Review: UV & Nenor link up once more and return to Fossils with three new edits that take the form of spaced-out deep cosmic chuggers. These are all classy tunes with an analogue edge, great deference to the classic synth sounds of days gone by but all with nice modern touches. 'Space Love' is a widescreen odyssey with sultry female vocals and a sweet theremin sound. On the flip, 'Shwag' has hazy pads and slowed down, rugged, sleazy drums and bass and then last of all comes 'GoGo Stomp' with another bubbly bottom end, squelchy bassline and weird but wonderful vocal sounds. A brilliantly high-grade addition to your record back.
Review: Crossing between V/A comp and split 12", Unusual Systems present the tenth edition in their series celebrating the work of local Italian producers. Glossing xenon flashes of Italo disco and electro-disco-synth, we've here the tasering talents of duo Two Opposites and then solo artist Corp on the A, backed up by Catalan producers Torrent and Adria on the B side. The opening productions are slick, adumbrate bops, outlining the barest, darkest contours of Italo in its most abstract form. Adria's 'Bakaloo' is the highlight of the B, indulging the weirdest of buildups and most party-crashing of progressions.
Review: In typical Music From Memory fashion, their latest archival release shines a light on one of the UK's lesser-known bands of the early 1980s. The System released a lone single in 1981, followed by a now incredibly rare debut album, Logic, in 1983. Three of the cuts here are taken from that set, including the dreamy, downbeat Balearic-pop opener "Almost Grown" - a wonderfully evocative six minutes, all told - and the far-sighted, spacey, proto-techno shuffler "Vampirella". This EP also includes one previously unreleased track, "Find It In Your Eyes", which was rescued from long-forgotten master tapes during the licensing process.
Review: 'Autobahn' by Kraftwerk, released in 1974, is a seminal track that redefined the future of electronic music. Its significance lies not only in its innovative use of synthesisers and electronic instruments but also in its ability to evoke a specific visual and emotional landscape. Here, the song's repetitive, motorik rhythms are given an overhaul - or more specifically three - by Jim Rider, a regular at Lee Burridge's All Day I Dream parties. They're beefed up for the floor, certainly, but maintain the kind of delicate touches that makew the original such a great listen.
What’s Been Turning You On (System Olympia remix) (4:27)
What’s Been Turning You On (System Olympia instrumental) (4:07)
What’s Been Turning You On (ASHRR SOUNDSYSTEM version) (5:13)
What’s Been Turning You On (ASHRR SOUNDSYSTEM instrumental version) (5:12)
Review: Los Angeles-based ASHRR are back with a new cut which comes from their forthcoming Sunshine Low album which they have re-interpreted as their ASHRR Soundsystem alter ego, while System Olympia also steps up with a remix on this fine new package from 20/20 Vision. In the hands of the latter, 'What's Been Turning You' is a remix with plenty of hi-fidelity cosmic details over mid-tempo deep nu-disco drums. The version from ASHRR is a chugging and Italo-tinged classic with loose-limbed and jumbled drum funk and plenty of bright, shiny arps. A great collection then.
Review: A world of brutal beats and hard edge techno rhythms beckons on this new min album, vocals often obstructed by brushing synths and comprised textural sounds, tortured leads and fizzing apocalyptic energies that make it perfect for gritty warehouse raves. Opener 'The Brain Plays With Me' sets a powerful tone from the off, while 'Claroscuro' slips into a slower but just as caustic world of sound. 'Don't Trust In The First Whispers' is a paranoid chamber of reflected vocals and crashing hits that has you looking over your shoulder and 'Melted Doubts' is doom laden drone from the end of the world.
Before We Drown (Chris Avantgarde extended remix) (5:43)
Before We Drown (AC Wet remix) (3:59)
People Are Good (Indira Paganotto Psy remix) (9:29)
People Are Good (AC Fool remix) (6:45)
Review: The fifth edition of Depeche Mode's Memento Mori white label remixes series hears four new remixes added to the post-hoc vinyl selection, offered to the world after the release of the synthpop pioneers' most recent eponymous album. Beginning with the demure atmospherics of Chris Avantgarde's 'Before We Drown', then into two propulsive, audio-brut experimental downtempo versions by AC, but not before a brilliant pystrance B1 by Indira Paganotto, which makes for a squarely sagacious sendoff.
