Buscar:mac

D Leria debuts on Avian.

Giuseppe Scaccia shows his range on a new six track EP, arriving late 2020.

Produced diligently across the last two years, the record showcases a range of styles. Tonally, the material is bound by a recognisable engineering palette – driven, but not to the point of corrosion, tight and focused in the low end with caustic, percussive synth patches driving much of the more dance floor material.

In the terms of the form, though – Scaccia draws for a disparate arrangement. Opener A Life On The Run clocks in at over 140bpm, with a demented lead synth line providing the action buoyed by a simplistic drum machine rhythm. Divergences offers a more immersive experience in terms of tempo – again letting the lead do the work, while shifting hats operate around the sonic periphery to break up the recording. On Il Giardino Degli Unicorni the artist utilises a single, staccato sequence, letting the sends do the bulk of the business with careful processing and live articulation helping to build the intensity. On the flip, pulsing workout Noises from The Room develops surreptitiously over its run time – fathoms deep kicks are submerged under a heated sequence and Red Flowers, an exercise in careful reduction reintroduces a little musicality to the record, before warping closer Tribalism places the listener back on the dance floor with a half-time rhythm driving the droning sound design.

A careful meeting point at which the multiple styles that underpin Scaccia’s D Leria project meet, Still Standing offers insight into how future work might manifest whilst remaining a valuable document on the current state of both left field Techno music and the artist’s own creative identity.

Much like its predecessor, In Decay, the 2014 compilation of unreleased, early Com Truise recordings, In Decay, Too unlocks a new set of rarities and unheard fragments from the past for the producer's legion of fans. To accomplish such a feat, the Com camp tapped the Internet's foremost Com Truise archivist, Polychora (formerly Comrade), whose YouTube channel has diligently documented Seth Haley's musical output since his earliest Komputer Cast (Haley's podcast mix series) days. Polychora's vault and input helped Haley and the team locate and curate the ultimate sequence of career-spanning off-album material, showcasing an artist in perpetual orbit of hazy machinist nostalgia. Haley's singular style of melodic beat music is the work of countless iterations; with In Decay, Too, his idiosyncratic exercises, experiments, and pivots pause for a rightful wave of appreciation. Following the smeared introductory tones of "Zeta," the album locks into its first robotic groove on "Compress_ Fuse," a trademark Truise treatment with cascading synth lines and deep, sinister low-end bass stabs. Further down is the suspiciously bright "False Ascendancy," which lures listeners through a labyrinth of drum patterns and siren-like keys, all colliding into "Constant Fracture." The track pushes to the point of stress, reaching the album's apex with a punishing series of blows before fading to relief, where the beatless and contemplative "Trajectory" awaits. In 2019, Com Truise left his previous sci-fi narratives behind for the visceral Persuasion System, a markedly more human record, which now makes In Decay, Too something like a bookend to an era. One last transmission from coordinates unknown; a culminating exhale ahead of what's still yet to come.

The latest release in the much loved Mr Bongo Record Club Series, Available on CD, 2LP Standard Vinyl & Special Edition 2LP Pink Translucent Vinyl.

Curating the tracks for a Mr Bongo Record Club compilation is always such a pleasure. At a time when the expression "Music is My Sanctuary" has an even greater cathartic impact for many people, we set out to make this volume an extra special one - like an old favourite mixtape or playlist.

For Volume 4 in this series we continue in the same mould as with previous editions, selecting current favorites and rare lost gems from the Brazilian, African, soul, funk, and disco genres. We present tracks from artists such as Azwon, Cindy & The Playmates, and Zé Roberto to name just a few. However, one main departure and progression to this edition is the first time inclusion of recordings by contemporary artists. These come from Matthew Tavares (of BADBADNOTGOOD fame), Wax Machine, and DJ Format & The Simonsound, which were originally featured on either limited private press vinyl releases or were previously only available digitally. We felt their inclusion was important and wanted to share these wonderful discoveries with a wider audience. They also complement, enrich, and fit perfectly with the flow and journey of the compilation.

Here at Mr Bongo we hope you will enjoy this selection of seventeen eclectic songs (in tempo and style) as much as we do, whether they make you move your feet, take you on a trip somewhere, or trigger a happy memory.

