The best new singles this week
Our critics choose their singles of the week
SINGLE OF THE WEEK
Tammo Hesselink – Silicon (Blank Mind)
It’s been a big year for Tammo Hesselink. The Dutch producer had already made an impression with a run of deep cover drops on Nous’klaer Audio between 2019 and 2020, but 2022 has seen a steady stream of assured, consistent cuts that make clear the trajectory he’s working on. As well as a sterling return to Nous’klaer with the Sewei 12”, he minted a release on Delsin’s Mantis series which cemented his position in the fertile hinterland between deep, Dozzified techno and fractured Livity-esque soundsystem music. Of course, everything exists in some kind of hinterland these days, but Hesselink has a sharp focus on his sound which presents crisp, needlepoint drums and icy, meditative soundscapes with the fractured flair more readily associated with boisterous UK club music.
Now Blank Mind is carrying his latest – a rounded five-track EP which confirms he’s out in front when it comes to entrancing club gear without the trance. There’s even space for a fully realised ambient piece to open the record – a soothing soliloquy of weightless pads speckled with freeform found sound which tickles at the ear drums. It’s a classy palette cleanser for the record, but we’re here for those pointillist beats, which come pulsing into earshot immediately after the fade out. Hesselink has the ability to make his kicks incredibly tough without upsetting the filigree finesse of his compositions, helped no end by the steady, looping hypnotism of the arrangement.
There is space for the odd pause – a teasing breakdown here, a casual drop out there – but these tracks are about exercising a single, consistent theme rather than catering to the nervy bluster of so much ‘broken techno’. The drums are always right up front – razor sharp snares and hats that slice into the foreground of the mix, but it’s actually the melodic content which gives Hesselink’s sound it’s overarching individuality. The phrases tend to be understated – a few notes repeated, mantra-like and coolly detatched – but they’re shaped and treated to spell out light and airy, sparsely populated futuristic spaces. When dance music is crafted in this way, it’s to take you inwards and away from the noise and distraction – to find calm in isolation, however packed the club might be. Whether that’s the intended outcome or not, it’s an effect Hesselink excels at.
OW
Kyle Hall – Technically Deep (Forget The Clock)
Bandcamp user bengremel once said, ‘Kyle Hall is the man. Detroit is the place.’ We can verify that bengremel said as much, not only because we have direct access to the quote’s primary source – namely, the digital web page on which the comment was made – but also because the Detroit dance artist Kyle Hall himself has since screenshotted the web page, and somehow engineered a scenario in which he could go on to use said screenshot as material to print onto the inner label of the ensuing vinyl version.
Otherwise, ‘Technically Deep’ would have probably been just a white label EP. But we gather that since Mr. Hall is making a characteristically tongue-in-cheek point (perhaps about notions of what constitutes an ‘official’ release, perhaps about digital and analog tech, or just for the sake of making an intuitive joke in the name of art, without much elucidation), this must somehow render the music itself clever. We wouldn’t be so naive to assume one means the other…
But it just so happens that this is a wicked EP. ‘Sit In Dat’ urges us to plant our bums in an old Sony digital audio playback medium from 1987, whilst curveballing a streak of mechanistic finger-clicks and womping lines. On what begins as a rather simplistic acid tune, meanwhile, comes the sonic development of ‘Gherkin Roots’, which evolves an advanced melody. ‘Alighnment’ is the least syncopated of the lot, but that renders it the most militant to our ears; this tune is like deep-sea spyware slowly trudging along the ocean floor, occasionally emitting bloops of sonar to attract its ‘prey’ (ahem, tidbits of forbidden info from unknown aquazones).
We’re most charmed by the closer ‘Pounce’, which delves further into knocky worlds of wonk. This is the most UK-influenced tune of the lot, reflecting Hall’s longstanding positive dialogue with us Brits. Perhaps Detroit is the place, bengremel – and Hall, feel free to enshrine such a claim on your inner label. But even in a sonic space of Detroit-centrism, there’s an implicit homage to the UK enshrined in the grooves!
