Love story...
Middle M side starts with a banging 200 BPM industrial hardcore full of breakcore temptation... second tune "calm down" to 180 bpm, a noise-acid mining deeper and deeper..
The flip, the Husband side then, from SOAM, also starts with a 200 BPM dark industrial hardcore, bassy and dancefloor to death... my fave tune is the last one, "I'mDown" : a regular 220 BPM clear attack in a old school motion, very 90's, the moste SODOm's spirit tune of this gentle EP
1982, Brussels: Living on busking wages and next door to Tuxedo Moon, Antena manage to make a contemporary bossa nova record that provides the missing link between Antonio Carlos Jobim and Kraftwerk. The original Camino Del Sol has been given back its spacious mini-LP quarters, recasting this short-lived combo's forwardthinking mile marker as a modern-day masterstroke
As Metronomy work on their forthcoming sixth album, they take a moment to reflect on the 10th anniversary of their breakthrough album 'Nights Out'. Metronomy's Joseph Mount has delved into the archives for 'Nights Out: 10th Anniversary Edition' which will be released on February 8th on Because Music.
It features the original critically acclaimed album alongside a second LP which expands upon Mount's vision with a set of unreleased demos, rarities and b-sides - many of which make their first appearance on vinyl. Two of the highlights come with alternative versions which have become staples of the Metronomy live set: a bedtime dub version of 'Holiday' which takes it into a darker, glitchier direction, and a French-language version of 'Heartbreaker'.
Mount's Francophile leanings are also explored in Breakbot's remix of 'A Thing For Me', which contrasts French touch vibes with Mount's distinctly English-accented vocals. Previously issued on an exclusive Rough Trade bonus disc, 'Over' is an instrumental of cinematic scale, while the disc closes with four previously unreleased demos including the leftfield minimalism of 'Das Booty'.
Although Metronomy's 2006's debut album 'Pip Paine (Pay The £5000 You Owe)' was discovered by those in the know, it was 'Nights Out' that captured the imagination of a much wider audience. Mount achieved the seemingly impossible: he highlighted both the joyous atmosphere of a big night out and a taste of the resultant comedown in a set that playfully veered towards being a concept album.
About Nights Out Joseph Mount says: 'Oscar reminded me the other day how I said to him on completing Radio Ladio 'I think I've just written my first number 1'. I hadn't. We also reminisced about the day we borrowed the Honda Insight for the album artwork: I found the owner on an enthusiast chat room, we gave his daughter two Kate Nash tickets and a meet and greet with Kate in exchange for a few shots with the vehicle... simpler times. Shout out to Myspace.'
Metronomy's most recent album 'Summer 08' was released in 2016 to widespread critical acclaim. DIY described it as a 'pure-pop odyssey' and NME concluded, 'Mount has done it again. He could write music about the impact of Brexit on the UK's trade with China and make it sound amazing. He's that good.'
Metronomy bring 2018 to a close when they play Edinburgh's Hogmanay Street Party on December 31st. The 65,000 capacity show is headlined by Franz Ferdinand and completed by Free Love.
Dadub's 'Nusuth' (plus Ena Version) is the 2nd chapter of the Holotone Limited Series, invented for the purpose to create a place free from preconceived notions and format boundaries, changing from release to release with varying forms of content.
This 2 tracks EP represents the 1st episode of a miniseries of Originals + Dub Versions that the duo will release in the near future for Holotone.
This time Dadub invited Ena for an astonishing Dub Version.
Italian duo Neverdogs mint their brand new label Bamboleo Records with a powerful four-track EP that serves as a fine statement of intent.
The label will focus on house, techno and minimal with a funky edge. As well as their own material, it will release big names from the international scene and aims to inspire and generate new emotions for the dance floor.
Up first is the thrilling 'Underground Activity', a dubbed out deep techno roller. It has warm chords bringing plenty of scale to the slick, kinetic drums.
The superb 'Solution' is a more churning, lively tech cut with wobbling hooks and metallic drums. It's one to get the floor moving, with dark vocals finishing it in style.
Keeping up the dynamic dancefloor vibes, 'Stop Talking' slips into a moody and stripped back house framework, with dry hits echoing out into a cavernous atmosphere. With real swagger and cosmic overtones in the keys, it's another excellent side to this pair's sound.
Last of all, 'Destination' is a dramatic vocal DJ tool with broad synths and molten bass all warping round each other.
