technoREVIEWS The Traveller
A100 EP Ostgut Ton
9.0
Rene Pawlowitz borrows the name from his second Shed album for this dynamic release. ‘Bypass’ is a dense, acid-soaked affair and ‘BER’ looks to Carl Craig at his most esoteric. But the highlight is the title track. Like the German producer’s Equalized and Wax guises, ‘A100’ borrows from old school sources. On this occasion, it’s a tightly woven percussive rhythm with a drive and bass-heavy sound redolent of classic E-Dancer.
Arttu feat Jerry The Cat
Nuclear Funk Clone Royal Oak 7.5
These remixes of Arttu will appeal to anyone who values primal beats and raucous samples. Electro dude Dexter is up first and on his take of ‘Get Up Off It’ breaks roll in, covered in grimy acid lines. A Made Up Sound is as upfront on his treatment of ‘Nuclear Funk’. A rolling groove is punctuated by broken kicks and an insistent “the funk” sample; the end result is a post-industrial Dutch take on ghetto house.
Clatterbox
Semi-Automatic Trust 8.0
David Kempston is one of the most talented electro producers. Last year’s release for Frustrated Funk rewired the roots of European electronic music and ‘Semi- Automatic’ is as intense. Over killer subs, Kempston raises hell with noisy, screeching analogue riffs but also weaves atmospheric chords into the background. ‘Hibernation’ is more visceral, with jagged metallic stabs climaxing over eerie acid patterns. The remixes are of a similar high quality; ‘Creepy Autograph’ goes for a dramatic, sweeping synth version, while Lok 44’s version is fuelled by snappy metallic rhythms.
Drexciya Journey Of The Deep Sea
Dweller 2 Clone Classic Cuts 10
Forget the hype, myth-making and techno folklore; Drexciya made some of the most inspirational electronic music of their generation, and much of it is audible here. From the abrasive analogue riffs and distorted bass of ‘High Tide’ through the mock-horror riffs on ‘Dead Man’s Reef’ to the brilliant,
080
dystopian synths of ‘Davey Jones’ Locker’, this is electro music at its best. ‘Dweller 2’ also shows Drexciya had incredible range, as evidenced on the squelchy acid funk of ‘Danger Bay’, the minimalist ‘Bang Bang’ and the unparalleled deep techno of ‘Journey Home’. Stinson is dead 10 years this year, but ‘Dweller’ is life-affirming stuff.
Forward Strategy Group
Labour Division Perc Trax 8.5
Al Matthews and Patrick Walker are known for punishing techno, but this sampler from their album casts them in a different light. The title track bristles with their trademark panel-beating drums, while the slower tempo makes for a different kind of intensity. ‘Mandate’ is a grungy broken beat affair, while ‘A Greyed Out Life’ is a beautifully spooky ambient arrangement. Perc deserves kudos for persuading Factory Floor to remix ‘Nihil Novi’, delivering tight, tense drums and mellow synths.
Lerosa
No Mad Rush Apartment
8.5 Leo Rosa is primarily known for his sensuous deep house nowadays, but he has form as an electro producer — check his work for D1 — and ‘Rush’ reveals this side to his musical character. ‘Combat’ is a deep, breaking affair, its mysterious synths unfolding over tumbling 808s, while the brilliantly reflective ‘Decisions’ follows a similar trajectory. There is also a darker side to his electro adventures and ‘Titanium’ rides a warbling bass that leads the listener into an acid-filled bunker, while ‘Slavery’, with its rolling snares and wild 303 builds, is the EP’s highlight.
R-A-G
Black Rain EP MOS Deep 7.5
Aroy Dee, G-String and Marco Spaventi fly the flag for classic electronic music on Dee’s label. ‘Black Rain (Ambient)’ is a glorious synth soundscape, revealing itself gradually, like dawn breaking over skyscrapers. The analogue mix boasts the dancefloor action and eerie synths are underpinned by a grainy, building bassline and thundering claps. ‘The Fog’ is more understated, but it also benefits from eerie synths and snare rolls.