JIJ
Ian Pooley – Studio A Part 3 (Rekids)
While the name Ian Pooley doesn’t ring out as loud or proud in the wider dance community as probably should, his legacy in the esoteric underground is entirely assured. The Berlin-based producer has been crafting essential club material since the early ‘90s, when (at a relatively tender age) he found a nurturing home on the quasi-mythical Force Inc imprint. His earliest work made an instant impact, with tracks like ‘Chord Memory’ and ‘Celtic Cross’ powering over strobe-lit floors with their raw funk sensibilities and thick analogue aesthetic.
Naturally, the landscape changed over time and the volume of four/four protagonists has grown exponentially. Despite this, Pooley has continued to deliver a gentle stream of effective and at times stylistically adventurous music far beyond his most prolific period during the first tidal wave of rave. Aside from release on his own Pooled Music label, his arrival on Radio Slave’s Rekids label with the ‘Studio A’ series has offered plenty to enjoy. Presumably using the outlet as an opportunity to put his sound machine arsenal through its paces, the third instalment picks up where its predecessors left off, with four bouncy big room jams that each blend vintage allure with a la mode finesse. Opener ‘PSS480’ bangs with uncompromising intent, with mutant synths combining over agile bass and pounding drums. Diving a few leagues deeper, ‘SP12 Electric Mistress’ is arguably the standout, with seductive bass driving hallucinatory harmonies over fizzing drums for a wonderfully introspective dancefloor meditation. The dreamy refrains morph into vaguely nightmarish vigour on ‘Viola’, where spooky dissonance echoes over furious rhythms, before the 303 version of ‘SP12 Electric Mistress’ joins the dots between the two. Here, maniacal motifs dart across flanging noise hits and crisp machine drums, ending a thoroughly engaging EP in robust style. 30-odd years in the game and still going strong, hats off Mr Pooley.
PC
We’ve noticed that the ARTS crew from Rotterdam have been making rather consistent detours into and out from techno again, always daring to sonically challenge the genre term. We were huge fans of Chontane’s ‘Perseverance’ released earlier this year, and we’re rather shocked to see they’ve come a whopping seven releases since then. ‘Hush’, by Introversion, is the seventh, and we can attest it’s another game-changer.
This time, it’s about genre fusion. The Berlin-based producer (real name Julius Debler) has quite a solid knack for making maximized techno inflected by the gushy emo-mush of trance. While ‘a fusion of techno and trance’ is quite a debatable idiom – as trance itself can be thought to be a kind of techno – we mean this in quite a literally separated sense, since Introversion’s approach to techno is the kind that goes for those ultra-wompy kick subs, and those fluttery 909 hats that turn into a sort of breathable wash when you up the release long enough. It’s the kind that can only, unequivocally be called ‘techno’ (though some sticklers would call it industrial techno).
But this inhuman, calculating industrial element feels kind of removed when combined with trance motifs. It’s with a ‘Heavy Heart’ that we expose the second track on the EP as similarly tranceified – some of the lushest chord stabs, like fructal caresses on the ear, make themselves known throughout, like scratchy sugar-rushes for the soul. ‘Hush’ unsuccessfully urges us to keep quiet, as we move into what sounds like a soundscape governed by some kind of digital hangdrum. ‘Error’, finally, goes for unusual timings of what sounds like an elephant blowing into an EWI, then quantized. Interesting sounds all round, but we’re overall most taken by the middle two tracks, which are power-works of euphoria.
JIJ
Investigations Of A Dog – Physics Of The Human Mind (Return To Disorder)
Mysterious newcomer Investigations Of A Dog arrives on the always compelling Return To Disorder with a breathtaking set of electro-fusion jams on ‘Physics Of The Human Mind’. Producing under a moniker quite probably borrowed from Franz Kafka’s short story of the same name, Investigations Of A Dog makes his/her/their vinyl debut having previously self-released a flurry of digital-only tracks.
