After prominent releases on Rekids, Classic or Copie Blanche, one of the most promising french young house music talent Armless Kid is joining the VERTV family for his new EP : Choices.As a Millennial, questioning his own condition of young adult, the 24 years old producer explores the themes that strike his generation like love through the digital age (Internet love), the pursuit of a meaningful life and the need of affirmation through vigorous choices while options are abundant. Melancholia is one of the consequences of this quests (Flirting With Regrets) but it also gives a compelling desire to enjoy life to the fullest (Deep Energy) even if it means eating junk food and watching silly VOD with friends (B3A).This EP is good example of Armless Kid's music, catchy, fun and elegant with strong roots into the very French tradition of jazz-infused House music as well as bringing his very own twist on 90s influenced deep house thanks to his massive kick drums and sophisticated pads.
Suche:mass prod
Guadeloupe 1986. The football World Cup has all the Islanders' eyes riveted to their TV sets. At every half time breaks, local TV channel RFO broadcasts a music video on repeat: ''Tou't Jou Pa Min'm". Max Rambhojan, the local singer responsible for this monster tune, has arrived.
In the video, he effortlessly sings and kickstarts a joyous street party with his band, Show Man, his dancers, kids, friends, family and what seems like the whole neighbourhood. The song will gain cult status from then on, cementing the power of the 'Zouk Chiré' sound, a high tempo version of Zouk, highly influenced by Guadeloupe's Carnival mass drum bands. Max self-releases his first solo album on vinyl in 1985, enrolling some of the best musicians the scene has to offer: his band leader King Klero, Guy Jacquet of les Vikings de la Guadeloupe fame on production duties, Ramon Pyrmée on synths, Claude Vamur, Meliza... In 1992 a new solo album follows. By then the artists have familiarized themselves with computers and the sound has gone full-on digital. In that album Max records an updated version of his 'Tou't Jou Pa Min'm' anthem to great effect.
Reducing Max Rambhojan to a zouk artist would be a mistake. He's first and foremost a master of Gwo-Ka, a musical practice born during the transatlantic slave trade and performed by all ethnic and religious groups of Guadeloupe. It has never ceased to exist and has become a major part of the Island folk music culture. Max Rambhojan was schooled as a kid by Gwo-Ka pioneer Guy Conquette, and quickly joined the backing band of another legend, Ti-Sélès. That sound is the root of his particular style, especially vibrant on two tracks in his repertoire: 'Cecilia' and 'On Jou Matin', both featured on this release's b-side. A touch of Spiritual Jazz is also palpable, allowing a magical vibe to spread, giving birth to some of the deepest music from this era.
In 2019, Max still performs Gwo-Ka every week-end in Guadeloupe and also hosts a show on local radio Media Tropical, 88.1FM. Secousse and Hot Mule are proud to present those 4 lost gems on wax and digital, carefully restored and remastered.
'World' is the debut album dreamt up by Barcelona based DJ / Production duo Memorial Home. Comprising of Paul Roux (France) and Jeremy Pinchasi (Belgium), 'World' is the exciting result of their shared desire to push the limits of their own brilliant musical foresight. It's an ambitious 20 track longplayer which effortlessly showcases the incomparable sonic space shared between both musical masterminds.
Sitting somewhere just to the left of Nicolas Jaar, Radiohead, Massive Attack, Mike Dehnert and Ostgut Ton, Memorial Home has managed to craft an album absolutely unique to their sound, impossible to categorise and sure to catch the attention of music lovers of all shapes and sizes. Techno without a dancefloor, experimental electronica fit for the warehouse raves. It's an exciting, perfectly confusing album which simply works wonderfully.
Heavily textured in incredible atmospherics, dub effects and crisp, clear percussion, 'World' spreads over an excellent array of individual tracks full of groundbreaking musical magic. Incorporating a stunning fusion of live instrumentation and electronic craftsmanship, 'World' is an audio adventure into emotive soundscapes, with a clear focus on the subtle saturation of melancholy. It's a soundtrack for a dystopian film yet to be written. A sonic painting for the coming winter months where the trees are all but dead and frozen; and the ground a thick layer of glowing white snow.
