Review: Despite some FXHE releases containing playful artistic references to the films that undoubtedly referenced the titles, this Romancing The Stone double pack from Omar S is sadly lacking in any MS Paint renditions of the Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner 90s vehicle of the same name. It does however contain four more fine examples of the fact no one does it quite like Omar S. Lead track "Leave" sets the tone, as ripples of percussion emerge from a pool of simmering sonic emotion and embarks on a masterclass in slow build dancefloor revelation at breakneck pace. "Romancing The Stone" pulls from the same palette of anthemic Omar S productions as "Here's Your Trance, Now Dance" and "Psychotic Photosynthesis" as a lead array of synths, keys and chords weave with supple grace over crunchy drums - watch out for the track finishing abruptly. On the second 12", "Frogs" dovetails from a simple disco guitar loop into fucked up abstract acid techno territory with little prior warning whilst "Surpass" finds AOS ending with some anthemic maximal piano house.
Review: Sound Signature are at it again with their dark, driving and jackin' grooves. Every time Theo Parrish decides a tune is worth pressing up nice and loud on vinyl, it's wise to pay attention. And so it proves here, with Chicago native Spekter dropping one-sided 12" "Pipe Bomb", a deadly and pounding excursion into the murkier corners of house music. It's not one for the faint hearted either, as an overwhelming sense of moodiness pushes ever forward, dripping in twisted samples and heavy techno kicks.
Review: This EP from 2010 is an oldie but a goldie, which is pretty much something you could say of everything that this Motor City maverick has ever put out. It finds the former Ford factory worker in techno mode from the off: 'Ultra Fine One' is a pounding mid-tempo cut with airy hi hats and kicks that never quit. The whole thing is marbled with fuzzy synth sounds and a corrugated acid line that pries ever deep. 'Ultra Fine Two' is, in essence, the same cut but with broken beat patterns and different filters applied to the acid line. 'Mid 90's' is gloppy acid techno with warped bass and loopy kicks designed for 5 am freakouts.
Review: The Chemical Brothers are back with their 10th studio album (mixes and soundtracks not withstanding), and they're sounding especially fired up. The widescreen stadium psychedelia they've made their own spills out in abundance across "No Geography", but it's also matched with a feverish energy. The more up-tempo tracks, like "Gravity Drops" and "Eve Of Destruction", spit and snarl with the best of their classic, down and dirty dancefloor material, but there's plenty of space for the starry eyed songwriting they've made their own in more recent times. Just cop "The Universe Sent Me" and be immediately transported to a festival field, where you'll no doubt be catching The Bro's this summer.
Review: A limited edition 12" vinyl with two extension cuts of Obergman's new album on Pariter! Vinyl only - No repress! Dreamy synths wash over the listener, analogue bubbles heading for the surface - imagine Drexciya in 'Wavejumper' or 'Sea Snake' mode, only with its restless electro foundations replaced by something more regular and reassuringly solid in the beats department. All in all, oozing melodic techno class.
Review: Needs' commendable charity drive continues to bring forth the goods, both in terms of good causes and world class club music. Rallying round in support of World Mental Health Day 2020, Shanti Celeste kicks the record off in style with the rapid fire, deep-diving workout 'Fantasma'. OCB keeps the pressure up with the psychotropic techno of 'RS3', while Michelle works up some delightfully freaky synths on playful jacker 'Aesthetic'. Bobby's 'Free Your Mind' is a 90s-tinged, full fat techno production indebted to Detroit, Peder Mannerfelt keeps things stripped and raw on 'Our Levels' and Yu Su weaves a beautiful tapestry of interweaving rhythms on 'Brittney'. Adam Pits' trippy techno sounds resplendent on 'Wind Tunnel' and DJ Sports completes the set with the inventive, dembow slanted funk of 'Needs Dub'.
Review: London-based label For Those That Knoe returns with a terrific release by underrated Slovenian producer Vid Vai. He's been slowly yet steadily honing his craft over the last 12 years with releases on respected labels such as Assemble Music, Tvir, Gilesku and Oskar Offermann's White to name but a few. Laminar Flow also happens to be his first full-length, taking in a wide variety of moods and grooves along the way. From the evocative and acid-laced flow of 'Incubation Theory', the sci-fi electro of 'Oort Cloud' to the sublime ambient offering 'Dusk By The Bay' and the saucer-eyed sunrise breaks of 'Shifting Sands' - the result is a timeless piece of liquid-smooth sonic art.
