Machine acid trax on the EP titled 'Gone Fishin''.
Getting lost, escaping a life that got you sick and tired, is sometimes necessary.
This EP combines energetic (A1), disorienting (A2), and heavy-hearted (B1) vibes to provide a getaway from
the ordinary, expressing an overall nasty, acidic feel.
Limited edition, black vinyl.
The Conspiracy Hailed From Mount Pleasant, A College Town In The Center Of Michigan. Originally Formed As The Allusions, They Became Nino & The Nomads Before Changing Their Name To The Conspiracy In 1966. For The Next Few Years The Group Stayed Busy On The Live Circuit. "we Were Booked All Over The State," Remembers Singer Aquilino Soriano. "every Weekend We'd Be Somewhere. We Were About Two And A Half Hours From Detroit, So We'd Go Down South, We'd Go Up North, We'd Go Everywhere. There Was This Network Of Teen Clubs Where Kids Didn't Have To Be 21 And Everybody Could Go. It Was Fantastic." In 1967 The Group Had What Aquilino Describes As "probably Our Apex Moment". Kustom Amplifiers Sponsored A Statewide Battle Of The Bands Tournament, And The Conspiracy Battled Through Several Rounds Of Competition To Make It All The Way To The Finals In Saginaw. "it Was A Statewide Thing That Culminated There," Remembers Aquilino. "question Mark & The Mysterians And A Couple Of Others That Were Notables Were Also In It - And We Won It! We Got Our Award From Bob Seger." The Prize Was Thousands Of Dollars Worth Of Gigs And A Tuck And Roll Kustom Pa System, Which The Band Put To Use As They Moved Forward Into 1968, Brimming With Confidence. A Roving Capitol A&r Man Caught Their Show In Cadillac, Michigan, And Encouraged Them To Write Some Original Songs And Go Into The Studio. So In 1968 That's What They Did. `dream World' And `with You' Were Recorded At A Studio In Grand Rapids And The Session Turned Out Exceptionally Well. "it Just Floored Me That We Didn't Sit Down And Write Some More Songs," Says Aquilino, "because I Thought We Did A Pretty Good Job." `dream World' Is Particularly Great With A Soulful Lead Vocal, An Insistent Fuzz Guitar Line, Waves Of Hammond Organ, A Catchy, Harmonized Chorus And An Insistent Dance Groove. Shades Of The Doors, The Young Rascals, The Blues Magoos And Src. A Mixdown Of The Tape Was Forwarded To Their Contact At Capitol Records, But Ultimately No Deal Was Signed. "we Were Just Starting To Separate From High School," Remembers Aquilino. "it Was The Start Of That Transition. I Was Class Of '67, They Were Class Of `68. There Was The War In Vietnam. You Could Go To College To Avoid The Draft. It Was A Lot Of Decisions And I Guess What Happened Is Nothing Really Happened From Us Recording. I Mean They Liked It, They Made Us An Offer, But I Think That The Parents Weren't Really Happy With That. I Think That There Was Some Dissent In The Band Too." The Conspiracy Broke Up In Early 1969 And The Tape Of The Only Original Songs They Ever Played Remained Unreleased And Unheard Until 2018, When Soriano Brought The Original 1" 8-track Session Tape Into Earthling Studios In El Cajon, California, Where It Was Mixed And Mastered By Mike Kamoo For This Release. "getting This Out On Vinyl - It's What We Dreamed Of!" Aquilino Grins. "even If It Took Fifty Years To Happen!" Mike Stax
Following on from last year's releases by Neue Grafik and Selectors Assemble, CoOp Presents step into 2019 with a new 4-track EP courtesy of Oliver Night; a DJ, producer & singer born and raised in North London.
