Leftfield Recommendations April 2013

Review: 32 years on from the release of their debut album Speak and Spell, Basildon's finest drop their 14th full length. While there are echoes of their eyeliner-wearing, synth-bothering futurist past (see the glitchy "My Little Universe" and early New Order-ish "Broken", where Dave Gahan sings about 'dreaming of the future'), for the most part Delta Machine finds them in grinchy synth-rock mode, presumably shaking their fists at passing youngsters like a gang of grumpy old men. Thankfully, they're still capable of great things - "Soothe My Soul" has echoes of "Personal Jesus" - and there's enough to suggest there's some life in the old dogs yet.

Review: Primitive Brumbeat is the order of the day from Minimal Wave on this weighty seven inch presentation of early Karl O'Connor material. Recorded under the Sandra Plays Electronics banner, Her Needs presents two versions of the same track from different periods of O'Connor's musical development and provide further enticing historical evidence of one of techno's most illuminating figureheads. Those who indulged in the brilliant White Savage Dance 12" from Downwards from late 2011 will be all over the DIY odes to O'Connor's childhood heroes such as DAF and Liaisons Dangereuses here. The 1999 version in particular which originates from the same recording sessions that ended in the seminal Diversion Group release A Man Has Responsibilities.

Review: Future Fusion is the killer debut set from Streetwalker, the collaborative project of White Car's Elon Katz and Beau Wanzer of Mutant Beat Dance/L.I.E.S. fame. The DIY ethos of primitive Chicago house seeps into the pair's work as Streetwalker, with the material that forms Future Fusion recorded live in one take. This was subsequently recorded without any overdubs or MIDI to one inch tape, with the resultant six tracks resonating with a loose, primal energy. Sitting uneasily between house, industrial, synth-pop and EBM, Future Fusion is one of those records that you simply cannot second guess. This being a Cititrax release, the presentation is second to none too, with some superb illustration work from the well respected graphic artists Spencer Longo, but in truth the music should be the real focus of attention here.

Review: Joe "Joaquin" Claussell adds some Puerto Rican rhythmics to The Machine's Redhead LP on the Pyramids Of Mars label - also responsible for releasing Vince Watson's conceptual Serene album this year. Claussell remixes six tracks in total with each getting its own side of vinyl real estate. The first mix is the beatless, atmospheric and Foley sound recorded "Continental Drift", while spaced tribalisms hit "Opening Ceremony", with ringing cowbells and noisy backgrounds littering "Leopard Skin". "Spell Bound" is like a futuristic and off-the-cuff blues band jam while "Talking Dolls" takes the release back into known Claussell ethnological territory. "Root People" is the last of Claussell's masterly crafted remixes which boasts more vocals washed in reverb and distant Phil Collins-esque drum solos.

Review: The KVB are Klaus Von Barrel and Kat Day, a hugely prolific duo who eschew thoughts of sync bait or best new music columns in favour of the next gig and the next record. Having made some notable appearances on the Downwards label, the pair makes a further illustrious step up with Immaterial Visions, a collection of music released on the Minimal Wave sub label Cititrax. Veronica Vasicka has been a staunch champion of their music of late, regularly slipping The KVB tracks into her weekly EVR show so it makes for little surprise that she'd look to put out their music on Cititrax. The subsequent eight tracks make for the boldest, most confident statement thus far from The KVB, demonstrating their palette reaches beyond the shoegaze tag they are regularly adorned with in the music press. The previously released "Dayzed" and "Old Lines" in particular are superb.

Review: Taking a break from his surgical commitments, Anthony Child serves up some avant-garde noise excursions with The Space Between People & Things for the Vermont label NNA Tapes. It's an infinitesimal exploration of found sound and tone generation, purportedly examining negative space and culled from Child's years of studies on the side of his more prominent techno output. It's a curious ride through academia, at times as serene as the subtle hum of a suburb, at others a cataclysmic pulse raging down on your senses, but there's no escaping the attention to detail that has gone into forming this pair of sonic suites.

Review: With Minimal Wave at their current celebrated level, it's nice of them to occasionally dig into their archives and reissue some of their earliest releases for those Johnny Come Lately's who might have missed out first time around. Having done the right thing with an all too timely reissue of Das Ding's HSTA late last year, Veronica Vasicka's label now turn their attentions to Blackpool and revisit Spy Thriller by Das Kabinette. Originally released back in 2008, this eight track collection brings together material the trio of Michael Hall, David Bracher and Craig Hemmings recorded in the early 80s including the cult hits "The Cabinet" and "Fudge It" which appeared on a 1983 7". Fans of Silent Servant mixtapes will probably be familiar with these tracks whilst the remaining six tracks are typically unreleased studio productions that paint a fascinating picture of primitive synth music that's subtley touched by the death throes of New Romanticism.

