BBBBBB レコード& CD

Review: Cucumb45 is a new pseudonym from Bjarki, a fearlessly forthright producer who already boasts a shed-full of alternative aliases. Something Weirdcore is predictably bizarre and off-the-wall, but also really rather good. The five tracks offer a whistle-stop tour of some of his influences, from the late '90s, trip-hop era Ninja Tune bounce of "Music For Advertising" and electrofunk-goes-braindance business of "14 Comstack 3", to the everything-but-the-kitchen-sink hardcore/house mash-up madness of "[Karate Latte Heep Mix 4]". Arguably best of all, though, is "Something Weirdcore4", a pirate-radio friendly trip into warped '93 jungle territory with bleep techno style sub-bass and sampled children's voices. In two words: delightfully bonkers.

Review: Last time we heard from Stian "EOD" Gjevik in December 2017, he was gathering together the best of his self-released material for a fine compilation on WeMe (the must-have EODS). Here, the sometime Rephlex artist delivers his first EP of unheard tracks since 2014. There's naturally much to admire, from the vintage IDM melodies, braindance acid lines and glistening analogue electronics of life-affirming opener "Swurlk (Snarlfingercroak Mix), to the full-throttle, warehouse-friendly techno-rave insanity of "Swarm". Elsewhere, he peppers a two-step influenced rhythm track with luscious chords and bubbly analogue bass on "ELCASET_TESTGROOVE" and offers a thrilling trip into classic braindance territory (the standout "Evenhark").

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.