Since the release of his first album in 2013, Lucas Arruda has quickly established himself as one of the most talented young artist and composer from Brazil. His music is filled with fusion style, mixing influences and elements from his Latin musical background, with his genuine admiration for Jazz, Soul and Funk music.
In spring 2015, it was also not surprising to find Lucas Arruda back with a new LP called SOLAR, receiving great supports and feedbacks from international medias and tastemakers. One of the highlight of SOLAR was the track 'Melt the Night', on which Lucas asked legendary producer Leon Ware for his help, reminding his collaborations in the 80s with Marcos Valle, when they perfectly merged together the sophisticated Boogie and AOR touch from California, with the blazing sense of rhythm from Brazil.
Willing to enlighten even more this timeless song, which could easily be produced in the early-mid 80s, Favorite Recordings decided to give it a brand new suit and found the perfect tailor with Nu-Funk raising producer, XL Middleton. Part of the modern-funk movement and based in Pasadena, XL has released volumes of work, the sound of which embodies the party feel, bringing music back to where it was before it found its way into upscale clubs, while at the same time mixing it with a futuristic brand of funk inspired by legends such as George Clinton, Roger Troutman, or Morris Day.
The result is a stunning remix, bringing 'Melt the Night' into a futuristic Boogie-Funk world with massive basslines and heavy beats!! This great vinyl 12inch comes with Original and Instrumental Versions on the B-Side, to finalize a perfect package for DJs and diggers.
Poker Flat's Forward To The Past anthology returns in its 3rd iteration, as lean and mean as it ever was and precision-engineered to make you jack, dream and all things in between. The winning formula remains the same: task a selection of hotshot veteran and up-and-coming producers with recapturing the style and mood of early club music, paying homage to the golden years between 1985 and 1992 when Chicago House and Acid, New York House and Detroit Techno took the world and its dancefloors by storm. The result is a collection of new and exclusive tracks as addictive as the stone cold classics that influenced them - a tribute and, at the same time, the cutting edge of contemporary music production. Quell casts clouds of vocals and a repeated snippet of soul over a sinuous, undulating bassline. Anaxander gives us classic acid with Gallic attitude, fine-tuned for the dancefloor. Hard-touring DJ and Back to Basics resident Denny goes back to the old school, plunging you into the midst of a heaving dancefloor with a wobbling, fluttering acid track. Glasgow's Debukas provides another Detroit-influenced highlight, letting his imagination run riot with a heartstring-pulling chord progression and contrapuntal synth lines.
Capital Bass continues to gather Russian names under one roof and expand stylistic variations. Next big thing is a three-track EP from Ponty Mython (Alex).
This is the second EP by sir Ponty Mython on Capital Bass. It has been two years since his bulletproof Jesus EP in 2013.
During these two years Ponty Mython has been working with such iconic house imprints as Arma, Quintessential, Dirt Crew and others. His new Adverbs EP is a quite eclectic thing.
Side A is a filtered house banger Gracefully - a result of sampling games with Moscow house star Lay-Far (Local Talk, In-beat-ween). Side B - Afterwards tune is a real one-loop thriller, dirty and raw, with African samples and invisible sub bass line.
On B side you can also find a psychedelic version of Afterwards by Saint Petersburg techno artist Nocow (Roots United, Fauxpas Musik). (Roots United, Fauxpas Musik)
Toby Tobias has been responsible for some fine quality music over the past 10 years with labels such as Rekids, Nang, Let's Play House and Quintessentials all dropping his unique brand of raw, analogue house and techno. A DJ's DJ who always seems to pull out a lesser known gem and make it sound like a classic, Toby knows his music as well as his studio, inside out. We've been proud to deliver three EP's from him on Delusions but we all felt the time was right for a full length, especially considering that 7 years have passed since his debut LP Space Shuffle on Rekids. Toby fully embraced the scope and breadth that an LP affords a producer, holing up in his Hackney studio and losing himself in his machines. Rising Son is the result of those sessions and it's brilliant!
From the opening machine funk of The Wonder featuring vocals from Atwell we can hear that Toby is quite sure about the direction he's taken for the LP. 808 beats bring vintage electro vibes whilst Atwell's vocal hints at the golden era of Chicago house, adding a soulful touch to the rigid groove. Love Affair continues the theme of off-world utopia where the droids have a heart and soul and sing torch songs of love lost, the Moroder-esque influences bringing a retro sheen to the LP. As we continue through tracks such as Sloflava and Sending Signals we find blissful, downtempo jams which perfectly soundtrack this imagined night time world which Toby seems so happy to immerse himself and his listeners in.
I Robot follows, providing the one cover version on the LP from the Alan Parsons Project as well as being an LP defining focal point. A track which shows that when the machines are working for you, it could just be a perfect world. But Broken Computer soon shows us what can happen when things go wrong. Incidentally, this is from a genuine computer crash which Toby managed to capture using his phone. A beautiful glitch in the system which spewed out such a mournful noise and a very happy accident that would be completely impossible to create if you set out to try.
As we continue we're treated to the likes of Friday Analogue Jam, Whisper It and Weird Danger, all echoing bleeps, squelching bass notes, heavenly pads and precision beats. In some ways we get a feeling of a land that time forgot, in others something of sublime beauty and futurism. That Toby can paint pictures with his music in this way speaks volumes, knowing instinctively when to draw out a mood or feeling or flip things on their head to command your attention and beg another listen. And another.....
Poker Flat's Forward To The Past anthology returns in its 3rd iteration, as lean and mean as it ever was and precision-engineered to make you jack, dream and all things in between. The winning formula remains the same: task a selection of hotshot veteran and up-and-coming producers with recapturing the style and mood of early club music, paying homage to the golden years between 1985 and 1992 when Chicago House and Acid, New York House and Detroit Techno took the world and its dancefloors by storm. The result is a collection of new and exclusive tracks as addictive as the stone cold classics that influenced them - a tribute and, at the same time, the cutting edge of contemporary music production. LA-based compatriot MANIK contributes a rolling, no-frills jam that sticks to the tried and tested production values of early acid as if to say, Why mess with perfection' From his small Amsterdam studio crammed with classic drum machines and synths, Wouter de Moor serves up 'Bon Voyage', a simmering analogue acid jam bedecked with snickering percussive flourishes and long, sustained chords for that blue-tinged Detroit vibe. Pavel Iudin, meanwhile, adds jazzy Rhodes inflections and whistling birdsong to a similarly bubbling groove. Veteran DJ Aakmael adopts the classic Juno bass sound to pay homage to the godfather of deep, Larry Heard, for an exercise in immersive repetition.
Something is looming on the horizon, a flickering presence, a sparkle in the twilight, hardly visible at first, then slowly taking shape and finally coming into view: "I will depart/I see, I will, I won't go far," Stefanie Boehm (Couch) sings on "Sirens", one of 10 tracks Ms. John Soda have recorded for "Loom", their first album in eight years – and it's true: It's a return that often feels like yet another departure, like it's time to say farewell once again, one last hug and off it goes into the valley, where life is already waiting.
