Review: For its seventh release, southern Italians Obscura Music return to welcome exciting new talents and core label acts. Head honchos Agents Of Time venture down an electro route with "East Coast", as do the ever impressive London Modular Alliance on the hypnotic "Buck One". Man of the moment Aussie Jensen Interceptor channels classic Drexciyan aesthetics on "Manix" before homeboys and label staples Hiver come through with the slinky and hypnotic tech house of "Stasys" and Detroit veteran Kris Wadsworth makes a surprising appearance with some slow burning minimalism displayed on closer "Abroad".
Arctor - "The Gulf" (David Harleydson remix) (6:03)
Review: New Glasgow electro label Tremors presents their first vinyl release, featuring a collection of remixes of tracks from their Bandcamp back catalogue. Aftershocks Volume 1 kicks off with a particularly bold remix by Klakson boss Dexter who turns Old Boy's "Tracer" into an electro-bass monster, James Shinra (Analogical Force) channels the best of the Motor City on his emotive rework of Arctor's "Memory Gene" rounding up the A side. On the flip, Arctor remains the focus, with remixes of "Selfish Lover" by Forward Strategy Group's Patrick Walker and Hungarian newcomer David Harleydson impressed us likewise with his fierce and futurist perspective of "The Gulf".
Blinkduus Dischetto - "Sein Cirque Les Poppies" (4:45)
Monica Venturella - "Page Not Found" (4:52)
Orso - "Bastardo" (6:00)
Review: Proper euphoric tune-tutelage from the Ajaccio label Digital Finesse, a good name for the label for sure. Run by Jimmy Batt, Digital Finesse's M.O. encompasses curt EPs as well as multitrack V/As, polished and readied for maximum credo. 'I Bastardi Aiaccini' is one of the latter, a six-track compendium fleshing the best one-offs from their personal roster, all while accelerating and hyper-modernising the classic electro and Italo sounds native to the Mediterranean. Beginning with the crisp, hyperactive, arpeggio-heavy metrosexual fascinator 'Electromotion', we then move into the comparatively gradated boxer 'Concorde' by Human Aventura, before rounding off the A on a note of bursting acid innovation, the instrumental version of Pasqua Pancrazi's 'Danesi'. The B opens on a note of sleaze-funk with the speedy 'Sein Cirque Les Poppies' from Blinkduus Dischetto, before going full-throttle dystopi-speed by way of a minimal but no less driven flat-beat cutup from Monica Venturella, 'Page Not Found'. Orso's 'Bastardo' flaunts the more experimental ends of the label's capacity, with 'Bastardo' hearing motifs of IT-hardcore get plunged into more-than-smokey scourings of Reese and sizzle.
Review: The Power Cuts posse continue to gather strength and widen their reach on this second release, celebrating all kinds of nefarious era-spanning, style-hopping grooves designed for the deviant party. Dane//Close gets the bass slapping to perfection on "Getluv" before Kris Baha drops a stoutly lo-fi piece of primal electro mischief. Otologic has something rather different to say with the spacious, stalking tension of "The Big Smoke", and then Jonathan Kusuma rounds the EP out with a disheveled industrial edit approach on "Electric Hit". This record does a fantastic job of reaching back to the glory days of low budget 80s production, with the attitude to match the punky finish.
Review: Stilleben's latest EP is a no-holds-barred, all-action affair that gathers together previously unheard cuts from a quintet of label associates. Boss man Luke Eargoggle is naturally involved, with his hook-up with Swedish veteran Ola Bergman - the angular analogue bass, Italo-disco influenced grooves and shimmering chords of "Macho Macho" - being amongst the EP's many highlights. You'll find more razor-sharp, mind-altering robo-bass propelling Das Muster's brilliant opener "Sinnestauschung" towards the electro stratosphere, while IXRQ's "Robotic Nature" brilliantly combines ghostly, crystalline synthesizer melodies with a suitably dirty, club-ready electro groove. The most intense and sweaty cut of the lot, though, is Suicider's suitably dystopian and psychedelic closing cut "Trainwreck".
