Cyclic Records stands for groove. Born in Romania in 2012 and run by Mihai Popoviciu, the label is focused on high quality dancefloor music, mostly ranging from house to techno. Mihai had an intense career as a dj and producer before taking the challenge of creating an outlet for the music that he likes and for his own productions.
The Midnight Shift label debuts with a daring pairing of the emerging and established in this efflorescence EP. The first EP features Singaporean Eddie Niguel with Torontonian Basic Soul Unit aka Stuart Li. Together, they present a crisp and compelling release statement that pushes a new trajectory in the house and techno genres.
Dope new 12″ from Funkinevil produced with Kyle Hall. The two tracks on it make for a stylistic about-turn from the TV theme funk of the last Apron release Chips & Sweets, “Dracula” is the kind of stuttering 303 acid jam FunkinEven is an expert of, reminiscent of the brilliant “Roland’s Jam”, while “Cha!” is a loose-limbed slice of proto-techno which goes heavy on the unfiltered analogue bass, driven forward with lolloping drum machine beats.
Skudge presents the first release in a new series called Skudge White. Fishermen is a new project created by Martin (MRSK) and his friend Thomas. Inspired by the sea. The EP includes 5 tracks of industrial edged slo-mo electronics.
Sweden’s (almost) unknown techno veterans Börft Records we have played and seeded wizely through out the years – to be honest, we’ve hid their treasures for years too. Forget all you know about Swedish electronic music, this is Börft crew, the core underground of ”söta bror’s” techno history – here represented by Frak – a full out techno acid punch. The EP is including a beautiful Dj Sotofett remix.
Shifted makes a welcome return to Our Circular Sound. The four tracks EP don’t deviate from the established Our Circular Sound template, at times channeling the same intensity and single minded “heads down” momentum that ran through much of Crossed Paths, Shifted’s debut LP for Mote Evolver. “Chapter” sets the grainy tone, locked grooving from the off yet slowly introducing extra rhythmic wallop and minute textural details that keep its head well above mere DJ tool. “Feeding” provides some brief yet ominous respite before launching straight into late 90s Downwards functionalism of “Aun Weor” and “Unveiled”.
First release in a brand-new series of heavily textured, hypnotic and puristic techno by one of Holland’s veteran’s in this area of expertise. This twelve marks the official launch of the second alter ego from Nijmegen’s Darko Esser. You might call Tripeo the nemesis of his other project Onionboy. Where Onionboy is as eclectic as he can get, Tripeo is all about niches and purism. All trips are inward journeys through explicit sounddesigns, textures and rhythms.
ETG005 the ‘Revok Ep’ sees two new upfront original tracks from Chris, Dax and Gareth with the addition of an outstanding extended remix of ‘Revok’ from the mighty ‘Ø [Phase]’. This EP was heavily influenced from Gareth’s first visit to Berlin earlier this year in 2012 and also by the artist ‘Revok’ who had been putting up some amazing pieces on East London walls around the same time.
Semantica celebrates release #50 with this double A-side by Surgeon and labelhead Svreca, teaming up with Skirt. Dark techno from the off.
Fachwerk boss and dubby techno don Mike Dehnert steps away from his usual home for a new EP on Delsin entitled ‘Umgangston’. ‘Andruck’ swings back and forth on a squelchy synth hook as tin foil hi hats cut up long thin pads. Knocking bell sounds add plenty of silvery colours to the dubby bass below, and it’s one of the more serene and beautiful Dehnert cuts of recent times. ‘Tracer’ is much sterner, with huge Basic Channel dub waves breaking beneath scratchy synths and acid bleeps. Fizzing and fine grain like warm white noise, it’s for those more intense dancefloor moments. ‘Refillable’ finds Mike in full on rave mode with filters twisting and turning and skewing synths into weird patterns as hi hat ringlets race between sandy claps and a tortured vocal yelps out every so often. Rushy and racy, it’s underpinned with a walloping kick drum where closer ‘Umgangston’ is about knife-edge intensity, cantering kick drums and wild, freeform synth lines.
Brand new release on Levon Vincent and Anthony Parasole’s Deconstruct label from New York’s Joey Anderson.
Debut release on the french Knotweed imprint from this pioneer in Detroit Techno, Terrence Dixon. “Beat” powers itself from a prominent set of hats and cymbals while intricate layers of jazzy melodies interlope in an atonal fashion lowed down in the mix in true pile-driving fashion. “Escape” is a creepier affair, holding back on the percussion and letting intriguing keys clash in a measured way that breeds new scales for that quintessential Dixon otherworldliness. “Another Space” is yet more stripped back and haunting, focusing on lavish pads and the space they have to roam free.
Small repress from these two tracks, his underground anthem ‘Energize’ from 2005, as included on Carl Craig’s Fabric mix cd. Other side brings ‘Gemini’ from his debut EP from 2004.
The Hipodrome Of Music 