CD Album Recommendations April 2011

Review: dBridge's forward-thinking approach to drum & bass is well known, but even ardent followers of his Exit label have been pleasantly surprised by some of his A&R choices of late. This debut album from They Live a collaboration between cinematic D&B type Consequence and hotly-tipped producer Joe Seven is a great example. Seemingly inspired by sci-fi concepts and sweeping film soundtracks, it unassumingly flutters between slo-mo 4/4 grooves ("Letters Down"), IDM creepiness ("Mr Spalding's Neighbourhood"), glitchy experimentation ("The Ridgeway"), soaring ambience ("Cavalier") and vast, atmospheric MDMA-scapes ("The Alive"). On first listen it appears lightweight, but a few sessions on the headphones soon dispels any lingering doubts; Cancel Standard is very special indeed

Review: This dancefloor-friendly set sees a varied bunch of contemporary disco and house producers re-working tracks from Crazy Penis' 1999 debut LP, the disco-flecked deep house opus A Nice Hot Bath With. Their reworks are by and large satisfyingly good, with a smattering of notable stand outs. Flash Atkins (AKA Paper boss Ben Davis) serves up a sumptuous slo-mo version of "I Am Love", PBR Streetgang fuse low-end funk and piano house on their "Little Something" remix, and Rune Lindbaek goes all-out disco on his remake of "Mambo". Crazy P's own remix of "Do It Good" is superb, too, dragging an original album highlight

Review: Major props should go to Rush Hour for putting together this sumptuous collection of previously unreleased material from late 80s Chicago house pioneers Eric Lewis and Merwyn Sanders, aka Virgo. Rescued from dusty shoeboxes full of DAT tapes, the 16 tracks showcased here could be considered long-lost house classics. Certainly, the mix of early deep house, slinky vocal numbers, next-level acid experimentation and raw, midtempo dreamscapes is the equal of anything that emerged from the Windy City in that productive period from 1986-1990. If you're a confirmed househead, you need this in your life.

Review: The album format has plagued electronic artists for a long time, and always poses the same dilemmas - should they focus on song-based styles in a bid to prove themselves as artists, or just deliver dancefloor tracks? Thankfully, Lucy's debut long player circumvents these issues, opting for an experimental approach, albeit one that is not entirely unfamiliar to fans of his Stroboscopic Artefacts label. The recoiling, menacing bassline and ominous feeling on "Thear" and the pounding yet eerie "Bein" sound like they could have formed part of the label's digital-only Monad series, while the dreamy breaks and half-heard vocals of "Eis" would also not have sounded out of place on the label's spin-off. The rest of the album adopts a field recording poise, with Lucy taking in the noises and sounds of his everyday life via a digital recorder. The sound of water dripping is audible on "Mas", while indistinct snippets of a conversation emerge on "Gas". Wordplay For Working Bees is steeped in techno's culture of advancement and proves that after three decades, it is still possible to challenge convention.

Review: TRACKLISTING:
1. No Pressure 2. L Train 3. Blue Lights 4. Grey Area 5. Let Me In 6. Someone Like… 7. Dead Air 8. Traces 9. Think!
10. Reversal 11. Olek

OVERVIEW:
Having played an influential part in the house and techno scene for the better part of the last decade, Simon Baker has made a name for himself as one of the UK's most respected producers, and now present's his highly anticipated debut album "Traces".

Acclaimed singles released through pioneering labels such as Playhouse, Get Physical, Cocoon and of course 2020Vision, and constantly traveling the globe playing at the best clubs in the world have continually honed Simon's sound to the classic sounding, richly produced electronic house music that makes up his debut album.

The clamor for his debut artist album has grown steadily over the past few years and, in March 2011, the long player 'Traces' will be released on his home label 2020 Vision.
The album effortlessly balances Simon's trademark club tracks with a more musical, refined sound that has been developing steadily over his past releases. Grey Area has been one of the stand out tracks of his dj sets for months, and is just one of the album tracks which is equally suited for basement parties and Space terrace as it is as part of the album experience. The two collaborations featuring vocals from new finding Debukas, No Pressure and Let Me In punctuate the album perfectly and provide a classic soulful edge, as does Someone
Like with its superb, uplifting pianos, these tracks prove Simon is now capable of working with musicians to fulfill the widescreen visions of his music.
He also knows when a more delicate touch is called for and tracks like Reversal and Think! sit perfectly on the album as house music more fitting for headphones than dancefloors and follow in a rich tradition of the deep, soulful electronic music 2020Viosion is renowned for.

It's good to see Simon has avoided the usual pitfalls of the debut album for the dj/producer, there are no downtempo excursions, no guest list of big name vocalists and thankfully no soundtrack for an imaginary film. He's kept to his trademark 4/4 house music pulse, although it comes in many moods and flavours that make it a true album listening experience.