Memorial Home are the founders of the independent label Rapid Eye Movement, which has seen a breadth of incredible EPs riding the balance between experimental Techno and introspective electronica. They first met by random chance in their newly adopted home of Barcelona, Spain. This unexpected encounter quickly developed into a full-fledged musical kinship through their shared interest in crafting cinematic, experimental techno music. Each release from the label and duo showcase their clear passion to unearthing sounds beyond the expected. With their debut LP about to drop, the future is looking certain for the duo, the label, and the changing face of modern day electronic music.
Soundway Records present a special summer tribute double a-side 12" with two tracks from African musicians that both passed away within a couple of months of each other at the end of 2013 / start of 2014. Both tracks are perfect smooth summer tropical DJ fodder for the dancefloor.
On the first side South African singer Shaluza Max's massive Mashkandi / house anthem from 2002 gets a first release on vinyl. This track was a huge hit in South Africa and around the world on its release. With a soaring Zulu vocal and big sound it's a fitting reminder of a very talented musician who worked as a very well respected producer, composer and arranger who died tragically young at the age of 47 in January of 2014.
On the flip we drop a fairly unknown track from the mid 1980s from one of the biggest names in African music, Tabu Ley Rochereau. With a kind of almost balearic proto-house congolese pop cut with drum machines, and trademark sweet congo horn section, Hafi Deo is a beautiful track that fell into obscurity by perhaps being too smooth for the world music crowd in the mid 80s. Tabu Ley passed away in November 2013 in his late 70s with over 250 albums and 3000 songs to his name. A true pioneer of the congolese soukous sound, he was also one of the most influential African musicians of his generation.
- A1: Dim Grimm -Drivel To Balsam
- A2: Zimpel / Ziolek - Wrens
- A3: Tujiko Noriko - Tennisplayer Makes A Smile
- A4: Gerhard Zander - Wabi Sabi 35
- A5: A.p.a.t.t - Young Free & Parasite
- A6: Ssellf - Visitors
- B1: The Reboot Joy Confession - Enjoy Solitude
- B2: Merz Feat. Sartorius Drum Ensemble - The Hunting Owl (Julian Sartorius Drum & Vocal Rendition)
- B3: Helen Money - Mf
- B4: Oceaneer - The Sea
'For The Colleagues Of Ubu & Their Authorities' is the brainchild of Vienna based vinyl enthusiast, DJ & producer The Reboot Joy Confession. What once started as a series of mixes has been expanded into this compilation, on which he brings together diverse genres of music like electronica, modern minimalism, folk, post-rock, avant-garde or modular music, which also reflect his own versatile musical taste. 'As I stopped thinking in genres, my attempt was to merge my musical taste in the most fluent way possible onto one record. There are mesmerizing songs from some of my favourite contemporary artists - I feel a timelessness in their music, I can ´t get tired of. With the compilation I wanted to create a contemplative, fictitious, surreal world, merging those different styles together. Giving it that title, I wanted the listener to be able to imagine a tale that is building up with each song. I am really happy about the outcome of this compilation and hope that many other listeners can feel the magic.' The compilation includes the surreal work of Swiss producer Dim Grimm (also known as Dimlite), as well as a collaboration between Merz & Julian Sartorius Drum Ensemble who radically altered the original version of 'The Hunting Owl' into a monstrous percussive live version. Taken off the debut album from one of Poland ´s most interesting musicians at the moment, Waclaw Zimpel & Kuba Ziolek, 'Wrens' is a fusion of folk, jazz and modern minimal music. Experimental pop musician & filmmaker Tujiko Noriko appears with an emotional piece that challenges the paths between pop and avant-garde. Gerhard Zander, whose musical work started on the outskirts of experimental pop music in the early seventies in Germany, delivers a modular synth masterpiece with unique sounds, textures and a far-out synth choir. Rock and ambient influenced musician Helen Money (also known as Alison Chesley) is a Los Angeles based cellist and composer who appears with a massively dark post-rock song called 'MF', which was recorded at Steve Albini's Electrical Audio studio in Chicago in 2009. Often compared to Frank Zappa and known for their richness of ideas, Liverpool's a.P.A.t.T. contribute the hypnotic 'Young Free & Parasite', with references to British glam, post-punk or synth rock, but in a fresh and obscure sounding outfit. SSELLF, the moniker of New Zealand ´s Christoph El Truento, inspired by post-punk and noise. 'Visitors' is simple and simply in your face, with lo-fi drums, distorted synths and raw vocals by Christoph himself. After a few seclusive years, The Reboot Joy Confession returns with a new, crispy and soulful track. Cinematic strings written by Martin Riedler, arranged by Flip Phillip, and recorded at the established Vienna Konzerthaus, based on a properly arranged drum outfit and played by a villain named Gurlimu. Both strings and drums are guiding through the whole song and culminate in Glockenspiel and Rhodes melodies. Oceaneer aka Japanese pianist Oneechan Nanashi completes the compilation with her beautiful and profound composition 'The Sea, Forever'. She describes her music as 'improvised instrumental underwater music from the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, played with broken instruments, directed by the spirit of drowned people who are talking through the hands of the pianist. It's lonely and bleak music for the dead.'
