After a string of successful releases, Norwell returns to Crisis with three mind-altering electro trips and an epic remix treatment by label favourite Timothy J. Fairplay.
techno
Elements of Joy AKA UVB @ HÖR (Berlin) 01.05.2020
Kosmik – Comme des Larmes Podcast #23
Sasha Zlykh – Pink Flame EP [SSL-010]
Twig 10 comes in 2 episode. First one is signed by Sasha Zlykh, a promising, young talented producer based in Kiev.
Steve Summers – Counter-Factuals [CLEAR006]
It’s been a while since we last heard from Steve Summers, one of the many musical aliases of producer Jason Letkiewicz. When he last landed on proudly Chicagoan imprint CLEAR with the robust and unearthly “Artificial Light” EP, it was on the back of nine years spent building up Steve Summers as a purveyor of forthright club cuts that pushed at the limits of acceptability. Now Letkiewicz’s return with his Steve Summers pseudonym on CLEAR is defiantly intense and otherworldly in tone. “Counter-Factuals” is powered primarily by the kind of psychedelic acid lines and thrusting machine drums that have long been a hallmark of Chicago house. This is no nostalgia-fest though, with Letkiewicz’s take on “acid” being more abstract and unorthodox than the music of his predecessors.
Crossover Network – In Disarray 050
VRIL – Bad Manners 4 [BM4]
Elevating dubbed out Techno album, comes in gatefold cover. Comming from VRIL on Marcel Dettmann’s label Bad Manners Records.
Crossover Network – Abattoir of Dreams [RET009]
Late night escapades- Wandering endlessly through desolated city’s. Behind the dystopian area that favours the odd minds. We had to go under the ground. Nothing is left only an Abbatoir of Dreams. For Dark is the Suede That Mows Like a Harvest.
Freddy Fresh – 1996 [EAR028]
Freddy Fresh returns on Earwiggle to provides some choice material from the year 1996, remastered and ready for modern consumption. We start with the tunneling acid tour-de-force of ”Abraxas”, that first appeared on Freddy’s ”Analog Space Funk” album on Analog, followed by a similarly spaced out (yet previously unreleased) track of the same period, ”Aerial”. Originally released on Cari Lekebusch’s Hybrid label, ”Logical Grooves 1” is prototype supernatural techno on an almost morbid tip, while ”Barogue” is a classic Freddy Fresh cut to wrap up (fittingly taken from his ”Accidentally Classic” album on Harthouse), where weighty Mr. Fingers style chords play over an epic and deep-building exotic soundscape. ”1996” marks a special snapshot in time – when Freddy Fresh did ‘out there’ techno in a way that no-one else did, techno that we believe will always stand the test of time.
Late Night Approach – The Naus Investigation [KL-NR4]
Late Night Approach is back on Klakson with 3 fast paced machine funk tracks.! The Italian duo is taking this EP up to a next level with their distinguished sound, a fresh blend of electro, IDM and UK goodness. Bonus on the A side is a slamming FastGraph remix.
Ekman – Kronkel [SHIP066]
Ekman is no stranger to Shipwrec. With three EPs and an album, the dutchman’s brand of fire and brimstone has seared a serious impression on the Nijmegen imprint. The fourth 12″ comes with a marked difference. That burning smouldering intensity that has characterised the acid soaked electro and stained techno of past records is present, however it is now sheathed. Beats are still sharp edged, as in “Verdraaide Logica”, yet keys have softened and taken on an introspection. “Kronkel” is cast in a similar mould. From a fearsome kick blooms an incredibly layered and thoughtful track where melodies bob and weave while rhythms rail. Even amidst the sinister sidling synthlines of “Anker Punten”, with its piercing and punishing percussion, there are understated pads to mellow. The glass and steel of “Vast/Los” ends the EP. Angular lines permeate the piece, reflection and refractions arc and bend in this science fiction finale. Depth mixed devilment from start to finish.
L.F.T. – Suburban Mix 171
VA – Phormix – Mass Disorder [FREE DOWNLOAD]
Free download compilation from Athenian outfit Phormix; including tracks by Anatolian Weapons, Baz Reznik, Celldod, DJ Loser, Fragedis, Morah, Outermost, Penelope’s Fiance, Unhuman and many more.
No Moon – Set Phases To Stun [XK020]
No Moon is back on X-Kalay. A lot has changed in the three years since his debut on the label but Fred’s ability to turn in forward thinking and original electro definitely has not. This latest effort is the work of an exciting producer on the rise. Opening the A side “CPU Limit 99” is full of jungley skittish breaks, acid bass and off kilter rhythms. By the time we hear the voice of Agent Smith creeping out in the first break we could be forgiven for casting our minds back to Metalheadz circa 2002. Next up, “Aoe_Rushin” is the pick of the bunch for us and continues The Matrix theme, albeit less explicitly, via a full on bonkers trip of searing acid, razor sharp drums and smashed up vocals. On the flip Adam Pits switches up “Aoe_Rushin” into a pacey 4×4 club joint utilising some expansive arrangement and lovely speed garage-esque bass. Closing things out, title track “Set Phasers to Stun” winds things back and rounds up with a deep and meditative cut of melodic electro.
