Tactics Of Bass - "Big Hips Blue Gloves (No Dubs)" (7:48)
Tactics Of Bas - "Tactics Of Bas" (7:59)
The Ron Honey Experience - "D66" (7:14)
Quadruplex - "Sky Wave" (7:01)
Quadruplex - "Robot Rotate" (5:30)
Quadruplex - "G-Hop" (7:24)
The Secret Garden - "Rough Diamond" (3:24)
Review: A special white vinyl edition of a stonker of a UK techno LP. The legendariness of The 7th Voyage's Return Voyage LP is said to outstrip that of others, with the short-lived label and artist moniker of one Joe Smilovitch locking in a "lost album" compiling works by fellows Tactics Of Bass, The Ron Honey Experience and Quadruplex for gem-hunters. That's the cherry on top of two already-wonderful single-EPs from the Smilovitch himself, 'The Predator' and 'The 4 Point', both from 1996. Pariter deem it "an exceptionally rare issue of a highly sought-after classic", and we can vouch for that. Wicked tunes all round.
Tactics Of Bass - "Big Hips Blue Gloves (No Dubs)" (7:48)
Tactics Of Bas - "Tactics Of Bas" (7:59)
The Ron Honey Experience - "D66" (7:15)
Quadruplex - "Sky Wave" (7:01)
Quadruplex - "Robot Rotate" (5:30)
Quadruplex - "G-Hop" (7:24)
The Secret Garden - "Rough Diamond" (3:25)
Review: Matt Hodgson's 7th Voyage is one of those mid-90s labels that enjoyed cult status almost from the off. Its releases helped to define the sound of the London underground of the time and have since become pricey and sought after. The Return Voyage is a new seven-track collection of back-catalogue gems that pays tribute to the label's fine work. From the deep and atmospheric 'Big Hips Blue Gloves (No Dubs)' by Tactics Of Bass to the squelchy lo-fi hip-hop funk of The Secret Garden's 'Rough Diamond,' this is a vital look back at a hugely influential label.
Review: Acida Dominga makes their debut with 'Imagination Creates Reality', making their intentions clear: "(this) is my very first track, my very first EP and debut project as music producer, transforming music into a multi-sensory holistic journey." As she strikes a candid pose on the front cover, we're left puckering our lips at the pH levels on this one, with 'State Of Consciousness' and 'Lost Highways' sounding off raspy acids, while theming them after a psychedelic, hyperstitious consensus reality. Closer 'Coin Of Heaven' ends things on a wild harmonic layering over the acid sixteenths, with Twilight Zone radio murmurs swirling over the machinations.
Review: Thankfully, Richard D. James has decided to finally release at least some of the output that he's been banging on about since mid-2000s. In a number of interviews, the might Aphex Twin hinted that he has vast artilleries of tracks stacked up and unreleased, probably more on purpose than out of laziness...or maybe not. What we do know is that AFX is reborn after the string of acid 12"s released about 10 years ago on Rephlex, that saw the alias become one of the most popular of James' alter egos. Orphaned Deejay Selek is a collection of tunes that contain all of the Twin's magic and unpredictably, but that also cut straight to the point and head to the middle of the dance floor. This is banging brain dynamite coated in the man's iconic style and flair. Welcome back AFX, and many hats off to Warp for making it happen.
Review: Religion, and specifically gospel music, always played a key part in shaping the sounds and emotions of easy house music. It is clearly going to have just as much impact on this new label God Iz Enough which debuts with an EP of the same name from Tomi Ahmedeus. His style on the opener is to lay down raw and dusty beats with an early Windy City feel and infuse them with evocative, guttural gospel vocals that really bring them to life and make them inescapably emotive. 'The Rise Of The Guttersnipe' strips things back a little and brings a shuffling tech vibe with some glistening melodies while 'Ms Ludus' is a gorgeous ambient closer.
