Techno Recommendations April 2013

Review: The good ship Juno traverses the Firecracker galaxy and lands once more in the spacious Unthank region with more down under cross genre pollinations. Last year's Inskwel induction was a noted highlight in the small but perfectly formed Unthank catalogue, but this fifth edition from the unheralded Booshank might just match it. Shout outs to House of Traps for the silk screen two colour sleeve that houses this clear vinyl 10" from Booshank (who sources tell us is something of a scene staple over in Melbourne) Loose gargling acid of the deranged kind characterises lead track "Single Dutch" whilst on the flip "Interstate" has that psychedelic, cosmic vibe that Max D does so well. Booshank's disregard for kick drum politics is demonstrated with aplomb on "Secret Life" a simmering concoction of bristling textures which explodes into a charge of drums with the kind of glee that's almost sexual.

Review: In what could be the biggest techno release of 2013 so far, Geophone delivers a rarely seen VA package, with Mike Parker only appearing in remixed form. Donato Dozzy and Neel's revered Voices From The Lake collaboration supply their first release outside of Prologue with some throbbing brain pulses in "Reptilicus" - much harder sounding than their album material. Shifted's remix to Parker's "Mnajdra" is outrageously Berghain-centric, as mechanically mutated insect buzzes hammer away to scraping and suctioned percussion. Ukrainian artist Stanislav Tolkachev, who is making a name for himself since his track "Building Peaks" on Developer's Modularz settles into Geophone's 19th release with his usual frenetic pace, this time employing thudding drums and melancholic atmospheres likened to Aphex Twin's more emotional material.

Review: ** Re(condite)press ** Ever a reliable source of restrained and chilling excursions into experimental techno, Recondite steps up to the burgeoning Dystopian label and brings a selection of tracks that fit the labels implied ethos like a glove. "Liberia" in particular stalks on a broken beat that is just barely audible underneath the clangs and decays of delicate industrial noises, exorcising all manner of minimal demons to an uneasy end. "Cleric" is more forthcoming with a solid 4/4 rhythm and a heartfelt arpeggio but still the vibe is quite a bleak one. "EC10" gets no sunnier, instead pitting morbid synth notes against each other while the rhythmic elements tick into the mix progressively with a healthy amount of weight behind them. "Equilibrium" rounds proceedings off with another study of planting melancholic moods within sterile textures, while those quiet but perfectly pitched drums provide the necessary framework.

Review: Although its been over a year since the release of Nina Kraviz' debut album, Rekids have decided to joins forces with Detroit's FIT in much the same manner as the Rush Hour hook-up last year that spawned some excellent remixes of Kraviz from Steve Rachmad and Kink. This time it's a Motor City affair as two artists well suited to Kraviz' stripped back style offer their take on her material. On the A-side Marcellus Pittman takes the trippy, dubbed out tones of "Working" and puts it through a digital blender, turning it into a minimal masterpiece which feels more impressionist collage than remix, dropping fragments around a loose rhythmic framework. On the flip, Sherard Ingram aka DJ Stingray adopts his Urban Tribe persona to rework the dusty vocal soul of "Taxi Talk", turning it into a throbbing, straight up big room track with early 00s undertones present in its unashamed pomp and neon synths textures.

Review: Shout outs to Gerd Janson and Running Back for doing the decent thing and issuing the surprise Syclops LP from the master Maurice Fulton on double vinyl. Having seemingly abandoned his Syclops pseudonym following the critical and commercial success of the superb 2008 full-length, I've Got My Eye On You, Fulton elected to resurrect it for a surprise sophomore album. Predictably, A Blink of An Eye is a bit good. Picking up where the previous album left off, it delivers a warped fusion of titanium-plated electronics, leftfield acid jack, freestyle jazz flourishes and intergalactic mutant disco. Formidably twisted but hugely enjoyable, it gleefully charges off in many different directions, mixing shirts-off anthems (see the brilliant "Sarah's E with Extra P"), with curious percussion jams (the afro-centric "Jump Bugs") and curiously blissful, Boof-ish excursions ("5 In"). Stellar stuff.