Review: Dan Andrei is arguably one of the finest selectors of this generation and a master minimal producer who makes electronic music of the highest order. His latest outing sees him inaugurating his own brand-new label alongside Claudiu Stefan. Rainbow Hill is a platform for their more personal ideas and starts with four more of Andrei's brilliantly deft yet dramatic tracks. 'Numan's Touch' kicks off with rolling drums and bass and a fine eco-system of cosmic pads, twinkling keys and fizzing synths that are theatrical and involving. 'What Else?' then gets darker and more intense with heady loops and wispy pads, and again the ante is upped and the darkness pervades once more on the tense and taught dub-tech roller 'This Is What I See'. Last of all, 'Bluer Than Ever' floats above the floor with airy pads and radiant chords. A perfect 5am vibe.
Review: The superb Philoxenia Records, which is spearheaded by Luigi Di Venere and Neu Verboten, here unveils a coveted addition to its collection with the the super limited Last Place On Earth EP from Vilnius-based Dovydas Platakis aka Jokios Kulturos. It's a cinematic work that immerses listeners in a dystopian realm that blends avant-garde tones with manga-inspired cyberpunk vibes. Each track serves as a gateway to a world where technological progress intertwines with societal decline, which is of course often the focus of classic cyberpunk literature. Di Venere and Verboten also combine under their Affekt Unit alias to deliver captivating remixes and bring trance and tribal techno elements to the party.
Review: Few tracks capture the icy allure of early 80s electronic experimentation quite like this underground classic. Originally released in 1981, this Swiss post-punk/coldwave classic has transcended its era, becoming a cult favorite across underground scenes and DJ sets of various genres. Now reissued on limited blue vinyl, its influence remains undeniable. 'Eisbaer' is a track that bridges stark, minimalist electronics with the raw energy of post-punk. The hypnotic bassline and cold, robotic drum programming lay a foundation for jagged guitar stabs and eerie synth flourishes, creating an urgent, mechanical pulse. The disaffected, almost mantra-like vocalsideclaring "Ich mochte ein Eisbar sein" ("I want to be a polar bear")iheighten its existential detachment. Echoes of Throbbing Gristle's industrial edge and Cabaret Voltaire's abstract electronics blend seamlessly with the emerging synth-pop movement, helping to push new wave into more danceable, electronic territory. Side B's 'Film 2' takes a more abrasive approach, a pounding, near-industrial instrumental that pulses with motorik intensity. 'Ich Lieb Sie' is more restrained but equally unsettling, its sparse arrangement and ghostly atmosphere reinforcing Grauzone's unique ability to evoke emotion through minimalism. Timeless and still chillingly modern, this reissue ensures that Eisbar and its B-sides continue to inspire. A crucial document of coldwave's evolution, reaffirming why this track remains a DJ favourite decades later.
Review: Matthias closes out 2024 with 'Life Among Nightmares', a three-track EP that dives deep into the techno-synth wave spectrum. Kicking things off is Global Thunder, a mind-bending track that crescendos into an epic blend of nostalgic synths and cinematic tension. On the B-side, Living Nightmare delivers a moody fusion of eccentric analog sounds, acid sequences, and swinging percussion, creating a dark yet hypnotic atmosphere. Finally, Sunfall rounds out the EP, where sinister synths and shadowy pads pull listeners into a haunting, techno-wave journey.
Los Ninos Del Parque (Bionda E Lupo Neumisch) (7:16)
African Beat (Andrei Rusu dub) (7:46)
Review: Platform 23 platform the Italian 80s avant-garde and anarcho music scene on a fresh 12" compilation, kicking things off with an unreleased cover, by the band Nengue, of Los NiNos Del Parque's electro-pop-wave track 'African Beat'. Amid the political unrest of the Anni di Piombo (Years of Lead) - which saw the autonomist Marxist movement, and backdrops of government-mafiosi collusion, labour strife, and terrorist splinter group formations - underground artists found themselves transducing the radical energy of the time into rapidfire releases, put out through DIY networks. Rome's Nengue embodied this, blending industrial, jazz, and futurist influences. Initially, the release aimed to highlight their Kraftwerk-inspired African Beat, but the discovery of their cover of 'Los NiNos Del Parque', described as "powerful anarchic nonsense", became the focal point. Berlin's Bionda e Lupo contribute a remix, with Sneaker's sharp production and Sano's vocals adding a fresh dimension. Andrei Rusu (Khidja) delivers a deep, dub-heavy reinterpretation of African Beat, perfect for modern dancefloors while honoring its raw origins. A vital document of Italy's underground electronic resistance.