Review: been four years since Chicago producer Andres "Specter" Ordonez pitched up on Theo Parrish's Sound Signature label with the smoky, bleep-laden killer "Pipe Bomb". Here, he returns to the Detroit veteran's imprint, bringing with him three more slabs of fuzzy analogue oddness. "The Gooch" is the real killer, a 10-minute freakout that sounds like a jazz band making murky techno with just analogue machinery to play with - all wonky electronics, subtle acid and loose but relentless cymbals. The bolder "Zodiak" impresses with its 303-driven aggression, while "Body Blow" sounds like Hieroglyphic Being jamming with Buddy Miles. On Mars. That's gotta be good, right?
Review: Six years have now passed since cuts from Roy of the Ravers' brilliant '2 Late 4 Love' cassette made their debut on vinyl, via a highly limited EP that's now fiendishly hard to find. This '2023 Edition' of the in-demand EP offers two tracks from that 12" - pleasingly lo-fi acid jack-track '2 Late For Love (Part 1)' and the fuzzy, machine-driven deep house-goes-acid minimalism of 'Emotium' - plus a pair of favourites featured on the cassette version but not the previous vinyl release (the brain-melting acid electro jam 'Cwejman Acid (Part 2)' and the hissing, distorted TB-303 and TR-909 weight of 'Melchester Acid (Part 1)'. Throw in a bonus cut recorded in the same period ('Track 5') and you have an indispensable reissue.
Review: (Emotional) Especial and Giraffi Dog join forces once more to offer up the second installment of their concept EP series. It is focussed on live and studio collaborations and this one comes in two halves: the first half kicks off with '6th Chakra' (feat DJ Deflektorschild) - a fully live deep house and hi-tek soul exploration with mind-expanding synths and Detroit drum sounds. 'King OTN' is a jack dup acid cut ripped with cosmic synth details and 'DX Metero' has sheet metal synths lashing about next to ethereal synths and busted drum breaks. 'Starfather' is a star-facing closer with elegant piano notes dancing over serene grooves. A vital showcase of this essential live artist.
Review: Aubrey has always brought a detailed sense of sound design to his heavy techno. The Berlin-based artist does that again here on a first EP on his own Solid Groveos since 2016. Two tracks delve into his archives to come up with some rare and obscure jams from the 90s. One is 'Lose Yourself' - a bright and cosmic take on techno that prime-era Derrick May would be proud of then the other, 'Breaking Out', offers golden US-style house with nice frayed synths and smoky depths. Two new cuts are 'Chase Mind' - a cavernous and dubby, with whimsical pads and unrelenting bass locking you in a trance, then 'Mr Muscle', a twisted acid techno closer that completes a varied and vital EP.
Review: Omar S' Detroit proud FXHE now has a staunch reputation as one of those buy on sight labels for a reason. This new release by rising star John FM follows up the well-received Alone and Where My Roots Lie EPs. Starting with the soulful machine funk of "Jehks" truly capturing the sounds of the city of industry in its heyday. There's then the fine R&B jam of "Motion" somewhat reminiscent of Theo Parrish & Andrew Ashong, but it's his smooth vocal delivery which undoubtedly makes it his own! On the flip, the mysterious and melancholic Omar-S remix of "Alone" is absolutely sublime, but just wait for the tough acid fuelled groove of "Gump" which truly takes it home in right fashion.
Review: The sixth UFOs outing is another intergalactic adventure in sonic form and this time at the buttons it's New Balaance, a Mexican artist at the heart of a new wave. Space Jungle though is an apt title for this EP, which kicks off with some stylish breaks and nimble basslines overlaid with lush cosmic arps. 'Space Jungle' (feat Parallax Modulators brings a more pensive mood thanks to the sustained chords and deeper grooves, but subtle acid and chattery perc bring it to life. 'Grantourismo' is a lively and dynamic cut with more swirling synth work while 'Redemption' closes down this quartet of excellent explorations with a mix of 90s prog, techno and breakbeats all imbued with plenty of colour.
Review: The Groove Access label kicks on to a third release here and it comes in the form of a split EP between Rob Threezy and Maddjazz. Threezy kicsk off on the a-side with 'Threezy', a panel beating techno workout with leggy drums and elastic bass that will spangled any crowd. His second cut, 'Liquid Metal' is another masterclass in bendy bass and chunky drum funk, this time with vocal stabs layered in for extra spice. Maddjazz then steps up to kick off the flipside in frantic acid laced fashion with all sorts of OG Chicago house ranges over booming techno grooves. 'TR DrumTool' is a final weapon for dance floor destruction.
