Techno Novedades

Delsin are pleased to gather together some of the highlights from the rich and varied catalogue of Manchester-based producer Claro Intelecto. From his earliest works on Ai Records through a prolific run on Modern Love to his more recent outings on Delsin, Mark Stewart has continually presented a vision of electronic music that uses the Detroit blueprint as a launch pad for his own distinctive strain of techno. Moving from elegant beauty to rabid intensity while grounded by a firm sense of rhythm, his catalogue runs deep and wide. The second volume in this expansive compilation series filters out select highlights from across his discography, and reframes them as a compelling overview of a truly distinctive voice in modern electronic music.

180g Vinyl // Vinyl Only // Blue Vinyl

German label Bondage Music delivers the six instalment of its ‘Bondage Games’ series. Another vinyl only release, this time with four fresh tracks from Markus Homm, Andre Kronert, Pornbugs and Dust Yard.

VINYL ONLY RELEASE

The Echonomy Split Series puts out recordings which have already been released in small numbers; it brings together two artists who are kin to each other, be it in terms of genre, approach, aesthetics, or other similar relations. In recontextualising these works, new dynamics and associations evolve.

Felix-Florian Tödtloff and Schweben/Philipp Hager are acquainted since years, but never recorded together. Long ago, Felix played in the Berlin-based screamo band Petethepiratesquid, Philipp put up DIY shows somewhere in the swamps of southern germany. Then Philipp started playing in the motorik krautrock duo Zement, and as Felix had been building a reputation of his own as an audio engineer with Aetherweight, he mastered some of their releases. Then came 2020 and all its hegemonial narratives. In May of that year, Philipp played a livestream solo/soli show for a club he was involved in back in the days. 10 tapes were made. Felix used a number of recordings done all over the globe and built the song „Volta“, released in June on a split tape of 50 copies with the great Jeans Beast on Mönchengladbach‘s Econore label.

Upon hearing both recordings around the same time, the similarities were so obvious they sounded almost like two solo recordings of a duo. In a nutshell: these two vibed smooth as fuck.

Built on a groundwork of time-stretching synth drones, both rise slowly into an anti-climactic ride through repetitive patterns. As Schweben takes the driveway to a dance show of mumbling sequence lines, Tödtloff puts on the grand gesture and throws himself into a deep-level minimalist piano etude. Both sides carry the character of exercises of the mind and the body, controlled loopholes and examinations of two things which feel lightyears away now and are so crucial to freedom and an open society: club culture (Schweben) and travelling (FFT). A third element is remembered and exercised in the tape itself: mutual dialogue and communication.

We are so happy and proud to embark Ambient Noise Level on the Mfd Ship for the 5th release! A.N.L. is a project from our dear friend Daniel Sanchez, who has recently been exploring new sonic territories, fetching sounds from the deepest corners of his universe. He produced a masterpiece of an EP/mini album with seven ambient, dub infused tracks, ear candy all the way. Enjoy!

The next release on Phase Group comes in the form of the debut self-titled album by Carcass Identity, the live mutant-electronics partnership of Bruxelles-based artists Ernesto Gonzalez and Matthieu Levet aka Bear Bones Lay Low and Carrageenan.

Following up their breakthrough 2018 EP on Random Numbers, Carcass Identity present us with 6 tracks of warped, percussive, dub-infused psychedelics, born of live hardware jams and succinct sampling work.

Sonically, this LP takes you from the tension-inspiring but dance floor initiating stutter-chug of ‘Things to Forget,’ through the swelling and trance-inducing percussion ride of ‘Spiraling Paradigm’ before ending the A-side with the dubbed-out metallic IDM of ‘Freedom Principle’. On the flip, ‘Quiet Spectator’ is a masterpiece of dread-in-dub ominosity followed by the haunted machine jam of ‘Kundu Basket’. Finally, ‘Desultory’ presents the LPs “grooviest” moment, a repeating and evolving synth line and drum machine combo holding things together while modulating synths and a pitched-vocal sample come in and out of the mix.

As a collection of tracks, this record illustrates perfectly the prowess over hardware manipulation that these two artists possess after years individually releasing music and performing in DIY spaces across Europe and the world. These are two musicians that we hold in highest regard and we’re thrilled to be releasing their debut album together on Phase Group.

One of the main features of techno music is that the music is not limited by geographical boundaries. This feature is well demonstrated by the second release of the Techno Gipsy label, which presents their works of techno artists from different corners of the globe. Two tracks from Swedish breakthrough Sev Dah are simply «dancefloor killers» - Shaban gradually increasing voltage and polished groove and Hamush hits right on target. Remix by Frenchman - Antigone sounds like powerful waves of pulsing bass and Argentinian Jonas Kopp presents two very different interpretations of the original, each of which is in his own original style.