Tarawangsawelas are a musical duo from Bandung, mainly performing a contemporary version of Tarawangsa, the sacred music from Sundanese West Java. Here they are joined by their teacher and maestro, Pak Pupung Supena, together with, Pak Jaja, on Sekalipon. Wanci is a minimalist, cosmic album composed with a careful modern interpretation of one of the most mystical and spiritual genres in Indonesia. A gorgeous and infectious six track album. TIP!
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Producer Rabih Beaini says "Last year, Europalia Festival commissioned me to work on a musical project with local musicians from Indonesia and develop a performance to tour during Europalia 2017. I chose to work with Tarawangsa, the sacred music from Sundanese West Java. Tarawangsa is played on two string instruments: a rababa-like two-stringed bowed instrument itself called Tarawangsa, and the Jentreng, a seven-stringed kecapi-like instrument. Typically from Rancakalong village in Sumedang, West Java, Tarawangsa is played as part of a ritual consisting of almost eight hours of music and dance, complete with offerings and prayers. During a performance, a selection from the forty two known Tarawangsa pieces slowly build up from a cosmic slow groove to more repetitive and hypnotic rhythms, inevitably bringing the listener and dancer to a trance state. During the residency I had the great honor to be able to develop new structures and pieces together with Tarawangsawelas, recording them in Bandung, and ultimately having them joined by their teacher and Tarawangsa maestro Pak Pupung Supena together with Pak Jaja on jentreng. This album is a modern description for one of the local Indonesian music scene, but mainly it is an offering for the Tarawangsa ritual, like the food and incense and the prayers, and the messages of the ancestors to the people of Rancakalong."
Composed and performed by Teguh Permana, Wisnu Ridwana and Rabih Beaini, except Sekalipun (traditional) performed by Pupung Supena, Jaja Rohmat, Teguh Permana & Wisnu Ridwana.
Recorded in Bandung, march 2017
Produced, mixed and arranged by Rabih Beaini.
Mastered by Neel at Enisslab.
Cover design by George Sowden, curated by M-L-XL,
After a successfull first record Underground Town is back for their 2nd release just in time for the kick-off of their 4th Season of events in the top of the Swiss Alps.
Mysterious Artist delivers a serious bomb for the first track of this record. A track that makes you travel in space with groove and a fine shower of synths. Lost.act makes his first appearance in the label with a powerful minimalistic and deep trip.
Label head Giorgio Maulini comes back with some break beats & crazy synths changing the dynamic and giving this record a clever complexity with various styles. Last but not least another delicious piece by Cesar Martinez full of groove and swinging hats.
Stay tuned because the next delivery in on the way!
Second elease on newly minted Souk Records (Discrepant), coming swiftly after the mind blowing Palestinian beat LP Muqata'a Inkanakuntu (SOUK01).
For the second release we chose someone who is already part of our Discrepant family - the Colombian tropical masters Romperayo aka Pedro Ojeda.
Back in 2015 we released their self titled debut and now it's time for the follow up, 'Que Jue', ten up-tempo bangers filled with the unique sounds of psychedelic 1970s Cumbia.
Whilst the first Romperayo LP united several musicians around Pedro Ojeda's frantic drum style, Que Jue sees him take the reigns solo armed with instruments, samplers and his trusted drum skills!
'Que Jue' is a fever rhythm joy, an intense voyage to the diverse landscape of Colombian folklore and psychedelic scene. It's also a combination of old and new, an exploration of sample techniques that throwback to classic cumbia but with an electronic minimal vibe that seeks the intense repetition of some dance music produced recently.
All for the sake of pleasure, Romperayo's music is magnetic, impulsive and addictive. The repetitive patterns are mixed astutely and sweaty percussion changes the rhythm whenever it's needed: you don't know that, but they do, and they deliver it frequently with awe. Tropical fusion, new cumbia or salsa on acids You decide.
Oh sweet melancholy. Jascha Hagen is back for Luise's largest sibling and takes it all down a notch. »A Touch of Cold Water« is a tale of minimalism and awareness, carefully placed and well de ned elements, light spaces and echoing rooms. A string of tracks that vary between unfazed euphoria and sober retrospection, slightly out of tune like the voice in your head. Who needs to wipe o the dust when it scratches so nicely.
Silk Road Assassins, a trio consisting of Tom E Vercetti, Chemist and Lovedr0id, return to Planet Mu with their debut full-length 'State Of Ruin' two years after their first EP 'Reflection Spaces'.
The trio recorded over two years, working together to start with, then across different studios and via the internet when their lives became more separated. They also finessed the album at Abbey Road studios, making use of some short time to add in extra layers.