In addition to joining the Selectors Assemble family recently, Oliver is a member and producer of Roots Manuva's Banana Klan. He established himself as a DJ some 15 years ago, and has since played across the capital, from the Tate Modern to Boiler Room. His music has been supported in the past by the likes of Tony Humphries, Kerri Chandler & Seth Troxler,
This four-tracker illustrates Oliver's diverse range of influences, from the initial inspiration of his Jamaican uncle, musician Hughie Izachaar (who worked with Lee Scratch Perry & others), through to his passion for London's broken beat movement. Oliver's sound epitomises tru-skool UK sound-system ethics; grounded in reggae and dub production sensibilities, whilst built solidly for the bruk and house music dances of today.
The set kicks off with title track, 'Make Believe', featuring the powerhouse vocals of BB.JAMES aka Bethany Barnett Bywater, who's had previous releases with EVM128, Spoek Mathambo and Waze & Odyssey. London-based singer BB is a talent to watch in her own right, as proven on this monster of a track, which has all the ingredients to crossover & damage dancefloors underground and over. Sassy soulful vocals ride a woofer-shattering b-line and synth stabs with devastating effect - a sureshot future anthem.
Next up is 'Swing For Life', an instrumental jazz-house affair, which features the talents of Vancouver-born trumpeter, Jay Phelps - a highly-prolific, highly-acclaimed musician in the jazz world, who found his base in the capital over a decade ago and has since worked with a veritable who's who of international jazz artists, including Courtney Pine, Wynton Marsalis, Amy Winehouse, Hugh Masakela & George Benson, to name a few.
Finally, the flipside brings with it two versions of the cut 'U Got To', remixed by Selectors Assemble family, Cengiz, and label founders IG Culture (fresh from receiving a 'Lifetime Achievement Award' at the 2019 Worldwide Awards) and Alex Phountzi (formerly of Bugz In The Attic) aka NameBrandSound, delivering more of their signature bassweight business. Oliver unleashes his own vocal talents on this track, deftly demonstrating a rich, soulful Omar-esque quality to his voice, and completing a truly heavyweight debut for the label.
This record is huge. Essential business, no BS. A truly firing start to the new year for CoOp Presents.
Limited vinyl & digital available on ********
Mutima is the debut album led by bassist Cecil McBee recorded in 1974 and first released on the Strata-East label. In his review for Michael G. Nastos called it "A landmark recording in early creative improvised modern music" and states "McBee as a pure musician has staggering technique, rich harmonic ideas, and an indefatigable swing, but it is as a composer that he is set apart from other musicians of this mid-'70s era... Mutima (translated as "unseen forces") undoubtedly solidified his stature and brilliance as a major player". Dustygroove now calls it: 'A great bit of spiritual soul jazz - and one of the few albums as a leader recorded by the legendary bassist Cecil McBee! Cecil's joined here by a large group of players that includes Billy Hart on drums, George Adams on tenor, Onaje Allen Gumbs on piano, Jimmy Hopps on percussion, Art Webb on flute and Dee Dee Bridgewater on vocals - adding in just a touch of soulful color to the record as she did on a few other 70s sides like this.' Plus: 'The music's got that essential Strata East sound, with a rich and spiritual vibe on all tracks, and slight bits of funk hiding somewhere in the mix! Tracks are long and freely expressive - but never too outside, either.' A long lost classic we call it. And this latest reissue is the best vinyl version ever since it first appeared almost 45 years ago!
In a career spanning 45 years, Leo Sayer has sold more than 80 MILLION records worldwide.
To coincide with Leo's forthcoming return to the UK for his 22-date 'Just A Boy At 70' tour, 'The Hollywood Years
1976-1978' is the second of a series of three Vinyl LP box sets.
'The Hollywood Years 1976-1978' comprises Leo's three studio albums. 'Endless Flight' (released 1976/UK
#4) 'Thunder In My Heart' (released 1977/UK #8) and 'Another Year' (released 1978/UK #15) and marked a
clear departure from his early albums.
Leo recorded these three albums with legendary producer Richard Perry, who brought in a variety of songwriters
and collaborators to work on the projects with Leo; it was a venerable Who's Who of the record industry.
Each vinyl LP Box set in this Limited Edition release, will be pressed on heavyweight 180g clear vinyl and contain
a signed 12'x12' print.
