quête:other form

For it's eighth release Apartment delivers it's first long player, by mysterious producer, VernoN (Dixon Avenue Basement Jams / Night Gallery). Little is known of this artist - what we do know is that his formative years were spent in Belgium, immersing himself in the emerging New Beat and EBM sounds emanating from the country's dance clubs. For his release on Apartment he has created 6 tracks that reflect these early influences, whilst also taking in other techno, house and electro influences. Pounding drums, rasping hi-hats, rave stabs, twisting acid lines and grinding synths all come together under the unique tutelage of this most skilled of producers, all the while watched by the experts...

'You become responsible, forever, for what you've tamed", Antoine de Saint-Exupéry writes in his modern fairy tale 'The Little Prince', in which his protagonist travels through various worlds in search of friendship and benevolence. The quote is, no doubt, fitting for Niko Schwind, since the Berlin-based DJ and producer consistently demonstrates a deeply anchored love for and close bond to house music, the art form he himself has tamed. As a DJ, he travels the globe, having played in Europe, Australia, Thailand, Brazil, the US and Mexico, and in his sets he creates a feeling of connectedness between himself and others, as well as within the crowd. On Stil vor Talent, Niko Schwind now presents the fruit of his labour in the from of his third album: 'Grippin' World' captivates the listeners with its versatility and coherence, and kidnaps them to a world of sound, made up of elegantly reduced grooves, organic arrangements and accessible vocal-melodies. With 'Perfect Fit', the first single of the album, we are handed an absolute highlight, as Heartbeat's warm voice and a simple guitar-loop form a flawless musical symbiosis, accentuated by a synthetically creaking bass-line. Niko thus proofs he's more than capable of practicing restrained Minimalism with a pop-impact. 'Perfect Fit' then gets the floor treatment: while Niko turns in a reduced, tool-oriented club cut, the hitherto unknown Proud bursts onto the scene with a dreamy arrangement centred around atmospheric synths on his remix. Grippin'!

Phil Weeks teams up with Soldiers Of Twilight vocalist Ladybird on his new track Natural High, a deep and soulful house track laden with warm chords and Weeks' trademark MPC beats. Released on vinyl and digital formats through Robsoul Recordings on 14th February, the single comes with three alternate versions - the Unplugged version removes the beats and bass providing a tool on which Ladybird's vocals shine, the Baby Dub takes things into heads down territory, and the Higher Mix reintroduced the vocal.View the video of Phil Weeks and Ladybird performing Natural High in the studio:http://youtu.be/x1YulPP-EqM

Songwriter and vocalist Ladybird is best known for her work as part of Soldiers of Twilight, who released numbers records via 2020 Vision and Serial Records. Her own self-titled album can be found on Peng, while other collaborations, most notably alongside Llorca, DJ Rork and DJ Le Roi, have appeared on F Communications, Distance and Foliage.Since 2000 Phil Weeks has released his unique brand of house music on some of the world's leading underground labels including 2020 Vision, Music For Freaks, Brique Rouge, Magnetic, Detour, Adult Only and his own Robsoul, which is responsible for the majority of his original output. Robsoul has released his three critically acclaimed albums - Love Affair, Raw Instrumental and Yeah, I Like That. 2013 has been one of Phil's busiest years so far, with the release of the three-volumed Crate Diggin compilation, original music for Supplement Facts and Robsoul, and remixes for Saved, Cajual, Snatch!, Homecoming and Bass Culture. 2014 looks set to be even bigger!

Darshan Jesrani's new project Funn City continues to break open the notion of modern vs. retro and challenges the listener to categorize what is found inside. Extending the experiment in modern disco without re-treading already explored ground, Funn City offers a playful and rebellious approach to the recombination of old and new. Funn City sticks lightly to the fusion of live and electronic instruments, and heavily to its varied influences from rock and r&b to house and techno, yet casts them in a delirious, neon-lit sheen. 'All-Night People,' the project's first offering, is a relentlessly-upbeat, vivid, saturated trip of a maxi-single inspired by that liminal area of late-70s dance music which existed between shitty, bluesy rock, new wave and disco. Otherworldly, gurgling synths surf atop truncated, slashing guitar and thick, pattering congas. Taut synth sequences spar with sinewy lead lines and trashy vocals, bound together by a precise, modern sensibility, enticing you to waste your time inside a glorious, pinball machine dream. The dub on Side B works most of the same features but empties out the arrangement and infuses the mix with a bubbling, techno-inspired sequence and phaser-licked synth to create a new, more streamlined groove for the track-oriented dancefloor and style of play. Startree is proud to present this first release as a mission-statement in musical form and an indicator of things to come.

