BBBBBB レコード& CD

Review: The latest missive on Bjarki's bonkers-but-brilliant BBBBBB label comes courtesy of label regular Volruptus. "First Contact" is the alien electro explorer's second album, following the release of an eponymous debut full length on Sweaty Records in 2016. It's a hugely inventive and entertaining affair, with Volruptus giddily flitting between skittish alien funk ("Tapetum Lucidum"), bass-heavy ghetto-tech insanity ("We Are The Cyborgs", "Butt Shakin' Freaks"), acid-fired workouts ("Chicxulub Space Rock"), melodious deep electro ("First Contact"), rave-addled brain-dance ("Hyperbola") and much more besides. It's the kind of album that keeps you guessing from start to finish, and there sadly aren't too many of those around.

Review: Iceland's BBBBBB return with a second release by Volruptus, who in between presented a stellar 12" for Nina Kraviz's Trip imprint. The Berlin by way of Reykjavik based producer is highly regarded for his hardware-based live set and is widely considered a rising name in underground circles. He presents yet more tripped-out and bangin' jams (on a brazenly retro tip) on the Alien Agenda EP. If the hypnotic heads-down stomper "Svinastia 3000" or the breakneck electro bass of "Surmatur" on the A side doesn't float your boat, you can try "Misanthropy (Dark Stoff) v1" on the flip. This fierce and frantic thriller reaches a BPM to that of gabber and will knock your socks off!

Review: According to the sales notes accompanying this EP, little-known newcomer Volruptus "hails from outer space via Reykjavik". Given that the record is appearing on Bjarki and Johnny Chrome Silver's BBBBBB label, we're guessing that one of those two may be the otherworldly producer in question. Musically, there's much to admire throughout, from the Kraftwerkian vocoder vocals, booming electro beats and psychedelic acid lines of "Alien Transmissions", to the sweaty, up-all-night, braindance-meets-early-hardcore insanity of "Gett Vffreakeye". Elsewhere, "Tesseract" is an on-point exercise in Drexciyan electro with subtle nods towards vintage Orbital, and "Jargon" is an electro-inspired techno roller.