Smoke Vinly[16,77 €]
Released on CD by Aurora Borealis back in 2010, we're overjoyed to finally see this on vinyl.
- limited edition of 300 copies - 180g black vinyl - reverse board heavyweight sleeve - includes download code and printed insert - mastered for vinyl by James Plotkin - cut at The Carvery, London
An ode to the Lovecraftian lore of Shub Niggurath, 'Black Goat of the Woods' was conceived as "the soundtrack from some lost low budget horror movie, rediscovered on an old and faded VHS cassette found mouldering in a deserted house in the depths of the woods".
The one man project of J.R Moore, Black Mountain Transmitter has released several albums, all to great critical acclaim, and the quality of his work speaks volumes. The original AB 'Black Goat of The Woods' CD version was the first official release and a reissue of the long sold out and much sought after limited CDr.
On describing the recording, Moore said: "The music was certainly very much influenced by that certain breed of 70s horror films. Things like the soundtrack to the original "Texas Chainsaw Massacre", Giuliano Sorgini's atmospheres in "Living Dead At The Manchester Morgue"; Carl Zittrer's soundscapes in "Deranged", "Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things" and "Dead Of Night", and of course people like Fabio Frizzi in Italian horror and the BBCs Radiophonic Workshop's electronic sounds in something like "The Stone Tape" and countless creepy old TV productions..."
An excellent, macabre and psychedelic release that spans electronica, soundtracks and experimental genres in its 40 minute playing time, 'Black Goat of the Woods' pays perfect homage to the dark denizen of the nocturnal glades, and is a true paean to backwoods horror.
Names You Can Trust presents the second installment of Rueda de Bullerengue, a collaborative series with NY-based Bullerengue collective, Bulla En El Barrio. Named after the group's ongoing monthly performance and workshop in Brooklyn, Bulla's collaborative spirit and dedication to the tradition of los bailes cantados has made an indelible mark on the bubbling tropical music scene of New York City, and in turn, found their way into the crates and sets of DJs and vinyl aficionados via their first 7-inch release on NYCT in 2017. Since those initial moves, Bulla has continued to grow and add working members while maintaining a philosophy and connection grounded in the traditions of their Colombian origins. They've studied and collaborated with elders and legends like Emilson Pacheco and Darlina Sáenz, and this past year embarked on a recording with Barranquilla-based collective Tonada Baile Cantado — the focus of this edition's recording and release.
Considered one of the premier groups advancing the tradition of Bullerengue within Colombia, this incredibly talented group of young musicians are a rarity for their skill and age. In a region where there are ongoing festivals celebrating the tradition of Bullerengue that still command massive audiences and performers, Tonada is a true representative of what can happen when such an amazing tradition is passed forward to an eager next generation. Produced by Bulla members Camilo Rodriguez and Diana Herrera (aka Carolina Oliveras) in between their time smashing stages across the U.S. for Combo Chimbita, this is a carefully nurtured and powerful bridge to the beloved traditions of Colombia's Caribe region.
Without further ado, here lies Volume 2 of Rueda de Bullerengue, featuring Tonada Baile Cantado, a new generation of traditional Colombian dance music transmitted directly from Barranquilla — Four dance floor crashers in the styles of fandango and chalupa, ready-made for your 45 spins in the inimitable style of Names You Can Trust.