A lot has changed since Ms. John Soda released the first 7" back in 1998, since Micha Acher (The Notwist, Tied & Tickled Trio, Alien Ensemble) joined Stefanie Boehm and completed the creative nucleus of this band around the turn of the millennium; day-to-day life indeed feels different some 16 years later (and half as many since the release of their sophomore album, "Notes and the Like"), but the basic chemistry, the intricate balance of electronic and analog molecules that orbit this nucleus – and thus, the resulting mood and vibe -, they're still recognizable, still undeniably Ms. John Soda: Whether it's the dense, intensely rushing soundscapes of "Hero Whales", numerous layers pushing and taking off into the same direction, the propelled clatter of "Sirens", a track like "Millions" that blows off more and more steam, a glistening, wheezing sort of madness even (though there is a tender side to it as well), the perpetual, magic lantern-like motions of "Name It" (think Trish Keenan and Broadcast) or the gradually descending melodies of opening track "In My Arms" – they're all lined with a certain tension, underpinned by a certain atmosphere, a unique brand of melancholy that never quite gives in, keeps searching for new outlets and answers.
The album title Ms. John Soda have chosen for their third full-length, "Loom", obviously hints at this feeling of re-emergence, gathering and looming, but according to the singer, it also refers to a weaving loom: It's about "weaving and combining a vast number of influences, ideas, instruments, melodies, rhythms, and layers to create a whole," says Boehm, whose vocals span these new tracks like thick, reliable ropes that glow with marine luminescence. "It's about weaving individuals into a group ('Millions'), weaving and merging former ideals and hopes with reality ('The Light'), combining 'hi' and 'bye', beginning and end ('Hi Fool'), interweaving opposite or contradicting concepts, such as pushing forward vs. being pushed ('In My Arms')." And while the weaving, just like life itself, can easily get out of hands, "because you lose track, and yet life goes on ('Name It')," a lot of these songs – e.g. "Hero Whales", the billowing "Sodawaltz", "Fall Away" – revolve around a shimmering sense of something we can't quite grasp or put a finger on just yet: "Intuitions, hopes, dreams, wishes, affinities, distances, temptations…"
Whereas Cico Beck aka Joasihno (drums, electronics), also part of Aloa Input and the latest addition to Ms. John Soda's live band, and drummer Thomas Geltinger helped out on various tracks they recorded with Oliver Zülch in Weilheim, Boehm and Acher were also joined by Karl-Ivar Refseth (percussions) and Matthias Götz (trombone). Together, they keep feeding the loom with countless spools of yarn, until epic piano closer "Fall Away" seems to offer a temporary respite: "find your way/take the dry suit off/for a night". Time to rest, to take a deep breath. Or is it already the first rays of dawn looming on the horizon?
* Jon Gurd's Birth Right EP is the first material from the Portsmouth based Techno producer in more than 2
years since his ventures on Octopus recordings, 8 Sided Dice and Quartz. The EP therefore indicates an
audible step change not just in the approach to production but also in the mindset and emotive feeling
behind each texture and layer. Having emerged unscathed from a traumatic family related drama Jon
communicates a tortuous and re-evaluated life message across all 3 tracks, and is dedicated to his brother
with a hidden meaning conveying, Tomorrow Is - Promised - To No One'.
* Dissecting the EP further the educated are blessed with field recordings, analogue rumbling and modular
synthesis exiting from almost 24 months of lab driven experimentation. No real process has been applied or
extant formulae followed and the EP's resounding success is that this now exudes what Jon feels' innately
rather than what the industry wants, therefore the journey, endless noise making and experimentation gives
a balanced and exciting offering. Jon comments seriously my process for producing this has been all over
the place, literally stumbling on shit, slipping over my own creative vomit, workflow went out the studio
window on day one'.
* Having spent two years asking himself why he makes music, I think on first listen of Birth Right EP we will all begin to empathise why. Remixes kindly provided by Messrs Dave Clarke and Ancestral Voices (new project from Liam Blackburn formerly Indigo / Akkord).
* A long time-friend and recording partner of Alan Fitzpatrick, as well as one third of Mister Woo with Dave from Reset Robot, Jon Gurd is best known for his work on the likes of Octopus Recordings, 8 Sided Dice and Quartz. Abundant with field recordings, analogue rumbling and modular synthesis, his latest signing to Derelicht is a result of almost 24 months of lab driven experimentation, and marks an auspicious return from a musical hiatus that stemmed from a personal tragedy. From the off, 'Tomorrow Is' is a driving piece of techno complete with sinister undertones and menacing atmospherics, meanwhile 'Promised' focuses on a low-slung groove as tantalising synths operate on top. The last original, 'To No One', then exhibits a deeper vibe with ebbing pads and spectral chords. Dave Clarke's decadent rendition of 'Promised' ups the tempo whilst demonstrating commanding kicks, until Ancestral Voices, the new project from Liam Blackburn (Indigo / Akkord), strips back the beats of 'To No One' for a subdued subterranean workout.
* Press / Promotion: 3 x Co-ordinated PR Campaigns (In House campaign by Derelicht, Dispersion PR and EPM Music, 100 vinyl hand-distributed to leading editors, artists and tastemakers. Key editorials through Resident Advisor, Inverted Audio, Ran$om Note, Beat Vision, Slate The Disco, Magnetic Magazine, DJ Mag, Noise Porn, Mind Grub Audio, Portals, Elevated Culture. 1 x videos produced to support Dave Clarke remix
Tiefschwarz - 'Just Beautiful!'
Alan Fitzpatrick - Yeah massively into this, will play a lot. Thanks for sending.
Dustin Zahn - Feeling the original of "To No One." the chord/pads are hitting the right spot for me this morning! The remix is also a nice take on the original
Baikal - to no one and Derelicht are dope
Kirk Degiorgio - Dave's mix for me!
Bas Mooy - yep! A1 for me mate!
Ben Sims - a1 is the cut for me, heavy and heady but still has the groove
Benjamin Damage - Thanks for sending this, top work!
Bryan Chapman - really feeling this EP, fav is the Ancestral Voices remix, that downbeat vibe
Bryan Zentz - Wonderful, moody, and emotive...LOVE it
Carlo Lio - Actually feeling all of them. Something for every time of the night. Can see myself playing a few of these for sure
Lo Shea - Tomorrow is sick! Dave Clarke's remix is dope too.
The Summer of Sangaile is a rare film that takes you by surprise with the honesty of its performances, the poetry of its narrative, and the crispness of its cinematography, which captures the beauty of the girls and the unique Lithuanian scenery equally well. Writer/director Alante Kavaite uses transfixing imagery and exquisite casting to bring to life her distinctly layered story of young love and big dreams. The end result is a rapturous film experience. The Summer of Sangaile won the 'World Cinema Dramatic' Directing Award at Sundance Film Festival - the worlds most important independent film festival and is featured globally in theaters over this summer /autumn. The Directing Award: World Cinema Dramatic was presented by Taika Waititi to: Alanté Kavaïtéfor The Summer of Sangaile / Lithuania, France, The Netherlands (Director and screenwriter: Alanté Kavaïté) - Seventeen-year-old Sangaile is fascinated by stunt planes. She meets a girl her age at the summer aeronautical show, near her parents' lakeside villa. Sangaile allows Auste to discover her most intimate secret and, in the process, finds in her teenage love, the only person that truly encourages her to fly.