The three producers day jobs are in production music, music designed and created specifically for film and games, and this album uses these skills to explore the musical forms that they love. The album explores how trap and grime's minimalist form can be built and curved into musical architecture: elegant, opaque and layered, turning the sound into lush, melodic world-building.
The work gone into the album is revealed on repeated listens, every sound on this record feels built to sit within it's delicate ecosystem. The fundamentals of the music are given their own sense of purpose: hand claps spray, bells tumble, guitars splinter and lush melodies waft over and fill the track's spaces like light, glinting across snapping, crisp rhythms and deep bass tones.
Rich NxT's 'The Brigade' EP was a 2018 cross over highlight. Thematically linked to its predecessor, 'Hard To Be' stands as the unofficial follow up.
Rich's last outing for the influential imprint was large by any standards, spreading far beyond the FUSE dancefloors finding support from many places. Led by EP track 'Serious', which was heralded as one of the tunes of 2018 by Mixmag in their mid-year review, it got love from Seth Troxler and the Martinez Brothers at Circoloco, alongside heavy rinsing of 'Brigade' and 'Eight' by all the FUSE residents.
The 'Hard To Be' EP comes as another on-point three-track work from Rich that channels the same versatile spirit. 'Wah' is an uplifting slice of original house, mirroring the accessibility and fun of 'Serious' with a catchy riff that runs throughout. The track created an enormous buzz on the IOM group with hundreds of comments and I.D requests pouring in throughout the year, and soundtracked parties everywhere from Fuse's raves at Studio 338 terrace in London, Sonus festival and The Martinez Brother's Cuttin' Headz at ADE. 'Interrobang' is head-nodding brilliance as twisted bass and sampled attitude characterise the seven-minute peak time banger. 'On The Rocks' rounds out the EP as punchy kicks and buttery smooth bass mark this work of grooving minimalism, echoing the spirit of Fuse029's 'Eight'.
And so closes this chapter of Rich's impressive body of work. In the process it's proved what we already knew all along; his knack for providing fail-safe dancefloor ammunition for the Fuse faithful and beyond, remains as strong as ever.
Liška, the Czechoslovakian word for fox. Beguiling in its beauty, cunning in it's charm. Said to be one of the most intelligent animals on the planet its global family consists of thirty-seven varieties; all of them recognised, respected and feared for their persuasive, creative, resourceful and elusive nature. The Liška we will talk about today is no exception to these hereditary rules and within the grooves of this record Finders Keepers present an 'elusive' musical artefact that best exemplifies every facet of this composer's animal namesake.
Had he not been born in the small Bohemian town of Smecno in the early 1920s the story of The Fantastic Mr. Liška might have well taken a different course. Alternatively, fettered by the hampers of communism, this lifelong resident of Czechoslovakia would never quite find his seat at the same table as the likes of John Barry, Ennio Morricone, Michael Nyman and Stanley Myers, nor drop enough phonographic breadcrumbs to track his legacy. But having waited patiently behind the borders of the wider landscapes of international cinema, Liška's musical brood, spanning multiple stylistic decades and generations, has now started to walk proudly amongst his would-be, latter-day compeers. In an era where music lovers have almost become immune to adjectives like 'lost', 'rare' and 'unreleased' in a climate where previously lesser-known off-kilter master composers such as Vannier, Kirchin and Axelrod have become widely revered, it is perhaps the perfect time for discerning listeners to advance above the feeding trough and seek out this truly pioneering and revolutionary Eastern European composer. Rivalled only by the likes of Krzysztof Komeda and Andrzej Korzynski in Poland, alongside Alexandr Gradsky in Russia, and often splitting workloads with fellow Czech composers like Luboš Fišer, Zdenek Liska's filmography of over almost 300 fully formed movie scores virtually eclipses the achievements of these socialist era luminaries. Respected unanimously in both Czech and Slovakian by studio bosses, producers, directors and actors alike Liška is widely known for his ability to take the existing energy in a reel of film and literally change the polarity to suit his own interpretation while maintaining the full support from his 'client' who would in-turn end up working under this composer's creative direction. Not only was Liška a genius of emotive orchestral and coral composition, his grasp on small group arrangements and intimate, minimal scores set him above the competition. By utilising primitive sample techniques by 'looping' a films existing ambient noise, or rearranging found sounds and dialog into subtle melodic arrangements, Liška would independently develop his own techniques which had simultaneously become known in Paris as musique concre`te. It is a direct extension of these experiments that saw Liška also draw parallels with Walter Branchi (Ennio Morricone's main electronic sidekick) in Italy as well as Daphne Oram in the UK, making Liška a relatively untravelled pioneer of early electronic composition and sound design due to his unlikely global environment. Imprisoned, preserved or reserved; time has been kind to Liška's music.
