Infuence and impression of thick mist and salty air. Hamburg's BL Brixton presents three tracks that unfold to unforeseen depth and structure. »Closed Eyes Tourist« is uniform and contrast alike with soft drums on concrete walls and comforting keys between sharp hats. A recollection of steady grooves and hypnotizing patterns like ancient impacts on modern reflections.
Third LP of Cabaret Contemporain, French band (featuring Fabrizio Rat on keys) who use acoustic instruments (piano, guitar, bass, drums, contrabass) to produce a « hand-crafted » club music infused with techno. Inspired by Jeff Mills, Robert Hood or Drexciya, the five members already had a career on classical scene; their idea is not to replay classical techno tunes but to create a new path for the electronic music. 2 tracks featuring with the label boss, Arnaud Rebotini.
« Ballaro », which opens Cabaret Contemporain's third album, begins with light percussions, which seem to turn on themselves, while being conveyed by reverberations close to dub. After a few minutes of convolutions, the piece gets out of hand, transporting the listener into a rich form of pulsating trance, irrigated by a soaring melody and punctuated by persistent piano tones. « La selva »; more subdued, has the same energy, the track ending in an even more powerful way, a kind of paroxysm.
Finally, the strangest and most minimal « Cactus », features a singular groove, which evokes the most brutal house from Chicago, or the sometimes obsessive techno from Detroit. Just like other tracks such as « Transistor » or « TGV », fuelled by sweat and trance, Séquence Collective bears all the intensity of a techno cut for clubs' dancefloors. The only difference being that their music is not played with synths, drum machines or software, but with acoustic instruments. Dual curriculum The band is composed of five musicians and a sound engineer: Fabrizio Rat on piano, Giani Caserotto on guitar, Julien Loutelier on drums, Ronan Courty and Simon Drappier on double bass and of course Pierre Favrez on console. They are all in their thirties and met at the prestigious Paris Conservatoire in the late 2000s. However, all the musicians in the band have a double curriculum and navigate freely between the institutional realm and the underground or pop music scenes. Through classical or contemporary music, jazz and improvisation, rock and experimentation, they share a common passion for the original and futuristic techno of the 1990s, that of Jeff Mills, Robert Hood or Drexciya, which they have decided to reinvent and further in their own way. Not as a simple stylistic exercise practiced by virtuoso musicians, but rather as a new path for modern music, and for their generation. « The original idea » they say, « was to make club music by hand, like craftsmen. Like in the early days of jazz, our band managed to transform itself into a kind of dancing machine. Our music is therefore functional because it is danceable, but also mental and abstract, while offering several layers of listening. You can dance and play, have a purely physical and sensory connection to the music. But you can also immerse yourself in its listening, perceive refined harmonies or more complex rhythmic superpositions »
If the tones of Cabaret Contemporain are truly unique it is because each member of the band has developed a very personal approach through the use ''prepared'' instruments. The strings of their piano, guitar or double bass may recall strange machines with literally incredible sounds, obtained using objects such as chopsticks, clothes pegs, foil, hangers, a tiny pie mould or many other utensils from a DIY store. A collective energy
Cabaret Contemporain is first and foremost a live band that has been performing in venues and festivals since its inception in 2012 (Nuits Sonores, Siestes Electroniques, L'Aéronef, Le Trabendo, Philharmonie de Paris, Gaîté Lyrique, Rewire, Dancity, Barcelona Accio Musical...), both at traditional jazz and contemporary music venues, and more often at electro music hubs. When facing the audience, the band, which plays each of its sets in one go, without a break, shows an intense physical presence, which competes with the musical power of DJs who share the stage with them. Their performance, full of tension and repetition, which requires maximum concentration and a state close to trance from the musicians, is sometimes, according to them, « a mental journey and a mystic experience ». A dimension that brings to mind the historical techno culture and its dancers who, communicating on the dancefloor, were carried until the early hours of the morning by the power of the beat. An album inspired by the stage Since their beginnings, their compositions on record have drawn their energy directly from the practice of their concerts, whether referring to Terry Riley (2014) or Moondog (2015), an EP and an album dedicated to the repertoire of the two American artists, the original compositions of Cabaret Contemporain (2016) and Satellite EP (2017), as well as this new album. Séquence collective can be listened to as a condensed transcription of their inventions and their live experiments. The tracks, more than half of which were improvised during sessions held in the former Vogue studios near Paris, were recorded in live conditions, « like an old school rock band » they say. As usual, they invited a new musician to join them in the studio. After collaborating with Étienne Jaumet or Château-Flight, Arnaud Rebotini, César winner for best film music, added a welcome synth touch on two tracks (Pro- One, Prophet 600), which boosted the group's formidable collective energy. The album ends with « October Glide », again performed with Rebotini, a lyrical and lively track, built on a powerful and slow progression of timbres and percussions, which would ideally find its place at the core of a techno party « peak time »
'Cala Bassa' oozes nostalgia with a nod to the Balearic sound of Ibiza. Those piano keys, combined with the faint female vocal bring that perfect House sound. On the B-side, 'Girl' from Sirkea - The perfect track to compliment 'Cala Bassa', making for more easy listening. Capturing the laid-back side of Nu Disco, with soft piano keys and broken vocal, this is some seriously stunning production skills and a must for every vinyl enthusiast.
