RED AXES

Review: (Emotional) Especial heralds its 30th release with a killer package from an all-star cast that takes in label regulars and newcomers alike. The vibe starts heated and heavy with modern acid champ Roy Of The Ravers taking a blunt instrument or two to Junior Fairplay's "End Of Love," firing off the kind of bludgeoning b-line and fizzing drums that makes his direct approach to the dancefloor so potent. It's somewhat surprising to see Freeform Five pop up on this 12", but Jamie Paton's remix of "Throwing Stones" sounds utterly natural in the habitat - a brooding, simmering trip shot through with noirish synths. Kris Baha gets busy with Red Axes' "Waiting For A Surprise," twisting out an exotic bubbler perfect for the low tempo chugging crowd, and then Bal5000 wraps things up with the gorgeous electro-disco delights of "Kids".

Review: Israeli duo Red Axes continue to merge guitars and synths with psyched out soundscapes and dark disco influences on this new EP for Erol Alkan's legendary Phantasy Sound. It is a perfect meeting of artist and label to be honest: these are twisted tracks that operate between genres with the automated grooves and percolating synths of 'Sipoor' opening up in immediately arresting fashion. 'Teroof' is a twisted chugger with hiccupping hooks and menacing bass then 'Bad Time Story' pumps away with a cosmic gaze.

Review: Whether by accident or design, Red Axes have released two new EPs on Erol Alkan's legendary Phantasy Sound label in the same week. The Israeli pair are adept at brining guitars and electronic music together in bold new ways and do so here on three more vital cuts. 'Sound Test' sounds like just that as synths are drawn out and rise up and down the scale while percussive loops decay and evolve underneath. 'Shabak Shalom' is a more fulsome and psyched out techno-disco with plenty of Middle Eastern references and 'Kookoo Papa' closes out with a bubbling soul of electronics and chugging groove.

Review: Primarily known for their work in electronic and house music, Israeli duo Dori Sadovnik and Niv Arzi have always worked with a left-of-centre focus, an inclusive pulling together of disparate influence and patchwork sonics, framing everything with a largely club-ready sound. Throughout 'The Beach Goths', their roots and influences are audible all at once, retracing steps of post-punk, weird bleep, soundtrack, garage, psychedelia and more, skewed in such a way as to make this full-length simultaneously engaging, recognisable, and most of all - totally unusual and unique to them.

Review: Primarily known for their work in electronic and house music, Israeli duo Dori Sadovnik and Niv Arzi have always worked with a left-of-centre focus, an inclusive pulling together of disparate influence and patchwork sonics, framing everything with a largely club-ready sound. Throughout 'The Beach Goths', their roots and influences are audible all at once, retracing steps of post-punk, weird bleep, soundtrack, garage, psychedelia and more, skewed in such a way as to make this full-length simultaneously engaging, recognisable, and most of all - totally unusual and unique to them.

Review: There's much to admire on this latest 12" excursion from hard-working Israeli duo Red Axes. On the A-side you'll find two brand new collaborations, the most notable of which is "NYX Tape" - a clandestine, mind-altering chunk of minimal wave drug-chug featuring the distinctive spoken word vocals of original no wave star Gina X (she of "No GDM" fame). Chloe Raunet AKA C.A.R lends her similarly stylish spoken word vocals to the EP's other original production, the acid-fired electro filthiness that is "5 Min". On the flipside you'll find two tasty re-edits of tracks from the Dark Entries catalogue: a dub-tinged, dancefloor-friendly take on Solid Moon's spacey "Destination Moon" and a rolling, club-ready tweak of X-Ray Pop's quirky electronic bubbler "La Machine a Rever".

Review: The second installment of Multi-Culti's Moon Faze Sun Gaze series is a typically psychedelic affair, with an impressive cast of producers delivering a quintet of trippy workouts. Von Party & Dreems join forces to present "Wet Raga", a spaced-out combination of delay-laden drums, space disco electronics, and Eastern mysticism. The ever-reliable Red Axes fuses heavy post-punk bass, with punchy percussion and minimal wave melodies on the excellent "Boosha Gdola", while Dreems go solo on the weirdo acid-electro bubbler "Sine O'The Tymes". Nick Murray and Kris Baha underpin psychedelic disco electronics with the heavyweight throb of house on "Say Something", before Cocolo draws proceedings to a close with the pitched-down shuffle of analogue wobbler "F33lings".