Punctual like a Swiss watch, Driftmachine presents a new album that once again astounds and delights. We know their trademark: solid mechanical percussions, forceful bass and melodies systematically built around circular patterns. "Spume & Recollection" is the sixth Umor Rex album by the Berlin duo, and what better way to celebrate the label's 15th anniversary than with a new record from the masters of labyrinthine cables and patches. Regarding "Nocturnes" (UR 2014), their debut album, we described their sound as precise and symmetrical, identical concrete blocks mounted and articulated in a random order. Their already obsessive style continued to evolve with their third record, "Colliding Contours" (UR 2016), now pushing further into abstract dub, ultra-tense grooves, and even more kinetic loops, moving further away from conventional musical structures. Between these two albums they released the remarkable "Eis Heauton" (UR 2015), a kind of hypnotic experiment informed by shadowy atmospheres, chance, and an intuitive dialogue with their musical machines, a unique situation in which they acted as bemused observers in hunt for epiphanies, resulting in an exquisite amalgamation of lucid dream-logic and mechanical precision. A one-of-a-kind soundtrack for minute and wordless scenes unfolding in pitch-black back alleys and hidden, alchemical basements. A similar map was explored with "Shunter" (UR 2018), a superb secret meeting between avant-garde phantasmagoria and concrete experimentation. "Radiations" (UR 2017) offered B-sides and bonus tracks, in addition to collaborations with Shackleton and The Sight Below, a kind of preamble that united Driftmachine’s different expressions and leanings.

When Andreas Gerth and Florian Zimmer come up with new material, one listens with high expectation. Looking back on their discography, one could safely anticipate a high quality album densely layered with their familiar leitmotifs. And yet, "Spume & Recollection" takes us by surprise and finds a new way to transfix. Fresh methods and ideas are introduced to their dynamics and formula. Yes, of course, you can still expect a healthy dose of kosmische, which is one of the dominant features in Driftmachine’s DNA; but this is now entwined with novel materials, semi-material patterns of alien code stretching over exhilaratingly tense and detailed grooves, clouds of gas shifting on top of deep dub architecture and blocking out the sun for prismatic effect. Even more of a surprise is the immediate, streamlined nature of these tracks, making "Spume & Recollection" their most accessible record and, perhaps, the most addictive (and this without sacrificing the essential mystery and strangeness at the core of Driftmachine’s sound).

We have previously described their work as post-industrial-dub; right now, we might just call it hypno-music for man and machine to dance and dream together. "Spume & Recollection" takes this concept as far as it can go without breaking, and finds some strange new feelings, and weirdly danceable grooves, to shed some light on this dark and dazzling ride.

All songs written & produced by Andreas Gerth & Florian Zimmer in Berlin Mastered by John Tejada Artwork & Photos by Daniel Castrejón

Since 2010, Adam Keith's solo project Cube has been supplying a steady run of records and cassettes that capture songwriterly fixations and frustrations in a dextrous style of wounded electronics. Though Cube has been the centrepiece of his activity for some years, he's all the while remained active in collaborations, playing in bands such as SPF and Mansion to name just a few. Rounding off a decade of dialogues and agitations, Alter now presents Keith's third LP under the moniker of Cube, 'Drug of Choice' Based in New York, though managing a functional transience that takes in California too, Keith's latest iteration as Cube launches a panoramic set of sonic touchstones into a gristly and hypnotic orbit. Seismic drum machine parts partition an album that layers industrial-tipped takes on digi-dub with roaming guitar lines, piano vignettes, and breakbeat theatrics. For all the abrasiveness and rhythmic allusions that Keith employs, his use of voices alongside lush manipulations of errant samples and atmospheres tempers the commotion, delivering something that feels as much focused on artful constructions of private experiences as it does the cathartic qualities of noise.

Berlin's new born label debuts with its limited 12inch vinyl series.
Mechanical grooves, shuffled rhythms and jazzy moods combine with gummy basslines bubbling underneath and illusive wondrous
harmonies to shape this unconventional minimal techno. 'Roots
remain unseen underground in the same way that our consistence remain hidden to the common eye' Cover artwork: oil on paper by Nicolò Canova

2020 has been a terrible year for everyone. However, it has also been the year in which some projects have had time to develop. This is the case of Tactil, responsible for the fourth Antimatter refelease. This new tandem is born from the collaboration between the artists from Madrid, Kawn and F-on. Deeply influenced by projects from 90´s like Porter Ricks, Jetone, Gas or Thomas Köner, "1-4" means the first ep from this duo. Drones, wrinkled textures and field recording meet long and progressive rhythmical sequences, complex delays, long reverbs and LFO modulations to shape their distinctive sound.