With France's long-fallow club scene back in international resurgence as Paris storms back into fighting form, Europe now has found a new source for yet-unheard music. It was a long time brewing, but names like Concrete, Katapult, Zadig, and Society of Silence, have begun to appear in the international clubbing circuit, and the growth is not limited to the capital. Further south in Lyon, a city quickly gaining its own renown for busy club parties booking bigger names, there exists a smaller circle of energetic operators whose name is also spreading rapidly and whose recent accomplishments include Nuites Sonores, Boilerroom and more. Spearheaded by Kosme, a DJ and producer of quickly increasing notice, the provincial powerhouse has already turned heads throughout France as Kosmo's Caramelo Records was snapped up by legendary Parisian distributor Syncrophone; he has a new label set to launch in 2014. It is with this background in mind that THEMA proudly offers Kosme's international debut, the 'April Moon' EP.

Kosme comes to the table with six tracks of low-slung Detroit-referencing house music laced with extra grit. 'Fondamental' rides shuffling hats and a building acid line to dramatic heights. 'Ever Shake My Mind' is slower and dirtier yet, with crushed hats and a bottom-lurking bass between Theo Parrish-esque drum-machine-down-the-stairs breakdowns. After an interlude, 'Mothafunka' resumes the beatdown with a talkover house track that escalates uncontrollably in intensity as drums shuffle before breaking down in congos & pads. 'Deep Function' dials down to sexier sounds with sultry vocal samples and sampled hiss, but it doesn't lose the drum kink. Finally the digital bonus 'A Thought for Yvonne' is the most subdued and skeletal of all with echoed drums and a lonely bassline tumbling over each other in slow motion.

Following the explosion of new sounds from the capital, it is no surprise to find the movement spreading, and THEMA arrives first with the freshest France has to offer.

In the 1970s the American composer Henry Flynt started a series of pieces under the title - New American Ethnic Music'. In so doing he worked together native styles of music such as blues, Country or Hillbilly with electronic production methods to make something altogether new. So far in Germany it has never been attempted to rework folklore electronically for a compilation. However, this picture changes if one redefines the idea of who the population is. Incomers have brought new - national anthems' to Germany, which means: even the Portuguese Fado, the African Gnawa, the Croatian Klapa or the Vietnamese Quan ho are these days at home in Germany.
With the cultural project - Heimatlieder aus Deutschland' ('Native songs from Germany') founded by former Spex editor Mark Terkessidis and label manager Jochen Kühling all the various styles of traditional folk music now found in Germany has been collected. Thirteen of the songs recorded for the project have now been transformed by contemporary electronic producers to present a - New German Ethnic Music'. But why remixes For one thing electronic music has recently focused a lot on the past (Ghost Music, Hypnagogic Pop etc.) - electronic editing is well suited to follow the effects of the immigrant music which the - imaginary national anthems' has created. Furthermore the project's instigators were curious how - electronic musicians' would handle folk music and folk songs which is a hugely difficult task. To this end artists were sought out who could get along with the idea of each music style and who are known to already have experimented with the human voice. The results are as varied as the music styles and Djs involved. Some melodies remain completely intact while others are abstracted beyond recognition.
Margaret Dygas' associative approach ensured that she presents a polish song about a girls arranged marriage with a claustrophobic feeling. With his remix of the Marrabenta of Mozambique Mark Ernestus has continued the rhythmic experiments he is known for with Jeri Jeri. Thomas Mahmoud translated Gnawa into dub and finally Ulrich Schnauss turned the song of the Italian Chorus of - Donni So' into a hymn for the horizon-expanding power of migration.
Hopefully this compilation will also expand some horizons.