Released on 20/11/20 on double vinyl and CD with artwork illustration by Nicolas Burrows.

Constant Sound welcome a true stalwart of underground UK house and techno, the one and only 100HZ. Lee Renacre has been delivering distinctive club tracks with an ear-snagging kink since the early '90s, and he's sounding as inspired as ever on this new release. "Jive" skips and swings with urgency, but the synths soar like the loftiest Motor City anthems. "Honkey (Crazy Hats)" is a more obscure affair that uses subtle inflections of rhythm and texture to create an immersive trip anchored to a steady kick. "Ochos" is a dreamier cut that places the emphasis on melody and atmospherics rather than straight up beats, creating a beautiful slice of machine soul in the process.

LINER NOTES BY JOHN-PAUL SHIVER:

Reinier Thijs a.k.a. Thijsenterprise's new project Lahringen begins where most of his previous creations have left off. Through reedy skronking sax, no easy listening aesthetics here, we get that passport to the '80s. The intersection between Lou Reed's old New York attitude and the encroaching rhythmic assault about to hit. Post-punk, featuring steady bass lines—peak demon Jaco to cool as fuck Slits era—in transit.

The first track in, bumping new-wave-jazz bravado, immediately covers those grounds the Dutch native likes to dig in on. He pays tribute to Gato Barbieri with "El Arriero", continuing in that off-kilter mash-up of sound textures. This time its beats and machismo.

But "Sketchy", an original arrangement, taps Reinier's dedication to skateboarding. Named for when skate rats land a trick sloppy, non-smooth, or ugly he does in fact match the sound of the bass with the feeling of ‘meh.’ “The drums and percussion in the track carry a driving pulse, and the saxophone plays a light melody, ping-ponging between the groove of the rhythm section, making the track very repetitive, catchy," stated Reinier.

The eighteenth release on Second Circle is the label's second exploration into an artists archival works; this time presenting a selection of four early tracks by theatre, film and music producer Can Oral under his Khan alias.

Can moved to Williamsburg, New York in the early 90's along with good friend and fellow musician Jimi Tenor. Born in Germany of Turkish-Finnish parents, he would frantically start buying equipment (such as a TR808, TB303 and Korg Polysix) from junk shops across New York, becoming greatly prolific in his recordings which he would work on throughout the night. During the daytime though, Can set up and ran the now defunct Temple Records, a seminal Soho record store, and later label, largely importing Techno and Acid from Europe. Though a small store, Temple Records would count musicians and DJs such as Björk, Tricky, Dee-Lite, Josh Wink and Joey Beltram among its regular customers. Also he would host many such guests to play live or DJ at his weekly Techno party “Killer” which was held at Save The Robots in New York’s East Village.

Can Oral's nightly studio sessions eventually led to an almost inexhaustible discography with over a dozen monikers each representing a different aspect of his productions. SC018 focuses then on his early electronic works as Khan.

Named after the color painted studio where the EP was produced between 1993-1996, 'Blue Box Sessions' is a collection of four analogue machine driven cuts, covering different tempos and ethos within electronic music. Initially live recorded to an old DAT recorder, and without any overdubs, SC018 is a lost and found artefact to Khan's unquestioned raw talent and timeless relevance.

Amsterdam based Spill Gold ( who previously released on Portland's Beacon Sound) with a jaunty 7 track mini album for Knekelhuis. sleeve art from Jacob Hoving.

The label say:
"The summer breeze has gradually turned into a cold wind and the trees showcase their typical variegated color palette; autumn has clearly arrived in all its golden glory, a transition exemplary for Spill Gold’s work. The Amsterdam duo’s music is every bit as colorful and moving as its seasonal counterpart, where one moment a cold and stormy wind swarms the air and other times calm and stillness prevail.

On Highway Hypnosis, their first album on vinyl, Spill Gold masterfully juxtaposes darkness and light, playfulness and control, enhancing the transcendental character of the material at hand. Based on strong pop structures, the songwriting here traverses a world of Krautrock and cosmic influences at once catchy and alienating, opening the possibility for catharsis.

