Review: Ilian Tape staple Andrea returns to the imprint, marking a big one for the Munich-based operation with a massive album by Skee Mask also this week. As always, UK and rave influences are abundant throughout the talented producer's work and this one is no exception. This EP is called Sktch and features the cavernous, glacial and downright knackered dub techno of 'Sarec', followed by the sinister subterranean breaks of Auxl and the meditative deep dubstep frequencies of 'Kjones' which sees him delve deeper into off kilter territory.
Review: MIDI is one of the many labels out of Romania to operate in the bottomless world of minimal techno. The first five releases have done well to establish it and this sixth is another doozy. It comes from the main man Arapu and features just two tunes, one on each side of this 12". The first is 'Explorers,' a waif, floaty light groove that evolves slowly and subtly over the course of its 12 and a half minute length. A minute longer than that on the flip is 'Noir-Jam,' a more dark and winky tune with slippery synthetic sounds, melancholic chords and rubbery drums and bass.
Review: James Bangura steps into the ring with his new Shadow Boxing EP which is named in honour of his grandfather, Carroll Daniel Smith, who boxed for the US Army in WWII. It's a punchy take on tech house from the off, with 'Hazy Recall (Airdrop mix)''s off-grid beats swinging in from all directions with same the potency as a Mike Tyson uppercut. 'Drown It Out' has a garage swing to it as it slips and sides as fluidly as Mayweather's defence and 'Shadow Boxing' floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee. Last of all is 'Analyze, Socialize' which will have you on the ropes and sweating in no time.
Review: Batu has long been in a class of one when it comes to crafting meticulously hi finely rhythms and sounds. He now steps out to launch his own new label A Long Strange Dream, with a five track EP that runs the stylistic gamut from ambient to raw and futurist techno. Churning bass and hefty hits one up 'Traverse' which rides on a menacing bassline and is action packed from front to back. 'In Tongues' is a thumping technoid banger and 'For Spirits' is a wild rhythmic work out with disrupted low ends and groaning synths. 'Through The Glass' is the Beatles closer that allows you to catch your breath.
Review: Beau operates at the sharp end of the UK electronic underground and creates an immersive, dark ambient sound that is influenced by trailblazers like Burial. His soundscapes combine ethereal textures with moody rhythms and that is very much the case here on Lacuna, his new album for Feat PLAtes. It is full of roomy sounds, icy glass synths, smeared pads, late-night moods and evocative atmospheres that draw you in ever deeper, sometimes looking over your shoulder, always lost in deep thought. A real lost tape from the short-lived night bus genre, you could say.
Review: With this latest hyper-abstract club release, Italian-born, London-based producer Big Hands straddles an impressive range from chthonic sound design to readily lock-innable grooves. Named after the Roman equivalent of Dionysus, the god of fervour, celebration, and debauchery among other vices, 'Bacchanalia I' and its three inversions touch on furrows dug between dub techno, dubstep and brutalist techno no man's lands and they grow in intensity with each passing track. By the time of our tricky and energetic favourite, 'Bachannalia III', us bacchanals find ourselves raising a blood-filled chalice, haemoglobin spilling about the place.
Review: And so Bjork's majestic remix collection continues to trickle onto our shelves and into your eardrums. The legendary leftfield pop singer / producer gives up her "Lionsong" tune for remix action from none other than Juliana Huxtable; the newcomer has only got a couple of cameo appearances to their name, but she's coming through string with this one. In essence, it's a techno tune - driven by fire kick drums and minimal sonics - but her soulful twists of vocals render it to be much more than that in the end. It's a soothing, delicate techno massage with a powerful energy.
Review: This surprise new EP finds celebrated music writer and producer Blackdown on the same EP as Burial for the first time since the latter remixed the former 15 years ago. There is a heavy Detroit influence in the far-sighted synths of 'This Journey' (VIP), with angsty vocal samples stitched into the bristling, swinging rhythm. Burial's 'Dark Gethsemane' bares all the producer's usual hallmarks - pitched up vocals, deft samples and a catchy 2-step shuffle. Blackdown then offers up a remix filled with chattery claps and UK funky rhythms to open the B-side, while Burial's 'Space Cadet' is another 2-step classic with its heady way up in the heavens.
