Review: Into The Light's latest deep dive into the world of obscure Greek electronic music focuses on 2 Katara, a previously virtually unknown collaboration between George Theodorakis and Dimitris Papangelidis. The pair first joined forces in 1978 and continued to record together until going their separate ways in 1991. The 14 tracks showcased here are surprisingly eclectic but never less than superb, variously touching on delay-laden fusions of progressive rock and early electronic pop, new age ambience, drum-heavy dancefloor workouts, eccentric disco-not-disco and intergalactic synth-scapes. There's far more use of traditional Greek instrumentation and electric guitars than you might expect, but this only enhances the enjoyable quirkiness of the whole package.
Review: 7FO's Ryu no Nukegara (meaning "dragon's husk") is a warm, inviting trip through ambient, dub and chill-out soundscapes. The Osaka-based producer blends sparse electronic percussion with dub-style synth bass and pentatonic melodies, while also using steel pan tones that bring an Okinawan or Southeast Asian touch. Fans of Haruomi Hosono and Equiknoxx will find much to love in this record's trans-oceanic textures with sparkling dub processing and thoughtful mixing throughout. A magical record that embodies strength, fluidity and meditative depth.
Review: A Certain Ratio's core trio of drummer Donald Johnson, bassist/vocalist Jez Kerr, and multi-instrumentalist Martin Moscrop make ACR Loco a perfectly fluid and funk album. In fact, on this, their first album in more than ten years, the Manchester post-punk outfit are as funky as they have ever been. Their tried and tested sound gets nicely updated with modern beat driven sounds and plenty of redefines to today's political strife in the lyrics. There are plenty of smooth and cool synth led grooves like 'Get A Grip' and messages of unity on 'Family' that we can all relate to.
Review: Who, or perhaps what, was Tomo Akikawabaya? In truth, nobody really seems to sure on the answer, other than the fact this mysterious Japanese artists decided to release a serious of incredible synth-driven singles during the 1980s, before vanishing back into the dry ice of whatever smoke machine they escaped from. A musical genie, here only to bestow a limited number of gems on us, and then disappear forever. Swerving interviews and photos doesn't help the search, but The Castle II at least allows us to explore his work in depth, across several tracks. These range from the twisted cabaret weirds of 'Objet D'Amour', to the driving electro-punk of 'Le Voleur', grand and decidedly 1980s-sounding synth rock on 'The April', and New Romantic-esque pop on The Castle (II). Essential stuff.
Her Seylerin Arasindan Gorundu Bana Bir Ceylan (2:35)
Gurbet Bekcisi (2:27)
Zengin Olur Giderim (2:02)
Orman Yangini (2:37)
Ya Benimsin Ya Onlarin (1:59)
Gel Elimi Tut (2:09)
Hatiralar (2:52)
Kiralik Ask (3:16)
Sekiz Sutuna Sekiz Manset (4:16)
Tahta Sucuk (4:21)
Sazliklardan Havalanan Havada Asili Kalan (3:05)
Review: Instrumental synth pop producer Gozen Atila, AKA Anadol - named after an old Turkish car company - has been building a stellar reputation for herself as a purveyor of 1970s and 1980s influenced electronic soundscapes since her first full length, curuyen Yillar (Rotting Years), turned heads among press and public alike in 2012. Plenty has come between then and now, but finally we're given Hatiralar, a record that was made around the same time as her debut but has never before seen the light of day. Informed by the experimental European and Eurasian movie scores of decades past, fans of Bruce Haack and The Space Lady will find much to fall head over heels for here, touching on naive keyboard chart hits from outside the Western music industry, kosmische, science fiction sounds and obscure electro forms, it's a strange but enticing trip into another world.
Review: Cititrax proudly presents the debut LP from Another Body Found here, which is the latest moniker of A// who is well known for his pioneering work as Le Syndicat Electronique. Emerging from the French underground with a dark electro, industrial, minimal synth and wave style, he has a stark and visceral take on raw energy and haunting atmospheres. There are plenty of mechanical, hypnotic beats here with heft bass and hints of dystopian fears. The title track reimagines Bronski Beat's 'Smalltown Boy' and strips it to its emotional core, 'Lost In The Northern Lights' has a cold, urgent sound and 'Murderous Earth' is brilliantly unsettling and melancholic.
