Search results: Martine

Review: The Det 313 label is kicking off the new year with a bang and dropping a pair of brilliant new EPs on the same day in late January. This one is a reissue of the esteemed Gary Martin's 'Pimping People In High Places' on 10". It's the Woodword Ave alternative mix that kicks off and is a rough and ready percussive techno looper with hefty basslines underlapping and propping up the floor. 'The Medusa Touch' is a more wily and synth laced-late night jaunt with mystic energy and acid details that make it a deep and dramatic cut with real dynamism.

Review: Gary Martin has long been a superb techno servant who has popped up on all sorts of different labels. It is now on Teknotika where he appears with an ode to the Motor City in the form of his DeTR8 Luv EP. It features the eponymous original track in three different forms. The Tenor mix is first and brings some wild sax horns to play over thudding and tightly programmed techno drums. The Detscientists mix is a more tightly coiled and stripped back full of menace and pent-up energy and last of all is the Alto mix, a deep and dubby house sound with those menacing sax motifs back once again to cause playful carnage.

Review: During the 1990s, there were few techno producers in Spain who were quite as prolific - or successful, for that matter - as Alex Martin. This superb double-pack delivers proof of the Barcelona-based artist's impressive early form by gathering together some of the best cuts he released between '94 and '98 under a variety of aliases, most notably Sideral and The Fat DB. Interestingly, there's plenty of variety to be found within the collected cuts, with sparkling sci-fi ambient ('Elipse') and deep, shuffling IDM (the acid-flecked brilliance of 'Mare Nostrum' and 'Butterly') nestling side by side with deep techno ('I Wanna Look at the Stars'), ragged futurist acid ('Incognita'), intergalactic techno ('Planetarium') and even cuts inspired by the soul, bass-weight and shuffle of the then emerging UK garage sound ('Can Make It').

Review: Pioneering psychedelic trance label Platipus is going all-out to celebrate its 30th birthday, with no less than 12 compilation style EPs scheduled for release this year. This is the second and, like its predecessor, sounds pleasingly current thanks to the trend towards harder and more psychedelic music. Len Faki kicks things off via a pleasingly weighty, hypnotic, chant-sporting rework of Union Jack's 'Cactus', before Chab channels the spirit and sound of dawn at a turn-of-the-millennium free party ('Sunrise'). Over on the reverse, Simon Berry and Luke Brancaccio deliver a deep, progressive house-influenced tech-trance interpretation of Martin Merkel's 'Little Wonder', while Star impresses with the driving, peak-time hedonism of 'Rock Rose'.

Review: For a long time Gary Martin was referred to as an "unsung hero" of Detroit techno, but with the DET 313 label, run with Yossi Amoyal, he's finally cemented a fearsome reputation as one of the Motor City's finest. With such reputations come the exchange of the proverbial "silly money" for the more hard to find recordings, thus the existence of this double 12" which collects eight of Martin's efforts from the mid to late 90s into one package available for a slightly more sensible exchange of currency. Among the highlights are the Latin-enhanced beats of 'Manhattan', two mixes of the sublime 'In Rythem' complete with a gospel preacher in full flow and a seven minute extended remaster of 'I'll Be Back I Promise' from Yossi Amoyal. It's no surprise to see Martin's work picked up and played by the likes of Ben Klock, given his unique take on rhythm, but there's plenty of soulfulness going on here as well.

Review:  Lost In Translation's debut release, Anthroposcene, is a vital coming together of various artists each with their own take on ambient. It is all airy soundscapes and lo-fi pads to start with from Saphileaum's 'Prologue' while Alfred Czital & Moon Patrol bring in some silky broken beats and warped electronics on 'Act I.' Human Space Machines's 'Act II' is deep rolling techno bliss and on the flip, we get everything from cavernous underwater soundscapes to Orca Silent's edgy dub 'Act IV' and Martinou's soothing closer 'Epilogue.'