Review: Nothing but gorgeousness seems to characterise the work of the Minimal Wave imprint over the recent years. It's a label that is both unpredictable and continuously elegant in its choice of reissues. This time, it's a wonderful unearthing of Soma Holidays cult-hit, Shake Your Molecules. The Franco-American duo was part of Brooklyn's clique of artists throughout the 1980's, and although their sound is firmly representative of that era, the tracks are still ridiculously fresh and seductive both in their melodies and vocals. The title track is a sort of synth-pop tune gone wrong in a good way, where drugged-up lyrics meets morphing synths and metallic drum machines, whereas the Dub cut could easily be played in most techno DJ sets these days. On the B-side, we have the charming, atmospheric glow of "Too Many People" and "Art Dimension", the top pick in our opinion and one which is screaming to be be remixed into a contemporary house tune.
Review: Fans of mechanical techno-not-techno sounds will be all over Minimal Wave's latest transmission from 80s French underground heroes In Aeternam Vale. Having reissued several essential lost works from the outfit last year, most notably the proto-Sandwell sound of "Highway Dark Veins", Veronica Vasicka delivers another two tracks from the vault. Stylistically mirroring that previous two track release the title track is an equally brilliant synth-techno beast which could easily pass for a Function track today, while B-side "Calling Somewhere" sounds like a cold wave version of proto-halfstep. Needless to say, the fact that these tracks are 22 years old literally left us speechless.
Review: Alex Shauffler's quest for the most off-kilter disco known to man continues with this seventh instalment of The Golden Ravedays series, another rip-roaring episode of the best that the Superpitcher project has to offer. "Andy" is an 80s-leaning boogie monster, charged and sexified thanks to the help of a banging bassline and some equally effective drum machine loops, all sharp and snare-heavy; "Yves", on the other hand, heads down the balearic wormhole via mid-tempo beats, angelic harmonies in the form of a harp, and a faintly tropical sort of bass that has the gust and panache to take even the coldest of dancefloors to equatorial temperatures. Another solid chapter in the series.
Five Times Of Dust - "Computer Bank" (The Floor mix) (7:12)
Five Times Of Dust - "Armoured Car" (6:57)
Unovidual & Tara Cross - "Like I Am, Comme Je Suis" (The Floor mix) (7:11)
Unovidual & Tara Cross - "Imponative" (3:28)
Review: Thanks to the eternally revered Minimal Wave imprint, out of NYC, Mark Phillips and Robert Lawrence's Five Times Of Dust project is going through a bit of a revival. The duo had first released some post-punk cassettes back in the 80s, and they clearly have not been forgotten. On this new remix EP, "Computer Bank" is given a makeover in the form of a The Floor remix, who proceeds to add all sorts of quirkiness over the tune's tough, heavy bass and driving rhythm; "Armoured Car" breaks the 4/4 in favour of something much closer to the band's original drum machine style. Once again, on the flip, we have a remix of "Like I Am, Comme Je Suis" by The Floor, who throws up a gnarly electro bass onto shady, neo-romantic vocals, and the whole things is finished off by "Imponative" from Unovodual and Tara Cross, who produce a slow, heady industrial groove for the dancefloor.
Review: Amongst minimal wave and alternative synth-pop enthusiasts, short-lived London band Shoc Corridor has an excellent reputation. Although they released a pair of albums and a gaggle of singles in 1983 and '84, it is '82 debut single A Blind Sign that gets collectors drooling. On this Dark Entries reissue, it's easy to see why. Flipside cut "Sargasso Sea", a fantastically spaced-out combination of heavily dub influenced post-punk bass, minimalist drum machine hits and liquid electronics, is particularly special, while "On Reflection" is a fine slab of swooning, near Balearic electronica. The title track, a Gary Numan-esque chunk of mutant synth-pop that bizarrely includes some jangly acoustic guitars amongst the arpeggio bass and twittering synthesizer melodies, is also inspired.
