Review: John Beltran, the iconic Detroit ambient techno producer, returns with the Il Ritorno EP on Roots Underground records, offering four new tracks of emotional techno that reaffirm his legendary status in the genre. It starts off with 'Il Ritorno,' a track featuring a heavy Detroit groove, atmospheric rises and delicate melodies sprinkled with keys. Following this is 'City Sunset,' an uptempo, melodic gem that epitomizes Beltran's signature style, evoking a sense of nostalgia and delivering goosebumps. On thje flip, 'Finally Home' stands out with its memorable melody, reminiscent of the beloved Ten Days of Blue era, bringing back the essence of his 90s work. The EP concludes with 'Carrettera,' a high-energy track that leaves a lasting impression and closes the EP on a triumphant note. Beltran's Il Ritorno EP is a great blend of emotive techno that showcases his ability to evoke deep feelings through his brand of techno.
Review: Celebrated composer, producer, techno talent and ambient craftsman John Beltran is a real Detroit don and now he is back on one of the city's own labels, Motor City Wine, with Volume 4 of Back To Bahia on 7". This one finds him going even deeper than before, starting with 'Laguna', which will soon uplift you with its Afro-Brazilian drums and live bass from James Simonson next to lush keys. 'Just Beyond The Sun' then gets fully Balearic with its mix of sultry trumpet, shuffling and Latin-tinged rhythms and wispy cosmic chords. A real delight.
Review: Detroit's John Beltran can do no wrong if you ask us, and what he does do is always famously varied, from sound design for TV to melodic techno excellence via ambient beauty. Here for MotorCity Wine he revisits his Back To Bahia series with a third volume that finds him flexing his Afro-Brazilian deep house chops. The 7" opens up with the jazzy boogie of Lsaura' which is steeped in Minneapolis funk and will get cultured dancefloors in a spin. 'As The Sunsets' that appears on the flip and is a superbly emotive sound with wispy late night melodies and glowing harmonies and shuffling Latin grooves. Essential.
Review: After his superlative and rather unexpected foray into Afro and Latin fusion with his Sol Set project, John Beltran returns to more familiar territory with a rendition of his classic mid-90s album 'Ten Days of Blue' recorded at this year's Dekmantel in Amsterdam. We get a real feel for the whole gig experience, from the sound of murmured anticipation and intro tape to the resolution at the outro and the main meat of the music itself - lively, optimistic, groovy but understated and chilled at the same time - sits somewhere between his ambient and harder techno work. Among Beltran's very finest output.
Review: John Beltran's label debut sees the maestro flexing and showcasing the full spectrum of his composing and production skills over four diverse tracks.
Metropolitan Soul Museum - "Negative Mouth" (6:13)
John Beltran - "Canarias" (6:57)
Nathan Kofi & RDS - "Bankastraat" (3:22)
Tramic - "Lanterns" (4:14)
Review: Kulture Galerie has got off to a superb start with a release that got the attention of big names such as Laurent Garnier, Midland and Vladimir Ivkovic. The pressure is on, in that case, to follow that up with a second release that makes just as much impact and the label passes the test with flying colours with a various artists' collection featuring some big names. Chief amongst them are Detroit don John Beltran with his scintillating hi-tek soul workout 'Canarias', and Bohm with the densely woven synth layers and dusty drum programming over the gorgeous 'Tactical Options!' Add in the more hard edge drums of 'Metropolitan Soul Museum's 'Negative Mouth', the melodic elegance of 'Bankastraat' and the acid madness of Tramic's 'Lanterns' and you have a vital 12".
Sanderson Dear - "A Place For Totems" (extended version) (6:10)
Review: Sanderson Dear's Stasis Recordings released the original Time Capsule compilation in 2020 - a 20-track exploration of ten different ambient techno artists exploring two ideas each in compact form for a box set of 7"s. Now the label has revisited some of the project's standout moments and offered a chance to enjoy extended versions gathered on a single 12". From Maps Of Hyperspace shaping out atmospheric halls of synth work on 'Beta' to Glo Phase offering some gorgeous, sparkling grooves on 'Fire Flies', there's plenty of ground covered on this release. Of course the mighty John Beltran is a big drawer too, and his typically stellar 'The Descendent' doesn't disappoint in its full extended version.
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