Magnus International's releases are few and far between. With his solo debut 12"out in 2006 and one in 2009 we can easily classify him as our least prolific(lazy) family member. However, Magnus has that rare gift for melody and drama... the so called Magnus factor. So whenever he decides to lay his knowledge upon you, lend him an ear. Debuting on Full Pupp as part of "Kalle, Magnus & Daniel" together with Kalle Risan SandÂs and Blackbelt Andersen, Magnus helped lay the foundations to what we all know as nu disco/space disco/cosmic disco/scando disco etc.(insert your own silly take on it here).
Suche:ear dis
Amplified cointinues their quest to find new and interesting talents out there. Disco In Distress pt. 3 again is an amazing collection of slow house and disco. Quell comes with a slow house joint that even has some Techno elements: rough beats and tough stab and synth work. S3A (Sampling as an Art) has had an excellent release called Continuation early 2012 and serves you with another killer discofied house tune Holdin' On here. Russian newcomer Kirill delivers the breathtaking house cut Feel The Broken Line. Last but not least Sellouts does what he does best: slow-mo-spaced-out-disco in She Knows. Tip!
We celebrate our number 30 with a double pack, featuring one of the creators of techno in Spain: Groof.
Roberto Gemelin, from Madrid, is Groof. He's Robert Calvin too. No matter which of his alias you know him by, he's one of the most active producers in the Madrid arena.
Aka Robert Calvin, he released materials with Turbo (Tiga's label) in 2004, having previously collaborated with Star Whores in a joint release with Alek Stark (2002).
Also important are the remixes he did for Disko B or for Sindicato Records and MSX, paying tribute to Megabeat with his recreation of the great classic Strange.
His background as Groof is even more extensive, as his early steps go back to the times of Minifunk (the cheeky and shameless label from Barcelona that was then managed by Omar and Dj Loe). With them he recorded Mambo! (1999) and I want you (2000). He has also recorded with WarmUp, Fieber, Rainwaves or Shareware Records.
At the end of the ninetees Groof shared Quite Unusual with Oscar Mulero: the start of a deep friendship that nowadays brings us WU30 mini-album.
'Angel exterminador' is on the A side; modern and dark techno, based on cemented beats and deep synth work. A track that is constantly growing and evolving; quality and punch in one track.
'Diagrama esporadico' goes next: relaxed BPM, 909 beats, spacey arpeggios, and analogue synth percussions for a mental feeling.
'Gummy' starts with weird flanged noises, fed with distorted drums and drones that create an elastic feeling, hence the gummy name. Scientific techno.
'Amb' goes back to darkness, subtle ambiences and drones, fixed sequences and a clever arrangement.
'Vac 04' continues on the same mood: obscure synths, classic drum machines, sharp hats and white noise.
Closing the release, 'Islands' is a liquid track based on lush keyboards, and a dubby feeling with those endless delays. A classy number.
A nice mini-album which is diverse, complex, classic and futuristic at the same time.
2024 Repress
Following the legendary first two, stoically super minimal records “SOG 1“ and “SOG 2“ that provide ecstasy disguised as boredom on Kompakt Extra/Speicher in 2007, and the outstanding beautifully bizarre “SOG - Abweichung“ on Profan in 2010, we are now listening to “FREMDE HÄNDE“. Like its predecessors, this SOG stands in the tradition of „The Art of Omission“ with Wolfgang Voigt variegating his preference for the bluntly straightforward quaver bass in two different forms. The A-side contains a tonally noncommittal sequence ambling across the keyboard in quantised form, reminiscing of the arpeggiator (accompaniment function) function of early 70ies' and 80ies' synthesizers. On the B-side, daring and thoroughly unquantised quaver rhythms rock around a bass drum that, as the only straight element, tries to keep the whole thing together. The result sounds a little like a delirious Can Live.
