Review: Sound Signature are at it again with their dark, driving and jackin' grooves. Every time Theo Parrish decides a tune is worth pressing up nice and loud on vinyl, it's wise to pay attention. And so it proves here, with Chicago native Spekter dropping one-sided 12" "Pipe Bomb", a deadly and pounding excursion into the murkier corners of house music. It's not one for the faint hearted either, as an overwhelming sense of moodiness pushes ever forward, dripping in twisted samples and heavy techno kicks.
Review: REPRESS ALERT!: The first Soul Capsule release gets a timely reissue - certainly if the silly prices it's reached of late on the second hand market - as well as a getting a loving remastering courtesy of D&M. All three parts are swampy, sweaty tech workouts that bump along with an almost indecent willingness to tempt you onto the floor and a groove with way more sexy swing than the minimal genre usually has contact with. Part two is traditionally the most celebrated of the three if internet chatter is to be believed, but some wonderfully subtle go-go percussion makes part three the most immediate of the bunch, with part one's distinctly darkside atmospherics and snippet of female gospel voice clearly wield an air of the classic.
Review: The Chemical Brothers are back with their 10th studio album (mixes and soundtracks not withstanding), and they're sounding especially fired up. The widescreen stadium psychedelia they've made their own spills out in abundance across "No Geography", but it's also matched with a feverish energy. The more up-tempo tracks, like "Gravity Drops" and "Eve Of Destruction", spit and snarl with the best of their classic, down and dirty dancefloor material, but there's plenty of space for the starry eyed songwriting they've made their own in more recent times. Just cop "The Universe Sent Me" and be immediately transported to a festival field, where you'll no doubt be catching The Bro's this summer.
Review: By their standards, Danish duo 2 Bit Crew enjoyed a very productive 2014, releasing well-received singles on Deso, Luvdancin' and their own self-titled imprint. Here they return to the latter with three more sumptuous chunks of tactile, arms-spread deepness. The untitled A-side arguably hits home hardest, with sweet, delay-laden loops and delicious riding a house tempo Motor City techno groove. The second track, nestled at the beginning of side B, seemingly shimmers with positive intent. The duo opts for Chez Damier style bass and a touch of vintage US house bump, while smothering the groove in darting synths and huggable electronics. Finally, the third track goes even deeper, delivering the dreamy tech-house equivalent of a long, sloppy kiss.
Review: There's plenty of hype swirling around this short-run debut from Londoners Adelphi Music Factory, with regular radio plays and appearances in a host of top DJs' set lists resulting in insatiable demand. It helps, of course, that "Javelin" is an absolute beast. Packed with energy, the A-side version sees them generate maximum sweatiness by working cut-up gospel vocal samples atop a loopy, full-throttle, techno-tempo disco-house groove. Honestly, it's one seriously heavyweight rub that's guaranteed to get dancefloors eating out of the palm of your hand. The B-side "Dub" is, if anything, even wilder and heavier, with the little-known outfit utilizing stretched-out, delay-laden vocal lifts and restless piano stabs over ten action-packed minutes.
Review: Needs' commendable charity drive continues to bring forth the goods, both in terms of good causes and world class club music. Rallying round in support of World Mental Health Day 2020, Shanti Celeste kicks the record off in style with the rapid fire, deep-diving workout 'Fantasma'. OCB keeps the pressure up with the psychotropic techno of 'RS3', while Michelle works up some delightfully freaky synths on playful jacker 'Aesthetic'. Bobby's 'Free Your Mind' is a 90s-tinged, full fat techno production indebted to Detroit, Peder Mannerfelt keeps things stripped and raw on 'Our Levels' and Yu Su weaves a beautiful tapestry of interweaving rhythms on 'Brittney'. Adam Pits' trippy techno sounds resplendent on 'Wind Tunnel' and DJ Sports completes the set with the inventive, dembow slanted funk of 'Needs Dub'.
