Staff Picks w / c 4th September 2020

Review: Stephen EvEns is the solo project of multi-instrumentalist and all round clever bloke Stephen Gilchrist, who has filled the drum stool and other roles for bands as varied as The Damned, Cardiacs and Blur's Graham Coxon to name but a few. Assembling an all-star cast of musicians including My Bloody Valentine/Hurtling guitarist Jen Macro, William D Drake of Cardiacs fame and assorted members of Hot Sauce Pony and Gabi Garbutt & The Illuminations for assistance, this second long playing outing is an enthralling mixture of thumping Krautrock grooves and garage angst. Veering in mood from "Dustbin Man",- an angry but wit-laced anthem in support of the downtrodden public sector worker - to the sensitive. melancholic '"Freak Show" and "The Crystal Palace", it's a proper glimpse into the unique world view and inventive musical vision of this Zelig-like mainstay of the underground.

Review: They say good things come to those who wait. Suso Saiz has been waiting more than a generation for Suzanne Kraft to come along and re-contextualise his work. Finally, then, acclaimed new age guitarist who emerged through the La Orquesta de las Nubes and Musica Esporadica projects, meets his match with the precise but organic sound designs of one of electronic music's finest contemporaries, and the result is magnificent.

The whole thing feels like it should be heard in some kind of sensory deprivation tank - floating on the water's surface, blissfully allowing the drones, tones, chords and loose harmonies to wash our minds. Of course work like "Beloved Din" comes with more of a determined impact, its tribal drums and woodwind accents creating an otherworldly vibe, or at least a sense of the exotic. For the most part, though, this is lush, tranquil, mystical and wholly inviting stuff.

Review: Bjorn Torske's early 90s techno project Ismistik was one of the many artists who released on Djax-Up-Beats and helped to make it such a vital label back in the day. His 1995 album 'Remain' was a high watermark for the project that gets a well-deserved triple vinyl reissue by Emotions Electric. It's a proper album, too, that takes you on a voyage through moody, melancholic ambient, deep and slippery techno and IDM-inspired beats that are complex and rewarding. All the sounds here are very much en vogue still in 2020, which is testament to Torske's enduring original vision.

Review: If it's old and worth hearing, Mint Condition will make sure you hear it. That continues with a new reissue of the 1994 EP 'Brothers' by Housey Doings aka a broad collective made up of fist time tech house titans Dave Coker, Dave Pine, Justin Bailey, Laurant Webb, Nathan Coles and Terry Francis. "Brothers" sets the scene with high speed tech house and crisp hits, then and more chopped dup and acid-laced version "Brothers In Bump" gets more playful. "Poet" rocks back and forth on its metallic drums and "Magical" is a tribal offering heavy on drum programming. It's a speedy jam that perfectly fuses house and techno, just as tech house sound.

Review: Right in the midst of celebrating their 25th anniversary, Stretch's AKO Beatz drop two stunners from OG Colin Lindo. The man best known as Nubian Mindz and also Alpha Omega, here we find him in his lesser spotted De Elite guise with two brand new pieces of timelessness. 'Stargazers' is built around a spine-chilling arpeggio wile beautiful brushed drums shake around a warm subby bassline. Flip for 'Cerebral Junglist', where the atmospheres are similarly chilling but the breaks are chopped and re-woven within snares of their lives. Immense.

Review: Ismistik was an alias of Bjorn Torske back in the 90s. This month, Emotions Electric are reissuing not only his debut album, but also this, his debut EP, 'Bonus Bouncers'. It has become something of a rarity over the years, often fetching upwards of L40 on the second hand market, so don't sniff at this chance to own a nice, mint copy. Across the four cut selection there is bumping but soulful techno in the shape of "Miditrip", mad drum programming on "Slight Interrupt" and the melodic flashes and scintillating hi-hats of "Feel The Drumbox (Bounce!!)". "Xylophobia" is the restless and brilliant closer that will still do plenty of damage on modern floors.

Review: The considered crew of crate diggers and musical historians that is the Melodies International team returns with another vital piece that can make all out collections seem that bit more pro. In the spotlight this time is the gorgeous soul of La'verne Washington, who released this single, and this single only, at an unknown time in the past. The whole thing has been remastered by Floating Points and kicks off with the heart swelling joy of "The Promise" with its soaring vocals and rich musicality. "I Found What I've Been Searching For" slows things down to a more romantic and intimate mood, with lush chords and vulnerable vocals hitting a perfect sweet spot.

Review: Harbour City Sorrow is a sub or sister outlet from the Dutch label Frustrated Funk. They are focussed on reissues here as they offer up real techno gems from Detroit visionary Terrence Dixon under his Populatrion One moniker. The beefy double pack mixes up tunes from 2008's 'View From Above' four-tracker and 2012's 'I Program My Computer Right'. The vital results are space travelling minimal techno with plenty of cinematic sound design and cerebral ambiance. This is a template that has been hugely influential over the years, though few ever bettered the original master.

Review: German label Workshop is surpassing itself with two excellent new EPs in the same month. As well as a solo effort from DJ Slyngshot, here they offer up a four track VA packed with gold. It kicks off with the lush and ambient-laced deep house of "Strip Down to E" before taking off with the wonky chord hits, off balance drums and withering sci-fi effects of "Grand Street Piano", which is rave re-imagined. Things get as deep as you'd expect of a track called "Cerebral Repertoire" with its crystal clear and reflective pads, then "Zero" catches you off guard with its skittish rhythms and unusual arrangement. As always here, Workshop have cooked up some truly beguiling brilliance.

Review: Honey Dijon and Josh Caffee is a powerful coming together of black talent on the long essential Classic label. After a spoken word introducing from Caffee - a lauded DJ and live act who regularly blows up the likes of Block9 at Glastonbury - comes "Le Femme Fantastique" (extended mix). It's a twisted bit of raw, brain frying house with prickly drums, spiky synths and a great vocal delivered over the top. KiNK & KEi serve up an extended remix that is drawn out and somewhat stripped back, so it bangs in different but equally high impact ways. This EP is pure club dynamite, make no mistake.