Review: (Emotional) Especial looks to the emergent producer that is Chez De Milo for a new EP that collides the energy of Glastonbury, historic echoes of the free party scene and the psychedelic electronics of Bristol and the West Country into four fresh new cuts here. 'Et Al' is a mystic late-night house cut with crisp hits and spooky synths keeping you on edge, while 'Gieser' is dark and paranoid as the churning beats and snaking leads tempt you into the shadows. 'Kremer' keeps you locked in a synth-heavy and transcendental suspense at the heart of the dancefloor with Egyptian folk samples and ethnic grooves and 'Thus One' is a razor-sharp electro closer.
Review: A new collaboration of Philoxenia Records founders Luigi Di Venere and Neu Verboten, Affekt Unit is informed by an aim to "spark new feelings on the dancefloor". The three track Discorgy EP celebrates their musical obsessions - Italo house, Frankfurt EBM-house and trance - with the result proving an electrifying crossover of these classic genres together with surprising new sounds. 'Oct-Opus' boasts a serious electro component, fused with progressive trance, UK bass, techno, transcendental rave and even a climactic outbreak of rave-era breaks. The title track 'Discorgy' draws from Euro dance and EBM, experimenting with a polyrhythmic bass line and bringing the kind of 'stadium house' that The KLF were always aiming for. Closing track 'Dreams Of Wrestlers' is cosmic house at its sweetest and beefiest, spruced here and there with Italo stabs and pianos, drum machine fills and some lovely subtle filtering. Not so much a case of something for everyone than everything from everyone, you might even say.
Die Kosmischen Kuriere (Moritz Von Oswald & Thomas Fehlmann mix) (6:30)
Die Kosmischen Kuriere (5:20)
Jazz Is The Teacher (Magic Juan edit) (9:39)
Jazz Is The Teacher (Moritz Von Oswald + Thomas Fehlmann mix) (7:09)
The 4th Quarter (5:07)
Review: Tresor is celebrating 30 years in the game with a series of special reissue projects. This one really goes way back to almost the start, when Juan Atkins was already defining the early techno sound. For this one he linked up with Moritz von Oswald and Thomas Fehlmann in 1992 for a second iteration of the 3 Men in Berlin project. The monumental results join the dots between Detroit and Berlin across a collection of timeless cuts that meld bassline funk, hypnotic minimalism and soulful machine sounds into propulsive, emotive dance floor joy. The unbridled energy and cosmic elegance of 'Jazz Is The Teacher' might just be the highlight.
Review: 'Cosmic progressive house' is a relatively rare denomination for new dance releases, but that hasn't stopped Rand MUZIK, who here welcome Australian newcomer Reflex Blue to their roster for four tracks of acid heat. Electro, acid, vocal gates and modular jams are checked off in the space between 'Implant' and 'Gore', as we're left dumbfounded and hypnotised by the repeated assertion made by one vox: "this place distorts reality".
Solid Gold Playaz - "I Can't Think (The Nation Is Sick)" (7:11)
Solid Gold Playaz - "I Sold My Life To Acid" (7:13)
Gari Romalis - "Detroit After Dark" (7:30)
Brian Neal - "Panties" (4:01)
Review: Upstairs Asylum Recordings is one of the many seminal Detroit labels run by local legend Norm Talley. It's right in the middle of a busy run right now with no fewer superb run with three new EPs all dropping in quick succession. This one is a split EP with US duo Solid Gold Playaz taking care of the a-side. As always with this pair, their sounds are deep and dusty house with exquisite melodies tugging at the heart. On the flip, Gari Romalis steps up with the slick percussive skip of 'Detroit After Dark' then 'Panties' from Brian Neal brings jacked up analogue groves that lean into techno with a big fat bassline.