Margaret Dygas - Impulse Remix



Thomas Mahmoud - Arab Disco Dub Remix

After a string of releases on Drumcode Records, Pets Recordings and Hypercolour, Tom Demac has joined forces with Will Samson in a somewhat unlikely pairing for their debut release via AUS. Following on from AUS's celebratory 50th release from Deetron, a surprise re-release of Sei A and another solid EP from Dusky, this release takes the label along a more expansive and less dance floor orientated route. In 2012 Tom Demac established himself as one of the UK's most exciting producers after widespread acclaim for 'Critical Distance Part 2'. He followed up this success in New Release Information 2013 with collaborations and remixes with Glimpse such as 'L-Plates'. On the other hand Will had been touring indie venues with Kurt Vile, Marissa Nadler, Shearwater, Ólafur Arnalds off the back of his newly released LP, 'Balance' - an album of hazy, ambient & intimate tape recordings At the end of 2012 Tom stumbled across Will's album, although on opposite sides of the musical spectrum, the two shared a similar ethos towards their work - passionately creating, but never taking themselves too seriously. Having both experienced the recent and sudden loss of close family members just a few short months apart from each other, it was clear that there were both in need of a cathartic outlet. 'It Grows Again' and 'Chasing Shadows' reflects these experiences with a striking blend of wistful vocals and ambient guitar swells from Will Samson and Tom's distinctive grumbling and weighty bass lines. The final track on the EP is Tom's formula remix which seeks a more 4 to the floor approach, led by punchy beats and groove rather than intricate vocals. Tom Demac will be complementing the build up to the release by playing gigs and live shows across the Netherlands, Germany, Ibiza and the UK.

Following on from introducing the world to Auntie Flo, SOPHIE and Alejandro Paz, Glasgow raised and London-based party outfit Huntleys + Palmers returns with a slew of new bangers this winter.

First up, Argentinian duo DJs Pareja, who are best known for their work on the Comeme label, deliver a pair of dancefloor destroyers.

If lead track Steps doesn't get you dancing, nothing will. With one step in South African kwaito, the other in UK Funky.

On the flip, La Risa takes a different form in the shape of a odd-ball house belter.

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.

Jose Cabrera and Fred P split the first installment of the Perception series. The Determinism EP sees JC and FP giving their slant on principles of quantum level events through sound. Raw and driving, this EP is a more than an adequate DJ tool, it's a formula for the transportation of the subconscious.

Determinism is a metaphysical philosophical position stating that for everything that happens there are conditions such that, given those conditions, nothing else could happen. "There are many determinisms, depending upon what pre-conditions are considered to be determinative of an event." Deterministic theories throughout the history of philosophy have sprung from diverse motives and considerations, some of which overlap. Some forms of determinism can be tested empirically with ideas stemming from physics and the philosophy of physics. The opposite of determinism is some kind of indeterminism (otherwise called nondeterminism).

Back in stock!

Some friends think that Shihab the man owes the balance of his soul to his beautiful Danish wife. They may be right; for Eros is the very essence of what Shihab plays.Yet Eros is a god with many a face. A tale of tender mournings Shihab's flute is telling in MAUVE - a piece that translates its title into delicately changing colors of sound. In UMA FITA DE TRES CORES he has his instrument wooing with the proud self-reliance of Latin grandezza. Calmly, softly, almost blandishly Shihab blows the solo flute in the Jimmy Woode composition MY KINDA WORLD. Serene and somewhat playful his own title ANOTHER SAMBA comes along - a most uncommon composition by the way: lasting for sixty bars as if growing independent out of itself, with solos that appear to be additional spinnings rather than improvised choruses; and yet; a perfect, self sustaining melody no element of which is superfluous. In the last of the pieces for flute, in Klook Clarke's THE WILD MAN, which is based on a flourish of trumpets, Shihab for the first time reminds of the sombre, the demon-like face of God Eros. He contrasts flawlessly intoned passages with challenging phrases, phrases raucously sung into the flute - really, he is a 'wild man' who is playing like that. This raucous challenging sound prevails throughout the four baritone-titles ('Shihab never withholds long to caress', Campi says). Shihab blows the instrument the same way he speaks: without any delay, directly coming to the point. And he treats it like a voice, not aiming at an artificially homogeneous sound in all the registers, but at their different modes of expression. In the high pitches the horn gains a brilliant tenor-like quality - for instance in PETER'S WALTZ, dedicated to Shihab's son Peter, and in Kenny Clarke's simple drum fills comprising theme JAY-JAY. In the deep register Shihab produces snotty sounds filling lady's ears with horrors like Pan - thus in JAY-JAY and in the boppy blues SET UP . Shihab's sense of a scurrilous humor breaks through in SEEDS (which reminds of the West-African heritage of jazz with its multiple rhythms and its renunciation of harmonious development - only the eight bars of the bridge base on a progression of chords): not only does he omit the notorious bombastic chord by the ensemble after his own final cadenza, he even ends with a minor second above the keynote. Seems as if Shihab now unrestrictedly conveys to his music all the experiences and emotions he formerly did not deal with in a musical way. Shihab the man need not be disturbed so that Shihab the musician may improvise passionate choruses. It would be unjust, however, to forget the choruses of the four other musicians for those by the 'born leader'. Francy Boland, taciturn and always introverted: he plays an extrovert, a masculine piano. Even with spare single note lines he produces a piercing and ringing sound that hitherto nobody except him has discovered, a bluesy sound bespeaking the very element of frustration that lies within the title of the trio number WHO'LL BUY MY DREAM. The unfailing feeling for rhythm the musicians of the CBBB praise with the arranger Boland, becomes manifest in the piano solo on SET UP. Francy's improvisation is rhythmically styled in a Monk-like manner, and yet no accent could be set differently. Maybe this is the secret of the Shihab-Combo. 'Rhythm is our business', this credo of Jimmy Lunceford could be the one of the five musicians as well. Sadi hits his vibes as dryly as if wanting to bring its ancestors to memory, the wooden chimes of West Africa's coastal tribes. To reach the fullest poignancy possible, he intentionally calms down even the resonance in MY KINDA WORLD. In UMA FITA DE TRES CORES Jimmy Woode bears out the crispy jazz beat against Sadi's Bongos and Klook's Latin-American percussion all by himself. Moreover - and that, too, is connected with the school of the Duke who was the first in the history of jazz to discover the instrument's potential as a melody instrument - Woode rips a marvelous counterpoint to the inventions of the other melody instruments, take for example PETER'S WALTZ. And then there is Kenny Clarke. Klook. On the entire record he only uses his brushes. Means by which different drummers only know to bring forward impressionistically blending noises: He drums a vigorous beat with them, fanciful fills, a solo, melodious and at once skillfully playing with cross rhythms in JAY-JAY. The 'born leader', the 'outstanding baritone saxophonist of modern jazz' (Joachim-Ernst Berendt), he could not wish himself different sidemen for this record overdue since some years.