Review: Arte Moderno was a short-lived outfit from the Canary Islands who scored an underground dancefloor hit in 1982 with the spaced-out punk-funk/new wave/dub disco grooves of "Ninette En New York" before all but disappearing. Here, we finally get a chance to hear what else they were up to, as Musica Cabeza - the debut album they recorded but then shelved in 1982, finally gets a release. It's a quietly impressive set, all told, offering up tracks that doff a cap to the likes of Talking Heads, Woo, Konk and Bauhaus, while also offering a fresh take on electric/electronic post-punk fusion. Had it been released when it was recorded there's no doubt it would have become an underground classic; now that it's finally seen the light of day, we can confirm it's every bit as good as we'd hoped for.
Review: Lewis' gentle and bewitching L'Amour, which came complete with a bizarre backstory involving the disappearance of the blonde-haired would-be-matinee-idol on its sleeve, was one of the surprise delights of the year. Yet the release of the hitherto unsuspected follow-up Romantic Times, which was originally recorded in 1985, only adds to the mystique surrounding this off-kilter auteur. The abstract croon and expressionistic mood may remain, yet the pastel shades and beachside calm of his earlier effort are gone, replaced by brooding atmosphere and vocals that betray a troubled soul beneath the luxurious veneer. Residing somewhere between lounge lizard thrills and outsider art chills, Romantic Times is a portrait of a true one-off.
Review: Italian composer and modular synth wizard Caterina Barbieri makes a debut on the Light-Years label here with a profound work of ambient beauty. Known for her musical vortexes, she warps space and time with her compositions and has done ever since breaking through with 2017's double-album Patterns Of Consciousness. Spirit Exit again finds her start up her modal rug and get to work in her home studio amidst Milan's two-month pandemic lockdown in 2020. It's a personal work that "takes inspiration from female philosophers, mystics and poets spread across time." The transportational sounds are as complex as they are emotive from front to back.
Euph (Feelings In Finite) (Bvdubs' Re-Entries) (11:32)
Complete Nonsense (Calm & Chaos) (10:30)
Helix (Radiate In Red) (7:51)
Phosphorous (Elements Of Endlessness) (10:56)
Mars Rain (Freeze & Fall) (6:23)
Lost In It (Life In Lucidity) (10:29)
FM (Frequencies Of Forgiveness) (3:49)
Odyssey (Gazing Into Galaxies) (10:31)
Genetic Experiment (Symbols & Secrets) (2:24)
Review: James Bernard's 1994 ambient masterpiece Atmospherics is now 30 years old. To mark its anniversary the landmark record has been meticulously remastered and paired with a brand-new, track-by-track reinterpretation by Bernard's longtime friend and collaborator, bvdub. Together, these works span four slabs of wax and offer a profound exploration of ambient soundscapes that honour the original while also presenting some fresh, emotive perspectives. A must-have work for your ambient section.
Review: The Birthday Massacre, hailing from Canada, command a bracing gothic blend of 80s electronica and aggressive guitar work. Formed in 2000 as Imagica, the band is led by vocalist Chibi and guitarists Rainbow and Michael Falcore. They debuted in London, Ontario, before moving to Toronto and rebranding, with the 2002 self-released Nothing and Nowhere inducting us into their horror-comedic sonic aesthetic, drawing on macabre cabaret and Grande-Guignol rock. Though little light but fan speculation has been shed on their new album Pathways, this purple detour has sparked rumours of a fresh direction and stylistic tangent for the band, coming helmed up by the pre-released streamer single 'Sleep Tonight', lighting up oneiric stadia worldwide with their mega-metal shreds and huge electronica arrangements.
Review: When Magda and Jay Ahearn first unveiled the Blotter Trax project - rather mysteriously, it should be noted - the showcased cuts tended towards the more psychedelic end of the techno and electro spectrum. They've flipped the script on debut album Superconductor, a genuinely brilliant collection of funkier, far-sighted workouts that draws more on their joint love of Arthur Russell, early 80s NYC downtown disco, leftfield new-wave pop and flash-fried punk-funk. The addition of bass and guitar (from new third member Hannes Strobl and guest axe-slinger Shigeru Tanabu) adds an organic element, with lead vocals (courtesy of principal songwriter and singer Nina Hynes) humanising their sound further. A triumphant, if surprising, full-length debut that could turn out to be one of the electronic LPs of 2023.
