Rush Hour Holland Vinilo y CD

Review: Lars Bartkuhn sonically portrays his recent relocation to Brazil on his latest ambient / new age LP Dystopia. It's an ironic title for sure, since it hardly sounds like what we'd usually imagine a dystopia to sound like. Perhaps the LP's making could shed some light on this paradox; Bartkuhn's first solo LP for almost nine years, it was born out of two interlinked ideas: a desire to create improvised music without the aid of computer sequencers or an electronic drum set, and a deeply held love of storytelling through sound. It's this revelling in imperfection which perhaps makes the album 'dystopic' - bits like 'Largo' and 'Do You Know How To Get Out' are beautifully rhythmic and driving, despite their apparent lack of computerisation going into the process. Sonically, it's aquatic, malleting, tactile, bubbly, serene.

Review: Detroit techno originator Terrence Dixon serves up another of his stunning albums on Rush Hour after making us all wait seven years since the last one. That one, Theatre of a Confused Mind, was as Population One, this one is under his own name, and it is another exploration of afro-futurist techno that could only come from the Motor City. The drums hit hard, but there is always soul in the synths. 'Reporting From Detroit' brings street-level angst and tension where 'Star Garden' explores the cosmos above, while moments of deep self-reflection are encouraged, nay mandatory, during tracks like 'Growth & Development.'

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