Review: London-based Lewi Boome brings his class to this new release on Well Street, strictly limited to just 100 copies so you better act fast! 'Dust Devil' opens with a deft touch - the pinging synth lines and airy drum loops suspending you in a tripped-out world of futurism. That cerebral style continues through the lithe and elegant, dubbed-out rhythms of 'Etched Alive' and the more unsettling moods of jungle-techno cut 'Tumble', complete with distant bird calls and humid pads. 'Deep Shear' rounds out with a little more low-end grit as the fourth and final cut on a superb EP.
Review: Long dormant has laid the tried but true practice of dubstep and garage artists sampling classic horror movie dialogue, pre-drop. We're thoroughly happy to hear that new Peaky Beats sublabel Brainjuice have gone and resurrected this zombie for us. This four-tracker from the label hears label heads Peaky and Vel carefully and creatively work in as-yet unknown samples to the stew; some kind of Frankensteinish exclamation on the dubstep A1 laments the feeding of a monster "human brains", while the breakstep A2 'Bacon Dance' hears more timestretched, dystopian vocals amid wobbles. 'Don't' leans more into the kind of melodic dubstep that likes to sample R&B acapellas, and is the most refreshing of the lot.
Review: Brother Aten debuts on Bruk with a minimalist masterpiece featuring the detached vocals of Ze R. This tidy 10" is influenced by cult sci-fi and early 80s no wave so naturally presents a stark, synthetic soundscape devoid of excess. The title reflects its mood: Aten's mechanical mantras are crafted with precision on outboard instruments and explore gritty, futuristic worlds. On 'Unavailable,' resonant drones create a platform for Ze R.'s initial deadpan delivery which reveals deeper humanity as the track unfurls through crisp drums. The brief yet impactful two-parter, 'Fragmented Dystopia' is a taste of Aten's cyberpunk vision while Ze R.'s words oscillate between structure and chaos.
Review: Get ready for a wholesome spread as Coco Bryce makes his debut on the cult BXL Underground and feeds us our supper this eve. First up a little liquid refreshment in the form of 'Bubble Tea'. Zesty, punchy and reviving; this 'Soca Tek' vibe is laced with a dizzy array percussion all hitting in harmony or counterpoint. Pure natural energy. Need to line your stomach? Chow down on the techno flavoured 'Tiger Bread'. Rich in all your favourite 4x4 vitamins, this one stamps so hard you might just lose your appetite.
Review:
After his surprise drop with music writer and producer Blackdown on the Keysound label last month, the enigmatic Burial is now back with a fresh new EP all of his own. It comes on his longtime home of Hyperdub and features two more of his deft designed, ghostly deep dubstep post-nightbus joints. 'Chemz' is a strict raver filled with rushed up sounds, plenty of dance floor love and big hooks that is many different tracks, moods and vibes all rolled into one. As always, these Burial sounds look back to go forwards and do so in thrilling fashion.
Review: Is there any artist in electronic music that releases as little music yet remains as highly revered as Burial? We can't think of any. As it happens, this new Streetlands EP is actually the hallowed UK producer's second outing of 2022 after the ambient offering Antidawn back in January. As always it finds him back on Kode9's Hyperdub label. 'Hospital Chapel' is eerie atmosphere and lo-fi samples, 'Streelands' is another sparse ambient cut that is full of melancholy and 'Exokind' is the soundtrack of a faraway planet with distant solar winds and only the smallest of microbial activities for you to tune into before a signature angelic vocal brings the beauty.
Review: Repress alert! Wednesday: Hyperdub announce a new three track release from enigmatic producer Burial - his first solo work in four years. Thursday: Said records arrive on Juno doorstep. How's that for service (and secrecy)! The news came just a matter of days after the producer's collaboration with Radiohead front man Thom Yorke and Four Tet arrived on record shelves across the UK and promptly sold out amidst a frenzy of hype. There are three new tracks on offer here, namely "Street Halo", "NYC" and "Stolen Dog". First up "Street Halo" showcases the classic Burial sound; subterranean bass gurgles, trademark clicking beats and barely-there vocal snatches. A sweet childlike vocal pervades the sonic mist on "NYC" while "Stolen Dog" closes out with ethereal vocal harmonies buried deep beneath vinyl crackle. Stunning.
