QUICKIES TECHNOREVIEWS
Anno Stamm
Fragments A All City 7.0
Deranged broken techno is on offer from Berlin producer Lars Stowe. ‘I Still Have the Photographs’ and ‘Purple Clouds’ mix offbeat drums with deep synths, while the dark bass and whiplash percussion of ‘A Triangular Patch Of Lip’ is an unconventional banger.
Herva
What I Feel EP Delsin 7.0
Delsin veers into the dreamy and abstract here. ‘Crocodile Tears’ is a skipping groove populated by ghostly vocals; the skewed percussion and dreamy textures of ‘Gorilla’s Machine’ also house eerie vocals, while
‘Paranoid Thinking’ is a straighter filter track. Mystica Tribe
Flowers Syncom Data 7.0
This Dutch label is renowned for its unconventional approach, but ‘Flowers’ excels at weirdness. Dubbed- out drums, wired acid lines and mellow jazzy tones prevail throughout, with the live instrumentation of ‘Moon & Stone’ impressing the most.
Various
Lost Archives 2 Indigo Area 7.5 The ‘Archives’ series brings obscure releases to the fore, like the deep, breathy chords and jacking rhythm of Lion King’s ‘Makam’. However, the highlight is Pacou’s banging
Sanys
Deadly Poison Downfall Theory
9.0
Russian producer Sanys delivers his most impressive release to date. Like his previous output, the production is rough and ready, but there’s a powerful swing to each track. ‘Hired Guns’ is a pumping affair, powered by a grimy, acidic bass and a relentless groove. ‘Grab Them Back In’ is more stepping, as metallic drums close in on a swaggering chord sequence. Sanys shows his love of jack/ ghetto on the howling siren-led ‘Plain Rude’ and reverts to the style of ‘Hired Guns’ for the dense, intense shuffle of ‘Down & Dirty’.
Bleak
Origins Of Chaos Delsin 7.0
DEZ WILLIAMS EARWIGGLE
01. DREXCIYA ‘Journey of the Deep Sea Dweller’ Clone “So many magical musical moments on all of these remastered compilations
of the late/great Mr Stinson.”
02. BORIS NOIZ ‘Omniforma’ Yellow Machines “Loving this guy’s electro tracks a lot.”
03. THE 65D MAVERICKS ‘Estrangement of the Past’ Surface “Tense Aphex-influenced track with a big Surgeon remix.”
04. PAUL BIRKEN & FREDDY FRESH ‘Midwest Whippersnap-
pers’ Earwiggle “Two great artists, and four great tracks on one great label...”
05. VARIOUS ‘World Electronix Vol.2’ Cultivated Electronics “Another great collection of space-driven electro... love this label.”
06. NICO ‘Darkstar’ ESP Records “Classic cut... but one that deserves to be heard now!”
07. DEFEKT ‘Switch EP’ Signal Code “Slick deep electro and techno from this rising talent.”
08. KARENN ‘Sheworks004’ Works the Long Nights “Great collab work and great gritty sounds.”
09. MPIA3 ‘AVN005’ Avian “Love the label and this artist under his various aliases... slow, stomping acid
for a fog-filled club.”
10. FRANCO CANGELLI ‘Lost Conversation EP’ Mowar “Solid Detroit-edged techno with a belting Paul Mac remix.”
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With a string of releases on Deeply Rooted House to his credit, Bleak is one of the most promising new school producers. Despite this, ‘Chaos’ is a mixed offering. ‘Subject Target’ is a decent, drum- led groove, but it lacks direction and could be the work of any number of artists. ‘Sixteen Crude’ is an entirely different proposition and its wild acid line and bassy pulses build in unison, eventually reaching a euphoric climax.
Dez Williams
The Angel Maker EP Earwiggle 8.5
Williams maintains a low profile, refusing to engage with ‘the industry’, but as this release for Sunil Sharpe’s Earwiggle demonstrates, he is a diverse, talented producer. Both ‘Untitled Acid 6’ and ‘Freedom’ use
combined shock tactics of dense, noisy drums underpinning grimy acid and insistent vocal loops. For this writer, however, Williams is more effective when using stealth. ‘Courtesy Call’ is a seductive electro roller, while ‘Underground Persistent’ uses a hypnotic acid line that dives headlong into a sea of blissed-out synths.
Fanon Flowers
Phenomenal Sect 8.5
Kalamazoo producer Flowers is one of techno’s unsung heroes, steadily releasing deep but dancefloor-friendly grooves for the past 15 years. He deploys his usual approach on ‘Phenomenal’, with a surging bassline and tingling percussion providing the basis for a building chord sequence, a simple-but-hugely- effective combination. Sect have rather wisely commissioned Substance for a remix, with the Berliner’s version focusing on a massive off-centre bassline and some subtle, dubbed-out effects.
Ike Release
Dream Sequencer EP MOS Deep 8.5
So many contemporary house producers strive but fail to reach the place Ike Release inhabits on ‘Sequencer’. ‘Westview’ is the most conventional track on offer, with its jacking rhythm and heavy claps underscoring churning synth lines and a pirouetting acid line. Release gets more intense on ‘Spells’, its clipped drums and hissing percussion providing the basis for a surging wall of acid- coated bass, but the undisputed
www.djmag.ca
RICHARD BROPHY,
richardbrophy@gmail.com
highlight is the raw beats and hardcore-evocative synths of ‘Cosmic Supreme’.
Legowelt Elements Of Houz Music
(Actress Remixes) Clone 8.5
Actress delivers the most bizarre- but-brilliant remix package of one of the standout cuts from Legowelt’s recent LP. ‘Mix 1’ sees the UK producer fuse shuffling, offbeat rhythms and insistent bleeps with Legowelt’s evocative synths. It’s on the second mix that things take a weird turn though; it sounds like Actress has slowed down the tempo of the first version, with the result that the beats sound gloopy and a dreamy vibe prevails. Odd but strangely endearing.
Samuel Kerridge
Waiting For Love 1-4 Downwards 8.5
This is only Kerridge’s second release, which is hard to believe, given how well-rounded it sounds. Focusing on lower tempos, he creates an inspired combination of powerful sub bass and haunting, atmospheric textures. Noisy, crackling interference dominates ‘1’, and ‘2’ is more menacing thanks to its grubby bass and monochrome sounds. ‘3’ sees him raise the tempo, but the funereal beats are better suited to a cemetery than a club, while ‘4’ is all about the chilling string sequence.
The Third Man
Double Dawn EP EPM
8.5
A taster for his new album, Toby Leeming maps out an alluring vision of Detroit and Chicago on ‘Double Dawn’. The title track bristles with raw, noisy drums, a cheeky vocal sample and some gloopy acid licks. John Heckle ups the ante on his remix, dropping ferocious snares and a far more abrasive version of the original track’s acid line. By comparison, the Claro Intelecto remix sounds relatively sedate, but its metallic drums and dreamy chords are worth a listen.
XDB
Frocks Sistrum 8.0
Patrice Scott’s label has been synonymous with atmospheric house and techno, but here it veers in a different direction. ‘Frocks’ is a droning, pulsing groove, housing incomprehensible
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