BNJMN pops up with another splendid and relevant EP.. featuring a remix from Legowelt/Xosar combo, Xamiga. TIP!
Artistic inspiration can come in many forms. On his latest 12' for Rush Hour - his third for the label since 2012 - BNJMN was inspired by one of the wonders of nature, namely the curious combination of speed and grace that is the humble hummingbird.

'I was really interested in how hummingbirds have much faster wing speeds to other birds, so they can hover and fly slowly,' he explains. 'This seemed to tie in with some ideas I'd been playing around with, to create tracks that are fast and accelerated, but could also sound slow.'

'Hummingbird', the title track of an impressive four-track EP that's noticeably cleaner, crisper and sharper than his most recent outing for Rush Hour, 2012's Unknown 2, captures this idea perfectly. Propelled forwards by a lone, 140 BPM kick drum, its waves of crystalline synthesizers and picturesque melodies seem to gracefully hover above the stripped-back rhythm. It's intoxicating, exciting and calming in equal measure, whilst retaining BNJMN's usual dancefloor punch.

'At a club recently someone came up to me after I'd played 'Hummingbird' and said he didn't realise how fast he was dancing till afterwards,' BNJMN says. 'I was really pleased with that, because I'm fascinated with how the energy and tempo of a track can feel different depending on the environment you're in, and how you're feeling.'

He took the same approach with the EP's other original tracks. 'Slow Wave', with its relentless sequenced arpeggio, tumbling melodies and sludgy groove, performs the same trick of the ear, thanks in no small part to clever combinations of fast and slow elements. The melancholic 'CRVD', with its mournful chords and darting, techno-influenced grooves, is similarly schizophrenic.

The EP concludes with its most straightforward dancefloor moment, an inspired remix from Xamiga (AKA Xosar and Legowelt). Decidedly cosmic - like layered, melody-driven analogue techno beamed down from a distant galaxy - it delivers a deeper, hazier alternative to BNJMN's pin-sharp original.