Review: Part two of Shifted's The Cold Light series maintains a frozen and mechanical approach and is kicked off by the swarm like "Sektor C", a repetitious and mind numbing groove of techno, deviating only slightly in variance throughout the tracks entirety. "Sector D" turns up the freeze in a production which can be likened to a subdued Mike Parker - whom Shifted remixed recently - as cold Sandwell bleeps flutter and hum under Shifted's now trademark four to the floor drawl and drone.

Review: Keith Worthy dons a new alias called Lamar for the Guilty Pleasures EP on his own Aesthetic Audio label. A grubby bassline and sprocket wheelin' beats create a smudgy and down-beat groove in "Guilty Pleasures", lightened by flutey keys and a synth line that sounds like a distant buzzing swarm of hornets. "Karma" is as melodious as it it confusing. Locked to a four-four framework, a cathedral organ repetitiously builds in size, surrounded by fluttering and spacey electronics - further defining the producers take on the futuristic Detroit and K-Worthy deep house sound.

Review: Gerd and Phil land their first set of original Tuff City Kids tracks in style, taking the controls for the second release on Unterton, the newly established offshoot of Ost Gut Ton. The Bobby Tacker EP has Janson and Lauer crafting three tracks of beefcake house with one clear purpose in mind, and executed with the skills they've honed over countless excellent remixes under the Tuff City Kids banner over the years. Lead track "SFS" wastes no time in playing its trump card; a glossy, thick synth line that pulses all the way through the track while the bottom end comes on all rugged and antsy. Meanwhile "Bias" exercises an air of restraint, letting a simple beat unfold while a tense string edges in from the side hinting at the fearsome techno line that growls in the lower register, imbued with the DNA of dub but twisted to a malevolent intent. Finally "Begger" kicks off on some booming Chicago drums slowed down to a modern cruise, but once again it's a powerful lead synth that rules the day.

Review: The Surface label, synonymous with hard edged British techno, gives Nick Dunton and the late Richard Polson's The 65D Mavericks project a special (re)release of sorts. It's called Estrangement Of The Past which features a live edit (no details as to when and where is was recorded) and another remix by Surgeon. The original is breakbeat and synth screaming techno at its finest, as industrial thwacks of percussion and smatterings of acid litter the piece, while Surgeon remoulds the kick drum of the original and raises the rest of the mix from a hazy and analogue dredged deep. Seminal British techno.

Review: The first release of the year for Ben Sims' Theory label sees the man himself return with "Something"; Sims' own take on the track is filled with all the wiry funk we've come to expect from the UK techno veteran, pairing a pounding kick, noisy snares and a flanged sonics with an unexpectedly soulful vocal sample, while his other offering, "The Little Jam" offers a devastating peak time tool characterised by its undulating atonal synth lines and stony rhythmic stomp. Two similarly minded techno characters also conspire to offer their own versions of the title track; Truncate offers a ghetto house inspired take, whose jacking drums are accented with some deeper Chicago strings, and the masked enigma Rivet, whose version injects a bit of rhythmic swing into the more rigid original thanks to its rolling toms and techy piano stabs.

Review: As a sterling example of the lighter end of early 90s techno, Low Key's seminal "Rainforest" track that kicked off Serious Grooves back in '92 gets remastered and remixed for a fresh audience to get wild to. "Rainforest" sounds evergreen with its myriad layers of melody that reach borderline anthemic heights while the drums kick it with the best of them. Claude Young's version stays remarkably true to the original, simply spreading the pace of the track out and beefing up the beat a touch. Duane Evans takes a more dubby approach with plenty of filtering and reverb at his disposal, whilst also re-pitching the chord sequences for an entirely different feel.