This project has been overseen by Leo Sayer, who remains one of the UK's great singer/songwriters of all time.
The Seeds of Fulfillment by David Drazin (November 2018)
Andrew Venson founded Seeds of Fulfillment (SOF) in early 1978. In the 1960s he had played electric bass with Arthur Conley, and later the original Peaches and Herb. On the same bill with Big Brother and the Holding Company, he hung out backstage with Janis Joplin. Yes! Vince was hoping SOF would get all of us to the top. He composed three tunes for the band, and we always had a ball playing them.
Roger Myers is a marvelous drummer. We co-composed Namaste. Roger would settle on a drum pattern of four measures at a time that he wanted to keep, and I'd put chords and melody right on top of his pattern. When he layered a second drum pattern on top of the first one, we'd get two melodies at the same time. We thought we were going to collaborate on more songs this way, but it didn't happen.
Lee Savory is a very inventive jazz man. He's musically literate, and wrote excellent transpositions. I remember Lee's asking for my input while he was composing Tight Squeeze, but it was clear he had it down. Once when I was visiting a DJ who played the album in a local radio station, the total of checks next to Tight Squeeze for number of plays was by far the highest!
Randy Mather's sax playing always knocked me out. I could hardly wait to hear him solo. When he left SOF to go with Woody Herman's orchestra it was amazing, but true.
Jeanette Williams had recorded 45s for the Duke and Peacock label when she was 17 years old. Her powerful singing was incredible to me. When we needed an original for Jeanette, Vince composed it, and Roger's wife Linda wrote the lyrics.
In 1978 I was in my senior year at Ohio State University when I met Vince. He came into a bar called My Brother's Place where I was playing with a trumpet player named Bobby Alston. When I was a freshman at OSU I'd played in an off campus band called Akadama. Before that I played in my home town of Cleveland, Ohio in the Brush High School Stage Band and a jobbing band called The Midnight Combo.
Everyone in the band contributed something to Egg Cartons in a composition jam session. We rehearsed in Vince's basement, and he had covered the walls with egg cartons to make the room sound more like a recording studio. The Provider was inspired by Country Preacher by Joe Zawinul. In those days I especially admired the way Zawinul would get his soulful feelings across, but also loved Herbie Hancock and to a lesser degree Chick Corea too. It took two years (with a break of several months) for the band to conquer Self-Fulfilling Prophecy. It shows you what consideration and dedication is, that ultimately they felt it was worth learning.
We recorded at Fifth Floor Studios in Cincinnati, Ohio. While we were there I got to shake hands with Bootsy Collins, who was recording in the rooms downstairs at the same time. Years later, Fifth Floor burned down and all the master tapes were destroyed.
The record you are holding in your hands is a previously unheard masterpiece of Israeli multimedia artist Ami Shavit. As a professor of both philosophy and art and established kinetic artist in the 1970s Shavit was fascinated with new and interactive technologies. While mostly focusing on visual art and mixed-media installations, a trip to New York in 1972 introduced him to synthesizers and triggered his curiosity to do some explorations into the world of music or "sound" as he preferred to call it.
Ami's research was focused on the concept of meditative music that would help people to relax and create a cosy mood associated to the alpha brain waves and biofeedback. Before starting his artistic career, like all Israeli citizens, he had to serve in the army to his personal regret. Shavit had an operational position, which meant a high probability to get involved in a so called 'hot situation'. When in 1973 the Yom Kippur war broke out, Ami was enlisted again and got the unfortunate opportunity to encounter, in Hanoch Levin's words 'the dead'. Being an operation officer he was in charge of evacuating Israeli wounded officers from battlefields to hospitals. Some 6000 injured men passed through us during that war, he recalled one year later in a newspaper interview.
'I witnessed some sights that I can hardly forget. On the one hand I felt that as an artist I had to express the war events, on the other hand I felt that this is an almost impossible mission. Only Goya and Picasso, in his Guernica, addressed this topic successfully.'
