Review: Two sides of mega-minimal, textural minimal and a dash of drone here, shared equally between friends Bastian Balders and Anton Kubikov. The producers bring a sophistication to the tech, reflecting the huge variation in the emotions they indulge. Something between ecstasy and horror is heard on Balders' 'Machinery', while Kubikov's 'Introland' is comparatively hopeful and tearjerking, with its delayed piano refractions and filtery-in-and-out strings.
Review: John Beltran's label debut sees the maestro flexing and showcasing the full spectrum of his composing and production skills over four diverse tracks.
Review: Dutch label Brew returns with more moody techno that is both deep yet impactful. It's Robert Bergman at the helm and '3 AM' is his opening gambit. It has ghostly voices shimmering across the beats with a menacing low end, rugged bassline and scaring percussive sounds. '#5' is another fresh sound with great sound designs and alluring rhythms and last of all is 'Drum Trax' which is a third and final blend of nostalgic and futuristic house tropes for heady basements.
Review: Billus is a new name to be emerging from the Melbourne scene and here he shows his mastery of groove and percussion. There is a real lightness of touch to the breakbeats of the opener 'Cubic'. They mean you instantly take flight and drift through the skies next to pillow melodic clouds that cast your mind adrift. It's deliciously deep and colourful stuff. 'Shifting Sands' is another mix of suspensory chords that pan all around and bubbling, percussive drums that are hard to define. 'Splay' sinks into a watery world of dubby chords and skeletal but compelling beats and 'Under The Canopy is melodic minimalism of the highest order.
Review: Billy Nightmare, aka "Mystic Bill" Torres, grew up in Miami and spent much of his life involved in various parts of the music industry, but he's hardly seen good recognition for his work until now. Following its re-cropping-up online in late 2018 (the album was thrown up on the net by the artist himself) Sounds Records have ridden the wave of revived interest in the 'Reality Check' EP with a new vinyl reissue. Dreamy and industrial, we're nicely jostled by this one's cold sonic waves.
Review: With an extensive legacy and a list of alter egos longer than your arm, Martin Damm aka Biochip C achieves a delicate balancing act on this 11 year old record, a handful of extras copies of which were recently unearthed in what can only be described as a highly fortunate 'warehouse find'. He pulls off a delicate balancing act here, letting the abrasive, industrial punk rock side of his music off the leash to frolic unhindered, while never losing sight of the needs of dancefloor and its needs across the six tracks. Highlights? Well, the title track's speedy electrofunk is highly addictive, 'Eraser' has a driving, chunky techno edge that fans of Force Inc will love, while the double dub speed grooves of 'Knobgine' and 'Liquid Silence' are forces of nature in themselves.
Review: German artist Stephan Bodzin has done a fine job of keeping himself at the forefront of the melodic techno world, not least with his always boundary-pushing live shows. He takes that energy into the studio when cooking up his scintillating club tracks, too, and always has. This reissue on his own Herzblut label revisits one of his many stand cuts. 'Valentine' is a wonky one with creepy bass and mysterious melodies over crunchy tech beats. 'Papillon' takes flight like its butterfly namesake, with elegant leads and rubbery bass all doused in glorious melodic rain that has a sci-fi edge.
Review: Third part of the compilation celebrating the tenth anniversary of the Milanese record shop. This collection is entirely composed of previously unreleased music, exclusively produced for the occasion by many artists of great relevance in the worldwide music scene, who supported the store over the last ten years. The artists who produced the music for this compilation are Egyptian Lover, Ellen Allien, Thomas Brinkmann, Neil Landstrumm, JD Twitch, Matias Aguayo, San Proper, Tolouse Low Trax, Jay Glass Dubs, Dj Marcelle, Jorge Velez, Tamburi Neri, Fabrizio Mammarella, Heith, Itinerant Dubs, Timeslip89, Kreggo and Intersezioni Ensemble. The entire work is composed of 4 x 12", plus a bonus EP.
Review: Sure Thing presents Well of Sand, its second compilation. Six tracks from the label's friends and favourites, each new to the roster, offer bold, untempered explorations of tempo and weight, a concise yet expansive collection recalling the deliberate cadence of rippling sand and the sheen of shimmering oases. From Command D's subtly groundswelling, but snappy 'Half Blue (Violet Mix)', to Foreign Material's alarmingly alien 'The Living Planet' and Third Space's supremely stereoized, lowercase opus 'Push (Part 2)', this is a release for that large intersection of audiophiles and techno-philes.
Hidden Sequence - "Synapse" (Bluetrain Special edition dub) (8:55)
Review: Dub techno don Steve O'Sullivan's Mosaic label is back with a new dubs series and vol 1 kicks things off with a real doozy on lovely red wax. The boss himself offers up a Bluetrain special edition dub of Hidden Sequence's 'Synapse' which is all icy lines and liquid rhythms which make you think of some frozen lake on a misty morning. Sub Basics (Temple of Sound, Lion Charge Records) opens up with a fresh dub laden track with rippling chords, tons of echo and rolling drums on 'Quarters.' Both are timeless dub outings, as you would expect from this label.
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