After Heading Up The First Three Releases Of His Akoya Circles Label, Look Like Brings A Brand New Name Into The Fold.
On The Motorsport Ep, New Swiss/ Serbian Talent Parco Palaz Takes Familiar Club Sounds And Reanimates Them Through His Own Prism Of Rhythm And Sound Design, Presenting An Unconventional And Sophisticated Debut Release. The Tracks Show A Mouth-watering Combination Of Heady Textures And Impulsive Movement That Mark The Young Producer As One To Watch For The Future.
The Lead Track, Motorsport Takes An Acid Trip Through An Imaginary, Nocturnal Landscape Of Hissing Percussion. Raw And Hypnotic, The Track Has A Looseness And Swing To It That Tempers A Tight Rhythmic Focus, Swelling And Pulsing For Sure Fire Dance Floor Heat.
On The Flip Side Palaz Steps Away From The Peak Time With A Pair Of Spacey, Ambient Leaning Electronic Pieces. Prelude To A Dream Is Wandering And Cinematic, Tinged With Psychedelic Melodrama. Slow Motion Is More Upbeat But Similarly Wide-eyed And Explorative. The Young Producer Experiments With Junglist Rhythms Against Soft Keys, Creating A Meditative Rave Homage To Round Off The Ep.
Emotional Rescue returns to the music of Elaine Kibaro with a special 7" single to accompany the Pour L'Amour album collection (ERC066). Here then are two bonus versions of songs from the LP with a unique Arabic recording of her "hit" Aurore and also, the previously unreleased on vinyl instrumental version of her balearic / boogie jam, Ne Doute Pas.
Having moved from Tunisia to France at the age of 13, Kibaro's duel sensibility has long been apparent in her music and performance. The early success of her debut 7" De L'autre Cote Du Miroir in 1977, was soon followed by her most 'successful' song in Aurore, first released as a 7" in 1978, before appearing again as 9 minute extended version on the 1979 Miroirs LP.
In the same year she recorded a special 7" single on the little known World Music label. Singing the lyrics in Arabic - renamed here to its true translation - much else remained the same. The music of the original, the spoken intro soon gives way to what is essentially a leftfield disco groove, with building strings, funky bass and some late archetypal 70s Euro drumming. Atop this the vocals are delivered in Kibaro's ubiquitous chanson delivery, her heartfelt singing, the congos breakdown and then chorus, as the songs builds, all lead to head-nodding smiles all round.
With this is Ne Doute Pas. A stand out from Pour L'Amour, the vocal version appeared in 1989 as a single and on the now sought after, Kiroel album. This instrumental simply let's the music shine. A Linn rise and fall bassline, soft, layered keys and mode horns are run and rerun in a catchy, incessant flow like a PWL demo. The 10 years between the 2 tracks is apparent in the instrumentation but the link between the two - Kibaro herself - is clear and worth enjoying for that.
In the sweltering North-Eastern Brazilian state of Pernambuco lies the coastal city of Recife, where Amaro Freitas is pioneering the new sound of Brazilian jazz. For the prodigious young pianist, the spirit of his hometown runs deep. From the Afro-Brazilian maracatu born on the sugar plantations of slavery, to the high intensity carnival rhythms of frevo and baião, Amaro's heavily percussive approach to jazz is as indebted to these Pernambuco traditions as it is to Coltrane, Parker and Monk.
As with many of the greats before him, Amaro began playing piano in church aged 12, under the instruction of his father, leader of the church band. As his natural talents became obvious, the young prodigy quickly outgrew his father's instruction. He won a place at the prestigious Conservatório Pernambucano de Música but had to drop out as his family could not spare the money for the bus fare. Undeterred, Amaro gigged in bands at weddings and worked in a call centre to fund his tuition. The transformative moment came at age 15 when Amaro stumbled across a DVD of Chick Corea concert, 'he completely blew my mind, I'd never seen anything like it but I knew that's what I wanted to do with a piano'.
Despite not actually owning a piano, Amaro devoted himself to studying day and night - he would practice on imaginary keys in his bedroom, until eventually striking a deal with a local restaurant to practice before opening hours. By the age of 22 Amaro was one of the most sought-after musicians in Recife and resident pianist at the legendary jazz bar Mingus. It was during this time he met and begun collaborating with bassist Jean Elton and the pair went in search of a drummer. 'We kept hearing about this crazy kid who was playing in 7/8 or 6/4, we knew we had to meet him'. Hugo Medeiros joined, and the Amaro Freitas Trio was born.
'I want to show the simplicity of music, to break the stigma that the piano is for a particular social class. Yes, it's a difficult instrument, which many people do not have access to, but with it you can express everything.'
Following his critically acclaimed debut album Sangue Negro (black blood), the title of his sophomore release Rasif is a colloquial spelling of Amaro's home town. A love letter to his native northeast, Amaro explores its traditional rhythms through the jazz idiom, employing complex mathematical patterns reminiscent of some of the most challenging works by fellow Brazilian masters Hermeto Pascoal, Egberto Gismonti and Moacir Santos.
