Review: It is now 23 years since Jeff Mills dropped his seminal Metropolis album, which was a shortened version of his electronic soundtrack for Fritz Lang's Metropolis movie from 1927. Mills is a famous futurist but his sounds work perfectly on this project which is a symbiotic mix of compositions that makes for a nuanced representation of the plot and storyline. It's a testament to his skill that his album is utterly timeless and wholly absorbing, and likely always will be.
Review: Monolake's defining third LP Gravity was the second album to be released through the artist's own Imbalance Computer Music, as well as the first to feature Robert Henke predominately, as his former partner Gerhard Behles became increasingly consumed by the foundations of what become the Abelton Live empire. Tense, percussive digital minimal techno ensues, setting steady beats against rattling, materially modelled sound design - the record's resonant overtones sound like sprockets undergoing tidal to-and-fros of suspension and release - this record sought thematic refuge in a universal force of natural law: gravity itself. After a recent reissue of Monolake's first album Hongkong, this turn-of-the-century affair - appearing on vinyl for the very first time - offers a shattered, breathy brand of minimalism, perfect for shrunken heads and demanding DJs alike.
Review: If you think that "Analog Fluids of Sonic Black Holes" is a poetic title for Carmae Ayewa's fourth album as Moor Mother, just wait until you hear her spoken word lyrics. She's an artist with a very singular vision, both lyrically and musically, and it's this that makes the album such an absorbing listen. Her subject matter is personal, political, social and cultural, and the music backing it - a forthright, experimental, densely layered mixture of discordant jazz samples, dark ambient chords, intense noise, industrial strength machine beats and growling, Nine Inch Nails style raw alternative rock sounds - is pushed to the limits to emphasize the strength of her message. It's an intense trip, but one that's well worth taking time and again.
So It Began One Tuesday (Ambient Space Tek) (8:50)
He's Friend & More (6:20)
The Fifth Chakra (6:05)
Solar Eclipse NYC (6:27)
Mood Swing (Bad Day) (5:59)
Cath's Vision (Dougies With An Overproof Pini) (9:15)
Distant Memories Tassie (5:53)
Constant (6:53)
Today's Vibe Gooood (6:18)
The Dark Before The Light Of Dawn (5:56)
Review: Mr G. Where do you start with Mr G? Once known as one half of The Advent, a straight up to the walls techno outfit now made of one, after moving on to pastures new solo he spent a good deal of time putting out tunes that would appeal to the heads, but only those that were looking. Finally receiving the long overdue spotlight he always deserved, skip to today and he's up there with the most universally respected and in demand. For those who have followed this storied career to date, it's great to see. Not least as he seems to have lost not one iota of the passion and fervour, fun and funk, talent and toughness that originally draws every fan in. On The Fifth Chakra, he's showcasing a different side of that genius, offering up warm, enlightened ambient for the musically minded.
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