Introverted Dancefloor is Bevan Smith, a New Zealander who has released music under names like Signer and Aspen, and who has played in the Ruby Suns and Skallander throughout the last decade. His prior output has been spread over many international labels and has touched on sundry genres (like techno, IDM, folk, ambient) while featuring restraint and sophistication as compositional hallmarks.
As Introverted Dancefloor, Smith has kept those features as guiding principles while allowing a more propulsive low end to dominate the construction of this music, winding up with understated but energetic dance tracks. Gestation, too, is a prominent attribute of this music, though not necessarily an obvious one. Smith started these songs with hundreds of layers, which he then pared down to a few core elements before rebuilding again.
For Introverted Dancefloor, Smith limited himself to the use of two synthesizers, one mic, one filter, and one effects processer. This constraint is not obvious upon listening as the album works across the idioms of electro, Detroit techno, pop house, and leftfield disco, playing with the line between fluid melody and drum machine programming. Each track has a playlist as its scaffolding, Smith's goal being to filter a certain set of varied influences through just a couple of instruments. Metro Area's Miura' (Original Mix) turned into Introverted Dancefloor's Happiness is such a mess/Pipedream.' If there can be such a thing as a subtle banger, then Smith may have earned that distinction here. Take it high' seems to be a constant ascent with its climbing bass and layers of chords, relying on no hackneyed drops or releases for its crescendo. Smith's layering practices show their precision on tracks like Even if you try' and Tiger bones,' in which disparate elements contribute to pointed melodies, an unidentifiable percussive part entering the same expressive plane as a sung line.
One of the record's most striking features is Smith's inclusion of certain elements of a song in a neighboring one (vocals from Pipedream' in Happiness is such a mess,' a synth line from Even if you try' in Always turn your head') to lend a phantasmagorical effect to the procession, blurring the distinction between a track and its reprise. The result is a song cycle wrought from painstaking labor, while nonetheless retaining core values of amorphousness and motion.
Auntie Flo returns with his 'Theory of Flo' LP masterpiece, his
first release on H+P in over 3 years!
Following his critically acclaimed 'Future Rhythm Machine' LP,
'Theory of Flo' is a bold step ahead from FRM, as it takes us on
the trip of a lifetime, spanning continents, genres, languages and
cultures to create a wholly unique listening experience, and one
which is only possible in 2015.
Teaming up with long term collaborator, Esa Williams, the album
also features collaborations with the incredible Ghanaian singer,
Anbuley (who last appeared on the Autonomous Africa hit
'Daabi'), Shingai Showina (of The Noisettes / Matthew Herbert /
Dennis Ferrer fame) and has experienced a lengthy recording
process between Havana, London and Glasgow - with outstand-
ing results.
'Theory of Flo' lands this November, in the meantime, his 'So In
Love' smasher and the spellbinding 'Waiting For A (Woman)' drop
on limited 10'..
Following almost two years of driving bass music promotion, in the form of compilation albums, free download round-ups, reviews, guest mixes & mix series CDs, the time has come to transcend from what first began as an online blog into our very own music label. After working with renowned artists such as El-B, Quest, BunZer0 and Phaeleh, as well as fellow promotional platforms FatKidOnFire & Deeper Vibrations - the Albion community has developed and grown to become recognised across the board of the bass music spectrum. This extension of our brand will help in pushing this music even more, enabling us to curate a fundamentally diverse sound beside the culture that we so passionately enjoy.The launch of Albion Collective Recordings is to be set in motion with In Pieces, a collaborative down-tempo effort conceived between Vaun and Jafu which is radiant in textural soundscapes. This particular piece has been doing the rounds as a clip on Deeper Vibrations' YouTube channel since 2013, inducing longing excitement for the song to finally surface.
Bristol based Daniel Brown, aka Vaun, has prospered into one of the scene's most prolific producers, covering multiple styles and turning out numerous releases for MindStep Music, Redshift-One and Soulstep Records. After recently hinting at the imminent release of an album, Brown can also reap in the keepsake of ALBION001 alongside Canadian artist James Fuller, aka Jafu, who likewise has blossomed astutely alongside his soulful Chord Marauders collective.In Pieces falls somewhere amongst immersive trip-hop and jazzy 2-step, an affectional arrangement that makes wonderful use of Marvin Gaye's a cappella in his classic Sexual Healing. The composition will certainly induce healing of the cerebral kind, with its stripped and delicate percussion work, dubbed out horns and soothing string sections. Encapsulated within Vaun & Jafu's musical offering is our label's statement of intent. That is, to champion unique music that emanates elegance such as this collaboration - and such as J.Sparrow's remix treatment. Ryan Wild aka Jack Sparrow, a Deep Medi Musik signee and one half of dubstep extraordinaire duo Author, has granted the scene with his tenacity to build profoundly stunning electronic music. Wild has the tempo notched up for his In Pieces edit but remains true to Vaun and Jafu's approach in the sense of its lavish spatial touch. The atmospherics breeze over with a soft vibrancy, as the electronic guitar solo recording from the original plays over the initial main section charmingly. This is all resulting in a simply sumptuous mix which goes right up there with his top drawer remix work for Annie Drury and De Niro & Y. To compliment J.Sparrow's sublime contribution and to also complete the package, the Black Butter Records assosciated and Bristol-based outfit Sly-One have whipped up an outright banger of a remix. Joe Cannon, Dave Constant and Oliver Read can already boast an admirable set of releases in the four years since they've joined forces, featuring on Shifting Peaks, Lost In Translation and 877 Records. Add that to a rude collaboration with fellow Bristol head & rasta emcee Buggsy and a remix for Bad Mojo on Meanbucket, Sly-One had clearly meant business from the offset - and have shown absolutely no let up for us at Albion Collective. Served with a side order of the trio's classic subtle cowbell hits, their 2-step/bassline fusion works wonders with the vamped-up vocal sample and is ready and waiting to rumble clubs & festivals for this summer and beyond. Early DJ support for the release has been noted from artists including Phaeleh, Quantum Soul, Thelem, J. Robinson, Walsh, K-Man, Nanobyte, Syte, Trashbat, Majora and D-Operation Drop & Foster. Radio airings to date stand at Sub FM on the BunZer0's legendary FOB Show, BBC Introducing showcased the release and Monki played the Sly One Remix on BBC Radio 1 Extra. The almighty
Dubstep duo Truth added the J.Sparrow Remix to their recent 'Chronicles' mixtape on Soundcloud, which was posted to their 75,000 plus following, Biscuit Factory Records owner and dubstep legend Walsh opened the edit on his latest podcast and J.Sparrow is set to showcase the version in a mix for the iconic Deep Medi label. Support is confirmed from digital publications such as FatKidOnFire,
GetDarker, Trusik and MTV Wrap up, which will involve a number of featuresm reviews, track premieres and artist spotlights. A review will also be printed in November's edition of Mixmag on Tomas Fraser's Grime/Dubstep page
Singular records number 7 is finally coming this september and this time it is a new collaboration between Brendon Moeller and myself.