Review: Fans of his Detroit techno veteran Gary Martin's previous releases on labels like Motech, KMS and Exceptional will not be disappointed by this latest offering from one of the Motor City's most underrated talents. The full-length LP Lagarius shows off Martin's knack for blending funk, soul and Afro-Latin influences, with a faster-tempo'ed techno sound. It's heavy on the detail, with arguably only trained ears being able to pick up on all its backing samples and intricacies (that's us, of course). So take it from us; from the sultry swang of title track, to the dystopian grit of 'Situational Awareness', you won't want to miss this one.

Review: The Spanish Hypnotic Collective label attempts to capture its take on the Detroit Legacy with what looks like a new series of various artists' EP. There is plenty of Motor City soul in the gorgeous synths of Cignol's muted acid and deep house opener 'Distance' which is a soothing and reverential groove, but then its pure party from Barce, Alex Martin offers up 313 style tech and three further tunes on the flip explore blistering electro with high-speed funk and cosmic intent. Mission accomplished and we're already looking forward to the next one.

Review: Mole Audio is a new label that kicks off with Andy Martin ft. Gavsborg's 'Plato & Caves' and some serious remixes of it which drill back to the origins of the dubstep sound. The featured guest here is a massive name in the Jamaican dancehall scene and a sample of his voice was the starting point for this cut. It has his full approval and is a renegade rhythm with real bounce, as is the Nit Yardman version. Dub War's legendary Bill Fuller steps up to remix fist on the flip then comes a dubby and minimalist house version from Martin to round out a solid first EP from this label.

Review: Second time around for Jean-Michel Jarre's 2022 album Oxymore, a loving tribute to French composer and 'music concrete' pioneer Pierre Henry. As the title suggests, this version features new remixes of album tracks (all of which feature sounds originally created by Henry) by a disparate group of musical talents. That makes for an interesting mix of interpretations, with armin Van Buuren's sizable trance translation of 'Epica' rubbing shoulders with a trippy, off-kilter electro take on 'Sex In The Machine' by Nina Kraviz, a moody Martin Gore interpretation of 'Brutalism', Irene Dresel's raw techno revision of 'Zeitgeist Botanica', and ambient pioneer Brian Eno putting his spin on 'Epica'.

Review: Toureua's 'Telecommande' (which is French for remote control) is a perfectly uplifting tune that layers in smart trance elements over sleek drums. On the Martin Matiske interpretation, the melodies call to mind the perfect early work of Kraftwerk and the textured bass has hints of 80s magic. All in all, it is smooth and serene and perfect for lift-off whether in high summer or the darkest winter. The original is a little more doleful but no less emotive and then a Felix Bernhardt remix gets heavy and Vicky Montefusco opts for an eerie late-night vibe.

Review: He might be in the autumn of his career but Jean Michel Jarre remains an innovator in the field of electronic music. His last album in 2022, Oxymore, was another pioneering exploration of rhythm and sound that has now been reworked alongside a series of collaborators all picked by the man himself. The nine-track selection brings wholly new perspectives to the originals which he calls "a vibrant collection of musical dialogues." An immediate standout for us is the track with Nina Kraviz which is crunchy, distorted minimal techno, while 'Epica Extension' with Brian Eno is laced up with otherworldly melodies. A great work from a mix of great artists.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Tear in the top of outer sleeve but product remains unopened and is otherwise in excellent condition***


He might be in the autumn of his career but Jean Michel Jarre remains an innovator in the field of electronic music. His last album in 2022, Oxymore, was another pioneering exploration of rhythm and sound that has now been reworked alongside a series of collaborators all picked by the man himself. The nine-track selection brings wholly new perspectives to the originals which he calls "a vibrant collection of musical dialogues." An immediate standout for us is the track with Nina Kraviz which is crunchy, distorted minimal techno, while 'Epica Extension' with Brian Eno is laced up with otherworldly melodies. A great work from a mix of great artists.