Preferring to see the piano as a though it were a drum with 88 unique tones, Amaro's intelligence and emotion intertwine on every track, from album opener 'Dona Eni': a scorching reconstruction of the baião rhythmic structure, played in seven measures instead of two, to the serene homage to the coastal reef and its ecosystems on the title track 'Rasif'. 'Aurora' is a suite of three parts, representing the sun's journey from the light and soft of the rise, to the aggressive dissonance at its midday zenith and descending chromatic cadences as the sun sets.
Due for an Autumn release on Far Out Recordings, Rasif sees Amaro Freitas take a deserved step onto the world stage. Having already made a name for himself in Brazil, Amaro and his phenomenal band will embark on their first European tour later this year.
Amaro Freitas - Piano
Hugo Medeiros - Drums & Percussion
Jean Elton - Double Bass
Henrique Albino - Baritone Sax, Flutes & Clarinet
All compositions by Amaro Freitas
Produced by Amaro Freitas
Recorded by Bruno Giorgi @ Carranca Studio, Recife, Brazil
Mixed and mastered by Bruno Giorgi @ Quarto Studio, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Executive producer and management: Laercio Costa
At 83 Years Of Age, Lee Scratch Perry Is Proud To Present To The World His Next Full Length Solo Album (with Dub Versions) , Continuing His Inimitable Roots Reggae Legacy.
Lee's Brief For The Album, Was To Blend The Vintage And The Obscure, During The Sessions Lee Referred To The Sound And 'black' And Wanted Space, Light And Darkness In The Songs And Their Respective Dub Versions.
The Result Sees Lee Having Mixed Up An Analogue Concoction Of Ultra-rare Effects, Sonic Wizardry And Deep Heavy Roots Rhythms.
Over 2017 and 2018, Lee Scratch Perry re united with Producer and Mixer Daniel Boyle, to start work on their second Solo album project for Lee.
Picking up where their last efforts ''Back on the Controls'' left off. Lee wanted to continue the raw analogue sound they had cultivated together over multiple past releases, and take it to the next level with new effects devices to create another sonic signature.
They entered the studio in 2017, to begin to put together ideas for the tracks, which were then taken to RAK studios in London with their ever changing Rolling Lion All Stars session band; to lay down the rhythm versions.
Using strictly vintage analogue equipment, they employed Neuman valve and RCA Ribbon microphones, and RAK's early model vintage API desk to record, the 'sound' for the album was sculpted in these sessions. Vintage, but punchy, which was then blended with Lee's choice of super rare and custom analogue effects. Ursa Major Space Station and Stargate delays and reverbs, old choruses, Plate and spring reverbs, and tape delays were used to create a tight vintage feel but retaining the rawness of the 'Low Fi' roots sound Lee was aiming for.
With the music coming together, the vocal sessions were held in Abbey Road studio 3, again using vintage RCA ribbon mics, over driving their EMI TG console and Fairchild compressors to create a pleasantly distorted Lo Fi vocal sound.
Lee and Daniel then returned to Daniels Rolling Lion Studio, to mix and Dub the album, live, on the mixing console.
'Rolling Lion All Stars' Musicians: Vocals: Lee 'Scratch' Perry Drums: Ed West Bass & Guitar: Hughie Izachaar Keys: Robbie Lynn Additional Keys: Calvin Bennion Percussion: Daniel Boyle Kete Drum: Mathias Liengme Hurdy Gurdy: Brian McCoy Horn Section: Rory Sadler, Robert Landen Melodica: Puraman Backing Vocals :
After more than a decade of deep, expansive productions on labels such as Detroit Underground and CPU, Annie Hall arrives on MUSAR for a record typically rich in texture and understated grooves.
Opening track 'Linium' immediately seduces listeners with a complex drum pattern that somehow feels spacious, subtly twisting and turning its way around Hall's analogue world. Dutch artist Mattheis maintains this understated feel but adds a soft, compelling kick in response on his suspenseful remix of 'Lavandula'. The original, moodier version of this cut the follows to open the B side, gradually erupting around a killer distorted bassline. The EP continues to hit a more urgent note with the tense machinations of 'Silene', where dense layers of stuttering, frenetic drums interweave with Hall's trademark, melancholy keys. The record concludes on a weightless, transcendent note with 'Santolina', taking each visceral element featured thus far and slowing each down, with affecting results.
Indebted to vintage electro and IDM, Hall's music is no throwback, always looking forward and moving dancefloors in the most unexpected ways.
DJ FEEDBACK
Early support from
Michael Mayer (Kompakt) : Nice vibes from Mattheis... will play for sure!
James Zabiela (Born Electric) : Linium is a nice one, thanks.
Arnaud Le Texier (Cocoon / Chronicle) : Nice music. Thx!
Marcel Dettmann (Ostgut Ton/MDR) : Thx!
Carl Craig (Planet E) : Thx!
Gonno (Beats In Space Records / Endless Flight) : I like Mattheis' :)
Thomas Hessler (Index Marcel Fengler) : Nice one! Thank you!
Slam (Soma) : Thanx
Âme (Innervisions) : Thanks
Blasha & Allatt (Meat Free / Manchester) : Amazing!