You will find two very distinct sides, a 'physical' one on A side with 'Phaser Core' and 'The Fog' which are heavy driving grooves for the floors, then a more 'trippy' one on B side with 'Travelogue 1 & 2 cuts, taking you into deeper vibes.
I had a very great time working on this project with Brendon, and as it was my very first collaboration, it's been great to share this experience with such good producer.
I hope you ll enjoy the result ! Marcelus.
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This new series on Expansion explores classic and exceptional 70s and 80s 'modern soul room' tracks making them available on 7' single for the very first time.
The Moments were a prolific sweet soul group in the 70s, signed up by Stang Records and regularly in the charts. They comprised vocalists who would later become Ray, Goodman & Brown. As The Moments their first US R&B No.1 was Love On A Two-Way Street' in 1970 and in the UK were best known for Nine Times', Dolly My Love' and Girls'. When they changed labels, a handful of songs were left unissued including the incredible Sleep Won't Come', first released as a CD bonus tracks on a 2CD Moments anthology Moments To Remember'. Interest in the songs has become high since that time resulting in an inevitable debut release on vinyl here on Expansion.
The B side is one of the group's most underrated gems.
*A late 70's roots rockers instrumental from the London-based reggae band Investigators led by Michael Gordon who had a string of hits in the late 70's / early 80's on labels such as Fine Style (Fashion Records off-shoot) and Private Eye.
* Investigators were predominantly a Lovers Rock band, but occasionally wondered into more roots territory as heard on this 7' musical disc. The result being a heavyweight melodica-led instrumental, favoured in the late 70's by sound system legend Jah Shaka. This cut sounded not too dissimilar to the works of Augustus Pablo.
*Backed with a compulsory dub cut.
* This release will be welcomed by collectors of the genre, as the original 12" whence this came, changes hands for silly money.
With releases on established labels like Force Inc., Cytrax, Lo-Fi Stereo, Morris / Audio, Delay or Background, he made his way with his tricky electronic sound. He started his own label, Edit that embraces the concepts of reuse and redefinition. Components are generated, arranged and fine-tuned. They are stripped apart, processed and rearranged. Sophisticated editing techniques enable this process to continue without end. The resulting audio productions become remixes of themselves.
There used to be a time when ring tones were important. You were easily recognizable as one of the few people actually owning one of these new gadgets called ›mobile phone‹ (or ›handy‹ as the Germans say). Later you could make an important distinction by choosing a ›cool‹ ring tone...
In May 2014 the Festival »Doofe Musik« (»Stupid Music - Songs for Dreaming, Sedation and Forgetting«) took place at Haus der Kulturen der Welt (HKW) in Berlin. As part of the »Anthropocene Project« the festival focussed on escapism and the special function of music when retreating from reality. Detlef Diederichsen, curator at HKW, and Holger Schulze, Head of Sound-Studies-Lab Berlin, decided to not only focus on music which music lovers usually hate, e.g. ›Schlager‹, German folk music, Light Jazz, but also on ring tones.
The audio logo of Deutsche Telekom has been part of Germany's mobile phone culture from the very beginning so it acted as a starting point to question the usual concepts for ring tones. Using Christian Kellersmann's idea of the »Pocket Symphony« ten artists were invited to come up with adaptations of Telekom's audio logo. The results were performed for the first time during »Stupid Music« and once again in October of the same year when most of the recordings you can find on the album were made.
As you will hear: The short motif, as simple and unforgettable as it is, is ideal musical material.Everyone knows it, everyone has some sort of connection to it and these ten different versions, these ten different positions, open up the most varied possibilities for associations.
It is time that we take the ring tone seriously again. As the most reduced musical form that is the most-widely available in the whole world it contains enormous and unrealised potential!
Mbongwana Star is a newly formed band from Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratc Republic of Congo. Made up of a sprawling network of shanty-towns and night shelters, day-to-day life in the city is far from easy, but the band don't want sympathy. Tired of pre-conceptons around African music, Mbongwana Star ('Mbongwana' means 'change') are creatng their own identty, fusing traditonal Congolese rhythms with post punk and´electronics inspired by life in the townships around them,
'making magic out garbage' says producer and band member Doctor L (who produced Tony Allen's
'Black Voices' album). The result is revolutonary. This isn't an African band per se. It's a trans-global barrier-bustng sound
machine. '..an altogether unique vibe. We will be paying close atenton' - Boilerroom
With Dan Curtin on the 4th release, Melodymathics has undoubtedly one of the key players in the development of electronic music as we know it today. With 'deserted station' Dan Curtin is as innovative and vital as he has ever been.
This funky production, with the typical Dan Curtin edge, covers the sound of the past, the present and the future.
'I want you' the result of a collaboration between 3 Belgian talents, discovered by Melodymathics. Amtek&E-Freak ft. Mike Ekim are bringing the contemporary club sound, though remaining funky and soulful, with catchy vocals. A real dancefloor killer!
Melodymathics holds the tradition alive to indulge the vinyl dj's. This time the funky loops are provided by the mysterious Melodymann and Sjef Wanders.
Prolific electronica polymath Emika found acclaim once again this year with new studio album 'DREI', an opus that picked up Ibiza Spotlight's 'Album Of The Week' accolade and was called a fascinating album' by Rolling Stone. With six new remixes on this EP, further life has been breathed into her latest LP - with stunning results.
UK techno legends The Black Dog provide a foreboding rework of Battles, all brooding pads, electro glitchery and stomping breakbeats.
Kamikaze Space Programme's version is more dramatic still, returning the favour after Emika appeared on his own 'Choke' recently.
CNCPT (Brenda, Natch Records) kicks off the remixes of What's The Cure with an industrious slab of dubbed-out, reverb-heavy techno, doing away with Emika's vocals entirely and instead making use of her sound design expertise with subtle finesse.
Mysterious German Clone and Bunker affiliates The Exaltics tap into their electro roots on their rework with a thick, rubbery bassline working its way under a simple, atmospheric arrangement that allows Emika's honeyed delivery to take centre stage.
Borai (Tasteful Nudes) teams up with Emika herself to provide a stripped-back, heavily-swung, stomping take on the track, boiling it down to its melodic and textural essence.
Eomac rounds off the package with his stunning string-laden instrumental interpretation.
NORD Records is welcoming DJ Guy on the label for their ninth record. The release is a double 12 inch with tracks produced in 1993-1997. DJ Guy was able to find and restore these tapes which results in a vinyl release from NORD.
Tough, to the point, no-nonsense machine music is a longstanding Midwestern tradition.
Drawing a line all the way back to the old guard, The Bunker New York's latest EP is Walk The Distance, courtesy of Mark Verbos, a techno veteran and New Yorker by way of Milwaukee who put together four pieces of heavyweight dancefloor artillery, informed by an intimate, inside-out knowledge of the machinery used in the production of these tracks.
