Search dance music

Review: Mad About Records officially reissues super rare private press Quintessence's 1981 LP. Surprisingly for the level of talent and production / recording wit that it flaunts, Quintessence was one of many original jazz LPs to remain in private circulation and thus completely wanting of the public ear. Led by Ron Ancrum, with George Sovak, David Gaedeke, Winston Johnson and Steve Muse, the band nonetheless recorded an exceptional slice of artistic pie here, bringing Rhodesy, tritoning sundowners to the then already well-fleshed milieu of 80s jazz, an unmistakably bulbous and gaudy sound to which Quintessence do much justice; our favourite here by far is 'In My Apartment', a tssking blue-jazz suite for boughed double bass and noir piano.

Review: This massive anthology box set compiles all five volumes of the Stereolab Switched On series: 94 non-album tracks and sought after deep cuts by the group. Beginning with the original Switched On compilation LP from 1992, the series that ensued - though entirely comprised of deep cuts - still makes for a comprehensive jaunt through the Anglo-French auteurs' oeuvre, which never once lets up on quality. Every track here could've appeared on a full-length, so it's a testament to the band's work ethic that they simply had this much material to follow up with. Warp's comprehensive new 8xCD includes experimental highlights such as the original weirdo-chanson 'Plastic Mile', an Autechre remix of 'Refractions In The Plastic Pulse' and the stripped back 'XXXOOO', among many other gemstones.

Review: Norwegian trumpeter Arve Henriksen and Dutch pianist Harmen Fraanje strike a fine balance on their latest collaborative jazz record Touch Of Time. Warm and tender throughout, this is a back-alleyed melanchole, with its stark counterpoints between piano and trumpet somehow eliciting the audio-sensation of more instrumentation than there is - a gestalt of ghosts. Gradients of emotion wax and wane like the strange blue lights that are often visible when one's eyes are closed. Produced by Manfred Eicher at the Auditorio Stelio Molo in Lugano, this is fine recording indeed.

Review: Available in extremely limited quantities, this new 7" from Burning Soul arrives in both black, or as we have it here, white, and it's another gem from Kidding that keeps up this fine Swiss label's high-quality output. The A-side bursts to life with 'Seriously,' a blistering funk anthem infused with Hammond-organ melodies, underpinned by a deep bass groove and gritty guitar licks. Flipping over to the B-side, 'Komet Ride' kicks up the tempo with even more vigorous drumming and exhilarating organ solos. It's a whirlwind of funk brilliance, underscoring Kidding's knack for delivering electrifying musical adventures.

Notes: Another update for WMD's clever dual VCA, this time a little bigger to give more control. Digital control of CV and attenuation gives lots of creative options. Third time's a charm.

Supplier's Notes:
WMD have done several designs of this circuit over the years, the first one had no knobs, the second was too small, the MKIII is finally how this circuit should be packaged. This module does some really cool stuff and is super useful in any system.

The Digital VCA lets signal through like a normal VCA, but the CV and attenuation level is controlled digitally. This lets us do things like wait until there is a zero crossing to change the amplitude, resulting in clickless amplitude changes.

The Trigger mode causes the VCA to only update when a trigger is received. The addition of a noise circuit for each side let us do a very quick and easy sample and hold that never droops. With no input, 5V is normaled to the attenuator, so you get a 0-5V sample and hold. In Bipolar mode, you can get -5 to +5V.

Both sides have bipolar VCA mode (polarizer), which lets them invert the signal when negative CV comes in. Also known as ring modulation. With the zero crossing detector, this can produce some super wild wave shapes.

Features

Dual VCA Design
Unipolar or Bipolar Operation
DC Coupled Analogue Signal Path
Low Distortion / Low Noise
VCA Closes Completely
Zero Crossing Detector Mode
Trigger Mode
Two Independent Noise Sources
8 bit CV resolution
Great for Fast Envelopes and Sine Bass Sounds

Specifications

Power: +65mA, -45mA
Width: 8HP
Depth: 35mm with cables
Height: Eurorack 3U (128.5mm)
Board Height Behind Panel: 112mm
CV/Signal Input Impedance: 100k
Output Impedance: 1k
UPD in 3.3V Threshold Schmitt Trigger
ZCD produces 15us 5V pulse
5V CV to fully open VCA
Linear VCA response
20Vpp signal handling

Review: The long-gestating follow up to 1992's initial instalment, Black Aria II would finally arrive in 2006 after years of discussion from Misfits/Samhain horror-punk visionary Glenn Danzig, and further his exploration into the cavernous realms of modern classical dark ambience. Conceptually based around Lillith, the first wife of Adam, the material here is far more minimalist and starker than its gothic predecessor, while utilising a more varied array of instruments on top of the pre-established organ and strings, with more Eastern sonic influences to conjure a mercurial vision independent of the preceding volume. Complete with eerie chimes, chants and esoteric lamentations, the project marks one of Danzig's most intriguing works when compared to, say, his Elvis covers compilations, and offers a transportive, biblical, haunting narrative delivered almost exclusively via instrumental atmospherics and insidious gloom.

Review: Since the unveiling of their decrepit debut EP Granular Transformation at the end of 2020, Californian doom-tinged tech-death brutalists Apparition have become a hushed name and recommended extremity amongst the caverns of audible ugliness. Following on from 2021's insidious and unsettling full-length LP Feel, the band return with Disgraced Emanations From A Tranquil State; a monolithic opus set to eclipse any of the muted hope of their previous material. Dissecting forms of early psychedelic proto-doom, but with the sole intention of re-channelling those fuzzed out sonics into abyssal swathes of complex, heaving dread, this isn't your beer-chugging, whiplash-headbanging gross out death metal (while there's always a place for that). Rather, this is a cosmic realm of Lovecraftian variety, designed to enthral, impress, touch, harrow, and haunt in equal measure. Arriving courtesy of Canadian extreme metal peddlers Profound Lore, no refunds will be offered for those lost to the abyss.