Elemental Dub (feat Conforce & Prince Morella) (7:00)
Shadowplay (feat Vince Watson) (9:01)
Home Alone (feat Soela) (4:19)
Review: Ever the enthusiastic collaborator, Steve O'Sullivan follows up the first volume of his Dimensions series on Sushitech with another eight stunning partnerships which read like a who's who of contemporary techno. The artists invited span a fair range, from established legends like Mark Broom and Steve Rachmad to inspiring newer artists including Exos and Soela. The whole release hangs together naturally as O'Sullivan's signature dub techno touch slips in amongst the approaches of his chosen sparring partners. From nervy immersion heaters to starry-eyed reveries, this is sophisticated modern techno at its finest, with every track precision engineered to work in the club and take the crowd somewhere very special indeed.
Review: John Wilcox has been slowly disseminating crusty hardware jams for some six years now, in which time he's appeared as Cyclonix on Horn Wax, and now he nips over to Tusk Wax for more robo-charged antics in the curious corner of grubby, electro tinged house music the label orbits. "Telemachus" is a dreamy opening number that keeps the spook level up to maximum and the reverb voluminous throughout. "Synth Run" has a bit more bite, but not at the expense of atmosphere. Whatever/Whatever get hold of "Telemachus" and strip it down to a sparse skeleton of a track, and then Wilcox rounds the record off with the steppy ambient excursion "Ronin Love (dub)".
Review: Lempuyang's third offering is an outstanding split release between Steve O'Sullivan & Hydergine, label bosses for Mosaic/Bluetrain & Ranges. In 'Binary Riddim' Steve delivers a two-part dub track spanning >13 minutes, seriously heavy in the low end; melancholy strings in the first half, progressing to outright menacing chord stabs in the latter. A versatile track offering something for both warm-up and the dancefloor. Complimenting on the flip are 'Mystic Light' and 'Lunar Eclipse' from Hydergine. Deep, dubby atmospherics meander over a weighty 909 kick on B1. Subtle minimalism a la Terrence Dixon, pitched down on B2. Essential release!
Review: Norm Talley has put together a second volume of his Unity series on his own label Upstairs Asylum. It features his nearest and dearest from Chicago and Detroit, all of whom of course serve up perfectly smoky and stripped back deep house and techno grooves to make you move. Delano Smith's characteristic loops lock you in from the off on 'Big City Nights,' Norm himself pairs dub techno chords with suggestive techno stabs that keep you on edge and Brian Kage's 'Poly-Phonic Phonk' is heady, dreamy, richly melodic house bets listened to in a cosy back room at 4 am.
Review: Legendary minimal - and acid house before that - pioneer Baby Ford very much set the blueprint for the genre back in the late 90s, both solo and with The Ifach Collective, who featured Ian Loveday, Mark Broom and Thomas Melchior (amongst others). Now they are reminding us of the greatness of that work with the first in a series of reissues coming in 2023. These tunes were originally put out back on the legendary Klang Elektronik in 2000. First up is 'Tea Party' by Eon, M-Core, and Baby Ford, an ice-cold rolling dub. 'On The Floor' with Mark Broom gets more percussive and then comes a solo cut from Baby Ford, 'The Healing' which is as heady as can be and finally 'Word For Word' featuring Cheru Amadi layers up slithers of silvery percussion and cuddly bass into dubbed-out tech heaven.
Review: Having built their reputation through 12" singles for the likes of Crosstown Rebels and Poker Flat, Dan Berkson and James What deliver their debut album, on their freshly minted imprint Modelmaker. Interestingly, Keep Up Appearances is an altogether warmer, melodious and more evocative set than you'd perhaps expect, with a smattering of rich downtempo cuts joining a solid selection of dancefloor-friendly deep house. You can hear a classic dub techno influence in cuts such as "Keep Up Appearances" and "Shadow Theory", while the acid-flecked, soul-soaked "Make It True" sounds like classic Osunlade. Best of all, though, are the more forthright efforts, with the ragged "Seraphim" standing out.
Customization (Bluetrain Special edition dub) (7:50)
Review: After two utterly essential releases on ae Recordings and Primary Colours in 2021, Altone once more delivers the goods for Lempuyang. The label's eighth release brings together two of the most respected heads in the business on remix duties. Altone's deep & pulsing title track 'Vortex' gets Yagya's glacial treatment on the A-side. 'Customization' on the flip gets a Bluetrain rework; with Steve's trademark Special Edition Dub giving the track a dancefloor edge.
