Notown Vinyl & CDs

Review: Luke Abbott drops his second EP for Notwon with the Object Is a Navigator EP. The title tracks implements Abbots trademark trance-like style with complicated drum patterns and gut-wrenching synthesis techniques. The low noise floor of modular mechanics at work is just audible in "New Buildings" as is the analogue overdrive fuzz that cloaks the track. Minimal bleeps, watery sprinkles and synthetic drums similar to Pantha Du Prince make up "A Short Distance" while "Silent Fall" is a operatic demonstration of Abbot's producer know-how. The muffled drums of "Overgrown" verge on being techno, but not enough to detract from the Border Community stalwart's experimental charm.

Review: Glasgow's Dam Mantle is back in action on NoTown. The producer has been putting out some serious records as of recently and his long-awaited LP is a perfect reflection of the Scotland-based artist's wide-ranging abilities in the studio. From the exquisite, neo hip-hop rhythms of both part 1 and 2 of "Canterbury" to the jazzy, Detroit-filtered house beats of "Lifting", the boy shows no signs of sterility. The title track, "Brothers Fowl" also portrays subtle skills in amalgamating everything from future garage beats to deranged electronic melodies, all wrapped up into a neat UK bass vibe. But it's tracks like "Ish" and "Spirit" which truly showcase Dam Mantle's skills in creating something dark, progressive and fresh but undeniably musical at the same time. Top stuff.

Review: Gold Panda's imprint Notown turns to regular contributor Dam Mantle to head up this EP of diverse grooves with a distinctly hand-played flavour. It arrives after the man Dam has been wowing with pal Rich McMaster under the General Ludd name for Mister Saturday Night, Clan Destine Traxx and Autonomous Africa and continues the general vibe of those but with the addition of a many-limbed organic thrum that is most evident underneath the twinkling synths of "Heavy Velvet Affair". Elsewhere Mantle goes it alone, with "Simultaneous Fail" riding a heated funk groove into a dense and vibrant atmosphere with no distinct shape to it, before "The Underlying Issue" burrows deep into a heady bass hook and urgent percussive prowess. Apparently hand stamped by Gold Panda himself too!!!

Review: When it comes to Gold Panda releases, you never quite know what you're going to get. On one hand, it might be skittish, wonky and unusual; on the other, it may be a rush-inducing blast of electronic positivity. By and large, this second album delivers lashings of the latter, with his trademark shimmering electronics, darting synths and pleasing melodies riding waves of floor-friendly rhythms. There's a pleasing percussive intensity about the sun-bright goodness of "Junk City II" and "Brazil", while jack-era Chi-town drums underpin the picturesque rural imagery of "An English House". It's these kinds of unusual but brilliant combinations that make Half of Where You Live a particularly potent set.

Review: When it comes to Gold Panda releases, you never quite know what you're going to get. On one hand, it might be skittish, wonky and unusual; on the other, it may be a rush-inducing blast of electronic positivity. By and large, this second album delivers lashings of the latter, with his trademark shimmering electronics, darting synths and pleasing melodies riding waves of floor-friendly rhythms. There's a pleasing percussive intensity about the sun-bright goodness of "Junk City II" and "Brazil", while jack-era Chi-town drums underpin the picturesque rural imagery of "An English House". It's these kinds of unusual but brilliant combinations that make Half of Where You Live a particularly potent set.

Review: The buzz has been building for fledgling Chelmsford producer Gold Panda for a while now, and after lauded remixes for the likes of Bloc Party, Simian Mobile Disco, HEALTH, and Lemonade (to name a few), as well as the release of some quality singles, Gold Panda has dropped his debut album Lucky Shiner on the cusp of autumn. For those of you unfamiliar with Gold Panda's sound, an immediate reference point could be imagining the gifted lovechild of Four Tet and The Field. But this is not to imply that Gold Panda sounds too much like either of these artists, just that his music evokes them. Therefore, beatier tracks like "Vanilla Minus", "Snow & Taxis", and "Marriage" will no doubt remind listeners of The Field's knack for hypnotic loop-based techno. Yet what makes it different is Gold Panda's talent for adding a distinct emotional element to his songs, one that is quite strong but doesn't fully reveal itself until repeated listens. There really is something infectious with Lucky Shiner, which simply comes down to the fact that it invokes an introspective yet warm mood in the end one that seems to correspond snugly with the beginning of the autumn season. Lucky Shiner is a solid and diverse debut, and worth every bit of anticipation and hype bestowed upon it. Check it.

Review: Opal Tapes regular Wanda Group makes the move to Notown with a new pair of aptly disturbed musings that bring an uneasy serenity to the world of industrial noise and found sound experimentation. "A Strain A Meter Below" has a bizarre soulful quality thanks to the distorted vocal that inhabits the track, while drowning piano notes inject some musicality into the spacious surroundings defined only by a distant hum of melody. "Inter 10 (Dragged Out)" is more purposefully ambient, letting harmonious pads drift into mechanics and locomotives of sound and back out again with an eerie calm.