TERRANOVA returns to the fore with the HEADACHE EP, another impressive assortment of floor-ready house weaponry - after the sublime sophistication of the PAINKILLER EP (KOMPAKT 262) and its accompanying remixes (FM X/PAIN 001), the new material shoves the pendulum back into more rugged club territory, showcasing the sort of sonic urgency and rawness the legendary project has become known for in the first place.
As missing links between the dystopian pop of TERRANOVA's turn-of-the-century work and the slick kinetic drama of their current incarnation on Kompakt, the three cuts of the HEADACHE EP congenially continue the multi-layered, nifty thrust of 2012's house nouveau epic HOTEL AMOUR (KOMPAKT 248 CD 95), but also manage to evoke the wonderstruck immediacy of an act burning through its first speakers. This becomes particularly manifest with the deployment of CATH COFFEY as vocalist for title track HEADACHE (also a primer for TERRANOVA's upcoming full-length). A member of iconic British rap outfit Stereo MCs in the early 90s and collaborator of Tricky, the singer was featured on TERRANOVA's initial outings and is a well-established presence in their early work. On the new 12", she reintroduces her unique brand of battle-hardened, deadpan soulfulness to the searing funk of the reinvigorated project.
HEADACHE, a cover of a song from Birmingham's iconic and controversial postpunk outfit The Au Pairs, as well as its instrumental sequel HEADLOCK are both fuelled by the propulsive beats and upscale hooks we've grown to expect from TERRANOVA, but there seems to be something else at work, too - a somewhat darker undercurrent that may or may not be part of the actual arrangement. In any case, this adds much-needed depth to today's dance floors, providing them with a riveting soundtrack for the most intense of prime times. There's no need for EP closer TOURETTE to hide behind its compatriots, either: it's a full-blown thrill ride in its own right, brimming with jittery sampling, arresting percussion and some pretty rad bassline abrasiveness thrown in for good measure. A well-placed shot at the dancer's solar plexus, this wraps up the HEADACHE EP nicely, giving players and punters another perfectly valid reason for post-apocalyptic celebration.
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Part 1 of our 4 Sample 10 Years Full Pupp compilation. Each 12 has 4 brand new Exclusive tracks a 12. Norwegian´s finest Young Adults. Cost to Coast - Out of the Cold - Hot as Hell. 87392;"Doc Scott was on the decks. It was at Tribal Gathering (I think), 1996, standing in front of a wall of speakers to one side of the stage, enjoying myself, like you do, when this sound started growing inside my brain. My head was then ripped clean off my shoulders! Words are still hard to find! It was the first time I ever heard Shadow Boxing and its the only thing I still remember from that night. Om Unit's 2014 Remix is paired with the 1996 original. DJ support from: Fabio, Mark Pritchard, Friction, Surgeon, Toddla T, Laurent Garnier, Pinch, Zinc, Baliey, Rob Both, Billy Nasty, Krust & John B.
Alex Font is a serious guy who knows that now is his time. A multi-instrumentalist, as well as a producer and DJ, he can sometimes be seen on stage in trademark shirt and bow tie. He declares himself a lover of vinyl and, above all, what he calls real house. I think that says it all.
'NOW IS MY TIME' is the fifth release on the Oblack label and is available in black vinyl and digital. It is undeniable proof that Alex Font has arrived and is now a permanent force on the House scene, mainly in soul and dance, but who also knows how to reinvent his sound using new tech. Always with an eye on the future of sound innovation, he still manages to keep hold of his roots and respect his great influences. Well, nothing less would do. On this EP you can tell that Alex Font (remember, this is one serious guy) knows what he has in his hands and spinning on his turntable. His knowledge of musical composition, harmony and engineering skills jump out at you as soon as the first beat of 'Now is my time' hits the speakers: darkness, sophistication, soul and groove. There's a perfect command of tempo, of where, when and how. You pick up on the instrumental skills which allow him to do what he wants, when he wants. That's what's so great about this: you're struck by the ease of how such perfect technique and astoundingly good taste come together. Digitally analogical (or is it the other way round), this is the deeply profound vs. the dancefloor. It fascinates and liberates, carrying you off through different dimensions before breaking out of itself, with no need for artificial fanfares as it's so perfectly defined by Chicagoan pianos, hi-hats, funkoid vocals, etc. He's simply extraordinary: Alex Font signed by Oblack 005.
