Review: With previous appearances from talents such as D. Tiffany, Iron Curtis and Priori, Canadian label 00:AM bring you their fourth various artists compilation. On the A side of 00AM 004, they roped in two artists that they've have had the pleasure of hosting in Montreal over the past couple years: the inimitable DJ Fett Burger, who gives Copenhagen's Alfredo92 (Axces) a woozy slo-mo acid rework of his 'Tente Hjul' (XB3711 F3 Remix). This one is perfect tackle for getting weird at the afterhours. On the flip it's clearly more of a dub techno affair, and where this EP really got us moving and grooving: Vancouver's Elan Benaroch aka ESB with the rolling and hypnotic "Sequential Dub", followed by the glacial and cavernous thump of "Immune" by 2wo2imes taking you deeper into the Quebec winter frost.
Review: Second instalment from Belgian electro-label ZwaarteKracht, once again assembling a dream team of international producers to bring together this extraordinary selection of dancefloor tracks with dark sci-fi moods. All dynamically mastered by Karel De Backer to keep those subs moving like they should. Features Arsonist Recorder with the hard hitting retro futurism of "Brain Mode",
Deemphasis going deep on "In My Mind" with its underwater acid, Datawave served up our favourite on the darkly dystopian electro bass of "Quadrant" while Francois Dillinger's "Moon Prison" provides the abstract and minimal vibes.
Review: Within the space of two years and five releases, London Housing Trust has cemented its' reputation as one of Britain's most reliable deep house imprints. This sixth release is every bit as essential as it's predecessors, and finds Milo Smee returning to contribute under his lesser spotted Kruton alias. More commonly seen delivering thunderous acid techno as Bintus, Smee arguably provides one of the highlights of this 12" in the chugging, krautrock-influenced blast of modern day bleep-house by the name of "Square Cloud". Elsewhere, Jamie Blanco lays down some picturesque, soft-focus 808 electro, FX Machn gets all wonky and hypnotic and Facade takes us deep into dreamy, late night house territory on the pleasingly melodious "Times Ten".
Review: In recent times, Bristol's Shanti Celeste has proved more than adept at blending tough, body-popping electro beats with picturesque electronics and luscious, eyes-closed melodies. She's at it again here, following up two excellent outings on Future Times with the brilliant "SSS". Expect just the right blend of tactile, eyes-closed melodiousness, snappy drum machine work, and a fluid bassline that subtly doffs a cap to Syclops' "Where's Jason's K". Apron boss Funkineven offers his own interpretation on the flip, bringing it closer to early 808 State territory, while adding some neat, boogie-influenced synth touches and saucer-eyed piano flourishes.
Tharsis Shelter Unit - "Start Transmission" (4:13)
Stratowerx - "Zero Hour Dispatch" (5:04)
Furious Frank - "Night Rider" (5:11)
Review: It's now become traditional for the admirable Brokntoys label to begin each year with a multi-artist, compilation style EP. Predictably, this year's volume, Lesser Myesteries, is predictably impressive. Amongst the highlights you'll find a first outing from Ben Cohen since 2015 - the symphonic chords, broken techno beats and stargazing ethos of "Entrance" - a fiendishly industrial chunk of wayward electro from Tharsis Shelter Unit ("Start Transmission"), and a wonderfully atmospheric cut from Furious Frank ("Night Rider") that sounds like a melancholic electro remake of the Pet Shop Boys "West End Girls" (this is a good thing, by the way). Monotoxine's wild and wayward "Positive Thinking" - think acid electro fused with Rephlex style "braindance" - is also fantastic.
Freakenstein - "Feakin' Time (+ Freak-A-Pella)" (7:24)
Review: Leeds-born session Hearlucinate makes the leap to wax with a special series of 12"s that correspond to line-ups for parties in London, spearheaded by resident Tristan da Cunha. On this first release, Dawl shores up on the A side and sets the bar very high indeed with the killer bleep techno stylings of "Energy Overdrive" and the tough, punchy electro of "Cyborg". Da Cunha himself follows up on the B side with the equally tough and thumping "Move (Let Me See U)", a seedy and sensual peak timer if we ever heard one. Freakenstein completes the set with a rabble-rousing booty bass beat down that will appeal to those who likes their electro fast and nasty.