Review: The iconic North London dance music duo Idjut Boys are famed for their nostalgia fueled offerings of dub, disco and house and join forces again for this 4 track single featuring 4 completely different takes on the track 'Speedball'. The 'Full Whip' version is an 80s powersynth with powerful kicks and synth perfection, an authentic use of a commodified sound used in the past couple of years. 'Severe Itching' takes the party downstairs into an acid techno rave, the liquid bass seeping through your ear canal into your skull - an utterly extraterrestrial experience. 'Strip Off Dub' is just that: a stripped back dub version of 'Full Whip'. Focusing on the heftier synths and bass, with the rushing wind effects that compromised 'Full Whip'. 'Whizbang Mix' invites you back into the bassment for another slice of acid house pie, the meeting point between 'Full Whip' and 'Severe Itching' that feels like trying to listen to the former after the laters aforementioned liquid has blocked your eardrums. This one's for the messy afterparty.
Review: Astonishingly, GRIT is Luke Vibert's 18th album under his given name (he's released many more as under other aliases such as Wagon Christ, Kerrier District and Amen Andrews), though his first for a couple of years. It's a predictably fun, TB-303 heavy affair, with the prolific Cornishman giddily sprinting through rubbery acid-electro ('Surrounded By Neighbours'), deep acid wooziness ('Decay Hole'), thrillingly wayward machine funk ('Partron'), subdued, bass-heavy swingers (the vaguely Wagon Christ-ish 'Gas Legs'), surging jack tracks (the breathless title track), jaunty house retro-futurism ('Swingeing Cuts'), Kerrier District-goes-acid insanity ('Disco Derriere'), hard-to-pigeonhole madness ('Screwfix Typeface'), and much more besides. A must-check for lovers of trippy acid lines and sweaty, loose-limbed beats.
Bass - The Final Frontier (David Holmes remix) (7:08)
Bass - The Final Frontier (3:23)
Demons Of Dance (6:02)
Mumbo Jumbo (3:44)
Review: Last year, Pamela Records launched with a fantastic EP of cosmic club music from the late, great Andrew Weatherall and his long-time production partner Nina Walsh. For release number two, they've turned to another long-serving London producer, former Aloof collaborator Jo Sims. Lead cut 'Bass - The Final Frontier' (track two on the A-side) is definitely one that Weatherall would have played: a psychedelic, mid-tempo chugger with trance-inducing electronics, twinkling synthesiser lead lines and a throbbing groove. David Holmes remixes, slowing it down further while adding undulating TB-303 'acid' lines and plenty of cinematic textures. Elsewhere, 'Demons of Dance' is a moody dark disco throb-job (Richard Sen would approve), while 'Mumbo Jumbo' is a deep Balearic breaks number tailor made for sunsets and sunrises.
Indo Tribe - "Bring In The Pulse" (MFK mix) (5:10)
Indo Tribe - "In The Mind Of A Child" (First Born mix) (5:04)
The Future Sound Of London - "Hardhead" (Frothin' At The Mouth mix) (6:06)
The Future Sound Of London - "Pulse State" (831 AM mix) (7:20)
Review: Jumpin' & Pumpin' looks back into the seminal archives of The Future Sound of London here to reissue their fantastic The Pulse EP from 2008 which also featured tunes from Manchester pair Indo Tribe. It is they who start with 'Bring In The Pulse' which features some Happy Mondays hallelujahs, mad rave whistles and bristling electronic breaks. 'In The Mind Of A Child' (First Born mix) is then a bouncy techno cut with more visceral synth and acid lines and The Future Sound Of London kick off the flipside with 'Hardhead' (Frothin' At The Mouth mix) which is an assault of breaks, congas, whistles and rave signifiers. 'Pulse State' (831 AM mix) is that perfect tune to zone out to on a late night drive on the motorway.
No One's Driving (The Chemical Brothers remix - Red remixes) (5:41)
Wisdom To The Wise (Robert Hood remix) (9:14)
The Storm (Surgeon dub) (6:01)
Southside (DJ Sneak remix) (6:37)
Review: Dave Clarke's Red Series remains a vital benchmark in the evolution of UK techno. Released between 1993 and 1996, the three-volume run even managed to brush the UK top 40 back in the good old days when anything felt possible. Tracks like 'Wisdom To The Wise' will forever be etched in the make up of techno, and for very good reason. Now the whole series is being given a lavish reissue treatment which takes in all the original releases along with additional discs of rare, archival tracks and remixes, all bundled up in a box with a booklet and autographed by the Baron himself.