Whether or not these releases found their way to Helena Hauff at RTDHQ, it’s easy to understand why she opted to sign this most vital and imaginatively spun collection. Continuing the literary/existential theme, the EP shares its title with an Ihor Lubashevsky barely penetrable book examining the means of quantifying human cognition. With this firmly in mind — and considering the undoubted quality of the music — it’s fairly safe to say that the Indian-based artist behind the project is something of a clever trousers.
The record begins via the narcotic haze of ‘Quantized Gravity’, where sinewy arpeggios drift across misty pads and jagged electro drums, the beguiling instrumentation interweaved as dissonant swells rise in to disturb the waking dream. Next, the brooding atmosphere of ‘Ferrum’ sees opaque synth lines layered over distorted rhythms, the shadowy arrangement built for backroom introspection and at-home meditations. On the reverse, ’11 July’ is a gorgeously immersive standout as the subtle discordance of the previous tracks makes way for blissful harmonies. Raw but beautiful, melodic refrains effortlessly combine as squealing acid echoes over the soft focus horizon. Finally, ‘Heliocentrism’ glides through ambient waves, the solar-themed orchestration once again evoking immersive dream states as the evocative textures subtly unfold. This is a striking entry into the vinyl world from Investigations Of A Dog, and one which is sure to garner the attention of some of Planet Earth’s more discerning collectors and selectors.
PC
Means&3rd – Life’s Glorious Mosaic (Unveiled Nuance)
A mainstay of Manchester’s techno scene for more than a decade, Means&3rd’s attitude is firmly rooted in a music-first approach, letting sets and sounds do the promo rather than piggybacking on PR machines. The result being a slow burn career that has gradually seen status grow among the heads, with an upshift on the gear stick post-pandemic in the form of Unveiled Nuance, his own label.
Now just over a year old, EP number two is finally ready to be revealed — a sign of being unwilling to rush artistic process and the desire to do things properly, if ever we encountered that. More than worth the wait since the inaugural outing last August, across four tracks we’re given jerky semi-industrial builds (‘Abberance’), twisting, spiralling, haunting harmonic loops atop contrasting playful drum patterns (‘Life’s Glorious Mosaic’), and deeply hypnotic steely heaviness (‘Discordianism’, ‘Kairos’).
All have pounding, sweat inducing potential, while being deceptively understated enough and packed with the necessary detail to work across peak time, experimental, and after hours shifts, providing the right hands have been placed in charge of those selections. Versatile but uncompromising and unapologetic business from one of the UK’s richest and most colourful electronic music strongholds.
MH
Hudson People – Trip To Your Mind (Backatcha)
More irresistible Brit-funk manoeuvres resurrected here courtesy of the always generous Backatcha gang. This time out, the hyper-collectable ‘Trip To Your Mind’ from Reginald Hudson’s outfit, Hudson People, gets the well-deserved reissue treatment, with two sought-after versions appearing on the same slab of wax for the very first time. Despite its London origins and undoubted UK seasoning, each of the players hailed from the US, with members of the six-piece having been born and raised in and around Illinois.
Originally released in 1979, ‘Trip To Your Mind’ appeared on both Hithouse and Ensign Records, with each presenting distinct interpretations of the disco-fused epic. The pristine new edition features the ‘Hit House’ version on the A-side, where the joyous singalong vocals soon make way for a tightly spun arrangement of rousing horns, energetic guitar licks and dreamy e-pianos. Meanwhile, on the reverse, we find Ensign Records’ very own Chris Hill join DJ Robbie Vincent for a subtly enhanced revision. Pushing the rolling percussion to the fore, their rework feels especially ripe for club play, retaining the key instrumentation and rebalancing the sonics without losing sight of the unforgettable original. One for the collectors, this is effectively a must-have for lovers of UK-tinged jazz-funk-soul goodness.