Review: Having spent much of the last 12 months furiously re-issuing classic Italo-disco bombs, Dark Entries has finally got round to releasing some more contemporary cuts. The man behind this EP is Victor Lenis AKA Cute Heels, a Barcelona-based Colombian who last appeared on the imprint in 2014. As usual, the two new productions showcased here see him explore a range of vintage electronic music influences, presenting them in a typically stylish and authentic way. "Third Skin" melds the muscular sweatiness of EBM to the jackin' energy of Chicago acid, while "Lipstick Information" offers a master-class in dark Italo-disco and early Detroit techno fusion. Steffi and The Hacker both give the title track a thorough going over, with the former's deliciously hypnotic, psychedelic take being particularly potent.
Review: Codek is the brainchild of Jean-Marie Salaun who grew up in Paris influenced by the folklore of the inner city. In 1978 he joined art rock group SpionS alongside Gregory Davidow and recorded two singles. Diving into the Paris post punk scene he met Claude Arto and designed the artwork for Claude's single on Celluloid "Kwai Systeme / Betty Boop." Robin Scott (M "Pop Music") had produced the SpionS first single and wanted to collaborate further. With Claude, Jean-Marie wrote "Me Me Me", intended for a choir, for M. Then SpionS split and Robin was off to Switzerland to record an album to follow-up his hit single. That left Jean-Marie alone in London, where he began working as Codek, a play on the brand name Kodak The "Me Me Me" single was released by MCA Records in 1980. Back in Paris, now with some studio experience, Celluloid Records hired Jean-Marie to produce records for Artefact and Les Orphelins. Over the next 2 years he began working on ideas for the next Codek single "Closer / "Tam Tam".
Review: Don't let the "Coldwave" tag fool you: this EP from Dutch archival imprint Music From Memory is every bit as glassy-eyed and loved-up as the rest of their left-of-centre, Balearic-minded catalogue. German drummer and composer Curt Cress first released "Dschung Tek" in 1992, layering his own dense tribal drums across a tropical, ambient house and dream house influenced backing track on the brilliant "Long Version", before stripping it back to a loved-up, Ibiza-friendly house cut on the "No Live Drums" version. Both mixes can be found on this reissue, alongside a trio of similarly percussive, tropical-minded cuts from the artist's 1983 LP, "Avanti". All three are ace and almost as good as the more floor-focused title track.
Review: Elektronik Body Girl is the musical alter-ego of Shelbatra Jashari featuring production assistance from Brussels's soFa. The Belgo-Albanian postpunk pair cooked up sounds that accompany an imagined dystopian industrial wasteland with tons of improv and lots of raw, jagged rhythm. Dealing with the "empowering feminine" and its representation were key to the vision of Jashari as well as abrasive textures and stark atmospheres. Her vocals touch on her roots in Belgium and Kosovo from an outsider's position and label associate Toulouse Low Trax cooks up a brilliant beatdown mix to seal the deal.
Review: Hull and Leeds-based band bdrmm finally follow up their acclaimed debut album Bedroom - which was instantly passed as a modern day shoegaze classic - with a new EP. It features the recent single 'Port' as well as fresh remixes by the ever more essential Daniel Avery, plus Working Men's Club, A Place To Bury Strangers and others. That single, 'Port,' took the band in a new direction with a darker sound fun of distorted drones and beats, with howls of anguish and manic guitar frenzies. That is carried over into the rest of the EP next to some radical reworks.
Review: Milan duo Eternal Love made their debut last year on local imprint Polifonic's Itria Vol. 2 compilation and follow up here on Sydney's Planet Trip. Comprising of four tracks, the Altar EP features some Balearic rave inspired by the late '80s Ibiza sounds as heard on 'Flotamos', while the following cut 'Terra Trance' is as much a zeitgeist of that magical era with its loved-up vibe. Over on the flip, we really enjoyed the celestial and new-agey groove business of 'Geo Geo'.
Review: Definitely one for the collectors, Lime was Canadian duo (then husband and wife) Denis and Denyse LePage, and 'Angel Eyes' was originally the second single from their third studio album, 1983's Lime III. Almost 40 years later, the track has returned as a short form release, offering the original synth pop anthem, and a clubbier dub mix.
