New release from the Trust orbit: SCRAM01 combines cold futurism with a pulp sci-fi mood, cool Berlin dub techno flavours with melodramatic Detroit strings. Side A is a pounding acid trance epic by Vienna’s Patrick Pulsinger, side B has the slightly more melodic original plus bonus beats.
‘Light Box’ is the first artist album to bear fruit from the recent studio partnership of James Ruskin and Mark Broom – aka The Fear Ratio. As The Fear Ratio, Broom and Ruskin delve into the hinterland of contemporary music. A space where cold atmospheres meet lush melody and tough, yet clipped pulsating beats. From the warm polyrhythmic funk of ‘Ax’ to the deep spatial reverb of ‘Guv 1’, the dub induced strains of ‘Pinhead’ and melancholic refrain of ‘Morning Blues’ Ruskin and Broom deliver their new artistic agenda.
Kondens is collaboration between Swedish electronic music veterans Andreas Tilliander aka Mokira and Stefan Thor aka Folie. The sound is a hybrid of techy dubstep with a twist and banging dub-influenced techno. Pure peak time bliss without losing the love for dub and tape delays. This is their ‘Second Coming’ and is supported by a breathtakingly beautiful Substance remix.
Three techno tracks with a nice raw edge from Comfortable Records. Its taking things just a bit further then just your average techno tool.
Harry Klein Records is back with a two tracks EP. ‘Ultraschall’ is an homage to the first big techno club in Munich. Daniel takes us on a journey through the past and back to the future again. A charming mixture of laid-back grooves combined with some rough n ready rave moments make this a rapturous trip, no matter what time it is. ‘If You Loose My Number’ is the first Vivianne Projects aka Heartthrob tracks is more than 6 years.
Time To Express hands in another hard-hitting, bass- heavy techno 12”. For the 18th release, SP-X provides two original tracks while label owner Peter Van Hoesen delivers the remix.
For the debut release, Buenos Aires-based Krill Music have coaxed the evil out of Jonas Kopp and AnD to present a two-track EP of seriously threatening techno. “Transparent” is AnD’s most menacing number yet and sees their ambient dub pallet take a chilling industrial turn. Unsettlingly languid to begin with, “Transparent” slowly thuds to life, as though rising from an ancient slumber, before steely drum programming lead the charge through an ominous sonic landscape. A post-apocalyptic burner set to light up the darkest of underground dancefloors. On the flip, “Anklad” is a hydraulic workout from the Argentinian, molded from a minimal blueprint that has been fermenting in Berlin sensibilities. A dangerously precise piece of techno hypnosis.
Two big room techno tracks from the always versatile Jackmate. Jacking techno driven by a solid acid-ish bassline. A welcome return from Phil E.
Another very sought after limited Sushitech 12″. “Baseline 87″ is exactly what the title is named a rolling Baseline loop that would certainly move any dance floor. Talking of dance floors “Music For The Dancefloor” certainly does what it says on the tin. A modern Detroit Techno track with lots of energy with Huckaby’s signature keys that certainly move you.
Sex Tags Mania presents Reson – a zealous session of accented TR-808 and live synth solos balancing between the emotive and ecstatic, but not irrational. This live electro jam, recorded in Pyramide Studios Frankfurt, grasps the sentience of techno music. The countering side appends two parts – first purely consisting of beats and reverb – latter a deep stripped exothermic continuation of the main theme.
Bulgarian artist Strahil Velchev aka KiNK for the second volume of the “Tracks from the Vault” series. After the Aphex KiNK EP and KiNK’s tribute to Richard D. James, Sharivari releases another 6 tracks from the man, all produced between 2004 and 2009 in Sofia and showcasing again his love for the dirty side of electronic music, from pure warehouse techno to some funky and warm broken beats, with a subtle touch of acid, as always with KiNK.
The Londinium EP is the latest release on Uzuri Recordings and welcomes Chicago Skyway back to the fold. Musically, he keeps it closer to his Windy City heart. Hakim Murphy remixes the track and his rework retains the drawn-out essence of the original but brings a whole new hips-and-shoulders groove to the track. On the flip, Traffic plays out a very simple analogue groove over a clapping 808 percussive pattern. A slow, static-filled monster of a track – not abrasive for the sake of it – instead switching between muffled warmth and the hiss of synths working overtime.
After their debut, Achterbahn D’Amour (aka Iron Curtis & Edit Piafra) return to Absurd, with 2 new tracks plus a massive remix from Skudge.
This time it’s XDB delivering the goodies for Dolly, as always pushing the boundaries between house and deep techno. With this 4 excellent cuts XDB is taking the label in even deeper territories. Even though they are very well playable and will easily rock the floor, taking it up to somewhere between jupiter & mars, XDB’s tracks are more than just proper dj-tools. So well-crafted, deep, harsh and hypnotising, but always firmly keeping floor contact with minimal yet funky drum programming, exactly as this kind of music should be. To top things of, Brooks Mosher on remix duties delivers a Detroit inspired remix of ‘Sunda’.
Rawax with another strong ep done by the young talented Unbroken Dubs. Raw analogue sounding techno tracks with a nice lively feel and funking drum machines!
All the tracks here are based around the 909 – thunderous kickdrums and sharp, hissing hi-hats that cut through the mix. Still, there’s a broad range of sounds, from head-down, fists-clenched warehouse workouts with an industrial edge, to more melodic tracks with Detroit references aplenty. Good honest techno with a real raw live feel.
Another ”typical” Semantica release. This time it’s Mike Parker with an interesting blend of electronix and techno.
The Hipodrome Of Music 