Review: Off The Record sees German label Bureau B offer up a wonderful presentation of music from ex Kraftwerk member Karl Bartos. Apparently originally conceived whilst Bartos was part of the iconic group, these twelve tracks have been fully developed from the musical diary he kept all those years ago. What was initially a secret collection of rhythms, riffs, hooks, chords and melodies have been reconceived and re-contextualised by Bartos in a modern setting and Off The Record should make for compelling listening for the legions of Kraftwerk completists out there. "The Binary Code" stands out, a swooping array of 8bit arpeggios unfurling and taking your senses with you whilst "Musica Ex Machina" is the sort of chugging, busy vocoder led machine funk you'd feasibly hear in a Weatherall back to back set with Smagghe

Review: More commonly known for her work as Hype Williams alongside Dean Blunt, Inga Copeland is no stranger to working solo as a superb release on Rush Hour's No Label attests. Not that Don't Look Back That's Not Where You're Going is Copeland's work alone, as this record features some high profile production assistance. London's neo-grime bad boy Scratcha DVA is on the buttons for the first two tracks, with "So Far So Clean" a sparse and undulant pattern of quasi-percussion slices, crackling pops, video-game melodies and Copeland's own mystical lyrics over the top. "Speak" is less broken and places a steadier half-step rhythm over glassy, sci-fi bass lines and one hell of a seductive chant by our main girl; but last and not least, we have Dutch kingpin, Martyn taking us on a darker, Hyperdub-influenced vibe for "A&E" - a perfect unison of urban beats and neo-r&b vocals from a young talented singer who can do no wrong at the minute. Recommended to say the least...

Review: Following swiftly on from their deluxe issue of the Mathematiques Modernes album, Seattle label Medical Records continue their endeavours to reissue their ways into the hearts of the Juno review team with this essential reissue of the Gina X Performance album Nice Mover. Gina X Performance was composed of the charismatic front woman Gina Kikoine along with famous German producer/musician Zeus B. Held and this 1978 LP contains many a well revered weapon for the more knowledgeable DJs out there. Spotters will no doubt recognise the slow burning "Nice Mover" from Andrew Weatherall's immense Nine O'Clock Drop mix whilst "No GDM" was edited by Joakim for an early highlight of the Tigersushi catalogue. It's a pleasure to hear this controversial record in full once again - subject matter includes transgenderism and exhibitionism amongst other fetishes - and Medical excel themselves in the presentation stakes, reproducing the original iconic artwork whilst including an insert with liner notes and interview by Kurt B. Reighley. Bone coloured vinyl too....

Review: The supreme joint curatorial hands of Enfant Terrible and Gooiland Electro offer up this excellent 12" transmission of rare German dark wave act Flying Bodies. Formed of Beta Evers and Charles Kent, Flying Bodies was a short lived project that only ever recorded three tracks and this record presents the first time two of them have been pressed to vinyl. Lead track "Transformer" sets the tone, thick gloopy basslines trying to consume the snapping drum machine rhythms whilst Evers does her Teutonic ice queen thing over the rising tide of minimal synths. Complementing this, "Journey To The House Of Bodies" takes a more experimental approach, described quite aptly as "perfect for night drives on the highway".

Review: Clearly in deference to the Artificial Intelligence era of techno, Dendren appears seemingly out of nowhere with a double pack album that makes all the right moves in lush, ambient techno. While the formula of plush pads and synths over jagged drum machine beats may be familiar, it's not often captured with the right spirit in these times. However Dendren has got it just right, and manages to keep things interesting between the nine tracks by pitching in with varied keys and some off beat sampling which hints at the younger age of the music. Amidst all the dreamy floatation tank techno, you can even hear a slither of Moon B-style boogie courtesy of the cold-chilling "Yes Or No".

Review: Martin Wheeler used to make the sweetest electro known to man (or machine), before focusing on video game design (full disclosure: this writer is a fan of his 'Go Robot' game). However, it appears that Vector Lovers is never too far from Wheeler's heart and on iPhonica he proves to be a master of electronic melody and harmony. Granted, the mood, particularly in the second half of the album is introspective, especially on the gloomy "Let's Go Home" and the serene "Final Wish", but iPhonica also shows that Wheeler is adept at making acid trax ("Kongaroid"); sensuous ambience ("Stargazing") and as "On Kastanienallee" so beautifully demonstrates, wide-eyed electro.

Review: Pete Swanson, formerly of Yellow Swans, continues to merge noise and techno with ear splitting results on the Punk Authority EP for Software Recording Co. Last seen blowing synapses with the triumphant Pro Style EP, a distinctive looking and sounding release for the Type label, Swanson evidently is looking to surpass that attempt to merge his background in ear piercing noise with the rhythmic tropes of techno with this four track release. Allegedly named in homage to the 80s Guttenberg classic Police Academy, the Punk Authority EP has wisely been daubed "deformed warehouse techno" by Software with a "vomited pulse half-heard through a Stuttgart toilet stall" at its heart. Such vivid descriptions are well justified on the basis of Swanson's productions, most notably the final 12 minute track "Life Ends At 30? which we advise you approach with caution (and the bass turned down).