"I've been doing this for a long time. In the beginning, there was only hardware, and it feels better to make music with physical objects. Plus, I make hardware, too," says Verbos, recounting his production processes. Verbos not only produces music, he also produces the hardware he uses to make music—his company, Verbos Electronics, manufactures Eurorack synthesizer modules with a vintage sensibility. When he's making music, Verbos says, "I try to get to know the devices I use well enough that whatever I imagine can come from them. Techno is machine music. When I'm recording, it's just me and the machines."
The music, however, speaks for itself. No punches are pulled here—the record starts in top gear with "Start Up Drive," a devastating techno bomb centered around a throbbing, repeating bassline and a meaty kick drum that builds to a massive climax in the span of five minutes. "In The Back Room" kicks the tempo up a notch, featuring spaced-out atmospheric synth leads floating atop syncopated percussion. "Just A Little Late" is funkier than the other two, built around a rubbery, insistent synthesizer groove that worms its way deep into your head and doesn't let go.
The aforementioned three tracks alone would comprise a solid techno EP suitable for any number of dancefloors. But the last track on the record—its namesake—shifts gears entirely. "Walk The Distance" is a moody, pulsing slow burner, introspective and emotional. It's a haunting listen that adds remarkable depth and complexity to the record. "Walk The Distance, the track, is a reference to the fact that music is not a career. Any advice you could offer someone on how to have a successful career doesn't really apply to a career in music. By that I mean to say, process is everything, and the results don't really matter."
Sage advice indeed, but judging by Walk The Distance, Mark Verbos has figured out how to produce results that matter.
German-born and raised product & our personal friend Steffen Baldo (aka Ugly Drums) has been doing quietly doing his thing for many years now. Not one for fluff, trends, or anything of the sort - he teams up with his mate Chesney for session of straight up deep, underground house business & the result is The Alec Holland EP.
Over the past few decades, there has been a seismic shift in Brazil's musical landscape. A plethora of varying musical undergrounds has developed across the nation. While Rio and São Paulo have been overwhelmed with networks of talented musicians for a long time, creative life is now bursting all over the country. Amplificador exists to document and propagate the wonderfully diverse music currently blossoming from Brazil's vivacious and geographically varied musical undergrounds. Presenting an up-to date insight into Brazilian music, this compilation draws together some of the components of 'Novíssima Música Brasileira' (brand new Brazilian music), ranging from afro-grooves to rock, to modern samba and MPB. The music reaches back across Brazil's incredibly rich musical and cultural traditions, while also taking in influence from other movements around the globe.
Having begun life in 2012 as a Brazilian music blog run by Marcelo Monteiro, Eduardo Rodrigues, Mateus Campos, and Ricardo Calazans, the aim of Amplificador is to document and propel to wider audiences, Brazilian music of the '00s and '10s generation. This is a task made more significant by obvious changes in the way music is consumed. 'People are no longer obliged to listen to what the radio and TV are presenting. There is a whole new generation that wants to listen to new bands and new sounds and we try to connect those bands with other bands, producers, fans and even the mainstream.' These changes in technology and the way music is discovered and shared have developed parallel to the proliferation of these emerging scenes. The ostensible decentralization of the music industry means the promoting and filtering work of journalists and blogs, like Amplificador, have become increasingly important, as people try to keep up with the tsunami of new music and media flooding the country on a daily basis.
Marcelo uses the example of the Mangue Beat movement to explain a trend in contemporary Brazilian music that looks both inwards, to Brazil's own musical traditions and outwards, to movements around the world to create a novel, localised identity: 'The 90's Pernambuco art-social movement was inspired by Coco, Maracatu and Forró all mixed with modern riffs and grooves. The mythical
revolutionary Chico Science, his Nação Zumbi, Mundo Livre, Siba, and many others do this blend perfectly. There are also the references to the older generations and masters - Gil, Caetano, Luiz Gonzaga, João Gilberto, Tim Maia, Jorge Benjor - as a constant inspiration for all bands.' This is very much the case for the Brazilian artists of today.
Music is unquestionably informed by place. Brazil has always been famed for its regional differences in this sense. Indeed there are still pronounced variations between the scenes of Rio, Sao Paulo, Natal, Goiânia, Belo Horizonte and Belém for example, there are also great divergences within cities and while technology has brought changes to the way musical influences are shared, there are cultural differences, rooted in folkloric traditions, that aren't going away. Expressing his appreciation for this fact, while highlighting the potential of Brazil's spread of musical flavours, Marcelo explains that 'what we have now is new ingredients to make an even better mixture.'
This compilation heavily features music from a scene in Brazil's current musical make-up, which draws inspiration from African music, particularly Afro-beat music. Abayomy Afrobeat Orchestra from Rio formed because of their shared love of the music of Fela Kuti, uniting initially in 2009 for a jam session in his honour. But what sets Abayomy apart from other groups of a similar nature, is the fact that their sound also brings with it the songs and rhythms of candomblé. In this sense, Abayomy was the first band of its kind. The thirteen members of the orchestra have a palpable current of Rio's musical heritage - its rhythms and culture - running through them. So while their sound is distinctly African, it is also inherently Brazilian. Similarly, Zebrabeat Afro-Amazônia Orquestra draw upon traditional guitarradas and carimbos from the state of Pará and fuse these with the poly-rhythms of Afrobeat to create another regional hybrid, which stays true to both its Amazonian and African roots, yet which results in a very fresh, Brazilian sound. From Belo Horizonte (capital of Minas Gerais), Iconilli are another key band on Brazil's Afro-groove scene. With influences as varied as funk, jazz and psychedelic rock, congado, mining harmonies, maracatu, coco, ijexá, carimbó, Iconilli somehow manage to balance all of these sounds in such a way that makes it impossible to pin them down. From the Northeastern city of Joao Pessao, Parayba, Burro Morto's pshychadelic afro sound leans more towards rock and funk influences, with hint of regional Brazilian rhythms such as frevo and forro. They add another flavour to the Brazilian afro-groove scene: just one of the many exciting facets of Novíssima Música Brasileira.
While African-inspired music features heavily on the compilation, it is just one of the many styles within. Ive Seixas has a fresh approach to MPB, based on traditional rhythms and instrumentation, punctuated by a pop sensibility, coupled with a powerful female vocal. As an artist she is a product of a 'Do It Yourself' outlook to creativity, taken from her love of rock growing up. In 2013 she embarked on a project of street performance: wandering, like a lonely troubadour with just her guitar. Ive and her project began to gain notoriety and shortly after, her first EP was recorded, featuring some important names of South Rio's underground scene. 'Cervejas Populares' taken from the EP, is a beautiful, sombre piece of modern Brazilian pop, with a traditional samba rhythm. Another artist of the new MPB scene is Fabricio, from the city of Vitoria, who's 'Feito Tamborim' melds rock and funk and is also clearly reminiscent of the old Brazilian masters. It's an appreciation for the national musical heritage, alongside a keen ear for melody and an acceptance of foreign influences that results in these promising new sounds of Brazilian MPB.