EREZ / John Byrun : A superb EP
Tom Lye (Melodic Distraction - Liverpool) : Big fan of the whole EP. Strong, building electro with different moods. Essential!
Afrodeutsche (NTS / LuckyMe / Skam) : Glitchy melodica... Right up my Strasse...
DJ Shiva / Noncompliant (Valence / Detroit Underground) : Stellar music here. Moving beyond "DJ music", this is just really fantastic to listen to in headphones. Gorgeous stuff.
Lonya (Asymmetric Recordings) : Great stuff here!
Nori (Posivision) : Cool work.
Cinnaman (Rush Hour / Naked Naked) : Lavandula and Santolina are my favorites! thanks
Dj Windows XP (E-Beamz) : Dope E.P. Will play Lavandula.
Ambivalent/LA-4A (Delft/Cocoon/Ovum) I'm a huge fan of Annie Hall and Mattheis!!! This is a FANTASTIC release!! One of my favorites of recent months just on first listen!!
Benoit C (Tsugi) : Linium for me
Ian Blevins (ESP Institute / Sulk Magic) : Linium and another bit of top work from Mattheis. Santolina is pushing my buttons too. Aphexy vibes.
Joe Europe (Ransom Note) : Very nice!
Azterisco: Very interesting record. Nice remix!
Oded Peled : What a fantastic release! Was hard to choose a favourite between Linium and the Mattheis Remix of Lavandula. Both will come in handy in my sets. ....Thanx a lot and keep em coming.
Naduve (Cocktail d'Amore / Disco Halal) : Both A1 and A2 are great!..Thanks.
Anastasia Kristensen (Nous) : I dig this a lot, it's a crazy well produced record.
Demia E.Clash (Darknet) : Such a good ep-.i love them all,quality production yess.
Pedro Martins (Karakter Records) : Nice EP overall. Linium, Silene, and Santolina are my favorites. Thank you so much!
Xinobi (Discotexas) : Great record. I'm specially enchanted by the original version o Lavandula. Congratulations.
Scan Mode (DJ Mag Spain) : Lavandula in both mixes for me
John Osborn (TANSTAAFL) : Can't pick a fav. it is all Devine. thank you.
Madloch (Sound Avenue) : Nice EP, Linium & Lavandula original are my favs, thanks.
DVS NME (Transient Force) : The standout track is Lavandula.
Lockjaw introduces his upcoming LP 'Human Research' with the release of the 'Human Research Sampler EP' on Locked Concept. A longtime curator of adroit, technical drum & bass through his Locked Concept imprint, Lockjaw now steps to the foreground, revealing four tracks from his forthcoming album that exemplify a continued dedication to this guiding principle, whilst displaying his expert abilities across an eclectic array of tracks that give a tantalizing taste of what is to come from the full LP.
The titular 'Human Research' opens with glistening chimes and a pensive drone, quickly joined by a wandering bassline that sweeps through the shadowy milieu of the track's opening, winding its way forwards amongst a series of increasingly sharp and distorted pulses towards the track's main section, where the combination is joined by a frantic drumbeat that rushes forwards with single minded determination.
'Without You' bears a tangible nostalgia, its opening drums carrying a classic, rave inspired piano riff and vocal reminiscent of an earlier era that reaches its climax amongst rising saw stabs, before locking into a dynamic bassline groove still rippling with the same jubilant energy introduced at the track's beginning.
'Velveteen' features the vocals of QUAILS, who provides an ethereal verse that daydreams about possible affection over soft, floating keys and a pulsating bassline, which drift aimlessly until the track grows with excitement in the second chorus amongst rising percussion & desirous guitar. 'Second Chance' considers the prospect of beginning again, as its sweeping pads grow from muted beginnings to produce an originally subdued drumbeat which exudes a humanizing growth in confidence that waxes as its complexity increases, with a rolling bass and stirring percussion introduced alongside wistful pads still wary from the outcome of the unspoken first attempt.
With the 'Human Research Sampler EP', Lockjaw, demonstrates in brief his unique ability to bestow deeply human qualities to his musical productions across a wide array of tones. In debuting these four sample tracks, he issues firm assurance that the forthcoming 'Human Research LP' will be no less mystifying as its researches the condition of humanity and the emotions most central to it.
On The Latest Release From Make Mistakes, Roy England And Friends Take Us On A Ride Into The Beautiful, Soulful Depths. From Uplifting Love Jams, To The Chunkiest House Funk, As Always, The Gang Has You Covered.
Roy England's Original Mix Soars Through The Night Skies. Pitter-patters, Emotive Pads, And A Driving Groove Bring Us The Softer Side Of Our Little Boogie Baron. Perfect For The Euphoric Abandon Of A Sweat Soaked Dance Floor.
Alexi Delano, A Man Who Needs No Introduction, Kicks Things Up A Notch, Taking The Original And Giving It A Restructured, Pumping Groove. A Dubby Line Runs Through, With Echoing Pads, A Pulsing Bass, And Fluttering Keys And Synths. A Beautiful Dance Floor Meditation, With Plenty Of Junk In The Trunk.