Review: Given that it's been eight years since the last Boards of Canada album, Tomorrow's Harvest should, by rights, push Daft Punk's Random Access Memories in the hype stakes. Certainly, it's a fine set. During their sabbatical, Marcus Eoin and Michael Sandison have lost none of their power to amaze and impress. Chords drone, samples hiss, synths shimmer and beats swing. There are intense ambient moments and intoxicating, post-IDM dreamscapes. It is in turns icy, warm, introspective and blindingly picturesque. Throughout, Tomorrow's Harvest is impeccably atmospheric, conjuring images of windswept Scottish moors, becalmed Cornish bays and maudlin pagan ceremonies. As comeback records go, it's pretty darn good.
Review: Finally, the debut Bochum Welt album Module 2 has been reissued after an initial run on Rephlex. Bochum Welt (Gianluigi Di Costanzo) has just recently celebrated 30 years of releasing music. His brand of IDM, electro and techno has been often copied but never equaled. His futuristic music seems to always be forward thinking and ultimately, timeless sounding. This edition is on matching green vinyl and includes all the classic material of the first release. Fans of AFX, Squarepusher and Cylob are sure to be aware of Bochum Welt. But for those who aren't....
Review: Romanian producer and DJ Miruna Boruzescu aka Borusiade has always dealt in brilliantly futuristic sounds that are both austere yet hypnotic. Now they're back on Dark Entries with third full length THE FALL: A Series of Documented Experiences after many great outings on the likes of Comeme, Pinkman and Cititrax. This latest work explores memory and embodiment through nine moody tracks that blend melancholic synths, deep basslines and powerful drums into introspective soundscapes that muse on love and loss. We're told that 'Save Me' and 'The Fall' are born from heartbreak but distil pain into something beautiful while tributes to artists like Porn Darsteller and Genesis P-Orridge also appear in this fantastically personal album.
Review: Three years on from the release of their acclaimed debut album, "Yr Body is Nothing", Augustus Miller and Jae Matthews are finally ready to release the second Boy Harsher full-length. It's a hugely atmospheric affair, with the lauded pair sashaying between moody creepiness (the slowly shifting musical dystopia of opener "Keep Driving"), guitar-flecked new wave ("Face The Fire"), arpeggio-driven alternative synth-pop ("Fate"), Pet Shop Boys-esque Italo-disco influenced throb-jobs ("LA"), EBM-driven dancefloor funk ("Come Closer", "Tears"), icy electronic soundscapes ("Crush") and immersive, wide-eyed ambient ("Careful"). It does sound like it could have been made around 1985, but that's precisely the point: Boy Harsher can certainly deliver well observed retro-futurism better than most.
Review: It's been a delight to see Oliver Ho's Broken English Club project develop artistically over recent times, with some fine records for Jealous God and Veronica Vasicka's Cititrax label along the way. Suburban Hunting sees Ho deliver his debut Broken English Club album, featuring some 11 tracks of primitive electronics and cinematic pseudo techno cuts. Tunes like "Vacant", "Derelict", or "Scum" all share a loose techno framework, but the real aesthetic is much vaster than that, verging on remnants of post-punk, industrial and all that goodness and hybrid class that came out of the late 1980's. It's another fine addition to the sublime Cititrax discography, and we recommended it just as much as the previous numbers.
Review: Bullion continues to perfect his endlessly charming strain of modernist synth pop with this new album for Ghostly International. The lead single from the album sets the tone beautifully, as the mighty Carly Rae Jepsen lends her voice to 'Rare' for a blissful, woozy ride through exquisite song craft that calls back to AOR and soft rock as much as synthwave. Further guest spots arrive from Panda Bear and Charlotte Adigery, but as ever Bullion's own charisma remains the driving force on this latest dose of honey-coated audio pleasure from a master of the art.
Review: Bullion (Nathan Jenkins) returns with a surprise full-length album, Affection. Breaking from his irreverent electro-shanties for a minute, Affection reminds us of Jenkins' far-reaching capacities as a producer and songwriter, with each song on this expansive new LP centring on the titular theme of affection and intimacy. Avowing the sound advice that is not to take others' advice, Bullion's M.O. going into the record was to follow his instincts and treat the studio as a site of adventure; this is reflected as much in the album's roomy, deep and detuned pop ditties, which veer away from banger science and more into the slow dreams of warm synths, subtle progressions and emergent horizons. Carly Rae Jepsen's feature is the bait highlight on 'Rare', though star cuts like 'World_train' and 'Cinch' also catch us off guard.