Lee Perry's time at WIRL Records, later to be renamed Dynamic Sounds Studios, was a very productive time
in his career. A run of great singles and the shaping of a new sound, the beginning of what we know today as
Reggae .
Lee Perry (b. Rainford Hugh Perry, 28 March 1936, Hanover,Jamaica) began his entry into the music business at
the age of 16.Moving up to Kingston Town and working around various Sound Systems, before finding
employment at Coxonne Dodd's Studio One set up, in the late 50's early 1960's. Perry started out as a record
scout, organising sessions and supervising auditions at Dodd's record shop on Orange Street. Helping to make
hits for Delroy Wilson ( 'Joe Liges','Spit In The Sky') and the Maytals, which would lead to his own vocal records
released through Studio One.The musical backing for which, came from legendary Studio One house band The
Skatalites. Another important relationship for Perry, his first recordings with Bob Marley came in the form of
the Wailers, also providing backing, alongside the Soulettes who featured Rita Marley. Cutting such tunes as
'Chicken Scratch' around 1965/1966. This tune was also to provide him with one of his future nicknames
'Scratch'. A dispute over credits and money saw Perry leave Studio One and work with various producers
including Clancy Eccles and J. J. Johnson, before arriving at the door of producer Joe Gibbs in 1967. Here he
would write songs and produce hits for artists such as, Errol Dunkley and the Pioneers. A tune cut during his
time with Gibbs, voiced a snipe at fellow employee Dodd, a trademark that would become an outlet for his
frustrations in the business.This particular tune 'The Upsetter' would also provide another moniker and a name
for his label 'Upsetter'. Again lack of musical credit and financial reward saw Perry move on this time to WIRL
(West Indies Records Limited) Records, working alongside manager Clifford Rae, who would provide studio
time and pay for pressings in return for helping to promote and distribute WIRL product, which Perry would
carry out on his trusted Honda 50 motorcycle around Kingston town.
This period at WIRL saw some inspired work from Perry. 'Run For Cover' was another musical blow to a
previous employer, Coxonne Dodd and featured the Sensations on backing vocals and Lynn Taitt's guitar
picking skills. 'People Funny Boy' was a massive hit for Perry going on to sell over 60,000 copies. Joe Gibbs
would be at the end of this musical attack. Perry had felt Joe Gibbs had turned his back on him, after he had
provided hits for groups like, The Pioneers amongst others. The song would be one of the first records to
feature a New Beat (Reggae) inspired by the sounds coming out of a Pocomania Church, Perry had heard one
night.The congregation inside, wailed in a more slower way than the current musical style of the time Ska!. Perry
worked up this new style with Clancy Eccles, who would come under attack himself in 'You Crummy'. Their
closeness, which as detailed in that song would find them, 'Even shared the same Gal' but 'Now it's plain to see we
reached the end'. 'Set Them Free' was an answer record to Prince Buster's 'Judge Dread' (which had
featured Perry on it) a plea to the Judges in Jamaica that handed out extremely harsh sentences to the young
offenders of the time. The track was cut on the same rhythm as 'Run For Cover' . 'Django Shoots First'
inspired by the Spaghetti Western film of the same name, features Sir Lord Comic. One of the early DJ's who
used a jive talking style over rhythms. 'Night Doctor' was a hit instrumental that featured the organ talents
of Ansel Collins, that really push the tune along. 'Something You Got' was a cover of an USA R& B track by
Chris Kenner and 'Wind Up Girl' was cut at the same session. 'Water Pump' was a rude style track that
was cut later and originally released in 1974.As was 'People Sokup Boy' a later version of 'People Funny Boy'.
'Labrish' which means idol talk and gossip, was one of the first great talk over tunes that features Lee Perry
and producer Bunny 'Striker' Lee talking about the Political situation in Jamaica at the time and their own
financial situation and stories of various comrades.The track was originally released in 1973.
Bunny Lee would play a major part in lee Perry's career around this time and they were very close, often
sharing sessions and rhythms. Ironically it would be Bunny Lee that took over Perry's roll at WIRL and become
responsible for the labels products in years to come. Clifford Rae who give control to Bunny for a lot of the
WIRL product and even gave him his shop 101 Orange Street. So here we have a collection of music born out
of a time spent at WIRL Records and providing an important chapter in Lee Perry's career and indeed to the
story of Reggae itself.
Hope you enjoy the set.

Character has many forms. Musical interests too.

Mr. Mau shows his deeper side in this very diverse EP, translated in three brilliant tracks.

Inspired by many other artists, he managed combine the hardware and software into a must have EP for people who want to experience the essence of the style of life that's called techno: a broad way of interpretation and translating feelings into music.

For this special EP, Mau invited one of the most underestimated, yet well-known and very respected artists of Portugal: michaelangelo, the man behind Labrynth Records.