Soul 223
Almost Like It Used To Be Delsin 7.5
The hugely talented Steve Pickton returns to techno with a heavy dose of ‘80s funk in tow. The slap bass and swirling synths on the title track call to mind wine bars, pastel chinos and the best place to enjoy dance music — in a convertable with the hood down. ‘Essex’ is also influenced by the decade that good taste forgot, featuring a warm electro funk bass and icy synths.
Various Artists
Field 07 Field 7.5
Field delivers a diverse release. Counterpart’s ‘Implements’ is a wiry minimal techno affair, its microscopic beats and jarring riffs reminiscent of classic Dan Bell. Duplex’s ‘Damn Dark Wind’ is a swirling electro rack anchored by mean bass licks and tight 808s. Conforce is let loose on it as remixer and turns it into a sexy techno groove, while Eshu’s ‘For You’ ends the release in more reflective mode as a stepping dubby rhythm houses breezy chords and warbling acid.
www.djmag.com
RICHARD BROPHY,
richardbrophy@gmail.com Abdulla Rashim
Weldiya EP Prologue 7.0
Rashim delivers some high-quality hypnotic techno for Prologue. ‘Weldiya 1’ is a rattling percussive affair, bolstered by a pulsing bass, while the second installment of ‘Welidiya’ features a fusion of eerie, dreamy chords and tunneling rhythms.
Christopher Rau & Moomin
A Place At Night Slim Audio 7.5
The title track is all heavy claps and swooning chords as the duo craft a classy deep house groove. Oliver Deutschmann’s version adds some bugged-out acid, while those who appreciate dark, droning techno will favour Milton Bradley’s take on ‘Tourist Crap’.
QUICKIES Reggie Blount
Shining Star Clone Crown Ltd
7.5 As ever, Clone doesn’t disappoint when it comes to cosmic electro funk. ‘Hey’ is based on dreamy synths and a sexy slap bass, while ‘Racecar’ is an earthier affair. Best of all, though, are the melodic Italo synths on the title track.
Suum Cuique
Ascetic Ideals Modern Love 8.0
Miles Whittaker takes a break from Demdike Stare to deliver ‘Ideals’, a collection of brooding soundtracks. Some arrangements, like ‘Atlas Levels’ and ‘Kuiper Anomaly’, have a glitchy, noisy feeling, but the standout track is the resonating, throbbing pulses of ‘Intonation’.
FORWARD STRATEGY GROUP SMEAR 01. PARANOID LONDON FEAT MUTADO PINTADO‘Eating
Glue’ Paranoid London “Guitar amp acid house with a relentless bassline.”
02. RTX ‘A Medication’ Deeply Rooted House “Taut, tense, angular acid, replete with melting strings.”
03. WERNER NIEDERMEIER ‘Sub Culture (Praktika Mix)’ Broque “The most brilliantly strange thing I’ve heard in ages.”
04. SUNIL SHARPE ‘Roki’Works The Long Nights “Clubby chord-driven techno + blood-curdling screams = one for the ladies.”
05. NCW‘Panther’ Apartment “NCW makes everything sound slightly disturbed, even smooth loungey piano
house.”
06. PERC ‘Boy’ Perc Trax “Unpleasant, sub-heavy, searing racket poorly disguised as 2007 electro-house.”
07. ALEX CORTEX ‘B’ MNX “Cheap and obnoxious bleeping blends into smacky deep house over 12 minutes,
in a good way.”
08. SP-X ‘Attack Pattern’ Komisch “Meaty number, skippy percussion, always delivers.”
09. SANYS ‘Ice VII’ Downfall Theory “Throbbing, rasping, lo-fi analogue techno.”
10. NEUROPOLITIQUE ‘Mind You Don’t Trip’ NRK Music “Overlooked classic from 1990. Noisy braindance (‘brain’ the verb, not the noun).”
MONEYSHOT!
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