Review: B.Love is next up on Leeds legend Ralph Lawson's 20/20 label having come to his attention on Record Store Day 2024 with his Music Dance Experience EP and then later that day when playing as a resident at the Bizarre Trax party Lawson was en route to play. Here he showcases his electro sound across four cuts starting with 'Rhythm Freq', a celestial and disco-tinged sound. 'Movement Feeling' is a party starting cut with old school style and plenty of percussive lushness, then 'Soda Junior' brings louche, low-slung disco funk before 'Bisous' shuts down with more cosmic playfulness and vibrant synth colours.
Review: B+'s B-Beat Classic is originally from 1983. It is an early hip-hop and electronic fusion with some great talk-box vocals and a loose-limbed mix of percussion and drums. It moves slowly and purposefully, with scratches over the top and unhinged funk soon permeating your body. Leftover tape was used to create the effects and original copies have a note that the tune was dedicated to a first generation Boston disco DJ named Jim Stuard whose career was cut short by the Everard Baths fire in New York City in 1977.
Review: The seemingly unstoppable rise of De:tuned continues, as they take a break from serving up sci-fi techno, IDM and ambient techno to deliver something a lot more intense: a surprise EP from original House of God Birmingham resident DJ Paul 'Damage' Bailey. Channeling the spirit of his friend Surgeon while offering up something fresh, the two original tracks on show are undeniably inspired. 'Hadal Zone' adds weirdo noises, bleeps and mind-mangling electronic pulses to a slipped Afro-techno groove, while 'Decompression' is a wonky, triple-time workout full of Ket-addled electronics and wayward loops. Makaton re-imagines that track as a locked-in late-night techno throb-job, while James Ruskin turns 'Hadal Zone' into a buzzing, industrial-influenced electro-bleep number.
Review: A repress of Innershades & Betonkust's 2018 new beat sensation 'Forever In Boccaccio!' has long been requested by hardcore record collectors. And now it has become available and has been fully remastered and housed in a new sleeve design, limited to just 300 copies. It was first made, according to the two being it, in January 2017 "under grey Belgian skies," when they had been consuming lots of acid and new beat, which of course shows. The title cut is brilliantly dark and gothic but is backlit by haunting vocal harmonies and underpinned by a menacing bassline. The three other cuts explore similar moods and grooves with great authenticity.
Review: Martin Matiske's renaissance continues as he delivers another fresh EP as Blackploid for effervescent Sheffield imprint Central Processing Unit. In keeping with the German producer's other recent material, we can hear echoes of his classic, mid-2000s Blackploid material. Strange Stars also continues his interplanetary theme, delivering a quartet of sci-fi powered cuts full of squelchy acid bass, star-fall electronics, Kraftwerkian melodies and beats so crunchy you could probably eat them for breakfast. Our picks of a very strong bunch are probably pulsating opener 'Star Patrol' and the turn-of-the-80s sci-fi movie feel of 'Unseen', but to be honest all four tracks hit the spot.
Review: Blawan is not only the most notable electronic producer to have ever come out of Barnsley (as far as we know, anyway_ but is also one of techno's most relentless innovators. He's done it all from heft, swinging bass to the most caustic and experimental techno. For this one on XL he aims at the club once more. 'Fires' is our pick - an unrelenting, tightly stacked rhythm with alluring vocal hooks swirling up top and weird synth sounds adding even more unusualness.
Tougher (live At Hollis Park version - Jorun Bombay remix) (2:38)
Who's House (Iive At Hollis Park version - Jorun Bombay remix) (4:03)
Review: Legendary edit king, scalpel master and studio wizard Jorun Bombay is back with more of his expertly articulated remixes. This time his latest 7" comes on Soundweight and finds him reworking a live at Holls Park version of 'Tougher.' It is super short but sweet with raw, bumping breaks, backspins, sleazy vocals and early-era electro stabs. On the flip is 'Who's House' (Iive At Hollis Park version - Jorun Bombay remix) which is a smoother, deep hip-hop roller with feel-good horns and plenty of characterful scratching. Two different but equally effective new joints from Jorun.
Review: Berlin's renowned Iptamenos Discos its back with more great musical enchant in the form of this new white vinyl 12" in hand-numbered hand-stamped sleeve from Boys' Shorts. This dynamic queer duo comes from Greece and is made up of Vangelis (formerly of LAGASTA) and London-based Tareq. Their Something To Forget EP is a dazzling mix of disco with a whole world of subtle influences from other genres. Two originals come accompanied by innovative remixes from Gabe Gurnsey and Whitesquare to make this an effective outing that will likely win Boys' Shorts many new followers.