Review: This new one on mysterious UK label MoonVoid Records serves up a trio of previously unreleased tracks that were originally recorded in the early 90s on tape cassette by Benjamin Wetherill under the Amethyst Moon alias. Apparently this EP is the first of a few, which is great news once you hear them. 'Lifestheme' is a crunchy and wiry electronic workout with fizzing synths and dense beats. 'Human At The Controls' brings slower rhythms and snaking synths and hissing hits while 'False Alarm (Look Over Your Shoulder)' spins you out in silky cosmic synths and snappy metallic snares.
Review: Anatolian Weapons' 'Beyond' EP delivers six tracks that expertly blend vintage techno with a futuristic edge, reminiscent of a sci-fi film soundtrack. Opening with 'Just Dance,' the EP hooks listeners with an addictive groove and a techy, 90s vibe that sets the tone. 'All The Bones' dives into progressive house territory, offering lush, evolving soundscapes. 'Ego Naked' stands out as a fusion of EBM and darker techno, injecting an intense, moody atmosphere. 'Reality Check' plays with an 80s aesthetic, striking a balance between nostalgia and forward-thinking production. 'Acid Grind' slows the pace with a deliberate acid chugger, featuring a liquid acid line that oozes depth and intention. Closing out with 'STR,' the EP peaks with a powerful, sci-fi-influenced track that feels otherworldly, pushing the boundaries of techno. Throughout Beyond EP, Anatolian Weapons navigates through various electronic styles while maintaining a cohesive, futuristic vision, making it a compelling addition to any techno enthusiast's collection.
Hebula (Wata Igarashi Lost In Savannah mix) (5:58)
Review: REPRESS ALERT!: The late Susumu Yokota's deep, linear, heady take on techno as Anima Mundi gets a reissue with remixes to boot. The title track of this eighth outing from Cosmic Soup is 'Hebula' and is the sort of grinding, unrelenting pumper that is subtle but high impact, especially mentally. It is also the perfect track for the remixers to tackle: first is Dax J who ups the ante with rugged percussive patterns then Japanese maestro Wata Igarashi adds two versions. One is an organic and heady affair with sustained pads and jumbled toms, the other is a psychedelic and colourful head melter
Review: Emerald's 25th outing takes the form of another superb compilation with four artists who have already released on the label and plenty of new names making an equally good impression. ANNE kicks off with the deep, thudding kicks of 'Coral Reefs' complete with lush hits to smooth the groove. There is more weight and intensity to the oversized hi-hats ringlets on Mike Konstantinidis's 'Apocalypse', DJ Plant Texture layers in plenty of gritty and grime to his gritty 'Swingers' and Jarrod Yeates goes for a twisted after-party vibe on his intense and unrelenting 'Sesh Gremlin', with many more highlights besides.
Review: Fresh vintage Aphex meat in the shape of this expanded reissue of the classic rave era anthem 'Digeridoo' from 1992. Treated to a modern remastering job by Beau Thomas at Ten Eight Seven Mastering, this double pack features the four tunes on the original 12" - 'Digeridoo', 'Flaphead', 'Phloam' and 'Isoprophlex', as well as bonus versions by Richard D James himself said to be encoded through his Nakamichi CR7e cassette deck, utilising vari-speed to create versions at different speeds which "felt right at the time". The legend is that he wrote the tune to annoy hippies who liked to attend raves and jam with their digeridoos - or digeri-dont's as they quickly became known - but it's being delighting fans of that golden era between hardcore rave and jungle ever since.
Review: Some 25 years after delivering his debut 12", Richard D James hasn't lost the ability to thrill or inspire. By his obtuse standards, the material that makes up the surprise Cheetah EP is actually rather laidback and melodious. "Cheetah2 (LD Spectrum)", for example, sounds like a slow house jam written by robots, while the even deeper "Cheetah7B" shuffles along in a metronomic fashion, seemingly oblivious to the increasingly aggressive World at large. Of course, those trademark skittish IDM rhythms are present - see the B-side's lead cut - and the Cornishman has thrown in a couple of hazy ambient cuts for good measure.