Everything (No Statues) (previously unreleased version) (5:03)
Don't Do It Like That, Do It Like This (feat Donna Black) (5:56)
Crazy For Your Love (previously unreleased Recording) (4:18)
Together (6:53)
Sycologic PSP (5:09)
Self Hypnosis (previously unreleased mix) (5:37)
Silicon (live At The Brain club - previously unreleased version) (4:11)
Review: The Nexus 21 'Mind Machines' album finally sees the light, bringing the shelved UK techno classic to eager fans. Originally recorded in the early 90s, these tracks capture the essence of Detroit-inspired UK techno, fusing raw energy with British flair. Standouts include 'Nexodus' and 'Everything (No Statues),' with Motor City talent Marc Kinchen and Anthony Shakir lending their touch. While only two tracks saw official release back then, this album unearths unreleased gems and alternate mixes, showcasing the duo's groundbreaking sound that influenced both Nexus 21 and their rave-alter ego, Altern 8. A long-awaited landmark.
Review: Alex "Omar" Smith has always come across as fairly militant in terms of his musical output, so it's still a surprise that he's chosen to celebrate the first decade of his FXHE label by putting out a series of mixes. This second installment expands on the first - released earlier this year - mixing familiar staples and scene anthems (Smith's own "It Can Be Done But Only I Can Do It") with lesser known gems. Musically, it's impressively raw, with Smith moving through a range of tough, stripped-back techno grooves and dystopian acid house gems before reaching for more melodious cuts such as the shimmering "Flying Blind" and melancholic "Three Blind Rats".
Review: UK tech house legend Mark Ambrose is now back with a third volume of his The Journey series on Richard Davis' reissue label Repeat. The revered veteran crafted plenty of the genre's best and most unique sounds and you can revisit three of them now. 'Acid' is a slow, deep and meandering monster with rubbery bass and undulating 303 lines. 'The Ghoulash Monster From Outer Space' is a more dark and tribal, chunky and sci-fi sound with rich sound designs and eerie atmospheres and '5 AM' closes on a serene deep tech groove. Ricardo Villalobos, Sonja Moonear and Marcel Dettmann are just some of the names who have played these jams over the years, which is a testament to their quality.
Review: Despite their name, we find that the music of retro technicians Paranoid London offers us a rest from the paranoid mental state that the Great Wen often instils. Now out on a tenth anniversary edition, the duo's raw acid techno debut, released in 2015, heard two Londoners take temporary flight to Chicago, re-imbuing urban smoky techno with a long-lost sense of looseness and grit. Working in relative anonymity, the duo drew praise for their sparse use of original Bernard Sumner vocal lines, affording the record an esteem-by-proxy as well as a sense of turning full circle, as PL's Quinn Whalley actually spent many a pre-teen afternoon in Factory production wizard MArtin Hannet' studio. But it's the record's own minimalism that keeps it satisfyingly repetitive yet never complaisant. PL go their own way, swirling the old school round a ringer road of outer-city grit.
Review: Whoever is behind the Discotecas series has certainly got access to some seriously good re-edits. As with its predecessors, volume six in the series lands with no info about the identity of the editor (or editors) involved. Whoever it is, they've done a bang-up job - as inspired opener 'Perceptive', a deliciously dubby and spaced-out take on a hybrid electro/proto-house gem from the mid 1980s, proves. The retro-futurist fun continues on 'Kazbah', a fine revision of a brilliantly odd, breakbeat-fuelled Arabic acid record, while flip-side opener 'Bass Instinct' sits somewhere between bleep & breaks and early speed garage. Closing cut 'Ask a Dream' is arguably the best cut of all: a sublime slab of saucer-eyed early deep house of the kind that should probably be listened to as the sun comes up.
Review: London-based Italian David Agrella is the man behind the Agrellomatica Records label and now for its fifth release, he has tapped up some undeniably quality names to remix the title tune from his debut Modulo EP back in 2007. Baby Ford kicks off with a deliciously deep and dubbed-out minimal house roller that is detailed with wispy chords and eerie vocalisations. Agrella himself then flips it into a rubbery 909 workout with pops and bubbles next to the leggy drums. GNMR goes for a gritty, heads down and back room techno roller and to close, NDR brings a retro techno sound with molten acid lines. All in all a very useful outing.
Review: Semi Delicious return for their 19th outing in label head Demi Riquisimo's 'Perilous Joy' EP. The five-track release effortlessly meshes the classic influences synonymous with the now set-in-stone Semi Delicious sound with a nonetheless singular expression unique to Riquisimo themself. On the A come 'Sinewinder' & 'Direct Fix', a pair of four-to-the-floor tools. 'Sinewinder' brings a more diva-ish, big-room affected track, while 'Direct Fix' errs on the side of depth with a head-turning bassline. The flip kicks off with 'Perilous Joy', offering a nod to the sonics of the dreamy, progressive Italian house of yesteryear. Up finally is 'Thyme After Time', and with it more psychedelic house delvings. Finally, the artist lowers the pace on the Balearic chugger 'Autoglide'.
