techno
VA – The Orbitants [FU-ME008]
The Orbitants run into galaxy exploring the unknown. Space ambient track from the electro soldier The Exaltics, explores the parallel worlds with his iconic sound. The electro duo Faceless Mind, straight outta North Europe kicked it with ‘Viggen Formations’: heavy bassline, highly evocative and hypnotic synth. Follow up the B1. Keep on going with the well-crafted formula DJ Vietnam and Haterparisi. Generated arpeggios by modular square-waves with syncopated beats reminding their techno background tells the experience of an alien abduction. Discover the raw surfaces of the B side which feels both organic and apocalyptic. ‘Intergalacid’ by Umwelt, a mix of acid-rave and electro to create some high impact sonic weaponry.
Jensen Interceptor – Activated EP [BP005]
The “Between Places” Saga continues. This time with non other than powerman Jensen Interceptor. 5 tracks of icy electro which definitely burn down every dancefloor. Including a special collab with “Das Muster” from Germany.
Stef Mendesidis – Valley Of Machines [KLOCKWORKS23]
Ben Klock introduces Greek-grown, Moscow-based artist Stef Mendesidis for the next Klockworks release. Mendesidis delivers 3 original tracks utilising solely analogue gear to produce soundscapes inspired by cinematic scenes.
Anthony Linell – Sculpting Energy [NE56]
Anthony Linell’s latest suite of tracks cruise and drift with their head up. With a dizzy palette of terse and winding melodies, ‘Sculpting Energy’ feels like another new avenue for Linell on his unbreakable run of EPs. Drone surveillance-style patterns remain intact this time around, hinting at the unmistakable frozen planes of his previous works, yet with the opening track there’s the smack of bustling heat, as its title ‘Therme’ alludes to. The EP’s closing piece, ‘Vision of the Imminence’, presents a familiar sullen theme. Perhaps the measure of his latest work’s difference is in the modulating barbed wire-percussion and birdsong- synths that wrap the track’s cold core?
616 – Amor Amor Amor EP [SSL-007.1]
Stephen Lopkin – Imitator EP [DWT005]
Glasgow’s Stephen Lopkin presents the “Imitator EP”, a tongue-in-cheek tribute to the golden era of techno. Four tracks covering a broad range of styles from Detroit to the classic UK sound of the 90s. Serene electronics abound though every track packs a considerable punch making this EP as at home for home listening as it is for packing out the dancefloor.
I-F @ Dekmantel Selectors 26.08.2018
Lectromagnetique – Artificial Sources EP [EMCV003]
Lectromagnetique is back with renewed forces and his well recognizable electro-acid sound forms. Sonic waves of ‘Artificial Sources’ will take you to ionized radiation areas of Chernobyl where radiation dosimeters and heat strain monitors will be hobbling by unknown reason. Be careful, discovering this dystopian soundscape of radioactive area, where nature poisoned by humanity – still looks alive and dangerous acid flows may cause side effects.
Jensen Interceptor & Assembler Code – Kinematics [CPU01000011]
Jensen Interceptor & Assembler Code deliver another four tracks of deep hitting electro on CPU. Dancefloor electro, gleefully sprinting between dark, angular and angry fare (punishing but brilliant opener “Abstract Model”), rush-inducing peak-time anthems (the glassy-eyed, fuzz bass-driven bliss of “Kinematics”), Drexciya style workouts (“Extraction”), and buzzing, late night contortions (“VR Escort”). In other words, it’s another killer collection of cuts that should be on every electro head’s shopping list.
