Electro House Recommendations September 2013

Review: First announced over 15 months ago, Firecracker finally come through with You've Never Been To Konotop (Selected Works 2009-2012) a rather finely presented collection of tracks from the self styled 'Slavic Spiritual Warrior" Vakula. The main recording alias of Ukrainian Mikhaylo Vityk, Vakula first emerged in 2009 with a succession of singular deep house explorations for respected hubs such as Dekmantel, Ethereal Sounds, 3rd Strike and Firecracker offshoot Shevchenko an as the extended title suggests this twelve track LP focuses on unreleased material from this same period. Musically, the tone mirrors Vityk's material for Shevchenko, taking the mainframe of house and melding it with elements of "Ukrainian folk melodies, esoteric cryptic rhythm patterns, field recordings, interludes and overgrown organic effects hidden beneath acres of cosmic murk."

Review: Junky Robot founder Noisebuilder continues his extensive techno sermons with this demonstratively devilish two-tracker. "Cool" is the most musclesome moment of two, pummelling away with squat party style beats and a nagging bass melody that cascades up and down the scale, suddenly switching for adding insanity. "Last Rave", meanwhile, reveals a deeper, more emotive electro side to the producer as he envelops the melody with layers of psychedelic acid. Fans of Vitalic and Etienne De Crecy will be all over this.