DUB Holland レコード& CD

Review: Alberta Balsam's elevated strain of electro is finding a comfortable footing, building on the impact of her Higher Dreams EP for Dekmantel in 2021 to now land on another Dutch label, DUB. Weighing in with six tracks, this is more of a mini-album than a single, giving Aniek de Rooij plenty of space to stretch out and show what her sound is all about. There's a satisfying blend of braindance-minded studio trickery and electro immediacy at play here, with a pervasive dark shroud hanging over the musical composition. The influence of Rephlex alumni isn't far behind, but de Rooij runs ahead with her influences as fuel, creating her own signature in the intricate drum programming and spellbinding synthesis that shapes out these magnificent constructions.

Review: 
A remix EP of tracks from the Calgary-native DJ & producer, 'Exshaw' was Ford looking for techno inspiration outdoors, as opposed to the dark and sweaty clubs of Berlin (where he was living at the time). This 5 track spectacular sees 5 DJs take the intricate sounds of 'Exshaw' for a spin. 'Honeyhole' is a layered, transcendental masterpiece by DJ Stingray, 'Kaki' from Alden Tyrell lends itself to the eerie and experimental nature of 'Exshaw', that moment when you are alone in the dark and you look across your shoulder just to make sure you aren't being followed. 'Maxwell' by Sansibar brings the tone straight back to the physical, reflecting on the European techno scene and it's synthetic hard-hitting style. 'D614G' is a progressive and ethereal electro experience from Monolith, leaning far left into the natural tones of 'Exshaw' with a crescendo that evokes the work of A.G. Cook and other producers who build soft instrumental into a grand crescendo that feels like floating. 'Kaki' by Zenker Brothers is the ankle weight that brings you crashing down, a heady and lucid hardcore experience that is Zenkerian in every sense of the word in its forward-thinking idea of what dance music can be.

Review:  Having spent the last few years producing music for video games and advertisements, Dutch IDM veteran Kettel returns with his first album for three years. It's as colourful, melodious and entertaining as you'd expect, with obvious nods to the likes of Plaid, Boards of Canada, Biosphere and Aphex Twin. These 1990s inspirations are combined with subtle nods towards movie soundtracks, soaring neo-classical movements (see the immersive "Here Comes The Gang"), twisted acid, and - on the delightful "Mousefort" - dusty trip-hop and dubbed-out jazz. These various influences are expertly combined to create something distinctive, kaleidoscopic, and impressively widescreen in scope.

Review: A few years back, Dutch IDM producer Kettel was beginning to build up a head of steam. He's been a little quieter in recent times, devoting most of his time to composing music for video games. Wingtip is his first album for three years, and reminds us what we've been missing. It's a colourful concoction, full of tracks that doff an oversized cap to the likes of Plaid, Boards of Canada, Biosphere and Aphex Twin. These 1990s inspirations are fused with a broader palette of influences, including neo-classical (see the superb "Here Comes The Gang"), movie soundtracks, twisted acid, and - on the standout "Mousefort" - fuzzy trip-hop and dusty jazz. The resultant set is distinctive, kaleidoscopic, and impressively widescreen in scope.

Review: While this EP from Canadian twosome M.S.L may well be brand new, the sounds they're championing reverberate with the echoes of a bygone age, specifically the early-to-mid-90s heyday of the I.D.M scene. Opener "2020" for example wraps intergalactic, braindance style lead lines and early Aphex Twin chords around a bubbly, acid-flecked ambient techno rhythm, while the whistling "Stormtech" bubbles and spits impressively while doffing a cap towards both Orbital and Detroit electro. Elsewhere, "Sundials" is a glistening supernova of far-out synthesizer melodies and bustling machine drums, while "Riviere Rouge" is a psychedelic techno number rich in bittersweet chords and poignant melodies.