What many describe as a Aphex Twin like touch to it, "Black" is a piece of patience, feelings and excitement captured in an instrumental track that is strongly recommended to be played in a laid-back modus, but also can be used as a DJ tool in darker sets.
michaelangelo takes "Black" to a whole other level. Well-known for his very atmospheric dark drones inspired techno, m surprises again with his creative approach with swirling glitches and an in your face off-beat kick. A must have in your collection!

Are you more into the minimal side of techno With a twisted side to it Than "Lion" is the track for you!
The subtile power of the TR-909 machine combined with atmospheric dark touched stabs and leads.

"Walking" is definitely one of the more deeper tracks of this album.
With it's lounge like jazzy feel to it, Mau manages to capture the beauty of electronic music that doesn't leave anyone untouched.

Six years have passed since the last album by Andi Otto alias Springintgut, ("Park and Ride", City Centre Offices, 2007). In this period, Otto has done nothing less than inventing a new instru- ment: His "Fello" is a cello with movement sensors attached to the bow and a corresponding software. The development has been kicked off at STEIM in Amsterdam already in 2007. Since then, Otto has achieved vital refinements of the system, cooperated with artists of various fields as diverse as choreographers in Macedonia, theatre in Nigeria and Techno DJs in the Berghain Kantine in Berlin or the Fusion Festival. He even played solo with his instrument on different continents. For this third album, "Where We Need No Map" Otto takes the "Fello" to his studio in Hamburg for the first time. He records his instrument which has until today only been presented live on stage. In these Fello Sessions, the bow gestures immediate- ly modulate and process the amplified cello sound. In the subsequent editings he selects and cuts these sessions and merges them with other styles, such as Skweee, House and Jazz. Springintgut's trademark sound, this unique playfulness, is pre- sent throughout, while the live-processed cello adds an unrivaled deepness. The artist's expeditions even add more colour. Two tracks have been recorded in India. The lead voi- ce in "Bangalore Kids" is a field recording of a schoolboy in Cubbon Park, Bangalore. Andi Otto spends three months in Japan as artist- in-residence in the Villa Kamogawa in Kyoto. Du- ring this concentrated period he produces the more contemplative tracks of the album, like "Ka- mogawa Cycling" and "Western Kyoto". In Sri Lan- ka, finally, he meets Sasha Perera, the voice of Berlin's Dub Techno band Jahcoozi. They record two songs together. Especially in "Bullet" one can sense the lazy, muggy, peaceful heat of the after- noons in which this beautiful track has been com- posed. These stories may help to locate the music's orig- ins but still the sound of "Where We Need No Map" points us to unknown territories. The journey itself is the reward, let's listen!

Sechs Jahre sind seit dem letzten Album "Park and Ride" (City Centre Offices, 2007) von Andi Otto alias Springintgut bereits vergangen. Diese Zeit hat der Pingipung-Mitinhaber genutzt, nicht weni- ger als ein eigenes Instrument zu erfinden: das "Fello", ein Cello mit Bewegungssensoren auf dem Bogen und einer dazu gehörigen Soft- ware. Die Grundlagen dafür entstehen bereits 2007 am STEIM in Amsterdam. In der Folgezeit gelingt es Otto, das Instrument immer weiter zu verfeinern, mit unterschiedlichen Künstlern zu kooperieren und international aufzutreten. Für "Where We Need No Map" trägt Otto das Fello erstmals ins Hamburger Studio und nimmt unzählige Sessions auf, in denen die Gesten des Bogens direkt den verstärkten Sound des Cellos verändern und neu formen. Diese Fello-Sitzungen werden anschließend editiert und mit anderen Ein- flüssen vermengt, die von Skweee über House bis hin zum Jazz reichen. Der Markenzeichen-Sound von Springintgut, diese ureigene Verspieltheit, ist weiterhin vorhanden, gewinnt durch das live-pro- zessierte Cello aber eine bisher unerreichte Tiefe. Weitere Farbe erhält das Album durch Ottos zahl- reiche Tourneen in ferne Länder. Zwei Stücke ent- stehen in Indien. Die Stimme von "Bangalore Kids" ist eine Feldaufnahme eines Schuljungen im Cubbon Park in Bangalore. In Japan verbringt Andi Otto drei Monate als "Artist in Residence" in der Villa Kamogawa in Kyoto. Während dieser kon- zentrierten Zeit entstehen die ruhigeren Tracks des Albums wie "Kamogawa Cycling" und "Western Kyoto". In Sri Lanka lernt er dann Sasha Perera kennen, die Stimme von Jahcoozi. Sie nehmen zwei Songs zusammen auf. Vor allem in "Bullet" kann man der faulen Nachmittagshitze nachspü- ren, in der die Stücke entstanden sind. So lassen sich die vielfältigen Entstehungspunk- te von "Where We Need No Map" zwar karto- graphieren, aber der Sound des Albums schickt einen trotzdem in unbekanntes Terrain. "Der Weg ist das Ziel, frag nicht viel, hör mal..."