BENJAMIN FINGER, JAMES PLOTKIN and MIA ZABELKA craft a mesmerizing sonic world that buzzes and drones, glitches and slithers, eventually careening into unexplored musical territory.
"Pleasure-Voltage" was born in the mind (and studio) of BENJAMIN FINGER - a composer, electronic music producer, DJ, photographer and film-maker based in Oslo / Norway who in recent years has become quite a prolific artist, expanding his stylistic palette from piano miniatures and off-kilter pop experiments to lysergic, dream-like sound collages spiced with gentle warmth and sublime melody. These ingredients are also characteristic on this latest work where FINGER set the musical frame before passing it on to his inspired collaborators: MIA ZABELKA who for decades now has been involved in countless projects, be it as musician (violin / electronics), curator or founder of the international sound art centre klang.haus and who has worked with a.o. JOHN ZORN, FRED FRITH, ELECTRIC INDIGO, ROBIN RIMBAUD (SCANNER), DÄLEK or PHIL MINTON. And last but not least there's JAMES PLOTKIN who entered the scene with his first band OLD LADY DRIVERS (or OLD) on EARACHE in 1987 and later was a member of KHANATE (with a.o. STEPHEN O'MALLEY) while also exploring the areas of dark ambient and electronics by working with or remixing SCORN / MICK HARRIS, K.K: NULL and many more.
On "Pleasure-Voltage" which had its live-premiere at the REWIRE festival 2018, the trio craftsa mesmerizing sonic world that buzzes and drones, glitches and slithers, eventually careening into unexplored musical territory somewhere between ambient / drone / psychedelia.
After contributing to the various artist mini comp, 47008 (2017), Oake returns with his first solo EP on 47.
Deep, raw and real Then NY*AK is the man! Andrew Scott has been releasing superb bottom heavy deep house groovers for many years on various top labels (like Local Talk, Paper or Ninja Tunes Technicolor). Now its time for Quintessentials! The A-side features after the sun, a deep, minimalistic and sexy groover, and mind, a blissfull and rich low BPM tune for an early morning come down. The B-side starts with vice, a proper Detroit track bassline, strings, rims and snares - and finishes off with the funky and mellow onions. Deep, raw and real NY*AK anytime!
'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.'
To kick off 2019 Haven are setting their sights on the farthest reaches of the resurgence in EBM. New Zealand based hardware warrior Body Beat Ritual grew up in the UK exposed to the body music of the 80s and 90s and his experiments in industrial-tinged dance tracks inspired by the likes of Front Line Assembly, Ministry, Subpoena The Past, Nitzer Ebb, and Revolting Cocks were made in complete isolation from, and with no awareness of, the EBM resurgence in Europe's clubland.
This EP represents the first of Body Beat Rituals explorations into this sound. The A1 starts the EP with 'Instinct Primitive' - a certified body moving slammer featuring haunting screams, samples ruminating schizophrenia, a funky bass-line and drum rolls aplenty. The A2 welcomes Poland's VTSS to Haven for the first time with a bouncy gabber kick and distorted tones on her tough remix of 'Instinct Primitive'. The B1 begins the flip with the hectic drum workout, cutting bass and synth programming and political samples of 'Crash Report', followed by the destructive drums and scratchy timbre of Blush Response's remix on the B2. Not one to be missed for fans of dance-floor focused, gnarled industrial techno and EBM!
Being introduced to the work of Ludovico Einaudi at a young age, Joram started composing and home recording his own neoclassical piano pieces. The thread that runs throughout his compositions is the minimalist character: repeating structures that slowly build and fade. The works are electroacoustic spaces of sound with a felt, warm, melancholic undertone - translating indefinable moods into music.
Sydney Valette has earned a solid reputation among post-punk scene of Paris. 'Space and Time' is a sample of his very upcoming new album. Minimal synthetic maneuvers combined with sharp guitars for a perfect modern dark sound, probably his best studio work to date. It arrives presented on 12 EP format and produced in a ONE-OFF truly limited edition of 300 copies lacquered pressed on 180 gr. high quality solid WHITE vinyl. All tracks have been specially remastered for LONG CUT vinyl by Eric Van Wonterghem.
