technoREVIEWS
breathless synths of ‘Subdue’ and ‘Swell’ demonstrate.
Population One
Midnight Hours Delsin 8.0
Paul Birken & Freddy Fresh
Midwest Whippersnappers Earwiggle
8.5
‘Whippersnappers’ is one of the few records that goes against the prevailing neo-industrial and retro-Detroit headwinds, and sounds all the better for it. The raw analogue techno of ‘Fate Of 38’ recalls the past glories of the mid-’90s period from which both veterans came, but it pales when played next to the gnarly acid aggression of Birken’s ‘Acid Youth Of Malibu’ and ‘Fifty Is Shifty’, where the sound of panel-beating riffs are heard over shredded electro drums. The awesome b-boy electro of Fresh’s ‘Years Back’ completes this brilliant, outsider release.
Fanon Flowers
Phenomenal Sect 8.5
Fanon Flowers is one of the most distinctive producers in techno, and ‘Phenomenal’ shows why he deserves this status. The title track is a spacious groove, its cavernous size hosting found sounds, spiky metallic drums and those unmistakable reverberating claps. By contrast, the Substance take is more subdued, but the murky sub- bass ensures that it’ll come to life on a big rig.
Kurt Baggaley
Natural Phases The Bohemian Club 8.0
Readers with long memories will recall that Baggaley, along with Carl Finlow, was at the forefront of the UK’s electro sound a decade ago — but after great releases as Scape One, suddenly disappeared. ‘Phases” is the latest in a series of comeback releases and shows why his music should be held in high regard. Like Drexciya, ‘Constant
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Lockdown’ is all wiry, distended rhythms and depth-plunging subs, while ‘Particle Motion’ sees Baggaley fuse gurgling acid with shiny synths. The highlight is the title track, with esoteric melodies unfolding over brooding basslines. It’s almost like electro house never happened.
Lakker
Torann EP Blueprint 7.5
Having impressed with ‘Arc’, Dublin duo Lakker drop a follow-up on James Ruskin’s label that’s just as off-centre. ‘Torann’ is the Irish word for ‘noise’, and the release lives up to this description: ‘Mustard Crying’ revolves around jarring, claustrophobic beats and a resonating vocal sample, and ‘One Note’ is dense broken beats and atonal sounds. In their own way, Lakker also rock the dancefloor — and the oppressive bass and filtered hooks of ‘Ciar’ and the eerie string- led soundscapes and rickety rhythm of ‘Summer Rains’ mark them out as unwitting techno heroes.
Obsolete Music Technology
Metropolitan View Dolly 8.0
Steve Tang is one of the most underrated techno producers, and ‘View’ is a stunning articulation of his talents. Like Aroy Dee, Tang is adept at joining the dots between the rawer end of Chicago jack and deep Detroit sounds — and the title track is a perfect example; doubled- up, reverberating claps underpin dramatic string swoops, and the end result is radically different to most retro-indebted records. ‘Inflection Point’ is moodier thanks to a brooding bassline, but Tang is never too far from melodies, as the
After a long hiatus, Detroit producer Terrence Dixon has returned with a great new album and a series of EPs. Unlike ‘Future 2’, ‘Hours’ is less intricate and focused squarely on the dancefloor. The title track is a slamming affair, its pacy rhythm housing malevolent synths and the kind of visceral bass Mathew Jonson would conjure up if he was a true bad-ass. ‘Two Sides To Every Story’ is more musical, but its rolling groove proves that the esoteric Dixon can slam it with the best of them.
Shadows
Where Is The Only Light Avian 7.0
‘Light’ is a strong contender for the title of 2012’s scariest techno record. The title track centres on a booming, aggressive bassline and screeching, jarring riffs. The tempo and intensity sounds like a juggernaut careering into a wall on an alpine motorway at 200 miles an hour. ‘Distorted Images’ is cut from a similarly industrial sound, but the rhythm is stepping, which softens the blow when the waves of electronic noise kick in. If you’re still standing after that, you’ll find solace in Mike Parker’s acid-soaked bleepy take on ‘Images’.