Yom Kippur is the final and seminal of Shavit's sound experiments ever recorded and now finally available to the world. We believe that this is an extraordinary strong piece in which the hectic moods and terrific experiences of war are deeply transmitted to the listener. May all soldiers, who are often forced to go through traumatic experiences beyond their own will, find ways to artistically digest and process the unwanted memories.
Ami Shavit was born in 1934 in Tel Aviv-Jaffa. Known as visual artist, his work involves in creating virtual environments with optic and kinetic art, including structures worked by electricity, moving tubular configurations illuminated by colored lights. He published In Alpha Mood in 1977 on Amis records, his own record company, at 500 copies, republished by Finders Keepers Records in 2015 and Neural Oscillations And Alpha Rhythms in 2018. Yom Kippur is his ultime recordings.
Taken for the widely played and adored Lenny Williams Spark of Love Album, which was released during the Disco Era of 1976 and featured disco hits like, 'You got me Running', I still Reach and 'Midnight Girl' comes 'Changes.'
Edits and Overdubs Produced and Performed by Joaquin Joe Clausell; Changes is the tune that was mostly ignored from the extensive Lenny Williams music catalogue.
Similar to his past works where he chooses songs that are mostly un popular to the outside world but classics amongst himself and his siblings at home, Joaquin Joe Claussell takes this Jam that he used to groove to at home as a young teenager, lifts it out from obscurity and turns it into something that will sure be played by most DJ's who are into the Lenny Williams Sound, soulful disco and beyond.
Listed at a time length of (5:03) Joe cleverly up lifts this soulful disco composition and extends it to a time of (9:01). He achieves this, as usual, with respecting the original composition and with never anyself-masturbation. In the end, the results are a New Disco Classic that drives with relentless energy and enough soul for anyone who's seeking more soul that hailed mostly from the urban side of American disco music.
So, listen, dance and spin.
Lenny Williams - Changes Edits & Overdubs by Joaquin Joe Claussell will be the first single to come out from the forth coming Joaquin Joe Claussell Presents Edits & Overdubs PT 2 2XCD and Special Limited 7Inch.
Rounding up five years of Heist also means we're releasing our fifth version of the Round Up. Last year's edition was full of highlights with Fouk remixing Nachtbraker's anthem 'Hamdi' and Alma Negra going all tribal on Nebraska's 'Big plate chicken'. This year, we've seen a lot of new faces on the label, which has brought us a fresh set of combinations and a couple of really nice revisions of the tracks that made our year.
First up is Detroit Swindle's take on Heist's latest signing Hugo Mari. They chose to remix 'Change ur ways', beefing up the dreamy original. They focus on a simple but effective grainy groove and added a twist on the bass to give a more 'warehouse' feel to it and play around with the lovely detuned keys and vocal chops of the original to great effect.
Alma Negra show you just how loose their limbs are with a Rhodes filled version of Kassian's Acid surprise 'Bad Habit', while the full B side is dedicated to Pitto's personal take on Adryiano's classic house track 'Me and you and her'. His version takes the track into a new territory that lies somewhere between balearic and dreamhouse. Whatever it is, it's got a lovely vibe where the vocal is complemented by airy pads and a touch of acid.
Kassian on their turn, have done a great job on taking Pitto's 'Treat me like a fool' into 4x4 house territory. They've opted for a sub heavy club track where reverbed hits and the vocal take turns over a solid house groove. Next up on the C-side is Adryiano. He's picked Detroit Swindle's moody-but-heavy album track 'Cut u loose' and does what he does best: a steady and nicely distorted filtered house groove that packs quite a punch. The final track of this compilation really is a great pair of artists: Hugo Mari and Alma Negra. Hugo takes the tropical warmth of 'This is the place' and adds a subtle punch with a smart percussion loop and some added pressure on the low end.
So there you go. Another year, another Roundup. We hope you'll enjoy listening to these re-interpretations as much as we do. Yours
Sincerely,
Maarten & Lars.
