Zooloft Records is approaching to the era of future tech-noir and this release is the result of an internal process of thoughts and ideas behind them. It tells the story of a sad wanderer who is trying to find the path to personal truth. Outside, a desolate scenario of modern architectures of cold glass, standing to the edge of horizon. A wonderland of mirrors and empty landscapes: the triumph of solitude.
Vae Victis second release with apparent newcomer(s) Nightjars taking the reins but still maintaining the philosophy of analogue processes and hybrid styles. The concept is further crystallised here with two distinct sides to the record; starting with the ‘raw’ side, “Thing Movin On” steps and shudders in a sparse fashion, using very little percussion besides a kick and rimshot playing against a looped synth refrain and a purposefully distorted vocal sample. “Heavy” however fares far better with some nasty processing, as a mean acidic bassline rubs up against razor sharp hats in belting fashion. The more melancholic material in Nightjars’ repertoire has been wisely saved for the ‘clean’ side, starting with the plush finish of “Left People”. After that ambiguous exercise, “Everynight” positively shines for its focus and dynamics. While there’s no greater complexity at work in the music, the pace and flow of the track feels far more engaging, not least when the vintage garage-house bassline comes in.
First release from a this new label Sunklown by Joy Orbison and Boddika. “Froth” is the more overtly melodic of the two, leading with a murmuring female vocal sample, and weaving marble-smooth pads between its staccato mid-range synth and hi-hat clatter, whilst “Mercy” is a mechanical techno behemoth that practically heaves under the weight of its own leaden mass, audibly letting off steam as it goes.
Scandinavia’s ATV serving 4 slow paced, atmospheric electronic cuts that are perfect for headphone listening, yet also have the right energy for playing them out loud.
Shed’s 50Weapons debut. He’s created something completely unique; rather than boom, the rhythm of “The Praetorian” pulsates, taking a metronomic, sand-dry snare and combining it with an undulating pad melody with a distinctly dreamy quality. “RQ-170” meanwhile ticks along with the head-nodding rhythm of dubstep, utilising bass frequencies almost below the range of hearing, while a snarling rasp burrows through the track’s centre.
Cultivated Electronics moves into its 10th release with an EP from long standing Dutch Electro pioneer Frank De Groodt under his Sonar Base alias. This is the 3rd landing from Sonar Base. ‘We Attack Before Dawn EP’ gives a nod to the mid 90’s Electro sound of Underground Resistance with 3 killer cuts from Sonar Base and a remix from CE label head Sync 24.
Juan Atkins returns to R&S on a Model 500 solo mission. The last Model 500 single enlisted the help of the live line up that includes Detroit techno royalty Mike Banks and UR alumni Mark Taylor, but this latest release is just Juan in the studio and back at his best. ‘Control’ is vintage Model 500, the classic electro that Atkins pretty much invented, with his treated vocals riding over the crisp rhythm programming, dark basslines and Detroit synths. ‘The Messenger’ on the flip is a moodier affair, with the liquid synths almost running away with themselves over the rough beats.
“Lords Of Percussion” is the debut release by Alejandro Rodriguez for Hivern Discs. The imposing title track invokes the spirit of the darker side of Detroit with a a kind of psychedelic perspective. Blending utterly tense pads with savage vocal samples and fueling them with heavy drums, Kresy bring us a battering Techno cut that exudes sterling rawness and will unveil primitive forces even in the most rough dancefloors. Along the original mix, the release includes brilliant remixes by Jacob Korn and Aster.
Kontra-Musik launches a new White Label series. The sound is a bit rougher and punky but still with quality and uniqueness as main focus. First release is from the trio Frak.
Montreal-native Tazz delivers New Kanada three jacking and psychotic beat trax. Tazz and Bacanito unravel the threads of aggression in the lead cut ”Cosmic Sex”. Metallic heavy machine funk for those winter nights. ”Wanderer” is a late night ode to Model 500, with waves of synths burrowing into the ground to produce a dark wave classic. Cold, pure and supple. ”Mermaids and Mermen” is is the tough club killer in the package. A deep tricky dub transforms into an underwater symphony of rusted hooks and FM pad.
Redshape with two tracks on 3024. A-Side ‘Throw In Dirt’ opens with vintage drum machines locked into a stooped groove as hi-hats spark off the top while a heavily filtered and pitched vocal loop offers dead eyed encouragement. After such an oppressive opener, ‘The Land’ is a noticeable change of pace. A horizon spanning kick underpins gospel’ish vocal snatches as the familiar hissing of synthesized cymbals shifts and builds on top of bass that’s more shudder than line.
Fachwerk with their 3rd Fachwerk ep with tracks by Sasha Rydell, Mike Dehnert and Roman Lindau. For this one Mike Dehnert gears up and drops some gritty and raw techno tracks. Sasha and Roman deliver great effective techno tracks aswell.
Fachwerk Ep No.2 with the FW posse doing what they do best! Mike Dehnert, Roman Lindau and Sasha Rydell dropping some solid techno tracks with irresistible grooves in their signature production style. On this Ep 2 all tracks are working around cut up vocal samples and a slightly more minimal techno-ish vibe.
Two remixes for Rick Wade’s “Night Station” on P&D Recordings by Zadig and P&D (Phil Weeks & Didier Allyne).
Raw techno and dark wave craftsmen Morphosis is back with a new two tracker on his own Morphine imprint. A-side ‘Exposure’ hears an ambulance-like siren pan across a desolate landscape of buzzing and humming static. It’s bleak but somehow optimistic and sounds typically ‘live’, whilst ‘Postatomicpoetry’ has a heavy bottom end thudding deep down below as various machine noises and electric wires stretch out in all directions above. It’s chilly, hostile and heady, building in highly hypnotic layers like only Morphosis can.
The final part of Svreca’s “Obscur”series with 2 new tracks and old ones remixed by Silent Servant, Skirt, Regis and Orphx.
Having become something of a regular fixture in the Mote Evolver camp, Shifted is back once again to head up Side A of the second Parallel Series 12″. As you might expect, the techno comes bleak and throbbing from the Shifty one, although avoiding excessive heaviness over immersive progression and dubby FX. On the flip Samuli Kemppi plies his quirkier trade, using offbeat synth mess to counteract the steady rhythm of the bottom end on “Trans Neptunian”. “Detached Object” meanwhile fires off streams of interlocking sounds which spiral around the relentless kick for a classy exercise in techno restraint.
Debut release on A&S Records by the dutch duo Dimi Angelis and Jeroen Search, featuring some dark and dirty analogue mixup between detroit techno and chicago house.
Ugandan Methods = Ugandan Speed Trials (Regis) + Ancient Methods. ‘Sixth Method’ is their second collusion of Industrial Techno mechanics, following a razing session on Downwards’ DN label in 2009. A-side is the droning, ‘floor ploughing behemoth ‘Beneath The Black Arch’, spiking AM’s war funk rhythms with a seething tribalist madness to deadly impact. Flipside ‘Between A Sleep And A Sleep’ relies on a more subtle sense of swing and hypnotic layering to deliver the desired effect, before they gorge on bludgeoning kicks and skin-flailing noise with remorseless brutality on ‘She Belongs To An Eternity’.
Subsist Records delivers a cutting edge underground electronic/techno music compilation, showcasing a selection of tracks in all shapes and forms from talented electronic music producers across the globe.
The Hipodrome Of Music 