Review: London's legendary Mute institution goes back to its roots and digs up some of the best work by one of the UK's finest Cabaret Voltaire. These guys don't really need an introduction give the fact that they're pretty much responsible for the rise of post-punk right through to the birth of techno. It was about time a new compilation of their stuff was released, especially one as brutally on-point as this one! All the classics such as "Nag Nag Nag", "Kneel To The Boss" and "On Every Other Street" are one here but the more obscure rarities that were previously only available on 7" are the real winners. "Just Fascination", for example, is one you'll certainly want on a longer, re-mastered cut! Downright essential!
Review: 'Feral Vapours of the Silver Ether' is the second album by Chris & Cosey as Carter Tutti, following 2004's 'Cabal'. A haunting, gothic 11-tracker that revels more in cinematic beauty than abrasive sonic gristle, its standout pieces such as 'Woven Clouds' recalling the heartfelt studio masterpieces of This Mortal Coil or the mysterious blackgaze dissociations of Black Tape For A Blue Girl. Cosey's voice appears in crystal clarity, against utmostly gut-wrenching string movements and synthetic choirs of angels.
Review: Contrary to its ultra-crisp sound - one that suggests it could've been made today - Cetu Javu's Southern Lands was first released on Basic Mix in 1990. Catering to the largely cassette-bound underground of Barcelona at the time, Basic Mix acted as a little-known sublabel through which acts like Javu could express their best and rawest sides. Comprising Javier Revilla and Chris Demere, Cetu Javu had moved to Barcelona from Hanover, Germany - inspired by the works of Kraftwerk, Soft Cell, and Jean-Michel Jarre - and thus produced Southern Lands following a tour shared with fellow acts Wolfsheim and Blind Passengers. The album is shockingly well-made, bespeaking the power of minimal production and conservative vocal processing to achieve a crystal-clear, no less upfront, 'naked' industrial sound.
Review: CHBB was a project by Beate Bartel and Chris Haas that developed from a collaboration first embarked upon in 1981, while working on the self-titled album Liaisons Dangereuses. After initially releasing their music only on four limited cassettes, this compilation from Soulsheriff flaunts their complete works, including all recordings from the original tapes paired with several new and original tracks by each artist. One can hardly tell the difference between original and new here; from the surreally throat-sung contraltos of 'NBKE' to the jankily strange doubletimes of 'Bali', from the the warbly hypnotisms of 'Shapeshifter' to the womping-kicks-over-German-language-incantations of 'Ima Iki-Mashoo', there's an industrial, experimental treat here for everyone.
Review: This version of Chris & Cosey's Musik Fantastique! is a reissue of their original 1992 album, which features a mix of new wave, post-punk, and electronic influences to produce a slick slew of dreamy melody and threnody. Chris & Cosey's sharp, often confrontational lyrics explore themes of love, politics, and society, on what is otherwise a more centre-field and dreamy album in the pair's overall brutal discography; it's a cherished part of their synthpop / dream pop era from the early 90s.
Review: Generations of modular might fold in on themselves as legendary Buchla pioneer Suzanne Ciani patches into accomplished French synthesist Jonathan Fitoussi for this outstanding album on Obliques. The title is clearly a tribute to Morton Subotnick, whose own Silver Apples Of The Moon is a true ground zero for West Coast synth albums and as you might surmise Ciani and Fitoussi opt to create something more shapely and inviting than the wild, brilliantly alien tonal mutations Subotnick conjured up back in the 60s. If you're familiar with either artist's work you won't be disappointed, as exquisitely rendered melodic flourishes, delicate spatial processing and subtle textural shifts unfurl around your ears across these eight beautiful pieces of synth perfection.
Review: Civilistjavel's 1 hears a reissue for the second time, following the mysterious ambient dub artist's resurfacing in 2018, after the late Low Company stumbled on their stuff and somehow managed to gain permission to do so outside of the artist's 'private tape / CDR trading networks'. Now it appears that 'Civilist' has taken the reins on their own work, officially reissuing the album directly from the source. It would go with the territory, not least since a spate of recent live performances by the artist seems to have signalled something of an 'opening up'. We're just as blown away by 1 as we were before; with its sensitive melodies and stumbly analog tone loops, building to slow-burning near-nothings.
Review: This reissue of the 1981 self-titled album from the cult Japanese duo Colored Music is now made available on vinyl for the first time since its original release. This groundbreaking mix of cosmic new wave, avant-garde synth-pop, experimental funk and unconventional disco is wonderfully unique and is reminiscent of David Bowie's Berlin Trilogy with a psychedelic Haruomi Hosono touch. Featuring celebrated musicians like Mansaku Kimura and Shuichi "Ponta" Murakami, Colored Music delivers an unparalleled, otherworldly soundscape that belies it ages.