Gianluca Pellerano - "Arcade Game Anni 90 Razzen" (6:21)
Marco Biagioli - "Gate 5" (6:26)
F Phono - "We All Love Electro Dance" (5:04)
Review: The second release on RPX16035 takes us back into the beating heart of full-fat electro with a cast of emergent talents bitten by the machine funk bug. Digregorius is up first with 'Aurora Maia', a schlocky slice of twisted synth lines that draws parallels with labels like EYA and Partisan. Gianluca Pellerano has a definite video game soundtrack influence lingering over his track like he's battling an end of level boss. Marco Biagioli has a thumping 4/4 focus at work on equally spooked out 'Gate 5' while F Phono finishes the record off with the Italo-tinted 'We All Love Electro Dance' - a track title we can all get behind.
Review: Soma sub-label Avoidant Records recently put out a fantastic collection fo electro cuts but it was a digital only release. Now some of the standouts from it get pulled together on this fresh new 12"that joins the dots between Europe and Detroit. DJ Godfather kicks off with some rapid fire 313 electro, squirrelling bass and slick claps then 'One Direct Line' from The Exaltics is more cosmic and blissed out with lush ambient synths. On the flip, Flug goes hard with mad digital patterns and Blaktony layers up jacking drums, corrugated bass and dark hits. Great stuff.
Review: All hail The Arrival of Unisex & Ernst, the grandly titled first joint EP from vinyl debutants DJ Unisex Friedrich Ernst. The pair only joins forces for one track - the warped, squelchy, Egyptian Lover-influenced fun of 'Retro Desire' - but that allows them plenty of vinyl space to showcase their solo productions. Ernst's are on side A, with the deliciously spacey, Kraftwerk-on-pills vibes of 'Seismic Dreams' being joined by the frankly filthy, EBM-influenced throb of 'Cyborg Rats'. On his side of the wax, Unisex first opts for a fiendishly up-tempo, Aux 88-meets-Kraftwerk flex on 'All I Do Is Program', before showcasing some tougher sci-fi electro ('No Escape') and a dash of bizarre-but-brilliant slow-motion electro ('ICE 101').
Edi Jpg - "Software Mirrors" (Reflection mix) (5:15)
Jorge Gamarra - "Path5" (6:23)
Fdez - "Titotra" (7:33)
Rough Thought - "Fr4n (In Memoriam)" (7:06)
Review: Berlin's Spaecial Records return with the fourth edition of their new series, following up some great ones by Reedale Rise, Matthias Wagner and Dakpa recently. "Looping Forwardeo" is a wicked various artists EP which features the soulful broken beat of Edi Jpg's "Software Mirrors (Reflection Mix)" that's reminiscent of Slow Life man S. Moreira's work and Jorge Gamarra's (one third of Sur Records) fluttering "Path5". On the flip, Alvaro Fernandez aka FDEZ from Spain gets us all aboard the acid express on the mental "Titotra" and on the flip before Rough Thought delivers some deep and tripped-out electro bass on "Fr4n (In Memoriam)".
Mick Wilson & August Artier - "Akira's Cry" (6:59)
Review: The Exit Planet Earth series continues with the first ever collaboration between two undisputed electro-funk heavyweights Egyptian Lover & Soul Clap. Egypt knows how to rock the TR 808 like no other and has been a true player on the LA electro scene since 1984. While Soul Clap have forged their unique E-Funk sound coming out of New York City as part of the Crew Love collective. The resulting track 'Hai Karate' is a slice of superbly produced classic electro designed to rattle bass bins from Miami to Mars.
Following form in classic electro directions, Futurenauts present their debut track 'We are the Futurenauts' that brings a slower based groove reminiscent of 'A Love from Outer Space' into the cosmos and delivers a powerful message to humanity. The flip sees a welcome return to 20/20 Vision from the Maltese magician Sound Synthesis who continues the vocoded vocals but adds a state-of-the-art assault on the senses with a slamming track aimed firmly at the discerning dancefloor. EPE 08 is finished off in fine style by Mick Wilson & August Artier with 'Akira's Cry', which fuses a deep house bassline and chords with tight break beat programming and powerful lead strings.