The story of Bonobo is one that's become uncommon in contemporary music. There was no sudden, viral internet sensation, no one-off big hit, no abrupt, accidental alignment with the zeitgeist. Instead, over the course of four albums, myriad tours, singles, remixes and production work for other artists, he quietly but very definitely became one of the most important artists in electronic music. The hard work paid off, and culminated in 2010's 'Black Sands,' a masterful album that married Green's inimitable melodic genius and musicianship to bleeding edge electronics, bass and infectious drums.

After a year plus of touring the hypnotic, extended live versions of Black Sands, he finally found time last year to embed himself in his New York studio and write his fifth studio album. Now, in 2013, he stands ready to take things up yet another notch. 'The North Borders' is a long stride forward - both a natural evolution and a continuation of the electronic palette of Black Sands. Thematic, resonant, addictive and perfectly formed, it's a thrillingly coherent statement piece.

It's also an album that shows just how far electronic music has come. Its richness of texture, emotive force and all round depth are facets found more often within, dare we say it, classical music. If there's a renaissance taking place within this scene, Simon Green could make a strong claim to being one of its key driving forces.

As with previous albums, The North Borders features a careful balance between vocal tracks and instrumentals, ensuring that the productions themselves get room to breathe and shine. When Green discovered that he and Erykah Badu shared a mutual appreciation for each other's work, he leapt at the chance to collaborate. The resultant 'Heaven for the Sinner' is one of the album's triumphs, a transcendental, incanted vocal masterclass married to a brilliant two-step glitch and a yearning melody.

NYC folk underdog Grey Reverend appears on album opener 'First Fires,' providing a raw, emotion-laid-bare growl that sets the tone for an album that's joyously unselfconscious. Bonobo has a long history of unearthing new talent, Black Sands having launched the solo career of guest vocalist Andreya Triana. The North Borders sees him do so once again. The startling, ethereal vocals of new collaborator Szjerdene are sprinkled across the album, and Green has yet again found the perfect voice to express where he's at. 'Transits' sees her vocal weave around a garage beat that's somehow fragile and purposeful all at once, a gradually emerging hook rising from the depths of the song.

'Emkay' is a stunning example of the album's marriage of addictive, urban-inflected drums to rise-and-swell melody that never fails to move the listener. Opening single 'Cirrus' sees a clockwork-precise rhythm drive a chiming, insistent melody that builds to one of the record's great emotional climaxes. This is where Green excels, he knows how to invest electronic music with immense feeling.

The North Borders - like all great records - is an album that demands to be listened to as such, a body of work with its own internal logic, themes and narrative arc. Bonobo's abilities are at an all time high, and The North Borders everything his growing army of fans will have hoped for - a sheer delight.

If geography has an impact on music, then Vienna has coloured Tosca's music at every turn. Over the course of a career spanning two decades, the Austrian capital has inspired Richard Dorfmeister (of Kruder & Dorfmeister fame) and Rupert Huber to make electronic mood pieces coloured with Mitteleuropean melancholy.It's a bittersweet juxtaposition that is much in evidence on the pair's new album, 'Odeon'. It opens with the hazy strings of 'Zur Guten', which ebbs into the oozing keys and pizzicato steel string guitars of 'What If', which features a smokey vocal from Sarah Carlier. Lead single 'Jayjay' is a haunted combination of sombre piano chords, rolling drums and weird, otherworldly vocals from JJ Jones. It's the pivotal track on a record that sees Tosca tapping into gothic atmospheres. It's darker than their previous five albums, more downbeat, at times ambient. It's unlike anything else out there at the moment.Is there a reason for this sombre tone Nothing specific. "Obviously our music is influenced by our experiences of life - it couldn't be any other way - so in some senses it's a kind of diary, but there weren't any single incidents that caused the record to be that little bit darker," says Dorfmeister. If anything, the exact opposite is true: life has been good. "Over the last year I think we've both learnt to be more generous and to understand our own limitations and other people's" says Huber. A case of musical yin and personal yang, then.The album's name, meanwhile, comes from the venue in Vienna where Tosca debuted the new material in October. The performance went so well they decided it would make a fortuitous name - the music/place interface in action once again. The performance features as a bonus disc on the deluxe version of the album, which will be available exclusively via !K7's webstore. More than anything, 'Odeon' is the sound of a band at the top of their game. A good time for them to release a career retrospective then. Dorfmeister reflects on the band's history. "It sounds like a cliche, but we've never really thought about other people's music when we're writing our own," he says. "We try and create our own sound. We really have always been like that. And I think we've developed a trademark sound because of that." They certainly have. It's been called the "Vienna sound". And, in updated form, it still sounds like nothing else.
Double Gatefold LP with bonus CD of the entire album