Sao Paulo's super group of the underground 'Passo Torto' have been at the helm of an emerging scene in the city: an innovative approach to samba which draws in and experiments with afro grooves, jazz melodies and rock structures. Their sound is naturally very Brazilian, but the nylon twang of Faira Lima Pra Ca, interspersed with ominous strings and light rolling percussion, seems reminiscent of Captain Beefheart or Tom Waits, as the band lament their frustrations with their native city through their music.
The Future of Novíssima Música Brasileira looks very bright. The main challenge (and purpose of this album) is to get the music beyond Brazil's underground and into view of international audiences. In the last 10 years this goal has become somewhat more attainable, as the Brazilian government has begun to see the internationalisation of the nation's culture as a strategic objective, with public projects gaining increased investment and backing. The continuing project of Amplificador is to reinforce this international bridge by writing, filtering and promoting the scene as a whole. There is a wealth of great music currently blooming in Brazil and using new media tools, Marcelo and the team, alongside many others, will passionately continue to get the voices of Brazil's underground heard.
Hlanganani Music proudly presents its second release from young fast-rising producer Deep Sixty. Although his name is little known outside of Soweto and Johannesburg, already Thabiso Mamogwa has shown the determination to reach beyond his immediate world and make his musical message heard. In 2010 he made it to London to take part in the Red Bull Music Academy, which is when the HLANG team first heard the tracks that make up the Mme Hayo EP. From the same momentous trip, Mamogwa managed to get into a studio with Todd Osborn (a.k.a. Osborne, Soundmurderer), resulting in the "Thursday Nights" track which Mamogwa has self-released.
The purpose of Hlanganani is to provide a channel for the talented producers of South Africa to present their craft beyond the limited reach of their own country, opening their music up to collaboration and cultural crossover in the process. With his tenacious attitude and distinctive fusion of African traditions and contemporary techno influences, Mamogwa represents the perfect example of what the label is striving for, hence they waited five years to be able to release Mme Hayo.
For more than a decade, The Bunker New York has been a nexus point for the transnational techno community.
A chance meeting at The Bunker in 2011 brought together Gunnar Haslam and Johannes Auvinen (also known as Tin Man), who became fast friends and collaborators soon after, conceiving a joint project called Romans. The Bunker New York is proud to present Romans' Ambulare Aude, a collection of atmospheric acid techno tracks following the project's debut on Auvinen's own Global A in 2014."The Roman theme opens a world to explore beyond both of our past endeavours," says Auvinen, explaining
the conceptual genesis of the collaboration. "In the same way Ennio Morricone may have conceived the 'Spaghetti Western' genre by fusing together various contemporary motifs and moods to conjure the spirit of a past era, we're imagining stories and scenes from the Roman era, trying to manifest narratives while celebrating the distortions we see looking through the murky lens of time." And while Morricone may be a conceptual reference point for Romans, their sound is anything but—instead offering up a pair of murky, psychedelic acid-etched cuts (Emona, Delmenium) buffered by a gradually unfolding up-tempo floor-burner
(Coptos).
The record is the result of several extended improvisational jam sessions in Vienna and Brooklyn in which both
artists would play off of each other in the studio. Accordingly, each of the three tracks have a slight aleatory
air about them, as though both artists are being led down an unforeseen musical path, not entirely certain of
where it leads. This culminates in Delmenium, the record's B-side, a true techno journey, featuring an emotional, metallic synthesizer coruscating against a melancholy background.
"I like to think what we make sounds simultaneously like both of us and neither of us. We both push each other
in different ways," Haslam says, recounting their production process. Auvinen adds that "(Collaboration) offers a chance to hear from someone else's perspective. Working with others, I'm often reminded of how radically different the way people hear things, and relate to them in a musical context, can be."
The Furnace Series is a two-part compilation of music inspired by a special room in the Montréal apartment shared by Booma Collective from 2012-2014. When venues to throw parties became scarce, Booma used this room leading to the fire escape in the back of the apartment - known as The Furnace - as a space for small gatherings among close friends. The Furnace Series is a collection of memories of those intimate parties and impromptu jam sessions.
Part one features four tracks by Booma Collective founders and friends, beginning with 'Psyche' - a hypnotic, dub-techno inspired composition with oscillating, piercing sounds, evoking whistling flurries. Solpara's 'Garden in the Furnace' echoes the hollowed-out concrete architecture of The Furnace itself, filling up then emptying its atmosphere with layered drum machines and ghostly voices. 'CF01 is the result of feedback experimentation carefully arranged into a slow tribal jam.. Oren Ratowsky. producer of Booma Collective's first vinyl release, rounds off the B side with 'Gorby', an eleven and a half minute exploration of his mastery of analog synthesizers.
Russia's Art Crime seemingly came out of nowhere with his first record and it blew us all away at Phonica. Lead track 'Release' was pure nineties house nostalgia, a huge reverbed piano over skipping drums that became an instant shop classic. We just couldn't get it out of our heads!
Needless to say we reached out to Art Crime instantly, hoping to lure another 12' of material from him and with the 'Obsession EP' we are blown away with the results. Art Crime has delivered another anthemic record, four tracks of melancholic house music, sounding both of the past and future.
The title track 'Obsession' is another massive piano laden House beauty, permeated with shim- mering synth stabs. Up next is 'Show Interest', with its almost-oriental synth melody glowing over a cold arpeggiated electro pulse. On the flip, 'Eye Contact's glacial pads and piano are followed by 'Rise Fall Run', the most restrained track of the set, an etheral journey through the clouds.
As with his first 12', Art Crime is behind the front cover artwork, with the reverse based on Jack Featherstone's layout for our previous release.
Let's focus on Ricardo Tobar: Born in Chile and now residing in France, Tobar picked the "creative border crossing" as the common thread for his album "Collection". Musical experimentation and crossing musical borders - Tobar refers here directly to the style and sound of the great new-wave-bands of the 80s and 90s. With the help and influence of their new electronic instruments (that often met classic rock guitars) the post-punk-electronic-movement turned almost everything upside down. No matter if the result was moody and mysterious or romantic and hedonistic, all sounded new and different back then and paved the musical path for a whole generation - the reverberations of that episode are noticeable until today.
Tobar plays with the musical approach of the post-punk-era, he mixes, merges and experiments fearless with styles and moods. He creates a wide range of "own styles" and even dives into abstract sound fields - listening electronic in best form! Ricardo Tobar breathes the air of his own musical universe and is not refering to the typical styles of this genre - you won't find any Detroit, Berlin or Sheffield reference here. Although produced in France, Tobar's album doesn't have anything of the sweet and lovely french listening touch. It also won't beam you into the north of England and the grey and cold Sheffield winter like so many other electronic albums try to do.
"Collection" contains full compositions, sound collages, experimental sounds and even proper beat based tunes. Tobar rather creates than produces and is presenting a bigger picture with his collection. Many electronic music artists are trying to do this however Tobar delivers a collection with an impressive range and it seems he did all this in an almost nonchalant way. He plays and combines his instruments and sounds at the same time very sensitive and harmonic but also brave and dissonant without risking to be inaudible at any point. He creates atmospheres by using electronic sounds and layers. Listening to the sound of "collection" almost appears like reading an acoustic book. This album is full of interesting sounds and ideas and is far from being boring or even too demanding.