The second release on AF Trax, again with all profits being donated to Hope Not Hate, is the debut from Al Jerry who has the following to say -
I was initially picturing Al as an ambivalent character trying to evoke in his music deep issues and emotions related to Middle Eastern cultures, but not without a certain self-depreciating sense of humour and a questionable taste for stereotypical arabesque harmonies.
On a personal level, I'm from a family who is half-French, half-Armenian (from Turkey). I grew up with this sort of historical ambivalence in mind, born and bred in the relatively untroubled French culture but not completely oblivious (how could I) of the troubled past of my modern Armenian ancestry who had experienced the first genocide of the 20th century - which as you may know some people and countries still deny its very existence as we speak now in 2018. So, instead of doing something purely on my personal history and origins, I just wanted to celebrate/acknowledge the modern history of the both fascinating and chaotic Middle Eastern cultures.
When I introduced that vague idea of a project/alias to B with an early version of Sana'a Riots, he got instantly into it. The hybrid feel of the project really allowed us to experiment and mess around with odd tonalities and enthused solos. It was the first time for both of us that we manage to collaborate on an EP with someone else. We had never tried something together before and it actually turned out to be a lot of fun. More to come from Al then :)
AF Trax = Against Fascism Trax and is a new label project instituted by JD Twitch/Optimo Music. Its aim is to make a musical and cultural protest in opposition of rising far right politics and ideology in the world. Encouraging artists to make music intended to interrogate these toxic ideas, and with all label profits donated to Hope Not which campaigns to counter racism and fascism. Against Fascism Trax's intent is to provoke conversation, inform and financially support the opposition to fascist thinking. Its simple idea is that we must do something more than just talking. The moral thing to do is to act
On 8th February 2019, Eric Gales returns with his brand new album 'The Bookends' on Provogue/Mascot Label Group and it features collaborations with B. Slade and Provogue artists Doyle Bramhall II and Beth Hart. The challenge for making 'The Bookends' was for Gales to challenge himself. 'As a guitar player it's been established that I can play a little bit, just a little bit,' he smiles. But for this album he not only wanted to push himself as a musician, but also as a vocalist, to build up his vocal discography. Gales' story is an incredible one, he was a child prodigy and released his debut album The Eric Gales Band in 1991 as a 16 year old on Elektra Records. It was the first of 10 albums on a major label through a blistering career. He has released 15 studio albums in total ahead of 'The Bookends' and a host of other collaborations. He has battled drink and drug issues and spent time in jail in 2009 for possession of drugs and a weapon. Gales proudly tells his story every night before every show, now over two years sober he is creating some of the most breath-taking music he has ever made. If his previous album 'Middle of the Road' was the rebirth of Eric Gales, then 'The Bookends' is him knocking away his boundaries and taking flight on a voyage of self-discovery asking himself what do you think you can do and pushing that into the stratosphere.
Left Ear are issuing two previously unreleased Full-Length versions of Space Farm's mid 90's Egyptian inspired tracks. Both, 'The Dawn of Birds' and 'Camels in Desert Air' were initially cut short to allow for additional remixes on the original release. For their 2019 issue, Left Ear have decided to focus only on these downtempo original songs allowing the heavy percussion and synth workouts to shine through on a loud 45RPM press.
Space Farm is the story of three friends Darrin, Bill and Waleed their love for 80's NY culture, Egyptian music and a cross continental business plan that never materialised. Darrin and Bill grew up in North New Jersey only a few miles from NY city and met while studying in '90. Bill spent his formative years listening to the emerging sounds of 80's left-leaning New York radio stations, while Darrin immersed himself in the DJ and B-Boy culture. Fast-forward to '94 and the two found themselves living in Boulder, Colorado. By this time the tag-team had started producing music and would look to their NJ roots for a group name, deciding on the title 'Space Farm' after a kooky local petting farm they often cracked jokes about. Armed with an open mind and a bunch of old studio gear the duo began producing music inspired by 80's NY, however after a budding friendship began with Egyptian native Waleed they were inspired to start experimenting with Egyptian and Arabic sounds. After hearing their output Waleed pushed for the release of an Egyptian inspired record saying 'it would sell like crazy in Egypt', that 'he would bring it back to Egypt on his next visit and get it to all the right people that need to hear it'. The record got done but, due to circumstances beyond their control it never made it over to Egypt. The duo performed live a few times in Boulder before finally returning to NJ. Darrin recalls playing their final party in Boulder in which the Space Farm record was played from start to finish, 'Some joker ran up to us while we were playing and kept signalling to up the tempo we were like F Off! raver boy'.