Review: Taking a moment to pause from their extensive exploration of Persian's illustrious archives, the Mysticisms lot turn their attention back to another fine exponent of UK dance music across the eras. Neil 'Nail' Tolliday had an incredible hit rate with his productions in the mid 90s, and he's since embarked on a mammoth resurgence over the past eight years which almost eclipses those seminal early days. After reissuing the classic Cassiopeia 12", Mysticisms hit up Tolliday for some unreleased gold which he dutifully served up in a blissed-out haze of winding synth lines and deep-digging drums. It comes on a little more wigged-out than you might expect from Nail, showing further insight into the formative years of one of the true stalwarts of UK house music.
Review: The unstoppable Steve O'Sullivan brings more of his irresistible dub techno goodness to this heavyweight 12" for Taste Not Waste. By now you will be familiar with the sort of sound Steve deals in but somehow it never seems to get old. This one kicks off with a tight and tech-infused roller with clipped kicks and playful chords that bring feel-good vibes. 'Awakening' then has pinging kicks and vamping chords to enliven any floor and last of all is 'The Feels'. It's another perfectly executed club cut with oodles of warm bass and super smooth grooves.
Review: Copenhagen-based Icelander Ohm and Berlin-based Philipp Priebe mine the warmest depths of dub techno here across three stumble originals. 'Flickering Lights' is silky and muted, with smooth drums and claps gliding over a cavernous groove that is subtly lit with sustained chords. The Anton Kubikov remix is more lithe and electronic, with reflective synths and nimble leads making for a minimalistic workout. There is then a shadowy but dynamic dub vibe to 'Sacred Night' before 'Roaming' rives this EP home with a mix of deft sound designs and pillow dub drums. It's brilliantly introspective.
General Electrik meets Andy Rantzen - "Leather Lover" (5:50)
Jandy Rainbow & Adrenalentil - "I Will Go" (7:19)
Sobriquet - "Is This Your First Time?" (Artificial remix) (4:03)
Blimp - "Yellowgold" (4:33)
Inner Harmony - "Da Lub Club" (3:03)
Maroochy Barambah - "Mongungi" (dance mix) (6:39)
Third Eye - "Behold The Angel Of Frequency" (5:08)
Tetrphnm - "Track 11" (3:59)
Screensaver - "Eliminated" (3:55)
Review: Efficient Space's latest essential release sees Andras and Instant Peterson take a trawl through the darker, lesser-visited corners of Australian electronic music. According to the label, the pair lifted material from "local 12" singles, CD-Rs and the archives of community radio station 3RRR FM". Highlights come thick and fast throughout, from the acid-flecked, "Nude Photo" style Detroit fun of FSOM's "Resist The Beat" and chiming, trumpet-laden bliss of Ian Eccles-Smith's "The Slaughtering Eye", to the jaunty, mid-90s New York style bounce of Blimp's "Yellowgold" and the ultra-deep ambient techno pulse of Tetrphnm's "Track 11". Check, too, the enveloping dreaminess of Screensaver's drifting ambient closer, and the jazzy dancefloor depth of Inner Harmomy's "Da Lub Club".
Review: The Mysticisms label welcomes Coral D aka Duncan Stump for a debut outing here that marks the first new music to be part of the ongoing and most excellent Dubplate series. This artist has a long history of crafting "deep dub electronic swing" in his roles in Mock & Toof, FX Mchm and his 6000 Degrees project. This one finds him bringing some dub reggae influences as 'Dissolves' is built on a chugging rhythm with smeared chords. 'DR 55' is then a masterfully laidback digi-dub groove that warps space and time and so leaves you utterly hypnotised.
Dim Dim (Melchior Productions LTD Reconstruction) (6:55)
Redeem (Soulphiction Reconstruction) (7:48)
Stabilize (Leonel Castillo Reconstruction) (7:38)
Stabilize (Mark & Matt Thibideau Reconstruction) (7:22)
Review: Sushitech presents the last part of its 15th anniversary reissues series. Timeless reworks of Paul St. Hilaire & Rhauder's now classic 2018 release 'Reconstructed', featuring legendary producers such as Rominimal heroes Amorf who provide a typically hypnotic reinterpretation of Control, Dutch minimal house maestro Ion Ludwig retains the dubby elements of the original on his rework of 'Stabilized' and likewise Steve O'Sullivan remains in glacial and cavernous territory on another sublime perspective of 'Control'. Elsewhere, Thomas Melchior serves up a typically arcane venture into the deep on his version of 'Dim Dim', while the much missed Soulphiction provides the perfect majestic backdrop for St. Hilaire's amazing vocals play centre stage on his version of 'Redeem'.