Review: Lovers of electro clash will be hyped by this reissue of some classics of the genre from Break 3000. They come from a specific time between 1998 and 2003 on red vinyl and mark the final chapter of the label's current reissue project. The A-side features Break 3000's remix for Germany's Pocketgame label in 2003, part of the We Are He-Man EP alongside a renowned Legowelt remix. Next, the dark electro track The Wait' appeared on Pocketgame's 'Bonuslevel One - North and South' compilation in 2003. The B-side showcases earlier releases 'Electric Blue' and 'Spacemachinenreise' and 'Lectrolite #2' on Break 3000's 'Casa Nova' imprint in 1999, which marked the start of his electro journey.
Review: Brother Aten debuts on Bruk with a minimalist masterpiece featuring the detached vocals of Ze R. This tidy 10" is influenced by cult sci-fi and early 80s no wave so naturally presents a stark, synthetic soundscape devoid of excess. The title reflects its mood: Aten's mechanical mantras are crafted with precision on outboard instruments and explore gritty, futuristic worlds. On 'Unavailable,' resonant drones create a platform for Ze R.'s initial deadpan delivery which reveals deeper humanity as the track unfurls through crisp drums. The brief yet impactful two-parter, 'Fragmented Dystopia' is a taste of Aten's cyberpunk vision while Ze R.'s words oscillate between structure and chaos.
Review: Argentina born producer and DJ Born has been serving up some fresh sonic treats for three or four years now and here makes the natural next step of starting his own label. Desencanto will become a place to hear Sebastian Rosas Bruno's freshest tackle as exemplified by this first 12" which collides techno, new wave, electro and new beat. Text with the tunes says the EP is the first of many that will "deal with the disillusions of today's world: political, social, economic and also those left by old loves." Concept aside, these are innovative and impactful cuts.
Review: The Partout label turns its attention back to its UK series with a fine four tracker here from Bufo Bufo. The whole thing is steeped in UK sounds with elements of rave never far away. 'Fata Morgana' has a dumpy beat that swings from one foot to the other while old school stabs light up the track from above. 'Hidden Key' ups the ante with a more hard hitting groove and more old school motifs, this time in the bass. 'Two Minutes To Midnight' is the waviest of the lot with sirens going off, rinsing breakbeats and turbo charged bass going deep. 'Elephant's Toothpaste' then cut up a more lumpy groove with bleeps and pulses making it a soothing groove for 5am.
Review: The Red Bul & Gyn label made a good impression with its first release and now the founders Thomas Bulwer and G Glynn step up with a second collaborative EP of fresh tech and minimal. 'Caffeine' is a shot of energy with its rising synth lines and dramatic sense of intergalactic space travel over a busy, acidic bassline. 'Like It Ruff' is an old school throwback with rap vocals and electro beats, then 'Acid Wash Conflict' is a thumping tech house sound with unsettling pads. 'Techno Talk' closes down with a mid-tempo electro sound and retro-future edge.
Review: Juan Barraco, the man behind the Bunda alias, is an Uruguayan producer and live performer whose musical journey began with classical training and evolved into electronic music production. His debut vinyl release, Origen EP features four solid tracks with the first half focusing on dancefloor-oriented pieces and the second half offering downtempo selections. 'No hay salida' is a vibrant cut with a driving kick drum and hypnotic bassline. '9O Mandamiento' introduces an intriguing soundscape with Arabic melodies and on the flip side, 'Stardust' presents a sci-fi-inspired techno groove, while 'Xep Nuit' showcases Bunda's creativity in composition and sound design.
Review: Buckle up and hold on tight for the latest electro excursion from the French folks behind the Patrout label. Buraye is the man in the driver's seat and sets his sights on the stars with 'Zydereen De Neptuno' which has zippy synths and snappy snares all weaving in and out of the drums. 'Black Light' then has a more menacing and darker bassline and 'Lead-Acid Mentality' brings the cyborg funk with a punchy beat and snaking bassline keeping you guessing. Last of all is 'Nocturnal Passengers' - defined by its squelchy and plunging bassline.
Review: The Spanish Hypnotic Collective label attempts to capture its take on the Detroit Legacy with what looks like a new series of various artists' EP. There is plenty of Motor City soul in the gorgeous synths of Cignol's muted acid and deep house opener 'Distance' which is a soothing and reverential groove, but then its pure party from Barce, Alex Martin offers up 313 style tech and three further tunes on the flip explore blistering electro with high-speed funk and cosmic intent. Mission accomplished and we're already looking forward to the next one.
Br Beta - "Man Of The World" (feat Luke Eargoggle) (3:01)
Guttan - "Bambakaos" (6:28)
Kenneth X - "Mixed Emotions" (4:02)
Kan3da - "GBG Electro CIty" (5:45)
Singularity Club - "Intercon" (2:28)
Review: Gothenburg Electro City 3 is a third episode in this superb new various artists series. Stilleben label head Luke Eargoggle says that three generations of Scandinavian electro sounds feature on the six track record. It comes from producers based only in Gothenburg which is the capital of electro in Sweden as well as being the capital of the Vastra Gotaland county. From the high energy and hard-hitting electro-funk of Dataintrang's opener to Guttan's more cinematic but no less caustic 'Bambakaos', all shades are explored here with compelling results.
