Review: Donato Dozzy has long been one of techno's most inventive and singularly minded talents. Even so, this latest full-length - his first since 2013 - is pretty conceptual. There's something more than a little Matthew Herbert-esque about Dozzy's desire to create an entire album out of the near operatic vocals of Rome-based singer Anna Caragnano. Using nothing but her voice - harmonies, solos, grunts, whispers, speech and dreamy freestyle passages - and a swathe of sound effects, Dozzy creates a rich, evocative, often spine-tingling range of largely ambient, otherworldly tracks. There are occasional rhythmic passages, of course - see "Festa (A Mattola)" in particular - but for the most part the Italian producer concentrates on textures and atmospheres. The results are rarely less than beguiling.
Review: Singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Carla Dal Forno was once a member of a number of legendary Australian outfits. These days, the Melbournian resides in Berlin, which is presumably where she met Blackest Ever Black boss Kiran Sande. He loved her clandestine, atmospheric take on pop - think minimal wave, cold-wave and early Joy Division mixed with contemporary ambience, and leftfield synth-pop - and has decided to put out this debut album. Comprised of four songs and four instrumentals, You Know What It's Like has a timeless feel; the folksy, Scott Walker-influenced "Dry In The Rain", for example, sounds like it could have been recorded at any point over the last 40 years, while "Dragon Breath" has a genuine Radiophonic Workshop feel.
Review: With an artist name like Dali Muru & The Polyphonic Swarm, and an EP title of Murmer of The Bath Spirits, the fact at least part of this record features a narrative about spiritual awakenings in bath houses, set to an eerie, atmospheric ambient soundscape, will surprise very few people. A 15-minute trip into the ether, noises and tones are as wet as they are warm, and the experience like heading out to uncover a faery land mystery.
Things get a little less specific on the appropriately christened 'Track 2', which moves us on from the dreamy quiet into a place that's more forceful, purposeful, harsh, perhaps even darker. Hypnotic loops set above staccato beats, grabbing hi hats and other elements as the track grows in ear worm qualities with each second.
Review: Minimal wave pioneer Das Ding aka Danny Bosten is back after ten years on Electronic Emergencies with a nicely curated collection of archival tracks sourced from early 80s tape recordings. Working with friends in a bedroom studio in the Dutch countryside, Das Ding crafted raw, experimental music with cheap analogue equipment that drew on new wave, early EBM and proto-techno. Listening back now these sounds are unmistakably Das Ding and this clear vinyl pressing preserves the original lo-fi atmosphere with meticulous remastering by Ruud Lekx. A real triumph of the DIY spirit of the era.
Random Acts Of Senseless Violence (Dai Fujikura remix - bonus track) (6:37)
Review: Since the glorious synth pop years of Japan, David Sylvian has journeyed into many other realms as a musician. The experimental nature of his formative band set the tone for a career of genuine intrigue, demonstrated wonderfully on this compelling album from 2009, reissued as a double vinyl release to foil some astronomical second hand prices. Manafon centres around pieces of free improvisation, experimental rock and chamber music, with Sylvian's eloquent voice guiding your ear through all manner of fascinating soundscapes and story scenes. With contributors including Christian Fennesz, Evan Parker, Keith Rowe and Toshimaru Nakamura, this is a widely hailed piece of leftfield art that ranks as one of the brightest jewels in Sylvian's glittering career.
Review: Given the underground acclaim heaped on Marie Davidson's previous albums - ultra-stylish affairs that blend elements of minimal wave, dark Italo-disco, off-kilter electro and moody ambient - it's little surprise to see her popping up on Minimal Wave offshoot Cititrax. The album's nine tracks are largely sharp, rough and fuzzy, with sparse-but-dense drum machines rhythms underpinning bouncy, delay-laden synth lines, thrusting electronics and Davidson's sleazy, spoken word vocals. It's an attractive combination that guarantees thrills throughout, from the almost claustrophobic throb of "Denial", to the mutant electrofunk bounce of "Good Vibes".
Review: Joao De Bruco and R.H. Jackson come together here for what is said to be one fo the first proper fusions of electronic sounds with Brazilian percussive music. Synths, samplers and sequencers were a novelty in Brazil in the 1980s but this avant garde masterpiece showed the way forward. It's stuffed with references relevant to the ties and is both audacious and inventive with its off balance rhythms and woozy melodies. The original small pressing sold-out in 1989 and has been expensive and much sought after since. Remastered from the original tapes, this new reissue is an absolute must.