It gives me the greatest honour to finally be able to announce the release of this amazing triple vinyl masterpiece by log(m) and Laraaji on Invisible, Inc.
It's been over a decade since Laraaji first joined forces with log(m) in their Canadian studio in early 2007. In those ten years the trio recorded many hours of music. Over time these recordings, beginning essentially as live jams, were polished, dissected, processed, re-arranged and then finely and painstakingly distilled down to the 105 minutes of music that now form this album, which finally reached completion just earlier this year. The wait has been more than worth it.
The Onrush Of Eternity is a melding of minds like no other. Ever the pioneer of experimental ambience, Laraaji's signature hammered dulcimer, zither, mbira, auto harp, sruthi drone box and of course his exceedingly positive vibes are here combined with log(m)'s unique vision of gronky hi-tech psychedelic space dub. The resultant voyage into deeply meditative ambience and trance-inducing dub is as unexpected an outcome as it is a bona fide "Eureka" moment. It sounds neither like log(m) OR Laraaji....but of course like both. It is one of those rare collaborations that is, without a doubt, even greater than the sum of its already great parts.
Log(m) started making waves in the early '90s as Legion Of Green Men with their visually striking 12"s, complete with eternal opuscules (locked grooves) and mathematically inspired titles, all lovingly issued on their own Post Contemporary imprint. These deservedly got the attention of Richie Hawtin who promptly asked the duo for an album on his own classic Plus 8 Records. 20+ years later and the music (much like their name) has morphed into something more sophisticated: even more complex, atmospheric and deeper than ever.
Laraaji's reputation of course precedes him: he first came to wider attention when Brian Eno released his "Day Of Radiance" as part 3 of his Ambient Series in 1980. Since then, Laraaji has released over 40 albums, yet his stellar path seems still to be on the ascendant - a recent landmark being the 2017 "Sun" series of albums for the wonderful All Saints' Records.
This unique triple LP in tri-fold sleeve is limited to 200 copies on coloured vinyl and 300 copies on black vinyl featuring ten of log(m)'s signature eternal opuscules and cryptic engravings on all three discs.
In the cracks that sprawl between electronic and analog music, visual art, and craft creation, Yamila dances on the edge of sound and conceptual heights. The Spanish composer, cellist, singer and producer is based between Belgium, Holland and Spain. In recent years Yamila has created music for contemporary dance productions in places such as The Gothenburg Opera, Netherlands Dans Theater, and Dance Forum Taipei, among others. Her projects have been presented at festivals such as Sonic Acts Festival (Amsterdam), Arts Electronica (Linz), Seoul International Computer Music Festival, STRP Festival (Eindhoven), and Today's Art festival (The Hague) to name a few.
With 'Iras Fajro' (Forbidden Colours), her debut album, Yamila, summons in 11 songs with the strength of electronic sounds in front of a fragile voice that at times unfolds in small coral clusters. The brilliant electronic arpeggios and rhythms dissolve in the velvety voices of the cello, which are sometimes intertwined with the creations of two collaborators, the British producer and composer Clark (Warp) and the multifaceted ex- flamenco Nin~o de Elche (Sony).
My love wears forbidden colours My life believes My love wears forbidden colours My life believes in you once again
2018 played host to a bumper crop of sounds from some of Philly's grittiest, including Great Circles mainstays M//R and Chaperone. To close out the year that was, we are pleased to present Heckadecimal's 'Murder Tape.'
