Cultivated Electronics Vinyl & CDs

Review: Berlin-based duo CYRK is comprised of Samy Goossens and Pascal Hetzel, and they've proven themselves to be a formidable force in the hinterland where electro and techno collide. Take this latest drop for Cultivated Electronics, which kicks off in earnest with the snarling, pumped up thrust of 'Attack Of The Blow Up Dolls'. 'Tsikey' keeps the mood nightmarish, but in a fun sort of way, with sprightly analogue synth lines cavorting over the slamming drums with glee. The techno element comes to the fore on the tightly wound, arp-charged 'Ahemait', and 'Needler' leans heavy on the funk without losing that stern demeanour that defines the CYRK output.

Review: Defekt's Cultivated Electronics presents For The Floor, a new series of split 12"s on its vinyl-only sister label CE LTD. Boldly, this is electro that refuses to stay as 'clean' as the Spotify algorithm or YouTube compression process would like it to be. Everything is distorted: 'Control Your Mind', for example, more or less sounds as though it's been run through an analogue master bus that's been half-corroded by nuclear fallout, with meditations on brainwashing and mind control repeating throughout. It's almost as if clipping and/or distortion is a metaphor for the mediated mind-frazzling that keeps us in check, that keeps us consuming.

Review: Cultivated Electronics Ltd's For The Floor series is back with another split EP on 12" and it's packed with floor-facing cuts that showcase a mix of regular label artists next to fresh talents. Volume 4 presents two tracks each from Bristol-based Ben Pest and Maelstrom. Pest is known for his jacking live hardware techno and electro and delivers bass-heavy, distorted vocal beats with 'Who Would Have Thought I'd Be' and '26 Hybrid,' while Maelstrom, who is co-founder of RAAR, contributes his signature dark and rave-inspired sound on the cyborg funk of 'Permanency' and dystopian energy of 'Ascii Twins'.

Review: PRZ's debut on Sync 24's Cultivated Electronics comes in the form of a magnificent new double album, Lost Art. As a producer, DJ, and co-founder of Chateau Royal already known for a unique style that merges intricate rhythms with ethereal melodies, he builds on a sound he has been honing for a decade on prestigious labels like Clone West Coast Series and Hilltown Disco. This work is a cohesive one starting with the atmospheric 'Introvert' and then going on to feature more playful tracks like 'Lazerton' and the title cut alongside darker electro tunes like the corse 'Velocity Shift' and retro funk of 'Back From 89.'

Review: London's Phil Bolland aka Sync 24 has been creating electro for over two decades via his Cultivated Electronics label, which he launched in 2007. The label has gone on to release music by Carl Finlow, DMX Krew, The Exaltics and Morphology, but now the spotlight is firmly on his solo work. Across its 11 tracks, Inside The Microbeat showcases many variations of the electro sound yet all delivered in his singular style. From the futurist beats of opener 'Oriental Sunset' and the brooding sci-fi aesthetic of the title track, to the dystopian bass programme of 'Haunt Times' and the hi-tech computer funk of 'Avoid The Ploid' - Bolland drives you through his own intimately constructed landscape.

Review: Originally released back in 2008, Cultivated Electronics's second 12" features still-fresh tracks from label head Sync 24 alongside the debut release from Matt Whitehead. It was a classic back then and it remains so which is why it now gets reissued. 'Resynth' is pure electronic madness with mad inventive rhythms. The EP also includes a contribution from Pyramid Transmissions label owner ADJ who showed his class on 'Another Level' and Brighton-based acid producer Junq keeps it classy on 'From Below'. This high-energy collection pushes the boundaries of techno and is a no-brainer for fans of bold, analogue-driven sound.