The remix by Martinez gives this track a technical edge and club splendor. Leaving out the more classic elements of house that are present in the original, the Swedish producer slows things down so that it doesn't lose any of its elegance, but at the same time the track gains punch on the dancefloor, and there's no doubt that it works. As cool as it is effective at inciting dance and everything else that comes with gyrating your pelvis in the early hours of the morning.
Finally, the Argentinian Shall Ocin plays the scoundrel here by adding diverse electronic elements that take the track into a new dimension. By giving the vocal more prominence, here it takes centre stage, and over a well-layered tech-house base, it makes the tremendous savoir faire of the original literally surf, while at the same time respecting and completing it.
In the end, it's great that you know that this is your time and that you want to share it, through Oblack and on vinyl, with all of us. Thanks comrade.
Elon make with the DIY vibes on the smart EP. Fans of Live Jam releases, listen up! On the title track sharp cuts, tight bursts of sound and loose percussion combine into a complex rhythm that is kept in check by a nice tumbling bassline. Jazz breaks hit the speakers with Got Ya, Tiger! Like a night out in Soho in 1962 brought back to life on an MPC. The bruising bassline just shouts 'Dance Or I'll Kick You In The Guts". Alex Celler's Broken Circuit Dub of Got Ya, Tiger! ramps up that kicking a notch. All those bruising elements are still there, but the guy grinds those jazz breaks up in his big metal jaws and spits out a gobful of twisted future. And you're gonna like it! Elon team up with Stefny on Téo, which finishes the EP. And you can feel her effect - she clearly loves a cheeky little synth line, because there are plenty of them here... squalking, meeping and dooping in perfect harmony to create a nice trancey brainfeeder. Nice.
Poker Flat Recordings explode back on to the scene with yet another essential release - this time it's the turn of house music legend Boris Dlugosch and his wonderfully titled EP 'Knalldrang'. Sure to be welded to the turntables of the top tastemakers and party starters, the release kicks off with the speaker-troubling sounds of the enormous lead track. Boris's vast experience behind the decks and the mixing board shine through - this is the man who's releases with Mousse T in the 90s - as well as his much in demand remix work for the likes of Moloko - shaped the scene we know and love today. 'Knalldrang' is an insistent, acid-bubbling, floor-slayer of the highest order - this one will set fire to your sets. 'Sweet Talk' keeps up the pressure, cut up vocal layers, insanely funky drums, and a vibe that pays respectful homage to the 90s. Rounding off the release is Show-B's remix of 'Knalldrang' - a straight up deep and dirty groover with a filthy snare designed to work the floor to the max.
Our next Stil vor Talent 12 sounds like a mysterious, alien soundscape transmitted straight from outer space to the peak-time dance-floors of planet Earth. Edu Imbernon has already demonstrated a brilliant ear for pulsating house music on his remix for Niconé & Sascha Braemer's 'Dreamer'. Here, he once again teams up with fellow Spaniard Triumph, while SVT favourites Kellerkind and Niko Schwind are on remix duty. The title 'Mystery Inside' couldn't be more fitting to the meteorite shower the duo conjure up with the aid of vocalist Sutja Gutierrez on the A-side: sharp hi-hats lead straight into a moody bass-line that meets a beautifully rounded kick and percussion-workout. Things get otherworldly as synths start flying through the speakers, finally beaming you to another galaxy once Gutierrez' heavily spaced out vocals set in. On the flip, Kellerkind slows things down considerably and builds on the original's UFO-synths, while Niko Schwind cherry picks his favourite parts of 'Mystery Inside' and contextualises them within his own 80s synth motif and fat breakdown. Extraterrestrial warning: the Spaniards have landed!
Atte Elias Kantonen is a composer and sound designer based in Helsinki, Finland. “a path with a name” follows well-received releases on Mappa and Active Listeners Club, and finds Kantonen expanding the scope of his dynamic and idiosyncratic practice. Here, he places his listeners within an auditive diorama, affording them myriad views of the microscopic landscapes contained there within. An oneiric narrative is established from the opening track, in which a heavily treated voice proposes a dialogue and introduces us to the wonders of the soundscape. This speaker appears at various points throughout the record, functioning as guide, confidant, and friend. Those familiar with Kantonen’s prior output will immediately recognize the shapeshifting, 3D timbral constructions presented here, arrangements that are positively overflowing with glimmering, delicate, polyphonic detail. This is a record that invites and welcomes speculation about the nature of the quest that it sets its listeners out upon, with Kantonen offering up trail markings to provide (dis)orientation before turning them loose to explore the soil, moss, and tide pools.