Rich, Deep, Percussive Soulful Folk Album From Master Togolese Singer, Akofa Akoussah.
The Album Moves Through Uptempo Afro-folk-funk On 'tango' To Deep Ballads Of 'ramer Sans Rame' And 'i Tcho Tchass' And Lighter Moments On 'g Blem Di' And 'mitso Aseye'. Akofas Exceptional Songs And Soaring Vocals Are Decorated With Percussion, Guitar Lines, Subtle Backing Vocals And Horns To Create A Unique, Rich Sonic. The Album Was Recorded For Release By French Label Sonafric In 1976. Produced By Gérard Akueson; Founder & Owner Of African Record Label, 'akue', Based In Paris.
Music Was Truly In The Blood Of Julie Akofa Akoussah. She Began Singing At The Age Of Three, Inspired And Led By Her Mother And Older Sister And Became Principal Soloist In Her School Choir, St. Peter & Paul Choir Of Our Immaculate Conception Parish Of Nyékonakpoé, At The Age Of 8. From There Her Career Blossomed, And Singing Often Took Precedence Over Her Studies. In Order To Master Her Art She Spent Time Studying And Working Closely With Local Groups Including Mélo Togo, Rocka Mambo, Rio Romamcero, Ok Fiesta, Eryco Jazz, Afro Cubano, Los Muchacho, Elégance Jazz And Togo Star Amongst Others. In Her Own Words: 'luck Opened The Door In January 1966 Where I Had The Honour Of Being Selected To Share The Stage With Bella Below - One Of The Best Voices Of
Africa - At The 1st 'negro Arts Festival' In Dakar. On My Return, I Was Approached By Ambroise Ouyi, The Highly Respected Singer & Poet, And We Wrote 'tu Ne M'écris Plus', My Very First Opus.'
The Popularity Of Her Work Led To An Increased Exposure For Togolese Music Outside Of The Country, In Neighbouring Ghana And Benin Most Notably. During Her Career She Collaborated And Performed With Greats Including Manou Djibango, Queen Pelagie, Abeti Massikini, Aycha Koné And Myriam Makeba. Akoussah Was Also Dedicated To, And Widely Recognised For, Her Work For Social Causes, Championing And Nurturing Young Musical Talent, And The Fight Against Aids. She Was President Of The National Union Of Artists Musicians Of Togo (unam) Before Sadly Passing Away In April 2007 After A Long Illness, At The Age Of 57.
In folklore, the witching hour or devil's hour is a time of night associated with supernatural events. Creatures such as witches, demons and ghosts are thought to appear and to be at their most powerful and magic is thought to be most effective at this time.
It is also the time when we are at Underground parties, this is considered the main time of the party before it tapers off into the ethereal realm of translucent soundscapes and marionette dance moves. This is when we feast on sound intoxication and our parallel daywalker skins are shed into ancient dances and rites of sacred drums.
The witching Hour takes our souls back to our ancient pagan rituals of music and dance till the cleansing of dawn, this is where revelations happen and where groups of like minded people form a coven of sorts and bond in non verbal communications thru the expression of movement.
This is a new label project from Jay Tripwire and TJ Mc Au, they will be presenting underground minimal sounds specifically designed for the dancefloor and for the DJ.
This EP features Creepshow and Klangtone. Creepshow is a dark bassy roller with an eerie underground atmosphere that holds the groove but it also designed for mixing and layering. Klangtone features a percussive groove, voices from the Tikuna rainforest tribe and a haunting modular flute line with a massive sub bass that is sure to rattle bassbins. This is classic Tripwire with modern production but still keeping the his roots of his trademark sound.