Review: Data Sync is a sub-label of Non Stop Rhythm and now label head Tom Carruthers is back on it with more of his fierce techno explorations. 'Intel' opens proceedings with some taught synth twangs and stomping drum work that will bring physicality to the floor. 'Force Field' is a similarly stomping sound with bright bells looping up top and 'Syntax' is a raw percussive frother with acid run right through it. 'GS5' (re-edit) is another one with some fresh synth sounds bringing light to the physical low ends and 'Metropolis' gets snappy and jacked up while 'Recon' closes down with some tribal energy and bleeping 90s references.
There Is No Acid In This House (Just Emotions Rmx) (6:24)
Dogs Don't Wear Pants (4:45)
Review: Chicago extraordinaire Jamal Moss aka Hieroglyphic Being's third solo album is titled There Is No Acid In This House, and sees him return to Soul Jazz Records. Using his idiosyncratic electronic sound, Moss takes influence from the experimental minds of fellow Windy City innovators such as The Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians, The Art Ensemble of Chicago and Sun Ra, through to icons of his hometown's house music scene like Ron Hardy, Marshall Jefferson, Lil Louis and others who have defined Chicago's musical universe over the last half a century.
Review: Belarusian producer Four Walls is back - this time around he finds himself on the new Ultraworld Records imprint from DJ Craft. This one kicks off with the lush prog house and silky synth arps of 'Mind Charger' which soon takes you to the stars. 'Metamorphosis' is a more raw-edged and acid-laced techno stomper for peak time action and 'Summer Nights' is a bubbling, elastic tapestry of new age overtones, thudding kicks, and trance-tinged pads. A remix by Toronto-based Pletnev adds another dimension to this club-ready EP.
Review: Bushwacka deserves any plaudits that come his way. He was there at the birth of acid house and went on to foment his own take on tech house. He held a legendary residency at the End in London and of course dropped countless seminal tunes alongside Layo, not least their epic 'Love Story' mash-up. Now the acclaimed but still relevant UK veteran dives back into his roots to serve up the sounds that came before tech house with highlights that would have been heard at the time at parties like Heart & Soul, Release, The Drop, Vapour Space, and at venues like Heaven and The End. Skippy, dubbed garage and driving house all feature in a fine collection.
Review: By our reckoning, S.A.M. have been away in some sort of hibernation for about four years but finally awaken their beat-making inner beats and arrive on Delaphine with a trio of killer cuts. Opener 'Project050' (Studio version) is a stylish and serene Detroit house with meaningful synths and cosmic energy. 'Ha' then layers up silky drums and hits into smooth loops with bouncing drums that again have a futuristic Motor City feel and last of all is 'Project050' (live mix) which his more raw, direct and textured. A classy EP all round.
Review: Few producers have proved quite as adept at crafting nostalgic slabs of dancefloor retro-futurism as Luca Lozano. The Sheffield-based producer's inspirations are hardly hidden - think bleep & bass, early breakbeat hardcore, acid house etc - but he still manages to meld familiar rave-era sounds into pleasing new shapes. The headline attraction on the producer's latest EP for Super Rhythm Traxx is arguably 'Summer of Love (Endless Mix)', a pleasingly bouncy, sub-heavy chunk of melody-laden, dub-flecked breakbeat attractiveness laced with spacey synth sounds and trippy electronics. It comes backed by a more upbeat breakbeat hardcore style revision from DJ Steve. Elsewhere, 'Breakbleep' lives up to its descriptive title and 'My Little Kawai' sounds like a deep house, acid-sporting tribute to Ability II style dub-wise UK techno.
Memorabilia (Daniel Miller 2023 remix - instrumental) (5:13)
Memorabilia (The Hacker 2023 remix) (6:35)
Memorabilia (Wally Funk 2023 remix) (5:39)
Review: The birth point of ecstasy in British music is usually credited to acid house and the second summer of love: a cemented vision of kids sweating and vibrating in clubs, fields and warehouses in 1988, united by universal empathy and mind-popping sounds. However, in 1981, a couple of young men from Leeds went to New York, discovered the drug in its infancy, fused its' gritty synth pop to acid house's squelchy 303 groove and recorded an album - Soft Cell's Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret. The rest, as they say, is history.