Review: More proper tacker makes it way to vinyl here courtesy of the blow label who enlist four more producers of this latest various artists EP. Kitchen Plug's 'Cheat Code' marries the best of tech, garage, dub and house into a kinetic bit of body music that oozes warm and lo-fi soul. CYMKA brings kaleidoscopic colour and squelchy acid to 'Sweet Peach' then it's all pout old school piano rave madness from Batenko on 'Inside Summer 21'. Last of all is the searing electro funk of Les Hauts with 'Passing Clouds', a blisteringly quick trip into another dimension with some rueful chord work. Sensational EP.
Boris Dlugosch, Marc Romboy & CAR - "Survivor" (6:19)
Boris Dlugosch, Marc Romboy & CAR - "Survivor" (Johannes Albert remix) (6:02)
Review: Germany's always club-ready label Frank Music is back with another beefy 12" that finds mainstays and newcomers unite in fine fashion. Johannes Albert and Lauer open up with a trio of collaborations that go from full throttle, chord led house on 'Based on Boss' to the deeper grooves of 'Four 44' and far sighted, soul drenched tech of 'Posh-O-Rama'. Boris Dlugosch, Marc Romboy & CAR step up on the B-side with the woozy and hypnotic 'Survivor' which also gets remixed by Johannes Albert into something more raw. Useful grooves for sure.
Review: Welcome to the first drop for the brand new label Ancestros. On this evidence ,it is going to be another one to keep close tabs on if you like direct and raw electro. The first EP is a collaborative one between Nulek and Brian Topham that opens with the blistering bass and searching synth energy of 'Arabia Antigua' before 'Osiris' brings experimental broken beats and wispy, haunting leads to a heavyweight bassline. 'Desierto Intergalactico' brings some acid to the party and 'Vuelve De Los Muertos' closes down with some fantastical nimble drum programming and steppy synth sequences that will make your body pop.
Review: SIKU's various artists offerings always result in a nice and varied sound across two sides of vinyl and the sixth such drop is another one worth of attention for techno heads. Onoffon opens with 'Matter What' which rides on raw drums with slapping hits and stark synths, while Sebastian's 'Dreams Metaphors' has a ghoulish energy and dark, twisted synth menace. Rufo brings some cosmic wonder and bleeping melodic sequences to 'Mr Wonderful' and Brian Topham's 'Expressive Dimension' is a straight up tool with burrowing leads.
Review: Get ready for The Electro Guilde's fifth volume, another invitation to get lost at the heart of the rave. This time Zodiak Commune Records enlist Robodrum to kick off with the relentless synth slithers of bleeps of 'Call Me Bitch' before Redjack's 'Call The Monster' layers up mad analogue cowbells, blasts of distorted bass and a sense of intergalactic tension. Baka's 'Flux' dup shootings up with some visceral acid and he also takes care of the closer, 'Androids Hate Marching' a warp-seed, neck-snapping electro terminator with future synths and hiring sounds all spinning your mind into a fenny.
Dennis Coffey And The Detroit Guitar Band - "Scorpio"
The Jimmy Castor Bunch - "It's Just Begun"
B.T. Express - "Energy Level"
James Brown - "Get On The Good Foot"
Afrika Bambaataa & The Soul Sonic Force - "Planet Rock"
Manu Dibango - "Soul Makossa"
Esther Williams - "Last Night Changed It All"
The Mohawks - "The Champ"
Herman Kelly & Life - "Dance To The Drummer's Beat"
Spanky Wilson - "Sunshine Of Your Love"
James Brown - "Give It Up Or Turnit A Loose"
Candido - "Soulwanco"
Arthur Baker - "Breaker's Revenge"
Manu Dibango - "The Panther"
Abaco Dream - "Life And Death In G & A"
The Jackson 5 - "Dancing Machine"
Mongo Santamaria - "Cloud Nine"
Edwin Starr - "I Just Wanna Do My Thing"
Badder Than Evil - "Hot Wheels"
Johnny Bristol - "Lusty Lady"
Review: With 'breaking' making its debut in the 2024 Paris Olympics, it seems an apt time to go back to where it all began and showcase some of the music that first made break-dancers move in the early years of hip-hop culture. Soul Jazz Records clearly agrees, hence this two-disc retrospective of early 'breaker' favourites curated by Arthur Baker - a man who's productions and remixes soundtracked many dancefloor battles in the early 80s. It's a suitably strong selection all told, with dusty funk, soul and funk-rock favourites (Johnny Bristol, James Brown, The Jimmy Castor Bunch, Spanky Wilson) being joined by disco-funk jams (Herman Kelly and Life), extra-percussive workouts (Manu Dibango, Mongo Santamaria, Candido) and a smattering of key Baker productions (Afrika Bambaata and Soul Sonic Force's 'Planet Rock' and his own infectious 'Breakers Revenge').