Fredy Grogan Takes A Hard Left, And Steps Confidently Into A Psychedelic, Tribal Funk. Teasing New Vibes Out Of The Original Material, Grogan Transforms Beauty In Rhythm Into A Classic House Groove, Before Settling Us In To A Hypnotic Groove.
Make Mistakes Keeps On Keepin' On. That's All We Know. the Tears Of The World Are A Constant Quantity. For Each One Who Begins To Weep Somewhere Else Another Stops. The Same Is True Of The Laugh. Let Us Not Then Speak Ill Of Our Generation, It Is Not Any Unhappier Than Its Predecessors.
Samuel Beckett, Waiting For Godot
After releasing their Yantar LP digitally last year, Hell Yeah now serve up a much anticipated vinyl version of Richard Somerville and Craig Wilson's perfectly horizontal sounds. It features two of the superb originals with remixes from The Beat Broker and Los Gatos Escobar.
Somerville & Wilson have appeared on ISM Records, DWDK (Danny Was A Drag King), Paper Records and Music for Dreams and count the likes of Tensnake and Gerd Janson as fans of their laidback and charming grooves, and this EP is a real slab of heat that will surely sizzle souls across the world this summer.
First up, The Beat Broker proves he is on fire right now with a remix of the classic 'Melt'. His heart swelling remix has impossibly mellow chords ringing out into a yellow-orange sky as melodies rise and fall like a yacht bobbing on gentle waters. It's a blissed out musical sunset of the highest order.
Then comes Somerville & Wilson's 'Cero Gravity', eight minutes of cosmic synth workouts, yawning chords and long legged drums offset by soft acid. Drenched in reverb and rippling out in all directions, it's a warm musical rush that keeps washing over you until your soul melts away.
From New York, Los Gatos Escobar duo offer a more driving but just as tropical remix of 'Yantar' with big rubbery drums, zoned out chords and smeared pads. It's beautifully innocent and honest, heartfelt and meditative music that encourages you to escape to a seaside paradise.
Last of all, a melted Space Edit of Yantar is drowned in saturated chords, scorched pads and heat damaged keys that leave you adrift in a sea of sumptuousness.
Music doesn't come much more majestic, melodic and mellow than this.
Berlin based Jens Dohle is a man of many talents. An accomplished composer and arranger for theatre productions across Europe, classically trained multi instrumentalist, explosive live drummer for YE:SOLAR, Munk, Hot Coins, Sado Opera. Longtime collaborator with Danilo Plessow aka MCDE and Noema from African Shakedown fame. Remixer for Jazzanova and 4 Hero. There's not enough room here to list his amazing work.
2018 ushers forth a new identity to his already enviable C.V with his first EP as James Dole (a jokingly anglicised version of his birth name). The 3 tracks here all showcase his ability to create a strong mood and use great splashes of melody and rhythm but without ever losing the groove. Written during a period of 'introspection' in deepest, darkest Berlin, each one tells a different story.
Ex is a moody monster of a track. It builds and builds into a pounding nightime symphony with a kind of epic-ness which hints at many years spent mining the highs and lows of music, love and life. Big room yet with a gut wrenching soul beneath the slightly flamboyant majesty. Made in East Berlin and well road tested in the cities debauched nightclubs.
Fantasia shows off Mr Doles jazz and broken beat background with rolling, funky drums sashaying with hip hoppy live jazz keys. Then those signature euphoric yet melancholic synths appear halfway through the track to create an emotionally halcyon mood. WIBES.
The EP closes with Grande. Super melodic yet cinematic with amazing synth work and a sophisticated arrangement showcasing James's well trained musicianship and artistry. An opus of melody and longing built for Italian arthouse films about unrequited love.
DJ Support from - Midland, Honey Soundsystem, Sandrino, Jimpster, Ame, DVS1, Shadow Child, Joe Goddard, Red Rack'em, Futureboogie, Soft Rocks, Domenic Cappello, Downtown Party Network, Danny Russell
Ant Orange's third 12 for Karaoke Kalk forms something resembling a trilogy for the label. Right There' is built on a familiar Rhodes-n-bass aesthetic, combining the lo-fi jazz of 2017's Arkupe' with the soulful vocal motifs of 2015's s/t', while introducing more electronic ingredients and taking an increasingly exploratory approach to rhythm and composition.
The opening title track clocks in at over 8 minutes, growing slowly from soft tickled keys to a full-bodied groove circled by airy synths and fragmented RnB vocals. Drunk In The Trunk' then shifts down a gear, looping another vocal cut over a lazy, stripped-back wahwah vibe. Side A closes with experimental jazz skit Let That Sink In', its jerky tempo and flashes of light reminiscent of a late-night subway ride.
The B-side takes a more contemplative tone, with the meditative arpeggios and sparse drums of Comfort Zone' leading into the dusky West Coast stroll of Muscle Beach', before Rudis Goes Offline' picks up the tempo for a last shimmering dance. The closing track A Frozen Lake' sounds just like it sounds - chilled by name and by nature.
The completion of this trilogy marks a turning point in Ant Orange's sound, but that's all we can say for now - stay tuned for more. In the mean time just sit back and enjoy the sublime vibes of Right There.