Review: To mark a mighty impressive 20 years of PuZZling records in 2023, the label has put together this heavyweight mix of names for an EP that sounds as good as it looks on marbled vinyl. It's a truly global affair with artists from all over the world and The Exaltics kick off with 'All Of This', a typically rugged slide of electro. From there the quality never dips with Freddie Fresh jacking your body, the legendary Neil Landstrumm bringing his textbook machine madness and Umwelt closing down with 'Celestial Mechanics'. Old school electro, acid and techno heads take note, this is a must-buy.
Review: There is little to nothing that we know about the enigmatic Facket Strejkar, but what we're hearing is certainly placing the producer firmly onto our radars. Coming through on the fiery Varvet imprint, out of Germany, this is surely the best amalgamation of electro and dubstep that is currently on the scene, and we expect plenty of imitators to come busting through real soon. "Blyga Violer" is a tough, sharp-edged electro killer with undeniably UK-style bass at its core, while "Kolatorsk" launches a shape-shifting techno bullet styled on something utterly sci-fi, and the flip's "Svit & Sprit" provides us with a mean, heavy-weighted bit of industrial techno for the floor. B.A.N.G.I.N.G.
Review: Sometime Andrew Weatherall collaborator, long time guitar enthusiast and always innovative studio talent Timothy J FairPlay can do just about anything. After standout dark disco and techno offerings in the past, here he is electro mode, and is as essential as ever. 'Cerro El Condor' is an electric opera that surges on waves of acid while disquieting vocal sounds shimmer next to glassy chords. 'Sad Magic' is high grade sonic sorcery and 'Skylark II' cuts utterly loose, with crashing hits and withering chords, frenzied arps and more all adding up to an intergalactic battle royale. 'Superstition Springs' has a dark, more gritty palette but is no less cosmic or compelling.
Review: Stories of Prison sees Timothy J Fairplay returns to Emotional Response having helped shape the identity of the label in it's infancy with the release of Somebody, Somewhere back in 2012. A lot of music has come from both artist and label since then, with Fairplay's reputation as a solo artist fully established thanks to releases on a myriad of labels. Stories of Prison is a mini LP rich in the musical intensity Fairplay has instilled in all his music to date, yet there is a daring sense of diversity at play too. From the effervescent dubbed out house toughness of opening track "The Quay", Fairplay veers into subaquatic breakbeat, deep synth Love From Outer Space chuggers, and other late night sonic treats.
Review: Budapest's Dalmata Daniel rewire the electro efforts of Timothy K. Fairplay for their ninth 12", which also includes a B-side icing by none other than fellow producer Norwell. These four retrofuturist cosmopolitan jams are heard divided between the two artists, and do well to flaunt the specific valences of their production styles, which, while doing well to stick to the cosmic aesthetic, cannot help but betray unconscious stylistic hallmarks. Fairplay's is as tweezy and kick-phat as ever, with 'Caliber 9' being the obvious choice as the sonic equivalent of a 70s infographic on telecoms gone haywire. Norwell's take on the vibe is breaksier and more muted, with closing number 'Natives' being the cut of choice, burbling in a vat of liquid acid and emotive smoke.
Review: French producer Alec Falconer presents his third release, following up some great EPs on EXT and Entity London. "Flicker Zone" comes courtesy of local imprint Rue De Plaisance and sees the Parisian deliver more retro influenced flavours. From the booming high intensity workout that is the title track that goes for an electro vibe to the very Dopplereffekt influenced "Les Volets" - this is material made for the dancefloor. On the flip it's all about the chill out room though: from the mellow breaks of "L3D 121D" to the acid ambient journey "View From The L2", this 12" successfully demonstrates Falconer's vast sonic repertoire.