Mathias Kaden returns to Rekids with four-track EP ‘Control Your Mind’, featuring a remix from Marcel Dettmann.

Previously appearing on Rekids in 2019 with his ‘Liberate Drums’ EP, Mathias Kaden makes his second appearance on Radio Slave aka Matt Edwards’ label with four original tracks of razor-sharp material, as well as a remix from Berghain resident Dettmann.

‘Control Your Mind’ opens with the impeccably produced title track, an electro flecked roller. Featuring hypnotic synth work and subtle automated inflections, the cut effortlessly glides, peppered with the occasional titular vocal refrain from Sven Väth puncturing the groove. Shifting into 4/4 territory is ‘Conviction’, a restrained but stunningly effective track that makes full use of memorable off-beat synth stabs and shimmering 909 percussion to constantly drive the track forward.

On the flip, Berghain resident Marcel Dettmann turns up the heat with his remix of ‘Control Your Mind’. Filtering the vocals, the MDR and BAD MANNERS boss also delivers a resonant bassline that works in tandem with knocking percussion, as creeping pads morph and evolve over the duration of the track, creating a trippy and propulsive banger.

Classic dub techno aesthetics are front and centre in ‘Substance’, a track destined for the golden hours between late at night and early in the morning, while finishing the package in fine style.

Tape Cassette

Soundscape Versions pres. the 7th installment on its sublabel Mystic Versions produced and performed using all analogue hardware gear.
Six cuts between ambient electronica to experimental and dubbed out excursions

Collaborators & close friends since the foundational years of Berlin and Detroit’s spiritual & musical partnership, two undisputed pioneers of electronic music, Carl Craig and Moritz von Oswald, continue to expand on a shared musical vision.

‘Attenuator’ is the first production to emerge from a series of studio sessions in Berlin and Detroit over the past two years, with more material to come in the near future. Although originally produced in unison, this two-sided single sees both Craig and von Oswald deliver their own distinct take on the material, each fluidly expanding on their uniquely intertwined heritage.

For his take on ‘Attenuator’, Carl Craig leans further into the fluid blend of track-led techno and warm musicianship that remain central to his work, building stifling tension as a prelude to a fervent brew of warm pads and celestial sax. Headstrong and deep, Craig embraces his dancefloor nous without sacrificing a moment of beatitude

In response, Moritz Von Oswald bathes the brass and the bliss of ‘Attenuator’ in the accomplished Dub texture he’s long been known for, unspooling layers of musicianship to roll forward a loose, fresh and equally fulfilling atmosphere, one that still maintains the arresting pulse established at the heart of the duo’s sophisticated, futurist philosophy.

Monomood returns to his dubby roots with his fantastic laid back and atmospheric EP Unexpected Perceptions on Etui Records. Remembering the frost and darkness, the first track Wjnter can't hide it's origin. Cold chords and warm synths are creating the unique feeling of gloomy days in winter. With Spuukj Dub on the flip you get a reduced echo-tool with haunting vocals and complex delay structures. Finally Monomood layers some pads and reverbs in the last track Dronje before breaking up the tune with a stunning piano & string combination. Goosebumps.

Originally released back in 2008 - Mosaic Classics is a beautiful selection of 5 tracks that were recorded in the late 90s by UK dub techno legend Steve O'Sullivan. Those were some of the tracks that shaped the house-techno sound in the early 00s and remain relevant many years later... timeless music! 15th Anniversary - Clear vinyl collectors edition.

after a long silence Buttha comes back with four beautiful tracks

Following on from his EP on Livity Sound, Al Wootton comes home to TRULE with the Maenads EP. Four percussive, textural rhythm tracks. Sparse and weighty, psychedelic but focused, and scattered with dub echoes. Al’s core influences of UK Garage, techno, dub and drum and bass are organically reshaped into new forms that never lose sight of dance floor functionality.

This is the second 12” EP that closes The Avantroots Dub Techno Compilation ESPECTRUM II

The first track from Pulshar since 2018, “Accept Fate”, is a dreamy ambient dub track with a heavy reggae dub influence that could work as the background sound for an eerie island.

Biodub’s “Unterfluss” is an ambient dub track that evolves progressively and drags you into a restless and magnetic atmosphere.

The dusty, uneasy and strangely sexy “Spacechord” from Heavenchord is an hypnotic ambient dub track inherited from dense atmospheres.

And to close this excellent compilation, none other than Julian Perez delivering an impeccable and elegant dub techno track to fill the dance floor with class.