technoREVIEWS Marco Bernardi
The Burning Love Ensemble Clone Royal Oak
Delta Funktionen
Traces Delsin
9.0
‘Traces’ sees Niels Luinenberg finally fulfill the promise that he had hinted at on earlier releases. The sound is more mature and polished with ‘Frozen Land’, delivering eerie synths over breaking electro drums and on ‘Utopia’ mixing mysterious Drexciyan melodies with jacking percussive techno. There’s no danger of Luinenberg disappearing down an abstract cul de sac, as the banging acid of ‘Redemption’ demonstrates. Despite this, the release’s highlight is ‘On A Distant Journey’, where dreamy melodies are supported by shuffling electro drums.
Sanys
Forward Thinking Logic Downfall Theory
8.5 There’s nothing like the unpredictable crash of analogue snare drums to jolt digital-weaned listeners out of their torpor. It’s exactly for this reason that the latest jam from Russian producer Sanys makes for such a fresh departure. The title track sees a discordant, drummy rhythm house warm keys and jarring riffs, while ’Front Row’” features an even rawer take on the sound, as shuffling, grimy drums provide the basis for an enveloping Basic Channel-style chord sequence. Seek out Sanys if you’re looking for genuinely edgy techno.
Amir Alexander
Gutter Flex Argot 7.5
Argot is brought to you by the people who run the excellent Chicago-based Little White Earbuds site. It’s no surprise, then, that its debut outing draws on the city’s house legacy. Unlike most Windy City obsessives
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however, Alexander mainly focuses on deep house. This is evident on the title track with its dreamy chords, sensuous vocal and rolling drums, or with the spooky, reflective sounds of ”’Mystical Eroticism’”. But Alexander is also conscious of Chicago’s seedier underbelly, which he brings to bear on the muscular bass and flailing drums of ‘Dark Dirt’.”
Chicago Shags
The Family Album MOS 8.5
Legowelt and Orgue Electronique’s side project always brings out their musical leanings and ‘Family Album’ is no exception. ‘Firetruck Sunday’ features doubled-up drums and irresistible cowbells, and ‘Pancake Breakfast’ sees a pulsing bass support eerie Detroit synths and dramatic strings. But it’s the basslines which really impress here; ‘Ponderosa’ offers a heart-stopping combination of purring low-end and soaring strings and ‘To The Westfield’ sees the duo retreat to the bleeding bass of early Chicago with unmissable results.
Floorplan
Altered Ego M Plant 8.5
Fans of ‘Minimal Nation’ may possibly recoil in horror at the prospect of ‘Ego’. Like previous Floorplan releases, Hood has gone in a housey direction, with stuttering vocals sprayed over spiky percussion, yet the ominous, churning chords are a reminder of his penchant for fury. ‘Confess’ will completely throw his devotees however, as it features uplifting rave pianos merged with a thumping drum track.
8.0 Bernardi has been quiet lately, but this release shows that he’s adept at blurring the boundaries between electro and techno. ‘Days Gone By’ is an evocative affair that features the sad and dreamy synths of Detroit fused with a moody electro bass and infectious cowbells. ‘La Montagne Des Reves’ is more techno-focused, as an ominous bass provides the basis for layers of melancholic synths. The title track sees a fresh stylistic departure, with Bernardi dropping a jacking rhythm and building riffs that create an intoxicating effect.
ROD
HGB/DTC EP CLR
8.0
On his latest outing for CLR, Benny Rodrigues exceeds his own high standards. Reminiscent of ‘90s minimalism, both tracks feature razor-sharp metallic percussion riding linear rhythms. Apart from a one-note stab on ‘HGB’ and a noisy, filtered breakdown on ‘DTC’, there’s not much else going on with either track. However, it’s Rodrigues’s ability to make a few basic sounds so compelling through his deft arranging that really impresses.
Samuli Kemppi & Juho Kusti
Deep Space Helsinki 01 Deep Space Helsinki
8.0
Inspired by the radio show of the same name, Finnish duo Kemppi & Kusti decided to set up their own label. Available in a limited vinyl edition, ‘01’ showcases Kemppi’s unique take on minimalism. ‘Vast’ is a stripped-back affair with water- dripping bleeps and an understated backing, while ‘Void’ is more intense; it starts off with a reverberating groove that gradually builds and builds into a buzzing climax. Kusti is a production newbie, but the rattling hats and malevolent bass on ‘They Drive By Night’ suggests that he is a force to be reckoned with.
VC-118A
International Airlines Lunar Disko 7.5
‘Airlines’ by Dutch artist VC- 118A marks a departure for the always excellent Lunar Disko. It starts with the grungy techno of ‘Deploys’ before moving into the hyper-rhythms and eerie synths of ‘Thrusters’. Once up in the air, the journey veers into dreamy synth reveries.
www.djmag.com Lee Holman
Kawl 4.0 Kawl 7.0
Irish producer Holman unleashes a monster club track on ‘Kawl 4.0’, its loose beats underpinning a rough, raw filter. The rest of the release is more diverse and ‘4.1’ is a dark and slinky groove, while ‘4.2’ and ‘4.3’ feature broken beats and moody pulses.
Motor featuring Martin Gore Man Made Machine (Planetary Assault
Systems Remix) CLR 7.0
On paper, Slater remixing Motor sounds destined to be a big room affair, but the reality is different. There’s no doubting its dancefloor appeal, but the pointillist tones and sparse percussion make the remix Slater’s most understated bomb.
RICHARD BROPHY,
richardbrophy@gmail.com
QUICKIES Poisson Chat
Terra Incognita Poisson Chat Musique 7.0
Berlin-based Poisson Chat is influenced by his surroundings and the title track and ‘Ray Manta’ are gentle explorations of Basic Channel’s sound. But there is more going on here than cookie cutter dub techno and ‘Dance With The Sharks’ is a mysterious sounding electronic arrangement.
Semtek
Bento Awkward Moments 7.0
‘Bento’ is a killer raw groove from UK producer Semtek; drums roll over swathes of hissing percussion and a dank acid line splutters in the background. Scott Fraser provides a suitably grungy remix.
SANYS DOWNFALL THEORY
01. ENDIAN ‘Birdhouse’ Nonplus “I was a huge Commix fan and now I’m a huge Endian fan. This track really
puts many others far behind.”
02. CASSEGRAIN & TIN MAN ‘Sear’ Killekill “It’s a cat enjoying licking its paw on a good day. Sear plays tricks with my
mind.”
03. JUNIPER ‘Jovian Planet’ Ominira “Perfect soundtrack for Saint Petersburg winter. Cold, abstract, taking no
hostages.”
04. ABDULLAH RASHIM ‘Weldiya EP’ Prologue “Lucky to catch another Abdullah Rashim record, brilliant!”
05. AMIR ALEXANDER ‘Gutter Flex’ Argot “Proper Detroit spirit. Amir knows what he is doing.”
06. THIRD SIDE ‘Unity (Steffi Remix)’ Restoration “It gives me goosebumps, it sounds like Judgement Day intro.”
07. COSMIN TRG ‘Vertigo’ 50 Weapons “Great 5am tune.”
08. GERRY READ ‘All The Time’ Fourth Wave “Basement house?! Love it!”
09. WINCENT KUNTH ‘Relove’ MDR “Melancholic old-school affair.”
10. TREVINO ‘Buried’ Naked Lunch “Trippy and so romantic. This record should have come with flowers. It is
that sweet.”
MONEYSHOT!
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