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ALBUMSREVIEWS 7.0


Paul Kalkbrenner Guten Tag Paul Kalkbrenner Musik Average Tag


It’s been a little over 12 months since Berliner Paul Kalbrenner released his last full-length. In that time, he has secured his position as something of an electronic megalith across Europe. In place of playing club shows and festivals, the man with 15 years of experience behind him now headlines sell-out stadium shows on a rock music scale, and the music he makes has appropriated itself to that fact, it seems. ‘Guten Tag’ is a heavily synthetic techno- cum-electro album that pairs slick production with plenty of hands-in-the- air moments. Every surface is shiny and polished, from the intricate percussion to the tightly coiled drums, and it all races along at a fairly sweaty lick. The clean and ethereal melodies loom large throughout, suitably sizeable as to hook on tens of thousands of ravers in some huge open-air venue, but away from that setting, ‘Guten Tag’ becomes an average offering. Kristan J Caryl


Nosaj Thing Home Innovative Leisure Los Angeles chimes


Jason Chung soared above the pretenders with his debut ‘Drift’ three years back. Lumped in with the LA beat scene (the likes of Flying Lotus, Gaslamp Killer, Ras G), his work as Nosaj Thing attained cult status, its time-displacing, emotionally affecting beatscapes marking him out as a unique producer not pinned down by filial or stylistic loyalties. But it’s ‘Home’ that really ought to win him the limelight. Roaming further afield, ‘Eclipse’ features super-cool indie figurehead Kazu Makino of Blonde Redhead, a sad-eyed hyperballad of 4/4 drums, interwoven synths and acoustic guitars. ‘Tell’ shows Chung’s been looking to London (or maybe NYC’s Falty DL?) for inspiration, its gorgeous conflation of understated two-step garage and Aphex Twin sonics marking a production master-craftsman. Elsewhere, its lush, low-key electronics tip a wink to Warp and Planet Mu at their height.Ben Murphy


8.0


quIckIES


Crystal Ark Crystal Ark DFA 8.0


Not losing edge


Crystal Ark is a collaborative project with synth-genius Gavin Russom and multidisciplinary performance artist Viva Ruiz at its centre. No wheels have been re- invented here, but who’s gonna complain when Afro-Latin percussion is blended with electronics and haphazard vocals in a sexy, suave punk- funk way that’s so New York? Not us. Zara Wladawsky


Indoor Life Indoor Life Compost Curated 8.0


Punk-funk revisited


Originally released as a four-track EP in 1980, ‘Indoor Life’ takes an extended form here, cobbled as three LPs on disc one, and a back catalogue of EPs and remixes from Mathias Schlaffhäuser, Discodromo and Space Coast among others on the second. It’s the definitive work of one of NY’s early and oft- overlooked disco-punk acts. Adam Saville


Tiger Fingers Tiger Fingers HFN 6.0


Already over


Interesting electronic pop from a band you’d say were worth keeping an eye on, if they hadn’t already split up before this debut album has been released. Although when you consider that five of the 10 tracks here are versions of their ‘Little Drummer Girl’ single, it’s not like they burned themselves out with all the effort. Not grrrrr-eat, then. Paul Clarke


Jack Beats Somebody To Love Columbia/Deconstruction 6.5


Jacked up and ready 7.0


Wermonster Ghosts Move Slowly Exotic Pylon Low-end techno


More aligned to the Y3K glitch-hop of the Low End Theory scene of LA, typified by the likes of Gas Lamp and FlyLo, newbie Peter Brokenfinger brings a touch of wonk to Berlin on his debut LP. In amongst the dramatic, synth-trumpet- led trip-hop — ‘How You’ve Changed’, ‘Last Time We Spoke’ — however, the austere touch of his current home town does permeate through, with bleak, broken set piece ‘Make Sure I Can Read Your Thoughts’ and the downbeat electronica of ‘It Never Ends’. Not forgetting the sub-bass. A varied-but-balanced album that manages to keep its thread — fed with the odd warped skit and rap cameo along the way — it’s a sidewards glance at modern hip-hop from an unexpected location. More Brainfeeder than Berghain, ‘Ghosts Move Slowly’ is the learned vision of a brand-new artist. Lisa Loveday


Ray Okpara Good Times Mobilee Techno chic


Amaefule Rainer Okpara, the German- born, Nigerian-raised producer known to his mates as Ray has turned out a litany of dancefloor excellence for Anja Schneider’s Mobilee, so it feels right to have his debut set appear on her most venerable imprint. ‘Good Times’ might usher in notions of roller-discos, spandex and block parties, but this is a far more refined proposition. There’s wigging out, for damn sure, but it’s done in quite the best possible taste. Take ‘Shinigami’, dropping just before the album’s mid-point. It’s a deftly constructed thing, a totally solid loop underpinned by a humming bass and flashes of electric piano. It sounds simple. It’s not. ‘Dr Sunny’s Wisdom’ has one of those percussion sections producers dream about, ditto ‘Miami 2012’. They’ve got more swing than an Essex dinner party, while ‘Cats Love’ shows a total grasp of what makes techno techno. A stunner. Ben Arnold


056 djmag.com 8.0


The second in a series of mini-albums from Jack Beats sees the duo continuing their upfront take on beat-led bass tracks. No frills here, just a pleasing hit of straight-up colorful electro house with a big-room ethos that will no doubt find huge amounts of club airplay. Tristan Parker


Kris Menace Features Compuphonic 8.0


Synths for the win


A host of collaborators join Kris Menace for an album that sees the producer’s passion for synth-pop club vibes taken a step further, in his first vocal-led album. It’s a nostalgic, ‘80s-washed affair that bubbles with authenticity and love, including an unusually euphoric appearance from Miss Kittin. Tristan Parker


Peaking Lights Lucifer In Dub Weird World/Domino 7.5


Dub-le trouble


Peaking Lights are at their finest when they maximise the hallucinatory, fuzzed- out aspects of their already psychedelic sound. They’ve remade a version of their sophomore album ‘Lucifer’ which effectively dub-bles what they’re best at in a way that reminds us why we originally fell in love with their murkier first album. Zara Wladawsky


repeAtTHE LPS WE CAN’T LEAVE ALONE...


Legowelt The Paranormal Soul Clone 9.0


Timeless trickery from the Dutch dancefloor deviant.


Egyptian Hip-Hop Good Don’t Sleep R&S 8.5


Jingly-jangly art-pop band go DFA on debut for R&S.


Altered Natives Tenement Yard Vol. 3 Eye 4 Eye 9.0


Danny Native’s “suicide note” for his album series is a swan song with attitude.


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