Leftfield Recommendations March 2011

Review: Having previously explored the worlds of dub techno, minimal, ambient and experimental electronica (sometimes at the same time), Monolake's Robert Hencke casts his net even wider on this eighth studio full-length. Many of his usual sonic standards are present - spooky chords, dubwise atmospherics, creepy sound effects that sound like they were recorded in an echo chamber - alongside a new-found love for the rhythmic possibilities of dubstep and future garage. It's something of a masterstroke. While the resultant audio soup is every bit as intoxicating and out-there as his previous work, there's a strangely joyous looseness and flexibility to the beats that makes Ghosts a particularly pleasurable listen.

Review: Honest Jons are our undisputed favourites as far as bringing forth new and unexpected projects goes. One such project is their glorious string of releases which saw several contemporary electronic producers re-interpret the South African electro deluge of Shangaan Electro, a near 10 piece band consisting of wild dancers, freaky masks and ludicrously memorable anthems. This release features the experimental duo of Demdike Stare and the mysterious but wonderful pair that is Hype Williams. Demdike's remix is a sparse and sub-aqueous drone filtered through irregular bongos and melting swirls of voices, whilst the "version" pretty much reduces those already scarce drums to mere memories. Over on the flip, Hype Williams create a sublimely majestic rhythm, those vocals swaying so darn effortlessly over the rugged drum kit pouncing lazily beneath it. Their version injects a severely chopped slice of bass and concentrates primarily on the percussion - mounds of delays and reverbs present in true HW fashion.

Review: It was a pleasing surprise to catch Eject Project pop up on Russia's wonderful Ethereal Sound, and even more so to see the label stranding out to great things beyond deep house. It's more of a concept EP, with the title track exchanging frantically between ghostly piano keys and rain-fuelled noise implementations. "Noir" sounds like the ancient tribal horns of civilisations lost in time and "Veld" is an intricate patchwork of sweeping sonic feedback and long, reverberating pads. The finishing touches of "Heart" are a real pleasure - soft and euphoric keys lost to a synth fuzziness only fathomable in the mind of Eject Project.