Nach den legendären ersten beiden stoisch-superminimalen, als Langeweile getarnten Ekstase-Platten “SOG 1“ und “SOG 2“ auf Kompakt Extra/Speicher in 2007 und der überaus skurril-schönen “SOG - Abweichung“ auf Profan in 2010, hören wir nun “FREMDE HÄNDE“. Auch diese SOG steht natürlich ganz in der Tradition der “Kunst des Weglassens“. Wolfgang Voigt variiert hier seine Vorliebe für den stumpf-geraden Achtelbass auf zwei verschiedene Weisen. Auf der A-Seite haben wir eine tonal unverbindlich über die Tastatur wandernde Sequenz in quantisierter Form, die an die Arpeggiator (Begleitautomatik) Funktion früher 70er und 80er Jahre Syntheziser erinnert. Auf der B-Seite kreist die Achtel-Rhythmik in eher rockigem Sound ganz und gar unquantisiert und rhythmisch gewagt um die Bassdrum, die das Ganze als einzig gerades Element versucht zusammen zu halten. Das klingt ein bisschen wie Can live im Vollrausch.
Rockwell's rise to prominence as a rare, distinctive talent has been exciting the electronica music circuit the world over. Critical, thankfully, being the trusty forefront for all things audio-aesthetically delicious, presents the 'Aria EP' - 4 tracks of sound sublime, exemplifying Rockwell's refreshing angle on energy in the club combined with the characteristic, meticulously playful technicals, precise and thrilling as ever.The charmingly rustic intro of 'Aria' unleashes striking Flinstones-esque wooden triplets, scaling the track as stirring vocals weave through; haunting and uplifting at once, the title-track exudes sheer class. Slightly more buoyant, 'Live For The Moment' infuses an energetic tempo with profusions of ear-carressing funk and those ever-characteristic percussive twists - naughty all over. Swiftly plunged into apocalyptic darkness, the Ulterior Motive boys take a sinister liking to 'Noir'. Distinctly menacing and genuinely frightening, what better to bully the atmosphere than Hell-raising bass and staccato violins. Listen out for the breakdown bass - horrific and enriching, this track is dark by Devil's definition. Icing on the cake collaboration with underground legend Untold comes in the form of 'Rehoku Sunrise', a tribal earthy worldly masterpiece of running drums and raw, wild samples, glazing the soul in bliss. Bellissimo.
Slap - one of the most obscure and forward thinking acts from the early 80s meets the spearhead of today's electronic music, Ricardo Villalobos. The originals are disturbingly brilliant electronic excursions, while Villalobos' jazz-fueled rework is one of the deepest mixes he has ever done.
Green Vinyl[15,08 €]
"In 2021, we started the Mdou Moctar mixtape series. These releases compiled field recordings, cell phone voice memos, interview clips, conversations captured in the tour van, and blown-out board recordings from shows all over the world. As a continuation of those mixtapes, we present the Niger EPs, which examine the roots of the Mdou Moctar band. Early Mdou recordings were contained on cassettes, though the humble tape was soon replaced by the quick and easy facilityof cell phone technology. Long bus rides are common in West Africa. On one of these rides, you might be seated next to a stranger and ask "what are you listening to?", then a song exchange would begin over Bluetooth. This is a very real way artists found their music distributed far from home. In that vein, the Niger EP series features solely recordings taped in Mdou Moctar"s home country of Niger. Volume 1 begins the series with a mix of recordings from 2017- 2020, documenting the band at weddings, picnics, rehearsals, and even impromptu house concerts. A must have for any Mdou Moctar fan!" - Mdou Moctar bassist Mikey Coltun
Yellow Vinyl[15,08 €]
"In 2021, we started the Mdou Moctar mixtape series. These releases compiled field recordings, cell phone voice memos, interview clips, conversations captured in the tour van, and blown-out board recordings from shows all over the world. As a continuation of those mixtapes, we present the Niger EPs, which examine the roots of the Mdou Moctar band. Early Mdou recordings were contained on cassettes, though the humble tape was soon replaced by the quick and easy facilityof cell phone technology. Long bus rides are common in West Africa. On one of these rides, you might be seated next to a stranger and ask "what are you listening to?", then a song exchange would begin over Bluetooth. This is a very real way artists found their music distributed far from home. In that vein, the Niger EP series features solely recordings taped in Mdou Moctar"s home country of Niger. Volume 1 begins the series with a mix of recordings from 2017- 2020, documenting the band at weddings, picnics, rehearsals, and even impromptu house concerts. A must have for any Mdou Moctar fan!" - Mdou Moctar bassist Mikey Coltun