Review: Commencing a fresh venture in hand stamped simplicity, Kris Wadsworth delivers another two gems of deep, techy house music in his inimitable style. The grooves bump and grind, while the synths get playful without ever getting silly, but here its clear the processing after the creation is different. There's a greater deal of dirt allowed in to these productions, and it suits Wadsworth's style immeasurably. In the fuzzy distortion of "Track 1" you can almost reach out and touch the rough relief of the bass synth, which offsets the dreamy pads very nicely indeed. "Track 2" is more rugged all round, as everything coughs and splutters its way through a smoke screen of hand made production.

Review: Shifted unveils yet another cloaked figure with his Covered in Sand project, the first release on the Avian sub-label Mira following two impressive turns from the mysterious Bleaching Agent. The title track to Heavens Gates Suicides is saturated in overdrive with cloudy Regis and BMB influences evident. Vatican Shadow remixes "Heavens Gates Suicides" adding subtle musicality to his version, almost throwing the track out of sync with it's awkward snare hits - if you can call them that. "Russian Gold & Blood Diamonds" is like a beatless Severed Heads piece pulling desperately at your heartstrings while "Pale Skin" is another electronically shambled scuzz of hollowed hisses and jittery sound design.

Review: Those that missed out on Nonplus's blink-and-you'll-miss-it Think & Change boxset now have the chance to grip each of the 12"s in the package individually - though sadly without the bespoke box. The first sees a rare outing for Boddika & Joy O outside of the Sunklo habitat, with "&Fate" delivering a jittery piece of slick tech-house whose surprisingly soulful vocal samples is pulled down with dense beats and pulsing analogue textures. On the flip, Workshop regular Lowtec provides the heads down deep techno business of "The Rhythm (remix 2)", a slow moving combination of sonorous square wave bass and glistening chord textures.

Review: Heavy weight vinyl deserves heavy weight tracks and Audio Injection (aka Truncate) delivers with the Deep Thought EP. The booming drums of "Deep Thought" are offset by smatterings of white noise that slowly form to then disappear to the sound of rattling percussion, while a vague synth arpeggio also loops in the background repeating itself into an infinite continuum. A similar, but less filtered arpeggio is the centrepiece of the red coloured 12"s B-side, entitled "No Key", and Audio Injection replaces the weighted low end of the A-side by producing some a little lighter and in the realms of Dettmann's housier productions.

Review: After Inigo's well-received previous release 'The Shard', he now steps up again with 2 epic pieces of electronic beauty.
I still find it hard to describe music after all these years, as I think the most important is what people feel when listening to it rather than pigeon holing the hell out of it.

I simply love it, hope you do too.

(Kr!z)

(this baby will be pressed on green marbled vinyl. Limited first pressing.)

Review: Seeing the word disco in a techno title for some reason means good things. It of course doesn't mean rhythm guitars and strings, but it does show a cheeky side of techno otherwise unseen. Few people do disco sounding techno better than the Italian Marcello Napoletano who adopts the rarely seen Michael Ferragosto alias for this Synthdrome At The Disco EP. "Amore Jackin Per 77" flares with rolling snares that sounds like crunched up aluminium foil, while single bar loops of bass repeat on itself to jacking percussion, snappy claps and jaq-jaq vocals. "Risque Intentions" brims with bubbling acid, flat tyre kicks and grouchy explanations of real house music, while "V2021" squeals with flanging and phased synths. Naturally the title track is the closest the EP gets to disco with a skippy backbeat, bedroom recorded vocals with feedback horror delays for that techno touch.