Review: We can't fault anyone for calling their EP Four Really Good Tracks just so long as it does indeed feature four really good tracks. This hand-stamped 12" from Terrazzo does just that with contributions from four different artists. Remotif's 'Ludovician' kicks off with a nice zoned-out tech roller for 4AM. Jay Gadian then steps up with 'Crisscrossing' which has a busier rhythm anymore searching synths smeared over the face of the groove. Reflex Blue's 'Mystic' is a busy workout with spiraling melodic refrains and a constant sense of cosmic takeoff. Wilt's 'Fractal Ceiling' then shuts down with acid laced deep techno.
Review: Astral techno cosmonaut Space Dimension Controller serves up his vision of acid on this new sampler via Gerd Jansen's Running Back. The storied producer kicks off with 'Kosmische Conga' which has twitchy and sinewy lines lashing about over mid-tempo drums. 'Echopet' has a dubby feel and nice undulating grocers that are coloured with a prickly 303 that gently weaves its way in and out. 'Minehead' gets more manic as the 303s are louder, brighter, and more manic in their approach and 'Carinacid' then slows down to heavy drums and a mutant acid house and techno vibe that is full of late night menace.
Jeremy Kyle's Righteous Indignation Silences Us All
A Public Service Announcement
I Seen You Through A Crowd (She's So Cool)
Evening Coming Down, On A Hill Above The Town
Cheers Curtis! (Thx mix)
Talking At Right Angles
Jolly Dillon (Happy Autumn Drinking With Friends)
Review: Ireland's Automatic Tasty (AKA Wicklow-based producer Jonny Dillon) seems to be getting better with age. Having skirted round the edges of analogue techno, deep house and electro since 2008, he really came of age with a pair of inspired singles on Lunar Disko back in 2012. Here, he delivers his fifth full-length, a delightfully fuzzy saunter through good old-fashioned electronica, 8-bit electro, melody-driven analogue iciness and low-key alien funk. There's naturally much to admire, from the Mr Fingers-goes-acid deepness of "Cheers Curtis! (Thx Mix)" and vibrant ZX Spectrum-house feel of "Talking At Right Angles", to the rush-inducing bliss and delightful vintage synthesizers of "I Seen You Through a Crowd (She's So Cool)".
Review: Repeat continue their exploration of Mark Ambrose's imperious tech house legacy with another double pack that will delight diggers and dismay sharks in equal measure. 'Harmony (Sun Mix)' is a truly dreamy cut that will go down a treat as we head towards sunnier dancefloor moments across the Northern Hemisphere. 'My Soul Your Soul' has a deadly broken beat edge to the drum programming, while 'Destiny Angel' creates a starry-eyed disco-house fusion that has to be heard to be believed. The quality and ingenuity spilling out of every one of these tracks is a marvel, and as a collection this release helps cement Ambrose's position as one of the finest artists to emerge from the mid 90s UK scene.
Review: Furious Frank makes his "all killer, no filler type biz" Kalahari Oyster Cult return in cheeky, slapstick, neo-breaks wideboy fashion. As is characteristic of the label on which no artist ever quite takes themselves too seriously, Frank moves from musings on 'Photosynthesis' to acting the 'Raving Lunatic' in quick succession, betraying an interest in flora, then psychopathology. The former track is the most measured, its alarming lead line churning forth like a desperate message in fungal morse code, while 'Lunatic' and 'Blue Meanie' hark back to relatively earlier days, eschewing bonhomie for a relatively devilish two takes on UK hardcore. The 3AM Acid Mix of 'Wize Guy' does similarly, though it also indulges an ecstatic free-party-rave-at-night feel; transcendent pads, all-important crescendos, even a few kinesiological bongos for good measure.
Review: Matthias closes out 2024 with 'Life Among Nightmares', a three-track EP that dives deep into the techno-synth wave spectrum. Kicking things off is Global Thunder, a mind-bending track that crescendos into an epic blend of nostalgic synths and cinematic tension. On the B-side, Living Nightmare delivers a moody fusion of eccentric analog sounds, acid sequences, and swinging percussion, creating a dark yet hypnotic atmosphere. Finally, Sunfall rounds out the EP, where sinister synths and shadowy pads pull listeners into a haunting, techno-wave journey.
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