Hidden Sequence - "Synapse" (Bluetrain Special edition dub) (8:55)
Review: Dub techno don Steve O'Sullivan's Mosaic label is back with a new dubs series and vol 1 kicks things off with a real doozy on lovely red wax. The boss himself offers up a Bluetrain special edition dub of Hidden Sequence's 'Synapse' which is all icy lines and liquid rhythms which make you think of some frozen lake on a misty morning. Sub Basics (Temple of Sound, Lion Charge Records) opens up with a fresh dub laden track with rippling chords, tons of echo and rolling drums on 'Quarters.' Both are timeless dub outings, as you would expect from this label.
Review: Deepchord label co-founder Mike Schommer is lesser known than his partner Rod Modell, but this new EP on Greyscale could well even things out a little. His third solo EP is a tender dub techno lullaby with distinctive vocals from Milly James. On "Come Home," the dubbed out chords ripple to infinity while James' angelic vocal lingers long in the air above, then "Breathe" slows things right down to a crawl for even deeper listening. "Cut You Down" is impressively cavernous then Deepchord remixes "Breathe" into a frosty and late night roller.
Review: SIT, short for Sideways Invisibility Theory, is the collaborative project of Vlad Caia and Cristi Cons. As two scene leaders of the Romanian minimal phenomenon, both artists have proven over many years to have a unique vision for creativity and fresh approaches in what can be a homogenised scene. Of their many achievements, on their Amphia label as much as elsewhere, this album on Sushitech stands as one of their finest moments. As with all the best Romanian minimal, it's also still hotly in demand, making it a welcome addition to Sushitech's 15th anniversary pressing marathon. From dub tech laced rollers to gossamer-light trippers, this is the classiest end of the minimal tech house game from two artists with the vision to push things a little bit further.
Review: After an impressive outing on this label last time out with 'Ripples,' the enigmatic Wallace is back with a red hot follow up, 'Papertrip.' This one has club hit written all over it once more and previous tunes of his have been much the same with big plays from the likes of Gilles Peterson, Palms Trax and Hunee. The title track opens up with an ascending lead synth line and old school Chicago house drums. 'Bb' then brings a little infectious garage skip to the dancefloor and on the flip, 'The Function' pairs it back to deft drum loops and smeared pads and an infectious rhythm. 'Backwaters' closes down with some dubby out and float beats run through with fuzzy dub chords and some molten synth melodies.
Review: Originally released back in 2009, Amsterdam scene stalwart Patrice Baumel's anthem "Roar" now gets a - pardon the pun - roaring main room rework (featuring one massive drop!) by Hamburg's favourite sons Adana Twins - hot off their latest Watergate Mix. This is the first EP stemming from the mix itself, and could easily be the standout track off the compilation. On the flip is the adrenalised and mesmerising dancefloor drama of "Aufstand Der Massen" which has already been in constant rotation with heavy hitters like Solomun and Tale Of Us.
Review: Waage is a firm favourite amongst dub techno fans. The Icelandic producer has long been turning out icy and atmospheric rollers for the heads and here he works alongside a fresh name, Quantal, who is sure to go on to big things. Here they land on Thule Records, a legendary label in its own right with roots going back to 1995. They kick off with the textured dub of 'WQ1' which has glitchy sounds paying over the rolling drums. 'WQ2' is much more smooth and streamlined, with an underwater current that sweeps you off your feet, then 'WQ3' leans into the wind with hypnotic techno drums and vamping chords that melt the mind. Last of all comes 'WQ4', a timeless dub with infinite horizons and the most frictionless drum loops.
Review: Coming in hot after last year's Pura Lempuyang compilation is this new two part 12" offering up cuts from it on limited edition turquoise wax. Dib kicks off with 'Cieloterra' which is a devilishly deep and dubby techno cut with fizzing synths running across its face. Federsen is much more smooth and silky with liquid pads and a sublime sense of frictionless groove to his 'Random Motion' while Grad U offers more heavy and stumbling dub quakes on 'From The Shadows.' Last of all is Altone's 'Emergent Structure,' a lush minimal excursion with deft hits and feathery pads over sublime drums.