Terror Danjah's second Hyperdub album is 'The Dark Crawler', a well-paced and much more upfront and energetic journey through his musical world than his debut 'Undeniable'. The album revolves around the 'Dark Crawler' theme, a blistering grime track that pops up several times, vocaled by MC's Riko Dan, Mayhem, Deadly and Saf One, and then lastly Trim and Kossie. That's not to say the album is one dimensional or relentless. It's subtley balanced with the 'Dark Crawler' thread of tracks allowing the album to spin off in a web of directions without losing any focus. It's a much more contained body of work, paced to keep the listeners interest. From the 'Dark Crawler' intro into the cartoonish horror soundtrack of 'Mirror's Edge', which tricks you into thinking its just any dubstep tune, before scattering into Terror's signature broken kicks and claps. 'Dark Gremlinz' featuring D.O.K. is a classic peak-era asymmetric grime instrumental. The album then drops down into the 130ish speed of 'Air Max 90' featuring Champion, which builds from a soca-like drum drill stretching the rhythm to the point of collapse with a wonky synth, before concluding on a driving baseline house 4/4. The first 'Dark Crawler' vocal is next, with a ferocious performance from veteran Roll Deep MC Riko Dan, who drops bloodthirsty threats at a breakneck pace. Next, the tempo drops down again to the drunk funk of 'Full Hundred', with criss cross claps and a rasping bassline breaking down into live drumming and tight trap door edits. Things speed up a little again with the intricate 8 bar funky of 'Rum Punch', a hard drum tattoo rolling out over a heavy detuned bassline and intense bleeps. On the second 'Dark Crawler', mic duties are shared by Birmingham MC's Mayhem , Deadly and Saf One. Their hard vocals contrast with lush styled R'n'B of 'You Make Me Feel' featuring Meleka. The album then rolls out into the galloping drums and smooth G-Funk synths of 'Baby Oil'. Trim and Kossie drop the final 'Dark Crawler' vocal, with Trim dropping deadpan threats contesting with Kossie's focussed hysteria. Next up 'Delicately', with Ruby Lee Rider, starts in slow motion R'n'B mood, sweet Rhodes chords drift and bubble up as the track doubles up into dreamy drum and bass with a fluttering tabla keeping the time, and Ruby's tender vocals tempering the pace and aggression. Overall, it's a brilliant exercise in breathless rhythmic arousal. 'Moschino', on the other hand is a darker, chunkier and grimier mirror image to 'Delicately', switching up into a ferocious metallic riffage, before the album closes on an outro of 'Dark Crawler' again. Form, function, energy and talent fuse perfectly over 'The Dark Crawler' s length. Enjoy the ride.

This 12" heralds Desire's vinyl reissue of Ike Yard's self-titled album in Autumn. Originally released on Factory America in 1982, Ike Yard was a product of the New York no wave scene, but also stood very much apart from it, then as now. Propulsive, paranoid, aggressive electro minimalism, with as much attention paid to the mixing board and effects processors as to vocals, guitar and synth. At once starker and more fully-formed than virtually all other contemporaneous post-punk music. Desire's 2012 edition represents the first ever vinyl reissue of this classic, prophetic album.

Finnish DJ crew Rollomatik break out on the Boogie Boutique imprint with a two track release that aims to represent the Arctic Circle fully in the nu funk/breakbeat scene. Formed of Hesh & Eaves, Rollomatik aim to rock the party and that much is evident on this cheeky 12" with "We Love To Party" deftly blending Will Smith with Chic amidst a melange of other recognisable samples. A similar approach runs through flipside jam "The Greatest" as Rollomatik lay down the vocal from an oft used Q-Tip solo joint over a heavily filtered take on Sister Sledge's most ubiquitous track.