Shamandrum France Vinyl & CDs

Review: Hailing from Romania and Spain, Barac and Baltazar are two producers with a particular ear for dread-out percussion. Both of them have released different sorts of tunes, with the former being part of NoiDoi, but this new collaboration to launch Romanian imprint, Shamandrum, sees them push their skills even further. For starters, Barac's "Povestea Lui Teofan" is one of the deepest, darkest examples of tribalism that we've heard this year, with the tune's deranged vocal samples blending ever so well into the sparse collection of drums beneath. Baltazar's effort, "Viento En Popa", is much more straight-edged and teched-out, surely with the power to appeal to minimal heads across the globe, and more than a few fans of imprints like Slow Life. This is minimal drumming at its finest!

Review: Since launching last year, Barac's Shamandrum label has become a must-check for those who like their club cuts to be psychedelic or mind-altering. He kicks off the imprint's fourth EP by reconstructing Marina Verdi's mesmerising, beat-free vocal cut "Shamanwoman" (track two), brilliantly re-imagining the track as a slowly-building chunk of hallucinatory tech-house laden with wiggly acid bass, hypnotic drums and pulsing electronic motifs. As he has done on all of the label's previous releases, Barac provides an original production of his own on the flip. "Who Says Imagination Isn't Reality" is nominally tech-house, though the track's locked-in electronic rhythm, creepy synthesizer melodies and bubbly acid lines are a world away from bog-standard peak-time "tech". In a word: impressive.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Creasing to corner of outer sleeve but otherwise in excellent working condition***


Since launching last year, Barac's Shamandrum label has become a must-check for those who like their club cuts to be psychedelic or mind-altering. He kicks off the imprint's fourth EP by reconstructing Marina Verdi's mesmerising, beat-free vocal cut "Shamanwoman" (track two), brilliantly re-imagining the track as a slowly-building chunk of hallucinatory tech-house laden with wiggly acid bass, hypnotic drums and pulsing electronic motifs. As he has done on all of the label's previous releases, Barac provides an original production of his own on the flip. "Who Says Imagination Isn't Reality" is nominally tech-house, though the track's locked-in electronic rhythm, creepy synthesizer melodies and bubbly acid lines are a world away from bog-standard peak-time "tech". In a word: impressive.

Review: Since launching a couple of years ago, the Shamandrum label has exclusively offered up occasional EPs that feature founder Barac collaborating with other producers from within the worldwide tech-house scene. This time round it's the mysterious Ursul, who are research suggests is a Moscow-based producer and studio engineer. You'll find their collaboration, "Aura De Magie Si Mister" on side B. Built around African style tribal drums and weirdo electronics, it's a deep and intoxicating percussion workout that sounds like it should be the musical accompaniment to a sunrise pagan ritual. Barac's solo A-side, "At The Moment", is a little closer to his usual fare and offers an ear pleasing blend of bubby bass, psychedelic electronics, gently descending melodies and a hypnotic, deep tech-house groove.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Creasing to corner of outer sleeve but otherwise in excellent condition***


Since launching a couple of years ago, the Shamandrum label has exclusively offered up occasional EPs that feature founder Barac collaborating with other producers from within the worldwide tech-house scene. This time round it's the mysterious Ursul, who are research suggests is a Moscow-based producer and studio engineer. You'll find their collaboration, "Aura De Magie Si Mister" on side B. Built around African style tribal drums and weirdo electronics, it's a deep and intoxicating percussion workout that sounds like it should be the musical accompaniment to a sunrise pagan ritual. Barac's solo A-side, "At The Moment", is a little closer to his usual fare and offers an ear pleasing blend of bubby bass, psychedelic electronics, gently descending melodies and a hypnotic, deep tech-house groove.