Review: Ohm and Octal Industries debuted on this label to great acclaim back in 2022 and now they're back on Lempuyang with Northwest Passage, a first album-length collaboration. This double 12" continues with their themes of failed arctic explorations and mythological creatures and, after 12 previous outings together, might be their best work yet: the sounds are mature and powerful, bleak yet deep. Dubbed-out chords roll to infinite horizons, frozen tundras are detailed with wispy melodies and pulsing, supple techno both soothes the soul and gets the head nodding. This is more stylish, subversive and superbly executed electronic music.
Review: The second release on Lempuyang comes courtesy of Tomoki Tsukamoto. In the late 90s Tomoki put out releases on Gez Varley's G Records, i220, and of course ran his own Metrojuice Records imprint; putting out some of the most sought-after deep & dubby techno records under his alias W-Moon. After a hiatus of over 20 years he now returns with four new tracks under his own name, still retaining that deep signature sound.
Review: Odopt have been responsible for some serious, sinewy heaters on labels like Born Free, 777 and Discos Capablanca. That should give you some idea of the kind of sonic sphere they operate in - rugged hardware house with a wavey bite and a playful instinct. It makes total sense then to see them sidle up to [Emotional] Especial with this four-tracker of surefooted deviant dance. 'A14' opens up proceedings on an ominous bassline and plenty of mechanical grind, while 'Keylat' jacks things up a smidge while resolutely wallowing in the muck of Odopt's studio practices. 'Sample Commerce Shot' is the catchiest cut on the record, riding a slinky beat and featuring a powerful lead hook that sounds beamed in from somewhere in a distant galaxy. 'Holy Motor$' finishes the record off on another brooding, death disco groover, bringing things full circle with the nocturnal offerings of 'A14'.
Review: Lempuyang makes it to release number 15 with a devastatingly deep new EP from Deepchord Records co-founder Mike Schommer. He kicks off with 'Scapegoat' featuring the alluring vocals of Milly James which echo out over super slow-motion dub rhythms and icy pads. The Pole rework brings more crisp hits and distant eerie drones over a more pronounced rhythm but one that remains devilishly sparse. On the flip, 'Deceivers' has more hypotonic drive - a fleshy dub stepper to lock in any 'floor and then 'Believers' slows it down to a crawl once more. An essential dub EP that promises no represses.
Review: Hidden Sequence return to lempuyang for the first in a two part release, collaborating with Milly James. The first 12" features original vocal versions of 'Legends' and 'All I Need', presented alongside a reduced dub and a beautiful, summer-ready deep house-tinged remix from HS captain Paul Simmons.
Review: Hidden Sequence have appeared on legendary dub techno label Mosaic in fine form of late and now they land on the Lempuyang imprint with four more serene fusions. Their Theories of Time EP opens up with the swaggering dub rhythms and bottomless depths of 'Distortion', a cut as heady as they come. 'Travelling,' as the title suggests, has a deeper rolling groove and more movement to it as it snakes through underwater dub caverns. Flip it over for more widescreen and serene explorations of the ocean floor with 'Shift' and mysterious leads of 'Delay' which is a fourth and final frictionless dub dream.
Review: Last year's superb Pura Lempuyang album has been pulled apart and served up on a couple of separate 12"s and this is the second one. It comes on limited turquoise vinyl and offers four cuts of stylish deep dub and techno. Fletcher's 'It's A Virtue' goes first with taught, twanging bass and grubby basslines then Mike Schommer's 'Kingmaker' offers liquid dub funk with watery pads and hissing static. Nicolas Barnes picks it up a little with a darker but still warm dub techno roller in 'Sonic Dial' and Redrop's 'Genesis' is the more driving of the lot but again exists right on the ocean floor.