Review: Naturally, there's been plenty of hype surrounding this new Hyperdub 10", which features Burial indulging his often-discussed ambient influences. It's a typically creepy and ghostly affair, with the lack of beats - if not rhythmic elements - only serving to amplify the shadowy producer's impeccable sound design and brilliant use of manipulated field recordings. A-side "Subtemple" is particularly paranoid in tone, featuring as it does chilling melody loops, curious vocal samples, looped vinyl crackle and all manner of layered background noise. Flipside "Beachfires" is, if anything, even more dystopian, with Burial basing the action around the kind of pulsing chords that gust back and forth like an autumnal breeze.
Review: In characteristically fast and loose fashion, the June 2024 split release between Burial and Kode9 finally hears a 12" version only the following November, which also compounds the London label's habit of timing new Burial releases with misty year-end Brumaires. 'Phoneglow' and 'Eyes Go Blank' are complementary cracklestep and aggro jungle-juke numbers; both get at the wistful chills and phantom pocket vibrations endemic to the modern urban lifestyle, these being sensations that mask much deeper, dare-not-go-there collective emotions. Burial's A-sider is as tender as ever, typically stilted between neurotic beat-switches and fizzing breakdowns. But this time, the more beat-driven moments dart between haunted, charity shop haul Christmas compilation garage vibes, and hollowly hallowed, filtered Eurorave, continuing Burial's recent penchant for sweetness below the sonic silt. Kode9's is a much tankier yet tricksier tune, traversing glossolalic masc vocals, warring tuned Reeses, and gamey ringtone clatters.
Review: Cashmere Cat made quite the splash when he dropped Wedding Bells on LuckyMe back in 2014. In its deft balance of pristine hyper-pop, plaintive classical piano and sneaker-scuffed bass, 'With Me' confirmed his maximalist, misfit appeal in the fine tradition of LuckyMe artists, by going on to work with top tier artists like Ariana Grande, The Weeknd, Sophie, Major Lazer... the list goes on. This small but perfectly formed EP captures a moment in music perfectly, when the past decade of stylistic splintering had left the playing field pleasingly wide open and its more than deserving of a repress ten years on.
Gavsborg - "Did Not Make This For Jah_9" (feat Shanique Marie) (4:33)
Review: Techno arriving on 7" is not an all too common sight, but why not? This release from the fledgling Dispari out of Germany suggests it works well. Cloud Management and Gavsborg take one side each, starting with the former. Their 'Tempentary Dance' pairs thudding and broken kick drum patterns with dreamy and rising synth sequences and spoken words. It's brilliantly beguiling. The flip then finds Gavsborg offering 'Did Not Make This For Jah_9' (feat Shanique Marie) which is dark and moody, dubbed out and dystopian deep techno.
Review: Patrick Conway is back on ESP Institute for a third time and the returns are as brilliant as the first two outings with plenty of emotional depth on display. Opener 'Loss' sets a melancholic tone with a repeating high piano note guiding a poignant chord progression, angelic voices and a modulating synth all sinking you in. That contrasts with a gritty rhythm section made from corroded dancehall elements all bathed in saturation for added authenticity. On the B-side, 'Silencio' explores negative space and rhythmic dialogue using anthemic synth stabs to unify the more meandering melodies. When chaos and order synchronise with force like this, there is fun to be had.
Review: Adam Curtain makes a fantastic debut here on the Alien Communications label as he collides come classic bleep-laden and highly danceable electron grooves with plenty of hefty basslines. 'Slipped Disc' quacks off with some ice cold atmospheres and electro-inspired rhythms, 'Whistling Wizard' is another ice-cold blend of crisp rhythms and tiny hits with sci-fi motifs and whirring machine details. 'DRM' then brings a winky and hiccuping rhythm with some superbly stark hits and 'I Want, Want' is a stripped back rhythm with dry synths and rasping sounds that are abstract yet infectious.