Review: Philpot's Traxworx series got off to a blinding start earlier this year with the dust down from Roman Rauch and label regular Ike and it looks to be quite the promising endeavour if the line-ups remain as strong as this second duel featuring Arttu and Hakim Murphy. Neither artist really needs a formal introduction here and both are well suited for the floor focused nature of this series. Arttu is first up with "Can't Get Down" a collaboration with Kaye that bounces along with loose and deadly intent - if you liked the Geeeman stuff on Clone you will love this pappy, especially when that sax comes in! On the flip Innerspace Halflifer Hakim Murphy goes for the abstract approach on "ES1" which features some superb drum edits.
Review: Asymetric80 is a really versatile producer. He's proven that with several fresh EPs in recent years on a range of different labels and they have explored everything from menacing electro to dark techno via industrial and noise. This new outing on Oraculo somewhat blends all that together into something new and fresh. 'Rara Avis' opens with stomping drums and EBM synths, 'Instant Manifesto' is a metallic techno workout and 'Plenary Indulgence' layers up scuzzy noise and gothic designs into something stark and strobe-lit. 'Innocent Stigmanta' and 'Internal Tears' bring more late night terror.
Review: French modular wizards Atomic Moog step up the Transmigration sub-label Crystal Ceremony here for some otherworldly and psychedelic techno sounds. 'Variable Pulse' kicks off with some low key deep tech sound and rumbling bass that are topped with sci-fi details. 'Brainwave' then has more wispy synth details lashing about over an aquatic dub the no rhythm. 'Model' is slow, purposeful deep techno for heady moments and last of all is the Konduku remix of 'Brainwave' which is minimal, kinetic and full of pent-up funky.
Review: OMEN Recordings's next release is a big one that unites Axkan and Duellist on the same slab of wax. They take care of one side each and we're told the inspiration for their sounds was making a "shared response to the turmoil of global conflicts." Duellist kicks off and suggests with his offerings that he is anxious, unsettled and in fight mode because 'Oxidative Stress' is front-foot techno with monstrous bass energy. 'Stains Of Time' is another one with brash drums and perc and plenty of tension, then Axkan offers the hypotonic loops of 'Warfare' and broken beat menace of 'Thermobaric.
Review: The seemingly unstoppable rise of De:tuned continues, as they take a break from serving up sci-fi techno, IDM and ambient techno to deliver something a lot more intense: a surprise EP from original House of God Birmingham resident DJ Paul 'Damage' Bailey. Channeling the spirit of his friend Surgeon while offering up something fresh, the two original tracks on show are undeniably inspired. 'Hadal Zone' adds weirdo noises, bleeps and mind-mangling electronic pulses to a slipped Afro-techno groove, while 'Decompression' is a wonky, triple-time workout full of Ket-addled electronics and wayward loops. Makaton re-imagines that track as a locked-in late-night techno throb-job, while James Ruskin turns 'Hadal Zone' into a buzzing, industrial-influenced electro-bleep number.
Review: Berlin-based producer and DJ Barker has long been an underground innovator associated with plenty of vital labels but he hasn't dropped a new solo EP for a couple of years now. Thankfully he rights that wrong and and steps up to the 30 year strong Smalltown Supersound out of Oslo with a new four track offering that "sees him inverting the musical equation and exploring both the variability and sonic possibilities of a kick-drum." Opener 'Birmingham Screwdriver' will rewire your brain with its fizzing frequencies and skewed bass, 'Wick and Wax' is bright and hyperactive techno-pop and the flipside gets much more raw and dark. A fine return.
Review: The well regarded Umwelt introduced Raverbreakerz as a dynamic new series on his label Rave Or Die earlier in summer. This massive compilation shows what it is all about with four hard-hitting tracks from genre specialists Blame The Mono, Jadzia, Ghost In The Machine and Umwelt himself, Seamlessly blending techno, breakbeat and dark, intense sounds design to captivate and energise the floor in equal measure, each artists contributes to what is a versatile arsenal for DJs seeking powerful sounds with a distinct style. On this evidence, Raverbreakerz is going to be a crucial new series.