Review: Bass Agenda is the underground electro and techno label arm of the cult radio show of the same name. Bass Junkie now makes a bold statement with his Sub Sonic Survivor album, which draws on 40 years of electro history to cook up firing cuts that are designed to blow the dance floor apart. There are raw, coarse cuts like 'Sub Sonic Survivor', glistening melodic workouts such as 'Divide & Multiply' and dark, busted trudgers such as 'Star Destroyer'. The production is proudly analogue, with glistening synths and rugged drum programming undermining each tune.
Review: Distrikt Paris head honcho Bassam is back with a superb double album that defines his own unique take on the underground. It is genre-defying and widescreen in its cope as it flows freely from sound to sound. 'Electronic Rhapsody' is a superb symphony of lush synth design and airy breakbeats that keep you suspended in space. 'Apres Faut Aimer La Fete' brings twisted acid to slick tech house beats and 'Sos Marrakech' brings a more retro synth sound with crashing hits and stiff, angular rhythms. Elsewhere are more poppy sounding melodies and synths on 'Panorama Vision' and a turbocharged future tech cut 'LAP Memory' (40ine mix) is another late nightlight.
Review: Michigan artist John Beltran has had a long and winding career that has seen him put out shimmering ambient electronics, organic techno and also find some of his tracks used on high-profile HBO TV shows. Aesthete is his latest offering and once again it pairs the synthetic with the natural in beautiful ways. His melodies are bright and beautiful, his drums float in mid-air and the overall mood of his music is painfully melancholic. This album marks the American's debut on the Furthur Electronix label and a fine one it is too.
Review: Bigeneric aka Marco Repetto is a legendary producer who returns to the same Swiss label that put out his The Compilation album three years ago. This time out the man of many different allies (Planet Love, Sinbiotik, Marco Repetto) assembles a vital bundle of beautiful and well preserved techno and ambient tracks that make for a cohesive listen and were all produced between 1995 and 1999. Some are delightfully light and airy, others dark and moody, others caustic and textured.
Review: Blaqk Audio aka AFI members Davey Havok and Jade Puget dropped their second album Bright Black Heaven back in 2012. It now gets reissued via Music On Vinyl and has been cut on 45rpm for extra low-end punchy and louder volume. It comes on individually hand-numbered clear vinyl and is housed in a gatefold sleeve so is a special collector's piece indeed. Upon release, the album topped the US charts in the Billboard Dance and Electronic categories and has a moody synth vibe, darl pop sounds and plenty of 80s flourishes all bottled up with some gothic overtones.
Corsica Express/Nuit Squanche De Solid State (Tascam dub) (6:03)
Le Dernier Des Cristaux (4:29)
Jam De Confiture Pernelle Janvier (4:36)
Alain Des Cloches (4:02)
Breuil Voisinage (3:10)
Review: The Digital Finesse label was founded as an outlet for two artists, Jimmy Batt and Blinkdus Dischetto. This release is the latter's first on the imprint and it's a biggie: a debut album that does a terrific job in showcasing his hybrid style. That naturally comes to the fore on opener 'Oulala', a chunky blend of synth-heavy nu-disco, French touch funkiness and the more picturesque early deep house works of Pepe Bradock. Squelchy acid bass, cut-up vocal snippets and sun-bright melodies mark out 'Allez Ouste', while 'Corsica Express/Nuit Squanche De Solid State (Tascam Dub)' cannily combines ambient and acid house. Elsewhere, he beefs up the beats ('Le Dernier Des Cristaux'), displays his mastery of 1990s style IDM ( 'Alain Des Cloches') and successfully whips out his MPC (the boogie-tastic 'Breuil Voisinage').
Review: The roots of their music is a blend of 70's funk and early 80's hip-hop with synthesizer technology. Their long awaited LP is complete, blazing a path into the future with floor-burning electro tunes.
Review: Broken English Club is the alias of techno veteran Oliver Ho and here he explores his signature industrial wave and post-punk sound with unflinching intensity as he lands on Dekmantel's UFO Series with Songs Of Love And Decay. It is a raw, brooding album dedicated to the late Juan Mendez aka Silent Servant with tracks like 'Crawling' and 'Death Cult' echoing his tribal techno roots. 'England Heretic' meanwhile channels eerie synthwave and Giallo vibes and 'Vessel Of Skin' delves into distortion-laced post-punk that contrasts with the stark futurism of 'Pacific Island Kill.' Ho blends cinematic textures with club energy throughout so makes for a dark, emotionally charged tribute that pushes beyond typical boundaries and is sure to resonate in the club.
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