Black Truffle Australia Vinilo y CD

Review: Given that Ricardo Villalobos was one of a handful of guest producers who featured on Oren Ambarchi's recent Hubris album - a krautrock-influenced minimalist techno exploration that also boasted contributions from Jim O'Rourke and Mark Fell, amongst others - it seems fitting that he's been roped in to provide two new remixes. The Chilean's contribution to the album was largely rhythm-based, and his two lengthy Variations - each stretched across one side of wax - promote undulating, heads-down dancefloor hypnotism above all else. Naturally, his drum programming and use of subtle stylistic shifts is as on-point as ever, with Ambarchi's original textures being manipulated into mind-altering new shapes.

Review: Black Truffle continues to document the late-era work of legendary American experimental composer Alvin Lucier with a second volume of Works For The Ever Present Orchestra from Alvin Lucier. He passed away aged 90 back in 2021 but leaves a fine legacy including these two works which were written for Zurich ensemble The Ever Present Orchestra in 2016. They are drone pieces built around the electric guitar he had begun to explore back in 2013. In his hands, they sound like slow sweep pure wave oscillators and make for suspense sound worlds full of tension and inherent drama. The flip side piece is the more austere of the two.