PRESS: Feature confirmed in DJ Magazine & Album of the Month. NOTION - full page editorial feature (April Issue), MIXMAG - Download Chart Feature, 5/5 Album review confirmed. FUTURE MUSIC - Large feature and DVD "In The Studio". I?DJ - Large Feature Confirmed for April Issue, Album Review confirmed (March). Simon confirmed as new "Raw Talent" Judge (regular monthly feature). TILLLATE - Large feature confirmed with album review. VICE - Album review. DAZED AND CONFUSED - Album review TBC. THE BIG ISSUE -Album review TBC. WIRE - Album review and feature interview TBC.
RADIO: Serviced to specialist radio, updates to follow.
LIVE: 'TRACES' DJ TOUR
Wednesday January 5th, 2011 air london at BPM Festival
Friday February 4th, 2011 Da Providers at Kapital, Lisbon
Friday February 11th, 2011 at Sonido, Leicester
Friday February 18th, 2011 at Moody Disco, Brighton
Friday February 25th, 2011 at Sound Factory, Dublin
Friday March 4th, 2011 Watergate, Berlin
Saturday March 5th, 2011 at Air, Amsterdam
Friday March 11th, 2011 at Club Pompadour, Vienna
Saturday March 12th, 2011 at Fabric, London
Saturday March 19th, 2011 at Face, Birmingham
Tuesday March 22nd, 2011 air london at Electric Pickle, Miami WMC
Saturday April 2nd, 2011 at mUmU, Liverpool
Saturday April 9th, 2011 at The Caves, Edinburgh
Saturday April 16th, 2011 air london at mini_val, Aberdeen
Saturday April 23rd, 2011 at Baalsaal, Hamburg
Sunday April 24th, 2011 air london pres Love Not Money, London
Saturday June 4th, 2011 at Formbar
Saturday June 18th, 2011 at Sound Boutique
CLUB: Support across the board.
MARKETING: Podcasts on Data Transmission and the Clash website, mailout to 2020Vision and Air London mailing lists, print ad in DJ Magazine.
OTHER ACTIVITY: www.myspace.com/simonbakerinfantrecords www.2020recordings.com/artists/simon_baker/

Review: Mike Dehnert and his Fachwerk and MD2 labels have been at the forefront of 90s-inspired techno for the past few years - but will his consistently high strike rate translate to a long player? Thankfully, Dehnert sticks to what he knows best, resisting the ill-advised urge to position himself as a versatile all-rounder. Apart from the brief, abstract "Intro", the dreamy ambience of "Kontextfrei" and the hissing static noise of "Outro", the album centres on the dancefloor, but manages to avoid repetition. And while the dubby bass, scuffled beats and clanging percussion of "Infix" is indicative of the Berlin producer's abeyance to the Basic Channel/Chain Reaction axis, Framework widens his scope; "Beatmatching" is an uplifting vocal-sample heavy groove and this new-found playfulness is also audible on the rave riff sampling "Teilfolge" and the purring bassline and synth melodies of "Quattro". Dehnert may be operating in a new format, but Framework proves that when it comes to techno functionalism, he is peerless.

Review: What really impresses about Meteorology, the third album from post minimal adventurer Daniel 'Frivolous' Gardner, is its cheeky playfulness. Sure, there's a minimal-ish swing to the beats and liberal use of crackly noises, but these are offset by deliciously melodic bounce, a wonderful sense of adventure and even the odd nod to jazz. Gardner regularly gets on the mic to add his own bittersweet vocals (see the swirling noughties jazz-house of "Red Tide"), and thinks nothing of offering up both Nicolas Jaar-ish experimentation ("One Fine Solstice", "Lunar Phaser") and global dancefloor fusions (the tango-techno of "Cinemascopique", chiming "Olstagia" and thrilling "Serenades Des Excentriques"). It makes for an album that entertains and exceeds expectations throughout.

Review: After the natural commotion that surrounded the sudden news of an eighth Radiohead album available for immediate download - and some loose limbed moves from Thom Yorke last month, the band finally appease their fans that prefer a tangible product. The King Of Limbs sees Thom Yorke and company continue the sonic experimentation that has characterized the latter part of their career. Those expecting a full-on Aphex Twin style electronic assault may, though, be disappointed. While it's all densely layered and impressively textured see the droning guitars, electronics and tape loops of "Bloom" or the atmospheric dubstep of "Lotus Flower" there are still plenty of authentic experimental rock moments, not least the uptempo "Little By Little" and semi-acoustic dreamscape "Give Up The Ghost".