They’re a wonderful addition to the versatile nature of Knekelhuis. And they’re crazy good live as well."

It's the idea of capturing a moment on vinyl that created the first release of "henk". After countless hours of twitching the knobs on their machines the DJ's and producers Stikdorn and MK Braun created a string of tracks that will now see the light of day on their collaborative label.

Michel Baumann is one of Germany's most respected artists. You probably know him as Soulphiction, his iconic alias Jackmate and head chief of Philpot - a label pushing the sounds of dance music in every possible way since the beginning of 2000.

Now making his debut on the very first release from 18437 Records, after teasing everyone with his recent 12" for Matthew Herbert's Accidental label, Jackmate is back in full swing.

Opening track Modulate Nightdrive is a mind expanding, deep techno affair. Remember when techno had funk and made you sweat? This is it.
Next up is CubanLinx, a percussive machine voodoo exercise. Last but not least, Test Drive shows why Jackmate is still relevant as a producer and worthy of your record collection.
The recipe is simple, a drum machine, a few thick bass notes and whack on some chords - voila - timeless dance music delivered by Michel Baumann.

Label info:
18437 Records is a brand new label by focused on the outer fringes of house and techno.

Connected to the Occulto LP, this 7-inch single by Sorgini features two alternative versions of

'Telecinesi' (Telekinesis), a dark, nocturnal tune with a supernatural, macabre flavour, fuelled by solid drum breaks, percussions and restless synths harmonies.

On the flip side you've got a drums and synths only version, which sounds even more spectral and abstract than the original mix. Ideal for beatmakers looking for the perfect sample.

The Amorphous Androgynous return with the symphonic, 40-minute prog/space-rock concept album ‘We Persuade Ourselves We Are Immortal’. The album contains 5 epic parts, featuring the legendary Peter Hammill (the Van Der Graaf Generator) on vocals alongside a host of musicians including: Paul Weller (piano and guitar), Ray Fenwick (Spencer Davis Group/Ian Gillan) onlead guitar, Brian Hopper (Caravan/Soft Machine) on sax.The Chesterfield Philharmonic Choir and a 25-piece live orchestral string section round out this sumptuously-recorded album.

‘We Persuade Ourselves We Are Immortal’ opens with the 13-minute epic of the title track (written with Peter Hammill and Paul Weller).The themes of mortality/immortality are then musically and conceptually catapulted to the far-flung corners of the AA sonic multiverse over 40+ minutes. Channelling A Space Odyssey,the dystopian choirs and moog of ‘Hymortality’ crash full-force into the John-Bonham-like drums of ‘The Immortality Break.’Meanwhile, ‘Synthony On A Theme of Mortality’ lives up to its name, utilizing the classic 70s Yamaha CS80 synth before progressing to a female wailing aria against classic vintage guitar rock. The whole cosmic trip cascades finally into the harp daydream reverie,choir and romantic strings of ‘Physically I’m Here, Mentally Far, Far Away.’

The latest release in the much loved Mr Bongo Record Club Series, Available on CD, 2LP Standard Vinyl & Special Edition 2LP Pink Translucent Vinyl.

Curating the tracks for a Mr Bongo Record Club compilation is always such a pleasure. At a time when the expression "Music is My Sanctuary" has an even greater cathartic impact for many people, we set out to make this volume an extra special one - like an old favourite mixtape or playlist.

For Volume 4 in this series we continue in the same mould as with previous editions, selecting current favorites and rare lost gems from the Brazilian, African, soul, funk, and disco genres. We present tracks from artists such as Azwon, Cindy & The Playmates, and Zé Roberto to name just a few. However, one main departure and progression to this edition is the first time inclusion of recordings by contemporary artists. These come from Matthew Tavares (of BADBADNOTGOOD fame), Wax Machine, and DJ Format & The Simonsound, which were originally featured on either limited private press vinyl releases or were previously only available digitally. We felt their inclusion was important and wanted to share these wonderful discoveries with a wider audience. They also complement, enrich, and fit perfectly with the flow and journey of the compilation.

Here at Mr Bongo we hope you will enjoy this selection of seventeen eclectic songs (in tempo and style) as much as we do, whether they make you move your feet, take you on a trip somewhere, or trigger a happy memory.