Review: Trident is dropping a couple of top EPs this month. One is from Derrek Carr, and one is this double white 12" that finds Deltamaxx and O En One join forces. They take us on a storytelling trip through cosmic techno that varies in mood and tempo. 'Conexxion' rides a nice rubbery, bumpy groove with incidental and wispy synth sounds, then 'Delta Pavonis' seems to soundtrack a beach party up amongst the stars. There are darker, more heady cuts like 'Donnager' and icy electro cinematics on 'Isonoe' to make for a worthy collection of sounds that work on the dancefloor and beyond.
Norus & DJ Whipr Snipr - "Molecular Collision" (4:44)
Ole Mic Odd - "In The House" (4:52)
Nasty King Kurl - "Stop Talkin Boy" (5:10)
Turk Turkleton - "Offenbachs Father" (4:29)
Review: Aussie larrikin DJ WHPRSNPR is back on his very own Nerang Recordings with a motley crew of upstarts on this one. Fittingly titled Freaky Friends 2, it features DJ Swagger with some off-kilter UK bass on 'Hotice Water' and Low Tape with the NSFW booty bass of 'So Delicious' on the A side, followed over on the flip by Ole Mic Odd's sci-fi electro funk jam 'In The House' and Berlin's Nasty King Krule doing his best Dopplereffekt impression on 'Stop Talkin Boy' among others.
Review: In something of a dream pairing for Leisure System, this split disc spans the old guard of electro and those well versed in pushing it into new contortions. Dopplereffekt is of course one of the most lauded of all post-Drexciya projects, and new material comes few and far between. "Delta Wave" is a lavish, sweeping wonder of celestial voices and sci-fi mystery that satisfies all your desires without sounding like a re-hash of old material. On the flipside Objekt has risen to the occasion and delivered one of his most outright electro-infused belters to date, keeping the beat rigid but funky, and working similar amounts of drawn out pads into the mix while keeping the crafty edits and playful sounds as limber as ever.
Review: The latest audio missive from the My Own Jupiter camp brings together debutant Nicholas Lutz (here using the previously unused Draculas Lutz alias) and former CABARET Recordings producer Omar Chibarro. They pair begins proceedings with arresting A-side "Instrumento", a bold, bass-heavy and angular electro jam packed with mind-altering acid lines and shimmering, deep space motifs. They change tack on the flipside, accompanying snappy, organ-laced NYC garage bumper "Tschuss" with the hybrid acid-jack/spacey house bluster of quality closer "Gerogliftko". While stylistically varied, the EP's three tracks are united by an attractive looseness that only emphasizes the thrillingly wayward nature of the duo's otherworldly electronics.
Review: The small but already well-formed Innate label offers up a superb split EP for its sixth outing. Gilbert opens up with 'Low Flying Objects', a widescreen and serene bit of synth-laden tendon with more than a hint of Motor City soul over the dusty drums. 'Unknown Entities' is a brain-cleansing and celestial electro-styled cut with dreamy pads and cinematic deepness. Bristol-born, Welsh-rooted Owain K then steps up to the flip with equally painterly sounds. 'Corona Borealis' pairs deep and rubbery bass with crisp electro drum patterns and far-sighted chords. 'New Horizon' then closes out with some delightfully dozy deep house that's laden with wispy chords and undulating bass.
Review: Swedish electro legend Luke Eargoggle presents the latest exploits of his beloved Stilleben imprint with four dystopian aqua-funk exercises. From the Drexciyan derived antics of Obergman's "Aufklarung" or T/Error's "Transuranium" delivered in unrepentant all analogue vintage flair, to the fierce breakneck electro bass assault of Jensen Interceptor - "Sof_Cell" Stilleben 051 has you retroverts covered! The label is this year celebrating 20 years in the business, over the last two decades they've presented works by legends such as Legowelt, Orgue Electronique, DMX Krew and The Hacker to name but a few and the label's sound is just as relevant as ever.