Review: Whilst a familiar name to European techno fans, Swedish veteran Patrick Skoog has barely registered on the wider dance music radar even with high profile Adam Beyer and Shonky collaborations under his belt. This full-length debut could go some way to changing that. Coming out on Ovum, it boasts a hypnotic, main room-friendly style that sits somewhere between full on-techno, afterhours tech-house and sleepy Germanic deepness. Skoog's percussion programming has always been impressive, but here it stands out particularly on the heavyweight "Nahua" and bumpin' deep house jam "Shot By Light". It's this attention to rhythmic detail that makes "Who Made Up The Rules" a particularly rewarding listen.

Review: Game designer turned electronica wizard Martin Wheeler gets the 'best of' treatment, as Soma gathers together the best of his material for the long-established Glaswegian label. While hardened fans are catered for by a new track (the typically evocative "Floating Point") and a handful of remixes and remasters ("Tokyo Glitterati", "Girl + Robot" and "Memories & Melodies" are amongst the re-cut tracks), Electrospective will be of most interest to Vector Lovers virgins. To that end, it's an excellent collection, neatly showcasing Wheeler's icy, emotion-rich take on IDM, electro and ambient. If you're new to his childlike world of chiming melodies and innocent synths, it's an excellent starting point.

Review: Milan-based deep house producers Harley & Muscle are scarily prolific. No Compromise is the hard-working producers' fourth album since 2004. More impressively, it's a double, featuring a whopping 24 tracks. For those who enjoy their soft-focus take on deep house, there's much to enjoy. The first disc opens with some warming broken beat vibes before working through a variety of slinky, sultry deep house grooves including a wonderful soulful house cut with Joi Caldwell. This deep and sexy vibe is continued on disc two, which builds pressure via some tasty sax-house ("Stylish Class"), one or two neat percussion workouts (see "Sadly Known") and more uplifting soulful flavours.

Review: Spaniard Oscar Mulero has been knocking around the techno circuit for nearly 20 years, building a reputation as a fearsome purveyor of no-nonsense dancefloor techno. This debut album is split into two distinct parts. The first, "Grey", is what you'd expect; a seven-track techno assault that swings between jackin'darkness and heavyweight technoid funk. But it's the second part, "Green", that's the real revelation. Here, Mulero indulges his passion for IDM and abstract electronica, offering a set of tracks that could easily have appeared on Warp in the early days of Autechre, Polygon Window and B12. It's these cuts and in particular "Dreams Of Happiness" that really stand out.

Review: We're accustomed to Claremont 56 going that extra mile when it comes to releases coloured vinyl, limited pressings, hand-printed sleeves etc but even by their standards this is something special. Amazingly, it's the first ever collection of recorded material from one of the New York's most legendary early '80s acts, the post-punk live phenomenon that was Dog Eat Dog. Like an acid-fuelled hoedown between Fist Of Facts, ESG, Liquid Liquid and Talking Heads, Dog Eat Dog is a thrilling slice of previously unheard musical history a raw but funky fusion of low-slung rock, dub, funk and disco-punk, somehow patched together from demo tapes and forgotten live recordings.

Review: Melbourne-based Lance Ferguson takes time out from producing funk bank the Bamboos to lay down a second solo album under the Lanu moniker. "Her 12 Faces" is a curious choice of title, but neatly sums up the eclectic patchwork of beat-driven songs and instrumentals on display. While largely downtempo think vintage Aim after dosing himself up on Prozac Ferguson offers a few thrillingly uptempo excursions (most notably "Der Hotel Blume" and "1988"), as well as a slew of memorable songs featuring vocalist Megan Washington. She's probably at her beguiling best on string-laden torch song "Fall" a cut that wrestles with the dreamy steel guitar workout "The Coral Route" for the title of the album's stand-out track.

Review: It's been three years since Yost & Funk's last Beatkilla CD. In that time, the long established deep house duo has racked up another armful of 12" singles, meaning this third volume in the series is long overdue. Those familiar with the pairs work will know what to expect; high class, glossily produced instrumental deep house just oozing with understated soul flava. Oh, and lots of lots of Rhodes chords. The seamless mix format goes some way to staving off "samey" syndrome (they do have their own style, after all), and the highlights much-played single "Trust" and the Todd Edwards-does-deep house bump of "Your Beats Hurt Me" amongst them are outstanding examples of their art.

Review: It would be safe to say that Sauveur Mallia is not one of electronic disco's household names. During the late 1970s and early 1980s, he was involved in a number of pioneering and celebrated European disco projects, not least Spatial & Co, Arpadys and Voyager. He also recorded a number of experimental albums of quirky synthesizer music for space-age library music specialists Tele Music. This two-disc set gathers together material from some of those early 1980s sets. It's an excellent collection that should interest anyone with a passion for strange cosmic disco instrumentals, intergalactic weird-outs, quirky electronic music and far-out synthscapes.