Released on 20/11/20 on double vinyl and CD with artwork illustration by Nicolas Burrows.

Reissue of this mesmerizing record including an unreleased alternate mix of "Subterranean Zappa Blues". Hypnotic rhythms made of slow minimal beats, industrial textures, intoxicating drones and repetitive voices that seem to merge from dreams. Everything built by two of the most brilliant industrial music minds: Steven Stapleton and Colin Potter.

"This album arrived somewhere after a dream meeting of several individuals, Graham Bond, Joe Meek, Jacques Berrocal and myself. After a few beers and a heated disscussion of puncture repair we all lay down in a circle and point our penises at Venus, telepathic messages are sent out to Colin saying he can use the two golden microphones. He did, and here we are." Steven Stapleton, 17.1.94.

Rock 'n Roll Station began life with Steven Stapleton asking engineer Colin Potter to remix some of the more rhythmic elements of 'Colder Still' from 1992's Thunder Perfect Mind. As Potter gradually warped these sections into weirder and weirder pieces, a new album began to emerge. Potter himself explained it to David Keenan in England’s Hidden Reverse: “What I sometimes did in the studio was to ‘over-use’ effects and processors to totally mutate a piece into something completely different” while Stapleton observed how “it was almost as though telepathic messages were sent over to Colin. We’d started an album together at IC Studio that was never finished. He then sent me some vague mixes, which were just what I had in mind. So, from that basis, I started putting the album together.”

Potter would quickly become a key player in Nurse With Wound’s productions, a position he continues to fulfil to this day. He was first credited as a member on 1992’s Thunder Perfect Mind, a tour-de-force of cold, at times hostile, machined atmospheres, but considers Rock ‘N Roll Station from the following year to still be his favourite.

Building on percussion and drone elements, Stapleton and Potter throw in a huge range of bizarre and atmospheric elements: didgeridoos, chanting voices, and their usual selection of unidentifiable sounds.

Its strong focus on rhythm was erroneously surmised by some as an attempt to join the then rising electronic dance music scene. But it was Stapleton’s recent obsession with the music of ‘King of the Mambo’ Pérez Prado that was beating at the heart of Rock N’ Roll Station’s heady rhythms.

The album’s title alluded to two specifically rock-related stations of influence: the song of the same name by Jac Berrocal, of which a surprisingly straight cover opens the album in homage; and the tragic life of the Sixties British R&B organist Graham Bond who influenced bands such as Deep Purple and Cream. Beset by mental health problems (at one point believing he was the son of Aleister Crowley), Bond died under a train at a Tube station in 1989 and it is this tragic scene that Rock ‘n Roll Station’s closing track, ‘Finsbury Park, May 8th, 1:35 PM (I'll See You In Another World)’, sets in sound.

"Baby Queen has announced details of her debut EP, ‘Medicine,’ set for release on November 6th via Polydor Records on limited edition Pink coloured vinyl. The EP has 6 tracks, 1.Internet Religion, 2.Pretty Girl Lie, 3.Want Me, 4. Buzzkill, 5.Medicine, 6. Online Dating. Baby Queen’s most recent track, ‘Medicine,’ saw enthusiastic praise across the board, with NME calling it “a subdued but shiny track that explores the side effects and salves of anti-depressants” while DIY proclaimed her ""pop’s buzziest new talent."" Previous single ‘Buzzkill’ saw the rising South Africa-born artist hailed one of BBC Radio 1’s ‘New Names’ on the Annie Mac Show . Additional plaudits from the likes of Billboard, who called the track “an electric, effortlessly cool single that balances its stream-of-consciousness snark with an arena-ready chorus,” drawing comparisons to Billie Eilish and Lorde. "

For over two decades, Glasgow’s Mungo’s Hi Fi and their label Scotch Bonnet have spread their fun, forward-thinking reggae music around the world. And this ethos is triple-distilled into their now eagerly- awaited Puffer’s Choice compilations.

The latest, third edition in the series collects some the last few years' top collaborative highlights onto one LP. With its cover bearing the MacLeod of Lewis tartan, Puffer’s Choice 3 is a celebration of both the label’s Scottish heritage and their global family tree of links with sound systems, artists and producers who share the same spirit.