Review: Soft Traffic is an alias for a well-known digi-dub producer who recently turned heads with an outing on Made Mecum. Now they land on the mighty Sushitech with a super limited, hand-stamped 12" featuring Prince Morella. It opens up with the silky smooth 'Meltem I', a liquid dub techno roller with chords rippling out to an infinite horizon as vocal muttering up top heighten the immersive trip. Part II is more icy and underwater, with rhythmic synth undulations and smooth-as-silk drum rotations locking you into a meditative state. Last of all is part III, an ambient sounds scape with subtly suggestive rhythms as you float in an underwater cavern. Classy stuff.
Review: SND & RTN brings it home on this new 12" for Lempuyang that explores their signature techno depths. 'Palantir' opens with fathoms-deep dub and ice-cold synths that snake their way over the face of the track, while 'Hyperdrive' has rumbling chords and smeared pads that keep you on the ocean floor and 'Dub Conjurer' allows in a little more light from the surface with delicate shards piercing the murk. 'Tales From The Outer Rim' shuts down with a nice gentle rhythm that undulates beneath rippling pad work and works well as perfect early evening warm up.
Where's Your Love Gone? (DJ Slyngshot remix) (7:22)
Where's Your Love Gone? (Synthapella mix) (5:23)
Review: DJ/producer Philip Lauer from Frankfurt has teamed up with Berlin vocalist Dena to create a modern take on Julie Stapleton's soulful house classic, containing multiple versions. Lauer's Hotel Lauer EP on Especial in 2016 cemented his position in the scene, with albums for Permanent Vacation and Running Back. Dena, born in Bulgaria and raised in Berlin, has released electronic dance-pop stylings on Kitsune Music and K7. The EP features a Club Mix, a Demo Mix, a deep tech remix by DJ Slyngshot, and a drifting Balearic version for late summer nights and dawn.
Review: Novel Sound main man Levon Vincent returns to follow up a slew of releases this year, namely the terrific Enchanted Cosmos EP from a few months ago. On the A side of this one, you have the emotive and contemplative deepness of 'Julius Cease ' and its utterly hypnotic melody playing centre stage. Turn over to hear the dense bass and stirring drums on the sweaty basement jam 'Years Of Your Life' that's definitely on a vibe not too dissimilar from his 2009 classic 'Double Jointed Sex Freak'.
Review: Steve O'Sullivan returns to Phonogramme Records with his latest EP, Tribal Dubs, a strong three-track offering that exemplifies his mastery of deep grooves and atmospheric textures. Building on the success of his debut on the label, O'Sullivan reaffirms his position as a leading figure in the techno scene with this mesmerising release. The EP's title track, 'No Aura,' sets the tone with its hypnotic rhythms and immersive soundscapes, while 'We Got Dis' on Side 2 delivers a deep, looped tech-house burner that is both hypnotic and irresistibly funky. Closing the EP is 'Tribal Dub,' a sultry and deep exploration of dub-infused house music that further showcases O'Sullivan's talent for pushing boundaries while maintaining his signature style.With Tribal Dubs, Steve O'Sullivan demonstrates once again why he is regarded as one of techno's most respected artists, delivering an exceptional release.
Review: Apoena is the alias of Henrique Casanova, a DJ and producer from Brazil who heads up Allnite Music which presents his latest effort titled Oceanos Extintos. The mesmerising dub tech house of opener 'Eu Lembro' calls to mind classic Thibideau brothers, leading in to the frozen borders of the title track which will engulf you in its cavernous sound. Over on the flip, the steely and pummelling 'Trabalho Bracal' is by far the fiercest cut on offer, and the collaboration with Zenta Skai 'Fosseis' takes a u-turn on this trippy and contemplative electro jam.
Review: Over the last few years, Andrea Mancini has released many fine records as Cleveland, most of which offer a trademark take on techno and tech-house laden with interesting sounds, tribal percussion, and notable nods to British bass music. It's a hugely attractive formula all told, and one he further explores on Golem, the Luxembourg-born producer's second EP for Kalahari Oyster Cult. Each of the three original tracks on show has its own unique flavour, from the out-there, intergalactic post dubstep techno of 'Trullo', and the sunrise-ready futurist techno voodoo of 'Forest', to the Livity Sound-in-space brilliance of 'Golem'. Label-mate Junes does a great job remixing the latter track, with his impressive version thrillingly joining the dots between hypnotic tech-house, broken techno and creepy breakbeat.
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