Peak Oil US Vinyl & CDs

Review: Max D and Matt Papich are Lifted, and now the accomplished pair debut on Peak Oil with Trellis, an experimental new album that comes after previous standout releases on Future Times and PAN. This project is where the pair blend some new solo work with recorded elements from a 2021 session with Dustin Wong, Mezey and Jeremy Hyman. The magic happened CDJs were loaded up with sounds and the collages were assembled into one fluid soundscape that takes in elements of jazz, pitch-shifted downtempo, and guitar. It makes for a listen that is always moving and in flux and so various moods drift in and out over the course of the record as harmonic synergies and rogue acoustics all colour the airwaves and make for something that's both immersive and unpredictable.

Review: A charged, limber ode to Britain's 90s outdoor free party stomping grounds, with which a young Low End Activist was all too familiar. Over nine evocatively named tracks, he fractures and reassembles early 90s hardcore shards (shardcore?) into wabi sabi sonic sculptures somewhat resembling similar rave reconstitutions from Skrs and Fracture. These feel more to the point than both though, foregoing free sample-bashing in favour of driving, sparse, repetitive hoover collage landing firmly within the hardcore continuum but still managing to sidestep cloying nostalgia. 'Ardkore nouveau posse assemble!

Review: Peak Oil welcomes UK duo Wrecked Lightship for 'Antiposition', a debut EP on the label from the pair of Laurie Osborne (once known as Appleblim) and Adam Winchester aka Dot Product. The pair refine their sound and bring a range of innovative rhythms here with elements of dub, d&b, tribal sounds and deft sound design across hard-to-define cuts. 'Hex' is a cosmic broken techno trip, 'Bizarre Servants' is a slower and heavier dub and 'Sunken Skies' is prickly and kinetic as it flirts with live sounding drum & bass tropes and 'Diminished Ark' as well as with wispy sine waves, refracted melodies and barely there rhythms.