A Minneapolis-based producer and acid auteur, Heckadecimal has been a fixture within the vibrant Midwestern electronic music community for nearly 20 years. Founder of the legendary 'Anti-human' events and co-curator of the ever-prolific Always Human Tapes imprint - alongside Ryan Wurst and Peter Lansky - Heckadecimal's reputation is one of unrelenting creativity and tireless advocacy for sonic experimentation. His work has found its way to light via a slew of pseudonyms and stage monikers, including The Worm, noface and Wonder Sirens.
In short - Heckadecimal lives and breathes the sonic matter that he leaves pouring out of studio monitors, busted bar systems and finely tuned rave stacks, wherever his travels take him.
Live performance lies at the core of Heckadecimal's practice. When he stormed through Inciting HQ in Philly earlier this summer, he took command over an arsenal of hardware that reminded us of how Octave One or Shawn Rudiman might show up. These were machines that he had lived with; touched with custom modifications, hand-drawn stickers and pockmarks incurred in battle, one got the sense that the gear was a personal extension of the artist.
Perhaps it's a bit maudlin, but we feel a certain kinship with this project. Indeed, these tracks at times feel very much of a piece with the gnarled tonalities in which our stable typically traffics; all low-slung riddims that reach at equal lengths towards mutated IDM aesthetics and post-Packard Plant techno extrusions. These are future perfect grooves that glide along under the vast Midwestern sky, providing a fertile communication conduit with the City of Brotherly Love.
Give thanks for acid. Great Circles will see you in the New Year..
Black Rain returns with Computer Soul: the final part of a sequence of Blackest Ever Black releases that began with 2011's Now I'm Just A Number: Soundtracks 1994-95, and a first glimpse of the project's richly imagined future. For this outing Stuart Argabright (Ike Yard, Dominatrix, Death Comet Crew) is joined by BR founder member Shinichi Shimokawa as well as more recent recruit Soren Roi and Zanias (vocalist on 2015's Dark Pool) - making for the most most group-oriented iteration of Black Rain since its earliest days. Sonically too, there is a sense of evolution but also of coming full circle: the cyberpunk techno of Argabright's celebrated William Gibson soundtracks (compiled on Now I'm Just A Number) and extrapolations of Dark Pool's neuromantic yearning cut with glimpses of the thrash and industrial rock energies that animated Black Rain's incendiary live shows - and sought-after tapes for Kombinat and TPOS - in the early 90s. More than ever, Black Rain is propelled by a powerful science fiction impulse, whether responding to the themes and characters of Gibson's Sprawl or the Blade Runner universe (particularly K.W. Jeter's spin-off/continuation novels which extended its mythology, and timeline, further). It's not news that many of these works' most powerful predictions and prophesies have come to pass - the replicants are already living among us - so Computer Soul projects further into several possible unforeseen futures, its events 'set' in the second half of the current century, fifty or so years after those of Dark Pool. The hyperpopulated metropolises of Dark Pool are no more; the apartments are empty, haunted by ghosts of AC current, devices and machines running lonely without their owners...a melancholy internet of things. Where has everyone got to Gone but perhaps not gone. Oblivion beckons - always does - but on the other side of that, something else... another time, another place, a river....and a new way of living.
Pete 'Bassman' Bain, one of the founding members of the UK cult psych rock band Spacemen 3, formed Alpha Stone after Spacemen 3 and his other band The Darkside split up in the mid-nineties. In 1996 the band recorded the album 'Stereophonic Pop Art Music' and it was released on Bomp! Records on Compact Disc. The album hasn't had a 'proper' vinyl release until now, 2018, when Hoga Nord Rekords continues their collaboration with Pete Bassman by releasing the album.
You can clearly hear that Pete Bassman was the driving force behind Alpha Stone; fuzz, synthesiser -sweeps, programmed drums and processed vocals are the cornerstones in Alpha Stone's sound. Raga-like mantras, heard in Farmer C, lies track to track with more percussion driven grooves and psychedelic pop oriented songs. The album's sound has obviously survived the 20+ years shelved in obscurity and proves the 'Drugby' sound still vital!