Southern Coastline (Jack Lever Northern mix) (4:05)
Southern Coastline (Inhmost Coastal mix) (6:27)
Southern Coastline (Synkro remix) (5:39)
Review: Inspired by "slow and quiet life on the southern coasts of England", the debut from CVOIA - a new collaboration between producers and Captured Visions label founders Adam O'Hara and Tom Parker - offers gorgeously lolloping, lazy beats and expansive, cinematic orchestration. There's the brittle, slow motion breakbeats and woozy instrumentation of the duo's original, then remixes from four of their favourite acts: Awakened Souls, Inhmost, Jack Lever and Synkro. All the tracks are about as strenuous as an afternoon on the beach, and equally nourishing, with Synkro's rich, synth-soaked near-ambient mix a dramatic, undisputed highlight. Jack Lever's Northern Mix, meanwhile, wouldn't sound out of place nestled somewhere in Mo'Wax's first dozen or so releases. High praise indeed, but much deserved.
Review: CYBERMISSION is back on INDEX:Records with a collection of tunes that were written in Berlin between 2021 and 2022. They all offer up signature styles that fuse the delights of luminous IDM-pop with uplifting electro rhythms. We're told that themes of self-discovery, deep romance and the bittersweet memories of what we've lost all inspired the creation of these cuts and that shows in their inescapable emotions and storytelling undertones. Both introspective yet designed to get you to show outward energy, these are five fresh and original cuts to get your new year off to a flyer.
Review: The always naughty Sneaker Social Club label taps up D3U5E for this fresh bass fiver tracker. It's a celebration of the UK's rich heritage of electronic music with the plunging bass and massive thwacking hits of 'Quasar' kicking off. There are dusty jungle breaks to 'Dust Particle', twisted dubstep contortions on 'HAL9000' and fizzing broken beats with a real urban menace on 'Deckman.' Closer 'The Abyss' is a collab with Gav that rides a more zoned-out and atmospheric groove and completes a varied and vital EP once more from this crucial underground label.
Review: London trio Damos Room serve up their take on dub-inspired bass music on this new EP which emerged from a rare collaborative session in Elijah Minnelli's loft. 'Commencement' opens with a deep, droning bass groove that's topped with a stream of conscious muttering to create a moody and hypnotic sound. 'Mineral Blend' brings a laid-back dancehall vibe with dreamy echoes of past sessions and remixers Gonjasufi, Lewi Boome, Dome Zero and Polyop individually infuse the tracks with dub techno, acid and experimental twists best highlighted by Gonjasufi's haunting transformation of 'Commencement' into a misty, immersive bit of sonic menace.
Review: .German low end collective Bass Come Save Me unleash a new 45 with a strong Portland portrait as Boomarm's Gulls makes their debut on the label with a warm beat that will keep the chills at bay this winter. Add Jamaica's Wayne Daniel on the vocals and another Portland native Madgesdiq on the conscious bars and there's a vibe that sits somewhere between Roots Manuva, YT and Wyclef. Yeah it's that toasty. Stay blessy.
Review: Let's get a little slimy this season... Hooversound regular DEFT invites Manni Dee over for some superb slo-mo sludge. All flexing around the 100 mark, there's some serious swagger to be savoured across the five cuts. Highlights include the incessant insectoid buzzes of 'Busy Bee', the sudden jolt of euphoria of 'Charged' and the gut-wrenching twistedness of 'Creep'. Elsewhere 'Witchlead' pushes the drama buttons while 'Greedy' ends on the slowest tip of all as we dip down to 90BPM and get mangled to some faraway cries. Swampy is as swampy does.
Review: Lighting up the dance! Toronto / Tallinn tag-team Dima Disk come correct with their most comprehensive and substantial body of work to date. A sprawling web of heavy breaks and even heavy atmospheres, there's an old Botchit & Scarper style eeriness and tension here but brought slap bang up to the modern age. Digging into elements of prog, techno and trance just as much as it nods towards hardcore and jungle, highlights include the relentless bounce of '2kSamba' and the dreamy beatless finale 'Betty'. Ooh.
Review: Destination Venezuela: self-styled Raptor House craftsman DJ Babatr unlocks the cage and lets the pack loose right here on International Chrome. 'To-K' takes the lead with a Balie funk style stomp and old school stabs before 'Soundmind' takes over with a more rampant, electro rasp to the vibe while Amor Satyr takes 'Soundmind' in a much more technoid direction with his remix. Flip for more snappy action 'Butta' enjoys a superb, switchy remix (with nary a piano in sight) and the brilliantly titled 'Dance The Squast' closes with EP with a little hard dance panache. This slays.
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