Funnuvojere is the new imprint founded by Massimiliano Pagliara. Now marking his third album release, after countless remixes and EPs, the Panorama Bar resident widens the horizon of his musical contributions by launching a label "deep as the ocean" as the name suggests, and open to different musical genres. The first instalment comes from James Booth. Known also as The Gardener and North Vest, the Manchester born producer has been known for his distinctive deep sound very dear to Los Angeles based imprint 100% Silk and Hamburg's Growing Bin Records that released his latest LP in 2017. "Bath Time" is a thrillingly deep-cosmic cut rich in melodies and emotions. The EP starts off with a spaced-out, italo classic cut where form assumes a different dimension as the music layers intertwine in an everlasting flow. If the title track seems ironically like a perfect place to start a party night, "Roller Chrome" is an emotional ballad for hopeful dance floors; while "Such Is Life" is a nostalgic piece of balearic tradition.
Santo Sangre is a project by San Francisco-based artist, producer and DJ Gonzo Manuel. On its first release, Quetzal, perhaps a reference to the central-American bird with bright, ornate plumage Gonzo taps into a Latin-accented, tribal feel that is ably carried on rolling, syncopated percussion with an organic essence, a birdsong-like chant, sporadic and light bursts of actual song and haunting string chords that cut across the sound spectrum, adding dark energy and urgency to the track. This one will sit nicely out on its own, bringing a hybrid organic/robotic essence to the dance or would work equally well rinsed around in the mix, with all its elements appearing and disappearing at just the right time as a transition ascends and peaks.
Oakland producer Indy Nyles remix builds on the tribal theme by enhancing the syncopated aspect of the percussion. He augments this further with a pretty and drifting melody line composed of glassy keyboard sounds. The sense of drama this creates is boosted further by a breathy and repetitive voice sample. This concoction drives along nicely until around the 5 minute mark when Nyles drops a menacing, snaking thread of 303 bass, stabs of icey strings and echo and delay effects that amplify the shadowy, seductive allure of his remix. Its a new sounding track but the acid line and syncopation bring to mind some of the psychedelic, breakbeat classics of San Franciscos halcyon, rave era.
Rounding things up is the Slope 114 Remix. Here Dmitri Ponce and partner
Elise Gargalikis take the track on a house journey that is, like Indys mix, brand new sounding but possessed by the spirits of the classics. Elises vocal flourishes bring to the mind the Latin house, tribalist dynamism of Louie Vega and Indias River Ocean numbers while Dmitri nudges the bassline from chunk and funk to acid and massive without sacrifcing the subtlety of the maneuver. The subtle aspect being that a techno, a tech-house and a straight up house heads will be able to bounce this one to the box without leaving her generic comfort zone: the true mark of a classic.
This release is a strong start for this new artist, look out for more fire from this Bay Area talent
The Tel-aviv Based Label Parallax Brings Yogg And Pharaoh Together For Their 8th Vinyl Release.
It Starts Off With The Epic Title Track, A Laid-back Bassy Groove Surrounded By Crispy Hits And Shifted Electrical Noises, Building Up To A Climatic Second Part Which Fuses A Lot Of The Producers' Unique Soundscapes, All On A Hypnotic Pounding Rhythm Section.
This Is Followed By A Quirky Broken Electronica Short, ompti', Chopped-up Modular Sweeps And Lush Melodic Hints Create This Uniquely Structured A2 Track.
The B-side Starts Of With maurice', A More Direct And Intensive Techno Cut, Which Also Breaks Into An Energetic - Wobbly 2nd Section Which Also Features Many Of Their Unique Sound Explorations In A Dramatic Final Section.
B2, abadei' Has A Deeper Buildup Approach For Most Of It, Starting From A Pure Yet Uneven Rhythm Section, And Growing Into A Mass Of Counterparts And Layers Of Noise And Crackle.
The Ep Ends With An Unlisted Locked-groove, An Intense And Dirty Industrial-techno Groove.
Another massively desired double-sider produced by Georgia native Calvin Arnold, a superheavy solid, intense rhythm and a deep, throaty vocal which pushes the dancefloor strongly forward plus a more chilled extra-soulful backside for the connoisseurs out there, also re-reissued due to public demand here on a nice great-sounding RS label 45!
Digging 80s pop obscurities has long been part of Emotional Rescue's mission statement and the unearthing of this cover of the Talking Heads classic by the little known, Italian new wave band Politrio for a limited 7" press is a worthy addition.