Review: Future Tones fourth release introduces us to a gaggle of 'Tourists From The Future': electro explorers with frayed spacesuits whose musical adventures tend towards the timeless. Check first the two contributions from Just Someone - the twisted electronic bass, crispy 4/4 beats and Kraftwerkian melodies of 'Test One' and the foreboding, TB-303-sporting electro-goes-techno shuffle of 'The Tyrant' - before moving on to the two tracks from 'On A Jet Lag'. The first, 'Many Dreams', is an atmospheric, acid-flecked, sub-heavy bleep & bass shuffler similar in ethos to Richard H Kirk and Rob Gordon's work as XON, while 'Dia28' is a deeper and more intergalactic take on the turn-of-the-90s bleep sound. Throw in quirky 'Intro' and 'Outro' tracks from Iron F43C, and you have a fine EP of tasty retro-futurism.
Review: The Time To Panic label began in style with a release from Ildec earlier this year and now they're back with a various artists split disc which widens out their approach as a label. Samuel Jabba kicks off the record with 'Flatline', a sinewy slice of noirish synth house which will be perfect for anyone wanting to get the dancefloor a little on-edge. Aniano has a similarly full-fat analogue-style sound, but there's a more playful quality to the wonky synths working their way through 'El Terror De Ga?ldar', while Omar Akhrif kicks off the B-side with the dark and dangerous stomper 'Mud'. Javier Carballo completes the picture with 'I Hear You', a perfectly sinister sign off on a record that will appeal to all denizens of the night.
Review: French label Girouette Records was created, they say, "to make unexpected links between different musical horizons that seem not obvious to gather at first sight" and their first release really sets the bar high. Exposition 3 finds French minimal synth icon Philippe Laurent sharing sides with US act Xeno & Oaklander for a triplet of sharp electro experiments. Laurent's two A-side contributions date back to his early '80s period of experiments with electronics and if you are a fan of his work collected by Minimal Wave you will adore these. "Rapide 1" is a particularly wonderful composition! The flip features Liz Wendelbo and Sean Mc Bride's 2013 take on "Exposition 3", less a cover version and more a live reinterpretation.
Review: With its festival, International Series, DJ Directory and Soundsystem: Dimensions has become a leading name in the underground. In only a mere six years of existence thus far, that's quite impressive we must say! Now, they extend their influence with the start of a new label: Dimensions Recordings. It launches with a 12 track compilation across three separate discs. Where the first disc delved into the exotic and explored world music and soulful vibes, this edition features some cutting edge electronics from legends and new heroes of the scene alike. Electro heroes London Modular Alliance appear with their best impression of purist Detroit electro on "Crosstalk" while the A side also features the glacial dub techno tones of Upwellings' "Soft Shadows". On the flip, Fachwerk boss Mike Dehnert gives us the very Robert Hood sounding "Tokio"and Windy City legend Steven Tang aka Obsolete Music Technology appears with something harder than you'd usually expect from the man: on the gnarly analogue techno of "Comb Freq".
Review: Transmissions from London-based electro outpost Brokntoys don't come about so often and they rarely stay that long on the racks at Juno HQ. A fourth release, Guests Of Reality, arrives with a change in tack for Brokntoys, eschewing full artist releases of previous records for a split release that shows the strength of the Swedish electro scene. Fresh off a mind bending wave turn on Acido as Karl Lukas Pettersson, Luke Eargoggle commences proceedings in the fashion befitting of him with the harsh futurism of "Night Smoker," a fine collaboration with Kan3Da. Following this, Kan3da goes solo on the crisp sounding "Photoptarmosis" whilst the flip features more abstract fare from Obergman, Rutherford and Eargoggle again. A fine electro document!