The electronic musician and Poker Flat founder's contemplative new studio album takes in minimal house music, moody techno and effervescent breaks across 11 unique tracks. His previous LP Paradise Sold alongside Langenberg was released in 2018 to critical acclaim, and described as "elegantly euphoric" by Mixmag. Never Ending Winding Roads is an entirely solo release however, with much of it produced during the months of enforced isolation due to the coronavirus pandemic. Many of the track titles reflect Steve's headspace during this time, with themes of solitude, contemplation and reflection brought to the fore perhaps more than with any of his previous work. Steve's formative musical years were spent during Germany's techno and acid-house heyday, with his love for a perfect groove as apparent now as it was back then. His DJ skills and a keen, innovative ear led him not down the typical path of the early nineties trance and harder dance scene, but instead towards a fresher, hybrid sound-merging stripped deep house, tweaked out acid and more minimal forms of techno and electronic music: a strand of music he fiercely champions to this day.
"My mindset when making Never Ending Winding Roads was completely different to any other project I have embarked on. I didn't have to tour, and instead could focus 100% on writing music without having the dancefloor as a constant influence. This allowed me creative freedom to explore a range of styles and emotions, and as a result, it is the album I feel most satisfied with to date." says Steve Bug.

With 11 brand new tracks, Never Ending Winding Roads is a meticulously produced and deeply engaging electronic album; one that explores various shades of house, techno and broken beat with Steve's celebrated attention to detail and consummate originality. Album opener Lucid Loops perfectly sets the tone, immediately ensnaring you with a hypnotic, undulating synth line and a faintly menacing undertone thanks to hushed, discordant strings and unnerving vocal stabs. This atmosphere of quiet paranoia permeates many of the tracks on Never Ending Winding Roads, most explicitly in the sinewy groove and sketchy, panic-inducing synth line of Locked Away In My Head.
This album more than perhaps any other in his career sees Steve experimenting with broken-beats, to incredible effect. Tracks like A Conscious Machine and Electro Harmonix are melodic, emotionally-rich cuts: burst of radiant optimism that juxtapose beautifully with the album's darker moments. Elsewhere tracks like Yellow Snake find Steve exploring deep, dubby territory, while album closer Upon Mountains is a cosmic, arpeggiated masterpiece: an 8bit computer game soundtrack reimagined as a poignant electro ballad.

Sutja Gutierrez is back on Lumière Noire. The finesse of his productions and his implacable stage performances have given him a special place within the Parisian label. In 2017, he released the EP "The Legend of Time" and one year later, he appeared on the compilation From Above with his track "Allodoxaphobia". He comes back here with an LP entitled PHYLAX SOCIETY, which confirms that Sutja Gutierrez is indeed an artist in his own right. Phylax means guardian in Latin, and the album’s title is directly inspired by the “Phylax Society”, a group of people who, in the late 19th century, wanted to create the ultimate canine breed, but who due their lack of consensus failed and dissolved. Later on, an ex-member eventually bred the very first German Shepherd. On this heartfelt record, as emotional as it is catchy, the artist deals with the feelings that come after the loss of a loved one, chiefly nostalgia and melancholia. The result is an ardent record where crooning is sincere and never a posture. The artist’s lo-fi psychedelic pop trademark oozes in every track of this album. Many of these songs feature his vocals, often doused in ethereal echoes or even shrewdly chopped and distorted in a way that reminds us of the great musique concrete experiments of the past. A DIY approach sometimes indebted to punk and post-punk music, all mixed with a vast variety of traditional pop instruments such as guitar, bass, electric keyboards and real drums, but also drum machines, synth bleeps, found sounds and other strange but fascinating samples. EMPTY FLOWER POTS, which was released as a single ahead of the LP, is definitely one of the album’s standout tracks. This catchy mid-tempo song is the perfect entry point into Sutja’s finely twisted world. A world in which you can find that particular balance between nostalgia and optimism. Oh, life is great, what is life? Life is death. . he sings. It is one of those songs that stays in your head for a while. Do not let the idea of alternative pop fool you, it is quite impossible to listen to any of these songs without reacting in some way or another through moving, dancing or thinking, regardless of the tempo or meaning. I’M DIGGIN’ might be the perfect example of this. Deceptively simple and far removed from dance music, this rock-infused number will not only have you singing along instantly, but you will also find yourself dancing and responding accordingly to the energetic mantra of this song... I'm digging for the truth, I am so diggin' into it. Truly, the dance floor is never too far, sometimes quite blatantly and sometimes in a more oblique fashion. Another case in point is PHYLAX SOCIETY, the eponym track which closes the album, a song in two parts, where a slo-mo club groove carries Sutja’s trademark singing to yet another level of uniqueness, with his surreal soundscapes, twisted melodies and everyday life sounds. An ode to humanity and an homage to the ones who are risking their lives every day in the mediterranean sea. It is rare to encounter an album which is immediately satisfying on one hand but also reveals more and more beautiful secrets with each listen. PHYLAX SOCIETY is clearly one of those special albums.

