Electro Recommendations April 2013

Review: It's been a while since Andrew 'Chicken Lips' Meecham has had his old Emperor Machine running, but it's still purring with cosmic style. "Like A Machine" struts and squiggles the perfect soundtrack to a robot fashion parade. With layers of dubbed out instruments weaved over a rich analogue stomp, it's an instant hypno-groove. Andrew Weatherall's remix really needs little description; stripped back, angular and acidic, it's the Asphodeller at his starkest and darkest. "System Seven Hundred" ends on a slow, rich note as pokey synth strikes play echo location against each other before a mischievous bassline slinks in and steals the show.

Review: Repress! Gerard Hanson (aka Convextion, aka ERP) comes with one of his best records - "Vox Automaton". This is more electro influenced than his "Down Low" and "Frantic Flowers" outings. This is the shit for everyone owning a model 500 record or a bunch of Underground Resistance or Derxicya vinyl. ERP stays true to his own sound and doesn't just copy his hero's.

Review: "Broken SD1 140": not only a reference to an old drum machine, but also a blatant lie... There is nothing busted about this fresh EP from Breaking Records boss DMX. Here we find him straddling the eons with a timeless blend of rich analogue electronica, classically trained electro and forward-thinking vibage. Highlights include the super-squelch warmth on the bassline of "Apple Grid", the hard-nosed ghetto techmongering of "Superficial Appearance" and the timely vintage house riffery of "Dramatic Exit".

Review: Close your eyes and it could just be the angular 80s all over again... Norwegian Stian Gjevik pays homage to one of electronica's most exciting development phases. The gently crafted "Stellar Awakening" is the ultimate in classical electro respect while "Intravenous" takes the development one stage further with more of a contemporary swing and electro boogie flavour. Elsewhere "New Ways To Walk" affirms the steamy love-in between electro and Detroit techno, while "Zener Diode Blues" does the same for German trance.

Review: With veteran DJ Billy Nasty relaunching Tortured last month with a 12" from the Radionasty moniker he produces under with Radioactive Man, he does the same again with Tortured's ostensibly more experimental sister label Electrix. The title track sees the duo go on more of an electro tip than previous productions, with an 808 led sound that references Miami bass as much as it does Drexciya. On the flip, "Stevie Wunderbah" combines the same stiff electro framework to furious acid workout, while "Devil Fishing" pairs ultra stripped back minimal rhythms with simmering analogue lines.

Review: While he has been making his name on rough analogue house, here Nick Anthony Simoncino is instead concerned with a more electro outlook, getting broken in the beat department and letting the rest of the sonics take on a bewildering sci-fi leaning. Legowelt reduces the wilder elements down into one of his cosmic arrays, letting spooky melodies drift around a more measured beat. "International Smoke Signals" carries on the vibe laid out by the guest remixer, getting into a Larry Heard kind of euphoric jam that sits very comfortably next to the last track on the EP, "Pearl Harbour". It's just the kind of wacky and playful analogue house music that's needed in these times.

Review: With a title like this, it's no surprise to learn that the compilation Gerd Janson has pulled together for Rush Hour is somewhat indebted to the legacy of Kraftwerk. In a thoroughly refreshing focus of intent, the contributing artists have had to reach towards a preface of "ambient not ambient" to take part in this project, and the end results showcase artists reaching beyond the common fare they turn out in their day to day release schedules. With his roots in ambient, Move D is of course right at home here, as is Roman Flugel, but it's exciting to hear the Krautrock tones of Ame's "Erkki" or the claustrophobic beatdown of Maxxi & Zeus (better known as Quiet Village).

Review: ** R&S REPRESS **Ever since his early releases on Kinnego and Royal Oak, Jack Hamill has been earmarked as a serious talent. Certainly, his work as Space Dimension Controller - in-tune with modern trends but seemingly beamed down from another planet - has rarely been anything less than inspired. This much awaited full-length album is similarly thrilling. Soaked through with his usual intergalactic sounds, heart-tugging melodies and warming chords, it's a much warmer and involving set than his previous work for R&S. Crucially, it also drifts off in disparate directions, offering a nod and a wink to Tangerine Dream, George Clinton, Model 500 and '80s soul along the way.