Visible Cloaks' Lex proposes a utopian dream language and its accompanying sound, a limitless, delicate space developed by fluid musical techniques and subconscious voices. The six pieces comprising Lex simulate a more peaceful future, their mysteries telling a new tale in an unknown but imaginable melodic language. Visible Cloaks are the Portland-based musicians Spencer Doran and Ryan Carlile. Utilizing software-based composition rooted in randomization, MIDI-translation and chance operations, the duo has established an improbable humanist mode of music from esoteric processes. Following their self-titled debut album, Visible Cloaks offered Reassemblage, an album simultaneously honoring the post-Yellow Magic Orchestra school of avant musical adventure and diverging from it. Veering from the paths cleared by Japanese and Italian electronic pop and ambient artists of the mid-80s / early-90s, Reassemblage established Visible Cloaks' own camp in a forest of deep sound canopied by trees grown from synthetic seeds.The sound represented on Lex is webbed with sculptural arrangements and interpolated by the sounds of alien speech. These strange and serene utterances were created by Doran feeding a chain of multiple dialects and accents through a language translation software to create an auditory poetry of an evolved place and time.
Lex features both the final version of this process and earlier, simplified experiments with it ( Keys'). The idea - building on 'fourth world' or 'global village' type concepts - was to create a projected language that was a fusion of many,' Doran explains. The result was a very disorienting form of non-language that amplifies the lapses in meaning that occur with the inaccuracy of auto-translation software.'
Permutate Lex, a companion short film to Lex made by Visible Cloaks in collaboration with artist Brenna Murphy (who also created the artwork for Reassemblage and several virtualist videos for the album), is an integral counterpart, both visualizing an aesthetic alive with human form and guiding the sonic experience of the first five pieces: Wheel,' Frame,' Transient,' Keys,' and title track Lex.' World,' the longest piece presented on Lex, is redrawn from a generative composition originally produced for an installation Doran made with Murphy.
The original work incorporates LFOs and randomized MIDI-information, and was intended to variate indefinitely. In this 'fixed' version, World' provides a more conclusive view into the impossible musical environments Visible Cloaks make real. Longer than any track on
Reassemblage, World' expresses the deepening, patient intimations suggested by Lex.
Doran says the Lex attempts to communicate the essence of a world distant enough that it can't be captured or comprehended from the present, appearing only surreal and inscrutable.' The statement reveals a broader musical philosophy fueling this new moment, an awakened voice woven through complex melodic shapes and phrases establishes communication between listeners and the unknown, here presented by Visible Cloaks as sounds coloring the very edge of the envisionable.
Solar Phenomena welcomes singular rhythm master STL for a new EP that offers four fantastic tracks of dubby house. It is the label's fourth release and finds the Something label boss in a typically inventive mood.
First track 'Spy vs Spy' opens things with shuffling drum loops and eerie synth details that hypnotises over seven minutes. 'Atomsmasha' has wooden hits and rough shakers peppering a soft, imperfect groove as awkward chords bring an unhinged edge to the mix. On the flip, 'Summer Breeze & Brotherhood' has loose keys doing an off kilter dance over STL's trademark low-key drums where 'Freebird' zones you out with long held chords and detuned keys as cloudy, dusty kicks bring a barely-there groove deep down low. You know what to get from STL by now, but at the same time you can never get enough.
You could be forgiven for thinking Basso's been hitting the plant food of late. Last time out we took a trip with Trance, and now our esoteric expert nods his head, rolls his shoulders and drops a h-h-h-house record on our unexpecting asses. That's right folks, roll up the rug, push the sofa back and enjoy some ‚Personal Growth' from James Booth.
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Operating a million miles away from the kick and hiss of the trendy lo-fi folks, the Berlin based producer favours subtle rhythms, delicate textures and tender melodies - turning out a string of sophisticated dance floor winners for 100% Silk, Church and No Bad Days. Now he brings his organic house stylings to the Growing Bin with a fresh five-tracker packed with all the warmth of a Tempelhof picnic on a balmy July afternoon.
Emerging from the watery depths of the Drexciyan ocean, opener ‚Mood' strides calmly through the morning dew, stretching those loose limbs and seeking out Hardcastle's rainforest. Drifting freely
through immersive, aquatic pads and soft focus melodies, the track takes in a little R&R before snapping electro percussion, cascading synthlines and a rolling rhythm up the intensity. The deepness continues on the A2 as ‚Dream Precipitation' offers a medicated vision of Debussy doing P-Bar while Lynch rolls the cameras. Syncopated hi-hats, jazzy keys and star-gazing sine waves wrap themselves around your cerebellum, expanding your mind as a steady kick moves your body into the pleasure zone. Booth takes a Derren Brown tip on the flip, imbuing ‚You' with the kind of mesmeric rhythm that can make the staunchest wallflower pull a Pink Panther on a packed dance floor. The exotic tumble of woody percussion and hissing castanets keep up a fascinating rhythm, driving the titular mantra and snaking synth melody through bursts of slapped bass and subtle 4/4. ‚Dhoop Stick' stays on board with the boogie hypnotism, weaving its way through celestial melodies, squelching bass and toasty Rhodes before ‚The Chorus' brings down the curtain with wailing FM vox, military snares and the dreamy synth pop charm of a lost Sheffield classic. Warm, woody and entirely organic, this is the birth of Green House...you heard it here first!
