Search results: Avant Garde

Review: Launched this year, London-based Faith is the Defected sub-label run by scene veterans Terry Farley, Stuart Patterson and Dave Jarvis and is now into its third installment. This one comes from legend Reginald 'Rheji' Burrell under the Avant Garde alias which he used for one release on Nu Groove back in 1991. The Burrelll Brothers have been staples in the records boxes of the Faith crew for some time, and they are honored to present this release. The Perpetuity EP features four classic deep house expressions that are a zeitgeist of a golden era in the genre - indeed it's the early '90s that they are most reminiscent of - and we were pleasantly surprised that they're all new productions.

Review: Oh yes, puristic disco-not-disco truth from the Spacetalk outlet, right here. They're only on their second release to date, and they already seem to have an effective formula for winning over the hearts and minds of both dancers and critics. Avant Garde, a German house outfit known for having produced some pretty badass music back in the late 90s, receives the makeover treatment, first by Jaz & Party Dad, who turn the original version of "Everybody's Lover" into a groovy, bass-heavy boogie monster with a mild pace but a punchy drum roll, and then in the form of a much murkier dub take by Mudd. Don't underestimate the power of Spacetalk. More to come from this tidy new label soon, we hope!

Review: This delightful two tracker lavishly recaptures an 80s boogie sound in such authentic fashion that you will be double checking if it's actually released this year. It is also a stunning debut from Joanna Rose, whose vocals are crystal clear and pure, and soar above twinning keys and basslines to die for. Disco, funk and soul are rarely distilled as perfectly as they are on "Private Line", a tune that is going to get any floor in a spin. While "Love Affair" slows down a touch, with big flutes and squelchy bass all demanding that you cut your finest shapes.

Review: As the title suggests, this vast, triple-CD box set from Cherry Red is an attempt to chronicle one of the most productive periods in the history of British experimental and avant-garde music: the years between the rise of punk in 1976 and the unofficial end of the post-punk era in 1984. It does a rather good job of it if truth be told, with the unnamed curators offering a brilliant mixture of guitar-based noise, trippy early electronica, weirdo ambient, dubbed-out jazz, spoken word oddness and clanking industrial music. There are plenty of big names present - Throbbing Gristle/Psychic TV, Test Department, Robert Fripp, 23 Skidoo, Clock DVA etc - alongside lesser-celebrated experimental heroes.

Review: Radio Slave's Rekids welcomes a Detroit house master in Monty Luke for what is a comprehensive excursion into deep house across nine exquisite new cuts. Dub, techno and more all help colour these soundwaves and first up is the shimmering electro rhythm of '40 Acres & A Terabyte' while 'Nightdubbing' gets more zoned out and smooth as it comes alive with shimmering synths over rolling beats. Elsewhere are more grinding groves like 'Starstorms' which recalls the early work of Carl Craig and 'Avant-Garde Dance Hall' is a deft dub workout.

Review: The esteemed gang at Dark Entries have been hard at work on another one of their always eye opening compilation. This time they turn their focus to Mexican new wave and post-punk on the 10-track Back Up: Mexican Tecno Pop. None of the tunes here have ever made it to wax before and they come with a 12 page magazine that is packed with extra context, lyrics and bios about the artists. The tunes all shine a fine light on the flourishing DIY scene that was present in 1980's Mexico when much of the world's focus was on the more well documented synth pop and obscure electronics from Europe and the United States.

Review: If there's a list of bands to get - or be - excited about to hand, then add Dummy to it. The Los Angeles crew formed in late-2018, and had a solid run of things through to the great pandemic pause, and between then and now have evolved pretty quickly to get to where they are. All the trappings of a group deserving of cut status, although sadly perhaps not huge commercial success (then again, who is these days?), attempting to define their sound isn't easy.

As this vinyl-only outing proves. Comprising two EPs - logically entitled 'EP1' and 'EP2', both released in 2020 - this is very dense stuff indeed. Veering from the blissful, earthy ambience of 'Second Contact', to sci-fi synth refrains on 'Touch the Chimes', and Pixies-style garage rock chaos with 'Slacker Mask', we implore you not to pass these over.

Review: Techno producer-cum-performance artist Dasha Rush appears once again on her own Fullpanda imprint with a murky techno mantra across three tracks that further establishes her as a formidable force in the darker corners of the scene. "Rodrigues Avant-Garde" is stuffed full of ranging drones, nagging hats and forlorn bleeps built to scare the wits out of a dub techno head, while "Dream N 68" also plots a bleak path into the most sinister kind of echo chamber. "Les Six" may have the same nerve-jangling mood, but the broken pattern and clearer mix lean towards dystopian electro than apocalyptic techno.

Review: Dave Seaman's consistently excellent Audio Therapy imprint comes with another essential sampler, entitled Spring/Summer 2007. This one is a 4 track affair featuring the cream of production talent, including Audiofly's Anthony Middleton, Nu Breed's Danny Bonnici and Jamie McHugh of Brique Rouge fame. Track listing: Guy J- Shiver/ Dan Mangan & Danny Bonnici- F**k Dude/ Anthony Middleton - Weitzidea/ Jamie McHugh- Wrong.