Vertical 67
Craic Memories Lunar Disko 7.5
With releases by Submersible Machines and VC-118a to its credit, Lunar Disko is adept at cultivating new talent. The same can be said about ‘Craic Memories’. ‘In Space’ and the title track see this Berlin- based producer make a valiant effort at uniting hissing percussive jack with eerie Drexciyan synths and squelchy bass licks. But neither can compare to ‘Mutuality’, where a soulful vocal emerges through a pulsing, synth-heavy disco groove.
Xosar
Nite Jam Rush Hour 8.5
Legowelt’s other half delivers her most impressive release so far. ‘Elixir Of Dreams’ is sensuous deep house, featuring a phased vocal snaking in and out of the rich keys. The title track is the most impressive cut, with Xosar fashioning a skeletal rhythm and warm bass to the kind of shimmering chord sequence Sean Deason used to excel at.
www.djmag.com POISSON CHAT POISSON CHAT MUSIQUE
01. MR. YT ‘Fragments’R & S “Collection of techno tracks released at the end of the ‘90s. Between John Beltran,
Underground Resistance and St Germain, with a UK touch, by a Japanese artist.”
02. POLAR INERTIA‘Parallel Transport’ Dement3d Records “Amazing electric track. 11 minutes of pure ionic immersion!”
03. ZADIG‘Hidden/Maniac Mansion’ Syncrophone “Two really heavy tracks which drive me crazy. Abstract, with a killer instinct a la Mike
Parker on Hidden; stripped-down with a male voice on ‘Maniac Mansion’. Unmissable.”
04. MARCELUS‘Suspension’ Tresor “909 and melancholia performed in a minimal and intimate way, perfectly executed. I
love all of his releases and remixes. Very exciting artist.”
05. DELTA FUNKTIONEN‘Utopia’ Delsin Records “The journey of a space delivery-alien who travels from planet to planet in a universe
of love.”
06. CLARO INTELECTO‘Voyeurism’ Delsin “Superb track. Dark, mysterious, nocturnal, and very cinematic — dive into it!”
07. VERCETTI TECHNICOLOR‘L’Incubo Senza Fine’ Giallo Disco “Horror disco track, neo-retro, dirty, with a groovy melancholia from an Italian
newcomer. Not too dark, just serious and emotional, as I like.”
08. CONFORCE‘24 (Gesloten Cirkel Remix)’ Clone Basement Series “After his monster ‘Yamagic’ last year, he’s back in 2012 for a combination of a nostal-
gic and minimal mood, with raw rhythms. A great and unique style.”
09. LEGOWELT ‘You Can Fly Away From The Hoods’ Legowelt “One of the most direct, powerful and deep tracks from the legendary and prolific
Danny Wolfers, a true contemporary master. Lots of respect to the man!”
10. S U R V I V E‘Scalar Wave’ Mannequin “A weird album from Texas, USA. I haven’t bought it for the Italo/electro stuff, but for
the ambient tracks and especially this one, very deep, mental and progressive.” DJ Yoav B
Energize Delsin 7.0
This is a timely reissue by Delsin of classic Yoav B material. ‘Gemini’ is reminiscent of Redshape at his rawest, as grimy acid unfolds over shuffling drums, but it can’t compare to the eerie synths and arcing 303s of ‘Energize’.
Marco Shuttle
There’s No Point Eerie 7.0
Eerie is a suitable name to release Shuttle’s latest output. The title track is a stripped-back, subtle techno groove, augmented by acidic warble and a powerful bass. ‘That’s The Point’ is cut from a similar cloth, its heavy drums and powerful filters creating a mysterious sound.
RICHARD BROPHY,
richardbrophy@gmail.com QUICKIES
Markus Suckut/ Marcelus
Broken/Warhead Repitch 7.5
Two fast-rising European techno stars showcase their talents. Suckut drops a malevolent bass underpinned by thundering claps, but it can’t compare to Marcelus’ ‘Warhead’, where splintered percussion is fused with the kind of demented organ playing that only Rob Hood is capable of.
Yan Cook 2x2
Ann Aimee 8.0
‘Rhomb’ by this emerging Ukranian producer is a well-weighted percussive affair, but the real highlight is the title track’s stepping rhythm and insistent filters.
MONEYSHOT!
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