(words by Patrick Ryder)
Swiss-based, Jamaican producer Ezikiel returns to Cadenza for his another outing, this time dropping the 'Tales Of Roots' EP. With this new EP he demonstrates his flair for the musical side of club compositions, imbibing his productions with sultry atmospherics, deep emotion and organic keys and strings. The title track 'Tales of Roots' is a 15-minute opus, which unravels slowly but surely, working from a soft yet persistent bassline and a hypnotic rhythm. Samples of tribal singers add a distinct human element, entrancing you with their organic vibrations. As the voices continue to sing out you're transported to a vibrant sub- Saharan landscape, captivated by the irresistible guitar riff... On the flip we have 'Makha Poetry', a more experimental workout with a variety of warped and twisted effects spluttering and wobbling away at its foundation. The jaunty yet slightly eerie low end gives this track a naughty allure, as those strange bleeps and whirrs continue to bounce in and out of the background. There's a controlled restraint about 'Makha Poetry' which gives it a devastating simplicity and a very unique aesthetic.
Aficionado enjoyed a storming start to 2017, serving up a pair of sell out EPs from either end of the Balearic shoreline - now they're back with one more for Good Measure.
Teaming up with the Mancunian fashion house for a second season, this sonic selection pack is softer than velvet, smoother than silk and more durable than Moonboots' P.E. kit.
Pour yourself a spritz, slip into something stylish and bask in the brilliance of 'Good MeasurePt.2' Bird song blends into synth swell as 'Ottimismo' shakes our hand, pulling back a deckchair and inviting us to relax and recline with its simmering percussion, swaying bassline and delicate fretwork.
London's Simon Peter is the man behind the music, following a gorgeous 12" on Claremont 56 with another sun kissed soother perfect for a coastal drive, morning swim or lazy siesta.
We take a small step towards the fiesta on the A2, rolling our shoulders and nodding our heads to the infectious rhythms of Simon Cotter's 'Pianta Road'.Though the claves, woodblocks and guiro may dart like dragonflies over a midsummer drum pattern, the Australian conjures a calming breeze via Casiotone keys, spheric bass and sublime strings.
If that weren't enough to make your ice cube melt, the exquisite cascade of well-tinkled ivories could bring a tear to a glass eye and a smile to a cliff-face.The sultry sounds continue on the B1 as France's Murena charters a yacht from Saint Tropez to Es Canar, cutting through the dazzling azure with 'Un Prueba De Amor'. DX7 chimes and digital pan pipes glisten in the spray while a lilting groove rises from the deep, picking up snatches of distant conversations and the rise of tidal sine waves as it goes.
Drifting, dreamy and more debonair than Boardman's cravat, this is as Balearic as it gets. From here we go sublime, waltzing beyond the sunset to the baroque soul of B&B's 'Read Me'.
Waves crash and strings screech, a roaring storm kept at bay by warm double bass, pizzicato melody and spirit lifting poetry. Hints of hip hop and dub colour the immersive groove, while those neo-classical flourishes favour the cinematic diversions of PCO or Monsieur Tellier. Officially Aficionado.
Echoe returns for its first outing of 2017 and fifth release since starting in earnest last year. ECHOE005 marks the first remix package in the label's discography, offering up four stellar remixes of Francesca Lombardo's "Remembrance" song. A clear stand-out in the label boss's inimitable repertoire, "Remembrance" has been given the rework treatment by house and techno stalwarts: Cassy, Laura Jones, Jade and La Fleur.
Cassy offers up the first remix, focussing her reinterpretation around an enormous and insistent bassline, murky and dense in equal measure, that rolls from start to finish. Undulating hats inject further energy, doubling in pace strategically whilst complimenting the 4/4 groove. Utilising the originals' emotional resonance, Cassy creates soft textures and refined arpeggiated patterns, adding a further dimension to the track's impassioned narrative.
Laura Jones's remix comes in the form of a low-slung, jazzy drum work-out, adorned with sub-heavy kicks and a snarling low-end that offers much of the track's sonic weight. Gentle bell-like keys float alongside modulated synth stabs that filter in and out of focus, whilst Jones's drum programming becomes progressively more and more frenetic.
Jade's reimagining sees a broken beat take the reigns, leaving space for soft percussive rhythms and an earth shaking low-end that pushes the song into ghetto house territory. Hi-hat pick-ups and jittery vocal cuts provide further momentum before the groove lands on sturdy 4/4 terrain. Jade's deftly arranged breakdowns, punctuated by panned drum fills and granular FX, adds welcome tension to the track, making a return to rolling drum-patterns and buzzing bass-sequences all the more rewarding as they come back in.
The final remix comes courtesy of La Fleur who delivers the most peak-time, club focussed material on the package. Staying true to the original's hook, La Fleur brings melody to the fore, whilst deploying snappy drums alongside chilling atmospherics and tech heavy stabs, set to keep dancers moving into early hours and beyond.