I am very happy and excited to present the new EP by 'Claudia Anderson' on Singular Rec., it's her second release on the label and it's a real pleasure.
She cooked a really varied record once again, 'Liquid Forms' takes place on A1 and it's real voodoo here, the effect of this track is very unique, it's space and deep, surrounded by many little effects that give such a special result, then comes 'Neutral State', a timeless dub & house feeling, very loopy, that reminded me some STL cuts.
'Be One' opens the B... I ve been really sensible to its very sexy percussion's play and delayed lead, it transports literally during all the length, it's very high quality.
To end properly this ep, Claudia did a superb ambient cut, everybody knows I love ambient and so here I ve been charmed... it's a deep, noisy atmospheric track that close the all perfectly, with simple little percussions that come and go, just what it takes...
It's a confirmation of all the good I thought about Claudia's talent, a very subtle, deep and charming record, and I hope you will like it as much as I do!
Marcelus.
Following the recent reissues of Pop Impressions (UR000651) and
Super America (UR000651), Underdog Records label follows-up
to the series with another brilliant album by French underrated
composer and producer, JANKO NILOVIC.
JANKO NILOVIC certainly was one of the greatest studio talents of
Europe in the 70s!
He is a musician who devotes himself to music, which resulted in a
great number of published works, but most of them made for library
music labels and also not available for sale.
His oeuvre stretches from classical, jazz and funk to pop, psyche
and easy listening. And has been sampled many times by hip-hop
artists such as JAY-Z, DAFUNIKS or GUTS...
2015 sees the return of Welsh psychedelicists White Noise Sound with their second album 'Like a Pyramid of Fire'.After honing their craft across the UK and through Europe - with the likes of Super Furry Animals, The Warlocks, Spectrum, Mark Gardener (Ride) and members of Spacemen 3, Spiritualized and The Brian Jonestown Massacre - WNS completed their debut album in 2010 with the assistance of Pete Kember (Spacemen 3 / Spectrum / E.A.R) and magician Cian Ciaran (Super Furry Animals). Released by cult California based label Alive Records (whose back-catalogue includes releases from The Black Keys, Beachwood Sparks, Iggy Pop and James Williamson and The Soledad Brothers) in 2010 (US) / 2011 (UK), the eponymous debut was greeted with widespread critical acclaim and WNS toured through Europe in its support. 'Like a Pyramid of Fire' sees the band take their trademark wall of sound - at once relentlessly pulsating and blissed-out - and conjure from it a sonic palette with range and depth. WNS worked closely with producer / DJ Phil Kieran and again with Cian Ciaran and the result is a metronomic and hypnotic onslaught of melody, groove and exploration which goes beyond the standard tropes of psychedelia.
White Noise Sound will be playing a special London show as part of the Convergence Festival on Monday 16th March 2005 (with label mates Eat Lights Become Lights and guest DJs Andrew Weatherall and Ben Osborne)
The follow-up to the great Holla EP by Johannes Brecht Henrik Schwarz's Sunday Music imprint. In the meantime labels like Mule Musiq and Boso succesfully released their own Brecht tracks and extended the audience worldwide. In My Time Of Dyin' continues the deep, musically output of Henrik Schwarz's Sunday Music label in the best way possible. Very recent, reflecting jazz, classical minimal music into electronic music. Deep trippy music with a strong swing on the A-side. Cleverly written music patterns with a hypnotic vibe. Side B features a live jazz version in 6/8 signature on piano and drums (drummer of german popstar Max Herre). Johannes Brecht is by the way the classical music arranger on Henrik Schwarz upcoming full orchestra album, coming in April 2015. When Henrik Schwarz heard the music from Johannes Brecht he knew now was the time to reactivate his label SUNDAY-MUSIC again that hasn't released a record in quite a while now. Johannes is a wonderful musician that plays bass and keyboards and also writes music for orchestra. When a classically trained musician looks into electronic music and manages to bring together the best of both worlds the result can be very exciting.
Hot off the back of the their successful inaugural release from Quenum & Cesare vs Disorder, the young Barcelona label continues to drive forward with their mission to move people by drawing from an expansive and expressive universe of melodic and rhythmic sounds. The result of this is a carefully curated, limited edition of vinyl and digital releases, and next in line is a brand new EP from Russian producer and DJ, Tripmastaz. Andrew Guyvoronsky (aka Tripmastaz) is the one of a few underground producers from Russia to make serious tidal waves in the dance community gaining world-wide recognition and respect from fans, media and DJs alike. On top of his tracks being featured in a variety of famous compilations such as Fabric and DJ-Kicks, Tripmastaz has been focused on a busy touring schedule and on making Russia decidedly more funky for the past 10 years. This new EP melds the stripped back with the downright, dirty bass bombs synonymous with Tripmastaz's style. Title track 'Ain't Made 4 U' is a swirling house-funk journey that is built to move bodies across floors. 'Live from the Basement' takes things back a little with a more minimal approach to percussive techno then Christian Burkhardt & Andre Buljat's remix of EP opener slams us back to the heady, peak-time dance floor, before HITCH closes out the EP with his rolling and hypnotic take on the A-side. Good taste will always prevail.
[C] B1 | Ain't Made 4 U (Christian Burkhardt & Andre Buljat remix)
Since its 2005 debut, Torsten Profrock's T++ project has grown in stature and scope to the point where it's admired by fans of techno, dubstep, d'n'b and experimental electronics alike, and annexed by none. Anchored in the kind of scuffed, sub-heavy atmospherics Profrock developed in his 90s recordings for Chain Reaction, and naturally influenced by his work with Robert Henke as Monolake, the sound of T++ is singular, always evolving, difficult to fix.
Long ago snagged by the rhythmic innovations of the post-jungle underground, here Profrock makes explicit his debt to the radical fringe of UK garage. Snapping 2-step rhythms are at the heart of all four tracks; for all the distress, deconstruction and detournement they undergo at his hands, the spirit and swing of the British soundsystem tradition is unmistakable.
Further, Wireless is a kind of remix, a commission, shot through with the contorted samples of voice and ndingidi from a handful of old East African 78s (collected on the Honest Jon's compilation Something Is Wrong).
The result is a record that sounds at once ancient and modern, possessing a unique tonal language, and with it a curious, almost occult power — his most expressive, energetic and fully-realised work, affirming the enduring fundamentals of the T++ aesthetic even as it steers it into uncharted climes.
