from Moufang on Off Minor with Czamanski apparently sitting on a tonne of tracks.
Recently acclaimed for his high quality remixes, this time it’s John Heckle’s turn to be remixed. Back Alley Terminator is a menacing and industrial single, accompanied by three suitably dark reworks from Andreas Gehm, Mick Wills and Valanx.
With the exception of the title track, People Mover EP is comprised of new tracks recorded by JTC especially for Ansatz. The tracks here represent JTCs ever expanding repertoire. Live synth and vocal work dance above solid rhythms which JTC is known for. The result breaks new ground for JTC as an artist, and dance music as a genre. People Mover is anthemicthe perfect ethereal intro to the EP and Ansatz as a label. Solutions is a solid mellow dance floor track with subtle build. Banter Block is a chaotic Afro-jazz carnival ride. Juvenile Conversation highlights some live synth work over a techno Roland rhythm.
New release by Romanian talent MarcMan on Savor Music. Four slamming house-techno cuts for peak time action.
The NY duo, DJ Spider & Marshallito, land on TTT with four chapters of toxic, virus-ridden techno-house amalgamations for the bravest of heart. Taking the boundaries of the genre to their very limit and further – another instalment of wacked-out electronics from the London label.
Deeply Rooted (previously know as Deeply Rooted House) comes with a strong unpolished 4 track ep with tracks that will get the roof off! Another strong look for label with this debut of Dax J, For those who’ve been following Dax J and EarToGround Records know they can expect some outstanding straight forward tracks. Function combined with form, deeply rooted in our techno culture since 20 years.
The Underdog series, produced last winter in New York, emphasizes on deep killer techno – This new release – the Underdog EP Part 2 – features three floor shaking techno cuts in different shapes. On the A Side the aptly titled “Swarm” features an epic minimal acid tune building over 10 minutes driven by twirling soundscapes resembling a swarm of killerbees on attack. Flipping over there is “Hack”, which bows towards Soundhack with its dirty funked up sample chords and cut up groove. The EP finishes off with “Rocky”, a masterpiece in reduction – hypnotic and deep techno.
Spherical Coordinates, aka Oscar Mulero and Christian Wünsch, have joined forces in the studio and made four new cuts of spatial futuristic techno. With the minimum elements, it is hypnotic, rough and repetitive. A stylistic U turn that brings us a more personal sound palette, something we should appreciate very much in this era of continuously cloned works.
Luke Slater’s most well-known pseudonym Planetary Assault Systems is back in the fullest swing with ‚No Exit‘, a standalone EP following his famed ‚Deep Heat‘ installment series. ‚No Exit‘ unmistakably bears all the hallmarks of Planetary Assault System, from mind-tripping and floor-stirring hypnotic energy to the theme of pushing the outer limits of unknown territories.
Subtlety and class are what ultimately set apart certain techno releases from the multitude of records coming out each week. With this new four track EP on M_REC Ltd. Grey Series, Echologist (aka Brendon Moeller) skillfully incorporates a wide range of ideas, delivering an affective and fascinating piece of unconventional far out techno. ‘Impossibility’, the opening track, stands at the crossroad of dub techno and so-called mutant house, with its mean bass drum carrying a smooth analog melody through a field filled with sharp and trippy sounds, in a journey that is dark and sexy at the same time. ‘Geographica’ is more experimental, with its proggy and psychedelic sounds laid on a set of mutating beats traveling through rawness and distortion. Stuff that can only come out of real machines. On the flip side, ‘Too Far Gong’ is an oppressive and haunting track: dark spaced out electro. The closing track, ‘Drug Company’ remains on the same trajectory, but pusher things farther on an heavier dubby drumscape, taking advantage of the brain-liquifying properties of piercing sounds. Meant to belong in every dark and uncompromising set.
For their next release Creme Organization turn to an emerging producer in the form of young Belgian Innershades. With but one previous release on Ukraine’s Wicked Bass label, little is known of the man other than the fact that he produces heavyweight techno with a purposeful and dubbed out menace. The first cut here, ‘Nina At The Boiler Room’ is a mid tempo stomper with grainy textures and musky ambiance run through with a wild acid line and classic pinging cowbells. It’s potent and feverish and forever builds to a peak, at which point a searching horn sound surveys the desolate landscapes. ‘No Stoppin’ is more like dub house, shrouded as it is in plenty of echo, delay and rueful and romantic pads. Last cut ‘The Future’ is the most up beat and peak time of the lot. It’s a bouncy, nimble bit of analogue house with sombre pads, busy melodies and a healthy scattering of percussion that brings plenty of kineticism to the mix. Three fine tracks that will surely have the world keeping an eye on Innershades from here on in.
Debut release from Delroy Edwards’ new label L.A. Club Resource. Dark & ruff beat tracks for the club. no frills..straight from L.A.
Three tracks of techno funk straight from Saturn on Hakim Murphy’s label. Classic Jamal Moss harsh raw Chicago tracks.
Having established Optimo Music as a truly eclectic label more than worthy of the Optimo (Espacio) night it grew out of, JD Twitch and co. expand operations with the launch of the club specific Optimo Trax label. The all encompassing approach of Optimo Music remains the driving force behind this new offshoot, with the label apparently taking in both current artists and excavated “forgotten classics” and it’s with the former that they launch. Little is yet to be known about the London producer L/F/D/M, credited as R. Smith, who was apparently encouraged to pursue music production while studying art with Factory Floor’s man on electronics, Dominic Butler. Taking Butler’s advice, L/F/D/M delivers a strong five track of EP of deep, analogue-fueled acid techno which simultaneously draws upon the influences of the motor and windy cities, while also incorporating the more sinister strands of European techno.
More Than A Marathon marks the debut release for Super Public. Predominantly recorded with analog hardware, the EP is an immediate classic – a must have for any techno enthusiast or DJ. Groove heavy synth funk and dreamy string-laden rhythms suggestive of standout tracks on Carl Craigs More Songs About Food And Revolutionary Art occupy side A. The flip side is filled with deeper dance floor friendly tracks sonically reminiscent of the Transmat catalog. Chambray is proud to release the second pressing of ”More Than a Marathon,” which quickly sold out in shops when originally self-released by Super Public in September 2011.
The Hipodrome Of Music 