Review: Scott Monteith returns with his first solo Deadbeat album in five years having recently collaborated with the likes of Sa Pa, Om Unit and The Mole. As ever, Monteith's long-standing dedication to dubwise experimentation drives his music forward on this new set, and there are some welcome threads that run further back in his career. 'Brick Stick Blick Blade (Anger II)' features a vocal flow from Black Noble Oluokun, who first collaborated with Monteith on the 2007 album Journeyman's Annual. That's but one standout element in an album rich with soundsystem immersion and techno propulsion delivered with the meditative poise that we always expect from Deadbeat.
Review: New 13 track album via Columba Records. LP vinyl is ltd to 500 copies & the CD format will increase in price to £7.77 after 30 days. This U.S. 3-piece will bring their heavyweight sonic intensity to the UK for an eight date tour of major cities in May-June. Strong press support across NME, Q, Uncut, Mojo, Clash & other music mags. Specialist radio support (XFM/6 Music).
You Might Think He Loves You For Your Money But I Know What He Really Loves You For It's Your Brand New Leopard Skin Pillbox Hat (2:42)
Anne Bonny (3:25)
Two Heavens (2:58)
This Is Violence Now (Don't Get Me Wrong) (2:36)
Birds (4:36)
Feels Like A Wheel (2:19)
I'm Overflow (3:10)
Big House (2:18)
Government Plates (2:41)
Bootleg (Don't Need Your Help) (2:07)
Whatever I Want (Fuck Who's Watching) (6:26)
Review: The third full-length from experimentalist punk/hip-hop trio Death Grips originally arrived in 2013, just a mere year on from their exceptionally warped debut LP The Money Store and its equally depraved sophomore follow up No Love Deep Web. Made up of math-rock drummer extraordinaire Zach Hill, programmer and synth mangler Andy Morin, and of course the confrontational MC Ride; Government Plates proved the collective were seemingly unable to artistically sit still, while refusing to exude a modicum of stagnation in their prolific early days. Celebrating its ten year anniversary, while just finishing up a chaotic headline set at this year's Outbreak Fest held in Manchester, the mystique and allure of Death Grips has only continued to swell with time, and this overlooked gem (as it falls between two of their most quintessential projects) couldn't be more in need of vital appreciation and reappraisal.
Review: Jean Pierre Decerf's records have been sampled by top talent in the game (Wu-Tang Clan's RZA) and have also been massively inspirational to the likes of indie talent such as Air. However, the Parisian has always been something of a recluse and it's only now that his best moments have been collected into a definitive compilation by Born Bad Records. As both the cover and title suggest, this stuff is pure psychedelia from start to finish and tracks like "Like Flight" are simply stunning, where freaky guitar riffs meet with twisted synth patterns, funky percussion swings and seductive vocals. Not to exaggerate or anything but this LP might well be the best thing that's landed here at Juno HQ this week and you'd be silly not to pick it up. Essential electronic and discofied innovations.
B-STOCK: Record sleeve damaged, product in working order
Superstructure
Urban Practise
Wolkenbugel
Perspective, Moscow
Habitation
Dirty Realism
Miniaturasition
Review: ***B-STOCK: Record sleeve damaged, product in working order***
Bringing together a joint history that could keep Simon Schama in brogues for the rest of his days, "Superstructure" marks the union of Christopher Dell - author, director of the Institute for Improvisation Technology Insel and, most importantly, World-renowned vibraphone player - and Roman Flugel (aka Alter Ego, Acid Jesus, Soylent Green etc.). The results are predictably awesome. Plundering styles like coked up Vikings, 'Superstructure' flickers into life through the opening title-track, wherein a Jelinek-esque cushion of wing-clipped syncopations and glitch-fed jazz rustle towards a muted conclusion. Preventing any kind of complacency, Dell & Flugel immediately swap scripts, inviting cascading xylophones and throaty breaks for the duration of "Urban Practise"; a sound which is abandoned wantonly for the scattered vibes-drum duet of "Miniaturisation" and the Hancock flirtations of "Wolkenbugel". Dabbling in blue-sky techno on "4 Door Body Cell", hypno-glitch for "Dirty Realism" and jazz-tickled drum & bass "Habitation", Dell & Flugel prove they're jack of all trades, master of, well, most...