Review: LVCA and Otis channel the sounds of their homeland into a brooding mix of addictive lines and vocoder fire in 'Ritmo Electronico'. The track opens with a steel-edged snare driving smeared synths through a neon-stained cityscape, with robotic lyrics adding menace to the scene. 'Tanzen' pulls listeners deeper into A Promise In The Cold Night, featuring Alex Vincent's glitchy words, bright burbling bars, and a clean clap that light the way. The album's true coldness emerges with 'Synthesised Emotion,' where stabbing keys and a haze of hi-hats create a smoky, electrical atmosphere. This haze thickens in 'Sphere Of Light,' as aquatic tones and static distortion blend with ghostly vocals, encapsulating listeners in a fog of bending bodies and forms. LVCA and Otis have crafted an album that is perfect for those seeking a dark, electronic escape.
Review: Hello and welcome to the word of vinyl to Farci, a new deep house label from France that opens its account with a various artists EP. Man/Ipulate opens up with 'Listen To My Voice' bringing some dark, tight tech house and Atree then lightening the mood with a heads up house cut, balmy synth work and starry chords. On the flip it is Odeon who ups the ante with 'Jami Racaille' with its menacing bass notes and shadowy atmosphere. There's some more twisted cosmic house funk from Yamen & Eda with their 'H-Zups' and closing out what is a very promising first EP is Andres Remis with the sweet house vibes of 'Supernatural.'
Manuk & Oli Silva - "Nevermind The Crispies" (5:55)
Eliaz - "Verdico" (7:06)
Meta 4 - "Urnammu" (7:45)
Jorge Gamarra - "Dypac" (5:42)
Review: There's a certain air of buy-on-sight mystique around EYA Records, somewhere between the low-key presentation of the music and the cult artists they're calling on to realise their particular vision of deviant dancefloor business. This is unabashed freaky party tackle, from Manuk & Oli Silva's delirious B-movie jack track "Nevermind The Crispies" to the uneasy electro snarl of "Verdico". Meta 4 has equally nightmarish moods to share on the graveyard acid of "Urnammu" and Jorge Gamarra seals the deal with the schlocky braindance horror of "Dypac". It's the kind of record that you'll be reaching for come Halloween, trust.
Review: In the two years and six releases Die Orakel has been active, founder Oliver Hafenbauer has steered the label into one of the more interesting operations functioning at the cross section between experimentalism and dancefloor immediacy. A new year brings the expansion of Die Orakel's remit with the launch of a 12? series dedicated to the dancefloor called X-Files. Fans of Mulder and Scully will be disappointed that the cult sci-fi series is not the inspiration here, but rather the ghetto house sound pioneered by the Dance Mania label. Live At Robert Johnson regular Orson Wells lines the first X-Files release under the name O-Wells, with Slam Dunx consisting of two ripe dancefloor tools rich in x-rated loops and banging 909s.
Review: An ode to their fair city in the state of Hesse here by homeboys Die Orakel and their local hero Orson Wells. Referencing the classic Motor City sounds of electro and ghetto-tech on this fine EP. "Park Jit" and its sleazy electro-funk takes it cues from the early Databass sound, while the breakneck dystopianism of "The Message" goes for more of a Dopplereffekt vibe. Bringing the funk and emotive feel on the B side we have "Frankfurt Tek" a saturated lo-fi memory recording (direct to VHS) that would make even local legend Anthony Rother proud. But hey wait, he's from Offenbach anyway! This is Lennard Poschmann's second recording for the Frankfurt based imprint which has had previous releases by Christopher Rau, Pablo Mateo and Koehler.
Review: 'Frankfurt Bass' specialist O Wells has been associated with Die Orakel since 2016, though this EP - the artist's fifth in total - is his first for the imprint for two years. Wells goes in hard from the word go, adding ragged, mind-bending TB-303 'acid' lines and intergalactic aural textures to a punchy electro beat on opener 'Consico'. Focus switches on the following track, 'Rhytim'[sic], where outer-space melodies and bubbly modular motifs are layered over a tighter electro beat. Side-B opens with the tracky, hypnotic, otherworldly techno of 'Moldoom', while the EP's concluding cut (IDM inspired number 'Spectral') boasts deep sub bass, Aphex Twin textures, subtle bleeps and oddly swung beats.
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