RICHARD BROPHY,
richardbrophy@gmail.com
QUICKIES DRMCNT
Jin & Tronix EP Mighty Robot 8.0
This Scottish label makes a welcome return, bringing with it the acid-tinged filtered techno of DRMCNT’s ‘Default Strip’. It marks a change in the label’s direction, but electro is still represented by the clipped 808s and eerie riffs of ‘Skinner’.
Phat Chex
Paradise EP The Bohemian Club 8.0
‘Paradise’ flits between deep house, techno and electro without missing a beat. The standout tracks are ‘Sweet Cheeks’, where a humming bass unravels over shuffling drums, and ‘Inner Heartbeat’, which features a doomy low-end and eerie synths supporting chattering vocals and Big Ben chiming.
TECHNOREVIEWS Rainer Veil
Pittsburgh Track Authority
Strenf Work Them Records 8.0
The Philly act deliver a diverse release for Spencer Parker’s label. From the low-slung ‘It’s Time’ through the disco-y ‘The Standard’ and the percussive ‘Missile 1’, the highlight is the acid- fuelled title track.
Yor
Sublimation EP Purple Maze
7.5
It sounds like Yor was listening to classic disco when he was recording ‘Sublimation’. ‘Gravity’ is delivered amid the sound of rich, sensuous strings, while the title track is as spaced-out as Larry Levan after a few cups of acid punch.
Juan Atkins
Archiv 07 Tresor
9.0
No other artist can compare to Juan Atkins — and this re-issue is a reminder of why he is a unique talent. ‘I Love You’ sounds like it came from a different world, as a wiry rhythm and sci-fi synths hitch a ride together with a ponderous vocal on a bass so fathomic, it could have originated in Atlantis. Atkins also re-imagined his early release ‘Techno City’ back in 1995 and the results are still stunning, with a jerky techno rhythm providing the basis for the Detroit producer’s fleeting tones.
Black Jazz Consortium
Codes & Metaphors 3 Soul People 8.5
FADERCURLE RECORDINGS
01. ALBERT VAN ABBE ‘Sugar Lobby Series 919’ Curle Recordings “A great dancefloor track from this Dutch producer known for his No Comment
label.”
02. TRIPEO ‘First Trip A’ Tripeo “Darko Esser with banging techno on his new label.”
03. MARCEL DETTMANN ‘Push’ Ostgut Ton “One of the finest tracks to date from this friendly giant.”
04. DELANO SMITH ‘Invitation Only (Tobias.
Reconstruction)’ Pariter “I would like a Tobias. remix of every track ever made. Seriously.”
05. JONAS KOPP ‘Desire’ Curle Recordings “Forthcoming, a change from his more straightforward production.”
06. WAX ‘No. 50005 A’ Wax “Shed in a deep and dreamy mood.”
07. STL ‘Bronson’ Something “A producer with a unique sound. I buy all his records.”
08. HIVER ‘Reduced’ Vidab “Signed this Italian duo to Curle based on this, their debut EP.”
09. INIGO KENNEDY ‘Accordion’ Token “This techno veteran is always on point on Token.”
10. SAGAT ‘Few Mysteries Solved In A Year Of Contact’ Vlek “An older one, but although this was on Ben Klock’s Fabric mix, this remains a
secret weapon. And he’s Belgian.”
Fred P is one of the few producers capable of imbuing a sense of steel in his most soulful productions. On ‘Love Is Blooming’, he uses heavy claps and rolling drums to underscore the soulful vocals of Malena Perez and his own flourishing Detroit chords. ‘Even Greater’ features a similar approach, with spacey male tones set to a slamming rhythm. Meanwhile, on ‘Amazing’, Peterkin opts for a harder sound, with skipping beats and hissing hats providing the basis for arcing acid lines.
Conforce
Dilation EP Delsin 8.0
‘Dilation’ marks a shift in approach for Boris Bunnik; tougher and less dreamy than his previous Conforce releases, it looks to the sewer techno of labels like Bunker for inspiration. This is most apparent
on ‘Last Anthem’, where stomping beats and grinding drums are covered in layers of grime, and on ‘Embrace’, a darker, chord-heavy take on the Conforce sound. Despite his new-found fascination, Bunnik hasn’t completely deserted other influences, and ‘Receiver’ is a dreamy, albeit percussive, deep techno groove.
Matthias Woot
Frostmourne EP Ear To Ground 8.0
Functional techno with a difference is on offer on the latest Ear To Ground release. Woot’s ‘MWD’ is a big room affair, its slamming beats and powerful claps combining to guarantee the required effect. ‘SWD’ is more original, featuring a smart interplay between male and female vocal samples, played out over building chords, while Rebekah’s take on ‘MWD’ focuses on insistent bleeps and a precise, taut rhythm. Psyk’s version of ‘SWD’ is excellent, with dry drums and hissing hats complementing the rolling arrangement.
Notfromearth
The First Contact EP Prologue 7.5
‘Contact’ is a brave move by Prologue; instead of a typical dancefloor techno record, it flits from the jazzed-out ‘The First Contact’ into the dubbed-out ‘Time Shift Experience’ and the low tempo atmospherics of ‘The Fall On Earth’. There are some dancefloor moments, most notably on the greyscale drones of ‘Not The Same Sun’, but as ‘The Human Core’ demonstrates, even when Notfromearth reaches the dancefloor, it is guided by dreamy melodies and tribal drums.
Struck EP Modern Love 8.0
It’s fitting that UK duo Rainer Veil are releasing this EP just as My Bloody Valentine make a comeback. While it does not use swampy guitars to make an impact, the thinking behind it is similar to the world’s greatest rock band. Wrapped up in layer upon layer of electronic textures, each track on ‘Veil’ features vocals that augment the mood, be it on the haunting ‘Slow Beaming’, the spooky ‘Bala’ or the blissed-out ‘Wade In’.
Scape One
Migration AC Records 8.0
The return of Kurt Baggaley has been one of the most positive recent developments in electronic music, and on ‘Migration’ he proves why he’s held in such high regard. ‘Life System’ starts the release with breathy synth lines before ‘Vivid Construct’ goes in for the kill; brittle beats and nocturnal hooks swoop in, and when the purring bass kicks, it has all the menace of Suburban Knight. Baggaley doesn’t quite match these intensity levels elsewhere, but the ponderous title track re-affirms his mastery of the electro sound.
Trade
Sheworks05 Sheworks 8.5
This collaboration between veteran Surgeon and new gun Blawan manages to strike a near-perfect balance between current and classic nuances. ‘Half Nelson’ is clearly a compromise, with the eerie textures of ‘Force + Form’ cosying up to Blawan’s vocal samples and a storming backing track. ‘Positive Neckline’ is a modern take on classic Surgeon techno, the slamming rhythms offset somewhat by the skipping drums. Best of all, though, is ‘Touch This Skin’, where a wall of fuzzy bass drives a loose rhythm and rolling snares.
Whodat
The Recovery EP Uzuri 8.0
This London label primarily releases house, but ‘Recovery’ is such an unusual release that it deserves praise wherever possible. ‘Love 4 Koln’ is a jazz composition, featuring live bass and piano lines — ostensibly the work of V Klein and RJ Austin — over tight drums, while the Tony Cak ‘derivative’ of ‘Shut Up & Dance’ sees chiming bells cascading over off-beat drums. Whodat’s own version of ‘Shut Up ‘ is the strongest track, inhabiting a space somewhere between house, garage and techno.
djmag.com 085
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