Review: Given that Fantastic Man's last outing on Kitjen, 2016's "Galactic Ecstasy", was one of his more interesting and on-point releases to date, hopes are high for this belated return to the German label. First up in "Solar Surfing", a spacey affair built around stuttering machine drums, intergalactic electronics and a thickset bassline. Acid-fired workout "Native Power" follows, with psychedelic TB-303 lines and minimalist bleeps riding a flowing electro groove, before closing cut "Avocado Conception" sees the Australian combine Balearic-minded synthesizer flourishes and bubbly acid lines with a slower groove. Like the rest of the EP, it's ear pleasing but surprisingly off-kilter.
Review: Comprised of Roberto Lobo and Ernesto Avelino, Spanish duo Fasenuova has been releasing CD-R and cassettes of what the duo call "battered free-noise" under the name since 2006, including an album titled A La Quinta Hoguera. Longstanding fans of the duo, Hivern Discs have elected to release a 12? vinyl release to 'Cachito Turulo' from that album together with a surprising set of remixes. Keeping in the spirit of the original track's No Wave vocals and motorik rhythms, Marc Pinol takes the track into darkly acidic territory, with a chugging remix whose creeping 303 wraps itself around nightmarish vocals. On the flip, Drexciya's Heinrich Mueller places the original's vocals within a crisp electro landscape as stark as anything he's put his name to before, but it's Legowelt's remix that hits all the right buttons, placing mad bleeps and dystopian chords over a rolling bassline that acts as the perfect foil to the ridiculously delayed vocals.
Review: Fasme is a new signee to the much loved Feel My Bicep label after the bosses, Bicep, have been riding high off the success of their own new album Isles. This French producer brings plenty to the label with his new EP, which is all the more impressive given that his first release ever was just back in April last year. These are melodic sounds with big breaks, trance chords and plenty of main room energy. 'Home' channels electro into an explosive track packed with emotion, while 'ICI" is a nebulous mix of acid synths, heartbroken chords and warped pads and 'Coton' closes down with a more pensive and reflective vibe.
Review: Fasme, aka Tom Ferreira, has made a couple of decisive moves over the past couple of years. First appearing alongside Maelstrom on Central Processing Unit, and then landing a release on Feel My Bicep, the man's talents in the field of emotionally charged electro and braindance is showcased structures of 'A Year'. Even at its more angular, the EP is grounded by Ferreira's strong sense of melody, giving it a proper quality on this outstanding four-tracker, from the warm, lightly acid-flecked climes of 'Launcher' to the more mechanoid structures of 'A Year'.
Review: Analog Concept Vol. 3 delivers a striking collection of forward-thinking deep techno, blending electro, acid, and sci-fi elements to push boundaries across its four tracks. Fasme opens with 'Crying Robot', a standout acid electro monster that's both raw and energetic, setting the tone with its sharp, robotic intensity. CCO's 'Solar Sail' follows, bringing a darker, sci-fi edge to the mix. Its blend of EBM and new beat creates a timeless, futuristic trip that feels immersive and cinematic. Side-2 kicks off with Unwonted's 'Frontier', a high-energy electro track laced with trance elements, adding a hypnotic, rave-ready vibe. Serge Geyzel closes the compilation with 'Flash', a heavy-hitting deep electro cut that dives into darker, alien soundscapes. Its deep techno undercurrents enhance the track's sense of foreboding and mystery. Overall, Analog Concept Vol. 3 captures a thrilling array of deep, futuristic sounds. Take a journey through techno's more experimental and atmospheric realms with this Russian label. Each track stands strong on its own while contributing to the cohesive, forward-thinking vision of the compilation.
Review: Long time electro champs Klakson have Fastgraph aka Frank de Groodt back on the label and he is in fine form. He seems to look to the raw and raucous Detroit style of electro for his inspiration here with four pumping and fizzing cuts. 'ROTOC' has huge hi hats and pounding drums with a decaying, frazzled lead synth burrowing deep in your brain. 'Hardknox' then ups the ante and brings high speed cyborg funk then 'Zero In On You' is a wild and wonderful collision of acid wind, coruscated drums and slapping hits. 'Dim' is all restless synth funk and barrel chested beats.
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