It's always hard to sum up a bands particular sound in a few words, but you could say that if you put guitar and bass, synthesisers, a drum machine, and Julian Copes record collection in the hands of an alien, you've got Alpha Stone!
Techno Thriller joins the Unknown Precept fam with a brand new mini-album. The first following the release of their eponymous full-length album a couple of months ago. Based in Brussels, although now relocating themselves in Marseille, France, the four-handed formation has steadily been crafting cybernated Gothic music over the past years. Recorded a few months back while drawing its inspiration from dark dungeons and occult folklore, not without evocative titles, Enfant de Sodome feels as muscular and thrilling as their live performances usually imply. Compelling murky synthpunk and industrial machinery colliding in fervor and howls. Free falling tumultuous bass lines lacerated by ominous muffled groans. Bone-bending primitive techno music catapulted over the walls in the most urgent fashion. At the end, it very much feels like trying to dance on some sort of cryptic electronic body music in a heavy chain-mail.
Turbo Kid Is A Contemporary Classic From The Depths Of Cult Cinema With Quebec-duo Le Matos' Score To This Acclaimed Science Fiction Picture.
Turbo Kid. A Stirring Tale Of A Boy, A Girl, And A Bmw Amidst A Post-apocalyptic Landscape, The Film Is A Delightful Throwback To The Teen Wish-fulfilment Fantasy Films
Of The 1980's Through The Prism Of Modern Splatter, Complete With A Deliciously Villainous Performance By Legendary Genre Character Actor Michael Ironside (scanners, Total Recall).
Propelling This Insanity Is An Incredible Score That Cherry Picks Its Influences From The Best Of Electronic Film Music From The Past Thirty Five Years,
Running The Gamut From The Inevitable John Carpenter Bleed Through - With Some Beautifully Malevolent Atmospheric Pieces -
To Riffing Off Of The Classics Of Van Halen All The Way Through To Modern French Electronic Music From The Like Of Daft Punk & Ed Banger Records.
Turbo Kid Is Diverse But Not Disparate; It Plays Fast And Loose But Not At The Expense Of Cohesion, So There Are Moments Where You Can Just Lie Back And Relax
To The Mesmerizing Ambience And Dream Of Authentic Alien Landscapes, Or Freak Out To The Best Of The 80's Hedonistic Synth-pop,
Or Let Yourself Be Inhabited By An Eerie Chill From The Evocative Electro-goth Vocals.
Turbo Kid - A Place Beyond Your Dreams, A Record Beyond Your Imagination.
Marco Faraone returns to Drumcode with some of his most inspired work ever, comprising of four tracks crossing the Techno spectrum.Growing up Marco was surrounded by 90s Italo house and techno, which have all had a part in the current sound he produces today. Never one to stick to any individual style, he can often surprise his fans with a set pumping out peak time beats to down tempo house cuts with catchy vocals.
'With this release, I took some inspiration from listening back to some old Vitalic sounds and giving some extra power to the use of synths in each track. It's got a festival vibe to it, which is something I wanted to achieve' - Marco His last Drumcode EP was back in 2016, so this October he makes a welcome return showing his multiskilled productions at their full potential on this mega 4 tracker, opening with the gargantuan 'Never Forget'.Mutating rhythmic synths hark back to the good ol' days of BXR and the limitless talent of the Italian Techno scene in the late 90s. Boiling over in the main break this is crowd-pleasing dance music at its finest.
'Cruiser' is a bumpy upbeat ride with a strong melodic hook that will have the hands raised and the feet stomping.Title track 'Lunar Eclipse' is a dense, at times claustrophobic roller. Menacing to begin with, the addition of the main melodic motifs lifts the mood midway. 'Take This Trip' rounds out an incendiary EP. Lighter and more musical that the previous three, it offers a joyful, softer message. 'This is a special release for me, I wanted this to have explosive power yet the perfect balance of melodies and sounds to create a different and unique atmosphere for each track'
- Marco Faraone
