PHON O Vinyl & CDs

Review: Carsten Aermes, aka Phon O, made a name for himself via the 50 Weapons label in more recent years, and it's now time for him deliver the goods for Ellen Allien's BPitch Control, one of Berlin's finest house and techno stables. "Run" is more energetic and upbeat compared to a lot of other BPitch releases, bringing through a soaring melodic groove and a high-powered techno rattle into the mix, whereas "Booklyn Shuffle" is a futuristic sort of jungle abstraction featuring a 4/4 beat down in its underbelly. The title track "Fractions" goes for a more house-centric approach, but Phon O still manages to retain his distinctiveness thanks to a jam-packed groove full of bass exploration and subtle jungle infusions.

Review: Making the leap from 50 Weapons (RIP), German darkmonger Phon O makes the logical leap to Tectonic. And he does so with three barren break-based constructs: "Mercurial" is all about the deep space breakbeats and groaning high-end bass slurs, "U8 Phunk" carries classic electro elements in its synths while the au-natural snare rolls suggest more of a militant march, finally "Bell Blender" takes the bleak dynamics established throughout the previous tracks and repurposes them in a modern day jungle amen-shattering framework. The results are beyond satisfying.

Review: As 50 Weapons becomes an ever more diverse stable and Phon.O himself spreads his well-toned wings with some propulsive dub techno styles that keep the energy up just as the synths call out a message of hypnotic allure. The beat is pumped and dynamic, working a house groove with just a touch of swing on "Schn33", while the ebb and flow of melody creates an immersive fog of harmony in which to plummet. "Go" is a more techy affair, keeping the rhythm funky while the aforementioned dub techno element comes out in force through a fine, Basic Channel-grade chord that growls in perfect coordination with the forthright groove.

Review: Having moved through many different bass-led approaches over the years, the recent spate of Phon.O output for Fifty Weapons has been some of the most refined work of his career to date. Now he makes good on that developing relationship with this long player, which comes in an eclectic but honest spread of melodic electronic music. There are occasional vocal appearances but they still play second fiddle to the intricacies of Phon.O's compositions, which sport the occasional broken beat, the occasional 4/4 thud, and of course those grey pulses in between. It's immersive and accomplished, not to mention thoroughly cohesive from start to finish.

Review: Next up on Modeselektor's perennially on-point 50 Weapons label is Berlin producer Phon O with the ABAW723 EP. Offering a uniquely German take on the sounds of UK garage, "ABAW723" brings classic influences to the fore with clipped 2-step drums and funky inspired vocal snippets, However, there is an undisputed techno influence forming the backbone of his productions, as the delayed stabs and soaring pads display, obviously taking the sounds of his more gentle early work on Cytrax and his punchier productions for Shitkatapult and combining them into some of his strongest work to date. "Sad Happiness" offers a more cavernous and driving take on the sound, as gentle melodies float over a rib-shattering bassline.

Review: Hot on the heels of Phon O's debut for 50 Weapons alongside the clandestine duo Anstam, the German producer goes it alone on the Modeselektor helmed series - opting for a UK centric 25th Century garage flex on "Slavemode". If you can imagine the subtle pressurised atmospherics of Koreless or XXXY given a rough Berlin paintjob then your capacity for abstract thought is in sync with what Phon O achieves on the A Side. Flip over for the purple bounce of "Abbey Road" which sounds like what happens when you shake and stir every single 50 Weapons release to date - very potent it is too!

Review: Aside from the splurge of sublime releases for the likes of Detroit Underground, Cytrax, and Shitkatapult, Phon O has been at the forefront of 50 Weapons' output, as of late. This time he shares a 12" for the same label alongisde R&S' Paula Temple, and the pair lay down their skills, respectively. Phon O takes the A side, and his "TW33tz" is a perfect hybrid tune, a visceral mix of house and breakeat; in respect of the latter, it's the infusions of subtle breaks and stuttering melodies that remind us of peeps such as Plump Dj's. Temple, instead, comes across ruder and more aggressive with "Oscillate", a techno mutant that verges onto acid-ridden electro. All in all, they're heavy and abrasive - check 'em!