For many, though, not least Unidisc Canada, the label carrying this re-release, the major selling point is a remix - and something of a remodelling - courtesy of Turbo Recordings boss and dance music icon Tiga. Forsaking the rather smiley and bouncy original work, in favour of something grittier and altogether more dystopian, it's a masterclass of rough, gnarly broken electro, reworking and chopping vocals into disorientating loops, before finally introducing a kind of warehouse synth pop sound.
Review: The world seems to be rapidly splitting in two again, or perhaps separating into 200 or so pieces, division driven by simple minds. So Vision's Checkpoint Charlie is certainly a release for our times. After just two decades in which planet and people at least pretended to be actively striving to unite, the rhetoric of nationalism, distrust, and imperialistic ambitions has returned to the main stage.
At times like this, what do you need? How about a huge synth pop anthem that sounds like it was created in the latter stages of the Cold War, boasting lyrics like "Don't fight love now", an apocalyptic air to the melodic refrains, and these huge, punchy drum beats? Instantly impactful, if the music industry was as it used to be when Checkpoint Charlie was in operation as one of the few places to legally cross from East to West Berlin, this would likely be the week's highest new Top 40 entry.
Fullness Of My Heart (Tolouse Low Trax Scissor Jazz Hat mix) (8:11)
Disco (TBZ Weired Disco) (4:26)
Universal Sucker (3:54)
Moon Metal (7:42)
Review: Dusseldorf-based trio Folie 2 return on Themes For Great Cities to follow up their debut long-player from earlier this year. Eingriffe features yet more genre bending experimental pop by Gregor Darman, Marlene Kollender and Sebastian Welicki. Local legend Tolouse Low Trax kicks things off with his Scissor Jazz Hat mix of 'Fullness Of My Heart' before they get stuck into some low-slung cosmic funk on 'Disco' (TBZ Weired Disco) and on side B there's the neon-lit night moves of deep cut 'Universal Sucker'.
Review: B 2DEP'T were a curio of the early wave of techno in Japan in the 90s, releasing a handful of cassettes and mini-albums but remaining a cult concern rather than breaking through to major success. For those in the know, their productions were way ahead of their time, and Junki Inoue seems absolutely hip to this as he signs them up for a release on his archival label Saisei. If you enjoy the boundaryless exploration of the early techno boom and prefer brightly melodic motifs to match, you'll love this record. It's brimming with oddball personality and it's more than punchy enough to cut it with modern club fare.
Review: A new collaboration of Philoxenia Records founders Luigi Di Venere and Neu Verboten, Affekt Unit is informed by an aim to "spark new feelings on the dancefloor". The three track Discorgy EP celebrates their musical obsessions - Italo house, Frankfurt EBM-house and trance - with the result proving an electrifying crossover of these classic genres together with surprising new sounds. 'Oct-Opus' boasts a serious electro component, fused with progressive trance, UK bass, techno, transcendental rave and even a climactic outbreak of rave-era breaks. The title track 'Discorgy' draws from Euro dance and EBM, experimenting with a polyrhythmic bass line and bringing the kind of 'stadium house' that The KLF were always aiming for. Closing track 'Dreams Of Wrestlers' is cosmic house at its sweetest and beefiest, spruced here and there with Italo stabs and pianos, drum machine fills and some lovely subtle filtering. Not so much a case of something for everyone than everything from everyone, you might even say.
Review: Bristol-based band DAMEFRISOR is composed of vocalist Kazhi Jahfar, guitarists Garin Curtis and Jamie Brown, plus synths and keys from Sam Nobbs and Megan Jenkins on bass. They formed back in 2019 and craft wide open soundscapes imbued with industrial post-rock and electronic twists. Nyle Dowd's drums power each tune and there is always drama to be found in the pulsating beats. Passionate and empowered vocals touch on notions of loneliness and "the reality of feeling invisible in the modern world" while always offering moments of real dancefloor clout.
Review: Stockholm exports Elfenberg find themselves on Bordello here with four cuts of mind-expanding and life-enriching synth goodness. The skilled duo kick off with the high-speed arps and tight kicks of the retro-future smoother 'Forever Alone' then slow things down to a more Balearic and breezy vibe on 'Conga Coronation' with its finger clicks and lush pads. There is soft acid magic at the heart of 'Sphere Of Missing Out' while 'Cosmic Tribune' lulls you into a nice widescreen cosmic world of tumbling chord sequences and warped bass.
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