Formed by guitarist, songwriter and producer Giorgio Canali alongside Massimo Sbaragli and Roberto Zoli for the short-lived project. With just one album released of new wave, pop rock, it was their contribution to an Amnesty International benefit LP that spawned this excellent version of Byrne, Franz and Weymouth penned classic. Coming out of the CBGBs scene of post-punk downtown NYC, the song, released on their aptly titled 1977 "77" debut album, has gone on to become one of the defining songs of it's time. Further enhanced with their mesmeric performance in the 1984 Stop Making Sense film and album, it has been ripe for reinterpretation. Politrio's version keeps and captures much of the original, but with their own swing, rhythm, Italian-English vocal delivery, rock guitar, bells and keys. While remaining instantly recognizable, this is a unique version, with the straightened drumming giving it some added punch and kick.
This is backed by a systematically cool, delicate but additional re-edit by the Berlin based Italian duo Dama and Budino aka Double Wave. Rising names in the Berlin scene they are part of the Oscillator collective, label and parties and can be heard at some of the best parties right now.
Letting the instrumental interplay of funky, slap bass and rock guitar have more time to shine, the edit builds and drops, dubs and builds again to the vocals and lyrics known so well, offering an alternative sing-a-long for the more wonky DJs and dancers out there.
Keysound Recordings are proud to announce the unearthing and release of a collection of lost deep tech dubs from Hugo Massien. After releases on labels such as XL Recordings, E-Beamz, Tectonic and Audio Rehab comes a 12' of tracks that date from 2014 -2016. Dark, percussive yet catchy, the productions originate from the peak years of London's underground deep tech scene, at a time where the movement bubbled with an abundance of energy and creative possibilities. Massien was one
This is a long overdue reissue of a fantastic album! Here we find a pure disco classic from the US scene of the late 70s. The original copies retail at plus $300, that's only if you can find one at all! So those who love to spin good music, but are unwilling or unable to lay down too much money can now lend an ear to this fine vinyl! The opening track is 6.5 minutes long and consists of ongoing grooves with a hint of rock thanks to the melodic lead guitar. The driving rhythms are irresistible with soulful and strong female lead vocals that capture you right away. This reminds me strongly of the lengthy Donna summer dance classic, released during the same period 'Better than walking out' which became a dance floor sweeper. There is nothing complicated here, just sheer groove interwoven with catchy melodies. 'Lovin' you is so easy' follows and is a mid-paced soul anthem that comes as clean, slick and close to pop music a tune can come, but the melody of the chorus will stick to your mind. The arrangements are tight revealing several layers of instrumentation on second take. The lead singer's expressive voice matches with the best of its genre. A grand dame of soul familiar to a wide audience. While we ruminate about the different stylistic ingredients of this album we reach ''Woman', an entire instrumental with a straight groovy beat paired by cool funky rhythm guitar that lies beneath a soundscape made by the electric piano. Both seem to interact tightly and communicate with another. This tune just moves you physically with ease. Lushly orchestrated ''Our love is special' turns out to be a wonderful soul pop anthem of the kind that stays with you when you have only enjoyed it once. I'm almost certain that most fans of the late 70's soulful dance and pop will spin this record over and over again. This is what the DISCO LADIES are made for. Their music has this certain disco feeling but the classic 60s Motown Soul roots are so obvious and keep the whole collection of songs so grounded, that the music will go straight to the heart, nestling there for a long time. ''I second that emotion' is again a mid-paced groover that has this fluttering beat with great instrumental figures build upon this footing. One might hear elements of reggae, gospel and funk melting into an utterly joyful soul pop tune that eventually would become an evergreen in the clubs. Last but not least we are treated to ''Woman', again the arrangements of lead and backing vocals are amazing! These are footed by equally amazing strings and horns. These melodies, soulful, expressive, intense and full of joy! The last tune is a vocal version of 'Woman'. Definitely being the highlight of the entire album and a worthy finale for a record that sticks out of the masses of disco music productions of it's era! All this makes a wonderful and delightful reissue ! worthy of joining every black music aficionado of the 1970s.