Iolaire (feat Morfydd Clark & Mabe Fratti - part 1) (4:52)
Iolaire (feat Morfydd Clark & Mabe Fratti - part 2) (5:22)
Iolaire (feat Morfydd Clark & Mabe Fratti - part 3) (4:10)
Iolaire (feat Morfydd Clark & Mabe Fratti - part 4) (2:41)
Review: Talk about taking risks. Delmer Darion's jaw-dropping second album is like no other you'll hear this autumn. Trust us. Taking inspiration from legendary tales like Jules Verne's Voyages Extraordinaires, the record is split into two powerful halves. On the one side, industrial electronica and bewitching vocals meet in this abrasive but beautiful sonic place that owes as much to darkroom pop as it does experimental synth-dom. Blending elements of shoegaze, ambient and doom folk, it's a place thick with mystery and awe, wonder and, to a lesser extent, fear, and one you want to spend plenty of time in. Part two, meanwhile, does away with what small amount of convention was there before, and opts for an 18-minute spoken word masterpiece, rooted in Arthurian lore but at surface level focused on the 1919 sinking of HMY Iolair, off the coast of Stornoway.
Review: Dettinger's Intershop delicately navigates the realm of ambient music, inviting listeners into a realm where loops and jumps coalesce into a mesmerizing sonic journey. Each track, a miniature world of its own, boasts precision and allure, creating a cohesive yet dynamic listening experience. Through meticulous attention to detail, Dettinger crafts a therapeutic soundscape that encourages mindfulness and contemplation. The album's modest rhythms provide a gentle push forward while allowing space for introspection. With echoes of classic ambient techno and dub, Intershop achieves a rare balance between background and foreground, offering a tranquil yet engaging musical backdrop. It's a gem of sonic minimalism that captivates the mind, heart, and ears, leaving a lasting impression of completeness amid life's ever-shifting parts. 2024 brings us a remastered version now that enchances the audio spectrum for a real treat.
Review: Dettinger's Oasis, originally released in 2000, is an ethereal symphony of ambient textures and minimal techno. Its unique blend of orchestral elements, effects, and occasional beats creates a captivating and strangely peaceful sonic landscape. Each track offers a hypnotic journey. 'Oasis #2' pulsates with a gentle rhythm, while 'Oasis #3' transforms Balearic melodies into grainy memories. 'Oasis #4' showcases Dettinger's experimental side, merging techno with abstract soundscapes, while 'Oasis 6' infuses dub influences, adding a touch of warmth and groove. The album's appeal lies in his ability to fuse the organic and the electronic. Orchestral swells soar above pulsating synths, creating a sense of drama and allure. The result is a sonic oasis that transports listeners to a realm of serenity and wonder. Fans of Wolfgang's Voigt's Gas project or labels like Mille Plateaux, Staubold, RasterNoton and others may already know this masterpiece, but if you don't, then do not miss this.
Review: We live in a vastly different world to the one Aisha Devi presented her last album to. The critically acclaimed DNA Feelings was a dark, ethereal, world-making record, the kind of thing that lures you deeper into incredibly original soundscapes that feel born from theatre as much as rave culture. Five years on, the follow up Death Is Home arrives and picks up where its predecessor left off, opening on the menacing, tense and eerie 'Not Defined By The Visible'. Release information puts this as her most personal record to date, and while we'll have to take that as gospel it's certainly - and remarkably - even more explorative than ever. Tracks like 'Unborn Yet Alive' marry weird choral, twisted art rock, euphoric electronica, and more. 'Lick Your Wounds' is a synthesised opera looking for a new Terminator movie (and hopefully a good one), while 'Azoth Eyes' leaves us in completely unfamiliar territory, closing out with impact that's hard to compare.
Review: Meeting in the wonderfully intimidating and disorienting - not to mention disorganised - chaos of downtown Manhattan in the 1980s, Sussan Deyhim and Richard Horowitz struck up a lifelong partnership emotionally and creatively, sharing in a radical vision of what pop could be if it was allowed to break free from the shackles of major labels obsessed with commercial ambition. Together, people often cite them as both singular - certainly in Deyhim's approach to vocalisation - and yet resolutely abstract and varied, always moving into new territories and exploring the idea of musical languages being written rather than read back and repeated. This collection, pieced together with input from the two masterminds themselves, is wonderfully bizarre and beguiling introduction to their world.
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