CARL FINLOW Vinyl & CDs

Review: This is a special sampler 12" taken from the Various Artists compilation Defend Your Planet that Avoidant Records put out. It features a heavyweight crew of electro mainstays, first of which are The Advent & Zein Ferreira. Their 'Defend Your Plane' is a turbo powered cosmic assault with skewed synths and high speed drums. Assembler Code's 'Line Of Sight' doesn't let up, powering on through sheet metal snares and juddering drum programming and then man like Carl Finlow layers in prickly melodies, dark sci-fi energy and booming bass. Analogue master Versalife shits things down with the shadowy 'SH09.'

Review: Italian label Panick Panick! might be best known for carrying releases from the likes of Noha and Elon, but now they're welcoming the mighty Carl Finlow to the fold. There's always an electroid streak to the legendary producer's sound, but he's equally tipped towards the steady thump of 4/4 on this particular outing. That doesn't dilute the imaginative brushstrokes of his immaculate production one jot, best demonstrated on the sparkling 'Count On It' with its rich layers of modulating synth work. Noha offers reinterpretations of both original tracks on the B side, edging in a little more Euro techno functionality without dampening the flamboyant spirit of Finlow's production style.

Review: Every new Carl Finlow record release brings an enthusiastic interest to those who follow him. Carl's robotic electro prowess is on full display on the A-side in 'Heed'. Fans of early 80s electro, Kraftwerk and the future of the genre, swear by this guy. 'Overlord' is a deeper groove that reminds of his otherworldly Silicon Scally moniker. 'Expansion' is just down right dirty. Nuff said! Dangerous stuff from one of the most consistent producers in futuristic electro.

Review: Carl Finlow is one of those artists who is universally admired and respected. His work in the world of electro is second to none and all these years later the Stateside Brit keeps on turning out the jams. He does so for Belgian label Elypsia here and starts off with some fizzing and snappy action in the form of 'Fractionality' which has bounce and bite in equal measure. There's a more zoned-out deep space feel to 'Anomaly' and a downtempo bliss to 'Dust To Dust'. The flipside kicks off with some turbo-charged and ghetto-fried Motor Citry electro in 'Visceral' before two more electro gems get a little more atmospheric and deep.

Review: Carl Finlow has produced an astonishing catalogue of music over a career spanning three decades, with his discography including hundreds of releases and remixes under a variety of monikers. 'Desequence' is the latest edition to Finlow's expansive productions and a masterclass in electronic music.

'Desequence' kicks off the record with a heavy dose of integalactic funk with interstellar beats rockin' over squelchy bass lines and razor sharp glitches. While 'Downstream' delivers a warped groove wrapped up in Finlow's intricate programming.

'Guttural' is an overwhelming assault of rapid fire elements, forming complex off kilter breaks littered with robotic licks and served over deep, low end bass. 'Wavefront' closes yet another impeccable addition to Finlow's highly accomplished works, with an off planet adventure through extraterrestrial soundscapes.

Review: One of this week's more pleasantly surprising releases is by Christian Smith's longstanding Tronic label, and features artists you wouldn't usually expect. Motor City stalwart DJ Godfather serves up some dystopian electro on 'Invasion Of Detroit', legend Carl Finlow presents another fine example of his idiosyncratic futurism on 'Anomaly 3' and even Swedish techno veteran Samuel L Sessions gets in on the electro act - on the data bass of 'Engine Of War'.