- A1: Wildstyle Crew - Intro (Edit)
- A2: Bryozone - Juicy Quiddity
- A3: Ratti Nielsen Nikolaienko - M2
- A4: Mark Templeton - Soft Education
- A5: Andrew Pekler - Underwater Nocturne
- B1: Native Instrument - Thud
- B2: Nisantashi Primary School - Flaneur
- B3: Aem Rhythm Cascade - Biruza
- B4: Ol - Nutmeg
- B5: Vakula - Afromadness
Ukrainian label Muscut celebrates its anniversary - Muscut X (10) Test Pressign II - is the tenth record in a row. The first release was published in 2012 on 7 inches and was called simply Test Pressing. Like six years ago, the current vinyl is a compilation of Muscut's 'residents', as well as new friends of the label. Test Pressing II is 12 inches on which there are exactly ten tracks. Both sides are significantly different in color of mood. Party A starts with dub-drone sketches of key figures of the Odessa underground - Wildstyle Crew and Bryozone. Then we hear the mantra-like M2 - the work of the creative union of Nicola Ratti, Mads Emil Nielsen together with Nikolaenko. The Canadian sound-artist Mark Templeton continues the line of rhythmic textures crowned with unhurried percussion - it is in all senses of Soft Education at number four. The first part is completed by an exquisite curtsy from the Andrew Pekler label frequenter called Underwater Nocturne as a soundtrack for the perfect tea ceremony.
The second side confidently sets a completely different compilation rhythm from the very start - the tribal tribal dance from the Berlin project Native Instrument instantly introduces into a trance. It is followed by a warm, enveloping minimal synth track from the Ukrainian trio Nisantashi Primary School. The middle of the second side is decorated with the pensive house-ballad of St. Petersburg producer Fadeev known as AEM Rhythm Cascade. Another Russian settled next to him - Muscovite Oleg Buyanov, aka OL, with a massive broken dub Nutmeg. The final composition consists of burning afrosint motifs from luminary Odessan Vakula.
The latest release on Arma comes from Dutch legend and devoutly deviant underground operator Ruud Lekx, aka Rude 66. With a legacy that reaches back to the early 90s and the rough and ready Dutch electro sound of Bunker Records and The Hague, he's maintained a distinctly non-conformist approach that touches on acid, Italo, techno and more besides, all finished with the punky attitude that sets him and peers like Unit Moebius and I-F apart.
The tracks gathered together on The Witch Trials EP come from throughout Lekx's career. As the artist himself says, 'tracks from wildly different eras and sessions suddenly can combine to form one coherent EP. It's almost like the A-side tracks were waiting for 20 years to be combined with the B-side tracks.'
The overriding theme that binds together these timeless machine excursions is that of medieval witch trials - a global phenomenon that peaked in the 15-1600's. Considering the suspicion, propaganda and mass moral panic involved in this strange curio of distant history, Lekx points to the parallels with the current age, 'of political polarization and fake news accusations flying all over.' The EP title is also a tribute to two records close to his heart: The Fall's Live At The Witch Trials, and the one-off Witch Trials project by members of the Dead Kennedys, Adrian Borland and Christian Lunch.
'Werewolves & Poisoners' and 'The Crusade Against Idolatry' are both archive tracks from the 1994-5 period when Lekx made his first albums for Bunker Records. The first track's charging arps, rugged kicks, nagging acid lines and discordant paranoia all speak to that trailblazing period, while 'The Crusade...' revels in canny programming of interwoven synth lines feeding into an unhinged, psychedelic rampage that reflects the righteous fervour and spiritual confusion of the EP concept.
'The Absence Of Diabolism' opens up the B-side with a different tone, having been produced in 2016 and demonstrating the deeper acid undulations Lekx has become known for in more recent years. Still delivered via the same trusted tools he was using in the 90s, the sound feels like an extension of the Rude 66 vision rather than a separate entity. 'Envious Are All The People, Witches Watch At Every Gate,' a cut from the late 90s, closes the EP out in a spacious, snarling exploration of broken acid electro laden with cinematic sweeps of synthesizer and a constant sense of unresolved tension.
Across these four tracks, Lekx displays the scope of his craft as Rude 66 while also proving that timeless music can make sense in any context, and that the threads of inspiration in an artist's journey can be followed, explored and even resolved 20 years later, when you least expect it




