The Sixteen Steps - "Signals From The South" (6:28)
The Sixteen Steps - "Promises On The Run" (7:17)
Review: Rampant and 'up for it' as usual, the Cititrax label is back with a new set of wayward technoid experiments for the more trained ears on the dancefloors. This time it's Romania's Borusiade and newcomer The Sixteen Steps who share two sides of a wax plate and, of course, proceed to annihilate any idea of a quiet night in. The former sets off with the mechanical acid bumps of "Infatuation", guided by an eerie set of vocal blurs, and that's followed by the comparatively more beat-centric techno of the apocalyptic "Confutation". On the flip, The Sixteen Steps first lands on "Signals From The South", a house banger with noxious levels of mutant bass at its core, followed by the single-minded industrialism and sheer techno brutality of "Promises On The Run". WOWZAH!
Review: Boris Brejcha tops up his functionally named 'Club Vibes' series with a refreshing pair of minimal/deep techno tunes, both of which provide a unique take on the style. 'In The Shadows' is a big-room EDM number replete with talking bass 'yuhh's, sinister horror voices, and It-madhouse melodies, pulling of the difficult-to-nail mood of cheeky, yet horrific. 'Schwartz', meanwhile, plunges us into the void with farty reeses and soft synth whoops, building to an overall cavernous sonic image.
Review: Boris Brejcha's distinctive style of 'high-tech minimal' has earned him much credo over the years, enough to warrant the rerelease of several of his most enduring tracks under the recently embarked-upon Classics series. The tracks this time around are 'Festival Of Love' and 'Wolcke 7', originally released in 2007 and 2008 respectively on the Harthouse label before taking the international minimal scene by storm. Though they're both shuffling, popcorny sundowners for those who like it clean, classy and glassy, these tracks explore different zones, with the A-sider far jankier than the more accessible B.
Review: When Cabaret Voltaire returned to the release schedule in 2020 as the one-man Richard H Kirk show, fans were relieved to find that mind-bending meld of 1970s Kosmische, techno, dub, house and space-age experimental electro was as pure as it ever has been - the results being a typically fresh and forward-thinking record the man in question summed up as "no nostalgia... normal rules do not apply. Something for the 21st Century. No old material."
Less than six months later and the big CV has more next level business to offer us, coming in the form of Shadow of Funk, a new EP that offers something of a counterpoint or extension to last year's full-length, Shadow of Fear. Based on 'Billion Dollar' alone - an acid-driven big, dark room banger that closes this EP -this release looks set to make an equally heavy impact, but as with anything this man touches, the joy is in discovery. So, let's leave it at that.
Happy707 - "Where Does That Noise Come From" (4:28)
Review: Menacing EBM and dark synth billows from a Netherlands hinterland; our heralds speak of an esoteric encampment by the name of Espectro Oculto, said to be the remote incantators of an unstoppable curse in sound. Six shadowy emissaries have been sent to spread the pestilence; Trenton Chase, Martial Canterel, DJ Nephil, Exhausted Modern, Fragedis and Happy707. Clearly, the faction have recruited only the best, trusted and yet most nefarious of spies from as far-flung regions as Czechia and Argentina in the administering of such a sordid sonic plague. We're left most quivery at the centrifugal doom drones of Exhausted Modern's 'Fear Of Focus', across whose breakdown banshees are heard wailing and snarling, and Fragedis' 'Landing In Reality', a lo-fi techno freakout and sonochemical anomaly, channeling militant two-way radio samples and hellish FM synthesis.
Review: Bonzai Classics is back with another uncompromising selection of old school and hard hitting house classics across two slabs of back and white vinyl. The originals are the work of Cherrymoon Tax with 'The House Of House' being a big, fizzing, distortion filled slammer which gets remixes by the likes of Oliver Lieb into something more techno, Jam El Mar into a more percussive groove and Mike Push into something trance tinged. There are two further remixes as well as raved up originals 'Conflictation' and 'Let There Be House' both of which bring some old school energy to the floor.
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