Review: Karolina BNV is not to be messed with, putting it lightly. The Berlin-based producer has garnered a loyal following among fans of EBM, New Beat, industrial, electro-goth and robot sex droid fetish production scenes. The latter we just made up but hopefully you get what we're getting at. Descriptions aside, she follows her 'Lessons On Good Behaviour' release with four more tracks born from a terrifying future we're probably already living in, we just don't really know it yet. From the apocalyptic sludge and punch of 'Unforgivable Decisions', to the electro rave squelch and staccato percussion of 'Context Abuse', the two tracks roll out relentless grit and grime. Then you have '1988' and 'Germany Calling', with their retro futurism, acid house totems held high in the air for all to see that there is still some resistance to the robots.
Review: Hard-hitting Italo/darkwave from Italian group Kirlian Camera, a longtime act in the genres and one of their many defining bands. 'Communicate' is reissued from an initial release in 1983, and is as dubious and 'dark' as this kind of music can get, sounding like what would have happened to Talking Heads if each member had been given a hoverbike and rode it into a Miami sunset. Remixes from Flemming Dalum and Vanzetti & Sacco appear on the B-side - while brightening, warming and changing the instruments in parts, they prove little needs to be altered about the track in order to bring out its best parts.
Review: Next up on Bordello A Parigi is the prolific Kirill Junolainen under his Konerytmi alias with a four-track EP bridging disco, Italo, synth pop and wave. The title track is an emotive analogue ride full of glittering synths and distant melancholy, and is followed by the icy electro of 'Klassikkoelokuva' with crisp claps and bending basslines. On the flip, 'Hirvijarvi' takes a slow, sci-fi-inspired journey through spacey synths and probing percussion. Closing cut 'Uusiaalto' blends computer chirps, soaring strings and fractured drums for a bold yet fragile finish. It makes for a colourful showcase of Konerytmi's breadth and is melodic, mysterious and unmistakably good.
Review: 'Autobahn' by Kraftwerk, released in 1974, is a seminal track that redefined the future of electronic music. Its significance lies not only in its innovative use of synthesisers and electronic instruments but also in its ability to evoke a specific visual and emotional landscape. Here, the song's repetitive, motorik rhythms are given an overhaul - or more specifically three - by Jim Rider, a regular at Lee Burridge's All Day I Dream parties. They're beefed up for the floor, certainly, but maintain the kind of delicate touches that makew the original such a great listen.
Review: The superb Philoxenia Records, which is spearheaded by Luigi Di Venere and Neu Verboten, here unveils a coveted addition to its collection with the the super limited Last Place On Earth EP from Vilnius-based Dovydas Platakis aka Jokios Kulturos. It's a cinematic work that immerses listeners in a dystopian realm that blends avant-garde tones with manga-inspired cyberpunk vibes. Each track serves as a gateway to a world where technological progress intertwines with societal decline, which is of course often the focus of classic cyberpunk literature. Di Venere and Verboten also combine under their Affekt Unit alias to deliver captivating remixes and bring trance and tribal techno elements to the party.
Review: Kerala Dust are an indietronica trio hailing from Berlin, and their upcoming album 'Violet Drive' is rightly described by them as a 'pan-European dream'. Recorded between Berlin and a remote Swiss Alpine studio, this is a funky, dark and sumptuous vocal dance project, replete with an overarching nighttime swing and glossy shimmer. Rather than one for twangy, sunburnt all-American road trips, we imagine this one is far better suited for drives across milder Scandi landscapes at night.
Review: Kraftwerk's 1975 performance at Fairfield Hall in Croydon is the stuff of legend. Finally it is available as a high quality audio pressing that allows you to relive all its glorious futurism. The show was broadcast on radio as part of a short tour of the UK that came after the release of the German computer music pioneer's hugely popular Autobahn. It features tracks from that album as well as 'Die Sonne, Der Mond, Die Sterne' and 'Showroom Dummies.' A real piece of electronic music history that will spice up any collection.
Review: Recorded in 1981, Turning Japanese captures Kraftwerk at the absolute height of their creative dominance, but sometime before their true induction into the household name superstar category of artists. Still representing a very forward thinking, boundary pushing and - as a result - specialist sound, this nine-track live recording feels like yesterday's tomorrow.
Opening with a stunning neo-classical synth overture, we're then taken on a journey through the mind of the man machine, an industrial yet somehow strangely human proto-electro world that is defined by order and structure, while still allowing for enough funk and groove to make sure feet, hips and more move seemingly of their own volition. Perhaps not the most insightful take on the pioneering German band - nothing here that hasn't been said before - nevertheless we hope it goes someway to describing how precise, refined and overwhelmingly infectious they can be on stage.
Review: This gatefold green vinyl record captures a rare and electrifying live performance from the pioneering electronic music legends. Recorded at their 1997 Tribal Gathering festival headline, it's a showcase of the band's iconic sound that blends groundbreaking synth-driven melodies with hypnotic rhythms and futuristic themes. Performing classics like 'Autobahn,' 'The Robots' and 'Computer World,' Kraftwerk delivered a spellbinding experience that bridged their innovative past and continued influence on modern music all set against the historic backdrop of Luton Hoo Estate. It features plenty of their classics from the time, as well as - shockingly - a new track, titled 'Tribal Gathering' (and also sometimes referred to as 'Luton') that was written especially for the gig, never recorded in the studio and only ever played a handful of times. A great nostalgic trip.
Review: After the massive impact of Vex'd in the breakthrough years of dubstep, it was big news when Jamie Teasdale chose to swerve in his own direction and emerge as Kuedo. Released in 2011, Severant was a bold statement of intent which didn't wholly shirk what had come before, but placed emphasis on the kind of romantic synthesis you'd readily associate with Vangelis and saw trap and other influences sneaking into the mix. In hindsight, Severant is typical of the times we live in, drawing on a glut of influences and presenting its own idiosyncratic vision, but above all that the emotion and intent of Teasdale's ideas make it an enduring, captivating listen.
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