PC
Red Axes – Rhythm Passage EP (Phantasy Sound)
Red Axes return to Phantasy Sound with their latest selection of melody-rich club tackle, serving three sumptuous cuts on the ‘Rhythm Passage EP’. The Tel Aviv-based duo have won plenty of fans since first appearing just over a decade ago, having released off-kilter jams on the likes of Multi Culti, I’m A Cliche, Crosstown Rebels and more. Their fourth appearance on Erol Alkan’s Phantasy Sound is every bit as buoyant as we’ve come to expect, with each varied cut pitched to evoke varying degrees of dance eruption.
The title track bursts from the blocks, blending hands-in-the-air chords and bouncy synth bass with crisp machine drums for a gently altered and happy-making main room strut. The hallucinatory synth swirls of ‘Oh My Arp’ veer into psychedelic territory, with growling sweeps and mysterious melodies sauntering over deviant bass and stripped drum hits. Finally, closing track ’20 Min’ dives deeper still, its sparse topography primed for saucer-eyed befuddlement as weirdo effects and raved-up bleeps soar in and out of focus over a heady rhythm track. This is fine work once more from the Red Axes chaps, with each cut sure to appeal to those residing in the aberrant end of the house/techno spectrum.
PC
Analog Tara – Dimensions EP (1432R)
As one of the most inventive labels operating out of DC, 1432R have a check-on-sight quality that never disappoints. Analog Tara fully demonstrated this when she popped up with the Fundamentals EP back in 2018, and now she finally makes a welcome return with four more tracks of expressive, original hardware house music. Tara Rodgers is based in New York and has dedicated herself to discourse around feminist and queer musicology, most notably with her Pink Noises book from 2010, but she’s equally presented considered and varied styles of electronic music across a handful of independent releases.
If Rodgers talks and writes about music with a critical, intellectual perspective, that doesn’t interfere with the immediacy of her club tracks. These four constructions exude warmth from every pore, whether in the rounded thrum of the kick, the cosy pulse of chords or the dexterous flow of the basslines – just listen to the bubbly tone cavorting through the lower register of ‘Heat Lightning’. Threading snatches of her voice into the mix adds a very human immediacy to the music too, making this house in its purest essence as a music of heart and soul, however machine-driven the process might be.
OW
Instant House – Lost Horizons (Isle Of Jura)
‘Lost Horizons’ might just be the utmost archetype of new age house. Once again masterminded by the long-form housemaking genius that is Joaquin “Joe” Claussell, the EP/album was originally released in 1993 and repressed in 1996, and was the result of the legend’s collaboration with fellow New York DJs-and-record-shop-owners Tony Confusione and Stan Hatzakis.
In a ‘state-of-the-art’ studio above the Dance Tracks record store – above which Hatzakis ran the shop as well as the eponymous label, home to the music of Frankie Knuckles and Larry Levan – the supergroup was born, along with these three tracks. Claussell’s knack for long-form house productions (which he now calls ‘manifestations’) shine bright here, but it’s clear that, unlike the glossy sheen of his 2022 output, these bits are evidently restored from some kind of tape – be it DAT, cassette or metal.
The hissy top end makes it clear – and that renders the EP ever more new-agey and lo-fi, as if it’s being played back in real time from a chillout cassette sold in a crystals shop in Detroit. The ever-shifting tones of ‘The Mind Travel’, seguing through whirly panpipes, consonant drone-impacts, Todd Terry-style sax, metallic rattles, and ultimate rainstorm noise, all coalesce into one heady chakra-cleansing stew. ‘Lost Horizons’, meanwhile, continues into a beautiful dub-house sonic rhizome, sounding like a proto-incarnation of Nightmares On Wax’s stuff.
JIJ
This week’s reviewers: Martin Hewitt, Patrizio Cavaliere, Jude Iago James, Oli Warwick.