Review: There's plenty of interest on this three track Charged Particles 12" from the Tsunami Records label. Firstly it brandishes yet more highly charged output from the Spherical Coordinates project of label boss Christian Wunsch and Spanish techno icon Oscar Mulero, a collaboration that debuted in auspicious circumstances with a recent EP on Polegroup. Much like that four tracker, "SCXFG 21" sees the pair lock into a deep, throbbing techno groove that perfectly encapsulates their stated intention to create music "heavily inspired by space and futurism, focusing on liquid textures, harmonic sequences and classic drum machine sounds, yet preserving the danceable feeling." In addition, Geophone and Prologue artist Mike Parker ensures the deepness remains on the flip with the shuddering textural journey below that is "Currents" whilst Reeko opts for a groaning industrial approach on the excellent "Blueshift".

Review: The work of English producer Mustafa Ali, who had previously released the early UK house classic "Close Jack Encounter" as L.E Bass, Dawn Of A New Age was originally released in 1990 and came out of a relationship forged with BPM Records boss Tony Thorpe, who saw great potential in Ali's track "Distant Drums" recorded under the N.A.D. moniker - supposedly one of the first examples of British deep house. Thorpe asked Ali if would consider recording an album in a week; Ali agreed, and offered to record a concept album based on his two passions; science fiction and his Islamic faith. Although not the most likely of bedfellows to inspire a techno album, Dawn Of A New Age nevertheless combines references to his faith with the sci-fi futurism of Juan Atkins and the deep house qualities of recent Rush Hour reissue subjects Burrell Brothers and Elbee Bad. Like all Rush Hour reissue projects, this is serious business, and comes highly recommended for fans of the proto-house so beloved of the likes of Legowelt.

Review: Repitch founder Shapednoise and the elusive Violet Poison join forces as Violetshaped for a immensely rewarding, if at times unsettling, self titled album of macabre and neo-industrialist techno. Drawing influence and inspiration from the pair's shared nostalgia of the Italian Horror Movie industry of the '60s and 70's, there's a brutal, brutish undercurrent to the eight tracks on Violetshaped that will appeal to fans of In Paradisum, Avian and Demdike Stare alike. For the most part focusing on scraping techno characterised by harshly textured sound design, it's the final blurry, indistinct and vivid track "Anaesthesia" that remind us most of it's composers.

Review: Oscar Mulero revisits last year's Black Propaganda with some help from some of contemporary techno's biggest names on this essential remix 12". "To Convince For The Untruth" sees Stroboscopic Artefacts boss Lucy take the original's cavernous surroundings and sharpen them up with bitcrushed hi-hats and subtly a rumbling noise floor, while Developer's take on "Disinformation" straightens out the original's breakbeat acid tendencies by soaking its furious synth lines in reverb and hooking everything together with a rolling 4/4 kick. Finally, Shifted's take on "Intentionally False" keeps the measured pace of the original but transplants its thick, bulging frame for a threadbare structure littered it with subtle detail.

Review: Strong looks all round as Geophone's Mike Parker surfaces on the limited pressing Select Edits imprint founded by Edit Select last year and gets additional support with a fine remix from Perc. Whereas Parker's Geophone output sees the producer focus on the more abstract style of insectile techno at times, "Synchro Rhythm" is undiluted, pneumatic machine funk of the highest order, incurring a riot of compressed textures and jagged, unpredictable electric rhythms. The not inconsiderable Juno office subs do not do Parker's bassline justice here. Perc adopts a more abrasive approach that doesn't sacrifice any of the original's mechanical intensity. Do check!

Review: Dutch imprint Audio Culture return with the debut from Severn Beach, a new techno-leaning moniker from rising UK house producer James Fox. Title track "Stitches" fits in nicely with the rest of the label's catalogue, as a steamroller groove cuts through icy dub chords and contemporary bass influences are brought to the fore with its booming sub-bass and light vocal snippets. Fox's more melodic house influences show themselves more obviously on the other two tracks; "Pressure Waves" is a more stripped back affair, taking the same thick, swung, bottom heavy rhythms and putting them alongside some drifting ambient pads, while "Do The Vortex" marries the same cast iron beats with hypnotic tones that ooze delicacy, creating the kind of contemporary techno that will be of significant interest to those feeling Hotflush's recent wares.