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Following a run of local transmissions from A Sagittariun, Crump, Rob Smith and Atki2, Idle Hands turns its attention to Berlin and the straight-up, no-nonsense techno thrust of Johanna Knutsson and Hans Berg. Both respected artists and DJs in their own right, the pair have been turning out 12"s together for The Free Spirit Society, Klasse and Crime City Disco over the past few years, but most importantly they've been steering the excellent UFO Station Recordings as a vessel for their punchy, primal techno tracks.

The sound on this EP taps into the pure form of stern, dark dancefloor tackle favoured at Idle Hands - no extraneous filler, plenty of space in the mix, but equally built with warmth and personality rather than monochrome functionality. If you need further proof, just look to the fact the EP is named after a Swedish soap opera from the 90s.

The bleeps and bass tones that pulse through "Taggen" are so finely crafted they need not skip and dance around the arrangement. The melodic interplay on "Klimax" is subtle but ultimately uplifting and optimistic where so much techno concerns itself with oppressive gloom. "Bimbo" finds the pair embracing a more psychedelic approach, but even here the modulating effects processes are kept within certain boundaries so as to not dilute the impact on the floor. After all, this is music to dance to, to be felt over a large system (where possible).


Moving from leftfield bass excursions to minimalist 2-step, UK techno and now onto this much more continental sound, theMälarviken EP continues to widen the range of Idle Hands' musical tastes without losing sight of the complete picture.

A handful of cables, laptops and a few dusty machines are all it takes to make music. On Stiff Little Spinners Vol. 8 this is proven once again with seven exclusive tracks by Thomas Atzmann, Rampue, Kalipo, Krink, Paradise Hippies, Gimmix and Monopohl. The eighth edition of the Stiff Little Spinners compilation is ready for the next demolition party with a mix of modern deep house, slow jams & dreamy techno future classics. 01 Thomas Atzmann - Skagerrak After a longer release break, Thomas Atzmann delivers the first sure shot of this record. Skaggerrak convinces from the beginning with spheric ambience and tom-tom grooves, dissolving in a wash of big synth emotions. 02 Rampue - Der König und der Vogel King Rampue dishes out an A+ Slow Jam. Minimalistic in the beginning, this track leadsyou directly via screwed vocals to a cosmic breakdown of intoxicating emotions. All of it with a beautifully relaxed bpm. 03 Kalipo - Gernkraftwerk The manifold producer is on the ticket as per ususal - this time with a detroit-y neo trance attack. With the appropriate volume this tune can lead to loss of gravity. 04 Krink - Dazed This track is tuning feedback into filters and synth stabs in your face as if there was no tomorrow. Some tunes will always instill hope that's it's possible to dance forever and never go home. 05 Paradise Hippies - Prosecco Mate The last hippies of Hamburg bring proof that two rad dudes together make an extremely rad pair.

On the second chapter of the KOOAAD Muzik saga, obscure composer Filippo Diana shakes hand with Cronenberg, Carpenter and Detroit's finest electro pioneers and delivers a masterful soundtrack to the never released sci-fi movie NEMESI.
'A neuro scientist synthesizes a protein that amplifies sensory perceptions. Using himself as test subject, in an attempt to establish the right dosage, he takes too many shots that will quickly and inevitably plunge him into the depths of insanity.'
All tracks are filled with a tension that ranges from fear and mystery to arousal and ecstasy, accompanying a vision that never became cellulose yet entrains our brain like a stroboscopic dream.
Music to play on a monochromatic screen with oscillating brightness at theta frequencies.
Seven tracks mini album selection of the original sound score.

Since its 2005 debut, Torsten Profrock's T++ project has grown in stature and scope to the point where it's admired by fans of techno, dubstep, d'n'b and experimental electronics alike, and annexed by none. Anchored in the kind of scuffed, sub-heavy atmospherics Profrock developed in his 90s recordings for Chain Reaction, and naturally influenced by his work with Robert Henke as Monolake, the sound of T++ is singular, always evolving, difficult to fix.
Long ago snagged by the rhythmic innovations of the post-jungle underground, here Profrock makes explicit his debt to the radical fringe of UK garage. Snapping 2-step rhythms are at the heart of all four tracks; for all the distress, deconstruction and detournement they undergo at his hands, the spirit and swing of the British soundsystem tradition is unmistakable.
Further, Wireless is a kind of remix, a commission, shot through with the contorted samples of voice and ndingidi from a handful of old East African 78s (collected on the Honest Jon's compilation Something Is Wrong).
The result is a record that sounds at once ancient and modern, possessing a unique tonal language, and with it a curious, almost occult power — his most expressive, energetic and fully-realised work, affirming the enduring fundamentals of the T++ aesthetic even as it steers it into uncharted climes.

Following the digital premiere of the track 'Nobody knows' at the beginning of September, myr. is an artist who remains shrouded in mystery. His debut EP 'Nobody knows Avalon' is set to be released through recognised Cologne label PNN on January the 19st, yet as the title suggests, still very little is known about the man behind the music.

myr.'s wish to withhold information is made obvious through the choice of track names on the EP: 'Nobody Knows', 'Avalon' and 'Homii' are all titles clearly designed to provoke the listener's curiosity, whilst upholding a sense of the enigmatic.

Although some might argue that such conscious obscurity is little more than a publicity stunt, surely at a time when the cult of DJ and celebrity are often intertwined there is something refreshing about myr.s decision to step-back. You only have to look at the homemade, monochrome videoclip that accompanies 'Nobody knows' to realise that myr. is about as removed from the glitz of DJ culture as it is possible to be.

It is this determined distancing from the norm that comes through is his music. The minimal sound is carried through by an underlying warmth, a grittiness that sets it apart from the often near-perfect production of popular techno. The first two tracks 'Nobody knows' and 'Avalon' create a sense of anticipation, with minimal, ambient beats that build, the listener is left with itchy-feet and a hankering for more. In the final track on the EP 'Homii' there is a change in tempo, the monotone beats make way for some slowed-down, trippy vocals that open the listener up to myr.'s versatility as an artist.

'Nobody knows Avalon' is an EP that represents a return to something raw and removed from popular music. As for the mystery surrounding myr. Well if you can't put a face to a sound then the only option is to listen.

Once upon a time...in the midst of masked identities, artist pseudonyms and the like, Midnight Shift introduces a creature not even of human form.

Tapirus conjures music reflecting the duality of his soul. On one hand, rough and acidic to tell of the terrain of his past. And on the other, pure ethereal sounds borne of another place. This EP, showcasing 3 songs of the Tapirus alongside a remix by label artist Basic Soul Unit, is just the introduction to his tale.

The wiggly 'Acid Love Story' enters the room with its tight drum programming and infectious bassline commanding attention. A voice speaks of a love lost: 'She left...she left. Dark time ahead. Dark times in my head.' But perhaps the story is not yet over.

'Trying to Make Something of Life' continues the monologue, conveying an acidic almost bitter experience. Freaked out and haunting, this track is literally inspired by the dead. It lays as atribute to losing yet another close companion in life.

On the flipside, 'To Live in the Hearts...' and its remix comes through. Ascending the scales of life, its Asianic influence and soaring chords take one beyond the clouds. Basic Soul Unit's transforms the track helter-skelter, a frantic pace turning the peaceful tune into beautiful art of war.