Supporting Jesus & Marychain in Cardiff on 22nd February.2015 sees the return of Welsh psychedelicists White Noise Sound. This single is taken from their second album 'Like a Pyramid of Fire' out in April 2015.After honing their craft across the UK and through Europe - with the likes of Super Furry Animals, The Warlocks, Spectrum, Mark Gardener (Ride) and members of Spacemen 3, Spiritualized and The Brian Jonestown Massacre - WNS completed their debut album in 2010 with the assistance of Pete Kember (Spacemen 3 / Spectrum / E.A.R) and magician Cian Ciaran (Super Furry Animals). Released by cult California based label Alive Records (whose back-catalogue includes releases from The Black Keys, Beachwood Sparks, Iggy Pop and James Williamson and The Soledad Brothers) in 2010 (US) / 2011 (UK), the eponymous debut was greeted with widespread critical acclaim and WNS toured through Europe in its support. 'Like a Pyramid of Fire' sees the band take their trademark wall of sound - at once relentlessly pulsating and blissed-out - and conjure from it a sonic palette with range and depth. WNS worked closely with producer / DJ Phil Kieran and again with Cian Ciaran and the result is a metronomic and hypnotic onslaught of melody, groove and exploration which goes beyond the standard tropes of psychedelia.
White Noise Sound will be playing a special London show as part of the Convergence Festival on Monday 16th March 2005 (with label mates Eat Lights Become Lights and guest DJs Andrew Weatherall and Ben Osborne)
Uncto's seminal 2013 release Pain was an uncompromising exercise in rhythmical brutality amidst a conflux of themes of suffering, industry, man, and machine.
The record now sees itself reinterpreted and reimagined under the auspices of some of the scene's most eminent and accomplished forerunners in what is perhaps, as it arrives on an opulent red double-vinyl format, the label's most ambitious addition to its catalog to date.
Long-time trailblazers Exium first take on 'Dirty Minds' as they apply their unequalled peak-time treatment. While retaining the driving force of the original, the Spanish duo transmute its somber sense of narrative into a singular and infective pattern that unrelentingly maintains its intensity throughout. In contrast, Frenchman Mondkopf's reconstruction is a radical departure from its progenitor, almost as if the merciless titular oppressor ('Schinder') has been injected with an empathogenic truth serum and made to face the toll of his deeds. Serving as his final penance, the resultant insuppressible melodic radiance gushes to the fore as powerfully as his remorse and tears.
Continuing on the second record, Canadians Orphx draw upon the immense and unwieldy cyclicality of 'Judas Cradle' as they deconstruct the torture device into a prolonged yet unfaltering dirge. Harnessing the raw power of the original, they adroitly fuel and layer the modular solemn synths of the drawn-out nine minute epic. Finally, the unequivocal master of industrial cannonry, Ancient Methods (DE), takes on and reins in the unyielding beast of 'It,' leaving the monster not only tamed but fully subjugated to his will. Now capable of executing the most inscrutable order, itsees itself violently degenerated to the barest of elements and recombined anew, with the cadence of its frame shifted and staggered to the striding rhythm of a being more machine than flesh. Providing solace and closure are Uncto themselves, as they complement the compositions with two droning interludes.
Mastered by CGB at Berlin's Dubplates & Mastering, Pain Remixes will be available at fine vinyl retailers
Absent EP produced by the Spanish musician Sendo, is the result of his lifelong passion for sci-films and the aim to translate these movies into sound. Three tracks engaged into esoteric electronic and ambient-styled music. A very adventurous trip through utterly deep soundscapes and mysteriously rattling compositions with a cinematic approach.
Radio support from Benji B & B Traits (BBC Radio 1), Nemone (BBC 6 Music), . DJ support from Ben UFO, Joy Orbison, Caribou, Tessela, Mosca, Kowton, Ron Morelli, Bok Bok
Print features confirmed in Groove, Beat Mag, Faze (DE), Tsugi (FR), DJ Mag (IT), Volkskrant (NL), The Gap (Austria)
Print reviews confirmed in Mixmag, The Wire, Crack, DJ Mag, Uncut (UK), Blow Up, Rumore, Rockerilla (IT), Irish Times (IE), Musikexpress, Doppelpunkt, Westzeit (DE), Exclaim (CA)
Online features / premieres: The Fader, NPR, XLR8r (USA), The Quietus, Dummy (UK), Wasabeat (JP),
Hessle Audio are excited to announce the release of the self-titled debut album by Pearson Sound, aka label co-head David Kennedy. Characteristically minimalist in approach, its nine tracks use a handful of elements to craft mesmerising, self-contained worlds, alive with motion and near-subliminal detail: from vast and inky landscapes, to electrifying rhythm tracks, where layers of percussion and bass tumble over one another like rocks in a landslide. Recorded between 2013-4, Pearson Sound documents a distinct phase of Kennedy's studio explorations. "I had a signal chain set up that I was really happy with, and I started sending my machines through the same processes" he says. Expanding upon the techniques underpinning his recent REM and Starburst 12"s, its tracks emerged swiftly through improvised jam sessions, some were captured in a minimum of takes, while others later took shape through extensive sculpting and post-processing. "A lot of it was made by feeding the the same sounds between two different pieces of equipment and they'd end up feeding back between each other and snowballing. On some tracks it's about harnessing that and taking it to the brink before it disintegrates, and some of them are about just letting it go full-blown out of control." The result is a record of striking contrasts: bold, stark and visceral, yet also subtle, harmonically complex and deceptively playful. While Pearson Sound's livewire percussive energy remains inextricably rooted in the club, this exploratory studio process has created Kennedy's most wide-ranging yet coherent body of work to date: a suite of thrillingly impulsive, expressive and open-ended music, untethered from restrictions of form.
Working on opposite sides of the landmass we call Canada, Vancouver/Montreal duo Potatohead People (producers Nick Wisdom & AstroLogical) have been making waves for quite some time with their signature jazzy boom-bap meets boogie inside the bassbin vibes. Called a "formidable tandem" by OkayPlayer, their sounds have been championed early on by the likes of Kaytranada, Soulection, Nightmares on Wax, Pomo, Exmag, Big Boi, and Phife Dawg. After a few early releases on Vancouver based netlabel Jellyfish Recordings, Brooklyn's Bastard Jazz reissued their 2012 landmark Kosmichemusik EP and pressed a 7" released on Valentine's Day 2013. The association landed their song "Back To My Sh*t" (featuring Frank Nitty of Frank'n'Dank) on a Powerade produced LeBron James documentary and Nick and Astro began working on a debut LP for Bastard Jazz, presented here.
Big Luxury draws from influences disparate as classic jazz, prog rock, disco 90's hop, DJ Shadow-Era downtempo beats, alongside modern influences like the Brainfeeder crew and new electronic sounds coming out of Nick Wisdom's adopted hometown of Montreal. What's resulted is a finely honed, extra buttery album that effortly glides between tempos, but never loses the mood. The album also features a whole host of guest vocalists - J Dilla's younger brother Illa J, legendary Canadian MC Moka Only, New Zealand's Sorceress, and Amalia all provide contributions to the sounds within. Big Luxury is a velvety ride through vibes and a magnificent debut for these talented young Canadians.
Our 14thDubplate in the series sees young recruit Bopperson step up to the plate for the very first time. His unique approach, recording 45s at 33 RPM and then editing from there, delivers dance floor friendly results.
Side A sees Harry Coade's version of Michael Jackson's Remember The Time get the slow & synthy treatment. While on the flip, chesty country legend Dolly Parton gets deep as her voice and those strings are slowed and stretched by Bopperson for a cunning take on the heart wrenching Jolene.