Wax – No.60006 [WAXNO60006]
Mick Wills @ Delta (Gamma Festival) St. Petersburg (Russia) 17.11.2019
PNKMIX-26 | Borusiade – Decembrie
Silent Servant – Shadows Of Death & Desire [HOS613]
Now-legendary producer, DJ, and art director Juan Mendez arguably reset techno at least twice. Once with his surreal and Europe-by-way-of-LA ’80s surrealist apocalypse culture aesthetics for Sandwell District, and again–as Silent Servant–with his “Jealous God” imprint that captured the youth-driven mutation of crossover electronics and dark parties churning in the American underground, which followed directly in the wake of his game-changing modern classic, Negative Fascination. Mendez has evolved to more aggressive and stripped-down acid punk electro dance attacks on Silent Servant’s equally vital follow-up, Shadows of Death and Desire. While many would stall after the success of a now contemporary cult classic, Mendez took his time to deliver a more raw–yet refined–brutalism in his second album.
FRAK – Project Digitalis [DP20]
FRAK are back on track with this dreamy album with deep dark hypnotic slow rhythmic tracks. This is experimental analog and haunting dancemusic at slow BPMs which gives you a glimpse of Swedish smalltown dystopia in all its glory. The A1 track might give the impression that this is a romantic record and the A side in general will make big city people feel the urge to move to small towns again, but on the B-side it just gets darker and weirder (the smalltown kinda reveals its ugly underbelly) and it all ends with a track that would make the taped nipples fake fetishists in techno city shiver. I could say you need a mask to play this out, but lets not take it that far.
VA – The Belligerents Vol.1 [GRTW006]
In 3 years DJ Nephil has taken Gravitational Waves into the contemporary dance music paradigm with tenacity. Nephil has built Gravitational Waves into a formidable entity and the culmination of this effort brings results with his latest EP. Here the label continues in powerful form with 6 cuts of raw metallic persuasion from Nick Klein, Enrique, Hannibal lll, Unhuman Betek and DJ Nephil himself.
Gesetz Der Oktaven – Klirrfaktor EP [3EEP201801]
“Klirrfaktor” is Berlin-based producer Hanno Leichtmann’s second release as Gesetz Der Oktaven, once again on Third Ear. Gesetz Dr Oktavn is strongly influenced by ’80s bands Liaisons Dangereuses, CH BB, and sporadically DAF but goes more in the direction of Techno and Electro. As before, the musical instruments and equipment define the project and the sound. Hanno used a drum machine, a MiniMoog sequenced by a TB 303, a vintage Drum Synth and six effect combinations for the delay / reverb tracks, all though a large Soundtracs desk from the 1980s with 16 channels and 6 Aux Sends for effects. Once again, all the track titles are old or obsolete studio/audio terms.
808Hz – Cabane 8 [002CAF?]
808Hz comes back with his second EP, this time as the first 12″ release of CAF?, a newly born swiss label. It contains five darkwave-oriented tracks filled with a feeling of anger brought back by the insecurity of being confronted to a pessimist over-industrialized future. Entirely composed of analogic vibrations, Cabane 8 is a relentless robotized assembly line made of a powerful core that won’t ever stop pulsating.
Northern Powerhouse – Northern Powerhouse [NP006]
Northern Powerhouse kick things into gear on their sixth release with snarling and grizzly analogue bass on the A and machine heavy percussion and distorted tones on the flip. One for dark rooms and deafening sound systems
Jeroen Search – Monism [FIGURELP03]
All things come from and return to the same source – such is the theory of Monism; an ancient philosophy, but also accounting for the music of Jeroen Search. Dictated by an ethos of exclusively recording live takes and the only ever editing happening while a tune is being created, each finished track is imbued with that unique magic of the moment. Such too is the nature of Monism, Search’s first LP in over two decades of electronic explorations and personal as well as artistic growth. As with any of his music that has been released so far, the tracks on here hold a timeless quality, existing within their own frame of reference than – that is their immediate experience. Across a carefully arranged course, the album naturally unravels its many ideas, ranging from moments of pensive ambient pieces to thick washes of dub echo and layers of modulated synths, all while providing an endless array of hypnotizing bare-bone grooves in the process. A true Figure mainstay, Jeroen Search upholds his artistic relevancy without any reinventing or switching up the formula – rather by simply keeping true to his accomplished craft.
The Hipodrome Of Music 