MGUN Vinilo y CD

Review: It now feels like a long time ago since Detroit's Manuel Gonzales aka M GUN first released his debut EP for London's The Trilogy Tapes. That release is, of course, still a blinding classic in our opinions but, since then, the electronic music producer has visited many facets of house, techno, and beyond, leading him all the way to this second album for Semtek's Don't Be Afraid, entitled Axiom. With a double LP + 7" format at his disposal, M Gun explores mamy different narratives of the music that he has evidently been exposed to from a lifetime in Detroit and, for this reason, the album remains largely genre-free. The pulse behind the majority of the tracks is undoubtedly techno in mind-set, but there are many moments on here, such as "Sil" or "Hole", that take this way beyond the dancefloor and onto something more timeless. A beautiful cacophony of extraneous electronic sounds. Yes, Manuel.

Review: Given Don't Be Afraid's long relationship with Manuel 'M Gun' Gonzales, it's pleasing to see Semtek's label releasing the Detroit producer's long-awaited debut album. Predictably, it's a fine set, containing a mix of far-out techno throbbers - the hypnotic, piano-laden alien funk of "Half Past 3", fuzzy "Past Due", and classic Derrick May revivalism of "Bed & Breakfast" - dusty electro jams (the brilliant "NVR"), and more experimental downtempo fare (see the bass-heavy, dubbed-out "Nobs" and jazzy opener "Pok"). While it arguably takes mutiple listens to really peel back the layers and get your head round Gonzalez's impressive use of textures, it's more than worth the effort. Put simply, Gentium more than delivers on its' promise.

Review: Since his breakout solo debut as MGUN on Wild Oats with the psychedelically charged Harmnear back in early 2012, Detroit's Manuel Gonzales has found a place for himself among the current crop of talent from the Mid West's techno capital with a prolific production rate that's seemingly too much for labels to keep up with. Operating at the more abrasive end of the techno scale, Gonzales nonetheless has exhibited a keen understanding of Detroit's music heritage across a killer run of records for Semtek's increasingly influential Don't Be Afraid, The Trilogy Tapes, Berceuse Heroique and the Third Ear label. Having most recently rubbed shoulders with Jamal Moss on Pangaea's excellent mix CD for Fabric, MGUN now graces the Don't Be Afraid label for a third time with the Resin EP. Some six tracks deep, this EP sees Gonzales occasionally dip into the experimental style taken on his Savant side project - see opener "Assumptions" which could almost be from a Minimal Wave reissue - but there is still plenty of gritty techno here for the heads, "In The Road" is particularly apocalyptic.

Review: Since his emergence on Wild Oats collaborating with Kyle Hall as NSNT PRJCT, Manuel Gonzales has impressed under the MGUN moniker across a string of releases for the likes of Don't Be Afraid and Will Bankhead's The Trilogy Tapes. His return to the former with Are You Reading This is a hefty six tracks deep, and allows him the space for an expansive portrayal of the MGUN production palette with excellent results. Demented moments such as the rickety rhythms of opening track "Hand Over Fifth" and the unpronounceable exercise in tape screeching boom bap that is "Jijijijij$ijijijiji" sit next to clubbier arrangements like "Proxy" and the almost Berghain-like "Funnel Vision", but it's "Tritan" and "Bean Chirp", tracks with similarities to his aforementioned Kyle Hall collaboration, albeit moistened with wet reverb, dribbling acid and washy synths, that evoke a more classic Detroit style, albeit in his own unique way. Highly recommended stuff all round.

Review: Manuel Gonzalez's status as something of an unearthed gem in the Detroit scene won't stay the same for much longer. Previously touring with Underground Resistance, Gonzales has already served up one of our favourite records of 2012 with The Harmnear EP on Wild Oats under the adopted M GUN banner, and precedes a debut on The Trilogy Tapes with this excellent induction on breakthrough London label Don't Be Afraid. The Upstairs Apt EP showcases his evolving style, dropping four tracks that glide between strung-out house ("Let Conversation Take Place") and decaying, virulent electro ("Gas Chamber") with ease. There's a healthy amount of homespun charm to these decidedly unpolished tracks, as the wobbly machines jerk to Gonzalez's whims and carve him an unpredictable space in the Motor City scene.