HELENA HAUFF Vinyl & CDs

Review: Golden Pudel's number one DJ-turned-producer, Helena Hauff, returns to Actress's Werkdiscs with her debut LP, marking a fine start to the September release downpour! Compared to her last effort for the label and her banger of an EP on Lux, Discreet Desires spans across much vaster landscapes, and while we knew that she was heavily into Detroit electro, the album is heavily focused on fast, broken beats brimming with synths. "Spur" and "Funereal Morality", for example, are a pair of Drexcyian bombshells, while "Piece Of Pleasure" clearly takes inspiration from Kraftwerk and the resulting synth pop wave. Instead, "Silver Sands & Boxes Of Mould" showcases her more experimental side thanks to its cinematic soundscapes and sparse beats, along with the beatless sway of "Dreams In Color". A fine debut LP that cements Hauff's position at the vanguard of current electronics.

Review: In the post-minimal years, and after the deep house revival, dark techno and electro became the most fertile ground for new producers. Hamburg-born Helena Hauff was one of those who brought through such sounds and she has since become a global tastemaker who has perfected the art of dark and hard-hitting soundscapes. She shows that off once more here with her selections for the mighty Fabric presents series. It is raw, fierce and rough yet seamlessly moves through breakbeat, electro and the still magical charms of Autechre's remix of D-Breeze's 'Crazy For Love' from 1999 which closes the mix in style.