Review: Baby is the brand new album from Cosmetics, the Vancouver-based synth wave duo that formed in 2008 but have been rather quiet on the release front in recent times. having teased their return with a superb new pair of singles on 7" recently, now Cititrax/Minimal Wave finally unveil the full album in all its glory. This pair, which is made up of Nic Emm and Aja Emma, fuses artfully crafted synth and wave sounds into something new. It is dark but beautiful, with icy moods and grooves overlaid with the stunning vocals of Emma cutting through in their own alluring manner. The album comes on limited edition clear vinyl and marks a welcome return for this talented outfit.
Review: Best known for producing chart-topping disco anthems like the Sylvester-fronted 'Do You Wanna Funk?' - that still crop up in DJs like Juan Atkins' sets to this day, Cowley died in 1982 due to an AIDS-related illness. He left an incredible body of work but since 2009, the Dark Entries label has been working with Cowley's friends and family to uncover the singular artist's lesser-known sides such as his soundtracks for gay pornographic films. Malebox brings us six more recent discoveries from the hidden archives, very much in the churning disco-funk and hi-NRG areas that we've come to know and love as trademark Cowley. Recorded from 1979-1981, one of Patrick's most creatively exciting periods, this bumper pack includes early Paul Parker demos 'If You Feel It' and 'Love Me Hot', a demo version of 'Low Down Dirty Rhythm' with Jeanie Tracy's vocals, plus 'Floating', 'Love and Passion' and 'A Wicked Tool', all infectious and brimming with joyfulness and futuristic exploration. Also included is an air mail envelope containing a letter from Patrick Cowley to French disco producer Pierre Jaubert as well as liner notes and hand-written lyrics. Malebox will be released on November 12, the 40th anniversary of Patrick's passing.
Review: Having previously impressed with their reissue of Patrick Cowley's brilliant, all-synthesizer soundtrack to obscure '70s gay porn flick School Daze, Dark Entries and Honey Sound System once again join forces to shine a light on the high energy disco pioneer's work for San Francisco's Fox Studios. Unsurprisingly, it's another impressive collection, and features material recorded for a number of different pornographic films. There are naturally more up-tempo moments - see "Somebody To Love Tonight", which would later be re-recorded with Sylvester, and the synth-weirdness-meets-jazz-funk brilliance of "5oz of Funk" - but it's the impressively cosmic and exotic ambient moments, such as the stand-out "Timelink" and "Jungle Magic", that really stand out.
Review: The final part of Dark Entries' long-running series of archival Patrick Cowley releases showcases tracks originally recorded for Afternooners, a late '70s gay porn film by director John Coletti. As with previous Cowley releases on Dark Entries, the double album also contains previously unheard material rediscovered from the Fox Studio archives. It's another essential collection of atmospheric synthesizer music in the producer's distinctive style, all told, with tracks ranging from the whistling cheeriness of "Hot Beach" and the sparkling, cowbell-laden throb of "One Hot Afternoon" to the dubbed-out, semi-ambient dreaminess of "Bore & Stroke" and the humid, upbeat "Jungle Orchid".
Review: School Daze is a killer compilation put together by the Dark Entries label and the Honey Soundsystem crew, collating some of the early recordings produced by Patrick Cowley in the years between 1973-81 and were later used as soundtrack material in two gay porn films. You will probably know Cowley for his Hi-NRG output or 'that' Donna Summer remix or his behind the buttons work on Sylvester tracks. Be prepared for a surprise (well quite a few as the 'explicit content' warning on the cover lives up to its billing) as this collection presents Cowley as a producer capable of many styles and moods. The closest School Daze comes to the sound Cowley is most identified is opening track "Zygote" and from here the collection runs through primitive electronics, short bursts of wave and more with a few extended gems that highlight Cowley's talent for arrangement. One of the compilations of the year!
Review: The cult favourite Dark Entries hits 15 in style here and celebrates in the only way it knows how - with more great music. This time it is the legendary synth-punk yahoos Crash Course in Science aka Dale Feliciello, Mallory Yago, and Michael Zodorozny who are in the spotlight. The group formed back in 1979 and set out to make music using toy instruments and kitchen appliances. Their punk-y, aggressive, angular sound soon found a hardcore fan base and gave rise to big tunes like 'Cardboard Lamb' and 'Flying Turns.' In 1981 they recorded Near Marineland, a full-length that never actually saw the light of day but does now and shows the band moving into more diverse and polished territory.
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