Pudel Produkte 33 is like a time machine back to homely MFOC ages when Rephlex' very own IG-88 used to be a resident at this very Hamburg club and MFOC-promoter Raf jokingly insulted Richard D. James (with the Aphex Twin standing right behind him, mind you). Blessed times indeed, which quad-ratschulz perfectly emulates with his exquisitely constructed aural body made of braindancing melan-cholodies and thrilling electro boogie. Ralf & Florian meet AFX in an elevator and do have some sto-ries to share. An EP so good you are asking yourself if the upcoming Remix EP can top that (hint: it can). Meanwhile, the dancefloor dictator issues a strict buying order! (Superdefekt)

No Exit Records is pleased to present Hektor's debut release, 'Rituals'. Four tracks of lush electronica, Hektor gives us a highly textural, romantic record where field recordings, analogue synths, drum machines and samples are woven together to dramatic effect. With this palette of sounds in hand, the classically trained artist takes us on deft and unexpected journey, exploring unconventional arrangements in a wholly immersive listening experience. Exciting sounds from the newcomer.

Regarded as one of the greats from Detroit, Rick Wade has crafted an incredible discography of tracks blurring the lines somewhere between deep house and techno with a sound and style brilliantly his own. His outstanding 'Timeless EP' from 2017 returns to Elypsia Recordings with an onslaught of remixes delivered by a diverse and unstoppable roster of modern musical mavericks - each respectfully twisting the original magic of Rick's original productions and creating a fresh take in their own style.

The Way I Am' comes in the shape of Tresilo aka Oliver Way (of Detroit Grand Pubahs), Esteban Adame and Ben Long (of Space DJz) and is an absolute belter of a prime-time stormer. Dominated by gigantic synth melodies, the track weaves around percussive alterations with hi-hats, sharp claps and energetic rides paired perfectly with the catchy musical wiggles and kicks. The familiar vocal sample from the original sneaks into play with perfect placement - offering a reminder of Rick Wade's awesome original.

Rick's previously unreleased track, 'Academy' receives the first of two remixes from Seattle house hero Pezzner. The 'CR2' Remix takes the groove into subterranean territories with a heads down bouncer of a track, fully embracing Pezzner's more house-focused approach. A percolating bassline keeps the cut moving ahead while soft, divine pads offer a classy sonic texture suitable for wide-eyed ravers and urban headphone listeners alike.

Detroit's Vintage Future joins the remix roster with his take on 'Planet Deep,' one of the standout cuts from the original EP. The track is absolutely saturated with Detroit soul. Deep, machine driven textures and gorgeous otherworldly melodies rest alongside a truly infectious groove. The famed keyboardist for Model 500's live gig, Vintage Future knows clearly how to craft an incredible groove with his keys, and the sounds from this impeccable remix are tip top.

The second remix of 'Academy' from Pezzner continues his remix focus in a deeper house mindset, with Pezzner delivering even softer sounds, and more intense pad dynamics. This retouch includes the addition of some gorgeous orchestral stabs and organ textures which gives the remix a soulful touch - made to focus on a slightly more melodic approach than the previous Pezzner rework.