Review: Deeper shades of a finely sifted pedigree. Irish label Appian Sounds, helmed up by Al Blayney, champion only winnowed techno sounds, not threshed. A welcome international team huddle in, with these six artists from locales as far-flung as Amsterdam and Valencia contributing the likes of 'Tsuneo' and 'Persist'. The tunes verge melodic as they move through and beyond jankiness, distending die-cut acids and subtly synthetic humanisations, especially in the percussion department. 'Fuego' is the zen roshi's choice, its gaffered, glass-smithed pads topping off a naturalistic percussive surging forward, one best experienced with your eyes closed.
Review: We shall never apologise for our love for the work of Steve O'Sullivan. His contributions to the world of dub techno are second to none. They are also mad consistent both in style and quality which means they never age. Here he steps up to Lempuyang with his Blue Channel alias alongside Jonas Schachner aka Another Channel for more silky smooth fusions of authentic dub culture and Maurizo-style techno deepness. Watery synths, hissing hi-hats with long trails and dub musings all colour these dynamic grooves. They're cavernous and immersive and frankly irresistible and the sort of tracks that need to be played loud in a dark space. In that context, you'll never want them to end.
Review: Detroit-raised, London-based Demi Riquisimo assembles a dynamic mix of label favourites and fresh talent on Love State, the 22nd release from his Semi Delicious imprint. This six-track V/A hears offerings from Demi himself alongside Clint, Swoose, Lulah Francs, Dukwa, Anastasia Zem & Asa Tate, blending club modernity with classic analogue dance influences, sampling every sonic cate from Italo to tech house. Best among the bunch has to be Swoose's 'Re/Vision' and Anastasia Zems' 'Eternal Beauty', which bring together wasted electro, Italian new beat and trance for well-measured tinctures of dreaminess.
Review: ?aru is a non-profit label from Romania that sits at the sharp edge of the minimal underground. This new double pack of striped back tech gems will see all proceeds donated to dog shelters and NGOs supporting stray pups. Sensek opens with a slithering and groaning groove, 'Machine Morality,' for shadowy afterparties and Gringow brings a haunting melody to 'Towards The Dark & Cold.' Broascka's 'Epitelius' is an abstract affair with microscopic details scattered over a deep, dubby grove and Dragomir closes with two cuts - 'Alone With You' is a woozy late-night roller and 'Illusions feat Adina Oros' is a blissed out downtempo sound for the post-club hours.
Review: Houston's Seven Davis Jr continues his musical explorations via his Secret Angles imprint, serving three floor-focused cuts on 'Is This The Apocalypse'. The long-serving US producer, vocalist and DJ is unafraid of experimentation, and his latest offering delivers a set of forward-facing house and techno hybrids. Stripped, straight to the point, simultaneously familiar and fresh i the club room is very much the focus here. The energetic opener 'I Should Be In Japan' arrives with semi-sung vocals echoing over sleazy bass and fierce four-four rhythms, before 'PBS (Party & Bullshit)' ups the tempo with jacking drums driving spoken-word sass over a stripped-back topography. Finally, the title track powers over swung house drums, with its magnetic bass hook and looped samples providing the bed for paranoid bleeps and call-to-action vocals.
It's A Flesh Wound (Christopher Ledger remix) (7:35)
Review: Dubliner Noah Skelton brings a deep four-track helter-skelter to Zingiber Audio, topping up a well-travelled catalogue whose earprints are borne in the discographies of Amour, Daydream and Mayak. 'Formentario' and 'Pacer' deepen our hearts with fulsome beats n' bass, carefully constructed to manifest in the listener a looser, undammed destiny. 'It's A Flesh Wound', meanwhile, subtly balances emo-breaks and curious acid jazz, with a popout FM and dancing piano plinks proving particularly pacific, not least when set against *those* chords.
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