As Claremont 56 speeds towards its' ten-year anniversary, label founder Paul Murphy continues to champion little known producers and previously unheard artists. Over the past 12 months, the label has showcased material from rising talents
such as Bella Figura, Simon Peter, Paraiso and Oma & Amberfame. Now, Claremont 56 is adding another new name to the roster: Statues. Essex-based trio Bradley Lucke (production/bass/percussion/keys), Mark Crooks (keys/production) and Grant Carruthers (vocals/guitar) has been making music on-and-off together since they were teenagers, and last year decided to come together under the Statues alias. They submitted a number of demos to Paul Murphy, who was so impressed by what he heard that he offered to help produce and write an album with them. As debut singles go, 'Alaula' is stunning. Reminiscent of many softly spun
moments from the Claremont 56 back catalogue, it builds slowly and breezily via subtle waves of organic and electronic instrumentation. Carruthers' impassioned vocals pop in and out of the mix at opportune moments, peeping above alluring acoustic guitar, bass, synthesizer and Rhodes parts. Throw in
tumbling, life-affrming piano lines and swelling cello parts - both provided by friend-of- the-family Robin Lee of Faze Action - and you've got another near- perfect chunk of sunset-friendly, horizontal brilliance. On the fip, Murphy dons his familiar Mudd alias to provide a superb Piano Dub. Building the action around a sparse, delay-laden percussion track, Murphy teases out the track's most potent moments, in the process creating something
that lingers even longer in the memory. Lee's superb piano and cello work naturally takes pride of place, as Murphy expertly emphasizes the track's impeccably atmospheric nature.
Three years on from the release of the critically acclaimed debut album, Undergrass, Mushrooms Project return to Leng with a two-track taster or their forthcoming follow-up full-length.
In the intervening years, Giorgio Giri and Marco Lentano have hardly been slacking, further exploring their unique blend of glistening Balearica, dubbed- out disco, Italian Afro-cosmic and psychedelic nu-disco via EPs for Horn Wax, Uber and Hell Yeah! Recordings. Their latest two-track missive is undoubtedly amongst the Italian duo's strongest work to date. The A-side boasts 'Dirty Bolas', an effortlessly summery groover destined to soundtrack sultry evenings and sun-baked afternoons. Its' rolling, percussive funk groove and undulating electric bassline keep the action moving, but it's the tumbling guitar solos, toasty
keys, humid electronics and atmospheric feld recordings that catch the ear. Flip the 12' for 'Sunset Ballad', a near ten-minute epic that more than lives up to its' name. Soft, delay-laden acoustic guitar passages and yearning electric piano fourishes set the tone, before the Parma-based production duo
gradually ups the pressure via a shuffing groove, whispering acid lines and quietly bubbling synthesizers. It's undeniably rich and life affrming, but best appreciated while lying fat on your back.
Dirty Bolas will be featured on the duo's second album, which is slated for release in the fnal quarter of 2016. For now, you'll have to make do with these two slices of seductive, sun-bright brilliance.
Italian rudeboy Ivan Iacobucci brings his brand of lowdown funk-influenced tech house to Apollonia with this sterling three-tracker. Over two decades of hard work and dedication to his craft has culminated in Ivan's untainted reputation and widespread respect within the underground from true heads like Zip and, of course, the Apollonia boys. His love of jazz in evident throughout this EP which is full of subtlety and depth, pulsating b-lines and smooth chords are interlaced with razor-sharp percussion and delicate keys. The first track 'Old In On' has a laid back, though driving, groove, pushing forward with a hefty bassline that is perfectly counterbalanced by the light twinkling keys and barely-there pads. 'Scris Frumos' encapsulates more of an ominous, tribal feeling with intricate effects trickling through every pore of its deep, dark exterior. Its atmospherics keep you intrigued, voices echo in the background and a few moments of softened chimes really intensify the already mysterious vibe. 'Mini Ass' channels more of that electro-funk that forms the foundation of Ivan's love for music, haywire radio pulses prance around stuttered beats, giving it a slightly cosmic feel, while pipes add a more organic nuance to the track. Absolutely masterful work from Ivan, and another inspired addition to the Apollonia catalogue.
UK producer Mavlin drops four poignant tracks on vinyl only imprint Krenta Records this February. Specialising in Chicago and Detroit inspired productions, Krenta Records is a fresh imprint with a lot of promise. The platform is hardware-focused, with its material composed of retro synths, drum machines, samples and outboards for a machine driven sound oozing with soul. 'Timeless Energy' uses clunky percussion and a moving melody to engineer a down tempo and emotional cut. 'Cycle' then rolls forward with undulating drums and soft synths, before 'Rise of Ai' demonstrates a moody chord sequence and fuzzy bassline. Tying it all together, 'The Valley Of Shadows' boasts a discernible hook, tranquil pads and serene keys in a mesmerising conclusion.
Two original tracks performaed by Damaskin. Mental and ambient techno, with soft bassline and dark atmosphere, this is the sound of Damaskin, deep and weakness at the same time. On the other side a perfect techno remix of Cassegrain duo, 7 minutes of a killer-dark-dancefloor-oriented track. Limited to 200 copies distributed world wide by Triple Vision
Keys words: Eternal, mistery, open-ended rhythms.
