Review: BOOM! Our favourites, Cititrax, roll the third editions of Tracks out onto our shelves, and the results are unsurprisingly strong on this excellent various artists comp. It's a mixed bag of skills, as per usual, and the sounds are those of a new NYC, fuelled by a new sort of post-industrial sensibility. Amato Y Mariana open with the tight beats and groove of "Queires Bailar", followed closely by the ominous compositions of the EBM-flavoured "Montgat" from The Sixteen Steps. On the flip, His Dirty Secrets bleeps out some morphed acid on "Structures", and "Another Stranger" from Further Reductions churns out a slow, mild-mannered house experiment with its roots clearly planted in the coldest of waves. Sick.
Review: The first anyone heard from Robert Fleck was an early drop on Well Street back in 2018, and it's been quiet since then. Anyone following Well Street knows it's a hot tip for upfront artists in the fractured fissures of the UK underground, and Fleck makes a welcome return to prove the point. There's a lot of different touchstones you could point to on this release, from nimble-footed broken beat and a whiff of nu jazz orchestration, not to mention a bass music sensibility and an appreciation for deeper strains of UK techno. But more than all that, Fleck merges his unique spread of influences into something fresh and unique, comfortably slipping between conventional genre markings with the kind of flair we've come to expect from Well Street.
Review: Los Angeles-based The Black Lodge began as an intimate gathering place and ritual organised around exploring, sharing and experimenting with diverse forms of electronic music. This is the fourth collection of cuts from various artists of The Black Lodge multiverse. The Poetic Painter M, an alias of Nation chief Traxx, opens up the A-side with the dark late night acid of 'Elusive Clarity Of 1 Mind', followed by Pablo R Ruiz from Detroit providing the spooky lo-fi/sci-fi groove 'El Rey De Amor'. Over on the flip, Michigan's Fashion Flesh serves up a harsh experimental soundscape on 'Kisses' and closes with the tunnelling industrial funk of Fauna53's 'Jam1' (Asymmetrical weirdo orchestra edit).
Review: Berlin Atonal returned two years ago from a long hiatus, 23 years to be exact. After three tremendous festivals this decade, they now present us with their first recordings since 1984. These particular ones from the 2014 edition. Cabaret Voltaire (in this incarnation featuring only Richard H Kirk) was a true highlight and contributes "Microscopic Flesh Fragment" and "Universal Energy". One half of Demdike Stare Miles Whitaker went solo, presenting his truly unique take on techno, and the slow burning attitude of "Vagabond No. 7" is evidence of this. New Zealand's Fis also appears; rather uncategorisable as always on "Dist CL (Atonal Version)." On the third disc we have Northern Electronics main man and modern auteur Abdulla Rashim presenting two commissions from his captivating atmospheric set that year. Limited to 700 copies.
Review: French musician Julienne Dessagne is behind Fantastic Twins and here presents a new album inspired by the Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur. Adapted from her composition for the dance piece Meandres, the record is a textural world of leftfield techno, kosmische influences and cinematic soundscapes across five tracks. Along the way, we're told the artist explores mythology and symbolism while drawing from opera, film scores and literary works. Her set up included modular synthesis and layered vocals which lend things a rather psychedelic edge next to the strikingly atmospheric synths and subtle sense of unpredictability.
Review: Before his work became reduced to a fine slither and he shifted into experimental, concept-driven realms, Jan Jelinek dropped some of the finest early doors micro house as Farben. Originally released on Klang Elektronik and now reissued by Jelinek's own Faitiche label, Textstar is a masterpiece of glitchy sample-based electronics with a subtle, implied funk. In some ways the sound has dated - it's very much of the late 90s-early 00s era it was first crafted in. But it's a sound that still engrosses and intrigues, reveling in microscopic detail and subdued moods while retaining a groove that comes through the best on eternally magnificent cut 'Beautone'.
Review: Berlin's Felix K has always made an art form of techno. His take on the genre is about space, weight and sound design as much as anything. He shows that on the Nullpunkt label with a double pack of expertly realised cuts. 'Sudbaism' is a dubby and cavernous opener with plenty of atmosphere to it then 'Noism' darts about the stereo field with jerking rhythms and snatched vocal yells underpinned by vast bass. Elsewhere there is plenty of moody menace to the empty underground caverns of 'Loss' while 'Life' is like being trapped in the middle of a factory production line in full flow. An evocative work, for sure.
Review: Filmmaker is a multidimensional producer known for genre-bending creations rooted in film culture. With acclaimed releases like The Love Market and Fictional Portrayals already under his belt, he reaches new heights with his latest offering, Hollywood Cult. Across 13 tracks, he crafts a haunting journey that blends synth-driven races, infectious body music, and slow-burning nostalgia. Tracks like 'Secrecy,' 'Western Malice,' and 'Shocking Therapy' evoke cinematic tension and energy and as the album progresses, 'Vessels Wine,' 'Peacekeeper Ripper,' and 'Criminal Rite' delve into intense emotions, while 'Elite Dungeons' and 'Hanging Finale' bring a lo-fi, trance-inducing finale. Hollywood Cult, then, serves as a dark, captivating soundtrack for a new world, inviting repeated listens and immersive exploration.
Review: Ryan James Ford returns to Clone with an album that was written in his new home of Berlin, but that is inspired by his life growing up in Canada. It is full of the sot of rave sounds he heard back then and distil some of the atmospheres of the places he visited and experiences he had, from swimming in cold rivers to exploring supposedly haunting areas and of course being lost int he rave. It is a visceral 14 track affair that combines electors techno, IDM and ambient in complex and rewarding fashion.
Review: F.M. (Francois Marche) and Fa_Fane (Stephane Bodin) say they "perform live with an acid-tinged electro-dub set, a danceable balance between the organic and the digital, the hot and the cold." When it comes to the studio, the fine line they tread between machine and human, accessible and experimental is equally evident, making them sure fire winners in the world of movie soundtracks. Not least when the film is on the avant garde side of things, as Fotogenico is. Directed by Marcia Romano and Benoit Sabatier, the movie is a visually arresting, high tempo collage of a chase-mystery in which a father attempts to piece his dead daughter's story together using only the music she recorded. Glitchy, digi-dub and synthesised post punk ensues, among other stuff.
Review: The Future Sound of London keep their fans busy with a steady dispatch of music via the fsoldigital.com label, but it feels like there's a sense of occasion around this new album. Rituals E7.001 is purportedly the first part in a trilogy, and it already highly prized by the devoted followers of Brian Dougans and Garry Cobain's music. It's not hard to hear why on listening to the gorgeous strains of 'Hopiate', which harks back to some of the duo's most iconic music (we'll let you guess which one we mean). FSOL have always had a particular touch in their exploration of electronica, ambient and outernational sounds, and it sounds rich with inspiration on this new, expansive album.
Review: Layer is the new label from Berlin techno favourite Berghain for the music released by its residents. Ben Klock is one of the most celebrated of those and here he links up with Fadi Mohem for an album that eschews his famous techno sounds in favour of a new blend of IDM, ambient and experimental sounds. 'Layer One' comes on double vinyl and opens with 'Ultimate (feat Coby Set)' which is an atmospheric opener with icy synths and sparse landscapes, then 'Escape Valley' explores kinetic rhythms and glitchy synths, 'The Vanishing' is another exploration of a distant corner of the cosmos and 'The Machine' brings more cinematic and evocative electronic designs.
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