Luke Slater – Berghain Fünfzehn [OSTGUT127]
Berghain Fünfzehn sees Luke Slater creating new compositions from the Ostgut Ton back catalogue, chopping, looping tweaking and deploying sounds into a mix that is both a playful retrospective of the label and future-facing vision for mixing and dance music. On April 17, seven exclusive tracks from the Berghain Fünfzehn DJ mix will be released on two 12”s and for streaming/digital download. De- and reconstructing the Ostgut Ton discography, Slater’s vision encompasses not only sampling but live electronics and improvisation, resulting in a broad spectrum of heady and liminal dance music: from ultra stripped-back mindfuck techno, vocals and blasts of distortion to breakbeat excursions, minimalistic acid, and rave polyrhythms. In other words: the arc of the label through Slater’s singular hallucinatory prism.
FIT Siegel – Formula EP [FIT-025]
After five years of on-off collaborations and side projects, Aaron ‘FIT’ Siegel has finally got round to making a new solo record. The A-side “Exist On” delivers a brilliant blend of breakbeat-driven turn of the ’90s grooves, chunky bass, ultra-dreamy chords and the kind of bleeping top-end melodies. Title track “Formula” moves even further towards bleep techno territory via deep space chords, thumping techno beats, Kraftwerkian lead lines and the kind of distorted analogue bass found on LIES releases, while “Wayne County Stomp” sounds like a mutated, mind-altering cover of Steve Poindexter’s “Computer Madness”. Dedicated to those who find transcendence through music.
VA – Aid EP [MTRONAID1]
If you’re currently lucky to be in a position to spare some funds, please consider making a charitable donation in your community to help fight the Covid-19 outbreak. Should you still have any additional good fortune left, we have put together an Aid EP, to help support the artists on our label, currently under financial pressure due to the massive amount of event and DJ gig cancellations – and to keep the lights on in our collective, which is heavily dependent on income from event production.
The Aid EP additionally enables us to provide a bit of work for our mastering engineer, also a DJ and producer, financially impacted by event cancellations. All sales will be split 50/50 between the artists and ourselves, after mastering costs have been recouped.
Stay healthy out there – and if you have the means, we encourage you to find ways to reach out and support those affected in your local communities.
VA – WorldWideWindow [ENISSLAB]
In light of the current Covid-19 Pandemic Studio Enisslab headed up by Italian DJ / Producer and Live Act Neel has announced the release of a very special 56 track charity compilation project, fundraising for The Red Cross, who are working extremely hard alongside health services internationally that are feeling the effects of the corona-virus outbreak the most right now. The compilation is available for a limited time via Bandcamp and 100% of the proceeds will be donated to The Red Cross to help the world’s most affected countries in the Covid-19 pandemic.
This special release features over 6 hours of previously unreleased and unheard material, where an all star cast of artists were encouraged to share music that reflects this time we are living in.
Neel, who is one half of live duo Voices From The Lake, and LF58 speaks out on behalf of the initiative, organised in collaboration with improvised live project Circle Of Live, and visual art collective Sbagliato. He explains:
“In this situation we all need to look after each other and this project is a start. I wanted to reach as many people as possible to spread this message, so I started to share the idea personally with lots of artists and the response was amazing. I wanted them to take their time with whichever tools they had available at home to produce some music that reflects this time we are living in, a contribution for this special project and to portray a special message.”
The project’s cover art image brought to you by visual art collective Sbagliato shows pictures of windows of houses and studios taken by the artists themselves: 56 musicians, 56 windows, 56 tracks shape a new place of sharing.
The Analogue Cops – Lucretio versus Marieu Vol.2 [MEMENTO043]
Lucretio and Marieu a.k.a. The Analogue Cops come back on Memento with a four tracks EP. Lucretio delivers two cuts written and produced with the extraordinary Kyma workstation: “Ghetto Stab” is an heavy DanceMania influenced party banger while “Any Idea” is a deep techno journey into the realms of spectral manipulation. Marieu brings in all the hardware horsepower romanticism with “Tab and Rub” and “The Restored Text”; the first being acid excursion into the memories of the earl From days, the second interpolating massive kick drums and saturated harmonics with frantic vocal samples.
VA – 20 Years Crème Organization [FREE DOWNLOAD]
“Here’s a free compilation to celebrate our 20th birthday, which fittingly falls right in the middle of the biggest crises the world has faced this century. This is not a retrospective, in times like these it important to look to the future. It features exclusive tracks by label mainstays and some up and coming artists from the West Coast and beyond. Up to you to figure out which is which.”
The Hipodrome Of Music 